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  • ESPN staff

The allure of college football goes well beyond the field, and even beyond the rabid fans and electric stadiums. Before all that, there are the road trips, the tailgating and the parties. Visiting the local restaurants and bars in the area of your favorite team or hated rival can be as much fun as the game itself — or more, depending on the final score.

To that end, our group of intrepid college football reporters have put together a week-by-week guide to the ultimate college football road trip, highlighting the must-see spots for food, drink and revelry — and some great games — along the way. (It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.)

So pack up your gear, fill up the gas tank and make your plans for a road trip for the ages.

A trip to Virginia Tech is like a nice mountain getaway, with just a bit of Metallica and a few stiff cocktails to go with it. The best way to maximize your time in Blacksburg is with a three-step prep-enjoy-recovery plan. The prep work begins on the day before the big game. Dinner at The Cellar or Rivermill or, if you’re looking for a more gentile atmosphere, the Blacksburg Wine Lab, run by beloved professor John Boyer, will provide necessary nutrition. Then make your way over to Sharkey’s on Main Street, where the drinks are cheap and the patio will be rocking. The last stop on Friday should be Top of the Stairs, a New Orleans-style landmark that offers Blacksburg’s most iconic beverage: The Rail. Reddit has described it as “Self Hatred with a splash of Sprite.” (Note: This is not ideal before a noon kickoff. Consume at your own risk.)

Game day is all about the tailgate, but don’t forget to snag a breakfast treat at Carol Lee Donuts before heading to the stadium. It’s a welcoming crowd, so prepare to make friends. The scene on Center Street typically is a riotous mix of student tailgates, but more adult-oriented festivities fill the lots adjacent to Lane Stadium, with the spaces surrounding the dorms serving as prime real estate. Bring drinks to share with your new neighbors. The key to all of this is getting into your seats at least 30 minutes before kickoff because you won’t want to miss the most iconic stadium entrance in college football as the Hokies take the field to “Enter Sandman” and the entire stadium shakes as the crowd celebrates. Sundays are a good day to recover, whether with a greasy breakfast at Joe’s Diner or a nice tube ride at New River Junction. Take a few trips. They have a free return shuttle. And again, bring a few extra drinks for meeting new friends. — David Hale

This itinerary is probably going to be disputed by locals, because there are so many options in Columbus. There really is no wrong answer, and you probably need a few days to digest everything there is to eat there. But my typical routine when I travel to Columbus starts with breakfast at Super Chef’s, where they believe breakfast is art. I get the Cinnamon Toast Crunch waffles and add chicken to create a makeshift chicken and waffles. They’re cinnamon sugar waffles dusted with Cinnamon Toast Crunch flakes and are fantastic. I then head to Hot Chicken Takeover for lunch and Nashville hot chicken. You can pick your meat and then pick your heat, and I usually go with the hot drumsticks with mac and cheese and coleslaw. You’ll probably need to rest after that, but once it’s time for dinner, I like to be a tourist sometimes, and there’s nothing more touristy than going to The Thurman Cafe to get a Thurmanator hamburger. It’s a 12-ounce burger topped with bacon, cheddar and another 12-ounce patty, followed by onions, mushrooms, ham, mozzarella and American cheese and topped off with a pickle. To cap off your day, go to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and marvel at the selection of delicious scoops available. — Tom VanHaaren

When in Gainesville for a game, the first stop should always be The Swamp (and we don’t mean the actual football stadium). But file that tidbit away for 2022, when the famous Swamp restaurant reopens in a new location. Instead, head over to another University Avenue institution — The Salty Dog Saloon — which has been serving drinks and food since 1962. There is no shortage of spots across campus to take in the tailgating scene — from the O’Dome parking lot all the way to the farthest point on campus, Norman Hall, which is a good 15- to 20-minute walk from the stadium. Line up early for the Gator Walk as the team makes its way into the stadium. And don’t forget to make time for a slice and homemade soda (or the beverage of your choice) from Satchel’s Pizza, a short drive from campus. Ask to eat in the converted blue VW van. — Andrea Adelson

It doesn’t matter which team Army is playing: Go see a game at Michie Stadium, one of the best venues in American sports. Built in 1924 on the banks of the Lusk Reservoir with views of the Hudson Valley in upstate New York, Michie is unlike any other college football scene. The leaves will be turning, and the campus, filled with gorgeous architecture, is a national historic landmark on an active military installation. Gates open six hours before kickoff, and you’ll want time to take in the scene. Parking lots are a bit remote, and shuttle buses start running four and half hours before the game. Three hours before kickoff, if the weather cooperates, there’s a full-dress cadet parade and Black Knights Alley opens with live music, food and drink tents and kids activities. You’ll want to be in your seat with 20 minutes to spare to see 1,000 cadets take the field and the performance of the national anthem. Then, for one final reminder that you’re watching America’s Team, a squad of cadets jumps out of a helicopter and parachutes down to the center of the field with the game ball. — Dave Wilson

