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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Colorado and Nebraska both announced Monday that their Week 2 meeting on Sept. 7 will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CDT on NBC. It will be NBC’s first time broadcasting a game from Memorial Stadium since Thanksgiving Day in 1965.

READ: Joe Alt cherishes Notre Dame career, hopes to put ‘best foot forward’ with Los Angeles after No. 5 overall NFL Draft selection

Second-year head coaches Matt Rhule of Nebraska and Deion Sanders of Colorado will meet again after the Buffaloes earned a 36-14 win in Week 2 last season in Boulder. According to Sean Callahan of HuskerOnline via On3, that game drew more than eight million viewers. This fall, they’ll face one another in the first-ever evening matchup between the two programs at Memorial Stadium.

According to a Colorado release, NBC’s broadcast will be part of the Upfront program, which is “a presentation showcasing the network’s concentrated portfolio of sports, entertainment, news and streaming platforms to advertisers,” and it will pair with the network’s Week 1 broadcast of Fresno State–Michigan in Ann Arbor. Colorado was part of Upfront last season when it opened the campaign against TCU on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff.

READ: Former Penn State SAF King Mack transfers to Alabama

READ: Conference USA expanding to add Missouri State in 2025

Colorado and Nebraska’s history dates back to their time together in the Big 12 Conference — which the Buffaloes will rejoin this fall.

Nebraska has a 49-21-2 advantage in the all-time series, though Colorado has won all three meetings since moving to the Pac-12 Conference following the 2010 season. They’ve split the past six games at Memorial Stadium since 2002.

Sanders and Colorado had nine games not on regional or conference networks in 2023, marking the most in program history according to a release. September’s game against the Cornhuskers will also be the first time the Buffaloes are broadcast on NBC since the Fiesta Bowl in 1995.

Rhule and Nebraska are looking to build off a 5-7 record in their first year together in 2023. Quarterback Heinrich Haarberg, who started eight games last season and led the team with 967 passing yards and seven touchdowns, and the Cornhuskers were No. 9 in the Big Ten Conference averaging 312.8 total yards per game. They also appeared in primetime on NBC last season at Wisconsin in Week 12.

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EA Sports announced Monday on social media that “10,000+” student-athletes “are in the game.” It was announced in February that any player who opts in and has their name, image and likeness used in the game will receive at least $600 and a copy of “College Football 25.”

READ: 5 takeaways from the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine 

“10k and counting… pretty pretttyyy good,” @EASPORTSCollege posted on X.

All 134 Football Bowl Subdivision schools will be available to play in the new video game.

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

ESPN broadcasters such as Rece Davis and Kirk Herbstreit will make up “the voices” of “College Football 25.”

If a player doesn’t opt into the “College Football 25” video game, then “a generic avatar based on the traditional strength or weakness of a position over the past decade for that school” will be created by EA Sports, according to ESPN.

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College football players around the country shared on social media Thursday their participation in the upcoming EA Sports video game “College Football 25.”

EA Sports confirmed Thursday that all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams will be available to play in the new game.

READ: Reports: CFP discusses 14-team Playoff possibilities

More information about the game will be available in May, according to a release.

Players such as Michigan’s Will Johnson and Ohio State transfer Quinshon Judkins posted on X a graphic designed in their team’s colors promoting the video game.

ESPN broadcasters such as Rece Davis and Kirk Herbstreit shared posts confirming they’ll also appear as “one of the voices” of the game. Herbstreit posted “I’m so excited to FINALLY announce that I’m part of @EASPORTSCollege. I’m proud to be a partner and one of the voices of the game once again – my 14th year in that role.”

According to Michael Rothstein of ESPN, any player who opts in and has their name, image and likeness used in the game will receive at least $600 and a copy of “College Football 25.”

Additional opportunities such as advertisements, promotion, social media posts and other avenues will be available for players to have a chance to make more, according to ESPN.

READ: Alabama announces JaMarcus Shephard, Nick Sheridan join offensive coaching staff

No Football Championship Subdivision school will be available to play when the game launches, according to ESPN.

If a player doesn’t opt into the “College Football 25” video game, then “a generic avatar based on the traditional strength or weakness of a position over the past decade for that school” will be created by EA Sports, according to ESPN.

