It’s human nature to imagine that each pattern line factors endlessly in the identical path, off to some far horizon that appears, roughly, similar to our present view.
We see the solar come up daily, and we assume it’s going to once more tomorrow. We wager on blue-chip shares, realizing that, for each blip and dive alongside the way in which, they will repay in the long term. We hear “Texas is again” every season, and we’re safe within the information that, in the end, we’ll all get to giggle about it once more.
Amid an infinite universe full of thriller, there are some exhausting truths which can be unattainable to flee.
Or, at the very least that is the way it was once.
On Saturday, Nashville, Tennessee, was the middle of the faculty soccer universe, as Vanderbilt took one other step towards the playoff. Week 9 gave us one other Virginia escape act, one other Texas Tech blowout, one other line on Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman Trophy résumé at Indiana. This season, the meek have inherited the faculty soccer world, and it is as enjoyable as it’s sudden.
It was once that Vanderbilt was the doormat of the SEC, the staff whose job was merely to maintain the Butch Joneses and Will Muschamps of the world bowl eligible.
It was once that Virginia was the least invested college within the ACC, a spot the place the locker room served as a Jamba Juice throughout open dates.
It was once that Indiana’s place within the Huge Ten was to maintain Rutgers firm on the backside of the standings.
It was once that Texas Tech used all its oil cash on brisket and Cadillacs and Kliff Kingsbury’s hair gel.
These had been truths we knew to be self-evident. These had been groups whose struggles you might set a watch by. These had been the usual by which all different awfulness was judged.
Till now.
In 2025, Vanderbilt is an influence. The “Faculty GameDay” bus rolled into Nashville, taking over worthwhile parking spots for bachelorette events alongside Broadway, and Vandy placed on a present. The Commodores performed big-boy soccer towards Missouri, with a dominant protection making up for Diego Pavia’s struggles, holding the Tigers to simply 10 factors in a 17-10 win. That Vandy mustered simply 265 yards, that Pavia did not throw a landing, that Missouri held the ball for 13 minutes greater than the Dores was all pretense. In one other period, again when Vandy was merely the place the road for Pancake Pantry ended on a Saturday, all these stats would’ve spelled doom. On Saturday, it was the recipe for an additional win.
In ACC nation, the world now revolves round Virginia and Georgia Tech. That that is pure lunacy, a relic of Coastal Chaos that has roared again to life like some form of “Jurassic Park” sequel, is simply too horrifying to grasp. Earlier than this season, Virginia was 56-75 within the playoff period, the worst file within the ACC in that span. Earlier than Brent Key took over as Georgia Tech’s interim coach in 2022, Geoff Collins was contractually obligated to explain recruits as “smothered,” “lined” or “scattered” in an effort to maintain the NIL collective flush. And now, the 2 faculties are a mixed 15-1 after Virginia gained its third extra time sport of the 12 months 17-16 towards North Carolina, and Georgia Tech lambasted Syracuse 41-16.
How good is Indiana? The Hoosiers have been so dominant this season that the dialog has shifted from “they acquired a positive schedule” to “they may be fairly strong” to “what if we paid Curt Cignetti the equal of the worldwide box-office take for “A Minecraft Film”? On Saturday, Indiana completely demoralized red-hot UCLA 56-6. Not since his function because the villain in “Again to College” seeing Thornton Melon’s astonishing Triple Lindy to win the dive meet had Jerry Neuheisel been so embarrassed. And even nonetheless, having fun with a 40-some-point lead, Cignetti roamed the sideline with the identical air of indignation as an assistant regional supervisor of a midlevel textile distributor, pissed off with one other provide chain hiccup. Indiana is all enterprise, and enterprise is superb.
After which there’s Texas Tech, a faculty that spent greater than a decade post-Mike Leach wandering the wilderness, now dominating the competitors on a weekly foundation. The Crimson Raiders walloped Oklahoma State 42-0, regardless of turning to their third completely different QB of the 12 months in Mitch Griffis, who threw for 172 yards and a rating. {That a} man who was as soon as benched at Wake Forest is now closing out wins for Texas Tech feels a bit like a man who acquired fired for falling asleep on the Taco Bell drive-through window profitable a James Beard Award for making the world’s greatest burrito at Chipotle.