Week 5: Auburn at LSU
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Start with a drive through campus and stop off to visit Mike the Tiger at his enclosure. I mean, how often do you get to see a live tiger mascot just feet from a football stadium? It’s worth the pit stop. From there, grab some Louisiana style pizza at Fleur de Lis. Oh, you didn’t know Louisiana pizza was a thing? It’s cheesy and rectangular and glorious. For seafood, it’s hard to go wrong, whether it’s a po-boy at Parrain’s or oysters at Drago’s. But don’t fill up at breakfast on game day because the tailgating on campus starts early and will sustain you all the way up until kickoff, whether it’s savory gumbo, smoked sausage or even alligator. Don’t be afraid to wander around and make friends because hospitality in Baton Rouge means feeding everyone under the tent. — Alex Scarborough

Sure, you’re going to watch a bitter rivalry in a major city. But your focus on this trip is strictly Fair Park in South Dallas. Since 1929, the Longhorns and Sooners have met in the middle of the State Fair of Texas, which runs for 24 consecutive days. (As Texans, we’re required to remind you that this is the longest run of any fair in the country.) There’s also the world’s biggest cowboy, Big Tex, there to greet you, and a 212-feet-tall Ferris wheel, the Texas Star, that offers scenic views of the city, including a bird’s-eye view into the Cotton Bowl. But the other star of the weekend is the fair food. You’re required to eat a Fletcher’s Corny Dog, then make your way around to see what sort of ungodly concoctions the mad scientists have in store for you. This year’s award finalists have a little something for everyone: deep-fried seafood gumbo balls or the deep-fried I-35 (notice a theme?), which is a Czech pastry called a kolache filled with smoked brisket, topped with a peach/Dr. Pepper glaze and garnished with peach slices. For dessert, maybe try some brisket brittle or the deep-fried Halloween, which is a large pretzel topped with candy corn syrup, buttercream icing, caramel and chocolate drizzle and then plenty of Halloween candy. Just the kind of thing to keep your blood sugar up for one of the most heated rivalries in college football in the middle of it all, with the two sides divided right down the 50-yard line. — Wilson

There are few better places to spend a Saturday in the fall than Oregon’s Autzen Stadium. It’s a destination that belongs on every college football fan’s bucket list and provides a game-day experience that is unique in the Pac-12. Eugene, a city of more than 100,000 people, doesn’t have the college town vibe that exists at Washington State and Oregon State, but there is a much more intimate charm than in the major metropolitan areas around the conference. So there are plenty of bars, restaurants and tailgating spots to host a sold-out game, while still generating the game-day buzz around town that gets lost in larger cities. If the sports bar scene is your preference, give Sam’s Place Tavern across town a try (there’s a game-day shuttle to the stadium) or check out Trev’s Sports Bar & Grill just across the Willamette River near campus. If you’re looking for a tailgate, it won’t be hard to find one. Thousands of people will be posted up around Autzen. Walk around, meet new friends and there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself taken care of. — Kyle Bonagura

Week 8 — Doubleheader!

There’s a strong case to be made that Boone, North Carolina, is the best college town most college football fans don’t know about. It’s a mountain town with a terrific beer and food culture and a game-day environment that rivals anything the Group of Five has to offer (and probably is better than a number of the big boys too). For a little pregame food and entertainment, take a stroll down King Street and stop into Macado’s or Melanie’s, or stop over to Booneshine Brewing Company for the town’s best craft beers. Then head over to the tailgate, which devours nearly every open space on campus for a big game. The prime spot is the Library Deck, then ask around and have a local point you to Big C’s tailgate on River Street. It’s legendary. Get into the stadium in time for kickoff though. The mountain backdrop is gorgeous, and the energy at kickoff is electric. After the game, grab a burger at the Come Back Shack before celebrating an App State win (or drowning your sorrows) at The Annex, where the party will go late into the night. But don’t let your visit end on campus. A quick trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway gets you to Blowing Rock, which has a tremendous restaurant scene, including Woodlands Barbecue or The Speckled Trout, which touts an impressive beer and wine list. Then work off some calories with any number of breathtaking hikes. Just be sure to stay hydrated. — Hale

You can’t go wrong with Rocco’s pizza if you want something simple but delicious. They call their offerings comfort food, Italian style, and they’re not wrong. If you’re craving a burger, try CJ’s Pub, where you can get a five-ounce, 10-ounce or 20-ounce burger. The 20-ouncer is called the Golden Domer for obvious reasons. The Evil Czech Brewery is a great option if you’re looking for classic American fare or unique beer options. You probably wouldn’t expect to get good barbecue in Northwest Indiana, but The Prized Pig is a really good option. For a higher-scale experience, try Tippecanoe Place, which is restaurant in a mansion that was built in the 1800s. — VanHaaren