According to Ryan Kryska of The Associated Press, users who could create and add players of real-life college football players who did not opt into the “College Football 25” video game will be blocked from doing so.

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Reed-Francois will begin her tenure with the Wildcats in Tucson, Arizona, on March 3.

READ: Reports: CFP still awaiting new TV contract

“There are very few institutions that would entice me to leave an SEC athletics department with strong momentum,” Reed-Francois stated in a release. “The University of Arizona has tremendous potential and is an institution — and an athletics program — on the rise, and I want to be a part of shaping that future. We will provide a world-class student-athlete experience, which includes competing for championships and being among the nation’s elite. I am grateful to President (Robert C.) Robbins and the Arizona Board of Regents for this incredible opportunity.”

Reed-Francois had been at Missouri since 2021. She oversaw the Tigers’ first budget surplus in six years and led them into the Name, Image and Likeness era.

According to a release, Reed-Francois agreed to a five-year contract with an annal base salary of $1 million elevating to $1.2 million in the fifth year. There are “additional incentive compensation based on the department’s athletic and academic success, as well as retention bonuses after four and five years of employment with the University.”

Reed-Francois also spent time at Fresno State, Santa Clara, San Jose State, the University of California Berkeley and San Francisco. She also was Deputy Athletics Director at Virginia Tech, Senior Associate Athletics Director at Cincinnati, Senior Associate Athletics Director at Tennessee, and the athletics director at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

READ: Reports: Steve Sarkisian extension details revealed

Reed-Francois earned her juris doctorate from James E. Rogers College of Law at Arizona in 1997. She will have the chance to lead the Wildcats into the Big 12 Conference as they depart the Pac-12 later this year.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Desireé to the University of Arizona family, and we could not be more excited about the leadership experience and outstanding credentials she brings,” Robbins stated in a release. “Respected nationally for her commitment to student-athletes, Desireé has a history of success everywhere she’s served and is exactly the right person we need to modernize our athletics operations and usher in an ongoing culture of success in all aspects of Athletics. This is a tremendous win for our university and I cannot wait for her to get started.”

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The NFL announced Tuesday that 321 players were invited to the Combine taking place Feb. 26-March 4.

READ: UCLA names DeShaun Foster next head coach

Seventy-nine teams will be represented at the Combine this year.

Michigan had a Combine-record 18 players invited this year. Among the Wolverines who were invited include quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum and defensive lineman Kris Jenkins.

Heisman Trophy-winning LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels will be among the gunslingers taking part in drills. Fellow Heisman finalists Marvin Harrison Jr., Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. will also be in attendance at the Combine, as well as 2022 Heisman winner Caleb Williams.

READ: Full List: Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers college football alumni in Super Bowl LVIII

Here is the full list of 321 college football players invited to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine sorted by position.

