Championship Week preview: Quotes from the week, what teams need to focus on and key players
Champ week is just around the corner, and the stakes are high as teams look to gain one of the College Football Playoff’s first-round byes.
No. 2 Texas and No. 5 Georgia will meet again for a second time this season in a rematch at the SEC championship game. Georgia handed Texas its only loss of the season, but will the Bulldogs be able to pull off the win again in Atlanta?
No. 15 Arizona State was listed in last place in the Big 12 preseason poll and have proved the conference wrong as it holds the top spot in the league. As the Sun Devils look to gain their first Big 12 title, what do they need to do to beat Iowa State?
Our college football experts preview all of Champ Week’s biggest matchups and players to watch, and share quotes from players and coaches leading up to this week’s games.
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Big 12 | Mountain West | Players to watch
Quotes of the Week
What does Texas need to do to win? It starts with not getting behind early and having to play catchup similar to the last game between the teams. Georgia built a 23-0 lead and took the home crowd out of the game, and keep in mind that this game is being played in Atlanta, meaning Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be painted in red and black. In keeping with that theme, the Longhorns need to be able to run the ball and not put their quarterback(s) in tough situations. After falling behind in the first game, Texas was forced to throw 49 times. Quinn Ewers was sacked five times and Arch Manning two times. Texas’ pass protection could be even dicier in this game if star left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (ankle) can’t play or is limited. Clearly, Texas plans to use Manning situationally in the running game, which could help slow the Georgia pass rush.
On defense, Texas has surely scoured the tape from the Georgia-Ole Miss game. The Bulldogs couldn’t protect quarterback Carson Beck, who was sacked five times and threw an interception. Beck was held to 186 passing yards in that game. Texas has one of the top cornerbacks in the country, Jahdae Barron, and needs to find a way to force some turnovers and put Georgia in obvious passing situations. Beck has been turnover prone at times this season and was intercepted three times in the first game in Austin.
What does Georgia need to do to win? In both of its losses this season, Georgia was in a position where it had to come from behind, including getting down 28-0 at Alabama. The Bulldogs have long been one of the most physical teams in the country under Kirby Smart and need to be the most physical team on the field Saturday in Atlanta. That’s what was so disappointing about the 28-10 loss to Ole Miss. The Bulldogs were bullied physically. So establishing the run game against the Longhorns and not allowing them to run it will be critical. The other obvious factor will be not giving Texas short fields with turnovers. Quarterback Beck had thrown 12 interceptions in the previous six games prior to the 31-17 win over Tennessee. He threw for 347 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against the Vols, and it’s that kind of efficiency the Bulldogs will need Saturday.
Georgia’s offensive line played its best game against Tennessee, which had not given up more than 19 points in a game coming into that contest. Giving Beck time to throw will be vital, especially because Texas has given up very few big plays on defense. The Longhorns rank first nationally in fewest plays from scrimmage allowed of 20 yards or longer (24) and 30 yards or longer (seven). Hitting some explosive plays down the field would help loosen up a Texas defense that has allowed more than 17 points only twice all season, one of those times in the 30-15 loss to Georgia. The Bulldogs have been excellent on special teams. Place-kicker Peyton Woodring has missed only two field goals, both from 50-plus yards, and punter Brett Thorson is a finalist for the Ray Guy Award. — Chris Low
What does Clemson need to do to win? The Tigers have been here many, many times before, making Charlotte a quasi-home away from home considering its two-hour proximity to campus and the fact they have won seven of the past nine ACC championship games. Their experience in this environment should give them an intangible edge, as SMU is playing in its first ACC title game. The last time the Tigers were here in 2022, Cade Klubnik came off the bench to replace DJ Uiagalelei, picked up championship game MVP honors in a 39-10 win over North Carolina and has firmly entrenched himself as the starter. This has been his best year yet, as he has thrown for 3,041 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions. Clemson has had its most success when it finds the right balance between Klubnik and running back Phil Mafah, who has rushed for 1,078 yards. But more than that, Clemson must find a way to fix its run defense. In losses to Louisville and South Carolina, the Tigers allowed more than 200 yards rushing — uncharacteristic for a defense that prides itself on its strength up front.
What does SMU need to do to win? One ACC coach said Clemson has the better team, but SMU has done a terrific job being opportunistic. That part is undeniable. SMU has forced 21 turnovers and scored four defensive touchdowns, but maybe more impressive, the Mustangs are plus-77 in points scored off turnovers. So yes, they have done a great job at being opportunistic in this category. Coach Rhett Lashlee said the most important thing for his team to do to win is to not deviate from what has gotten it here — play physical, create turnovers and play loose and free on offense behind Kevin Jennings, who is 9-0 since he took over as the starter following Week 3. Brashard Smith has come on strong in the backfield, too, earning All-ACC honors after rushing for 1,157 yards and 14 touchdowns. SMU has not let any moment get too big for it this season, and that is partly because Jennings is as even-keel as they come. He led the team to the American Athletic Conference championship last year as an injury replacement for Preston Stone. The stage won’t be too big, but SMU will have to match Clemson’s physicality and force some turnovers to take home another championship. — Andrea Adelson
What does Oregon need to do to win? Played indoors at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Big Ten championship game often favors teams with superior speed. Oregon checks those boxes and can also match opponents at the line of scrimmage. The Ducks recorded their biggest win of the season against Ohio State by challenging the Buckeyes’ secondary with receivers Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson, who combined for 14 receptions, 224 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon needs to force Penn State’s defensive backs to stop downfield passes.