There is a reason this series is still known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” Reason No. 1: The drinking starts early (in many cases, days early), and the drinks flow like the St. Johns River, which runs through Jacksonville. Reason No. 2: There are too many parties to count in the tailgate lots surrounding the stadium. The truth is, you don’t even need an actual lot to party. People party on their boats along the river, too. In between the cars and RVs clad in orange and blue or red and black, alumni clubs from both schools hold their own tailgates, and there is live music everywhere you look. In the RV lots, the partying starts three days before kickoff. Though TIAA Bank Field holds about 67,000, most years twice as many people show up to take in the tailgate scene. And really, that is the best advice. Grab a drink, walk among all the lots, make some friends and soak it all in. — Adelson

Lean into the nostalgia during your visit to Tuscaloosa. Tour the Walk of Champions. Spend some time at the Bryant Museum. Eat breakfast at the historic Waysider Restaurant, where you can order country ham and red-eye gravy with biscuits and sit at Paul “Bear” Bryant’s table. You can’t miss it. It’s the one with Bryant’s bust front and center. From there, get some barbecue at either of the town’s legendary institutions, Dreamland or Archibald’s. I’m not venturing into that fraught debate about which is better — they’re both excellent — but certainly try to visit their original locations if you can. Finally, grab a famous Yellow Hammer drink at Gallettes and head to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the game. — Scarborough

If you’re a fan of classic Southern literature and run-on sentences, then be sure to get your fill of William Faulkner nostalgia in Oxford. The ghost of Mississippi’s most famous writer is everywhere. But if that’s not your thing, no worries. The food here is incredible, whether at the famous Ajax Diner, City Grocery or Big Bad Breakfast. The real star of the show is the Saturday tailgate, though. No one — and I mean no one — does tailgating like Ole Miss. A walk through the Grove is like stepping back in time. There are men in suits, women in dresses and chandeliers hanging from pop-up tents. At times, it feels as if the scene is overwhelming what should be the main event, which is why you’ll often hear a version of, “We may not win every game, but we’ve never lost a party.” — Scarborough

The star of Norman’s game-day experience is Campus Corner, a business district that dates to 1917. It’s filled with places to shop, eat and drink, including Othello’s, which is home to Barry Switzer’s famed “table of truth,” and the Greek House, a traditional diner opened in 1979 by Greek immigrants and famous for its spicy yogurt sauce. For a little history, visit the Legends Lobby at the Barry Switzer Center at the south side of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium to see first-hand the dominance of one of the sport’s marquee programs. You can see the Sooners’ five Heisman trophies and statues of four coaches — Switzer, Bob Stoops, Bud Wilkinson and Bennie Owen — with more than 100 wins at OU, the only school in the country with that distinction. And finally, you can see if you’re just as much of a gamer as current Sooners coach Lincoln Riley with a trip to Benvenuti’s, an upscale Italian restaurant in downtown Norman where Switzer first met Riley when the young Riley was the new offensive coordinator for Stoops. According to Riley, the evening featured a lot of stories and a few too many glasses of Switzer Family Vineyards wine — despite a 5:30 a.m. practice the next morning, which Riley proudly says he made. — Wilson

If you’re planning on coming to a game in Ann Arbor, and love food, I would suggest you come in on Wednesday and eat until Saturday or Sunday. There are so many places and such a variety to choose from that you really can’t go wrong. Zingerman’s is a staple for fresh, unique sandwiches on housemade bread. Mr. Spots also is popular, serving cheese steaks and wings. If you’re in the mood for a burger, Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger is almost 70 years old and still going strong. There’s a local brewery called Jolly Pumpkin that has become well-known and has an eclectic selection of food as well as beer. If you’re looking for something a little more upscale for brunch or lunch, Sava’s is one of the better choices in the area. The list could go on and on, but to finish it off, if you like Cuban street food, check out Frita Batidos. — VanHaaren

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Flyers honor late Parent with tribute before game

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11 hours ago

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November 23, 2025

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Flyers honor late Parent with tribute before game

  • Associated Press

Nov 22, 2025, 10:40 PM ET

PHILADELPHIA — The Flyers celebrate the star of each victory this season by presenting him with a replica Bernie Parent goalie mask. The white mask with the Flyers logo on each side of the temples looks much like the one Parent wore as a cover boy in the 1970s on Time magazine when the Flyers truly meant something — beyond the Philly sports scene, and even the NHL — and he served as the cloaked face of the Broad Street Bullies.

The Flyers pulled out the mask Saturday night before their game against New Jersey and let it rest on top of one of the goalie nets. One more final tribute for Parent, the Hall of Fame goalie who was honored by the franchise this weekend two months after he died at age 80.

“Forever our No. 1,” said Lou Nolan, the Flyers’ public address announcer since 1972.