Quarterbacks

Jayden Daniels, LSU

Sam Hartman, Notre Dame

Devin Leary, Kentucky

Drake Maye, North Carolina

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Joe Milton III, Tennessee

Bo Nix, Oregon

Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Michael Pratt, Tulane

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

Austin Reed, Western Kentucky

Kedon Slovis, BYU

Jordan Travis, Florida State

Caleb Williams, USC

Running backs

Rasheen Ali, Marshall

Braelon Allen, Wisconsin

Emani Bailey, TCU

Trey Benson, Florida State

Jonathon Brooks, Texas

Blake Corum, Michigan

Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State

Ray Davis, Kentucky

Daijun Edwards, Georgia

Audric Estimé, Notre Dame

Frank Gore Jr., Southern Mississippi

Isaac Guerendo, Louisville

George Holani, Boise State

Bucky Irving, Oregon

Dillon Johnson, Washington

Jawhar Jordan, Louisville

Dylan Laube, New Hampshire

MarShawn Lloyd, USC

Jase McClellan, Alabama

Kendall Milton, Georgia

Keilan Robinson, Texas

Cody Schrader, Missouri

Will Shipley, Clemson

Jaden Shirden, Monmouth

Tyrone Tracy Jr., Purdue

Kimani Vidal, Troy

Michael Wiley, Arizona

Miyan Williams, Ohio State

Jaylen Wright, Tennessee

Wide receivers

Javon Baker, UCF

Jermaine Burton, Alabama

Jalen Coker, Holy Cross

Keon Coleman, Florida State

Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky

Jacob Cowing, Arizona

Ryan Flournoy, Southeast Missouri State

Troy Franklin, Oregon

Anthony Gould, Oregon State

Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State

Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

Jha’Quan Jackson, Tulane

Cornelius Johnson, Michigan

Xavier Legette, South Carolina

Luke McCaffrey, Rice

Ladd McConkey, Georgia

Jalen McMillan, Washington

Bub Means, Pittsburgh

Adonai Mitchell, Texas

Malik Nabers, LSU

Rome Odunze, Washington

Ricky Pearsall, Florida

Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington

Brenden Rice, USC

Tayvion Robinson, Kentucky

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Georgia

Ainias Smith, Texas A&M

Brian Thomas Jr., LSU

Jamari Thrash, Louisville

Devaughn Vele, Utah

Devontez Walker, North Carolina

Malik Washington, Virginia

Tahj Washington, USC

Xavier Weaver, Colorado

Jordan Whittington, Texas

Isaiah Williams, Illinois

Johnny Wilson, Florida State

Roman Wilson, Michigan

Xavier Worthy, Texas

Tight ends

Erick All, Iowa

AJ Barner, Michigan

Jaheim Bell, Florida State

Brock Bowers, Georgia

Devin Culp, Washington

Dallin Holker, Colorado State

Theo Johnson, Penn State

Trey Knox, South Carolina

Tanner McLachlan, Arizona

Tip Reiman, Illinois

Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas

Ben Sinnott, Kansas State

Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota

Cade Stover, Ohio State

Jack Westover, Washington

Jared Wiley, TCU

Offensive linemen

Isaiah Adams, Illinois

Joe Alt, Notre Dame

Kiran Amegadjie, Yale

Gottlieb Ayedze, Maryland

Karsen Barnhart, Michigan

Graham Barton, Duke

Cooper Beebe, Kansas State

Keaton Bills, Utah

Tanor Bortolini, Wisconsin

Javion Cohen, Miami

Andrew Coker, TCU

Brandon Coleman, TCU

Frank Crum, Wyoming

Anim Dankwah, Howard

Ethan Driskell, Marshall

Kingsley Eguakun, Florida

Josiah Ezirim, Eastern Kentucky

Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State

Troy Fautanu, Washington

Blake Fisher, Notre Dame

Jeremy Flax, Kentucky

Javon Foster, Missouri

Zach Frazier, West Virginia

Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State

X’Zauvea Gadlin, Liberty

Nick Gargiulo, South Carolina

Delmar Glaze, Maryland

Matt Goncalves, Pittsburgh

Tylan Grable, UCF

Garret Greenfield, South Dakota State

Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma

C.J. Hanson, Holy Cross

Christian Haynes, Connecticut

LaDarius Henderson, Michigan

Christian Jones, Texas

Matthew Jones, Ohio State

Trente Jones, Michigan

Trevor Keegan, Michigan

Jarrett Kingston, USC

Brady Latham, Arkansas

JC Latham, Alabama

Sataoa Laumea, Utah

Matt Lee, Miami

KT Leveston Jr., Kansas State

Beaux Limmer, Arkansas

Christian Mahogany, Boston College

Mason McCormick, South Dakota State

Dylan McMahon, N.C. State

Amarius Mims, Georgia

Jacob Monk, Duke

Jordan Morgan, Arizona

Hunter Nourzad, Penn State

Drake Nugent, Michigan

Patrick Paul, Houston

Julian Pearl, Illinois

Prince Pines, Tulane

Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon

Dominick Puni, Kansas

Andrew Raym, Oklahoma

Layden Robinson, Texas A&M

Roger Rosengarten, Washington

Walter Rouse, Oklahoma

Nick Samac, Michigan State

Kingsley Suamataia, BYU

Jalen Sundell, North Dakota State

Nathan Thomas, Louisiana

