Category: College Football

There was movement in the top five of the College Football Playoff rankings for a second straight week.

Last week we saw Georgia jump up to No. 1 in the CFP selection committee’s Top 25. This week, Washington moved past Florida State in the rankings. UW moved up one spot to No. 4 following its 22-20 road win over Oregon State (which is now ranked No. 16) while FSU dropped down to No. 5.

The Huskies and Seminoles are two of the five remaining undefeated teams from Power Five conferences and slotted in behind No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan, whose rankings did not change. Washington picked up its fourth ranked win in the last six weeks while FSU took care of business at home vs. North Alabama but lost star quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending leg injury in the process.

Ohio State and Michigan will meet this Saturday in Ann Arbor, so the loser of that game will fall in the rankings and allow Washington and Florida State to move up as long as they win their rivalry games vs. Washington State and Florida, respectively.

Elsewhere, No. 6 Oregon, No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Alabama — all now 10-1 — remained at the same spot in the rankings, but Louisville (also 10-1) stayed at No. 10 even after a road win over Miami. Missouri needed a last-second field goal to beat Florida at home, but stayed at No. 9 even with two losses.

Each of those one-loss teams can keep their CFP hopes alive with wins this weekend. Oregon, if it beats Oregon State, will clinch a spot in the Pac-12 title game vs. Washington. Texas will advance to the Big 12 title game with a win over Texas Tech and Alabama needs to avoid an upset at the hands of Auburn in the Iron Bowl before facing Georgia in the SEC championship game.

Louisville has already clinched a spot in the ACC title game, where it will meet Florida State. To keep their…

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Who’s Playing

Eastern Michigan Eagles @ Buffalo Bulls

Current Records: Eastern Michigan 5-6, Buffalo 3-8

How To Watch

When: Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. ETWhere: UB Stadium — Buffalo, New YorkTV: ESPN2Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)Follow: CBS Sports App

What to Know

Buffalo is 3-0 against Eastern Michigan since September of 2018, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. Both teams will face off in a Mid American battle at 7:30 p.m. ET at UB Stadium. Buffalo is limping into the contest on a three-game losing streak.

The defenses reigned supreme when Buffalo and Miami of Ohio played on Wednesday, rewarding bettors who took the risk on the low 37-point over/under. Buffalo took a 23-10 hit to the loss column at the hands of Miami of Ohio.

Eastern Michigan can finally bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Akron 30-27. The victory was just what Eastern Michigan needed coming off of a 49-23 loss in their prior match.

Samson Evans was the offensive standout of the match as he rushed for 71 yards and three touchdowns. Hamze El-Zayat did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 92 receiving yards.

Eastern Michigan was down by three with only zero seconds left when they drove 25 yards for the winning score. Austin Smith hit Jere Getzinger from three yards out and that was all she wrote.

Buffalo has not been sharp recently, as they’ve lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-8 record this season. As for Eastern Michigan, their victory bumped their record up to 5-6.

Buffalo strolled past Eastern Michigan when…

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Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis is taken off the field after being injured during the first half of the team’s NCAA college football game against North Alabama, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Colin Hackley) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis confirmed Monday that the injury he sustained in Saturday’s game vs. North Alabama will end his college career.

Travis, the senior leader of the undefeated Seminoles, suffered a gruesome left leg injury after being tackled on a first-quarter run. Travis’ leg was caught underneath a North Alabama defender at an awkward angle. It was quickly put in an air cast and he was carted off the field and placed into an ambulance.

In a message posted by Florida State, Travis said he has been “overwhelmed” by the messages of support he has received since sustaining the injury.

“I truly cannot thank everyone enough for the many thoughts, prayers and messages that have been sent my way. I have been overwhelmed by the support from my teammates, coaches, the Florida State community and those around the world,” Travis wrote. “Although the injury I sustained on Nov. 18 marks the end of my Seminole playing career, the great memories created here at FSU will never fade. Being the quarterback at Florida State University has been a dream come true. I am humbled, honored and forever grateful.”

