Category: College Football

No. 5 Texas hosts Florida in a marquee showdown between two of college football’s most recognizable brands. This weekend will mark just the fourth-ever meeting, the first since 1940, and the first SEC conference game between the two programs. The Longhorns lead the all-time series 2-0-1. 

Coming off a bye, the Longhorns are one of five SEC teams with one conference loss heading into the home stretch. At +200, they have the second-best betting odds to win the conference, according to Fanatics sportsbook. Texas held off Vanderbilt 27-24 on Oct. 26. The Commodores jumped out to a 7-0 advantage before Texas scored 21 unanswered points to take the lead back for good.

Florida is coming off a 34-20 loss to Georgia in Jacksonville. The Gators led 13-6 at halftime before Georgia scored 28 points in the second half to pull away. Florida quarterback DJ Lagway exited the game with an injury, which forced Billy Napier to turn third-string quarterback Aidan Warner the remainder of the game. If Lagway is out, Warner would be in line to make his first career start against the Longhorns.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of Florida’s matchup with Texas this weekend.

Texas vs. Florida: Need to know

Texas’ defense is on a historic pace: Texas’ defense has allowed just 11.5 points per game through the…

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Tennessee defensive lineman Tyre West was downgraded in the Mississippi State game on Saturday.

West was listed as doubtful on the SEC student-athlete availability report, which was updated on Thursday night. He was listed as questionable on Wednesday.

West, a junior, has a role in UT’s deep defensive rotation. He has 12 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, two sacks, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble in eight games.

UT running back DeSean Bishop is out against Mississippi State after suffering a lower-body injury in a 28-18 win over Kentucky last week.

Bishop, a former Karns standout, has served as Dylan Sampson’s backup during his redshirt freshman season. He has rushed for 372 yards and three TDs in eight games. Last week, freshman Peyton Lewis replaced Bishop in the rotation.

No. 7 Tennessee (7-1, 4-1 SEC) plays Mississippi State (2-7, 0-5) on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Neyland Stadium.

Here’s the SEC student-athlete availability report for Tennessee and Mississippi State players.

Tennessee injury report

Mississippi State injury report

QB Blake Shapen (out)

CB Traveon Wright (out)

WR Creed Whittemore (out)

WR Trent Hudson (out)

DL Kedrick Bingley-Jones (out)

RB Keyvone Lee (out)

DL Kalvin Dinkins (out)

OL Canon Boone (out)

DL De’Monte Russell (probable)

WR Mario Craver (probable)

How SEC availability report works

The SEC student-athlete availability report was introduced this season for conference games only.

The initial report is released on Wednesday night of an SEC game week with daily updates leading to a final report 90 minutes prior to kickoff of a Saturday game.

Prior to game day, players are designated by their school as available, probable, questionable, doubtful or out for the upcoming game. On game day, they are designated as available, game-time decision or out.

Here’s what those designations mean:

• Out:…

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ANN ARBOR, Michigan — Infamously, there is only one tunnel leading to the locker rooms at Michigan Stadium. By the time Oregon and Michigan’s players walked into it after their game on Saturday, it was painfully clear which team was head and shoulders above. 

After the teams exit the field, a group of high school players in maize bubble coats follow, with Michigan inviting recruits on hand back to the locker room to continue their visit. One player was apparently not among them: five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025. 

Rumors swirled around campus all last weekend that the signal-caller, who lives about 30 minutes away in Belleville, would be a surprise attendee at the game (his teammate, Elijah Dotson, was on-hand). The night before, LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan was in attendance at Belleville’s first round playoff win, in which Underwood threw six touchdowns in a 68-0 blowout win as the Tigers chase their third state championship with Underwood behind center. Underwood is an LSU commit for now, but many recruiting insiders view a flip to Michigan as a forgone conclusion, even if he did not make it to Ann Arbor this weekend. A significant compensation package is being prepared for him. 

