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  • Greg WyshynskiJul 3, 2025, 09:30 AM ET

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      Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

For NHL general manager of the year Jim Nill, the free agent frenzy didn’t feel all that frenetic this year.

“We knew going in that there wasn’t a lot of depth in this free agent group,” said Nill, of the Dallas Stars. “The cap has increased a lot, so teams are able to sign their own guys. That’s a major part it.”

For NHL teams, that was one lesson learned. Here are four things we gleaned as free agency opened this week.

Higher salary cap, more reasons to stay home

NHL teams are usually bumping their heads up against the salary cap ceiling. This offseason, by comparison, was like walking into a cathedral.

The NHL and NHLPA announced in January that the upper limit of the 2025-26 salary cap was going to be $95.5 million, a jump of $7.5 million over last season’s cap ($88 million). But the financial comfort didn’t stop there. The NHL also announced cap estimates for 2026-27 ($104 million) and 2027-28 ($113.5 million) that could grow higher depending on revenues.

It was a genius labor negotiating tactic for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who quieted any rage against the machine by the players by showing them their potential salary growth if the current system was kept in place. It also gave their teams a chance to aggressively spend to improve their rosters under a rising cap.

But instead of feeding a free agent frenzy, the increased financial flexibility created an opportunity for more players to stay home:

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1:58

K’Andre Miller’s top plays from the 2024-25 NHL season

Check out the best plays from last season by K’Andre Miller, who has signed a deal with the Hurricanes.

“What we’ve noticed in the last 48 hours is how many guys re-signed with their own teams and didn’t even hit the free agent market,” Columbus GM Don Waddell said.

The free agent market was already going to be sparse this summer. The rush of talented players who decided to remain with their clubs made it barren for some positions of need.

“I know everybody wants to talk about second-line centers. There’s probably, by my count, 27 teams that are looking for them,” Toronto GM Brad Treliving said. “The ones that have them aren’t giving them out too quickly.”

One of the reasons teams get active in free agency is to change the makeup of their roster. But San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier noted that with the extra salary cap room, more teams were opting for players they were already familiar with rather than dabbling in the unknown.

“I don’t know if it’s right to say that teams went out of their way to sign their own guys, but with everyone having a little bit more money, what the market might show is that instead of teams overspending on someone you don’t know, it’s better to lock up the player you know,” he said.

There were still players who embraced the chance to leave for new teams: Mikael Granlund, getting $21 million over three years with the Anaheim Ducks; Vladislav Gavrikov, getting $49 million over seven years from the New York Rangers; and, of course, Mitch Marner, getting $96 million to leave Toronto for the Vegas Golden Knights. But many more big names stayed put.

Every offseason, teams are battling against one of the truisms of NHL free agency: That players won’t leave their current teams because “their stuff is there.” Now, thanks to the NHL’s skyrocketing salary cap, the challenge is greater: Their stuff is there, and teams now have the financial flexibility to retain them.

“Talking to other managers, there wasn’t as much pressure financially in terms of space that teams have,” Treliving said. “With the cap rising, it gave everybody more salary cap space to retain their own players.”

NHL’s tampering problem? Not enough teams use it for leverage

Trying to crack down on tampering before NHL free agency is a preposterous task. It’s not just that everyone talks to everyone else everywhere there’s hockey people in the offseason — from the scouting combine, to the pubs, to the pubs near the combine — but that the concept itself is hard to define within the context of what the NHL cares about enforcing. It’s a bit like cap circumvention: They know what goes too far when they see it.

Ottawa owner Michael Andlauer accusing the Rangers of “soft tampering” last season because the New York Post speculated they would take a run at acquiring Brady Tkachuk? The NHL didn’t care.

Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning openly discussed acquiring players under contract such as Steven Stamkos in 2016? NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly fined him $50,000.

Daly has been the NHL’s enforcer on potential tampering. At a 2024 NHL general managers meeting, Daly gave a presentation reminding them what was or was not allowed regarding communication with pending free agents and other players under contract. Sportsnet reported that part of that refresher were potential penalties for tampering, ranging from a $5 million fine for a team and $1 million for an executive, with potential forfeiture of draft picks and suspensions on the table as well.

The reason for the tampering lesson: Daly wasn’t happy with “some commentary in the media around July 1 that indicated that there may have been contact and negotiation before July 1,” he told The Athletic.

In the summer of 2024, we had situations such as Tyler Bertuzzi telling the media that Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno called him the day before free agency to inform him that his team was interested in signing him. Said Chicago GM Kyle Davidson: “We don’t ask them to do these things, but Nick cares. He knows a lot of people, he loves the team and he wants to push this thing forward.”

So, tampering then …

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1:49

Why Mitch Marner is a great fit for Vegas

Greg Wyshynski reports on Mitch Marner getting traded from the Maple Leafs to the Golden Knights.

The T-word came up again this week in relation to Maple Leafs star Marner’s pending free agency. Marner, 28, came to Vegas in a sign-and-trade with the Maple Leafs before free agency officially started Tuesday. The Golden Knights sent center Nicolas Roy to the Leafs, who signed Marner to an eight-year, $96 million contract that carried a $12 million annual cap hit before trading him to Vegas.

There was speculation for weeks that Marner was going to be playing for the Golden Knights. To hear him tell it, the idea first took hold at the NHL trade deadline, when Vegas attempted to acquire Marner in a three-way deal that fell apart. Marner said that was the first time he considered Vegas a long-term home for him and his young family. When he got word that Vegas and Toronto were talking trade Friday, Marner said he decided to forgo any free agent bidding war to commit to Vegas, so as not to “lose that opportunity.”

But Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on his podcast last week that there was talk around the NHL that “the Maple Leafs will go after Vegas for tampering” with Marner. Teams had been on high alert since Daly’s comments. The thought was, according to Friedman, that the league might want to make an example of a team accused of tampering.

“If they make a deal with Toronto and send a good player to Toronto, I’m betting that any chance the Maple Leafs file for tampering goes away,” Friedman said.

Roy is a good player, filling a need at center for Toronto.

Treliving declined to address the tampering speculation. Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon wasn’t asked directly about it during his news conference, but made several statements that seemingly addressed the accusation, including:

  • Trade discussions at the deadline “were initiated by Toronto.”

  • The sign-and-trade was made to get an eighth year on Marner’s contract, or else his AAV on a $96 million seven-year deal would have been $13.7 million. “That really impacts our ability to take the player onto our team,” he said.

  • The trade allowed them to open communications with Marner’s camp. “We wanted to be able to create a one-on-one relationship with his representatives in terms of trying to do a contract,” he said.

  • Misinformation about his team around free agency has been rampant, saying there’s “a long list of things that have gone on the last month that had absolutely [no] credibility. It’s shameful, to be honest.”

