2025-26 NCAA Football (Playoff 2nd Round)

Games I saw (some of):

(9) Alabama 34-24 (8) Oklahoma

Fun game! OU jumped out to a quick 17-0 lead, Bama fans were chain smoking and trying to sell their coach to Michigan. Then, a Xmas miracle: Bama got rolling and ripped right past the Sooners, who just couldn't move the ball after their opening burst. Yeah, I was never in on OU and strangely bullish on Bama, so I was right all along (shweet!).

(10) Miami 10-3 (7) Texas A&M

Wow, a sludgefest. Miami finally broke through late in the 4th quarter and, well, that's pretty much all it took. The pass rushes had all the glory in this match. A&M did everything they could do...except beat Texas and Miami, so a hell of a season suddenly looks wildly overrated. I was impressed by Miami's opening night win over Notre Dame...and then was never impressed by them again all season long. Are they finally getting rolling? Well, the defense looks good, but the offense still isn't blowing me away. 

Didn't catch:

(11) Tulane 10-41 (6) Mississippi

An almost perfect replay of the regular season match between these two. (Why was Tulane in this tournament?)

(12) James Madison 34-51 (5) Oregon

I buy the notion that this was the perfect W for Oregon: the win was secured, the offense looked dominant but the lack of intensity on the defensive side will give the coaches plenty to complain about. The Ducks are in their spartan phase now and the next opponent better beware.

2nd Round:

Cotton Bowl: (10) Miami @ (2) Ohio State (-7.5, o/u 40.5)

Miami started the season strong, then slogged their way to a lucky invitation to the tourney; Ohio State stomped everyone they played until their last game against their first real foe (Indiana) and got manhandled. Miami did very little to live up to their opening night, OSU won so easily for so long that they may have forgotten what real football is actually like. Eh....I'll take the Buckeyes to move the ball and stymy the Hurricanes (I just don't see how Miami scores). Ohio State 28-10 (Buckeyes, under) 

Orange Bowl: (5) Oregon @ (4) Texas Tech (+2.5, 51.5)

I had Oregon and Texas Tech (and Mississippi) in the same tier all season long: brilliant offense, pretty good defense, definitely better than the dregs but not sure if they have the depth to hang with the big dogs. One of these teams will move on, at least one won't--almost a shame when potential upstarts have to face each other. Tech's one loss was at Arizona State (so-so conference opponent on the road), while Oregon's only loss was at home to Indiana (top drawer conference at home). Both teams had nice wins but nothing really eye-popping, so which one is better? I have no idea, these teams seem identical to me. The ideal match to watch is two killer offenses running it up on each other--though often times that's when the so-so defenses really show up. But I think we will get a shoot out and since Tech is getting points, I'll take the dog in a close one. Oregon 35-34 (Tech and the over)

Rose Bowl: (9) Alabama @ (1) Indiana (-7, 47.5)

Indiana is probably the most puzzling team I've ever seen: Indiana has never been good at football and watching their casual brilliance all year long made my head swim. They won at Oregon! They kept to their game plan and pulled out a strong W at Penn State! They dominated the Buckeyes for 60 solid minutes! I've never seen Indiana do any of this stuff before and in college football you tend to see the good teams coming. Bama has spent most of the 21st century kicking the shit out of all comers but suddenly seem mortal. Upstart versus fading giant. I dunno. I've been more into Alabama than most this season, some say Bama didn't deserve to be here, I say I'm not surprised to find them here. Bama has played big games, tough teams, pressing situations, they've been doing all that for a coupla decades now, Indiana has been doing it for a coupla months. But, I gotta go Hoosiers, that O-line is Bama-licious, the QB is for real, the WR's make plays, the defense is really good and even though Bama knows they ought to be better, I'm not sure they actually are. I've got to go Indiana. Indiana 24-16 (Indiana, under)

Sugar Bowl: (6) Mississippi @ (3) Georgia (-6, 55.5)

