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  • David Hale, ESPN Staff WriterNov 12, 2023, 02:08 AM ET

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

Michigan played its fourth game of the season without head coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh began serving his second suspension of the season after the Big Ten imposed a three-game ban for breaking sportsmanship rules against on-site scouting of opponents’ signs. And the Wolverines played, for the first time this season, against an opponent that actually seemed as if it might have a shot to win.

All of this constituted potentially seismic shifts in the Big Ten’s power structure, and yet, when the dust settled on Michigan’s 24-15 win, we were left with the same story we’ve seen all season.

Michigan won, and although the game was ostensibly close for much of the way, the Wolverines were never in real danger.

Penn State lost, and James Franklin is now 4-16 against Michigan and Ohio State in his career in Happy Valley.

Harbaugh’s future remains in doubt, but his impact was felt all the same, as Michigan’s players spent Friday on social media promising to send a message and spent Saturday on the field at Beaver Stadium emphatically punishing Penn State for perceived crimes against them levied by — well, as their beanies and T-shirts indicated, everybody.

(If you’re keeping track, it’s “Michigan vs Everybody” and “Ohio State vs. the world.” We’re not entirely sure either side wants to take on the SEC, though.)

The Wolverines were relentless on offense, running the ball again and again and again — at one point on 20 straight snaps — against an exhausted Penn State defense. They moved the ball a few yards at a time, methodically demoralizing the Nittany Lions, death by a thousand paper cuts, until Blake Corum sniffed the end zone and ended the misery.

Penn State was listless on offense, ignoring, once again, any thought of a downfield passing game and leaving Drew Allar to dance around the backfield, looking off one target after another before checking down for another lost cause. If Michigan overwhelmed Penn State 3 yards at a time, the Nittany Lions demoralized their own fans by moving the ball 3 inches at a time.

Even if Michigan had all of Penn State’s signs, a CliffsNotes version of the Lions’ playbook and James Franklin’s ATM pin code, none of it would’ve been necessary.

So after a season in which Michigan’s first nine games were little more than batting practice before Saturday’s showdown with Penn State, this should feel like something significant, an official announcement that, in spite of any schedule-based skepticism, Michigan is a championship contender.

But no. The story is about Harbaugh, a story written in court filings and message board furor and breaking news alerts.

It was a story told through Sherrone Moore, working as interim coach Saturday, sobbing (and dropping a few curse words) in his postgame interview. It was, depending on your perspective, an emotional catharsis or yet another moment of Michigan victimizing itself.

It’s a story that will be shrouded in mystery, such as where Harbaugh will spend game days from now through the showdown against Ohio State. We assume he spent Saturday in his underground lair, perfecting the space laser he’s designing to blow up the moon, but really, anything is possible.

It’s a story that will be adjudicated — by the Big Ten, by fans, by media, by courts, by Connor Stalions’ vacuum company investors — with only a passing nod to due process, objective truth or reasoned context.

After all, it’s OK to discern the opponent’s signs from TV copy, or the all-22, or to call up former graduate assistants to dish on their old team, but it’s not OK to buy a ticket, sit in the stands and watch. Whether that makes sense might be a worthy question, but the only issue at hand is whether Michigan broke a rule — a literal written rule and, perhaps, the unwritten rule in which gamesmanship is OK unless it’s overly convoluted, entirely stupid and executed by a guy with a hilarious name. (Of note: Our solution is a college football “Purge Day,” in which all cheating is legal for one Saturday a year.)

How the scandal ends is, at this point, more interesting than how Michigan’s season ends, and that’s a shame.

Because J.J. McCarthy remains a Heisman Trophy candidate, but one whose success comes with an asterisk due to this scandal.

And Corum, as he announced after Saturday’s game, returned to the field to do something special, but any accomplishment will come with a “yeah, but …” from fans outside Ann Arbor.

And Michigan proved against Penn State that neither the weak schedule nor the Mr. Bean-level spying were the underpinnings of its success. But that’s the story that will be remembered from the 2023 season, no matter where things go from here.

The Wolverines can keep winning, and the scandal will likely follow them as far as they’re able to go.

Georgia states its case

There will be a moment, probably some time in late December when we’re searching for ways to start an argument with our relatives rather than watch another Hallmark movie, when someone will note that Georgia was down 14-3 at the half to South Carolina this season. Heck, they might even bring up the fact that Georgia was tied with Auburn late in the fourth quarter, too. And if they’ve had a few glasses of wine, maybe they’ll even suggest Georgia’s 30-21 win over Missouri was closer than the final score suggested.

All of that will be objectively, unassailably true, and yet it would be like judging Robert De Niro’s career by his work in “Little Fockers” and “Bad Grandpa.” Sometimes, you’re just there to cash a check.

On Saturday, Georgia wasn’t phoning anything in. This was a statement that the two-time defending champs are still the team to beat.

Carson Beck threw for 306 yards. Kendall Milton ran for two scores. Brock Bowers returned after missing a month with either an ankle or injury or possibly while battling Mothra, and hauled in three catches and a touchdown.

Georgia’s offensive line absolutely dominated Ole Miss up front.

Georgia’s defense played havoc with Jaxson Dart and the Rebels’ attack.

Short of some superhuman feats of athleticism, Ole Miss had no answers.

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Ole Miss’ Dayton Wade stretches for an unreal one-handed grab

Ole Miss QB Spencer Sanders passes to Dayton Wade, who makes an unbelievable one-handed catch in the fourth quarter.

It was, in short, the best team in the country clicking on all cylinders — ostensibly in a win over the No. 9 team in the country, but also in a message to everyone ranked ahead of Ole Miss, that the road to the national title still runs through Georgia.

After the contenders wrapped up Week 11, the committee appears poised to simply cut and paste the top third of the rankings from the past two weeks, as the favorites all prevailed once more. But if there’s a debate to be had about any meaningful positions, it might be over No. 4.

On Saturday, Florida State moved to 10-0, but it largely slogged its way past rival Miami, 27-20, in a game in which the Canes often overwhelmed FSU’s offensive line and had a chance to tie on their final drive.

Washington, too, is 10-0, and like Florida State, it endured more than earned its latest win, a 35-28 victory over Utah. Washington had endless chances to put the game away and managed to use its foot for target practice instead.

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Washington’s egregious fumble, safety highlight chaotic sequence

Washington appears to have a pick-six but celebrate too early and fumble at the 1-yard line, but make up for it on the next play with a safety against Utah.

For Florida State, Jordan Travis did just enough to survive, throwing for 265 yards and a touchdown. He relied more on his run game (Trey Benson had two scores) and the ACC’s replay booth that might still be using Windows 98.

For Washington, Michael Penix Jr. delivered just enough darts to keep the Huskies in charge, throwing for 332 yards and two touchdowns, but still needed his defense to record one final interception of Bryson Barnes to secure a win.

One was a game in which Florida State never appeared to be truly in danger, but also never seemed to find its rhythm.

The other was a game in which Washington seemed like it was always on the verge of an insurmountable lead, but kept leaving a door open for Utah.

Neither looked great. Neither looked bad. Both were essentially like dinner at Sbarro — fulfilling but regrettable.

FSU and Washington both have a case to be ranked in the top four, but for the time being at least, there’s room for just one of them.

A week ago, Washington leapfrogged Florida State in ESPN’s strength of record metric, moving into the No. 2 spot. The Huskies now have wins over ranked Arizona, Oregon and Utah, plus a solid W vs. USC.

Florida State has been a victim of an ACC that has slid into mediocrity after a strong start. Its best win, vs. LSU, remains impressive, but Clemson, Duke and Miami aren’t the power players the Noles might have anticipated.

So what is the committee to do?

It ultimately might not matter. If both teams keep winning, they’re all but certain to make the final cut. Indeed, if Georgia doesn’t land the No. 1 overall seed, there might be value in finishing fourth. But as résumés are parsed for another week of a season that’s been nearly all chalk, FSU’s is trending in one direction, and Washington’s in the other.

But it sure would be good for Florida State to win a few of these games with a bit more emphasis, to flex all its muscles and leave the committee assured there’s no smoke and mirrors here.

And it would certainly behoove Washington to get back to its September dominance rather than pulling one rabbit out of a hat after another. The narrow escapes could certainly be categorized as a tribute to the Huskies’ resolve or a case of a team playing with fire when the committee has a long history of ignoring the ashes of the Pac-12.

There remains the familiar refrain that the committee’s job ultimately gets easier as attrition takes its toll, and contenders fall by the wayside. “Just keep winning” makes for an effective mantra. But attrition has been scarce this season, and sometimes looking good is every bit as important as actually being good.

Milroe scores six

Since being benched in Week 3, Jalen Milroe has completely rewritten his — and Alabama‘s — season.

In Saturday’s dominant 49-21 win over Kentucky, Milroe threw for 234 yards, ran for 36 more and found the end zone six times — three through the air and three on the ground.

