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Tag: James Madison Dukes

  • Oregon is back in the top five of the AP Top 25 poll, Miami leads pack of 5 ranked ACC teams

    Oregon returned to the top five of The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll Sunday, five Atlantic Coast Conference teams were ranked for the second time this season and Georgia Tech took the biggest fall after its second loss in three games.

    Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M remained the top three teams for a sixth straight week, and Georgia was No. 4 for the second week in a row.

    Oregon jumped over idle Mississippi to No. 5, its highest ranking since it was No. 3 in the Oct. 5 poll. The Ducks strengthened their College Football Playoff resume with a 15-point victory over then-No. 16 Southern California, extending their winning streak to five games.

    Mississippi was followed by Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama.

    Ohio State is No. 1 for a 13th straight week going into its game at No. 15 Michigan. The Buckeyes received 58 first-place votes and were 53 points ahead of Indiana, which was listed first on seven voters’ ballots. Texas A&M got the remaining first-place vote.

    Miami, which beat Virginia Tech by 17 points on the road, moved up a spot to No. 13 and was the highest-ranked of five ACC teams. Virginia climbed two spots to No. 17. Georgia Tech, beaten 42-28 at home by Pittsburgh, dropped eight rungs to No. 23.

    Pittsburgh, which has three losses, was one spot behind the two-loss Yellow Jackets. No. 25 SMU re-entered the poll for the first time since Sept. 2.

    No. 20 James Madison of the Sun Belt Conference remained the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the AP poll. The Dukes, up one spot from a week ago, came from behind to beat Washington State 24-20.

    No. 21 North Texas of the American Conference was one spot ahead of Tulane. The Green Wave were the only Group of Five team in the CFP selection committee’s rankings last week, at No. 24.

    In and out

    — No. 24 Pittsburgh bounced back from its 22-point home loss to Notre Dame and returned after a one-week absence.

    — No. 25 SMU beat Louisville by 32 points for its third straight win and can return to the ACC championship game with a win at California.

    Missouri (No. 23) and Houston (No. 25) dropped out.

    Poll points

    — Five teams from the state of Texas are ranked for a second straight week. The Lone Star State hadn’t had five teams in back-to-back polls since 2016.

    — The ACC, in addition to this week, had five teams in the poll on Nov. 9. That makes this the fourth straight year the ACC has had five teams ranked in two or more polls.

    Conference call

    SEC (8 ranked teams): Nos. 3 Texas A&M, 4 Georgia, 6 Ole Miss, 8 Oklahoma, 10 Alabama, 12 Vanderbilt, 16 Texas, 18 Tennessee.

    ACC (5): Nos. 13 Miami (Fla.), 17 Virginia, 23 Georgia Tech, 24 Pittsburgh, 25 SMU.

    Big Ten (5): Nos. 1 Ohio State, 2 Indiana, 5 Oregon, 15 Michigan, 19 USC.

    Big 12 (3): Nos. 7 Texas Tech, 11 BYU, 14 Utah.

    American (2): Nos. 21 North Texas, 22 Tulane.

    Independent (1): No. 9 Notre Dame.

    Sun Belt (1): No. 20 James Madison.

    Ranked vs. ranked

    No. 1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 1 CFP) at No. 15 Michigan (9-2, 7-1, No. 18), Saturday: Buckeyes have lost four straight to Michigan. They haven’t dropped five in a row to their archrival since they lost six straight from 1922-27.

    No. 3 Texas A&M (11-0, 7-0 SEC, No. 3 CFP) at No. 16 Texas (8-3, 5-2, No. 17), Friday: Aggies lock up spot in SEC title game with a win; they would need lots of help to get to Atlanta if they lose. Arch Manning’s six-touchdown day against Arkansas gives the Longhorns mojo for this rivalry game.

    No. 4 Georgia (10-1, No. 4 CFP) at No. 23 Georgia Tech (9-2, No. 16), Friday: Bulldogs have won seven straight in the series and haven’t lost to Yellow Jackets in Atlanta since 1999.

    No. 12 Vanderbilt (9-2, 5-2 SEC, No. 14 CFP) at No. 18 Tennessee (8-3, 4-3, No. 20), Saturday: Commodores are going for a 10th win for first time in program history. They’re 12-41-2 all-time in Knoxville, and only four of those wins have come in the last 50 years.

    No. 13 Miami (9-2, 5-2, No. 13 CFP) at No. 24 Pittsburgh (8-3, 6-1), Saturday: Both teams still have narrow paths to the ACC title game. Miami clinging to playoff hopes. Pitt trying to land best possible bowl.

