Category: College Football

Bill BelichickMack BrownThe biggest hire of the cycle. Not since Deion Sanders landed at Colorado two years ago has a hire transcended sports, but Bill Belichick might just be bigger because of his incredible career. You know the resume (six Super Bowl rings), but the question will be whether his plan can translate to college football. The sport is evolving into a semi-pro model, and with front offices now the norm, Belichick has an opportunity to land elite talent immediately with his drawing power, a $20 million NIL war chest and a staff of NFL personnel. Will it work? He certainly has the support. Grade: A

Barry Odom (UNLV coach)Ryan WaltersOdom won 19 games in two years at UNLV, where he led the Rebels to unprecedented success, including back-to-back appearances in the Mountain West Championship Game. He has strong ties to the Midwest after serving as Missouri’s coach (2016-19) and brings Purdue something it has lacked: a proven coach with a winning repetition. Grade: A

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MOBILE, Ala. — Carde Smith was one of 14 recruits to ink with Colorado earlier this month.

Smith, the No. 18-ranked offensive tackle in the Rivals250 for the 2025 cycle, is set to compete for playing time instantly for the Buffaloes. He will get his first crack at securing a starting role for next season on Friday, December 20, when the four-star OT heads out West to Boulder to join Deion Sanders, Phil Loadholt, and co. as they prepare for the Alamo Bowl vs. BYU.

Like five-star OT Jordan Seaton did a year ago, Smith is aiming to see the field as soon as possible at Colorado.

“On January 9 I’ll leave for good,” Smith told Rivals of his plans at the 2024 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game practices. “It’s time to get to work.”

Smith, who flipped his verbal commitment from Auburn to USC ahead of his senior season at Mobile (Ala.) Williamson High School, started to give Sanders’ program more consideration after his first visit out West.

After his October official visit, the flip was already in the works.

“After my second visit, it felt like home,” Smith said. “I’m ready for it. I’m ready to get to work.”

Smith made his decision final with a Thanksgiving night reveal just ahead of the Early Signing Period.

The NFL experience and accolades held by Sanders, Loadholt, and other coaches around Colorado made Boulder an even easier decision for Smith as he evaluated his best path to make it from Saturdays to Sundays.

“I wanted to give people a Thanksgiving for real,” Smith laughed. “The coaches … Coach Loadholt, being a Hall of Fame dude at right tackle, Coach Prime, and all the guys around him made it feel like home.”

“It’s amazing,” he added on his connection to Sanders. “Being a head coach, a head coach that’s a gold-jacket guy, it’s amazing.”

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For some, a reconsideration of the College Football Playoff can’t come fast enough. Days after the announcement of the first CFP 12-team field there is already meaningful movement in changing the structure and format for 2026 sources told CBS Sports. 

On the table is the continued sensitive subject of automatic qualifiers going forward. The question is how to implement such a structure seemingly preferred by the SEC and Big Ten. 

One format being discussed is so-called play-in games during the regular season that would decide at least some of those automatic qualifiers on the field. 

The championship Saturday could be enhanced by not only the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds meeting for the league title but teams below those two playing for automatic berths. 

Think of the top six teams – at least — being involved in a massive championship Saturday three-game play-in. Using this season’s Big Ten and SEC standings this is how it would look.

Big Ten

No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 2 Penn State.

No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 3 Indiana

No. 5 Illinois vs. No. 4 Ohio State

SEC

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Georgia

No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Tennessee

No. 5 LSU vs. No. 4 Alabama 

The three winners would advance to the CFP. It is not known if or how a fourth automatic qualifier would be added. That fourth team could come from an additional play-in game or merely including the championship game loser. 

“I heard rumors of it. I haven’t studied it,” CFP executive director Rich Clark told CBS Sports Tuesday. “Ultimately that’s a Big Ten [and SEC] decision on how they play within their conference and a commissioner decision on how we look at that in regard to the playoff.” 

Earlier this year, the Big Ten proposed a 14-team playoff with three automatic qualifiers each for the SEC and…

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South Carolina football edge rusher Kyle Kennard has won the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given each year to the nation’s best defender.

The other finalists for the award were Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron, Penn State defensive end Adbul Carter and Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham.

Kennard was given the award Monday night at the trophy banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina, held by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club. He is the first player in program history to win the Nagurski Trophy; Jadeveon Clowney was a finalist in 2012.

“I want to give a huge shoutout to my mom and my dad,” Kennard said in his speech. “As well as my little brother who I try to be a positive role model to every day. I want to give a shoutout to my coaches that are right there, coach Shane Beamer and coach Sterling Lucas, I am honored to win this award.

“This past offseason . . . I knew I wanted different for myself, I knew I wanted more for myself and coming to South Carolina was the first part. When I got here, the people in the building, the fans . . . they never fail to give me support. I appreciate everyone who voted for me.”

The 6-foot-5, 254-pound edge rusher transferred to South Carolina after four years at Georgia Tech. He has 24 career sacks — 11.5 of them this season, the most in the SEC and No. 5 in the nation. He had 20 solo tackles, 10 quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles this season.

Kennard is also a finalist for the Lombardi Award, which will be announced on Wednesday.