Charles Turner III, LSU

Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Georgia

Caedan Wallace, Penn State

Zak Zinter, Michigan

Defensive linemen

Austin Booker, Kansas

Solomon Byrd, USC

DeWayne Carter, Duke

Nelson Ceaser, Houston

Myles Cole, Texas Tech

Jaden Crumedy, Mississippi State

Tyler Davis, Clemson

Brandon Dorlus, Oregon

Justin Eboigbe, Alabama

Jonah Elliss, Utah

Braden Fiske, Florida State

Gabe Hall, Baylor

Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State

Jaylen Harrell, Michigan

Marcus Harris, Auburn

Jalyx Hunt, Houston Christian

Adisa Isaac, Penn State

Brennan Jackson, Washington State

McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M

Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Notre Dame

Trajan Jeffcoat, Arkansas

Jordan Jefferson, LSU

Kris Jenkins, Michigan

Cedric Johnson, Mississippi

Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State

Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan

Laiatu Latu, UCLA

Logan Lee, Iowa

Zion Logue, Georgia

Fabien Lovett Sr., Florida State

Braiden McGregor, Michigan

Byron Murphy II, Texas

Myles Murphy, North Carolina

Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois

Eyabi Okie-Anoma, Charlotte

Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson

Keith Randolph Jr., Illinois

Chop Robinson, Penn State

Darius Robinson, Missouri

Justin Rogers, Auburn

Maason Smith, LSU

Javon Solomon, Troy

T’Vondre Sweat, Texas

Leonard Taylor III, Miami

Xavier Thomas, Clemson

Bralen Trice, Washington

David Ugwoegbu, Houston

Jared Verse, Florida State

Eric Watts, Connecticut

Mekhi Wingo, LSU

Linebackers

Michael Barrett, Michigan

JD Bertrand, Notre Dame

Tatum Bethune, Florida State

Chris Braswell, Alabama

Aaron Casey, Indiana

Steele Chambers, Ohio State

Junior Colson, Michigan

Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M

Kalen DeLoach, Florida State

Khalid Duke, Kansas State

Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State

Jaylan Ford, Texas

Easton Gibbs, Wyoming

Cedric Gray, North Carolina

Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri

Jontrey Hunter, Georgia State

Curtis Jacobs, Penn State

Tyrice Knight, UTEP

Marist Liufau, Notre Dame

Jordan Magee, Temple

Darius Muasau, UCLA

Gabriel Murphy, UCLA

Maema Njongmeta, Wisconsin

Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson

Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington

Dallas Turner, Alabama

Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington

Trevin Wallace, Kentucky

Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State

Payton Wilson, N.C. State

Defensive backs

Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri

Daijahn Anthony, Mississippi

Terrion Arnold, Alabama

Cole Bishop, Utah

Beau Brade, Maryland

Millard Bradford, TCU

Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Louisville

Javon Bullard, Georgia

Calen Bullock, USC

Jaylon Carlies, Missouri

Caelen Carson, Wake Forest

Ryan Cooper Jr., Oregon State

Cooper DeJean, Iowa

M.J. Devonshire, Pittsburgh

Marcellas Dial, South Carolina

Johnny Dixon, Penn State

Willie Drew, Virginia State

Renardo Green, Florida State

Kamal Hadden, Tennessee

Dominique Hampton, Washington

Myles Harden, South Dakota

Daequan Hardy, Penn State

Cam Hart, Notre Dame

Jaden Hicks, Washington State

Khyree Jackson, Oregon

DJ James, Auburn

Carlton Johnson, Fresno State

Isaiah Johnson, Syracuse

Elijah Jones, Boston College

Jarrian Jones, Florida State

Jaylen Key, Alabama

Kamren Kinchens, Miami

Kalen King, Penn State

Kamari Lassiter, Georgia

Dwight McGlothern, Arkansas

Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

Patrick McMorris, Cal

Max Melton, Rutgers

Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest

Josh Newton, TCU

Tyler Nubin, Minnesota

Kitan Oladapo, Oregon State

Tyler Owens, Texas Tech

Andru Phillips, Kentucky

Deantre Prince, Mississippi

Nehemiah Pritchett, Auburn

Josh Proctor, Ohio State

Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri

Decamerion Richardson, Mississippi State

Demani Richardson, Texas A&M

Christian Roland-Wallace, USC

Mike Sainristil, Michigan

Andre’ Sam, LSU

Jaylin Simpson, Auburn

Tykee Smith, Georgia

Chau Smith-Wade, Washington State

Tarheeb Still, Maryland

T.J. Tampa, Iowa State

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech

Ro Torrence, Arizona State

Sione Vaki, Utah

Josh Wallace, Michigan

Ryan Watts, Texas

Nate Wiggins, Clemson

Evan Williams, Oregon

James Williams, Miami

Specialists

Joshua Karty, K, Stanford

Cam Little, K, Arkansas

Harrison Mevis, K, Missouri

Ryan Rehkow, P, BYU

Will Reichard, K, Alabama