Assuming there are no other steps taken here, the “tampering” around Marner will just be a part of NHL lore, mentioned in passing whenever Roy does something for Toronto — or Vegas laments his absence.

But it does bring up, hypothetically, a way for the NHL to tamp down on tampering: Have the teams police themselves. Using the pressure points of punishment to force a sign-and-trade or other transactions to “make this go away.” It’s probably a cleaner way to go about this than to have the NHL define how much tampering is too much tampering. Until, of course, Daly has to address the general managers about extortion and blackmail.

The Panthers have maintained their dynasty — and played defense

Next season, the Panthers will attempt to do something that no club since the Islanders in the early 1980s was able to do: Make a fourth straight Stanley Cup Final and a win a third straight Stanley Cup.

That they’ll do so with the services of center Sam Bennett, defenseman Aaron Ekblad and winger Brad Marchand — despite all three of them having a chance to test unrestricted free agency for the first time — is nothing short of extraordinary from a managerial standpoint and infuriating from a competitive standpoint.

GM Bill Zito vowed that he would be able to sign Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP; Ekblad, a top-pairing right-shot defenseman, a coveted position on the open market; and Marchand, the veteran star who had the best series of his career in the Stanley Cup Final.

But there were theories as to why all three might leave. Bennett could have gotten a huge contract as a second-line center, an area of need for many contenders. Ekblad would enter a free agent market that lacked anyone with his skill set or pedigree. There was talk Marchand could get $10 million annually from teams like Toronto or the Utah Mammoth in exchange for his scoring, leadership and renowned intangibles.

But in the end, Zito was right: All three are still part of the Panthers’ formidable core.

Bennett was the first to sign at eight years and $64 million. Ekblad followed at eight years and $48.8 million. Marchand then signed for six years — making him a Panther until he’s 43 years old — and $31.5 million.

“I didn’t do anything. It was those guys. There’s no gray area whatsoever. This was 100 percent those guys wanting to be part of something that they created,” Zito said. “We’ve waxed poetic about the team and the community they’ve become, and this is a great example of what it means to them.”

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1:55

Aaron Ekblad’s top plays from the 2025 NHL playoffs

With Aaron Ekblad signing an extension with the Panthers, relive his top plays from this year’s postseason.

Bennett said he was comfortable with the money, but that money can’t buy happiness. “There’s been times earlier in my career where I didn’t enjoy it as much, and I certainly don’t take it for granted now,” he said. “Being in South Florida has just completely changed my life, and I love playing hockey there. I love living there. It’s really the dream situation. So I couldn’t pass up the chance to be back here for another eight years.”

Ekblad was drafted first overall by the Panthers in 2014 and never wanted to leave. His negotiation was a bit more tenuous with Zito. “Both sides are playing hardball at different times and sometimes you feel like you’re getting further apart or closer together,” he said, “but it ultimately came to the right deal and a good deal for both sides.”

Zito played a little defense here, too. Signing Bennett means no one else gets a win-at-all-costs playoff MVP in his prime. Ekblad won’t be patrolling the blue line for Carolina, Dallas or another contender. The Leafs seemed like they were keeping their powder dry to make a run at Marchand, who was a Toronto fan growing up. The Panthers themselves said that last year’s Toronto team was the toughest they had seen in the playoffs in years. What could the infusion of Marchand’s savvy — and the removal of the Leafs’ greatest postseason adversary from an opponent — do to one of Florida’s chief divisional rivals?

But Treliving didn’t get his hopes up about stealing any of them from Florida.

“We’re not in their meetings, but when we looked from afar, the anticipation was that those guys would be back,” he said.

And they are back, for several more runs at the Stanley Cup, on a roster packed with high-end talent who fit snugly under the salary cap. Inevitably, the conversation about the Panthers gets back to one of the most ubiquitous debates in the NHL: the advantages that teams with no state income tax have over the rest of the league.

Zito has addressed this before, calling the advantage “marginal at best” for the Panthers, saying it’s more about the team’s ownership and the way players are treated.

“They know that if the chicken isn’t right, that we’re going to get new chicken. It sort of transcends all that we do,” he said to laughter. “It sounds silly, but it’s true and it’s real. The sun doesn’t kill us. It’s a nice environment to live in. It’s a good place for families. It’s a good place for singles. It’s got a little something for everybody. But so many of the players who have come to us have had career years and it’s a function of the coaches and players in the room.”

Dallas GM Jim Nill also has a state with no income tax.

“Are there some advantages? Yes, but every city has certain advantages. In the end, it’s ‘are you successful?’ Because that’s going to open the door first when you’re talking to players,” he said. “When the money’s the same, players want to win. That’s the important thing.

“Nobody wanted to go to Florida for 10-12 years. Dallas, 15 years ago, was in bankruptcy. No one was coming here. So do the right things, be competitive, have a good team, that means you’ll usually have a good fans base. Great weather, great city … those are kind of the cherries on top. But the core of it was the hockey operations.”

Ekblad echoed that in discussing why him, Bennett and Marchand all decided to stay. And why players like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell and Gustav Forsling are all signed through 2030. From the quality of their practice rink to the hotels in which they stay to the food they devour, he said the organization does it all for them to a high level of satisfaction.

“So it’s easy to want to stay here. And then the culture of winning is just a huge draw to guys. It’s the most important thing. It’s why we play the game. We’ve all been taken care of extremely well,” Ekblad said. “I don’t know how many teams in the league have 10 guys locked up for five years, but it’s really cool. There’s a pride factor involved.”

There are always (perceptional) winners and losers

In 2019, the Florida Panthers signed Sergei Bobrovsky to a seven-year deal with an average annual value of $10 million. It was called the “biggest overpayment of free agency” at the time; as recently as two years ago, it was deemed one of the worst contracts in the NHL.

Two Stanley Cups, three trips to the Final and a rising salary cap later, the investment in Playoff Bob is a bit more justifiable.

That’s just a reminder that this week’s great signings or terrible decisions are inherently just a first impression. It could take years before their impact can be properly measured beyond what are calculated risks at best or leaps of faith at worst right now.

All that established: There are clearly teams that have come out of the first days of the frenzy with better optics than others. After speaking with a few NHL sources this week, one team that has gotten good marks is the New York Rangers.

One current NHL player told us he loved the signing of defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (seven years, $7 million AAV) as the best defensive defenseman available, and a new partner for Adam Fox. Multiple sources were fans of the bridge deal for forward Will Cuylle (two years, $3.9 million) as a reasonable cap hit for a burgeoning player, while keeping him away from offer sheets. One NHL capologist also admired the K’Andre Miller trade to Carolina, turning a potential offer sheet target into a first-rounder, a second-rounder and a young puck-moving defenseman in Scott Morrow, while clearing cap space that Gavrikov quickly filled.

