Dawgs leave no doubt as Saturday exposed Bama, Clemson
Georgia entered Saturday’s showdown with Tennessee as the No. 3 team in the country, which says something about how these evaluations are made.
It’s true, of course, that the Bulldogs looked listless at times against miserable competition like Kent State and Missouri. And it’s true, too, that after a dominant Week 1 win over Oregon, there’s been little on the Dawgs’ schedule to get excited about. And no one can dispute that Tennessee had been impressive in a narrow win over Alabama and dominant victories against LSU and Kentucky.
None of this was wrong.
Yet, how could anyone doubt these Bulldogs?
The defending champs delivered their reminder in Saturday’s 27-13 win over the Volunteers, and barring an unlikely meltdown in the season’s final three games, they’ve essentially punched their playoff ticket.
For so many of the rest of college football’s top contenders, Saturday was nightmare material.
Alabama lost in overtime to LSU, giving Brian Kelly a signature win and upending the SEC West hierarchy. Bryce Young struggled, the Alabama defense had no answers for Jayden Daniels and the Crimson Tide became the third top-10 team to lose Saturday.
Ohio State slumbered through a miserable day in Evanston, as Northwestern held C.J. Stroud to just 76 passing yards. The Buckeyes prevailed 21-7, but it was the “Star Wars” prequels — part of the canon, but no one wants to watch it ever again.
Clemson‘s top-four ranking will be short-lived. DJ Uiagalelei was benched for the second straight game, only Cade Klubnik entered in relief just long enough to throw an INT deep in the Tigers’ own territory to set up an easy Irish TD. Notre Dame marched to a dominant 35-14 win that may well have been a death blow to Clemson’s playoff hopes.
Michigan rebounded to an easy win over Rutgers, but the Wolverines trailed at the half. TCU trailed entering the fourth quarter. Illinois‘ magical season came to an end against Michigan State. Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Syracuse — all riding a wave of enthusiasm just weeks ago — all lost, too.
According to ESPN Stats & Information research, six teams had 40-to-1 or shorter odds to win the national title entering Saturday. Three of them lost.
And then there was Georgia, defending champs, simply taking care of business.
A year ago, the narrative Georgia endured was one of doubt — doubt because of history, doubt because of its former walk-on QB, doubt because we demanded proof every week, and no team can deliver that.
This year, however, Georgia is powered not by the doubters, but by its own rabid confidence. This team is like the Kobe Bryant-era Los Angeles Lakers. Why get too excited over a road trip to Sacramento? Conserve your energy, bide your time.
After the season-opening win over Oregon, Georgia didn’t need its A-game. Heck, Stetson Bennett might as well have relaxed on a lawn chair, dangling his feet in a kiddie pool for the first half in each of Georgia’s past seven wins. These games simply didn’t matter beyond ensuring that Georgia finished with more points than the other team — a job that’s become exhaustingly easy.
Just look at how Saturday’s win unfolded. There were moments of pure brilliance, of course, like Bennett’s throw in the back of the end zone, hitting Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint. And indeed, the matchup problems Georgia presents with Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington are utterly unfair, but that duo accounted for just 34 yards against Tennessee.
0:39
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint elevates to make an outstanding snag and gets both feet in bounds to give the Bulldogs a 21-3 lead.
Bennett completed just 17 passes (and one run that offered an answer to a few hundred prank callers). There were no 100-yard receivers, no 100-yard rushers, no pick-sixes or long kick returns. Between rain-soaked hedges, Georgia was simply better at all the little things, and it forced Tennessee to play by that same blueprint, a plan foreign to the high-flying Vols. Tennessee climbed to the No. 1 ranking by outflanking all comers, by seeing how the magic trick was done, then plowing through the smoke and crashing through the mirrors. But Georgia offered none of that. The Dawgs just lined up, mano-a-mano, and won.
Nothing Georgia did Saturday was remarkable in a micro sense, but to view the win from a macro level was utterly breathtaking. This is what championships are built upon — not fireworks and drama, but 11 guys doing the right thing at the same time, one play after another, again and again. This is what Georgia does better than anyone else can.
Georgia is 9-0 and has two wins over top-eight opponents by a combined score of 76-16, not because of a treasure trove of highlights and otherworldly performances, but because they’re just repeatedly, relentlessly better.
Tide, Tigers dealt daggers
Alabama is the fulcrum on which all good playoff resumes are built, but this year, the Tide’s chances of punching their own playoff ticket now look all but over.
Dabo Swinney assured the world he had his QB even after benching DJ Uiagalelei against Syracuse and, turns out, he was right. Cade Klubnik‘s interception deep in his own territory doomed the Tigers to a brutal 35-14 loss to Notre Dame, which may well cost Clemson a playoff berth, too.
For the Tide, it’s their third loss in their past 10 games, its worst stretch since losing three of 10 in 2013 and 2014. But back then, those three losses were surrounded largely by dominance. The 2013 campaign ended with back-to-back losses, but the nine games that preceded them were all wins by 13 or more, and the 2014 season included a trip to the first College Football Playoff.
Now? Alabama could easily have four losses to its name already, if not for an injury to Texas QB Quinn Ewers and — well, whatever the heck you want to say about Texas A&M. Since winning the 2020 national championship, Alabama has had 10 games that either ended with a loss or a one-possession win.