Georgia has been good, not great, this year, but they look like they've turned the corner and might go on a domination spree. Ole Miss has a high flying offense (and no head coach) and won't be afraid of conference foe UGA. This is probably Ole Miss's best chance to beat UGA since before I was born. I'm gonna do it: this is my upset pick. I think Ole Miss can score and even build a lead and I think they can hang on as UGA comes storming back. (This also could turn into a defensive sludgefest game, to, but I'd still take Ole Miss to cover) Mississippi 27-21 (Mississippi, under)

2025-26 NCAA Football (Playoff 1st round)

(9) Alabama @ (8) Oklahoma (+1.5; O/U 40.5)

Is Bama gonna bounce back from their abysmal showing in the SEC final? Is Bama gonna bounce back from their abysmal showing against Oklahoma just a few weeks ago? I think they will. I think Bama is better, I think Oklahoma got lucky against Bama earlier and I think Bama will grasp this opportunity to advance. I'll take Bama and the under.

(10) Miami @ (7) Texas A&M (-3.5; 51.5)

This is a good match. A&M has been good all year long, bad misstep at Texas but otherwise solid on both sides of the ball; Miami had two inexplicably bad L's (worse than Notre Dame's 2 L's, incidentally) but otherwise looked like a formidable side. This match could go either way, I have no idea what to expect. But I will take the dog to keep it close. Miami and the under.

(11) Tulane @ (6) Mississippi (-17.5; 56.5)

Hey, Tulane, congrats on being invited to bask in the ACC's incompetence! Don't think this is gonna last long, though, I think Ole Miss is gonna score and score and score. Enjoy it while it lasts, Green Wave. I'll take Ole Miss and the over.

(12) James Madison @ (5) Oregon (-21.5; 50.5)

James Madison hasn't had this much buzz since the War of 1812, long before Oregon was a state. This, too, won't last long. Oregon is gonna run JMU out of the stadium. I got Oregon and the over. 

2025 NCAA Football (Week 16)

Last week's championship results:

(24) North Texas 21-34 (20) Tulane

In and out of this game, looked like Tulane had it handled by halftime--is it notable that Tulane got outscored in the 2nd half?

Troy 14-31 (25) James Madison

Saw none of this game, feels like James Madison struggled, didn't seal the W til the 4th quarter. Oh well, because of the ACC's utter incompetence, they'll be sitting at the adult table this Xmas. 

(2) Indiana 13-10 (1) Ohio State

Wow, Indiana was the better team from beginning to end and I...don't know how to process that. Until last season Indiana football had never--NEVER--been more than a mild surprise once a decade or so. But they are the for real #1 team in America right now with a hot coach, a lovable QB, a solid receiving corps and a defense that just fustigated the mighty mighty Buckeyes. I'm agog...yup, agog....pure non-stop agog over here. Their only worry is that they now take on Ohio State's preoccupation about their remaining opponents. I wondered how good the Buckeyes really were, but that question wasn't so much answered as transferred to Indiana. So can the big bad SEC also-rans hang with these Big 10 bruisers? Honestly, I have no idea.

(3) Georgia 28-7 (9) Alabama

Bama just never got any offense going. UGA was good but I thought it was Bama's inabilities that were the larger factor in this match. UGA is really good, I have no second thoughts about their brilliance. But Bama was so bad in this game--they can't really be this bad. So did UGA finally solve their Bama problem? Or is Bama just not that good? Or did Bama just have a bad day? My gut feeling is the third: Bama is better than this, they just didn't show up for this match. Voters apparently agreed because Bama (and their 3 L's) were invited to keep going and I'm curious to see how they do. I think Bama is really good and they just whiffed in this match and are lucky to be getting a second chance. 

(11) Brigham Young 7-34 (4) Texas Tech

The BYU (and Utah, too, for that matter) haters got their wish in the form of another drubbing at the hands of Texas Tech. These two L's to Tech are used as evidence that the BYU offense was embarrassingly awful and they've been overrated all season long; but I must counter that outside of these games against Tech, BYU comfortably handled everyone else they played and I'm not sure what else could be expected of them. Hey, man, Texas Tech is legit good! That offense can move the ball and that pass rush is cold blooded, I can't help thinking that their two drubbings of BYU are arguably their best games of the year and if we're devaluing BYU. that only serves to devalue Texas Tech.  So I'm going the opposite route: I think BYU is pretty good and Tech's mastery of them shows how really really good Tech is. 