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Jalen Milroe makes Alabama history with 6-TD performance

Jalen Milroe becomes the first Alabama player to pass for three touchdowns and rush for three touchdowns in a dominant performance vs. Kentucky.

Milroe’s line over the past six weeks: 67% completions, nearly 11 yards per attempt and 21 touchdowns accounted for.

What’s been most impressive about Milroe’s evolution is how he and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees have slowly added more and more into the repertoire. The bulk of Milroe’s early success came on the deep ball (he entered Saturday with 22 completions on throws of 20 yards or more, disproving Penn State’s theory that the field is actually just 6 yards long), but he has added in more and more of the ground game in recent weeks, making life near impossible for opposing defenses.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Milroe is just the third SEC QB with back-to-back games with three rushing touchdowns in the past 20 years. The other two? Cam Newton and Jayden Daniels. Not bad company.

While Milroe has garnered the headlines for Alabama, it’s also worth noting the Tide’s defense has blossomed, too.

After hearing its share of criticism in 2022, the Crimson Tide’s D carried the team in the early going and has only gotten better since. On Saturday, the Tide pressured Kentucky QB Devin Leary on 41% of his dropbacks, according to ESPN Stats & Information, which resulted in just five completions, three sacks and an interception.

The win officially punched Alabama’s ticket to the SEC championship game, and if you’re on the playoff committee, you’re praying Nick Saban doesn’t make your life impossible by actually winning it.

Heisman Five

Part of what makes the Heisman interesting is that there’s not a true formula for how to award it. Yes, it’s ostensibly for the best player in college football, but how to define “best” is a subject of great debate. So, for this week’s Heisman Five, let’s look at five different arguments for what the Heisman actually means, and who would win the award in each case.

The best stats: LSU QB Jayden Daniels

There’s a good case to be made that Daniels is flat-out the best player in college football, period. But LSU’s three losses likely mean he’s playing to an inside straight when it comes to winning an award that recent history suggests is reserved for playoff contenders. Still, it’s impossible to argue with the results. Daniels has played six top-50 defenses this season (by SP+). His numbers against those teams: 68% completions, 21 touchdowns, three interceptions and 453 yards of offense per game.

The best player: Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

With apologies to Daniels, there’s been no player whose impact has been felt in big games more often this season than Harrison. In Saturday’s steamrolling of Michigan State Spartans, Harrison caught seven balls for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He now has multiple TD receptions in three straight games and has scored in six straight. He is clearly Ohio State’s primary weapon, and every opponent puts its best DBs on him, and yet he’s remained unstoppable.

The most valuable player: Florida State QB Jordan Travis

His numbers stand on their own merit: 64% completions, 27 touchdowns, more than 3,000 yards of offense. Perhaps more important than those, Travis has turned the ball over just twice this season. But more than anything, Travis is the beating heart of a Florida State program that has followed his lead in rising from college football’s ashes and is now 10-0.

The most clutch performer: Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.

We saw it a half-dozen more times Saturday against Utah: Every time Washington has needed a big throw, Penix has made it. His numbers largely mirror Travis and fall short of Daniels, but when it comes to the sheer number of throws that have helped decide a season, Penix is your guy. His five TD passes and 32 first down throws in the second half of one-score games put him squarely among the country’s best.

The best player on the best team: Georgia QB Carson Beck

At no point this season has it felt like Beck was actually all that impressive, and yet take a step back and look at the numbers. He’s fifth nationally in Total QBR, has thrown for more than 3,000 yards and has 21 touchdowns with just three INTs. He’s done much of that with Ladd McConkey, a man just waiting to inherit his dad’s dental practice, as his most consistent offensive weapon. Perhaps we need to give Beck a bit more credit.

Iowa scores points

The total for Iowa’s game against Rutgers closed at 27.5, a full field goal less than had previously been allowed for a game to qualify for family viewing. Indeed, Iowa has owned the top of the low total standings the way your drunkest college friend had every top score on Golden Tee.

But to credit the Hawkeyes, it wasn’t their fault this game went under.

Iowa won 22-0, topping 400 yards of offense for the first time in 32 games. Tory Taylor punted only three times, which was a low enough number to technically qualify him as a missing person for much of the game. Indeed, Saturday might have been offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz’s finest hour.

And yet, the under was still never in real jeopardy thanks to Iowa’s defense, which held Rutgers to just 127 yards and seven first downs and helped the Hawkeyes climb to 8-2 and snag a share of the Big Ten West title.

Iowa remains college football’s version of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” — so bad, it seems impossible to believe mere incompetence is responsible for its awfulness, and yet so inescapable that, eventually, it worms its way into the cultural zeitgeist … or the Big Ten title game.

Upon further review

Checking in on a number of other big games around the country on Saturday …

Bo Nix threw for 415 yards and four touchdowns which would seem pretty impressive if it hadn’t come against USC‘s defense. Nevertheless, Nix kept his Heisman hopes and Oregon‘s playoff hopes alive, dealing the Trojans their third straight loss, 36-27. USC was a 15-point underdog in this game — the biggest line featuring the Trojans as an underdog since 2011 (also against Oregon). USC pulled the upset in that game. Not so much Saturday. Either way, we look forward to Lincoln Riley being fired at an airport luggage carousel in two years. Ultimately, we’re left with one of the great what-ifs of the season: What if USC’s D-line had gone through this in reverse back in August?

Roll out the hospital bed and open up your DMs because Hugh Freeze is going bowling. It’s hardly been a stellar first season on The Plains for Freeze, but Auburn thumped Arkansas 48-10 on Saturday, securing a bowl bid and possibly putting the final nail in Sam Pittman’s coffin.

Washington State lost a showdown with Cal 42-39 in large part because of its problematic execution of the Brotherly Shove.

UCF donned its Space Game uniforms, which are made entirely out of an alien substance imported from Area 51 designed to blind predators, and mopped the floor with Oklahoma State, 45-3.

Chalk it up to an old-fashioned Oklahoma hangover, which usually involves more Wild Turkey but in this case was simply the Pokes still riding high off last week’s Bedlam win and looking utterly unprepared for UCF. Ollie Gordon‘s sleeper Heisman campaign likely came to an end as he managed just 25 yards on 12 carries, and Alan Bowman threw three picks in the loss.

How good was Missouri‘s defense in a 36-7 win over Tennessee on Saturday? Good enough for head coach Eli Drinkwitz to break out some salty language.

We assume Drinkwitz preceded this comment with, “I do declare!” and dramatically fanned his face, but his point is well taken. The Tigers held Tennessee to just 350 yards and 5-of-13 on third down. Meanwhile, Missouri’s Cody Schrader caught five passes for 116 yards and carried 35 times for 205 yards in the game, becoming the first player in SEC history to post 200 yards on the ground and 100 receiving.

Tyler Loop booted a 24-yard field goal as time expired after Noah Fifita led Arizona on an 11-play, 67-yard drive to beat Colorado 34-31. Fifita threw for two touchdowns, and Jonah Coleman ran for 179 yards on just 11 carries. Buffs coach Deion Sanders then replaced his defensive playcaller with Sean Lewis just to see what would happen.

Purdue won big over Minnesota 49-30 in a game that feels like it should have a trophy that’s, like, a silver mop or a bowl of soup or something. But apparently it’s not a rivalry game at all. Feels like a missed opportunity. Anyway, Purdue held the Gophers to just 4-of-14 on third down, despite Minnesota employing stealth technology in its uniforms (something UCF could only dream of doing).

Syracuse QB Garrett Shrader was “limited” Saturday, which meant he couldn’t throw much, but he could run and, when called upon, flip.

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Syracuse QB backflips during team’s trick play

Syracuse runs a trick play, and quarterback Garrett Shrader does a backflip as a diversion.

Indeed, Syracuse coach Dino Babers dove deep into his bag of tricks and unearthed a cavalcade of trick plays (as well as an old TV Guide and a half-eaten bologna sandwich). The Orange used Shrader as a runner (96 yards and a touchdown) and a decoy, while handing the ball frequently to LeQuint Allen, who ran for 102 yards on 28 carries, and putting tight end Dan Villari at QB, where he completed three balls for 12 yards but ran for 154 and a touchdown in the 28-13 win over Pitt.

Babers’ game plan for next week involves a ladder and a baby panda.

LSU racked up 701 yards of offense — 11.5 yards per play — in a 52-35 win over Florida. And yes, we checked: Todd Grantham was not coaching the defense for the Gators. This was all Jayden Daniels, who racked up 372 yards passing, 234 rushing and five total touchdowns, marking a signature performance in his amazing career. It was all enough to overshadow Trevor Etienne‘s three-touchdown day, and it sets up Florida with two final games against top-12 teams — Missouri and Florida State — needing to win one to make a bowl game. Florida is now 10-21 in its last 31 games against Power 5 opponents which feels like the Will Muschamp Era Part IV.