So what’s gone wrong? Certainly, the receivers have not played well this season. The defense, too, has struggled at times, and had no answers for Daniels’ mobility on Saturday. And then, of course, there’s offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who spent Saturday looking like a dad really trying to relate to his teenage kids as he talked to them about the birds and bees.
Folks, Bill O’Brien is in the booth with his hat backwards ? pic.twitter.com/RrgbO6oKeV
— Morgan Moriarty (@Morgan_Moriarty) November 6, 2022
Whatever the reasons, the bigger takeaway is this: Alabama used to beat teams getting off the bus. Now, that air of invincibility is gone, and that 2020 dominance feels like an awfully long time ago.
The same is true for Clemson, which ruffled feathers with its No. 4 ranking in the committee’s initial top 25 after close wins against Wake Forest, Florida State and Syracuse. But wins are wins, and the Tigers continued to pile them up, in spite of all the red flags. The luck came to a screeching halt Saturday, as Notre Dame utterly annihilated the Tigers’ O-line, frustrated Clemson’s QBs into two brutal INTs and scored on a botched punt.
It’s not enough for Notre Dame to doom the ACC to a slow death by refusing to join full time. Now the Irish have all but knocked the ACC out of playoff contention. Notre Dame has now won 28 straight games against the ACC in the regular season, including beating both of 2022’s likely division champs this season. Jack Swarbrick also stole Jim Phillips’ lunch money just for fun.
Clemson’s path to 11-1 is still fairly straightforward — home against Louisville, Miami and South Carolina to close out the regular season — but there’s a real question of whether turning over the offense to Klubnik with an eye toward 2023 makes sense. Clearly the young QB needs reps, but it seems equally clear he doesn’t make Clemson immediately better.
Alabama and Clemson have combined to win five of the eight national championships in the playoff era. There’s never been a season in which neither team made the playoff. After Saturday, 2022 is shaping up as a new era.
TCU gives us the drama we deserve
It’s a shame the College Football Playoff committee doesn’t see the beauty of TCU‘s modus operandi in 2022. The Horned Frogs entered Saturday ranked No. 7 in the committee’s initial top 25, a slap in the face for a team that had yet to lose, that had four wins on the road, that had toppled four straight ranked foes.
The argument, it seemed, was that TCU doesn’t win impressively enough, but “impressive” is a subjective term, and frankly, we can’t imagine why anyone would prefer a blowout to what has become the Horned Frogs’ weekly three-hour drama.
The narrative played out just as it always does on Saturday. TCU jumped out to an early lead over Texas Tech. The Red Raiders charged back and took a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter. Then TCU pounced. The Horned Frogs are predators, and they enjoy toying with their prey.
Against Texas Tech, TCU scored 21 points in the fourth quarter. Sonny Dykes’ crew has now outscored opponents 55-14 in the final frame of its past four games.
The committee believes these late-game heroics are a sign of weakness. But perhaps TCU is just too cool for the committee. The Horned Frogs are the team that arrives to a party fashionably late, sporting a tuxedo T-shirt, a belt buckle the size of a Ford Focus and carrying a bottle of Hennessy it’s not intending to share.
Who needs blowouts? The college football season gives us far too many of those. TCU gives the people want they want — drama, intrigue, purple. It’s as if Prince were a college football team.
And sure, the dominance of other teams might impress the committee, but dominance is a tricky thing to maintain. Just look at Ohio State‘s Saturday trip to Evanston, Illinois. The usually dominant Buckeyes went to halftime tied at 7 with lowly Northwestern, pulled into the depths of misery by a team that knows that terrain far better. C.J. Stroud‘s Heisman Trophy campaign hit its biggest roadblock of the season against an opponent that surrendered 33 points to Iowa last week. Stroud averaged less than 3 yards per pass in Saturday’s 21-7 win. Now that is a real reason for committee skepticism.
But TCU? Those close games aren’t a reason for doubt. They’re a mark of certainty. TCU is consistent, and there’s genuine value in that. The Horned Frogs are like an episode of “Law and Order: SVU.” The early scenes might be tough to watch, the bad guys will have the upper hand and Ice-T will seem confused about what’s happening — but in the end, the audience knows the good guys always find a way to win.
So, what’s not to like about that? The committee wants blowouts, wants boredom. Well, not everyone gets the luxury of playing in the same division as Rutgers and Indiana.
We’ll take drama every time, and TCU — those guys know how to deliver the goods.
Noles win big
A year ago, Florida State‘s final-drive comeback to beat Miami likely sealed head coach Manny Diaz’s fate. He was fired at year’s end, despite the Hurricanes winning five of their final six games. That loss was too much to ignore.
And the move paid off, because this year’s loss to Florida State is definitely one Miami fans will want to ignore.
Jordan Travis threw three touchdowns in Florida State’s 45-3 win over the rival Canes, the largest road win by either team in the history of this series.
Trey Benson, who was entirely overlooked by Mario Cristobal when the two were together at Oregon, got a good taste of revenge, carrying 15 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns.
The win was so dominant that John Ruiz’s next Miami stadium proposal will actually be just a circus tent in the Everglades, while the Seminoles now have a genuine shot to run the table and finish the regular season with nine wins.
