According to Atlanta Autos on Instagram, Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck made the purchase of a Lamborghini Urus Performante on Monday.

“Shoutout to (Carson Beck),” atlantaautos posted on Instagram. “Came through and got not the regular Lamb Truck but the #PERFORMANTE.”

According to The Players’ Lounge, Beck’s new ride is valued at nearly $300,000.

Beck is driving and maneuvering through an offseason before which he earned Georgia’s starting quarterback spot ahead of the 2023 season.

Beck went on to lead the Southeastern Conference with 3,941 passing yards. He added 24 touchdowns and averaged 72.42% completion, which was second in the SEC.

According to On3’s College Football NIL Rankings, Beck’s NIL valuation is near $1.5 million, which is sixth according to On3’s list of player valuations.

Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders leads On3’s NIL valuations with nearly $4.7 million.

The post Carson Beck purchases new Lamborghini appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Georgia (13-1, 8-0 Southeastern Conference) kept its foot on the pedal throughout all four quarters. The Bulldogs amassed 673 yards of total offense.

READ: Jaxson Dart throws 3 TDs, No. 11 Ole Miss routs No. 10 Penn State 38-25 in Peach Bowl

Georgia led 42-3 after two quarters, the largest halftime lead in Orange Bowl history.

Beck played all of two quarters, going 13-of-18 for 203 passing yards and two touchdowns.

The Bulldogs substituted to their second and third teams in the second half as the beat carried on. Lawson Luckie caught a 4-yard touchdown by Gunner Stockton to give Georgia a 56-3 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Georgia totaled 192 yards in the first quarter, its most of the game. The Bulldogs piled on seven more first downs in the final quarter and held Florida State (13-1, 8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) to none in that span.

Florida State played without more than a dozen players due to injuries and opt-outs.

Seminoles quarterback Brock Glenn went 9-of-26 for 139 yards and two interceptions. Florida State rushed for 63 yards, and receiver Kentron Poitier logged a ram-high 84 yards.

Florida State kicked Ryan Fitzgerald kicked in his team’s only points from 22 yards out with 12:34 left in the second quarter.

Stockton finished with two touchdowns and 96 passing yards.

READ: No. 9 Missouri prevails 14-3 over No. 7 Ohio State in Cotton Bowl defensive slugfest

Georgia also brought in more than 300 receiving yards. Nine different players had at least 12 yards, and four different Bulldogs hauled in touchdowns.

Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards each had two rushing touchdowns for Georgia.

The post No. 6 Georgia claims Orange Bowl victory over No. 5 Florida State appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The Bulldogs had won 45 of their previous 46 games, dating back to the 2021 SEC Championship in which they lost to the same Crimson Tide team.

PODCAST: Will Championship Week create chaos or clarity?

Georgia struck first.

Bulldogs running back Kendall Milton ran in a 17-yard score on their first drive of the game to go up 7-0.

Alabama kicker Will Reichard became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer with his first field goal of the game, a 43-yarder with 3:43 left in the first quarter.

Then, Milroe turned it on.

The first-year Crimson Tide starting quarterback threw two touchdowns in the second quarter, giving Alabama a lead it wouldn’t relinquish after passes of 28 and 15 yards to Jamarion Miller and Jermaine Burton.

Georgia got within three points twice in the fourth quarter after quarterback Carson Beck and Milton ran in 1-yard scores.

READ: No. 7 Texas routs No. 18 Oklahoma State to win Big 12 Championship

Milroe went 5-for-5 in the final quarter to will Alabama to victory. He led a nine-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in running back Roydell Williams punching in a 1-yard touchdown that proved to be the difference.

Milroe finished with 192 passing yards and two touchdowns on 57% completion.

Beck completed 72% of his passes for 243 passing yards.

It will be interesting to see where the College Football Playoff Selection Committee ranks both Georgia and Alabama on Sunday. The SEC has had at least one team make the Playoff in each of the nine seasons of the CFP era.

The post No. 8 Alabama hangs on, beats No. 1 Georgia in SEC Championship appeared first on Saturday Glory.

In fact, all five ranked matchups this week come in the Power 5 conference championship games. Two of those contests will be previewed later. 

PODCAST: Week 13 almost had all-out chaos

As a result of the close of the regular season, there will be five ranked teams that will play as the designated “road team.” Both No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan are considered the road teams in the Southeastern and Big Ten conference championships. 

Here are several games to watch this week. 

New Mexico State vs. No. 24 Liberty 

Among the five remaining unbeaten teams left in college football, No. 24 Liberty has a chance to capture history on Friday. 

The Flames are 12-0 for the first time in program history, and they have a chance to win the Conference USA Championship in their first season in the conference. 

