2026 NCAA (Final Four and Final)

(3) Illinois 62-71 (2) Connecticut

UConn made more shots than Illinois. Sounds rather basic but it felt to me like both teams were getting shots, getting the offense they wanted to get, UConn converted more than Illinois did and that was about it. I think UConn is the most puzzling team of recent times: they're right there every year and I generally don't understand why. I don't see anything special about UConn at all, don't understand how they did so well this season or in this tourney. If Illinois just knocks down some shots, I think they would've won and I feel like I could say that about most of UConn's opponents. I dunno, I just don't understand why they've had so much success.  

(1) Michigan 91-73 (1) Arizona

I thought this one was gonna be a classic but, no, Michigan pretty much shut them down from beginning to end. Arizona had a burst about 10 minutes into the 1st half where they tied it up, but that was the end of that. Michigan ran off before haltime and buried them rather easily in the 2nd half. I was blown away by Arizona's scoring potential against Purdue, thought it would translate to Michigan, but no it did not. I'd be kinda shocked if Michigan didn't mop the floor with UConn.

(2) Connecticut 63-69 (1) Michigan

A rather unsatisfying game. Michigan was the better team but they never could extend their lead or really dominate the action, so UConn hung around even though they weren't really shooting all that well. The refs were letting them on beat on each other so the stretch run of the game was a lot of fouls, replays, clumsy play. I thought Michigan should've pounded UConn and looking back on it....they absolutely should have pounded UConn. But Michigan had their own shooting woes and the style of the refs just slowed everything down and kept giving UConn chances. The Huskies couldn't take advantage of the opportunities but it still made for a sludgy game where the better team felt bridled, instead of unleashing an all-timer of an ass-whippin'. Wolverines are your champs! They really were the best team all through the tourney, one of the best of the regular season, a well put-together collection of length and speed. I doubt this team even hit their peak this season--they could've absolutely demolished the Final but the game itself slowed them down. 

2025-26 NCAA Football (Playoff Semifinals)

Games I saw (some of):

(10) Miami 24-14 (2) Ohio State

All season long the Buckeyes knocked down whoever was put in front of them and we genuflected to their dominance, all while secretly wondering if they were actually any good. Well, after a back-to-back throttlings by Indiana and Miami it is plainly obvious that the Buckeye offense was kinda ordinary and the defense was good but not great. It was their scheduling that was disappointing: no Oregon, no Indiana, catching Penn State and Michigan just as they were falling apart and Texas before they were ready to blossom. The Big 10 Final showed that the Buckeyes were the 2nd best (at best!) team in the B10 and Miami just placed the flowers on their grave.

As for the Hurricanes, well, I was impressed at their opening W over Notre Dame but never saw much impressive about them again. The ACC was putrid this year--and Miami still didn't make the conference final!--and their stumbles to Louisville (dude, quit throwing interceptions!) and SMU (dude, can you please stop this running game?), were embarrassingly awful--and I thought reason enough to choose Notre Dame over them for the playoff. (*) But I noticed when they got a dominant victory at Pittsburgh and their D-line just kept getting better and better. So, in contradistinction to OSU's flawless season undone by two straight thumpings, Miami's rather lackluster regular season has yielded back to back grinding W's against Texas A&M and Ohio State (on the road, no less). Miami has shown they deserve to be here.

(5) Oregon 23-0 (4) Texas Tech

The score doesn't look like it but Tech's defense was really good, they held out as long as they could against Oregon's onslaught. But, man, dude that QB....yipes....I felt sorry for the kid. Surely that's the worst game he's ever played. He wasn't able to do much of anything and the turnovers became inevitable. You can credit Oregon's D, they came to play, but Tech's high flying offense thudded hard in this match. Good regular season, but they couldn't get it done in the tourney and that's how it goes.

Both Oregon and Tech looked pretty brilliant all year long, I couldn't separate the two--but I can now! Oregon showed up and Tech didn't, Oregon made the plays and Tech didn't, Oregon was ready to move on and Tech wasn't. In the 1st round Oregon moved the ball at will on James Madison but then fell asleep on defense, which gave the coach plenty to yell about even though they got the victory; here the coach can easily point out that while Oregon is moving on, Tech faltered so badly that the Ducks still have a lot to work on. (This is working out too perfectly for the Oregon coaching staff so far)

(9) Alabama 3-38 (1) Indiana

I believed in Bama when no one else would. When they pulled their shit together, they could get impressive W's; but when it fell apart they had some puzzling losses. I kinda thought that it was there for them to rise up as an underdog, but the offense was sloppy enough that was a foolish expectation. Bama looked like they were playing in mud, Indiana clowned them at every facet of the game, the Tide were never in this game. 

Indiana has just been grinding people into dirt all year long. Alabama is simply next on the list. Frankly the Hoosiers got going a little late in this game, with a coupla breaks this could've been way more lopsided.

(6) Mississippi 39-34 (3) Georgia

The fun one! Back and forth action, two very familiar opponents, both teams with the chance to pull it all together and go on a run (am I ready to say that the winner of this game will win it all?). For the most part UGA felt like the better team but they could never get any separation and in the 4th quarter Ole Miss made the plays and UGA did not. Good but shaky season for the Bulldogs, a weird--and getting weirder--season for the Rebels. 

Semifinals:

Fiesta Bowl: (10) Miami @ (6) Mississippi (+3.5, 52.5)

Miami's defense is cooking but I'm still not in on their offense. Against the sluggish Buckeyes they got a pick-6, a garbage time TD and a coupla FG's....I don't think that's gonna get them past Ole Miss. Especially since Ole Miss's pass rush is playing pretty good right now, too. As for the Rebels, even without their guru (**), that offense still moves with impunity and while Miami's pass rush will be one of the better ones they've faced this season, I think they can outscore the Hurricanes. I like Ole Miss 24-14 (Missisippi and the under).

Peach Bowl: (5) Oregon @ (1) Indiana (-3.5, 47.5)

Ahhhhh, this'll be a good one. Indiana's win at Oregon was arguably the best W of the entire season (Bama at Georgia was up there, too) and certainly the most eye-opening--THIS was the moment that I saw with certainty that the Hoosiers were for real. Going to Oregon and getting a hard fought L was the test and they blew right past that! Indiana dominated the Ducks on their home field and the only second guess on it now is that the Ducks played conservative thinking they could get by with a B- game plan. The Hoosiers proved that that wasn't good enough. Oregon has been a good squad all season long and they're probably playing their best ball right now--and, again, they've had back-to-back W's now that looked pretty easy but still gave the coaches plenty to bitch about--and they've got no reason to hold anything back this time. Oregon will be bringing their best and that will surely be the best that Indiana has seen all season long. But the Hoosiers are fuckin' money, man. They've taken all comers so far (including these Ducks) and after their cold-blooded shellacking of Ohio State and Alabama, I don't think they'll be afraid of Oregon. If anyone could get Indiana it is probably Oregon....but I don't think Indiana is gonna get got! (Am I ready to say that the winner of this game will win it all?) I'll take Indiana 27-24 (Oregon and the over). 

(*) Yeah, yeah, "head to head has to matter!" And the two bad losses and only one good W all season long....doesn't that have to matter, too?

(**) The buzz is that Lane Kiffin might be interested in the Venezuela presidency now that its open. But with things getting hot in Kiev, I think there's a good chance Zelensky enters the transfer portal. 

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 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. 

2025-26 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 2)

Games I saw (some of):

(15) Michigan 13-24 (18) Oklahoma

I was impressed with OU, they moved the ball well, had a stout run defense and just generally seemed in control and the better team throughout. I'm curious to see how they hold up in the SEC, coming off a season where they mostly doormatted their way through the year (thought they did stick Alabama in the eye), I didn't have high hopes but now I kinda do. Michigan was okay, I didn't get a feel for what they might be good at, but they still have the whole season ahead of them. Good W for Oklahoma, a non-killer L for Michigan.

