OK, so it wasn’t the most ridiculous Rivalry Week we have ever seen. 13 of the highest 14 groups within the Faculty Soccer Playoff rankings gained, and the one that did not (Texas A&M) was already assured a CFP spot. Chalk has reigned over the previous couple of weeks, however as with pizza amongst different issues, Rivalry Week is nice even when it is not nice.
We nonetheless bought a dramatic Iron Bowl, we nonetheless bought one final foolish plot twist within the ACC title race (the silliest but, maybe), we nonetheless bought all the extreme environments we might probably need — plus some snow! — and we nonetheless bought an all-time comeback within the smaller-school ranks.
(We additionally bought no matter continued to go down in Oxford, Mississippi, which wasn’t even barely gratifying however definitely created buzz.)
The convention title recreation pairings are set, and we’ll quickly understand how a giant load of chalk may influence the CFP rankings. Within the meantime, here is what we discovered throughout an anxious-as-ever Rivalry Week.
(That is for ESPN’s Marty Smith particularly, since he was pressured to spend most of Saturday doing reside reviews about nothing taking place within the Ole Miss soccer constructing as an alternative of watching the video games.)
Ohio State is essentially the most relaxed group on the planet
In Friday’s preview, I wrote about how Ohio State discovered itself in an odd place: The Buckeyes had been unbeaten and No. 1 within the nation and confronted far much less stress than Michigan heading into The Sport. Ohio State followers on-line assured me this wasn’t really true — that they had been tremendous nervous, and that the stress was on the Buckeyes to finish the dropping streak in opposition to their hated rival.
These issues had been definitely true sufficient, however Saturday in Michigan, within the face of more and more Michigan climate, Ohio State was relaxed, sound and simply pretty much as good because it has been all season. The Wolverines landed some early pictures, getting a giant run from Jordan Marshall on the primary play of the sport and choosing off Julian Sayin’s second cross. However they may flip these blows into solely discipline targets – Ohio State ranks second nationally in crimson zone TD price allowed – and discipline targets aren’t going to get the job completed in opposition to OSU in 2025.
Sayin started the sport 2-for-5 however went 17-for-21 from there, and whereas Michigan was capable of restrict massive performs considerably, freshman operating again Bo Jackson gained 166 yards from scrimmage, and Sayin related on lengthy landing passes to Jeremiah Smith (35 yards, and I guess it was a TD) and Carnell Tate (50).
Whole yards over the past three quarters: Ohio State 334 (5.9 per play), Michigan 78 (2.7). The Wolverines had been by no means going to have the ability to sustain, and in contrast to final yr, the Buckeyes had been by no means going to panic. As a substitute, they handled Michigan like another opponent on this machine-like run to 12-0. Ohio State has scored between 34 and 48 factors in eight of its previous 10 video games and has allowed greater than 10 factors simply twice all yr. Even with a work-in-progress run recreation that hasn’t dominated as a lot as typical — and even when dealing with the stress of a virtually 2,200-day streak of not beating Michigan — this group simply grounds the opposition into paste.
Over the previous few weeks, I’ve discovered myself pondering that this CFP may find yourself being an “Ohio State vs. the sector” scenario. Georgia seemed spectacular for a few weeks in November however shifted into cruise management in opposition to Charlotte final week and will by no means get its offense buzzing in opposition to a weak Georgia Tech protection Friday. Kirby Good’s Dawgs are such brawlers that I’d nonetheless most likely give them the very best probability of getting the job completed, however there’s nonetheless purpose to surprise about their upside.
Elsewhere, Indiana is, at second in each SP+ and FPI, the computer systems’ decide for giving the Buckeyes essentially the most to deal with. And it would assist the Hoosiers that they mainly get a follow shot at OSU within the Massive Ten championship recreation subsequent week. I am positive they wish to win their first league title since 1967, but when they lose, they may study classes they may apply in a CFP rematch.
