The Heisman Trophy will be awarded Saturday, but there's plenty of other hardware to hand out in ...

<p><em>The Heisman Trophy will be awarded Saturday, but there's plenty of other hardware to hand out in the meantime. Here are the winners from the 2025 College Football Awards show:</em></p><h3>Davey O'Brien Award (best quarterback)</h3><p><strong>Winner: </strong>Fernando Mendoza, Indiana</p><p>Mendoza becomes the first Indiana player to ever win the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback. The Cal transfer was an instant star in his first season with the Hoosiers, breaking the school record with 33 touchdown passes and leading the team to a Big Ten title. Mendoza provided plenty of dramatic moments this year - including some NFL-level throws in comeback wins over Penn State and Ohio State.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p><em>Other finalists: Marcel Reed (Texas A&amp;M), Julian Sayin (Ohio State)</em></p><h3>Biletnikoff Award (best receiver)</h3><p><strong>Winner:</strong> Makai Lemon, USC</p><p>Lemon cashed in on an incredible season to become just the second USC player to win the award. The Trojans star was fourth in the nation in receiving yards and tied for sixth in touchdown grabs. He posted four games with at least 150 receiving yards - tied for most at the FBS level. </p><p><em>Other finalists: Skyler Bell (UConn), Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State)</em></p><h3>Chuck Bednarik Award (best defensive player)</h3><p><strong>Winner: </strong>Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813698/cropped_GettyImages-2250990075.jpg?ts=1765588085" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813698/w220xh124_GettyImages-2250990075.jpg?ts=1765588085 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813698/w320xh180_GettyImages-2250990075.jpg?ts=1765588085 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813698/w640xh360_GettyImages-2250990075.jpg?ts=1765588085 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813698/w768xh432_GettyImages-2250990075.jpg?ts=1765588085 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813698/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2250990075.jpg?ts=1765588085 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">John E. Moore III / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>It would take a fantastic individual season for someone to claim this award over Caleb Downs, and that's exactly what Rodriguez did in 2025. The Texas Tech star linebacker recorded 117 tackles (11 for loss), four interceptions, and one sack in 13 games en route to finishing fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting.</p><p><em>Other finalists: Caleb Downs (Ohio State), Cashius Howell (Texas A&amp;M)</em></p><h3>Doak Walker Award (best running back)</h3><p><strong>Winner: </strong>Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame</p><p>No surprise here. Love once again was a beast for Notre Dame and became the first Fighting Irish player to win this award. The star tailback rushed for 1,372 yards (6.9 per carry) and 18 touchdowns in 2025 to go along with 280 receiving yards and three TD catches. </p><p><em>Other finalists: Ahmad Hardy (Missouri), Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss)</em></p><h3>Outland Trophy (best interior lineman)</h3><p><strong>Winner: </strong>Spencer Fano, Utah</p><p>Fano came into the season with plenty of NFL buzz surrounding him and delivered all year for Utah. Fano allowed zero sacks in 382 pass-blocking snaps on the season, according to <a href="https://x.com/PFF_College/status/1999635803694334377?s=20">PFF</a>. The 6-foot-6, 302-pound junior is one of the more athletic interior linemen in the country and should be one of the top picks in April's NFL draft.</p><p><em>Other finalists: Logan Jones (Iowa), Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)</em></p><h3>Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back)</h3><p><strong>Winner: </strong>Caleb Downs, Ohio State</p><p>Downs became the third Ohio State player to be named college football's best defensive back - and no one should be surprised by it. A cornerstone of the Buckeyes' stout defensive unit, Downs was all over the field in 2025, finishing the campaign with 60 tackles (five for loss), two pass breakups, two interceptions, and one sack.</p><p><em>Other finalists: Mansoor Delane (LSU), Leonard Moore (Notre Dame)</em></p><h3>Coach of the Year</h3><p><strong>Winner: </strong>Curt Cignetti, Indiana</p><p>They might as well rename this award for Cignetti after the Indiana coach took home the honors for the second year in a row. That being said, it's tough to argue with the decision, as he helped deliver Indiana's first Big Ten title in 58 years with a win over Ohio State in the conference championship game. That victory snapped a 37-game losing streak for the Hoosiers versus the Buckeyes and secured the No. 1 seed for the College Football Playoff.</p><h3>Ray Guy Award (best punter)</h3><p><strong>Winner: </strong>Brett Thorson, Georgia</p><p>Thorson joined Drew Butler (2009) as the only Georgia punters to win the Ray Guy Award. The Australian averaged 45.2 yards per punt this season to be named the nation's most outstanding punter in his second straight year as a finalist.</p><p><em>Other finalists: Evan Crenshaw (Troy), Palmer Williams (Baylor)</em></p><h3>Lou Groza Award (best kicker)</h3><p><strong>Winner: </strong>Tate Sandell, Oklahoma</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813708/cropped_GettyImages-2248967574.jpg?ts=1765589622" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813708/w220xh124_GettyImages-2248967574.jpg?ts=1765589622 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813708/w320xh180_GettyImages-2248967574.jpg?ts=1765589622 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813708/w640xh360_GettyImages-2248967574.jpg?ts=1765589622 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813708/w768xh432_GettyImages-2248967574.jpg?ts=1765589622 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813708/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2248967574.jpg?ts=1765589622 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Brian Bahr / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Short shorts, long kicks. Sandell is the first Sooner ever to win the Lou Groza Award as the nation's best kicker after converting 23 of 24 field-goal attempts in 2025. Additionally, he didn't miss any of his 32 extra-point attempts.</p><p><em>Other finalists: Aidan Birr (Georgia Tech), Kansei Matsuzawa (Hawaii)</em></p><h3>Maxwell Award (best player)</h3><p><strong>Winner: </strong>Fernando Mendoza, Indiana</p><p>Mendoza added another major award to his outstanding 2025 season by winning the Maxwell Award after also being named the nation's top quarterback Friday. The Heisman Trophy finalist completed 71.5% of his passes for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns, the highest mark at the FBS level in 2025.</p><p><em>Other finalists: Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame), Julian Sayin (Ohio State)</em></p>

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 6: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers holds the MVP trophy after the 2025 Big Ten Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 6, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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Winners from the 2025 College Football Awards

James Madison has secured a spot in the College Football Playoff, 10-2 Notre Dame is opting to sk...

<p>James Madison has secured a spot in the College Football Playoff, 10-2 Notre Dame is opting to skip a bowl game, Utah is accepting money from a private equity firm, and Indiana stands as the best team in the country.</p><p>Yes, college football is in a weird place in 2025.</p><p>All those things register on different levels of outrageous and unbelievable, but possibly the most stunning thing from the sport this year <strong><em>should</em></strong> happen Saturday night in New York.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>If the Heisman Trophy voters did their homework and made the right call, then Diego Pavia - the former zero-star recruit who began his career in junior college at New Mexico Military Institute - will walk across the stage and become the latest winner of the vaunted award.</p><p>A once unknown, 5-foot-11 prospect who journeyed from JUCO to New Mexico State and ultimately Vanderbilt is now being honored as the best player in college football. The story is so improbable, even Hollywood would reject the pitch as too far-fetched for a movie.</p><p>Yet there Pavia will be Saturday night, sharing the stage with Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State's Julian Sayin, and Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love as the Heisman's handed out.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809200/cropped_GettyImages-2245204885.jpg?ts=1762661559" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809200/w220xh124_GettyImages-2245204885.jpg?ts=1762661559 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809200/w320xh180_GettyImages-2245204885.jpg?ts=1762661559 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809200/w640xh360_GettyImages-2245204885.jpg?ts=1762661559 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809200/w768xh432_GettyImages-2245204885.jpg?ts=1762661559 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/809200/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2245204885.jpg?ts=1762661559 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>While a Buckeye quarterback and a Fighting Irish running back in contention certainly isn't a surprise, a Hoosier at the ceremony is a stunner considering the program's underwhelming history. But Mendoza joined a team that went 11-1 last season, and although he's been excellent this year, the highly touted NFL prospect was primarily asked to drive a sports car slightly faster than the previous driver.</p><p>Pavia's challenge essentially fell on the opposite end of that spectrum, as we now must remind everyone he's doing this for Vanderbilt. <em>Vanderbilt!</em> The Commodores have been playing football for 122 years, but we might as well divide the eras in Nashville into two categories: before Pavia and after Pavia.</p><p>Prior to his arrival, Vanderbilt football largely meant losing - and lots of it. The campaign before Pavia appeared on campus, the Commodores posted a 2-10 record and failed to win an SEC game. In Year 2 A.P., they flipped that mark and achieved the first 10-win season in the program's history. Talk about immediate impact.</p><p>Pavia's move to Vanderbilt didn't exactly make a big splash nationally, with <a href="https://247sports.com/season/2022-football/recruitrankings/?InstitutionGroup=JuniorCollege&amp;Position=QB">247 Sports</a> ranking him as the third-best JUCO transfer quarterback, just behind Gino Campiatti. If you're unfamiliar with his work, Campiatti ended up at UMass ... as a tight end.</p><p><span style="margin:0px; padding:0px; text-align:left">A colossal upset over Alabama, capped by one of the most <a target="_blank" href="https://youtube.com/shorts/Uq7nsrXO8bg?si=1kkqusbmgFs8BZPQ">viral moments of the season</a>, catapulted Pavia into stardom.</span></p><p>OK, enough about the origin story - why should Pavia win the Heisman this season?</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806156/cropped_GettyImages-2241863033.jpg?ts=1760820793" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806156/w220xh124_GettyImages-2241863033.jpg?ts=1760820793 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806156/w320xh180_GettyImages-2241863033.jpg?ts=1760820793 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806156/w640xh360_GettyImages-2241863033.jpg?ts=1760820793 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806156/w768xh432_GettyImages-2241863033.jpg?ts=1760820793 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/806156/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2241863033.jpg?ts=1760820793 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Johnnie Izquierdo / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>The race is essentially down to two players, with Mendoza favored ahead of Pavia. The Indiana passer leading the Hoosiers to an incredible Big Ten title win over Ohio State certainly makes him a worthy winner, but, as we covered above, he benefited from stepping into the perfect situation.</p><p>Mendoza piled up 3,220 total yards of offense with 39 touchdowns on the season, sitting out a number of fourth quarters as Indiana held insurmountable leads. However, Pavia surpassed those numbers by a significant margin, recording 4,018 total yards and 36 touchdowns. But it was during the closing stretch when Pavia really pulled away, delivering clutch performances and doing all he could to drag Vanderbilt to the playoffs.</p><p>Indiana allowed 11 points per game in its last four contests, showcasing why its defense ranks second in the nation. Vanderbilt surrendered 28.25 points per game during the same stretch, forcing Pavia to go nuclear to keep the Commodores involved. And that's exactly what he did.</p><p>Pavia put up over 1,850 total yards of offense with 16 touchdowns across the season's final four games, topping the 400-yard mark in each. He became the <a href="https://x.com/colecubelic/status/1995616310190043142?s=20">first player in SEC history</a> to accomplish that feat. In a powerhouse conference that sends more players to the NFL than any other, the only man ever to do it is former zero-star recruit Diego Pavia.</p><p>Mendoza has produced Heisman moments in wins over Oregon, Iowa, Penn State, and Ohio State, but Pavia's sustained brilliance on every single drive over the past month should be what gives him the Heisman.</p>

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Our vote is in: Give Pavia the Heisman

Wait, you thought the college football coaching carousel was done?  Just when the seemingly never...