Liberty running back Quinton Cooley leads the Conference USA with 1,251 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s been a big reason why the Flames average 498.5 yards and 40.1 points per game. 

Cooley and Liberty already have one win over New Mexico State this season, coming in 33-17 fashion in Week 2. 

The Flames have found abundant success under first-year head coach Jamey Chadwell, who said Liberty’s success stems from its team chemistry. 

“I think one as we’ve gone on through the season, we’ve gotten to know our team better,” Chadwell said. “It’s our first year, and so early on in the season you’re trying to figure out what can we do, who can do it, when can we do it, and as you get along and get to know your team better, they get to know you better. And I think that’s why we’ve gotten better throughout the season because we’ve started to understand more the strengths of our players and how to interact with them and to get them to play at the highest level. And secondly, I think they’ve done a fantastic job, the players have done a fantastic job, of believing in each other and believing in what we’re doing. And each week, they’ve just built off the previous week and have not been satisfied and they’ve stayed hungry to continue to get better. And when you do that, good things can happen.” 

No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 3 Washington 

The top-10 rematch that many have been waiting for. 

READ: Big Board: Week 14

Both No. 3 Washington and No. 5 Oregon met in Week 6 in Seattle with the Huskies coming out on top 36-33. 

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. outdueled Oregon’s Bo Nix with 302 passing yards and four touchdowns to Nix’s 337 yards and two scoring throws. 

However, Nix may be heating up at the right time. 

Nix has been responsible for 19 touchdowns in his last four games, including a pair of six-touchdown performances against Cal and Arizona State. 

Penix, meanwhile, is trailing Nix closely behind in a number of passing categories. Nix and Penix are No. 1 and 2 in passing yards, and the former has 37 passing touchdowns to the latter’s 32. 

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is out for revenge. He said the sting of the loss to Washington earlier in the season is still there, and he thinks the Ducks will be ready. 

“We didn’t finish, didn’t win the game last time, so that’s the kind of thing that sticks with you,” Lanning said. “But our coaches have been working extremely hard as soon as our game was over with as far as getting prepped and so were our players so we’ve had some really good days of practice here so far.” 

No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama 

Perhaps the game with the biggest College Football Playoff implications will take place in Atlanta. 

No. 8 Alabama has been on the fringe of entering the CFP top-four ever since its loss to No. 7 Texas in Week 2. Since, the Crimson Tide have been on a 10-game winning streak. 

READ: Washington rises to No. 3, Buckeyes fall to No. 6 in 5th CFP rankings 

No. 1 Georgia, however, is riding a 29-game winning streak that dates back to the 2021 SEC Championship game. The Bulldogs lost to Alabama that year in the conference title game, but still made the CFP and defeated Michigan and the Crimson Tide in the national championship. 

Georgia appears most likely to make the CFP with a loss, and if Alabama loses then it’s more likely the Crimson Tide will be eliminated from Playoff contention. 

Both Alabama and Georgia have first-year starting quarterbacks in the Bulldogs’ Carson Beck and Crimson Tide’s Jalen Milroe. 

The stakes are stacked together and couldn’t be higher, and Alabama head coach Nick Saban knows what’s on the line. 

“Having the opportunity to play in the SEC championship game is, you know, I’m very, very proud of this team for the progress that they’ve made, the work that they’ve done to give themselves an opportunity to play in the SEC championship game,” Saban said. “This is one of the most competitive, best venues in college football, and we’re obviously playing one of the best teams in college football, if not the best team in college football.” 

The post Preview Thursday: Week 14  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

College football will enter its 13th week of the year this time around, and rivalries will be on the line.

PODCAST: Week 12 could shape up conference championship game match-ups

No. 2 Ohio State, which rose a place in Sunday’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, will face No. 3 Michigan for a spot in the Big Ten Championship game.

No. 5 Florida State already locked up a berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game entering last week, and it learned its opponent: No. 10 Louisville.

Here are some of the top statistical performances from Week 12.

Carson Beck and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Georgia

No. 1 Georgia returned to its top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings and had another top-25 test this week in No. 18 Tennessee.

The Volunteers challenged the Bulldogs early, getting out to a 7-0 lead after the game’s opening drive thanks running back Jaylen Wright running 75 yards for a touchdown on the first offensive snap.

The Bulldogs held Tennessee to three points thereafter. Quarterback Carson Beck keyed the strong comeback efforts with three passing touchdowns, and receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint played just as vital a role, scoring two touchdowns in the game.

Beck threw for 298 yards for the sixth time this season and three touchdowns for a third time. He tied his season-best 80% completion and wasn’t sacked.

Rosemy-Jacksaint scored his second touchdown on an 8-yard reception early in the third quarter, who caught the pass thrown by receiver Dillon Bell.

With the win, Georgia tied the Southeastern Conference record by winning its 28th-consecutive game.