The Ducks’ defensive line has held up very well against the run, allowing 81 rushing yards or fewer in five games. Oregon allowed explosive runs to Boise State‘s Ashton Jeanty and Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson and will need to limit Penn State’s talented tandem of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Penn State lacks the wide receiver threats that Ohio State had, but tight end Tyler Warren presents a major matchup problem for most defenses. Coach Dan Lanning and coordinator Tosh Lupoi must craft a plan to limit Warren.
What does Penn State need to do to win? Since the start of the 2023 season, Penn State leads the FBS in yards per rush allowed (2.66). The path to beating Oregon starts with stopping Jordan James, who averages 5.7 yards per carry with 13 touchdowns and, while not a burner, consistently gains yards. Penn State ideally wants to mimic what Wisconsin‘s defense did against the Ducks. The Badgers twice turned away Oregon in their own red zone and allowed only one play longer than 25 yards. Penn State must make Oregon work for its points and ideally play a low-possession game in which field position, takeaways and special teams become the difference.
The Lions also need innovation from offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who has been masterful in using Warren and getting more out of quarterback Drew Allar, despite some limitations at receiver. Penn State will need to generate some chunk plays against an Oregon defense that has been susceptible to them through the air. — Adam Rittenberg
What does Arizona State need to do to win? Iowa State’s defense allowed just 14.4 points per game in the Cyclones’ 7-0 start but is allowing 26.8 over its 3-2 finish. Jordyn Tyson, who leads the Sun Devils in targets, catches, receiving yards and receiving TDs, is out for the season with an injury, so finding room for running back Cam Skattebo is key. The Sun Devils have a big, experienced offensive line, and Skattebo had five games with more than 150 rushing yards, second only to Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, despite missing a game because of a shoulder injury. Skattebo’s 42.5 receiving yards per game also ranks third among running backs.
Redshirt freshman QB Sam Leavitt has taken care of the ball all season, with 21 touchdowns to five INTs, but Iowa State has seven players who have combined for 14 picks, and without his favorite target, he’ll have to stay disciplined against an opportunistic defense.
What does Iowa State need to do to win? The Cyclones’ defense is second best nationally in pass completion percentage allowed, but it has struggled in key run statistics. They rank 112th in yards per carry allowed at 5.1, 114th in percentage of opponents runs that go five or more yards, and 121st in yards before contact. This is a concern against Skattebo, who is second nationally in forced missed tackles with 93, so they’ll have to get him on the ground.
Offensively, the Cyclones boast the only pair of 1,000-yard receivers in the FBS in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, and quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown a TD in 16 straight games, the longest such streak in school history. The Cyclones’ passing game struggled against Kansas State, with Becht going 13-of-35 for 137 yards, but he still threw two touchdowns in the 29-21 win to help Iowa State to its first 10-win season in school history. — Dave Wilson
What does Boise State need to do to win? It sounds simple, but the recipe for Boise continues to be the same: Give the ball to Ashton Jeanty and watch him go. Against UNLV, however, exactly how Jeanty fares will be particularly important. The Rebels were one of only a few teams able to somewhat contain the Heisman Trophy contender — he had 128 rushing yards (his second-lowest total on the season) and only one touchdown.
Still, Jeanty and Boise did enough to win their regular-season matchup, and it will be fascinating to watch the Rebels’ defense and Boise’s offensive line battle it out now that they have film on each other. Whoever can either move or halt the game’s biggest chess piece (Jeanty) most effectively will likely emerge with a victory and a conference title.
What does UNLV need to do to win? During that late October matchup, Jeanty’s explosiveness was stifled. His longest run of the night was 16 yards, by far his lowest for any game this season. If the Rebels want any chance to win this game and spoil the Broncos’ season, they’ll need to once again do the same, if not better. The good news is they have the personnel and the scheme to do it.
Defensive coordinator Michael Scherer has UNLV defending the run better than nearly anyone this season. The unit is ranked 10th in the country in run defense, allowing just over 100 rushing yards per game, and it has allowed only nine rushes of 20 yards or more (good for 16th overall). Jeanty met his match in October, yet still got his yards. If Scherer and Co. can replicate their performance, they should be in position to win. — Paolo Uggetti
Players to watch from each championship team
Clemson: LB Barrett Carter
A week ago, Clemson’s defense was stout — unless it came to stopping QB LaNorris Sellers. South Carolina’s battering ram of a QB is an exception to many rules, but SMU will present some similar problems. Kevin Jennings is a mobile quarterback, but he’s also more than capable of beating teams with his arm. Brashard Smith has made countless defenders look foolish this year. SMU’s slot receiver and tight end play have been strong. All of that is a lot of pressure on a talented linebacking corps for Clemson, led by Carter. SMU wants to stress a defense by forcing linebackers to make choices — knowing the Mustangs’ offense can beat a team multiple ways. But Carter’s a veteran, and he’s not fooled easily. — David Hale
SMU: S Isaiah Nwokobia
The first-team All-ACC linebacker has been a tackling machine for the Mustangs, racking up 91 stops to go with three picks, three pass breakups, two QB hurries and three tackles for loss. He’s versatile, consistent and fast — more than capable of helping in the run game but also holding up well in coverage. His ability to do a little of everything opens up options for SMU to get after QB Cade Klubnik, who has struggled against better defenses since taking over as QB1 in 2023. — Hale
Georgia: TB Nate Frazier
One of the best ways for Georgia to take pressure off quarterback Carson Beck is to establish a running game and open up the play-action passing game. In the teams’ first meeting, Georgia ran for 108 yards on 30 carries. That might not seem like much, but Texas was held to just 29 rushing yards after sacks. The Bulldogs might get back senior tailback Trevor Etienne, who has been battling a rib injury. Etienne was upgraded to questionable on Wednesday’s availability report. He ran for 87 yards with three touchdowns in the first meeting.