Texas Tech has a relentless cross rush and an excellent higher run protection and will put Sayin in more and more uncomfortable conditions. Alabama is 4-1 in one-score finishes in 2025 and, with Saturday night time’s late fourth-and-2 landing in opposition to Auburn, has proved it has the boldness that is likely to be required to beat the Buckeyes. Notre Dame has performed like a top-three or so group since its two losses that started the yr and, after final season’s nationwide title recreation loss, would convey a enjoyable revenge storyline to the desk. Oregon is the one group not named Michigan to have overwhelmed the Buckeyes prior to now 23 months.
This is not a slam dunk by any means. However rattling, it’s onerous to choose anybody however Ohio State because the clear title favourite.
Intricate tiebreakers and the ACC’s “8-5 convention champion” future
It was John Isner Week in school soccer — a number of discuss prolonged tiebreakers.
The ACC had 5 groups tied for second place at 6-2 (Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, Pitt and SMU). These groups performed precisely 4 video games amongst one another, they usually shared just one widespread opponent (Syracuse). Duke, with the worst general document of the bunch, stole an ACC championship recreation berth due to its convention opponents’ win proportion.
The Mountain West had 4 groups tied for first at 6-2 (Boise State, New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV). They virtually performed a whole round-robin — we had been lacking solely SDSU-UNLV – however as a result of it was incomplete, the convention needed to break the tie with a mix of laptop rankings, together with SP+. That gave us the Rebels at Boise State despite the fact that UNLV was 0-2 in opposition to its 6-2 brethren.
The SEC ended up with a four-way tie for first at 7-1 amongst Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. They performed simply two video games in opposition to one another — Bama over Georgia, Georgia over Ole Miss — and A&M bought to the end line with out having performed any of the opposite three. Alabama and Georgia bought in due to superior convention opponent win percentages.
The MAC had three groups tied for second at 6-2, and whereas Miami misplaced to each of the others (Ohio and Toledo), the Redhawks bought the MAC championship bid as a result of, since there wasn’t a full round-robin between them, they gained the following tiebreaker (document in opposition to widespread opponents).
The American Convention ended up with three groups tied at 7-1 in convention play: Navy, North Texas and Tulane. They shared just one widespread opponent (Temple), and there was just one head-to-head matchup between the groups. Tulane bought in due to its CFP rating (No. 24), and UNT bought in due to a head-to-head win (a rarity in tiebreakers!) over Navy.
The prolonged playoff is, to me, an undeniably great point for the game by way of each illustration and the quantity of soccer meaning one thing late within the season. Convention realignment, nevertheless, has given us leagues so completely huge that we’ve ended up with all kinds of messy tiebreakers to find out championship recreation contributors. Granted, it helps immensely while you play 9 convention video games — because the SEC and ACC quickly will — however with everybody shifting away from divisions, that is what we get as an alternative.
Granted, divisions stunk. There is a purpose conferences removed them within the first place (and why I wished them to). They had been normally fairly unbalanced from a high quality perspective, which means we hardly ever bought a convention’s two finest groups taking part in for the crown. Plus, with a divisional construction it will take eternally to play all your convention mates in these huge conferences. (The traditional instance: Texas A&M has been within the SEC for 14 seasons, and Georgia nonetheless hasn’t performed in Faculty Station.)
Clearly, conferences aren’t trying to voluntarily get smaller, so is there an answer right here? Is it both defective divisions or horrible tiebreakers? If somebody’s within the temper to get foolish, I definitely have concepts.
What about two-tiered conferences with promotion and relegation between them? That may make sure that the groups most certainly to make title runs are taking part in one another, although it will stop a sudden rise like that of 2024 Indiana (for the reason that Hoosiers would have most definitely began the yr within the Massive Ten’s second tier).
What about non permanent divisions which can be established based mostly solely on latest high quality and are redrawn each few years to keep away from everlasting imbalance?
