About two hours north of Philadelphia is the small town of Macungie, with a population of less than 4,000. And two weeks ago — Macungie and specifically Emmaus High School — had something big to celebrate.
Indiana University starting Defensive Lineman Mario Landino, who played football at Emmaus High School, is now a College Football National Champion.
Indiana may have been known primarily for its basketball program, with legendary Coach Bobby Knight, and for the 1986 film Hoosiers starring Gene Hackman. Not anymore.
And while 65 NCAA Football Teams have been undefeated since the AP started polling in 1936, Indiana is only one of two teams to finish 16–0. The other — the 1894 Yale Football Team. Indiana ran through their 2025 D1 College Football season, including a 13–10 win over Ohio State.
Former Minnesota safety Koi Perich committed to Oregon Monday night.
Perich spent two years at Minnesota before hitting the transfer portal on New Year’s Day.
Perich is a versatile player who plays both ways of the ball and punt returned for the Golden Gophers.
He received second-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten recognition his freshman year and second-team All-Big Ten recognition his sophomore year.
ESPN ranked Koi Perich No. 8 in the college football transfer portal and Rivals ranked Perich No. 58 in the country and the fourth safety out of high school in the 2024 high school recruiting class.
In the days leading up to the commitment, Perich visited Oregon and Texas Tech. Fox 9 in Minneapolis reported that, “While Fleck and the Gophers would’ve met his financial needs to stay in Minnesota, Perich likely wanted to play for a program that can contend for a College Football Playoff national championship.”
This is the second year in a row Oregon adds the top safety in the transfer portal. Last year, they picked up Purdue transfer Dillon Thieneman.
The Esko, Minn., native was one of five transfer portal additions the Ducks acquired Monday. According to Ducks Wire, Oregon also added Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola, UAB wide receiver Iverson Hooks, Yale offensive tackle Michael Bennett and Baylor safety Carl Williams IV.
Perich will have two years of eligibility remaining to play with the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, but he is eligible to enter the 2027 NFL Draft.
Hoosiers filled the stands at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday night. They will have to book their flights to Miami next. The College Football National Championship Game will take place on Monday, January 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
Indiana University is a football school.
The Hoosiers, head football coach Curt Cignetti, and his staff are on their way to South Florida and a date with the Miami Hurricanes. The winner gets a national championship. The College Football National Championship Game will take place on Monday, January 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
The Hoosiers dominated their College Football Playoff semifinal matchup with the Oregon Ducks in Atlanta on Friday night. Final score: 56-22.
The Indiana Hoosiers football program has qualified for its first National Championship game. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
“It’s a great win against a good football team,” Hoosiers head football coach Curt Cignetti said after the game.
The Oregon Ducks finished the season 13-2. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
The two Big Ten programs had played before. In fact, they played a couple of months ago in a game that Indiana won 30-20 in Eugene, Oregon, on October 11. In Atlanta, just like they did in the Pacific Northwest, the Hoosiers got off to a strong start. Defensive back D’Angelo Ponds intercepted Oregon quarterback Dante Moore’s first passing attempt of the game and returned it for the game’s first touchdown of the game. The roar from the pro-Indiana crowd in the stadium could be heard all the way on Peachtree Street. This game felt like an Indiana Hoosiers home game well before kickoff.
Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning credited the Hoosiers for playing a complete game. “They have a great chance of keeping it going and having great success,” Lanning said.
Moore only had nine interceptions to 28 passing touchdowns coming into the game. Now three of his 10 interceptions have come against Indiana. Moore had two in the loss to the Hoosiers earlier this season.
The Ducks did not have their prayers answered on this night. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
Oregon’s second offensive drive ended better than its first when a 14-play drive that included a fourth-down conversion deep in Indiana territory ended with a Moore to Jamari Johnson touchdown. The successful extra point tied the game with 7:11 remaining in the first quarter. Indiana’s defense had only allowed Oregon to score seven points during the first quarter of their first matchup, so the Ducks were already ahead of pace.
Indiana defensive back Louis Moore (7) and the Hoosier defense held their own on Friday night in Atlanta. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
The Hoosiers finally got a chance to touch the football midway through the first quarter and wasted no time going 75 yards on 11 plays to regain the lead, 14-7. Running back Roman Hemby had two long carries before Heisman trophy winner Fernando Mendoza found receiver Omar Cooper, Jr. in the left corner of the end zone for Indiana’s second touchdown of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw both defenses sure up a bit. The teams exchanged third-quarter sacks early on and forced each other to punt. Oregon outside linebacker Nasir Wyatt sacked Mendoza for a 19-yard loss. Following the sack and a punt, Indiana defensive lineman Mario Landino recovered a Moore self-inflicted fumble on his own three-yard line to shift the momentum back to Indiana. The Hoosiers would quickly lead by 14 points, 21-7, as Kaelon Black scored his first touchdown of the game.
Indiana sure-handed receiver Elijah Sarratt (13) was a go-to guy for Mendoza the entire game. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
Mendoza to receiver Elijah Sarratt was a common theme during this game. Time after time, Mendoza, more than likely the first quarterback drafted in June, found Sarratt for first downs. With just under five minutes remaining in the first half, the two players hooked up again for another one. On the very next play, Mendoza found receiver Charlie Becker for a touchdown. The four-play, 61-yard drive made the score 28-7 with 3:13 remaining in the first half. Becker was the third Hoosier offensive player to score a touchdown.
Indiana is a complete football team. Hoosier defensive lineman Daniel Ndukwe or Landino could arguably be considered the MVP of the first half. Neither player scored a point, but both wreaked havoc in their own right. Ndukwe had two sacks, and Landino recovered two fumbles. Indiana’s defense held Oregon to nine rushing yards and 121 overall yards during the first half. Ndukwe would go on to block an Oregon punt in the fourth quarter as well.
The first half ended with Indiana scoring again. This time, Mendoza found Sarratt for a touchdown, his first of the game, and the Hoosiers’ fifth, 35-7.
Indiana quarterback and 2025 Heisman trophy winner Fernando Mendoza (15) fumbled at the end of this run. It was one of the rare mistakes he would make during a spectacular Peach Bowl performance. Photo by Tabious McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
Mendoza finally made a mistake. It came in the opening drive of the second half, when he fumbled at the end of a long quarterback-keeper. The problem for Oregon was that Pat Coogan, the decorated offensive lineman for Indiana, recovered it. Mendoza made up for the fumble with a touchdown pass to E.J. Williams, Jr. that put the Hoosiers ahead 42-7 at the nine-minute mark.
Oregon found its way back to the end zone to make the score 42-15. That Duck touchdown was the only scoring drive of the third quarter. Indiana would add another touchdown from the Ducks’ three-yard line to go ahead 49-15 following that blocked punt by Ndukwe. Mendoza found Sarratt again for his second touchdown catch of the game.
Brady joined Sarrett, scoring his second touchdown of the game with five minutes to play. Indiana was up 56-15 with 4:51 to play in the game.
Oregon tight end Roger Saleapaga scored the Ducks’ final touchdown of the game. He caught a short pass from Moore.
The College Football Playoff rankings placed the spotlight on, where else this year, “6-7″ — flip-flopping Oregon and Ole Miss in those spots while keeping their top five teams the same in Tuesday night’s reveal.
Oregon’s impressive victory over Southern California in one of last week’s few games between ranked teams accounted for the biggest change, moving the Ducks ahead of Mississippi, which didn’t play.
The other meaningful shift was Miami’s move to No. 12, in a switch with Utah after the Utes gave up 472 yards rushing in a tight win over Kansas State.
There are two more rankings to be revealed — next Tuesday, then Dec. 7 when the final top 25 will set the bracket for the 12-team playoff to start Dec. 19,
Pitt’s return to the rankings — at No. 22 — after falling out for a week impacts the meaning of its key Atlantic Coast Conference game this week against the Hurricanes, who need a win and some help to make the conference title game but still have hopes of grabbing one of the playoff’s seven at-large berths.
“Miami is a team that it really appears is starting to look like the Miami team that started 5-0,” said Hunter Yurachek, the chair of the selection committee.
Following the Buckeyes for the fourth time in four rankings were fellow undefeated teams Indiana and Texas A&M. Georgia stayed at No. 4, followed by Texas Tech. After Oregon and Mississippi came Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Alabama and BYU at No. 11 and first team out on this week’s proverbial bubble.
