Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterDec 24, 2024, 08:22 AM ET
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College football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — When Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love stepped to the podium late Friday night, he could barely speak.
“I probably sound pretty terrible,” Love said.
After weeks of working his way back from a knee injury sustained in the Fighting Irish’s regular-season finale at USC, Love was hit with flu-like symptoms before a College Football Playoff first-round matchup against visiting Indiana. He spent the days before kickoff working with the athletic training staff and staying as hydrated as possible, even on a frigid game night. Notre Dame running backs coach Deland McCullough didn’t know if Love could impact the game the longer it went on.
Turns out, he needed just one touch.
Despite a voice reduced to a whisper, Love delivered the first earsplitting play of the 12-team College Football Playoff era, a 98-yard touchdown run barely four minutes in that propelled No. 7 seed Notre Dame to its first-ever CFP win. He recorded the longest play in CFP history — by 13 yards — as well as the longest by an FBS player this season, registered the longest play Indiana had ever allowed and tied Fighting Irish running back Josh Adams (2015) for the longest rush in team history.
The run also added to a growing library of highlights for Love, whose hurdles, jukes and blistering speed have made him the main attraction on a Notre Dame team that will face No. 2 seed Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 (8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN) for the CFP quarterfinals.
Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock called Love the “engine that kind of sparks this thing.” When quarterback Riley Leonard took the podium Friday, he wore a Jeremiyah Love T-shirt.
“I’ve always been a playmaker,” Love told ESPN on Monday. “My first-ever touch in football, when I was like 6 or 5, I scored a touchdown. My team has always relied on me to make big plays and make spectacular plays.
“I’ve always been the one.”
His combustible skill has been there from the start, but at Notre Dame, a quiet kid has found his voice — even speaking to “College GameDay” from the field before Friday’s game. The 6-foot, 210-pound Love also has built up his body and mind to become a more complete running back.
Can the speedy sophomore from St. Louis carry Notre Dame to its first national title since 1988?
From their seats in the parents’ section at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, L’Tyona and Jason Love sensed their son was about to do something special.
“I’m usually able to call it,” L’Tyona said. “I’m like, ‘What if he went all the way?’”
“We’re used to seeing him do magnificent and crazy stuff,” Jason added. “We just hold our breath.”
Notre Dame had taken over at its own 2-yard line following a chaotic start to the game that included interceptions by each team. Love took the ball and raced through a hole cleared by linemen Billy Schrauth and Anthonie Knapp and tight end Cooper Flanagan.
In an instant, he zoomed past Indiana’s All-Big Ten cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. The Hoosiers’ other cornerback, Jamari Sharpe, took a poor angle toward Love, crossing in front of Ponds. But it didn’t matter. When Love gets into the open field, that’s a wrap.
“We have a saying: No cut’s the best cut,” McCullough said. “In that case, based on where the read went, no cut was the best cut. As soon as he got vertical on the sideline, he wasn’t going to get caught.”
Love’s own motto might be: No touch like the first one.
His first carry in peewee football went for a 90-yard touchdown.
After being slowed by a groin injury in the summer before his junior year at St. Louis’ Christian Brothers College High School, Love wasn’t expected to play in the opener against area powerhouse East St. Louis. On a sweltering night, Love told coach Scott Pingel, “Put me in.” The back’s first carry came on an outside counter play to the sideline. He slipped away from one defender and juked two others for a long touchdown.
“It was electric,” Jason Love said. “He sucked the air out of the whole stadium.”
Love’s run against East St. Louis stands out for Pingel, as do the five touchdowns (three rushing, two receiving) he had in the state championship at the University of Missouri’s Faurot Field. But Pingel also remembers a short gain by Love in the state semifinal when both opposing defensive tackles went unblocked.
“His ability to do things in small spaces, you have to slow the tape down to say, ‘Wow that’s amazing,’” Pingel said. “As a coach, I love his 3-yard runs. He always falls forward.”
Love uses different ways to get by defenders, including going over them. At New York’s Yankee Stadium on Nov. 23, he caught a short pass from Leonard and hurdled Army’s Donavon Platt for a 6-yard touchdown.
A week later, at USC, Love caught another short pass from Leonard then skied over USC’s Kamari Ramsey for a nice gain up the sideline. Even on a going-nowhere run against Indiana, Love stiff-armed a defender then tried the hurdle before being dropped for a loss.
“I have a lot of confidence to just try things out or do things that I want on the field,” Love said. “Last game, I wanted to hurdle somebody, so I was like, ‘F— it, let me try to hurdle,’ even though there were people behind him. Me playing with that freeness to be able do whatever I want to do has allowed me to make more explosive plays happen when the right look is there.”
Love has a track background. He won a state high school 100-meter title with a time of 10.76 seconds. But he never ran hurdles.
In high school football, hurdling is penalized.
“It resembles a hurdle, but I see long jumping,” James Gillespie, who coached Love in track at Christian Brothers, said of Love’s football aerials. “Especially the one he did against USC, if you look at that, he’s jumping off the left foot, which is what he did for us. I thought, ‘Long jump.’ The step, the cycle, hitch and a half, yeah, definitely.”
Love long jumped more than 21 feet in high school, and Gillespie thinks he could have gotten to 24 or 25. Like many who saw Love develop, Gillespie watched the run against Indiana with excitement but not surprise. As soon as Love turned the corner, Gillespie knew Love was gone, he said, “Unless Deion Sanders came out of retirement.”
Although Love’s recent wizardry has brought a bigger spotlight to his game, his favorite run of the season came late in the season opener at Texas A&M. After the two-minute timeout with the game tied at 13, Love waited for Schrauth and Flanagan to pull, scooted through the hole then shrugged off two defenders for a 21-yard touchdown — the game winner.
“Everything was on the line, really close game, two minutes left,” Love said. “The tight end made an amazing block, offensive line did their job, the receivers did their job. So, that play really was a culmination of teamwork and trusting each other and playing for each other. I was able to make an explosive play because everybody did their job.
“When that happens, great things happen.”
McCullough pinpoints the moment he felt Notre Dame would prevail in a competitive recruitment for Love. He had visited Love’s home in north St. Louis. Before entering Love’s room, McCullough saw shoes placed neatly outside on a mat.
“I said, ‘Hey, do I need to take my shoes off before I come in?’” McCullough said. “He said, ‘Nah, coach, I’m going to let you just go ahead and walk in.’ He took his own shoes off but let me walk in with mine on. I thought, ‘I must be in good shape.’”
The lined-up shoes and overall orderliness are central to Love’s personality. The gloves and towels in his Notre Dame locker are stacked perfectly. And if anyone removes Love’s athletic tape cutter, “You better put it back in the same spot, the same way,” said fellow Fighting Irish running back Aneyas Williams.
Growing up, Love would become upset when L’Tyona (pronounced Latonya) picked out his clothes for school because he wanted them a certain way. The same applied to food.
“Symmetry,” Jason Love said. “It has to be 1, 2, 3. It can’t be 1, 2, 4. It has to be in order.”
Jeremiyah was recruited by all the big-time programs, eventually narrowing his list to Texas A&M, Michigan, Oregon and Notre Dame and ultimately to Texas A&M and Notre Dame. His parents said Notre Dame’s smaller environment, along with Jeremiyah’s connection to McCullough, sealed the deal.
Still, they worried about Jeremiyah sharing a room and adjusting to being away from home.
“He’s so big on his space,” L’Tyona said. “It would interrupt his peace. We were a little worried at first when he got to Notre Dame, but he started to adjust.”
Williams also grew up in Missouri and first met Love at a state track meet. He could barely get a word out of Love. When they reunited at another track meet, Love said a little more.
Soon after Williams got to Notre Dame, though, the two grew closer.
“He was a big teacher for me,” Williams said. “He’s not a big talker, but a big thing for me was just working with him. Every day after practice, it’d be me and him on the Jugs machine, catching balls. There’s a lot about J-Love that you might not get to see, but he has a good personality.”
L’Tyona and Jason, both retired sergeants with the St. Louis Police Department, have seen their son grow at Notre Dame. When Jeremiyah was named offensive player of the year at Notre Dame’s annual Echoes Awards banquet, he delivered a “powerful message,” Williams said.
Before Friday’s game, he joked with the “College GameDay” crew about keeping his shirt on for warmups.
Jeremiyah and Jason are even working on a comic book that will chronicle Jeremiyah’s journey to be called “Jeremonstar” or “Yah Love.”
“He had to come out of his shell,” Jason said. “They always said, ‘Don’t change him. He’ll change the world.’”
Love’s “perfectionist” tendencies, as McCullough calls them, have their benefits on the football field. Highlight plays have always come easily for Love, who could dunk a basketball as an eighth grader and almost always was faster and more athletic than his peers.
But at Notre Dame, he has shown the refined focus to work toward becoming a total running back. He added about 20 pounds of what McCullough calls “physical armor” after his freshman season, when he averaged 5.4 yards per carry behind bruising back Audric Estime. Some college teams wanted Love to play cornerback or wide receiver coming out of high school, and he has improved in the slot, practicing with the receivers at times this spring to better understand coverages. He has tripled his receptions total from last season to 24, which ranks fourth on the team.
Love also has improved in the unflashy areas of his position.
“He’s really good in pass protection already,” McCullough said. “He’s a really good route runner. He’s improved his detail a whole lot as far as his run reads are concerned. He was an 88%, 89% guy in run reads. He’s at a 94%, 95% run read clip now. So, just him embracing all of the small details of being an upper-end player, because we know what his goal is.
“I’ve been there, I coached there, so I know what the NFL is about.”
McCullough, who coached with the Kansas City Chiefs as well as with college programs including USC and Indiana, has seen elements of Love’s game in previous protégés Tevin Coleman and Ronald Jones and even power backs such as Estime and Jordan Howard. The good news for Notre Dame is that it will have at least another full season with Love, who could be a Heisman Trophy contender in 2025 after leading the team with 1,057 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns this season.
But the immediate task is the CFP and a national title. He likely will top the scouting report for Georgia’s defense, which ranks 36th nationally against the run and has allowed a 100-yard rusher in four games this season. The Bulldogs have allowed 170 rushing yards or more five times. And they struggled during a two-week stretch against UMass (226 yards, two touchdowns) and Georgia Tech (260 yards, three touchdowns) before throttling Texas’ ground game for the second time this season in the SEC championship game.
“That was only 60 percent of Jeremiyah Love,” Jason said of his son’s performance against Indiana.
Love should be at or near full strength against Georgia. He’s the only FBS running back with a rushing touchdown in every game this season, also a Notre Dame record. Love has five 100-yard rushing performances and two other outings with more than 90 yards despite never eclipsing 16 carries in a game this fall.
“I play with confidence. I play free,” he said. “I’ve just been blessed with great ability. Whenever I’m able to make an explosive or do anything and help this team get stuff going, man, I just feel great.”
Un incendiu a provocat pagube unei clădiri a Colegiului de Stat luni după-amiază, lăsând locuitorii a patru apartamente strămuți.
Pompierii au fost trimiși la casa din blocul 700 din West College Avenue în jurul orei 15:15 și au găsit fum puternic și foc la etajul trei al unui bloc de apartamente cu trei etaje, a scris directorul de pompieri din Regiunea Centru, Shawn Kauffman, într-un e-mail.
Toți chiriașii erau în afara clădirii când au sosit echipajele, iar un chiriaș care s-a plâns de inhalare de fum a fost transportat la Centrul Medical Mount Nittany pentru evaluare. Niciun pompier nu a fost rănit.
Echipajele Companiei de Pompieri Alpha au ținut focul la etajul al treilea al clădirii și au controlat focul în aproximativ 10 minute, potrivit rapoartelor dispecerului. Clădirea a suferit daune puternice de incendiu și de fum, împreună cu unele daune de apă, lăsând chiriașii celor patru apartamente strămuți, a scris Kauffman.
Incendiul este cercetat.
Blocul 700 din West College Avenue a fost închis pe strada North Sparks și strada Patterson pentru aproximativ o oră luni după-amiază, în timp ce echipajele lucrau la fața locului.
Reporterul Halie Kines a contribuit la acest raport.
Recorduri curente: Aquinas College 0-1, Bowling Green 4-7
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Bowling Green Falcons și Aquinas College Saints vor concura pentru bucuria sărbătorilor la 3:00 pm ET luni la Stroh Center. Ambele echipe vor căuta o refacere după înfrângeri considerabile în jocurile lor anterioare.
Bowling Green se îndreaptă spre meci după ce tocmai a suferit cea mai mare înfrângere din 11 februarie sâmbătă. Ei s-au trezit primitorii reticenți ai unui pumn de 93-68 în intestin împotriva lui St. Thomas. Soimii au fost într-o poziție grea după prima repriză, scorul fiind deja la 46-20.
Chiar dacă echipa a pierdut, a avut totuși partea lor de performanțe impresionante. Unul dintre cei mai buni a venit de la Javontae Campbell, care a înregistrat 18 puncte pe lângă șase recuperări și patru furturi. El a fost fierbinte recent, după ce a postat patru sau mai multe furări în ultimele trei ori în care a jucat.
Bowling Green s-a luptat să lucreze împreună și a terminat jocul cu doar cinci pase decisive. Acestea sunt cele mai puține pase decisive pe care le-au reușit în tot sezonul.
Între timp, Aquinas College nu și-a putut valorifica avantajul pe teren propriu în deschiderea sezonului. Ei au căzut victimele unei pierderi cu vânătăi cu 93-69 în mâinile Central Michigan pe 5 decembrie.
Fii cu ochii pe arc în jocul de luni: Bowling Green a făcut ca loviturile în adâncime să pară ușoare în acest sezon, având o medie de 8,8 triple pe meci. Cu toate acestea, nu este ca și cum Aquinas College se luptă în acel departament, deoarece au avut o medie de 10. Având în vedere aceste puncte forte concurente, va fi interesant de văzut cum se desfășoară confruntarea lor.
Înfrângerea lui Bowling Green a pus capăt unei șiruri de trei meciuri de victorii acasă și le-a coborât la 4-7. În ceea ce privește Colegiul Aquinas, înfrângerea lor a scăzut recordul la 0-1.
Beginning with snow in South Bend, Indiana, the College Football Playoff made its on-campus debut this weekend. The scenes did not disappoint.
Up next is the quarterfinal round, which features four games played at traditional postseason sites: the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Peach Bowl. Much like the first round, the quarterfinals will span two days. No. 3 Boise State kicks things off and will make its first CFP appearance — albeit in a very familiar game, the Fiesta Bowl, where 18 years ago much of the country learned about the Broncos in their unforgettable win against Oklahoma. They’ll face No. 6 Penn State.
The New Year’s Day slate begins with perhaps the most surprising CFP entrant: Arizona State, which was picked to finish last in the 16-team Big 12 but won the league to earn the No. 4 seed. Coach Kenny Dillingham’s Sun Devils will be in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl for the first time since 1970 and will face No. 5 Texas.