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    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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  • Georgia up to No. 4 in AP poll, Sooners back in top 10 and Mean Green ranked for 1st time since 1959

    Georgia moved up one spot to No. 4 in The Associated Press poll Sunday, Oklahoma returned to the top 10 and North Texas, ranked for the first time since 1959, is among three Group of Five teams in the Top 25.

    Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M were the top three teams for the fifth straight week. Georgia earned its highest ranking since the first week of September and Mississippi was back in the top five after spending three weeks there at midseason.

    Oregon and Texas Tech were tied for No. 6, and Oklahoma rose three spots to No. 8 following its win at Alabama. The Sooners were last in the top 10, at No. 6, the second week of October.

    Notre Dame remained No. 9 after a 22-point win at Pittsburgh and Alabama dropped six spots to No. 10 after the Sooners ended its eight-game win streak.

    Ohio State, which rolled past UCLA to improve to 10-0 for the fourth time in seven seasons, received 57 of 66 first-place votes. Indiana, which beat Wisconsin to go 11-0 for the first time, got eight first-place votes. Texas A&M, whose comeback from a 27-point deficit to beat South Carolina was its largest ever, got one first-place vote, three less than last week.

    Georgia’s 35-10 win over Texas was its sixth straight and second over a top-10 opponent. Mississippi, which lost at Georgia a month ago, defeated Florida and is more than 100 points behind the Bulldogs at No. 5.

    The Group of Five hadn’t had three teams in the Top 25 since four appeared in last season’s final poll.

    The Sun Belt Conference’s James Madison blew out Appalachian State and moved up three spots to No. 21. North Texas is next at No. 22. The Mean Green of the American Conference clobbered UAB 53-24 on the road and have matched their best start in program history.

    The last time UNT was 9-1 was in 1959, when the team then known as the Eagles was ranked two straight weeks in November, reaching No. 16. That team lost to New Mexico State in the Sun Bowl to finish 9-2. This year’s UNT team already is eligible for a second straight bowl game and is in the thick of the race for the Group of Five’s automatic CFP bid.

    Mississippi running back Kewan Lacy (5) evades a tackle attempt by Florida cornerback Cormani McClain and safety Jordan Castell during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Oxford, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

    In and out

    — No. 22 North Texas’ first appearance in the poll in 66 years ends the longest drought by a Bowl Subdivision team.

    — No. 23 Missouri returned after a one-week absence following a win over Mississippi State in which Ahmad Hardy became the first player since 2022 to rush for 300 yards.

    — No. 24 Tulane has won two straight since losing to UTSA and is ranked for the first time this season.

    — No. 25 Houston, fifth among teams also receiving votes last week and idle, were ranked for one week in October.

    Louisville (19), Cincinnati (22), Pittsburgh (23) and South Florida (25) dropped out.

    Poll points

    — Voters did what the CFP selection committee did last week, jumping Miami over Georgia Tech to make the Hurricanes the highest-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference team. Miami easily beat North Carolina State and moved up two spots to No. 14. Georgia Tech, which needed a field goal in the final seconds to edge one-win Boston College, slipped a spot to No. 15.

    — No. 13 Utah has outscored three opponents by a combined 153-49 since losing at BYU and has its highest ranking of the season.

    — No. 17 Texas took the biggest plunge, dropping seven spots.

    Conference call

    SEC (9): Nos. 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 17, 20, 23.

    Big Ten (5): Nos. 1, 2, T-6, 16, 18.

    Big 12 (4): Nos. T-6, 11, 13, 25.

    ACC (3): Nos. 14, 15, 19.

    American (2): Nos. 22, 24.

    Sun Belt (1): No. 21.

    Independent (1): No. 9.

    North Texas offensive lineman Tay Yanta II (70) and North Texas linebacker Shane Whitter (7) lead the team onto the field before an NCAA college football game against South Florida Oct. 10, 2025, in Denton, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez, File)

    North Texas offensive lineman Tay Yanta II (70) and North Texas linebacker Shane Whitter (7) lead the team onto the field before an NCAA college football game against South Florida Oct. 10, 2025, in Denton, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez, File)

    Ranked vs. ranked

    No. 16 Southern California (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 17 CFP) at No. 6 Oregon (9-1, 6-1, No. 8 CFP): Winner strengthens its position for a CFP at-large bid and keeps alive slim hopes of sneaking into the Big Ten championship game.

