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.”

The post EA Sports College Football 25 features, gameplay shared in full reveal appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The Bears accepted an invitation and will move within the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a full-league member of CUSA for the first time effective July 1, 2025.

READ: Former Colorado, Houston RB Alton McCaskill IV transfers to Arizona State

“We are so excited for the opportunities that CUSA membership will bring to our university, our student-athletes, our coaches and our fans,” Missouri State athletics director Kyle Moats stated in a release. “This move represents a transition to a national brand and a platform that will help raise the profile of Missouri State University and the city of Springfield. The steps we have taken over the past 15 years to invest in a successful broad-based athletics program have prepared us for this long-awaited moment.”

READ: Former Mississippi State, Vanderbilt QB Mike Wright transfers to Northwestern

READ: Former Rutgers QB Gavin Wimsatt transfers to Kentucky

Missouri State had been a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, where it will play one final season this fall, since 1990. The Bears have won 10 conference championships and made four appearances in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs most recently in 2021.

According to a release, Missouri State’s anticipated increase in revenue from going to an FBS conference “will ultimately make the move a budget-neutral transition.”

According to Lyndal Scranton of the Springfield Daily Citizen, retiring Missouri State president Clif Smart said the school received a $5 million commitment from a private individual to help with some of the costs for the move. Other costs include “$2.5 million paid over four years to join Conference USA.”

More financial resources for student-athletes and travel upgrades played “significant factors” in the school’s decision to make the move, according to a release. Short-term and long-term upgrades to the Bears’ home of Plaster Stadium were also factors, according to the Springfield Daily Citizen.

“This move will absolutely open doors for us,” Moats stated. “For our student-athletes, they will have less bus travel and more flights which will get them back to campus in a safer and more-timely manner. They will also have more financial resources at their disposal for cost of attendance, Alston funds, and a more strategic presence in the name, image and likeness (NIL) space.”

READ: Reports: Former MLB outfielder Monte Harrison joins Arkansas as walk-on wide receiver

Missouri State is already an affiliate member in CUSA in beach volleyball. The Bears will soon compete in football as well as other sports such as baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, and volleyball in addition to seven more.

Since moving to the FBS and thus requiring 22 additional football scholarships, Missouri State announced it will add STUNT and acrobatics and tumbling to its women’s athletics programs in 2024-25.

CUSA will expand to 12 teams in 2025 as Missouri State will join Delaware from the Coastal Athletic Association in the FCS. The Bears will join a new conference including defending champion Liberty as well as New Mexico State and Jacksonville State among others.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Missouri State University as the 12th member of Conference USA,” CUSA Commissioner Judy MacLeod stated in a release. “The institution boasts a great tradition in athletics and academics that will strengthen and further position our membership for long term success in the national landscape.  We look forward to our partnership with President Clif Smart, incoming President Dr. Biff Williams, Director of Athletics Kyle Moats, and their entire leadership team.”

The post Conference USA expanding to add Missouri State in 2025 appeared first on Saturday Glory.

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.

The post EA Sports announces 10K players have opted in to ‘College Football 25’ appeared first on Saturday Glory.

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.

The post ‘I’m in the game’: CFB players share their participation in upcoming EA Sports ‘College Football 25’ appeared first on Saturday Glory.

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

The post Full List: 321 players invited to 2024 NFL Scouting Combine appeared first on Saturday Glory.

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Batoon will join Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers program.

Batoon spent the past three seasons as defensive coordinator at South Alabama. He was a Broyles Award nominee for top assistant coach in 2021.

Batoon brings over 30 years of coaching experience. Both he and Drinkwitz worked together at Arkansas State.

Batoon served as assistant athletic director, defensive assistant, safeties and special teams coordinator at Ole Miss from 2012-16, according to Joey Van Zummeren of Sports Illustrated.

Batoon then became as assistant coach at Florida Atlantic in 2017. Prior to South Alabama, he also coached at Hawaii and Liberty.

The post Reports: Missouri to hire South Alabama’s Corey Batoon as next defensive coordinator appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Nix, a Heisman Trophy finalist, opted to play in the Fiesta Bowl. It paid off in a big way, as he amassed five touchdown passes for a second time this season.