Ohio State and Indiana will play in what should be a 1 vs. 2 Big Ten title game if both win rivalry showdowns on the road over Thanksgiving weekend. Ohio State’s task is more difficult — against Michigan, which moved up three spots to No. 15. Indiana plays Purdue.
No. 10 Alabama plays at Auburn with a spot in the Southeastern Conference title game on the line. The Tide’s opponent would be Texas A&M if the Aggies win at No. 16 Texas.
Notre Dame and Miami were compared this week
After some confusion last week about the weight given to Miami’s opening-week win over Notre Dame, Yurachek said those teams were, indeed, close enough in the rankings this week to be compared head-to-head. But still, that victory was not enough to push the Hurricanes past Notre Dame.
“We compare a number of things when looking at teams closely ranked together,” Yurachek said. “We’ve got some teams ranked between Miami and Notre Dame, such as Alabama and BYU, who we’re also comparing Miami to.”
Could Kiffin’s job status impact Ole Miss?
Among the factors the committee can consider is the availability of players and coaches, which has potential to bring Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s job status into play.
Word from Oxford is that a decision will come on Kiffin’s potential move to LSU or Florida after this week’s game against Mississippi State. An Ole Miss team without one of the most sought-after coaches in the game wouldn’t seem as good as one with him.
Still, Yurachek wouldn’t tip his hand on how that evaluation might go.
“We’ll take care of that when it happens,” Yurachek said. “We don’t look ahead. The loss of player, loss of a key coach, is in the principles of how we rank teams, but we don’t have a data point for how we look at Ole Miss without their coach.”
Ducks move to ‘where they need to be’
After Oregon’s 42-27 win over USC, coach Dan Lanning said his team deserves credit for the schedule it plays — which included a tough conference game during a week in which many in the SEC were going against non-ranked, double-digit underdogs.
The committee agreed.
“We’ve been waiting for them to have that signature win to really put them where they need to be,” Yurachek said.
Conference watch
ACC — No. 18 Virginia and No. 21 SMU are the favorites to reach the title game, which means one of them has an inside edge to be in the playoff. The Hurricanes are likely in an at-large showdown with the likes of BYU, Vanderbilt and maybe Alabama.
Big 12 — BYU is angling for another crack at Texas Tech in the title game. Hard to see the Cougars getting there, losing to the Red Raiders again and still making the playoff.
Big Ten — Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon are locks. Michigan’s move up three to No. 15 gives the Wolverines a chance at an at-large bid (or maybe the conference title) with a win this week over the Buckeyes.
SEC — Texas A&M, Georgia, Mississippi and Oklahoma should all be in. Alabama can’t really afford a third loss, but what if that loss comes in the SEC title game? The Tide makes it by beating Auburn. Vanderbilt would strengthen its case with a win at No. 19 Tennessee this week.
Group of 5 — No. 24 Tulane of the American is still the only team from a non-power conference in the rankings. One problem. BetMGM Sportsbook has North Texas as the favorite to win the league title. That, in turn, could bring someone like James Madison back into the conversation.
Projected first-round playoff matchups
No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Texas Tech: Could the Red Raiders, a deep-pocketed disruptor in the college football space, also turn into one of the sport’s powerhouses?
No. 11 Miami at No. 6 Oregon: The Mario Cristobal Bowl — Hurricanes coach left Ducks suddenly in 2021 to return home.
No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Mississippi: Kiffin, the old offensive coordinator at Alabama, is 0-4 vs. Tide with Ole Miss.
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma: Notre Dame’s first televised game was a 27-21 win over OU in 1952.
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.
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.
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.
Eight of the top 10 teams in the AP Top 25 poll either had the day off or were given the gift of a late-season cupcake game in Week 13. No. 6 Oregon and No. 8 Oklahoma were exceptions, with ranked conference matchups against Southern California and Missouri.
The Ducks and Sooners both maintained positioning for at-large College Football Playoff bids. Oregon beat No. 16 USC 42-27 in the teams’ first meeting as members of the Big Ten. Oklahoma improved to 9-2 with a 17-6 win over No. 23 Missouri.
Oregon is tied with Texas Tech at No. 6 in the AP poll and is No. 7 in the CFP rankings. Oklahoma ranks No. 8 in both.
Chaos unfolded in the Atlantic Coast Conference as No. 15 Georgia Tech was upset at home by Pittsburgh on Saturday night. The Yellow Jackets’ chances of making the conference championship plummeted, while SMU’s odds increased with a win over Louisville. No. 19 Virginia also has a good chance to make the ACC title game.
Holding steady
— Oklahoma took care of business, knocking off Missouri and inching closer to an at-large CFP bid. John Mateer threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Oklahoma’s defense had two interceptions of Missouri’s Beau Pribula, who was playing for the first time since dislocating his ankle in late October, and held standout running back Ahmad Hardy to 57 rushing yards.
— Among the Week 13 cupcakes, No. 3 Texas A&M defeated Samford 48-0 and No. 4 Georgia rolled past Charlotte 35-3. Both teams are still favorites for a first-round bye in the playoff, a position Georgia began occupying after last week’s 35-10 rout of Texas.
— No. 1 Ohio State overcame a slow start and remained unbeaten with a 42-9 victory over Rutgers. The Buckeyes outscored the Scarlet Knights 28-6 in the second half.
— Oregon knocked off USC 42-27. The Ducks pulled ahead with a pair of touchdowns before halftime and maintained their lead throughout the second half.
— No. 13 Utah narrowly dodged an upset loss to Kansas State, scoring two touchdowns in the final 2:47 to overcome a 47-37 deficit and sealing the deal with a late interception.
— No. 11 BYU beat Cincinnati 26-14 in the Big 12’s game of the week. LJ Martin rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns to carry the Cougars.
Falling out of the picture
— The slide continued for a Louisville team once thought to be on its way to the ACC championship game. The Cardinals lost their third straight, 38-6 to an SMU team on the rise.
— Missouri is at risk of falling out of the rankings after losing to Oklahoma, the Tigers’ fourth defeat this season.
— USC’s playoff chances plummeted after a loss to Oregon that was largely viewed as an elimination game. The Trojans fell to 8-3 on the season and 6-2 in conference play.
— In a game where a win would’ve clinched a spot in the ACC championship game, the worst-case scenario unfolded for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets lost 42-28 to Pitt.
On the rise
— No. 24 Tulane has three straight wins and a 9-2 record after beating Temple 37-13. Tulane is a strong contender for a CFP spot, earning the No. 12 seed in the most recent bracket as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.
— SMU’s 38-6 rout of Louisville put the Mustangs one win away from their second ACC championship game appearance in two years.
— Pitt’s win against Georgia Tech strengthened its playoff chances, but a lot still needs to happen for the Panthers to make their first ACC title game since 2021. Pitt needs to beat Miami next week, along with a loss by either SMU or Virginia.
The Oregon Ducks improved to 10-1 overall and 7-1 against Big Ten Conference opponents on Saturday night as they handed the USC Trojans a 42-27 defeat.
With the win, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning endorsed his team for the College Football Playoff. The Ducks were ranked No. 7 in the latest reveal, moving one spot up from the previous week. Oregon would have been pitted against No. 10 Alabama, according to the latest release.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, center, calls instructions during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Southern California, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Eugene, Oregon.(AP Photo/Lydia Ely)
It would mean that the Big Ten gets three teams in the College Football Playoff.
“I think proof’s in the pudding,” Lanning told reporters, via ESPN. “We can beat you in multiple ways, right? We can outscore you at times, right? We can hold you to the 18-, 16-(point) type of game, win in tough environments, any weather, put the ball down, let’s go play football. That’s the kind of team that we have.”
Lanning also pointed to the difficulty of the team’s schedule, contrasting it with some of the SEC schools. Oregon will take on the Washington Huskies to finish the year.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning greets fans before an NCAA college football game against Southern California, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Eugene, Oregon.(AP Photo/Lydia Ely)
Ducks quarterback Dante Moore was 22-of-30 with 257 passing yards, two touchdown passes and an interception in the win. Oregon had a 28-14 lead over USC at halftime.
“At the end of the day, I kind of just kept telling the team it was going to be an emotional game, because it was senior night, but also you can’t let emotions take over because with the emotions come negativity. So it’s been a lot within this game,” Moore said. “But I feel like we pushed out ourselves Monday through Friday to get the result we wanted.”
