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It used to be that when someone made a statement, then made another statement that implied something completely different, we had a name for that. We called it a contradiction. And it wasnt considered a good thing. Not too long ago, contradictions could end political careers in this country. When Tim Murphy said publicly that he was pro-life, but then privately told a woman to kill her baby, he had to resign from Congress. Al Franken met the same fate, after he bought into the #MeToo hysteria, then fell into its crosshairs himself.

But a lots changed in the few years since Tim Murphy and Al Franken were forced out of Congress. All of a sudden, contradictions are everywhere, particularly in the political world. The only way to ensure world peace is to fund a war, foreign policy experts tell us. Were a sanctuary city or state, but we dont want any more illegal migrants, say Gavin Newsom and Eric Adams. Men can turn into women, gender studies professors shriek. Euthanasia is healthcare, the Canadian government insists. All of these statements are contradictions, but youre hearing them all the time now.

In revolutionary periods, this is nothing new. Mao even wrote an essay entitled On Contradiction a century ago. Mao understood well that contradiction drives social change. Maybe the most important contradiction that revolutionaries must embrace, Mao argued, is the relationship between construction and destruction. On their face, these two concepts are polar opposites. Tearing something down means ruining it. Building something means creating it. If you want to build something new, you lay a foundation and get to work. You dont wreck what you have. Thats how the bourgeoisie saw it.

But Mao didnt see it that way. A half-century ago, Mao famously explained, There is no construction without destruction. In other words, theres a logical relationship between the two concepts. Creating a new society one totally unlike whatever came before requires wrecking the old society. Creating new symbols requires wrecking the old symbols.

Maos teachings led to, of course, tens of millions of deaths, the destruction of historic artifacts, and mass starvation. The last thing you would ever want our political leaders in this country to do is follow his ideology and try to emulate it. But thats exactly whats happening. This weekend in Albany, the capital of New York state, we saw maybe the clearest example in recent history of both construction and destruction happening simultaneously. Under the cover of darkness, at 5:30 in the morning, the city removed a statue of Revolutionary War hero and U.S. senator Philip Schuyler. And at the very moment that workers took Schuylers statue away, the so-called progress Pride flag was waving in the background, for the first time in Albanys history. Heres what it looked like. One of the defining images of our era

City Hall removes Revolutionary War hero General Philip Schuyler

Pride flags wave in the background pic.twitter.com/0hkhl4bHL8

End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 11, 2023

Notice the multiple Pride flags flying proudly as the statue is hoisted away, including the brand-new nonbinary/BIPOC/trans flag.

Now, if that seems like a carefully engineered juxtaposition, it is. Its choreographed to deliver a very clear message. Maos disciples in the New York state government know that if they want their new flag to have any kind of legitimacy, then Philip Schulyers statue cant remain. You cant have construction without destruction. If you want a revolution, you cant introduce a new idol without erasing the one that came before. So thats exactly what the local government did, as explicitly as they possibly could have done it.

If youre not trying to engineer a revolution if youre just an average person living in New York, with reasonable political views then none of this really makes sense. What was wrong with that statue, exactly? As far as we can tell, no one ever bothered to ask a significant number of New Yorkers that question. No one ever ran a poll on this, at least not one that we could find. There was certainly no statewide referendum on whether people actually wanted Philip Schuylers statue removed.

A few bureaucrats in New York just decided to do it a few years ago, and this weekend, they cut through the red tape and did it.

A local news station did conduct a man-on-the-street-style interview with a couple of residents to get their perspective. None of them could explain why this statue was being removed, even the people who said they supported removing it couldnt explain why:

Yes, a century-old historic artifact memorializing a Revolutionary War hero was not only taken down, it was taken down at the behest of a group of teenagers. The primary reason, as we heard in the clip, is that the absence of the statue will make city hall more welcoming. But welcome for who? If the standard is that any unwelcoming statue needs to go, then why exactly cant we destroy the monument of George Floyd that sits outside city hall in Newark?

But George Floyd didnt own slaves, you might say. Thats true. All George Floyd ever did was break into a womans home with five other people and hold a gun to her chest. And then, after getting out of prison, all George Floyd did was take enough opioids and meth to kill a horse, before trying to rob a store and fighting with several police officers.

Despite all that, youre not allowed to even criticize the George Floyd statue. Youll lose your job if you do. Under the new rules, George Floyds statue is welcoming. The Revolutionary War general is unwelcoming. Understood? Probably not, but then you arent supposed to understand. Part of the point behind these arbitrary decisions is that they make no logical or moral sense. You are meant to go along with it whether you understand or not. We might ask why? but The Powers That Be will treat us like were children and theyre our impatient parents: Because I said so, they respond.

Its all so contrived. Philip Schuyler is an iconic figure of the revolutionary era. Hes one of the reasons this country exists today. Multiple towns and forts are named after him in New York. And curiously, no one had a problem with him until very recently. Ten years ago, in an article, the Albany Times Union described Schuyler this way:

Philip Schuyler was a leading American statesman and a key general in the American Revolution who served at the pivotal Battle of Saratoga. He was named a representative to the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia and an adviser to Gen. George Washington, who stayed at Schuylers mansion in Albany.