<p>Wait, you thought the college football coaching carousel was done?</p><p>Just when the seemingly never-ending merry-go-round had finally slowed down, a whale - not another horse - joined the ride: the head coaching position at the University of Michigan.</p><p>The school announced a stunning move Wednesday, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3424204" href="https://thescore.com/news/3424204">firing Sherrone Moore for cause</a> after a university investigation revealed that the Wolverines head coach engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Although the university had been conducting the investigation for multiple weeks, Moore met with media Monday to discuss the team's newly signed recruiting class and its upcoming bowl game against Texas. That suggests the school only recently decided to make the change.</p><p>According to <a href="https://x.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1998884326541570191?s=20">On3's Brett McMurphy</a>, Moore's firing now means 23.5% of power conference programs will have a new coach next season - a staggering number that shows just how crazy this coaching cycle has been.</p><p>Many of the top candidates have already taken new jobs, but this is Michigan, one of <em>the</em> jobs in the sport. The Wolverines have a recent national title, a highly touted quarterback in Bryce Underwood, and an NIL fund flush with resources. They should have no problem finding a top-level coach to take over in Ann Arbor.</p><p>With that said, let's take a look at some of the names who will likely be under consideration.</p><h3>Kalen DeBoer</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779383/cropped_GettyImages-2191971957.jpg?ts=1744070088" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779383/w220xh124_GettyImages-2191971957.jpg?ts=1744070088 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779383/w320xh180_GettyImages-2191971957.jpg?ts=1744070088 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779383/w640xh360_GettyImages-2191971957.jpg?ts=1744070088 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779383/w768xh432_GettyImages-2191971957.jpg?ts=1744070088 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779383/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2191971957.jpg?ts=1744070088 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Douglas P. DeFelice / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>This option may be shocking, but if Alabama falls to Oklahoma in its opening-round College Football Playoff game, DeBoer could be headed north. The second-year Alabama coach always seemed like a bit of an awkward fit to replace Nick Saban (honestly, who wouldn't be?), and his tenure in Tuscaloosa has already endured some rocky moments.</p><p>Prior to joining the Crimson Tide, DeBoer spent the entirety of his career in the Midwest and on the West Coast. He could easily decide that he wants to exit the cauldron of SEC football for more familiar territory. While some are underwhelmed by his 19-7 mark in two seasons with Alabama, he's an outrageous 123-19 in his career as a head coach.</p><h3>Jesse Minter</h3><p>It's highly unlikely Michigan dips back into the Jim Harbaugh waters to hire someone from his staff, but the Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator is the unquestioned choice if it does. Minter was brilliant during his time as the Wolverines' defensive coordinator from 2022-23, which included being named a Broyles Award finalist for the nation's top assistant in 2023. While he would be a popular pick among the Michigan faithful, there are a number of challenges around his candidacy.</p><p>First, Minter is likely to be in the running for upcoming NFL head coaching vacancies given his success alongside Harbaugh in the pros. He also received a one-year show-cause penalty from the NCAA for recruiting violations while at Michigan previously.</p><h3>Kenny Dillingham</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797596/cropped_GettyImages-2192348075.jpg?ts=1755258887" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797596/w220xh124_GettyImages-2192348075.jpg?ts=1755258887 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797596/w320xh180_GettyImages-2192348075.jpg?ts=1755258887 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797596/w640xh360_GettyImages-2192348075.jpg?ts=1755258887 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797596/w768xh432_GettyImages-2192348075.jpg?ts=1755258887 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/797596/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2192348075.jpg?ts=1755258887 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bruce Yeung / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Dillingham has drawn rave reviews in three seasons at Arizona State, with the 35-year-old showing that he's among the best in the country at handling today's player-movement landscape. Arizona State is Dillingham's alma mater, so it will take a lot to get him to leave Tempe, but the prestige of Michigan could be enough to get it done.</p><p>Before taking over the Sun Devils, Dillingham coached under Mike Norvell, Gus Malzahn, and Dan Lanning. He'd be a welcome addition for the development of Underwood given his history with quarterbacks, such as Bo Nix and Jordan Travis.</p><h3>Jedd Fisch</h3><p>Anybody expecting Washington's Fisch to be on Michigan's short list will likely cite his previous stint on staff in Ann Arbor. That's certainly relevant, but the man has been with 15 different organizations since 1998, so he's far from a Wolverines lifer. Fisch has done excellent work with multiple quarterbacks throughout his career but carries a 31-33 all-time record as a college head coach. That could be a tough sell at a job this big.</p><h3>Jeff Brohm</h3><p>Michigan should absolutely call Jeff Brohm just to find out exactly how much he loves Louisville. He was born in Louisville, went to high school in Louisville, played quarterback at Louisville, coached Arena League football in Louisville, and is currently the head coach at Louisville. So yeah, it will be tough to pry him away from his Kentucky home. He also recently pulled his name from consideration at other jobs and told his bosses that he's committed to the Cardinals, according to <a href="https://x.com/PeteThamel/status/1996302007414440437?s=20">ESPN's Pete Thamel</a>.</p><p>However, none of those jobs were Michigan, and for the Wolverines, it's worth an inquiry to gauge Brohm's interest in returning to the Big Ten. Landing him will be a challenge, but there's no question he would be a home-run hire. If the man can take Purdue to the Big Ten championship game, there's no telling what he could accomplish with the mighty backing of Michigan.</p><h3>Brian Kelly</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807226/cropped_GettyImages-2243307606.jpg?ts=1761449500" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807226/w220xh124_GettyImages-2243307606.jpg?ts=1761449500 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807226/w320xh180_GettyImages-2243307606.jpg?ts=1761449500 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807226/w640xh360_GettyImages-2243307606.jpg?ts=1761449500 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807226/w768xh432_GettyImages-2243307606.jpg?ts=1761449500 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/807226/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2243307606.jpg?ts=1761449500 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Tyler Kaufman / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Okay, hear me out. Kelly isn't exactly the hottest name on the market, considering how he flamed out at LSU, but his overall track record is exceptional - especially in the Midwest. Prior to heading south, he amassed an overall mark of 263-95-2 at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame.</p><p>Kelly's history with Underwood could also come into play here, as the veteran head coach had secured his commitment to LSU for a lengthy period before Michigan's NIL collective fired the money cannon and convinced him to stay close to home.</p><h3>Jake Dickert</h3><p>Dickert might not have the name cache of DeBoer, Kelly, or the like, but the Wake Forest head coach is a rising star in the industry. Dickert spent most of his career throughout the Midwest before taking over at Washington State. In his final season with the Cougars, he posted an impressive 8-4 mark that garnered national attention. Dickert then moved across the country to lead Wake Forest, which he immediately guided to an eight-win campaign, matching the team's combined win total over the previous two years.</p>

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With Moore out, who's next up at Michigan?

With the 2025 college football regular season officially over, it's time for postseason action.  ...

<p>With the 2025 college football regular season officially over, it's time for postseason action.</p><p>The slate of bowl games starts Dec. 13 with the LA Bowl, includes the College Football Playoff quarterfinals set for Dec. 19-20, and concludes with the national championship in Miami on Jan. 19. </p><p>Here's the full list of matchups for bowl season.</p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Date</th>
<th>Bowl</th>
<th>Matchup</th>
<th>Location</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 13</td>
<td>LA Bowl</td>
<td>Washington vs. Boise State</td>
<td>Inglewood (SoFi Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 16</td>
<td>Salute to Veterans Bowl</td>
<td>Troy vs. Jacksonville State</td>
<td>Montgomery (Cramton Bowl)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 17</td>
<td>Cure Bowl</td>
<td>Old Dominion vs. South Florida</td>
<td>Orlando (Camping World Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 17</td>
<td>68 Ventures Bowl</td>
<td>Louisiana vs. Delaware</td>
<td>Mobile (Hancock Whitney Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 18</td>
<td>Xbox Bowl</td>
<td>Missouri State vs. Arkansas State</td>
<td>Frisco (Ford Center)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 19</td>
<td>Myrtle Beach Bowl</td>
<td>Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan</td>
<td>Conway (Brooks Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 19</td>
<td>Gasparilla Bowl</td>
<td>NC State vs. Memphis</td>
<td>Tampa (Raymond James Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 22</td>
<td>Idaho Potato Bowl</td>
<td>Utah State vs. Washington State</td>
<td>Boise (Albertsons Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 23</td>
<td>Boca Raton Bowl</td>
<td>Louisville vs. Toledo</td>
<td>Boca Raton (Flagler Credit Union Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 23</td>
<td>New Orleans Bowl</td>
<td>Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss</td>
<td>New Orleans (Caesars Superdome)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 23</td>
<td>Frisco Bowl</td>
<td>UNLV vs. Ohio</td>
<td>Frisco (Ford Center)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 24</td>
<td>Hawaii Bowl</td>
<td>Cal vs. Hawaii</td>
<td>Honolulu (Ching Athletics Complex)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 26</td>
<td>GameAbove Sports Bowl</td>
<td>Northwestern vs. Central Michigan</td>
<td>Detroit (Ford Field)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 26</td>
<td>Rate Bowl</td>
<td>Minnesota vs. New Mexico</td>
<td>Phoenix (Chase Field)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 26</td>
<td>First Responder Bowl</td>
<td>UTSA vs. FIU</td>
<td>Dallas (Ford Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 27</td>
<td>Military Bowl</td>
<td>Pitt vs. East Carolina</td>
<td>Annapolis (Memorial Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 27</td>
<td>Pinstripe Bowl</td>
<td>Penn State vs. Clemson</td>
<td>Bronx (Yankee Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 27</td>
<td>Fenway Bowl</td>
<td>Army vs. UConn</td>
<td>Boston (Fenway Park)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 27</td>
<td>Pop-Tarts Bowl</td>
<td>Georgia Tech vs. BYU</td>
<td>Orlando (Camping World Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 27</td>
<td>Arizona Bowl</td>
<td>Fresno State vs. Miami (Ohio)</td>
<td>Tucson (Arizona Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 27</td>
<td>New Mexico Bowl</td>
<td>San Diego State vs. North Texas</td>
<td>Albuquerque (University Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 27</td>
<td>Gator Bowl</td>
<td>Virginia vs. Missouri</td>
<td>Jacksonville (EverBank Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 27</td>
<td>Texas Bowl</td>
<td>LSU vs. Houston</td>
<td>Houston (NRG Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 29</td>
<td>Birmingham Bowl</td>
<td>Georgia Southern vs. Appalachian State </td>
<td>Birmingham (Protective Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 30</td>
<td>Independence Bowl</td>
<td>Louisiana Tech vs. Coastal Carolina</td>
<td>Shreveport (Independence Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 30</td>
<td>Music City Bowl</td>
<td>Illinois vs. Tennessee</td>
<td>Nashville (Nissan Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 30</td>
<td>Alamo Bowl</td>
<td>TCU vs. USC</td>
<td>San Antonio (Alamodome)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 31</td>
<td>ReliaQuest Bowl</td>
<td>Iowa vs. Vanderbilt</td>
<td>Tampa (Raymond James Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 31</td>
<td>Sun Bowl</td>
<td>Duke vs. Arizona State</td>
<td>El Paso (Sun Bowl Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 31</td>
<td>Las Vegas Bowl</td>
<td>Nebraska vs. Utah</td>
<td>Las Vegas (Allegiant Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 31</td>
<td>Citrus Bowl</td>
<td>Michigan vs. Texas</td>
<td>Orlando (Camping World Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dec. 31</td>
<td>Cotton Bowl (CFP quarterfinal)</td>
<td>Ohio State vs. Miami/Texas A&amp;M</td>
<td>Arlington (AT&amp;T Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jan. 1</td>
<td>Orange Bowl (CFP quarterfinal)</td>
<td>Texas Tech vs. James Madison/Oregon</td>
<td>Miami (Hard Rock Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jan. 1</td>
<td>Rose Bowl (CFP quarterfinal)</td>
<td>Indiana vs. Alabama/Oklahoma</td>
<td>Pasadena (Rose Bowl)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jan. 1</td>
<td>Sugar Bowl (CFP quarterfinal)</td>
<td>Georgia vs. Tulane/Ole Miss</td>
<td>New Orleans (Caesars Superdome)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jan. 2</td>
<td>Armed Forces Bowl</td>
<td>Rice vs. Texas State</td>
<td>Fort Worth (Amon G. Carter Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jan. 2</td>
<td>Liberty Bowl</td>
<td>Navy vs. Cincinnati</td>
<td>Memphis (Liberty Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jan. 2</td>
<td>Duke's Mayo Bowl</td>
<td>Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State</td>
<td>Charlotte (Bank of America Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jan. 2</td>
<td>Holiday Bowl</td>
<td>SMU vs. Arizona</td>
<td>San Diego (Snapdragon Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jan. 8</td>
<td>Fiesta Bowl (CFP semifinal)</td>
<td>TBD</td>
<td>Glendale (State Farm Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jan. 9</td>
<td>Peach Bowl (CFP semifinal)</td>
<td>TBD</td>
<td>Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jan. 19</td>
<td>CFP National Championship</td>
<td>TBD</td>
<td>Miami (Hard Rock Stadium)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure>

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 22: The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl George L. Stuart, Sr. Memorial trophy on display during the 2025 Big Ten Football Media Days at Mandalay Bay Convention Center on July 22, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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CFB Bowl Tracker: See where your team is headed for postseason play

Notre Dame's 2025 season is officially finished, as the Fighting Irish announced Sunday that they...