READ: Reports: DJ Uiagalelei to transfer to Florida State

Liberty (13-1, 9-0 Conference USA) held a 6-3 edge after the first quarter following a 17-yard touchdown pass by Kaidon Salter to Bentley Hanshaw. The Flames’ point after missed.

Thereafter, the Ducks (12-2, 8-2 Pac-12 Conference) scored 42 unanswered points, thanks largely by five touchdown passes thrown by Nix. Each scoring throw went for 24 yards or less.

Nix threw four touchdowns in the second quarter as Oregon totaled 368 yards in the first half.

The Ducks caught over 400 yards for a fourth time in their past six games. Receiver Tysheem Johnson caught a game-high 172 yards on 11 receptions and a touchdown.

READ: Washington State QB Cam Ward declares for NFL Draft

Five different Oregon receivers brought in a touchdown.

Salter finished 15-of-24 for 126 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

The Flames rushed for 168 yards, led by 79 from Quinton Cooley, and CJ Daniels led Liberty with 79 receiving yards.

The post No. 8 Oregon hands No. 23 Liberty first loss 45-6 in Fiesta Bowl appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The New Year’s Six bowl games kicked off beginning Friday with the Cotton Bowl Classic between No. 7 Ohio State and No. 9 Missouri. The Tigers have 11 wins for the first time since 2014 after beating the Buckeyes 14-3.

READ: No. 6 Georgia claims Orange Bowl victory over No. 5 Florida State

Friday night meant the start for the New Year’s Six, and it continued Saturday with the Peach Bowl and Orange Bowl games.

No. 11 Ole Miss contested No. 10 Penn State in the Peach Bowl, beating the Nittany Lions 38-25, and No. 6 Georgia blew out No. 5 Florida State 63-3 later Saturday afternoon.

Finally, New Year’s Day will present three New Year’s Six bowl games with two being College Football Playoff semifinal games. The Fiesta Bowl will start the day between No. 23 Liberty and No. 8 Oregon, and the CFP matchups are Michigan-Alabama and Washington-Texas. 

Here are three questions entering the CFP semifinals.

Can Michigan, Washington maintain their higher seeded positions?

Both the Wolverines and Huskies achieved their highest rankings in the CFP era going into the Playoff.

And now, they’re expected to advance and play one another in the CFP National Championship.

But that won’t be an easy task for either team. Both Michigan, going against 11-1 Alabama, and Washington, which plays Big 12 Conference champion Texas, have their hands full.

Michigan will have to keep up with the Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, and the Wolverines will have to battle a decorated program for a chance at their first win in the CFP.

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

Perhaps the most intriguing game of the CFP this season will be in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Washington is making its second trip to the CFP while Texas made its first. Both teams won their conference championships, and the Longhorns enter with one loss coming Week 6 to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.

Both Washington and Texas will compete in the Sugar Bowl with stellar quarterback play. Michael Penix Jr. was a Heisman Trophy finalist, finishing runner-up to LSU’s Jayden Daniels, and Quinn Ewers owns a win over CFP rival Alabama and leads the Big 12 Conference with a 70.7% completion.

Penix and Ewers both have taken different paths to get where they are today. Both began in the Big Ten as members of Indiana and Ohio State, respectively, and transferred out for greater opportunity.

It turned into trips to the CFP for Penix and Ewers. Now, both will have a chance at ultimate achievement with a trip to the national championship on the line.

If Washington wins, it’ll compete for its first national title since 1991, and a Texas win would give the Longhorns their first shot at a national championship since 2009.

Can No. 4 Alabama use Saban magic and get past No. 1 Michigan?

The Crimson Tide pulled off the unthinkable and won the SEC Championship following their 27-24 win over No. 6 Georgia, ending the Bulldogs’ 29-game winning streak.

It rewarded Alabama with the No. 4 spot in the CFP over No. 5 Florida State, which became the first Power Five program to go unbeaten as a conference champion and miss the Playoff.

Saban and the Crimson Tide won the CFP National Championship the last time they played in the semifinal at the Rose Bowl.

Saban and Alabama also hold a 3-2 edge over Michigan in their all-time series having won the past two meetings, including a 35-16 win in the Citrus Bowl at the end of the 2019 season.

But Michigan is different this time around. The Wolverines have navigated a season of adversity seeing their head coach suspended for six games during the regular season due to recruiting violations and for the in-person scouting operation which resulted in a suspension from the Big Ten Conference.