Quinn Ewers returned from either an injury or a brief European tour with his Foreigner cover band (Fauxreigner) to throw for 317 yards and a touchdown in a 29-26 win over TCU. Texas actually led 26-6 entering the fourth quarter and nearly saw the lead disintegrate in the final moments — which is also more or less what happened last week against Kansas State, too. And that came two weeks after nearly blowing a 21-0 lead against Houston, which came one week after blowing a 30-27 lead with 1:17 to play against Oklahoma. We’re not saying there’s a pattern here, but we are suggesting Steve Sarkisian reconsiders his bullpen use.

Texas A&M is going bowling after walloping Mississippi State 51-10. The Aggies were without starting QB Max Johnson, though a bit of pregame subterfuge may have been in order, too.

Mississippi State sniffed out the ruse, however, by noticing that, unlike Johnson, a suburban dad, this QB wasn’t wearing grass-stained New Balance sneakers or standing next to the groundskeepers discussing proper lawn-watering techniques. In actuality, A&M AD Ross Bjork said it was all an honest mix-up when a walk-on borrowed Johnson’s shirt for warm-ups. The walk-on was immediately offered a scholarship and a fake mustache by Michigan.

Oregon State scored roughly the equivalent of the average Stanford freshman’s SAT score Saturday, as Damien Martinez carved up the Cardinal’s defense for 146 yards and four touchdowns in the Beavers’ 62-17 win. It was Oregon State’s most points in a Pac-12 game since 2012.

Oklahoma snapped a two-game losing streak by embarrassing West Virginia 59-20 behind five touchdown passes and three TD runs from Dillon Gabriel. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Gabriel is the first player with five TD passes and three TD runs in a game since Clemson Tigers‘s Tajh Boyd did it vs. NC State in 2012, and he tied Geno Smith (2012 vs. Baylor) and B.J. Symons (2003 vs. Texas A&M) for the most TDs in a game in Big 12 history. It’s also amazing how often that Baylor-West Virginia game in 2012 comes up in trivia like this.

Grayson Loftis had a chance to ensconce himself as North Carolina‘s clear-cut second-most-hated Grayson in Duke history Saturday — no one will ever top Grayson Allen — but his final throw in double overtime sailed out the back of the end zone, allowing the Tar Heels to escape 47-45.

Loftis, making just his second career start led a nine-play TD drive, scoring with just 41 seconds left to take a three point lead, but Drake Maye responded, completing his final four passes to set up a tying field goal. Both teams traded touchdowns in overtime, but Maye’s two-point try found tight end John Copenhaver, while Loftis’ just missed.

On the plus side, Duke doesn’t have to worry about finding space in the equipment truck to lug the Victory Bell trophy all the way back to Durham.

Under-the-radar play of the week

The official scale of highlight plays goes from 0 (Mark Sanchez’s butt fumble) to 10 (Odell Beckham Jr.’s one-handed stretch), and on Saturday, Clemson‘s Tyler Brown delivered something awfully close to a perfect 10.

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Clemson’s Tyler Brown goes full OBJ on this TD catch

Check out how Tyler Brown’s one-handed touchdown catch compares with Odell Beckham Jr.’s.

The Clemson freshman did his best OBJ impression to haul in a touchdown grab from Cade Klubnik, as the Tigers pummeled Georgia Tech 42-21 in what might’ve been their most complete game of the season.

Klubnik threw for a career-high four touchdowns. Will Shipley returned from a concussion to post 107 yards and a score. And Dabo Swinney led a raid of a local QT, where he now controls the region’s supply of grab-and-go pizzas.

But no moment from Saturday’s win was bigger than Brown’s grab, which felt like both the Tigers’ top highlight of the season and a fresh reminder that, yes, this team still has some ridiculous talent. The win also ensured Clemson will be bowl eligible this season, and moves the Tigers to 2-0 since Swinney ripped into a caller on his radio show.

Of note: It’s time for James Franklin to start planting some callers to his radio show each week.

Kansas‘ offense slumps

A quick headline suggestion designed to appeal to the young demographic: Without its Bean, Kansas has no magic.

OK, we’re being told we went too young on that one. Apologies.

Down to its third QB, Kansas ran out of anything approaching offensive firepower in a 16-13 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday.

The Jayhawks entered play ranked No. 16 by the College Football Playoff committee, their best ranking in any poll since 2009, but it was short lived.

Jason Bean, who’d been playing in place of injured Jalon Daniels, was banged up at the end of the first quarter. He returned to play briefly in the second, but it was clear he couldn’t go. Cole Ballard went the rest of the way and completed just 9 of 20 throws for 124 yards and a pick.

Under-the-radar game of the week

It’s certainly understandable if your FCS focus was entirely on the twin showdowns of 0-9 Indiana State vs. 0-9 Western Illinois and winless Wofford traveling to the winless Citadel (or is it winless The Citadel?), but don’t overlook — as so many people have over the years — the action in the Ivy League.

Penn and Harvard battled to a draw in regulation, after which, according to Ivy League rules, the winner is determined by net wealth or in overtime. Given the markets were closed, the two teams went ahead and played OT, trading field goals before moving to 2-point tries (and, should it be required after five OT frames, trading “Yo Mama went to Brown” jokes).

Thankfully, Harvard opted for a dramatic “Philly Special” — or, as they call it at Harvard, “a gentleman’s bootleg” — fooling the Penn defense easier than a bunch of SEC regulators, with Cooper Barkate hitting QB Jaden Craig for the score to win it 25-23 in triple overtime.

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0:33

Harvard’s dramatic 2-point conversion defeats Penn in 3OT

Harvard’s 2-point conversion gives them a 25-23 win vs. Penn in triple overtime and at least a share of the 2023 Ivy League championship.

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36 games you need to follow during a hectic Week 13

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36 games you need to follow during a hectic Week 13

  • Bill ConnellyNov 21, 2025, 07:15 AM ET

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      Bill Connelly is a writer for ESPN. He covers college football, soccer and tennis. He has been at ESPN since 2019.

The college football season is teetering between order and chaos. On one hand, we basically have three teams guaranteed a playoff bid at this point (Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M) and another few that simply need to win games in which they’re heavily favored to wrap things up (Texas Tech, Georgia, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, maybe Alabama). That doesn’t leave many open spots.

On the other hand, those open spots have tons of semi-realistic contenders — at least 22 teams still have a puncher’s chance — and the ACC and American conference races could still be blown open again. The Big 12, Conference USA, Mountain West, MAC and SEC races are far from settled too. (And then there’s the whole “Ole Miss gearing up for a playoff bid and praying to hold on to its coach” thing.)

There is so much to keep track of Saturday, in other words. Stay caffeinated and keep the remote in your hand at all times! Here’s everything you need to follow in a hectic Week 13.

All times Eastern, all games on Saturday unless otherwise noted.

A big one in the Big Ten (West)

No. 15 USC at No. 7 Oregon (3:30 p.m., CBS)

The old-school Big Ten portion of Oregon’s Big Ten schedule is over, and now the Ducks will finish up with old friends USC and Washington. The 9-1 Ducks still have some business to handle, playoff-wise, but they’ll be favored in both games, and they should still be OK at 10-2. At 8-2 and 15th in the CFP rankings, USC obviously has to win out to have a chance.

It’s going to be elite vs. elite when the Trojans have the ball.

Key statistical rankings
Yards per play: USC offense second, Oregon defense third
Points per drive: USC offense fifth, Oregon defense ninth
Success rate*: USC offense fourth, Oregon defense 18th
Yards per successful play: Oregon defense first, USC offense 11th

(*Success rate: How frequently an offense is gaining 50% of necessary yardage on first down, 70% on second and 100% on third or fourth.)

USC’s Jayden Maiava still ranks first nationally in Total QBR, as he has for most of the season. His combination of sack avoidance and big-play passing is rare — only 9.9% of pressures on him become sacks (fifth among power-conference QBs) and he averages 14.3 yards per completion (fourth).

In Makai Lemon, Maiava has an all-around star at receiver — he has made 61% of his catches out of the slot and 35% lined up wide, and though he does a lot of damage from screens, hook routes and other short passes, he also has caught 14 of 19 passes for 517 yards and three touchdowns on balls thrown 20-plus yards downfield. He has an elite catch rate at nearly every level.

Last week, against the best defense USC has faced this season (Iowa), Lemon caught 10 passes for 153 yards. Now comes the new best defense the Trojans have faced: Oregon ranks third in defensive SP+ and second in yards allowed per dropback. The Ducks have yet to give up more than 5.3 yards per play in any game. USC has yet to average less than 5.5.

That will be a great matchup, but whether this is a great game depends on USC’s defense. At 37th in defensive SP+, it’s comfortably the best group Lincoln Riley has fielded in Los Angeles, but against the only two top-20 offenses they’ve faced, per SP+ (Illinois and Notre Dame), the Trojans gave up 34.0 points per game and 7.2 yards per play. Oregon ranks 10th in offensive SP+.