<p>Notre Dame's 2025 season is officially finished, as the Fighting Irish announced Sunday that they withdrew from consideration for a bowl game.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/TyzavvzpC1">pic.twitter.com/TyzavvzpC1</a></p>— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/NDFootball/status/1997770150125175225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>The decision comes just hours after Notre Dame missed out on the College Football Playoff. The committee moved Miami into the 12-team field at the expense of the Fighting Irish.</p><p>Notre Dame was then invited to play BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, sources told <a href="https://x.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1997772176997413147?s=20">On3's Brett McMurphy</a>. While that matchup would've been arguably the top non-CFP bowl game, the team declined.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The 10-2 Irish became the third program choosing to forgo bowl season after Kansas State and Iowa State announced their intentions earlier Sunday.</p><p>Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua heavily criticized the committee and its selection process following the CFP reveal.</p><p>"There is no explanation that could possibly be given to explain the outcome," Bevacqua told <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/breaking-news/article/notre-dame-despondent-after-being-left-out-of-college-football-playoff--overwhelming-shock-and-sadness-192622885.html">Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports</a>. "As I said to (head coach Marcus Freeman), one thing is for sure: Any rankings or show prior to this last one is an absolute joke and a waste of time. Why put these young student-athletes through these false emotions just to pull the rug out from underneath them having not played a game in two weeks and then a group of people in a room shatter their dreams without explanation?"</p><p>Notre Dame entered conference championship weekend firmly in the CFP bracket, but BYU's loss in the Big 12 title game proved enough for the committee to drop the Cougars and move Miami alongside the Irish in the rankings.</p><p>CFP chair Hunter Yurachek <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3421408" href="https://thescore.com/news/3421408">told</a> ESPN on Sunday that the Big 12 result led the committee to put Miami ahead of Notre Dame based on the Hurricanes' head-to-head victory over the Irish in Week 1.</p><p>If Notre Dame fans - and administrators - can take any solace in the news, it's that they won't be left out in similar situations in the future. Bevacqua told Dellenger that a memorandum of understanding signed by CFP officials last spring guarantees the Irish a spot in the field if they're in the top 12 of the final rankings, beginning in 2026. If that agreement was in place this season, Miami - the final at-large team - would've been pushed out of the bracket in favor of No. 11 Notre Dame.</p>

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - JANUARY 09: Head Coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish watches from the sidelines during the Penn State Nittany Lions versus Notre Dame Fighting Irish College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on January 9, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL.

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Notre Dame declines bowl bid after missing CFP

The College Football Playoff field is officially set, but you can expect the arguments over who d...

<p>The College Football Playoff field is <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3421118" href="https://thescore.com/news/3421118">officially set</a>, but you can expect the arguments over who deserved to be in, and which team got the worst draw, to continue for the next couple of weeks.</p><p>The committee didn't change a significant amount from the final rankings of the season, with Miami's inclusion over Notre Dame the move that garnered the most headlines.</p><p>Read on for our call on that decision, plus other top takeaways from the bracket release.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Committee got it right with Miami ... finally</h3><p>When you strip everything else away, the committee could have just made its decision about Miami over Notre Dame by listening to Herm Edwards.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W42iiCcFbxE?si=u_0quazZLzsPq6rj" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure><p>"You play to win the game, you don't play to just play it. That's the great thing about sports."</p><p>Indeed it is, Herm. </p><p>The committee may have avoided that premise for as long as possible, but sanity finally reigned in the final rankings - and the Hurricanes are in the field.</p><p>Both teams have identical 10-2 records and sit in very similar places in most advanced metrics. However, the committee had Miami behind Notre Dame in every single rankings release despite the Hurricanes beating the Irish in Week 1.</p><p>That wrong was finally righted on Sunday, but it took a second BYU blowout loss to Texas Tech to force the committee's hand. That setback put Miami and Notre Dame beside each other in the rankings, a situation that finally made the head-to-head matter.</p><p>"Once we moved Miami ahead of BYU, we had that side-by-side comparison that everyone had been hungering for," CFP chair Hunter Yurachek said, according to <a href="https://x.com/PeteThamel/status/1997726759278854197?s=20">ESPN's Pete Thamel</a>. "The one metric we had to fall back on was the head-to-head."</p><p>You can argue about whether Notre Dame should be in the field - there's little question the Irish are currently performing like one of top teams in the nation. However, that just couldn't be done at the expense of Miami. Ignoring the head-to-head result would have called the legitimacy of the entire process into question.</p><h3>We need to talk about Group of 5 champs</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812947/cropped_GettyImages-2250256913.jpg?ts=1765134915" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812947/w220xh124_GettyImages-2250256913.jpg?ts=1765134915 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812947/w320xh180_GettyImages-2250256913.jpg?ts=1765134915 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812947/w640xh360_GettyImages-2250256913.jpg?ts=1765134915 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812947/w768xh432_GettyImages-2250256913.jpg?ts=1765134915 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812947/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2250256913.jpg?ts=1765134915 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Hannah Foslien / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>The addition of a Group of 5 champion to the field is a nice carrot to dangle for a potential Cinderella program looking to shock the world. However, everything is good in moderation, and we have to ensure we aren't overdosing on underdogs.</p><p>Boise State absolutely deserved a spot last year as the MWC champ, but we quickly realized how ridiculous it was that the Broncos got a first-round bye alongside Arizona State. The committee made the necessary changes for this year's format, reserving the byes for the top four teams in the rankings and not merely the conference champions. Another provision is needed for next year after James Madison nabbed a spot while better teams like Notre Dame, Texas, and Vanderbilt sit at home.</p><p>This is not a shot at the Dukes - they are absolutely one of the top Group of 5 teams in the country and a very deserving Sun Belt winner. However, they have zero power-conference wins on the season, losing on the road to Louisville in their only shot at such a statement victory. On the other side of the bubble sits Notre Dame, a program with eight power-conference victories on the season - all by double-digits.</p><p>There might be a number of ways to fix this issue, but perhaps the best method is the one proposed by <a href="https://x.com/BudElliott3/status/1997739527264448861?s=20">CBS Sports' Bud Elliott</a> calling for a Group of 5 champion to require a top-20 overall ranking to be included. That would see Tulane still in the field, while James Madison would fall short.</p><p>Of course, this problem likely goes away entirely if the ACC would fix its absurd tiebreaker rules and ensure that a five-loss Duke doesn't get to play for the conference title.</p><h3>Indiana's great draw</h3><p>Plenty of words were written leading into the conference title game about how the Big Ten matchup between Ohio State and Indiana was meaningless because both teams were in the field and set to receive a bye regardless of the outcome. The past 14 hours would suggest otherwise for both combatants.</p><p>Indiana might still be celebrating the program's first outright Big Ten title since 1945, an incredible feat that only got better with the committee's release. The victory over the Buckeyes moved the Hoosiers to No. 1 and means they will avoid a rematch against their Big Ten foe until the national title game. That also sees Georgia fall on the other side of the bracket, with a Bulldogs-Buckeyes semifinal matchup a strong possibility.</p><p>Sure, a quarterfinal date with either Alabama or Oklahoma will be a test, but the way those two teams are playing offense at the moment makes a win over the Hoosiers highly unlikely.</p><p>Indiana proved Saturday - and earlier this season at Oregon - that it doesn't need an easy draw to make its mark on the sport. However, we doubt Curt Cignetti is upset that his squad got one with this bracket.</p><h3>No Saturday result was keeping Alabama out</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812949/cropped_GettyImages-2249839381.jpg?ts=1765134976" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812949/w220xh124_GettyImages-2249839381.jpg?ts=1765134976 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812949/w320xh180_GettyImages-2249839381.jpg?ts=1765134976 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812949/w640xh360_GettyImages-2249839381.jpg?ts=1765134976 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812949/w768xh432_GettyImages-2249839381.jpg?ts=1765134976 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812949/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2249839381.jpg?ts=1765134976 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Alabama entered the SEC title game Saturday as the No. 9 seed in the rankings and with a date against a Georgia team it already beat on the road this season. According to the ESPN playoff predictor, the Tide took the field in Atlanta with a 97% chance of making the CFP field. Given that scenario, it was going to take something catastrophic to see the Tide miss out on the 12-team tournament.</p><p>Well, how about the program's worst rushing performance in an SEC game since 1940, and a 21-point loss? Would that be considered catastrophic enough? Turns out, no. Despite an absolutely dismal performance versus the Bulldogs, Alabama will still make the CFP as the final at-large team.</p><p>Alabama had a couple of things going in its favor for a playoff spot despite Saturday's result. First, the Tide had already beaten Georgia this season - ending the Bulldogs' 33-game home winning streak in the process. That's something BYU couldn't claim, as the Cougars were dominated by Texas Tech in both contests this year.</p><p>Second, the committee wasn't going to take at least four teams from the SEC and not have one of them be the No. 1 seed after the regular season. That type of decision would ruin the purpose of conference championship games. Whether you think that's needed or not - spoiler alert, it is - under the current rules, the Tide were always headed to the CFP.</p><h3>Rough path for Texas A&amp;M</h3><p>Congratulations on your 11-1 season, Texas A&amp;M. The reward waiting for you is an opening-round matchup with a physical Miami team and a potential quarterfinal against Ohio State should you prevail.</p><p>The toughest draw in the tournament is arguably sitting at the feet of the No. 7 Aggies, who are on the same side of the bracket as the Hurricanes, Buckeyes and Georgia. Meanwhile, No. 6 Ole Miss gets to host Tulane in the opening round - a rematch of an earlier-season contest that the Rebels won by 25 points.</p><p>We can argue the merits of Texas A&amp;M and Ole Miss' resumes, but the Aggies dropping four spots for losing on the road to Texas in the season finale was a bit jarring. The full extent of that penalty was displayed Sunday with the draw that came Mike Elko's way.</p><h3>All blowouts aren't created equal</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812964/cropped_GettyImages-2249757542.jpg?ts=1765138510" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812964/w220xh124_GettyImages-2249757542.jpg?ts=1765138510 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812964/w320xh180_GettyImages-2249757542.jpg?ts=1765138510 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812964/w640xh360_GettyImages-2249757542.jpg?ts=1765138510 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812964/w768xh432_GettyImages-2249757542.jpg?ts=1765138510 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812964/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2249757542.jpg?ts=1765138510 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Alabama entered the final weekend at No. 9 in the CFP rankings, rushed for minus-3 yards in a 21-point blowout loss to No. 3 Georgia, and somehow still found itself at No. 9 in Sunday's playoff field. BYU took a 27-point beatdown at the hands of Texas Tech and found itself dropping from No. 11 to No. 12 - and will miss the playoff entirely.</p><p>Now, before you scream "SEC bias," there's another good reason why the Cougars' loss was treated differently than the Crimson Tide. Alabama stormed into Athens and beat Georgia earlier this season, ending the nation's longest active home winning streak at 33 games. It's arguably the best win in the entire country this season. The loss earlier this year to No. 8 Oklahoma saw the Crimson Tide outgain the Sooners by almost 200 yards, with turnovers deciding the eventual two-point margin. Saturday was horrendous for Alabama, but Kalen DeBoer's squad has at least showed it's a threat against anybody in the country this season.</p><p>BYU has looked completely overmatched in both contests with Texas Tech this season, losing by a combined 63-14 scoreline. It's impossible to have watched those two contests and think the Cougars have a chance at competing in the playoff. </p><p>Okay, now we have hit the part where you can scream "SEC bias." There's no chance the No. 1 seed from the SEC's regular season is getting left out of the playoff based on the result of the conference championship game. Whether you agree with that or not, it simply isn't going to happen.</p>

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CFP takeaways: Committee gets it right with Miami, Indiana's great draw, and more

One of the hottest topics around the College Football Playoff rankings this season was the distan...

<p>One of the hottest topics around the College Football Playoff rankings this season was the distance between Miami and Notre Dame.</p><p>Despite the two programs sporting identical 10-2 records, the committee consistently ranked the Fighting Irish above the Hurricanes throughout the year, angering many fans who were quick to highlight Miami's Week 1 win over Notre Dame.</p><p>The committee previously cited the teams not being close enough in the rankings for the head-to-head result to come into play.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>That changed Sunday, with the committee opting to move Miami into the playoff bracket and keep Notre Dame out after BYU's Big 12 championship loss dropped the Cougars behind the Hurricanes.</p><p>"In last week's rankings, we thought Notre Dame was better than BYU and deserved to be ranked higher than BYU, and we thought BYU deserved to be ranked higher than Miami," CFP chair Hunter Yurachek explained on ESPN's playoff selection show. "After the championship game in the Big 12 and the way BYU performed again against Texas Tech, we felt Miami deserved to be ranked ahead of BYU. And then you had the direct head-to-head comparison of those teams - Miami and Notre Dame - sitting, respectively, at 10 and 11 in our poll."</p><p>The Hurricanes should send BYU some lavish gifts for getting blown out by Texas Tech for a second time this season, as the result forced the committee to lean heavily on the season-opening head-to-head matchup, which Yurachek admitted that it hadn't done up to that point.</p><p>"Not until they really got in close proximity, side by side, with the move with BYU were we able to evaluate just those two teams side by side. We always had someone between them, whether it was previously Alabama and BYU and then just BYU in the last week."</p><p>The assessment is certainly a confusing way to end up with Miami in the field over Notre Dame, but the Hurricanes won't be upset entering their first-round matchup against Texas A&amp;M on Dec. 20.</p>

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - AUGUST 31: Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck (11) throws the ball during the college football game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on August 31, 2025 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL.