The website On3 initially reported a figure for Underwood may near $5 million, but multiple conversations CBS Sports and 247Sports have had with sources across the industry paint the real number to be something closer to double that (over the course of several seasons). There should be no surprise at the high cost of doing business in the NIL era with a highly-touted prospect. 

RELATED: Inside Michigan’s hopeful flip of No. 1 recruit Bryce Underwood

Underwood would be only one part of…

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Nov 12, 2011; Dallas, TX, USA; A general view of a Southern Methodist Mustangs helmet during the game with the Navy Midshipmen at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The Midshipmen defeated the Mustangs 24-17. The Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame football plays five ACC opponents every season in exchange for retaining its independence. While we are told who the Irish will play well into the next decade, that opponents list can change anytime. We just got an example of that.

The ACC has announced that the Irish will host SMU during the 2026 season on a date yet to be determined. This game will replace the one against Virginia that was scheduled for Oct. 17 of that season. This will allow the Cavaliers to play the first of two games they have scheduled against West Virginia, a series that was concurrently announced.

This will be the first time the Irish and Mustangs have met since the Irish earned a crushing 59-6 victory in 1989. At that time, the Irish were the top team in the country and fresh off their most recent national championship. The Mustangs, meanwhile, were fresh off the death penalty sidelining them for two years.

The playing field should be a little more even this time. That should at least make this game more competitive.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame football will host SMU in 2026, replacing Virginia

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The first edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings was released Tuesday night with undefeated Oregon opening at No. 1 in the initial year of the expanded 12-team field. Off to a dominant start this season with wins over Ohio State, Michigan and Illinois, the Ducks sit in the top spot seeking to make their second playoff appearance — first since the four-team field debuted after the 2014 season.

Seven of 10 teams ranked No. 1 in a season’s initial CFP Rankings ultimately reached the playoff in the four-team era with Mississippi State (2014), Tennessee (2022) and Ohio State (2023) being the exceptions. With eight more spots in the field this season, Oregon sits in a strong position at 9-0 more than midway through the campaign.

Ohio State, Georgia, Miami (FL) and Texas round out the rest of the top five.

The top Group of Five program in Tuesday’s release is Boise State at No. 12. With the 12-team playoff model granting automatic bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions, the Broncos stand in pole position to earn that opportunity should they win their league. Army West Point is the only other Group of Five team in the initial CFP Rankings at No. 25.

Let’s take a look at the entire CFP Rankings top 25 along with the projected bracket seedings for the first 12 teams. Check out analysis by bowls expert Jerry Palm, which will be added below shortly.

College Football Playoff Rankings, Nov. 5

Oregon (9-0) | Projected No. 1 seedOhio State (7-1) | Projected No. 5 seedGeorgia (7-1) | Projected No. 2 seedMiami (FL) (9-0) | Projected No. 3 seedTexas (7-1) | Projected No. 6 seedPenn State (7-1) | Projected No. 7 seedTennessee (7-1) | Projected No. 8 seedIndiana (9-0) | Projected No. 9 seedBYU (8-0) | Projected No. 4 seedNotre…..

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The 2024 college football season has been full of ups and downs, with significant upsets and surprising victories keeping fans on their toes about who will make it into the College Football Playoff. As we approach the season’s final month, the unpredictability remains and the race for the playoffs is intensifying as the highly anticipated first rankings are hours away from being released.

After Week 10, only a few teams remain undefeated. These teams are not only performing well; they are excelling. If they continue to impress, they will likely secure a spot in the College Football Playoff, sparking a wave of excitement among fans.

For teams that have suffered a loss or more this season, the stakes are high and every game is an opportunity to prove their worth. Teams that have faced defeats hope to stay in the CFP conversation by avoiding further missteps this season.

Here is how to watch the first of six College Football Playoff Ranking Show.

More: James Franklin act at Penn State growing tiresome after falling short again against Ohio State

When CFP rankings come out

The first of six College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings will be released on November 5, after Week 10 games.

What time is CFP rankings?

The College Football Playoff Rankings Show can be watched on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET.