Jalen Milroe, Alabama

The Crimson Tide might just be peaking at the right time, and so is quarterback Jalen Milroe.

No. 8 Alabama has its spot in the SEC championship game locked up, and it looked to extend its winning streak to nine games against Chattanooga.

READ: Syracuse fires head coach Babers

Milroe and the Crimson Tide took care of business, handling the Mocs 66-10.

Milroe had a career-high 81.3% completion against Chattanooga. He did it all in a little more than two quarters before backups Ty Simpson and Dylan Lonergan took over.

Three of Milroe’s 13 completions went for touchdowns. All three scores went to different receivers: Jermaine Burton from 5 yards, Robbie Ouzts from 7 and Malik Benson from 20.

Milroe now has had back-to-back games with at least three passing touchdowns. He’s 28-of-38 in those games and he’s thrown a combined 431 yards.

Alabama and Milroe have Auburn next week to close out the regular season before playing No. 1 Georgia. A shot at the CFP won’t be easy, but it isn’t out of the question for the Crimson Tide if they continue  to win.

Diego Pavia, New Mexico State

New Mexico State may have had the biggest win of the week.

According to Brett McMurphy of Action Network, the Aggies were paid “$1.8 million” to play at Auburn, and New Mexico State came out on the winning end 31-10.

Aggies quarterback Diego Pavia led New Mexico State under center. He had three passing touchdowns to tie his season-high.

He connected on scoring passes of 9, 17 and 2 yards, finding a different receiver each time. Pavia finished with a 78.9% completion, his second-best mark of the season.

Pavia topped 200 passing yards for the ninth time in his career. He had 201 against Auburn.

It’s the first time New Mexico State beat a team from the SEC in program history.

Will Shipley, Clemson

Clemson has had an up and down season, but the Tigers notched another signature win under the belts on Saturday.

The Tigers defeated No. 22 North Carolina 31-20 and stormed back from a 7-0 deficit.

READ: Ohio State rises to No. 2 in latest AP Top 25

Tigers running back Will Shipley has seen injuries and a concussion hinder his season at times. He missed Clemson’s game Nov. 4 against Notre Dame.

In his most productive game of the year, Shipley took advantage of his carriers. He averaged 7 yards per rush and tallied 126 rushing yards, a season-high.

Shipley scored a 33-yard run in the third quarter to give the Tigers a 28-14 lead.

In a year where Clemson desired more than it has achieved, the Tigers earned their second ranked win of the season when Shipley shined brightest.

The post Stat Pack: Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Georgia reclaimed the No. 1 spot and is now atop both the CFP and Associated Press Top 25 rankings. 

PODCAST: Week 11 Recap: Are things getting any clearer?

The Bulldogs won their 27^th-consecutive game in dominant fashion over No. 13 Ole Miss, holding the Rebels to three points in the second half while quarterback Carson Beck threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. 

Here are several players and notes to keep a tab on in this week’s Big Board. 

Taking a look at the Atlantic Coast Conference title picture 

The conference title picture is shaping up, and this week the ACC is under observation. 

No. 4 Florida State sits atop the ACC standings at 10-0 and 8-0 in conference play. The Seminoles have a firm grip on heading to the conference championship game under head coach Mike Norvell and quarterback Jordan Travis. 

Hot on the heels are the No. 10 Louisville Cardinals, who received their highest College Football Playoff ranking since 2016 last week when they checked in inside the top 10. 

While Florida State and Louisville won’t face one another in the regular season, it very likely could happen that the two face off in the ACC championship on Dec. 2. The Seminoles already have their spot sealed up. 

Louisville will have Miami and Kentucky to close out the regular season. Both of the Cardinals’ future opponents have been ranked this season, and it won’t come easy for them. 

READ: Georgia climbs to No. 1 in third CFP rankings

Awaiting a chance to be opportunistic are North Carolina and NC State, which are both tied for third in the conference at 4-2. 

The Tar Heels have Clemson and NC State to finish the year, and the Wolfpack will play at Virginia Tech this week. 

The ACC title picture is becoming clearer. Now it just remains to be seen who the Seminoles will face. 

Blake Corum, Jayden Daniels and Marvin Harrison Jr. 

Nine hundred nineteen yards, 10 touchdowns and three victories. 

That’s what Michigan’s Blake Corum, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. did last weekend by themselves combined. 

It’s time to start considering this trio as viable contenders for the Heisman Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in college football. 

Corum currently leads the NCAA with 18 rushing touchdowns. Daniels leads the country in passing efficiency at 202.12, and Harrison is second with 12 receiving touchdowns. 

Daniels had a more than impressive game against Florida last weekend. He passed for 372 yards and three touchdowns, then added 234 yards on the ground along with two rushing touchdowns, totaling five scores against the Gators. 