USC head coach Lincoln Riley lamented the team’s struggles as their College Football Playoff hopes were seemingly dashed.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (5) looks for an opening in the Southern California defense during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Eugene, Oregon.(AP Photo/Lydia Ely)
“We’re disappointed, didn’t play our best. We had some penalties that we haven’t been having that showed up and definitely hurt us,” Riley said. “We were gutsy, made a lot of plays, but in the end we were just a couple of plays short.”
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.
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)
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.
IOWA CITY, IA – The No. 6 Oregon Ducks pulled out an 18-16 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday.
After Dante Moore led a 10-play, 54-yard drive, Ducks kicker Atticus Sappington booted the go-ahead 39-yard field goal with three seconds left in the game.
Iowa (6-3 overall, 4-2 in Big Ten play, No. 20 CFP) took a late lead, as quarterback Mark Gronowski ran the ball in from three-yards for a touchdown with 1:51 to play. The run coming at the end of a 12-play, 93-yard drive. The Hawkeyes attempted a two-point conversion, but Gronowski’s pass was incomplete.
Moore was connected with his receivers five times for 47 yards passing during the winning drive. He finished with with a total 112 yards passing and one interception on a day when the offense struggled somewhat.
Noah Whittington had 118 rushing yards for Oregon.
The Ducks (8-1 overall, 5-1 in Big Ten play, No. 9 CFP) extended their road winning streak to 11 games, the longest in the FBS.
Penn State will go only as far as Drew Allar can take them. That’s not pressure — it’s just reality. On Saturday night in double overtime against undefeated Oregon (ranked #6) — Allar threw an interception in double overtime to Oregon Duck Dillon Thieneman sealing the 30–24 win in front of over 111,000 fans in a near total Penn State whiteout at Beaver Stadium. The loss drops James Franklin to 4–21 against top 10 opponents during his tenure as Head Coach at Penn State.
This year — complete with Philly talent helping to a 3–0 start — Penn State kicked off its season where they left off for most of 2024 with Imhotep Charter’s Mylachi Williams, Jabree Coleman, and Tyseer Denmark among other Philly connections who helped to routed the Nevada Wolfpack and quarterback Chubba Purdy by a final score of 46–11 — including three takeaways and 438 yards of total offense.
In the second half — The Nittany Lions (3–1) mounted a comeback after being down 17–3. In the third quarter — Penn State began a furious comeback with a 35-yard strike from Allar to Ross to cut Oregon’s lead from 17–10. Allar then threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Ross with 30 seconds left.
After a Kaytron Allen four yard touchdown run in overtime for Penn State — Oregon responded with two scoring passes from Dante Moore — one in each overtime. Allar’s interception in double overtime sealed the win for Oregon.
A handful of Week 1 results set the stage for what should be an epic season of college football. A few other programs leaned on FCS opponents to hit the turbo button on hype and expectations.
Week 2 offers the chance for teams to either change or fortify those narratives against stiffer competition, featuring in-state battles, rekindled rivalries, upset specials and a top-10 tilt in The Big House.
Honorable Mention: BYU at SMU (Friday), No. 23 Georgia Tech at Syracuse, Baylor at No. 11 Utah, South Carolina at Kentucky, Michigan State at Maryland, No. 19 Kansas at Illinois, Oregon State at San Diego State.
(All point spreads come from BetMGM; click here for live odds. All kickoff times are Eastern and on Saturday unless otherwise noted.)
Before someone jumps in the comments complaining about the big point spread, remember that this same matchup last season — when the Tide limped to a 17-3 win in Tampa and the sky was falling for Bama fans — was a 34.5-point spread. I’m not suggesting there will be a repeat of that in Tuscaloosa, but this game can be viewed through the lens of all that has changed for the Tide since the previous meeting, when quarterback Jalen Milroe got benched and people openly wondered whether Nick Saban was washed.
Now Milroe is a Heisman contender and Saban (very much NOT washed) is sitting next to Pat McAfee on Saturday mornings. Credit to USF as well. The program has made significant strides under second-year coach coach Alex Golesh and has a dynamic quarterback of its own in Byrum Brown. I’ll be tuning in to see how Milroe and the Kalen DeBoer-led Crimson Tide fare against the Bulls a year later.
It’s the I-35 Rivalry between two of the top Group of 5 contenders. Both are coming off underwhelming Week 1 victories but were picked second in their respective preseason conference polls, with a chance to nab that G5 College Football Playoff spot if the rest of the season goes their way. Texas State, led by coach GJ Kinne and quarterback Jordan McCloud, was my preseason Playoff sleeper pick out of the Sun Belt, but the Bobcats will need a win over Jeff Traylor and the Roadrunners, who have ambitions of their own in the AAC and have won five straight in the rivalry. If those stakes aren’t enough, Kinne played quarterback for Traylor as a high-school senior — and their bond runs even deeper than that.
Line: Texas State -1.5
8. No. 17 Kansas State (1-0) at Tulane (1-0), Noon, ESPN
K-State made easy work of an FCS opponent last week while flashing its run-game potency, racking up 283 yards at 9.1 yards a pop. And after a couple of ACC favorites face-planted out of the starting blocks, the path to two Big 12 programs making the 12-team Playoff field seems much wider, which absolutely benefits the Wildcats. But going on the road to face Tulane is a tougher task after the Green Wave dominated its own FCS opponent with a strong debut by redshirt freshman quarterback Darian Mensah. Reminder: Tulane upset K-State in Manhattan two years ago, a Wildcat team that went on to win the Big 12.
Line: Kansas State -9.5
7. Appalachian State (1-0) at No. 25 Clemson (0-1), 8 p.m., ACC Network
Are the Tigers on upset alert? I’m not ready to predict this one either, but App State does have a history of taking down the big boys, most recently sixth-ranked Texas A&M on the road in 2022. The Mountaineers were preseason favorites in the Sun Belt and looked solid in their Week 1 win, with QB Joey Aguilar throwing for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Clemson’s rough showing against Georgia — and the subsequent anti-Dabo discourse — makes the Tigers a must-watch against any opponent with a pulse. App State certainly qualifies.
Line: Clemson -17.5
The Pokes took care of business against an admirable South Dakota State side — as a top-20 team should — and running back Ollie Gordon II picked up where he left off in 2023 with 126 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Can Oklahoma State show the same promise against an SEC opponent? Any talk of Sam Pittman’s hot seat got back-burnered after Arkansas’ 70-0 shutout in Week 1, and Boise State transfer QB Taylen Green looked good in his Razorbacks debut. But this showdown in Stillwater — reviving a regional rivalry that’s been dormant since 1980 — should offer a clearer sense of what to expect from both teams.
Line: Oklahoma State -7.5
5. Colorado (1-0) at Nebraska (1-0), 7:30 p.m., NBC
Another renewed rivalry, this one from the old Big 12 (and Big Eight) days, now featuring a Big 12 team once again. Travis Hunter caught three touchdowns, Shedeur Sanders threw for 445 yards and Coach Prime made his usual postgame headlines after Colorado pulled out a win over North Dakota State last week. But the most anticipated aspect of this game might be Nebraska true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. The five-star recruit fueled the hype by going 19-for-27 for 238 yards and two touchdowns in the Cornhuskers’ 40-7 win over UTEP. Now he faces a Buffs’ defense that gave up 449 yards to NDSU, and is at the helm of a Nebraska team that will be looking to avenge last year’s 36-14 loss in Boulder.
Line: Nebraska -7.5
4. Boise State (1-0) at No. 7 Oregon (1-0), 10 p.m., Peacock
The jury is still out on the Ducks, who dropped from No. 3 to No. 7 in the AP Poll after an uninspiring 24-14 win over FCS Idaho last weekend, a game in which Oregon was favored by 49.5 points. The Ducks completely dominated the box score, including 380 passing yards from quarterback Dillon Gabriel on 41 of 49 completions. But a missed field goal, fumble and a couple of failed fourth-down attempts kept the game close and dolloped some skepticism onto Oregon. Boise State won a 56-45 shootout with Georgia Southern that featured 1,112 yards of combined offense, including 267 rushing yards and six touchdowns for Broncos stud running back Ashton Jeanty (who yours truly just happened to select in The Athletic’s Heisman draft). If the Ducks get their act together, I’d bet the over (61.5 points) in this one.
For those tuning into the Duke’s Mayo Classic, add Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava to the list of much-hyped players who backed it up in Week 1. The redshirt freshman went 22-of-28 passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout win over Chattanooga, gassing up the Knoxville faithful. Tennessee finished with 718 yards of total offense. Coastal Carolina transfer QB Grayson McCall looked pretty good in his NC State debut as well, but the Wolfpack struggled with Western Carolina and were trailing entering the fourth quarter before scoring 21 unanswered. NC State won’t have that same luxury against what has the early makings of another high-octane Tennessee offense.