With that, the spotlight shone on Parent’s retired No. 1 banner that hangs in the rafters, just a row ahead of the two oversized Stanley Cup championship banners — the only ones in franchise history — that catch the eye in Flyers orange and might not even exist at all if not for the affable goalie from Montreal.

Parent anchored the net for the Flyers when the Bullies reigned under owner Ed Snider as one of the marquee teams in sports. Parent won Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe and Vezina trophies in back-to-back seasons when the Flyers captured the Stanley Cup in ’74 and ’75, the first NHL expansion team to win the championship.

Ahead of the game Saturday against New Jersey, a photo of a smiling Parent flashing his two Stanley Cup rings on the outside arena videoboard loomed large over the 9-foot bronze statue for Snider, the Flyers’ founder who died in 2016.

“‘We’ve got two Stanley Cups because of Bernie,” Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke said at a celebration of life event in front of thousands of Flyers fans.

Flyers fans poured out this weekend to remember Parent over a two-day celebration that started with Friday’s service and extended into Saturday’s tribute game. Flyers fans in droves wore No. 1 Parent jerseys during the game — and what would the goalie think even as, yes, his beloved Flyers scored three goals in 26 seconds against beleaguered Jake Allen — and they roared for every highlight from Parent’s glory years.

The loudest cheers were saved for the Stanley Cup highlights.

The Flyers beat the Boston Bruins in six games to win the Stanley Cup in 1974 and beat Buffalo in 1975. Parent had shutouts in the clinchers each season.

On the flight home from Buffalo, the Flyers plopped the Stanley Cup in the middle of the aisle. For close to 90 minutes, they couldn’t take their eyes off hockey’s ultimate prize.

“We were able to just sit back, look at the Stanley Cup and just savor it,” Parent said in 2010. “It was just a special time.”

With Parent the unstoppable force in net, “Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent,” became a popular bumper sticker in Philadelphia that would stick on him as a lifelong slogan — and popular autograph inscription request — through retirement and his many years as a team ambassador.

Parent also served as an ambassador for the Ed Snider Youth Hockey and Education program; a youth hockey program created in 2005 for under-resourced youth in Philadelphia.

The program announced Saturday it would honor Parent’s legacy with the Bernie Parent Goalie Development Program, aimed to prepare young people for success both on and off the ice. Flyers Charities presented a $50,000 donation which was matched by Snider’s children.

Parent, team captain Bobby Clarke and Dave “The Hammer” Schultz all became stars for the Flyers under Snider in an era when the team was known for its rugged style of play that earned the Bullies nickname. They embraced their moniker as the roughest team in the NHL and pounded their way into the hearts of Flyers fans. More than 2 million fans packed Philadelphia streets for each of their championship parades.

Most of the living members from the Cup teams attended the game Saturday and Clarke choked back tears at the memorial as he listed other Flyers from the Stanley Cup teams who have since died. Barry Ashbee. Ed Van Impe. Bill Flett. Ross Lonsberry. Rick MacLeish

“And now, God bless Bernie, because he’s going to join them,” Clarke said. “And the rest of us, until we go join them, we will talk together forever.”

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Blackwood makes 35 saves as Avs win 8th straight

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11 hours ago

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November 23, 2025

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Blackwood makes 35 saves as Avs win 8th straight

  • ESPN News Services

Nov 22, 2025, 11:41 PM ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mackenzie Blackwood made 35 saves to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.

Brent Burns scored early, and Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Drury added empty-net goals for the Avalanche. Colorado has won eight straight, their longest winning streak since taking nine in a row March 4-24, 2024.

The Avalanche hold the best record in the league and are five points up from the second-place Carolina Hurricanes.

Juuse Saros made 23 saves for the Predators, losers of seven of eight. Saturday was the first game back in North America for the Predators after playing a pair of Global Series games last week against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Stockholm, Sweden. The Predators have been shutout in consecutive games.

The shutout was the first of the season and 15th of Blackwood’s career.

Burns scored the game’s first goal just 15 seconds after the opening faceoff.

After a battle in the right corner, the puck came to Burns above the right circle, where he beat Saros with a wrist shot on the first shot of the game.

The game remained 1-0 until MacKinnon scored an empty-net goal was 1:35 remaining in the third with Saros pulled for an extra attacker. Drury added another empty-netter with 51 seconds left.

MacKinnon has three goals in his last two games.

Colorado defenseman Cale Makar failed to record a point in a road game for the first time this season.

The Predators outshot the Avalanche 16-6 in the first, but couldn’t get one past Blackwood.

Saturday was just the fifth time this season that an opponent has outshot the Avalanche. Colorado is 5-0-0 in those games.

Blackwood stopped Nashville’s Michael McCarron with 5:47 remaining in the third on a backhand from the low slot to keep the Predators off the board.