The Times Union went on to describe Schuyler as:

instrumental in the victory of the American colonists at the Battle of Saratoga in the fall of 1777, a turning point of the Revolutionary War. Residents of Albany, fearful that their city might be occupied by British soldiers, instead celebrated an unexpected victory at Saratoga. It was the first major win for the colonists and the residents of Albany rang church bells, fired cannons, roasted an ox and gathered around a large bonfire. Schuyler returned to the city of his birth as a hero.

You can read that whole article. Its still on the Times Unions website, from 2013. Theres not a single mention of slavery or slaves in the entire piece. Guess how the Times Union describes Schuyler now? Heres a recent article from the paper, from this year.

While noted as a politician and Revolutionary War hero, Schuyler enslaved over a dozen people at his Saratoga and Albany homes.

The Times Union of 2023 goes on to cite and this is not a joke a report by five high schoolers who say that Schuyler is a bad man, and his statue has to be removed. Thats the report you heard referenced in that news clip, as well.

Heres how the Times Union describes the findings of these high school students:

The report, titled, What To Do with Phil? A 2022 Report from the Young Abolitionist Leadership Institute, was created by five Albany High School students who met between October 201 and June with two adult facilitators. While the report notes Schuylers accomplishments as a Revolutionary War general and politician, his legacy is still marked by owning human beings, it says.

This is also the report that the Albany government relied on to justify removing the statue.

Facile does not begin to describe this. In the 18th century, no one had the same attitudes towards slavery that we do now even the people who opposed it. Which relatively few people did back then. Its not surprising that a bunch of dumb, arrogant kids would lack the proper historical perspective and think themselves qualified to pass moral judgments on historical figures who lived 250 years ago. But thats where adults are supposed to step in. The problem is that there arent very many adults left in this country.

Whats really going on here is that Schuyler like Jefferson, Washington, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt, and all the other historical figures whove had their monuments destroyed is a hero of a different nation. One that the city of Albany considers to be a foreign enemy. And they know they have to erase him if they want their revolution to succeed.

The Biden administration understands this as well. Look at this grotesque display currently hanging at the White House: Today, the People's House your house sends a clear message to the country and to the world.

America is a nation of pride. pic.twitter.com/ZZS9oTpDww

President Biden (@POTUS) June 11, 2023

Thats a Pride flag hanging on the White House, in between two American flags. There are similar displays all over the country, at 30 Rock and so on, but putting this flag at the White House, just like the flag at Albany City Hall, has particular implications. Most conservatives are saying that its horrific and evil for the White House to not only fly the Pride flag but to give it a place of primacy in between the two American flags. It is, of course, both of those things, but what they dont understand is that the White House is also properly representing its own nation, which is not our nation. We are two nations in one. There is the old United States that conservatives still cling to and cherish, and theres a new country with its own flag, its own traditions, its own heroes and foundational myths.

Thats the nation that the Biden regime, the media, academia, Hollywood all speak to and represent. Why do you think the city of New York took down Teddy Roosevelts statue? Liberals used to love him. He was one of the greatest presidents this country ever had. He broke up the big monopolies. He was well-read. He saved the middle class. He established national parks. He was an explorer and a pioneer. They took down Teddy Roosevelts statue in New York for a specific reason which was to replace it. Instead of Teddy Roosevelt, New York recently put up a horned statue of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Thats now happening, at scale. The nation we had before is being replaced. Its not just the demographics that are changing. The activists who are leading this revolution, like all totalitarians, understand that to take full control, they need to erase our shared history. Theyre executing their plan right in front of us, as obviously as they possibly can. While conservatives are debating the proper positioning of the American flag in relation to the Pride flag at the White House, the government is going out in the middle of the night and destroying the symbols they dont like. Theyre not asking your opinion on it. Theyre just doing it.

With that in mind, its not hard to wonder: What else will they take away before you even realize it? A lot more than statues. Soon the government may be able to kidnap your children if you dont subscribe to the cult of gender ideology. Thats an actual bill in California right now. Theyll label you a child abuser and likely put you in prison for wrong-think, so the state can raise your child. Thats the ultimate goal of this push for inclusion, which of course is fundamentally about excluding anyone with traditional views (and in particular religious views). The totalitarians running the government, like all totalitarians throughout history, are obsessed with using their power to make future generations subservient to their rule. Thats the reason theyre sponsoring Pride parades that expose children to deviant sexual fetishes. Thats the reason theyre destroying and replacing everything they can.

It took the single deadliest famine in world history to stop Mao. What will it take to stop the revolution thats taking place right now in this country? The longer this goes on the longer sane people stay quiet and watch as all this happens the more likely it is that, unfortunately, were going to find out.

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E-quipment highlight: CFMoto U6 electric side-by-side UTV [video]

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E-quipment highlight: CFMoto U6 electric side-by-side UTV [video]

This new electric side-by-side from CFMoto is a battery-powered workhorse designed to deliver all the utility and hauling capacity of a traditional side-by-side without any of the noise, emissions, or maintenance headaches of gas power.

CFMoto isn’t a household name in the US – but there really should be a “yet” at the end of that statement. Over the last few decades, the brand has evolved from selling Honda Helix clones with GY6 (?) motors to seriously capable, modern machines like this: their latest U6 EV.