Duke 27-20 (OT) (17) Virginia

I saw none of this game and I'm convinced no one else did either. The fact that the ACC ended up with these two in their final just shows that the ACC doesn't deserve to have nice things. 

This leaves us next weekend with an opening round of:

(9) Alabama @ (8) Oklahoma (+1.5; O/U 40.5)

(10) Miami @ (7) Texas A&M (-3.5; 51.5)

(11) Tulane @ (6) Mississippi (-17.5; 56.5)

(12) James Madison @ (5) Oregon (-21.5; 50.5)

The controversies: Because the ACC screwed up their championship, it meant that there would be 2 small conferences teams (Tulane, James Madison) instead of just one (which we all agree is 1 too many). Subsequently, the fight between Notre Dame and Miami ended up with the Hurricanes advancing because they beat Notre Dame head to head (and that has to matter!). Personally I would've taken Notre Dame over Miami (*), becasue Notre Dames 2 losses (A&M and Miami, who meet next week) are better than Miami's 2 losses (Louisville, SMU)--and that has to matter!

My final top 12 of this season:

1) Indiana (I can't believe what I just typed)

2) Georgia

3) Ohio State

4) Texas Tech

5) Mississippi

6) Oregon

7) Alabama

8) Texas A&M

9) Notre Dame

10) Brigham Young

11) Vanderbilt 

12) Miami

(*) And I would've taken Vanderbilt over Notre Dame or Miami or Oklahoma. Yeah, Vandy was really fucking good this year.

2025 NCAA Football (Week 14)

Top 25 (*)

Handled their business

(1) Ohio State, (2) Indiana, (4) Georgia, (5) Texas Tech, (6) Oregon, (7) Mississippi, (9) Notre Dame, (10) Alabama, (11) Brigham Young, (12) Miami, (13) Utah, (14) Vanderbilt, (16) Texas, (17) Southern Cal, (18) Virginia, (24) Tulane, (25) Arizona

Won but did not impress

(8) Oklahoma (Okay, I'll be honest: I'm not in on the Sooners this year; I want to like the QB (meh), I want to like the pass rush (nice but that D is not that great), I want to be impressed with their W's (Alabama and Texas are nice wins, right?); but farting around with an LSU squad that dropped dead a month ago is not so impressive; the argument is that they haven't played their best game yet....but....are we sure about that? I don't think this team is that good)

Bad beat

(15) Michigan (yeah they had a 4-game winning streak on the Buckeyes, but half of those wins were fluky and no one expected them to keep it going; Michigan was nice this year but not top of the table)

(19) Tennessee (Ugh! Getting smoked at home by Vandy doesn't happen often at Rocky Top, but this wasn't a bad season for the Vols, not one of their best but they were in the mix late, played some important games and have room to build for next year--and they better! Getting smoked by Vandy multiple years in a row isn't how Knoxvillians want to live)

(22) Pittsburgh (meh, the Panthers never impressed all season long, they got the sneak attack on Georgia Tech, but they were only marginally more interesting; I wasn't expecting Pitt to put up much against Miami on a mission)

(23) Georgia Tech (meh, I wasn't expecting them to upset UGA, the Yellow Jackets had a nice season but keeping the Bulldogs from destroying them was a pretty good showing, I thought)

Not so good

(3) Texas A&M (I like A&M, they're probably riding higher than they ought to, but they've got to go to Austin and get the W; still in the tourney but they missed out on the SEC championship and an even higher seed in the tourney, which they probably need)

(20) Arizona State (I dunno, I was never in on Arizona State this year but losing at home to in-state rivals is not a good way to go out under any circumstances)

(21) Southern Methodist (The Mustangs have had a nice season, finishing with a W at Cal would've made for a much better season; oh well, they weren't making the ACC final or the big tourney either way, so guess it doesn't matter really)