(20) Mississippi 30-23 Kentucky

Just kept waiting for Ole Miss to put the Cats away but they just never did. Mind you, I never thought UK was gonna win (I didn't last year either), but the Cats hung around even though their attack is pretty awful. I dunno, man, Ole Miss is supposed to be good but I don't see anything that really makes me think they're gonna do something special in the SEC this year. And as for Kentucky, well, basketball season is right around the corner.

Baylor 48-45 (2OT) (17) Southern Methodist

Fun game! Back and forth throughout, every time I would tell myself Baylor was the better team, SMU would make a play and take the momentum right back. I think Baylor is actually good and I think SMU is overrated, but still time for them to get hot this season, I don't want to write SMU off, it could just be that Baylor is a little bit better. I'm becoming a fan of Baylor's QB.

Top 25

Handled this business

(1) Ohio State, (2) Penn State, (3) Louisiana State, (4) Georgia, (5) Miami, (6) Oregon, (7) Texas, (10) South Carolina, (11) Illinois, (14) Florida State, (16) Iowa State, (18) Oklahoma, (19) Texas A&M, (20) Mississippi, (21) Alabama, (22) Tennessee, (23) Indiana, (24) Texas Tech, (25) Utah

Won but did not impress

(8) Clemson. After the pants-ing they took from LSU last week, I thought they'd come ready to put it in on Troy. Yes, they were weather delays and the game was disjointed, but, man, it took the Tigers a while to get going after a rocky 1st half. Are we sure that QB Klubnick actually has it? Are we sure Clemson is as good as their pre-season top 5 ranking? 

Bad beat

(15) Michigan. I wasn't overly impressed with Michigan but I was impressed with Oklahoma, so I'm willing to chalk this up to the Wolverines getting punked at the home of a top quality opponent. Still time for Michigan to have a great season. 

(17) Southern Methodist. Yeah, when a ranked team loses to an unranked conference foe at home, that probably shouldn't be thought of as a bad beat, but I think Baylor is underrated and I think SMU was probably overrated. After this game, we can reorder that conference and there's still time for SMU to get some wins (their offense can move the ball).

Not so good

(12) Arizona State. Yeah, they fell down 17-0 at Mississippi State, rallied to take the 20-17 lead, and then lost late. Perhaps this was a bad beat, but ASU was in the playoff last year and Mississippi State hasn't had a notable season in a while now, I was expecting more from the Sun Devils. That said, losing on the road in the SEC is hardly a black eye, but we all thought they would win, then we thought they wouldn't, then we thought they would and then they didn't. That's a rollercoaster of disappointment. 

(13) Florida. Figured the Gators would be going in the "won but did not impress" bucket, but they forgot to win. I'm not surprised that South Florida gave the Gators a game--I thought they would!--but I also thought that would inspire the Gators to step up, make plays and secure a hard-earned W. Nope.

Next week's intriguing matches:

Wisconsin @ (19) Alabama (I dunno, this one could be kinda fun)

(6) Georgia @ (15) Tennessee (game o' the week)

(18) South Florida @ (5) Miami (some hot CW action! South Florida has two ranked wins in a row to start the season, are the Hurricanes gonna handle their business or are they gonna get punked?)

Arkansas @ (17) Mississippi (wouldn't be shocked if the Razorbacks give Ole Miss a game)

Florida @ (3) Louisiana State (I thought Florida would respect South Florida, but I am sure that LSU will respect Florida; might be a blow out but it should be intense)

(16) Texas A&M @ (8) Notre Dame (fun game last year, should be a fun one this year, too)

2025-26 NCAA Football (Week 1)

Games I saw (some of):

(1) Texas 7-14 (3) Ohio State

Sludgefest of a game, thought both defenses were really strong. The buzz about this game was the uninspiring debut of QB Arch Manning, the pre-season fave for Heisman (why?), and, well, he wasn't particularly good. That said, the Buckeye offense wasn't vastly better than the Longhorns. The Buckeyes had two good drives and scored on both; the Longhorns had three good drives and came up short inside the 10 yard line on two of them (you could argue both of those drives were really better than the one they scored on). The Buckeyes were the better team on both sides, but the Longhorns were hardly humiliated, so some of that chatter is wildly overblown. I think both of these teams are really good, I suspect both will be in the playoff and really the home field advantage was probably the real difference. 

(9) Louisiana State 17-10 (4) Clemson

Always important to remember when two college heavyweights get together, often the 2nd half is totally different from the 1st. The 1st half had more offense than the Longhorn-Buckeye match but not much as both teams moved the ball a little bit but for the most part stalled. Clemson had one nice drive before the half and were up 10-3. After that, I thought LSU kinda dominated the rest of the game. Clemson didn't get blown out but they were clearly not as good as LSU, who struck me as maybe the revelation of the opening week: they've got a for-real QB, they can move the ball and their D is gonna be stingy. Not ready to give up on Clemson, I suspect they'll hang around all year (thought Florida State and Miami look like stiffer competition than may have been anticipated).

(8) Alabama 17-31 Florida State

This was an eye-opener. Alabama was primed for a real bounce back season--and that could still happen--whereas the Seminoles were so bad last year (so bad!) that I was already ready to write them off. Record scratch! The Seminoles looked damn good! Their offense is scary, that pass rush is for real and whatever ailed them last year seems to be in the rearview. They took it to the Tide from beginning to end and were the better team on both sides. Now Alabama was starting a rookie QB, had some injuries and were on the road, so I'm not ready to write off the Tide just yet but...man, their schedule is rugged and if they don't get the O-line on track, then their season could go sideways pronto. But the Seminoles were the revelation, they look they're back from whatever hole they fell into last year.

(6) Notre Dame 24-27 (10) Miami

I was impressed with the Hurricanes (though maybe not with their too-conservative coach). I was skeptical of QB Carson Beck, who just never did it for me in his time at UGA and seemed to be shooting his mouth off in embarrassing ways all summer. But, he looked good out there in a Hurricane uni, guess the change of scenery is doing him well. This was a good matchup, felt like Notre Dame was the better team early on, but the Hurricanes definitely took over the game after half time, almost low-keyed the game away, but managed to hold on to the W. Don't want to diss the Irish, though, I felt like they weren't playing their best football, feels like this team is going to be better than this for the rest of the season, so we;ll see if they can maintain the top 10-ness (I think they will). 

Top 25

Handled their business

(2) Penn State, (3) Ohio State, (5) Georgia, (7) Oregon, (9) Louisiana State, (10) Miami, (11) Arizona State, (12) Illinois, (13) South Carolina, (14) Michigan, (15) Florida, (16) Southern Methodist, (18) Oklahoma, (19) Texas A&M, (21) Mississippi, (22) Iowa State (twice), (23) Texas Tech, (24) Tennessee

Won but did not impress

(17) Kansas State (week 1). I dunno, man, could be that North Dakota is actually pretty good, but if K State is gonna hang in the top 20, they need to take care of their cream puffs at home, and they struggled hard to put this team away. We'll see: this might be the real wake up call after getting ground down in Ireland the week before.

(20) Indiana. Didn't exactly dominate Old Dominion at home, I really don't think that's too much to ask of a team that made the playoff last year and fancies themselves a gunslinging sorta offense. 

Bad beat

(1) Texas. Unimpressed with the Longhorns? How about you go to Ohio State and win a game, show me how its done. Despite the chirping, UT handled themselves well on the road to open the season and I fully expect they will hang around the top 10 all year long. 

(4) Clemson. I think LSU is really good, something we couldn't have known two weeks ago. I suspect Clemson will be around at the end of the year and this L likely won't be a killer for them.

(17) Kansas State (week 0). (Two weeks in and they've got a Bad Beat and a Did Not Impress, the Wildcats are not off to a great start) Going to Ireland and playing an unknown foe can't be easy, so I'm willing to look the other way, but following that L with a scuffling save at home to a D2 squad is not filling me with confidence. 

Not so good

(8) Alabama. I think Florida State is good and this L won't be a killer for the Tide this year, but, man, they really could've used that win. If they can up their QB play, they can still be a solid team, this season isn't over for the Tide, but, they need to be flawless from here (and that's a tough ask for anyone).

