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  • Steeped in drama, Michigan, Texas get back to football in Citrus Bowl

    (Photo credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images)

    Before the College Football Playoff bracket was complete, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian delivered a strong rebuke of the process, well aware the Longhorns weren’t in position to make the 12-team field.

    That drama turned out to be minor compared to Michigan’s stunning firing of Sherrone Moore for having an improper relationship with a female football staffer and the coach’s subsequent arrest.

    The No. 13 Longhorns and the No. 18 Wolverines are surely happy to see the calendar turn to 2026 but first they fittingly ring out the current year together on Wednesday at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

    Both teams went 9-3 in the regular season before their campaigns were overshadowed by outside factors. Biff Poggi is serving as Michigan’s interim coach for the bowl game.

    Sarkisian lobbied for his team’s inclusion into the playoffs after a 27-17 victory over then-No. 3 Texas A&M on Nov. 28.

    He pointed out the team’s three top 10 wins and a season-opening loss to then-No. 3 Ohio State, and even threatened to remove the Buckeyes from the 2026 schedule to make his point. But it was an early October setback against Florida that sank his team.

    While the anger has dissipated, disappointment lingers at Texas over a spot in the Citrus Bowl.

    ‘A lot of the other guys see it as a chance to compete, prove ourselves, especially being in (the CFP) last year, not being in this year, we get a chance to prove the committee wrong,’ Longhorns guard Luke Hutson said. ‘So I’m really excited for that, and I think it should be really awesome.’

    Michigan formally introduced new coach Kyle Whittingham on Sunday, something nowhere on the radar when the month began.

    Moore’s arrest changed everything.

    After being informed of his firing on Dec. 10, he allegedly confronted the woman at her home and was arrested. Two days later, he was charged with felony home invasion and two misdemeanors (stalking and breaking and entering).

    The incident and Moore’s meltdown left the Michigan program swirling in chaos.

    ‘I was kind of stunned for a while,’ Wolverines linebacker Cole Sullivan said. ‘I didn’t know what to think. But at the end of the day, we’re still the same team. One person doesn’t define who we are. I’m not going to let what happened define me. And I know the rest of the team isn’t also going to let that happen.’

    Whittingham is focused on preventing a mass exodus and met with freshman Bryce Underwood on Sunday as speculation swirls that the No. 1 recruit of the 2025 class is considering his options.

    Underwood has passed for 2,229 yards and nine touchdowns against six interceptions while adding five scores on the ground.

    He said he’s looking forward to playing in the Citrus Bowl.

    ‘Playing football is our fun,’ Underwood said. ‘Us playing our game, and in any way possible we can be good, that’s what we’ll do.’

    Defensive end Derrick Moore (team-high 10 sacks), linebacker Jaishawn Barham (10 tackles for loss) and guard Giovanni El-Hadl have opted out of the game. Linebacker Ernest Hausmann (68 tackles) wasn’t in Orlando over the weekend and his status is unclear. Running back Justice Haynes (857 yards, 10 touchdowns) is bothered by a foot injury.

    The Longhorns had more than a dozen opt-outs. Four running backs headed to the transfer portal. Leading rusher Quintrevion Wisner (597 yards) opted out late last week to join CJ Baxter, Jerrick Gibson and Rickey Stewart Jr. on the departure list.

    Texas’ main ball-carriers against Michigan will be freshmen Christian Clark (131 yards, one TD) and James Simon (122 yards).

    All-American safety Michael Taaffe (70 tackles) isn’t playing so he can start preparing for the NFL Draft. Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (69 stops) declared for the draft and is skipping his senior season. Another linebacker, Liona Lefau (69 tackles), entered the transfer portal.

    Quarterback Arch Manning confirmed Sunday that he will indeed return for the 2026 season. He has thrown for 2,942 yards and 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions and added eight scores on the ground.

    ‘I felt like I developed a lot this year, especially toward the back half,’ Manning said Sunday. ‘I want to keep it going. There’s no reason to leave. I think I’ve got a lot more football left to play, and I’m excited to still be a part of this team.’