Next week's championship matches

(AAC) North Texas - (24) Tulane

(Big 12) (11) Brigham Young - (5) Texas Tech

(SEC) (4) Georgia - (10) Alabama

(Big 10) (2) Indiana - (1) Ohio State

(ACC) Duke - (18) Virginia

My top 12 (this week):

(1) Ohio State (the Buckeyes are having one of those dangerous seasons: they're so much better than everyone else that it's hard to tell how good they actually are; there are no cream puffs left on the schedule, so can OSU keep it up against stiffer and stiffer competition? (My guess is they can, but we'll see))

(2) Indiana (Indiana's W at Oregon is arguably the single most impressive W of the season; the Big 10 championship is a fascinating test for the Hoosiers; no pressure, really, they're still in even with an L to Ohio State)

(3) Georgia (not as good as recent UGA vintages but a solid, sharp team that can hang with anyone; they don't have the D this year but I think the offense is better than ya think; they need a strong showing against Bama to secure seeding in the tourney)

(4) Mississippi (I have Ole Miss higher than most because I think their D-line is really really good and they can score with anyone--even without Coach Kiffin (I don't understand how you walk away from a championship run....); I like this team, I think they're really good and getting forsaken by the coach is an extra chip on the shoulder for them)

(5) Oregon (classic Oregon: fast fast fast all over the field, they're never really out of a game; not the top level playmakers but pretty good players all over the place, this team is capable of dialing it up to the competition, too, they're going to be a tough out)

(6) Texas Tech (man these guys just never stop scoring and the D is pretty good, too; they're gonna be a tough out)

(7) Alabama (Bama is the jekyll and hyde team: their best is good enough to beat anyone anywhere, but when their pass rush disappears or the passing game stalls, they can get overtaken with a quickness; (if they beat UGA, do they jump up to a top 4 seed?); I think Bama is the real deal)

(8) Texas A&M (like 'em, don't love 'em; I feel like they've been overachieving all year long, feels like its catching up to them; the QB is nice (not great), the defense is nice (not great), the coaching staff....; they won't go quietly, but I don't think they last long)

(9) Notre Dame (if they can score, they can hang; if their offense stalls, I don't think they get past anyone above them)

(10) Brigham Young (the D is solid, the offense is nice; they'll need some luck but I think they're capable of a solid game against a better opponent and that alone can move them forward)

(11) Vanderbilt (Vandy will go out swinging and I like their chances of sneaking a knockout blow on a big boy not expecting much; Vandy plays smart, they don't make mistakes, you have to play them hard for 60 minutes to get the W--that's why I'd put Vandy in the tourney!)

(12) Miami (I guess most folks would put them comfortably in the top 12 but I think Vandy's W's are more impressive and their L's are, too! If Miami had just handled their business against Louisville and SMU, there would be no debate....but they didn't and I think Vandy had a better season; that said, if Texas Tech destroys BYU and UGA dismantles Alabama, I can see Miami and perhaps Vandy, too, both sneaking in to the tourney--where I would give Miami a puncher's chance against a team that thinks they can coast)

(13) Oklahoma (unless the QB becomes as good as everyone wants him to be, I just don't see the Sooners beating anybody; I don't think they deserve a shot ahead of Miami or Vandy or even a 2-loss BYU or 3-loss Alabama; I'm telling ya, man: OU ain't all that)

(*) I dunno, I just got lazy this fall. Watched a ton of NCAA football--as much as ever--just didn't get all bunged up about recording my thoughts this season. But I'm back at it. 

2025 NFL (after 4 games)

AFC

4-0

Bills

Well, the Bills defense is suspect--even more than the last few seasons--but so far it feels like QB Josh Allen is ready to outscore all comers. So far, the Bills are the best team in the league but there's a lot of season left.  The Bills were my pre-season pick to win it all and for now I've got no reason to change course.