As expected, there was a lot of love for what Florida did in retaining its three unrestricted free agents. One current NHL coach said it was a “master class” by Zito, taking full advantage of a rising salary cap to retain Bennett, Ekblad and Marchand. But another source wondered about how the Panthers will ultimately begin the season under the salary cap, as they’re around $2.95 million over it at the moment. Options range from trading a player such as Evan Rodrigues to potentially starting the season with Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve. Zito didn’t offer an update on Tkachuk’s status during his Tuesday news conference.

But while some teams thrived, others made a different first impression. The three teams that sparked the most skepticism from our sources:

Boston Bruins: While the Bruins did some good business in securing RFA Morgan Geekie with a six-year deal with a $5.5 million annual cap hit, that good will was squandered with their signing of forward Tanner Jeannot to a five-year deal with a $3.4 million AAV. Since scoring 24 goals in 2021-22 for Nashville, Jeannot has scored a combined 20 goals over the last three seasons with the Predators, Lightning and Kings. One source likened the signing to Bruins GM Don Sweeney signing forward Matt Beleskey to a five-year deal with a $3.8 million AAV in 2015. He had 18 goals in 143 games for the Bruins. By year three of the deal, he was in the AHL.

Los Angeles Kings: New GM Ken Holland went on a shopping spree Tuesday, signing forward Joel Armia (two years, $2.5 million AAV) and Corey Perry (one year, $2 million); defensemen Brian Dumoulin (three years, $4 million AAV) and Cody Ceci (four years, $4.5 million AAV); and goalie Anton Forsberg (two years, $2.25 million AAV). The moves weren’t met with universal praise from Kings fans. One NHL player we spoke with said his peers have offered a similar reaction. “Every guy I’ve talked to couldn’t believe what they did,” he said.

Vegas Golden Knights: While the signing of Marner was praised, there was some concern from our sources about the team’s overall depth. That included moving bottom-six center Roy to Toronto in order to facilitate the sign-and-trade with the Leafs for Marner. One NHL coach was also curious about the defense corps next season, given that the team announced that Alex Pietrangelo will no longer be an active NHL player due to injuries, and that it traded RFA defenseman Nicolas Hague to the Predators, a player the coach felt is “very underrated.”

Of course, the thing with first impressions is that they can always get a second glance down the line. Today’s risky play could be tomorrow’s Stanley Cup champion.

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AP Week 5 poll reaction: What’s next for each Top 25 team

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September 28, 2025

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AP Week 5 poll reaction: What's next for each Top 25 team

Sep 28, 2025, 02:25 PM ET

The latest AP poll is out.

It was a tough week for ranked teams. Four teams in last week’s top 10 — the Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Penn State Nittany Lions and the Florida State Seminoles all lost.

The Ole Miss Rebels knocked off LSU to jump into the top 5 of the rankings. Rebels QB Trinidad Chambliss had 385 total yards and a score, and the Tigers struggled on both sides of the ball. They failed to score 20 points for the third time in the past five games. The LSU defense allowed 480 yards. The Tigers have allowed 944 total yards in their past two games against the Rebels.

Elsewhere, the Indiana Hoosiers, Texas A&M Aggies, Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets all got narrow wins.

What does it all mean for the AP Top 25? Let’s break down the rankings.

Stats courtesy of ESPN Research.

All times Eastern

Previous ranking: 1

2025 record: 4-0

Week 5 result: Defeated Washington 24-6

Stat to know: Ohio State has held its opponent under 10 points in each of the first four games of a season for the first time since 1973.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m., NBC

Previous ranking: 6

2025 record: 5-0

Week 5 result: Defeated Penn State 30-24

Stat to know: First road win against an AP top-5 team since 2021 at Ohio State.

What’s next: Oct. 11 vs. Indiana

Previous ranking: 2

2025 record: 4-0

Week 5 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday at Florida State, 7:30 p.m., ABC

Previous ranking: 13

2025 record: 5-0

Week 5 result: Defeated LSU 24-19

Stat to know: QB Trinidad Chambliss is the first SEC player with at least 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards in three straight games in the past 30 years.

What’s next: Oct. 11 vs. Washington State, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network

Previous ranking: 7

2025 record: 4-0

Week 5 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday vs. Kent State, 4 p.m., SEC Network

Previous ranking: 9

2025 record: 4-0

Week 5 result: Defeated Auburn 16-10

Stat to know: Texas A&M is 4-0 to start a season for the first time since 2016 (started 6-0).

What’s next: Saturday vs. Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network

Previous ranking: 3

2025 record: 3-1

Week 5 result: Lost to Oregon 30-24

Stat to know: Penn State’s six-game win streak in White Out games was snapped in the loss to Oregon.

What’s next: Saturday at UCLA, 3:30 p.m., CBS

Previous ranking: 11

2025 record: 5-0

Week 5 result: Defeated Iowa 20-15

Stat to know: Indiana has started 5-0 in consecutive seasons. Before this current run, the Hoosiers started 5-0 only twice in program history (1967, 1910).

What’s next: Oct. 11 at Oregon

Previous ranking: 10

2025 record: 3-1

Week 5 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday at Florida, 3:30 p.m.

Previous ranking: 17

2025 record: 3-1

Week 5 result: Defeated Georgia 24-21

Stat to know: Alabama has won 10 of its past 11 games against Georgia.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m.

Previous ranking: 12

2025 record: 4-0

Week 5 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday at Houston, 7 p.m., ESPN

Previous ranking: 5

2025 record: 3-1

Week 5 result: Lost to Alabama 24-21

Stat to know: The loss to Alabama was Georgia’s first home loss since 2019.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Kentucky, noon, ABC

Previous ranking: 4

2025 record: 4-1

Week 5 result: Lost to Ole Miss 24-19

Stat to know: LSU has allowed 450 or more total yards three times in the past two years. Two of those came against Ole Miss.

What’s next: Oct. 11 vs. South Carolina

Previous ranking: 14

2025 record: 4-0

Week 5 result: Defeated Arizona 39-14

Stat to know: Iowa State is the first Big 12 program to start 5-0 in consecutive seasons since Oklahoma State in 2021.

What’s next: Saturday at Cincinnati, noon, ESPN2

Previous ranking: 15

2025 record: 4-1

Week 5 result: Defeated Mississippi State 41-34 (OT)

Stat to know: Tennessee has never lost multiple overtime games in the same season.

What’s next: Oct. 11 vs. Arkansas

Previous ranking: 18

2025 record: 5-0

Week 5 result: Defeated Utah State 55-35

Stat to know: Vanderbilt has scored 50 or more points in consecutive games for the first time since 1915.