Freshman Nate Frazier has emerged as Georgia’s No. 1 tailback during his absence. Frazier ran for a career-high 136 yards with three touchdowns against UMass on Nov. 23, then scored the winning touchdown in the Bulldogs’ eight-overtime marathon against Georgia Tech last week. — Mark Schlabach
Texas: QB Quinn Ewers
Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers struggled against Georgia’s tenacious pass rush in the first meeting. Ewers was briefly benched in that game, but backup Arch Manning didn’t have much success, either. Georgia pressured the Texas quarterbacks on 23 of 59 dropbacks, and Ewers and Manning combined to complete 5 of 13 attempts for 46 yards when under duress. They were sacked seven times and lost three fumbles. Ewers has been battling a low-grade high ankle sprain the past few weeks. He was effective in last week’s 17-7 win at Texas A&M Aggies, throwing for 218 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Longhorns leaned heavily on their running game the past few weeks, but they can’t be one-dimensional against Georgia. Ewers is averaging 6.47 yards per attempt this season, which ranks 123rd out of 126 FBS quarterbacks, according to TruMedia. — Schlabach
Oregon: RB Jordan James
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel is Oregon’s Heisman Trophy contender. But James is an underrated, yet critical, piece of the Ducks’ offense. He’s third in the Big Ten with 1,166 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry and 13 touchdowns. In Oregon’s win over Ohio State on Oct. 12, James rushed for a game-high 125 yards, keeping the Buckeyes off balance. The Nittany Lions have a solid run defense, but Ohio State was able to pile up 176 rushing yards in its 20-13 win at Penn State last month. Likewise, Oregon can keep the Nittany Lions’ defense on its heels by remaining two-dimensional. — Jake Trotter
Penn State: DE Abdul Carter
The Ducks have allowed just 12 sacks, the second fewest in the Big Ten. They also have a sack-per-drop-back rate of just 2.9%, sixth lowest of all Power 4 teams. The Nittany Lions can’t allow Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel to sit back and pick them apart. Penn State boasts one of the most talented pass rushers in the country in Carter, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year who’s projected to be a top-10 pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Carter, who has 10 sacks, is fifth nationally with an edge pressure rate of 17.2%. Him getting in the face of Gabriel early and often will be paramount for the Nittany Lions. — Trotter
Arizona State: RB Cam Skattebo
As goes Skattebo, so does Arizona State. In ASU’s two losses — against Texas Tech and Cincinatti — Skattebo was held to 60 and 75 yards rushing, respectively. In the Sun Devils’ other games, he averaged 140.3 yards rushing, including 177 in the regular-season finale against rival Arizona. Six of Skattebo’s 17 rushing touchdowns came in the past two games as the Sun Devils finished strong to reach the title game. If he winds up on the ballots of a few Heisman Trophy voters, it won’t come as a surprise. — Kyle Bonagura
Iowa State: WR Jaylin Noel
Noel will leave Ames as one of the best receivers in school history, having caught a pass in 44 consecutive games. In four years, he has 231 catches for 2,670 yards — which ranks Nos. 2 and 4 on the school’s all-time lists. Noel’s 67 catches for 1,013 yards this season came playing alongside receiver Jayden Higgins (80 catches, 1,068 yards), which makes them one of the best receiving tandems in college football. Noel has made at least five catches in eight straight games and has made at least two catches in every game over the past two seasons. — Bonagura
Boise State: QB Maddux Madsen
Yes, all eyes will be on Jeanty as they should be, but Madsen’s role will only get more important as the stakes get higher. So far, the sophomore quarterback has been a more-than-capable game manager for the Broncos, but if UNLV can limit Jeanty or even simply knock him off his rhythm, then Madsen will need to step up. Against the Rebels in the regular season, Madsen threw the ball 33 times — tied for second most in a game this season. It’s likely he’ll have to do the same this time around, and 18 completions for 209 yards might not cut it. — Uggetti
UNLV: Wide receiver Ricky White
The senior wideout might be the most talented player on the field not named Ashton Jeanty. White has caught 75 passes for 1,000 yards this season and 11 touchdowns despite having a quarterback change from the outgoing Matthew Sluka to Hajj-Malik Williams earlier this season. Though Williams is more of a dual-threat quarterback who has shown his ability on the ground (he has three games of 100 rushing yards or more), White has continued to be the top target, averaging over 13 yards per catch and crossing the 100-yard mark five times. White is a playmaker, and given that he’s facing one of the worst passing defenses in the nation in Boise State, his production will go a long way toward getting UNLV the win. — Uggetti
Quotes of the Week
“We’re playing for a freaking championship. That’s not good. It’s great. We’re playing one of the best teams in the country, that’s playing with a lot of precision on both sides of the ball, and we’re going to have to play our best football. We’ve not done that yet,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “But you know what? It ain’t too late to play our best football. Hopefully we can find a way to get that done this week and hold that trophy up.”