Tory Taylor, P, Iowa

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Alabama announced Friday that it has hired Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer to succeed Nick Saban as skipper of the program. 

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

“I have always had an incredible respect for Alabama football and its commitment to excellence,” DeBoer stated in a release. “The tradition-rich history of this program is unmatched across the landscape of college athletics, and I look forward to continuing that moving forward. Following Coach Saban is an honor. He has been the standard for college football, and his success is unprecedented. I would not have left Washington for just any school. The chance to lead the football program at The University of Alabama is the opportunity of a lifetime. My family and I feel truly blessed and look forward to becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. I want to thank Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, President Stuart R. Bell, Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their belief in me to lead this program.”

DeBoer spent the past two seasons at Washington, where he led the Huskies to their second College Football Playoff appearance and first national title game. 

He was named national coach of the year by a number of outlets, including the American Football Coaches Association and The Associated Press.

READ: Reports: Alabama WR Isaiah Bond enters transfer portal 

DeBoer will bring a wealth of coaching experience with him to Tuscaloosa. Beginning in the high school and NAIA ranks, DeBoer won three NAIA national championships at Sioux Falls before jumping up the coaching ladder. 

DeBoer previously coached as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Indiana in 2019, Fresno State in 2017-18 and Eastern Michigan from 2014-16. 

“We are excited to welcome Kalen and Nicole DeBoer, and their daughters, Alexis and Avery, to The University of Alabama,” Byrne stated in a release. “Coach DeBoer has proven he is a winner and has done an incredible job as a head coach at each of his stops. One of the things I told our team the other day is we are going to get someone who is not only a great coach with the Xs and Os, but also someone who cares about his players and someone I’d want my sons to play for, just like I would have wanted them to play for Coach Saban. We got that in Coach DeBoer. He is ready to get to work, and we look forward to him leading the Alabama Crimson Tide football program for years to come. We are grateful to our leadership in President Stuart Bell, Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their support during this process.” 

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DeBoer will lead No. 2 Washington into its first College Football Playoff National Championship appearance, and the Huskies will play for their first national title since 1991 when they line up to play No. 1 Michigan in Houston on Monday night. 

“I’ve tried to make sure our guys realize the moment they’re in,” DeBoer said. “I’ve tried to really make sure and be intentional that this moment is special. It’s really great when you’re in playoff football, when you know when your last game is going to be. And you can have a moment here, a moment there, where you can really appreciate how far we’ve come, whether it’s this year or over the last two years, and in the end, though, someone’s going to be a national champion and that’s the greatest piece of it all is making sure you’re putting in all the preparation.” 

READ: Kalen DeBoer, Jim Harbaugh talk College Football Playoff National Championship

DeBoer has led a turnaround within Washington’s program from the moment he took the reins prior to the 2022 season. 

Washington finished 4-8 under Jimmy Lake in 2021. It marked the program’s first under-.500 season in 12 years, and it was time for a change. 

DeBoer made the trek across the country from Indiana where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2019, then he became the head coach at Fresno State from 2020-21. 

DeBoer brought quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with him to Washington after the two spent time together at Indiana, and Penix is soaking in the moment of a CFP National Championship. 

“It’s a dream come true to be honest. I’m still wrapping my head around it,” Penix said. “Just super blessed to be in this position. This is something that you dream of as kids coming to play for the national championship. For us to be here right now, all the hard work and dedication that it took to get here, it’s definitely showing that it’s paid off. But obviously, we got to make it happen.” 