What’s next: Saturday at Alabama, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Previous ranking: 16

2025 record: 5-0

Week 5 result: Defeated Wake Forest 30-29 (OT)

Stat to know: In the win, Haynes King recorded his 13th game with a passing and rushing score, the most by a Georgia Tech player over the past 20 years.

What’s next: Oct. 11 vs. Virginia Tech

Previous ranking: 8

2025 record: 3-1

Week 5 result: Lost to Virginia 46-38 (2OT)

Stat to know: In the loss, Randy Pittman Jr. joined Clemson’s C.J. Spiller as the only non-QBs in the ACC in the past 20 years with a passing, rushing and receiving score in the same game.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m., ABC

Previous ranking: 20

2025 record: 5-0

Week 5 result: Defeated UMass 42-6

Stat to know: Mizzou is 5-0 for the second time in the last 12 seasons.

What’s next: Oct. 11 vs. Alabama, noon

Previous ranking: 19

2025 record: 3-1

Week 5 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday vs. Wisconsin, noon, Fox

Previous ranking: 22

2025 record: 2-2

Week 5 result: Defeated Arkansas 56-13

Stat to know: The 56 points were the most scored by Notre Dame against an SEC opponent since scoring 59 against Tulane in 1947.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Boise State, 3:30 p.m., NBC

Previous ranking: 23

2025 record: 4-1

Week 5 result: Defeated USC 34-32

Stat to know: QB Luke Altmyer is the first Illinois player to have a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game since Kurt Kittner did it in 1999.

What’s next: Saturday at Purdue, noon, Big Ten Network

Previous ranking: 25

2025 record: 4-0

Week 5 result: Defeated Colorado 24-21

Stat to know: BYU has started 4-0 in consecutive seasons and for the fourth time in 10 seasons under Kalani Sitake.

What’s next: Friday vs. West Virginia, 10:30 p.m., ESPN

Previous ranking: NR

2025 record: 4-1

Week 5 result: Defeated Florida State 46-38 (2OT)

Stat to know: Virginia’s 46 points were its most ever against an AP top-10 team.

What’s next: Saturday at Louisville, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2

Previous ranking: NR

2025 record: 4-1

Week 5 result: Defeated TCU 27-24

Stat to know: Arizona State has won nine straight at home.

What’s next: October 11 at Utah

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Is Alabama back? Is Oregon the Big Ten’s best? A raucous Week 5 reshuffled expectations

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September 28, 2025

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Is Alabama back? Is Oregon the Big Ten's best? A raucous Week 5 reshuffled expectations

  • David HaleSep 28, 2025, 01:07 AM ET

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

The beauty of college football, the thing that keeps us coming back week after week in spite of the exasperating morass of everything that happens off the field, is that the sport keeps surprising us.

This shouldn’t be possible. Once you’ve seen the band on the field, the kick-six and a player mimic a urinating dog after a touchdown, we should be immune to such astonishment. And yet, here were are, in Week 5, awash in shock and awe once more.

Who would’ve thought that Alabama, reeling in the aftermath of a Week 1 loss to Florida State, would waltz into Athens and swat down Georgia 24-21 behind a brilliant performance from QB Ty Simpson? Kalen DeBoer has gone from the hot seat to the SEC’s throne in the span of a month.

Who might’ve imagined that James Franklin, three quarters of the way through yet another root canal of a performance in a big game, would see his Penn State team rally from 14 points down to force overtime against Oregon? Even if it all still came to an end with a 30-24 defeat in double overtime, the game felt more like last year’s battle of titans between the Ducks and Ohio State, an appetizer before an entree to come later — in the conference title game or the College Football Playoff or at Dan Lanning’s annual Big Ten family trip to Six Flags.

Who would have imagined that a clattering of cowbells would come within a few yards of upending the SEC’s power structure, that Virginia‘s football program, which had fallen asleep watching Tony Bennett’s offense six years ago, would suddenly awaken to stun Florida State, or that, just days after Brian Kelly promised LSU would keep the Magnolia Trophy, Lane Kiffin would come away with a win and troll Kelly on social media?

OK, so we probably should’ve seen that last one coming.

And so, we’ve reached September’s end, and so much of what seemed certain has come undone. No. 3 Penn State, No. 4 LSU, No. 5 Georgia and No. 8 Florida State all went down in a raucous Week 5 that reshuffled expectations for October and offered a reminder of just how little we know so early in a season.

In Week 1, we got our first true stunner of the new season, as Tommy Castellanos and the Seminoles upended Alabama. After Saturday, it seems impossible to believe that just five weeks have passed since then.

For the Tide, every glaring weakness on display in Tallahassee on Aug. 30 had been miraculously remedied in Athens on Saturday night. Simpson was terrific, throwing for 276 yards and two scores, the defense was stalwart, and DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb worked magic, from a rejuvenated rushing attack to a near flawless night of third-down playcalling to the inspired use of left tackle Kadyn Proctor on a trick play that we assume Bama calls “No, seriously, get out of his way for your own safety! Our health insurance plan does not cover what will happen to you if you attempt to tackle him!”

play

0:33

Ty Simpson throws pass to 6-foot-7, 366-pound tackle Kayden Proctor

Ty Simpson throws it out to Kayden Proctor, who barrels over everyone to set up first-and-goal.

Georgia had its chances, but came up small is so many big moments, including a misplayed fourth-down call near the goal line. Gunner Stockton was held to just 130 yards through the air in what was surely his most disappointing performance since his pickup truck got a flat tire and he completely missed his chance to score Aerosmith tickets.

It was 17 years ago, in Nick Saban’s second season as Alabama’s head coach, that the Tide arrived in Athens for a “blackout” and stomped Matthew Stafford, A.J. Green and a star-studded Georgia team in a game that announced the new coach’s arrival as the conference’s standard. Whether DeBoer’s win will prove as significant depends entirely on where Alabama goes from here, but after a year of questions and criticism, the possibility no longer feels so far-fetched.

For the better part of three quarters, Oregon-Penn State felt as if Tony Petitti had accidentally cut and pasted an Iowa game into Happy Valley, but when Oregon scored on back-to-back drives to go up 17-3, the boos erupted from the white-clad faithful, the Nittany Lions appeared headed to another dismal defeat at the hands of an elite foe, and Franklin again remained frustratingly stoic, as if he was watching his laundry dry rather than seeing the football gods spite his team once again.