The Wolverines enter the Rose Bowl with the No. 1 scoring defense in college football. They’ve held opponents to 9.46 points per game this season; Alabama has scored at least 17 points in every game this year.

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

Alabama also will enter with Jalen Milroe riding his hot hand. Milroe has thrown 10 touchdowns over the past four games, and he averages 226.5 passing yards per game.

Where the test will remain is in the trenches. Michigan running back Blake Corum leads the NCAA with 24 rushing touchdowns, and Alabama holds the No. 46 rushing offense averaging 172.7 yards per game.

So in Alabama and Michigan’s latest meeting, a trip to the CFP National Championship is on the line. The Crimson Tide last made it in 2021, and Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines are looking to make their first appearance in the title game behind their first CFP win.

Which team makes the biggest statement?

Bowl season can be impacted by plater opt outs and the transfer portal, and this time around that case still stands.

Players such as Marvin Harrison Jr., Caleb Williams and Jared Verse haven’t played in their teams’ bowl games to preserve their health and focus toward the 2024 NFL Draft. Others, such as Ohio State’s Kyle McCord and Texas’ Maalik Murphy, have already transferred out of their previous programs.

READ: Reports: Buffalo to hire Dave Patenaude as next offensive coordinator

So that leaves teams to turn toward younger players to flex the depth of their rosters. Freshmen who haven’t gotten full games’ worth of playing time or third- and fourth-string players sliding up the depth chart are among the groups that could see increased playing time.

Not only is bowl season about building momentum toward the next season but it’s also about ending the current one on a high note. Teams such as Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon all had disappointing ends to their regular seasons — and in the case of the Seminoles, they missed the CFP.

But those teams still had a chance to end their seasons on a high note. In the case of the teams involved in the CFP, they can still add hardware to their mantles, and it all begins Monday in the Rose Bowl at 5 p.m. between Alabama and Michigan.

The post 3 questions before College Football Playoff begins appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Through more than a dozen weeks and three-plus months of competition, only four programs stood remaining as undefeated come bowl season. 

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

The unbeaten teams include No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Washington, No. 5 Florida State and No. 23 Liberty. 

Two of those programs are playing in the College Football Playoff for college football’s biggest prize, a national championship, in the Wolverines and Huskies. 

However, the CFP Selection Committee did something unprecedented: it left an unbeaten Power 5 conference champion out of the Playoff. 

Here are some noteworthy quotes as focus turns from Week 14 to bowl season. 

Bo Nix, Oregon 

No. 8 Oregon had a chance at redemption against Washington going into the Pac-12 Championship game last weekend. 

The Ducks sought to right their only wrong of the season which came in Week 6 when they fell 33-30 to the Huskies, and Washington beat Oregon a second time, this time 36-33, and claimed the conference title. 

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix is out of eligibility. He’s a contender for the Heisman Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in college football. 

Nix leads the country with a 77.2% completion and is tied for most passing touchdowns with LSU’s Jayden Daniels who also has 40. 

Nix gave an ode to his college football career after Oregon’s loss on Saturday. He reflected on a number of college football staples and traditions that meant the most to him. 

“I’m going to miss college football. I know it was my goal my whole entire life to be a college quarterback and to play and to win a national championship, and even though that may be off the table and it’s not necessarily something that can be obtained anymore, it was still a goal and I still worked for it every day,” Nix said. “As crazy as it sounds, I’m going to enjoy this plane ride home around the guys because I’ve had many of them before, but not sure how many I’m going to have in front of me and, I don’t know, it’s just a lot of emotions, a lot going on that, man, you wish you could change, like, you wish you could go back and do so many different things. But, I mean, they’re over there on the same side, you know, they wanted to win too, and that’s what is the good and bad thing about any kind of competition, any kind of sports is there has to be a loser and as bad as it feels, that’s why you play the game.” 

Mike Norvell, Florida State 

As mentioned earlier, the Seminoles got the shorter end of the stick when it came to the CFP. 

READ: Full list of Power 5 bowl games

Unbeaten all season and atop the Atlantic Coast Conference, Florida State was left out of the Playoff based on it seems a couple factors. 