READ: Reports: Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa enters transfer portal

Penix finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting. He led the Pac-12 Conference with 4,648 passing yards and has 35 passing touchdowns and a 66.7% completion to his name. 

Washington’s offense presents a high-powered passing approach, but it is complemented by dynamic running back Dillon Johnson. Johnson aggravated a foot injury and had a bruised left knee after the Sugar Bowl against No. 3 Texas, but he isn’t likely to miss time against the Wolverines. 

“We’re expecting him to play,” DeBoer said. “He’s been through this over the last couple of months and he hasn’t missed any time there. And so he’s having a good week getting back healthy.” 

Michigan’s defense will counter Washington with a stout front seven. 

The Wolverines hold opposing offenses to 150 passing yards per game, which is good for No. 2 in college football. 

Washington co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach William Inge said Michigan presents “a lot of challenges” from the defensive side of the ball. 

“They definitely define the elements of physicality, and as a coach, it makes you so happy because this is what really defines football from any other sport, the elements of contact that you have to have,” Inge said. “We have to be able to match that exact same physicality with us on defense.” 

READ: Former Oregon QB Ty Thompson to transfer to Tulane

Penix has some experience playing against a Michigan defense. 

In 2020, Penix led Indiana to a 38-21 win over the Wolverines, and in the game he threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns. 

While there may be some flashbacks to competing against Michigan, Penix thinks the Huskies will be up for the challenge. 

“That whole defense, they’re good,” Penix said. “I feel like they do a lot of good things on that side of the ball. I feel like they’re very well coached. They have a lot of good players, and we do too, obviously. But for me, I’m always going to believe in my guys and believe that my guys are going to be able to get the job done no matter what and no matter who we’re facing, so I’m super excited for it. I know the guys are super excited for it, and come Monday I guess we’ll see who had the better side.” 

DeBoer’s play calling and the work he does alongside coordinators such as Ryan Grubb on offense and co-coordinators Inge and Chuck Morrell on defense has been among the best in college football, and Washington hinges itself on executing the right play. 

DeBoer said the Huskies talk about game planning and schematics “all offseason” and even into spring and fall practices. He said the emphasis lies in “game situations,” such as being ready for an opportunity on fourth down offensively. 

“I think there’s a lot of people that are much more aggressive than I am, but I think it’s just picking and choosing the right times,” DeBoer said. “A lot of it, you understand that percentages and the chances and, of course, there’s a million different ways to look at the analytics of everything and what you should do. But for me, there’s a piece of that, but it’s also just where we’re at in the game and your gut instinct. And obviously, you’re trusting in the game plan and you’re trusting in the calls that your coach is going to make and of course, most importantly, you’re trusting the execution of your guys.” 

READ: Former Kansas State QB Will Howard to transfer to Ohio State

Washington’s turnaround over the past two seasons has been drastic, and it all starts with Penix and DeBoer at the top. 

Penix said his relationship with DeBoer “definitely helped” and was among the reasons he chose to transfer to Washington from Indiana after the 2021 season. 

And now the two have a chance to win a CFP National Championship together as part of an unbeaten, conference-champion Huskies team. 

“He’s somebody that I trusted in whenever he was coaching me at Indiana,” Penix said. “It was good, the whole transfer thing. I felt like I was doing what I felt was best for me and my future at that time, and I definitely don’t regret it. I feel like it was the best decision of my life and I’m super blessed that I was able to do that. And to be able to be on this stage today is a big blessing, but I’ve always loved and believed in coach DeBoer and everything that he stands for and he preaches, and I’m still doing it. I’m still believing.” 

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DeBoer is in his second season at Washington. He came from Fresno State after spending two seasons as head coach.

READ: Reports: Troy hires Gerad Parker as next head coach

With Michael Penix Jr. under center at quarterback, the Huskies offense was high-powered. Washington led college football with an average of 343.8 passing yards per game, and the Huskies had the No. 12 total offense in the NCAA.

The Huskies earned a 13-0 record under DeBoer this season. They earned quality wins over Oregon, including a second beating in the conference title game, in addition to victories over Oregon State, USC and Utah.