A college that a number of Huge Ten ADs stored complicated with Iowa’s JV staff for the higher a part of the 2010s is now in line for the playoff.
A job that Bronco Mendenhall as soon as give up as a result of he needed to go fly-fishing is now among the best within the ACC.
A spot the place buskers taking part in nation songs on the sidewalk garnered extra respect than the native staff’s QB1 is now a real faculty soccer city.
This isn’t purported to be how any of this works. If there was one everlasting reality to the faculty soccer universe, it was that Charlie Weis would get one other $1 million test 30 years after he give up teaching. But when there was a second incontrovertible reality, it is that the wealthy stayed wealthy, and the commoners weren’t purported to punch above their weight.
Indiana, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech and candy little Vanderbilt had been all right here to play the a part of the Washington Generals. They had been purported to play alongside whereas the Alabamas and Ohio States of the world used Velcro and duct tape and an enchanted monkey’s paw to win by 100 every week.
However it is a new period in faculty soccer, a time when the sphere has been leveled, and all we as soon as knew to be true has evaporated like so many UNC income share {dollars}.
Welcome to the brand new frontier, kings changing into paupers, bums residing massive, canines and cats residing collectively. Mass hysteria.
What a time to be alive.
Extra:
Bama escapes | Texas survives
Traits | Beneath the radar
Heisman 5
Bama survives Shula reunion
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Germie Bernard’s late TD wins it for Alabama
Germie Bernard takes it to the home for a 25-yard dashing landing to seal a 29-22 win over South Carolina.
For 3-and-a-half quarters, Alabama seemed to be teetering on the point of shedding to South Carolina in what would’ve been the week’s largest upset. It isn’t simply that the Gamecocks have been struggling and the Tide have seemed nearly as good as anybody within the nation, however the man calling performs for South Carolina additionally occurs to be the final man to educate an Alabama staff that wasn’t any good.
Mike Shula doubtless holds the title of most embarrassing Alabama coach of the previous 75 years who wasn’t fired after visiting a strip membership, and he holds the unlucky title of “the man who got here earlier than Nick Saban.” It is easy to neglect that the Tide had been a program in utter tumult again then, simply because it was straightforward to neglect Alabama misplaced to Florida State in Week 1.
On Saturday, Shula arrived with a message, courtesy of his favourite band (we assume): “That is how I remind you.”
LaNorris Sellers threw for 222, ran for 67 and accounted for a pair of touchdowns because the Gamecocks led Alabama 22-14 with lower than 3 minutes to play within the sport. However for all of the chaos of the 2025 season, some upsets are simply not meant to be, and Saban did not promote a ten% fairness stake in this system to Devil at a crossroads in Eutaw simply to see his predecessor are available and spoil all of it.
Germie Bernard scored twice within the sport’s closing 136 seconds — first on a 4-yard go from Ty Simpson and once more on a 25-yard run — to seal a 29-22 win.
Afterward, Shula admitted the reunion hadn’t gone as he had hoped, however he supplied a darkish prediction of issues to come back, promising he would return and eventually get his revenge towards all those that had persecuted him earlier than being interrupted by the Wendy’s drive-through attendant, finally admitting he simply needed two junior bacon cheeseburgers and a big fry.
Texas survives once more
For a staff that was purported to be a nationwide title contender, nothing has come significantly straightforward for Texas this 12 months.
Arch Manning is extra prone to be named Whataburger’s buyer of the month than a Heisman Trophy winner. The Horns have misplaced video games to Ohio State and Florida. A win within the Crimson River Rivalry buoyed hopes, however that was adopted by an extra time win towards woeful Kentucky and one other ugly efficiency towards a Mississippi State staff that hadn’t gained an SEC sport in two years.
The Bulldogs turned a 14-7 deficit right into a 31-14 fourth-quarter lead Saturday, and the Mississippi State trustworthy had been able to have a good time at Longhorn Steakhouse, not as a result of it is the most effective place to get a steak close to Starkville, however as a result of it might be the funniest strategy to taunt Texas.