Perhaps it is so simple as what the American Convention did: placing “highest CFP rating” fairly excessive up the tiebreaker listing (and perhaps shifting to the AP ballot or laptop averages if nobody is ranked by the CFP committee). The ACC would most likely love that proper about now; its finest group (Miami) will fairly probably find yourself lacking out on a CFP slot that goes to both a lesser ACC champion (Virginia) or, if 7-5 Duke upsets the Cavaliers, maybe a second Group of 5 champion as an alternative.
My CFP rankings prediction
In earlier seasons, I shared a BCS-like components that I preserve — primarily, half AP ballot, half laptop rankings (principally résumé SP+ and energy of document) — that does a good job of approximating how the CFP committee will suppose. Based mostly on each that components and who the committee has so far favored (Texas Tech, Oklahoma) and disfavored (Vanderbilt, any Group of 5 group) in comparison with the components this season, here is my finest guess for what the highest 25 will appear to be Tuesday night time:
1. Ohio State (12-0)
2. Indiana (12-0)
3. Georgia (11-1)
4. Texas Tech (11-1)
5. Oregon (11-1)
6. Ole Miss (11-1)
7. Texas A&M (11-1)
8. Oklahoma (10-2)
9. Notre Dame (10-2)
10. Alabama (10-2)
11. BYU (11-1)
12. Miami (10-2)
13. Vanderbilt (10-2)
14. Utah (10-2)
15. Texas (9-3)
16. USC (9-3)
17. Virginia (10-2)
18. Michigan (9-3)
19. Arizona (9-3)
20. Tulane (10-2)
21. Iowa (8-4)
22. Tennessee (8-4)
23. Missouri (8-4)
24. Georgia Tech (9-3)
25. James Madison (11-1)
We do not understand how far Texas A&M will fall, however my guess is that its résumé does not fairly stand as much as these of Oregon or Ole Miss. These three groups are considerably interchangeable, although. And on the backside of the listing, the committee has been going out of its method to not rank both James Madison (seventeenth in my components) or North Texas (twentieth) and may proceed that. However with final week’s Nos. 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 groups dropping, there’s an open door. Perhaps the committee will deign to note simply how spectacular the Dukes and/or Imply Inexperienced have been in some unspecified time in the future. (Sure, their schedules have been weak. Sure, they might settle for an influence convention invitation if provided. Their weak schedules are usually not their fault.)
Essentially the most fascinating rankings, in fact, can be these within the No. 8-14 vary. If we simply assume that any two-loss SEC or Massive Ten group and any one-loss Massive 12 or ACC group is in, we’ve extra groups in than we’ve slots accessible. And this extraordinarily chalky weekend did nothing to assist with that. Current weeks counsel an Oklahoma-Notre Dame-Alabama-BYU-Miami-Utah-Vandy hierarchy, however with Utah wanting shaky once more and Vandy scoring a win over Tennessee, I am guessing the Commodores will soar the Utes.
Essentially the most fascinating group, nevertheless, is Texas. Granted, the Longhorn buzz grew quieter when all of the favorites gained Saturday, however we’ll see if Steve Sarkisian’s campaigning after Friday night time’s win over Texas A&M strikes the needle. Many have identified that, had Texas scheduled a weak nonconference opponent as an alternative of Ohio State, the Longhorns would fairly seemingly be within the discipline of 12, and that is nice.
My counterpoint, nevertheless, is straightforward: What number of occasions did they really appear to be a playoff group this yr? Three? 4? They wanted additional time to beat Kentucky and barely bought previous Mississippi State, and their offense did not actually present up till late October. And nobody on this vary has suffered a loss as egregious as Texas’ dreadful 29-21 defeat at Florida. Their finest wins are robust, however they’ve each extra losses than others on this vary and the worst lack of anybody on this vary. That greater than offsets wins over OU and Vandy in my eyes. Perhaps the committee will spring a shock, but when the Horns do not make it, it is their very own rattling fault.
Lane Kiffin’s legacy
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Lane Kiffin: ‘It was actually tough’ to depart Ole Miss for LSU
Lane Kiffin chats with Marty Smith about his determination to depart Ole Miss for LSU and never with the ability to coach the Rebels throughout the Faculty Soccer Playoff.