The CFMoto U6 EV is both a credible and relatively affordable SxS contender in this fastest-growing powersports segment. The U6 UTV features a 300V “ternary lithium” battery (Lithium Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt, or “LiNMC“) with 15.29 kW of usable capacity, automotive-grade charging, and payload and towing specs that put it right up against more universally-known (in the US, anyway) rival brands like Can-Am or John Deere.

Power and performance


Unlike the brand’s early scooters, which (if memory serves) used somewhat generic GY6 150cc gas motors, the U6 is equipped with a proprietary powertrain that delivers 35 kW (~47 hp) and 74 Nm (~55 lb-ft) of torque at 0 rpm. More than enough to get the Chinese UTV up to speed on country roads and rugged terrain.

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That battery and motor combination is good enough to offer U6 owners more than 100 km (62 miles) of range, though that drops a bit when the SxS is loaded up with its 460 kg (1,015 lb.) payload (250 kg in the cargo tray, plus passengers), and 800 kg (1,760 lb.) towing capacity.

U6 EV interior


“Inside” the U6 EV’s cabin, drivers will have access to CFMoto’s advanced tech suite, bluetooth connectivity, even a weather and grime-resistant sound system optional.

CFMoto buyers can add a range of additional upgrades and options, as well, including doors, rear windows, windshield wipers, and an opening front windshield. If you’re pu in Wisconsin (where I’d have one, if I had one), there are even aftermarket companies offering “street legalizing kits” in states where ATVs and UTVs like this are legal to be driven on public roads.

The U6 EV is available globally, and will (allegedly) be available in the US sometime in 2026. You can check out the official CFMoto launch video, below, then let us know what you think of the U6 in the comments.

CFMoto U6 EV


SOURCE | IMAGES: CFMoto.


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Insults, expletives and squeaky ducks – the most abusive Ryder Cup in almost a century of matches

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Insults, expletives and squeaky ducks - the most abusive Ryder Cup in almost a century of matches

The Europeans broke the Ryder Cup duck. Never expecting to shake off the bizarre distraction of a squeaky duck toy.

Never imagining the Americans would make them fight so hard on the final day in New York.

What had been shaping up to be a record-breaking win instead turned into a desperate scrap to avoid throwing it all away.

So ultimately, everything the American crowd did to antagonise the visitors backfired.

A raucous crowd is the Ryder Cup‘s appeal. Why no away team has won the biennial since 2012 – until now.

But the bitterness and toxicity were off the scale at Bethpage Black. Europe overcame it to win the 45th edition of golf’s most prestigious team prize.

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Team Europe win Ryder Cup

After the putt that retained the trophy and a roar of relief, Ireland’s Shane Lowry said: “I’ve been so lucky to experience amazing things in this game.

More on 2025 Ryder Cup

“That was the hardest couple of hours of my life.”

It was tighter, tenser, and far more stressful than anyone imagined after Europe began Sunday’s singles session with a 12-5 lead.

Humiliation was avoided for the Americans after Donald Trump became their first sitting president to attend the Ryder Cup on Friday.

POTUS saw Europe start to build a commanding lead.

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President Trump arrives at Ryder Cup

Maybe that’s why the home crowd was so riled and rattled by Saturday. It wasn’t just rowdy. This became the most abusive Ryder Cup in almost a century of matches.

There is firing up the home crowd and what unfolded at the first tee – a course announcer hurling a vulgarity at Rory McIlroy.

The tone was set for spectators goading the Northern Irishman with abuse about his private life and performances.

“Guys, shut up,” he eventually told hecklers.

Europe celebrating. Pic: AP
Image:
Europe celebrating. Pic: AP

It was an understatement when he later described conditions as “really challenging”.

So by the time Day 3 began, and the foul-mouthed announcer had apologised and stepped down, maybe it was no coincidence Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” was the morning soundtrack in the grandstand.

But there was a new tactic to disturb and antagonise – the ducks given out with cherry fairway fizz drinks.

Repeatedly squeaked as Europeans took their shots, McIlroy finally complained.

The insults had crossed the line.

Pic: AP Photo/Matt Slocum
Image:
Pic: AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Read more from Sky News:
Team Europe win Ryder Cup in nail-biting finale
More victims expected following Mormon church shooting and fire

But eventually, as the hosts fought back, reeling off wins in the singles to put more red on the board, Europe made it over the line, scraping over the line with a salvage job.

“It’s been one of the hardest days I’ve ever experienced on a golf course,” said Tyrrell Hatton after drawing the penultimate match to secure the win.

“Those last five, six, seven holes were horrible.”

Instead of a record victory margin, 15-13 was the tightest since Europe won by a point at Medinah, Illinois, in 2012.

The weekend produced more drama, more discord, and disturbances in New York than imagined by Luke Donald, the first captain since fellow Englishman Tony Jacklin to win back-to-back editions since the 1980s.

“It’s got to be the most stressful 12 hours of my life,” he said. “We knew they’d be tough, we didn’t think they’d be this tough.”

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Oregon in OT? Virginia’s stunner? Bama’s redemption? Ranking the 25 best games of Week 5

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Oregon in OT? Virginia's stunner? Bama's redemption? Ranking the 25 best games of Week 5

Oregon and Penn State went to overtime. Alabama and Georgia nearly did. Tennessee went to overtime for a second time in three weeks. Illinois watched a two-score lead vanish against unbeaten USC and then won anyway. Georgia Tech pulled off a magic act to avoid an upset in Wake Forest.