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CFP chair: Miami over Notre Dame came down to head-to-head

Last week's ranking set the stage for what became official on Sunday: Texas will miss the College...

<p>Last week's ranking set the stage for what became official on Sunday: Texas will miss the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2022.</p><p>That sound you hear - and have been hearing for over a week now - is likely Steve Sarkisian continuing to make his case that the Longhorns deserve a spot as one of the top-12 teams in the nation. </p><p>Texas received a substantial bump last week for knocking off Texas A&amp;M to end the season, moving up three spots to No. 13. Unfortunately, with the Longhorns on the sideline this weekend, their fate was left in the hands of the committee to move them into the field.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Several factors contributed to Texas' position, but the common gripe among the fan base and administration is that the team is being punished for a season-opening loss at Ohio State. While other schools scheduled weaker opponents, the Longhorns challenged themselves by playing a road game against the defending national champions.</p><p>Sarkisian focused heavily on that point in the past few weeks, threatening to make changes to Texas' upcoming non-conference schedule if his squad isn't in the final CFP field.</p><p>"We scheduled Ohio State and played that game, and we lose 14-7," Sarkisian said on <a href="https://x.com/SXMCollege/status/1995923893060763885?s=20">SiriusXM's Full Ride</a>. "We outgain them by nearly 200 yards, and we got stopped twice inside their 5-yard line on two fourth downs. We lost the game, but they've beaten every other team they played on their schedule by three scores.</p><p>"So, at that point, why do we even play that game? Because if we're a 10-2 team right now that played four top-10 ranked opponents with three top-10 wins, we're not even having a discussion right now. My point is: Why the hell am I going to play that game next year? For what? What good does it do?"</p><p>Well, for one, Steve, it's football, and you are at the University of Texas.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812828/cropped_GettyImages-2240878630.jpg?ts=1765059447" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812828/w220xh124_GettyImages-2240878630.jpg?ts=1765059447 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812828/w320xh180_GettyImages-2240878630.jpg?ts=1765059447 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812828/w640xh360_GettyImages-2240878630.jpg?ts=1765059447 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812828/w768xh432_GettyImages-2240878630.jpg?ts=1765059447 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812828/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2240878630.jpg?ts=1765059447 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">James Gilbert / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Look, Sarkisian has to stump for the Longhorns to make the playoff - he's paid handsomely by the school to do so. This puts him in an awkward position, as he has to find reasons to poke holes in the committee's logic. However, Texas prides itself on being a premier program - one that should welcome powerhouse matchups with teams like Ohio State to challenge itself at the highest level.</p><p>You don't need to listen to me about that. Instead, let's hear from a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOtR53eXC2I">two-time playoff participant head coach</a> on the value of early-season blockbuster non-conference games.</p><p>"When you look at the first three or four weeks of the college football season, if we don't play those types of games and we're just waiting for conference play to begin, where's the excitement? What are we talking about? To get that spotlight that we had in Week 2 and that stage, I think was great for both of our programs."</p><p>Still not convinced? OK, let's get the same coach's thoughts on what winning that high-profile non-conference game can do for a team.</p><p>"That win gave us as much or more confidence than anything throughout the season to help us navigate our way through some of those other tougher games late in the year because it gave us some more belief in what we were doing."</p><p>Now that sounds like the type of coach who wouldn't back down from a challenge early in the season and certainly wouldn't schedule a lesser opponent to make things easy on his program. If Sarkisian wants to talk to that guy, he just has to look in the mirror because those quotes came from him in 2023 before the final CFP rankings that year.</p><p>Texas - in its final season as a Big 12 member - had played a Week 2 road game against mighty Alabama and came away with arguably the most impressive victory of the campaign. The win was a major reason the Big 12 champion Longhorns got a berth in the final four-team playoff.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812829/cropped_GettyImages-1670950043.jpg?ts=1765059699" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812829/w220xh124_GettyImages-1670950043.jpg?ts=1765059699 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812829/w320xh180_GettyImages-1670950043.jpg?ts=1765059699 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812829/w640xh360_GettyImages-1670950043.jpg?ts=1765059699 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812829/w768xh432_GettyImages-1670950043.jpg?ts=1765059699 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812829/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1670950043.jpg?ts=1765059699 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Sarkisian seemed to be quite supportive of playing non-conference blockbusters that season. He was also pretty happy with Texas' road game at Michigan in September of last year.</p><p>"I think it serves us well in preparation," Sarkisian said in August, as per <a href="https://www.si.com/college/texas/football/texas-longhorns-learned-major-lessons-from-previous-non-conference-matchups">Isabella Capuchino of Sports Illustrated</a>. "I really think going to Michigan early in the year (last season), helped us and gave us a lot of confidence going to Kyle Field at the end of the year."</p><p>Would a 10-2 Texas be a lock for the playoffs? Maybe, but the committee is certainly docking the Longhorns more for a road loss to 4-8 Florida and a 25-point blowout to Georgia. Texas played four true road games this year, finishing with two losses and two overtime wins over Mississippi State and Kentucky - a pair of teams that posted a combined 3-13 in SEC play.</p><p>If the Longhorns had beaten Florida, the close loss to Ohio State likely would've been the data point that raised them above other 10-2 teams in the final rankings. As it is, the result versus the Buckeyes is one of the reasons Texas is the highest-ranked three-loss team.</p><p>That's the benefit of playing such a high-profile non-conference game.</p><p>The Longhorns got a significant bump from those contests in two straight years, with wins over Alabama and Michigan going a long way toward helping them make the playoff. Sarkisian wants the same treatment this time, despite the result going the other way.</p><p>That ain't how it works, no matter how loud the outcry is from Austin.</p>

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Don't feel bad for Texas

Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia and Texas Tech officially claimed the first-round byes for this year...

<p>Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia and Texas Tech officially claimed the first-round byes for this year's College Football Playoff, but the real drama came as the committee determined the final at-large berths Sunday.</p><p>Despite neither team playing this weekend, Miami jumped Notre Dame to make the field, with the committee finally honoring the Hurricanes' head-to-head win over the Fighting Irish. The committee also opted to keep Alabama in the bracket, deciding not to punish the Crimson Tide for their 21-point loss in Saturday's SEC championship.</p><p>Miami's inclusion gives the ACC a representative in the field, something that was in question after five-loss Duke defeated Virginia for the conference title. The Blue Devils were left out of the playoff, while Sun Belt champion James Madison got the nod as the final conference title winner.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><blockquote><p><strong><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3421032" href="https://thescore.com/news/3421032">Tap here for our biggest takeaways from the playoff field</a></strong></p></blockquote><h3>First-round matchups</h3><p><strong>Game 1:</strong> No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama (Dec. 19, 8 p.m. ET)</p><p>Alabama not only remained in the field, but it will get to play a familiar foe in the opening round with a trip to Norman. Despite the Crimson Tide dominating the Sooners in yardage and time of possession during their meeting three weeks ago, the visitors escaped Tuscaloosa with a shocking upset win. Oklahoma's swarming defense forced three turnovers in that victory.</p><p><strong>Game 2: </strong>No. 7 Texas A&amp;M vs. No. 10 Miami (Dec. 20, 12 p.m. ET)</p><p>Miami's inclusion over Notre Dame means there won't be a rematch between the Aggies and the Irish. Instead, the Hurricanes are heading to College Station in what should be the most physical first-round matchup. The teams enter this game on opposite ends of the spectrum, as Miami has won four straight outings by double digits, while Texas A&amp;M is coming off its only loss of the season.</p><p><strong>Game 3:</strong> No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane (Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET)</p><p>While the scene in Oxford will be outrageous, the 6-11 contest between Ole Miss and Tulane lacks the juice of some other first-round matchups. These teams already played in September, with the Rebels winning 45-10. Things are different now, especially with Lane Kiffin having left for LSU, but it's tough to see the Green Wave making enough changes to narrow that gap. An Ole Miss victory would set up an enticing rematch with Georgia. The Bulldogs won 43-35 in their previous meeting in Athens.</p><p><strong>Game 4: </strong>No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 James Madison (Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m. ET)</p><p>The 5-12 matchup is a true David-versus-Goliath situation. James Madison was undoubtedly one of the top Group of 5 teams this season, but the step up to a power conference opponent in the wild Autzen Stadium will be a massive test. Oregon will certainly be much happier with this bracket than last year's, which pitted them against eventual national champion Ohio State in the quarterfinal. This time, the Ducks avoided the Buckeyes being on their side of the bracket, although a possible rematch with Indiana - the Hoosiers won 30-20 in Eugene back in October - is possible in the semifinal.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE CFP BRACKET IS HERE ‼️<br><br>(📷: <a href="https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn</a>) <a href="https://t.co/yxlXF0DzDy">pic.twitter.com/yxlXF0DzDy</a></p>— theScore (@theScore) <a href="https://twitter.com/theScore/status/1997722611477029180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 11: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman exits the field after the game between NC State Wolfpack and Notre Dame Fighting Irish on October 11, 2025 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN.

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CFP committee takes Alabama, Miami over Notre Dame

Alabama's final chance to impress the College Football Playoff committee was a disaster Saturday,...

<p>Alabama's final chance to impress the College Football Playoff committee was a disaster Saturday, with Georgia blowing out the Crimson Tide 28-7 in an emphatic win.</p><p>That hands the Tide their third loss on the season and puts the onus on the committee to make a decision on how it will handle conference title-game losers.</p><p>Should Alabama be punished for its performance in a 13th game of the season when the other teams on the bubble didn't qualify for their conference title game? </p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Kalen DeBoer doesn't think so.</p><p>"If this game applies to and takes away from our resume, I don't think that's right. I really don't. I think the precedent has been set," the second-year coach said postgame, according to <a href="https://x.com/_NickKelly/status/1997473570687996237?s=20">Nick Kelly of AL.com</a>. "I don't know how you can go into a conference playoff game when you're the No. 1 seed and did all these things throughout the year and playing in this game, against one of the top teams in the country as well, how that can hurt you and keep you out of the playoff when we've done what we have done all year."</p><p>The precedent he's talking about is from last season where Penn State, SMU, and Texas all remained in the CFP field despite losses in their conference title games. It was never really in question that the Nittany Lions or Longhorns wouldn't make the field, but the Mustangs certainly had a nervous Selection Sunday.</p><p>Ultimately SMU would make the field, but its loss was by a field goal to Clemson in the ACC title game - a far cry from a 21-point blowout that Alabama suffered Saturday.</p><p>Outside of the stunning season-opening loss to Florida State, the Crimson Tide's resume is solid with a number of strong wins. However, the majority of those came earlier in the season and the team has struggled to separate down the stretch. </p><p>Will that ultimately be the downfall for the Tide, or are they still securely in the field?</p><p>We will find out Sunday at noon.</p><p> </p>

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 06: Head coach Kalen Deboer of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second quarter in the 2025 SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.

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DeBoer: SEC blowout shouldn't take away from Alabama resume

College Football Blitz recaps the most important developments from the weekend's top games and ex...

