Set to launch worldwide on July 19, a full reveal of the modes and features of EA Sports College Football 25 was announced on Friday.

Dynasty and Road To Glory modes will be available in College Football 25, according to a release. Those two modes will allow players “to construct their own powerhouse program as a created coach or vie for the Heisman as a player” in what the video game introduces as CampusIQ, which will be “a suite of features that brings to life the true depth of college football through wide open, fast-paced gameplay across all 134 FBS schools in all areas of the game.”

READ: ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery introduce Venu Sports streaming service

Over 10,000 players have opted into College Football 25, it was announced in March. Any student-athlete who opts in and has their name, image and likeness used will receive $600 and a copy of the video game.

College Football 25 will also offer “the all-new Road to the College Football Playoff and College Football Ultimate Team” that will “bring fresh online experiences and ways to play.”

“EA SPORTS College Football is BACK! We’ve felt the passion and anticipation of college football fans every step of the way since we first announced this game, and we’re ecstatic to finally be able to show everyone what we’ve been building,” EA Sports SVP and Group GM Daryl Holt stated in a release. “College Football 25 is built with authenticity at its core, inspired by experiences our fans have loved from our games, and fully evolved to reflect modern college football – all of which will immerse them in the sights, sounds, and true-to-life gameplay of the sport they love.”

READ: Northwestern announces 2024 schedule, will play 2 games at Wrigley Field

READ: ABC, ESPN unveil Weeks 0-1 broadcast schedule

EA Sports unveiled the cover of College Football 25 on Thursday, showcasing Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Colorado defensive back/wide receiver Travis Hunter. They will star on the covers of the Standard and Deluxe editions.

“Donovan, Quinn and Travis are extraordinary talents who impressed and entertained millions of college football fans on the field last season and are poised to do so again this year,” Holt stated in a release. “We’re proud to be able to incorporate thousands of current athletes in College Football 25, and featuring this trio of playmakers and their iconic college programs on the cover is a perfect fit as we usher in a new era for EA SPORTS and college football. I can’t wait for the world to learn more about the game tomorrow.”

ESPN broadcasters such as Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will “call marquee matchups,” along with other broadcast teams such as Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer and David Pollack will comprise the virtual booth and “take the mic for all other games.”

Among the gameplay features include Homefield Advantage, which will allow players to “through distractions like screen shaking, missing pre-play icons, and moving play art.” Additional features consist of Pre-Snap Recognition and the Wear & Tear System, which means virtual player stamina is affected by more play so it will be important to “manage your players’ health, limit fatigue, assess risk of injury, and avoid on-field mistakes by using strategic substitutions to ensure your players are at their best when it counts the most.”

The traditions within college football that make it one of a kind will be immersed in College Football 25. Along with team mascots and fight songs, the video game will include “unique team run-outs, rivalry rituals, synchronized crowd-chants, loudness meters as well as real game-day audio.”

READ: Colorado-Nebraska primetime kickoff announced for Week 2 matchup on NBC

Dynasty and Road To Glory modes are also offered in the video game alongside Road to the College Football Playoff, where players will “experience a new way to play competitively across consoles” and “earn rank by upsetting the toughest opponents and securing the votes you need to progress and level up divisions,” as well as College Football Ultimate Team.

College Football Ultimate Team will allow players to “build your dream team of college football stars and legends” in Solo Challenges or H2H seasons, and they can test their skill across consoles “in more competitive formats like College Football Ultimate Team Champs and Champs Gauntlet.”

EA Sports College Football 25 is available for pre-order now. According to Matt Brown of Extra Points, the video game will not be available for PC at launch. EA Sports is also offering an MVP bundle on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S that will include deluxe editions of College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25 “with 3-day early access and unlocks a multitude of benefits across both titles.”

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Texas is coming off its first appearance in the College Football Playoff, and head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns are working to return to the postseason amid their move to the Southeastern Conference.

Sarkisian and the Longhorns held their annual Orange-White Game on Saturday, splitting the team into an intrasquad scrimmage and seeing Team Orange win 35-34 over Team White. Between their 37-31 defeat to Washington in the Sugar Bowl, managing roster construction and building during spring practice, Sarkisian said the Longhorns have looked for their identity for the 2024 season.