Predators captain Roman Josi returned to the lineup Saturday after missing 12 games with an upper-body injury.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Bring on Rivalry Week! Status quo Saturday means chaos looms

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November 23, 2025

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Bring on Rivalry Week! Status quo Saturday means chaos looms

  • David HaleNov 22, 2025, 11:55 PM ET

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    • College football reporter.
    • Joined ESPN in 2012.
    • Graduate of the University of Delaware.

Amid a year in which chaos has been a near constant, preseason expectations have been turned on their heads and James Franklin has gone from No. 2 in the country at Penn State to splitting the dock fees on a pontoon boat with Bud Foster at Virginia Tech inside of six weeks, we had every right to expect Week 13 might deliver some twists and turns we didn’t see coming.

Instead, what we got Saturday was the status quo.

We might’ve hoped Missouri, with Beau Pribula back at quarterback, might’ve upended Oklahoma‘s playoff dreams.

We might’ve believed USC could deliver a dagger to an Oregon team that had largely gone unchallenged all season.

We might’ve dreamed that the Notre Dame–Miami debate could’ve been settled by an upset from Syracuse or the Hokies.

With less than 3 minutes to play in Salt Lake City, we might’ve at least expected to see one upset of Kansas State over Utah, one small fracture in the committee’s playoff rankings, one small shift in the big picture.

Heck, the least we could’ve asked for was a decision on Lane Kiffin’s future, and even that was punted for a week so that the Ole Miss coach can make his announcement at the Egg Bowl by feigning peeing like a dog on the hat of whichever team he plans to coach next year.

None of it happened.

Oklahoma’s defense smothered another SEC opponent, picking off Pribula twice and holding Ahmad Hardy to just 57 yards on the ground in a 17-6 win. The Sooners’ offense may be less than inspiring, but Brent Venables has put together a defense that rivals anything he mustered during his storied career at Clemson, a unit whose impact on the SEC is rivaled only by Jimmy Sexton.

Oregon’s strength entering Saturday appeared to be its dominant defense, too, but instead it was Kenyon Sadiq and Noah Whittington stealing the show on offense and Malik Benson breaking USC on special teams with an 85-yard punt return for a score. On the heels of Oklahoma’s win, seeing Lincoln Riley suffer such a dismal outcome, too, was almost too much beauty for Sooners fans to stand.

In any other year, Saturday’s road trip to Virginia Tech would’ve served as the perfect opportunity for Miami to slip on a banana peel and slide its way into the Sun Bowl, but not this time. Carson Beck threw for 320 yards and four touchdowns. Malachi Toney had 12 catches. The defense racked up five sacks. Miami won 34-17. The win was good enough that, for just a few moments, allowed the Canes to climb into the same tier as Notre Dame for the committee to compare the two teams directly — just in time for Notre Dame to win 70-7 and remind everyone that the Irish are actually way better. The committee immediately put Miami back into the “evaluate after we gorge ourselves on room service chicken fingers and need a nap” section of the playoff discussions.

BYU had no trouble dispatching Cincinnati, the SEC’s powers dominated lower-level opposition and Ohio State sent a sternly worded letter to the conference asking that the Buckeyes not have to get out of bed before 2 p.m. for the likes of Rutgers in the future. It was all easy.

If any of the top playoff contenders offered real drama, it was Utah. Kansas State’s run game was relentless, chalking up 472 yards and five scores. The two teams traded scores early with five lead changes and three ties through three quarters of action. But a Utah fumble midway through the fourth set up a K State score and a 47-37 Wildcats lead with 7 minutes to go. But the Utes refused to roll over, scoring twice in the final 2:47, and pulling away with a 51-47 win.

The come-from-behind victory could be more than just a necessary step in protecting Utah’s playoff hopes. Utah fans wondered if perhaps Saturday would be Kyle Whittingham’s final game at Rice-Eccles Stadium, knowing his exit as the Utes head coach was always destined to be a low-key affair, something akin to the end of “Good Will Hunting,” with Morgan Scalley knocking on Whittingham’s door one morning to find he’s no longer there and only a note explaining the departure: “I have to go see about a … used Ford F-350.”

And yet, for all the chaos avoided in Week 13, one final Saturday remains before any of our playoff calculus should be written in ink.

Oklahoma is well-positioned, but a date with LSU looms. The Tigers have fired a coach, stumbled from the rankings, taken out a second mortgage on Death Valley to try to lure Kiffin to Baton Rouge. Could LSU deliver one more dose of drama in 2025?

Oregon appeared to punch its playoff ticket with Saturday’s win over USC, and yet a trip to Washington still looms. This is not the 2023 Huskies, but a trip to Seattle is still hardly an easy win. It’s only fitting that the remnants of the Pac-12 can still offer some late-season drama, as if Larry Scott is still looking to cost the conference money, even from his new post as, we’re guessing, somewhere in the New York Jets front office.