Harrison had a season-high three touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ win over Michigan State. He ran in the first rushing score of his career from 19 yards out. 

Corum had a season-high 145 rushing yards in Michigan’s win at Penn State without head coach Jim Harbaugh. He also had two rushing touchdowns. 

Corum’s current Heisman odds are north of +25000, Daniels’ are +370 and Harrison’s are +600, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. With the regular season dwindling down, this trio could be waiting for their Heisman moments. 

The head coaching carousel is beginning to spin 

Every year in college football there is coaching turnover. 

That’s no different this season. 

READ: San Diego State head coach Hoke to retire at end of season

Texas A&M made the decision to fire head coach Jimbo Fisher despite more than $76 million remaining in his contractual buyout. It was the first head coaching move of the season. 

Boise State also fired head coach Andy Avalos on Sunday, and Penn State relieved offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich of his duties as well. 

Also, a head coaching job opened up in the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State moved on from head coach Zach Arnett on Sunday afternoon. 

There will be more moves to come, but for now, these openings are available. Indiana and Iowa are also looking for new offensive coordinators in the Big Ten Conference as the Hoosiers moved on from Walt Bell and the Hawkeyes will replace Brian Ferentz. 

Among the names of potential head coaching replacements thus far include Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, Duke’s Mike Elko and Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN. 

The post Big Board: Week 12  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Headlined by a pair of top-10 showdowns, the Week 11 slate produced key moments that will factor into conference championship variables over the next two weeks. 

PODCAST: November crowns champions and who will step up in week 11?

No. 2 Georgia throttled No. 9 Ole Miss 52-17 and held the Rebels to three points in the second half. Quarterback Carson Beck had 306 passing yards and two touchdowns while running back Kendall Milton had 127 rushing yards and two scores. 

Earlier in the day, No. 3 Michigan beat No. 10 Penn State 24-15 in a defensive affair. The Wolverines rushed for 227 yards, the most allowed by the Nittany Lions this season. 

Here are some of the top statistical performances from Week 11. 

RJ Harvey, UCF 

The Knights pulled off one of the more surprising upsets of the week in their 45-3 blowout of No. 15 Oklahoma State. 

RJ Harvey had a huge role in UCF’s surprise win, rushing for 206 yards on 24 carries. He averaged 8.6 yards per rush. 

Harvey’s longest run came on a 92-yard dash where he ended up in the end zone. It was one of three rushing touchdowns on the day for the Orlando, Florida, native. 

Harvey is this week’s second-leading rusher. 

Damien Martinez, Oregon State 

Oregon State also enjoyed a blowout victory of its own, defeating Stanford 62-17. 

Martinez made the most of his opportunities. The sophomore had four rushing touchdowns, a career-high. 

READ: Report: Penn State fires OC Yurcich 

Across the football field Martinez could be found carrying the rock. He had 146 rushing yards on 15 carries, averaging nearly 10 yards per run on the day. 

John Paddock, Illinois 

The Fighting Illini got the win in historic fashion over Indiana. 

Illinois beat the Hoosiers in overtime 48-45 as both teams recorded over 451 yards of offense. The Fighting Illini recorded 662 yards themselves and over 500 came through the air, the most for the program since 1980. 

Paddock made his first start for Illinois on Saturday, and he etched his name into the history books. He passed for 507 yards and four touchdowns, and his passing yardage total is a stadium record and second-most in program history. 

Paddock’s final touchdown came in overtime, connecting with receiver Isaiah Williams from 21 yards out to help seal the win — and cap a historic offensive showing. 

Cody Schrader, Missouri 

In one of four ranked matchups last weekend, No. 14 Missouri took down No. 13 Tennessee 36-7. 

Running back Cody Schrader recorded the second-most yards from scrimmage in program history, totaling 321 yards. 

READ: Louisville climbs to No. 9, Oregon State to No. 10 in latest AP Poll

Schrader had 205 rushing yards and 116 receiving yards, leading his team in both categories. He became the first Tiger to have at least 90 receiving and 90 rushing yards, and he achieved it in the first half. 

Schrader’s longest run came on a 35-yard dash, one of his 35 carries. He had five catches, and his longest went for 43 yards. 

Schrader also added a 7-yard rushing touchdown on the day. He’s the only player in Southeastern Conference history to have at least 200 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game. 

The post Stat Pack: Week 11  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

None bigger than a pair of top-10 matchups taking place around the college football world than No. 3 Michigan-No. 10 Penn State and No. 9 Ole Miss-No. 2 Georgia. 

PODCAST: Week 10 did not disappoint

Those games will be previewed later. There are also eight ranked programs playing on the road this week including No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Alabama. 

Here are several games to watch this week. 