BOWL GAME: South Carolina vs. Illinois Citrus Bowl game predictions: SEC vs Big Ten matchup

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin

This article originally…

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The college football regular season has come and gone and the conference champions have been crowned. Now, the attention turns to the postseason with a loaded slate of bowl games set to grace our television sets this holiday season. 

There may not be a more anticipated season in college football history. In addition to the usual schedule of bowl games, this year ushers in the first season of the 12-team College Football Playoff era. What was once tabbed the New Year’s Six will now be part of the new playoff system after the first-round games have been played at home sites. 

Fresh off a win in the SEC Championship Game, Georgia (11-2) earned the No. 2 seed with Mountain West champion Boise State (12-1) and Big 12 champion Arizona State (11-2) rounding out the top four seeds — all conference title holders receiving first-round byes as part of the new 12-team format. 

Clemson (10-3), the lone Power Four champion not to receive a bye, picked up the No. 12 seed and will open the first round playing at No. 5 seed Texas (11-2). All first-round games will be held at the sites of the lower-seeded teams placed higher in the final CFP Rankings. 

Rounding out the first-round matchups, No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2) will host No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-2), No. 6 seed Penn State (11-2) welcomes No. 11 seed SMU (10-2) and No. 7 seed Notre Dame (11-1) will see No. 10 seed Indiana (11-1) come to town.

Quarterfinal and semifinal games will be held at traditional New Year’s Six bowl sites. The Rose Bowl will host Oregon and the winner of Tennessee-Ohio State,…

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Photo: Isaiah Hole

Will a former Ohio State quarterback now be actively rooting for the maize and blue? Because it sure looks like it.

Kirk Herbstreit is a college football legend, more so for his role on ESPN College GameDay and as the lead CFB color commentator, but he also suited up for the Buckeyes during his own time in college. He’s had multiple sons play college football, including Jake and Tye, who both first played for Clemson before transferring to OSU. Well, his son Chase Herbstreit is choosing a different option entirely, as the 2025 Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier quarterback is committing to Michigan football per On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

Tweets by On3Recruits

Herbstreit joins No. 1 overall QB Bryce Underwood in the 2025 class. He’s unrated according to 247Sports but is a three-star quarterback according to On3, which has him as the No. 128 signal caller and No. 102 player in the state of Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football gets a commitment from Kirk Herbstreit’s QB son

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Another thrilling Championship Week in college football has come and gone, which means it’s time for one final College Football Playoff projections before the first-ever 12-team bracket is released on Sunday. Let’s start at the top.  

Oregon has been the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff Rankings since the very beginning, and the Ducks will enter the CFP in that exact spot. The Ducks will be the top seed in the field after beating Penn State 45-37 for the Big Ten championship on Saturday. Oregon is the lone remaining undefeated team in college football, so this is an easy call for the committee. The Ducks will play their quarterfinal in the Rose Bowl.

No. 5 Georgia knocked off second-ranked Texas 22-19 in overtime for the SEC championship in Atlanta in an epic battle that saw the Bulldogs change quarterbacks after starter Carson Beck was injured right before halftime. Beck came back in to hand off on the final play of the game after his backup, Gunner Stockton, was injured during the overtime period.

The Bulldogs should be ranked second and earn the No. 2 seed in the CFP. They will play their first game in the Sugar Bowl.

Texas should not suffer too badly after the loss, however. I expect the Longhorns to stay ahead of Notre Dame for the No. 5 spot in the rankings and earn the 5-seed in the field. Typically, teams that lose competitive conference championship games to lower-ranked teams do not suffer too badly when the final rankings are released, but the Longhorns lost as the higher-ranked team. Georgia will, of course, jump them, but there is no real reason for Texas to fall behind the other teams below them.

Penn State is projected to slot in at No. 4 in the rankings and host a first-round game as a 6-seed following the loss…

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Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defense works to bring down Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Arian Smith (11) in the fourth quarter of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images ORG XMIT: IMAGN-883244 ORIG FILE ID: 20241025_tbs_usa_027.JPG

The 2024 edition of the Southeastern Conference’s college football championship game features the Texas Longhorns taking on the Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta. If you want to see some of the best postseason action this weekend has to offer on TV or live stream, the information you seek is just below.

The ‘Horns are second in the US LBM Coaches Poll after the end of the regular season with an 11-1 overall record. Funny enough, it was Georgia that handed them the lone loss back in Week 8 on Texas’ home turf.

The ‘Dawgs have amassed a 10-2 total tally — good enough for fifth place in the Coaches Poll — with both of their losses coming in conference play. Only the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ole Miss Rebels have been able to take them down this fall.

Watch Longhorns vs. Bulldogs on Fubo

Texas vs. Georgia SEC Championship Game info

Here’s everything you need to watch the Longhorns against the Bulldogs.

When: Saturday, Dec. 7

Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

TV channel: ABC

Live stream: Fubo | Sling

It just does not get much better than the SEC Championship Game — after all, the conference motto is, “It just means more.” Be sure to tune into this top-five affair.

What time is Texas vs. Georgia?

The Longhorns will take on the Bulldogs at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 7.

Watch Texas vs. Georgia with Fubo

This article originally appeared on For The Win: How to watch Texas vs. Georgia SEC Football Championship, TV channel, live stream

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