READ: Former Trojans WR Mike Williams joins USC as Director of Player Development

“Between a lot of these mid-year high school kids and the transfers that showed up in the program, we had to kind of recreate ourselves this spring,” Sarkisian said. “And I thought that the buy-in was there. I would say this, like, our practices were really competitive. And they were hard. And they were tough, and they were physical. But yet, they really were working with one another to try to get better, and to me that that sets us up for June. As you guys know, in June and July, we do a ton of culture work and that’s when we really start on that stuff. But man, I feel like we’ve almost got a head start on that because of the way they competed in spring.”

READ: NCAA penalizes Arizona State for ‘impermissible in-person recruiting contacts’

Texas took in several transfers since the offseason began, including Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Bond. He impressed with 98 receiving yards across three catches, including a 75-yard touchdown thrown by redshirt freshman quarterback Arch Manning. Bond, entering his junior year, caught 888 yards and five touchdowns with the Crimson Tide, and he figures to be a weapon for Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Ewers played two series, and senior defensive lineman Alfred Collins returned a tipped pass 32 yards for a touchdown when Ewers was in the game. Texas’ returning third-year starting quarterback said gaining chemistry with new receivers was among his top priorities this spring.

“Some of the goals were obviously just needed to get to know those guys — a bunch of new faces in that room — and be able to connect on the field and even off the field,” Ewers said. “But I think as a whole that whole room did a great job of coming in this entire spring and really trying to put their head down whether that’d be learning the offense for some of these guys or continue to work on their routes for the guys that do know the offense and just come out each day. And again, just put their head down and go to work, so proud of those guys for that.”

Wide receivers senior Thatcher Milton had a 50-yard receiving touchdown, sophomore DeAndre Moore Jr. had 93 receiving yards and a touchdown, and freshman Ryan Wingo scored on a 56-yard touchdown.

READ: NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approves ‘optional technology rules’ for 2024 season

Manning shined in the spring game. By halftime he’d gone 11-for-13 with 190 passing yards and two touchdowns eventually finishing with 335 yards and three scores.

“The biggest thing I saw from Arch was something that we kind of really harped on with him about a week and a half ago about just dialing into playing the play, keeping your eyes up, and I think I talked about this last week: when he gets himself in trouble at times at quarterback is when he relies on his athleticism, which he has a ton of and he can do, and there’s times today I blew the whistle on him,” Sarkisian said. “I don’t know if he was really happy with me that I blew it, but he’s noncontact. But when he keeps his eyes up and steps up in the pocket, and he can deliver those balls down the field the way we’d like to play. And so it was good to see and was good to see some of the guys around him play with him the way that they did.”

The Longhorns will begin summer workouts until the start of fall camp in August. They’re looking forward to opening the season against Colorado State at home on Aug. 31.

Texas will have an interesting schedule its first year in the Southeastern Conference. Sarkisian and the Longhorns will host Florida, Georgia and Kentucky, and they’ll travel to Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

READ: Arizona State QB Jaden Rashada announces transfer

The summer yields vital results when players focus on continuing their progress from the spring. Sarkisian said he’ll hold exit meetings with each player who’ll also meet with their position coaches. Sarkisian listed the defensive line and secondary among the areas he hopes the Longhorns can address this summer — as well as getting Texas back to the Playoff.

“What excited me today is that playmakers made plays, and that’s something that you try to recruit to, and how do playmakers make plays? You got to be effective at the line of scrimmage, right?” Sarkisian said. “I think that that we’ve got a lot of talent. We’ve got — there’s a lot of playmakers. We play a physical brand of football. But more importantly, I like the kind of energy of this team. They’re in it together, and they want to be really good. And when you as a coach, when you have a team that’s motivated to shoot towards a goal like you are, that’s what makes it exciting to come in every day and to tap into them and go to work.”

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This year, record-breaking runs and jumps took center stage, all the while spiral passes were aplenty and many an NFL executive likely left with new impressions on some of their future players. 

READ: Pitt WR Bub Means looks to gain momentum from NFL Combine

Widely projected No. 1 overall pick USC quarterback Caleb Williams was among the biggest talking points of the combine. Williams chose not to take part in measurements and on-field workouts, instead opting to share medical information with specific teams interested in drafting him, and he did take the podium for a media session. 

Also absent from the combine was Biletnikoff Award winner and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. He’ll likely compete at the Buckeyes Pro Day on March 20. 