It positive is enjoyable pondering again to the September “E60” function on Lane Kiffin. You understand, the one the place he talked about how a lot he is occupied with his legacy and rethinking the steadiness between uncooked ambition and happiness? Properly, as of Sunday, that legacy formally contains deciding to ditch a playoff group (Ole Miss) in favor of certainly one of its extra bitter convention rivals (LSU), stretching the saga out for weeks, casting an enormous cloud over all of Rivalry Week and making an attempt to play the sufferer, choosing one final spherical of fights with native media and — regardless of having as soon as been canned by Nick Saban every week earlier than the nationwide title recreation due to his failure to correctly multitask — seemingly utilizing public stress to attempt to drive Ole Miss to permit him to coach each faculties on the similar time till the Rebels’ keep within the CFP is over.
That works in case you’re North Texas coach Eric Morris, agreeing to leap to an influence convention gig. How within the hell was that purported to work when leaping from one job to a different throughout the loudest and messiest convention within the nation, whereas doubtlessly on the point of poach a number of his outdated gamers for his new job?
Kiffin is an superior — and, doubtlessly, nonetheless enhancing — head coach who will most likely win massive at LSU, probably the most well-resourced, built-to-win applications within the nation. I do know why LSU wished him so badly and provided him such a profitable deal, even regardless of the irony of the Louisiana governor signing off on the deal weeks after complaining about egregious coach contracts and saying, “It is actually time for the NCAA to placed on some guardrails in school sports activities.”
However he is such a superb coach that he was already successful massive at one other faculty and did not want to depart to construct an elite program. He already had one principally constructed, and by all accounts Ole Miss was ready to put down masses of cash (for each him and taking part in expertise) if he stayed. The faculty soccer calendar stinks, and there is actually no clear and straightforward method to repair it, however as soon as once more, this did not occur to Lane Kiffin. It occurred as a result of he was prepared to depart a CFP group earlier than the CFP. Now, his legacy is all however assured to begin with the way in which he left faculties, not what number of video games he gained at them.
Congrats to the bowl-eligibles
Bowls won’t imply what they used to, however they will imply fairly a bit to a 5-6 group desperately making an attempt to snag one final win throughout Rivalry Week. And fairly a couple of wanted some drama to get to win No. 6. Penn State wanted an enormous day from Kaytron Allen and a late fumble restoration rating to outlive at Rutgers, 40-36, in a battle of 5-6 groups. The highway group gained two different such video games as nicely: Arkansas State scored the game-winner with 42 seconds left to prime Appalachian State 30-29 in Boone, and Georgia Southern stored Marshall at arm’s size in a 24-19 win in Huntington.
Elsewhere, Louisiana wanted additional time to place away rival Louisiana-Monroe however ultimately secured its sixth win; Texas State earned a bowl showcase for prolific quarterback Brad Jackson due to a 49-26 win over South Alabama; Military beat UTSA 27-24 to maneuver to 6-5 with Navy developing; Kansas State messed round a bit however ultimately put Colorado away 24-14; and Washington State avenged an earlier highway defeat to Oregon State by pummeling the Beavers at dwelling 32-8. I suppose they cut up the Pac-12 title then? They need to play a 3rd recreation subsequent week only for enjoyable.
Plus, Delaware scored all 20 of the fourth quarter’s factors to place away a 61-31 win over UTEP. That grew to become notably necessary when solely 80 eligible groups ended up with six wins. There are 82 FBS bowl slots, so the Blue Hens and one other Convention USA group and FBS newcomer, 7-5 Missouri State, at the moment are eligible and get to bowl as nicely. Clear and straightforward.