Travis, a Florida native, started his career at Louisville before transferring to FSU. He emerged as the team’s starting quarterback in 2020 and has held that role ever since. Before the injury on Saturday, which was already set to be his final game at Doak Campbell Stadium as he rounds out his college eligibility, Travis had thrown for 2,755 yards and 20 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He also rushed for seven touchdowns.

FSU was…

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It’s Thanksgiving week, which means that college football fans will feast on rivalry games across the country. With bragging rights, conference championship game berths and College Football Playoff chances on the line, the upcoming holiday weekend is a sports fan’s dream.

Ohio State will visit Michigan on Saturday afternoon in the biggest game of the day. The two undefeated rivals out of the Big Ten East will square off not just for bragging rights and the division title, but the inside track to make the College Football Playoff. Both the Buckeyes and Wolverines made it last year, but this season’s landscape has shifted in a way that makes it unlikely for that to happen again. 

Florida State will look to polish off an undefeated regular season against rival Florida in a game that will feature backup quarterbacks. Star Seminoles signal-caller Jordan Travis was knocked out of last week’s game against North Alabama with a gruesome lower leg injury, which means that veteran Tate Rodemaker will be taking the snaps as they continue their march toward the CFP. Gators signal-caller Graham Mertz left last week’s game against Missouri with a season-ending shoulder injury which opens the door for Max Brown to get his first start at Florida.

How do oddsmakers see this week panning out? Here are the early lines courtesy of the Sportsline consensus.

The best games

Georgia -23 at Georgia Tech: The Bulldogs will play their next two games in Atlanta. This week, they are visiting their in-state rivals at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Next week they’ll be a couple miles down the road for the SEC Championship Game against Alabama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Quarterback Carson Beck has emerged as a bona fide superstar for the two-time reigning national champions, and…

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Notre Dame didn’t have the fastest of starts on their 2023 senior day but at the end of the afternoon it was enough for a 45-7 victory over Wake Forest to move to 8-3 on the season.

All that remains for Notre Dame this regular season is a trip west to Stanford next weekend to close the year and hopefully secure their ninth win of the season for the second-straight year.

What went well in Notre Dame’s blowout victory of Wake Forest on Saturday?

And what didn’t exactly click for the Fighting Irish?

Here are our instant takeaways from the senior day victory.

Hartman, Irish overcome slow offensive start

Senior days are always a little bit weird and as has largely been the case this season, Notre Dame’s offense was slow to go early on. They wound up with 17 first half points but a 2-of-6 start by Sam Hartman was hardly inspiring but he bounced back to have a solid day in his final regular season home game. Also troubling was Notre Dame’s final offensive drive before halftime where a lesson in how not to manage the clock as they made countless mistakes.

It wasn’t a pretty start whatsoever, but it was still a dominating win against an inferior foe. Hartman finished the day 21-29 passing for 277-yards and four touchdowns.

Wide Receiver Streak Ends!

For the first time since New Year’s Day 2022, Notre Dame had a wide receiver haul in 100-yards receiving. That happened as freshman Rico Flores had a stellar showing, catching eight passes for 102-yards. The 2022 Fiesta Bowl, Marcus Freeman’s first game as Notre Dame head coach, was the last time a Fighting Irish wide receiver went for over 100 yards (Kevin Austin and Lorenzo Styles both did).

Flores pulling in eight receptions gave him 25 for the year, the most by a true freshman at Notre Dame since at least 2010.

Defense Dominant Again

The @NDFootball defense held its…

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No. 3 Michigan will be trying to block out distractions and keep its undefeated season alive when the Wolverines travel to College Park, Maryland, to meet Big Ten East foe Maryland on Saturday. 

Michigan, without coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline, dispatched Penn State last weekend in its biggest win of the season. The Wolverines ran the ball on their last 32 plays of the game, demoralizing the Nittany Lions and cementing themselves as a true power this season. 

The Terrapins, on the other hand, are coming off of an ugly 13-10 win at Nebraska. Jack Howes hit a 24-yard field goal as time expired to clinch bowl eligibility and earn the program’s first win over the Cornhuskers. 

What will go down Saturday afternoon? Let’s preview the game and make a pick.