The Seminoles won three of their last four games by 10 points or fewer. But they still won the games. 

Florida State also lost starting quarterback Jordan Travis due to a horrific left leg injury in Week 12. But the Seminoles still won their final three games with backups Tate Rodemaker and Brock Glenn. 

It seems the CFP Selection Committee penalized Florida State for its loss of Travis among other factors. The committee does take into account which players are available for a team when making its decision, and it went with No. 4 Alabama which beat then-No. 1 Georgia 27-24 in the Southeastern Conference Championship game over the Seminoles. 

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell released an emotional statement on Sunday, giving his opinion on the Seminoles being left out of the Playoff which left him “disgusted and infuriated.” 

“I am disgusted and infuriated with the committee’s decision (Sunday) to have what was earned on the field taken away because a small group of people decided they knew better than the results of the games,” Norvell stated. “What is the point of playing games? Do you tell players it is okay to quit if someone goes down? Do you not play a senior on Senior Day for fear of injury? Where is the motivation to schedule challenging non-conference games? We are not only an undefeated P5 conference champion, but we also played two P5 non-conference games away from home and won both of them. I don’t understand how we are supposed to think this is an acceptable way to evaluate a team. I’m hurting for our players who have displayed a tremendous amount of resilience and response this season. What happened (Sunday) goes against everything that is true and right in college football. A team that overcame tremendous adversity and found a way to win doing whatever it took on the field was cheated (Sunday). It’s a sad day for college football. I’m proud of the work we have put in and the players I have the privilege to coach. We have one more opportunity to define this 2023 team in the Orange Bowl, and I believe in how our team will respond.” 

Deion Sanders, Colorado 

The college football world went ablaze over the weekend and into the week after Florida State was left out of the Playoff. 

Many voiced their opinion on the Seminoles missing the CFP on social media, and many voiced displeasure about it. 

READ: Stat Pack: Week 14

This season is the final year of the four-team Playoff. Next year, it will expand to include 12 teams, allowing the six highest seeded conference champions a spot in the CFP. 

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is an alum of Florida State, playing there from 1985-88 across three sports. 

Sanders shared his stance on whether Florida State didn’t receive a fair shot at the Playoff, and while he gave his opinion, he also talked up the 12-team Playoff — and how he and the Buffaloes plan to be in it. 

“First and foremost, I want their problem. Can I have that problem? Can I have those problems please? I want those problems,” Sanders said. “Thank God the committee got it right next year when there’s a bigger gate and open for a plethora of schools having an opportunity to go to the playoffs — and we plan on being one of them. There’s no way that you’re going to leave coach Saban and Alabama out of a playoff and Georgia. No, you’re not going to leave Georgia and Alabama out. It ain’t no playoff if you do that. I’m happy man, I’m not happy. I don’t know how I would have handled that. I think coach Norvell did a wonderful job articulating himself speaking his truth and the players supporting him as well. That’s a tough one man. I would love to be in that situation. Unfortunately, we’re not but we plan on being in that situation. But that’s a tough one. But they’re going to always go with the business. See, people think it’s just football man. You got to understand this is a business as well.” 

The post Quotables: Week 14  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its final rankings of the season on Sunday, and they delivered a Playoff feature No. 1 Michigan battling No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl and No. 2 Washington taking on No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl. 

READ: Stat Pack: Week 14

As non-Playoff teams were selected into other bowl games, matchups began to take shape all across the Power 5 conferences. 

Each of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Southeastern conferences will take part in bowl season. The ACC leads the way with 11 bowl games. 

The Big 12 is close behind at 10 bowl games, while the Big Ten has nine and the Pac-12 and SEC both have eight. 

Here is the full list of Power 5 bowl games this season. 