Miami’s playoff hopes might come down to the whims of the committee or, just as likely, the fourth-quarter clock management of Mario Cristobal. The Canes have a date with Pitt in Week 14, and if you flip to page 306 of this year’s Farmer’s Almanac, you’ll see that a late-season loss to the Panthers after blowing a 14-point lead has been the likeliest outcome for the Hurricanes the whole time.

Utah and BYU, too, have playoff life even if they’re long shots.

No, Saturday didn’t upset the status quo, but the question as we head toward the finish line is whether Week 13’s action was a chance for the biggest winners to load the fireworks before the inevitable celebration or if they were simply getting all the deck chairs precisely situated before hitting the iceberg.

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Under the radar | Vibesman five

Week 13 vibe check

Each week, college football’s top teams battle to shape the course of the season. But beyond the headliners, dozens of smaller matchups prove to be just as consequential. We track those here.

Trending down: ACC certainty

Georgia Tech entered Saturday as the only ACC team with any real clarity: Win and the Yellow Jackets would clinch a spot in the conference title game.

Of course, nothing in the ACC is that simple.

Pitt jumped to a 28-0 lead, thwarted one Georgia Tech comeback with a 100-yard interception return for a score and then ended the Jackets’ hopes with a 56-yard Ja’Kyrian Turner touchdown run with 2:41 to go to seal a 42-28 win.

The ACC now has three teams tied atop the standings at 6-1 — Virginia, Pitt and SMU — followed by Georgia Tech at 6-2 and Miami and Duke at 5-2. It sets up the possibility of a six-way tie at 6-2 with the conference championship then being decided by a series of tie breakers that almost certainly will involve Pat Narduzzi losing a rock, paper, scissors match because he assumed rock was invincible and Cristobal edging out Tony Elliott in a staring contest by wearing a pair of fake glasses with a funny nose and mustache attached.

Trending down: Florida‘s optimism

Tennessee throttled the Gators 31-11 on Saturday, holding Florida to just 261 yards of offense and effectively setting the cruise control for the second half while Josh Heupel rewatched the first four seasons of “Stranger Things” to get prepped for new episodes.

Worse yet, as Florida floundered its way through another loss, AD Scott Stricklin looked up into the stands, where Lane Kiffin stood solemnly, his arm outstretched, offering a long pause to build the drama before offering a thumbs down. Florida will now turn to its next best option to coach the team in 2026: three toddlers wearing a trench coat and pretending to be a grown man.

Trending up: Style points

With just two games left against struggling ACC teams and a crowd of two-loss teams pushing for the final few playoff spots, Notre Dame knew Saturday’s contest against Syracuse would be about more than just winning. This one needed to look good.

So, by halftime, Jeremiyah Love was holding the charred corpse of Otto the Orange above his head and yelling, “Are you not entertained?”

The Irish led 49-0 at the half, picked off Syracuse QB Joseph Filardi three times and Love ran for 171 yards and three touchdowns in a 70-7 win.

Afterward, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said he was disappointed the defensive game plan of recording enough sacks that the Orange circumnavigated the globe in reverse, thus finishing with negative points, didn’t come to fruition, but was encouraged by news that Stanford had increased the life insurance on its tree mascot before next week’s season finale.

Trending up: Suffering for the Seminoles

It was Friedrich Nietzsche who posited that all life was suffering, and though he came up with that idea a full 81 years before Mike Norvell was born, it’s safe to say Florida State‘s past two years are pretty much what he had in mind.

To recap: FSU’s Heisman candidate QB got hurt in a meaningless game against an FCS foe in November 2023. As a result, the Noles were snubbed from the College Football Playoff despite a 13-0 record. Norvell was a top candidate for the vacant Alabama job but instead returned to FSU with a huge new contract. The Noles limped into the next season, astonishingly went 2-10, overhauled the coaching staff, beat Alabama to open this season, lost four in a row, including one to Stanford, rebounded and then, on Friday, offered perhaps the single greatest example of the incredibly thin line between comedy and tragedy as the world has ever seen in the final four minutes of a 21-11 loss to NC State.

The Noles D stuffed the Wolfpack on fourth down with 3:53 to play. NC State punted. The punt bounced off an FSU player’s helmet, rebounded backward and landed in the arms of the Pack’s punter near the original line of scrimmage.

The Noles D held again, forced another punt and this time FSU’s Squirrel White fumbled the catch, giving the ball to NC State again.

The Noles D held yet again, but NC State opted to go for it on fourth-and-6 and found the end zone from 12 yards out.

FSU still had a chance but shanked a short field goal — its second of the game — and, by the end, all that was missing was the PA system at Carter Finley Stadium playing “Yakety Sax” on repeat and Novell being knocked unconscious after trying to exit the field through a tunnel a roadrunner had painted on a brick wall.

Of course, Neitzche also argued, in his “four great errors” that all free will was an illusion, so it’s fair to say this isn’t Norvell’s fault but rather the inevitable result of a chaotic universe. On the other hand, another of his “four errors” was “Don’t sign DJ Uiagalelei and Tommy Castellanos in back-to-back seasons,” so perhaps there’s ample blame to go around.