The pass defense is solid, but the Trojans rank 126th in rushing success rate allowed and 103rd in stuff rate (run stops at or behind the line). That’s pretty scary against an Oregon team that has grown hit-or-miss through the air but almost always brings it on the ground.

In the past five games, with his receiving corps struggling through injuries, Dante Moore‘s Total QBR has been under 42.0 three times and over 91.0 twice. But the Ducks are second nationally in both rushing success rate and yards per carry, and they have endless depth at running back: Four backs have rushed at least 42 times, and three (Noah Whittington, Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr.) average at least 7.0 yards per carry. Teams can make stops if they force Moore to constantly make plays on passing downs, but it’s hard to guarantee USC will ever knock the Ducks off schedule.

Current line: Ducks -9.5 | SP+ projection: Ducks by 10.6 | FPI projection: Ducks by 6.0

Can Oklahoma and BYU handle their business?

Oklahoma and BYU are in solid shape playoff-wise, but SP+ gives the Sooners only a 46% chance of winning their next two games, while the Cougars are at 52%. Now is not the time for a misstep.

No. 22 Missouri at No. 8 Oklahoma (noon, ABC)

Attack the opponent’s offensive line, punish the quarterback’s inevitable mistakes, win the turnover battle, dominate in the red zone. It’s important to have an identity and Oklahoma most certainly has one. The Sooners forced three turnovers, returned one for a touchdown, and gave up only two touchdowns in nine trips inside their 40 as they won by six at Tennessee. Then they forced three more turnovers, returned another one for a touchdown, blocked a field goal attempt and somehow beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa despite being outgained by 184 yards. In their past six games, their turnover margin is plus-8 in four wins and minus-4 in two losses.

If Missouri’s quarterback situation were a little steadier, this game would be a near toss-up. The Tigers force three-and-outs 42.6% of the time (fifth nationally), and though they can occasionally be vulnerable to big plays, OU doesn’t create many of those. They are happy to engage in field position warfare with a run game featuring Ahmad Hardy, the nation’s leading rusher, and they are the nation’s leader in net YAC.

If this were an old-school, rushing-and-punting battle, Mizzou would have a great shot, but quarterback play matters. OU’s John Mateer hasn’t been amazing since his return from a September hand injury (past five games: 63.2 Total QBR, 5.0 yards per dropback, 2-to-4 TD-to-INT ratio) but he’ll give the Sooners an advantage over either of Mizzou’s two quarterbacks: A limited Beau Pribula, who is trying to rush back after dislocating his ankle four weeks ago, or, more likely, true freshman Matt Zollers, who has produced a dismal 21.9 Total QBR in two starts.

The winner of the turnover battle probably takes this one, and with the way defensive end Taylor Wein and the Sooners’ defensive front can create havoc — they average 10.2 tackles for loss, and no one else tops 8.5 — mistakes from Mizzou’s QB of choice will probably make the difference.

Current line: OU -7.5 (down from -9.5 Sunday) | SP+ projection: OU by 5.4 | FPI projection: OU by 3.5

No. 11 BYU at Cincinnati (8 p.m., Fox)

Texas Tech, BYU and Utah are the three nastiest, most physical teams in the Big 12, and they are a combined 27-4 in 2025 — 3-3 against each other and 24-1 against everyone else. BYU responded to a loss at Tech with a 44-13 blowout of TCU; now the Cougars face a Cincinnati team that has run aground, losing to Utah (45-14) and Arizona (30-24), and falling to 37th in SP+.

Cincy quarterback Brendan Sorsby, so good for much of the season, went just 26-for-61 (43%) with two touchdowns and three picks in those losses, and not even great production from running back Tawee Walker could save either game. The Bearcats’ defense has been a hindrance for much of the season, and suddenly the offense isn’t carrying its weight.

BYU’s offense still battles inconsistency at times, but against defenses ranked 30th or worse in SP+ they’re averaging 38.8 points and 6.5 yards per play. Does Cincinnati still have enough gas in the tank to match that?

Current line: BYU -2.5 | SP+ projection: BYU by 4.2 | FPI projection: BYU by 4.4

Another week of clarity vs. chaos in the ACC

The current ACC title scenarios range from straightforward to spectacularly messy. If Georgia Tech beats Pitt on Saturday and Virginia beats Virginia Tech next week, the Yellow Jackets would almost certainly play the Cavaliers. But if Pitt beats Tech, the Panthers could clinch with an underdog win over Miami next week. SMU, meanwhile, would benefit from a Pitt win, but the Mustangs have two tricky games left (Louisville, at Cal).

Pitt at No. 16 Georgia Tech (7 p.m., ESPN)

Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel finally looked like a freshman last week against Notre Dame, going 16-for-33 with an interception and four sacks. The run game went nowhere, star Desmond Reid got hurt, and a decent defensive performance couldn’t prevent a 37-15 loss. But as Pat Narduzzi so elegantly put it last week, that game didn’t really matter. If the Panthers win their next two, they will play for the ACC title.

Georgia Tech’s defense is much, much worse than Notre Dame’s. The Yellow Jackets rank 99th in yards allowed per carry (no sacks) and 95th in yards allowed per dropback. They’re pretty good when opponents are behind schedule, but those scenarios are rare. Pitt should score a decent amount, but the Panthers still have to slow down Tech’s star quarterback Haynes King. In his past six starts, he has averaged 291 passing yards and 93 non-sack rushing yards per game — nearly a 4,000/1,200 pace.

The stakes are enormous for Tech over these next three weeks: It could win the ACC and get long-awaited revenge on rival Georgia after last season’s heartbreak, or it could suffer double heartbreak instead. No pressure.

Current line: Tech -2.5 | SP+ projection: Tech by 2.0 | FPI projection: Tech by 1.8

Louisville at SMU (noon, ESPN2)

Two weeks ago, Louisville had 42% of its snaps gain zero or fewer yards, with three sacks and loads of pressure on Miller Moss, and suffered an upset loss to Cal. Last week, the Cardinals were more efficient but produced 10 penalties, including four on offensive linemen and blocking tight ends, and fell to Clemson. Glitches up front have ruined their ACC title and CFP hopes (running back injuries haven’t helped), and now the best they can hope to do is ruin SMU’s.

Unfortunately for Louisville, SMU is good at creating offensive line glitches. The Mustangs are 25th in stuff rate and 37th in sack rate, and though they’ll give up big plays as a trade-off — and their secondary has battled a lot of injuries — Moss needs to be upright to make that happen.

Louisville’s defense will have a lot of the same advantages, at least. SMU’s offense is improving, but the Cards rank in the top 20 in yards allowed per both carry and dropback. Edge rusher Clev Lubin and slot corner Antonio Watts are outstanding disruptors and will give Louisville a chance.

Current line: SMU -2.5 | SP+ projection: SMU by 2.6 | FPI projection: SMU by 4.6

Keeping playoff hopes alive

According to general playoff odds, there’s probably about one CFP spot available, at most, for the quintet of No. 12 Utah, No. 13 Miami, No. 14 Vanderbilt, No. 15 USC and No. 18 Michigan. Besides USC, the other four are double-digit favorites this weekend, but they face unique challenges.

Kentucky at No. 14 Vanderbilt (3:30 p.m., ESPN)

Vanderbilt got a week off to rest a tiring defense that had given up 82 points in its past two games. If the Commodores can beat both Kentucky at home and Tennessee away, they’ll have solid CFP odds. With quarterback Diego Pavia playing as well as ever, they have a chance.

But this isn’t the best time to play Kentucky: Over the past three games, the 5-5 Wildcats have overachieved against SP+ projections by 24.6 points per game, enough to quickly leap from 66th to 43rd in SP+. Cutter Boley has posted at least a 78.0 Total QBR in five of his past six games, and backs Seth McGowan and Dante Dowdell have combined for 355 yards and seven touchdowns in the past two. Vanderbilt is used to track meets at this point, but the Commodores can’t afford a misstep against a hot opponent.

Current line: Vandy -9.5 | SP+ projection: Vandy by 11.3 | FPI projection: Vandy by 7.7

No. 18 Michigan at Maryland (4 p.m., BTN)

If Michigan wins its last two games, the Wolverines could give the CFP committee a giant headache. At 18th, they need some help to move into playoff positioning, but a win over top-ranked Ohio State would be an enormous boost (and might sneak them into the Big Ten championship game).

One issue: How many times have they actually looked like a playoff team this year? Twice? They were certainly impressive in the 63-3 win over Central Michigan, and manhandling Washington 24-7 in mid-October was excellent, but they’ve underachieved against projections in five of the past six games. Maryland has been outscored by an average of 38-12 in November, but it’s probably time for Michigan to start looking the part, and potentially in rainy conditions.