(25) Boise State. Didn't see their shellacking at South Florida, but a friend told me the game was actually a lot closer than the 34-7 score suggests. Oooooooooo-kay. 

Next week's intriguing matches

Iowa @ (16) Iowa State (they got a big W in Ireland but can the Cyclones win in Iowa?)

Baylor @ (17) Southern Methodist (I thought Baylor handled themselves okay against Auburn, think they're gonna give the Mustangs a game this week)

Oklahoma State @ (6) Oregon (the Cowboys haven't been all the great lately but they're not a cream puff, curious to see if the Ducks can put them away early)

(15) Michigan @ (18) Oklahoma (here we go: game of the week; I have no idea what to expect from either team, both were pretty soft last year, let's see if either of them are ready to walk it)

2025 NCAA Final

Sweet Sixteen

Maryland 71-87 Florida

Not a shock. Maryland had some talent but I never thought they were a particularly cohesive crew. 

Arizona 93-100 Duke

Duke shot well, surprised the score was this close actually. 

Brigham Young 88-113 Alabama

I thought BYU had good upset potential in this game, but, man, Alabama shot the lights out early on and just kept the scoring too furious for BYU to keep up. If Alabama had played like this throughout, they would've won it all. 

Arkansas 83-85 (OT) Texas Tech

I didn't see this game but just watching the score tick by throughout, it feels like Arkansas worked pretty hard to lose this game. It even felt like they were gonna come back in OT and managed to gack it up anyway. Too bad, I really thought Arkansas had the array of talent needed to pull off some shockers. 

Michigan 65-78 Auburn

Michigan's offense was just too sludge-y to hang with Auburn.

Purdue 60-62 Houston

Purdue was the veteran squad, the defending runner-up, that everyone thought had upset potential. Houston is typically not an offenseive dynamo, indeed their strengths are similar to Purdue. I guess that's why this game went so deep. But Cougars got the W. 

Mississippi 70-73 Michigan State

Ole Miss was looking good early on, but they just couldn't sustain their offense and the Spartans slowly but surely took the lead and made it stand up.

Kentucky 65-78 Tennessee

UK was out of this game early, just couldn't get any offense going at all. The Vols were nice, certainly better, but the Cats had plenty of chances to get back in and just couldn't get buckets to hang. I was struck that all the curls, picks and movement that they employed so effectively against Illinois were not used here. Why not? Oh well. The Vols came to play and they played some rugged defense early on and established a clear lead early that they were able to ride out.  

Elite Eight

Texas Tech 79-84 Florida

Tech hung tough, put it on Florida but the Gators got buckets late and Walter Clayton was the hero. Good game, Tech was the better team for the most part but the Gators found another gear late and stole it. 

Alabama 65-85 Duke

Wow! I thought Alabama was one of the better teams this season and I thought they'd be a serious roadblock for Duke, but, man, Duke just pummeled them. Everyone was hitting shots and once the run began, the Tide got buried pronto and Duke cruised to the end. This was a towering performance by Duke--this is the moment where I just assumed Duke would win it all. 

Tennessee 50-69 Houston

Not surprised by the result, I figured Houston would get past whoever they faced here, but they suffocated the Vols early and this game was long over by halftime. The Vols were good this year, perhaps a little overhyped, and while I didn't think they'd win, I didn't figure they'd get stomped in this manner. A dominant performance by the Cougars.

Michigan State 64-70 Auburn

The Spartans put up a game effort but Auburn was better throughout and finished strong. Michigan State kept it close but I really felt like this game wanted to be a blowout. 

Final Four (all four #1 seeds for the first time since 2008; hardly any stunning upsets this year but it left the best of the best teams facing off at the end--turns out those are the best tourneys!)

Florida 79-73 Auburn

Auburn looked like the better team in the 1st half and built up a 12-point lead early in the 2nd half and it kinda felt like it was over. Then....Auburn did absolutely nothing from that point on and Florida was able to blast right through them. I thought Auburn was the single best team all season long (apologies to Duke, Houston and Florida) and the first 25 minutes or so of this game bore that out; but, then the scoring just completely stopped, Johni Broom never showed up, the hustle plays weren't effective any more and they spun their wheels badly down the stretch. Florida had been overcoming deficits all through the tourney, winning games late, so not a shock to see the Gators getting it done. But the Auburn collapse was so total, so complete that it made me wonder what I saw in them all year long.  

Houston 70-67 Duke

All year long Houston's MO was a team that just grinds opponents down with intense D, superior rebounding and a never-quit attitude. Duke had a nice lead at halftime and pretty much dominated the game for about 30 minutes. Then the Dukies went cold as ice and Houston just kept making plays. The final two minutes were a slow motion horror show for Duke fans as Houston just kept getting bucket after bucket, big steals, all the rebounds, a few lucky calls (*), and when the clock ran out, Houston had the lead. One of the most mystifying conclusions I've ever seen--but, then again, when Kentucky beat Duke early in the season, I remember being similarly shocked, since it never occurred to me that Duke was gonna lose. Duke was arguably the best team all year long but the ACC was so soft this year and it is worth noting that 2 of their losses (Kentucky, Kansas) were the high profile games that they just couldn't finish, so....maybe this fate was in the cards all along for the Blue Devils.  

Final

Florida 65-63 Houston

The Gators were able to do to the Cougars what Houston had just done to Duke. Well, sorta: whereas Duke snoozed through the last 10 minutes of the game thinking that their lead was good enough, here the Cougars just ran out of gas late and couldn't get buckets. Duke kinda stopped playing but Houston was just ineffective. Houston looked like the better team for most the game and when they hit an 8-point lead early in the 2nd half it felt like too much for the Gators to overcome--especially considering how little Walter Clayton had done up to that point. But Clayton got hot enough, Houston scuffled and the Gators made the plays down the stretch to steal it late--giving Houston a taste of their own medicine. Great W for the Gators, tough L for the Cougars, but the Cougars will be back next season, whereas I'm not sure about any of the rest of the Elite Eight.  

(*) Some will cite the over the back foul on Cooper Flagg in the final minute, but go back at look at the play. Houston got the rebound and had the lead with no shot clock remaining, thus a foul was actually the right move at that moment anyway. You may not have liked the call but it was cerainly not in and of itself a killer mistake or controversy.  

2025 NCAA Tournament (Sweet 16)

East

(6) BYU - (2) Alabama

(4) Arizona - (1) Duke

Duke came in as the #1 team in the land with the #1 NBA prospect (Cooper Flagg) and looked poised to do some damage. But they're not invincible, when the chips are down they rely a little too much on Flagg and the ACC was truly horrendous this year, so as good as they are, Duke is no guarantee to take it all. I didn't much care for Arizona this season, but they've got some veterans who should keep them in the game. Duke breezed through the last two rounds by building big leads and suffocating their opponents. If Arizona can keep pace with them early, they can hang with them late. But I think Duke is the better team and should advance. 

BYU was one of my darlings coming in, I just like the way they play and they're an unassuming batch of fellows, so when they get hot from the field or get their pressing defense going, I think they drive teams in shell shock. I like Alabama, I thought one of the best squads all season long. But outside of Ole Miss (still alive, by the way), they haven't played anyone quite like BYU. Alabama is the better team and should navigate this minefield, but I think BYU has a great shot at an upset here. 

Can BYU then go on to beat Duke? Again, if they can keep pace on the scoreboard, then yeah they absolutely can. Gotta go with Duke out of this bracket (but BYU is tantalizing). 

West

(4) Maryland - (1) Florida

(10) Arkansas - (3) Texas Tech

Florida is on a killer streak right now but I never really bought into them this season, was puzzled that so many thought of the Gators as the fave. The fact that they struggled mightily against a feisty but overmatched UConn side confirmed my thoughts that Florida is bit on the overhyped side. Maryland has had a nice season and seems to be most dangerous (and paradoxically most in danger) at the buzzer. If Florida comes out shooting well, they may roll right over the Terps, but if not, Maryland can absolutely steal this game. 