Trending up: Heavy trophies

Justin Lamson threw for 175 yards, ran for 80 and accounted for two touchdowns as No. 3 Montana State knocked off archrival and second-ranked Montana 31-28 to capture the Big Sky championship and win the Great Divide Trophy.

Montana scored on a 52-yard run with 6:59 to play, pulling to within three, but the Grizzlies never saw the ball again. Montana State engineered a 14-play, 72-yard drive, converting a fourth-and-1 and a third-and-4 along the way, to bleed the last 7 minutes off the clock and secure the win.

The Bobcats have now won the Brawl of the Wild in seven of the past nine matchups, which means prime bragging rights for Montana State fans over that family of bears who live down the block.

Trending down: SEC strength of schedules

It’s Week 13, which means it’s time for half the SEC to welcome in its regular host of hapless cannon fodder: The Little Sisters of the Poor, the Washington Generals, an adult flag football rec league team and, of course, Florida.

It’s tradition in the SEC to prep for rivalry week with one game after another against vastly overmatched foes, so on Saturday we saw Georgia demolish Charlotte, Texas A&M stomp Samford and Alabama trounce Eastern Illinois. Even Auburn got in on the action, walloping Mercer 62-17 in a game that even Hugh Freeze probably could’ve won.

This is all necessary because, as everyone knows, life in the SEC is a grind, with every other game of the season a brutal, physical affair that slowly chops away at the league’s best squads like a thousand paper cuts.

And sure, Gunner Stockton and Ty Simpson combined to throw three picks and zero touchdowns in their wins. It’s only reasonable given that they played half the game holding a tall glass of iced tea and listening to a podcast about woodworking. The important thing is, when it was all over, they had fully recovered from the season’s long, arduous journey through the SEC and emerged with a spring in their step, a pat on the back and a note from the playoff selection committee that read: “We loved your game control. XOXO.”

Trending up: Sun Devils’ resurgence

Kenny Dillingham turned Jordan Travis into a Heisman contender, salvaged Bo Nix’s career and made Sam Leavitt a star. But that was nothing compared to his latest trick: Jeff Sims is a good QB right now.

Sims threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns as Arizona State demolished Colorado 42-17.

The Sun Devils are 3-1 with Sims as the starter, matching the most wins Georgia Tech managed in any of three seasons with Sims at the helm.

The real star of the show, however, was Arizona State tailback Raleek Brown, who carried 22 times for 255 yards and, after the game, Deion Sanders reluctantly decided Brown’s jersey should be retired at Colorado, too.

Trending up: Andrew Luck’s cavalry

Dearest mother —

I bring good tidings from the battlefield. We have vanquished the hated enemy from Berkeley. Though our front lines sustained many casualties, our defensive battalions proved strong. Our men charged from the rear, thrice apprehending the enemy’s payload and delivering it to safe harbor. In addition, a young soldier called Micah Ford proved his valor, marching 150 yards into enemy territory. His bravery shall be rewarded with an officer’s commission at war’s end. Now, I must bid you farewell. While we celebrate this victory with much revelry and ale, my heart remains heavy with the awareness that an even greater enemy — men from across the sea in that emerald isle of St. Patrick — await. We must be prepared for an even greater battle to come.

Please, give my love to father and the children.

Sincerely,

Andrew Luck, captain, Stanford infantry

Trending up: ‘Seinfeld’ references

Washington didn’t gain statehood until 53 years after James Madison died, but that didn’t stop Washington State from trying to end James Madison‘s quest for the playoff Saturday.

The Cougars led 20-17 midway through the fourth quarter before Dukes’ tailback Wayne Knight took a handoff and ran like he was smuggling stolen dinosaur DNA off an island, scampering 58 yards for a go-ahead score.

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Wayne Knight scores 58-yard rushing touchdown

Wayne Knight scores 58-yard rushing touchdown

Knight finished with 126 yards on 15 carries, all while besting Kramer in an hourslong game of Risk, delivering a critical 24-20 win for the Dukes, who move to 10-1 on the season and remain in prime position to swipe the automatic playoff bid from the Group of 5.

It is, of course, Knight’s greatest contribution to an important sporting event since he assisted Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny in defeating a group of aliens in a game of pickup basketball in 1996.

Trending down: Ivy League dominance

Josh Pitsenberger ran for 143 yards and three scores, Dante Reno tossed three touchdowns and Yale upended Harvard 45-28 on Saturday to claim a share of the Ivy League championship.

When it was over, Yale’s fans stormed the field. Well, they didn’t so much storm it as have their concierge make a reservation and preordered the soufflé, which, of course, takes two hours to make, then had Jeeves bring the Mercedes around to properly escort them onto the field. The point is, they were excited.