And then, just as suddenly, it all shifted. Drew Allar remembered he can throw the ball forward, Kaytron Allen delivered body blows in the run game befitting a heavyweight boxer, and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki flipped his play card around and realized he had been reading it upside down the whole time

Yes, it was still ultimately a loss for Penn State after Dillon Thieneman picked off Allar in the second overtime. Yes, Oregon’s win warrants ample praise, and the Ducks should comfortably move into the AP top three, as Dante Moore looks like a poised veteran, the corps of tailbacks is deep and dynamic, and the defensive front is utterly ferocious. And yes, Franklin’s reputation for falling short in big games will remain intact a little longer. He’s now 4-21 against AP top-10 opponents, though it seems unfair no one ever mentions he’s 12-0 against the MAC. But Saturday’s fourth quarter did feel different, as if this Penn State team had awoken from a long slumber and was finally now ready to play like a team capable of winning it all, and a Big Ten battle that includes Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana and the Nittany Lions should be among the nation’s best in the coming months.

And all of that was but the grand finale to a weekend that saw so much of the conventional wisdom upended.

Mississippi State‘s dream season nearly reached a new crescendo, but for a failed fourth-down try in overtime against Tennessee.

Florida State was riding high, then it hit a wall against Virginia, who forced the Seminoles into a second overtime, thwarted their final drive and then stormed the field with the pent-up enthusiasm of a stable of racehorses, all but throwing cash at ACC commissioner Jim Phillips to cover the fines before announcing he could keep the change.

Kiffin’s own daughter revealed on social media earlier this week that she was dating LSU star linebacker Whit Weeks, which might have been enough to rattle a lesser father. Not Kiffin though. His Rebels ran roughshod over LSU, as backup QB Trinidad Chambliss continued his unlikely ascent, accounting for 385 yards in a 24-19 win, even if it didn’t cover the total, as Kiffin had promised.

It’s hard to blame Kiffin for the low total. LSU has now failed to crack 24 points in any of its four games against FBS competition this year.

The end result of the weekend is a playoff picture that looks as garbled and vague as ever.

Is Alabama back? Is Penn State a contender? Is Oregon the Big Ten’s best? Is Florida State cooked? Will Brian Kelly’s head explode like a piñata if LSU doesn’t figure out how to run the ball?

September provided more surprises than answers, which is all we could’ve asked for.

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Heisman five

Week 5 vibe check

Each week, big games help dictate the playoff landscape, but a lot of smaller shifts in the college football ecosystem can go unnoticed. We try to keep tabs on those here.

Trending up: Frustration at Southern Cal

USC was off to a 4-0 start and had climbed back into the AP Top 25. Illinois was coming off of a loss to Indiana so horrendous that a lesser coach than Bret Bielema would have faked his own death and started a new life in South America under the name Bert Gunderson.

So, advantage for the Trojans, right?

Of course not! This is USC, a team that would get lost in the drive-through at an In-N-Out Burger.

Despite Illinois twice fumbling inside the red zone, and despite USC driving 80 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with just 1:55 to play, there was really never any doubt what would happen Saturday, because of course, Lane Kiffin used his last wish on that enchanted monkey’s paw he bought at Ed Orgeron’s garage sale to put a curse on the program as revenge for firing him.

In any case, USC is now 13-12 in its past 25 games, dating back to 2023. As a general rule, if Trojans are that ineffective, there’s either a coaching change or the theft of a monarch’s wife by a rival nation-state. What this means for Lincoln Riley is complicated, as firing him would be extremely expensive and also result in so much exuberant laughter in Oklahoma that the wind created would risk another dust bowl situation.

Trending down: SEC job security

Saturday’s performance in Fayetteville might have been the point of no return for Sam Pittman at Arkansas. The Hogs lost for the third straight game, this time in horrific fashion as Notre Dame utterly shredded the D to the tune of 641 yards in a 56-13 win. Jeremiyah Love scored four times in the first half — two on receptions, two runs — and CJ Carr threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns in the win.

During the Razorbacks’ three-game losing streak, they have surrendered a whopping 129 points, which would normally make DC Travis Williams the most reviled coordinator of the Pittman era, but Dan Enos also worked there, so that honor is locked up.

Meanwhile, lurking in the shadows, Bobby Petrino’s diabolical scheme to regain power like the Empire building a second Death Star is finally coming to fruition.

Things are only slightly more secure for Auburn‘s Hugh Freeze, who was brought to The Plains with the expressed intent of ending Nick Saban’s dynasty and building an offensive juggernaut as he had done at Ole Miss and Liberty before. Turns out, Freeze managed the first job by default, with Saban retiring to spend more time with his insurance duck. The second task, however, has proven more difficult, and on Saturday, Auburn’s offense mustered just 155 total yards against Texas A&M, racking up more penalties (10) and as many punts (nine) as first downs.

Freeze is now 5-13 in SEC play since taking over at Auburn. Things are so bleak he’s already confirmed tee times for November, and Auburn boosters are texting Houston Nutt to file a FOIA for Freeze’s phone records.

Then there’s Mark Stoops, who’s hoping he can just fly under the radar until basketball season and then everyone will forget that Kentucky stinks again this year. The Wildcats were waxed 35-13 by South Carolina, and new starting QB Cutter Boley threw two costly interceptions amid another dismal offensive performance. Frankly, if a QB with as SEC a name as “Cutter Boley” can’t get the job done, there doesn’t seem to be any hope for UK to turn things around.

Trending up: Throwback celebrations

Kansas tight end Boden Groen went old-school after catching a touchdown pass early in the second half against Cincinnati, reintroducing the world to “The Dab,” which amazingly is now having a better year than “The Dabo.”

Unfortunately, turning back the clock to the mid-2010s isn’t a good thing for Kansas, which spent most of that decade tying its shoelaces together, then running down a hill covered with banana peels. Predictably, the Jayhawks 34-30 lead with 1:45 to play evaporated quickly as Cincinnati engineered a brilliant 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to secure a 37-34 win.

The Bearcats then celebrated by doing the ice bucket challenge before riding hoverboards into the locker room while blaring “Old Town Road.”

Trending down: Second-half leads in the ACC

Wake Forest was on the brink of scripting the latest chapter in the best-selling memoir “Why the ACC Can’t Have Nice Things,” leading Georgia Tech by as many as 17 in the second half. But Wake let the lead slip away in part due to a controversial missed call in the final two minutes of regulation, and in part because of what Yellow Jackets coach Brent Key called a halftime “hard reset,” which presumably means they unplugged Haynes King and then plugged him back in again.

Wake had a chance to close out the game on a third-and-5 play with 1:48 to go. A Tech defender was clearly offsides, and QB Robby Ashford used the free play opportunity to throw deep. The pass was incomplete, the flag never came, and Wake had to punt — giving Tech a chance to kick a tying field goal and send the game to overtime. The Deacons failed to convert a 2-point try after a Demond Claiborne touchdown, and the Jackets held on for a 30-29 win.

