Indiana, the reigning national champion, sits at the center of the storm. The Hoosiers’ rise under Curt Cignetti from plucky spoiler to full‑fledged powerhouse has already rewritten the conference hierarchy, and the league wasted no time testing their staying power. Their midseason stretch—Ohio State at home, Michigan on the road, USC in Bloomington, and Washington in Seattle—reads like a referendum on whether last year’s magic was a coronation or a prelude. The Oct. 17 rematch with Ohio State, a reprise of the 2025 Big Ten Championship, may be the most anticipated game in the conference this fall. Bloomington has become a fortress, but the Buckeyes arrive with a roster built to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs.

Ohio State and Ryan Day, for their part, face a schedule that feels almost punitive. A November showdown with Oregon looms as a potential top‑five clash, the kind of game that can swing a first‑round bye in the expanded playoff. The Ducks and Dan Lanning, who have embraced their Big Ten identity with a mix of swagger and steel, face their own gantlet: at USC, at Ohio State, Michigan, and Washington all in the same season. It’s the kind of lineup that tests not just talent, but depth, conditioning, and the ability to survive the cumulative weight of elite competition.

Michigan, meanwhile, enters a new era under new head coach Kyle Whittingham with a schedule that offers both opportunity and peril. A November trip to Autzen Stadium—where the Wolverines haven’t won in more than half a century—could define their season. And, of course, “THE GAME” remains the league’s gravitational center. No matter how the standings look by late November, Michigan‑Ohio State will once again carry playoff implications, coaching‑staff scrutiny, and the emotional heft of a rivalry that refuses to soften.

Elsewhere, the league’s newcomers continue to shape the landscape. USC and Lincoln Riley, temporarily (at least that is the hope) without the annual Notre Dame anchor, must navigate a cross‑country slate that includes October trips to Happy Valley and Madison. Washington’s late‑season date with Indiana could carry unexpected weight. Illinois and Bret Bielema, quietly building momentum, hosts Oregon, Nebraska, and Iowa in a stretch that could determine whether the Illini are ready to step into the league’s second tier.

And then there’s Penn State, the beneficiary of a favorable rotation that avoids Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon altogether. In a league where survival often feels like success, the Nittany Lions may find themselves in the enviable position of controlling their own destiny. Even without those 2025 playoff participants, new Penn State head coach Matt Campbell will have his share of challenges in October, when USC visits on October 10th and the Nittany Lions travel to Ann Arbor on October 17th.

What makes the 2026 schedule so compelling is not just the star power, but the stakes. The Big Ten has produced three straight national champions, and the path to a fourth winds through stadiums packed with playoff hopefuls, Heisman candidates, and coaching staffs under pressure to deliver. Every Saturday feels oversized. Every loss feels heavier. Every win feels like a step toward something monumental.

In a conference defined by tradition but reshaped by expansion, the 2026 season promises clarity. By Thanksgiving, we’ll know which programs have adapted to the new order—and which are still clinging to the old one. The schedule offers no hiding places. Only collision points. Only truth.

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Indiana and Oregon — one a long‑suffering Midwestern underdog, the other a newly arrived West Coast contender — have reached the national semifinal together. Their parallel climbs ensure that the Big Ten’s logo will appear on the sport’s biggest stage once again, underscoring the league’s expanding reach and deepening competitive base.

Indiana’s Rise Reshapes Expectations

Indiana’s presence in the playoff marks one of the most significant breakthroughs in college football history. Long defined by near‑misses and incremental progress, the Hoosiers have finally broken through with a veteran roster and a system built on tempo, discipline, and opportunistic defense. Indiana’s offense features a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback in Fernando Mendoza.

They didn’t back into the bracket. They earned it with ranked wins, late‑game execution, and a season‑long ability to dictate style. Indiana’s run under Curt Cignetti signals a shift in the conference hierarchy: the middle of the league is no longer passive. It’s producing legitimate national contenders.

Oregon Delivers on the Promise of Expansion

Oregon entered the Big Ten with questions about travel, fit, and tradition. What was never in doubt was the Ducks’ competitive value. This season has validated that belief.