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Yale fans storm field after team clinches Ivy League FCS Playoff bid

Yale defeats Harvard 45-28 and fans celebrate the team getting the Ivy League’s first-ever automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.

It was a stunning defeat for Harvard, which had entered the game 9-0 and eager for some redemption after losing its past three to Yale. Afterward, the Crimson downplayed the loss by noting that a Harvard man would never be so crass as to run the ball 49 times. So much manual labor is fine for someone at Dartmouth or Brown.

Under-the-radar play of the week

The Victory Bell belongs with Duke, and Bill Belichick won’t be bowling in his first season in North Carolina after the Blue Devils escaped a trip to Chapel Hill with a 32-25 win.

While Duke controlled the first half, UNC stormed back with two long touchdown drives to take a 25-24 lead late in the fourth quarter. The Heels’ D then stuffed Duke on a third-down try, appearing to set up a field goal attempt for the lead. But Manny Diaz had a trick up his sleeve.

Duke’s fake field goal caught UNC sleeping like a man in the fourth hour of watching his girlfriend’s adult cheerleading competition, and kicker Todd Pelino bolted 26 yards to the 1, setting up an easy touchdown that proved to be the difference.

Under-the-radar game of the week

With 1:07 to play and the score tied at 34, Kennesaw State‘s Amari Odom completed back-to-back passes — the first a 40-yard dagger down the middle of the field and the latter a 14-yard touchdown to go up 41-34.

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Chase Belcher puts Kennesaw State ahead with 27 seconds left

Amari Odom finds Chase Belcher in the back of the end zone to put the Owls ahead late in the 4th.

That gave the ball back to Missouri State with just 27 seconds to play, but the Bears weren’t going down without a fight. Consecutive completions moved the ball to near midfield before Jacob Clark looked deep in search of the tying touchdown. Instead, Alexander Ford picked off the pass and sealed the win for the Owls.

Odom finished with 387 yards passing and five touchdowns, as the Owls moved to 8-3 on the season and 6-1 in Conference USA. With a win next week at Liberty, Kennesaw State will lock up a spot in the conference championship game after going 2-10 a year ago.

Vibesman five

This was not a fun week for the Heisman Trophy discussion. Georgia and Alabama played cupcakes. Indiana was off. Ohio State played Rutgers, which is somewhere between playing a cupcake and having off. So, rather than rehash last week’s list, let’s give flowers to the players who’ve been tons of fun this year without having much of a shot at the hardware.

1. Texas QB Arch Manning

Manning threw for 389 yards and accounted for five touchdowns, and as long as we ignore the first eight weeks of the season, he would have a real shot at the actual Heisman. Alas, the Heisman voters aren’t like the College Football Playoff committee. They can’t just choose to ignore certain outcomes they don’t like. And so, we’re forced to simply appreciate Manning’s greatness in the context of his slow start. In truth, it’s not his fault. He clearly got a sizable portion of his QB DNA from Uncle Eli, whose career was built upon playing mediocre ball until late in the season and then somehow winning two Super Bowls anyway.

2. Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia

Pavia has a real shot at an invite to the Heisman ceremony, and even if he doesn’t win the actual award, he’s well-positioned for a lifetime achievement trophy of some sort after a dazzling 26-year career. And, if nothing else, Saturday’s 45-17 blowout of Kentucky in which Pavia threw for 484 yards and five touchdowns allowed us to witness Pavia’s best argument for winning the Heisman.

3. North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker

Mestemaker wasn’t even the starting QB on his high school team, spending the entirety of his career at Vandegrift High (Texas) waiting for the starter to get hurt so he could come in, throw a Hail Mary to win the big game after the coach quits at halftime, then point to his dad and yell, “I don’t want … your life!” Instead, he walked on at UNT, started last year’s bowl game, and in 2025 blossomed into a star. On Saturday, he threw for 469 yards and accounted for four touchdowns in a 56-24 win over Rice, then calmly explained to his dad that, no, he’s not interested in following him into the insurance business, but he respects all his father’s life choices and appreciates all the sacrifices he has made for the family.

4. Louisiana governor Jeff Landry

Believe it or not, Brian Kelly wasn’t officially informed he was fired until this week, as the school deals with a lawsuit with the former coach over his contract buyout. How much of this is Landry’s fault? It’s hard to say, but his involvement has clearly complicated things, and it’s just so nice to finally see a coaching change result in utter chaos without somehow involving Phil Fulmer.

5. Hawai’i kicker Kansei Matsuzawa

Matsuzawa connected on a 45-yard field goal in Hawaii’s 38-10 loss to UNLV on Friday, making him a perfect 23-for-23 this season. It’s pretty impressive given that Matsuzawa taught himself to kick by watching videos on YouTube. All of this begs the question: Why can Matsuzawa learn to kick by using social media, but somehow every time Dabo Swinney types in “What is the transfer portal” on Bing, people laugh and say he’s out of touch?

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