DeBoer and Washington are 23-2 over his two seasons as head coach. They’ll face No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl during the CFP semifinals on Jan. 1, 2024.

The post Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer named AP coach of the year appeared first on Saturday Glory.

No. 1 Georgia stands atop the college football world with the longest active winning streak of 23 games. Fresno State, which had a winning streak of 13 games, lost its first one to Wyoming last Saturday.

PODCAST: Kirby Smart is Right for Not Caring

Alongside the Bulldogs are No. 2 Michigan, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 10 USC and No. 14 Louisville. The Cardinals picked up a signature win over Notre Dame, dropping the Fighting Irish to 5-2 having lost two of their past three. 

Here are some noteworthy quotes as focus turns from Week 6 to Week 7. 

Cristobal on Miami’s kneel down mistake to Georgia Tech 

Then-No. 17 Miami led 20-17 going into the final minute against the Yellow Jackets, and had enough of an advantage where a kneel down would’ve sealed the game and the win. 

But Miami didn’t take the option to kneel the clock out. Instead, running back Donald Chaney Jr. was handed the football eight-consecutive times, and on the final one, disaster struck. 

Chaney fumbled the football at Georgia Tech’s 26-yard line and the Yellow Jackets recovered the ball. Facing a long way to go, they fired off completions of 30 and 44 yards to move all the way into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. 

“We had our opportunities, even though we didn’t play well,” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said. “Obviously we could have coached better, could have made a better decision. All those things were on the table and we just didn’t do it, and Saturday is going to be here in a hurry against an excellent football team, and we got to go on the road and we got to get it done so very simple.” 

Chip Kelly on UCLA’s big win over No. 13 Washington State 

The Bruins also picked up an upset win over the Cougars, handing them their first loss of the season. 

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

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly is notorious for his offensive schemes, but the Bruins defense stepped up to the plate last Saturday. 

Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn was faced with the challenge of stopping a Cougars offensive spearheaded by quarterback Cam Ward. Ward had passed for more than 300 yards three times and topped 400 twice already in the season. 

UCLA did enough of a job to nullify Washington State’s passing game and held Ward to a season-low 197 passing yards. The Bruins also forced a pair of interceptions. 

Kelly said the defensive staff led by Lynn “did an outstanding job in that whole group.” 

“I think our entire defensive staff led by him, did an unbelievable job because that was the No. 2 ranked passing offense in the country, and to hold them to that and not allow them really to rush it was outstanding when really we gave them one score on the offensive side of the ball so but besides that they were phenomenal,” Kelly said. “So the whole coaching staff and players were outstanding on the defensive side.” 

Miley Cyrus’ name drops in Smart’s postgame press conference 

While the Bulldogs raced away to their sixth win of the season behind a 51-13 performance against No. 20 Kentucky, head coach Kirby Smart was faced with a wrecking ball reference postgame. 

A wrecking ball analogy compared Georgia’s performance to one as such, and the Bulldogs do have the No. 8 total offense behind an average of 502.3 yards per game. 

READ: Stat Pack: Week 6

That’s a stout offensive output. Georgia also has the No. 10 scoring offense averaging 40.7 points each time they take the field. 

In jest, Smart took the postgame wrecking ball reference and ran with it. 

“I don’t know who Miley Cyrus is, like, what does she have to do with a wrecking ball?” Smart said. “I know Eric Chruch ‘Wrecking Ball,’” 

The post Quotables: Week 6  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Both USC and Ole Miss prevailed in games that combined for over 89 points apiece. The Rebels moved to 4-1 while the Trojans maintained their unbeaten 5-0 record. 

PODCAST: Defense Still Matters and Saturday Proved It

Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams threw for six touchdowns at Colorado. Once 3-0, the Buffaloes fell last week to Oregon before climbing their way back into the game against USC. 

USC led by as much as 41-14 until Colorado’s comeback efforts brought the Buffaloes within 48-41. 

Ole Miss jumped out to a 21-7 start after the first quarter against LSU. The Tigers came within 31-28 at halftime and led 49-47 in the final minute of the fourth quarter, but Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart found receiver Tre Harris on a game-winning touchdown with 39 seconds remaining.