What looked to be a great Friday night was one of the best Friday nights in memory, with Virginia pulling off a stirring overtime upset of Florida State, Arizona State unearthing some more close-game magic and Houston coming back to win in overtime in Corvallis. Indiana survived Iowa City. Cincinnati and Kansas put on a Big 12 track meet. Central Washington scored 91 points!

There aren’t many things in the world better than a huge college football Saturday that lives up to its hype. We had been looking forward to Week 5 since the preseason, and it delivered. So instead of compiling a “My Favorite Games of the Week” list at the bottom of this week’s recap column, we’re going to build the whole column out of My Favorite Games!

With Florida State facing its first road test of the season and TCU and Arizona State facing off in a key Big 12 battle, Friday night looked like it was going to be awesome. It was more than that. Arizona State and TCU went down to the wire, Houston-Oregon State was surprisingly awesome, and the game between YAC kings in Charlottesville exceeded all expectations.

Thanks in part to an early fumble from FSU’s Gavin Sawchuk and an acrobatic red zone interception from UVA’s Ja’son Prevard, Virginia led 14-0 early in the second quarter. When FSU scored on three straight drives, however, this game looked as if it would belong to the “Underdog lands some shots early, then fades” category. We see a lot of those games.

Virginia just kept responding, however. J’Mari Taylor tied the game at 21-21 before halftime, Chandler Morris scored his second rushing touchdown, and Morris threw a go-ahead TD to Xavier Brown with 7:20 left. FSU sent the game to overtime with a fourth-and-goal touchdown pass from Tommy Castellanos to Randy Pittman Jr. with 36 seconds left; I was surprised FSU didn’t go for two points and the win, but perhaps coach Mike Norvell simply trusted that his offense was more likely to keep scoring. Nope! The Seminoles didn’t net a single first down in two overtime possessions. First, both teams settled for field goals. Then Morris scored again and hit Trell Harris for the 2-point conversion. Prevard picked off Castellanos’ desperation heave, and one of the most rapid field-stormings you’ll ever see followed.

play

0:49

Fans rush the field after UVA upsets No. 8 FSU

Florida State is unable to convert on fourth down in double overtime against Virginia, and fans storm the field.

I’m not going to lie: That was both exhilarating and terrifying to watch. But it had been quite a while since Cavaliers fans got to celebrate such a win — their last home victory over a top-10 team was in 2005. That win was also against Florida State. And in a fun nod to history, the Cavaliers had also scored one of the great weeknight upsets of all time in 1995 against, yes, Florida State again. Thirty years later, they did it again.

The win was big because every fan base deserves moments like this. It was also big because it upended the ACC title race a bit. We head into October with Miami at the top of the pecking order, but lots of teams pretty close behind.

Current ACC title odds, per SP+
1. Miami 24.2%
2. Louisville 20.4%
3. Georgia Tech 10.3%
4. Virginia 10.2%
5. Duke 9.6%
6. Florida State 6.7%
7. SMU 5.1%

The winner of this coming Saturday’s Virginia-Louisville game is going to be awfully well-positioned to nab one of the slots in the ACC championship game. (Of course, knowing this conference’s history, we’ve got 26 more plot twists to go between now and then.)


There were six Big Ten games Saturday, and only one was decided before the final two minutes. I felt smart for suggesting in Friday’s preview that Washington might make Ohio State sweat for a while, but the Huskies’ challenge lasted only about 29 minutes in a 24-6 loss. Otherwise, however, every game was dynamite.

That included the night’s big headliner in Happy Valley, though it certainly took its time reaching a boil. In fact early in the fourth quarter it looked as if this would end up a blowout. After 47:35, Oregon led 17-3, having outgained Penn State by a 352-109 margin. (Yards per play to that point: 5.9 to 2.9.)

Out of nowhere, however, Drew Allar led two pristine touchdown drives, one quick and one languid; a lovely touchdown lob to Devonte Ross made it 17-10 Ducks, and a gorgeously designed pitch to Ross tied the game with 30 seconds left.

Penn State needed only three plays to score in overtime, and Oregon had to gut out a response, converting a fourth-and-1 and then scoring on a cluttered shovel pass up the middle to Jamari Johnson. Penn State still looked like the steadier team heading into the second OT, but two plays later, the game was over. Dante Moore connected with Gary Bryant Jr. for a 25-yard score, and Dillon Thieneman appeared out of nowhere to pick off an Allar sideline pass. That was that.

Oregon is the real deal. The Ducks are No. 1 in SP+ and are getting what they need out of virtually every new and former transfer they’ve had to call upon, from Moore and Bryant, to much of the offensive line, to guys such as Thieneman on defense. And their two best offensive players Saturday night might have been freshmen: running back Dierre Hill Jr. (94 yards from scrimmage) and receiver Dakorien Moore (seven catches for 89 yards). Dante Moore aced the biggest test of his collegiate career, and led by head coach Dan Lanning, who seems to adore coaching in games such as this, the Ducks have won 19 of their past 20 games.