“We want to be a team that year in, year out, is viewed as a team that has a chance to compete to get to Charlotte. That’s what Clemson is every year. Everybody knows that if you want to win the championship, probably to some degree, you’re going to have to go through them,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “We came into this season knowing that we wanted to just prove we belonged, and I think our guys have done that, and this is just another opportunity to see where we stand, see how we measure up against the team that has set that standard.”
“Absolutely not. Ashton Jeanty is the best football player in the country. For me, if you’re one of the best players in the country, you play in the championship game.” — Boise State coach Spencer Danielson on whether the Heisman race is over after Colorado‘s Deion Sanders declared it over in favor of Travis Hunter.
“Great competitors, they don’t care. We can play in the parking lot. It don’t matter.” — UNLV coach Barry Odom on the potential of his team playing in inclement weather in Boise.
“Obviously, there’s benefit to having more time to prepare for an opponent, and you should have a benefit if you go and win your conference championship game. So there’s definitely a huge advantage there of putting yourself a step closer to the end-all goal.” — Oregon coach Dan Lanning
“Being from PA, Penn State, seeing that game from 2016, them winning a championship, I always imagined being in that moment, trying to win a Big Ten championship. So being in that exact moment right now just feels good. Just got to go out there and win it.” — Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton
“I think he’s one of the most real people in the sport. I mean, you see the passion, emotion on the sideline. … It’s not fake, it’s real,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said of Matt Campbell and Iowa State. “When I was at Auburn, I had the ability to go study at one program in the country. I had two days. At that time, coach [Gus] Malzahn would let you go and study with the team … and I chose to go visit Iowa State. That was the program that I wanted to study from because I thought that they were overachieving at that time early in his career at a high level before he had built it up. Now he’s built it up.”
“It’s not payback. We have it in the back of our minds what they did to us. We have respect for them, but we don’t fear them.” — Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron
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Dave Wilson
BATON ROUGE, La. — Lane Kiffin was introduced as new coach at LSU on Monday, promising to restore it to a place as “the best program in all of college football,” while detailing what he said was an excruciating decision to leave Ole Miss.
His arrival marked the end of a months-long saga in which Kiffin was the subject of rival coaching searches by Florida and LSU while Ole Miss tried to retain him. He leaves Oxford amid a historic season in which the Rebels are 11-1 and No. 7 in the College Football Playoff ranking.
Kiffin said the “last 48 hours, in a lot of ways, sucked,” saying he understood the passion of furious Ole Miss fans who were at the airport as he departed. He said he informed Ole Miss administrators on Saturday night that he was going to take the LSU job, and continued a conversation in earnest through Sunday trying to figure out a solution to how he could continue to coach the Rebels in what he called the “most historic sporting event in the history of the state of Mississippi, a home playoff game.
“There was no way to possibly do it, in my opinion, any better than we did from a timing standpoint,” Kiffin said.
Eventually Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter made the decision that he would not coach the Rebels in the future, which Kiffin said was a decision he respected. He said Carter told him that while it may make sense make sense to everybody outside the program to keep the staff together for the playoffs, he’s the one that has to live in Oxford going forward after Kiffin is gone.
LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry called Kiffin “a big enough personality to operate in a state of big personalities,” and said LSU had no issues with Kiffin continuing to coach Ole Miss. But, he said, the reality is that there’s no rule like in the NFL where teams can’t contact coaches until the season is over.
“That’s not our fault,” Ausberry said. “It was a hand we were dealt, and we had to deal with it, and I had to protect LSU’s interests. I have great friends at all those other institutions in the SEC, but this is about doing what’s right for LSU.”
So Kiffin departed Oxford immediately for Baton Rouge. He arrived, drove by Tiger Stadium, a place he had coached many times, saw it lit up, and said he felt “the power of the place.”
“I called one person. I called Ed Orgeron,” Kiffin said, of his longtime friend and colleague who won a national title as the head coach at LSU in 2019. “I said, ‘hey, man, all I can do … This place just makes me want to talk like you right now.'”
Kiffin’s first 24 hours included a phone call with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who took a front-and-center approach to LSU’s coaching situation, which led to the departure of former athletic director Scott Woodward. Kiffin called the call “unique,” with a smile and said, “I could feel his passion and energy in that call for the state of Louisiana and for LSU football.”
Kiffin has a 117-53 record in 14 years as a college head coach at Tennessee, USC, Florida Atlantic and Ole Miss, including seven 10-win seasons. He’s also been a part of five of the most infamous exits in football history: Al Davis detailing his shortcomings on an overhead projector in Oakland, leaving after one year at Tennessee for the USC job, then being fired on the tarmac at USC, followed by Nick Saban dismissing him a week before a national championship game at Alabama, and now leaving Ole Miss for Baton Rouge before the playoff.