Heisman Five
The three leading Heisman contenders all had a brutal Week 10. Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Hendon Hooker combined to complete just 53% of their passes, averaged 5.4 yards per throw and had just one passing TD with two picks. Their Heisman campaigns certainly aren’t over, but after performances like that, we’re dropping all three from the list for this week, at least. So, who should be in the mix if we forget about the top contenders?
1. North Carolina QB Drake Maye
The redshirt freshman threw for 293, ran for 74 and accounted for three touchdowns in North Carolina’s 31-28 win over Virginia. Maye has been borderline flawless this season and has led UNC to come-from-behind wins against Georgia State, Duke, Pitt and the Cavaliers.
Four more touchdowns for Nix in Saturday’s 49-10 win over Colorado, and he’s now accounted for 35 touchdowns on the season. That’s one more than he had in 2020 and 2021 combined at Auburn.
3. USC QB Caleb Williams
Williams has accounted for 14 touchdowns in his past three games after Saturday’s 41-35 win over Cal, with a date against woeful Colorado up next. But the final two games on USC’s slate — at UCLA and home against Notre Dame — are what will likely make or break Williams’ Heisman chances.
4. UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson
DTR had his fifth career game with multiple rushing and passing touchdowns in Saturday’s 50-36 win over Arizona State. He’s just the ninth Power 5 QB of the playoff era with five such games, joining the likes of Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Marcus Mariota and Patrick Mahomes.
5. Minnesota RB Mohamed Ibrahim
He missed Minnesota’s Week 5 game against Purdue (and the Gophers’ offense disappeared) but he’s still well over 1,000 yards on the season after Saturday’s performance which included 32 carries, 128 yards and two touchdowns. Ibrahim has now eclipsed 100 rushing yards in 17 straight games dating back to Minnesota’s bowl win over Auburn at the end of the 2019 campaign. Since at least 2004, no other running back has had a longer streak.
Going for two
Point 1: Texas A&M was down more than a dozen players for this one, in large part due to the flu.
In fairness, there was no room in the budget for flu shots what with everyone checking their couch cushions to afford Jimbo Fisher’s buyout.
Point 2: Anthony Richardson accounted for four touchdowns — two passing, two rushing — and turned in his best game of the season, and Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper is already wondering if he can just go ahead and draft Richardson now.
Point 1: Liberty is a failed 2-point try away from being undefeated with wins over two Power 5 teams and BYU right now. The Flames’ remaining schedule is a road trip to UConn and home against Virginia Tech and New Mexico State. There’s a good chance this team will finish 11-1 in the regular season. It’s honestly a bit heartbreaking to consider how close we might’ve been to Liberty holding a parade through Lynchburg and claiming a national championship based on some rather murky language in an obscure passage in the Book of Revelation.
Point 2: Unless Houston Nutt has any pending litigation at Auburn, doesn’t it seem like Hugh Freeze makes a ton of sense there?
Point 1: Temple running back Edward Saydee entered Saturday with just 290 rushing yards on the season. But against USF, Saydee carried 24 times for 265 yards and three touchdowns in the 54-28 win.
Point 2: It’s fair to wonder if this was the last straw for USF’s Jeff Scott. The Bulls are 1-8 on the year and haven’t won a conference game. The 54 points allowed to Temple are 24 more than the Owls had scored in a game this season. Under Scott, USF is 4-26, and with SMU, a road trip to Tulsa and the finale against No. 25 UCF remaining, it’s unlikely things will get much better.
Kansas 37, Oklahoma State 16
Point 1: Kansas is going bowling. Well, sure, we assume the Kansas football team spends much of December bowling anyway — probably using those lanes with the gutter barriers because no one can endure more failure after a typical Jayhawks season. But this year, Kansas is actually going to a football bowl game, thanks to Saturday’s win over Oklahoma State. It will be Kansas’ first bowl game since 2008. In the interim, every FBS team except UMass and James Madison have played in a bowl.
Point 2: Saturday also marked Kansas’ first win over an AP top-25 opponent since 2010, when the Jayhawks knocked off No. 15 Georgia Tech. According to ESPN Stats and Information, the longest current losing streak against ranked opponents now belongs to Rutgers.
Point 1: There were 140 total points scored in this game. That is more than nine different teams had for the entire season entering Saturday. In Iowa, the broadcast of this game was censored as obscene content and replaced with images of Kirk Ferentz enjoying a warm glass of milk.
Point 2: Clayton Tune threw for 527 yards, ran for 111 and had eight touchdowns. And he lost. Tanner Mordecai, on the other hand, accounted for 10 touchdowns in the win — Ten! — and the combined effort of 16 passing touchdowns is the most ever in a game in FBS, FCS, Division II or Division III history, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Texas 34, Kansas State 27
Point 1: Bijan Robinson is a bad, bad man, and perhaps the most overlooked superstar in college football. He finished Saturday with 30 carries for 209 yards, and now has more than 1,100 rushing yards on the season. If Texas can win out, there’s a non-zero chance Robinson can fight his way into the Heisman conversation.
Point 2: Kansas State has to be the most difficult team to pin down this season. Lose to Tulane, beat Oklahoma. Get edged by TCU late, destroy Oklahoma State, then lose to Texas. It’s hard to blame Adrian Martinez for any of it. He threw for 329, ran for 52 and accounted for three touchdowns Saturday. Still, he clearly brought too much Nebraska with him to Kansas State. The Cornhusker curse cannot be erased by a simple trip through the transfer portal.