Oregon remains one of the nation’s most balanced teams, pairing its trademark offensive creativity led by quarterback Dante Moore with a defense capable of controlling games. Their playoff berth is less a surprise than a confirmation — the Ducks were added to strengthen the league’s national profile, and they’ve done exactly that. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has served notice that the Ducks will be a factor on the national scene for seasons to come.

By joining Indiana in The Peach Bowl, Oregon has helped guarantee the Big Ten another shot at the title, reinforcing the strategic logic behind the conference’s western expansion.

A Conference Built on Breadth, Not Just Brands

For decades, the Big Ten’s national hopes rose and fell with Ohio State and Michigan. Their rivalry shaped the league’s identity and its postseason expectations.

This year tells a different story.

Indiana and Oregon represent a conference no longer dependent on a single flagship. The Big Ten now spans four time zones and fields multiple programs capable of reaching the sport’s final weekend. Its strength is structural, not situational.

That’s how a league produces three straight national championship appearances. That’s how it sustains relevance in an era defined by realignment and rapid change.

A New Era, Already Taking Hold

Whether Indiana’s breakthrough continues or Oregon’s balance prevails, the Big Ten has already secured something meaningful: a place in the national title game and a clear signal that its competitive future is broader than ever.

The conference wanted to become the sport’s gravitational center. With Indiana and Oregon meeting on the playoff stage, that vision looks less like ambition and more like reality.

The post The Big Ten Guaranteed a Third Straight Title Shot as Indiana & Oregon Break Through appeared first on Saturday Glory.

James Madison arrived in Eugene with more substance than name recognition. The Dukes brought a solid defense, a veteran quarterback, and the kind of disciplined structure that punishes teams who show up expecting a walkthrough. Oregon didn’t just have to win; they had to demonstrate to their critics that the Ducks were prepared for the scrutiny of postseason football.

They did it with patience, physicality, and a level of composure that travels well into The College Football Playoff.

A Win That Required More Than Firepower

Oregon’s offense has spent much of the year overwhelming opponents with speed and explosiveness. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore had a spectacular performance, throwing for four touchdowns while also adding a touchdown rushing. To their credit, James Madison did not quit, continually battling despite the sizable Oregon lead throughout the contest.

It wasn’t a fireworks show. It was a maturity test — and Oregon passed it.

Defensively, the Ducks delivered one of their most disciplined performances of the season. They controlled the line of scrimmage, eliminated cutback lanes, and steadily squeezed the life out of JMU’s offense. It was the kind of defensive effort that doesn’t always make highlight reels but wins postseason games when possessions shrink and mistakes matter.

Why It Matters Against Texas Tech

Texas Tech presents a different challenge entirely: Big 12 tempo, vertical aggression, and a willingness to turn any game into a track meet. But the lessons Oregon carried out of the JMU game translate directly to Miami.

The Ducks proved they can:

• Stay patient when the big plays aren’t there
• Win at the line of scrimmage against a disciplined front
• Adjust defensively without losing structure
• Maintain poise when a game doesn’t immediately tilt their way

Those traits matter more in in The College Football Playoff than any margin of victory.

A Team Peaking at the Right Time

The Ducks enter the Orange Bowl with a roster that’s both seasoned and hungry. Their win over James Madison didn’t just help Oregon move beyond the first round of The College Football Playoff — it sharpened their edges. It reminded them that postseason football rewards versatility, discipline, and the ability to win in multiple styles.

Texas Tech will test Oregon in ways JMU couldn’t. But the Ducks’ first round playoff tune‑up revealed something essential: they’re not just a team that can overwhelm opponents. They’re a team that can adapt, absorb, and outlast.

Oregon didn’t simply beat James Madison. They learned from them. And that lesson may be exactly what Oregon head coach Dan Lanning wanted to take with them onto the Orange Bowl stage with the confidence of a team prepared to win on any terms.