Up next will be the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, in which No. 1 seed Oregon, the nation’s only undefeated team, will face No. 8 Ohio State in a highly anticipated rematch from the regular season. An incredible day finishes up in New Orleans, where No. 2 seed Georgia, the only team in the CFP field to win a national championship in the past four seasons, will face No. 7 Notre Dame at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Eight teams are left in the hunt for a national championship after a season of unpredictability. Here’s a look at the four quarterfinal matchups and what to expect Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. — Adam Rittenberg
Jump to: Penn State vs. Boise State Texas vs. Arizona State Ohio State vs. Oregon Notre Dame vs. Georgia
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Boise State
When: Dec. 31, 7:45 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN
What we learned in Round 1: Perhaps we learned Penn State has an elite defense, but that seemed pretty clear before the38-10 win over SMU in which the D picked off Kevin Jennings three times in the first half, returning two for touchdowns. Moreover, those interceptions were as much a statement about SMU’s incompetence on the execution of those plays as Penn State’s brilliance. Perhaps we learned that, once again, the 106,000-plus fans in Happy Valley can create havoc for opposing teams, but that won’t be an advantage through the rest of the playoff for Penn State. Perhaps we learned coach James Franklin can win a big one. He had been just 5-21 vs. top-12 teams at Penn State entering this playoff. But while SMU might have earned its No. 11 ranking, the talent disparity on the field clearly favored Penn State, and had the Mustangs not imploded of their own accord so early, there might have been real hand-wringing over Franklin’s perplexing fourth-down call from his own 20-yard line up 14-0 or the offense’s inability to break big plays against SMU until the score was entirely lopsided.
In other words, Penn State’s win was encouraging because things mostly went right, and the Nittany Lions did what they were supposed to do. But beyond that, an easy victory against an SMU team that helped by beating itself didn’t exactly prove that this year’s Penn State squad is finally capable of getting over the hump against a genuinely top-tier opponent. The really good news is, the Nittany Lions are going to get at least one more chance to do just that.
X factor: QB Drew Allar. Allar and the Penn State passing game have been a mixed bag over the past two years. The top-line numbers speak for themselves. Allar wins, he doesn’t turn the ball over and he has moved the ball consistently against lesser competition. But the downfield threat has never quite materialized for Allar, even as the offense’s explosiveness has improved with Andy Kotelnicki calling plays in 2024. Part of that comes from the lack of a true speed demon on the outside, and part of it comes from a game plan built around two talented tailbacks. But there will come a time in these playoffs — and quite possibly against Boise State — when Allar needs to change the dynamic, force a defense to respect the vertical threat and win some battles downfield.
How Penn State wins: It’s unlikely Penn State can completely run back the blueprint for beating SMU, as it’s not often a defense is gifted so many big plays by the opposing quarterback, but the basic framework for a win should look a good bit like what the Nittany Lions did in Round 1. It’s no secret Boise State’s magic is created by tailback Ashton Jeanty, so if Penn State can force the game into Maddux Madsen’s hands instead, there’s reason to think it can cash in on some QB mistakes, just as it did against SMU. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Jeanty has faced his share of stacked boxes this season, so not only does Penn State need to game-plan to stop Jeanty on defense, but Abdul Carter, Dani Dennis-Sutton & Co. have to actually bring down the Heisman Trophy runner-up before he can escape into space. — David Hale
Key player: RB Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty has turned in one of the best seasons college football has ever seen from a running back, rushing for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns, to finish second in the Heisman voting. He needs 132 yards to break Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record, which has stood since 1988 (when bowl stats did not count toward official stats). Jeanty can do it all: get tough yards, break long ones, catch passes. And he has done it as the focal point from opposing defenses in a way few players ever are.
X factor: QB Maddux Madsen. There isn’t really a question of what the Broncos will get from Jeanty. He’s going to deliver when the chances are there, and probably when they aren’t. In the Mountain West, he was dominant enough to minimize the importance of the passing game. That won’t be the case in this game. The Broncos will need complementary football and Madsen to rise to the occasion. In the regular season, Madsen did an excellent job protecting the football — he threw 29 touchdowns to just three interceptions — and that has to be the case against Penn State. The Nittany Lions terrorized SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings, and SMU never stood a chance with his poor performance.
How Boise State wins: When the Broncos lost by 3 points at Oregon in September, they went toe-to-toe with the Ducks from start to finish. That performance earned them a lot of credibility with the selection committee and is perhaps the blueprint for how to advance. The key part here is not falling behind early. They never trailed by more than a score against Oregon, and that allowed Jeanty to stay as involved as possible. He’s going to see loaded boxes, as usual, but the opposing talent level is much higher than anything the Broncos have seen since Oregon. If Boise State can hang on to the ball and avoid third-and-long, it will have a puncher’s chance. — Kyle Bonagura
When: Jan. 1, 1 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN
What we learned in Round 1: Texas can morph into whatever form necessary to advance. Quinn Ewers started 8-for-8, but he cooled off after a ball bounced off DeAndre Moore Jr.’s hands and turned into an interception. But the running game took over Saturday for the Longhorns. After running for a total of 60 yards in two losses to Georgia this year, the Longhorns had two 100-yard rushers against Clemson, just the fourth pair of running backs to top the century mark in the playoff. Jaydon Blue, who had 38- and 77-yard touchdown runs — the second the Longhorns’ longest run of the season — added some explosiveness to an offense that has been methodical all season. This Texas team has dimensions where it can shift gears.
X factor: Texas tight end Gunnar Helm is a reliable security blanket for Ewers and the Longhorns, catching a touchdown pass with 33 seconds left in the first half, and three of his other five catches went for first downs, all coming on first down. The threat of Helm on early downs over the middle softens up looks for the rest of the offense. The 6-5, 250-pound senior is now first in Longhorns history in catches by a tight end and second in yards and touchdowns by a tight end in a season.
How Texas wins: Run the ball and shut down Cam Skattebo. The Texas pass defense was gashed by Clemson at times, giving up three passing TDs after surrendering only four all season, but without injured wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, the Sun Devils might not have enough weapons to keep spreading out the nation’s best pass defense. If Texas can contain Skattebo (in the passing game as well as the ground) and feed its own running backs behind a strong offensive line, the Longhorns can stifle the Sun Devils and milk the clock while making them play from behind. — Dave Wilson
Key player: RB Cam Skattebo. What is not to love about the way Skattebo plays? His emergence became one of the best storylines of the season, as he finished fifth in the Heisman voting. He rushed for 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns while adding 506 yards and three touchdowns receiving — the only player in the country with 1,000-plus yards rushing and 400-plus yards receiving (even with one missed game). As if that weren’t impressive enough, the last player to hit those marks was Christian McCaffrey in 2015. Skattebo got better as the season progressed — and his performance in the Big 12 championship game speaks to that. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the game after scoring three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving), with 208 yards of total offense.
X factor: DB Xavion Alford. It is hard to call one of the best defensive players in the Big 12 an X factor, but so much of the focus on the Sun Devils has been on their offense that Alford deserves some of the spotlight — and he is likely to have an opportunity to come up big. An All-Big 12 first-team selection, Alford has been the model of consistency and an ironman of sorts. He played the fourth-most snaps in coverage in the Big 12 this season (424, 33rd among all FBS players) and allowed just seven receptions, the third fewest in FBS (minimum 300 coverage snaps). Teams have learned to not throw his way — he has been targeted just 17 times this season. As a result, he has allowed only 76 yards in coverage, fourth lowest among FBS players.
How Arizona State wins: Texas presents the biggest, most physical challenge up front that Arizona State has faced. The Longhorns completely owned Clemson at the line of scrimmage in their first-round game, so to defeat them, Arizona State will have to match or beat that physicality — and force Ewers into making mistakes. We all know what Skattebo can do, but Texas ranks as one of the best defenses in the country — so keeping that group off-balance is going to be key. Sam Leavitt has shown incredible poise as the starting quarterback, but the offensive line is going to have to make sure to keep Texas at bay so he does not get rattled. — Andrea Adelson
When: Jan. 1, 5 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN
What we learned in Round 1: Despite falling to Michigan, Ohio State is plenty capable of winning the national championship. The Buckeyes bounced back in a big way, throttling one of the SEC’s top teams all season in Tennessee. Ohio State jumped to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka got open at will, and quarterback Will Howard put the ball on the money. Defensively, linebacker Cody Simon set a physical tone, cracking Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s helmet on the opening drive with a devastating hit. It’s hard to see anyone in the playoff defeating this version of the Buckeyes.
X factor: The Volunteers simply couldn’t cover Smith, who ignited the Ohio State scoring barrage with a 37-yard scoring grab on the opening possession. Ohio State curiously gave Smith only two targets in the Michigan loss, with both coming in the third quarter, resulting in just one catch for 3 yards. This time around, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s game plan clearly was to get the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Wide Receiver of the Year involved early and often. The Buckeyes have capable veteran playmakers (Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins), but Ohio State’s offense is at its most dangerous when Smith is touching the ball.
How Ohio State wins: In their first meeting, the Buckeyes allowed Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel to operate with a clean pocket (no sacks, only two QB hurries). The Heisman Trophy finalist made them play with 341 passing yards, highlighted by several completions downfield and two touchdowns on the way to the 32-31 victory. As the Tennessee game illustrated, Ohio State has the pass rushers — notably Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau — to overwhelm the opposing quarterback. Getting to Gabriel in the rematch will be paramount for the Buckeyes. — Jake Trotter
Key player: QB Dillon Gabriel. This is why Gabriel left Oklahoma and made his way to Eugene, to play in games like this. The fifth-year senior will lead Oregon into the Rose Bowl with a chance to stay undefeated and get one step closer to his ultimate goal of winning a national championship. Only Shedeur Sanders had a better completion percentage than Gabriel this season, an impressive feat when you consider this is his first year in the Ducks’ offense. Gabriel fit in seamlessly into offensive coordinator Will Stein’s unit and has produced his best games when Oregon has needed him the most — 341 yards and two touchdowns against Ohio State and 283 yards and four touchdowns in the Big Ten title game against Penn State. For Oregon to advance, Gabriel will need to not just replicate those kinds of performances, but likely dig deeper for more.
X factor: DE Jordan Burch. Oregon’s defense hasn’t lacked for much given its depth and talent, but Burch has been a force. Despite missing four games with an injury, he has been able to tally 8.5 sacks (20th in the country), including a 2.5-sack outing against Washington in the regular-season finale. Having an extended rest period between the Big Ten title game and the Rose Bowl is a boon for a player like Burch, who could single-handedly tilt the game in the Ducks’ favor by wreaking havoc in the opposing team’s backfield.
How Oregon wins: The Ducks have the benefit (or the curse, depending on how you look at it) no other team in the quarterfinals has: They’ve already beaten their opponent once. Against the Buckeyes in October, Oregon fought fire with fire, outgaining, outmatching and ultimately outscoring Ohio State by a single point in Eugene, thanks to a handful of explosive plays, fewer penalties and winning the turnover battle (2-0). The margin between these teams is already slim, and at a neutral site, Oregon will have to be more explosive, more disciplined and simply better — especially on defense, where it allowed 467 total yards — to be able to beat a tough opponent twice. The way the playoff bracket shook out is not how the No. 1 seed Ducks would have likely preferred, but what we get as a result is a rematch that could provide us with an all-time classic between arguably the two best teams in the country this year. It’s only fitting that the setting will be the Rose Bowl. — Paolo Uggetti
When: Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN
What we learned in Round 1: Notre Dame has a championship-level defense with stars at all three levels. Safety Xavier Watts won the Bronko Nagurski Award in 2023, but he’s been even better this season and showed why against Indiana with 10 tackles and an interception. Jaiden Ausberry led a playmaking group of linebackers and Rylie Mills created havoc up front, as Notre Dame flexed on third down (7 of 13 conversions). Notre Dame’s offense isn’t always the most fluid unit, but with so many running options, chunk plays are always possible, and Jeremiyah Love can deliver them, as he showed with a 98-yard touchdown, the longest play in CFP history.
X factor: WR Jordan Faison, a standout lacrosse player thrust into action at wide receiver in 2023 because of attrition, has become a sneaky good target for quarterback Riley Leonard. Despite missing three early-season games with a sprained ankle, Faison has made multiple catches in every contest he has appeared in, and he had a career-high seven receptions for 89 yards against Indiana. “He’s a playmaker, man,” coach Marcus Freeman said. The sophomore also has a knack for shining in the postseason, as he earned Sun Bowl MVP honors last year with 115 receiving yards and a touchdown against Oregon State. Notre Dame can’t beat Georgia strictly with its run game, and it will need wideouts such as Faison to make notable contributions.
How Notre Dame wins: The Irish must harass Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, likely filling in for injured starter Carson Beck, just as they did Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke on Friday. Notre Dame’s defense, which has carried the team much of the season, recorded 10 tackles for loss and three sacks against Indiana and rarely let the Hoosiers operate on schedule. The Irish also need to replicate the offensive balance they showed against Indiana while being a bit more consistent on the ground. Remove Love’s 98-yard touchdown, and Notre Dame had 95 net rushing yards on 34 carries. Notre Dame also must play a cleaner game on special teams after having a field goal attempt blocked and an onside kick recovered by Indiana late in the game. — Rittenberg
Key player: QB Gunner Stockton. With Bulldogs starter Carson Beck probably sidelined for the CFP because of an elbow injury to his throwing arm, they’ll turn to Stockton, who is expected to make his first start in the Sugar Bowl. Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in Georgia’s 22-19 victory over Texas in the SEC championship game. He came off the bench to rally the Bulldogs back from a 6-3 deficit at the half. The third-year sophomore has completed 78.1% of his attempts for 206 yards in parts of three games in 2024. Stockton is more of a runner than Beck, but he has far less experience. At Rabun County High School, Stockton had 13,652 career passing yards and 177 passing touchdowns to go with 4,372 rushing yards and 77 rushing touchdowns in his four-year career. He set Georgia state high school records for career passing touchdowns, passing yards and rushing touchdowns.
X factor: RB Trevor Etienne. The Florida transfer returned from a nearly monthlong absence because of a rib injury and ran for 94 yards with two scores in the SEC championship game. He ran for 87 yards with three touchdowns in a 30-15 victory over the Longhorns in the regular season. Etienne can become a big safety valve for Stockton because of his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield — he has 28 receptions for 168 yards. Etienne is also a more-than-capable blocker, which will be important if Notre Dame’s defense decides to dial up the heat on Stockton. The Irish are 39th in run defense in the FBS (133 yards per game), and they held Indiana to only 63 yards in the first round.
How Georgia wins: With Stockton stepping under center, the Bulldogs are going to need their defense to rise up big time. This hasn’t been Georgia’s best defense under coach Kirby Smart; it ranks 21st in scoring defense (20.4 points), 36th against the run (127.8 yards) and 35th in total defense (334.8 yards). The defense has played well in some of Georgia’s biggest games, including wins over Texas and Tennessee. Linebackers Smael Mondon Jr. and Jalon Walker will need to control Notre Dame’s running game, and they’ll need to force the Irish into a couple of turnovers. — Mark Schlabach
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden încheie cartea despre cariera ei de predare la un colegiu comunitar din Virginia.
Prima doamnă, care a predat în săli de clasă timp de 40 de ani, a anunțat luni că și-a predat ultimul curs vreodată la Northern Virginia Community College din Alexandria. Anunțul surpriză a venit în timpul unui eveniment virtual „mulțumesc” cu profesori din toată țara.