Point 1: Rutgers led 17-14 at the half. Never forget that. On the other hand, in its past four games, Michigan has outscored its opponents 100-3 in the second half.
Point 2: Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards each ran for 109 yards, and Michigan’s ground game continues to dominate. The Wolverines are one of just three teams to rush for 150 yards or more in each of their first nine games this season, along with Oregon State and Air Force.
The most college football thing to happen in Week 10
For years, we’d foolishly assumed that the “Tech” in Louisiana Tech insinuated some type of boring technical education, like mechanical engineering or learning how to fix computers by unplugging them and then plugging them back in. But no. All this time, La Tech has been working on a far greater marvel of human achievement.
0:23
Louisiana Tech Bulldog’s mascot Tech XXII drives around the end zone in a remote controlled Bugatti.
Did any of the previous 21 Tech mascots have their own cars? Does it make any sense that the dog is driving a Bugatti rather than, say, a perfect scale model of the General Lee from “Dukes of Hazzard”? And what does Uga think about all of this?
On second thought, don’t bother asking any of those questions. Something this perfect does not need a backstory.
Oh, and Louisiana Tech beat Middle Tennessee 40-24, so honestly any team that doesn’t have a live mascot in a remote-control car is probably just throwing away wins.
The other most college football thing to happen in Week 10
Hey, kid. Do your impression of what’s happened to Virginia‘s offense this season.
This kid is living his best life at the football game ?@UVAFootball pic.twitter.com/fXVDKtzxzb
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 5, 2022
Under-the-radar game of the week
Marshall won a game in which it didn’t score a touchdown, had just 89 passing yards, and turned the ball over twice. Iowa is so jealous right now.
On the other hand, Marshall’s defense forced four turnovers, held Old Dominion to just 209 yards of offense, and stuffed the Monarchs on 14 of 16 third- or fourth-down tries.
0:27
Old Dominion quarterback Hayden Wolff coughs up the football and Marshall’s TyQaze Leggs jumps on it.
The Thundering Herd beat Old Dominion, 12-0, in the fourth game this season without a touchdown being scored. The first two, of course, included Iowa. The third came last week between Miami and Virginia. So, congrats, Marshall. We’re sure you’re excited to add your name to that illustrious crew.
Under-the-radar play of the week
After back-to-back losses in ACC play, the league’s defending champ finally got back in the win column with a 19-9 victory over Syracuse.
That’s not to say all went well for Pitt, however.
Pitt manages a 2 yard punt pic.twitter.com/FvVjQg210m
— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) November 5, 2022
See, this is why the analytics said to go for it.
Nothing could be finer …
There haven’t been many easy ones for North Carolina this season, but the Tar Heels escaped Virginia 31-28 on Saturday to give Mack Brown his first win in Charlottesville in his career. Drake Maye threw for 293 yards, ran for 74 more and accounted for three touchdowns to further bolster his Heisman credentials. UNC is now 8-1 and looks all but assured of winning the ACC Coastal.
But the party doesn’t end in Chapel Hill.
On Friday, Duke toppled Boston College 38-31 to move to 6-3, meaning all four of the North Carolina schools in the ACC — including NC State and Wake Forest, too — are bowl eligible for the first time ever.
None of this makes up for the fact that vinegar-based barbecue sauce is like wringing out a gym sock onto your pulled pork, but it’s still deserving of a serious Ric Flair “Woooooooo!” to celebrate.
UConn gets chesty
We don’t want to alarm anyone, but UConn is one win away from bowl eligibility. It’s fine. The odds are still not in its favor, but if you’ve been considering building that bomb shelter in your backyard, now might be a good time to plunk down the deposit.
The Huskies picked up win No. 5 on Friday by beating UMass, which comes just one week after toppling Boston College, and that had UConn’s social media team feeling its oats.
Crown us. ?
The Kings of New England have arrived and are here to stay#HuskyRevolution pic.twitter.com/xnuIXrIiKl
— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) November 5, 2022
This is new territory for UConn, so we’ll forgive the mashup of John Irving and George R.R. Martin, but what’s utterly unforgivable is this total erasure of Holy Cross. The Crusaders are 9-0, and until UConn beats them, there will be no official title of Kings of the North bestowed upon anyone.
Big bets and bad beats
The safest bet in sports paid out again Saturday. Whenever two service academies get together, it’s limbo time — go low, lower and even lower on the game totals. The total for Saturday’s matchup between Army and Air Force was just 40.5 — a number Army had eclipsed by itself in each of its past two games, and a total Air Force had hit alone four times this season. But we know how this story ends. Army’s offense managed just 145 yards total, and the two teams combined to run the ball — and run out the clock — 85 times. Final: Air Force 13, Army 7. The win ensured the Falcons the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the first time since 2016, and since 2005, the under in any game featuring two service academies is 43-9-1, including the past 10 straight (and 15 of the past 16).
Michigan State pulled off the shocker against No. 16 Illinois, despite managing just 294 total yards — 147 fewer than the Illini — and going 3-of-11 on third down. The Spartans were 16-point underdogs in the game and the money line on a Michigan State win paid out at +550. We’re hoping Spartans boosters had plenty of cash on their guys in this one, since a win like this undoubtedly means a hefty extension is coming for Mel Tucker.