<p><em>College Football Blitz recaps the most important developments from the weekend's top games and examines their significance moving forward.</em></p><h3>Cignetti's latest miracle: A Big Ten title</h3><p>In 2025, we live in a society of getting caught up in the moment. That being said, it doesn't feel outrageous to say Indiana might have just won the most impressive conference championship of all-time. Consider the following:</p><ul>
<li>Their last share of the Big Ten championship was in 1967</li>
<li>The Hoosiers' last outright Big Ten title came in 1945</li>
<li>Indiana hadn't beaten Ohio State in 37 years</li>
</ul><p>We officially might be wasting Curt Cignetti's uncanny ability to fix things on something as trivial as college football. Cignetti burst onto the scene with unmatched braggadocio and has done nothing but back it up with an absurd 24-2 record with the Hoosiers. While last year was eye-popping, Indiana was still overmatched in its two games against top-level competition. That is no longer the case, with wins over Oregon and Ohio State now on the resume.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Indiana didn't just hang with the Buckeyes on Saturday, it outgained them on offense and held them to just 58 yards rushing - the lowest total by Ohio State since 2011. The Hoosiers owned the trenches with five sacks and nine tackles for loss on just 56 plays for Ohio State.</p><p>It wasn't just a Big Ten title that Indiana clinched, as Fernando Mendoza can likely start writing his Heisman speech for next weekend. The Cal transfer completed 15-of-23 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown, making multiple high-level throws in the second half to secure the win.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">TOUCHDOWN INDIANA<br><br>WHAT A THROW BY FERNANDO MENDOZA 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/IndianaFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndianaFootball</a> <a href="https://t.co/7TsAQvWRbv">pic.twitter.com/7TsAQvWRbv</a></p>— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1997507666231591277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Indiana will now enter the CFP as the No. 1 seed and likely avoid a rematch with Ohio State or a matchup with Georgia until the national title game. </p><h3>Something's up with Ohio State's offense</h3><p>It wouldn't shock anybody if Indiana and Ohio State matched up again for the national championship. Both are outstanding teams. However, if we are going to be honest about the world famous Ohio State Buckeyes, it's fair to wonder why the offense isn't performing at a higher level.</p><p>It's hard not to get starstruck looking at that side of the ball for the Buckeyes. Julian Sayin is likely to be a Heisman finalist. Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate will eventually be first-round picks in the NFL and Bo Jackson is one of the best freshman running backs we've seen at Ohio State. The team ranks 12th in the nation in scoring at 37 points per game.</p><p>Dig deeper into the numbers, and it appears the Buckeyes have have been getting fat off the scraps of the Big Ten. Ohio State has played four top-30 defensive units this season in Texas, Washington, Michigan, and Indiana. It's averaging just 18.75 points in those four games. The fact they are 3-1 in those contests speaks to just how dominant the defensive unit is, but raises some questions on offense.</p><p>The turning point for the Buckeyes on Saturday came deep in Indiana territory, with two trips going inside the 10-yard line and Ohio State coming away with zero points. One stop on a 4th-down plunge by Sayin and a short field goal miss ended up being the difference.</p><p>Ohio State will still be a top-4 seed and receive a bye to the quarterfinals. That should give Ryan Day plenty of time to get the offense in order, as it's likely only elite defensive units the rest of the way.</p><h3>It's the ACC. Of course it was chaotic</h3><p>We've basically designated a section in this piece weekly for the ACC's chaotic run through the season, so it's only fitting the conference delivered the wildest finish of the weekend to crown its champ.</p><p>First, the matchup bordered on absurd, with the conference's complicated tiebreakers somehow leaving 10-2 Miami on the sideline while 7-5 Duke played for the title.</p><p>With the Blue Devils unranked in the latest CFP rankings, that meant an upset win by Manny Diaz's program could possibly see the conference shut out with Sun Belt champ James Madison getting the final spot reserved for the highest-ranked conference title winner. So of course, that's exactly what happened - only it had to go down in classic ACC style with late drama.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHAT AN ENDING TO THE ACC CHAMP GAME 😲 <a href="https://t.co/0i7nQVIaKy">pic.twitter.com/0i7nQVIaKy</a></p>— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNCFB/status/1997539407427936301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>A 96-yard drive by Virginia for a game-tying touchdown with 22 seconds left kept the Cavaliers' playoff hopes alive, but an overtime interception eventually sealed the win for Duke's unlikely conference title. Yes, that now means Diaz has won an ACC title before Mario Cristobal - the man who replaced him as head coach at Miami.</p><p>Duke now leans on its resume of seven power-conference wins against zero for James Madison in hopes of securing that playoff berth. Whether the committee is willing to overlook the comparison of 5 losses to just one between those two teams will be disclosed Sunday at noon.</p><h3>Georgia peaking at dangerous time</h3><p>For the second year in a row, Georgia will head to the College Football Playoff as the SEC champion. While the outcome is similar, the vibe around the Bulldogs this year is vastly different than last year's team. Georgia limped into the CFP quarterfinals versus Notre Dame last year hampered by a litany of injuries, notably to starting quarterback Carson Beck. That meant Gunner Stockton made his first career start versus the Irish, a scenario that eventually led to a loss.</p><p>This year, it's Stockton who leads the Bulldogs back to the CFP after exorcising their Alabama demons in emphatic fashion. The SEC title game turned into a bloodbath with Stockton throwing three touchdowns and the defense exposing an overmatched Crimson Tide offense.</p><p>Georgia's biggest issue earlier this season was an anemic pass-rush that was getting absolutely zero pressure on the quarterback. That was evident in the first matchup with Alabama, with the Bulldogs posting just one sack in the loss. They had three sacks and four quarterback hurries Saturday, clearly affecting Simpson and making him misfire on numerous occasions to open receivers.</p><p>The bracket will show Georgia in the same place as last year - a first-round bye into the CFP quarterfinals. However, Saturday showed us it's a very different Bulldogs team waiting for their opponent and one that should be considered among the top threats for the national title.</p><h3>Alabama made it a long night for CFP committee</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812845/cropped_GettyImages-2250422823.jpg?ts=1765068724" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812845/w220xh124_GettyImages-2250422823.jpg?ts=1765068724 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812845/w320xh180_GettyImages-2250422823.jpg?ts=1765068724 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812845/w640xh360_GettyImages-2250422823.jpg?ts=1765068724 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812845/w768xh432_GettyImages-2250422823.jpg?ts=1765068724 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812845/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2250422823.jpg?ts=1765068724 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>It's not easy and it's not fun, but part of life is that sometimes we need to have hard conversations. The College Football Playoff committee is going to need to have one of those about Alabama's place in the 12-team field. </p><p>The committee's decision - some would argue a non-sensical one - to move the Crimson Tide to No. 9 in the rankings Tuesday sure made it seem like a place in the playoff was guaranteed regardless of how the SEC title game went. Really, all Kalen DeBoer's outfit needed to do was avoid a truly embarrassing blowout to the Bulldogs.</p><p>Welp, so much for that.</p><p>Not even the Sun Bowl should want the version of Alabama we saw versus Georgia. How bad was the offensive performance? You - yes, you reading this at home - had more rushing yards than Alabama on Saturday. The Crimson Tide finished with minus-3 yards on the ground, the lowest total for the program since 1968. The offense ran a total of three plays in the Bulldogs' half through three quarters, and needed a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the defense to extend the only scoring drive of the game.</p><p>It took Ty Simpson 39 passing attempts to top the 200-yard mark through the air, as the first-year starter looked like a completely different person than the quarterback who ended Georgia's 33-game home winning streak earlier this year.</p><p>Simpson and the offense has gotten significantly worse as the season has progressed. Despite a loaded receiver room, Simpson has struggled mightily to stretch the field in recent weeks. He's averaging just 4.5 yards per attempt in the last two games, and only 167 yards through the air. With the dismal running game Alabama has displayed all season, Simpson needs to shine for the offense to get anything cooking. That simply hasn't happened recently.</p><p>The loss means two of Alabama, Miami, Notre Dame, and BYU will now miss the 12-team field. The Crimson Tide can still lean on the fact they beat Georgia on the road earlier this season. That likely still gets them in the field, but it's certainly going to be a nervous Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.</p><h3>Texas Tech's defense can win the CFP</h3><p>Texas Tech poses a legit threat to win the College Football Playoff thanks to an elite defense that might just be the best in the nation that isn't wearing Ohio State uniforms.</p><p>Look, it's been awkward for all of us trying to get comfortable with the Red Raiders being a team led by an astounding defense. The Big 12 program has lit up scoreboards for the past 25 years with the trio of Patrick Mahomes, Graham Harrell, and Kliff Kingsbury combining for an absurd 39,474 passing yards. However, Joey McGuire's Texas Tech is a completely different program, a smashmouth team that squeezes the life out of any offense in its path.</p><p>BYU has now played the Red Raiders twice this season, scoring a combined 14 points over eight quarters. The Cougars opened Saturday strong with a 90-yard drive for a touchdown, but they barely hit that total for the remainder of the contest, putting up 110 the rest of the way.</p><p>Texas Tech's defense doesn't just suffocate the opposition; it swarms to the ball and is a turnover-forcing factory. BYU had eight possessions in Saturday's second half, punting twice and <strong><em>seeing the other six </em></strong>end in a takeaway or a turnover on downs.</p><p>You'll see plenty of attention given to how much the Red Raiders spent on their roster in the offseason, bringing in high-profile transfers and some top recruits to Lubbock. While the spending is notable, Texas Tech allocated that money incredibly wisely, with virtually every addition paying off in a big way. Splashing the cash is easy, but doing so with purpose is what separates great from good.</p><p>The Red Raiders are clearly the former and should terrify any team unfortunate enough to draw them in the playoffs.</p><h3>We're good without BYU in the playoff</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812846/cropped_GettyImages-2250382847.jpg?ts=1765069265" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812846/w220xh124_GettyImages-2250382847.jpg?ts=1765069265 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812846/w320xh180_GettyImages-2250382847.jpg?ts=1765069265 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812846/w640xh360_GettyImages-2250382847.jpg?ts=1765069265 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812846/w768xh432_GettyImages-2250382847.jpg?ts=1765069265 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812846/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2250382847.jpg?ts=1765069265 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Stacy Revere / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>BYU's complete season resume is pretty incredible, considering its starting signal-caller, Bear Bachmeier, wasn't even on campus until May. The Cougars initially expected to start Jake Retzlaff again, but his departure in mid-July left the program scrambling at quarterback. Bachmeier eventually won the job and became the first true-freshman passer to start the season opener in BYU history.</p><p>Although LJ Martin's impressive rushing campaign, paired with one of the Big 12's best defensive units, powered the Cougars' 11-2 record, Bachmeier is certainly a star in the making in Provo.</p><p>Now that we've praised BYU, it's time to be real: this team shouldn't receive an at-large playoff berth. Over eight quarters against Texas Tech, the Cougars have shown that they're clearly a step below a top-level squad. The combined scoreline of 63-14 is somehow flattering to BYU, with the Red Raiders' failing red-zone offense putting plenty of field goals on the board instead of touchdowns.</p><p>There's precedent for a program in a power conference losing its title game yet still getting an at-large berth, as with SMU last season. However, the Mustangs lost on a late field goal in the championship, not in a 27-point blowout that was uncompetitive for the entire second half. We're betting that will influence the committee to keep BYU out of the field.</p>

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CFB Blitz: Conference title takeaways

Follow along with theScore's Early Signing Period tracker and find out where every top recruit is...