„A fi prima ta doamnă a fost onoarea vieții mele. Dar să fiu colegul tău a fost munca vieții mele”, a spus ea. „Joia trecută, am predat ultima mea clasă a semestrului și ultima mea clasă vreodată la Northern Virginia Community College.”
Știri de încredere și delicii zilnice, chiar în căsuța dvs. de e-mail
Vedeți singuri — The Yodel este sursa de destinație pentru știri zilnice, divertisment și povești de bine.
„Întotdeauna voi iubi această profesie, motiv pentru care am continuat să predau cu normă întreagă în timp ce slujesc ca prima ta doamnă”, a spus Jill Biden, care a predat limba engleză și scris la NOVA timp de 15 ani. Ea a fost prima femeie care și-a continuat cariera profesională în afara Casei Albe în timp ce slujea Statele Unite ca primă doamnă.
Anunțul vine în timp ce ea și președintele Joe Biden se pregătesc să părăsească Casa Albă în puțin peste cinci săptămâni după ce democratul și-a renunțat la candidatura pentru realege, după ce a avut rezultate slabe într-o dezbatere împotriva candidatului republican la președinție Donald Trump din timpul verii.
Vicepreședintele democrat Kamala Harris i-a succedat lui Biden pe bilet, dar a pierdut cursa prezidențială în fața lui Trump, care urmează să fie inaugurat pentru un al doilea mandat pe 20 ianuarie.
Jill Biden a început să predea limba engleză și să scrie la Northern Virginia Community College în 2009, după ce Barack Obama și Joe Biden au fost aleși președinte și vicepreședinte. Ea a continuat să predea acolo după ce el a părăsit biroul în 2017, coborând cu trenul de acasă din Delaware.
Ea spunea adesea: „Predarea nu este ceea ce fac, ci cine sunt”.
Travis Hunter is the heavy favorite to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, which make him the first two-way player since Charles Woodson to win the award.
The 2024 AP College Football Player of the Year, Hunter’s list of accolades in 2024 and during his two-year Colorado career, not to mention his time at Jackson State in 2022 and his chops as the former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2022 class, have him easily in the future pantheon as a future College Football Hall of Famer. Veteran CBSSports.com writer Dennis Dodd counts Hunter as No. 2 among the best players he’s seen in person.
To celebrate Hunter’s road to glory from Collins Hill High School in Sewanee, Georgia, to New York City, we’ve pulled together a few vignettes and news stories across the CBS Sports and 247Sports websites that tell Hunter’s story.
Travis Hunter is “him”
March 25, 2021: A vignette from Andrew Ivins, 247Sports Director of Scouting
Travis Hunter was a recruit unlike any other.
247Sports
There are rare moments in scouting when a player demands your full attention, leaving an indelible mark. The first for me was in 2017, watching Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields duel at The Opening Finals. The second came two weeks ago at a Pylon 7-on-7 tournament near Atlanta, where I witnessed the legend of Travis Hunter firsthand.
Heading into that weekend, I already knew Hunter was special. His game tape and junior stats — 51 tackles, eight interceptions, 137 catches for 1,746 yards, and 24 touchdowns — screamed elite. But watching him in person, it became clear: Hunter might be the best player I’ve ever scouted.
In one sequence, lined up as a wide receiver, Hunter was bracketed by two defenders. Most would have taken the play off. Not Hunter. He beat the double team for a touchdown. Moments later, when Cam Newton—coaching the opposing team—challenged him to play defense, Hunter obliged. Two snaps later, he intercepted a pass in the end zone and tossed the ball toward Newton with a grin.
The next day, Hunter arrived at the facilities wearing a wolf stuffed animal around his neck — a fitting symbol for a player who stands apart from the pack. He capped the weekend with a jaw-dropping one-handed catch in the back of the end zone, climbing an imaginary ladder in a play that seemed almost mythical.
Critics might dismiss 7-on-7 as “not real football,” but Hunter’s dominance carries over to Friday nights. His play on both sides of the ball at Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill earned him the dual title of CB1 and WR1 in the class of 2022, a testament to his unmatched versatility.
Hunter’s mindset separates him even further. Last summer, he brought his toddler brother to a workout, juggling reps and childcare without missing a beat.
Despite heavy interest from Alabama, Florida, and Oregon, Hunter remained verbally committed to Florida State. He even admitted to dodging Nick Saban’s calls. “I keep dodging it,” he said with a smile.
Travis Hunter’s story isn’t just about his absurd athletic ability — it’s about his mindset, poise, and charisma. On that 7-on-7 field, the legend of Hunter took shape, and it was clear: This isn’t just a special player. This is a generational one.
Hunter shocks college football, signs with Jackson State
Dec. 15, 2021
Travis Hunter, the nation’s top recruit and a long-time Florida State commit, stunned the college football world by signing with Jackson State during the Early Signing Period. The five-star athlete, rated 0.9999 in the Composite rankings, flipped to the FCS program led by Seminoles legend Deion Sanders, discarding an FSU hat in favor of Jackson State gear at his signing ceremony.
Hunter, who grew up an FSU fan and had been committed since 2020, was a pivotal piece of the Seminoles’ recruiting class and a leader in attracting other top talent. His late decision, reportedly influenced by NIL opportunities, is a major blow to Mike Norvell’s efforts to rebuild FSU.
Hunter’s three-year high school career included 19 interceptions and 46 receiving touchdowns, showcasing his rare two-way talent. His commitment to Jackson State not only marks a historic recruiting moment but also elevates the profile of HBCU football under Sanders’ leadership.
Hunter reflects on historic decision, expectations at JSU
March 3, 2022: A Q&A with 247Sports’ Chris Hummer
Hunter had two touchdowns and two interceptions in 2022 at Jackson State.
USATSI
In December 2021, Travis Hunter sent shockwaves through college football by choosing Jackson State over Florida State, becoming the first No. 1 overall recruit to sign with an HBCU. Now enrolled and working out with the Tigers, Hunter shared his thoughts on the flip, his goals, and his life under the spotlight.
Q: What’s life been like since committing to Jackson State? Hunter: “It’s been good. We’ve been working out every day, getting my body right for the season.”
Q: In the days after the announcement that shocked the world, who was the most interesting person you heard from? Hunter: “I pretty much didn’t hear from anyone. It was just who was posting. The ones that amazed me were Lil Wayne, The Rock and LeBron James.”
Q: How did the decision to flip come together? Hunter: “Pretty much nobody found out. It was just me and coach having that relationship. It wasn’t all about football. We talked about other stuff like fishing. I learned him more he learned me more.”
Q: What was Florida State’s reaction? Hunter: “I texted them. I didn’t get on the phone with them. I talked over text. That’s it. Coach (Mike) Norvell shot me a text and said congrats. He wasn’t mad or nothing. He said congrats.”
Q: You’ll play both ways at Jackson State. Long-term, do you see yourself as a corner or receiver? Hunter: “I take a lot of pride in playing corner. You have to be really competitive to play corner, and I’m really competitive. I just play receiver because I know I can get open. I don’t think anybody can guard me at receiver.
Q: Could you guard yourself at receiver? Hunter (laughs): “You’ll never find out.”
Q: What do you admire most about Coach Prime’s game? Hunter: “He’s an all-around player. That’s something I want to be. He can play either side of the football. He can play left or right cornerback on defense. He can play it all..”
Q: What are your goals for your first year? Hunter: “To do what everyone expects me to do. Shock the world like I did when I committed.”
Q: What do you hope to accomplish at Jackson State? Hunter: “I want to make sure I make the right path for everybody to come. I don’t want this to be a one-time thing. I want other big stars to look at (HBCUs).”
Q: What do you think it will take for that to happen? Hunter: “People have to communicate with HBCUs. More visits at HBCUs and they’ll be able to get more high-profile players … They don’t have enough resources, people think. But if you come here you’ll see. You just have to go to the right school, the school that fits you. You’ll get lot of resources, a lot of everything.”
Q: People say you won’t stay at Jackson State long. What are your plans? Hunter: “To be able to graduate from Jackson State and to be able to go to the league from Jackson State”
Hunter follows Coach Prime to Colorado
Dec. 21, 2022
Travis Hunter, the top-ranked player in the NCAA transfer portal and a two-way standout at Jackson State, has officially transferred to Colorado, reuniting with head coach Deion Sanders. Hunter announced his decision on his YouTube channel, donning a Colorado cap and declaring, “I’m officially a Buffalo.”
The move aligns with Sanders’ promise to elevate Colorado’s roster with “Louis Vuitton” talent, a reference to his earlier comments about bringing top-caliber players to Boulder.
Hunter, a former five-star recruit and the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2022, excelled under Sanders at Jackson State, contributing as both a cornerback and wide receiver during the Tigers’ 12-1 season. He totaled 20 tackles, two interceptions, and four receiving touchdowns in eight games.
Though Colorado was the favorite to land Hunter after Sanders’ hiring, other programs like Georgia, Miami, and USC pursued the dynamic athlete. Ultimately, Hunter chose to follow Sanders, continuing their successful partnership at the next level.
Hunter’s transfer solidifies Sanders’ bold vision for transforming Colorado football and underscores Hunter’s potential to excel on both sides of the ball in Boulder.
The day a two-way star was born
Sept. 5, 2023: A vignette from 247Sports’ Chris Hummer
Hunter opened the 2023 season playing 145 snaps in 98-degree temps in a huge win at TCU.
Getty
FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas was scorched by 21 straight days of triple-digit heat this summer, and the inferno carried over to Amon G. Carter Stadium for Colorado’s opener against TCU. At 98 degrees, it felt hotter, sending more than 50 fans to EMS for heat-related issues. It was in this sweltering cauldron that Travis Hunter delivered a performance for the ages, playing 145 snaps of transcendent, two-way football.
Colorado shocked No. 17 TCU, 45-42, but the day belonged to Hunter. His 80 snaps at cornerback included a game-turning red-zone interception. On offense, he added 11 catches on 14 targets, many of them contested grabs against elite defenders. “That dude is different,” a Colorado staffer marveled.
Head coach Deion Sanders didn’t wait long to declare Hunter’s greatness. By halftime, he was campaigning: “If we hit him on those two deep balls, the Heisman is chilling in his crib right now.”
Hunter, the former No. 1 recruit, is no stranger to the spotlight, flipping his commitment to Jackson State in a seismic move and captivating fans with his transfer to Colorado. But on this blazing September day, he truly arrived. His sideline awareness, athleticism, and football IQ drew national comparisons to legends like Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey.
Even as mortals in the stands wilted from the heat, Hunter closed the game with energy to spare, jogging the stadium’s perimeter to high-five fans and sign autographs.
Travis Hunter gave the people what they wanted — and a glimpse of history in the making.
Another season-opener to remember
Aug. 30, 2024: A vignette from CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello
Hunter scored three touchdowns in Colorado’s 2024 opener against North Dakota State.
Getty
BOULDER, Colo. — In a dazzling display of athleticism, Travis Hunter delivered a masterful three-touchdown performance in Colorado’s 31-26 win over North Dakota State, cementing his status as one of the most coveted NFL prospects of his generation.
Hunter, playing 129 snaps, 72 of them at cornerback, seemed unstoppable, drawing comparisons to The Matrix with acrobatic catches and physics-defying plays. His first touch of the season: a 41-yard touchdown showcasing his blazing speed. His final catch? A fingertip grab in the end zone, hauling in the ball despite a defender draped over him like a wet blanket.
“Travis is phenomenal,” said head coach Deion Sanders. “Every last one of his plays could be on SportsCenter.”
Hunter shrugged off the spotlight after the game. “I just want my team to win every week,” he said. “We’ve got to make a statement. We’re here to stay.”
‘He’s a real-life ironman’: Hunter defies two-way logic
Nov. 11, 2024: A vignette from CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd
Travis Hunter has redefined what it means to be a two-way player, pushing the limits of physical endurance, mental resilience, and football brilliance.
“Probably once in a lifetime,” said Eric McCarty, Colorado’s director of sports medicine, of Hunter’s unique abilities.
The comparison to past legends is unavoidable. Chuck Bednarik, the original “60-Minute Man,” played both ways in the 1960 NFL Championship Game. Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey shone as multi-dimensional threats in college football’s storied history. But Hunter’s durability and production in today’s hyper-specialized game elevate him into uncharted territory.
This season, Hunter is among the national leaders as a receiver. He’s also clearly one of the best cornerbacks.
His physical gifts, inherited from a father who excelled in football and track, combine with cutting-edge recovery methods like hyperbaric chambers and advanced supplements. Yet the intangible qualities also set him apart.
“He has a unique metabolism and a very quick recovery rate,” McCarty said. “A lot of his ability is natural, but his mindset is what makes him exceptional.”
Hunter’s recovery isn’t just about physical stamina. His mental toughness has allowed him to overcome injuries, including a lacerated liver last season. Still, he continues to dominate at a level that has even NFL scouts envisioning ways to use him as both a receiver and a cornerback in the pros.
“He’s a throwback from another era,” said veteran columnist Kirk Bohls. “If he were doing this at Alabama or Ohio State, he’d be a unanimous Heisman winner.”
Hunter’s ability to rise to every challenge is evident in moments like his fingertip interception against Texas Tech, a play that didn’t even count due to an offsides penalty but demonstrated his freakish athleticism.
“He’s probably not fully recovered until Wednesday or Thursday,” said trainer Jordan Palmer, who works with elite athletes like Joe Burrow. “But he’s out there every week, playing two-thirds of all possible snaps.”
Hunter the heavy favorite to win 2024 Heisman Trophy
Dec. 9, 2024
Hunter had a remarkable 2024 season, catching 90 passes and intercepting four balls on defense.
Getty
The 2024 Heisman Trophy finalists were announced on Monday, and the list features some of the best and brightest players from what was a dramatic college football season. Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Miami’s Cameron Wardhead to New York, where one will be crowned as the 79th Heisman Trophy winner at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Hunter is the heavy favorite to win the Heisman Trophy (-2500) and heads to New York after putting up perhaps the most successful all-purpose season since Jim Thorpe. The Colorado star played full time at both wide receiver and cornerback, and he finished top five nationally in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, passes defended and No. 1 in PFF coverage grade. Hunter cleared 90 catches, 1,000 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions and is a finalist for several other postseason awards on both offense and defense.
Only a few minutes into his team’s first practice of the 2023-24 season, Logan Strand already had an inkling that the months ahead might be grim.
It was glaringly obvious to the Free Lutheran Bible College men’s basketball coach that most of his roster of 18-to-21-year-olds had hardly played before.
Strand began assessing his team with a shooting drill. One player heaved six straight corner 3-pointers off the side of the backboard.
Strand moved onto ball handling. So many crossover dribbles bounced off feet that Strand lost count of how many balls he chased after.
When Strand introduced a rebounding drill, he winced at confused expressions on the faces of several players. He might as well have been speaking in a foreign tongue when he asked them to close out on a shooter, turn and box out.