Line: Tennessee -7.5
2. Iowa State (1-0) at No. 21 Iowa (1-0), 3:30 p.m., CBS
The Cy-Hawk series hasn’t been high-scoring lately, and that will probably be the case again, despite the Hawkeyesputting up 40 in the first game under new offensive coordinator Tim Lester. The over/under is 35.5, and the last Cy-Hawk matchup to surpass 45 combined points was Iowa’s 44-41 overtime win in 2017. But it should be another high-stakes slugfest between intrastate rivals with dark-horse Playoff hopes. The Cyclones had a workmanlike win over North Dakota but will need to be better running the ball against an Iowa defense that allowed only 189 total yards to Illinois State. Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz is back on the sideline after a one-game suspension. Iowa has won seven of the past eight over Iowa State.
Line: Iowa -3
1. No. 3 Texas (1-0) at No. 10 Michigan (1-0), Noon, Fox
“Big Noon Kickoff” heads to Ann Arbor for a blue-blooded heavyweight clash. Michigan let Fresno State crawl within six points in the fourth quarter before slamming the door shut, but it will need to get much more from a new-look offense that failed to top 300 yards and scored only two of the team’s three touchdowns. Starting quarterback Davis Warren struggled, and running back Donovan Edwards never got revved up. The Wolverines will have to figure things out against a Texas squad that blanked Colorado State 52-0, including 260 yards and three touchdowns from Fansville’s own Deputy Quinn Ewers. The Longhorns went on the road for a massive Week 2 win over Alabama last year on their way to the Playoff. Michigan gets a chance to prove just how stout its national title defense can be.
When Idaho scored on its second trick play of Saturday night’s surprising showdown against No. 3 Oregon to pull to within three points of the Ducks midway through the fourth quarter, the Vandals looked poised to pull off the biggest upset in college football history.
The Ducks, who had beaten all of their FCS opponents in the past 20 years by an average score of 60-13, were a 45 1/2-point favorite. But dreams of a stunning upset for the Vandals were snuffed out after Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson scored on a 12-yard pass from quarterback Dillon Gabriel to seal a 24-14 Oregon victory.
On paper, the Ducks dominated the game, outgaining Idaho 487-217 yards. But make no mistake: The Vandals gave the Ducks fits. Idaho limited an Oregon team many predicted would win the national title to under three yards per carry and without a play longer than 24 yards. More impressively, Idaho sacked highly-sought-after transfer QB Gabriel three times. Oregon only allowed five sacks all of last season.
“They won critical situations,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We didn’t score any points in the middle eight (the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half), which is unique for us. I thought they also had a good plan: We’re not gonna get beat over the top with shots. We’re gonna tackle what’s in front of us, and we’re gonna make Oregon beat Oregon — not feel like Idaho had to beat Oregon. They stuck to their identity and did a good job of it.”
The real story of Oregon vs. Idaho, though, is about the realities of college football in 2024.
The Ducks, thanks in large part to mega booster Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike, are viewed inside the sport as the gold standard of NIL due to their well-organized, well-funded school collective. Even Georgia’s Kirby Smart joked this summer that he “wished” he could get some of “that NIL money that he’s sharing with Dan Lanning.”
GO DEEPER
What is NIL, how has it changed college sports and why are schools under investigation?
Meanwhile, this offseason, the Vandals lost seven of their top players to FBS programs via the transfer portal. Five of them received NIL deals in the low six figures, Idaho coach Jason Eck said.
“If we had those (five) guys that got paid, I think we’d probably have beaten Oregon,” Eck said. “We got sacked four times. Our quarterback, who is now at Oregon State, can really evade pressure and extend plays.”
Quarterback Gevani McCoy, who transferred to Oregon State, was a 2023 Walter Payton Award finalist after throwing for 5,631 yards, 42 touchdowns and running for five more the last two seasons. McCoy went 9-for-10 in leading the Beavers to a victory over Idaho State last weekend. Cornerback Marcus Harris, a first-team All-American who left for Cal, set an Idaho record with 36 passes defensed to go with three picks in 2023. He had an interception in his debut for Cal, helping the Bears to a win.
Anthony Woods, a first-team All-Big Sky running back, who ran for 1,155 yards and 16 touchdowns, left for Utah. Linebacker Xe’ree Alexander, who led the Vandals as a true freshman with 75 tackles and two forced fumbles last year, left for UCF. Cornerback Ormanie Arnold, who had 33 tackles and two interceptions, left for Cincinnati.
“They’re well coached and they also do a good job in the portal of identifying guys,” Lanning said. “They went to (NAIA) Montana Tech to go find a player (top pass rusher Keyshawn James-Newby) and to (FCS) Weber State (DB-KR Abraham Williams). Eck does a great job.”
Eck, a 47-year-old former Wisconsin offensive lineman, took over a program reeling from five consecutive losing seasons. He led the Vandals to seven wins in his 2022 debut season before going 9-4 and No. 8 in the nation in the FCS last year. Even though he’s only been a head coach for just over two seasons, the job has changed quite a bit in that time — as it has for all college coaches, especially those in the bottom half of the FBS and in the FCS.
“It’s definitely gotten harder than when I took this job, and I got hired in December 2021,” he said. “NIL had just become legal. You wouldn’t have thought guys would be getting recruited off your roster like it happens. It’s just a balancing act of trying to do right by the kids because for some, it’s life-changing money.
“The one thing that we’re gonna try to do with some of ours this year is, especially guys who are younger players — and we started a lot of younger players in this game — is have that ‘one more year’ thought,” Eck said. “Our guys went to Oregon State, Cal, UCF and Cincinnati, they weren’t going to premier destinations. ‘Wait another year. Don’t go to a bottom-half Power 4 school.’”
Vandals tight end Jake Cox scored his team’s first touchdown in the third quarter. Photo: Ben Lonergan / The Red / USA Today
Idaho has a collective now and is hoping to get $100,000 raised by the portal opening in December, Eck said.
Eck knows that his team’s performance against the Ducks will likely draw more interest from a bunch of FBS programs looking for help. Defensive tackle Dallas Afalava, a 6-1, 290-pound sophomore, gave Oregon problems inside and had one sack; sophomore cornerback Andrew Marshall made nine tackles and broke up one pass. The 6-foot, 186-pound Southern California native was an under-the-radar recruit who the Vandals worried a Boise State or Colorado State was going to come back in late in the recruiting process. Now, there’s game film of him playing well against a top-five opponent with speedy receivers.
“He’s going to get attention, and our pitch may be, stay one more year (here) and then you might be able to get $500,000 (from a Power 4 school) — don’t just jump for $100,000,” Eck said, though of course there’s no guarantee of that. “They (Oregon) tested him early, tried to go deep on him. Couldn’t hit it. … He didn’t give up any big plays against all those receivers. They weren’t beating him one-on-one.”
Idaho cornerbacks coach Stanley Franks Jr. came to the Vandals from Washington State. He saw how the Cougars had scouting staffers perusing lower-tier ranks to study all-conference level players. For many FCS coaches or lower-level FBS coaches, it can be bittersweet to invest in recruits only to see them leave for bigger programs, but Franks understands that for many of those players, the chance to get life-changing money to help out their families is something they can’t pass up.
Before Harris transferred to Cal, he came into Franks’ office to speak with him. “He acted like it was a hard decision,” Franks said. “I said, ‘This is a no-brainer. Go bless your family.’ There was no doubt he could play at that next level.
“We use that as a recruiting tool. We have to recruit Mountain West-caliber guys: ‘Come here, get developed and play, and then bless your family your last couple of years of college.’ You want to educate these guys as much as possible. I tell them, we develop cats here. Why go somewhere else where I might sit on the bench just because of a logo? We flip it as a positive.”
Eck has always thought of Idaho as a developing program. He and his coaches talk about that with recruits, and in this new era, when you have a cornerbacks coach who has developed two players who, combined, will probably make $300,000 this year, he said, that’s a feather in his recruiting cap. At this level you have to be that way for coaches too, Eck said. Last offseason, they had three coaches leave for FBS jobs — two to San Diego State, one to Oregon State.
“That’s part of our sell: We gotta have that for coaches coming in here, too,” he said. “We’re gonna help you get better and get bigger opportunities. Same thing with players. Hopefully, not everybody wants to leave.”