Entering Week 10, Ohio State had the shortest odds to win the national championship at +190, according to Caesars Sportsbook. But after Georgia’s domination of Tennessee, the Bulldogs are now the clear betting favorite at +150. Ohio State is the second-shortest odds now at +200.
The game total for SMU-Houston closed at 65.5. The Mustangs and Cougars hit that with 5:34 left in the second quarter, then doubled the total with 5:13 left to play in the game.
Many college football programs are wrapping up spring practices this weekend, which traditionally has included an intrasquad game, giving fans and players a sneak peek at what is to come on the field in the fall with a game-day atmosphere.
This year, for a variety of reasons, many programs are skipping the scrimmage for a different kind of spring showcase, including skills contests, fanfests and meet-and-greets. Among the teams taking this route as they close their spring sessions this weekend are Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Purdue and defending national champion Ohio State.
But several schools will be hosting spring games, including Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Miami and Georgia Tech. Here’s a look at those teams and what to watch for this weekend.
All times Eastern.
Game time: Friday, 6 p.m.
2024 record: 9-4
Spring storyline: Just how good can this offense be? In his first year, Jeff Brohm made the most of veteran QB Jack Plummer. Last season, Tyler Shough developed into one of the most productive QBs in the country. Now Brohm turns to USC transfer Miller Moss, perhaps the most talented QB he has had at Louisville, and the Cards will surround Moss with a host of ubertalented skill players, including Caullin Lacy and Isaac Brown. Brohm’s offenses are always explosive, but this Cardinals squad has a chance to be one of the most terrifying units in America.
Position of intrigue: The secondary is littered with transfers — no shocker at Louisville — including the two corner positions, where Jabari Mack (Jacksonville State), Rodney Johnson (Southern) and Justin Agu (Louisiana) will be in the mix for playing time. There’s a big void in the secondary, after Louisville said goodbye to a host of veterans, including Quincy Riley. How this new unit jells will be crucial for a Louisville D that was far too susceptible to the big play in 2024.
Player to watch: Here’s a fun scenario: Isaac Brown was among the most prolific freshmen in the country last season, racking up 1,527 all-purpose yards. And yet, it’s another rising sophomore — Duke Watson — who might be the more explosive player. Watson got just 67 carries last season but averaged nearly 9 yards per rush and scored seven times. His role will grow alongside Brown in 2025, giving Louisville arguably the best one-two punch at tailback of any squad since last season’s Ohio State national champs. — David Hale
Game time: Saturday, noon (ACC Network)
2024 record: 5-7
Spring storyline: Virginia hit the transfer portal hard to boost its roster, signing 16 players in hopes of putting the Cavaliers in position to make a bowl game for the first time since 2021. While the program has made some strides since Tony Elliott was hired in 2022, he also knows the team must show significant progress this year. His players have already spoken confidently about putting Virginia in a spot where it can compete for championships. We will get our first glimpse at the possibility this spring.
Position of intrigue: Virginia lost quarterbacks Anthony Colandrea (portal) and Tony Muskett (final season) and went into the portal to find their replacements. The headliner is Chandler Morris, now at his fourth school after spending last season at North Texas. Virginia also signed Daniel Kaelin from Nebraska as the potential quarterback of the future with four years of eligibility remaining. Look for Morris to take the reins giving his experience.
Player to watch: Linebacker Fisher Camac, a transfer from UNLV, has the ability to make the types of plays that set the tone on defense. Last season, he had 15 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 5 pass breakups, 3 QB hurries and a forced fumble. — Andrea Adelson
Game time: Saturday, 1 p.m.
2024 record: 8-5
Spring storyline: Embattled Gators coach Billy Napier completely flipped the narrative on his future at Florida by guiding his team to four straight victories to finish with an 8-5 record in 2024. That winning streak included upsets of then-No. 22 LSU and then-No. 9 Ole Miss. Much of the optimism is because of quarterback DJ Lagway, who was 6-1 as the starter as a freshman, and a veteran offensive line. Lagway threw for 1,915 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has been limited throughout spring practice because of shoulder and lower-body injuries and won’t play Saturday. Florida will play another brutal schedule in 2025 with road games at LSU, Miami, Texas A&M and Ole Miss and a neutral-site contest against Georgia.
Position of intrigue: Finding Lagway dependable targets on the perimeter will be a focus this spring. Top receivers Elijhah Badger and Chimere Dike departed for the NFL, and Eugene Wilson III is coming back from season-ending hip surgery. Receivers Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson and Naeshaun Montgomery were three of Florida’s highest-ranked signees, and J. Michael Sturdivant (UCLA) was one of the top pass catchers in the portal.
Players to watch: Florida’s strength coach called linebacker Aaron Chiles an “alien” before his freshman season because of his exceptional work in the weight room. With Shemar James leaving for the NFL draft, Chiles and Myles Graham will have a chance to make an impact on defense this season. Graham had 30 tackles and one sack in 2024; Chiles had 23 tackles with one sack. — Mark Schlabach
Game time: Saturday, 1 p.m.
