Category: College Football

Utah athletic director Mark Harlan speaks during the Utah Utes Hall of Fame 2023 Ceremony in Salt Lake City on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. | Hunter Dyke

Editor’s note: First of a two-part conversation with Utah athletic director Mark Harlan.

In one of his first interviews since his postgame comments following the BYU-Utah football game, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan addressed his actions the night of Nov. 9 at Rice-Eccles Stadium, including his apologies to BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe, BYU football coach Kalani Sitake and Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark.

Harlan made headlines following Utah’s 22-21 loss to then-No. 9 BYU after going onto the field postgame to confront the referees, then heading to the postgame media pulpit.

Much of the controversy stemmed from the game’s ending and a timeout call and defensive holding call that extended the Cougars’ final drive that ultimately led to a game-winning field goal.

Replays — especially fan-shot videos on social media (ESPN had just one replay of the called hold from a zoomed-out angle) would confirm that the referees made the right call on the defensive holding sequence, but in the heat of the moment, Harlan stepped into the press conference room and delivered a 30-second soundbite that became the latest chapter in the storied rivalry.

“I’ve been an athletic director for 12 years. This game was absolutely stolen from us,” Harlan said. “We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight, I am not. We won this game. Someone else stole it from us. Very disappointed. I will talk to the (Big 12 Conference) commissioner. This was not fair to our team. I’m disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew tonight.”

The next day, the Big 12 publicly reprimanded Harlan and fined him $40,000.

Two months later, Harlan reflected on his actions that…

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Defenses are winning out as the College Football Playoff moves on to the semifinals. Ohio State, Notre Dame and Texas have top-five national pass defenses. The exception, Penn State, has perhaps the best individual defensive player in the field, Abdul Carter, and ranks top 10 in scoring and total defense. 

Since none of the remaining teams rank higher than No. 17 in total offense, having true offensive playmakers is a massive advantage. Ironically, the top two players in our pre-quarterfinal rankings — Ashton Jeanty and Cam Skattebo — exit despite a 100-yard day by the former and an MVP performance by the latter. 

Having individual pieces is nice, but to win a national championship, depth of talent is top of mind. Among this year’s 10 remaining impact players entering the CFP semifinals is a trio of defensive backs from those highly ranked pass defenses, but there is an overall even split between offensive and defensive stars who figure to play critical roles in the semifinal results this week. 

CFP Impact Players – Semifinals

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Bralan Womack is down to four finalists.

The elite safety from Mississippi named Tennessee, Ohio State, Alabama, and Texas A&M to his exclusive group of contenders who will jockey for position with Womack until his commitment date in early August.

Womack is set to make unofficial visits to each of his final four schools beginning later this month. All four finalists are also in line for summer official visits.

“It’s about what school pushes me to be great every day — on and off the field,” Womack told Rivals of his final group of top schools. “Which school can get me to my end goal — to the league, establish life outside of football, whether in real estate or entrepreneurship after football? Which school can help me be the best Bralan Womack I can be the rest of my life after my three or four years there.”

On Tennessee:

“They were my first offer, the first college camp I went out to. Coach (Josh) Heupel saw me as soon as I walked into the building. He had his eyes on me from the time I ran my 40, went through all my agility drills, going out and performing in 1-on-1s caught his eye and we’ve stayed in touch since … Just seeing what Coach Tim (Banks) and that defense were able to do this year, what they can do — that’s a defense I can see myself fitting into. Coach Banks, Coach Danny (ORourke) and I talk all the time. They keep in touch and I stay in touch with them. I love what they’re about.”

On Ohio State:

“I grew up an Ohio State fan and I’ve watched them for many years. I can name off a good amount of players cause I’ve watched them all my life. I know what they’re about. I know what they live by … Best In America. Facing great competition in practice Monday through Thursday will be better than what you’ll see on Saturday. Iron sharpens Iron. Seeing how they use Caleb Downs — he’s a role model for me, someone…

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Former USC wide receiver and top available player in the transfer portal Zachariah Branch committed to Georgia Sunday afternoon, 247Sports’/CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports. Branch’s brother, Zion, a former top-100 defensive back, also announced his commitment to the Bulldogs via social media. 

Branch, the No. 4 prospect nationally and No. 2 wide receiver in 247Sports Transfer Portal Rankings, entered the portal after two seasons at USC. A former five-star prospect out of Las Vegas, Nevada’s Bishop Gorman High School, Branch emerged as a dynamic playmaker for the Trojans as a true freshman in 2023. 

He made an immediate impact as both a punt and kick returner and won the Jet Award, which is given annually to the top return specialist, after tallying 442 yards and one touchdown on kick returns and 332 yards and one touchdown on punt returns. 

In 2024, he took on a larger role in USC’s offense, featuring heavily in the receiver rotation. He finished tied for second on the team with 47 catches for 503 yards and one touchdown, averaging 10.7 yards per catch. 

Branch finished his two-year USC career with 78 catches for 823 yards and three touchdowns. He’s a big get for a Georgia team that has some offensive stalwarts to replace in 2025. 