Miami at No. 4 Florida State 

A battle for the state of Florida will take place on Saturday. 

The No. 4 Seminoles will put their 15-game winning streak on the line against Miami, which is looking to get back in the win column after a loss at NC State. 

The rivalry game between the Seminoles and Hurricanes is set for 3:30 p.m. on ABC, and quarterbacks Jordan Travis of Florida State and Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke will square off. Both teams are top-five in the Atlantic Coast Conference in total offense putting up more than 437 yards per game. 

READ: Top-four unchanged, Ole Miss rises to No. 9 in second CFP rankings

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell said his team looks forward to playing Miami every season, and it’s a game that is talked about with the likes of any game on the biggest stage. 

“There’s only two games that I talk about before the season and I talked about them before our offseason because every day matters when it comes to that,” Norvell said. “If that’s not important to you then you’re not going to play in this game because you will get exposed. This game takes everything that you have. I’m grateful that I get the chance to coach in this game, I mean, it’s special and you respect the past, you respect every game that has been played before, you respect the people that have played in this game and I mean because these guys have to give it all and because if not, you can take all records, all things that have happened before, it won’t matter. But you prepare for this one every single day.” 

No. 3 Michigan at No. 10 Penn State 

There is a chance for a three-way tie in the Big Ten East Division. 

If Penn State can upend Michigan at home on Saturday and if the Buckeyes were to lose to Michigan on Nov. 25, then all three of Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State would be in a tie atop the division. 

First, though, the Wolverines must take on the Nittany Lions. 

This will be a matchup between the top two total defenses in the country. Michigan leads by allowing 231.4 yards per game while the Nittany Lions are close behind at 234.2. 

Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy will look to vault himself higher into the Heisman Trophy conversation, while Penn State’s Drew Allar will get an extended look against the Wolverines defense. 

Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh said Allar, who is fourth in the Big Ten with 1,895 passing yards, will present a challenge to Michigan. 

“He’s been good. You can see all the improvement,” Harbaugh said. “Just prototypical guy, tall, smart, got great stature in the pocket, very athletic, strong. He’s hard to get down on the ground. Courage, stands in there and throws it now. He’s an excellent quarterback.” 

No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 2 Georgia 

The second top-10 showdown of the week is set to be a good one in SEC country. 

The No. 2 Bulldogs will welcome their third ranked opponent of the season in No. 9 Ole Miss, which is riding a five-game winning streak. 

While the top-10 matchup in the Big Ten will be a battle among defenses, this SEC matchup will be one for the offenses. 

READ: Big Board: Week 11

Georgia has the No. 2 offense in the SEC with an average of 493 yards per game, while the Rebels are right behind at 478.89 yards. 

The quarterback battle will be between Georgia’s Carson Beck, who is in his first season as starter, and Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart, who is in his second year with the program after transferring from USC. 

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has scouted what Dart has done this season, as the Kaysville, Utah, native is third in the SEC with a 168.87 quarterback rating. Smart said Dart encapsulates what Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss look for in quarterbacks. 

“I think Lane’s quarterbacks take home a personality from him, and they have a lot of moxie,” Smart said. “They have a lot of talent. They play really hard. They play with reckless abandon for their body, and he runs like a running back. He’s taking some hits this year and shown his toughness so he’s not going to shy away from contact and toughness, and he’s the extra element of run that gives them a competitive advantage over a lot of teams you play because they have great backs, but he runs the ball like a back and he throws the ball really well too, which that’s what makes them really hard to defend when you got a guy that can make all the throws but can also take off and run, and he’s proven the ability to do that.” 

The post Preview Thursday: Week 11  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The top-ranked Buckeyes will hit the road for a second-consecutive week when they travel to face Rutgers, which boasts a 6-2 record on an upward trajectory. The Scarlet Knights have won each of their past two games. 

PODCAST: Lance Leipold is the Exact Opposite of Deion Sanders 

Sticking in the Big Ten Conference, No. 3 Michigan will play host to Purdue as the Boilermakers look to play spoiler to the Wolverines’ undefeated season. 

Here are several games to watch this week. 

No. 23 Kansas State at No. 7 Texas 

There are plenty of Big 12 Conference title implications in this one. 

No. 7 Texas will play host to a hot No. 23 Kansas State team entering Austin, Texas, on a three-game winning streak. 

Quinn Ewers continues to deal with a shoulder injury. The Longhorns will have a question mark at quarterback. 

Maalik Murphy quarterbacked the Longhorns for the entirety of the game against BYU. Murphy completed 64% of his passes for 170 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while the Texas defense terrorized Cougars quarterback Kedon Slovis for two interceptions. 

The Wildcats have outscored their past three opponents 120-24, and they’ve done so with a rolling offense. Kansas State has posted three-consecutive games of at least 394 total yards of offense, peaking at 587 yards recorded against TCU. 