Superb jobs by Jason Eck, Mark Carney and Jerry Mack
Kent State fielded one of many worst groups conceivable in 2024, and that is not an exaggeration: For the reason that FBS/FCS cut up within the late Nineteen Seventies (and never together with the unfinished 2020 season), the one groups that graded out worse than final yr’s Golden Flashes are 2021 UMass, 2019 UMass and 2006 Temple. They had been 0-12 that yr after going 1-11 the season earlier than. Then Mark Carney was named the college’s interim head coach mid-spring after Kenni Burns’ firing. This appeared like simply concerning the worst job conceivable, but when the Golden Flashes had eked out a win in opposition to both Buffalo (a 31-28 loss) or Ball State (17-13), they’d have ended up bowl eligible.
Carney’s efficiency was unimaginable, ok to get his “interim” tag wiped off, nevertheless it’s not even clear that his was the very best teaching efficiency of the season. That honor may must go to Jerry Mack, who inherited a 2-10 Kennesaw State group, went 9-3 and earned a spot in subsequent week’s Convention USA championship recreation. Or maybe you like Jason Eck’s efficiency at New Mexico. Bronco Mendenhall left after one season in Albuquerque, Eck needed to flip rattling close to all the roster, and but the Lobos are 9-3 and 66th in SP+; they have not completed within the prime 70 since 2007.
The portal and the instability of rosters has its apparent drawbacks, nevertheless it has produced some fairly tantalizing turnarounds in latest seasons. We bought a couple of in 2025, and I did not even point out what Eric Morris has completed at North Texas, or Clark Lea at Vanderbilt, or Tony Elliott at Virginia, or Jim Mora at UConn, or Willie Fritz at Houston.
A variety of proficient groups botched their offensive line
South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, a sack-prone quarterback by nature who will most likely proceed to be terribly sack-prone within the professionals, bought zero assist from his run recreation (107th in dashing success price) and confronted absurd quantities of prompt stress in 2025 (134th in stress price).
LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier watched each his trajectory and NFL draft inventory plummet when making an attempt to maneuver the ball with no run recreation (119th in dashing success price), a great deal of offensive line penalties and fairly a couple of sacks (seventieth in sack price).
Texas’ Arch Manning did not get assist from his run recreation till mainly the second half of the Longhorns’ twelfth recreation (91st in dashing success price) and confronted fixed stress (119th in stress price) with a number of O-line penalties.
It hit me in latest weeks that, whereas we knew heading into the season that a number of extremely ranked groups had been breaking in new beginning quarterbacks, the largest subject amongst quite a few bold groups was a complete lack of continuity up entrance.
Of the groups within the preseason AP prime 20, seven returned lower than 44% of their offensive line begins from 2024: No. 1 Texas, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 5 Georgia, No. 7 Oregon, No. 9 LSU, No. 13 South Carolina and No. 17 Kansas State. Of these seven, six underachieved in opposition to offensive projections this season. Texas was projected twenty fourth and at the moment ranks thirty eighth. Kansas State was projected sixteenth and ranks forty fifth. South Carolina was projected twenty sixth and ranks eighty fifth. LSU was projected second and ranks a ghastly ninetieth. Texas signed zero O-line transfers, preferring to construct from inside; South Carolina and Kansas State signed 4 every, and LSU signed two. Their strains all stunk regardless.
Granted, loads of groups managed to underachieve with skilled strains, and perhaps probably the most fascinating tales of the season — one thing to peck round with within the offseason — is the truth that a majority of preseason ranked groups underachieved offensively. However for all the eye that we justifiably give to the QB place, crafting a sturdy and dependable offensive line within the portal period appears as tough as ever.
This week in SP+
The SP+ rankings have been up to date for the week. Let’s check out the groups that noticed the largest change of their general rankings. (Observe: We’re rankings, not rankings.)