Manning threw two fourth-quarter landing passes, and after a stalled drive with 1:47 to play, Mississippi State’s ensuing punt resulted within the worst Niblett-related catastrophe since Arby’s ill-fated try and promote narwhal nuggets in 2009. Ryan Niblett returned the kick 57 yards for a game-tying landing. Sans Manning, who left the sport with an harm, Texas went on to win 45-38 in extra time because of a landing from backup Matthew Caldwell.
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Ryan Niblett takes 79-yard punt return to the home
Ryan Niblett scores on a 79-yard punt return late within the 4th quarter to tie issues up for Texas vs. Mississippi State.
After the sport, Texas celebrated with its now beloved Halloween custom of turning an assistant coach’s pet monkey free on a bunch of kids.
Week 9 vibe test
Every week, the marquee video games assist inform the story of the faculty soccer season. However dive a bit deeper, and there are myriad different moments throughout the faculty soccer panorama which may have huge ripple results, too. We attempt to seize these right here.
Trending down: Kiffin to Florida rumors
After a disappointing loss to Georgia, Ole Miss was teetering on the point of a season-defining second loss towards Oklahoma on Saturday, simply as Lane Kiffin rumors — or “Krumors” as we’re selecting to name them — reached their apex. Nonetheless, the experiences of Kiffin’s impending departure may be untimely, as Ole Miss rebounded to topple Oklahoma 34-26.
Trinidad Chambliss threw for 315 yards and a landing within the win and seems to have totally secured the beginning job over Austin Simmons, who threw his first go since Sept. 13 however seemed primed for a switch to Ferris State.
The sport was a vital level for the Rebels’ playoff hopes, and the loss might need been a dying knell for Oklahoma, which has two losses in its previous three video games and performs its final 4 towards ranked foes. After the loss, head coach Brent Venables referred to as it a “painful strategy to study,” not not like the time he fought that bear he thought insulted Invoice Snyder.
It was the Rebels’ first highway win vs. a ranked SEC foe since 2016, and it marked one in every of Kiffin’s most spectacular victories, alongside beating No. 4 Oregon in 2011, toppling Penn State within the 2022 Peach Bowl and forcing Al Davis to learn to use an overhead projector in 2008.
Trending up: Auburn’s offense
Cam Coleman has been trending towards being the SEC’s model of Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Angels, the man who persistently does one thing so mind-blowing that announcers observe it hadn’t occurred since previous “Velvet Palms” McGraw danced previous Sewanee again in 1906, all whereas Auburn’s offense stumbled into one other loss.
Saturday was completely different. Coleman did reel in a jaw-dropping landing catch, however the remainder of the Tigers confirmed up, too, in a 33-24 win over Arkansas.
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Auburn’s Cam Coleman reels in a spectacular one-handed TD
Jackson Arnold connects with Cam Coleman for a 23-yard Auburn landing.
It was the primary convention win of the season for Auburn, and a definitive reply to one in every of life’s nice mysteries: If pressured to decide on between rewarding Hugh Freeze or Bobby Petrino, would the universe select to easily implode as a substitute?
Trending down: Embarrassment in Chapel Hill
For the second straight week, North Carolina had an opportunity to win a sport towards a convention opponent, and for the second straight week, it was upended by a matter of inches.
However, for a staff that had been shedding by miles, just a few inches looks like dramatic enchancment.
Certainly, UNC now not seems “cancel the documentary” unhealthy and is now merely “brings again reminiscences of Belichick’s time with the Cleveland Browns” unhealthy. The protection was stellar, racking up six sacks towards No. 16 Virginia, however the offensive ineptitude — the Heels have but to attain greater than 20 vs. an FBS opponent — proved their undoing, alongside two pink zone turnovers.
At this charge, the Heels must be on tempo to win the ACC no later than 2035. By no means query Belichick’s “course of.”
Trending up: Aztecs’ protection
The race for the Group of 5’s playoff bid feels huge open after 9 weeks, however maybe the least-likely contender is San Diego State.
The Aztecs toppled Fresno State 23-0 on Saturday, their third shutout of the season. SDSU is now 6-1 and 3-0 in Mountain West play, with its lone loss coming to Washington State, which was contractually obligated as a part of the settlement to lastly permit the Aztecs’ entry into the Pac-12.