2024 record: 11-3
Spring storyline: Much of Georgia’s attention this spring will be focused on its offense, which struggled to catch the ball and run it when it mattered in 2024. The Bulldogs went 11-3, won an SEC championship and reached the CFP last season. But Georgia’s offensive production slipped mightily — it scored 31.5 points per game (after averaging 40.1 in 2023) and ranked next to last in the SEC with 124.4 rushing yards. Georgia will be breaking in four new starting offensive linemen and a new quarterback. Newcomers will also be counted on to improve an inconsistent receiver corps.
Position of intrigue: Georgia’s offensive line was expected to be one of the best units in the FBS in 2024, but it struggled to create holes in the running game and protect the quarterback. Four starters are gone, including center Jared Wilson and All-America guard Tate Ratledge. Earnest Greene III and Monroe Freeling have a lot of experience at tackle, and Micah Morris has been a mainstay at guard. Drew Bobo and Daniel Calhoun are the favorites to take over at center and right guard, respectively. Freeling missed spring practice after undergoing shoulder surgery; Calhoun was sidelined for much of it because of a foot injury.
Player to watch: No position on the team was criticized more in 2024 than Georgia’s receivers. The Bulldogs led Power 4 conference teams in dropped passes, and top receivers Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett left for the NFL. Georgia brought in two high-profile transfers, Zachariah Branch (USC) and Noah Thomas (Texas A&M), and Talyn Taylor and C.J. Wiley are two highly regarded freshman receivers. Branch had 1,863 all-purpose yards during his two seasons with the Trojans, including two kicks returned for touchdowns in 2023. He caught 78 passes for 823 yards and three scores. — Schlabach
Game time: Saturday, 1 p.m. (ACCNX)
2024 record: 7-6
Spring storyline: Georgia Tech ended last season with a good bit of buzz, and the Yellow Jackets return one of the most productive QBs in the ACC in Haynes King. Will all of that add up to a breakthrough season? There’s a lot to like on this team, but the story of coach Brent Key’s first few years in Atlanta has been the Jackets’ ability to play their best in big games then stub their toes against teams they should beat. Key is a ferocious competitor, and this spring seems like it should be a turning point when he pushes Tech from surprising upstart to a real contender.
Position of intrigue: The wide receiver room will look a lot different this spring. Three of the five wideouts with at least 100 receiving yards last season are gone, including star Eric Singleton, who exited via the portal for Auburn. Malik Rutherford is back, and he’ll be joined by a pair of FIU transfers in Eric Rivers and Dean Patterson, who combined for 112 catches and 19 touchdowns last year, as well as freshman Jamari Bruce.
Player to watch: Key is a former offensive lineman, and he believes championship teams are built in the trenches. Enter Josh Petty, a five-star recruit and arguably the most talented O-lineman the Jackets have landed in decades (and their first five-star signee since Calvin Johnson). Petty will need to work his way into the starting five, which already features talented veterans in Joe Fusile and Keylan Rutledge, but that doesn’t mean all eyes won’t be on the talented freshman to see just how much bang Georgia Tech is getting for its buck. — Hale
Game time: Saturday, 1 p.m.
2024 record: 7-6
Spring storyline: Pitt got off to an unexpected 7-0 start last season, only to finish on an equally unexpected six-game losing streak. After winning 20 games between 2021 and 2022, Pitt has struggled to find the same winning consistency the past two seasons. The hope is that the return of quarterback Eli Holstein and all-everything back Desmond Reid, plus a healthier offensive line, in Year 2 under offensive coordinator Kade Bell will allow the Panthers to find the rhythm and consistency to win.
Position of intrigue: Pitt struggled on the offensive line last season for a variety of reasons, including injuries that hindered the overall cohesion of the group. The Panthers put an emphasis on this position group in the portal, particularly offensive tackle, signing transfers Jeff Persi (Michigan) and Kendall Stanley (Charlotte). Stanley played 706 offensive snaps, all at right tackle, this past season, while the 6-foot-8, 310-pound Persi brings an imposing presence — though he has spent the majority of his career as a backup.
Player to watch: Pitt does a terrific job developing defensive backs, and safety Cruce Brookins could be next in line. With All-ACC safety Donovan McMillon gone to the NFL, Brookins has drawn praise for his striking ability and ball skills (two interceptions in reserve duty last season, including one against West Virginia). — Adelson
Game time: Saturday, 1 p.m.
2024 record: 7-6
Spring storyline: There’s a reason the coaches voted Clark Lea SEC Coach of the Year last season. He led the Commodores to their best season in more than a decade, took them to their first bowl game since 2018 and beat No. 1 Alabama for the first time since 1984, all this coming off a 2-10 season in 2023. The challenge now is building off such a solid season, creating more depth on the roster and continuing to develop players, which has been Lea’s strength. Some of the best news is that most of the key players are back, and there should be good carryover with Lea calling defensive plays for the second straight year.
Position of intrigue: With Diego Pavia back at quarterback, he’ll also have his favorite receiving target back. Eli Stowers, an All-SEC selection at tight end a year ago and the Commodores’ top receiver, bypassed the NFL draft to return for another season in Nashville. Stowers will need some pass-catching help on the outside from receivers. It’s a big opportunity for Junior Sherrill to have a breakthrough season, while Trent Hudson reunites with Pavia after spending last season at Mississippi State. Hudson and Pavia played together at New Mexico State in 2023, and Hudson had 10 touchdowns.