He said he did not get emotional by the reaction by fans, including, he said, fans who tried to run him off the road while driving with his son Knox in the car, saying that’s life in the SEC.
“I think that people get really upset when you leave somewhere, because they feel hurt because you’re doing a really good job,” Kiffin said. “They ain’t going to the airport and driving from all over to say those things and yell those things and try to run you off the road if you were doing bad.”
Kiffin credited his three biggest mentors, all of whom he considered among the greatest defensive minds in football: Monte Kiffin, Pete Carroll and Nick Saban. He credited Carroll, who he said promised his late father he’d look after Lane, for encouraging him to make the leap. He hinted that Saban, too, had nudged him as well.
“Coach Saban coached at another place in this conference, so I can’t really say exactly what he said,” Kiffin said, to laughs from the crowd. “But I’ll say, I think the world of Coach Saban, and I respect him. And so there’s a reason we’re here.”
He said his first task is wrapping up the Tigers’ recruiting class with the early signing period beginning Wednesday through Friday. Kiffin said Frank Wilson will continue to serve as the interim head coach for LSU’s impending bowl game, but did not have any further clarity on staff positions.
Kiffin agreed to a seven-year contract with LSU on Sunday that will pay him $13 million annually, including a provision where he will receive the same CFP bonus structure from LSU that he would received at Ole Miss, including $150,000 for the Rebels’ participation in a first-round CFP game, up to $250,000 for a quarterfinal appearance and another $1 million if Ole Miss wins the national championship.
He said on Monday that he was not aware of his contract terms, saying he never asks his agent, Jimmy Sexton, but rather is more concerned with what the financial resources are to build the program, including NIL for players. He said the plan he heard from LSU proved that this was the best job in football.
“When you take the history, tradition, passion and the great players in the state of Louisiana, no one can argue that when you’re in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, there is nothing like it,” Kiffin said. “This place is built for championships with championship expectations — we understand that — but as an elite competitor that’s exactly what you want and that’s why we’re here.”
Lane Kiffin was understandably the story of the Egg Bowl, but the coach’s prolonged employment decision didn’t really qualify as surprising for those who have followed his career.
You know who was a surprise? Trinidad Chambliss. Did anyone outside of Oxford, Mississippi, or Big Rapids, Michigan, where Chambliss starred for Division II Ferris State before transferring to Ole Miss, know the quarterback’s name entering the season?
Chambliss, who replaced injured starter Austin Simmons in September and never looked back, became one of the season’s most delightful surprises. He again displayed his talent and poise in the Egg Bowl, recording season highs for passing yards (359) and touchdowns (4) in Ole Miss’ 38-19 win over rival Mississippi State. Chambliss finished the regular season with 3,016 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, to go along with 470 rushing yards and six scores.
There were other surprises on display over the weekend, from Oklahoma’s resurgent defense under coach Brent Venables, to Ohio State experiencing no drop-off under first-year starting quarterback Julian Sayin, to BYU improving to 11-1 behind its own young quarterback Bear Bachmeier, to Indiana being even more dominant than it was under coach Curt Cignetti in 2024.
As the regular season wraps up, here’s a look at the latest Power Rankings and the biggest surprises among the top 25 teams. — Adam Rittenberg
Previous ranking: 1
Arvell Reese was merely a backup rotation player for the Buckeyes last season. This season, the edge rusher/linebacker has become a superstar. With 59 tackles and 6.5 sacks, Reese has wrecked opposing offenses. He’s in line to earn All-America honors — and suddenly is a virtual lock to go high in the first round of the next NFL draft. Ohio State boasted the No. 1 statistical defense last season on the way to winning the national championship. This season, its defense is even better — and Reese’s emergence is a major reason why. With Saturday’s 27-9 win at Michigan, Ohio State has become the first team since Florida’s 1975 team to give up 16 or fewer points in each of its first 12 games, according to ESPN Research. With Reese joining fellow linebacker Sonny Styles, defensive end Caden Curry and reigning All-America safety Caleb Downs, the talented Buckeyes have a championship-caliber unit again. — Jake Trotter
Previous ranking: 2
The most surprising thing about coach Curt Cignetti’s second season at IU is how much it resembled the first, only even more dominant. Indiana went from its first 11-win season in 2024 to its first 12-win season in 2025, despite facing tougher conference competition, and recorded eight wins by 24 points or more while scoring 55 or more points six times, including Friday’s 56-3 shellacking of rival Purdue in the Old Oaken Bucket game.