The NFL Draft is less than two months away beginning April 25 in Detroit. Here are five takeaways from this year’s combine. 

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy breaks records. Could he climb the draft board? 

John Ross’ previous combine 40-yard dash record has been broken. 

It took Texas wide receiver Xaver Worthy two tries before he earned the crown of fastest 40 time in combine history. Worthy blazed his way to a 4.21 official time, topping Ross’ best by 0.01 seconds. 

So now, how does this affect Worthy’s draft positioning? According to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 draft-eligible prospects, Worthy is No. 41 among top players expected to be taken in April’s NFL Draft. 

Ross went No. 9 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2017 NFL Draft. Worthy might not be selected that high while competing against other receivers such as Harrison, LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze for who takes WR1 this draft, but his 40-yard dash time will certainly draw interest from NFL teams. 

Worthy finished second in the Big 12 Conference with 1,014 receiving yards and third with 75 receptions. He added five touchdown receptions. 

Could a defensive back make a surprise early selection? 

Every year since the 2020 NFL Draft, a defensive back has been selected within the top 10 picks. 

READ: Texas WR Xavier Worthy breaks 40-yard dash record with 4.21 time at NFL Combine

According to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50draft-eligible prospects, the highest ranked defensive back is Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold at No. 9. 

Arnold had a strong combine performance in Indianapolis. He scored a 90 on the production rating to place first among cornerbacks, according to NFL.com. 

Arnold ran a 4.5 40 and leapt to a 10-foot, nine-inch broad jump and 37-inch vertical. He led the Southeastern Conference with 17 passes defended and tied for first with five interceptions last season. 

Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins also impressed with his speed. He ran a 4.28 40, fastest among cornerbacks, but felt a pop in his groin and dealt with injury. 

Among other combine standouts in the secondary were Utah safety Cole Bishop and Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell. Bishop ran a 4.45 40, fifth-fastest among safeties, and Mitchell led with 20 reps on the bench press. 

Each year it seems a defensive back rises the draft board and hears his name called earlier than expected. The 2024 NFL Draft might not be much different for teams looking to upgrade their secondary. 

Which lineman saw his draft value rise most? 

Sometimes, the game is won in the trenches. 

Defensive linemen kicked off the combine on Thursday and offensive linemen wrapped up the event on Sunday. Plenty of players stood out along the line of scrimmage and during on-field workouts, leading to eyebrow-raising evaluations for some. 

Penn State tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu and Georgia’s Amarius Mims didn’t compete fully due to injuries. Fashanu suffered a right thigh injury, while Mims had a right hamstring injury, according to Stacey Dales of NFL Network. Both are projected to be among the top offensive linemen taken in the draft. 

READ: Alabama WR Jermaine Burton ready to ‘bring the same intensity and energy’ on Saturdays to NFL Combine

Wisconsin center Tanor Bortolini might be one lineman who saw his value rise most. Bortolini ran a 4.94 40, which was the second-fastest time among offensive linemen, and his 99 athleticism score was first among centers according to NFL.com. 

Who might’ve rose most along the defensive line? Well, one wouldn’t have to look much further than the South. 

Florida State’s Braden Fiske and Texas’ Byron Murphy II clamored some of the most buzz on Day 1 of the combine. Both defensive tackles placed among the top-three at their position in the 40, running 4.87 or better, while Fiske led with a 33.5-inch vertical, 9-foot, nine-inch broad jump and 4.37 shuttle run. 

Murphy had top-five finishes in the 10-yard split, vertical and on the bench. The DeSoto, Texas, native had 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks last season. 

For teams looking to take an anchor along the line this draft, they’ll have some viable options to choose from. 

Longhorns likely a strong combine winner 

Perhaps no other college program had a better combine than Texas. 

Murphy opened some eyes during defensive tackle drills, and his teammate and Outland Trophy winner T’Vondre Sweat was expected to lead in his group as well. 

Sweat ran a 5.27 40 with a 1.8-second 10-yard split, and he also jumped 26 inches on the vertical and 8-feet, 2-inches on the broad jump. His production score was fourth among defensive tackles according to NFL.com. 

READ: Arizona WR Jacob Cowing hopes to impress at NFL Combine

In addition to the defensive line standouts was Worthy, who broke the record for fastest 40 time with a 4.21 clock. 