Atlantic Coast Conference (11) 

76 Birmingham Bowl: Duke versus Troy  

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Miami versus Rutgers  

Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 5 Florida State versus No. 6 Georgia 

DIRECTV Holiday Bowl: No. 15 Louisville versus USC  

Duke’s Mayo Bowl: North Carolina at West Virginia  

Military Bowl Presented by GoBowling.com: Virginia Tech versus Tulane 

Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 18 NC State versus No. 25 Kansas State 

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl: Syracuse versus South Florida 

TaxSlayer Bowl: No. 22 Clemson versus Kentucky 

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: Georgia Tech versus UCF 

Wasabi Fenway Bowl: Boston College versus No. 24 SMU 

Big 12 Conference (10) 

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Iowa State versus Memphis 

CFP Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Texas versus No. 2 Washington 

Duke’s Mayo Bowl: West Virginia versus North Carolina 

Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Kansas versus UNLV  

Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 25 Kansas State versus No. 18 NC State 

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl: Texas Tech versus Cal 

Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Texas versus No. 2 Washington 

TaxAct Texas Bowl: No. 20 Oklahoma State versus Texas A&M 

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: UCF versus Georgia Tech 

Valero Alamo Bowl: No. 12 Oklahoma versus No. 14 Arizona 

Big Ten Conference (9) 

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers versus Miami  

CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game Pres. By Prudential: No. 1 Michigan versus No. 4 Alabama  

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: No. 17 Iowa versus No. 21 Tennessee 

Chick Fil A Peach Bowl: No. 11 Penn State versus No. 10 Ole Miss  

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 7 Ohio State versus No. 9 Missouri 

Quick Lane Bowl: Minnesota versus Bowling Green 

ReliaQuest Bowl: Wisconsin versus No. 13 LSU 

SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Northwestern versus Utah 

TransPerfect Music City Bowl: Maryland versus Auburn 

Pac-12 Conference (8) 

CFP Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Washington versus No. 3 Texas 

DIRECTV Holiday Bowl: USC versus No. 15 Louisville 

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl: Cal versus Texas Tech 

SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Utah versus Northwestern 

Starco Brands LA Bowl: UCLA versus Boise State 

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: No. 19 Oregon State versus No. 16 Notre Dame 

Valero Alamo Bowl: No. 14 Arizona versus No. 12 Oklahoma 

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: No. 8 Oregon versus No. 23 Liberty 

Southeastern Conference (8) 

Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 6 Georgia versus No. 5 Florida State 

CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game Pres. by Prudential: No. 4 Alabama versus No. 1 Michigan 

Chick Fil A Peach Bowl: No. 10 Ole Miss versus No. 11 Penn State  

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 9 Missouri versus No. 7 Ohio State 

ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 13 LSU versus Wisconsin 

TaxAct Texas Bowl: Texas A&M versus No. 20 Oklahoma State  

TaxSlayer Bowl: Kentucky versus No. 22 Clemson 

TransPerfect Music City Bowl: Auburn versus Maryland 

The post Full list of Power 5 bowl games  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

No. 1 Michigan owns the top spot and will travel to the Rose Bowl to play No. 4 Alabama in a Citrus Bowl rematch from 2019. 

READ: Michigan-Alabama, Washington-Texas headline CFP field

On the flip side, No. 2 Washington won the Pac-12 Conference Championship and will travel to the Sugar Bowl to play No. 3 Texas, which made the CFP for the first time in program history. 

Here are some of the top statistical performances from conference championship weekend. 

Dillon Johnson, Washington 

The Huskies are Pac-12 champions for the first time since 2018, doing so by beating Oregon 34-31 for the second time this season. 

Many expected a quarterback duel between Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix, and while the pair matched up head to head and pound for pound, the ground game arguably dictated the conference title game. 

Huskies running back Dillon Johnson rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. 

It was an efficient outing for Johnson, whose 152 rushing yards are the second-most in his career. 

Neither Washington nor Oregon had more than 60 rushing yards in the first half. 

Johnson converted five first downs in the first half and four in the second, scoring a touchdown in each. 

Johnson is third in the Pac-12 with 1,063 rushing yards this season. He and the Huskies will take on No. 3 Texas on New Year’s Day for a spot in the CFP National Championship. 

Jalen Milroe, Alabama 

The Crimson Tide are back in the CFP for the first time since 2021 after clinching the Southeastern Conference Championship over Georgia. 

READ: No. 8 Alabama hangs on, beats No. 1 Georgia in SEC Championship

Alabama rode to a 27-24 victory thanks to another fine performance turned in by quarterback Jalen Milroe. 

Last week, it was converting on 4^th and 31. 

This week, it was about converting and capitalizing. 

Milroe threw for 192 yards on 56.5% completion. It wasn’t his best game, but it was one where he made the plays that mattered most. 