    No. 23 Missouri (7-3, 3-3 SEC) at No. 8 Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2, No. 11 CFP): Sooners did wonders for their playoff resume by knocking off Alabama on the road and now go for a fifth win over a Top 25 opponent.

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    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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  • AP Top 25 poll preview: Alabama loss will change the top 5 and USF’s loss opens up race for G5 bid

    The top five of The Associated Press poll is in for a change Sunday after staying the same for three weeks.

    No. 4 Alabama’s eight-game winning streak ended Saturday with its 23-21 loss to No. 11 Oklahoma, and voters undoubtedly will drop the Crimson Tide. More important, Alabama’s margin for error to make the Southeastern Conference championship game and College Football Playoff has narrowed.

    No. 3 Texas A&M nearly had the same fate as the Tide. The Aggies had to make their biggest comeback in program history to beat South Carolina 31-30 and stay on track to play in the SEC title game.

    No. 5 Georgia posted an impressive 35-10 win over No. 10 Texas and should get a one-rung promotion.

    The situation in the Group of Five is scrambled again after No. 25 South Florida lost 41-38 to Navy. The Bulls came into the weekend as the front-runner for the G5’s automatic CFP bid. The Bulls’ loss bolstered the hopes of fellow American Conference teams North Texas and Tulane and No. 24 James Madison of the Sun Belt Conference.

    No. 1 Ohio State was in control all the way in a 48-10 victory over UCLA. No. 2 Indiana, 11-0 for the first time, defeated Wisconsin 31-7 and should keep its spot behind the Buckeyes in the AP poll and the CFP rankings.

    The situation in the Atlantic Coast Conference remains messy. There are four teams with one loss in ACC play, and two-loss Miami owns the best CFP resume. Miami hammered North Carolina State 41-7 at home while Georgia Tech escaped one-win Boston College 36-34 on a field goal in the final seconds.

    Saturday’s results will give AP voters good reason to move No. 16 Miami ahead of No. 14 Georgia Tech, just as the CFP committee jumped the Hurricanes over the Yellow Jackets in its rankings earlier this week.

    Look for them to move up

    — No. 5 Georgia should be No. 4 after its dominant win over Texas.

    — No. 7 Oregon had no problem against Minnesota on Friday in a 42-13 win. The Ducks were three poll points behind No. 6 Mississippi last week, slipping a spot despite beating Iowa on the road. It would make just as much sense if voters put Oregon back at No. 6 after the Rebels tussled with three-win Florida deep into the fourth quarter before winning 34-24.

    — No. 8 Texas Tech’s 48-9 win over UCF was its third straight impressive victory after its loss to Arizona State.

    — No. 9 Notre Dame posted a solid 37-15 win at Pittsburgh in what, on paper, was the Fighting Irish’s last tough game.

    — No. 11 Oklahoma’s win over Alabama was a showcase for its defense and a big boost to its playoff resume.

    — No. 12 BYU punctuated its 44-13 win over TCU with Tanner Wall’s 68-yard pick-6.

    — No. 15 Utah’s 55-28 victory over Baylor keeps the Utes in the Big 12 race but needing help to get to the conference title game.

    — No. 20 Virginia got quarterback Chandler Morris back from a concussion and bounced back from a bad loss to Wake Forest to win 34-17 at Duke.

    — No. 24 James Madison, which entered the rankings last week for the first time in two years, routed Appalachian State 58-10.

    Look for them to drop

    — No. 4 Alabama will fall. The question is how far? The Tide and Oklahoma have two losses, but the Sooners won the head-to-head meeting and deserve to be ahead of ‘Bama.

    — No. 10 Texas’ 25-point loss to Georgia put the kibosh on its hopes of going to a third straight CFP.

    — No. 14 Georgia Tech must drop. The Yellow Jackets had to come from behind to get past an opponent that has not beaten an FBS team, and in their previous game they lost to an N.C. State team that got clobbered by Miami.

    — No. 19 Louisville should drop out after losing 20-19 to Clemson. It was the Cardinals’ second straight loss at home. They lost to California last week.

    — No. 23 Pittsburgh probably will fall out after losing by 22 to the Irish, but the Panthers still have a path to the ACC championship game.

    — No. 25 South Florida had been in the driver’s seat for the G5 bid in the CFP after bouncing back from its loss to Memphis with a convincing win over UTSA last week. That bid is wide open now after the Bulls’ loss to Navy.

    Wild cards

    — No. 6 Ole Miss dominated the stat sheet and Kewan Lacy was spectacular, but it was a three-point game until the final two minutes.