Arkansas! Not a gimmick, they are for real. Forget about their disappointing SEC play this year, this team is deep, loaded with veterans and prospects and their two-headed monster (Boogie Fland, DJ Wagner) give them plenty of attack. Make no mistake: Arkansas is the best of the four remaining teams in this bracket and playing their best basketball of the season.

I'll take Arkansas to win their next two games and book passage to the Final 4. 

South

(6) Mississippi - (2) Michigan State

(5) Michigan - (1) Auburn

Michigan State is nice but they flounder around instead of just finishing teams off and Ole Miss might be just the pesky foe they fear most. I do think the Spartans are better but will the play better on this night? Not sure. 

I think Auburn is the best team in the country. I think Michigan has trouble scoring in their half court set. I think this one is all Auburn.

And I'll take Auburn to finish the other side, too. 

Midwest

(3) Kentucky - (2) Tennessee

(4) Purdue - (1) Houston

Kentucky has already beaten the Vols twice this season and history shows that typically the 2-time winner wins the 3rd match, as well. The Vols are nice but they get a little hyper against the Wildcats, if they can shoot well and keep their pacing, they probably are the better team. But I'll go ahead and take the Wildcats to keep moving on. They're playing their best basketball right now and while this is a ragtag kinda squad, they've been strong against UT for a while now. 

Houston is the one flying under the radar.  All they do is win. I think they'll dispatch Purdue without much trouble and I think they'll grind down whichever SEC opponent they get on the other side. 

Informal ranking of the remaining teams:

1-4 - Auburn, Houston, Duke, Arkansas

5-8 - Alabama, BYU, Kentucky, Tennessee, 

9-12 - Florida, Michigan State, Mississippi, Maryland

13-16 - Texas Tech, Michigan, Arizona, Purdue

2024-25 NCAA Football (The Bowls)

The playoff:

1st Round

Indiana 17-27 Notre Dame (It took Indiana forever to get any offense going. Notre Dame cruised)

SMU 10-38 Penn State (SMU, as in the ACC final against Clemson, did absolutely nothing in the 1st half and were ground up quick)

Clemson 24-38 Texas (Clemson put up a good fight but just didn't have enough to beat Texas)

Tennessee 17-42 Ohio State (Yeah, the score is accurate, this was a pummeling)

Quarterfinals

Penn State 31-14 Boise State (Like SMU, Boise State just couldn't move the ball on the Nittany Lion D)

Texas 39-31 (OT) Arizona State (Crazy game! Felt lik Texas had the game wrapped up early, but the Longhorns kinda sucked all through the 4th quarter, ASU got hot, made plays and tied the game up--and it felt like they were going to steal it, but the Longhorns came to their senses, made some plays of their own and moved on)

Ohio State 41-21 Oregon (A straight-up Buckeye thrashing; the score was 31-0 almost instantly and the game felt over early; Oregon had a good drive before the half and again after halftime, but that was pretty much it)

Notre Dame 23-10 Georgia (Notre Dame forced a fumble right before halftime deep in UGA territory and were able to convert a TD before the half; then the ran back the 2nd half kickoff for a TD and that 14 point burst was the difference in the otherwise even contest)

Semifinals

Notre Dame 27-24 Penn State (Felt bad for the Penn State QB, who threw a late pick to set up the winning FG, tough to go out like that in what was otherwise an even contest)

Ohio State 28-14 Texas (OSU induced a late scoop-and-score just as the Longhorns were about to tie the game up; so on the one hand the game was much tighter than the score suggests and yet....I never thought Texas was gonna win, so....I dunno...about right, I guess)

Championship

Ohio State 34-23 Notre Dame (Notre Dame scored a TD on their opening drive but the QB endured some serious abuse to make it happen, so even though the Irish got off to a good start, you knew they were gonna have trouble keeping it up. And then the Irish defense didn't show up at all and it was 31-7 at the half. OSU's attack faltered in the 2nd half and Notre Dame had some nice moments, but it wasn't enough and the Buckeyes comfortably cruised to the title)

Some are saying that what the Buckeyes went through to win was unprecedented but I would point back to the run the Buckeyes had in 2015: destroyed Wisconsin in the Big 10 final (with a 2nd string QB), handily beat mighty Alabama (with a 3rd string QB!), and smooshed Oregon like a bug in the championship. I thought that was an even more amazing run because I had long considered the Buckeyes out of it before that improbable run. This time, I thought the Buckeyes were the 2nd best team and were able to knock out Oregon (the best team) early on, so as impressive as this run was, it wasn't shocking at all--the way 2015 was. Congrats to the Buckeyes, another great run from one of the all time great programs. 

The other bowls  (*):

Ones I got right: 21

South Alabama 30-23 Western Michigan

Memphis 42-37 West Virginia

Western Kentucky 17-27 James Madison

Cal 13-24 UNLV

Ohio 30-27 Jacksonville State

Tulane 8-33 Florida

Coastal Carolina 15-44 UT-San Antonio

Northern Illinois 28-20 Fresno State

South Florida 41-39 San Jose State

Rutgers 41-44 Kansas State

Oklahoma 20-21 Navy

Texas Tech 26-39 Arkansas

Syracuse 52-35 Washington State

East Carolina 26-21 North Carolina State

Brigham Young 36-14 Colorado

Louisiana Tech 6-27Army

Iowa 24-27 Missouri

Louisville 35-34 Washington 

Baylor 31-44 Louisiana State

Duke 20-52 Mississippi

North Texas 28-30 Texas State

Ones I got wrong: 14

Georgia Southern 26-31 Sam Houston

Pittsburgh 46-48 Toledo

Arkansas State 38-31 Bowling Green

Georgia Tech 27-35 Vanderbilt

Southern California 35-31 Texas A&M

Connecticut 27-14 North Carolina

Boston College 15-20 Nebraska

Louisiana 3-34 Texas Christian

Iowa State 42-41 Miami

Miami (OH) 43-17 Colorado State

Alabama 13-19 Michigan

South Carolina 17-21 Illinois

Minnesota 24-10 Virginia Tech

Buffalo 26-7 Liberty

(*) I just pick winners, no spreads. 

2024-25 NCAA Football (Week 15)

Watched some:

Mountain West: (20) UNLV 7-21 (10) Boise State 

Boise State just straight smoked UNLV in the 1st half and then not much happened in the 2nd half--to which I would credit Boise State's stifling attack. UNLV did not belong in the playoff and I'm glad Boise State handled their business.

SEC: (5) Georgia 22-19 (OT) (2) Texas

I thought Texas was the better team, the game went back and forth, UGA kinda took off after QB Beck got injured and they had to go to the backup, who was better (though he still threw one of the most inexplicable interceptions I've seen in a while). The two teams are similar: at their best when they're running but sometimes stall and can't sustain, both have top quality pass rush, both have some spice on special teams, but neither team has any standout WR's and UGA's QB is suspect, while UT's is just not as good as it seems like he ought to be. In short: both teams have good--but not great--depth of talent

and play to their strengths, but there are chinks in the armor that top flight opponents can nibble away at. Again, I thought Texas was better but they didn't get it done in OT, so that was that. Both are in the playoff but the winner gets a bye and the loser doesn't. 

Big 10: (3) Penn State 37-45 (1) Oregon

Typically in a normal year there are 3-4 teams (sometimes 5) that look truly capable of winning the championship; but expanding out to 12 teams throws so many more teams in the mix that I think it waters down the top tier schools and this year, only Oregon looked like a real champion all season long. Penn State has been getting better but can't get over the hump of beating the top tier schools for a few years now; expanding out to 12 teams is a godsend to good-but-not-great teams like Penn State. Here, Oregon jumped out to a commanding lead with an offense that ran and passed with ease, converted 3rd downs like pros and just generally always seem to catch the defense out of position. You would expect a team like Penn State to fall to pieces after such an early shellacking, but I was impressed at how well they hung in and came back to make the close, the game went to the final minute when it looked over early. That said....it was over early. For all of Penn State's impressive stick-to-it-tive-ness, I never thought Oregon was losing this game. Oregon is the clear obvious no-brainer #1 team in the land; Penn State is a nice contestant in the tourney, solid enough (if a little vanilla) to hang tough and make the most of others' mistakes. 