The Hoosiers rushed for 355 yards and five touchdowns against Purdue, displaying a run game that has elevated substantially. IU averaged 229.8 rushing yards during the regular season, up from 165.1 in 2024, as a deeper group of running backs and offensive linemen pummeled opponents. Though the Hoosiers elevated their run game, they maintained their stifling defense against the run, giving up only 951 yards in 12 games. — Rittenberg
Previous ranking: 4
Gunner Stockton, for all his talents, seems almost required to be underappreciated. His rise to QB1 this offseason was considered something of a risky bet, particularly after Georgia’s early exit from the playoff following Carson Beck‘s injury last season. Stockton is soft-spoken and reserved, and even his best games tend to be overshadowed by other performances. And yet, to look back on Georgia’s 11-1 season in 2025, it’s impossible to say anyone has made a bigger impact than Stockton. It hasn’t always been pretty — that’s part of the experience, really — but it has always been gritty and resilient and, at times, exhilarating. Stockton wraps the regular season with nearly 3,000 total yards, 28 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions, numbers that largely mirrored Beck’s 2024 season, only with fewer costly mistakes. — David Hale
Previous ranking: 7
Though there was a ton of internal optimism about what Texas Tech could achieve on defense in 2025 with the arrival of coordinator Shiel Wood and 10 high-profile transfer portal additions, it has never seen anything like this in Lubbock. The 11-1 Red Raiders’ 49-0 shutout of West Virginia on Saturday closed out a historic regular season for this unit. Texas Tech has the No. 3 scoring defense in FBS at 11.25 points per game, which ranks second best in Big 12 history behind the 2009 Nebraska defense powered by Ndamukong Suh. Tech gave up only 100 total points in Big 12 conference play, the fewest by a defense since 2003 when the Big 12 played eight conference games. Now it’s time for a rematch with BYU and an offense it shut out for 3½ quarters on Nov. 8. — Max Olson
Previous ranking: 5
The Ducks handled what was a tricky trip to end the season to Seattle with the proper amount of focus; they never trailed and beat rival Washington 26-14 to end their third straight season with at least 11 wins under Dan Lanning. Though it won’t be defending its Big Ten title from last season, Oregon heads into the playoff with an identity on offense that isn’t surprising, but the way it happened wasn’t as expected.
Even though the Ducks were able to snag one of the top running backs in the transfer portal — Makhi Hughes — they have become an elite running team without him. Hughes is redshirting the season and Oregon has not missed him — Noah Whittington, Jayden Limar and dynamic freshmen Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison have together been a force, totaling over 2,000 yards between them as well as 26 touchdowns. Quarterback Dante Moore has shown himself to be one of the top quarterbacks, but if the Ducks succeed in December and January, they will be fueled by their ground game. — Paolo Uggetti
Previous ranking: 6
When the season started, Trinidad Chambliss was a backup quarterback from Division II Ferris State just hoping for an opportunity. That moment came in Week 3, after starter Austin Simmons sustained a foot injury and could not play. Chambliss made the most of his start and never looked back, leading the Rebels to an 11-1 season and what should be their first at-large berth in the College Football Playoff.
That Chambliss has been so good in his first season at the Division I level has been the biggest surprise at Ole Miss and one of the biggest surprises in college football. Especially since he was not pegged to start, and pundits thought Ole Miss would take a step back with Jaxson Dart off to the NFL draft. Chambliss ranks fourth in the SEC with 3,016 yards passing, throwing 18 touchdown passes to only three interceptions. — Andrea Adelson
Previous ranking: 3
The Aggies were picked to finish eighth in the preseason SEC media poll, then reeled off an 11-1 regular season in which they were in contention for the SEC championship game until a final, devastating loss to Texas, of all teams. The season qualifies as a bit of a surprise, with an explosive offense that was a vast improvement over 2024’s, which ranked 50th in scoring offense.
This season, Marcel Reed, along with Mario Craver and KC Concepcion, stretched the field, the team averaged 36.3 points (16th) and Reed had a breakout season, second in the SEC to Diego Pavia with 35 total touchdowns. Obviously, in a 27-17 loss to Texas to end the season, the Aggies came back to earth with Reed being held to 180 passing yards and no touchdowns and two interceptions, and adding 71 yards rushing. But the playoff looms for the Aggies, and they get another chance to rewrite an ending to a dream season. — Dave Wilson
Previous ranking: 8
It’s difficult to say there’s anything surprising about a Brent Venables defense being elite. But after losing defensive stars Billy Bowman Jr. and Danny Stutsman to the NFL draft, it might have been hard to imagine the Sooners could be this good. Following Oklahoma’s regular-season finale win over LSU on Saturday, the Sooners lead the SEC in total defense (273.6 YPG), run defense (81.4 YPG) and scoring defense (13.9 PPG). Only Texas Tech and Indiana are giving up less rushing yards per game, and Oklahoma’s smothering pass rush sits level alongside Texas A&M for the national sacks lead (41). With Venables calling plays again, the Sooners’ defense has been good enough to mask a broadly mediocre offense this fall, carrying Oklahoma almost certainly to its first playoff appearance since 2019. — Eli Lederman
Previous ranking: 10
Two games into the season, Notre Dame’s playoff hopes seemed dead and buried. The idea that an 0-2 team would run the table to claw its way back into the playoff picture didn’t really seem worth considering. So, from that standpoint, the Irish’s current position — at 10-2 with a good chance of being selected for the playoff — is surprising. But anyone who has watched Notre Dame play over the past several weeks understands this is a team not only worthy of selection, but capable of making a deep playoff run. — Kyle Bonagura
Previous ranking: 9
The storyline we have written about the most this season has been the most surprising: The Crimson Tide have not been as dominant as expected on the offensive line, and their run game has struggled for any consistency. Alabama was projected to have one of the better lines in the country, particularly with the return of Kadyn Proctor. But even he struggled early to maintain his weight and had his own moments when he was not as dominant as he could have been.