Texas had 11 participants in the combine this year: Murphy, Sweat, Worthy, running backs Jonathon Brooks and Keilan Robinson, wide receivers Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, offensive lineman Christian Jones, linebacker Jaylan Ford and defensive back Ryan Watts. 

The Longhorns went 12-2 last season and won the Big 12, advancing to their first College Football Playoff appearance under third-year head coach Steve Sarkisian. They’ll return quarterback Quinn Ewers for his senior season. 

According to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 draft-eligible prospects, Murphy is the highest projected at No. 22. Mitchell is close behind at No. 33. 

All eyes are on USC’s Caleb Williams and LSU’s Jayden Daniels 

The combine this year didn’t get to see a pair of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks throw on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. 

But the beat goes on. 2022 Heisman winner Williams will have the chance to throw at the Trojans’ Pro Day on March 20, and LSU quarterback and last season’s Heisman recipient Jayden Daniels will throw at his Pro Day on March 27. 

Williams said it was a team decision for him not to take part in measurements and on-field workouts, and Daniels spoke similarly while both met with numerous NFL teams. 

Williams is No. 1 and Daniels is No. 6 — one spot behind North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye at No. 5 — according to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 draft-eligible prospects list. 

READ: Oregon State WR Anthony Gould wants to ‘give the scouts a reason to cut up my tape’ at NFL Combine

The Chicago Bears hold the No. 1 pick in the draft, and they have an interesting situation to address with starter Justin Fields. The Bears have been tied to Williams plenty this draft cycle, while rumors swirl about Daniels being picked as early as No. 2 to the Washington Commanders or No. 3 to the New England Patriots. 

Much is left to be determined between now and the start of the 2024 NFL Draft. Both Williams and Daniels will throw at their pro days and continue to meet with NFL teams. 

But the race for the No. 1 pick is on. 

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Bond entered the transfer portal Friday and quickly found a new home with the Longhorns. He was the first Crimson Tide player to enter the transfer portal after Nick Saban announced his retirement.

READ: Michigan’s Blake Corum, J.J. McCarthy declare for NFL Draft

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Bond’s transfer to Texas was a “business decision.”

The move comes after a season in which Bond led Alabama with 48 receptions. He was the favorite target of quarterback Jalen Milroe, who found Bond for 668 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

READ: Reports: Cam Ward puts off NFL Draft, commits to Miami

Bond will join a receiving corps at Texas that was led by All-American Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell. Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers announced his decision to return for the 2024 season on Thursday.

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Ewers, who reclassified and entered college football a year early in 2021, will enter his senior season next year.

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

Across three seasons of college football including stops at Ohio State and Texas, Ewers has amassed 5,656 passing yards and 37 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

He’ll be viewed as one of the premier quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft. This year, Heisman Trophy-winning LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye are all entrants in the NFL Draft.

READ: Alabama’s Nick Saban announces plan to retire

Ewers was named All-Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention after leading the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

Ewers finished second in the Big 12 with 3,479 passing yards and a 69% completion this season. He averaged 289.9 passing yards per game, which were second-most in the conference.

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Penix and the Huskies (13-0, 10-0 Pac-12 Conference) avoided a collapse in the fourth quarter when Texas (12-2, 9-1 Big 12 Conference) took over with 45 seconds left in the game.

READ: Blake Corum’s TD in OT lifts No. 1 Michigan over No. 4 Alabama in Rose Bowl CFP semifinal

Washington was penalized for kick catch interference, allowing the Longhorns to have possession at their 31-yard line.

Quinn Ewers found Jordan Whittington for 41 yards on 3rd and 10, and Texas was on the doorstep of the red zone with almost 20 seconds remaining.

Ewers connected with Jaydon Blue for 16 more yards near the boundary, and officials confirmed the catch.

But Texas’ magic ran out. Ewers was tackled for a loss and went 0-of-3 on his final three passes as Washington locked up the game.

Penix had 76% completion and went 29-of-38. Johnson had two scoring runs in the first half as the Huskies outgained Texas 532 yards to 498 in the game.

READ: No. 8 Oregon hands No. 23 Liberty first loss 45-6 in Fiesta Bowl

Both teams entered the locker rooms at halftime tied at 21 points apiece. Texas’ CJ Baxter ran in a 3-yard touchdown with 54 seconds remaining in the second quarter to tie the game.