The first-year starting quarterback tossed two touchdown passes in the game, doing so for a fourth-straight contest, and Milroe eclipsed more than 200 scrimmage yards for a 12^th-straight game. 

Milroe had a big second quarter to separate Alabama from the Bulldogs. He found receivers Jamarion Miller and Jermaine Burton from 28 and 15 yards out, respectively, to put the Crimson Tide ahead 17-7. 

Alabama now has 11-consecutive wins, and Milroe received the game’s Most Valuable Player recognition for his efforts. Now, Milroe and the Crimson Tide will face No. 1 Michigan for a chance to get back to the national championship. 

Will Reichard, Alabama 

Alabama kicker Will Reichard appeared in the Stat Pack once this season already, and this time he’s back making more history. 

Reichard became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer with his first field goal of the SEC Championship. He notched point No. 530 to move past Keenan Reynolds on his 43-yard field goal to begin the scoring for the Crimson Tide in the conference title game. 

Reichard now has 539 points in his five-year career. He was originally a three-star recruit from the class of 2019, according to Rivals. 

READ: Michigan lands atop AP Poll

Reichard went on to drill three extra points and two field goals to tally nine points in the SEC Championship game. His career-best is 14 points, coming after Reichard made eight extra points and two field goals against New Mexico State in September 2019. 

Kaidon Salter, Liberty 

No. 23 Liberty earned a New Year’s Six bowl game berth with a 49-35 shootout victory over New Mexico State. 

The Flames are one of four remaining unbeaten teams in college football, along with the Wolverines, Huskies and No. 5 Florida State. 

Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter had a career game on one of the biggest stages on which his team needed him the most. 

Salter tied Penix for the second-most yards this week, going for 319 yards on 80% completion, a career-high. 

Both Liberty and New Mexico State matched on another through the first three quarters 35-35. Something had to give — Liberty ran for two touchdowns in the final quarter — and Salter positioned his team to have a chance going into the final 15 minutes. 

Salter had at least 132 passing yards in both halves. His most productive quarter came in the second when he threw for 141 yards and a touchdown. 

Salter’s touchdown in the second quarter was his first of three in the game. He connected with receiver Noah Frith on a 26-yard scoring throw to give the Flames a brief 21-14 lead with 27 seconds left in the second quarter. 

Salter found CJ Daniels for a 20-yard passing touchdown in the third quarter. 

The third-year quarterback ran in a 35-yard score for insurance points midway through the fourth quarter, and Salter finished the game helping Liberty go on to face No. 8 Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024. 

Kimani Vidal, Troy 

Among other Group of 5 conference championships determined last weekend included the Sun Belt Championship, which Troy claimed 49-23 over Appalachian State. 

Troy running back Kimani Vidal exploded for 233 rushing yards and five touchdowns. It seemed there was no stopping the fourth-year running back. 

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

Vidal only had 15 yards after the first quarter. 

In the second, he was hard to stop. Vidal had four rushes of more than 10 yards, all coming on his final four carries of the first half. 

Two of those carries went for touchdowns. Vidal had scoring runs of 49, 36, 7, 6 and 2 yards. 

Vidal’s five rushing touchdowns are a Troy program record as he became the first player to ever rush for five scores in a Football Bowl Subdivision conference championship game. 

Vidal was the only ball-carrier to top 200 yards during conference championship week. With the focus now toward bowl season, Vidal and Troy will find themselves in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 23 against Duke. 

The post Stat Pack: Week 14  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The Michigan Wolverines find themselves atop the college football world after conference championship week. The Wolverines won the Big Ten Championship for a third year in a row after shutting out Iowa 26-0.

After Georgia fell to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Championship, snapping the Bulldogs’ 29-game winning streak, it resulted in a shuffled top-five as the two-time reigning national champions dropped to No. 6.

The Pac-12 Conference champion Huskies moved to No. 2, their highest ranking of the season, after beating Oregon for a second time this year.

Here is the full AP Top 25.

Michigan

Washington

Texas

Florida State

Alabama

Georgia

Ohio State

Oregon

Missouri

Penn State

Ole Miss

Oklahoma

LSU

Arizona

Notre Dame

Louisville

SMU

Liberty

North Carolina State

Iowa

Oregon State

Oklahoma State

Tulane

James Madison

Tennessee

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