“This is a really hot team right now. They’ve been playing as good as anybody in the country in all three phases for the last two to three weeks,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I think it’s really important that we focus on us and what we need to do, that the details and the level of physicality in which we play the game are at the forefront of what we do. I do believe our best football is still ahead of us, and that part is exciting to me, and we’re going to need to play complimentary football Saturday against a very good, well-coached football team in Kansas State.” 

No. 12 Missouri at No. 2 Georgia 

The No. 2 Bulldogs will face their second ranked opponent of the season on Saturday when No. 12 Missouri comes to town. 

These two teams faced off a season ago in Columbia, Missouri. The Tigers had Georgia’s number for most of the game, getting out to a 13-0 lead that turned into a 16-6 halftime advantage. 

Georgia scored two rushing touchdowns in the final 10 minutes of the game to complete its comeback and win 26-22. 

This season, Missouri’s Brady Cook will get another chance to upend the Bulldogs against first-year starting quarterback Carson Beck, who is second in the Southeastern Conference with 2,462 passing yards. Cook is third with 2,259 passing yards. 

READ: Big Board: Week 10 

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said “it helped” trailing last season against Missouri and having to come back from a double-digit deficit. 

“Being down in a game or not playing well maybe because of them playing well and you not playing well, it makes you question yourself,” Smart said. “There was a lot of things they did to help us and a lot of things that we did to help them but at the end of the day, we didn’t play very well until the fourth quarter and a lot of that had to do with them, and give them credit for the way they played. But, yeah, last year’s team, retrospect, it helped build the resiliency of that team.” 

No. 5 Washington at No. 20 USC 

A matchup between last year’s Heisman Trophy winner and this season’s frontrunner is on tap in Southern California on Saturday. 

Caleb Williams and No. 20 USC will host Michael Penix Jr. and the No. 5 Huskies. Washington came out on top 28-14 in their last meeting during the 2019 season — before either head coach Lincoln Riley or Kalen DeBoer took their posts at their respective programs. 

Both USC and Washington are atop the Pac-12 Conference standings at 5-1 and 5-0 in conference play this year, respectively. The Trojans are reeling from having lost two of their past three games but bounced back in a close win against Cal 50-49. 

READ: Ohio State, Georgia lead first CFP rankings 

The Huskies are second in the Pac-12 in total offense behind an average of 501.3 yards per game. They’ve had a couple of relatively close calls the past two weeks against Arizona State and Stanford, winning 15-7 and 42-33 in those games, and is seeking to make another statement win. 

Riley said Washington is “a good football team” that has “done a great job this year.” 

“Their quarterback has obviously played at a high level and does a great job distributing to their playmakers which they’ve got a really good group of playmakers,” Riley said. “Runs the offense really, really well. You can tell obviously he’s got a lot of experience with Kalen and his system, and you can tell, right, that it shows up and he’s played at a high level. They’ve got some really good players defensively as well. It’s a very, very talented roster. You got a number of guys that are projected pretty high NFL draft picks, a couple on both sides of the ball so a good group. A good group, a good challenge, I mean, like it should be here at the end to have two good football teams going at it so it’s going to be great.” 

The post Preview Thursday: Week 10  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

There is still plenty left to be resolved, too, about this college football season. The Big Ten Conference will learn more about itself in the next few weeks.

PODCAST: Kirby Smart is Right for Not Caring

No. 2  Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 6 Penn State all rank inside the top-10 from the Big Ten’s East Division. All three will play one another, first when the Nittany Lions travel to Columbus on Oct. 21. 

Here are several players and notes to keep a tab on in this week’s Big Board. 

Can USC outlast its upcoming stretch of games? 

Speaking of stretches of tough games, the Trojans have a challenging stretch coming up. 

USC is already bowl eligible behind its 6-0 record. Now, it has some work to do. 

The Trojans will face No. 21 Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, this week. The two teams met a season ago in California when USC beat the Fighting Irish 38-27. 

After that, USC will have to go on and host No. 16 Utah, which beat the Trojans twice last year and kept them from the College Football Playoff. 

USC will then get a chance to rebound at Cal before hosting No. 7 Washington in what will be expected to be a matchup of Heisman Trophy contenders between Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. The Heisman very well may be on the line that week. 

READ: Quotables: Week 6

The Trojans will round out the season at No. 8 Oregon and against No. 18 UCLA in what will likely be a stretch of five ranked games in their final six of the season. 

Can USC come out on the other side this year on the doorstep of the CFP? 

Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma 

In recent weeks, it has felt like Texas’ Quinn Ewers or Oregon’s Bo Nix among others who have vaulted themselves into Heisman Trophy consideration. 