ACC: (17) Clemson 34-31 (8) Southern Methodist

SMU played about as awful as they could in the 1st half and I still thought they were gonna win--and was kinda shocked that they didn't. Clemson made SMU pay for their early mistakes (turnovers, bad penalties, dumb plays--they put on the full show of awful!) and rode a 24-7 lead into the half. But after that, SMU picked up their game and looked damn good on offense and pretty good on defense. Clemson was able to sneak in the game-winning FG, but, man, I just didn't think they had it in them to make those kinds of plays down the stretch. I'm glad SMU made the tourney--I think they deserved it; flipside: I think Clemson is the 12th best team remaining (and the reason the extra SEC squad isn't here--not SMU, who totally deserves to be ahead of Alabama, South Carolina and Ole Miss). 

Watched none (or very little)

C-USA: Western Kentucky 12-52 Jacksonville St.

Wow, quite the pasting Jax State dropped on the Hilltoppers. I know nothing about of either of these teams or this conference or this game....except that it looks like Jax came to play and WKU did not. 

American Athletic: Tulane 14-35 (24) Army

Both of these squads have been pretty good all year long, both faltering in November. Every time I turned this game on, Tulane was turning the ball over and Army was poised to increase their lead. Yeah, I saw not much of this because it was clear Army was housing them throughout. Thought for a while that an undefeated Army squad would have to get some kind of consideration from the committee, could there have been enough election year fervor to get the Cadets into the inaugural playoff? (If they'd beaten Notre Dame, we might've found out)

Big 12: (16) Iowa State 19-45 (15) Arizona State 

Yeah, the Sun Devils put in on the Cyclones early and often and this was over pronto. Iowa State is a nice team for keeping the score low, getting a lucky break or two and stealing W's from better teams. But ASU's onslaught nullified all that and Iowa State had no chance to get back into this game. Arizona State got hot late and stole this conference (yeah, I just noticed they were in the Big 12, like, last week), so all I know about them is they're kinda hot right now. But whooping up on Iowa State doesn't get me too pumped this year as even the top of that conference was pretty mediocre (and the bottom featured a lot of typically reliable teams having stinkburger years). Good luck, Arizona State (I have you ranked #11 out of 12).

MAC: Ohio 38-3 Miami (OH)

Nice work, OU! Don't take no guff from the mean preppy kids from the rich camp on the other side of the lake. I can't imagine the Bobcats are worthy of a tournament invite but they went 10-3, avenged their one conference L and stomped their way through the championship. Good season. 

Sun Belt: Marshall 31-3 Louisiana

Two more teams I was not acquainted with this season, looks like Marshall came to play.  

My top 12 

1 Oregon (1)

2 Ohio State (8)

3 Notre Dame (7)

4 Texas (5)

5 Penn State (6)

6 Georgia (2)

7 Southern Methodist (11)

8 Indiana (10)

9 Tennessee (9)

10 Boise State (3)

11 Arizona State (4)

12 Clemson (12)

I'm not in favor of holding the top 4 seeds for conference winners. I think winning a conference earns you a spot in the top 12 but otherwise you get ranked alongside everyone else. So Arizona State taking the #4 seed is positively absurd--really a dumbass way to kick off this new invention! See, Clemson won their conference and they are ranked #12, which is what they deserve (yes: behind the team they just beat!), because Clemson is not that good and the fact that they were able to backdoor their way into this tourney is all the reward they should get. Clemson won and they are getting what they deserve, while Arizona State won and are being waywaywayway overrated. 

That said, this produced some excellent matches that I'm looking forward to. And I'm going to watch as much as the TV will allow.

2024-25 NCAA Football (Week 13)

Games I watched (some of):

(9) Mississippi 17-24 Florida

Ole Miss just kept shooting themselves in the foot (whiffing on 4th down, missed FG, late interceptions to finish the game) and Florida played with maximum intensity (just being the spoiler was all this season had left to offer). Mississippi was fool's gold all along, the QB and the coach both kinda overrated, the defense was so-so at best, the Rebels just didn't play like a top 10 team all season long, even when their offense was going full throttle. And the Gators are mediocre but they play hard and the unexpected W's are sometimes the most fun.

(4) Penn State 26-25 Minnesota

(16) Colorado 21-37 Kansas

Kentucky 14-31 (3) Texas

Went back and forth between these games. Minnesota just kept adding points but somehow the game never felt out of reach for Penn State, so even though this was the nailbiter of the three, it never really felt like Penn State was going to lose. I could've called this a "Won but did not impress" game, but actually I was sorta impressed with how cool and collected the Nittany Lions stayed throughout. The Gophers kept back-assing their way onto the scoreboard but the Lions just rolled with it. 

Colorado just couldn't get stops on Kansas, so they never could cut into the lead or dig their way back into this game; I thought their offense might come alive but it couldn't keep pace. This was the one I watched the most of the three because I expected the most fireworks but KU kept the game out of reach, good W. 

UK-UT was not what I expected: somehow the Longhorns were firmly in control throughout and yet the Wildcats kept this from being a runaway and yet there was never a moment when Kentucky looked capable of winning and yet Texas kinda had to scramble to put this one away. I thought Kentucky would keep them close til halftime then Texas would run away with it in the 2nd half; more like, UT built a nice but not overwhelming cushion, then sat on the cushion for as long as they could, then got a late TD to put it away. I dunno, weird game. (Meanwhile Clemson was pummeling the Citadel, so didn't peak at that one too much)

Top 25

Handled their business

(2) Ohio State, (3) Texas, (4) Penn State, (6) Notre Dame, (8) Miami, (10) Georgia, (11) Tennessee, (13) Southern Methodist, (17) Clemson, (18) South Carolina, (21) Arizona State, (22) Iowa State, (23) Missouri, (24) UNLV, (25) Illinois

Won but did not impress

(12) Boise State. I didn't see any of this game but when a playoff-bound Boise State squad goes on the road in conference, I expect a more decisive victory than a 4th quarter scramble at (2-9) Wyoming. Sometimes I forgive road games in conference, sometimes I expect more. (I dunno, I'm just like that, man)

Bad beat

(5) Indiana. What do you know? Indiana get decisively smoked at Ohio State. Undefeated no longer, but I'd say they're still in line for a playoff spot. 

(19) Army. Also, undefeated no longer after also getting smoked at the home of their very first quality opponent of the season. 

Not so good

(7) Alabama. Never in the game at Oklahoma, best the Sooners have played all year, Bama picked a bad time to flounder. A 3rd L surely drops them out of the playoff (I mean....right? Surely....).

(9) Mississippi. Ole Miss has some nice W's this season but their 3 L's are all pretty sorry. I dropped them from playoff contention a while ago but I'd say they are finished now.

(14) Brigham Young. Back to back disappointing Ls and that's all she wrote for the Cougars.

(15) Texas A&M. Like Ole Miss, they have some nice W's and some sorry L's. 

(16) Colorado. They stormed back into our hearts and then lost in Kansas. So much for Colorado. 

Next week's intriguing matches

Memphis @ (18) Tulane (yup, its Memphis-Tulane time again: that point of the season when these two teams you've paid no attention to all year long get together and we all see--hey, they're both actually pretty good!)

Michigan @ (2) Ohio State (I mean, no one is expecting a Wolverine victory but we're still gonna watch, right?)

(7) Tennessee @ Vanderbilt (the Vols have had their ups and downs this year but they're still probably in line for the playoff....can better-than-expected Vandy ruin their season? (maniacal laugh) I got my popcorn ready!)

(16) South Carolina @ (12) Clemson (can Clemson get back into the playoff with a W over South Carolina? I think maybe they can. How about vice versa?)