READ: Davis finds ‘another gear’ in 280-yard performance against No. 22 Florida

Here is this week’s full Top 25. 

Georgia 

Michigan 

Texas 

Ohio State 

Florida State 

Penn State 

Washington 

Oregon 

USC 

Notre Dame 

Alabama 

Oklahoma 

Washington State 

North Carolina 

Oregon State 

Ole Miss 

Miami 

Utah 

Duke 

Kentucky 

Missouri 

Tennessee 

LSU 

Fresno State 

Louisville 

The post Top-7 remains unchanged in latest AP Top 25 Poll appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Consider this: a team has a 13-game winning streak and averages nearly 430 yards per game.

PODCAST: What Should Decide Who the Best Teams in America Are?

Enter Fresno State, the most recent team to enter the Associated Press Top 25 Poll right at No. 25, and the Bulldogs head coach doesn’t take much stock from it. 

“At the end of the year is what matters,” Fresno State head coach Jeff Tedford said. “Our team has played hard and done a good job, but we’re just now starting conference, and really it’s when you’re 4-0 that’s a little that can be even more challenging than 1-4 because of expectation and everybody patting you on the back and all that type of thing. It’s human nature to get in your comfort zone, and so we have to do our best to stay out of that. So we’re just going to go to work each week one day at a time and just try to continue to get better every week.” 

The only team with a longer active winning streak is No. 1 Georgia, which currently is riding a 21-game win streak that includes a College Football Playoff National Championship. 

The Fresno State Bulldogs are riding their winning streak that dates back to Week 7 of last season. Since then wins have included against San Diego State, Boise State and Washington State in the LA Bowl. 

This season, Fresno State began the year with a 39-35 stunner at Purdue. The Bulldogs came back from being down 28-17 while quarterback Mikey Keene threw two clutch touchdown passes in the second half.

READ: Preview Thursday: Week 5

Tedford said the Bulldogs have addressed team expectations during team meetings behind their 4-0 start. 

“When you’re 4-0 and people are patting you on the back and that type of thing and saying good things all the time it’s challenging, and so we just have to make sure that we stay grounded and know what it takes to be successful each week and that we’re going get everybody’s shot,” Tedford said. “And we just have to keep that focus in mind on what it takes to win a football game. It is very difficult and it all happens in preparation. And we take a day off of preparation or get a little bit comfortable, then we’re going to get bit by it so it’s just really important for kids to understand that.” 

Fresno State has a balance of offense and defense capable of leading any game. Keene leads the Mountain West Conference in passing per game behind an average of 301.3 yards per game and he’s atop the passing efficiency leaderboard with a 151.42 rating. 

The Bulldogs are No. 1 in the Mountain West Conference in scoring offense, averaging almost 39 points per game, and No. 2 in total defense, holding opponents to 297.5 yards per outing. They also shut out Arizona State 29-0 on the road in Week 3. 

Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle said Fresno State has “got a lot of guys that have improved,” and he highlighted defensive back Cam Lockridge, defensive lineman Gavriel Lightfoot and linebacker Raymond Scott among the team’s most improved players who are guiding the defense. 

Coyle also said he’s noticed the defensive side of the ball has started to make breakthroughs. 

“One thing I’m very pleased about is the fact that from the first week till now, we’re a much better defense than we were,” Coyle said. “A much deeper defense with the fact that we’ve been able to play a lot of players here early in the season, which is going to help us as we get into the conference schedule.”

PODCAST: Riding high and bouncing back, a week five preview

Fresno State opens conference play on Saturday against 0-4 Nevada, but Tedford and the Bulldogs aren’t taken the Wolfpack lightly. 

Each game is important to Tedford, who hopes the Bulldogs can continue building on their nationally important winning ways. 

“Every week I’m concerned about every single aspect of our team and our game,” Tedford said. “We have really good kids. I do know that. And they work really hard and they’re going to play really hard. I have a lot of confidence in that, but you just never know week to week. You see some young guys come along, which is nice to see like new safeties who hadn’t played before are doing a good job and some of the new receivers are doing a good job. So they’ve matured a lot and really it’s through hard work that they’ve done that. But still, we have to continue to get better each and every week. We have a lot of room for improvement.”

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