<p><em>Follow along with theScore's Early Signing Period tracker and find out where every top recruit is headed.</em></p><p><em>Note: Rankings are based on <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/rankings/scnext300boys/_/view/rn300">ESPN 300</a>.</em></p><h3>5-stars</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Player</th>
<th>Rating (Position Rank)</th>
<th>School</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Lamar Brown</td>
<td>93 (No. 1 DT)</td>
<td>LSU (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Zion Elee</td>
<td>93 (No.1 DE)</td>
<td>Maryland (signed) </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Jackson Cantwell</td>
<td>93 (No.1 OT)</td>
<td>Miami (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Keisean Henderson</td>
<td>92 (No. 1 QB)</td>
<td>Houston (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Jared Curtis</td>
<td>92 (No. 2 QB)</td>
<td>Vanderbilt (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Dia Bell</td>
<td>92 (No. 3 QB)</td>
<td>Texas (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Chris Henry Jr.</td>
<td>92 (No. 1 WR)</td>
<td>Ohio State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Richard Wesley</td>
<td>91 (No. 2 DE)</td>
<td>Texas (signed) </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>Faizon Brandon</td>
<td>91 (No. 4 QB)</td>
<td>Tennessee (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>Tristen Keys</td>
<td>91 (No. 2 WR)</td>
<td>Tennessee (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td>Derrek Cooper</td>
<td>91 (No. 1 RB)</td>
<td> Texas (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12</td>
<td>JaReylan McCoy</td>
<td>91 (No. 3 DE)</td>
<td>Florida (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13</td>
<td>LaDamion Guyton</td>
<td>91 (No. 1 OLB)</td>
<td>Texas Tech (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14</td>
<td>Kendre' Harrison</td>
<td>90 (No. 1 TE)</td>
<td>Oregon (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15</td>
<td>Immanuel Iheanacho</td>
<td>90 (No. 2 OT)</td>
<td>Oregon (signed) </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16</td>
<td>Jireh Edwards</td>
<td>90 (No. 1 S)</td>
<td>Alabama (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17</td>
<td>Tyler Atkinson</td>
<td>90 (No. 2 OLB)</td>
<td>Texas (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18</td>
<td>Brandon Arrington</td>
<td>90 (No. 1 ATH)</td>
<td>Texas A&amp;M (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19</td>
<td>Keenyi Pepe</td>
<td>90 (No. 3 OT)</td>
<td>USC (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>20</td>
<td>Kaiden Prothro</td>
<td>90 (No. 2 TE)</td>
<td>Georgia (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>21</td>
<td>Jett Washington</td>
<td>90 (No. 2 S)</td>
<td>Oregon (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>22</td>
<td>Elbert Hill</td>
<td>90 (No. 1 CB)</td>
<td>USC (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>23</td>
<td>Carter Meadows</td>
<td>90 (No. 4 DE)</td>
<td>Michigan (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>24</td>
<td>Felix Ojo</td>
<td>90 (No. 4 OT)</td>
<td>Texas Tech (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>25</td>
<td>Jake Kreul</td>
<td>90 (No. 5 DE)</td>
<td>Oklahoma (signed)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><h3>4-stars (26-50)</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Player</th>
<th>Rating (Position Rank)</th>
<th>School</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>26</td>
<td>Xavier Griffin</td>
<td>89 (No. 3 OLB)</td>
<td>Alabama (signed) </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>27</td>
<td>Savion Hiter</td>
<td>89 (No. 2 RB)</td>
<td>Michigan (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>28</td>
<td>Ethan Feaster</td>
<td>88 (No. 3 WR)</td>
<td>USC (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>29</td>
<td>Mark Bowman</td>
<td>88 (No. 3 TE)</td>
<td>USC (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>30</td>
<td>Anthony Jones</td>
<td>88 (No. 4 OLB)</td>
<td>Oregon (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>31</td>
<td>Khary Adams</td>
<td>87 (No. 2 CB)</td>
<td>Notre Dame (signed) </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>32</td>
<td>Calvin Russell</td>
<td>87 (No. 4 WR)</td>
<td>Syracuse (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>33</td>
<td>Jorden Edmonds</td>
<td>86 (No. 3 CB)</td>
<td>Alabama (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>34</td>
<td>Ezavier Crowell</td>
<td>86 (No. 3 RB)</td>
<td>Alabama (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>35</td>
<td>Ryder Lyons</td>
<td>86 (No. 4 QB)</td>
<td>BYU (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>36</td>
<td>Cederian Morgan</td>
<td>86 (No. 5 WR)</td>
<td>Alabama (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>37</td>
<td>Deuce Geralds</td>
<td>86 (No. 2 DT)</td>
<td>LSU</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>38</td>
<td>Salesi Moa</td>
<td>86 (No. 6 WR)</td>
<td>Utah (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>39</td>
<td>Bralan Womack</td>
<td>86 (No. 3 S)</td>
<td>Mississippi State (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>40</td>
<td>Brock Harris</td>
<td>86 (No. 4 TE)</td>
<td>BYU (signed) </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>41</td>
<td>Kodi Greene</td>
<td>86 (No. 5 OT)</td>
<td>Washington (signed) </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>42</td>
<td>Rodney Dunham</td>
<td>86 (No. 6 DE)</td>
<td>Notre Dame (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>43</td>
<td>Blaine Bradford</td>
<td>85 (No. 4 S)</td>
<td>Ohio State (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>44</td>
<td>Davian Groce</td>
<td>85 (No. 2 ATH)</td>
<td>Florida (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>45</td>
<td>Justice Fitzpatrick</td>
<td>85 (No. 4 CB)</td>
<td>Georgia (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>46</td>
<td>Izayia Williams</td>
<td>85 (No. 5 OLB)</td>
<td>Florida State (signed) </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>47</td>
<td>John Turntine III</td>
<td>84 (No. 6 OT)</td>
<td>Texas (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>48</td>
<td>Chauncey Kennon</td>
<td>84 (No. 5 CB)</td>
<td>Florida State (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>49</td>
<td>Ekene Ogboko</td>
<td>84 (No. 7 OT)</td>
<td>Georgia (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>50</td>
<td>K.J. Edwards</td>
<td>84 (No. 4 RB)</td>
<td>Texas A&amp;M (signed)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><h3>4-stars (51-100)</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Player</th>
<th>Rating (Position Rank)</th>
<th>School</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>51</td>
<td>Tyreek King</td>
<td>84 (No. 7 WR)</td>
<td>Tennessee (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>52</td>
<td>Nolan Wilson</td>
<td>84 (No. 7 DE)</td>
<td>Alabama (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>53</td>
<td>Talanoa Ili</td>
<td>84 (No. 6 OLB)</td>
<td>USC (signed) </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>54</td>
<td>Bryce Perry-Wright</td>
<td>84 (No. 3 DT)</td>
<td>Texas A&amp;M (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>55</td>
<td>Jalen Lott</td>
<td>84 (No. 3 ATH)</td>
<td>Oregon (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>56</td>
<td>Victor Singleton</td>
<td>84 (No. 6 CB)</td>
<td>Texas A&amp;M (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>57</td>
<td>Jordan Carter</td>
<td>84 (No. 8 DE)</td>
<td> Tennessee (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>58</td>
<td>Ian Premer</td>
<td>84 (No. 5 TE)</td>
<td>Notre Dame (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>59</td>
<td>Trenton Henderson</td>
<td>84 (No. 9 DE)</td>
<td>LSU</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>60</td>
<td>Brady Marchese</td>
<td>84 (No. 8 WR)</td>
<td>Michigan (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>61</td>
<td>Davon Benjamin</td>
<td>84 (No. 7 CB)</td>
<td>Oregon (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>62</td>
<td>Tomuhini Topui</td>
<td>84 (No. 4 DT)</td>
<td> USC (signed) </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>63</td>
<td>Joey O'Brien</td>
<td>84 (No. 5 S)</td>
<td>Notre Dame (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>64</td>
<td>Jabari Mack</td>
<td>84 (No. 9 WR)</td>
<td>LSU (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>65</td>
<td>Zyan Gibson</td>
<td>84 (No. 8 CB)</td>
<td>Alabama (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>66</td>
<td>Joel Wyatt</td>
<td>84 (No. 4 ATH)</td>
<td>Tennessee (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>67</td>
<td>Tyler Merrill</td>
<td>84 (No. 8 OT)</td>
<td>Notre Dame (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>68</td>
<td>Keeyun Chapman</td>
<td>84 (No. 10 WR)</td>
<td>North Carolina (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>69</td>
<td>Havon Finney Jr.</td>
<td>83 (No. 9 CB)</td>
<td>LSU (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>70</td>
<td>Darius Gray</td>
<td>83 (No. 9 OT)</td>
<td>South Carolina (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>71</td>
<td>Jonathan Hatton Jr.</td>
<td>83 (No. 5 RB)</td>
<td>Oklahoma (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>72</td>
<td>Leo Delaney</td>
<td>83 (No. 10 OT)</td>
<td>Clemson (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>73</td>
<td>Khary Wilder</td>
<td>83 (No. 10 DE)</td>
<td>Ohio State (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>74</td>
<td>Kelvin Obot</td>
<td>83 (No. 11 OT)</td>
<td>Utah (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>75</td>
<td>Aaron Gregory</td>
<td>83 (No. 11 WR)</td>
<td>Texas A&amp;M (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>76</td>
<td>Sam Utu</td>
<td>83 (No. 12 OT)</td>
<td> SMU (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>77</td>
<td>Brandon Lockhart</td>
<td>83 (No. 10 CB)</td>
<td>USC (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>78</td>
<td>Kevin Brown</td>
<td>83 (No. 13 OT)</td>
<td>West Virginia (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>79</td>
<td>Javian Osborne</td>
<td>83 (No. 6 RB)</td>
<td>Notre Dame (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>80</td>
<td>Cincere Johnson</td>
<td>83 (No. 7 OLB)</td>
<td>Ohio State (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>81</td>
<td>Micah Smith</td>
<td>83 (No. 14 OT)</td>
<td> Illinois (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>82</td>
<td>Xavier Tiller</td>
<td>83 (No. 6 TE)</td>
<td>Florida State (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>83</td>
<td>Elijah Golden</td>
<td>83 (No. 11 DE)</td>
<td>Notre Dame (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>84</td>
<td>Brysten Martinez</td>
<td>83 (No. 15 OT)</td>
<td>LSU (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>85</td>
<td>Camren Hamiel</td>
<td>83 (No. 11 CB)</td>
<td>Texas A&amp;M (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>86</td>
<td>Tradarian Ball</td>
<td>83 (No. 7 RB)</td>
<td>Oregon (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>87</td>
<td>Tony Cumberland</td>
<td>83 (No. 4 DT)</td>
<td>Oregon (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>88</td>
<td>Brian Bonner Jr.</td>
<td>83 (No. 8 RB)</td>
<td>Washington (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>89</td>
<td>Jamarion Matthews</td>
<td>83 (No. 12 DE)</td>
<td>Alabama (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>90</td>
<td>Richard Anderson</td>
<td>83 (No. 5 DT)</td>
<td>LSU (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>91</td>
<td>Preston Ashley</td>
<td>83 (No. 12 CB)</td>
<td>Colorado (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>92</td>
<td>Simeon Caldwell</td>
<td>83 (No. 8 OLB)</td>
<td>Ohio State (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>93</td>
<td>Simote Katoanga</td>
<td>83 (No. 13 DE)</td>
<td>USC (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>94</td>
<td>Bott Mulitalo</td>
<td>83 (No. 16 OT)</td>
<td>BYU (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>95</td>
<td>Shahn Alston II</td>
<td>83 (No. 9 RB)</td>
<td>USC (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>96</td>
<td>Jamarion Carlton</td>
<td>83 (No. 14 DE)</td>
<td>Texas (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>97</td>
<td>Samari Matthews</td>
<td>83 (No. 13 CB)</td>
<td>Texas (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>98</td>
<td>Maxwell Riley</td>
<td>83 (No. 17 OT)</td>
<td>Ohio State (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>99</td>
<td>Kenton Dopson III</td>
<td>83 (No. 14 CB)</td>
<td>North Carolina (signed)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>100</td>
<td>J'Zavien Currence</td>
<td>83 (No. 6 S)</td>
<td>South Carolina (signed)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure>

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - FEBRUARY 07: American Heritage cornerback Patrick Surtain Jr. (left) and cornerback Tyson Campbell (right) sign their letters of intent to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at American Heritage School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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Early Signing Period tracker

Texas' big win over Texas A&M wasn't enough to move it into the 12-team College Football Playoff ...

<p>Texas' big win over Texas A&amp;M wasn't enough to move it into the 12-team College Football Playoff field, with the Longhorns sitting No. 13 in the latest rankings that were released Tuesday.</p><p>That makes it extremely unlikely that Texas makes the playoff field with the Longhorns not playing in conference championship weekend. The Aggies dropped out of a top-4 spot with the loss on the road and now sit No. 7 in the rankings.</p><p>The top three remained unchanged with Ohio State, Indiana, and Georgia filling those slots, with Texas Tech and Oregon sitting at 4 and 5. Ole Miss moved up to No. 6, with the committee clearly not affected by Lane Kiffin's departure for LSU.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>School</th>
<th>Record</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Ohio State</td>
<td>12-0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Indiana</td>
<td>12-0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Georgia</td>
<td>11-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Texas Tech</td>
<td>11-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Oregon</td>
<td>11-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Ole Miss</td>
<td>11-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Texas A&amp;M</td>
<td>11-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Oklahoma</td>
<td>10-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>Alabama</td>
<td>10-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>Notre Dame</td>
<td>10-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td>BYU</td>
<td>11-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12</td>
<td>Miami</td>
<td>10-2</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>While BYU and Miami are both in the top 12, those two programs would drop out to satisfy the requirement that the five highest-ranked conference champions are selected.</p><p>CFP chair Hunter Yurachek did say on the ESPN broadcast that idle teams can move up or down despite not playing on championship weekend. However, the committee did not make any changes last year in the final rankings, with SMU staying in the field despite losing the ACC title game.</p><p>The Cougars have a chance to punch their ticket by winning the Big 12 title game over Texas Tech on Saturday, while the Hurricanes are done for their regular-season schedule. However, Miami and Notre Dame will now both finish with identical 10-2 records with the Hurricanes holding a head-to-head win over the Irish from Week 1. That could force the committee to give the nod to Miami in the final rankings and keep the Irish out.</p><p>One notable addition to the bottom of the list is James Madison at No. 25. The Dukes play in the Sun Belt title game this weekend and could create quite the scenario should they win. Duke and Virginia face off in the ACC title game Saturday despite the fact the Blue Devils are just 7-5 on the season. Should Duke pull the upset and knock off the Cavaliers, the ACC could be left out of the playoff all together.</p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>School</th>
<th>Record</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>13</td>
<td>Texas</td>
<td>9-3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14</td>
<td>Vanderbilt</td>
<td>10-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15</td>
<td>Utah</td>
<td>10-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16</td>
<td>USC</td>
<td>9-3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17</td>
<td>Virginia</td>
<td>10-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18</td>
<td>Arizona</td>
<td>9-3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19</td>
<td>Michigan</td>
<td>9-3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>20</td>
<td>Tulane</td>
<td>10-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>21</td>
<td>Houston</td>
<td>9-3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>22</td>
<td>Georgia Tech</td>
<td>9-3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>23</td>
<td>Iowa</td>
<td>8-4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>24</td>
<td>North Texas</td>
<td>11-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>25</td>
<td>James Madison</td>
<td>11-1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>The current playoff bracket would have Oregon and Ole Miss hosting the fourth- and fifth-highest-ranked conference champions, while the other two first-round games would feature rematches between Alabama and Oklahoma and Texas A&amp;M versus Notre Dame.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">TEXAS TECH INTO THE CFP BRACKET TOP 4 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/9mCJ4G2D0F">pic.twitter.com/9mCJ4G2D0F</a></p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1996009565641433252?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>

AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns points to his eye while directing players before the SEC football game between Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies on November 28, 2025, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX.