    Texas has won both previous meetings against Michigan, including a 31-12 victory last season in Ann Arbor.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Lowly UCF, Oklahoma State eager to snap losing streaks

    (Photo credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images)

    In the past eight weeks, UCF and Oklahoma State have combined for just one win.

    This week may be both teams’ last chance for a victory this season when they clash in Orlando on Saturday.

    The Cowboys (1-9, 0-7 Big 12) haven’t done much good this season as they fired long-time coach Mike Gundy in September and have yet to beat a FBS squad, dropping nine straight games. Oklahoma State is one of two teams in the bottom six nationally in scoring offense and scoring defense.

    Oklahoma State had a promising outing last week against Kansas State, trailing 7-6 entering the fourth quarter. But Zane Flores threw two interceptions, including one in the fourth quarter when Oklahoma State was at the Kansas State 27, in what became a 14-6 loss.

    ‘You do all the things necessary to get down there and then you turn it over, you’re not going to beat too many teams doing that,’ said interim coach Doug Meacham on Monday. ‘ … But I’m proud on a lot of levels, about a lot of different things, and wish that we could find a way to break through.’

    The Knights (4-6, 1-6) continued to struggle offensively in their 48-9 loss at No. 6 Texas Tech Saturday. UCF was held under 300 yards for the third straight game as the defense allowed a third consecutive 400-yard game.

    Quarterback Tayven Jackson struggled, passing for just 178 yards, the fifth time in his last six games he’s thrown for fewer than 200.

    Backup Davi Belfort saw some game action, but mostly was used as a threat on the ground. He had 36 rushing yards against Houston two weeks ago and had four yards with no passes attempted against the Red Raiders.

    Coach Scott Frost alluded that he may give Belfort more opportunities and use him more to mix UCF’s offense up.

    ‘Davi will continue to improve in everything he does as he gets more reps,’ Frost said Monday. ‘It hasn’t been completely fair to him to put him in the situation he’s in without having gotten a lot of reps over the course of this year … but Davi is capable of running our whole offense.’

    The Knights beat the Cowboys the last time they matched up, a 45-3 romp in 2023.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Strong defensive effort leads Houston to tight win over UCF

    (Photo credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images)

    Ethan Sanchez kicked a tiebreaking 22-yard field goal with 2:31 left and the Houston defense allowed just three second-half points as the Cougars came from 10 points down to defeat UCF 30-27 on Friday in Orlando.

    Conner Weigman, despite throwing three interceptions, helped Houston (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) rebound after a rough loss to West Virginia a week ago. The quarterback produced 223 yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-31 passing and added 82 yards on 22 carries. Amare Thomas had five receptions for 103 yards and a TD.

    Sanchez’s game-winner came on a 15-play, 62-yard drive that lasted 7:51.

    Phillip Dunnam nabbed all three interceptions of Weigman to become the first player in school history to pick off three passes in one game.

    UCF (4-5, 1-5) had four of its six second-half drives end in punts, and not a single one went more than 28 yards.

    Knights quarterback Tayven Jackson completed 15 of his 29 passes but for only 136 yards and an interception.

    Jackson was benched on the final drive of the game for Davi Belfort, who had a pass intercepted by Kentrell Webb in the end zone with 11 seconds left, sealing the outcome.

    Houston’s Dean Connors scored the lone touchdown of the second half on a 9-yard pass from Weigman to tie the game 24-24 with 7:38 left in the third.

    The teams then traded field goals, a 54-yarder from Noe Ruelas and a 30-yarder from Sanchez, before the eventual game-winner.

    Ruelas kicked off the scoring with a 37-yard field goal with 4:17 left in the first.

    Myles Montgomery capitalized off of a Houston muffed punt with a 1-yard run to extend the lead to 10-0 with 9:39 left in the half.

    Weigman found his favorite target streaking down the sideline, and Thomas went untouched into the end zone for a 64-yard score to cut it to 10-7 in the middle of the second quarter.

    Just 1:16 later, Houston struck again as Latreveon McCutchin picked off a Jackson pass and returned it 45 yards for the Cougars’ first lead of the night.