The narrative following this one, of course, focused mostly on the losing team. I tend to hate narratives; they’re almost always lazy and oversimplified, and one of the major reasons I’ve pursued analytics as much as I have over my writing career is that I like shutting narratives down. That goes especially for the “can’t win the big one” trope. Tom Osborne couldn’t win the big one, nor could Bobby Bowden or Mack Brown. They couldn’t, and then they did. James Franklin wears the biggest, brightest “Can’t win the big one!” sign in the sport at the moment, and guess what: Of the 136 programs in FBS, at least 125 of them would trade places with Franklin’s Penn State in a heartbeat. Franklin has been undeniably awesome at his job for quite a while. Almost no team in the sport has proven to be more upset-proof. That the Nittany Lions lose only to awesome teams — and often by small margins — is a sign that they’re an awesome team.

However …

Many of Penn State’s recent losses to awesome teams have followed a very familiar script full of droughts, a lack of offensive ambition and a complete lack of faith in the quarterback. Andy Kotelnicki’s fourth-quarter playcalling was almost note-perfect — he has proven his playcalling chops for quite a while now — but it came after two straight quarters of ineffective nibbling. In last year’s CFP semifinal loss to Notre Dame, Penn State scored one TD in its first six drives, then carved down the field beautifully for two late touchdowns. In last year’s Big Ten championship game, the Nittany Lions scored one TD in their first four drives and fell behind 28-10 before finding a rhythm and surging back (only to fall short).

It’s great to hold something in reserve for when you need it, and that’s a clear part of the Penn State approach in big games. But it’s producing awfully similar results, and it’s impossible not to notice that in his seven losses as a starter, Allar has averaged just 171 passing yards per game with a 50% completion rate and a 61.1 Total QBR. (It’s also not hard to notice that in the past two games in which he had a chance to win the game on Penn State’s final drive, he threw almost immediate interceptions.)

If someone says someone “can’t win the big one,” my natural instinct is to roll my eyes and assume the tables will turn pretty soon. But it’s hard to maintain that faith, in either Allar or Penn State, at the moment, not when it feels as if we’re watching reruns.


I feel like the Big 12 should sue the SEC for copyright infringement. An utterly nutty conference title race, loaded with close games and unexpected plot twists, is supposed to be the Big 12’s domain. But with Texas Tech’s early 2025 star turn and high-quality, unbeaten starts for Iowa State and BYU, the Big 12 race is looking pretty straight forward at the moment. Following these two huge Saturday games, however, the SEC’s title race leaves September in a place of glorious disarray.

SEC title odds, per SP+
Ole Miss 16.3%
Missouri 12.9%
Oklahoma 11.1%
Alabama 11.1%
Vanderbilt 9.7%
Texas 8.5%
Tennessee 7.2%
Texas A&M 6.2%
Georgia 5.2%
LSU 5.2%

To put that another way, the six above teams that have won a national title in the past 25 years (Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia and LSU) have a combined 48.3% chance of winning the SEC. The other four teams above — which have combined for a single outright conference title in the past 50 years (Texas A&M’s 1998 Big 12 crown) — are at 45.1%.

(Other teams have tiny chances that bring the total to 100%. And no, Oklahoma’s odds aren’t affected by quarterback John Mateer‘s recent hand injury.)

We basically have a 50-50 shot at a team enjoying its first conference title in a very long time.

Brilliant early play from Missouri and Vanderbilt has certainly juiced these odds in their favor a bit, and after last year’s No. 2 finish in SP+, we shouldn’t be all that surprised Ole Miss has a puncher’s shot at a conference crown. But I literally laughed out loud when I saw the list above. The SEC is in an incredibly strange place at the moment, and I’m here for it.

Saturday’s Alabama and Ole Miss wins certainly added to the chaotic vibe, and both came down to clutch late-down conversions. First, Ole Miss outgained LSU by a 480-254 margin and led by 10 at the half and 11 early in the fourth quarter. But the Rebels settled for a field goal in the first quarter and lost a fumble in the end zone in the second, allowing LSU to hang around, and Harlem Berry‘s touchdown with 5:04 left brought the Tigers within five points. When Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss foolishly allowed himself to get pushed out of bounds on a third-down rush, stopping the clock with 1:47 left and bringing up a fourth down, it wasn’t hard to see the Tigers stealing this one. But Chambliss found Dae’Quan Wright for a picture-perfect 20-yard gain on fourth-and-3, and Ole Miss kneeled out the win.

On Saturday evening in Athens, Alabama did what it did early against Georgia last season but changed the script for how things played out late. The Crimson Tide scored on four of their five first-half possessions, racking up 262 yards and a 24-14 halftime lead. Ty Simpson was 11-for-16 for 132 yards, Bama was 5-for-8 on third downs (Georgia was 0-for-3), and everything was working.

And then, in the second half, a rock fight broke out. Bama almost seemed Penn State-esque, going ultra-conservative and saving any actually good offensive plays for when Georgia finally took the lead. Only, it never happened. The Dawgs got to within three points on the first drive of the third quarter, but they punted twice and failed on a fourth-and-1 from the Bama 8 with 13:20 left in the fourth quarter when LT Overton and Deontae Lawson stormed the backfield on a hurry-up snap and knocked Cash Jones off-balance for a 3-yard loss. Georgia never got another shot. Thanks to a 7-yard pass from Simpson to Jam Miller on third-and-5 with 1:51 left, Bama was also able to kneel out the win.