    — No. 17 Southern California got all it could handle from Iowa before winning 26-21.

    — No. 18 Michigan had a close call against Northwestern, winning 24-22 on a field goal as time expired. It will be interesting to see how voters view it.

    — No. 21 Tennessee’s workmanlike 42-9 win over New Mexico State probably won’t move the needle.

    ___

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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  • Texas returns to top 10, ACC has five teams ranked in the Top 25 and there is Group of Five intrigue

    Texas returned to the top 10 of The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday, the Atlantic Coast Conference has five teams ranked for the first time this season and two Group of Five conferences are now represented in the Top 25 a month before the playoff bracekt is set. The top five was unchanged.

    The Longhorns, the preseason No. 1 team, are ranked No. 10 in advance of its visit to No. 5 Georgia this week. They had been in the top 10 for the first six polls before their loss at Florida knocked them out of the Top 25 for a week.

    Four straight wins elevated them to No. 13 last week, and they jumped three spots ahead of BYU and Virginia and an idle Oklahoma, which they beat 23-6 on Oct. 11. Texas did not play over the weekend.

    Ohio State was No. 1 for the 11th week in a row with 55 first-place votes. Indiana remained No. 2 after its narrow escape at Penn State, but the Hoosiers’ six first-place votes were five fewer than last week.

    No. 3 Texas A&M got four first-place votes, three more than a week ago, and was 31 points behind Indiana. Alabama and Georgia rounded out the top five. Mississippi, Oregon, Texas Tech, Notre Dame and Texas rounded out the top 10.

    In all, 19 spots in the Top 25 have new teams.

    The ACC has five teams with one loss in conference play and two others with two losses. That’s reflected in the closely bunched group of ACC teams in the poll — No. 14 Georgia Tech, No. 16 Miami, No. 19 Louisville, No. 20 Virginia and No. 23 Pittsburgh. The last time the ACC had as many ranked teams was Nov. 3, 2024.

    The race for the Group of Five’s automatic bid in the College Football Playoff got more interesting with Memphis’ loss to Tulane on Friday. The CFP committee did not have a G5 team in its top 25 but said Memphis was first in line. That will almost certainly change when the committee’s next rankings come out Tuesday.

    No. 24 James Madison of the Sun Belt Conference made its first AP poll appearance since 2023. The Dukes are 8-1, their only loss to Louisville, and are the highest-ranked G5 team. No. 25 South Florida of the American Conference is right behind, and Tulane of the American received the most votes among the unranked.

    In and out

    — No. 23 Pittsburgh, No. 24 in the initial CFP rankings, is in the AP poll for the first time since last November.

    — No. 24 James Madison’s previous Top 25 appearance was in 2023, when Curt Cignetti’s last Dukes team was in the final seven regular-season polls.

    — No. 25 South Florida’s 32-point win over USTA helped Bulls to return after a two-week absence.

    Missouri (19), Memphis (22) and Washington (24) dropped out.

    Poll points

    — The last time there teams from two G5 conferences ranked at the same time was last year, when Boise State and UNLV of the Mountain West and Army and Memphis of the American were in the final two polls of the season.

    — BYU, which was unbeaten before its 29-7 loss at Texas Tech, dropped four spots to No. 12 to end its two-week stay in the top 10.

    — Virginia and James Madison give the commonwealth two ranked teams for the first time since the final 2023 regular-season poll (Liberty, James Madison).

    Conference call

    SEC (8): Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 21.

    ACC (5): Nos. 14, 16, 19, 20, 23.

    Big Ten (5): Nos. 1, 2, 7, 17, 18.

    Big 12 (4): Nos. 8, 12, 15, 22.

    Independent (1): No. 9.

    Sun Belt (1): No. 24.

    American (1): No. 25.

    Ranked vs. ranked

    No. 10 Texas (7-2, 4-1 SEC, No. 11 CFP) at No. 5 Georgia (8-1, 6-1, No. 5 CFP): Bulldogs won regular-season meeting and SEC championship game against Longhorns last year. Third straight time this is an top-10 matchup.

    No. 9 Notre Dame (6-2, No. 10 CFP) at No. 23 Pittsburgh (7-2, No. 24 CFP): Huge playoff implications for both. Irish and Panthers both ranked at time of their meeting for first time since 1991.

    No. 11 Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2, No. 12 CFP) at No. 4 Alabama (8-1, 6-0, No. 4 CFP): Last year’s embarrassing loss in Norman killed Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes.