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What a terrific Saturday full of close games – of course, if you are a fan of a team that wound up on the losing end of the ledger, your thoughts are probably entirely different. Indiana, Iowa, Oregon, Rutgers, and USC all have a bye week to regroup and get ready for their next games on October 11th; Indiana will actually be traveling to Oregon for the first time since the 2004 season (Indiana 30, Oregon 24). With both Indiana and Oregon 2-0 in Big Ten play, one of those teams will be knocked from the perch of the unbeaten. Rutgers now has 2 Big Ten losses this season (3-2 overall), while USC fell to 2-1 within the conference (4-1 overall).

For Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, and UCLA, it is right back to work. Northwestern will host UL Monroe in a non-conference game, while Penn State will travel to UCLA for the first time since 1968 (Penn State 21, UCLA 6). It will bear watching to see how James Franklin, Drew Allar, and the Nittany Lions respond after such an intense battle against Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks. UCLA rallied on the road at Northwestern, but came up short as time ran out for the Bruins as they were driving against the Wildcats.

Illinois travels to Purdue, as the Boilermakers had a bye week to prepare for the Fighting Illini. It was an impressive bounce back win for Bret Bielema’s team, after being routed at Indiana the previous week.

For Minnesota, they will travel to Ohio State for a night game against the Buckeyes; Minnesota will look to end a losing streak versus Ohio State that dates back to the John Cooper era, when the Golden Gophers last defeated the Buckeyes 29-17 during the 2000 season. Speaking of the Buckeyes…

Snapping The Streak: Ohio State went on the road at Washington for the first time since the 2007 season and defeated the Huskies, 24-6. Washington led Ohio State 3-0 in the first quarter, marking the first time this season the Buckeyes trailed in a game. Ohio State’s win snapped an impressive 22 home game winning streak by Washington that dated back to the 2021 season.

Ohio State’s defense had themselves a day, with 6 sacks and 9 tackles for loss against a dangerous Washington offense. Washington will make their first trip ever to Maryland, with the only other time the Huskies and Terrapins have played was in the 1982 Aloha Bowl (Washington 21, Maryland 20).

The post Week Five 2025 Observations Of The Big Ten appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Notably, Alabama will have an opening at head coach in wake of Nick Saban’s retirement plans announced on Wednesday.

PODCAST: One Major Problem Alabama Faces in Search to Find Replacement for Nick Saban

Lanning, who is a former assistant coach at Alabama, posted a video on social media stating “I’m not leaving.”

“I want to be here in Eugene for as long as Eugene will have me,” Lanning said. “This place has everything I could possibly ever want. There’s a little bit of a problem in society today with people looking for what’s next and where there’s an opportunity, and the reality is, the grass is not always greener. In fact, the grass is d— green in Eugene.”

Lanning comes from a long line within the coaching tree under Saban and Alabama.

He spent the 2015 season with the Crimson Tide, a season in which they won the national championship.

Lanning then spent the 2016-17 seasons with Memphis before taking a position as outside linebackers coach under Kirby Smart at Georgia in 2018.

PODCAST: What Nick Saban’s Retirement Will Reveal About Alabama

With the Bulldogs, Lanning served as the defensive coordinator from 2019-21. He took the head coaching position at Oregon on Dec. 11, 2021, and led the Ducks to a 10-win season in his first year.

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Lanning is a candidate to replace Saban as the Crimson Tide’s head coach. Lanning appears to put those rumors aside in his social media video.

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The Daily Huddle’s Garrett Searight argues that comes with the territory when big-time jobs become available, and Alabama will be the latest to experience it.

The post One Major Problem Alabama Faces in Search to Find Replacement for Nick Saban appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Alabama announced Wednesday that head coach Nick Saban is retiring.

“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me,” Saban stated in a release. “We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.”

According to Chris Low of ESPN, Saban is retiring immediately. He informed the Crimson Tide team today, according to Low. 

READ: Denzel Burke, Donovan Jackson among returners to Ohio State in 2024

Saban won six national championships Alabama since taking over prior to the 2007 season. Across his 17 years with the Crimson Tide, Saban won nine Southeastern Conference championships. 

Saban and Alabama most recently competed in the College Football Playoff Semifinals at the Rose Bowl against eventual-champion No. 1 Michigan. It marked Alabama’s eighth CFP appearance under Saban. 