Current line: Michigan -13.5 | SP+ projection: Michigan by 9.4 | FPI projection: Michigan by 10.5

No. 13 Miami at Virginia Tech (noon, ESPN)

In theory, I understand the anger regarding Miami’s No. 13 CFP ranking. The Hurricanes did beat No. 9 Notre Dame in the season opener, and they have the same number of losses. Still, Notre Dame has lost only to the No. 3 and No. 13 teams while beating No. 15 USC. Miami has the win over the Irish but has lost twice to unranked teams — playing timidly late in both games — and has no other super-impressive wins on the résumé. No sympathy here.

That said, the Canes looked phenomenal last week against NC State despite rising injury issues. It was their best performance since about Week 3, and if they keep playing at that level, they could score some style points. Tech didn’t have much left to offer against Louisville or Florida State, but potentially sloppy weather might be a factor.

Current line: Miami -17.5 | SP+ projection: Miami by 23.3 | FPI projection: Miami by 16.8

Kansas State at No. 12 Utah (4 p.m., ESPN2)

Kansas State had something going for a bit, winning three of four to jump to 4-4, but after a pummeling against Texas Tech, the Wildcats needed five takeaways to survive a dismal performance against one of the worst Oklahoma State teams of our lifetimes. Their momentum has halted, and now they have to face a mean and ambitious Utah team. The Utes have beaten only one SP+ top-50 opponent, but they’re eighth in SP+ because their wins have come by an average of 48-12.

K-State’s Avery Johnson is still super elusive, and the Wildcats’ run defense is decent, but it’s hard to imagine Johnson escaping star John Henry Daley all game, and it’s hard to imagine the Wildcats knocking QB Devon Dampier and the Utah ground game off course for long.

Current line: Utah -17.5 | SP+ projection: Utah by 17.0 | FPI projection: Utah by 15.3

Which G5 favorite falls this week?

We’re down to three primary contenders for the Group of 5’s guaranteed playoff spot: 9-1 James Madison, 9-1 North Texas and 8-2 Tulane. We’ve lost a front-runner for two straight weeks, so the fact that Tulane is the new highest-ranked team might spell doom for the Green Wave, but JMU also faces a tricky home test. SP+ gives the three favorites only a 48% chance of all winning.

No. 24 Tulane at Temple (3:45 p.m., ESPNU)

What does Temple have left in the tank? K.C. Keeler’s 5-5 Owls have been a pleasant surprise and, at their best, get high-level passing from Evan Simon and solid pursuit from linebackers Damien Ordonez and Cam’Ron Stewart. But they might have peaked a month ago.

Tulane, meanwhile, remains hard to trust. The Green Wave have beaten Memphis and East Carolina but no-showed against UTSA in between. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff is as good as advertised, but the pass defense has been disastrous at times. If Temple regains its sharpness following a bye week, this could be tricky.

Current line: Tulane -7.5 | SP+ projection: Tulane by 5.6 | FPI projection: Tulane by 4.2

Washington State at James Madison (1 p.m., ESPN+)

For the third time in six weeks, Wazzu travels east of the Mississippi River — this time to play in rainy conditions at 10 a.m. PT. But the Cougs are hot, having risen from 111th in SP+ in September to 69th, and they’ve given up only 11.5 points per game in a six-game stretch that included trips to Virginia and Ole Miss.

We’ll see if JMU is just too hot for that to matter. Led by defensive ends Sahir West and Aiden Gobaira, the Dukes are eighth nationally in points allowed per drive, and after a bumpy midseason stretch, the offense has averaged 52 points over its past four games.

Current line: JMU -13.5 | SP+ projection: JMU by 14.5 | FPI projection: JMU by 12.2

North Texas at Rice (7:30 p.m., ESPNU)

Like Temple, Rice is a pleasantly surprising 5-5 in Scott Abell’s first season. His option offense has had its moments, but the defense is boom or bust, and one assumes North Texas’ explosive offense, led by potential 4,000-yard passer Drew Mestemaker and 1,000-yard rusher Caleb Hawkins, will have far too much firepower. An upset here would be a shocker.

Current line: UNT -18.5 | SP+ projection: UNT by 21.7 | FPI projection: UNT by 16.5

Week 13 chaos superfecta

We’re once again using this space to will chaos into existence, looking at four carefully curated games with pretty big point spreads and mashing them together into a much more upset-friendly number. We whiffed last week, which dropped us to 6-6 for the season. Going by the math, that’s exactly where we should be, but let’s win out from here.

This week we’re taking on a playoff theme: In the four games in the “Keeping playoff hopes alive” section above, SP+ says there’s only a 44% chance that Miami (93% at Virginia Tech), Utah (86% vs. Kansas State), Vanderbilt (76% vs. Kentucky) and Michigan (72% at Maryland) all win. Let’s eliminate a contender!

Week 13 playlist

Here are some more games you should pay attention to if you want to get the absolute most out of the weekend, from both information and entertainment perspectives.

Friday

Florida State at NC State (8 p.m., ESPN). After NC State’s brilliant upset of Georgia Tech in Week 10, the Wolfpack went on bye and barely returned, suffering a 41-7 no-show loss to Miami last week. And hey, speaking of immaculately frustrating teams, FSU is overachieving against SP+ projections by 12.5 points per game at home and underachieving by 18.0 PPG on the road. Which of these teams shows up?

Current line: FSU -4.5 | SP+ projection: FSU by 8.5 | FPI projection: FSU by 5.0

Hawai’i at UNLV (10:30 p.m., FS1). With Boise State imploding without quarterback Maddux Madsen, the Mountain West race has become messy — five teams are tied for second at 4-2 (behind 5-1 San Diego State). Two of them play late Friday night, and I’ll be shocked if it isn’t one of the more fun games of the weekend. UNLV has hit 30 or more points in nine of 10 games, and Hawai’i has done so in five straight.

Current line: UNLV -2.5 | SP+ projection: UNLV by 4.8 | FPI projection: UNLV by 6.1

Early Saturday

Baylor at Arizona (1 p.m., TNT). Arizona lost three of four in midseason, but the Wildcats have won three in a row to jump to 7-3. Compared to 2024, they’ve improved dramatically on both sides of the ball — from 90th to 30th in offensive SP+ and from 84th to 39th on defense — and that should give them an advantage against a Baylor team that typically only plays offense. Fun offense, for sure, but only offense.

Current line: Arizona -6.5 | SP+ projection: Arizona by 9.1 | FPI projection: Arizona by 4.8

Kansas at Iowa State (noon, FS1). This one’s projected to go down to the wire, which is awful news for Kansas — the Jayhawks have lost nine of their past 11 one-score games. ISU can provide hope in that regard: The Cyclones endured a 1-12 one-score run of their own a while back but have won 11 of 16 since. At 5-5 and hosting Utah next week, KU probably needs this one to assure bowl eligibility.

Current line: ISU -4.5 | SP+ projection: ISU by 4.7 | FPI projection: ISU by 3.4

Minnesota at Northwestern (noon, BTN). Just call Minnesota the Florida State of the Big Ten — the Gophers are overachieving against projections by 5.4 PPG at home and underachieving by 16.6 PPG on the road. Northwestern nearly stole one last week against Michigan and returns to Wrigley Field to give it another go. If Minnesota shows up, this could be dead even, but that’s evidently a lot to ask for.

Current line: NU -3.5 (down from -5.5) | SP+ projection: NU by 1.7 | FPI projection: NU by 3.7

Rutgers at No. 1 Ohio State (noon, Fox). We’re into November and still playing the “Ohio State will win easily, but what might we learn about the Buckeyes?” game. The OSU passing game is coming off of a semi-disappointing performance — and the status of banged-up receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate appears uncertain — so maybe we’ll learn something about Julian Sayin‘s resourcefulness?

Current line: OSU -31.5 (down from -33.5) | SP+ projection: OSU by 31.5 | FPI projection: OSU by 28.4

Saturday afternoon

Arkansas at No. 17 Texas (3:30 p.m., ABC). The return of Horns-Hogs was one of the best things about Texas joining the SEC, and after last season’s relative dud, I say we’re owed something strange. Arkansas is good enough offensively to scare (and eventually lose to) just about anyone, and Horns LB Anthony Hill Jr. is listed as questionable. Let’s see how Texas responds to last week’s damaging loss to Georgia.

Current line: UT -8.5 (down from -10.5) | SP+ projection: UT by 9.8 | FPI projection: UT by 11.2

East Carolina at UTSA (3:30 p.m., ESPN+). ECU has won 10 of 14 since replacing coach Mike Houston with Blake Harrell midway through 2024, and at 5-1 in American Conference play, the Pirates are still in the conference title race. UTSA, meanwhile, is maddening: The Roadrunners have overachieved against SP+ projections by at least 12 points three times and have underachieved by at least 10 points five times.

Current line: ECU -2.5 | SP+ projection: ECU by 5.5 | FPI projection: ECU by 3.2

Duke at North Carolina (3:30 p.m., ACCN). Since beating Clemson to announce itself as an ACC contender, Duke has face-planted, particularly on defense, losing two straight. The 5-5 Blue Devils need to beat either UNC or Wake Forest to bowl, and this feels like the more likely win. UNC just lost to Wake and might not have the offensive competence to punish even a flatlining defense such as Duke’s.