Part of the pitch in hopes of retaining players is to remind them that if you can play in FCS, the NFL will see you. Former Vandal long snapper Hogan Hatten just made the 53-man roster of the Detroit Lions.
“I really do not think it helps you with the NFL,” Eck said. “As long as you’re an FCS school, every team still comes through here, scouting. But it’s tough to try to discourage a guy from even making $150,000 when his family doesn’t have any money.”
At Idaho, Eck thinks he can get his top players $10,000-$15,000 a year — nowhere near, of course, the six figures some Power 4 schools might offer. They were recently able to cover their players’ cost of attendance, providing around $2,500 a semester.
There’s one other potential player of interest Eck has thought about, a young player who had a big game against the Ducks who might’ve crossed on some FBS teams radar now: His son Jaxton. Jaxton, a linebacker, had a game-high 14 tackles, which included a couple of plays where he was able to corral dynamic Ducks receiver Johnson in space.
“Yeah, that’ll be interesting,” Eck said, laughing. One of the FBS head coaches he knows texted him after the game and mentioned Jaxton. “It might’ve been half-joking. We’ll see.”
(Image: Dan Goldfarb/ The Athletic; Photos: Young Kwak / AP; Brian Murphy / Icon Sportswire via Getty)
With all the excitement over joining the Big Ten this season, it’s important for the third-ranked Oregon Ducks to be ready for their non-conference opponents, too.
“You can’t come out sleepwalking. I think that happens from year to year, people just come out sleepwalking and if you fall into that you just dig yourself in a hole,” new Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel said. “So, it’s all about starting fast, dominating the middle eight, and then finishing strong.”
The Ducks open the season Saturday against Idaho as one of the newest members of the Big Ten. There are lofty expectations for Oregon with Gabriel under center.
The sixth-year senior joins the Ducks after two seasons at Oklahoma. Last year, he threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns, with just six interceptions. He also ran for 12 touchdowns, second most nationally among QBs.
Idaho also has a new quarterback in Jack Layne — an Oregon native — after last year’s starter Gevani McCoy transferred to Oregon State. Layne, a redshirt sophomore, started in one game last season, throwing for 275 yards and six touchdowns.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning said it doesn’t matter the opponent, the Ducks’ focus is always on improving in all facets of the game.
“We know that we want to set the bar for us: What’s our bar? What’s our standard? What do we want it to look like? And being self-aware enough that you can go attack the things that you have to improve,” Lanning said. “And regardless of who you’re playing, when you’re playing, we always talk about our biggest opponent is Oregon, right? We have to go play or do the best to be the best version of Oregon that we can be.”
According to a statement from a league spokesperson: “As the one distribution partner that declined to expand along with us, Comcast Xfinity viewers in many areas will not have access to live broadcasts of the highly anticipated inaugural B1G season games for Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.”
Comcast said in a statement that it is sensitive to the impact on Xfinity customers and hopes for a fair agreement with Fox and the Big Ten Network.
Starting center
Lanning wasn’t going to reveal Oregon’s starting center against Idaho. Among those in contention for the job during fall camp were Iapani Laloulu and Charlie Pickard.
The Ducks need to replace Jackson Powers-Johnson, last season’s Rimington Trophy winner who was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the second round of the NFL draft.
Laloulu started for the Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl while Pickard is a former walk-on whose dad went to Oregon.
“We’ll send out the group that we think has done the best in fall camp to start the game. But I think for us to think long-term we have to be able to prepare and have multiple guys play at multiple positions,” Lanning said.
A look back
Oregon finished last season 12-2, with a loss to rival Washington in the final Pac-12 championship game before capping the season with a 45-6 drubbing of Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon’s offense averaged 531.4 yards and 44.2 points per game, second nationally in both categories.
Idaho, which plays in the Big Sky, went 9-4 last season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs before losing to Albany, 30-22.
In addition to losing McCoy to the Beavers, wide receivers Hayden Hatten and Jermaine Jackson both went to the NFL. Six other starters for the Vandals went to the transfer portal.
The Oregon Ducks are looking for a comfortable win before the big games arrive in their inaugural Big Ten season that is filled with hopes of a deep playoff run. Quarterback Bo Nix is now in the NFL, replaced by Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel. Idaho is picked to finish third in the Big Sky after a 9-4 season that included a run to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.
KEY MATCHUP
Facing an Oregon offense that last season averaged 531.4 yards and 44.2 points per game, Idaho’s defense will be tested. The Vandals ranked 14th nationally among FCS teams in yards allowed (306.8). All four of Idaho’s starting defensive lineman return from last season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Idaho: QB Idaho Jack Layne takes over after last year’s starter Gevani McCoy transferred to Oregon State. Layne, a redshirt sophomore, started in one game last season, throwing for 275 yards and six touchdowns.
Oregon: Gabriel. All eyes will be on the sixth-year senior and Heisman Trophy hopeful. Last year, he threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns, with just six interceptions. He also ran for 12 touchdowns, second most nationally among QBs.
FACTS & FIGURES
The Ducks’ preseason ranking is their highest since 2014. … Idaho starts the season with four of its first five games on the road. After the Ducks, the Vandals visit Wyoming. … Oregon has won 19 straight home openers and 32 straight against nonconference foes in Eugene. … Idaho kick returner Abraham Williams, a Weber State transfer, has five 100-yard return touchdowns in his career, one short of the NCAA record. … Oregon was one of just three teams in the nation last season to rank in the top 10 for both scoring offense (44.2 points per game) and scoring defense (16.5 points per game). … The last time the two teams met was in 2004. Oregon won 48-10 at home.
SEATTLE (AP) — A University of Washington football player has been arrested and charged with raping two women in Seattle and court documents say he played in two College Football Playoff games for the school after at least one of the allegations was known to the university.
Seattle police officers arrested 18-year-old Tylin “Tybo” Rogers on Friday and booked him into King County Jail, KING-TV reported. He was charged Tuesday with second-degree rape and third-degree rape and his bail was set at $150,000 in each case, according to court documents.
It wasn’t immediately known if Rogers, of Bakersfield, California, has an attorney to comment on his behalf. Jail records show he was released on bond. Efforts to contact him by The Associated Press weren’t immediately successful.
Rogers has been suspended from all team activities until further notice, the University of Washington athletic department said in a statement Tuesday. The university will continue to gather facts and cooperate with police, as requested, the statement said.
A Seattle Central Community College student told police she was raped in the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood last year. According to court documents, Rogers and the 19-year-old woman met and started messaging each other after matching on the Tinder dating app in August 2023. Rogers went to her apartment to hang out on Oct. 23 and assaulted her, according to court documents.
Authorities said in court documents that the woman reported the alleged rape to police on Oct. 28, and completed a sexual assault kit at Harborview Medical Center.
A 22-year-old University of Washington student reported that she was raped in November 2023 in the University District, police said.
The woman met Rogers at a Halloween party at the university and then matched with him on Tinder, according to court documents. Police said the two made plans a couple weeks later to hang out and that upon entering her apartment Rogers was immediately forceful and assaulted her. The woman told police at one point Rogers “used one of his hands to strangle her.”
The second woman reported the alleged rape to the university on Nov. 28, police said. Rogers allegedly called her on that date to confront her about the allegations, police said in court documents.
He was also suspended from team activities around late November 2023, according to court documents. The freshman running back did not travel with the team for its victory over the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship game on Dec. 1.
At the time, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said during a news conference that Rogers was “working through some things, some challenges he’s had off the field,” court documents said. Rogers returned to team practices by mid-December, documents said.
Multiple emails were also sent within the University of Washington athletic department confirming Rogers should be taken off the team’s travel roster for the Pac-12 championship game, but no documentation of reasons for such an action were given, the documents said. He was allowed to appear in the Huskies’ two College Football Playoff games a month later, however.
Rogers recorded five carries for 19 yards in the Huskies’ semifinal win over the Texas Longhorns on Jan. 1. The 18-year-old rushed for two yards in the National Championship Game against the Michigan Wolverines on Jan. 8.
Washington was coached last season by Kalen DeBoer, who left following the national championship game to take the head job at Alabama. Jedd Fisch is now Washington’s head coach.
After practice Tuesday, Fisch told local news media that nothing about Rogers being suspended last year, or the reasons for it, had been brought to his attention.
“I wasn’t here for that,” Fisch said. “As soon as I found out about the allegations, as soon as it was brought to our attention, he’s been suspended indefinitely. I have no comment about what happened in the past. That has nothing to do with me.”