Transferring up
Listed here are the ten groups that noticed their rankings rise essentially the most this week:
Louisville: up 2.5 adjusted factors per recreation (rating rose from thirty seventh to thirtieth)
Bowling Inexperienced: up 2.5 factors (from one hundred and twenty fifth to a hundred and fifteenth)
Florida Worldwide: up 2.4 factors (from a hundred and fifth to 94th)
Boston Faculty: up 2.3 factors (from 113th to 103rd)
Washington State: up 2.3 factors (from sixty fifth to sixtieth)
Fresno State: up 2.3 factors (from seventy fifth to 67th)
Florida: up 2.2 factors (from 69th to 62nd)
Air Drive: up 2.2 factors (from 93rd to 86th)
NC State: up 2.2 factors (from 66th to 61st)
South Florida: up 2.2 factors (from twenty eighth to twenty third)
We noticed loads of “go up massive in your rival and preserve punching” conditions Saturday — Louisville beat Kentucky by 41, Fresno State beat San José State by 27, NC State beat North Carolina by 23, Florida beat Florida State by 19 — and it offered some last-minute rankings shifts.
Transferring down
Listed here are the ten groups whose rankings fell essentially the most:
Kentucky: down 2.8 adjusted factors per recreation (rating fell from 57th to 63rd)
Florida State: down 2.7 factors (from thirty fourth to forty third)
Pitt: down 2.7 factors (from twenty ninth to thirty sixth)
Coastal Carolina: down 2.4 factors (from 112th to 117th)
Tennessee: down 2.3 factors (from 14th to twenty first)
Nebraska: down 2.2 factors (from thirty ninth to forty sixth)
San José State: down 2.1 factors (from 111th to 116th)
Cincinnati: down 2.0 factors (from forty first to forty ninth)
West Virginia: down 2.0 factors (from 92nd to 93rd)
North Carolina: down 2.0 factors (from 94th to 97th)
Maybe not surprisingly, the groups that obtained the poundings referenced above fell by fairly stable quantities too. And god bless the ACC for persevering with to supply surprises and shifts proper till the tip – six of the 20 groups on these two lists are from that league.
Who gained the Heisman this week?
I’m as soon as once more awarding the Heisman each single week of the season and doling out weekly factors, F1-style (on this case, 10 factors for first place, 9 for second and so forth). How will this Heisman race play out, and the way completely different will the consequence be from the precise Heisman voting?
Right here is that this week’s Heisman prime 10:
1. Drew Mestemaker, North Texas (20-for-24 passing for 366 yards and three touchdowns in opposition to Temple).
2. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (18-for-28 passing for 268 yards, 1 TD and a pair of INTs, plus 168 non-sack dashing yards and a TD in opposition to Tennessee).
3. Jadan Baugh, Florida (38 carries for 266 yards and a pair of touchdowns in opposition to Florida State).
4. Brad Jackson, Texas State (20-for-26 passing for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns, plus 113 non-sack dashing yards and three TDs in opposition to South Alabama).
5. Stephen Daley, Indiana (six tackles, 4.5 TFLs, a sack and a pressured fumble in opposition to Purdue).
6. Kaytron Allen, Penn State (22 carries for 226 yards and a landing, plus 12 receiving yards in opposition to Rutgers).
7. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Cal (31-for-40 passing for 330 yards and 4 touchdowns in opposition to SMU).
8. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss (23-for-34 passing for 359 yards and 4 touchdowns, plus 26 non-sack dashing yards in opposition to Mississippi State).
9. Evan Dickens, Liberty (43 carries for 267 yards and 4 touchdowns, plus 16 receiving yards in opposition to Kennesaw State).
10. Behren Morton, Texas Tech (25-for-32 passing for 310 yards and three touchdowns in opposition to West Virginia).
North Texas’ offense has shifted from nice to video-game nice in latest weeks. The clearest proof? Drew Mestemaker threw for 366 yards on simply 24 passes, and that was a transparent step backward from the week earlier than, when he threw for 469 in 19 in opposition to Rice.
And talking of absurd, Diego Pavia simply put up 436 mixed dashing and passing yards in an unlimited rivalry win over Tennessee, Vandy’s first in seven years. That is a reasonably good method to make a last impression to Heisman voters.