By the way, if you’re a fan of the transitive property, I do have to point out that Old Dominion beat Virginia Tech, which beat NC State, which beat Virginia, which beat Florida State, which beat Alabama, which beat Georgia. ODU for the CFP???


Tennessee let a potential upset of Georgia slip through its fingers two weeks ago and is still looking ahead at a schedule that includes trips to Alabama and Florida and visits from Oklahoma and surging Vanderbilt. This was not the time to suffer an upset against an upstart — we know from Ole Miss’ and Alabama’s 2024 experiences that untimely upset losses will doom you awfully quickly — but Mississippi State sure looked like it was going to finish the job early Saturday evening. Despite two defensive touchdowns for the Vols (and a yards-per-play advantage of 6.5 to 4.4 for UT), MSU took the lead on four separate occasions and held a 34-27 advantage midway through the fourth quarter with Tennessee forcing a fourth-and-4. But Joey Aguilar found star receiver Chris Brazzell II for a first down, and Aguilar took in a touchdown on the first play after the two-minute timeout.

Tennessee’s DeSean Bishop scored on the first play of overtime, then Arion Carter broke up a fourth-down pass from Blake Shapen to Anthony Evans III.

If the loose playoff goal for an SEC team is to reach 10-2, this comeback saved Tennessee’s bacon. The Vols still have a 40% chance of reaching 10-2 or better. That number would have been about 10% with a loss here.


Arizona State has won nine straight Big 12 games going back to last season, and four of them were decided by five or fewer points. The last two were decided by 27-24 scores.

This Friday night result seemed rather unlikely. TCU, unbeaten and confident, dominated on the way to a 17-0 lead late in the first half, and after the Sun Devils charged back to tie, Josh Hoover‘s 1-yard touchdown gave the Horned Frogs another lead that they held with two minutes left. But a pair of defensive penalties and a fourth-and-goal touchdown pass from Sam Leavitt to Jordyn Tyson tied the game. And then Prince Dorbah made maybe the best play of the entire weekend.

Dorbah’s strip sack set up a go-ahead field goal for Jesus Gomez, and Martell Hughes‘ interception 25 seconds later clinched the win.


It was fair to assume that, with such an experienced squad, Illinois was going to respond with physicality and quality after last week’s humiliating loss to Indiana. The Illini ended up needing an extra reserve of resilience too.

They led 31-17 with 10 minutes left, but two Makai Lemon touchdowns (and a 2-point conversion from Lemon), combined with an Illinois fumble deep in Trojan territory, gave USC a sudden 32-31 lead with 1:55 remaining. With help from a pass interference penalty, though, Illinois was able to drive to the USC 24 in the closing seconds, and David Olano‘s 41-yard field goal saved the day.


After jumping out to a 14-0 lead against NC State but falling 34-24, Wake Forest came even closer to an upset Saturday. The Demon Deacons led 20-3 early in the second half and had a chance to close out a 23-20 upset with less than two minutes left. But Robby Ashford, thinking Tech had jumped offside on a third-and-5 and he had a free play, threw an incomplete deep ball, stopping the clock. No flag was thrown — the Tech defender was in the process of jumping back behind the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped and came awfully close — and Wake was forced to punt. With the extra seconds, Tech drove for a field goal and picked off a 2-point pass in overtime to somehow keep its unbeaten record intact.


In a game neither team led by more than 7 points, Central Connecticut looked to have forced overtime with a short Michael Trovarelli touchdown with 58 seconds left. But unfortunately for the Blue Devils, they, um, forgot to cover Ky’Dric Fisher.


I can’t really say Kansas did a ton wrong here — the Jayhawks got a huge day from Jalon Daniels (445 passing yards and four TDs) and Emmanuel Henderson (214 receiving yards and two of those scores) and basically split third downs with the Bearcats and committed far fewer penalties. But Cincy’s Brendan Sorsby completed passes to nine different receivers and threw two touchdown passes to Cyrus Allen.

When Levi Wentz gave KU its first lead in nearly 55 minutes with a short touchdown reception with 1:45 left, the Jayhawks left too much time on the clock. Sorsby completed a fourth-and-10 pass to Noah Jennings, and Tawee Walker plunged in with the game-winning points with 29 seconds on the clock.


The longer the road trip, the better the Cal result. The Golden Bears beat Auburn, Wake Forest and Pitt on the road last season, and despite a dreadful start in Chestnut Hill — Boston College led 14-0 after just eight minutes — they produced a win in their longest ACC road trip yet. Kendrick Raphael gave Cal its first lead with 13:47 left, but Turbo Richard‘s 71-yard turbo boost made it 24-21 BC. After a fourth-down pass interference call bought Cal time, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele hit Mason Mini down the left sideline for a 51-yard score.

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Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele throws 51-yard touchdown pass pass to Mason Mini

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele throws 51-yard touchdown pass pass to Mason Mini

BC drove the length of the field, but Luke Ferrelli stepped in front of a Dylan Lonergan pass and the Golden Bears prevailed.


Oregon State can’t catch a break. After watching a late lead against Fresno State disappear earlier in the season, the winless Beavers played their best game of the season and led 24-10 with six minutes left. But Conner Weigman threw touchdown passes to Stephon Johnson and Tanner Koziol, and when a late Maalik Murphy-to-Trent Walker completion set up a shot at a game-winning field goal for OSU, basically the entire Cougar lineup broke into the backfield to block it.