This time around, it’s Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel, who led the Sooners to a 34-30 Red River Rivalry victory. 

READ: Gabriel leads No. 12 Oklahoma in ‘team effort’ Red River Rivalry win over No. 3 Texas 

Gabriel ranks among the top quarterbacks from a statistical lens. He’s fifth in passing yards and eighth in passing efficiency, and he had to get it done with both his arm and legs against the Longhorns. 

Gabriel passed for 285 yards and a touchdown while running for 113 yards more and a score. 

Gabriels’ current Heisman odds are +1200, which are the fourth-best according to FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Is Beck beginning to break out for Georgia? 

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck became the third Southeastern Conference quarterback in over 10 years to throw four touchdowns and complete 85% of his passes against the blitz, and he became the first to do so against an SEC opponent. 

He went 28-for-35 against No. 20 Kentucky and added 389 passing yards and four touchdowns. 

Beck has the opportunity to do something special. 

Succeeding a quarterback like Stetson Bennett is no easy task. Bennett took Georgia to back-to-back CFP National Championships, and Beck can help the Bulldogs become the first team to three-peat in the modern era. 

PODCAST: Talking winners, top teams and much more after week six

Beck is tied for 33^rd with 11 passing touchdowns and he’s No. 15 in passing efficiency. He is also fourth in passing yards with 1,886 and sixth with a 73.5% completion. 

Beck’s current Heisman odds are +4500, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, and those are the 10^th-best odds among all players. 

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Week 3 presents a slate of games that appears interesting, especially for ranked teams on the road. Eight ranked programs are on the road this week including four of the top-10.  

No. 1 Georgia hosts South Carolina in a Southeastern Conference matchup. The Bulldogs are already 2-0 behind 577 passing yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Carson Beck, while the Gamecocks are led by Spencer Rattler for a second-straight season.  

Here are several games to watch this week.  

No. 3 Florida State at Boston College  

The Seminoles are off to one of the hottest starts in college football propelling themselves to No. 3 in the latest Associated Press Top 25, thanks in large part to their Week 1 victory over then-No. 5 LSU.  

Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis has had back-to-back games of at least 175 passing yards and two touchdowns. The sixth-year gunslinger has also had his legs involved on the ground, rushing for at least 20 yards in both outings this season. 

While the Seminoles have an eight-game winning streak which is the longest in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Boston College enters with a 1-1 record. 

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell said the Seminoles can appreciate their surge up to No. 3 in the poll, their highest ranking since 2017, but there is still more work to do in order to truly embrace it all.  

“There is an appreciation for where we’ve come because I watch our players work. I watch what they put into it. I see how hard our coaches coach. I see the program-wide investment to see guys believe, get better and then you obviously respond to the situations that we have found ourselves in,” Norvell said. “Oh, somebody says that we’re highly rated or highly ranked, whatever, or not. None of that matters. It’s about what we are willing to do when we show up and when we go to work. I believe in this team, I believe in this team for what they’ve been through. I believe in this team for the guys that have said yes to come be a part of it and the challenges that are presented to them when they were making that choice.”  

No. 8 Washington at Michigan State 

A matchup between future conference members of the Big Ten is on tap in East Lansing, Michigan, this Saturday. 

The No. 8 Huskies enter 2-0 behind strong quarterback outings from Michael Penix Jr. Penix currently leads the NCAA in total offense with an average of 434 yards per game. 

Washington has outscored its two opponents 99-29 through the first two games. The strengths for the Huskies remain in the passing game, and receiver Rome Odunze leads the team with 239 receiving yards. 

Michigan State will be without head coach Mel Tucker, who is suspended without pay as he is subject of an ongoing sexual harassment investigation. 

“I think the thing that we’ve just focused on, it’s our season theme, is us versus us and just focusing on what we’re in charge of, what we control,” Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “We know we’re going to go out there. It’s going to be a hostile environment and I think anytime there’s strife and things like that it has an effect for teams at times to pull them closer together, and so I think without a doubt in my mind they’re going to come out ready to rip and play well.”  

Wyoming at No. 4 Texas  

It’s all about trust for Texas.  

The Longhorns are one of the several AP Top 10 teams at home this week, and they will do so defending their new positioning in the rankings.  

Quinn Ewers and Texas prevailed over then-No. 3 Alabama last week, besting the Crimson Tide 34-24. Ewers claimed a number of national awards for his performance as he threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns.  

Wyoming enters this week’s bout 2-0 behind quarterback Andrew Peasley. The Cowboys also lead the Mountain West Conference in sacks averaging 3.5 per game. 

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said the Longhorns have “aspirations of being champions this year,” and they’re off to a hot start on their way to possibly claiming a Big 12 title and more. 