Current line: Duke -6.5 | SP+ projection: Duke by 6.6 | FPI projection: Duke by 7.2

TCU at No. 23 Houston (4 p.m., Fox). Houston’s 8-2 record has been propped up by good fortune in close games (4-0 in one-score finishes), but the Cougars have a shot at a 10-win season and could take full advantage of the fact that TCU’s offense vanished three games ago. Having underachieved against projections for five straight games, the 6-4 Horned Frogs are stumbling toward the finish line.

Current line: Houston -1.5 | SP+ projection: Houston by 2.8 | FPI projection: TCU by 0.7

Jacksonville State at Florida International (3:30 p.m., CBSSN). FIU has won two straight to get to 5-5, and a once-moribund offense is blossoming via efficiency from RB Kejon Owens and big plays from WR Alex Perry. Jax State has won 14 of 15 in CUSA play dating to last season, and RB Cam Cook is second nationally in rushing yards. This one could have some fireworks.

Current line: JSU -1.5 (flipped from FIU -1.5) | SP+ projection: JSU by 3.9 | FPI projection: JSU by 1.1

Missouri State at Kennesaw State (2 p.m., ESPN+). Missouri State has won five straight to move to 7-3 in its FBS debut. The Bears aren’t eligible for the CUSA championship game, but Kennesaw State is, and any title hopes will require an immediate bounce-back after last week’s loss to Jax State. MSU quarterback Jacob Clark trying to beat Owls corners Caleb Offord and JeRico Washington Jr. should be prime viewing.

Current line: KSU -6.5 | SP+ projection: KSU by 6.9 | FPI projection: KSU by 4.2

Syracuse at No. 9 Notre Dame (3:30 p.m., NBC). Notre Dame is a projected favorite of at least 31 points in each of its last two games, so the Fighting Irish are nearly assured of a 10-2 finish and another CFP berth. Statistically, their biggest issues at the moment are suffering some negative run plays and occasionally giving up big pass plays. I don’t think Syracuse can do anything with that.

Current line: Irish -35.5 | SP+ projection: Irish by 33.3 | FPI projection: Irish by 30.1

Saturday evening

No. 20 Tennessee at Florida (7:30 p.m., ABC). Two years ago, Tennessee lost as a 5.5-point favorite in Gainesville. The Volunteers, in fact, have won only twice in Gainesville in the past 50 years. There aren’t a lot of stakes here, with UT mostly eliminated from CFP contention and Florida having clinched a losing record. But a win in The Swamp is still a win in The Swamp. It doesn’t happen often for the Vols.

Current line: UT -4.5 | SP+ projection: UT by 9.4 | FPI projection: UT by 3.7

Nebraska at Penn State (7 p.m., NBC). Since the two-game collapse that cost James Franklin his job (and, in turn, earned Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule a hefty contract extension), Penn State has been good, nearly beating Iowa and Indiana, hanging with Ohio State for a half and thumping Michigan State. Can the 4-6 Nittany Lions keep bowl hopes alive with a win over new QB TJ Lateef and Rhule’s Huskers?

Current line: PSU -8.5 | SP+ projection: PSU by 7.0 | FPI projection: PSU by 5.3

No. 21 Illinois at Wisconsin (7:30 p.m., BTN). Wisconsin’s defense has been good over the past few weeks, and Illinois’ defense finally showed up a couple of weeks ago after a poor stretch. This one should conjure some strong Big Ten West spirits, especially if we get some precipitation to go with the current 44-degrees-and-cloudy forecast for Saturday evening.

Current line: Illini -7.5 (down from -9.5) | SP+ projection: Illini by 16.6 | FPI projection: Illini by 6.0

Cal at Stanford (7:30 p.m., ACCN). Since 2001, the favorite in this matchup has gone 21-3. Unacceptable. I say we’re due a weird one, and Stanford does seem to be improving a bit. In his past two games, Cal freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has produced a Total QBR of 20.6 (against Virginia) and 86.0 (against Louisville). How will he handle his first big rivalry game?

Current line: Cal -2.5 | SP+ projection: Cal by 7.1 | FPI projection: Stanford by 0.3

Late Saturday

Washington at UCLA (10:30 p.m., NBC). Saturday’s blowout of Purdue continued a Washington theme: Against defenses worse than 50th in SP+, the Huskies average 50.8 points and 8.3 yards per play. UCLA’s defense is ranked 82nd, having given away the gains it made following Deshaun Foster’s firing. UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava is day-to-day because of injury, but nothing matters if the Bruins don’t make any stops.

Current line: UW -10.5 | SP+ projection: UW by 17.9 | FPI projection: UW by 9.0

San José State at San Diego State (10:30 p.m., FS1). SJSU’s once-prolific offense has vanished of late, scoring 26 total points in two games. Now the Spartans have to play against a defense that has given up more than 10 points only twice in eight games. SDSU can’t score either, but the Aztecs are MWC front-runners because of OLB Trey White and a ridiculous attacking front.

Current line: SDSU -12.5 | SP+ projection: SDSU by 17.2 | FPI projection: SDSU by 12.4

Smaller-school showcase

Let’s once again save a shoutout for the glorious lower levels of the sport. Here’s what you need to track as the FCS regular season wraps up and the Division II, Division III and NAIA postseasons get underway. As I say every year around this time, the more small-school football you watch, the healthier you become.

Fusion Bowl: Curry College vs. Merchant Marine (Friday, 5 p.m., NSN). The 40-team D-III playoffs get underway Saturday, but you should spend part of Friday evening watching quarterback Bubba Mustain and a prolific Merchant Marine option game dueling with 2,400-yard rusher (!) Montie Quinn and the Curry attack.

SP+ projection: Curry by 3.0

FCS: No. 10 Harvard at No. 25 Yale (noon, ESPNU). It’s FCS Rivalry Week, and with the playoffs a week away, The Game — the winner of which will claim the Ivy League title and a first automatic FCS playoff berth — is particularly big. I’ve been talking up Harvard (third in SP+) all season, but Yale is a healthy 13th in SP+, with one of the subdivision’s best defenses. A big game, even by The Game’s standards.

SP+ projection: Harvard by 7.3

FCS: No. 4 Lehigh at No. 24 Lafayette (12:30 p.m., ESPN+). With both Lehigh and Lafayette unbeaten in the Patriot League, the 161st edition of The Rivalry is one of the biggest. This is the best Lehigh team since at least the 1970s. It would be consistent with rivalry nonsense if Lafayette were to pull an upset, but that will require points, and defensive end Matt Spatny and the Lehigh defense don’t give up many of those.

SP+ projection: Lehigh by 16.0

FCS: No. 2 Montana State at No. 3 Montana (2 p.m., ESPN+). My goodness, FCS is bringing it this week. Montana is unbeaten, and MSU hasn’t lost since an 0-2 start. The Bobcats grade out better on paper, but this game should have something for everyone, from stellar quarterback play with Keali’i Ah Yat (Montana) and Justin Lamson (MSU) to deep rushing attacks to ball-hawking secondaries. And also there’s always a stunning view in Missoula.

SP+ projection: Montana by 0.6

Division II playoffs: No. 10 Texas-Permian Basin at No. 4 Colorado State-Pueblo (3 p.m., local streaming). The D-II playoffs have expanded to 32 teams, and while the top teams are heavy first-round favorites, the CSU-Pueblo Thunderwolves are close-game addicts. Their past three games featured two three-point wins and three overtime periods. UTPB, meanwhile, has won its past four by an average of 52-14. I’ll be disappointed if this one isn’t wild and close.

SP+ projection: CSU-Pueblo by 1.3

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Week 13 preview: Top breakout players, key conference matchups and more

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November 22, 2025

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Week 13 preview: Top breakout players, key conference matchups and more

Nov 20, 2025, 08:00 AM ET

With two weeks left in the regular season, what was once a vague picture of the College Football Playoff is finally coming into view.

Ohio State and Indiana look like sure things from the Big Ten. Georgia, Texas A&M and Ole Miss have all but punched their playoff tickets. Notre Dame and Texas Tech feel good about their odds, but all of that depends on something critical happening these last two weeks that can be boiled down to two simple words: avoid chaos.

Ah, but chaos is certainly possible.

Is Miami a contender? Can the Canes slip into the ACC title game mix?

Is Texas Tech guaranteed a bid? What happens if BYU keeps its stellar season going?

The ACC is ground zero for chaos and everyone from 9-1 Georgia Tech to 5-5 Duke still has a shot at winning the conference.

In the Big Ten, Oregon and USC will face off in what might be a de facto play-in game for the playoff.

And remember last week when Oklahoma earned a statement win against Alabama that appeared to shore up a playoff spot for the Sooners? Well, that dance card is only good as long as Oklahoma beats Missouri this week.