But the fact Alabama still has a chance to win the SEC, with one of the worst rushing offenses in the country, certainly comes as a surprise. Alabama ranks No. 108 in the country in rushing, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. Jam Miller has either been hurt or played through an injury for most of the season and left the game against Auburn because of a lower leg injury. His status is up in the air for the SEC title game. He leads the team with 493 yards rushing — on pace for the fewest yards by the team’s leading rusher since 1990. — Adelson
Previous ranking: 11
At 11-1, there seems to be a consensus that if BYU loses to Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game, it won’t make the playoff — and that does seem to be the most likely scenario. But perhaps the Cougars deserve more consideration. If Steve Sarkisian can claim Texas being left out would be “a travesty,” what does that mean for an 11-win team whose lone loss was to a team capable of winning the whole thing? — Bonagura
Previous ranking: 12
Freshman receiver Malachi Toney, the player nicknamed “Baby Jesus” because he has been called a savior on the football field, emerged as the most dynamic player in the Miami offense and arguably in the entire country as an 18-year-old. Miami had questions about its receiver group headed into the season after losing its top four players from a year ago. Toney stepped into the void and made his presence felt immediate against Notre Dame, then kept going with one game more impressive than the next. Toney ended the regular season leading the team with 84 catches for 970 yards and seven touchdowns, while also throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for another. He had two games with 12 or more receptions this season. All other true freshmen in FBS have combined for one such game. — Adelson
Previous ranking: 14
Though the Commodores returned Diego Pavia at quarterback, there were not many believers headed into the season. Vanderbilt was picked to finish 13th in the SEC preseason media poll. But the surprise of the season is the team itself. Pavia reached an even higher level, leading Vanderbilt to its first 10-win season in program history and potentially securing a spot for the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York next week. Vanderbilt also won a school-record six SEC games, beat Tennessee for the first time since 2018 and also took down LSU and Missouri. Pavia ranks second in the SEC with 3,192 yards passing — a single-season school record — and also ran for 826 yards and nine touchdowns. He ranks fourth on the school career list for total yards. — Adelson
Previous ranking: 16
There was lots of optimism around the Longhorns this season as a first-time preseason No. 1. Still, upon inspection, the offense was going to be a bit of a mystery with Arch Manning, a first-time starter, and wholesale changes at offensive line and wide receiver. What wasn’t expected was the midseason swoon on defense. True, the Horns lost Jahdae Barron and Andrew Mukuba in the secondary, but Michael Taaffe, an All-American returned as well as several talented corners. Texas was able to right the ship in time to pull off a big win over No. 3 Texas A&M in Austin, grabbing two fourth-quarter interceptions after pressuring Marcel Reed all night in a 27-17 win. But looking back at the season, the 97th-ranked passing defense’s struggles against DJ Lagway, who had his best game of 2025 for 3-9 Florida in an upset of Texas, could prove to be the breaking point in Texas’ playoff hopes. — Wilson
Previous ranking: 13
After the initial playoff rankings were released, it seemed possible that if enough results went in Utah’s favor, the Utes could back their way into the playoff, but it didn’t play out that way. The margin between Utah and the playoff was slim. Consider this: In the Utes’ only two losses of the season, they led in the fourth quarter (against BYU) and trailed by three in the fourth quarter (Texas Tech). Still, even if the Utes lose their bowl game, they are almost guaranteed to finish as a top-20 team, which would be the fourth time in the past eight years. — Bonagura
Previous ranking: 17
The Cavaliers went from one of the worst rushing offenses in the ACC to one of the best this season thanks to one of the best transfers they signed: running back J’Mari Taylor from NC Central. Taylor walked on at NC Central in 2020 just hoping for a chance, and when he transferred to Virginia this past offseason, the hope was that he would help the Cavaliers run the ball more consistently. He did that and more, finishing with 997 yards rushing in the regular season to lead the ACC. He is the first Virginia running back to lead the conference in rushing since Antwoine Womack 25 years ago. Thanks to Taylor’s dominance on the ground, Virginia was able to have more balance with its offense, and that allowed the Cavaliers to make it to the ACC championship game — one win away from making their first CFP appearance. — Adelson
Previous ranking: 19
Lincoln Riley’s team has started slowly in every big game it has played this season. In the case of losses to Illinois, Notre Dame and Oregon, the Trojans were not able to overcome that flaw. But in every other game this season, including in Saturday’s season finale against UCLA in which they trailed 10-7 at half, they have been able to find another gear in the second half to win.