    ___

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  • Week 8’s top 10 college football games: Georgia-Texas, Alabama-Tennessee and much more

    Week 8’s top 10 college football games: Georgia-Texas, Alabama-Tennessee and much more

    On the heels of two of the more riveting weeks of college football in recent memory comes a jam-packed Saturday that features a trio of SEC headliners, including a top-five clash between blue bloods. There’s also multiple rivalry games that feature boots (sort of), and a potential College Football Playoff showcase in Bloomington, Indiana, of all places.

    Bless this sport.

    Let’s rank the top 10 games of Week 8, starting with honorable mentions and counting down.

    Honorable Mention: Oklahoma State at No. 13 BYU, Ohio at Miami (Ohio), Virginia at No. 10 Clemson, Auburn vs No. 19 Missouri, Louisiana at Coastal Carolina, Toledo at NIU, Colorado at Arizona, James Madison at Georgia Southern, UCF at No. 9 Iowa State.

    (All point spreads come from BetMGM; click here for live odds. Stream college football on fubo.  All kickoff times are Eastern and on Saturday unless otherwise noted.)

    Let’s give flowers to two teams that have exceeded expectations in the Big 12. Both were projected to finish near the bottom of the conference, but the winner on Saturday will have played its way into the conference title conversation. Arizona State and wrecking-ball running back Cam Skattebo have been proving the doubters wrong for weeks. But the Sun Devils will be without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt due to a rib injury; fifth-year journeyman Jeff Sims will start in his place. The Bearcats and gunslinging transfer QB Brendan Sorsby will try to take advantage of a depleted ASU crossing two time zones for an early kickoff.

    Line: Cincinnati -4.5

    9. UNLV (5-1) at Oregon State (4-2), 10 p.m., Fubo, The CW

    The Rebels rebounded from an overtime loss to Syracuse by hanging a 50-burger on Utah State last week, keeping pace with Boise State in the Mountain West standings. It sets up a massive game in Las Vegas next week against the Broncos that will have huge implications on the conference race and battle for the Group of 5’s spot in the CFP. But a win this Saturday in Corvallis would add a nice bullet point to UNLV’s resume in the meantime. Oregon State, looking to recover from a surprising loss to Nevada, should eventually make for an instructive common opponent between the two. The Beavs play at Boise State next month.

    Line: UNLV -7

    8. No. 17 Kansas State (5-1) at West Virginia (3-3), 7:30 p.m., Fubo, Fox

    There are intriguing matchups involving the Big 12’s three ranked teams this week, including Oklahoma State at No. 13 BYU and UCF at No. 9 Iowa State. But K-State has the most at stake. It is the only of those three ranked squads going on the road, and the only one with a loss. Of the teams in the top five of the Big 12’s preseason poll, the Wildcats are also the only one that hasn’t been a disappointment thus far. A second defeat, however, would quickly put their conference title and CFP hopes on life support, even in the ever-chaotic Big 12. Kansas State can’t afford to stumble in Morgantown against a streaky but resilient West Virginia, in a face-off of two proficient rushing attacks.

    Line: Kansas State -3

    7. No. 24 Michigan (4-2) at No. 22 Illinois (5-1), 3:30 p.m., Fubo, CBS

    A bit surprising for a ranked matchup to be this low on the list — except for the fact that Michigan has one of the worst offenses in college football (and maybe shouldn’t be ranked?). Illinois just needed overtime to beat a terrible Purdue team that scored 40 points second-half points. Still, hat tip to the Illini, who are 5-1 and playing the first ranked matchup at Memorial Stadium since 2000. Illinois will also honor legendary halfback Red Grange — the Galloping Ghost — a century after his epic 402-yard, six-touchdown game against the Wolverines. The Illini will sport throwback uniforms and hand-painted helmets that took 18 months to create.

    Line: Michigan -3.5

    GO DEEPER

    What does Michigan-Illinois mean? Previewing a sneaky big game for Wolverines, Illini

    Expect this one to play out differently than the 55-0 shutout that Notre Dame pitched when these teams last met in 2021. Unfortunately, injuries will be a storyline. The Irish lost All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison to a season-ending hip injury, and Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King will be a game-time decision after suffering a knock in last week’s win over North Carolina. If King can’t go, the job will fall to sophomore backup Zach Pyron, who has completed 5 of 7 passes and rushed for four touchdowns in limited action. Either way, the Irish can’t take this one lightly, with a remaining schedule that looks a lot tougher than we all expected, including ranked games against Navy and Army ahead of the regular-season finale at USC.