It’s late November, with just enough season behind us to feel as if we’ve got a real understanding of what’s ahead and just enough left on the docket to upend the whole picture and inject a fresh dose of head-spinning into the mix. — David Hale

Jump to:
Breakout players | BYU-Cincinnati
What’s at stake? | Quotes of the week

Top five breakout players this season

Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss: One of the great plot twists of this college football season has been a little-known transfer from Division II Ferris State stepping in and leading the Rebels to a 10-1 record. Lane Kiffin’s new dual-threat playmaker won a D-II national title last season and has shown no fear in moving up to SEC ball, ranking seventh nationally with 3,101 total yards, 20 total touchdowns and only four turnovers since taking over for injured starter Austin Simmons. The No. 6 Rebels struck gold with Chambliss as well as 1,110-yard rusher Kewan Lacy, a Missouri transfer, in their efforts to reload on offense and get into the CFP.

Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State: Reese entered this season with only five career starts over two seasons with the Buckeyes, eager to finally become a full-time starter for the defending national champions. The 6-foot-4, 243-pound junior is quickly playing his way into projected top-10 draft pick status as one of the most versatile defensive playmakers under first-year coordinator Matt Patricia. Reese has produced a team-high 58 tackles with 18 pressures, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks as a fast, powerful off-ball linebacker who’s just as gifted at rushing off the edge for the No. 1 scoring defense in FBS.

David Bailey, OLB, Texas Tech: Bailey didn’t earn All-ACC honors last season at Stanford but was highly coveted in the transfer portal by the Red Raiders as an impact pass rusher with big-time potential. Bailey has been worth every penny, leading the country with 12.5 sacks and 61 pressures through 11 games, while playing alongside Romello Height and Lee Hunter on one of the top defensive lines in the sport. Bailey is performing like a first-round talent for a No. 5-ranked Texas Tech squad determined to win the program’s first Big 12 championship.

Cashius Howell, DE, Texas A&M: The former Bowling Green transfer had a good debut season with the Aggies in 2024, but Howell has totally raised his game in his second year in the SEC. The 6-2, 248-pound senior has been a consistently elite pass rusher for the undefeated Aggies with 11.5 sacks and 37 pressures, and could end up being a first-round pick next spring.

Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri: Hardy exceled during his freshman season at UL Monroe and continues to be one of the great transfer portal gets for the Tigers. He’s leading the country with 1,346 rushing yards and 15 TDs, and has forced 72 missed tackles, according to ESPN Research. Hardy just had another career-best day Saturday with a 300-yard effort against Mississippi State after already rushing for 250 yards against Louisiana, plus he has five 100-yard performances this season. — Max Olson

How could BYU-Cincinnati affect the Big 12 title race?

Texas Tech and BYU, the Big 12’s remaining one-loss teams, appear to be on course to meet again in the championship game. For them, it’s simple: win and you’re in. But as BYU learned last season when it was in the same spot through 10 games, simple doesn’t mean easy.

If the Cougars win at Cincinnati on Saturday, it would eliminate the Bearcats. Then BYU would be, at minimum, a win against UCF away from the title game. But the Cougars could also clinch a spot this weekend with two scenarios: 1) A win plus losses by Arizona State (at Colorado) and Houston (vs. TCU); or 2) A win and an Arizona State loss, plus a Utah win (Kansas State).

If BYU loses to Cincinnati, then all bets are off. Utah, Houston, Arizona State and Cincinnati are all mathematically alive. Which means that all over them can still cling to CFP hopes, as far-fetched as they might be. This is one of the obvious benefits of the playoff format. It keeps more teams relevant later in the season and ensures meaningful games across the board into the final weeks. — Kyle Bonagura

What’s at stake in each matchup?

USC-Oregon: To put it bluntly: a spot in the CFP. That’s what’s at stake in Eugene this week as the college football world sets its eyes on the one marquee matchup this week.

USC has only one Big Ten loss and should it beat the Ducks, it would qualify for not only its best win of the season but one of the best wins in the sport this year. The Trojans have the offense to keep up with the Ducks; the question is, what USC defense will show up Saturday? That will be the key to pulling off the upset and putting Lincoln Riley’s team in the driver’s seat for a CFP spot.

One-loss Oregon might have some more breathing room if it loses to USC, but it’s not a guarantee the Ducks will get in with two losses. At that point, the Ducks’ best win would be at Iowa (currently unranked) and would have to rank behind at least USC (and Michigan if it beats Ohio State) making their entry back into the field a tight one, should it happen.

Plus, not to mention the fact that Oregon finishes with a tricky game at Washington — a team that has been up-and-down this season but has plenty of talent and motivation to play spoiler against its rival. — Paolo Uggetti

Pitt-Georgia Tech: A week ago, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi colorfully made the point that his team could give up 100 points to Notre Dame, but it wouldn’t change the fact that these next two games, starting with Georgia Tech, will define the Panthers’ postseason fate. Well, Pitt didn’t surrender 100, but Notre Dame did win easily, putting an even bigger spotlight on the Panthers’ need to win out if they want any hope of capitalizing on a wide-open ACC.

For Georgia Tech, the stakes are even clearer. This is the Yellow Jackets’ final ACC game of the season. Win, and they’re guaranteed a spot in Charlotte for the ACC championship. Lose and all bets are off. Tech’s defense has been a train wreck the past two games, and getting right against Pitt is essential to keep a magical season going a little longer. — Hale

SMU-Louisville: While much of the attention in the ACC has focused on Miami, Virginia and Georgia Tech, SMU still has a shot to make it to the ACC championship game for the second straight season. That is the biggest thing on the line Saturday. With only one conference loss, SMU sits in a four-way tie atop the ACC headed into the weekend. The easiest path to Charlotte is this one: SMU has to win out, and Pitt has to beat Georgia Tech on Saturday. There is another clinching scenario: SMU wins out, and Virginia Tech upsets Virginia next week.

Though the Mustangs do not control their destiny, the fact they are in the mix to play for a conference championship again speaks to the job coach Rhett Lashlee has done since SMU made the move to the ACC in 2024. SMU is not a one-trick pony (see what we did there), but is building a program meant to contend year after year.

“It is a little bit different than last year because we were in control of everything,” Lashlee said. “This year, it’s almost like a playoff scenario already. Nobody’s talking about us, and I’m totally cool with that.” — Andrea Adelson

Quotes of the week

“Brent Key, a great football coach who’s done an outstanding job,” Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi said of Georgia Tech’s fourth-year head coach. “They might as well just announce him as ACC Coach of the Year. He’s done an incredible job. Just give it to him early.”

“I think for us, these are all the same people that thought we were going to suck,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said on the 8-2 Trojans’ Week 13 appearance on College GameDay. “This is all the same people, you know, we were going to do this and USC was this and that. And so for us to pay attention to them now would be a little bit counterproductive. We haven’t forgotten that.”

Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin on if he expects to be coaching in the Nov. 29 Egg Bowl: “Do you know something that I don’t know? Do I expect to coach next week? Why would I not expect to coach next week? I mean, I expected to coach against Florida, too. So I don’t even understand the question about how I would not expect to coach next week. Why would I [not] be at work?”

“I’ve had no discussions, not with my agent, not with the university, not with any other school, not with any NFL team, about ever going anywhere else,” said Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, who knocked down rumors around a potential departure this week. “I came here to win championships.”

Colorado’s Deion Sanders appealed for more time with the Buffaloes this week: “You’ve got the right man [for the job]. I promise you, you do. And I’m going to prove that to you. Just give me an opportunity and a little more time, and I’m going to prove that to you.”

“Does it look, feel, smell and operate like a big-time program?” James Franklin said of his plans for Virginia Tech in his introductory news conference with the Hokies. “All those things need to be in place. … I think the previous coaches here were in some challenging situations. That’s the truth of it. There’s some things that we’re going to have to look at, and it’s not just James Franklin. It’s the marketing office, the ticketing office. Everybody’s got to take some time and look in the mirror and say, ‘Are we operating like a big-time program?'”

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The Polar Bear in Boston? A return to Queens? Potential free agent fits for Pete Alonso

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November 22, 2025

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The Polar Bear in Boston? A return to Queens? Potential free agent fits for Pete Alonso

  • Jorge CastilloNov 21, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

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      ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

NEW YORK — A year after discovering teams across Major League Baseball did not deem him worthy of a lengthy contract, Pete Alonso is back on the free agent market searching for long-term love again.

In February, after an extended standoff, Alonso settled for a two-year, $54 million deal to return to the New York Mets with an opt-out after the 2025 season. He was paid $30 million for this year and posted numbers good enough to make opting out the clear choice. And Alonso didn’t waste time, announcing that was his plan minutes after the Mets lost their final regular-season game against the Miami Marlins to fall short of the playoffs.