    UCF responded with Jaden Nixon rushing 15 yards for a 17-14 lead with 2:05 remaining in the half.

    Weigman then threw his own pick-six as Dunnam returned it 43 yards to extend the lead to 10 with 96 seconds left before the break.

    Houston salvaged a 40-yard field goal with no time left to cut the deficit to 24-17 at the half.

    –Field Level Media

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  • West Virginia, UCF jousting for first Big 12 victory

    (Photo credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images)

    The start of Big 12 play has not gone well for West Virginia and UCF.

    The Mountaineers and Knights join hapless Oklahoma State as the only schools off to an 0-3 start in conference action. On the plus side, somebody will earn their first Big 12 win Saturday afternoon when West Virginia visits UCF in Orlando, Fla.

    The Mountaineers (2-4, 0-3 Big 12) are on a three-game skid since collecting a 31-24 nonconference home win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 13. During its losses to Kansas, Utah and BYU, West Virginia surrendered 1,436 yards while being outscored 127-48.

    In the first year of Rich Rodriguez’s second coaching stint with the school, the Mountaineers are getting outscored 76-13 in the first half of league games and have not led at any point. In their 38-24 loss Oct. 3 at BYU, redshirt freshman quarterback Khalil Watkins was 7 of 15 for 81 yards in his first career start while freshman Scotty Fox Jr. completed all three of his passes for 54 yards.

    ‘He played hard,’ Rodriguez said of Watkins. ‘I think he’d like to have some plays back, but that was a tough environment to make your first start.’

    The young duo will get more playing time now that Nicco Marchiol (foot) will miss the rest of the season and backup transfer Jaylen Henderson (undisclosed) was ruled as doubtful for Saturday’s game.

    ‘So the two young guys have been taking more reps, which is good for them,’ Rodriguez said. ‘Every rep they can take is going to help with their growth.’

    West Virginia’s 22.3 points per game are second-worst among the 16 Big 12 teams. Wilkins is 10 of 21 for 144 yards while Fox has thrown eight passes and carried the ball 12 times.

    Whoever starts at quarterback may hand off a majority of the snaps as the Mountaineers are fourth in the Big 12 at 206.2 rushing yards per game, which includes 199.3 rushing yards per game in league play.

    While the Mountaineers are coming off blowouts, Central Florida (3-3, 0-3) has been competitive in Big 12 games. After a 14-point loss at Kansas State on Sept. 27, the Knights followed it up with a 27-20 loss to Kansas and last week’s 20-11 loss at Cincinnati.

    Cam Fancher completed 28 of 49 passes for 222 yards last week while rushing for 109 of UCF’s 191 yards and a touchdown. The Knights are averaging 200 yards on the ground.

    UCF took the loss despite holding possession for 39 minutes, 44 seconds and running 90 plays to the Bearcats’ 48. The Knights only got to the red zone once because they sabotaged their possessions by committing 10 penalties.

    During its three-week slide, UCF committed 22 penalties and converted 14 of 46 third downs.

    ‘That’s three weeks in a row where we have shot ourselves in the foot on a lot of drives. And that’s got to get better,’ Knights coach Scott Frost said. ‘The discouraging part is we’re fighting with these guys but not winning. The encouraging part is that the stuff going wrong, we can fix.’

    –Field Level Media

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  • Cincinnati faces Oklahoma State, seeking sixth straight victory

    (Photo credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images)

    In the AP Top 25 for the first time since Week 13 of the 2022 season, and the first time with head coach Scott Satterfield, the No. 24 Cincinnati Bearcats can clinch bowl eligibility with a win at Oklahoma State Saturday night.

    Cincinnati (5-1, 3-0 Big 12) has won five straight games, including a 20-11 win over Central Florida last week. It’s Cincinnati’s longest winning streak since winning six straight games in 2022.

    ‘We have something to prove each and every time we step on the field,’ Satterfield said. ‘What we did in the past doesn’t matter this week. We have to stay in the moment. Every time you step on the field you have something to prove. We have great leaders in guys like Dontay Corleone, Gavin Gerhardt, Joe Royer and Brendan Sorsby.’