Texas was outgained 213 yards to 305 in the first half. The Longhorns took advantage of a muffed punt and scored on a 1-yard touchdown by Byron Murphy II on the following drive to knot the game at 14 points apiece.

Penix powered Washington in the first half. He had 79% completion after the first two quarters and had 255 passing yards as well as a touchdown.

Johnson had two touchdowns on 13 carries for 30 yards in the first half. He finished with 49 rushing yards.

READ: Reports: DJ Uiagalelei to transfer to Florida State

Washington kicker Grady Gross made a 27-yard field goal with 2:40 left to ice the game for the moment 37-28.

Penix went 12-of-13 for 117 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter. It was an exclamation point on a performance that sealed Washington’s first trip to the CFP National Championship.

Ewers went 24-for-43 with 318 passing yards and a touchdown. Baxter had 64 rushing yards and Blue had a rushing touchdown.

Washington will go on to face No. 1 Michigan in the CFP National Championship next Monday in Houston.

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After entering the transfer portal following the end of the regular season, Murphy announced on X on Saturday that he will transfer to Duke.

Murphy was a four-star recruit out of the class of 2024 according to Rivals.

He spent two seasons in the Longhorns program before deciding to join the Blue Devils, who named Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz the next head coach following Mike Elko’s departure to Texas A&M.

READ: Reports: Florida State moves to file lawsuit against ACC grant of rights

Murphy made his college debut this season after filling in for an injured Quinn Ewers. Murphy appeared in seven games throwing for 477 yards and three touchdowns.

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No. 1 Michigan claimed the top spot after winning the Big Ten Championship and will play in the Rose Bowl against No. 4 Alabama, which got in after beating No. 6 Georgia in the Southeastern Conference Championship.

READ: Full list of Power 5 bowl games 

In the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Pac-12 champion No. 2 Washington will face Big 12 champion No. 3 Texas on Jan. 1, 2024.

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

Who got the best scenario in the Playoff?

Michigan-Alabama and Washington-Texas will be the matchups in this year’s CFP.

So which team got the best path to a national championship? Well, the answer to that could be any one of the four.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Michigan has the best odds to win the national title at +175. Alabama is second at +210, Texas is third at +260 and Washington is fourth at +800.

Michigan has made an early exit in each of its past two CFP appearances over the past two years. The Wolverines haven’t been able to advance past the semifinal round, and their hopes are accomplishing just that this time around.

The Wolverines will match up with an Alabama team that flew under the radar for most of the season. The Crimson Tide lost to Texas in Week 2, and were widely considered to must win the SEC in order to win the Playoff.

Alabama did just that, though, dethroning the Bulldogs and capturing the SEC crown for the first time since 2021. The Crimson Tide have made the national championship in each of the past six times they’ve made the Playoff, and they’ll have a strong challenge against a Michigan team that has the No. 2 scoring defense holding opponents to 9.5 points per game.

READ: Quotables: Week 14

Texas, much like Alabama, had unfavorable positioning to make the Playoff entering conference championship weekend. The Longhorns seemed locked into the No. 7 spot in the rankings, but after winning the Big 12 in 49-21 fashion, they vaulted to No. 3.

The Longhorns could have the best path to a national championship. A win over Washington, an unbeaten conference champion with a Heisman Trophy finalist in quarterback Michael Penix Jr., could serve as a statement in the Alamo Bowl rematch from a year ago.

Then, Texas could match up with either Michigan or Alabama, and a rematch against the Crimson Tide could settle much of the debate surrounding the major themes in college football this season.

But Washington has long been counted out. The Huskies were nine-point underdogs entering the Pac-12 Championship against Oregon.

Each of the four Playoff teams have a path to a national championship. Now it’s time to find out which can withstand the others.

It’s time to crown a Heisman Trophy winner

The Heisman Foundation revealed its four finalists on Monday, and not too much surprise came with that.

Three quarterbacks are among this season’s Heisman finalists: LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr.

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. became the fifth different Buckeyes finalist in six years. He could follow in the footsteps of former Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith who won the Heisman after the 2020 season.

Any of the four finalists could win the Heisman. They each have a case.