Honorable point out:
• Emmett Johnson, Nebraska (29 carries for 217 yards and a landing, plus 22 receiving yards in opposition to Iowa).
• Parker Kingston, BYU (six catches for 126 yards and a landing, plus a punt return TD in opposition to UCF).
• Dante Moore, Oregon (20-for-29 passing for 286 yards and a landing, plus 20 non-sack dashing yards and a TD in opposition to Washington).
• T.J. Parker, Clemson (4 tackles, three sacks and a fumble restoration in opposition to South Carolina).
• Jeremy Payne, TCU (26 carries for 174 yards and a pair of touchdowns, plus 44 receiving yards in opposition to Cincinnati).
• Jordan Pollard, San Jose State (19 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 pressured fumble and a 58-yard pick-six in opposition to Fresno State).
• Antwan Raymond, Rutgers (29 carries for 189 yards and a pair of TDs, plus 62 receiving yards and a TD in opposition to Penn State).
• Julian Sayin, Ohio State (19-for-26 passing for 233 yards, 3 TDs and an INT in opposition to Michigan).
• Malachi Toney, Miami (13 catches for 126 yards and a landing, plus 30 dashing yards and a landing cross in opposition to Pitt).
By means of 14 weeks, listed here are your factors leaders, with the tiebreaker of most factors within the final 4 weeks:
1. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (43 factors)
2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State (29 factors, 4 within the final 4 weeks)
3. Ty Simpson, Alabama (29 factors, 0 within the final 4 weeks)
4. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss (28 factors)
5. Taylen Inexperienced, Arkansas (27 factors)
6. Drew Mestemaker, North Texas (26 factors, 18 within the final 4 weeks)
7. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (26 factors, 7 within the final 4 weeks)
8. Gunner Stockton, Georgia (25 factors)
9. Demond Williams Jr., Washington (21 factors)
10. Haynes King, Georgia Tech (18 factors)
In his final 4 video games, Pavia averaged 374 passing yards, 107 non-sack dashing yards and 4 mixed touchdowns. That trounces what Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin did down the stretch, and it ought to do greater than merely assure him a visit to New York — he ought to win in New York. It blows my thoughts that Pavia’s present betting odds (+550) are a lot worse than both Mendoza’s (even) or Sayin’s (+140).
My 20 favourite video games of the weekend
1. FCS: No. 21 Yale 43, No. 13 Youngstown State 42. Keep in mind final yr, when all of the visiting groups within the first spherical of the CFP seemed like deer in headlights out of the gate? We bought the FCS model of that Saturday, when the primary two Ivy League groups to play within the playoffs each stumbled instantly. Harvard, down 31-0 to Villanova at halftime, by no means recovered, ultimately falling 52-7.
Yale, alternatively, did greater than get well. Trailing 42-14 halfway by the third quarter, the Bulldogs pitched a shutout from there: They scored, recovered a fumble, scored once more, pressured a (missed) discipline purpose, scored once more, pressured a three-and-out, scored once more, hit the 2-point conversion, pressured a four-and-out and gained the sport. It was the cleanest, best game-winning 29-0 run you will ever see. An absolute stunner.
Yale’s reward, by the way in which? A cross-country date with No. 2 Montana State. I would not advocate falling behind by 28 in that one.
2. California 38, No. 21 SMU 35. Certainly, the ACC is aware of plot twists. Cal led by 17 factors with 13 minutes left, then trailed with one minute left, then gained anyway. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele’s freshman yr has been up and down, however this was fairly the shining second.
3. No. 10 Alabama 27, Auburn 20. Tied along with your hated (and messy) rival, having blown a 17-point lead? Going through a fourth-and-2 and never eager to accept a discipline purpose? Go for it!
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Alabama’s 4th-down gamble pays off with late TD
Alabama’s 4th-down gamble pays off with late TD
And I suppose there was just one method for the Hugh Freeze period at Auburn to formally finish: with a one-score loss. The Tigers have suffered 12 of them within the final three seasons. The one group to endure extra in that span? Convention mate Arkansas (14).