“It was like, oh boy, I guess we’re going to be doing a lot of third-grade basketball stuff, the things you usually teach young kids,” Strand told Yahoo Sports. “How do we shoot the ball? How do we pass the ball? How do we set a screen?”
For Strand’s hopelessly inexperienced team, the start of the season was like Ralph Wiggum’s “I’m in Danger” meme come to life. FLBC went 0-24 against an assortment of fellow bible colleges from Minnesota and neighboring states. Nineteen of those losses were by 40-plus points. One team outscored FLBC by more than 100. The closest FLBC came to victory was a 10-point loss to its own alumni team.
With its leading scorers from last year’s winless team departing and no experienced newcomers arriving to fill that void, this season’s FLBC team is even more overmatched. Opponents have outscored the Conquerors 378-39 in their first four games this season. FLBC trailed 61-0 in last month’s season opener before guard Westin Jenson rattled in a 3-pointer for his team’s first points. The following night, the Conquerors faced Division III Crown College’s JV team and still lost 87-11.
Wade Mobley watched FLBC men’s basketball not come close to winning a game last season. The FLBC president said without hesitation, “I think last year’s team would beat this year’s team by 20.”
FLBC’s historic run of futility attracted some unwanted attention last month. Barstool Sports poked fun at the Conquerors with a story entitled “We Have Found Unquestionably the Worst College Basketball Team of All-Time.”
What stories like that one miss, according to those at FLBC, is the school’s non-traditional purpose for competing in sports. FLBC is the rare school that proclaims that winning games is merely a secondary consideration.
The mission
Why would a modern-day college athletic department prioritize anything above winning games, shining a spotlight on the school and generating prestige and profit? The answer lies in FLBC’s commitment to its mission.
FLBC seeks to teach young Christians to faithfully serve Jesus Christ and to prepare students for leadership roles in their congregations and communities. The Minneapolis-area bible college’s athletics program only exists as a tool to help its 100-plus students achieve those goals.
In a section of its website entitled “Our why behind athletics,” FLBC insists that it takes competing for championships seriously but that playing sports for the school “is about more than wins.”
“Our students see themselves as representatives of the school and of Christ,” the school states on its website. “They find exciting parallels between working together on a sports team and working together to build up the church. Along the way, they discover a close brotherhood/sisterhood with their teammates that extends beyond the court.”
In many ways, FLBC’s atypical approach to athletics is a byproduct of its school president’s unconventional life story. Wade Mobley grew up in a tiny speck of a town in the hills of South Dakota, the son of a single mother and an uninvolved father. Basketball became a refuge for Mobley as a teenager seeking to stay on a constructive path and avoid drugs and alcohol.
“I shot baskets, obsessively, compulsively, clinically,” Mobley said. “That’s why I’m 52 years old and I have a knee replacement surgery scheduled for next month.”
At the same time that Mobley developed a passion for basketball, he also began to take more interest in his faith. Friends invited him and his mom to attend a Free Lutheran church in the basement of a neighboring town’s grocery store. The love and acceptance shown to him at that church changed his life and inspired him to become a Christian at 18.
While Mobley studied engineering physics at South Dakota State, he soon realized that he was good at it but he didn’t love it. He became his university’s only engineering physics student who dreamed of coaching college basketball.
At first, Mobley envisioned himself coaching at the highest possible level. He found two ideal mentors, accomplished coaches who were also devout Christians. Lynn Frederick, the coach of nearby Brookings High School, hired Mobley as a volunteer assistant for two seasons. Brad Soderberg, then South Dakota State’s coach, used his connections to help Mobley land jobs working at prestigious camps across the Midwest.
By the end of his senior year, Mobley learned that what he “enjoyed most about coaching wasn’t so much the basketball.” Mobley discovered that he possessed “this pastoral impulse wanting to invest in the lives of young people as I had been invested in.”
What sealed Mobley’s decision to study to become a pastor was the blessing of Soderberg, by then an assistant coach under Dick Bennett at Wisconsin. In 1995, during a conversation in his office in Madison, Soderberg told Mobley, “You can always coach. You will always have a connection and I can always get you a job. But right now you have an opportunity to grow in your faith.”
Mobley’s new path led him to what is now known as FLBC. He has spent large stretches of his adult life at FLBC’s tree-lined campus on the shores of Medicine Lake, first as a student, then as a basketball coach and athletic director and more recently as school president.
The 2024 Free Lutheran Bible College men’s team. (Courtesy of Free Lutheran Bible College) (dds)
‘I never had a thought of quitting’
The basketball program that Mobley inherited at FLBC is worlds apart from the ones he once aspired to lead. FLBC is a member of the Association of Christian College Athletics, “about as low as you can get on the college basketball hierarchy,” according to Mobley. Its league consists of bible colleges and tribal colleges in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Since FLBC did not have an on-campus basketball gymnasium of its own until 2021, the school paid for its men’s and women’s teams to use facilities at Minneapolis-area high schools and colleges. Wade remembers holding practices on carpeted church basketball floors and on courts so cramped that the 3-point lines nearly touched.
As recently as five years ago, FLBC’s basketball teams held 10 p.m. practices at a K-through-12 Christian school about a 15-minute drive away. Players would sweep up the bleachers after high school games ended, tape the college 3-point line onto the court and then practice until they were too heavy-legged and bleary-eyed to go any later.
The top levels of college basketball are populated with players who dream of playing at a higher level, whether that’s the NBA, an overseas professional league or even just a more prestigious four-year school. It’s not like that at FLBC, where, Mobley says, “there’s nobody coming here to further their basketball career.”
At FLBC, Strand and his fellow coaches don’t recruit by scouting high school games or AAU tournaments in search of overlooked prospects. Most of those players aren’t options, Strand said, because “they don’t fit FLBC’s mission, vision and values.” Strand’s preferred alternative is to stay in contact with community church leaders about potential players and to reach out to applicants to FLBC to gauge their interest in playing basketball.
That approach has produced enough sporadic success to fill a small trophy case with cut nets, golden balls and engraved plaques commemorating league and tournament titles. More often than not, however, FLBC has struggled to accumulate enough talent to win more than a handful of games each season.
In 2021, the FLBC men’s and women’s basketball programs went a combined 1-29, the women picking up the lone victory in their final game of the season. On the FLBC website, Mobley penned a blog post arguing the basketball seasons would have been a “success” even if both the men and women went winless.
“At FLBC we don’t play basketball to win games,” Mobley wrote. “Check that: We play to win but winning isn’t why we play. We play for the leadership development and discipleship that comes with a team effort. Everyone needs to be a part of something bigger than himself or herself.”
The past two men’s basketball seasons have shaken Mobley’s faith in his vision if only because FLBC has been so overmatched. It’s one thing to lose every game. It’s another to trail 61-0 and have even the opposing players applaud your first basket.
What has reassured those at FLBC has been the players’ positivity and resilience. Every first-year player on last year’s team came out for the team again this season. One student who didn’t play basketball his first year at FLBC actually decided to join the team this fall.
“At first it was pretty hard losing game after game,” second-year guard Kent Anderson said. “But I was able to shift my mindset from how can we win to how can we improve. It also helped remembering that I am ultimately playing to bring God glory and not for myself. I never had a thought of quitting because I just love playing the sport so much.”
The enthusiasm and effort level among this year’s players, Strand says, exceeds that of any other team he has played for or coached. He admits he was feeling “a little down” after FLBC’s 85-5 season-opening loss until one of his new players approached with a fresh perspective.
“Coach, thank you for starting me tonight,” the player told Strand. “Hearing my name announced over the loudspeakers was one of the best moments of my life.”
Free Lutheran Bible College lines up to shake hands after another loss. (Courtesy of Free Lutheran Bible College) (dds)
‘We know we’re bad. Who cares?’
The ultimate test of FLBC’s conviction came about a month ago. Strand hadn’t yet finished his morning coffee when he received an urgent text from the dean of the school.
“Have you seen this?” Adam Osier wrote, alongside links to the Barstool Sports story ridiculing the FLBC men’s basketball team’s recent futility.
At first, FLBC administrators were horrified. Two different Barstool Sports podcasts also made fun of the FLBC players. So did commenters on a Reddit thread and on social media.
What eased the FLBC administration’s concern was the amused response from players when Strand mentioned the negative headlines during a team meeting at his apartment that night. One player was pleasantly surprised to receive any media coverage. Another told Strand that he found it hilarious when the Barstool podcasters cracked jokes about one of his off-target shots.
“Wait, you laughed?” Strand responded, admittedly caught off guard.
The coach remembers players reassuring him,”Yeah, we know we’re bad. Who cares? We’re having a good time.”
Anderson told Yahoo Sports that he found out about the Barstool story when someone shared a link in the team’s text thread. The second-year guard said the players “weren’t mad because it was them giving their opinions purely on what they see.”
“They don’t know why we play and who we play for (God),” Anderson added. “There is no use in us taking it personally or letting it affect us.”
That’s not to say that anyone at FLBC wants to see another basketball season like this where its team is so overwhelmingly outgunned every night. Coaches and administrators at FLBC are trying to be more proactive about identifying potential basketball recruits who fit the school’s mission and about informing prospective students that they have the opportunity to play.
“If we can put together a somewhat competitive team next year, I might try to do that just to buy us a little bit of a reprieve,” Mobley said. “In my role I’m trying to keep a stiff upper lip and I think I’m doing a pretty good job of it, but inside this is driving me nuts.”
Oddly enough, Strand said, last month’s stories poking fun at FLBC have actually helped the program’s recruiting efforts. Prospective players who otherwise never would have known the tiny bible college existed have emailed Strand about enrolling at FLBC and joining his team.
To Strand, the inquiries are tempting but risky. On one hand FLBC desperately needs an influx of basketball talent. On the other hand, just a few guys who aren’t attending chapel or taking classes seriously can damage the culture of a college with just 100-plus students.
“It’s difficult,” Strand said. “There’s a lot of people, especially now after the Barstool story, who have reached out and said, ‘I want to play basketball. I can come this semester. I can do this right now.’ It’s like, yes, but do you understand who we are as an institution? Do you understand that we’re trying to grow you in leadership in church settings? We don’t want to become good at basketball at the expense of the mission of the school.”
The 2024-25 bowl season is right around the corner, kicking off with the Cricket Celebration Bowl (Jackson State vs. South Carolina State) on Dec. 14.
In a span of 19 days, 36 bowl games will be played — on top of the College Football Playoff.
Our college football experts provide their thoughts on all 36 bowl matchups, including key storylines to follow and a player to keep an eye on in every game.
Get ready, because it’s an exciting time of the year!
Cricket Celebration Bowl Atlanta Dec. 14, noon ET (ABC)
Jackson State
Season storyline: The Tigers, who were picked third in the SWAC East preseason poll, won their third conference championship in four years, and the first for coach T.C. Taylor. Jackson State overcame adversity in the title game after quarterback Jacobian Morgan was injured just before halftime. Zy McDonald came off the bench and rushed for 95 yards and passed for 75, accounting for two total touchdowns.
Player to watch: RB Irv Mulligan, the 2024 SWAC Player of the Year. The 5-foot-10, 205-pound back and Walter Payton Award finalist had 116 yards rushing in the SWAC championship against Southern and was named first-team All-SWAC at running back. Mulligan passed Jackson State and NFL great Walter Payton’s single-season rushing yards record (1,139), which Payton set in 1973.
South Carolina State Season storyline: Replacing a legend like Buddy Pugh isn’t a small task, and Chennis Berry and his South Carolina State Bulldogs performed up to that task in 2024. The Bulldogs went 5-0 in MEAC play, en route to a 9-2 season overall after being picked fourth in the preseason poll. South Carolina State played spoiler in Deion Sanders’ first year as Jackson State’s head coach in 2021, defeating them in the Celebration Bowl 31-10. Now, Berry will have an opportunity to do the same in T.C. Taylor’s first appearance as head coach.
Player to watch: QB Eric Phoenix. He has a successful transfer story after coming in from Murray State and being named first-team All-MEAC. Prior to his time at Murray, he was with Berry at Benedict College. At Benedict, Berry and Phoenix won the SIAC championship and reached the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in school history. His dynamic play has translated nicely in his grad transfer season and could culminate in a Cricket Celebration Bowl victory. — Harry Lyles Jr.
ESPN BET early line: Jackson State -1.5
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl Montgomery, Alabama Dec. 14, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
South Alabama Season storyline: Remember that team that dropped 87 points in a game this year? That was South Alabama. In its first year under coach Major Applewhite, the Jaguars have had some explosive offensive performances. Don’t let their 6-6 record fool you, this team played well down the stretch, winning four of its last six games, including a victory over Sun Belt West winner Louisiana on the road just a few weeks ago.
Player to watch: QB Gio Lopez. When the South Alabama offense is humming, Lopez is at his best. With star freshman running back Fluff Bothwell transferring, Lopez will have to do even more against Western Michigan. Bothwell opened up a lot for the USA offense, averaging 7.5 yards per carry this season with his explosive play. Lopez was third on the team in rushing this season with 463 yards.
Western Michigan Season storyline: With losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State, Western Michigan has some scars from the first couple of weeks of the season. The Broncos went on to win five of their next six games, but then lost three straight before finishing the season with a win against Eastern Michigan. Despite the ups and downs, Lance Taylor gets his first bowl team at WMU, led by quarterback Hayden Wolff and running back Jaden Nixon. A bowl victory would mark Western Michigan’s first since 2021.
Player to watch: Wolff had the best season of his collegiate career in his second year at Western Michigan. He’s one of the oldest veterans in the sport, having played his first season in 2019 at Old Dominion, before transferring to Kalamazoo in 2023. He posted a career-best completion percentage (67), along with 2,214 passing yards and 17 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He also led the conference in passer rating (147.0). — Lyles
Memphis Season storyline: After a 10-3 finish last year and a Liberty Bowl win over Iowa State, this season was highly anticipated with the expansion of the 12-team College Football Playoff. For the first time ever, Memphis was the preseason pick to win the AAC and for much of the season looked like it might be the Group of 5 representative in the CFP. A 56-44 loss to Navy in September was a setback, then a 44-36 loss at UTSA in November was the knockout blow for those hopes. The Tigers rebounded to finish strong with a win over Tulane and ended the season at No. 25 in the CFP rankings.
Player to watch: All-everything Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan will return to the Dallas area to play in Frisco, about 20 miles from his high school. Henigan, who threw for 3,208 yards with 23 touchdowns and six INTs this year, is the Tigers’ all-time leading passer with 13,972 yards, the winningest quarterback in the program’s history and, along with Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Washington’s Will Rogers, is one of just three active QBs to surpass 100 TD passes in his career.
West Virginia Season storyline: West Virginia entered the season with modest expectations after last season’s 9-4 finish, including a victory in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, a year after finishing 5-7. The Mountaineers opened the season with a home loss to Penn State, then lost two weeks later at Pitt. Embattled coach Neal Brown was fired after a 52-15 loss to Texas Tech on Nov. 30, with the Mountaineers ranking 106th nationally in total defense. Brown ended his six-year run at WVU with a 37-35 record and four bowl appearances. Offensive coordinator Chad Scott will coach the bowl game.