3-1

Chargers, Colts, Jags, Steelers

The Chargers are probably gonna charge but so far they look tougher and sharper than the squad that's been fumbling away 4th quarters for more than a decade. QB Herbert looks like the crafty veteran the nerds have been accusing him of being since he arrived in the league and the defense just looks better this year, more complete. I dunno, for now they look like Buffalo's real competition. 

The Colts are getting the Danny Dimes-a-ssance and suddenly it appears like their inability to find a competent QB has masked that the rest of the roster isn't bad. A QB that isn't a disaster is maybe all they needed (especially in their so-so division). I am slow to give up on QB's and, man, Danny Dimes has had moments in this league, and so far he seems to be exactly what the Colts have needed for a while now. Will they still be around at the end of the year? I can see it, actually.

I'll say it: I like the Jags. Their one L so far was to the Bengals and, man, the Jags worked really hard to lose that game. The blame that QB Lawrence has been getting is unwarranted (I think the receivers deserve the share of the blame) and that defense is legit good all over the field. I think the Jags are actually good and though they will surely have their stumbles throughout the season (because they're not used to winning), I expect them to be in the hunt for their division or a wild card spot.

The Steelers are the up/down team: they'll have weeks where they look damn good on both sides of the ball and then weeks where they just flat out suck. Rodgers has moments of mojo and moments of over the hill and their defense is pretty similar. Can that mediocrity get them into the post-season? Maybe, but I suspect they won't last long if they get there. 

2-2

Chiefs, Broncos, Patriots, Bengals

Clearly it's too early to give up on Mahomes but the Chiefs really do look like they're falling back to the pack--especially with the Chargers and Broncos stepping up. Don't count them out but they sure don't look like the world beaters they've been for as long as anyone can remember.

The Broncos are....okay. I think they're pretty good on both sides of the ball, good enough to beat bad teams but not necessarily good enough to hang with the real good ones. They'll be in the playoff hunt but I suspect they come up short.  

The Patriots are moving in the right direction but their next match--Monday night in Buffalo--will show us if they're really ready to compete. I can see the Pats being up and down all season long, good enough to be in the playoff hunt...maybe. But this is probably more of a building-for-next-year kinda team.

I wasn't in on the Bengals this season and if they have to go 6-ish weeks without QB Joe Burrow, I don't see how they hang. They got lucky against the Browns and the Jags, they should probably be winless.

1-3

Ravens, Texans, Browns, Raiders, Dolphins

The Ravens are the best 1-3 team in the league. Yeah, the defense is not that good, the offense has yet to gel and they're currently racked by injuries. But so far they've lost to the Bills (game of the year so far), Lions and Chiefs, so I'm not worried about them yet. 

The Texans haven't gotten going and I'm not sure why. I can't help thinking this season might get away from them before they get hot and snag some W's down the stretch. I still like that D and that QB but I also like the Colts and Jags more than I thought I would, so gonna be tough for the Texans to compete. Feels like this might be an off year for the Texans (keep an eye on them for next season).

The Browns have a hell of a defense but I don't think they'll score any points., so I just can't see them winning too many games.

The Raiders are frisky but they look like such a slopfest of a team that I reckon they'll get a few upset W's, but I can't see them sniffing the post-season.

The Dolphins are not particularly good at anything, moving in the wrong direction. But they still play hard, they'll compete week to week, they'll score a few highlights but I don't think they're gonna win many games. 

0-4

Jets, Titans

The Jets are not particularly good at anything. but I doubt that they are as bad as they've been so far. I can see the Jets sucking pretty bad and then piling up some upsets down the stretch.

The Titans are the worst team in the league. I like their rookie QB, but the coach seems like an idiot and there's not a wealth of talent on either side. They're my #1 pick for the #1 pick. 

NFC

4-0

Eagles

They just keep chugging along but somehow I'm still not sure if they're any good. I can see them going undefeated or finishing with a losing record, I dunno. 

3-1

Lions, Bucs, Seahawks, Rams, Niners

I think the Lions are the cream of the NFC. They weren't ready for opening week at Lambeau but they've been killing it since then and I think they're the team to beat going forward.