Meanwhile, each new season of Pitt football continues to be akin to a trip to IKEA. It all begins with such optimism and a true sense of adventure, but soon enough devolves into a series of epithets and frustration until Pat Narduzzi is lost in the kitchen appliances section and all those Swedish meatballs suddenly aren’t sitting so well, and you’re screaming at your partner, “I don’t know why we needed a Holstëin in the first place! I was perfectly happy using some plywood atop a stack of cinder blocks!”

Anyway, Pitt blew a 17-point lead to Louisville and lost in embarrassing fashion for the second time in as many games, 34-27.

Trending up: Rivalry trophies

This year, the rivalry between UL Monroe and Arkansas State was dubbed the “Rice Bowl Rivalry” with an appropriately designed trophy to go with the new moniker. The Red Wolves had won the past 15 matchups in the series, but the best they had to show for it was some crowns they stole from a Burger King. But things were different this time around. ULM erased an early 10-0 deficit behind two TD passes from Aidan Armenta to pull off a 28-16 win.

Trending down: Hoosier highlights

A week ago, Indiana looked as dominant as any team in the country. On Saturday, the Hoosiers faced Iowa in a far different scenario. Facing Iowa is like riding rollercoasters after a dinner at Golden Corral. It doesn’t matter how good-looking and successful you are, things are going to get gross.

And so it was that the Hoosiers staggered into the fourth quarter trailing 13-10, and after a late interception, looked to be on the verge of an upset.

Instead, Iowa did what Iowa does best: Stalled on a drive, missed a field goal, then turned the ball over on downs after an Indiana TD. The Hoosiers held on for a 20-15 win and immediately determined this game would be remembered like Season 2 of “Friday Night Lights,” a horrible misstep that no one considers canon.

Trending up: Big 12 high jinks

Who’s the best team in the Big 12? We didn’t know a month ago, we don’t know now, and there’s at least a 12% chance we’ll only find out in December after some sort of high stakes game of rock, paper, scissors.

The conference continues to be college football’s equivalent of your quirky uncle whom everyone loves, but no one trusts to babysit their kids, as Week 5 saw Houston stay undefeated after a raucous come-from-behind win in overtime against Oregon State, Iowa State shellack Arizona while utilizing the rare fake PAT, Arizona State reaffirm its place as a conference contender after a late rally against TCU, and Oklahoma State lose once again but this time while Mike Gundy was busy fly fishing in a shopping mall fountain.

This, of course, is what makes the Big 12 great. Everything is possible, and it’s entirely possible that by the end of October, Rich Rodriguez will have a Golden Retriever playing QB, Deion Sanders will have Shedeur don a fake mustache and attempt to rejoin Colorado, and Texas Tech will simply just pay Arizona State to forfeit the rest of the season.

Under-the-radar game of the week

Hawai’i outlasted Air Force 44-35 in a game that featured more than 1,000 yards of total offense, 41 points scored in the fourth quarter, 457 yards and three TD passes from Hawai’i QB Micah Alejado and a remarkable performance by the Rainbow Warriors, who converted 14 of 19 third-down tries. After the conclusion, the governor of Iowa proclaimed any footage of this game as contraband unfit for viewing.

Under-the-radar play of the week

Two weeks after firing head coach Brent Pry, who’d been 1-12 in one-possession games, Virginia Tech eked out a 23-21 victory over NC State, thanks in large part to the heroics of tailback Terion Stewart, who rushed for 175 yards in the game, including this 85-yarder.

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Terion Stewart rips an 85-yard rush

Terion Stewart puts Virginia Tech in scoring position with an 85-yard run.

The win for the Hokies how sets up a solid chain of events in the transitive property championships: Old Dominion beat Virginia Tech, who beat NC State, who beat Virginia, who beat Florida State, who beat Alabama, who beat Georgia. Therefore Old Dominion is better than Georgia. T

Heisman five

The Heisman race was already a mess, but things took another turn this week when the presumed front-runner, Oklahoma‘s John Mateer, was lost for the foreseeable future following hand surgery, leading Arch Manning to note, “right, hand surgery! That’s what I have, too! That explains everything. Shoulder surgery. I mean, hand. Hand surgery.” Regardless, we’re revising our top five candidates after Week 5, and we’ll add Mateer back into the mix if he returns quickly enough to keep his Heisman hopes alive.

1. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza

Mendoza wasn’t exactly sharp, but he did throw for a pair of scores in a win over the Hawkeyes. In Homer’s “Odyssey,” playing offense at Iowa is considered one of the most treacherous perils in the hero’s journey, just ahead of the Lotus-Eaters and just behind being drafted by the New York Jets.

2. Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss

In three games without starter Austin Simmons, Ole Miss hasn’t missed a beat, as Chambliss — the transfer from Ferris State has emerged as one of college football’s best stories. He has helped the Rebels topple Arkansas, Tulane and LSU, he is averaging better than 10 yards per pass, and he has accounted for seven touchdowns and just one turnover. The only flaw in this amazing narrative is that he doesn’t have a twin brother named Tobago Chambliss who plays slot receiver.

3. Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia

Vandy is 5-0 for the first time since 2008, and much of the success is due to its star QB. Pavia, whose first season in college football coincided with the advent of the forward pass, has thrived, including a six-touchdown performance in Saturday’s 55-35 win over Utah State. After the game, Pavia even showed off his singing voice.

Not to be outdone, Manning quickly attempted to revive his own Heisman hopes by doing a passable karaoke rendition of “Islands in the Stream” with Steve Sarkisian at a local Applebees.

4. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith

The Buckeyes’ offense has been fairly conservative in two tougher matchups against Texas and, Saturday, vs. Washington. Still, Smith has shined, catching eight passes for 81 yards and a score in a 24-6 win over the Huskies. Afterwards, he taught Julian Sayin how to shave.

5. Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy

Another week, another 100-yard game for Hardy. The ULM transfer carried 24 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns in a win over UMass. But if he had stayed at his previous school, he’d be out celebrating with a Rice Bowl trophy right now, so it’s a mixed bag for Hardy.

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Projecting the CFP top 12 after Week 5: How big was the bump for Oregon, Bama?

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September 28, 2025

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Projecting the CFP top 12 after Week 5: How big was the bump for Oregon, Bama?

Oregon’s win at Penn State catapulted the Ducks into the top three this week, but they weren’t the only movers on a statement Saturday where winning on the road provided an extra boost.

Welcome back, Alabama.

There’s a temporary ceiling, though, for some of these contenders, as the selection committee’s head-to-head tiebreaker is factoring into the ranking. It’s one of several tiebreakers they use when comparing teams, and as long as the teams have similar records, the group has historically leaned on the head-to-head result. That’s helping Florida State tremendously right now.

The 13-member College Football Playoff selection committee doesn’t release its first ranking until Nov. 4, but based on what each team has done to-date, the ones with statement wins and/or multiple wins against respectable teams have the early edge.