Player to watch: Senior quarterback Garrett Greene has earned admiration from opposing coaches for his toughness, but he struggled at times this year in the passing game, going 9-of-19 for 85 yards with a TD and two INTs in a blowout loss to Kansas State. His legs make him a threat (he had 22 carries for 129 yards and two TDs against Baylor), but as Greene goes, so goes the WVU offense. He will finish his career in the top 10 in several categories in West Virginia history, throwing for 5,042 yards with 34 TDs and 18 INTs and running for 2,032 more with 27 TDs. — Dave Wilson
Western Kentucky Season storyline: The Hilltoppers began the year with a not entirely surprising drubbing (63-0) at the hands of Alabama, but they bounced back and went 7-3 over their next 10 games. Then came Jacksonville State, which WKU edged 19-17 in the season finale, only to lose to them in the Conference USA championship game by a shocking 52-12 result. The Hilltoppers’ defense has been a sieve at times this year (they are one of the five worst teams in the country at stopping the run) and it reared its head against JSU, which totaled 386 rushing yards on the night and a whopping 562 total yards as a team. For the fourth year in a row, WKU heads into a bowl game with five losses.
Player to watch: QB Caden Veltkamp. The sophomore replaced TJ Finley, who sustained a leg injury in early September and was never able to win the job back. Veltkamp became the Hilltoppers’ starter, and though he had an up-and-down season that included a five-touchdown game against Middle Tennessee and a three-interception game against Liberty, he was able to lead the team to a conference title game. Head coach Tyson Helton clearly felt that Veltkamp was WKU’s best option in the present and near future. Case in point: Finley announced his decision to enter the portal shortly after the season ended. The growing pains are still there for Veltkamp, but he did throw for 23 touchdowns this season and has shown potential to be a capable, efficient option under center for WKU going forward.
James Madison Season storyline: After a historic season last year in which the Dukes entered the FBS, won 11 games, quickly earned an AP poll ranking and found themselves in a bowl game, the second year could have easily been a regression. Instead, JMU lost coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana and stayed well above water under Bob Chesney, going 8-4 (losing two of those games by just two points each) and making another bowl. The Dukes have not only proved that they belong in the FBS, but their defense is among the best in the nation. JMU ranks 11th in stop rate, allowing 1.57 points per drive, which is better than playoff teams Penn State, Oregon, Clemson and SMU. In other words, good luck trying to score on the Dukes.
Player to watch: CB Terrence Spence. The senior from New Jersey has been a fixture of the Dukes’ impressive pass defense. In 12 games, Spence has 25 solo tackles, seven pass deflections, a forced fumble and five interceptions (tied for third among FBS players). James Madison leads the nation in turnover margin, having forced 26, including 17 interceptions, and Spence has been a crucial part of its pass defense, which has allowed an average of 198 passing yards per game. — Paolo Uggetti
ESPN BET early line: James Madison -7.5
Art of Sport LA Bowl Inglewood, California Dec. 18, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Cal Season storyline: The Golden Bears’ season had its highs (“College GameDay” in Berkeley and Cal nearly taking down then-undefeated Miami) and its lows (a four-game losing streak that included Florida State) but it was never boring. A 6-6 season, however, placed them 14th out of 17 teams in the ACC. Though coach Justin Wilcox has helped the program make some strides, the Bears have not had a winning season since 2019, and this year felt like a squandered opportunity. Only one of Cal’s losses (to SMU) was by a margin bigger than eight points, and three of its losses were by a combined four points. Though the Golden Bears are heading to a bowl game, this was a year of missed opportunities for the new ACC members.
Player to watch: QB Fernando Mendoza. When Wilcox informed the media last week that Mendoza would be returning to the team for his junior year and wouldn’t enter the portal as some expected, Cal fans breathed a sigh of relief, and for good reason. Mendoza was a bright spot for the Golden Bears, throwing for over 3,000 yards, completing nearly 69% of his passes and adding 16 touchdowns too. Mendoza proved his worth throughout the year, especially when he couldn’t suit up in the season finale against SMU because of illness. The offense scored only six points and the Mustangs handed Cal their worst loss of the year.
UNLV Season storyline: Had it not been for Boise State, who beat the Rebels twice, including in the Mountain West title game, UNLV may be preparing for a first-round College Football Playoff game in a few weeks. Instead, the Rebels will go into their bowl game looking for a moral victory without their coach, Barry Odom, who took the Purdue head coaching job Sunday. For those who remain, this season had its share of drama (remember Matthew Sluka’s NIL demands?) but also success: With quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams taking over for Sluka, the Rebels handled inferior opponents with relative ease and lost to Syracuse by only a field goal. The season may have been devoid of signature wins but had plenty of highlights for the program to hang its hat on.
Player to watch: WR Ricky White. The senior may have been stifled against the Broncos, but he remains an electric figure on the field who is oozing with more talent than perhaps any other player in UNLV colors. This season, White caught 79 passes for 1,041 yards and added 11 touchdowns — tied for fifth in the country. If White opts to return to school for another year and plays in the bowl game, he’ll be a must-watch. If not, the NFL should be getting a good one. — Uggetti
ESPN BET early line: Cal -2.5
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl New Orleans, Louisiana Dec. 19, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Georgia Southern Season storyline: Georgia Southern delivered its best season under third-year coach Clay Helton, going 6-2 in Sun Belt play with wins over league champion Marshall as well as James Madison and South Alabama. The Eagles challenged themselves early with games against Boise State and Ole Miss.They won six of their final eight games, leaning on an offense with a diverse passing attack. Derwin Burgess Jr. and Dalen Cobb combined for 103 receptions and four others have 24 or more, as quarterback JC French spread the ball around the field. Linebacker Marques Watson-Trent, the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, leads a unit that performed well in wins over James Madison, Coastal Carolina and others.
Player to watch: Linebacker Marques Watson-Trent earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors for the second straight season after leading the league with 110 tackles. He reached the 110-tackle mark for the third straight season and had at least seven stops in every game and 10 or more five times. Watson-Trent also forced three fumbles during a two-game span. The 5-11, 225-pound Pittsburgh native returned from an ACL injury in 2021 to earn second-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2022. Since the start of the 2022 season, Watson-Trent is tied for fourth nationally in total tackles.
Sam Houston Season storyline: The Bearkats flipped their record from 3-9 in 2023 to 9-3 thanks to a defense that led Conference USA in fewest points allowed. Sam Houston surrendered 21 points or fewer in each of its past five games, recording consecutive wins of 10-7 over FIU and 9-3 over Louisiana Tech. A loss to Western Kentucky kept Sam Houston out of the Conference USA title game, and Bearkats coach K.C. Keeler immediately left to take the top job at Temple. Sam Houston had a flurry of players enter the transfer portal last week, including star safety Caleb Weaver, and will have significant personnel challenges for the bowl game.
Player to watch: Quarterback Hunter Watson. He will need a big performance to give Sam Houston a chance after all the portal departures. Watson is a capable dual threat, averaging 4.1 yards per carry with seven rushing touchdowns to go along with 11 passing touchdowns. He and Jay Ducker will lead Sam Houston’s offense, which must stay on the field and help a defense that will be undermanned after the portal departures. Watson had three 100-yard rushing performances and three games with multiple rushing touchdowns. He also increased his volume of passes late in the regular season, averaging 30 attempts in the final three games. — Adam Rittenberg
ESPN BET early line: Georgia Southern -5.5
StaffDNA Cure Bowl Orlando, Florida Dec. 20, Noon ET (ESPN)
Ohio Season storyline: Ohio University won its first MAC championship since 1968 with a blowout 38-3 victory over rival Miami (Ohio) in the conference championship game last week, making it three straight seasons the Bobcats have won 10 games. But there will be a new look to the team in the bowl game after head coach Tim Albin left to take the Charlotte head-coaching job. Brian Smith, Ohio’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator, will serve as interim head coach. Despite losing six all-conference players from year’s team, including quarterback Kurtis Rourke to Indiana, Ohio (10-3) played its best football the second half of the season and won six straight, which included avenging an earlier loss to Miami in the conference title game.
Player to watch: The Bobcats replaced Rourke at quarterback with a talented transfer of their own in Parker Navarro, who started his career at UCF. Navarro, a senior, played one of his best games of the season in the conference title game. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns. Both of the quarterbacks in this game are dual threats. Navarro has 2,169 passing yards and 12 touchdowns and 943 rushing yards and 15 more touchdowns on the ground. He has also thrown 10 interceptions. Injuries have slowed Navarro at times, where he was replaced at quarterback by Nick Poulos in the first Miami game after throwing two interceptions, but has accounted for 15 touchdowns in his past four games.
Jacksonville State Season storyline: After starting the season 0-3, Jacksonville State won nine of its past 10 games and the Conference USA championship with a dominant 52-12 win over Western Kentucky in the title game. That win came a week after losing 19-17 to Western Kentucky, which snapped the Gamecocks’ eight-game winning streak. Jacksonville State is ranked 12th nationally in scoring offense (36.7 points per game) and rolled up 562 yards of total offense and 26 first downs in the blowout win over Western Kentucky. It’s Rich Rodriguez’s third season at Jacksonville State, and he has won nine games all three seasons. But he has also been mentioned prominently in the West Virginia head-coaching search.
Player to watch: Senior running back Tre Stewart and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty are the only two players in the country to rush for more than 1,600 yards and average more than 6 yards per carry this season. Stewart is a great story. He played at Division II Limestone University in Gaffney, South Carolina and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his past two seasons there before transferring to Jacksonville State this year. He has 24 total touchdowns (23 rushing and one receiving) and teams with quarterback Tyler Huff to give the Gamecocks a potent one-two punch in the running game. Huff has rushed for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns. — Chris Low
ESPN BET early line: Ohio -2
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl Tampa, Florida Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Tulane Season storyline: Jon Sumrall picked up where Willie Fritz left off in his first year as Tulane head coach, guiding the Green Wave to their third straight AAC championship game appearance and third straight season with at least nine wins. Though it lost in the conference title game to Army, Tulane is making its third straight bowl appearance. Quarterback Darian Mensah (2,723 yards, 22 TDs, 6 INTs) and running back Makhi Hughes (1,372 yards rushing) led them offensively though Mensah entered the transfer portal Monday with three years of eligibility remaining.
Player to watch: RB Makhi Hughes. The sophomore running back has put together outstanding back-to-back seasons, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two years and earning first-team All-AAC honors those two seasons as well. Hughes ranked second in the AAC in the regular season in rushing and third in rushing touchdowns (15). He ran for 100 or more yards on the ground in five of the team’s eight regular-season conference games.
Florida Season storyline: For most of the season, there was widespread speculation that coach Billy Napier might be done with the Gators, particularly after a 4-5 start. But following a dispiriting 49-17 loss at No. 3 Texas, athletic director Scott Stricklin announced Napier would return for 2025. Florida closed the season on a three-game winning streak, including big home wins against LSU and No. 14 Ole Miss, not only rewarding the patience that has been shown Napier but providing a measure of hope for the future — considering the roster is filled with young players set to return. Add to that a top-tier recruiting class that Napier finished off with a bang, and there is finally optimism around the Florida program.
Player to watch: DJ Lagway. Florida turned to Lagway permanently after Graham Mertz went out for the season in early October. Lagway came into Florida as the No. 12-rated player in the ESPN 300 in the Class of 2024 and quickly showed why so many had such high expectations for him — showing off his exceptional arm talent and his ability to run. Florida was beating Georgia until Lagway hurt his hamstring and missed the rest of the game. This season, Lagway threw for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions and added 97 yards rushing on the ground as a true freshman. — Andrea Adelson
ESPN BET early line: Florida -12
Myrtle Beach Bowl Conway, South Carolina Dec. 23, 11 a.m. ET (ESPN)
Coastal Carolina Season storyline: It was an all-or-nothing season for Coastal — the Chants scored 40 or more points five times and fewer than 20 three times, but November wins over App State and Georgia State secured bowl eligibility (and a bowl home game) in Tim Beck’s second season. We’ll see who suits up at QB, however: Their top two, including starter Ethan Vasko, have entered the transfer portal.
Player to watch: RB Braydon Bennett. The senior is one of the most explosive running backs in the Sun Belt; he averages 6.5 yards per carry, and among his 112 rushes are gains of 67, 49, 37 and 25 yards (plus receptions of 37 and 25 yards). He was responsible for a lot of the “alls” in the all-or-nothing year.
UTSA Season storyline: A disappointing 2-4 start turned into a happier 4-2 finish as UTSA found its offense midseason and scored at least 38 points in five of its past six games. After going 32-9 from 2021-23, it’s obviously a step backward to have to scrape out six wins, but Jeff Traylor’s Roadrunners head toward the offseason with momentum, at least. That’s doubly true if they can finish the season with a second straight bowl victory.
Player to watch: QB Owen McCown. Last year’s bowl hero began the season in patchy form but caught fire late. Over his past six games, he averaged 310 passing yards per game — five guys caught between 13-24 passes — with a 2-to-1 TD-INT ratio. Not including sacks, he threw in over 50 rushing yards per game in that stretch as well. When he ignited, so did UTSA. — Bill Connelly
ESPN BET early line: UTSA -6.5
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Boise, Idaho Dec. 23, 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Northern Illinois Season storyline: Thomas Hammock’s sixth NIU team began the season with maybe the most momentous win in program history, a 16-14 shocker against a Notre Dame team that could make serious noise in the College Football Playoff. The season got bumpier from there as injuries took their toll on the Huskies’ offense. But the defense remained sturdy most of the way, and NIU won three of its final four games to secure a third bowl bid in four seasons.
Player to watch: Safety Nate Valcarcel. NIU ranks third nationally in completion rate allowed and fifth in yards allowed per dropback, and while pass rushers like Devonte O’Malley played a role and corner Jacob Finley is an absolute star, Valcarcel runs the show. He’s stellar in coverage but also a heck of a playmaker, picking off two passes, breaking up eight more and even tossing in a pair of sacks via the good-old safety blitz.
Fresno State
Season storyline: Following Jeff Tedford’s awkwardly timed July resignation, Fresno State stumbled through an up-and-down season under interim coach Tim Skipper. The Bulldogs started the season 3-1 and reached 5-3 after a pummeling of rival San José State, but they lost three of four in a home stretch littered by tight games. The defense played its part, but with no semblance of a run game, the offense got bogged down quite a bit and went from averaging 35.5 points over the first four games to just 22.1 over the past eight. And since the season ended, seven starters, including quarterback Mikey Keene and star corner Al’zillion Hamilton, have entered the transfer portal.
Player to watch: CB Julian Neal. Fresno State was blessed with three excellent corners in 2024, and while Hamilton is in the portal and senior Cam Lockridge’s status is uncertain, the Bulldogs still have Neal, a junior who had more interceptions (two) than TDs allowed (one) and allowed a team-low 15.4 QBR as its primary coverage guy. It will be a surprise if either NIU or Fresno State passes particularly well in Boise. — Connelly
ESPN BET early line: Northern Illinois -2.5
Hawai’i Bowl Honolulu, Hawaii Dec. 24, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
South Florida Season storyline: After a surprising seven-win campaign in 2023, USF entered 2024 as a sleeper pick for the AAC title but faceplanted out of the gates, starting 2-4. Alex Golesh’s Bulls rallied, however, winning four of their last six to clinch bowl eligibility. After averaging just 23.5 points per game in the first half of the season, they improved to 39.3 per game over the back half. They can still match last year’s seven-win tally, which, for a program that won just eight total games from 2019 to ’22, is still a pretty big deal.