The Trojans showed progress this season compared to a 7-5 record in 2024, primarily because they became a very good second-half team — not the case last season — and were able to win most of their close games. Now, at 9-3, is that enough to satisfy the caliber of program USC portends to be? Until Riley gets the Trojans to the College Football Playoff, the answer is probably no. — Uggetti
Previous ranking: 15
Saturday was not a banner day for freshman receiver Andrew Marsh, who finished without a catch in a 27-9 loss to Ohio State. Still, a month deep into the season, Marsh emerged from the fringes of the receiver rotation to become quarterback Bryce Underwood‘s go-to target. Marsh ended the regular season leading the Wolverines with 42 receptions for 641 yards and three touchdowns, despite sitting on only one catch until Oct. 4. Saturday was a massive disappointment for the Michigan offense. But the Wolverines have a lot to build on moving forward with Underwood and Marsh leading the passing attack. — Trotter
Previous ranking: NR
Brent Brennan and his staff pulled off one of the best turnarounds in college football in Year 2, rebounding from a bitterly disappointing 4-8 debut with a 9-3 run in 2025 that should conclude with a top-25 finish. Two of those losses also were pretty close — a double-overtime defeat to BYU and a loss at Houston on a last-second field goal. The Wildcats responded with a five-game win streak and closed out Big 12 play with a 23-7 victory over rival Arizona State. This staff did a tremendous job of flipping its fortunes this offseason by pairing 27 incoming transfers with quarterback Noah Fifita and a strong core of team leaders who chose to stay through tough times and help Brennan get things fixed. — Olson
Previous ranking: 20
The Mean Green are one of the best stories of the 2025 season, with a quarterback (Drew Mestemaker) who didn’t even start in high school, throwing for 3,825 yards and 29 touchdowns to four interceptions, leading the nation’s top offense in yards per game (516.2), yards per play (7.5) and points per game (46.4). The 11 wins are a school record, with still a conference championship game to go and a chance to earn the unthinkable following 5-7 and 6-7 seasons in coach Eric Morris’ first two years: a spot in the College Football Playoff field. But all of that success comes at a price. Morris has already accepted the Oklahoma State coaching job, though he will finish out the season, and Mestemaker could be right behind him. But the Mean Green have had a season for the ages in Denton. — Wilson
Previous ranking: 21
Despite losing Darian Mensah to Duke in the offseason, not signing eventual replacement Jake Retzlaff until the summer and what has turned out to be a pretty lackluster run game on average, Tulane’s offense has remained excellent in 2025. The Green Wave sleepwalked through Saturday’s 27-0 win over Charlotte, but Retzlaff still threw for 291 yards, bringing him to 2,717 yards for the season in addition to 615 non-sack rushing yards. His go-to receiver has changed at times this season, but Anthony Brown-Stephens led the way with nine catches and 98 yards Saturday. The Green Wave defense has been shaky, especially against the pass — and that could be a problem against North Texas in the American championship game — but Retzlaff & Co. can keep up in a track meet. — Bill Connelly
Previous ranking: 24
The Dukes are now one win away from potentially advancing to the College Football Playoff. Coach Bob Chesney’s squad closed out an 11-1 regular season and an 8-0 run through conference play with a 59-10 blowout of Coastal Carolina. This team has built on a nine-win season in 2024 with one of the most dominant runs through conference play the Sun Belt has ever seen. James Madison’s average margin of victory in Sun Belt play has been 27.4 points. It will host Troy (8-4) in the Sun Belt championship game and hope one more strong showing earns some respect from the CFP committee. Another outcome that can absolutely help JMU’s chances: Duke upsetting Virginia in the ACC title game would create a real possibility of two G5 teams earning bids in the 12-team CFP. — Olson
Previous ranking: 25
After last season’s eight-overtime loss to Georgia, there was a sense that something significant had changed for Georgia Tech. No, the Yellow Jackets weren’t going to spend like Texas Tech in the offseason, but that game served notice that, with enough commitment, there was every reason to believe this program could compete with the big boys. For most of 2025, that’s exactly what happened — even in another nail-biter with the Bulldogs on Friday. Georgia Tech was good. Just not good enough.
A late-season swoon that included losses to NC State, Pitt and, again, Georgia, ultimately nixed the year’s highest hopes, but a 10-win campaign is still within reach, which, while not exactly surprising, still would constitute a high-water mark for the program in more than a decade. Haynes King‘s brilliance, the emergence of stars such as Malachi Hosley, and the grunt work done by Jordan van den Berg, Keylan Rutledge and so many other players who crafted their games in head coach Brent Key’s image have made for a surprisingly fun season, even if it ultimately fell short of the highest of aspirations. — Hale
Previous ranking: 18
For better or worse, this was an old Josh Heupel team. After making a playoff run with a great defense and frustrating offense, Heupel’s Vols have flipped back to being all offense, little defense. It has given up over 30 points seven times, including Saturday’s demoralizing 45-24 loss to Vanderbilt, its first defeat to the Commodores in seven years. Still, despite losing starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to the transfer portal in the spring, the offense improved dramatically, and with just one extra stop against Georgia and Oklahoma, the Vols have remained in the playoff hunt the entire season. A very mixed bag in 2025. — Connelly
Previous ranking: NR
Perhaps it should be no surprise that Iowa’s offense improved again in 2025 after offensive coordinator Tim Lester lifted the Hawkeyes from No. 132 to No. 72 in scoring offense a season ago. But considering the offenses Iowa fans were subjected to in 2022 and 2023, any and every improvement must be celebrated. The Hawkeyes close the regular season with the nation’s 60th-ranked scoring offense — up to 28.9 points from 27.7 a year ago — marking the program’s best finish in the category since 2020.
The addition of transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski provided Iowa with a fresh red zone rushing presence and made the Hawkeyes’ passing attack ever so slightly more explosive. Lester also deserves credit for maintaining one of the Big Ten’s top rushing attacks despite losing 2024 rushing leader Kaleb Johnson. Simply back in the middle of the pack offensively within the conference, Kirk Ferentz and Iowa proved just how competitive it can be in 2025 on its way to eight-plus wins for the 10th time since 2015. — Lederman
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