The Bucs manage to squeeze out more W's than L's and I can't tell if its because they just find a way to win or if they ought to be way better and are just getting by. They were my pre-season pick for the Super Bowl and, I dunno, I guess they could be. We'll see. 

The Seahawks and the Rams and the Niners all seem overacheiving so far. The Seahawks are strangely good on the road (but strangely soft at home), the Niners have a weird roster but seem to get W's, and the Rams have one of my fave QB's but I'm not a huge fan of any of the rest of that roster. Once they start playing each other one of these teams will emerge and one will fade, not sure which is which. 

2-2 (2-1-1)

Packers, Vikings, Falcons, Cards, Commanders, Bears

The Packers managed to give away a W against the Browns (eh, that was a fluke) and turned a W into a Tie in Dallas (eh, they should've won by 2 touchdowns). But I still think that along with the Lions, the Packers are a top tier squad, they just need to get their shit together.

I think the Vikings are a mirage, I just can't see them hanging in a tough division with a rookie QB.

I like the Falcons, plenty of weapons of offense and it feels like they're finally starting to figure it out--though getting shut out in Carolina is still a head scratcher. Can they win that division? If they can find the consistency that has eluded the Bucs, I think so.  

The Cards are not the fourth best team in their division. Are they the best? Could be. But I don't see a wild card coming out of that division, so they need to win it. 

I think the Commanders overachieved last year and it stands to reason that they'll fall toward the middle. In the wild card hunt, I reckon, but I think they come up short. 

I am not in on the Bears at all. The defense is pretty good but they still haven't figured out the offense and I think that division is too tough for them to experiment for much longer. 

1-3 (1-2-1)

Cowboys, Giants, Panthers

The Cowboys have a good offense and a terrible defense. They'll win some games and should be a fun watch but I can't see them as a playoff squad. 

The Giants have finally settled on their rookie QB but Jaxson Dart is a wild man (just slightly this side of Anthony Richardson) and I can't imagine he makes it a full season and though I like him, I doubt he'll make much of a difference this season. They do have a nasty pass rush, though, they'll steal some W's. 

The Panthers are terrible. That's all.  

0-4

Saints

The Saints are not good but--god love 'em!--this franchise does not believe in tanking--they're out there trying to win the Super Bowl...and not coming close. They play hard, they play with pride, they'll get some W's, doubt they'll get the #1 pick but they won't be far off (Nussmeyer on their wish list, I presume?).  

2025-26 NCAA Football (Week 5)

Games I saw (some of):

(21) Southern Cal 32-34 (23) Illinois

Fun game! Two evenly matched teams, Southern Cal may well be the better squad, but Illinois expertly worked the clock to get the final possession and that's what it took. Illinois has already had their staggering defeat and since I don't see them beating Ohio State or Penn State, I reckon their path to the tournament is over, but they're still gonna be a tough out; Southern Cal, on the other hand, is still in play and if they can build, they might still turn into something.

(1) Ohio State 24-6 Washington

The Huskies played hard but they just couldn't hang with the Buckeyes. After halftime, Ohio State dialed up enough offense to convincingly put away UW, but UW's defense was pretty great in the 1st half. Just another ho-hum W for the Buckeyes, but a strong showing for the Huskies, wonder if they can hang around in the Big 10.

(4) Louisiana State 19-24 (13) Mississippi

Really impressed with Ole Miss's D-line. LSU's early season victory over Clemson seemed so impressive at the time, but...Clemson...so now I'm not so sure. I thought they would handle the Rebels, but it was the other way around. Ole Miss controlled the whole game through their pass rush and run stopping ability. I'm still not that in on Ole Miss, but this was a good W for them. The SEC is clearly up for grabs this year.

(6) Oregon 30-24 (2OT) (3) Penn State

Fun game! Why doesn't Penn State play their 4th quarter offense for the whole game? Both teams plodded along, I thought Oregon was generally the better side throughout, but once they took a 2 TD lead in the 4th quarter, Penn State came storming back....so why do they always wait til the last minute to get their offense going? I hate to pile on Penn State, I think they've really built something special there, but sometimes they seem doomed by their own conservativeness. Oregon is a good squad, can't wait to see them up against the Buckeyes. 