Player to watch: RB Kelley Joiner. When he thrives, USF wins. Joiner averaged 9.4 yards per carry with 11 touchdowns in the Bulls’ six wins and 2.9 yards per carry with no scores in their losses. Quarterback Bryce Archie found a solid rhythm down the stretch, too, but Joiner is the team’s X-factor.
San José State Season storyline: Seven is becoming an awfully common number in San José. SJSU won seven games in three of Brent Brennan’s past four years in charge and finished 7-5 in Ken Niumatalolo’s first regular season succeeding Brennan. With a bowl victory, however, it would reach eight wins for the first time since 2012. That would be a deserved plaudit for a team that came achingly close to big things: The Spartans lost by nine combined points at Washington State and Colorado State and gave Boise State and UNLV fits at home before fading late. A 34-31 win over Stanford did salvage some late-season joy, and a bowl win would add to that.
Player to watch: LB Jordan Pollard. The junior from Los Angeles leads the team in tackles, tackles for loss and run stops. With tackles Soane Toia and Gafa Faga eating up blockers up front and Pollard roaming from sideline to sideline, the Spartans have put together one of the better run defenses in the Group of 5, allowing just 4.1 yards per carry (not including sacks), which ranks 18th nationally. — Connelly
Pittsburgh Season storyline: The Panthers had a season of two halves. Behind quarterback Eli Holstein, Pitt won its first seven games, culminating with a 41-13 rout of Syracuse, to jump to 18th in the polls. But then Holstein suffered an ankle injury, and the Panthers remarkably didn’t win again, dropping their final five games of the season in a late collapse. Overall, 7-5 was a solid year for Pitt, given the preseason expectations. But the way the season swooned down the stretch felt disappointing.
Player to watch: Senior Gavin Bartholomew is set to play his 50th career game, the most for a tight end in Pitt history. Bartholomew has 37 receptions for 303 yards and four touchdowns, all coming in Pitt’s final four games. He’s now one touchdown away from tying Dorin Dickerson (2006-09) for third most touchdowns by a tight end in Pitt history.
Toledo Season storyline: The Rockets started the year hot, rolling past Mississippi State 41-17 in Starkville to start 3-0. But Toledo couldn’t keep the momentum going. The Rockets, who at one point looked like the obvious MAC favorites, lost their final two conference games to fall out of contention for the MAC championship game, including an overtime defeat to rival Akron, which hadn’t defeated Toledo since 2013.
Player to watch: Both Jerjuan Newton and Junior Vandeross III earned All-MAC honors at wide receiver after combining for 137 catches and 1,712 yards. Newton, however, led the MAC alone with 11 touchdowns. The senior from Florida enters the bowl season with 32 career touchdown catches, a Toledo record. — Jake Trotter
ESPN BET early line: Pittsburgh -9
Rate Bowl Phoenix, Arizona Dec. 26, 5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Rutgers Season storyline: The Scarlet Knights got off to a promising start, which included back-to-back, three-point victories over Virginia Tech (26-23) and Washington (21-18) in late September. But Rutgers couldn’t sustain that momentum. The Scarlet Knights went three quarters without scoring in a 14-7 loss to Nebraska, which sparked a four-game losing streak. Rutgers bounced back, though, with consecutive wins over Minnesota (26-19) and Maryland Terrapins (31-17) to reach bowl eligibility. The Scarlet Knights routed Michigan State (41-14) in the regular-season finale to win seven games for the first time in a decade.
Player to watch: Kyle Monangai earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, becoming the fourth player in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in two straight seasons. Monangai finished his senior year with 1,279 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Monangai could opt out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft. That would create an opportunity for Canadian freshman Antwan Raymond, who rushed for 344 yards and five touchdowns while backing up Monangai.
Kansas State Season storyline: The Wildcats opened the year as one of the co-favorites alongside Utah to make the Big 12 championship game, and potentially, advance to the playoff. But K-State dropped three of its final four games, including one to Arizona State (24-14) and another to Iowa State (29-21), both of which advanced to the Big 12 title game instead. The Wildcats tied West Virginia for eighth in the Big 12 standings.
Player to watch: Defensive end Brendan Mott finished the regular season with a Big 12-high 8.5 sacks. He also had a fumble recovery and an interception on the way to earning Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year honors. Mott was a former walk-on from Iowa City, Iowa. Mott’s father, Joe, was an All-Big Ten defensive end at Iowa and a third-round pick of the New York Jets in 1989. — Trotter
Arkansas State Season storyline: Arkansas State extended coach Butch Jones’ contract through 2029 after he became the third FBS coach to lead at least four programs to bowl appearances (Jones previously coached at Tennessee, Cincinnati and Central Michigan). The Red Wolves won four of five games, beginning on Oct. 19 with a 44-28 victory over Southern Miss. Player to watch: Trevian Thomas was Arkansas State’s lone first-team All-Sun Belt selection. The senior safety finished the regular season with 73 tackles and five interceptions, which tied for most in the league. He ensured Arkansas State’s first winning season since 2019 with an acrobatic interception to seal a 28-21 victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 24.
Bowling Green Season storyline: The Falcons emerged out of a rugged non-conference slate, which included narrow losses at Penn State (34-27) and Texas A&M (26-20), as a legitimate MAC title contender. But Bowling Green couldn’t get going offensively in a loss to Miami (OH) in the regular-season finale, which sent the RedHawks to the MAC title game, and the Falcons home.
Player to watch: Harold Fannin Jr. has emerged as one of the top playmakers in all of college football. He leads all FBS tight ends with 100 receptions for 1,342 yards to go along with nine touchdowns. Fannin topped 100 yards receiving in seven games this season. He also had a game-winning, 31-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter against Akron on Oct. 5. Fannin became just the second tight end to be named any league’s Offensive Player of the Year. He’s rising up draft boards, but if he plays in the bowl game, he’ll be the best player on the field. — Trotter
ESPN BET early line: Bowling Green -6.5
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Fort Worth, Texas Dec. 27, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Oklahoma Season storyline: Not a lot went right for the Sooners this season. They were beset with injuries, especially at receiver, and went back and forth at quarterback between Jackson Arnold and true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. Arnold, a former five-star prospect, finished the season as the starter but has since entered the transfer portal. Oklahoma struggled on offense most of the season, and Brent Venables fired Seth Littrell as his offensive coordinator. Co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley is expected to call plays in the bowl game. The Sooners (6-6) were held to 17 or fewer points in five of their eight SEC games.
Player to watch: With Arnold in the portal, Hawkins is in line to get another shot at quarterback. He started three games after replacing Arnold in the first half of the Tennessee game and led Oklahoma to a 27-21 win over Auburn on the road in his first career start. But a few weeks later, in a blowout 35-9 home loss to South Carolina, Hawkins turned the ball over on the Sooners’ first three possessions and was benched in favor of Arnold the rest of the season. Hawkins has passed for 536 yards and a touchdown to go along with two interceptions.
Navy Season storyline: Navy (8-3) reeled off six straight wins to open the season and moved into the AP poll. The Midshipmen won all six of those games by double digits, but then lost their next two games to Notre Dame and Rice. Navy scored 14 or fewer points in all three of its losses. Navy finished third in the ACC after being picked 11th in the preseason, and even with the bowl game looming, faces its biggest game of the season on Saturday against Army. The Midshipmen have lost the past two games in the series.
Player to watch: One of the best comeback stories of the season, Navy quarterback Blake Horvath bounced back with a vengeance in 2024 after missing the final seven games of the 2023 season with an injured thumb. Horvath, a junior, became the first Navy quarterback to pass for more than 1,000 yards in a season since 2019. Horvath finished with 1,154 passing yards and 11 touchdowns and also rushed for 895 yards and 13 more touchdowns on the ground. — Chris Low
ESPN BET early line: Oklahoma -8.5
Birmingham Bowl Birmingham, Alabama Dec. 27, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Georgia Tech Season storyline: Georgia Tech (7-5) faced a difficult schedule with three of its final five games coming against top-12 teams, and the Yellow Jackets came painfully close to pulling off one of the upsets of the year in college football. After upsetting No. 4 Miami and then beating N.C. State the next week, both at home, Georgia Tech lost 44-42 in eight overtimes at No. 7 Georgia in the regular-season finale. The Yellow Jackets had a chance to win it in regulation but fumbled on third down with a minute to play, leaving Georgia enough time to drive for a touchdown and force overtime.
Player to watch: Quarterback Haynes King’s toughness was on full display all season, but never more than the eight-overtime loss to Georgia. He became the first FBS player in history to pass for 300 yards, rush for 100 yards and have three rushing touchdowns against an AP top-10 opponent. His fumble late in regulation was a killer, but the Yellow Jackets would have never been in the game without him. King, a transfer from Texas A&M, will be without his top receiver Eric Singleton Jr., who recently entered the transfer portal
Vanderbilt Season storyline: Clark Lea engineered an incredible turnaround this season at Vanderbilt, which has a chance to have its first winning season since 2013 if it can take down Georgia Tech in the bowl game. The Commodores lost 10 straight games to close the 2023 season, and Clark completely overhauled the program in the offseason. The results were immediate, as Vanderbilt started out 5-2 and made an appearance in the top 25 rankings. Along the way, Vanderbilt upset then-No. 1 Alabama 40-35 on Oct. 5, which was Vandy’s first win in the series in 40 years. The Commodores (6-6) seemed to run out of gas to end the season and lost their past three games.
Player to watch: Few players were more entertaining this season than quarterback Diego Pavia, whose ability to scramble and make big plays added a new dynamic to Vanderbilt’s offense. Pavia started his career in junior college at New Mexico Military Institute, then went to New Mexico State and transferred to Vanderbilt, where he led the Commodores in passing and rushing. He accounted for 23 touchdowns (17 passing and six rushing). — Low
ESPN BET early line: Georgia Tech -2.5
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Memphis, Tennessee Dec. 27, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Texas Tech Season storyline: Texas Tech entered the month of November still holding onto hopes of playing in the Big 12 championship game, but those hopes were dashed by a 41-27 home loss to Colorado on Nov. 9. The Red Raiders (8-4) had several big moments and wound up beating both of the teams that did play for the Big 12 title – Arizona State and Iowa State. But in losing three of four games from Oct. 19 through Nov. 9, Texas Tech gave up a total of 135 points. Coach Joey McGuire grew up in Texarkana on the Texas-Arkansas border and was a big Arkansas fan as a kid.
Player to watch: Redshirt senior Tahj Brooks broke the school’s career rushing record this season previously held by Byron Hanspard. After rushing 1,538 yards a year ago, the bruising 5-10, 230-pound Brooks has 1,505 yards in 11 games this season. He has rushed for 17 touchdowns and is ranked third nationally with 286 rushing attempts. He has been the centerpiece of the Texas Tech offense, and the Red Raiders are hopeful he will opt to play in the bowl game.
Arkansas Season storyline: The Hogs (6-6) need a win in the bowl game to avoid their second straight losing season. The high point was upsetting playoff-bound Tennessee 19-14 at home on Oct. 5, but the Hogs could never find any rhythm as the season progressed. They won just two more games the rest of the way against Mississippi State and Louisiana Tech. Three of their six losses were by a touchdown or less, and with some questions swirling about coach Sam Pittman’s future, he’s set to be back in 2025.
Player to watch: Quarterback Taylen Green’s best football is ahead of him as he tutors under offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Bobby Petrino, but Green showed flashes this season after transferring to Arkansas from Boise State. Green passed for 2,813 yards and 13 touchdowns, but also threw nine interceptions. He’s great at keeping the play alive and tough to tackle. He rushed for 521 yards and seven touchdowns. — Low
ESPN BET early line: Arkansas -2.5
DirecTV Holiday Bowl San Diego, California Dec. 27, 8 p.m. ET (Fox)
Syracuse Season storyline: Coach Fran Brown’s first regular season at Syracuse was an overwhelming success, leading the program to its first 9-win season since 2018 and just second since 2001 (both of those were 10-win seasons). Had it not been for a puzzling home loss to Stanford early in the season, Syracuse would have had a chance to tie the single-season school wins record in this game. It was ranked No. 21 in the final College Football Playoff rankings and had two wins against top 25 teams: No. 13 Miami and No. 24 UNLV.
Player to watch: After transferring from Ohio State, quarterback Kyle McCord led the nation in passing yards (4,326) and threw 29 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions. He was held to less than 300 yards in only one game all season — an overtime win against Virginia Tech — and was particularly good down the stretch, throwing for 850 yards over the final two games of the season — wins against UConn and Miami — with five touchdowns and no picks. McCord was named second-team All-ACC.
Washington State Season storyline: Wazzu’s season almost needs to be evaluated in two parts: The first nine games and the past three games. Because after starting 8-1, the Cougars rose to No. 18 in the playoff rankings and with New Mexico, Oregon State and Wyoming left on the schedule, they were chasing the school’s first 12-win season. Then disaster struck. WSU was upset in all three games to limp to the finish line, eroding much of the positive momentum it had built along the way. Coach Jake Dickert fired defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle was hired away by Oklahoma at season’s end.
Player to watch: QB John Mateer was one of the most entertaining quarterbacks in college football, throwing for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdown passes and rushing for 826 yards with 15 touchdowns in the regular season. But with that success — in this new era of college football — comes questions about his future at Washington State. As former WSU starter Cam Ward was last offseason, Mateer would surely be a sought-after player in the transfer portal and if he chooses that route, it would likely mean he would not play in San Diego. — Kyle Bonagura
ESPN BET early line: Syracuse -6
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl Las Vegas, Nevada Dec. 27, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Texas A&M Season storyline: After a 7-1 start, Texas A&M looked like it had a chance to do something special — and even after losing two of its next three games — against South Carolina and Auburn — the Aggies still could have played their way into the College Football Playoff. But a 17-7 loss to Texas in the regular-season finale ended that dream, relegating the Aggies to Las Vegas. Still, Mike Elko’s first season in College Station represented a step forward following Jimbo Fisher’s ouster.
Player to watch: DE Nic Scourton. Assuming he plays, Scourton will be one of the best pass rushers USC has seen all year. He finished the regular season with 14 tackles for loss and five sacks, leading the team in both categories. In ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller’s November mock draft, Scourton was projected as the No. 20 overall pick.
USC Season storyline: USC’s third season under Lincoln Riley was such a disaster that he was forced to address reports that he was a candidate for the vacancy at UCF. Riley quickly dismissed them, but the possibility that was even slightly plausible speaks volumes. The Trojans went from 11-3 in Riley’s first season to 8-5 last year to 6-6 in 2024 and finished with a losing record (4-5) in then Big Ten. If not for a buyout of reportedly in the neighborhood of $90 million, it’s fair to question whether Riley would still be the coach.