Player to watch: Who else but Pavia, who sparked Vanderbilt’s revival last season and electrified the SEC with his fearless play at quarterback. He gets another shot at SEC defenses after passing for 2,293 yards and rushing for 801 yards last season. Pavia, who’s seemingly never out of a play, accounted for 28 touchdowns (20 passing and eight rushing). — Chris Low
Game time: Saturday, 2 p.m.
2024 record: 11-3
Spring storyline: The Vols have knocked down several barriers under Josh Heupel. They’ve beaten Alabama twice and Florida twice in the past three seasons and made their first playoff appearance a year ago. The defense was the backbone of Tennessee’s run to the playoff, and several key pieces from that unit are gone and need to be replaced. Keeping defensive coordinator Tim Banks was a priority for Heupel. One of the big challenges for the Vols in Year 5 under Heupel will be playing better on the road, particularly in night games in hostile environments.
Position of intrigue: The young talent in Tennessee’s secondary is promising, and keeping safety Boo Carter from transferring was important. Carter may also play some offense in 2025. But at cornerback, it could be dicey. Jermod McCoy had an All-SEC season in 2024 after transferring from Oregon State. He tore his ACL in January, though, and is working toward getting back in time for the start of the season. Reports surfaced that the Vols’ other starting cornerback, Rickey Gibson III, was planning to enter the transfer portal, but he has changed his mind. His return would help the Vols’ situation in the secondary.
Player to watch: Nico Iamaleava has been the most closely watched player at Tennessee since his first season in 2023 when he arrived with a reported $8 million NIL deal. Now in his third season on campus and second as starting quarterback, Iamaleava would seem poised to have a breakout year. He was solid a year ago in leading the Vols to the playoff. He needs to provide more firepower in the downfield passing game if they’re going to get back to the playoff in 2025. — Low
Game time: Saturday, 3 p.m.
2024 record: 10-3
Spring storyline: Fran Brown surprised and impressed in Year 1, leading Syracuse to its first 10-win season since 2018, including a regular-season finale victory over Miami that kept the Hurricanes out of the ACC title game. But this will be a very different team on offense this spring with Kyle McCord, LeQuint Allen and Oronde Gadsden all gone to the NFL draft. Indeed, the biggest questions this spring surround how the Orange are going to replace all that production.
Position of intrigue: Replacing McCord is at the top of the list. Syracuse signed transfer Rickie Collins from LSU and Brown said earlier this week he has emerged as the starter to begin the season. The Orange also return backup Michael Johnson Jr. and redshirt freshman Jakhari Williams, and signed two freshman quarterbacks in Luke Carney and Rich Belin. Though the room is missing the veteran presence McCord brought last season, offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon said he is pleased with the depth he has among his QBs.
Player to watch: Syracuse was not nearly as aggressive in the transfer portal as it was a year ago, but landing defensive lineman Chris Thomas Jr. from Marshall should help shore up a run defense that was inconsistent for most of last season. — Adelson
Game time: Saturday, 3 p.m.
2024 record: 6-7
Spring storyline: Last season was supposed to be a breakout year for Virginia Tech. Instead, the Hokies struggled to a 6-7 record, lost 24 players to the transfer portal and saw some of their best players move on to the NFL draft. Though the Hokies bring back veteran quarterback Kyron Drones, there will a lot of changes, not only from a personnel perspective but among its coaching staff, with new offensive (Philip Montgomery) and defensive coordinators (Sam Siefkes).
Position of intrigue: The Hokies have holes to fill across the board, given the roster turnover. But let’s stick with offense and look at the running back room, where leading rusher Bhayshul Tuten is off to the NFL and backup Malachi Thomas transferred. Virginia Tech signed three transfer backs: Terion Stewart (Bowling Green), Braydon Bennett (Coastal Carolina) and Marcellous Hawkins (Central Missouri State) to fill the void.
Player to watch: Wide receiver Donavon Greene, a Wake Forest transfer, brings much needed experience and a veteran presence to the young, unproven Virginia Tech receiver group. Greene has been limited by injuries over the past few seasons, so staying healthy is imperative. — Adelson
Game time: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
2024 record: 10-3
Spring storyline: Can the defense get turned around? Miami parted ways with Lance Guidry after the D let the Canes down in 2024, and new coordinator Corey Hetherman is taking over with sights set on a far more dominant unit. Getting star defensive lineman Rueben Bain healthy will be a big first step, but figuring out a game plan for a beleaguered secondary will be even more significant.
Position of intrigue: Did we mention the secondary? Yes, breakout freshman OJ Frederique Jr. returns, but most of the rest of the DB room gets a fresh start with transfers Ethan O’Connor (Washington State), Charles Brantley (Michigan State), Zechariah Poyser (Jacksonville State) and Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin) arriving with ample hype, alongside blue-chip freshman Bryce Fitzgerald, among others. Miami’s DBs were a mess down the stretch last season — in part due to talent, in part due to injuries — so this spring is about breaking in the new faces and developing some depth at key spots.