The No. 5 Oregon Ducks are headed to Las Vegas, NV, to take on the No. 3 Washington Huskies in the Pac-12 Championship Game on December 1 at 8:00pm ET. This clash is not just a game; it’s a rematch with significant implications for the Pac-12 title and a potential College Football Playoff berth. Oregon seeks redemption after a 36-33 loss to Washington earlier in the season.
You can listen to every snap live from Allegiant Stadium on the SiriusXM app and in car radios with your choice of the home or away feed.
Under head coach Kalen DeBoer, the Huskies hold an impressive 23-2 overall record and are currently 12-0 for the second time in school history. Their dynamic offense ranks No. 2 in passing and No. 12 in total offense nationwide.
Star receiver Rome Odunze is closing in on a school record with 1,326 receiving yards, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is making history with 63 career TD passes.
The Huskies enter the matchup with the nation’s second-longest active FBS winning streak at 19 games.
Washington Huskies Home Feed:
SiriusXM channel 84 in your vehicle
Channel 84 on the SiriusXM app
Oregon Ducks Away Feed:
SiriusXM channel 81 in your vehicle
Channel 81 on the SiriusXM app
National Feed:
SiriusXM channel 80 in your vehicle
Channel 80 on the SiriusXM app
Away: Oregon Ducks
On the other side, the Oregon Ducks, led by quarterback Bo Nix, are eyeing the 2023 Heisman Trophy. Nix, with 59 career starts, tops the nation in passing yards per game and completion percentage.
The Ducks, currently sitting at No. 5 in the CFP rankings, are balanced both offensively and defensively, placing in the top 10 for scoring offense and defense.
Wide receiver Troy Franklin enters the game with 77 receptions, tied for the most in UO single-season history.
Want to listen to more games? Throughout the 2023 College Football season, SiriusXM listeners get access to dozens of game broadcasts each week involving teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC, and other conferences — plus Army, Navy, HBCU football and more. For more information about SiriusXM’s college football offerings, click here.
The Utah Utes excel in controlling the clock. They lead the FBS in time of possession, maintaining the ball for an average of 34 minutes and 20 seconds per game. In Pac-12 play, the Utes stand as the second-best rushing offense, averaging 180.7 yards per game. Their formidable defense holds opponents to a mere 78.0 rushing yards per game, ranking fifth in the FBS.
Junior quarterback Bryson Barnes has showcased his skills this season, completing 58.4% of his passes for 633 yards, with four touchdowns and three interceptions. Barnes is a key playmaker for the Utes.
The Utes’ all-purpose yardage leaders include Ja’Quinden Jackson, a sophomore running back, with 471 yards; Mikey Matthews, a freshman wide receiver, with 440 yards; and Sione Vaki, a sophomore who contributes both as a safety and running back, with 394 yards.
Away: Oregon Ducks
On the other side of the field, the Oregon Ducks have proven to be an offensive powerhouse. They rank second in both scoring (47.0 points per game) and total offense (551.6 yards per game), making them the only FBS team in the top 10 for both rushing (6th with 225.43 yards per game) and passing offense (8th with 326.1 yards per game).
Bo Nix, the quarterback, shines with a 78.0% completion rate over seven games, placing him among elite passers. He’s nationally sixth in passing touchdowns and completions, hitting 182 passes to 11 different targets, proving his versatility.
On the defensive end, Oregon ranks 16th in scoring defense (17.0 PPG) and 20th in total defense (312.6 YPG). Notably, they excel in rushing defense, sitting 12th, allowing just 95.14 YPG.
Utah Utes Home Feed:
SiriusXM channel 197 in your vehicle
Channel 959 on the SiriusXM App
Oregon Ducks Away Feed:
SiriusXM channel 83 in your vehicle
Channel 83 on the SiriusXM App
National Feed:
SiriusXM channel 80 in your vehicle
Channel 80 on the SiriusXM App
Want to listen to more games? Throughout the 2023 College Football season, SiriusXM listeners get access to dozens of game broadcasts each week involving teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC, and other conferences — plus Army, Navy, HBCU football and more. For more information about SiriusXM’s college football offerings, click here.
SAN DIEGO — The Holiday Bowl will usher in a new era with a potentially retro look.
The No. 15 Oregon Ducks will play North Carolina on Wednesday night at Petco Park, the downtown home of baseball’s San Diego Padres. It’ll be the first football game at the ballpark and the first Holiday Bowl since 2019.
While the setting will be new, the matchup between prolific quarterbacks Bo Nix of Oregon and Drake Maye of North Carolina could produce a classic high-scoring Holiday Bowl.
Both quarterbacks will be looking for a strong finish to springboard them in 2023 after their teams slumped at the end of the regular season. Oregon lost two of its last three, including to rival Oregon State, and North Carolina comes in on a three-game losing streak, including a 29-point loss to Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.
Nix had been a Heisman contender before an ankle injury in a loss to Washington knocked him off the pace. He announced last week in a video that he’ll return for his fifth year of eligibility: “There’s nothing like being an Oregon Duck. For 2023, I’m back.”
The Ducks are favored by 14½ points and the over/under is 74½ points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
“I think it’s unbelievable,” North Carolina coach Mack Brown said of the potential for an offensive show. “Both defenses are hearing how great the offenses are going to be so they’re both mad. Coming into the game they think nobody’s giving them a chance so that means those defenses will fight hard.”
Both teams had to replace their offensive coordinators after the regular season. Brown said play-calling falls to Lonnie Galloway, the assistant head coach/passing game coordinator, “who has never called a play in a ballgame, so it will be interesting.”
Brown is coaching in the Holiday Bowl for the sixth time. He brought Texas here five times between 2000 and 2011, going 3-2. His Longhorns lost to the Ducks in 2000.
THE QBs
A matchup between Nix and Maye is perfect for a bowl game with a reputation for high-scoring games dating to the early 1980s with BYU’s Jim McMahon and Steve Young. Nix completed 71.5% of his passes for 3,388 yards and 27 touchdowns, with six interceptions. He also ran for 540 yards and 14 more touchdowns. Maye, the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, threw for 4,115 yards and 35 TDs, with seven interceptions.
OPT OUTS
Carolina’s leading receiver, Josh Downs, has opted out to prepare for the NFL draft, as has Oregon outside linebacker D.J. Johnson, who had six of the Ducks’ 16 sacks. The Tar Heels have lost several defensive backs to the transfer portal.
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLPARK
The Holiday Bowl moved downtown after its home of 42 years, Qualcomm Stadium, was demolished to make room for a new stadium and campus expansion for San Diego State. Petco Park, which opened in 2004, has hosted a basketball game between San Diego State and the University of San Diego, a Davis Cup tennis match on a clay court between Britain and the United States, as well as soccer, rugby, and various motorsports events. The Padres also host the Links at Petco Park every January, with golfers taking shots onto the playing field from nine tees placed around the ballpark.
GAP YEARS
This will be the first Holiday Bowl since Iowa routed USC in 2019. The 2020 Holiday Bowl was canceled due to the pandemic and last year’s game scheduled for Petco Park wasn’t played after UCLA pulled out about five hours before kickoff against North Carolina State, citing a COVID-19 outbreak.
QUOTABLE
Brown mused about being routed by Marcus Mariota and the Ducks in the 2013 Alamo Bowl, his last game with Texas. When the Tar Heels and Ducks visited the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on Monday, Brown toured the ship with Nix and Ducks coach Dan Lanning.
“Bo was going up the steps in front of me, and I started to grab his ankle,” Brown said with a laugh, “but there were too many cameras. I didn’t want to hurt him bad. It’s just one game. But I’ve been there. God looked at me and said, ‘No, don’t do that.’”
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 08: Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the Oregon Ducks wears a net around her neck … [+] and throws confetti in the air as she celebrates her team’s 89-56 victory over the Stanford Cardinal to win the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on March 8, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu rejoins her alma mater as the director of athletic culture, the program announced Friday.
Ionescu’s role includes assisting with the development of student-athletes and cultivating head coach Kelly Graves’ five pillars of Oregon women’s basketball: passion, integrity, unity, thankfulness and servanthood.
“Sabrina exemplifies what it means to be an Oregon Duck and she represents everything our program is about. Even in just a part-time capacity, she will have the ability to make an immediate impact on our student-athletes and our program as a whole,” Graves said in the press release. “She truly is a basketball icon that will be able to connect and develop our players off the court.”