4. New Mexico 23, San Diego State 17 (2OT). New Mexico will get a shot at simply its second ever 10-win season in a bowl recreation due to this thriller, which included an early 10-0 lead, a few lengthy landing runs, a pair of additional time turnovers (an interception for UNM, a fumble restoration for SDSU), a one-handed landing seize within the second OT, one final cease and a discipline storming. Greatest recreation of Friday.
5. No. 8 Oklahoma 17, LSU 13. There was no method in hell this recreation was going to be fairly, and it certainly featured extra turnovers (4) than touchdowns (three), however after twice falling behind within the second half, OU’s offense confirmed up, first with a 45-yard screen-and-run from Deion Burks, then with a wide-open, 58-yard John Mateer-to-Isaiah Sategna III bomb that most likely despatched the Sooners to the CFP.
6. Division II: No. 10 Texas-Permian Basin 21, No. 15 Western Colorado 15 (OT). UTPB retains going! The Falcons returned to Colorado for the second straight playoff recreation, noticed their hosts a 15-0 lead with eight minutes remaining, then set to work. Kanon Gibson ran for one landing and threw for an additional to drive additional time, then he hit Jaylon Tillman for a 21-yard rating in OT. The PAT was blocked, however Caimon Mathis broke up a fourth-down WCU cross, and UTPB superior to the D-II quarterfinals.
7 and eight. Kennesaw State 48, Liberty 42 (2OT) and Jacksonville State 37, Western Kentucky 34. Convention USA introduced the drama this season — 50% of its convention matchups had been one-score video games, tied with the SEC for essentially the most. Hell, the Massive 12 (41.1%) was the one different convention above 39%. It made sense, then, that the convention title recreation pairings had been determined by a few thrillers. First, JSU overcame an early 14-point deficit, traded discipline targets down the stretch and gained with a 28-yarder from Garrison Rippa on the buzzer.
The Gamecocks will play Kennesaw State, who blew it however bought a second probability. The Owls gave up a game-tying 59-yard landing cross with 3:28 left, then let Liberty drive to arrange a late discipline purpose try, however Jay Billingsley missed from 32 yards. KSU wanted solely two performs to attain twice in additional time, and Liberty went four-and-out within the second OT. Of their second yr in FBS, Kennesaw will play for its first CUSA title. Hooty hoo!
9. Division III: No. 20 Wheaton 28, No. 5 Wartburg 24. Let it’s recognized that I nailed it in Friday’s preview: Three of the video games in my smaller-school showcase had been classics. On an more and more snowy discipline in Waverly, Iowa, Wheaton trailed host Wartburg on three events however struck again every time. Matt Crider’s 4-yard landing with 24 seconds left gave the Thunder the lead, and Wheaton defenders Collin Moore and Caleb Coburn teamed as much as bat away a Hail Mary in the long run zone. The win strikes them on to the spherical of 16 in opposition to DePauw.
10. FCS: Southern 28, Grambling 27. I felt unusual not mentioning the Bayou Basic in Friday’s preview, however Southern has been so dreadful this season that I handed. By no means once more. The 1-10 Jaguars fell behind 14-0 early and did not lead till halfway by the fourth quarter, when Cam’Ron McCoy discovered Khalil Harris for a 34-yard rating. Ckelby Givens recovered a fumble with 32 seconds left, and Southern scored one of many extra unlikely latest wins on this wild collection.
11. Louisiana 30, Louisiana-Monroe 27
12. Boise State 25, Utah State 24
13. Arkansas State 30, App State 29
14. Illinois 20, Northwestern 13
15. Penn State 40, Rutgers 36
16. Kent State 35, Northern Illinois 31
17. No. 4 Georgia 16, No. 23 Georgia Tech 9
18. Houston 31, Baylor 24
19. D-II: No. 16 Newberry 24, No. 9 West Florida 17
20. UAB 31, Tulsa 24