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Texas remains outside 12-team field in latest CFP rankings

The Lane Kiffin sweepstakes was always going to conclude in dramatic fashion.  If you're surprise...

<p>The Lane Kiffin sweepstakes was always going to conclude in dramatic fashion.</p><p>If you're surprised by the manner in which the 50-year-old head coach left Ole Miss to take the LSU job, you either haven't been watching college football long enough or are too big a believer in the power of hot yoga.</p><p>Kiffin has changed in many ways since he landed in Oxford, Mississippi, six years ago. He's very open about cutting out alcohol, changing his lifestyle, and becoming a daily practitioner of hot yoga. He's certainly not the same brash young coach who burned through stops with the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee, USC, Alabama, and Florida Atlantic, but he remains incapable of making a drama-free exit.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The episode, which features an 11-1 campaign by the Rebels - who are sitting on the cusp of the school's first playoff appearance - followed by Kiffin's drawn-out departure, would be the headline in most people's Wikipedia entry. For Kiffin, it's simply the latest absurd event on a resume full of them.</p><p>Kiffin held the college football world hostage for weeks before saying that he would declare his decision Saturday, only to delay the announcement because he wanted to have his cake and eat it too. He'd already chosen LSU but attempted to strong-arm Ole Miss into letting him continue coaching the Rebels through the College Football Playoff.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810476/cropped_GettyImages-2246402659.jpg?ts=1763486345" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810476/w220xh124_GettyImages-2246402659.jpg?ts=1763486345 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810476/w320xh180_GettyImages-2246402659.jpg?ts=1763486345 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810476/w640xh360_GettyImages-2246402659.jpg?ts=1763486345 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810476/w768xh432_GettyImages-2246402659.jpg?ts=1763486345 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810476/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2246402659.jpg?ts=1763486345 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine Ryan Day deciding to leave Ohio State for Penn State as the Buckeyes prepare for the Big Ten title game. Would Penn State let him continue to lead a rival program into the postseason? Absolutely not.</p><p>A number of talking heads on ESPN spent a large portion of Saturday cheerleading for Kiffin to be allowed that opportunity, one of them being Nick Saban - a particularly curious stance for the legendary coach to take considering his history with Kiffin at Alabama.</p><p>"We made the decision because it was in the best interest of our players, our program, and for Lane for him to assume his duties at Florida Atlantic," Saban told <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18394667/lane-kiffin-not-coach-offense-alabama-crimson-tide-title-game">ESPN</a> just days before the national championship in January 2017.</p><p>For those unfamiliar, Saban announced that Kiffin was out as the Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator ahead of the team playing<em> </em>for<em> the CFP title</em>. Kiffin had taken the Florida Atlantic job a couple weeks prior but was expected to remain with Alabama through the playoff and even coached in the semifinal. After Kiffin arrived late to multiple meetings and media availabilities, Saban decided the Tide would be better off without him.</p><p>Fiery exits are as synonymous with Kiffin as the visor he rocks on the sideline. Al Davis' decision to make the then-31-year-old USC offensive coordinator the youngest head coach in the NFL's modern era backfired, with the Raiders' owner eventually firing him in spectacular fashion in 2008. Davis made the change 20 games into Kiffin's tenure and then conducted a two-hour press conference to explain the move on a projector screen.</p><p>"I don't think it was any one thing," Davis said, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3618813">ESPN</a>. "It was a cumulative thing. I think the pattern just disturbed me."</p><p>Sound familiar, Ole Miss fans?</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812174/cropped_GettyImages-95516902.jpg?ts=1764643668" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812174/w220xh124_GettyImages-95516902.jpg?ts=1764643668 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812174/w320xh180_GettyImages-95516902.jpg?ts=1764643668 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812174/w640xh360_GettyImages-95516902.jpg?ts=1764643668 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812174/w768xh432_GettyImages-95516902.jpg?ts=1764643668 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812174/w1080xh607_GettyImages-95516902.jpg?ts=1764643668 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Mike Zarrilli / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>The next team to be intoxicated by Kiffin's potential was Tennessee, which made him the youngest active head coach in FBS months after his Raiders stint ended. He took big swings in recruiting, accused Florida's Urban Meyer of cheating, and generated some notable results on the field. The Volunteers faithful were fired up for the future.</p><p>Then, in an instant, he was gone - back to USC to take the head coaching job as Pete Carroll left for the NFL. Kiffin made the decision while attending the SEC head coaches meeting, and the Tennessee frontman flew back to Knoxville as news leaked out.</p><p>Things turned ugly after he announced the move in a brief <a href="https://youtu.be/PwFpj-Fi8to?si=aJp79IqgcL6B8OvW">press conference</a>. Police escorted him back to his home. Vols fans went full scorned lover, burning mattresses and shirts in response and painting vulgar, anti-Kiffin messages around campus.</p><p>While those exits are memorable, Kiffin's departure from USC is the one that really launched him into all-time college football lore. He experienced some success with the Trojans, but a 7-6 campaign after being the preseason No. 1 team fell woefully short of expectations. That put him in the crosshairs entering the 2013 season, and a blowout loss at Arizona State that dropped the team to 3-2 set the stage for "The Tarmac Incident."</p><p>How finished with Kiffin was USC? So done that the administration couldn't even wait for the team to return to campus to rip the Band-Aid off. He was pulled off the team bus on the tarmac of the airport at 3 a.m. upon arrival from Tempe. Then he was led to a private room in the terminal, where he was dismissed while the bus departed.</p><p>Now, he finds himself at LSU, an institution that might actually rival Kiffin in terms of drama. One only has to rewind to October to find Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry getting heavily involved in the firings of coach Brian Kelly and athletic director Scott Woodward.</p><p>Landry pledged that the state school wouldn't end up on the hook for another massive buyout once it hired the new football coach. That idea lasted until he got word that Kiffin might be interested in the position.</p><p>Kiffin's new seven-year deal is worth $91 million. The buyout is 80% of his remaining salary at the time of firing, with no duty to mitigate by finding other employment. In other words: significantly more substantial than the $53 million with a duty-to-mitigate buyout for Kelly.</p><p>Kiffin will likely experience great success at LSU. His football coaching acumen is the reason he's been given so many chances despite the baggage attached. And considering the elite recruiting ground in Louisiana, there's a reason every LSU coach this century other than Kelly won a national title.</p><p>However, regardless of how well the Tigers may do under his watch, the smart money is on his tenure eventually ending in an explosive manner with all of college football watching.</p><p>After all, this is Lane Kiffin.</p>

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 30: Head football coach Lane Kiffin and Athletic Director Verge Ausberry of the LSU Tigers arrive at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport on November 30, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Gus Stark/University Images via Getty Images}

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It's Lane Kiffin. Of course this saga ended in drama

Finally, the most drawn-out college football coaching saga in recent memory has mercifully come t...

<p>Finally, the most drawn-out college football coaching saga in recent memory has mercifully come to a close. </p><p>After taking the entire day Saturday to make his decision, Lane Kiffin will head to LSU and become the new coach of the Tigers, he announced Sunday.</p><p>Defensive coordinator Pete Golding will remain at Ole Miss and become the permanent head coach, the school said in a news release.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The major delay in Kiffin's decision was based around his desire to remain with Ole Miss through the postseason. He said the school denied that request. The Rebels essentially clinched their spot in the College Football Playoff with a dominant Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State on Friday.</p><p>The idea of Kiffin staying with the team through the playoff despite taking the LSU job was something the coach voiced during a Saturday meeting with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce. However, the university administration pushed back against that idea since the Tigers are a conference rival of the Rebels, sources told <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/breaking-news/article/lane-kiffins-future-hangs-in-doubt-after-meeting-with-ole-miss-brass-022358412.html">Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports</a>.</p><p>Ole Miss also had an outside chance at playing in the SEC title game. However, Alabama's late touchdown versus Auburn on Saturday night secured that spot for the Crimson Tide.</p><p>The LSU position became available when the Tigers fired Brian Kelly in his fourth season with the program - a move that eventually cost them the full $53-million buyout. Florida was also highly interested in Kiffin before the Gators landed on Jon Sumrall.</p><p>One can debate whether the LSU job is truly better than the Ole Miss position in 2025 and beyond. However, the history of title-winning teams in Baton Rouge is undeniable. Kelly became the first coach since Gerry DiNardo in the 1990s to fall short of a championship during his tenure with LSU.</p>

OXFORD, MS - SEPTEMBER 20: Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin during the college football game between the Tulane Green Wave and Ole Miss Rebels on September 20, 2025, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.

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Kiffin takes LSU job, Ole Miss promotes DC Golding

The conference title games are set for next weekend, with a blockbuster Big Ten matchup between O...

<p>The conference title games are set for next weekend, with a blockbuster Big Ten matchup between Ohio State and Indiana grabbing top billing.</p><p>The Buckeyes and Hoosiers have spent most of the season sitting Nos. 1 and 2 in the AP Poll and now get a chance to settle things on the field in Indianapolis on Saturday night. </p><p>The winner will almost certainly be the playoff's No. 1 seed, with the loser still likely to grab a first-round bye.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Here's a full breakdown of the conference title games.</p><h3>Power conferences</h3><p>The Big Ten combatants have been on a collision course since the Hoosiers knocked off Oregon on the road earlier this season. The SEC title game is a rematch between Georgia and Alabama after the Tide ended the Bulldogs' 33-game home winning streak.</p><p>The Big 12 championship will also feature a rematch as Texas Tech and BYU square off for the second time this season. The Red Raiders earned a 22-point victory in Lubbock earlier in November, which remains the Cougars' only defeat. The ACC has the wildest conference title game after Duke qualified with a 7-5 record. Only two of those losses were in conference for the Blue Devils, who snagged their spot versus Virginia thanks to a number of tiebreakers going their way. The game is a true win-or-go-home situation as neither team will receive an at-large bid should they lose.</p><p><strong>Big Ten:</strong> Indiana vs. Ohio State<br><strong>Big 12:</strong> Texas Tech vs. BYU<br><strong>SEC:</strong> Georgia vs. Alabama<br><strong>ACC:</strong> Virginia vs. Duke</p><h3>Group of 5</h3><p>The headliner in the Group of 5 conference title games is undoubtedly North Texas and Tulane in the American. The winner is likely to receive a bid for the College Football Playoff field. In a shocking twist, a second Group of 5 champion could make the playoff if James Madison beats Troy in the Sun Belt final. That would lift the Dukes to 12-1 and put them under serious consideration should Duke knock off Virginia in the ACC. The CFP format doesn't call for all power conference winners to make the field, only the five highest-ranked conference champions. If the Blue Devils and James Madison both win, the Sun Belt champs could get the nod.</p><p><strong>MAC:</strong> Miami (Ohio) vs. Western Michigan<br><strong>American: </strong>North Texas vs. Tulane<br><strong>C-USA:</strong> Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State<br><strong>MWC: </strong>UNLV vs. Boise State<br><strong>Sun Belt: </strong>Troy vs. James Madison</p>

COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 23: Ohio State Buckeyes players line up at the line of scrimmage before the snap during a college football game against the Indiana Hoosiers on November 23, 2024 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

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Ohio State-Indiana headlines conference title matchups

Florida has turned to one of the fastest-rising coaches in the country to fill its vacancy with t...