The list below is fluid — and will continue to be as teams enter the heart of conference play. Here’s the latest prediction of what the selection committee’s top 12 would look like if it were released today.

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Ranking | Bracket

Projecting the top 12

Why they could be here: The Canes had a bye week to prepare for their trip to Florida State, but entered this week ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s Strength of Record metric — a statistic that has historically aligned with the selection committee’s top four teams. With Notre Dame’s resounding win at Arkansas, the Canes’ season-opening win against the Irish continues to shine. Miami’s wins against South Florida and Florida — both of which had bye weeks — continues to collectively help separate the Canes.

Why they could be lower: The Canes have won all four games at home — at a point in the season when other contenders have had to win tough games on the road. Both Ohio State and Oregon have now won tough conference road games.

Need to know: Saturday’s game against FSU could be Miami’s last game during the regular season against a ranked opponent. Right now, Miami is on track for a top four seed, which means a first-round bye. If the Canes lose to FSU — and/or if they finish as the ACC runner-up — this could impact their seeding because so many SEC teams have loaded schedules in the back half of the season.

Toughest remaining game: Saturday at Florida State. ESPN’s FPI gave the Canes a 63.6% chance to win. The Canes are projected to win each of their remaining games and have the best chance in the conference (67.9%) to reach the ACC title game.

Why they could be here: It wasn’t an easy trip to the West Coast, where the Buckeyes held a precarious 7-3 halftime lead against Washington, but they found a way. This was Ohio State’s first road game, and it took until the second half to find an offensive groove, but this was a respectable Big Ten win to complement the season-opener against Texas.

Why they could be lower: Oregon’s win at Penn State currently looks better than Ohio State’s home win against the Longhorns. The committee could value that one win more than Ohio State’s two against Texas and Washington.

Need to know: Two of Ohio State’s next three games are on the road — Oct. 11 at Illinois and Oct. 18 at Wisconsin. The Illini rebounded from their embarrassing loss to Indiana with a close win against USC on Saturday. That should keep them in the top 25 and give the Buckeyes another opportunity against a ranked opponent, which they might need if Texas struggles in the SEC and the Buckeyes don’t win the Big Ten.

Toughest remaining game: Nov. 1 against Penn State.

Why they could be here: The Ducks earned their first statement win — and they did it in double overtime on the road — but it was their first win against an FBS opponent above .500. Northwestern is 2-2, Oklahoma State is 1-3 and has already fired its head coach, Oregon State is 0-5 and Montana State is an FCS program. As much hype as there has been around Penn State, the Nittany Lions remain a team without any wins against Power 4 opponents.

Why they could be higher: Oregon has been dominant against the weaker teams and found a way to beat one of the best teams — on the road. The win at Penn State is better than Ohio State’s home win against Texas, and the Ducks have two road wins compared to none for the Canes.

Need to know: Oregon doesn’t play Ohio State or Michigan during the regular season, and it has a bye week to prepare for the Hoosiers on Oct. 11.

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 11 vs. Indiana. This might be the last ranked opponent the Ducks face during the regular season following USC’s loss to Illinois.

Why they could be here: The Aggies were able to build upon their win at Notre Dame by beating Auburn, giving Texas A&M some staying power in the playoff race. It helped that the Irish won convincingly at Arkansas, meaning A&M’s victory in South Bend remains one of the best nonconference wins in the country. Wins against UTSA and Utah State aren’t going to help the Aggies’ résumé, but their defensive performance against Auburn will impress the committee.

Why they could be lower: Oklahoma also beat Auburn in similar fashion, and has a strong nonconference win against Michigan. The Sooners don’t have a road win on par with beating the Irish in South Bend, though. Ole Miss has a case to be ranked ahead of both of them because of its full body of work, which now includes three SEC wins and a win against Tulane.

Need to know: Saturday’s game against Mississippi State could be tougher than originally expected. The Bulldogs pushed Tennessee to overtime in Week 5. The Aggies should be favored to win their next three games (Mississippi State, Florida and at Arkansas). If they lose one of those games, it puts pressure on them to have a winning record against the remaining three ranked opponents: LSU, Mizzou and Texas.

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 25 at LSU. Even though the Tigers lost, their defense is still one of the best the Aggies will face, and they’ll have home field advantage — possibly at night.

Why they could be here: The Rebels knocked off LSU, and have now won four straight games against respectable opponents, including three SEC teams (LSU, Arkansas and Kentucky). It also helped that Tulane beat Tulsa, and the Green Wave remains in contention for a playoff spot as one of the five highest ranked conference champions if they can win the American. Overall, this is one of the stronger résumés of the contenders, but Ole Miss is also passing the eye test as a complete team.

Why they could be lower: Kentucky and Arkansas are a combined 4-5, and Georgia State is 1-3 in the Sun Belt.

Need to know: The Rebels have one of the more winnable remaining SEC schedules of the contenders, with back-to-back trips to Georgia and Oklahoma their biggest looming obstacles. The undefeated Rebels also have something key to impressing the selection committee — two quarterbacks capable of starting. The play of backup quarterbacks is critical to the selection process (it kept undefeated ACC champ Florida State out of the CFP in 2023, but helped Ohio State in during the 2014 season). With Austin Simmons injured, it’s clear backup Trinidad Chambliss is more than capable of leading a team toward an SEC title run.

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 18 at Georgia. The Rebels also have an Oct. 25 trip to Oklahoma, but it’s unclear if the Sooners will have injured starting quarterback John Mateer back by then (unlikely).

Why they could be here: The Sooners had a bye and the committee would rank them based on what they’ve done to-date — with quarterback John Mateer in the lineup. The committee doesn’t project ahead, so the hand injury he suffered in the first quarter isn’t a factor in this week’s prediction. Wins against Auburn and Michigan are still among the best in the country, and the nonconference win against the Wolverines can continue to help separate the Sooners from other teams that played weaker schedules.

Why they could be higher: Oklahoma was passing the eye test with Mateer in the lineup, and the committee doesn’t typically move teams around if they don’t play — unless teams around them are shuffled. The group could give the Sooners more credit for wins against Michigan and Auburn than Ole Miss’ wins against Kentucky and Arkansas. Still, it’s hard for OU to win a debate against the Rebels’ entire résumé, which now includes the LSU win.

Need to know: The committee’s protocol requires their consideration of factors like injuries to key players. If Oklahoma loses a game or two with Mateer sidelined, the committee will understand the circumstance. That doesn’t mean it’s a hall pass to play poorly, but it does mean it can be overcome. A two-loss OU team that rebounds and runs the table with Mateer in the lineup (and playing like he did before he was injured), is almost a shoe-in for the playoff. They’d have to beat all ranked opponents in the second half of the season. The timeline for Mateer’s return, though, is uncertain. And as long as he’s out of the lineup, the committee will rank the Sooners based on if they look like a top-12 team with sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. in the lineup.