(8) Miami @ Syracuse (hey, man, 'Cuse has actually been pretty good this year and Miami has been their usual overrated selves, this games might be better than you think)

My Top 12

1 Oregon

2 Ohio State

3 Texas

4 Notre Dame

5 Penn State

6 Georgia

7 Tennessee

8 SMU

9 Miami

10 Boise State

11 Indiana

12 Clemson

2024-25 NCAA Football (Week 12)

Games I saw (some of):

Utah 24-49 (17) Colorado

Thought Utah might put up a good fight after an embarrassing collapse to BYU the week before, but not so much. Colorado moved the ball well, played stout defense and just all round looked better than I thought they would. Utah is having a disappointing season, Colorado is getting hot at the right time (are they still in on the playoff?)

(22) Louisiana State 16-27 Florida

LSU has been weird all season and though Florida is not particularly strong this year, somehow I knew the Gators were gonna handle the Tigers and they did. LSU's QB is maddening: when he's not throwing the ball away for no reason, he's actually pretty good. As for Florida, they're just playing for the pride at this point. 

(7) Tennessee 17-31 (12) Georgia

I thought UGA would control this match and they did. UGA still has a superior defense and good skill talent, but they're not as cohesive as recent years (and their QB kinda stinks), but I still have them as a top 4 squad, I still think they can hang with just about anybody. Tennessee is nice and when their offense is rolling, they can really pile up points; that said, when they stall, they go all the way to zero (as Newton would say, "an object at rest"), so it was a matter of whether a tough home match against a conference for would get their juices flowing and, well, not enough. UT is still on the edge of my top 12, kinda just depends on how many SEC teams you wanna invite.

Top 25

Handled their business

(2) Ohio State, (3) Texas, (4) Penn State, (8) Notre Dame, (10) Alabama, (12) Georgia, (13) Boise State, (14) Southern Methodist, (15) Texas A&M, (17) Colorado, (20) Clemson, (21) South Carolina, (25) Tulane

Won but did not impress

(1) Oregon. Really had to scramble at Wisconsin, not inspiring, but a conference W on the road ain't bad, I guess. 

Bad beat

(7) Tennessee. If UT was really good, they would've handled UGA at home, but they didn't and....no one is shocked.

(23) Missouri. Getting stomped at Alabama is not normally nothing to be too embarrassed about, but the Tide is as gettable as they've been in a while and Missouri has spent time in the top 10, so I suppose the Tigers thought this was gonna go a different way but....I didn't. Did you?

Not so good

(6) Brigham Young. Woooooowwww! BYU losing at Kansas on some fluke plays in the 4th quarter (holy shit, I don't remember the last time I saw a quick kick! And it worked!) was the stunner of the week. All they had to do was keep skimming through their weak sauce schedule and they were in the playoff. But even a single lame L has probably knocked them out. Did not see that coming, thought this was an easy one for the Cougars.

(16) Kansas State. They got thoroughly handled at home by Arizona State....not good.

(18) Washington State. Couldn't pull out the shoot out at New Mexico State. Not necessarily a terrible loss but if the Cougars were truly top 20, they would've won this match.

(19) Louisville. Likewise, losing late a Stanford isn't the end of the world....for a non-ranked team. But if the Cards are worthy of top 20 consideration, then this is a game they should've won. 

(22) Louisiana State. Losing at Florida is just the next bend of this year's roller coaster.

Next week's intriguing matches

(5) Indiana @ (2) Ohio State (Hoosiers in the top 5? It's a new world....)

Kentucky @ (3) Texas (this should be a blow out, but UK does play their best against good teams, so if Texas is actually good, this could turn interesting; but if UT is overrated and isn't for real....then...this will be over by halftime....?)

(4) Penn State @ Minnesota (is it weird that I find this match compelling? The Nittany Lions should win with ease and yet I can't help thinking they won't)

(14) Brigham Young @ (21) Arizona State (BYU probably blew their season last week and really have nothing play for, Arizona State has been coming on lately and is playing their best ball right now; this might be nothing or it might be a for-real match)

(16) Colorado @ Kansas (can KU go back-to-back heartbreaking upsets? Can Colorado keep their last season march going? Again, this should be a walkover but somehow I feel like it's gonna be a good one)

(19) Army @ (6) Notre Dame (the Irish have been low key trucking people for two straight months, while Army has low key just been piling up W's; Notre Dame should roll the Cadets but they might not)

My top 12

1 Oregon

2 Ohio State

3 Texas

4 Notre Dame

5 Penn State

6 Indiana

7 Georgia

8 Alabama

9 Southern Methodist

10 Mississippi

11 Boise State

12 Miami

(Army, Colorado still lingering with Tennessee and Brigham Young not completely out)

2024-25 NCAA Football (Week 10)

Games I saw (some of)

(4) Ohio State 20-13 (3) Penn State

Looks like a close game and the Nittany Lions didn't get blown out, but...I dunno, man, the Buckeyes missed on a coupla big plays that would've made this game a blowout. I'm still in on Penn State for the top 12, I think they'll still be top 10 by the end of the season but they've got a real Buckeye allergy that is still frustrating them. As for the Buckeyes, good strong W on the road in conference against a higher ranked for, big ups for Ohio State.

Louisville 33-21 (11) Clemson

Man, Clemson just never got going in this game. Louisville played well, but I can't help thinking that Clemson could've won if they'd just shown up. But, they had no offense til the 4th quarter and that was too late to matter. Nice win for the Cards, bad L for Clemson, who had been rolling. 

Top 25

Handled their business

(1) Oregon, (2) Georgia, (4) Ohio State, (5) Miami, (7) Tennessee, (13) Indiana, (15) Boise State, (19) Mississippi, (20) Southern Methodist, (21) Army

Bad beat

(3) Penn State. They could be extremely dangerous against anyone except Ohio State.

(18) Pittsburgh. Not ready for the SMU attack. Nice season but I don't see their path to the top 12.

Not so good

(10) Texas A&M. Stomped at South Carolina, I for one was not shocked to see that result.

(11) Iowa State. I was never in on the Cyclones and the L at home to Texas Tech has probably finished off their season.

(11) Clemson. I didn't understand this L to Louisville, thought the Tigers were rolling but they looked stuck in mud this Saturday. 

(17) Kansas State. An L at Houston isn't bad but they're probably out of the top 12 now. 

(24) Illinois. Nice season, Illini, I was already out on you guys, though.

Next week's intriguing matches

(2) Georgia @ (18) Mississippi (Ole Miss is still in the mix....for now; UGA could use another good W)

(21) Colorado @ Texas Tech (Can Tech keep their magic going against the newly restored Buffaloes?)

South Carolina @ (24) Vanderbilt (South Carolina has had some nice W's already this year, they weren't expecting Vandy to be ranked but here they are; to be honest, I like Vandy, but we'll see)

(11) Alabama @ (14) Louisiana State (an undercard match but should be a fun one)

Top 12

I'll go on record now as saying I'm not a fan of the 12-team playoff except that this model should last a while because it becomes a logistical nightmare beyond that. The 4-team system was perfect but the moneyed classes always demand more and *dammit!* I'm gonna watch it, so I'm just as much to blame as the greedy plutocrats. *sigh* 

But here's the problem: in any given season there are only 5-6 teams that are worth watching and I think that's still true this season. Getting to 12 is actually kinda hard. 

1) Oregon

2) Ohio State

3) Georgia

4) Texas

5) Miami

6) Penn State

7) Indiana

8) Brigham Young

9) Tennessee

10) Notre Dame

11) Southern Methodist

12) Alabama

With Notre Dame, Boise State, Army and one of Mississippi/Texas A&M/Louisiana State lingering. I don't see a path for anyone else--and honestly I'm not that excited about anyone below Miami, so...what do we need 12 teams for? (Oh right: more money)

2024-25 NCAA Football (Week 9)

Games I saw (some of):

(12) Notre Dame 51-14 (24) Navy

Well, Navy gave the ball away early and often and this game got out of control right away.....and.....

(21) Missouri 0-34 (15) Alabama

Missouri never got any offense going at all, Bama completely took over right before halftime....so....

Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona

....I watched La Liga rather than la college football. This was the more interesting match, though this was a scoreless draw at the half. Then Lewandowski connected, then he connected again right away, then he put a gimme off the post soon after, then put another makeable shot over the bar in a span of, like, 5 minutes and before you knew it, this game was a laugher. The match felt even til Barca went off and left Real behind. This is the kind of result that gets people fired.

(9) Louisiana State 23-38 (14) Texas A&M

Similarly: LSU seemed in control until the 3rd quarter when QB Nussmeier kept trying to pass to receivers that weren't open, which led to A&M seemingly always with the ball in scoring distance. LSU kept giving it away, A&M kept piling up points and this one got out of control right quick, too.....so

(Game Two) Yankees 2-4 Dodgers 

....I mostly watched baseball tonight. Dodgers went for back-to-back jacks off Rodon and the Yanks couldn't counter. My thought was Dodgers in 6, I'm sticking with it: I like them to take one in NYC and then wrap it up back in LA.  

Top 25

Handled their business

(1) Oregon, (3) Penn State, (4) Ohio State, (5) Texas, (6) Miami, (11) Brigham Young, (12) Notre Dame, (13) Indiana, (14) Texas A&M, (15) Alabama, (16) Kansas State (17) Boise State, (18) Mississippi, (19) Pittsburgh

Won but did not impress

(22) Southern Methodist. Scrambling in OT to beat....Duke? I dunno, man, I'm already Mustang-ed out.

(I declined to add (4) Ohio State, (16) Kansas State or (17) Boise State because they were playing pesky conference opponents and though none of them blew me away, they each secured conference W's and I can't front on that)

Bad beat

(20) Illinois. The Illini have had a nice season, but no one was expecting them to win at Oregon.

(21) Missouri. Up and down and, well, this week at Tuscaloosa was one of the downs.

(24) Navy. Yeah, this is insult to injury. A ranked squad getting smoked at home by anybody probably ought to be a "Not so good", but I guess I gotta say I never really believed in Navy and getting sliced and diced by the Irish wasn't a shock.  

(25) Vanderbilt. Oh, Vandy, keeping it close to the #1 team in the land...? WTF is going on....?

Not so good

(8) Louisiana State. Things were going fine til LSU started turning the ball over and then....just kept turning the ball over. If they'd just played normal football, I think they would've won.

Next week's intriguing matches:

(13) Indiana @ Michigan State (with the way the Hoosiers are rolling, you'd think this would be a gimme against a so-so Spartan squad, but I dunno, man, Michigan State lives for fucking up other peoples' good seasons; if the Hoosiers are for real, they will pummel the Spartans, we'll see what happens)

(10) Texas A&M @ South Carolina (the Gamecocks are not pushovers and if A&M thinks they turned some corner by beating LSU, they might have another thing coming, this should be a petty good match)

(18) Pittsburgh @ (20) Southern Methodist (I dunno, they're both ranked but I have little interest in either of these teams, so....I reckon I'll be watching baseball or NHL or Bundesliga or something)

(4) Ohio State @ (3) Penn State (okay, here we go, winner gets a major boost)

2024-25 NCAA Football (Week 8)

Games I watched (some of):

(5) Georgia 30-15 (1) Texas

Wow, UGA was clearly looking ahead to this game because they came out firing and really stunned the Longhorns. Texas kinda pulled it together after halftime but too little too late. Well, Texas just had the toughest match they might have all year long, let's see if they can shake it off and get back to the top. As for UGA, can they keep this up? They've been up and down all year, this is definitely their biggest up.

Nebraska 7-56 (16) Indiana

Wow, this was a drubbing! Indiana has a pile of really great WR's that made plays all game long (they'll all be playing for the Steelers next year, I bet). The Huskers tried and had a nice opening drive but the Hoosiers fustigated them all over the place. The Hoosiers are for real, y'all--could we see Vandy and Indiana in the inaugural 12-team final?

Top 25

Handled their business

(2) Oregon, (6) Miami, (8) Louisiana State, (10) Clemson, (11) Tennessee, (12) Notre Dame, (13) Brigham Young, (14) Texas A&M, (16) Indiana, (17) Kansas State, (21) Southern Methodist, (22) Illinois, (23) Army, (25) Navy

Won but did not impress

(9) Iowa State. Fumbling around with Central Florida at home isn't winning me over.

(19) Missouri. Coming from behind late to steal one from a crappy Auburn squad is not a good look. 

Bad beat

(7) Alabama. The bad beats are piling up in Tuscaloosa, but they're just not as good as Tennessee this year. 

Not so good

(24) Michigan. Going to a ranked Illinois and getting a W was their best/last chance to make a run at the tourney, I'd say that is officially over at this point. 

Next week's intriguing matches:

(17) Boise State @ UNLV (UNLV is kinda good, so a nice little test for Boise State)

(12) Notre Dame @ (24) Navy (when was the last time this match mattered? Get your popcorn, the Midshipmen are pretty damn good this year)

Washington @ (13) Indiana (Hoosiers have a chance to beat both of last year's championship finalists--and I expect them to win both matches! Hoosier football!)

(20) Illinois @ (1) Oregon (If Illinois is gonna do anything this year, here's the chance)

(21) Missouri @ (15) Alabama (two fumbling SEC squads, loser leaves town?)

(5) Texas @ (25) Vanderbilt (man, no one in Austin had this game circled on their schedule, but Vandy is no pushover and suddenly this isn't just a trap game--it's a real game!)

(8) Louisiana State @ (14) Texas A&M (LSU is rolling, the Aggies are getting back on track, this should be a good one)

2024-25 NCAA Football (Week 7)

Games I watched (some of):

(2) Ohio State 31-32 Oregon

I thought both offenses looked pretty great, Oregon was probably a little better; both defenses had moments, again, Oregon was a little better. Great win for Oregon, tough L--but not a bad one--for the Buckeyes. 

Top 25 

Handled their business

(1) Texas, (3) Oregon, (4) Penn State, (10) Clemson,  (11) Notre Dame, (11) Iowa State, (13) Louisiana State, (14) Brigham Young, (17) Boise State, (18) Kansas State, (21) Missouri,

Won but did not impress

(5) Georgia. Dogs gave up 31 to a pretty sorry Mississippi State? 'Sup wit dat?

(7) Alabama. Really struggled with South Carolina, the Tide is not looking so good right now.

(8) Tennessee. Had to go to OT to beat a so-so Florida squad at home? The Vols' best should look a lot better than this.

(22) Pittsburgh. I dunno, barely squeaking by a mediocre Cal squad at home is not knocking me out. 

(23) Illinois. How do you give 40 points in the 2nd half to Purdue? Had to scramble in OT when this game looked over at halftime, not sure about the Illini.

Bad beat

(2) Ohio State. Played well at top flight Oregon, put up a good fight but came up short, not a bad L.

(9) Mississippi. LSU is rounding into shape and Ole Miss just couldn't hang. 

(18) Oklahoma. The Sooners are clearly rebuilding but a better effort against the Longhorns would've been at least hopeful.

Not so good

(16) Utah. Feels like they were never really in this game at Arizona State, not a good look. 

2024-25 NCAA (Week 6)

Games I watched (some of): 

None. All baseball all weekend...no regrets.

Top 25

Handled their business

(3) Ohio State, (5) Georgia, (6) Oregon, (7) Penn State, (12) Mississippi, (15) Clemson, (16) Iowa State, (21) Boise State, (23) Indiana, (25) Texas A&M

Won but did not impress

(8) Miami. I dunno, I didn't think they'd cover against Cal, but to have to scramble late to steal the victory is not as impressive as it should be. If Miami is truly a top 10 squad they should be able to go on the road in conference (conference? Miami and Berkeley....in the same....conference? Oh right: conferences don't mean anything any more), and get a decisive victory against a team that isn't nearly as good. That said, everyone else in college football lost this weekend, so I presume Miami will be top 6, no?