The Bulldogs are set to lose veteran options Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith — a big-play threat that often stretched the field for Georgia. Branch can certainly help in that regard with his game-breaking speed. 

Georgia also needs more consistent play from its wide receivers, especially as it breaks in a new quarterback in the…

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Mount Union is back in a familiar place.

The Purple Raiders are once again playing for a national title, something they’ve won 13 times previously.

They face a familiar foe in North Central, a team that beat them in the 2022 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

Here’s how to watch this year’s Stagg Bowl:

What TV channel is the Stagg Bowl on? What time is the Mount Union football game starting?

The game is airing on ESPN and is scheduled to begin at 8:03 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5. The game can also be streamed via Fubo (which offers a free trial).

Stagg Bowl 2025: Mount Union and North Central ready for another NCAA football playoff clash

Who is Mount Union football playing in the Stagg Bowl?

The Purple Raiders will face North Central (IL) for the NCAA Division III national title. This is the fifth year in a row that North Central has been in the title game.

The Cardinals have won two titles, including in a 2022 against Mount Union.

Where is the Stagg Bowl taking place?

This year’s game is taking place at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas. The stadium, which has a capacity of 20,656, is home to the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer and the Houston Dash of the National Women’s Soccer League.

Next year the game will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.

How many titles does Mount Union have?

The Purple Raiders have won the Division III national title 13 times. That includes a stretch of six times in a seven-year span.

When did Mount Union last win the national title?

The Purple Raiders haven’t won the title since 2017 when they beat Mary Hardin-Baylor 12-0.

What years has Mount Union football won the Stagg Bowl?

Mount Union has won the Stagg Bowl in 2017, 2015, 2012, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1997, 1996 and 1993.

Stagg Bowl winners

Here are the teams who’ve won the Stagg Bowl this century:

2023:…

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The No. 6 seed Penn State Nittany Lions will try to maintain their impressive start to the College Football Playoff when they face the No. 7 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 2025 Orange Bowl on Thursday night, with the winner advancing to the national championship game. Penn State has cruised to victories over SMU and Boise State, winning those games by a combined final score of 69-24. Notre Dame closed the regular season on a 10-game winning streak, and it has added victories over Indiana and Georgia in the CFP. The Fighting Irish have two fewer days to prepare for this game after the Sugar Bowl was postponed from New Year’s Day to Jan. 2. 

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Notre Dame is favored by 1.5 points in the latest Penn State vs. Notre Dame odds, while the over/under is 46.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Notre Dame is the -126 favorite (risk $126 to win $100) on the money line. Before locking in any Notre Dame vs. Penn State picks, you’ll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and it went 43-35 on all top-rated picks this season while also nailing all four first-round College Football Playoff winners. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen impressive returns.

The model has set its sights on Penn State vs. Notre Dame. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines for the Notre Dame vs. Penn State game:

Notre Dame vs. Penn State spread: Notre Dame -1.5Notre Dame vs. Penn State over/under: 46.5 pointsNotre Dame…..

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The mayo bath has, unfortunately or gloriously — depending on your perspective — become a staple of college football’s bowl season.

Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck was the recipient of the mayo bath this year after his Golden Gophers defeated Virginia Tech 24-10 Friday night in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

It was largely domination from Minnesota, which went down 7-0 toward the end of the first quarter before ripping off 21 consecutive points in the second quarter. The Golden Gophers nearly doubled-up the Hokies in yards (404 to 223).

And the reward for such a performance? The Gophers’ coach got a bunch of mayo dumped on his head.

You can watch the dousing and celebration — which featured a surprise appearance from Flavor Flav — below, if you dare:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mayo Bowl celebration: Minnesota’s PJ Fleck receives mayo bath

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The 2025 Bahamas Bowl will be the final game outside the College Football Playoff of the season, as the Buffalo Bulls will take on the Liberty Flames. Buffalo went 8-4 during the regular season and was 6-2 in the MAC, while Liberty finished at 8-3 overall and went 5-3 in Conference USA. These two programs played each other in the regular season last September, with Liberty scoring a 55-27 victory in Buffalo on the way to a 13-1 season.

This time around, they’ll meet at Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau and kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET on Saturday. The Bulls are favored by 3 points in the latest Buffalo vs. Liberty odds, while the over/under is 50.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Liberty vs. Buffalo picks or Bahamas Bowl bets, you’ll want to see the college football predictions and betting advice from the proven computer simulation model at SportsLine.

The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and it went 43-35 on all top-rated picks this season while also nailing all four first-round College Football Playoff winners. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen impressive returns.

The model has set its sights on Buffalo vs. Liberty in the Bahamas Bowl 2025. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several college football betting lines for the Liberty vs. Buffalo game:

Buffalo vs. Liberty spread: Buffalo -3Buffalo vs. Liberty over/under: 50.5 pointsBuffalo vs. Liberty money line: Buffalo -148, Liberty +123Buffalo vs. Liberty picks: See picks at SportsLineBuffalo vs. Liberty streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)

Why Buffalo can cover

After serving as…

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