Player to watch: RB Woody Marks. A transfer from Mississippi State, Marks was a seamless addition for USC, rushing for 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns — by far the most productive season of his college career. He was one of two USC offensive or defensive players named second-team All-Big Ten, alongside offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon. — Bonagura
North Carolina Season storyline: A season that started with real promise hit a road block on Sept. 21 when the Tar Heels were demolished by James Madison, 70-50. In the aftermath, head coach Mack Brown hinted that he might walk away if the team didn’t feel it could win with him anymore, leading to speculation he’d quit. The Tar Heels lost three more in a row after that, dooming their season. The Heels did rebound late, as QB Jacolby Criswell — the Heels’ third starter of the season — found his footing, and tailback Omarion Hampton continued to abuse defenses. But losses to BC and NC State to close out the year left UNC at 6-6 and left Brown out of a job. The bowl game is as much a chance to erase the bad taste of the season as anything, but the future of North Carolina football won’t begin until a new head coach can take the reins.
Player to watch: The Heels’ defensive front was one of the year’s bigger disappointments, but seniors Kaimon Rucker, Beau Atkinson and Jahvaree Ritzie still have a chance to put a positive spin on the season against UConn. Rucker, in particular, battled injuries all year, but still finished with eight tackles for loss.
UConn Season storyline: UConn had its best campaign since 2010, finishing 8-4 in the regular season. It was another step up for a program considered arguably the most embarrassing in all of college football four years ago, now in a bowl game for the second time in three seasons under head coach Jim Mora Jr. The progress for the program was a long time coming, and the Huskies have built a roster that has the talent to compete at the Group of Five level, including QB Joe Fagnano, who threw for 18 touchdowns to just four interceptions. A win in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl would be another big turning point. The Huskies haven’t won a postseason game since 2009.
Player to watch: Senior linebacker Tui Faumuina-Brown is the centerpiece of a UConn defense that will be tasked with slowing down UNC’s balanced offensive attack. Faumuina-Brown finished the regular season with 88 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss, to go with 4.5 sacks, six QB hurries and six pass breakups. — David Hale
ESPN BET early line: North Carolina -4
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl New York, New York Dec. 28, Noon ET (ABC)
Boston College Season storyline: This was always going to be a season of change for Boston College, with Bill O’Brien taking over as head coach and a new approach to a system for the Eagles. A big part of that shift was reeling in QB Thomas Castellanos, who was a prolific runner in 2023 but asked to play more from the pocket in 2024. That formula didn’t quite work out, and Castellanos was ultimately benched — a decision that resulted in him leaving the team. After Grayson James took over, however, the offense came to life and BC won its final two games against North Carolina and Pitt. James had four touchdowns and no picks in those games.
Player to watch: Kye Robichaux and Treshaun Ward have been a dynamic duo in BC’s backfield this season, combining for 1,131 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. They’re a thunder-and-lightning combination, with Robichaux serving as the power back who dominates at the goal line, while Ward is explosive and a weapon in the passing game.
Nebraska Season storyline: Here’s the good news: Nebraska is playing in a bowl game. That’s something the Cornhuskers couldn’t say since 2016. This year, they ended the longest bowl drought in the country, so that’s an unquestionable success story. But, it’s not exactly where Nebraska fans wanted their team to be either. After a 5-1 start to the season, the Huskers dropped five of their next six to finish at .500. Their woeful record in one-possession games continued, too, with losses to Illinois, Ohio State, UCLA, USC and Iowa all coming by eight points or less. And while heralded freshman QB Dylan Raiola had some nice moments, his final stat line — 12 touchdowns, 10 INTs, 6.8 yards-per-pass — wasn’t exactly going to get him into the All-Big Ten conversation. So yes, Nebraska is happy to be here. But it would be a lot happier if it’s fighting for a playoff berth this time next year.
Player to watch: Ty Robinson is the leader of a veteran defensive front that has been one of the nation’s best at stopping the run. Nebraska ended the regular season allowing just 106 yards per game on the ground, No. 12 nationally, along with just six rushing touchdowns. Robinson had 22 tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage, leading the way, along with John Bullock and Jimmy Butler, who each chipped in with a run stuff rate better than 5%. — Hale
ESPN BET early line: Nebraska -4
Isleta New Mexico Bowl Albuquerque, New Mexico Dec. 28, 2:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Louisiana Season storyline: In his third season as the Ragin Cajuns’ head coach Michael Desormeaux delivered a 10-3 campaign that featured a six-game winning streak and an improvement on close games (they lost five games by a touchdown or less last season). Getting back to double-digit wins was huge for Desormeaux after back-to-back 6-7 years following the departure of Billy Napier to Florida. The Cajuns finished atop the Sun Belt during the regular season, and though they lost to Marshall in the conference championship game, the trajectory of the program seems to be headed in the right direction under Desormeaux.
Player to watch: RB Bill Davis. Despite his youth, Davis’ carries increased and he made the most of them. He led the team in rushing yards (775) and touchdowns (nine) and was an immediate difference maker for the Cajuns in just his first full year. Heading into the bowl, Davis has showed both consistency and explosiveness as he had touchdown runs of 49, 60 and 73 yards this season and could be due for a breakaway any time he touches the ball.
TCU Season storyline: After a disappointing 5-7 season that followed their 2022 national title run, TCU bounced back this season with an 8-win campaign that culminated with the Horned Frogs winning five of their last six games of the season. Sonny Dikes seems to have TCU’s passing offense back on track. This season, it was one of eight teams in the country that averaged over 300 passing yards per game. The imbalance, however, was pretty stark — the Horned Frogs are 90th in rushing attack and only averaging just over four yards per carry this season. The recipe is quintessentially air raid and, though it was good enough in 2022 (when they ranked 79th in rushing) it might need some work going forward.
Player to watch: QB Josh Hoover. The sophomore had a quiet breakout year and showed his talent as a passer. Hoover threw for 3,697 yards and 308 per game (top 10 in the nation among all quarterbacks) while adding 23 touchdowns plus four more on the ground. The 10 interceptions are an eyesore, but Hoover has shown he is capable of leading TCU’s offense in the near future should he remain with the Horned Frogs for the bowl game and beyond. — Uggetti
ESPN BET early line: TCU -10
Pop-Tarts Bowl Orlando, Florida Dec. 28, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Iowa State Season storyline: The Cyclones, like Miami, cracked the top 10 in the rankings at one point this season, but a midseason lull against Texas Tech and Kansas upended lofty expectations. The losses were due, in large part, to myriad injuries that had taken their toll on Iowa State, but the Cyclones rebounded nicely to secure a spot in the Big 12 title game before ultimately falling to red-hot Arizona State. Still, at 10-3, this is already the most successful season in Iowa State history, and finishing it off with a bowl win would be the cherry on top for a program that should return a number of key players for 2024, including QB Rocco Becht.
Player to watch: Assuming both suit up for the bowl game, Iowa State will be the only team in the country to feature a pair of 1,000 yard receivers in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. The duo has been dynamic all year, combining to account for 159 of the Cyclones’ 181 catches and 16 of 17 touchdowns by wide receivers.
Miami Season storyline: At 10-2, the 2024 campaign marks the precipice of Mario Cristobal’s return to Miami, and yet there’s no way to interpret this season other than a disappointment considering what the Hurricanes’ expectations were and the opportunity missed after blowing a 21-0 lead at Syracuse in Week 14. The consolation prize is a bowl game against another team that came up one win short of the College Football Playoff, but the question is just how interested Miami is in putting a bow on a season that fans have already decided is a gift they want to return to the store. That said, Miami is 1-11 in its past 12 bowl games, so finishing with a win here would still represent real progress — even if it’s not the finish line Canes fans had dreamed about.
Player to watch: The fatal flaw for the Hurricanes all season has been a makeshift secondary that was torched routinely, including by Syracuse’s Kyle McCord in the regular-season finale. Iowa State’s passing game is among the most dynamic in the country, putting freshman corner OJ Frederique Jr.and the rest of the Miami defensive backs on notice. Frederique was perhaps the lone bright spot at the position, finishing the regular season having allowed just 38% completions and one touchdown. — Hale
Miami (OH) Season storyline: A year after winning the MAC, the RedHawks began the season 1-4 and could have easily been 0-5 had it not been for a close win against UMass. The offense appeared to be discombobulated and its inability to finish drives and score at a high level was putting too much pressure on Miami’s defense. Then, things flipped. The offense found a rhythm and the RedHawks ripped off seven straight wins to once again finish atop the conference. Though they were soundly beaten by Marshall in the conference championship, the way they were able to bounce back from a slow start to the season was impressive. Last year, they could not cap off their year with a bowl win, losing to Appalachian State in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl, and they’ll be hoping to change that this time around.
Player to watch: Running back Keyon Mozee. After getting only 19 carries and running for just 60 yards in his first three games of the season, the senior started getting more opportunities and proceeded to carry the RedHawks through the year. From the fifth game of the season against Toledo through the end of the year, Mozee got double-digit carries in every game and posted six games of 100 rushing yards or more. In fact, the RedHawks won all seven games in which Mozee crossed the 100-yard mark this season.
Colorado State Season storyline: A 2-3 start to the season did not fluster the Rams, who are bound for the new Pac-12 in 2026. Colorado State went on a five-game winning streak, finished second in the Mountain West and were a UNLV loss away from playing in the conference title game. The Rams’ 8-4 season is nothing to shrug at; the program hadn’t had a winning season since 2017, and it appears that coach Jay Norvell has it headed in a positive direction.
Player to watch: RB Avery Morrow. Talk about saving your best for last. Morrow, a fifth-year senior, had never had a season as productive as this one and was coming off a 2023 campaign in which he did not see much of the field and had only 262 yards. Though there may have been other running backs in the Rams’ room who had more potential coming into the season, Morrow led the team with 956 rushing yards on 166 carries and added nine touchdowns. — Uggetti
ESPN BET early line: Miami (OH) -1.5
Go BowlingMilitary Bowl Annapolis, Maryland Dec. 28, 5:45 p.m. ET (ESPN)
East Carolina Season storyline: The Pirates looked to be a sinking ship after coach Mike Houston was fired after a 3-4 start. Defensive coordinator Blake Harrell was named interim coach, then was hired to replace Houston after guiding ECU to a four-game winning streak in which it had more than 500 yards of offense in victories over Temple, Florida Atlantic, Tulsa and North Texas. The Pirates’ winning streak ended with a 34-20 loss to Navy on Nov. 29. The Pirates will be playing in a bowl game for the third time in four seasons, and they finished with a winning record in AAC play (5-3) for the third time since joining the conference.
Player to watch: Sophomore Michigan State transfer Katin Houser took over the starting quarterback job in a 45-28 loss at Army, the day before Houston was fired. Houser has a 4-2 record as ECU’s starter, averaging 287.5 yards with 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In a 49-14 victory over Florida Atlantic, Houser completed 17 of 22 passes for 343 yards with five touchdowns and ran for another score. He has passed for 1,859 yards with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. One of Houser’s favorite targets has been Anthony Smith, who transferred from NC State before the season.
NC State Season storyline: Things went sideways for the Wolfpack in a 51-10 loss to Tennessee on Sept. 7, and coach Dave Doeren and his staff struggled to get things back on track. After going 9-4 in 2023, the Wolfpack limped to a 6-6 finish, including 3-5 in ACC play. The Wolfpack had to defeat rival North Carolina 35-30 on Nov. 30 to become bowl eligible. NC State’s Hollywood Smothers scored the winning touchdown with 25 seconds to play in Tar Heels coach Mack Brown’s final game. The Wolfpack will be without defensive coordinator Tony Gibson, who was named Marshall’s new coach on Sunday. Former NC State linebacker Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay will serve as the interim coordinator and call defensive plays in the bowl game.
Player to watch: Defensive end Davin Vann led the FBS with six forced fumbles, which matched NC State’s single-season record. The Cary, North Carolina, native had 41 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss and 6½ sacks. Vann had three tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble to help NC State rally from a 23-10 deficit in a 24-23 win at California on Oct. 19. One of the Wolfpack’s captains, Vann helped residents of North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene by mobilizing his family’s moving company. — Mark Schlabach
ESPN BET early line: NC State -5
Valero Alamo Bowl San Antonio, Texas Dec. 28, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
BYU Season storyline: After winning their first nine games, including a 22-21 victory at rival Utah on Nov. 9, the Cougars were ranked No. 6 in the second edition of the CFP selection committee’s rankings. But then back-to-back losses to Kansas and Arizona State knocked BYU out of the CFP and the Big 12 title game. The Cougars rebounded to beat Houston 30-18 on Nov. 30, which gave them 10 victories in a season for the third time under coach Kalani Sitake. The Cougars have already doubled their win total from last season’s 5-7 campaign. On Saturday, BYU announced it had signed Sitake to a long-term contract extension.
Player to watch: Quarterback Jake Retzlaff excited BYU’s fan base with his strong play in his first season. A transfer from Riverside City College in California, Retzlaff completed 57.9% of his passes for 2,796 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In his first start against FCS program Southern Illinois, he threw for 348 yards with three touchdowns. Retzlaff is one of only three Jewish students at BYU, according to The Associated Press, and once brought a kosher food truck to a team weight training.
Colorado Season storyline: If Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders was indeed “keeping receipts,” the Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback will have a lot to crow about after his turnaround season. After losing eight of their last nine games to finish 4-8 in Sanders’ first season, the Buffaloes went 9-3 in 2024. They were on a four-game winning streak until a 37-21 loss at Kansas on Nov. 23 knocked them out of the Big 12 championship race. The Buffaloes are led by Travis Hunter, a two-way star and Heisman Trophy favorite, and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, a potential No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL draft. Sanders has completed 74.2% of his attempts for 3,926 yards with 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Buffaloes did a better job of protecting Sanders this season; he was sacked 38 times after being dropped 52 times in 2023.
Player to watch: Deion Sanders said his son and Hunter will play in the bowl game. Hunter is the only player in the FBS to log over 150 snaps on both offense and defense. Hunter is the Buffaloes’ leading receiver with 92 catches for 1,152 yards with 14 touchdowns. As a cornerback, he has 31 tackles, 11 pass breakups, four interceptions and one forced fumble. Hunter had the fifth-highest offensive grade (86.2) among receivers in the FBS, according to Pro Football Focus, and the third-highest coverage grade (90.9) among cornerbacks. — Schlabach
Marshall Season storyline: It was a highly successful but strange season for the Thundering Herd, which won their last seven games, including a 31-3 rout of Louisiana in Saturday’s Sun Belt championship game. The next day, Marshall coach Charles Huff was hired as Southern Miss’ new coach. Huff was working in the final year of his contract and had turned down a chance to extend the deal in 2023. The Thundering Herd moved quickly to hire NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson to replace Huff. Marshall associate head coach Telly Lockette will serve as interim coach in the bowl game.
Player to watch: Thundering Herd defensive lineman Mike Green was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year after he led the FBS with 21 tackles for loss and was second with 16 sacks. Green, who transferred to Marshall from Virginia, had a sack in nine of 12 games this season. Green needs one more sack to break Marshall’s single-season record of 17, set by Cecil Fletcher in 1986.