Ionescu completed her third season in the WNBA and was named a WNBA All-Star starter for the summer event hosted by the Chicago Sky in July. She won the WNBA Skills Competition held the afternoon before.
“As a kid growing up in the game, my family helped me develop my passion for basketball and all the values it rewards, ” Ionescu said in the release. “When I arrived at Oregon, I joined a new family that embraced those same values and helped me grow even more as a player and as a person. Part of my heart remains in Eugene, and I look forward to cultivating the same family atmosphere for future Ducks in the Oregon women’s basketball program.”
This will mark her third WNBA offseason spent in the United States, as opposed to heading overseas as many professional women’s basketball players do. Ionescu’s first two offseasons were primarily spent recovering from injuries.
“I’m super excited to have a healthy offseason and just be able to train. I don’t think I really realized how much that is a perk and how being able to train, play 5v5, just be a part of that healthy athlete mindset going into the season,” Ionescu told the media during the New York Liberty exit interviews on August 25.
Being back in Eugene provides Ionescu, potentially, with a place to train in addition to a way to supplement her WNBA salary. While a student-athlete at Oregon, Ionescu was a two-time Wade and Wooden Trophy winner, and is the all-time NCAA leader in triple-doubles (26). She is also the only player in NCAA history with at least 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career assists.
Ionescu recently returned to campus for College Gameday where she was tapped as the Week 8 guest picker. She also showed off her personality and singing abilities in the process. The Oregon Ducks are 2-0 on the young NCAA season. They will host Seattle University tomorrow at 11:00 am PT.
On Saturday, Clemson turned the ball over four times, trailed by as much as 14, benched its starting QB and won. That, Dabo Swinney said, is the headline.
Got it?
No, don’t ask about that quarterback controversy. It doesn’t exist. Figment of your imagination. Swinney is essentially Kevin Bacon at the end of “Animal House,” standing in the midst of a stampede and yelling, “All is well!”
Swinney spent the entire offseason hyping DJ Uiagalelei, despite his struggles in 2021. The coach has spent the first seven weeks of this season dishing out one “I told you so” after another, including as recently as last week, when he called doubts of Uiagalelei “embarrassing” and a product of “the world we live in now.”
And when Clemson was trailing by 10 and Uiagalelei coughed up his third turnover of the game midway through the third quarter, Swinney came with the hook.
Why? Swinney believed freshman Cade Klubnik could give the offense a spark, and the move worked. Clemson scored on three of its next four drives. Sure, Klubnik completed just two passes in the game, so his inspiration was more Rob Schneider in “The Waterboy” than Bill Pullman in “Independence Day.” But hey, a win is a win.
In the aftermath, Swinney emphatically assured Clemson fans that Uiagalelei is still the starter as the Tigers, now 8-0, head into an off week with their ACC Atlantic Division crown all but assured. They will not play another ranked opponent this year.
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Clemson switches quarterbacks in the second half and overcomes four turnovers to beat Syracuse 24-21.
But Swinney is right. The world is a cold, callous place, and so we must also ask the bigger question: Is this an 8-0 team capable of winning a national championship?
Before last season, the answer might have been an emphatic, “Yes!” After all, we’d seen Clemson shrug off mediocrity before and still keep winning. Look back at Swinney’s first national title in the 2016 campaign. That season, the Tigers struggled against Troy, only beat NC State because of a missed chip shot as time expired and lost to Pitt. But Deshaun Watson still found Hunter Renfrow in the back corner of the end zone at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium in the title game against Alabama, and no one needed to remember those regular-season struggles after that.
But then 2021 happened, and despite its 10-3 finish Clemson was clearly vulnerable. The wins were less destiny than they were rugged determination. That is commendable but perhaps not sustainable.
Clemson needed double overtime to get past Wake Forest and nearly coughed up a big lead a week ago against Florida State. And if not for Syracuse‘s utterly mind-boggling decision to put Sean Tucker into witness protection Saturday — “I felt like he was the one guy who could flat-out beat us,” Swinney said afterward — there’s every reason to think this might be more 2021 than 2016.
And yet, is this question any different from the ones posed at Oregon or Alabama or Michigan and on down the line?
The Ducks demolished UCLA on Saturday and established themselves as the clear front-runner in the Pac-12, but does that matter when they’ve already been curb-stomped by Georgia in the opener?
Should we forget the way the Bulldogs demolished them way back when if the recent data points are far more impressive? Do we need a rematch of a game that was over by the end of the first quarter? It’s complicated.
Ole Miss offered the SEC an alternative to the Crimson Tide, but LSU sent the Rebels scurrying on out of Louisiana like a crawdad in a steam pot, as Brian Kelly would say.
But Lane Kiffin’s crew will still get its shot at Alabama, and if it should win, wouldn’t the Rebels be a playoff team? It’s complicated.
Or how about those Crimson Tide? Nick Saban likely spent this week of practice like Jigsaw, planning ever more sadistic dilemmas for his team to maneuver, but the rat poison was successfully expelled from Alabama’s system with a 30-6 win over Mississippi State. Yes, the Tide have appeared vulnerable against Texas and A&M and lost to Tennessee, but does anyone really think Alabama can’t be a playoff team? Well, it’s complicated.
Despite the easy win, Alabama finished with just 290 yards of total offense — its lowest production in an SEC game since 2014.
Are we sold on Tennessee? Has Georgia just been easing into the season like it’s a warm bath? Is Michigan a fitting adversary for Ohio State?
Max Duggan wasn’t perfect Saturday in the 38-28 TCU win, but he was exceptional when he had to be, and the Horned Frogs’ ground game pounded away at Kansas State until the Wildcats finally gave way. TCU has been tied or behind in the second half of each of its last three games, including against Kansas State’s backup QB on Saturday, all of which might underscore just how narrow the margin is for the Horned Frogs, but it’s a line they’ve yet to cross. Does that make TCU a playoff team? Well, it’s complicated.
If we’re nitpicking, we’ll find nearly all teams left wanting. In other words, it’s all complicated.
But Swinney isn’t nitpicking. Well, sure, he picked a few nits with his starting quarterback Saturday, but bygones are bygones now. The point is, Clemson won. So, too, did Alabama and Oregon and Penn State and Oklahoma State. Their chase continues.
In the end, Clemson is 8-0, one of just six teams (Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan and TCU) left with a zero in the loss column.
And when it comes time for the committee to pick nits and split hairs, that zero looms awfully large because winning every game is the one way to erase all the complications and make the committee’s decision simple.
Nix, Ducks roll past UCLA
We would like to issue a formal apology to Bo Nix. He is not the reason Auburn fans spent four years beating their heads against a wall, shouting “Make it stop! Make it stop!”
Nix bested UCLA 45-30 with a brilliant performance Saturday, completing 22-of-28 passes for 283 yards and five touchdowns. He ran for 51 more yards. He electrified a fan base that remains blissfully unaware of all the pain he once helped inflict in his old life.
Yes, the numbers at Auburn seemed to suggest Nix was at the root of the problem, but as Mark Twain said, there are lies, damned lies and statistics, and Nix’s numbers were the most insidious of lies.
Yes, we watched Nix struggle in his Oregon debut as the Ducks were steamrolled by Georgia, but that was an unfair sample. It was like starting fresh at a new high school with a chance to finally fit in with the cool kids, only to bump into an old classmate at the mall. Georgia knew Auburn Bo Nix too well.
But look past all that. Look at what Nix has become now that he’s clear of Auburn, past Gus Malzahn and Bryan Harsin and … boy, it feels like there were six or seven other coaches in there, too. Oh, sure, Nix was an Auburn legacy and a five-star recruit, but The Plains has eaten up better men than that. But after years of tumult, Nix finally realized that this relationship was toxic, that he had to move on. Nothing in Taylor Swift’s discography captures the emotion of this breakup.
And when Nix left, he got as far away as he could go. And at long last, he was free.
Nix has Oregon at 6-1 and undefeated in Pac-12 play. Despite that brutal opener against Georgia, the Ducks have miraculously forced their way back into playoff conversation. Nix’s performance Saturday helped the Oregon fan base fully exorcise one of its demons, forcing Chip Kelly to return, defeated, to the sad suburban condo with the empty pool that we all assume he lives at.
What happened at Auburn was inevitable. Nix just happened to be playing QB at the time, like the activities director on the Titanic. So, consider this Nix’s “Good Will Hunting” moment. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.