<p>Florida has turned to one of the fastest-rising coaches in the country to fill its vacancy with the hiring of Tulane's Jon Sumrall.</p><p>"Sumrall is a proven winner and an exceptional leader who has built successful programs at every stop," Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a statement to announce Sumrall on Sunday.</p><p>"He brings tremendous energy, strong recruiting relationships across our footprint, and a philosophy rooted in toughness, discipline and player development. He will cultivate a daily culture of competitiveness, accountability and winning that drives success on the field and throughout our program. Jon fully understands the expectations at the University of Florida, including our expectations to produce championship teams that feature a dynamic offense, and we're excited to welcome him and his family to Gator Nation."</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Florida is giving Sumrall a six-year deal with an average annual salary of nearly $7.5 million per season, sources told <a href="https://x.com/PeteThamel/status/1995163272044306445?s=20">ESPN's Pete Thamel</a>.</p><p>Sumrall has been a head coach for only four years but has posted a sizzling 42-11 mark with Troy and the Green Wave, qualifying for the conference title game in every season. The 43-year-old has experience in the SEC as both a player and assistant coach at Kentucky.</p><p>While Sumrall is eventually headed to Gainesville, he will remain with Tulane through next weekend's American Conference title game against North Texas.</p><p>Sumrall's addition marks the second straight time the Gators have hired a head coach from a Group of 5 school in Louisiana after Billy Napier joined the program in 2022. Napier's previous stop in Louisiana saw great success, but he couldn't translate that at the power conference level. While he was able to land a number of top recruits, the on-field performance consistently lacked and he was fired earlier this season.</p><p>Florida was initially in on the Kiffin sweepstakes while also vetting other candidates during the search. The focus on Sumrall grew after the school learned Kiffin was to decide between LSU and Ole Miss for his coaching future.</p><p>The Gators also found a new general manager Sunday, as they're finalizing a deal with former Jacksonville Jaguars GM David Caldwell, according to <a href="https://x.com/PeteNakos/status/1995189905450995739?s=20">Pete Nakos of On3</a>. Caldwell is currently a member of the Philadelphia Eagles front office.</p>

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - SEPTEMBER 20: head coach Jon Sumrall of the Tulane Green Wave looks on during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on September 20, 2025 in Oxford, Mississippi.

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Tulane's Sumrall lands Florida job

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CFB Blitz: Week 14 takeaways

The Lane Kiffin sweepstakes were scheduled to close Saturday, but the college football world is s...

<p>The Lane Kiffin sweepstakes were scheduled to close Saturday, but the college football world is still waiting for the Ole Miss coach to choose between staying with the Rebels or leaving for LSU.</p><p>LSU officials are confident they have Kiffin's commitment to join the program, but their announcement is being held up by his desire to coach Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff prior to leaving for Baton Rouge, sources told <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/breaking-news/article/lane-kiffins-future-hangs-in-doubt-after-meeting-with-ole-miss-brass-022358412.html">Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports</a>.</p><p>Ole Miss essentially clinched a playoff berth with Friday's Egg Bowl win over Mississippi State and still has an outside shot at playing for an SEC title next week in Atlanta should Auburn upset Alabama on Saturday night.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Kiffin presumably taking the LSU job will topple a number of dominoes in the coaching world Sunday. Ole Miss will need to find a replacement if he leaves, becoming the latest major program with a coaching vacancy to fill. Tulane's Jon Sumrall landed with Florida, while Auburn hired South Florida's Alex Golesh. Arkansas is reportedly hiring Memphis boss Ryan Silverfield to be its next head coach.</p><p>Golesh was also considered a top candidate for Ole Miss to potentially replace Kiffin.</p><p>Kiffin met with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce on Saturday afternoon, but no resolution had been announced as of 8:30 p.m. local time in Oxford.</p>

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - NOVEMBER 09: Head coach Lane Kiffin of the Mississippi Rebels looks on before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 09, 2024 in Oxford, Mississippi.

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Report: Kiffin's decision delayed by desire to coach Ole Miss in CFP

It's officially rivalry week in college football.  These games never require extra motivation, bu...

<p>It's officially rivalry week in college football.</p><p>These games never require extra motivation, but given their place in the calendar, a few of them are even more intense due to their importance in the playoff picture.</p><p>Ohio State-Michigan, Alabama-Auburn, and Texas A&amp;M-Texas are arguably the biggest matchups on the slate. The home team needs a win to keep its playoff hopes alive in all three.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Here's how each game breaks down with a key to victory for all six teams.</p><h3>The Game - Ohio State at Michigan</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808124/cropped_GettyImages-2244480337.jpg?ts=1762027676" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808124/w220xh124_GettyImages-2244480337.jpg?ts=1762027676 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808124/w320xh180_GettyImages-2244480337.jpg?ts=1762027676 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808124/w640xh360_GettyImages-2244480337.jpg?ts=1762027676 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808124/w768xh432_GettyImages-2244480337.jpg?ts=1762027676 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/808124/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2244480337.jpg?ts=1762027676 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jason Mowry / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Ohio State: Avoid careless picks</strong></p><p>"Fun is kicking ass and that's what we want to do on Saturday, so we are preparing to do that and that's it."</p><p>If Ryan Day wanted to add a little fuel to the already raging fire of a matchup with Michigan, he certainly <a href="https://x.com/CFBONFOX/status/1993432548836581516?s=20">did so earlier</a> in the week. The Ohio State coach leads the defending national champion and undisputed No. 1 team in the country - he should ooze confidence. However, he's also lost four straight rivalry games to Michigan, including last year's stunning defeat as a 20.5-point favorite at home to a Wolverines team that was allergic to the forward pass.</p><p>So how do Day and Ohio State avoid another stunning upset and finally end their run of futility in The Game? Don't give Michigan the ball for free. A common theme of the last three defeats to the Wolverines has been interceptions: The Buckeyes threw six picks over that span (two each from C.J. Stroud, Kyle McCord, and Will Howard).</p><p>Much like last season, Michigan simply does not have the offensive firepower to trade blows with Ohio State. If Julian Sayin can avoid giving the Wolverines extra possessions, it's a fairly safe bet the Buckeyes will return to Columbus in celebration mode. Surely that won't be too tall a task for the California native playing with a banged-up receiving group with temperatures in the 20s and light snow in the forecast, right?</p><p><strong>Michigan: Run the damn ball</strong></p><p>One of the redeeming features of The Game is its simplicity, starting with the name and carrying through to what usually decides the contest. It's hard to lean further into the purity of the sport than running the damn ball, and in fact, that's what's determined the winner since 2001.</p><p>The victor of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry game for the last 24 years has always been the team that led the contest in rushing, as noted by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S79-w2OG7DE">Josh Pate of "Josh Pate's College Football Show."</a> That includes last year's stunner where the Wolverines outgained the hosts 172-77 on the ground.</p><p>Both defensive units are elite at stopping the run this season, but the Wolverines hold the advantage on offense with the nation's 11th-ranked rushing attack versus the the 58th best for the Buckeyes. That could give Michigan an opening, especially freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood. While the Wolverines' passing attack is once again underwhelming, the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder is a beast on the ground, averaging almost 5 yards per carry with five rushing scores.</p><h3>Iron Bowl - Alabama at Auburn</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811632/cropped_GettyImages-2234927762.jpg?ts=1764217099" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811632/w220xh124_GettyImages-2234927762.jpg?ts=1764217099 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811632/w320xh180_GettyImages-2234927762.jpg?ts=1764217099 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811632/w640xh360_GettyImages-2234927762.jpg?ts=1764217099 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811632/w768xh432_GettyImages-2234927762.jpg?ts=1764217099 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811632/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2234927762.jpg?ts=1764217099 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jason Clark / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Alabama: Keep it simple for Ty Simpson</strong></p><p>Ty Simpson walked on the field Nov. 15 in Tuscaloosa as a serious Heisman contender with 21 touchdowns on the season against one interception. He'll take the field Saturday night with three picks against one touchdown in his last two games - including a two-interception performance in last week's 56-0 win over Eastern Illinois.</p><p>Alabama's blueprint Saturday is similar to Ohio State's: Avoid turnovers and keep the home underdog at bay. The Crimson Tide's surprising home loss to Oklahoma two weeks ago looks bad<strong> </strong>on the surface, but Alabama dominated that contest with almost 200 yards more total offense and double the number of first downs. Three turnovers - two by Simpson - were the deciding factor in that loss, which leaves the Tide likely needing to beat Auburn to make the playoff.</p><p>The Crimson Tide have told us all season that they can't run the ball, so don't expect that to change Saturday. However, Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb have shown the ability to game plan short passes that are essentially running plays to move the sticks. Alabama will need that versus the Tigers, simplifying the setup to keep Simpson from putting the ball in harm's way.</p><p><strong>Auburn: Push it down the field</strong></p><p>Auburn's played one game versus FBS competition since DJ Durkin took over as head coach. The good news: an offensive explosion of 38 points and almost 600 total yards. The bad news: allowing 45 points in the loss to Vanderbilt. With defensive coordinator Durkin now handling head coaching duties, that unit took a step back and allowed Diego Pavia to throw for 377 yards and three touchdowns. Alabama's passing attack is even more explosive, so expect an active scoreboard in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.</p><p>That might not be the worst scenario for the Tigers with Ashton Daniels back in the lineup. The Stanford transfer threw for over 350 yards in his one start since Hugh Freeze's firing as the new offensive play-callers quickly discovered nobody can guard Cam Coleman. Add Eric Singleton Jr.'s excellence in the slot and the Auburn passing attack might just be able to keep up with Alabama.</p><h3>Lone Star Showdown - Texas A&amp;M at Texas</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804287/cropped_GettyImages-2239269595.jpg?ts=1759637922" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804287/w220xh124_GettyImages-2239269595.jpg?ts=1759637922 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804287/w320xh180_GettyImages-2239269595.jpg?ts=1759637922 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804287/w640xh360_GettyImages-2239269595.jpg?ts=1759637922 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804287/w768xh432_GettyImages-2239269595.jpg?ts=1759637922 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/804287/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2239269595.jpg?ts=1759637922 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jack Gorman / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Texas A&amp;M: Get after Arch</strong></p><p>Texas A&amp;M thrives on incredible balance both offensively and defensively, but the Aggies' devastating pass rush might be what pops off the screen most. That's terrible news for a Texas offensive line that ranks 78th nationally in sacks allowed on the season.</p><p>From the school that brought you Myles Garrett comes the latest edge-rushing freak in Cashius Howell. The senior ranks third in the country in sacks at 11.5 on the season. Howell leads the line, but Mike Elko's defense has plenty of game-wreckers just waiting to eat versus the Longhorns.</p><p>Protection issues caused five-alarm fires in both of Texas' SEC losses this season, with Georgia and Florida combining for nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss. Somehow those numbers are still flattering to the Longhorns, as they likely would have been doubled without Arch Manning's elite escapability.</p><p>Texas' defense is among the best in the country, so the Aggies may struggle to move the ball at the same rate they've managed versus a very weak SEC schedule. However, Howell and the defensive line can easily win a slugfest Saturday in Austin if need be.</p><p><strong>Texas: Score TDs in the red zone</strong></p><p>In a relationship, there's always something your partner does that they just can't fix no matter how many times they insist they are working on it. Eventually, you have to decide whether or not you can live with the issue if it never gets better. For now, the Texas administration has decided it can live with Steve Sarkisian's play-calling in the red zone, no matter how bleak it can look on a weekly basis.</p><p>Sark is among the top offensive minds in the sport ... until his Longhorns hit the opposition's 20-yard line. At that point, it's like someone steals his call sheet and forces him to make things up. This year's offense ranks 64th nationally in red-zone touchdowns - the fourth straight season it's fallen outside the top 50 in that category.</p><p>Manning has improved throughout the season and led the offense to a perfect 4-for-4 showing in red-zone touchdowns last week against Arkansas. Unfortunately, the Razorbacks' porous defense won't be out there Saturday. How Manning and the offense perform versus the Aggies once the field shrinks will likely go a long way toward deciding the Lone Star Showdown.</p>

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How to win a rivalry: 1 key for each team in Week 14's blockbusters

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Caio Miari

News Editor

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