Nix and Penix battled back and forth all season for the top spot in the Pac-12 Conference. Penix and Washington won the conference title after beating Nix and the Ducks for a second time.

Daniels has arguably the strongest chance to win the Heisman. He leads in a multitude of major statistical categories, including passing efficiency and touchdowns.

Daniels has 3,812 passing yards and 1,134 rushing yards, and he’s responsible for the most points in college football this season at 302, more than 20 ahead of the next closest player.

READ: LSU’s Jayden Daniels among 4 named Heisman finalists

Harrison has an interesting case to present as a wide receiver. There have been only three wide receivers to win college football’s top award.

Harrison caught 1,211 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns this season. He was second in receiving touchdowns in the NCAA, and he brought in 67 receptions which were 10 fewer than his season last year.

Daniels has the best odds to win the Heisman according to multiple sportsbooks. If that plays true, Daniels would be the first Tiger to win the Heisman since Joe Burrow in 2019.

Quinn Ewers, Texas

The Longhorns are right where they want to be.

Texas made the Playoff after standing on the outside looking in for most of the season. The Longhorns’ only loss came to Oklahoma in Week 6.

Quarterback Quinn Ewers is a big reason for Texas’ success. He battled injuries throughout the season and missed two games in late October to November.

Ewers led the Big 12 with a 70.7% completion and was second in passing yards per game, behind Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel. Ewers had 3,161 passing yards and 21 touchdowns to six interceptions.

Ewers has a decision to make after the season.

Given he began his college football career prior to the 2021 season after enrolling early at Ohio State and now has three years of experience, Ewers has NFL Draft eligibility.

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, it’s likely though that Ewers remains at Texas for another season. The odds of Ewers’ return “has increased exponentially in the past few weeks,” according to Thamel.

Ewers’ return cold have multiple dominoes fall in line. What would happen with backup and five-star recruit Arch Manning, and who may be interested in joining Ewers in Texas?

According to 247 Sports, Manning is “completely content remaining in Austin” and isn’t expected to consider the transfer portal.

READ: USC’s Lincoln Riley announces QB Caleb Williams won’t play in Holiday Bowl 

With Manning likely to still be a Longhorn in 2024, Ewers could decide to stay at Texas for another season before considering the NFL in 2025.

Whatever decision Ewers chooses to make, the former five-star recruit himself has plenty of opportunity.

The post Big Board: Post-conference championship week appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Ewers had 354 passing yards in the first half as the Longhorns took control in the first quarter and carried it throughout the course of the game. Their largest lead came 49-14 after Texas running back Keilan Robinson ran in his second score of the second half with 10:38 left in the fourth quarter.

PODCAST: Will Championship Week create chaos or clarity?

Texas led 21-7 after the first quarter when Ewers found three different receiver to set up three red zone touchdowns. Ewers’ longest touchdown pass of the first quarter went on a 24-yard heave to Ja’Tavion Sanders to help the Longhorns lead 14-0.

Oklahoma State was held to seven points and 124 total yards in the second half. The Cowboys had limited answers and responses to Texas’ efficient offense, as Oklahoma State went 3-of-10 on third down and lost a fumble.

Texas accumulated a season-high 662 yards of offense. 

READ: No. 3 Washington uses 4th-quarter comeback to win Pac-12 Championship

Ewers finished with 452 passing yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Sanders had 105 receiving yards and Adonai Mitchell had 109.

Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman went 22-of-38 for 250 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Receiver Rashod Owen’s had two touchdown scores and 85 rushing yards.

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The Longhorns allowed Kansas State to score 16 points in the fourth quarter, and they surrendered 20 unanswered points as Texas watched its once 27-7 lead evaporate into a 27-27 deadlock after the Wildcats missed the extra point with 12:37 left.

PODCAST: Calculated Risk: Previewing a week 10 with plenty of intrigue

Texas kicker Bert Auburn made a 34-yard field goal to give the Longhorns a brief 30-27 lead with more than six minutes remaining. 

Kansas State then managed a nine-play, 66-yard drive down the field and into field goal territory. After three stops inside the red zone, Wildcats kicker Chris Tennant missed a 27-yard field goal try, and it seemed Texas had the game in hand. 

The Wildcats forced a quick three-and-out on the next series, and they got the ball back at their own 40-yard line with 1:18 on the clock. 