    Bearcats quarterback Sorsby continues to be not only one of the Big 12’s and country’s most prolific quarterbacks, but he’s also one of the most efficient. He has just one turnover all season, an interception back in a Week 1 loss to Nebraska.

    A two-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week this season, Sorsby has 1,448 passing yards and 14 passing touchdowns through six games, while leading the conference with an 84.1 quarterback rating. In addition, Sorsby has rushed for 327 yards and five touchdowns.

    ‘Football is pretty much everybody in this organization’s life, so you have to take care of it,’ Sorsby said. ‘Us taking care of the ball has been a huge part of our success, so we just have to continue to do that.’

    Sorsby is aided by a strong Bearcats’ running game, a unit that ranks seventh in the Big 12 with 190.2 rushing yards per game. The Bearcats lead the Big 12 and are fifth in the country with 6.23 yards per carry.

    Oklahoma State (1-5, 0-3 Big 12) has already experienced a head coaching change this season when Mike Gundy was fired three games into the season. In his place is interim head coach and offensive coordinator Doug Meacham.

    The Cowboys are 0-3 since the head coaching change, and they are still last in the Big 12 in total offense and total defense. Starting quarterback Hauss Hejny broke his foot in the season-opener, and his status is up in the air for Saturday night. If he can’t go, either Zane Flores or Sam Jackson is likely to start.

    ‘[Our goal is to] compete, man,’ defensive lineman Aden Kelley said. ‘I think that’s the biggest deal. Things don’t always go your way. That’s a part of life. However, we’ve just got to come together and keep working, keep putting our best foot forward and find a way to execute.’

    Saturday is homecoming at Oklahoma State, an event referred to as ‘America’s Greatest Homecoming.’

    ‘We got a lot of reminiscing, bringing your kids up, trying to relive the time from when you were here before,’ Meacham said. ‘Hopefully, we can give those guys something to be proud of and something they enjoy. So, we’ll forge ahead and keep working.’

    Saturday’s game is the fifth meeting all-time between Cincinnati and Oklahoma State. The Cowboys lead the series 3-1, including a 45-13 win in Stillwater in October 2023.

    -Field Level Media

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  • Los Angeles Chargers Sign Foster Sarell to Active Roster

    Chargers Communications

    The Los Angeles Chargers today signed tackleFoster Sarellto the active roster and signed tackleBobby Hartto the practice squad.

    Sarellmade three starts in 36 regular-season games played for the Chargers from 2022-25, also appearing in a pair of postseason games for Los Angeles. He was elevated twice this season for the Bolts, playing in the Week 4 contest. Sarell came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Baltimore Ravens in 2021 before joining the Bolts later that year. Sarell played four years (2017-20) at Stanford University, starting 17-of-34 games along the offensive front. He was part of Cardinal teams that appeared in two bowl games and, in 2019, started all 11 games at right tackle to earn honorable mention All-Pacific-12 recognition.

    Hartwas a seventh-round choice by the New York Giants in the 2015 NFL Draft (226th overall), starting 67-of-98 career regular-season games with the Giants, Bengals, Titans and Bills. He started along a Giants line in 2016 that protected quarterback Eli Manning to throw for over 4,000 yards. While with the Bengals, he paved the way for running back Joe Mixon to top 1,000 in back-to-back seasons (2018-19) and protected quarterback Joe Burrow during his rookie season in 2020. Hart has appeared in three career postseason games.

    Over a four-year career at Florida State (2011-14), Hart started 37 games, including the final 28 of his tenure at right tackle. He helped the Seminoles win the final BCS National Championship in 2013, blocking for an offense that set school and Atlantic Coast Conference records in total offense (7,267 yards), points per game (51.6), yards per play (7.67), total touchdowns (94), passing touchdowns (42) and the NCAA record for points scored (723). He was a third-team All-ACC selection in 2014, protecting future No. 1 overall pick and reigning Heisman Trophy-winner Jameis Winston, while also blocking for Dalvin Cook to become the first Seminole freshman running back to rush for 1,000 yards.

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