READ: Jacksonville State hires Rhode Island’s Brandon Napoleon as safeties coach 

“Simply put, Nick Saban is one of the greatest coaches of all time, in any sport, and The University of Alabama is fortunate to have had him leading our football program for the past 17 seasons,” Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne stated in a release. “Throughout his career as a head coach, his teams have won seven national championships, 11 conference championships and 312 games, and he’s developed an NCAA-record 49 NFL first-round draft picks and, most importantly, hundreds of college graduates. He is the consummate coach, mentor and leader, and his impact is felt far beyond the football field.”

Saban has been named coach of the year nine times in his career. He’s earned a 35-12 record against top-10 teams since 2008, and he owns an 87.7% winning mark at Alabama. 

Saban won the CFP National Championship in 2015, 2017 and 2020. He has seven total national championships, tied with legend Paul “Bear” Bryant for most in history. 

READ: No. 1 Michigan ‘couldn’t be in a better spot’ after winning College Football Playoff National Championship 

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, among the candidates to succeed Saban include Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Washington’s Kalen DeBoer, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Penn State’s James Franklin, Florida State’s Mike Norvell and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, among others. 

The post Alabama’s Nick Saban announces plan to retire appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The Ducks fell for the only time this season to Michael Penix Jr. and the Washington Huskies 36-33, and had to trail behind them in the College Football Playoff rankings all season.

PODCAST: Week 13 almost had all-out chaos

Friday presents a different scenario. Oregon and No. 3 Washington will meet again in the Pac-12 Championship game — with a spot in the CFP likely clinched after a win.

“I think you pull experience from every experience that you’ve had in your life, but that’s certainly one that is similar in a standpoint of you get to play the game,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said. “Every time you go out there and play the game, there’s an opportunity for it to go one way or another, and we’re certainly going to use the first game as a place to look at where could we have improved and attack a lot of those places, and then try to figure out where their strengths are where we can attack those as well.”

The Ducks have won six-straight games since the loss to Washington. They’ve won each game by at least nine points and scored at least 31 in all.

Oregon has been keyed largely by a late-season push by quarterback Bo Nix. The fifth-year from Pinson, Alabama, has played well down the stretch, accounting for 19 touchdowns in his last four games.

“I think the preparation has been really good,” Nix said. “I think we’ve been practicing at a high level, and then I just think I’ve hit a really good rhythm at the right time. And all week or all year, we’ve been putting together something and we’ve been trying to be really accurate and really efficient with all of our throws, and when they’re open hitting them. And I feel like we’ve done a really good job of that here lately.”

READ: Preview Thursday: Week 14

Nix is a Heisman Trophy contender alongside Penix. The latter earned an early Heisman moment after Penix helped the Huskies with a three-play, game-winning drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Rome Odunze.

In his last four games, Nix has registered six touchdowns in two of those. He had four passing and two rushing scores against Cal in Week 10, then had six passing touchdowns at Arizona State in Week 12.

“Bo’s obviously an elite player and we’re still playing football. I think that speaks to the caliber of player that Bo is,” Lanning said. “The fact that we’re competing for a championship, leads the nation in passing. I don’t memorize all of Bo’s statistics, but just watch Bo play and watch how much of a difference he makes for us. But just as important of that award, what that is to Bo and our team, he’s more excited about getting to play in a championship game this weekend. And I think anybody who’s watched Bo Nix play, the caliber that he’s played, recognizes that he’s definitely deserves merit for that award.”

Nix is outperforming Penix and most other college football quarterbacks this season.

Nix leads the country with 3,906 passing yards. His 37 passing touchdowns are second to LSU’s Jayden Daniels, who has 40 and also beats Nix out with a higher passing efficiency rating.

But Nix completes passes at a higher rate than anyone. His 78.6% is tops in college football, and he’s eclipsed 82% in both of the past two games.

Perhaps no one has made a greater case for the Heisman in the past few weeks than Nix. He said he’s not focused on the award right now, though.

“It’s just staying off TV. Staying off social media has helped me a lot,” Nix said. “All I am around is the guys the locker room, the coaches and practice and meetings. I pretty much just stay up here all day and just get to work and prepare and make sure that at the end of the day when it’s a big moment, it’s not me who’s messing it up for the team. I just want to be as prepared as possible and I want to put our guys in the best situation to go out there and win the game.”