Bad beat

(9) Missouri. The fact that this is a "bad beat" rather than "not so good" is adding insult to injury: this team was never a top 10 squad and the fact they got de-stroyed at A&M is all you need to know. Missouri is a middle of the pack SEC squad, not top tier.

Not so good (oof! This category is packed this week!)

(1) Alabama. Well well well....well well well...let's just say I'm glad I'm not an emergency room intern in Tuscaloosa because the amount of trauma this weekend would've surely been overwhelming. Look, man, losing at Vandy is enough of a blow, but, dude, Bama was NEVER in this game! They got STOMPED by Vandy! Still top 12 but, man, an L to Vandy is gonna be hard to wipe off.

For those of you that don't get college sports, there are dudes on the Vandy side that will never have to buy their own drinks again in Nashville...like, for life. 

(4) Tennessee. Well, I was all in on UT but they did not look good at any point in this Arkansas game. Not the end of the world to lose on the road in conference but I thought they were better than that (perhaps "parity" is coming to college ball). Still in my top 12 and there's a lot of season left. 

(10) Michigan. Yeah, I was never in on the Wolverines this season, they've got a lot to live up to and a lot of turnover. Not a bad team, but not a top 12 side. 

(11) Southern Cal. Not sure they deserve to get completely bounced from the top 25 (especially in a week when so many ranked schools went down), but flailing in Minnesota does not win over hardened hearts. That said, I still think I like this team and I think they'll be back. 

(22) Louisville. Meh. The Cards are a nice team but not particularly top 25-ish, so I wouldn't be surprised to not see them back for the rest of the season. 

(25) UNLV. Hardly knew ye, Rebels, but when you get handled at home by Syracuse, it suggests to me that you don't belong in the top 25. 

Next week's intriguing matches:

(1) Texas v (18) Oklahoma (@ Dallas) (this isn't a vintage OU squad but sticking it to UT might change that)

(4) Penn State @ Southern Cal (after SC lost at Minnesota this feels like an afterthought, but this is where Southern Cal claws back their season or the Nittany Lions cement their top 5 status)

Arizona @ (14) Brigham Young (BYU has overperformed so far, Arizona has underperformed, is this the week it flips?)

(2) Ohio State @ (3) Oregon (here we go, best non-SEC game of the year?)

(9) Mississippi @ (13) Louisiana State (loser leaves town match in the SEC)

(11) Iowa State @ West Virginia (WVU ain't bad, if the Cyclones fancy themselves a playoff team, they'll need to get a good W here)

(18) Kansas State @ Colorado (the Buffaloes are a mystery to me but everyone'll be watching this one, so the Wildcats need a positive performance)

I tried to do a top 12 last week and I only came up with 8 teams--and 2 of them lost this week! So I'm gonna wait another week before I start forecasting my top 12. 

2024-25 NCAA Football (Week 5)

Games I watched (some of):

(2) Georgia 34-41 (4) Alabama

Okay, hard to imagine there's going to be a better game in NCAA this year. This game had all the thrills, the chills, the ups and downs, backs and forths. Alabama dominated the 1st half, I thought QB Millroe was amazing, truly in control against a defense that has been smothering planet Earth for half a decade, Bama moved the ball with ease and ran up the offense quickly. Too much too soon, it appears, because UGA dominated the 2nd half (and, yes, I thought Bama contributed mightily to the comeback by slacking off), even took the lead, forcing Bama to steal it back, and then the game ended with UGA coming up just short on another comeback. I thought QB Beck was brutal in the 1st half but made some real plays after halftime and the UGA offense in general came alive, too, this Bama offense might be suddenly revitalized by this. I fully expect UGA to still be around by season's end. Millroe is probably the top of the Heisman pool just like that and wouldn't be surprised if Bama was back at #1 on Monday. Still a lot of season left. 

Kentucky 20-17 (6) Mississippi

Ole Miss was lined up for a big season: returning QB everyone loves, a good collection of veterans on both sides and an SEC schedule that dodges Alabama, A&M and Missouri (and catches Oklahoma, LSU and Florida in vulnerable positions). But you cannot--REPEAT: CANNOT!--lose to Kentucky. Especially at home. A sluggish game, which was the first clue that Kentucky was in it, felt like Ole Miss was the better team but also felt like UK might keep them down. Also, UK's offense was not bad, it was consistent and ate up enough clock that Ole Miss's woes were magnified. A coupla plays: a long bomb on 4th down that set up the fumble recovery to the end zone and next thing you know, the Wildcats are stealing it away from the Rebels. Then Ole Miss goes wide left on the tying FG and suddenly, there's no OT, just a big ol' L. Now the Rebels have to go to South Carolina, not gonna be easy, they better get their offense back pronto. I don't know if Ole Miss vanilla-ed their offense or just had a bad day, but they need to pull out all stops from here on (and beating Georgia would be nice, too) and that starts next week. As for UK, they've got a good L (Georgia) and a good W (@Mississippi), I dunno, that's not bad for UK, but I'm not forecasting wins at Knoxville or Austin.

(19) Illinois 7-21 (9) Penn State

This was pure sludge. Each team scored a confident early TD, then not much happened outside of missed FG's all over the place, until Penn State (sorta) blew it open late. Penn State has a serious meatgrinder of a defense but that offense still isn't overpowering (re: the Buckeyes have a real pain in the ass game coming, but they should win), so puncher's chance against the top tier is the best I can give them. The Illini are nice but they're not gonna beat the tippity top teams. 

(21) Oklahoma 27-21 Auburn

Auburn came out hot, but once the Sooners put it together, they flew past the Tigers. This is not a vintage Auburn side. The Sooners aren't great either, but I think they're pretty good and going in the right direction.

Top 25

Handled their business

(1) Texas, (3) Ohio State, (4) Alabama, (8) Oregon, (9) Penn State, (13) Southern Cal, (14) Louisiana State, (16) Notre Dame, (17) Clemson, (18) Iowa State, (21) Oklahoma, (22) Brigham Young, (23) Kansas State, (25) Boise State

Won but did not impress

(7) Miami. I always think of Friday night as the show-off spot and if Miami was better than Va.Tech, they really should've come in louder and prouder here. They did well to claw back the W but they had a good shot at a convincing thumping and they did not do that. 

(12) Michigan. Finishing off a conference foe usually impresses me, but Michigan is ranked too high to not dispatch Minnesota decisively. Being the defending nat'l champs is a major burden for this squad, remaining in the playoff chase is not gonna be easy. 

(24) Texas A&M. I dunno, man, grudge match with Arkansas shouldn't faze me but the Aggies just don't look that strong to me. Their schedule is gonna start delivering body blows from here. 

Bad beat

(2) Georgia. I ain't worried about UGA, they are still firmly in the top 12, still in for a shot at top 4. And as weird as this game was, I think there's some good stuff for UGA in there, this could be a real shot in the arm for this squad. 

(15) Louisville. Came up short on the road. Played well, would've been nice to get the W in South Bend. 

(19) Illinois. Penn State just choked this offense out. The Illini are nice but the Nittany Lions got a killer D. 

(20) Oklahoma State. Yikes! The Cowboys still have opportunities on their schedule but they got obliterated in Manhattan, suggesting that K State is the stealth power in this conference. 

Not so good

(6) Mississippi. You don't understand: losing to Kentucky is two losses at once. Bad L, disappointing home conference L, but, man....it was Kentucky!

(10) Utah. Getting trucked by an Arizona team that has not looked good this season is a surprising outcome. At home, they were never in this game. 

Next week's intriguing matches (huh, a whole slate of games that seemed like they would sound great, like, 3 months ago--looking at you, Clemson-Florida State! Instead, this NCAA's helpful reminder to clean out your garage and winterize the lawn mower. I'm cool with it, I need a baseball weekend):

(9) Missouri @ (25) Texas A&M (dang, even this one seems tarnished already but they are both ranked, so it'll make a difference)

(12) Mississippi @ South Carolina (interesting to see how Ole Miss bounces back from a disappointing home loss and whether the Gamecocks can get back on track with a good W)