Player to watch: New quarterback Carson Beck, transferring in from Georgia, would be the natural choice, but he is rehabbing from an elbow injury and hasn’t thrown this spring. Instead, we’ll look to Bain, who as a true freshman in 2023 was a force of nature on Miami’s D-line, racking up 7.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss and 3 forced fumbles. Injuries set him back from the outset in 2024, however, and his production regressed significantly. Bain had just 5.5 TFL last season and missed four games entirely. Bain appears healthy this spring, however, and if he can return to form this fall, he could be a key piece in revitalizing the Canes’ defense. — Hale
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Eli Lederman
Four-star edge rusher Rodney Dunham, ESPN’s No. 6 defensive end in the 2026 cycle, announced his commitment to Notre Dame on Thursday, landing with the Fighting Irish as the top-ranked prospect in coach Marcus Freeman’s incoming recruiting class.
A 6-foot-4, 220-pound recruit from Charlotte, North Carolina, Dunham is the No. 57 overall prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300. He picked Notre Dame over South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Duke following visits to all five schools in 2025. Dunham joins offensive tackle Tyler Merrill (No. 67 overall) and outside linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. (No. 146) as the Fighting Irish’s third top-150 commit and the program’s sixth ESPN pledge in the cycle.
Alongside two local programs (Duke and South Carolina) and a pair of nearby SEC powers (Georgia and Tennessee), Notre Dame stood as a regional outlier among Dunham’s finalists before surging in the late stages of his recruitment this spring.
Dunham told ESPN that his late March visit to see the Fighting Irish marked his first time on an airplane. That trip reinforced the school’s football tradition and academic prestige and strengthened Dunham’s connection with Notre Dame defensive line coach Al Washington. It also offered Dunham a valuable window into Freeman, the program’s fourth-year coach, through a chance encounter Dunham said ultimately helped seal his decision to commit.
“I was talking to one of the members of the staff there — someone who was serving food — and he was telling me how great of a leader [Freeman] is and how he presents himself in front of the players. That’s the type of guy you want to lead you growing up as a young adult and entering manhood. It’s not just all about football.”
Dunham projects as a high-upside, developmental prospect at the next level with speed off the line of scrimmage and standout pass-rush technique. He recorded 94 tackles (26 for loss) and 12 sacks across his sophomore and junior season at Myers Park High School in Charlotte.
An imposing pitcher with a fastball clearing 90 miles per hour, Dunham no longer plans to play baseball in college after initially considering a two-sport track earlier in his recruitment.
The defending national runner-up Fighting Irish closed the country’s 15th-ranked class in the 2025 cycle. If Dunham lands on campus in 2026, he’ll arrive to Notre Dame as the program’s highest-rated defensive signee since outside linebacker Jaylen Sneed, ESPN’s No. 48 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle.
Dunham’s pledge arrived less than a week after the Fighting Irish secured the commitment of four-star defensive end Ebenezer Ewetabe (No. 229 overall). With Davis — son of three-time NFL Pro Bowl linebacker Thomas Davis Sr. — also in the fold, Notre Dame has the early makings of a standout front-seven class in the 2026 cycle. Three-star cornerback Chaston Smith rounds out the program’s collection of four defenders committed so far in the class.
Dunham joins five-star Maryland pledge Zion Elee (No. 2 overall) and Texas A&M commit Jordan Carter (No. 59) among the earliest elite defensive ends to come off the board in 2026.
Five-star edge rusher JaReylan McCoy, a former LSU pledge, is set for a return to Florida this weekend, while fifth-ranked defensive end Nolan Wilson also remains on the Gators’ radar. Ohio State and Texas are two of the latest programs to host five-star reclass Richard Wesley, who will also take trips to Texas A&M and Tennessee over the next week. Five-star defensive end Jake Kreul visited Oklahoma on Thursday.
All told, seven of ESPN’s top 10 defensive ends in the 2026 class remain uncommitted this spring.
WASHINGTON — The Capitals wrapped up the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a 5-4 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes while celebrating new goals king Alex Ovechkin at Capital One Arena for the first time since he made history.
Ovechkin, who assisted on a goal in the win Thursday night, was treated to a pregame ceremony for scoring his 895th career goal to break Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record Sunday at the New York Islanders. The arena introduced Ovechkin before showing the crowd a video of the historic goal, and fans were able to cheer the Capitals legend for the first time at home.
Ovechkin and his family then were presented with a series of gifts, including an engraved gold stick commemorating breaking the goal record and a 6-foot sculptural painting of a puck with his image on it. The ceremony ended with a team photo before players from the Hurricanes lined up to shake Ovechkin’s hand one-by-one.
In the game that followed, Pierre-Luc Dubois scored the shootout winner after the Capitals rallied from a 2-0 deficit, then blew a 4-2 lead with Carolina’s Jordan Martinook and Seth Jarvis scoring in the third period to tie it. That came after Washington’s scoring spree in the second, with Dylan Strome, Nic Dowd and Tom Wilson all putting goals past Frederik Andersen.
Dubois also scored in regulation, while Charlie Lindgren made 31 saves and stayed in the game after a nasty collision seven minutes in on Carolina’s second goal.
The Hurricanes, who are locked into second place in the Metropolitan Division and a first-round matchup against New Jersey, managed to get to overtime but lost their fourth in a row. Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake also scored, and Andersen allowed four goals on 28 shots in regulation.
Brandon Duhaime and Jalen Chatfield dropped the gloves early to settle a score from the teams’ game last week. The Capitals were unhappy with Chatfield’s takedown of Connor McMichael at the end of their fight.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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