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 11 vs. Texas. This is suddenly an even bigger challenge, as Mateer should still be recovering from hand surgery. ESPN’s FPI gives the Longhorns a 66.3% chance to win.

Why they could be here: The head-to-head with Alabama still looms large because it’s one of the tiebreakers the committee uses to help rank teams with comparable records. As long as FSU and Bama both have one loss, the committee would likely refer to its protocol. The group would also recognize Friday’s loss was in double overtime on the road, and so far, Virginia is a respectable 4-1 opponent. Virginia athletic director Carla Williams is a member of the selection committee, and while she can’t vote or participate in discussions about UVA, she can give information about what she saw from the Noles, and can provide information about her program.

Why they could be lower: The Noles didn’t pass the eye test. They were beaten up front, made two many mistakes early, and were playing from behind most of the game.

Need to know: FSU now has the fourth-best chance to reach the ACC title game, according to ESPN Analytics, behind Miami, Virginia and Georgia Tech.

Toughest remaining game: Saturday vs. Miami. This might be FSU’s last chance to impress the committee against a ranked opponent during the regular season.

Why they could be here: The Tide reasserted itself as a playoff contender, winning their first statement game of the season after a season-opening loss at Florida State. That head-to-head result, though, is keeping the Tide behind the Noles because it’s one of several tiebreakers the committee uses to rank comparable teams. Still, it was enough to push Alabama back into the playoff conversation after three straight wins and it keeps the Tide in the hunt to win the SEC.

Why they could be higher: The win at Georgia was on the road, and the Tide passed the eye test — something Florida State didn’t do this week.

Need to know: Alabama entered Saturday with the seventh toughest remaining schedule in the country, as five of the next seven opponents are ranked. Saturday’s win at Georgia gives the Tide a slight cushion in the SEC race.

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 18 vs. Tennessee. The game against LSU won’t be easy, but Bama’s offense looks better. The Vols gave Georgia fits and could do the same to Bama.

Why they could be here: The head-to-head loss to the Tide will keep Georgia below Alabama, but the same tiebreaker will keep Georgia ahead of the Vols. The win against Tennessee still looks good, even as the Vols struggled to beat Mississippi State. The overtime win against Tennessee is all they have, though, as home wins against Austin Peay and Marshall don’t help their case.

Why they could be lower: Georgia was fortunate to beat Tennessee, and Indiana is still undefeated.

Need to know: Rival Georgia Tech is still undefeated following a scare against Wake Forest on Saturday and should be favored in each of its games leading into the regular-season finale.

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 18 vs. Ole Miss. The Rebels might be better than last year, when they had what many believed to be a more talented team.

Why they could be here: The Hoosiers escaped on Saturday with a 20-15 win at Iowa, a notoriously difficult place to play. A close win is better than a loss, just ask fellow contenders LSU and Florida State which dropped road games this week. It was the fewest points IU had scored this season, but Indiana now has back-to-back Big Ten wins and its first road win. It also helped IU that Illinois beat USC, further legitimizing the Hoosiers’ 63-10 beatdown of the Illini.

Why they could be lower: If IU is below Penn State after the Nittany Lions lost at home to Oregon, it would simply because more people in the committee meeting room think PSU is the more talented team. It would be tough to justify, though, given Penn State’s three wins weren’t against Power 4 teams. The committee might not think Illinois is a top 25 team, also leaving the Hoosiers without a win against a ranked opponent.

Need to know: The Hoosiers have a bye week to prepare for their Oct. 11 trip to Oregon. IU doesn’t play Ohio State or Michigan, but the Hoosiers will have a more difficult path to the playoff this year than last with road trips to Oregon and Penn State still looming.

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 11 at Oregon. The Ducks’ win at Penn State was proof the defending Big Ten champs are still at the top of the league, along with Ohio State. If IU could pull off the upset in Autzen, it would be one of the biggest of the season.

Why they could be here: The loss to Georgia is keeping the Vols behind the Bulldogs, and they got a scare on Saturday at Mississippi State before winning in overtime. The season-opening win against Syracuse doesn’t look as impressive after the Orange lost 38-3 to Duke. Unlike LSU, though, the Vols haven’t had any trouble finding points.

Why they could be lower: The Vols lost at home to Georgia, which took a slight hit after the Bulldogs lost to Alabama. Meanwhile, LSU lost on the road to undefeated Ole Miss. It’s possible the committee would have LSU ahead of Tennessee and Penn State.

Need to know: The Vols have a bye week to prepare for Arkansas before back-to-back SEC road games against Alabama and Kentucky.

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 18 at Alabama. The Tide has improved each week since its loss to Florida State and is favored to win each of its remaining games, according to ESPN’s FPI.

Why they could be here: The Nittany Lions are a talented team, but don’t have the résumé to show for it. With wins against Villanova, FIU and Nevada, Penn State has the worst résumé of all the contenders. The committee considers how teams lose, too, and the gap between Oregon and Penn State clearly isn’t that wide.

Why they could be lower: LSU lost on the road to an undefeated Ole Miss team, while PSU lost at home. LSU also has wins against Clemson and Florida, and while those teams have struggled this year, they’re still better than what PSU has on its résumé.

Need to know: If Penn State doesn’t beat Ohio State, it’s not a lock to reach the playoff at 10-2. This is already a dangerous spot for the Nittany Lions, as they would be bumped out of the CFP to make room the fourth and fifth highest-ranked conference champions. In this scenario, both the Big 12 and American champs are ranked outside of the projected top 10. If Penn State loses to Ohio State, it has to beat Indiana to have a chance.

Toughest remaining game: Nov. 1 at Ohio State. If the Nittany Lions couldn’t beat Oregon at home, how are they going to beat the defending national champs on the road?

Bracket

Based on the rankings above, the seeding would be:

First-round byes

No. 1 Miami (ACC champ)
No. 2 Ohio State (Big Ten champ)
No. 3 Oregon
No. 4 Texas A&M (SEC champ)

First-round games

On campus, Dec. 19 and 20

No. 12 Memphis (American champ) at No. 5 Oklahoma
No. 11 Texas Tech (Big 12 champ) at No. 6 Ole Miss
No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Florida State
No. 9 Georgia at No. 8 Alabama

Quarterfinal games

At the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential and Allstate Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

No. 12 Memphis/No. 5 Oklahoma winner vs. No. 4 Texas A&M
No. 11 Texas Tech/No. 6 Ole Miss winner vs. No. 3 Oregon
No. 10 Indiana/No. 7 Florida State winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State
No. 9 Georgia/No. 8 Alabama winner vs. No. 1 Miami

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