READ: Big Board: Week 14

Nix and Oregon can play their way into the Playoff with a win over Washington and Pac-12 title.

Saturday’s game could be one for Nix’s Heisman profile, too, and he said the Ducks are game planning differently for a different outcome this time around.

“I just think that the whole I think operation as far as like making explosive plays and staying on the field on fourth downs and just getting those moments and making the most of them when they’re the big situational moments,” Nix said. “I think that’s where, ultimately, we lost last time. And I think we have been more prepared. Now, I think the season’s allowed us to play good situational football, but at the end, I think we’re ready to regroup and go out there and play again and not put ourselves in those situations.”

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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.

Both of those ranked games will be previewed later. But there are conference championship game implications also on the line this week. 

PODCAST: Despite chalk at the top, week 12 had intrigue

Spots in the Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12 title games are up for grabs this Saturday. Alabama-Georgia and Florida State-Louisville are already conference championship games set in stone for Dec. 2. 

There are also 13 ranked teams that will play on the road this week including No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 5 Florida State and No. 8 Alabama. 

Here are several games to watch this week. 

No. 16 Oregon State at No. 6 Oregon 

There is a lot on the line this week for the Ducks. 

Sitting comfortably at No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings, Oregon is playing for a place in the Pac-12 Championship game. 

The quarterback matchup Saturday will pit Oregon’s Bo Nix, who is coming off of a six-touchdown performance, against Oregon State’s DJ Uiagalelei. 

No. 16 Oregon State upset Oregon 38-34 in the final week of the regular season last year. The Beavers scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter as they ran for 268 yards. 

The two teams will match up once against on Friday night, and there’s a shot for either team to possibly advance to the Pac-12 Championship game. 

“I think it resonates with every single one of us and certainly not far from our mind,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said. “They’re a good team. We have to go play really well to compete against them, and you got to play an entire game.” 

No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Michigan 

Is there mutual respect in a rivalry? 

That was a pertinent topic this week in the press conferences that Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and Ohio State’s Ryan Day took part in during the days leading up to “The Game” on Saturday. 

READ: Big Board: Week 13

Harbaugh was asked first on Monday about his level of respect for Day and the Buckeyes coaching staff, and here is his response. 

“It’s all about our preparation for Ohio,” Harbaugh said. “The days, the minutes, the hours, everything leading up to this game, that’s where our focus is. Preparing ourselves and planning, going to practice and then execute, so I mean, anything else is irrelevant when you get into this kind of just kind of big game week.” 

Both Michigan and Ohio State will enter Saturday 11-0 and with top-three defenses. Their scoring offenses are two of three teams in the Big Ten averaging more than 33 points per game. 

Day answered a similar question about his level of respect for Michigan. 

“I think with everything going on and the things that are out there, we’ve just kind of stayed away from all the distractions,” Day said. “We have, and (we’re) just focused on our team, and I think our guys have done a good job of it. I think when you talk to our guys, I’ve talked to them a couple times about what’s going on this season and then going into the game, but they’re focused on this game, they’re focused on the season, they’re focused on their preparation, and we’re just going to continue on that.” 

No. 5 Florida State at Florida 

The Seminoles might just have their backs against the wall. 

Steady for most of the season, No. 5 Florida State earned a bittersweet 58-13 victory over North Alabama last week. While the Seminoles got the win, they lost quarterback Jordan Travis due to a horrific left leg injury. 

Backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker entered the game after Travis’ departure and tossed two touchdowns alongside 217 passing yards. 

READ: Quotables: Week 12

Florida State dropped a spot in the fourth CFP rankings of the season on Tuesday. Head coach Mike Norvell said he can sense an urgency to the Seminoles, something that’s helped them earn two ranked wins this season and maintain their place atop the ACC standings. 

“You say urgency — you always want it.,” Norvell said. “It’s always like the push, the standard, the expectation. Sometimes I need to encourage more, and like they came in the door (Tuesday_ and they weren’t needing a whole lot of my encouragement. In the meeting room, they were ready to go. You felt it, you felt the energy, and we’re going to push the standard. We’re all going to be held accountable to it, but I thought the guys did a nice job with that.” 