November showdowns at Hawai’i and towards Boise State ought to assist resolve whether or not San Diego State is a real playoff contender, however the protection seems very like the elite items that buoyed this system for years, and the entire metropolis seems able to lastly embrace soccer once more or else log on, seize a burrito and perhaps hit Lahaina after. Truthfully, both method is ok.
Trending down: Doubting BYU
It was straightforward sufficient to view BYU with a little bit of warning getting into the season. Final 12 months’s success had been fueled by some shut wins, and the departure of QB Jake Retzlaff left the Cougars with a freshman main the offense.
Seems, none of that was a problem.
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BYU Cougars vs. Iowa State Cyclones: Full Highlights
BYU Cougars vs. Iowa State Cyclones: Full Highlights
Bear Bachmeier accounted for 3 touchdowns, and BYU outscored Iowa State 24-3 within the second half to romp over the Cyclones 41-27 and stay undefeated.
After a tough first season within the Huge 12, the Cougars are rolling, having gained 19 of their previous 21 and now appear like the potential favorites for a bid to the convention title sport. Ought to BYU land a playoff berth, there’s not sufficient Swig in all of Provo for the celebration that will inevitably ensue and be over by 9 p.m., as a result of it is a college evening.
Trending up: Wisconsin’s offense
Oregon eased its strategy to a 21-7 win over the Badgers behind 102 yards and two scores from tailback Jordon Davison.
Technically it was a win for the Geese, however greater than that, it was a victory for Wisconsin, which scored in a Huge Ten sport for the primary time because the Hoover administration. OK, we did not fact-check that statistic, however it feels proper. And since the Badgers AD has supplied full religion in Luke Fickell with a promise of extra funding transferring ahead, Wisconsin followers can stay up for a landing and even a subject objective or two in Huge Ten video games subsequent season.
Trending up: Ypsilanti air guitar
Different conferences attempt to placate their crowds with lame in-game leisure on the videoboard or spend business breaks by honoring sponsors. The MAC, on the opposite, hand, is aware of find out how to carry the warmth.
— MACtion (@MACSports) October 25, 2025
Sadly, the Angus Younger of Ypsilanti was not sufficient to encourage his Japanese Michigan staff to victory, as Ohio went on to win 28-21. On the upside although, AC/DC’s new album, “Again in MAC” must be a banger.
One TD, Two TD, Imply TD, Inexperienced TD
Deep within the coronary heart of town of queens
Performed a staff from Texas referred to as the Imply Inexperienced.
They introduced Wesloskis and Sibleys with a Poffenbarger in tow
Nevertheless it was the fantabulous Drew Mestemaker who stole the entire present.
He’d not performed in prep nor transferred from Whoville Tech
Not been coached by a Dabo, a Kiffin nor Fleck.
However Drew was imply and he was inexperienced and he wore 17
And he performed higher that effective day than the gang’d ever seen.
The Niners led early, however there have been no screams and no shouts
For the mysterious Mestemaker left nothing doubtful.
He threw lengthy, he threw quick, he threw starboard and port
He hit receivers and backs, even a clabtrabulous gallort.
As the sport performed on, the Mestemaker was divine
By halftime he’d thrown a flurdiforous 329.
However his job wasn’t completed; there was extra ‘not far away
Like TDs to shazwallers, tabdablers and Cameron Dorner.
They gasped and guffawed, shouted “Flamdoozle!” on every play
For the Mestemaker’s arm grew three sizes that day.
By the top of the evening, when the hour’d grown late
The Mestemaker had thrown for a faculty file — 608.
#GMG🦅 pic.twitter.com/vrDWFuDpQa
— UNT Soccer (@MeanGreenFB) October 25, 2025
North Texas departed with a win, a smile and an iconic pic
To dream the candy goals of the Mestemaker’s subsequent trick.
Now his legend lives on, all through the land of school ball
The Mestemaker at North Texas ’twas the best of all.