Kansas State quarterback Will Howard dialed up an 18-yard pass on fourth and six to move to Texas’ 27-yard line. With 1 second left, Tennant redeemed himself and made a long 45-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. 

Texas gained just one yard on its only overtime possession thanks to running back Jonathon Brooks, and it set up Auburn for a 42-yard field goal which he made. 

With its back against the wall, Kansas State had four plays to score the game-winning touchdown. Howard connected on a 19-yard pass to begin the series. 

But that was nearly all the Wildcats generated in overtime, as Texas defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat made two key pass break-ups to seal the win. 

READ: Clemson snaps 2-game skid, beats No. 15 Notre Dame 31-23

Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy, playing for an injured Quinn Ewers, totaled 248 passing yards, two interceptions and a touchdown. Brooks had 112 rushing yards and a score while receiver Adonai Mitchell had 149 receiving yards and a touchdown. 

Howard finished with 327 passing yards, four touchdowns and an interception. 

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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.

That answer could remain in either No. 1 Georgia or No. 2 Michigan, while the latter is currently the subject of an alleged sign stealing investigation by the NCAA. 

PODCAST: Do we have any more clarity after some major week eight decisions?

Or, it could be any of the remaining six unbeaten teams, such as No. 3 Ohio State or No. 4 Florida State. 

Penn State and North Carolina suffered their first losses of the season in Week 8 and face an uphill climb back into title contention. 

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

Midseason All-American lists are released 

A number of outlets released their midseason All-American lists in recent weeks, including Sporting News, The Associated Press and ESPN. 

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was unanimously named to all three midseason All-American lists. He is joined by Notre Dame running back Audric Estime, LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers as offensive skill players named to all three lists. 

Among the others who were named unanimous midseason All-Americans includes: offensive guards Cooper Beebe of Kansas State and Zak Zinter of Michigan; linebacker Dallas Turner of Alabama; edge rusher Laiatu Latu of UCLA; defensive lineman Howard Cross III of Notre Dame; linebacker Edgerrin Cooper of Texas A&M; safeties Malaki Starks of Georgia and Jaylin Simpson of Auburn; and punter Tory Taylor of Iowa. 

How will Ewers’ injury impact Texas? 

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers “is expected to miss some time” with a grade 2 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder. 

The Longhorns nearly suffered a setback at the hands of Houston on Saturday. They escaped with a 31-24 win but now face questions surrounding their quarterback position. 

Ewers ranked No. 10 in completion percentage and No. 15 in passing efficiency among quarterbacks this season. He’s a key part of the Longhorns offense in year two with Ewers under center. 

So where does Texas turn from here? The answer may already have been in front of the Longhorns with quarterback Maalik Murphy. 

Murphy entered the game after Ewers departed, and he filled the role while Texas held off the Cougars. Murphy completed one pass for seven yards among two attempts. 

Murphy is a former four-star recruit according to 247 Sports, and he has the tools necessary to keep Texas afloat this season, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 238 pounds. Texas also has five-star freshman Arch Manning in the same quarterbacks room. 

Texas has five games left before conference championship season heats up, and the Longhorns are prime in the Big 12 race. Their loss to Oklahoma could loom large, as does a potential rematch, but Ewers’ absence will loom even larger until his return. 

How will Ohio State’s defense hold up the rest of the season? 

Ryan Day said the Buckeyes played “championship level” defense against Penn State on Saturday. 

Ohio State isn’t typically known for its defense. High-powered, explosive offense is usually the name of the game for the Buckeyes. 

READ: Quotables: Week 8

But in 2023, teams are having trouble moving the ball and scoring against the Buckeyes. They rank No. 4 in the country in total defense allowing an average of 260.1 yards per game and No. 3 in scoring defense allowing 10 points per game. 

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has transformed the Ohio State defense in two years under his tutelage. He attributed the dramatic change thus far to “knowing the scheme” and having it honed against opponents. 

Ohio State will face three teams among its final five games that rank within the bottom half of the Big Ten Conference in total offense: Rutgers, Michigan State and Minnesota. 

The other two remaining games are against Wisconsin, which ranks fifth in the conference, and at Michigan, which is third. It’ll be a test and fun challenge to see how the Buckeyes continue to hold up and do so among the best nationally. 

The post Big Board: Week 9  appeared first on Saturday Glory.