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Houston blocks Oregon State’s winning FG attempt to force OT

Multiple Houston defenders break through to block Cameron Smith’s winning field goal attempt for Oregon State.

It was Houston’s second blocked field goal of the night, and it made the ending feel preordained. In overtime, Brandon Mack and Zelmar Vedder stuffed OSU’s Cornell Hatcher Jr. on fourth-and-1, then Ethan Sanchez nailed the 24-yarder to keep Houston unbeaten.


Indiana passed yet another test, taking on upset-minded Iowa in Iowa City and misfiring for much of the middle of the game. Trailing 13-10 with less than 10 minutes left, the Hoosiers got a 44-yard field goal from Nico Radicic and a 49-yard catch-and-go from Elijah Sarratt to take the lead. This being an Iowa game, a late safety was legally required, but Indiana held on.


Last week, San Diego trailed Princeton 35-14 in the second quarter before storming back to win, 42-35. The Toreros decided the only way to follow that up was to spot St. Thomas a 27-10 lead midway through the third quarter. After a 54-yard touchdown pass from Dom Nankil to Cole Monarch cut the Tommies’ lead to 27-24, two fourth-quarter field goals from Emiliano Salazar — including a 25-yarder with two seconds left — sealed another wild comeback.


15. Div. II: No. 8 California (Pa.) 45, No. 4 Slippery Rock 38

As with FBS, Division II’s biggest game of the week went down to the wire. In front of 7,670 in Slippery Rock, Cal scored five touchdowns in 13 minutes to take a shocking 35-14 lead, but the Rock slowly reeled the Vulcans in. Kevin Roberts’ early-fourth-quarter field goal gave Slippery Rock a 38-35 lead, but Cal quickly retied the game, then took the win with Kendrick Agenor’s 14-yard touchdown run with 60 seconds left.


It was almost overshadowed by the two other wild Saturday afternoon SEC games, but A&M almost let one slip through its grasp.

The Aggies erased the Auburn defense and outgained the Tigers, 414-177, but their last six scoring chances resulted in five field goal attempts (two missed) and an interception that Xavier Atkins returned 73 yards to set up a short score. Somehow Auburn got the ball with a chance to win at the end, but poor Jackson Arnold got crushed by Dayon Hayes on fourth down — A&M’s fifth sack of the day and the 15th time Arnold has been sacked in two weeks — and the Aggies survived.


San José State did almost everything right. The Spartans methodically built a 12-point fourth-quarter lead as their in-game win probability crept over 90%. But the Cardinal drove 80 yards in the final three minutes, thanks in part to a 34-yard Caden High reception on fourth-and-10, and Sedrick Irvin‘s short touchdown gave them the lead with 19 seconds left. SJSU nearly drove into field goal range, but Leland Smith couldn’t hold onto a pass over the middle, and the Spartans came up short.


18. Div. III: Alma 29, No. 15 Hope 26

19. Div. III: Maryville 34, Pikeville 30

Big week for Scots! Both the Alma Scots and Maryville Scots came up with late heroics. In front of 3,206 in Holland, Michigan, Alma took down no-longer-unbeaten Hope by bolting to an early 14-0 lead and holding on for dear life. Hope tied the game with 22 seconds left in regulation but had to settle for a field goal in the first overtime. Facing fourth-and-goal from the 2, Alma went for the win and got it thanks to a touchdown pass from Carter St. John to Miles Haggart.

About 600 miles south in Maryville, Tennessee, Maryville looked as if it would cruise over NAIA’s Pikeville in front of 5,576. The Scots led 27-10 late in the first half, but a 20-0 run put the visitors on top. No worries! Maryville drove 86 yards in 44 seconds, and Bryson Rollins found Jalen McCullough with 35 seconds left to save the day.


For the second straight week, Rutgers enticed a rock-fight connoisseur into a track meet of sorts — Iowa last week, Minnesota this week — but couldn’t actually win it. A 4-yard Drake Lindsay-to-Javon Tracy touchdown gave the Gophers the lead with 3:19 left, but Rutgers worked the ball into field goal range until a devastating, 15-yard Rushawn Lawrence sack of Athan Kaliakmanis forced Dane Pizzaro to attempt a 56-yarder. He missed.


Hell yeah, Hokies. After starting 2025 so dismally that head coach Brent Pry was fired after just three games, Tech has won two straight. Terion Stewart enjoyed a breakout performance with 174 rushing yards, Kyron Drones threw two touchdown passes and Christian Ellis broke up a fourth-and-1 pass with 42 seconds left to clinch the win.


22. NAIA: No. 15 Dordt 21, No. 14 Northwestern (Iowa) 20

Dordt entered Week 5 as NAIA’s No. 1 team, per SP+, and the Defenders rallied to score a big road win over the 2022 national champs. After trailing 17-0 late in the second quarter, they took their first lead with just 13 seconds left, when Connor Dodd capped a 93-yard drive with a 4-yard TD catch.


This was easily UCLA’s best chance at avoiding a winless 2025 season, but as with their loss to UNLV, they spotted their hosts a big early lead and couldn’t quite catch up. They cut a 17-0 deficit to 17-14 with six minutes left, but two last-ditch drives went nowhere.