Beneath-the-radar play of the week
Memphis overcame a 31-17 fourth-quarter deficit by scoring the ultimate 17 factors of the sport in a 34-31 win over No. 18 USF in what might be a defining second within the race of the Group of 5’s playoff bid.
However none of that ought to overshadow USF QB Byrum Brown making some of the athletic performs of the season, hurdling a Memphis defender en path to the top zone.
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Byrum Brown leaps over a defender and runs in a 44-yard TD for USF
Byrum Brown avoids a number of tackles, making defenders fall at his ft and takes it into the top zone for a 44 yard landing.
Brown completed the sport with 269 yards passing, 121 dashing and three complete touchdowns, however it wasn’t sufficient to beat the Tigers. On the upside, shedding a vital sport late after holding a large lead is one more method USF is proving it belongs among the many greater manufacturers of school soccer within the state of Florida.
Beneath-the-radar sport of the week
SMU entered Saturday having gained 20 straight regular-season convention video games — throughout two conferences — however in Week 9, the Mustangs ran right into a buzzsaw by the title of Wake Forest. The Deacons are one of many few buzzsaws who put on a high hat.
Wake turned distinctive subject place into two first-half scores, main 10-3 at one level regardless of having simply 12 yards of complete offense. SMU charged again and led 12-10, however the Deacons appeared on the point of a victory with a first-and-goal on the SMU 6 with 1:55 to play. A fumble ended the drive, nevertheless, and SMU then aimed to expire the clock. The outcome was a three-and-out and a punt with 12 seconds remaining.
That gave Wake the ball at its personal 42, and Deshawn Purdie rapidly related on a 25-yard completion to arrange a game-winning kick from 50.
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Connor Calvert’s career-long 50-yard FG wins it for Wake Forest
Connor Calvert sinks a 50-yard subject objective as time expires to improbably raise Wake Forest previous SMU.
That the kick fell quick proved an optical phantasm created by the truth that anybody who watched this sport had doubtless gouged out their eyes beforehand, because the ball did narrowly cross the crossbar, giving Wake a 13-12 win.
The sport featured 8 turnovers, 3 missed kicks, 17 complete punts and 1 lawsuit by the Huge Ten for copyright infringement.
Heisman 5
1. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
One other 4 touchdowns, one other blowout, one other week wherein Mendoza has acknowledged his case that he deserves to be the favourite for the Heisman. The one potential pitfall for Mendoza now’s that many Heisman voters had not beforehand been conscious Indiana had a soccer program and are very confused about why he does not play for Texas.
2. Everybody who did not play
Georgia QB Gunner Stockton, who spent the week washing his truck, listening to Toto and promising he’ll by no means be like his previous man, was off. So, too, was Ohio State QB Julian Sayin, who used the downtime to play just a few gigs together with his boy band, “I am Simply Sayin.” In the meantime, Notre Dame tailback Jeremiyah Love in some way nonetheless ran for an additional 83 yards towards USC regardless of being off. They’re all excellent.
3. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King
King threw for 304 yards, ran for 91 and accounted for five touchdowns in a 41-16 win over Syracuse. He adopted that by working a 12-hour shift down on the manufacturing facility, put in a brand new carburetor in his Chevy, shared a realizing look together with his high-school sweetheart, then spent an hour or so dying all his collars a darker blue whereas listening to Foreigner’s “Double Imaginative and prescient” on cassette.
4. Alabama QB Ty Simpson
It was hardly his best day, however when Bama wanted a raise, Simpson supplied it, discovering his security blanket in Germie Bernard to tie the sport late. He completed with 253 passing yards and a couple of TD passes and assurances that what occurred in Week 1 won’t ever occur once more and was really only a sensible joke that had gone horribly incorrect, like that point he ate Kadyn Proctor’s leftover grilled cheese.
5. Navy QB Blake Horvath
He in all probability will not make as a lot of a run towards the Heisman this 12 months as he did in 2024, however Horvath is having one other implausible season for the undefeated Midshipmen. On Saturday, he threw for 83 yards, ran for 174 and scored 4 instances in a 42-32 win over Florida Atlantic, thus proving as soon as and for all that the true Navy is superior to that flotilla 12 retirees in Boca tried to make use of to invade the Daytona Buc-ee’s.