    Line: Notre Dame -12.5

    5. Nebraska (5-1) at No. 16 Indiana (6-0), Noon, Fubo, Fox

    I have thoroughly enjoyed the Indiana and Curt Cignetti media blitz this week, including this stellar profile of Cignetti by Joe Rexrode. The Hoosiers are basking in the glow of their first 6-0 start since 1967, and rightfully so. They’ve been one of the biggest surprises this season in Year 1 under Cignetti, and have yet to trail through six games. Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff is headed to Bloomington as IU faces Nebraska and freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who is acting wise beyond his years. Big-time game featuring a pair of top-10 defenses (and a top-five offense for Indiana). The Huskers, who have lost 25 straight to ranked opponents, will get two cracks in a row at Indiana and then at Ohio State. On the other side, another win for the Hoosiers will shift the chatter from fast start to legit Playoff contender.

    Line: Indiana -6.5

    4. No. 8 LSU (5-1) at Arkansas (4-2), 7 p.m., Fubo, ESPN

    It’s the Battle for the Golden Boot, one of the more underappreciated rivalry names and trophies in college football. LSU has won seven of the last eight matchups, but both teams are coming off mammoth victories.

    The Tigers won a classic in overtime against Ole Miss despite never leading until the game’s final play, and Arkansas popped the first leak in Tennessee’s balloon a couple of weeks ago. The Razorbacks are better than anticipated — and Sam Pittman may have saved his job — while LSU has clawed back into the top 10 and CFP picture after the season-opening loss to USC. The Tigers will need more consistency out of Garrett Nussmeier to make some noise in the SEC, but his performance at the end of the Ole Miss victory showed how high his ceiling can be.

    Line: LSU -2.5

    3. No. 6 Miami (6-0) at Louisville (4-2), Noon, Fubo, ABC

    More top-notch rivalry hardware — and footwear: The Schnellenberger Trophy, which was introduced last season and currently resides with the Cardinals. Battle for the Golden Boots???

    This game is flying under the radar thanks to a loaded SEC slate, but it should be a fun, high-scoring barnburner. Miami desperately needed a bye after a pair of close calls against Virginia Tech and Cal, but Heisman hopeful Cam Ward and the Hurricanes remain one of 11 unbeaten teams in college football. Louisville ended a two-game skid last Saturday with a win at Virginia, with a top-15 offense (7.2 yards per play) led by quarterback Tyler Shough. Miami has the top offense in FBS at 8.2 yards per play, and Ward leads all FBS quarterbacks in passing yards per game (369.8).

    Line: Miami -5

    2. No. 7 Alabama (5-1) at No. 11 Tennessee (5-1), 3:30 p.m., Fubo, ABC

    An almost top-10 matchup between two teams that are either national title contenders or complete frauds, depending on which message board thread you read. Either way, the Third Saturday in October should provide some insight, and it’s a critical one as both teams try to avoid a second loss and spiraling fan bases. This is a tough game to handicap: Alabama has a top-10 offense, Tennessee has a top-two defense, but both teams have been mercurial on the field. David Ubben did a nice job digging in on that variability for an anonymous coaching confidential on the game, and Kennington Smith III examined how first-year Alabama head coaches have fared in the Tennessee rivalry.

    Line: Alabama -3

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    What’s going on with Alabama and Tennessee? Coaches who faced them weigh in

    1. No. 5 Georgia (5-1) at No. 1 Texas (6-0), 7:30 p.m., Fubo, ABC

    Praise be: It’s our third top-five showdown of the season. The first two — Georgia vs Alabama and Ohio State vs Oregon — resulted in two of the best games of the year to this point. This is the sixth all-time meeting between Georgia and Texas and first since the 2019 Sugar Bowl.

    The Dawgs are underdogs for the first time in the last 50 games (!), and might need a road win over the top-ranked team in the country to preserve their CFP hopes. Texas, meanwhile, has been stellar on both sides of the ball and is arguably in a class of its own right now, though it has yet to face an opponent as good as Georgia. Quinn Ewers did look a tad rusty in his return from injury against Oklahoma last week, so we’ll see if that lingers. But coaches we spoke with for our coaching confidential on the game see Texas having the upper hand.

    Another win for the Longhorns would cement them as the clear national title favorite. But if the chaos timeline of this college football season continues, we’ll see a slightly diminished Georgia take down the Horns in Austin, and the top of the sport will officially look as vulnerable as it has in years.

    Line: Texas -4.5

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Coaching confidential: Texas has the edge against Georgia in SEC showdown

    Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

    The New York Times

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