Eight is enough
Over the summer, Mario Cristobal wanted to assure the public that Miami was serious about winning and didn’t need any gimmicks to get the job done. So, Cristobal said, no more turnover chain.
Big mistake.
The turnover chain was not a gimmick. It was a sacred relic, and its destruction has signaled the end times in Coral Gables.
Duke annihilated Miami 45-21 on Saturday, as the Hurricanes coughed up the football eight times.
Eight. Times.
Now, it’d be easy enough to chalk up all the turnovers to the simple fact that Miami is a very bad football team. But that would be like suggesting there are so many “Fast and Furious” movies because Vin Diesel is America’s greatest living thespian. Both things are true, but those facts alone cannot explain such prolific output.
No, for Miami there can be but one obvious culprit: Cristobal angered the football gods, and he must now go on a mythic quest, through corridors haunted by the ghosts of Al Golden and Randy Shannon, scale the unconquerable mountains of the ACC Coastal Division and survive an epic freestyle battle with Uncle Luke to retrieve the turnover chain and return it to its rightful place on Miami’s sideline.
Quinn Ewers has had some rough moments this season. His car was towed. He hurt his shoulder. He had to watch Oklahoma play for an entire game. But Saturday was his rock bottom.
Ewers completed just 19 of 49 throws and tossed three interceptions in Texas’ 41-34 loss at Oklahoma State.
The Pokes were playing with a battered offensive line, but Spencer Sanders still delivered some critical throws, tossing two touchdowns, while Jaden Nixon showed he could’ve run over Texas’ defense wearing bedroom slippers.
It was a huge bounce-back win for Oklahoma State after blowing a late lead against TCU last week. The Cowboys are 6-1, and Sanders has firmly established himself as either the best bad QB or worst good QB in the country.
After the Longhorns lost twice without Ewers earlier this season, Saturday’s defeat can at least remove any linger “What if” debates and allow Texas to completely turn its attention to keeping trick-or-treaters safe from monkey attacks this week.
Iowa finally benched Spencer Petras on Saturday, after he managed just eight completions — six to his team, and two to Ohio State. But honestly, benching isn’t enough salvation for Petras. It’s time Quarterback Protective Services steps in and removes him from his home. He deserves to run free on a farm upstate.
Even after Petras was benched, things didn’t get better for the Hawkeyes. Alex Padilla completed just five of 10 passes for 32 yards and an interception, essentially assuring Iowa’s QB depth chart is just the two Spider-Mans pointing at each other meme.
How bad was it?
Iowa was 1-of-13 on third-down tries.
Iowa had six turnovers. (Miami can expect a thank-you card from coordinator Brian Ferentz this week.)
Iowa averaged 2.2 yards per run and yet the QBs were so bad the Hawkeyes still chose to run it 35 times.
There’s only one logical solution to Iowa’s offensive woes at this point. It’s time for Kirk Ferentz to fire his son and hire Jeff Bowden.
Under-the-radar play of the week
If you missed the ending to Stanford vs. Arizona State, we understand. Watching that game was punishment for shoplifting in several states. And perhaps fittingly, the final moments were every bit as unfortunate as a matchup between two bad teams would suggest.
Trailing 15-14, Arizona State chucked a Hail Mary throw down the sideline on fourth-and-19, which appeared to be hauled in by Elijhah Badger to set up a game-winning field goal with just seconds remaining.
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Arizona State falls to Stanford in the final seconds as Emory Jones has one foot out on the 4th-and-19 catch that would have set up a game-winning field goal.
Upon replay review, however, the call was overturned, with officials saying Badger had a toe out of bounds on the catch, allowing Stanford to snap a 10-game conference losing streak.
Under-the-radar game of the week
Rhode Island and Monmouth put on a marathon Saturday, playing seven overtimes before the Rams emerged with a 48-46 win. Not since the famed Texas A&M-LSU epic has a college football game between two teams no one cared about gone on so very, very long.
The game featured seven ties and four lead changes. Monmouth QB Tony Muskett — who also may have been a character on “Bonanza” — threw for three touchdowns. Rhode Island QB Kasim Hill threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns, including a 73-yarder to Marques DeShields with 3:23 remaining to tie the game at 35, but he also tossed three picks.
In the first OT, both teams traded touchdowns. Both went scoreless in the second frame. Then it went to 2-point tries, and the Rams and Hawks stayed even through four more frames. In the seventh OT, Rhode Island broke up a pass in the end zone, and Hill completed his throw to Ed Lee to secure the win.
Sadly, Jimbo Fisher’s nephew was not able to attend, so this seven-OT game did not end with fisticuffs, and frankly, we cannot truly embrace seven overtimes unless someone wearing khakis starts taking swings at complete strangers.
We hate to be the ones to bring this up, but it needs to be said: Liberty is 7-1.
We know, we know: When quarterback Malik Willis left, we all hoped we could safely stop paying attention to the Flames. But somehow, they’ve kept winning, including a 41-14 stomping of BYU on Saturday behind 213 rushing yards from Dae Dae Hunter.
Liberty’s lone loss came on a missed 2-point try against 6-1 Wake Forest.
Liberty has won with three different starting QBs.
Liberty is — deep breaths — good.
Is it possible Hugh Freeze is fueled by the country’s anger at him, like the emperor in “Star Wars?” (We also assume that if Twitter existed in a galaxy far, far away, Palpatine would slide into Obi-Wan’s DMs to complain about rebel criticisms too.) There’s simply no keeping the guy down (even when he is literally kept down).
So, do we need to take Liberty seriously? The only acceptable answer is yes. To embrace Freeze is to take away his power. Or, if not that, maybe Iowa should hire him.
Heisman Five
Even in a week in which three of the nine remaining undefeated teams lost, there wasn’t much room for shake-ups at the top of the Heisman hopeful list.
Tee Martin won a national championship at Tennessee. UT Martin, on the other hand, struggled badly at Tennessee on Saturday. The Skyhawks had no answers for Hooker, who averaged more than 11 yards per throw and tossed three more touchdowns.
Exposure to the Hawkeyes’ offense took its toll on Stroud, who struggled through the first half, but thankfully Ryan Day was able to perform a full Iowa exorcism (it involves spewing creamed corn instead of pea soup) and Stroud rebounded with four second-half TD throws.
Young did all he could to pull Alabama over the finish line last week against Tennessee, but we were still worried he might catch some strays from Saban during practice this week. Thankfully, he survived, and he returned with another strong day, throwing for 249 yards and two touchdowns in the Tide’s 30-0 win over Mississippi State.
Wake is 6-1 after drubbing Boston College, and in the lone loss, Hartman had six touchdown passes. He nearly matched that total Saturday, throwing for five touchdowns and running for a sixth in the win. Hartman now has the third-most passing TDs in ACC history (93), trailing only Tajh Boyd and Philip Rivers, all despite also working part time as a 1920s mafia hit man.
No. 2 Sam Hartman, Wake
Really good balance between clean lines and fullness of the beard. Worked better before he cut his hair though. He looks like a shampoo commercial model now rather than last year’s Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer. Borderline elite, 4.5 stars pic.twitter.com/sRh8c0Urfy
The most college football thing to happen Saturday
We talk often about the plague of #CollegeKickers, with flubbed chip shots invariably costing teams a needed win on an almost weekly basis. Long-snappers, on the other hand, tend to fly below the radar.
Unfortunately for Weber State‘s Grant Sands, his Saturday will be remembered for a long time.
Sands snapped the football over the punter’s head and out of the back of the end zone for a safety four times against Montana State on Saturday, handing the Bobcats eight points in a game that Montana State ultimately won 43-38.
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Weber State is on the wrong end of the record books as it surrenders four safeties on errant special teams snaps.
Big bets and bad beats
Miami has been favored to win four times this season. The Hurricanes are now 1-3 in those games after a miserable eight-turnover loss to Duke on Saturday. Miami has now lost as a 25.5-point favorite to Middle Tennessee, a 10-point favorite to Duke and a four-point favorite to North Carolina. The Hurricanes’ lone win as a favorite came against Virginia Tech, after they failed to cover a nine-point spread in a 20-14 victory.
Clemson trailed Syracuse 21-10 at the half on Saturday, which was just about the perfect spot for the Tigers — or at least for sharp bettors. The Tigers were -9.5 in the second half, and they covered that number easily, outscoring the Orange 17-0 in the final two frames. That makes Clemson coach Dabo Swinney 11-2 against the second-half spread in his career when trailing at halftime.