“We have an adage, trust equals time plus consistency. And so it takes time to earn trust,” Sarkisian said. “But you also have to be consistent, whether you’re a person, a staff, whatever you are, so that they can feel what it looks like over and over and over. It’s hard to trust somebody when two days you do something one way then the third day, you totally contradict yourself. And so we’ve tried to be really consistent with our messaging, and we knew over time as our program grew that we could earn more trust along the way.” 

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What are the biggest storylines in college football? The answer, it seems, remains with the quarterbacks. 

No. 1 Georgia, No. 6 Ohio State and No. 10 Alabama each have new starting quarterbacks this season, and the trio have gone so far this season without a hitch. Carson Beck, Kyle McCord and Jalen Milroe have combined to throw for 1,523 yards and 11 touchdowns. 

However, it hasn’t been a smooth start to the year for several preseason Associated Press Top 25 teams. The Crimson Tide, ranked No. 3 at the time of the game, fell to then-No. 11 Texas in Week 2 while then-No. 5 LSU lost to then-No. 8 Florida State. 

Here are several players and notes to keep a tab on in this week’s Big Board. 

Colorado strengthens its belief 

How many people are believers in Colorado? 

Deion Sanders’ quest to transform the Buffaloes program is off to a roaring start. He’s gotten ahead to a 2-0 start, already better than Colorado’s 1-11 record from last season. 

Last week, the Buffaloes emerged victorious rather handily against Nebraska by a score of 36-14. Sanders’ son Shedeur Sanders threw for 393 yards and two touchdowns, following up on his record-breaking performance in the season-opener during which he threw for 510 yards against then-No. 17 TCU. 

Colorado’s defense stood out last week against Nebraska. The Buffaloes allowd 341 yards, less than the 545 given up to the Horned Frogs. 

While the offense struggled to get going despite a 13-0 halftime lead, the defense shut out Nebraska and helped kept Colorado under control. 

Cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter continued his two-way play and made four tackles alongside another pass break-up. 

FOX Big Noon and ESPN College GameDay, which will be in attendance for the first time since 1996, will be in Boulder this Saturday when the Buffaloes host Colorado State. After two strong weeks of play, the Sanders’ and Colorado are doing something special this season. 

Quinn Ewers, Texas   

Quinn Ewers may be hitting his stride. 

After an offseason in which he focused himself on conditioning his body and readying himself physically, Ewers stood the test of Alabama early into his third season of college football. 

Ewers was named the Maxwell Player of the Week and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week after Texas toppled the Crimson Tide. He threw for 349 yards, the second-most of his career, and three touchdowns, guiding the Longhorns to a top-10 upset victory on the road. 

Texas is back to the AP top-5 for the first time since 2010, and it is doing so with Ewers under center. He’s long been heralded as a generational quarterback prospect, becoming a consensus five-star recruit and achieving a perfect 100 score according to the 247 Composite. 

Since his arrival at Texas, Ewers’ career has taken the next step. He’s earned the Longhorns’ starting quarterback job the past two seasons and figures to continue his impressive start to 2023. 

He passed one of his first major tests this season in Texas’ win over Alabama. Now, Ewers must sustain his success. 

Pac-12 Conference is off to an historic start  

For the first time in conference history, the Pac-12 has eight teams ranked inside the AP Top 25. 

A big reason for the Pac-12’s ranking success is the start the conference had to the season. Every team in the conference won its season opener, marking the first time since 1932 that it had done so according to ESPN Stats & Info. 

USC and Washington rank inside the top 10 at Nos. 6 and 8 respectively. Quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. are making early cases for the Heisman Trophy among other playmakers for the two respective teams, which meet in Week 9. 

The Pac-12 began 17-0 also, marking a dominant start to the season for the conference. 

This season marks a historic final season of the full Pac-12. Beginning in 2024, 10 teams will depart for the Big 12, Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference as part of the latest round of conference realignment. The start to this season is, in fact, eye-popping. 

Michael Penix Jr., Washington   

Penix returns to the Big Board this week after another big performance for the Huskies. 

Penix has had back-to-back 400-plus yard performances to start the season. He threw for 409 yards last week against Tulsa and added three touchdowns to boot. 

Penix’s Washington career has taken a positive rise since his transfer from Indiana prior to last season. He’s commanded a Huskies offense that has taken on his ability to perform. 

He went 28-for-38 with one interception against the Golden Hurricane. Penix tossed a touchdown in each of the first three quarters as Washington pulled away 43-10. 

Penix is fourth in the country in passing yards and eighth with a 196.9 passing efficiency rating. 

His Heisman odds are currently +850 according to Caesars Sportsbook. With upcoming challenges against teams like Oregon, USC, Utah and Oregon State, Penix can continue his solid start to the 2023 campaign and boost his Heisman potential at the same time.

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