Michigan vs. Maryland: Need to know

Michigan will be understaffed: The Wolverines didn’t have any issues with offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore on the sideline in place of Harbaugh, who was serving the first game of his three-game suspension. Harbaugh will out once again against the Terrapins after he and Michigan accepted the Big Ten’s three-game suspension. Harbaugh is still allowed to oversee the team during practice, however. Additionally, linebackers coach Chris Patridge has been fired for allegedly trying to cover up the sign-stealing scheme. Defensive analyst Rick Minter will step into an on-field role and serve as the team’s linebackers coach moving forward.

Tagovailoa on third-and-long: Terps quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa ranks No. 51 nationally in completion percentage in third-and-7 or longer among players with 200 or more attempts. That’s one spot behind Penn State quarterback Dew Allar, who struggled mightily against this very Wolverines defense last weekend. Penn State was the…

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Nov. 17—WHERE — Wildcat Stadium, Durham, New Hampshire

WHEN: 1 p.m. Saturday

STREAMING: FloFootball

ALL-TIME SERIES: UNH leads, 57-45-8

KEY STAT: 5,796, the combined passing yards for UNH quarterback Max Brosmer (3,178) and Maine QB Derek Robertson (2,618). Brosmer leads the FCS in passing yards, while Robertson is 10th nationally.

OUTLOOK: This is the 111th meeting between Maine and New Hampshire. Neither team is moving on to the FCS playoffs, but with the Brice-Cowell Musket as the trophy to the winner of this rivalry game, neither needs to dig deep to find motivation. A win not only comes with the musket trophy and bragging rights over your biggest rival, it’s a high point on which to enter the offseason. The Wildcats won a thriller last season, 42-41 in overtime, when the Black Bears failed on a 2-point conversion on the final play.

Maine is coming off a rare late-season bye week, and last played two weeks ago when it squandered a two-touchdown lead in the second half to lose to Hampton, 42-35. The time off was a chance to rest and get healthy, Coach Jordan Stevens said. Robertson threw five touchdown passes against Hampton to give him 22 on the season. With 30 passing yards, Robertson will move into fourth place for most passing yards in a single season for Maine. Robertson has spread the ball around, with Joe Gillette, Jamie Lamson and Rohan Jones each with five touchdown catches. Maine does a good job changing up its offensive game plan from week to week, said UNH Coach Rick Santos, and the Wildcats need to be ready to see multiple formations. Linebacker Ryan Toscano leads the Wildcats with 71 tackles. Josiah Silver has five sacks. Along with Brosmer, UNH has a weapon in running back Dylan Laube, who leads the FCS in all-purpose yards with 209.5 per game. Both Brosmer and Laube left last week’s 31-24 win over…

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Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin expects starting quarterback Jaxson Dart to return to the Rebels in 2024, he said during his weekly radio show. Kiffin was asked whether Dart, who was injured during the second half of the No. 13 Rebels’ Week 11 loss at No. 1 Georgia, would play Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe. He not only gave Rebels fans good news on that front, he did them one better with news on Dart’s plans for the future. 

“[Dart] will play,” Kiffin said. “I mean, I guess I can kind of speak for him, [Dart] said he’s coming back [in 2024]. We’re planning on him being back next year and getting better.” 

Dart would enter his fourth and final season of eligibility in 2024. He joined Ole Miss in 2022 after transferring from USC. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound junior from Draper, Utah, has completed 65.1% of his passes this season for 2,579 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions. Dart has also rushed for 354 yards and seven touchdowns.

Dart completed 62.4% of his passes for 2,974 yards and 20 touchdowns during his debut season in Oxford, but was intercepted 11 times. His dual-threat capabilities added a dimension to the Ole Miss offense. He rushed for 614 yards and a touchdown in 2022.

Dart committed to USC as a top-15 quarterback prospect in the 2021 cycle, per 247Sports, but only spent one season with the Trojans. USC fired coach Clay Helton, whom Dart committed to play for, just two games into the signal caller’s freshman season. Dart played in six games for the Trojans in 2021, making…

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