CFP rankings projections, predictions

USA TODAY

▪ Byes

Oregon (Big Ten champion)

Georgia (SEC champion)

Miami (ACC champion)

BYU (Big 12 champion)

▪ First round

No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State

No. 11 Indiana at No. 6 Texas

No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 7 Tennessee

No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Penn State

CBS Sports

▪ Byes

Georgia (SEC champion)

Ohio State (Big Ten champion)

Miami (ACC champion)

Iowa State (Big 12 champion)

▪ First round

No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Oregon

No. 11 Tennessee at No. 6 Texas

No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 BYU

No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Penn…

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Exactly a year ago, JT Daniels took a hit that ended his college football career.

Daniels, the starting Rice quarterback, couldn’t see straight after Southern Methodist linebacker Ahmad Walker took him to the ground in the second quarter. A wobbly Daniels stayed in the game, however, and even threw a touchdown pass two plays later that he had zero memory of doing. His head coach said after the game Daniels admitted to him he didn’t remember the play or the score. 

Daniels was assessed with concussion-like symptoms at halftime and didn’t return to what would be his last college game in a winding journey that went from USC to Georgia to West Virginia before finally finishing at Rice. At the time, Daniels was the conference’s passing leader and a former five-star recruit, but he couldn’t shake the balance and ocular issues that came with the hit against SMU. 

“I couldn’t drive for two, three months,” Daniels told CBS Sports. “I didn’t know if I’d be able to see straight again. When you experience that, it makes it pretty difficult to say I want to go out and do that again.”

Daniels, a sixth-year senior, medically retired following his doctor’s advice in the aftermath of that concussion against SMU on Nov. 4, 2023, his fourth during his career, a month later in Dec. 2023. He was a precursor to what came last week when North Carolina State quarterback Grayson McCall and Michigan quarterback Jack Tuttle both medically retired due to concussions. When told of the news last week, Daniels said, “Grayson McCall retired? No shit, I did not know that.”

Two veteran quarterbacks retiring the same week is not a trend, but it does warrant closer examination of a hot-button topic that has drawn NFL headlines this season and could only get more…

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Nov. 3—PULLMAN — Washington State has added a second offensive lineman to its class of 2025.

The Cougars’ newest pledge is three-star offensive lineman Liam Vaughan, who hails from Walled Lake, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. A former Western Michigan commit, Vaughan took his visit to WSU the weekend of Oct. 18 — when the Cougars blew out Hawaii — and he announced his commitment on Sunday afternoon.

Vaughan, the 18th member of the Cougs’ class of 2025 and their first Michigan native since 2018, turned down offers from a host of other schools, including Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Coastal Carolina, Kent State, UMass and Dartmouth.

The 6-foot-2, 280-pound Vaughan committed to Western Michigan in May, but last week, he announced he was decommitting from the Broncos, who play in the Mid-American Conference. The 39th-best prospect in Michigan according to 247 Sports, Vaughan also competes in wrestling, finishing fifth in the MHSAA D2 285-pound division as a junior.

The Cougs’ class of 2025 now includes two offensive linemen: Vaughan and Arion Williams, a three-star prospect from the Los Angeles area. Williams announced his commitment in late September. If they remain WSU’s only two offensive linemen in this class, it would be the fewest in a Cougar recruiting class since 2021 yielded two (Christian Hilborn and Brock Dieu).

Here is the rest of WSU’s class of 2025.

—Liam Vaughan, 3-star OL, Walled Lake, Mich.

—Jovan Clark, 3-star LB, Chicago, Ill.

—Malijah Tucker, three-star DL, Tumwater

—Arion Williams, three-star OL, Orange, Calif.

—David Kuku, three-star CB, Kennewick

—Kyle Peterson, three-star CB, Pearland, Texas

—Jamar Searcy, three-star ATH, Pittsburg, Calif.

—Charger Doty, three-star S, South Jordan, Utah

—Josiah Pratt, three-star DL, Humble, Texas

—Ishmael Gibbs, three-star…

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