Pitt made this one as messy and chaotic as Pat Narduzzi could have hoped and bolted to a 17-0 first-quarter lead, but the Panthers couldn’t hold on. Louisville remained unbeaten by pitching a second-half shutout; the Cardinals took their first lead with 7:03 remaining, and their third interception of the day, with four seconds left, closed things out.


25. Div. II: No. 17 Central Washington 91, Western New Mexico 31

I had to end this list with one of the most confounding box scores I’ve ever seen.

Total yards: CWU 499, WNMU 468
First downs: WNMU 24, CWU 20
Red zone trips: CWU 6, WNMU 4
Touchdowns: CWU 13, WNMU 4

What??

CWU played an almost perfect first quarter, gaining 253 yards in 14 snaps and going up 35-0. The Wildcats then proceeded to score touchdowns on a kickoff return, another kickoff return two minutes later and a third-quarter pick-six. And because of turnovers and special teams, they had touchdown drives of 5, 40, 44 and 47 yards. And they managed to score nearly 100 points with less than 500 yards. College football is only ever allowed to make so much sense.


Who won the Heisman this week?

I am once again awarding the Heisman every single week of the season and doling out weekly points, F1-style (in this case, 10 points for first place, 9 for second, and so on). How will this Heisman race play out, and how different will the result be from the actual Heisman voting?

Here is this week’s Heisman top 10:

1. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (26-for-34 passing for 321 yards, 5 TDs and an INT, plus 83 non-sack rushing yards and a touchdown against Utah State).

2. Luke Altmyer, Illinois (20-for-26 passing for 328 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 36 non-sack rushing yards and a touchdown against USC).

3. CJ Carr, Notre Dame (22-for-30 passing for 354 yards and 4 touchdowns against Arkansas).

4. Dante Moore, Oregon (29-for-39 passing for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus 35 non-sack rushing yards against Penn State).

5. Ty Simpson, Alabama (24-for-38 passing for 276 yards and a touchdown, plus a rushing touchdown against Georgia).

6. Prince Dorbah, Arizona State (4 tackles, 4 TFLs, 3 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against TCU).

7. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss (23-for-39 passing for 314 yards, a TD and an INT, plus 71 non-sack rushing yards against LSU).

8. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati (29-for-43 passing for 388 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 63 non-sack rushing yards against Kansas).

9. Jalon Daniels, Kansas (19-for-28 passing for 445 yards and 4 touchdowns, plus 58 non-sack rushing yards against Cincinnati).

10. Xavier Atkins, Auburn (10 tackles, 2 TFLs, a sack, a forced fumble and a 73-yard interception return against Texas A&M).

I wrote about awesome running backs last week, but Week 5 belonged to quarterbacks. CJ Carr enjoyed by far the best performance of his career, and the winners of the two huge night games, Bama’s Ty Simpson and Oregon’s Dante Moore, both shined. But I gave the top two spots to a couple of veteran overachievers. Luke Altmyer completed four passes of 25-plus yards, all in the second half, and produced a 97.5 Total QBR rating. Diego Pavia, meanwhile, remains Diego Pavia: absurdly efficient via run and pass. He produced 404 total yards and six touchdowns, and if he wasn’t already in the Heisman discussion, he should be now.

Honorable mention:

Micah Alejado, Hawaii (35-for-47 passing for 457 yards and 3 touchdowns against Air Force).

Raleek Brown, Arizona State (21 carries for 134 yards, plus 50 receiving yards against TCU).

Greg Desrosiers Jr., Memphis (19 carries for 204 yards and 3 touchdowns against FAU).

Caleb Hawkins, North Texas (16 carries for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 78 receiving yards and a touchdown against South Alabama).

Emmanuel Henderson, Kansas (5 catches for 214 yards and 2 touchdowns against Cincinnati).

Trent Hendrick, JMU (11 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and a pass breakup against Georgia Southern).

Sawyer Robertson, Baylor (24-for-35 passing for 393 yards and 4 touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown against Oklahoma State)

Nate Sheppard, Duke (15 carries for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 33 receiving yards against Syracuse).

Liam Szarka, Air Force (10-for-12 passing for 278 yards, 3 TDs and an INT, plus 152 non-sack rushing yards against Hawaii).

Through five weeks, here are your points leaders:

1. Ty Simpson, Alabama (21 points)

2T. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss (15 points)

2T. Taylen Green, Arkansas (15 points)

4. Jayden Maiava, USC (12 points)

5T. Jonah Coleman, Washington (10 points)

5T. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (10 points)

5T. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (10 points)

5T. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor (10 points)

9T. Luke Altmyer, Illinois (nine points)

9T. Rocco Becht, Iowa State (nine points)

9T. Gunner Stockton, Georgia (nine points)

9T. Vicari Swain, South Carolina (nine points)

9T. Demond Williams Jr., Washington (nine points)

We’re seeing the beginnings of a sync-up between the points race and the betting odds. Obviously, Taylen Green (tied for second in the points race) isn’t a serious Heisman candidate, but points leader Ty Simpson is up to No. 3 in the betting odds, and Mendoza, Pavia, Stockton and Chambliss are in the top 10 of both the points and the odds. Still, it’s incredible how little has been settled as we approach the midway point of the season.

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