Top 25

Handled their business

(1) Ohio State, (6) Oregon, (9) Texas A&M, (11) Indiana, (13) Mississippi, (14) Iowa State, (15) Tennessee, (17) Alabama, (18) Vanderbilt, (20) Missouri, (22) Notre Dame, (23) Illinois, (25) Brigham Young

Won but did not impress

(16) Georgia Tech (I dunno, normally I'm sympathetic to conference W's on the road, but I want to see Tech dominate a lesser opponent and Wake Forest probably should've won; not a good look)

Bad beat

(4) Louisiana State (disappointing L but Ole Miss's defense is legit, they were the better team)

(21) Southern Cal (good showing on the road in conference, I think they're probably better than Illinois but the Illini did what they needed to do; tough L for the Trojans)

Not so good

(3) Penn State (if you're gonna win a championship, you've got to beat Oregon at home, I know it ain't easy but it's that simple)

(5) Georgia (do you realize Bama has beaten UGA 10 of the last 11 times they've played? That's mind blowing considering how dominant UGA was for a while there)

(8) Florida State (gotta beat UVA on the road, I'm sorry but them's the rules)

(24) Texas Christian (I thought they had Arizona State beat but...they did not)

Next week's intriguing matches

(16) Vanderbilt @ (10) Alabama (Last year Vandy routed Bama, this year Vandy is ranked--what the hell is going on? When will this madness stop?!?!?)

(3) Miami @ (18) Florida State (I think Miami is going to pummel FSU but maybe not; the Seminoles probably didn't deserve to drop so much for an OT loss at UVA, perhaps that will give them the spark they need)

Mississippi State @ (6) Texas A&M (A&M might be for real or they might not, I have no idea; but the SEC is a gauntlet and A&M must beware of traps; we'll see if they're up for this one)

2025-26 NCAA Football (Week 4)

Games I saw (some of):

(22) Auburn 17-24 (11) Oklahoma

I like Oklahoma, that QB Mateer is for real, but I thought Auburn was mostly snakebit in this match. Easy to say OU is the better team--they might be--but if Auburn can calm their jittery nerves, I think they might be really good (or at least a tough out in the SEC).

(17) Texas Tech 34-10 (16) Utah

Tech dominated this game, felt like Utah couldn't move the ball at all (at home!). I think Utah is pretty good, which makes Tech look like a for-real tourney team right now. 

(21Michigan 30-27 Nebraska

Fun match. Nebraska hung tough, did not get intimidated, hung around, had their chances late. I like Michigan but I'm not sure they're gonna rip through the Big 10 this season.

Top 25

Handled their business

(3) Louisiana State, (4) Miami, (6) Oregon, (7) Florida State, (8) Texas, (11) Oklahoma, (13) Mississippi, (15) Tennessee, (17) Texas Tech, (18) Georgia Tech, (19) Indiana, (20) Vanderbilt, (21) Michigan, (23) Missouri, (24) Notre Dame, (25) Southern Cal

Bad beat

(22) Auburn. I thought the Tigers were pretty good in Norman, more unlucky than incompetent.

Not so good

(9) Illinois. Boy, Indiana whooped up on the Illini like an act of God! Illini got smooooooked at home.

(16) Utah. They were never in the game against Texas Tech.

Next week's intriguing matches:

(21) Southern Cal @ (23) Illinois (so, a bounce back game for the Illini or another shellacking?)

(4) Louisiana State @ (13) Mississippi (I think LSU is gonna stomp Ole Miss, we'll see)

Auburn @ (9) Texas A&M (A&M is good but I'm not out on Auburn, they are frisky and A&M better bring their best game)

(6) Oregon @ (3) Penn State (monster offense vs monster defense, should be a good one)

(17) Alabama @ (5) Georgia (How good is Alabama? How good is Georgia? I dunno, let's see)