His chances of finding a long-term partner are higher this time around for a few reasons. The first one is clear: He’s coming off a significantly stronger campaign. Alonso had his worst season in 2024, slashing .240/.329/.459 with 34 home runs. That, in a vacuum, was good production. But it was his fourth straight season with declining numbers — an alarming pattern considering Alonso was about to turn 30 and didn’t add value on defense or the basepaths.

The metrics suggested Alonso was still one of the worst defensive first basemen in baseball in 2025 — his minus-9 defensive runs saved and minus-9 outs above average both ranked 18th out of 18 qualified first basemen — but he rebounded in the batter’s box. With an adjusted swing and approach, Alonso hit the ball harder — his 93.5 mph average exit velocity was a career high — and the production followed.

He slashed .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs mostly hitting behind Juan Soto. His 141 wRC+ was tied for the second-largest output of his career. He set the franchise record for career home runs, further solidifying his place as one of the most beloved Mets in recent history.

Also of note: Alonso played in all 162 games for the second consecutive season and has appeared in 1,008 of the Mets’ 1,032 regular-season games since debuting in 2019. He has started 993 of those games at first base, 60 at DH.

Over that span, his 264 career home runs rank third in baseball behind only Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber, a fellow free agent. Alonso is durable and consistent.

Then there’s the market. Alonso and Schwarber are the two premier power bats available in free agency this offseason. At first base, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s decision to sign a 14-year, $500 million extension with Toronto in April removed Alonso’s stiffest positional competition. Josh Naylor is a tier below — and a different player with less power but better defensively and on the bases — and Seattle wasn’t going to spend the necessary money for Alonso, but the Mariners retaining their first baseman nevertheless removes an option at the position for other clubs.

Add it up and Alonso should find a deal in the range of four to five years. The question is where. Here are a few possible landing spots for the five-time All-Star, starting with his three most aggressive suitors so far, including the only team he has ever known.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said last week that he would “love” to bring back Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz, another All-Star free agent. Alonso’s stated willingness to serve as a designated hitter, at least in a part-time capacity, doesn’t hurt as the Mets prioritize improving a defense that regressed in 2025.

“He’s clearly a really good offensive player,” Stearns said at the GM meetings in Las Vegas. “And I think for any team the ability to get his bat in the lineup in multiple ways is helpful. And it’s great to know that Pete is open to stuff like that.”

But the Mets’ top offseason priority is pitching — in the rotation and the bullpen — and they have internal options for first base and DH in the short and long term. Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Jeff McNeil could play first base. Juan Soto, after a poor defensive year in right field, will eventually see time at DH. Further, Stearns’ unwillingness to give Alonso what he wanted last winter indicates he prefers not to make that level of investment in him.

The Mets haven’t had someone other than Alonso start at first base on Opening Day since Adrián González began a 54-game cameo to conclude his career in 2018. A year later, Alonso debuted and went on to club 54 home runs en route to being named National League Rookie of the Year. He became a fan favorite in Queens over his seven seasons. But he could find himself in another uniform in 2026.

First base production in 2025: .244/.305/.386, 16 HR, 86 wRC+, -0.7 fWAR

Primary first basemen: Abraham Toro (57 starts), Romy Gonzalez (41), Triston Casas (27), Nathaniel Lowe (26)

Designated hitter production in 2025: .272/.361/.465, 26 HR, 125 wRC+, 2.5 fWAR

Primary designated hitters: Rafael Devers (73), Masataka Yoshida (44), Rob Refsnyder (18), Roman Anthony (17)

Most of Boston’s DH production last season came from Devers before he was traded in June. First base was a major problem beginning with Casas’ slow start and exacerbated when he was lost for the season with a knee injury in early May. The logical choice to replace him — Devers — refused the assignment, which led to Boston shipping him to San Francisco.

Toro, Gonzalez and Lowe, who was signed in August, handled the duty for the remainder of the season. Toro was designated for assignment in August. Lowe met the same fate Tuesday.

The Red Sox president of baseball operations, Craig Breslow, has made it clear: He wants to acquire an accomplished middle-of-the-order bat, preferably a right-handed one. Trading Devers, combined with Alex Bregman‘s free agency, has left the Red Sox without much proven slug in their lineup. A reunion with Bregman would check that box. As would signing Alonso, who could split time at first base and DH with Casas if Boston were to keep him.

Do the Red Sox have the appetite for both free agents? Trading Devers moved $29.1 million off the competitive balance tax payroll for each of the next eight years. The Red Sox had approximately $98 million of their relatively modest $201 million CBT payroll come off the books after the season. Their 2026 payroll is projected to include more than $50 million in raises, but Boston is a big-market club with plenty of money to fill its needs.

First base production in 2025: .252/.318/.445, 29 HR, 107 wRC+, 2.0 fWAR

Primary first basemen: Spencer Steer (113 starts), Christian Encarnacion-Strand (25)

Designated hitter production in 2025: .240/.313/.407, 21 HR, 96 wRC+, -0.2 fWAR

Primary designated hitters: Gavin Lux (57 starts), Austin Hays (38), Miguel Andujar (20), Tyler Stephenson (17), Steer (16)

The Reds finished 14th in the majors in runs scored, but their collective 92 wRC+, a metric that adjusts for park factors and league context, ranked 24th. The Reds know there’s room for improvement playing half of their games at Great American Ball Park, a hitter’s haven, so they’re seeking to strengthen their offense.

First base and DH aren’t obvious needs. Spencer Steer clubbed 21 home runs in 146 games. Sal Stewart, who turns 22 next month, will be a bigger part of the calculus after posting a 121 OPS+ in his first 18 career games. But Alonso resides on another level. As does Schwarber, a Cincinnati-area native.

Now, the money part. Signing either slugger would require the largest free agent contract in franchise history; the current high mark is the two four-year, $64 million deals given to Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas in 2020. The Reds are estimated to carry a $120 million CBT payroll for next season after finishing with a $143 million payroll in 2025, their highest since 2021. That projection includes expected raises. If investing in a premier free agent is too rich — or if they all simply decide to play elsewhere — the Reds could land a cheaper alternative in the trade market by dealing from their starting rotation depth.

First base production in 2025: .262/.351/.479, 32 HR, 128 wRC+, 3.9 fWAR

Primary first basemen: Bryce Harper (130 starts)

Designated hitter production in 2025: .238/.362/.566, 57 HR, 152 wRC+, 5.1 fWAR

Primary designated hitters: Kyle Schwarber (154 starts)

With Bryce Harper at first base, Alonso probably would only make sense for the Phillies if they do not re-sign Schwarber — the best designated hitter in the majors this side of Shohei Ohtani. But Phillies owner John Middleton isn’t afraid to spend money, and the team could make both Alonso and Schwarber work by moving Harper back to the outfield. Offensively, Alonso’s right-handed bat makes sense, since the Phillies are expected to move on from Nick Castellanos, catcher J.T. Realmuto is a free agent, and Alec Bohm is a candidate for a trade.

First base production in 2025: .246/.323/.411, 18 HR, 103 wRC+, 1.3 fWAR

Primary first basemen: Spencer Horwitz (93 starts), Enmanuel Valdez (22)

Designated hitter production in 2025: .238/.328/.390, 19 HR, 98 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR

Primary designated hitters: Andrew McCutchen (120 starts), Bryan Reynolds (34)

This is a long shot, but the Pirates want to spend money on upgrading their offense to complement a strong pitching staff headlined by Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes. Like the A’s last winter in their quest to upgrade their starting rotation, that could require overpaying for an impact bat. The price of doing business.

First base production in 2025: .243/.310/.369, 14 HR, 92 wRC+, 0.6 fWAR

Primary first basemen: Coby Mayo (67 starts), Ryan Mountcastle (50), Ryan O’Hearn (39)

Designated hitter production in 2025: .221/.296/.380, 22 HR, 90 wRC+, -0.5 fWAR

Primary designated hitters: Mountcastle (33 starts), O’Hearn (31), Adley Rutschman (18), Jordan Westburg (16), Tyler O’Neill (13)

At the GM meetings, Orioles general manager Mike Elias said he wanted to add a power hitter, preferably an outfielder, this offseason. Acquiring Taylor Ward for right-hander Grayson Rodriguez on Tuesday checked that box. But they could always add more slug and Alonso would give them plenty.

Designated hitter production in 2025: .282/.354/.484, 34 HR, 133 wRC+, 3.6 fWAR

Primary designated hitters: George Springer (80 starts), Anthony Santander (30), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (24)

This fit isn’t clean, but the Blue Jays could lose the right-handed-hitting Bo Bichette in free agency this winter and Alonso could serve as a replacement. The Blue Jays expressed interest in Alonso last winter, but that was when Guerrero’s future was very uncertain. We’re not even going to bother listing first base as a possibility for Alonso in Toronto because that’s Guerrero’s job for a very long time. Springer enjoyed a resurgent season primarily as Toronto’s DH, so he would have to move back to the outfield to make room for Alonso.

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