The post Preview Thursday: Week 13  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. 

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No. 8 Oregon will travel and play No. 7 Washington on the road, and the two teams will meet for what could be the final time within the Pac-12 Conference before the two move to the Big Ten in 2024. 

“Hostile can be fun,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said. “I think this one will be one of those environments. There’s going to be a lot of distractions, a lot of pieces going on outside the puzzle, but we really focused on being the eye of the storm, the calm within the storm. And I think our guys will handle that well.” 

PODCAST: Top games, bounce backs and more in a busy week seven

Oregon enters the game riding a six-game winning streak dating back to the Holiday Bowl last season. 

The Ducks will have fifth-year quarterback Bo Nix under center, and his experience will likely be a key to helping them during the game. 

“You got to just take it day by day and treat it for what it’s worth,” Nix said. “It’s going to be a top-10 matchup, it’s going to be a lot of noise, a lot of hype, but at the same time you got to strap it up and go play football and just do what we do and you know they’re going to do the same so it just turns into a football game and that’s exactly what it is each and every week. You can’t make it too big. You can’t let the moment get too high. You got to stay focused on the main thing and that’s just going out and executing.” 

Managing emotions and making the most of a given situation has been among the biggest tasks Oregon has faced this season. 

The Ducks have the No. 2 total offense in the country averaging 555.8 yards per game. The dominance has been a product of consistency that Lanning has seen for a while. 

“I’ve been really pleased with our progress every day since fall camp,” Lanning said. “I feel like our players have certainly came and attacked every single day, looked for a way to get better and embraced the strain and the grind of football season, and (I’m) looking for them to continue to do that.” 

Nix has played in a big game or a few in his career. He was part of last season’s top-10 matchup against UCLA after which the Ducks prevailed 45-30 behind 283 passing yards from Nix. 

READ: Preview Thursday: Week 7

Nix arrives at Saturday’s top-10 matchup as the leader in completion percentage with an 80.4% rating and tied for No. 8 with 15 passing touchdowns. He embraces the big stage rather than shies away from it. 

“I don’t have to do any of that with Bo. He’s a pro,” Lanning said. “It wouldn’t matter who he’s competing against, when he steps on the field he knows what he wants to do. He knows what he’s capable of and how he can perform. I think this is why guys like Bo come to Oregon to get to playing games like this so this moment certainly isn’t too big. I don’t have to give him any encrypted message. Bo go out there and do your thing. That’s all I got to tell him.” 

Nix said there is “definitely motivation” after last season’s 37-34 affair which Washington won. 

“I think how the game ended last year is definitely not how you want it to work, but it’s part of it, and it can serve as a motivator or it can get you down,” Nix said. “And obviously, it’s one that I’ve been looking forward to just because of last year and how it ended. But I think that a lot of games you look forward to and I know they’re looking forward to it as well.” 

READ: Big Board: Week 7

Nix has certainly played his way into the Heisman Trophy conversation, and Saturday will pit him against fellow contender Michael Penix Jr., who leads the NCAA in total offense averaging nearly 402 yards per game. 

But the Heisman Trophy isn’t on the mind of Nix or a number of other quarterbacks and contenders. This week, Nix’s eyes are on the prize that could be a top-10 victory and a clearer path to the Pac-12 Championship Game. 

“It’s hard because everybody does talk about it so you got to constantly keep your mind frame from going to all the noise, and you try not to let it get super loud and you try to control the things that you can and obviously stay off social media, not watch a lot of TV,” Nix said. “But it’s part of it, but at the same time it’s rewarding to play in games like this so you do want to appreciate it. I was just at the house yesterday watching the game last night and our commercial came on and it’s like that’s pretty cool. You don’t always get that opportunity. I’ve been able to play in a few but obviously each moment, they become bigger, and this will be a fun one, and I think both teams, both sides are just they’re ready for the game, ready for the atmosphere and like I said, you don’t always get these so we want to make the most of them.” 

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