Army Season storyline: It has been a dream season for the Black Knights, who won the academy’s first conference title in the 134-year history of the program by defeating Tulane 35-14 in Friday’s AAC championship game. Army won its first nine games; its only loss was a 49-14 defeat against Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium on Nov. 23. There’s still one big prize left, as the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy is up for grabs in Saturday’s Army-Navy game in Landover, Maryland. The Black Knights won 11 games for the second time in program history; the other time was in 2018 under coach Jeff Monken.
Player to watch: Army senior Bryson Daily is the heart and soul of the offense, running for 29 touchdowns, which is tied with Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty for the FBS lead (Daily has played two fewer games). The senior from Abernathy, Texas, has completed 57.7% of his passes for 877 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. He has been more potent running the ball with 1,480 yards on 264 attempts. Daily was named AAC Offensive Player of the Year and was MVP of the AAC title game. — Schlabach
ESPN BET early line: Army -13
TransPerfect Music City Bowl Nashville, Tennessee Dec. 30, 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Iowa Season storyline: It has been your typical Iowa storyline: a team that’s really good defensively (10th in points allowed) with some offensive challenges. Overall, it was a good season for Iowa at 8-4, with its only blowout loss coming against Ohio State in Columbus. A number of opt-outs will have this team looking different in this particular game, but for a team that finished the season winning four of its last five and going up against a good Missouri team (that will have its own share of opt-outs), it will be an interesting test for Iowa entering 2025.
Player to watch: Running back and Doak Walker Award finalist Kaleb Johnson isn’t playing, but Kamari Moulton is. Moulton was the starter to begin the season, before being replaced by Johnson. He had 70 attempts on the season for 377 yards and two TDs, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Quarterback Cade McNamara is transferring out, and Brendan Sullivan will be the starter for Kirk Ferentz’s team, so we could be seeing plenty of No. 28.
Missouri Season storyline: The Tigers were a popular preseason pick for the College Football Playoff. They finished the season 9-3, with their three losses coming on the road and against teams that were in the Playoff mix in the final two weeks of the season. The Tigers can still clinch a 10-win season, which would mark the third time they did so in back-to-back seasons.
Player to watch: The rest of the receiving room at Missouri. Luther Burden III, one of the best receivers in the nation, won’t be playing in this one. But Missouri is not without other talented wideouts who could step up. Theo Wease Jr. has been credited by Burden for his growth as a player, and Marquis Johnson is another whom the coaching staff has raved about. Of course, Iowa’s defense won’t make anything easy. — Lyles
ESPN BET early line: Missouri -1.5
ReliaQuest Bowl Tampa, Florida Dec. 31, Noon ET (ESPN)
Alabama Season storyline: Kalen DeBoer finished his first regular season with the Crimson Tide at 9-3 and outside the playoff, which might make the Alabama faithful a bit restless considering all the success they were used to under Nick Saban. The Tide’s ugly 24-3 loss at Oklahoma in November (as a double-digit favorite), perhaps the biggest reason Alabama just missed a playoff spot, is also a big source of frustration for the fan base. While there was a big win against SEC champion Georgia and a nice road win at LSU, this season will more than likely be remembered for not only the Tide’s loss to Oklahoma, but also their first loss to Vanderbilt in 40 years.
Player to watch: WR Ryan Williams. All season long, Williams has dazzled Alabama and college football fans with his spectacular and often jaw-dropping catches as an 18-year-old true freshman. His presence alone makes the Alabama offense appointment viewing, even if the unit as a whole has struggled with consistency this season. You just never know when Williams might do something extraordinary that he makes look like another day on the football field. In the regular season, Williams had 857 yards receiving with eight touchdowns and averaged 19 yards per catch. He finished the season with five straight games with at least one catch that went 40 yards or longer.
Michigan Season storyline: Let’s be honest. The season was saved thanks to a 13-10 win at rival Ohio State that stunned not only the Buckeyes but just about every college football observer. Up to that point, the defending national champions had a season they would rather forget — as the offense struggled with ineffective quarterback play for the bulk of the season. Michigan first-year coach Sherrone Moore found it difficult to replace the production of so many players the team lost to the NFL draft. As a result, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell has already been fired. But Moore is now 2-0 vs. the Buckeyes (he was the Wolverines’ interim coach in last year’s game while Jim Harbaugh was serving his three-game suspension) and delivered one of their most memorable wins in the series. Perhaps just as satisfying, Michigan’s win prevented Ohio State from playing for a Big Ten title.
Player to watch: K Dominic Zvada. While we concede it is a bit unusual to choose a kicker as a player to watch, Zvada has provided the lion’s share of the Michigan offense this season — and is the reason for the win over Ohio State, when he kicked a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left. The Bakken-Andersen Big Ten Kicker of the Year, Zvada is the first kicker in school history with four or more field goals for 50-plus yards in one season (he has a whopping seven). His only miss on the season was a 28-yard attempt against Illinois that was blocked. — Adelson
ESPN BET early line: Alabama -11.5
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl El Paso, Texas Dec. 31, 2 p.m. ET (CBS)
Louisville Season storyline: For the most part, Louisville is a good example of how uneven scheduling can make an impact as these power conferences get larger. The Cardinals drew conference games against SMU, Clemson and Miami, in addition to the nonconference game against Notre Dame scheduled by the ACC. The Cardinals went 1-3 in those games, leaving little doubt about where they belonged in the conference pecking order. Louisville was competitive in all those games, which makes its 38-35 loss to Stanford that much harder to comprehend.
Player to watch: WR Ja’Corey Brooks. After three years at Alabama, Brooks transferred to Louisville in the offseason and immediately became one of the Cardinals’ most important players. The former five-star recruit finished the season with 61 catches for 1,013 yards with nine touchdowns and was a first-team All-ACC selection.
Washington Season storyline: After reaching the national title game last season, this season always figured to be a step back in Seattle. The loss of coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama and significant roster turnover — due to departing seniors and the transfer portal — resulted in what amounted to a reset for new coach Jedd Fisch. It was clear after losing the Apple Cup in September, this wasn’t a team that was going to be a serious challenger in its first Big Ten season, and it remained mediocre the rest of the way.
Player to watch: LB Carson Bruener. Bruener committed to UW in 2019, when Chris Petersen was still the coach, then played for Jimmy Lake, DeBoer and Fisch during a standout career. He led the Huskies this season with 93 tackles and three interceptions and was the only player on the team that received higher than honorable mention all-conference honors (he was a third-team selection). — Bonagura
South Carolina Season storyline: South Carolina closed the season as one of the hottest teams in the country, with six straight victories — including three at the time its opponents were ranked (Texas A&M, Missouri and at rival Clemson). The Gamecocks thought that should have been enough to at least get them into the conversation for the 12-team playoff, but they finished No. 15 in the final CFP selection committee standings. Putting the playoffs aside, South Carolina had a terrific season, and has an opportunity to win 10 games for the first time since going 11-2 in 2013. The fact it was able to push past heartbreaking losses to LSU and Alabama and end the season as one of the best teams in the country speaks to the job Shane Beamer has done this season.
Player to watch: QB LaNorris Sellers. If you have not watched Sellers play yet this season, make sure to tune in because boy is he fun to watch. At 6-foot-3, 243 pounds, Sellers has the size to run through people but also the speed to run by people – a combination that has gotten the best of many good defenses this season. That includes Clemson in the regular-season finale as the Tigers had a hard time wrapping Sellers up and tackling him. His 20-yard run through the heart of the Clemson defense with 1:08 left delivered a 17-14 win. He delivers a pretty ball, too, and completed nearly 65% of his passes this season while throwing for 2,274 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Illinois Season storyline: What a season it has been for Illinois and coach Bret Bielema, who have gone 9-3 in one of the biggest surprises not just in the Big Ten but the entire country. Indiana might have Illinois beat for best turnaround, but that does not diminish the job Bielema has done any less, as Illinois has won nine games for the first time since 2007. The last time the Fighting Illini won 10 games? That would be 2001. While they did not beat any teams ranked in the top 25 at the time, there were still several solid wins on the schedule, including Kansas, Michigan and Nebraska.
Player to watch: QB Luke Altmyer. The junior emerged as one of the most efficient passers in the country, throwing 21 touchdown passes to just five interceptions, while adding another four scores and 219 yards on the ground. Altmyer threw for 2,543 yards and completed nearly 61% of his passes, but beyond the numbers he’s as clutch as they come. According to Illinois, he’s the only quarterback in the nation with three game-winning touchdown passes in the final two minutes or overtime this season — in overtime wins over Purdue and Nebraska, and with 4 seconds left in a win over Rutgers. — Adelson
Baylor Season storyline: Dave Aranda came into the season fully on the hot seat after the Bears went 3-9 and ranked 101st in offense (23.1 ppg) and 116th in defense (allowing 33.3 ppg). Aranda, who arrived from LSU after the 2019 national championship season where he served as defensive coordinator, took over the play-calling duties for the defense and hired Jake Spavital to spread the field on offense. Baylor started 2-4, with losses to BYU, Iowa State, Colorado and Utah, but suddenly put it together, beating Texas Tech 59-35, the start of a six-game winning streak,, finishing the season averaging 34.7 points per game, 21st nationally.
Player to watch: Redshirt freshman running back Bryson Washington had 10 carries for 45 yards in three games as a freshman in Waco and had 21, 31 and 28 yards in Baylor’s three early-season losses, and did not play against Utah. But against Texas Tech, he had 10 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns, and went on to average 136 yards per game when Baylor got hot, including 196 yards and four TDs in a 3-point win over TCU and finishing the season with 192 yards and two scores against Kansas.
LSU Season storyline: The Tigers, breaking in new offensive and defensive coordinators this season, opened with what looked like a heavyweight bout with USC, losing to the Trojans, 27-20, at the Vegas Kickoff Classic on Sept. 1. They rattled off six straight wins, including an OT victory over No. 9 Ole Miss to climb back to No. 8 in the country. But three straight losses to Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida knocked them out of the SEC race before finishing with home wins against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.
Player to watch: Garrett Nussmeier skipped the Texas Bowl in 2022 after the 2021 season to preserve his redshirt amid the coaching change from Ed Orgeron to Brian Kelly. He said recently he will play in this year’s game while he’s still deciding if he’s going to return to LSU or enter the NFL draft after throwing for 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns with 11 interceptions this season. Nussmeier was MVP of LSU’s ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin last season, throwing for 395 yards with three TDs. — Wilson
Duke Season storyline: When Mike Elko left at the end of the 2023 season to take the Texas A&M job, it appeared as though the sky might be falling at Duke. A host of big-name talent left behind him, including Riley Leonard, RJ Oben and Aeneas Peebles. Manny Diaz was hired to rebuild the ship, and most doubted it could be done quickly. Instead, Diaz landed a prized QB transfer in Maalik Murphy and bolstered the line of scrimmage with transfers from smaller schools at lower levels. The unlikely alchemy worked, and Duke rolled to a surprising 9-3 season, led largely by explosive plays from Murphy and an attacking defensive front that finished the regular season with the second-most tackles for loss in the country, trailing only its bowl game opponent, Ole Miss.
Player to watch: Duke right tackle Brian Parker is one of the top edge blockers in the ACC, and transfer Bruno Fina has handled himself well at left tackle. The pair will be critical in giving Duke any hopes at pulling off a win against a ferocious Ole Miss pass rush. The key to Duke’s offense is the big play downfield, but giving Murphy time to throw will be a concern.
Ole Miss Season storyline: If Duke’s season is one marked by surprising success, Ole Miss enters its bowl game wondering what might have been. The Rebels lost three games, all by a touchdown or less, including defeats at the hands of Kentucky and Florida. Win either of those games, and the Rebels are likely in the College Football Playoff. So, what does that mean for the bowl game? Lane Kiffin’s team might justifiably view this as an unwanted consolation prize, and given the amount of veteran talent that was expected to help propel Ole Miss toward a championship, it wouldn’t be a shock if the roster for the bowl game looks a good bit different than the one Kiffin had at his disposal during the season. Still, Ole Miss remains an incredibly talented team, and with all due respect to Alabama and others, the Rebels could rightly claim the title of best team not in the playoff.
Player to watch: Sophomore Suntarine Perkins was a standout performer on the Ole Miss defensive front this season, racking up 10.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, eight QB hurries and an interception. Just how many of his teammates on the Rebels’ D-line will be joining him in this game is an open question, but Perkins is enough of a handful on his own to warrant ample attention from the Duke coaching staff, who’ll be desperate to protect its quarterback. — Hale
ESPN BET early line: Ole Miss -11.5
SERVPRO First Responders Bowl Dallas, Texas Jan. 3, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN)
North Texas Season storyline: The Mean Green started 5-1 with only a loss to Texas Tech, then suffered 8-point losses to two of the AAC’s best, at Memphis and home against Tulane. They lost 14-3 against Army, followed by losses at UTSA and against East Carolina. The Mean Green rebounded with a road win at Temple to end the five-game skid and become bowl eligible for the first time under second-year head coach Eric Morris.
Player to watch: Former Oklahoma and TCU quarterback Chandler Morris threw for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns this year and ran for 242 and four touchdowns. He had four 400-yard games this season, including 439 yards and 5 TDs against Tulsa and 449 and three more against Tulane, while leading a UNT offense that ranks third nationally in yards per game (488.7). His father, Chad Morris, is the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach for Texas State.
Texas State Season storyline: The Bobcats return to the First Responders Bowl after beating Rice 45-21 last year in the first bowl win in school history. It was a breakthrough season in coach G.J. Kinne’s first year after the Bobcats had won four or fewer games for the previous eight seasons. Expectations were high, and they started 2-0 with Arizona State coming to town, the eventual Big 12 champs and No. 4 seed in the CFP, escaping with a 31-28 win. Close losses would become a theme: The Bobcats finished 7-5, with those five losses by an average of 5.6 points.
Player to watch: Senior Jordan McCloud was the Sun Belt player of the year at James Madison last season, transferring in to take the reins of Kinne’s offense. He’s experienced and well-traveled, making 43 career starts at Arizona, South Florida, James Madison and Texas State, has thrown for 9,828 yards and 87 TDs with 37 INTs and run for 984 yards and 20 scores. This year, he has thrown for 2,920 yards and 29 TDs with the Bobcats averaging 37.1 points per game, 10th-best nationally. — Wilson
ESPN BET early line: Texas State -7.5
Duke’s Mayo Bowl Charlotte, North Carolina Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Minnesota Season storyline: PJ Fleck’s eighth season in charge at Minnesota was as up-and-down as any he has had. The Gophers started with a disappointing 2-3 record with home defeats to North Carolina and Iowa, but they rallied, upsetting USC and Illinois, nearly doing the same to Penn State and pummeling Wisconsin 24-7 in a game that both returned Paul Bunyan’s Axe to Minneapolis and prevented the hated Badgers from reaching bowl eligibility.
Player to watch: CB Ethan Robinson. The Bucknell transfer earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors, and you could make the case that he deserved even better than that: He led the Gophers with three interceptions and 10 pass breakups and allowed just one touchdown pass. Robinson and a sticky secondary could make things awfully difficult for the Virginia Tech offense.
Virginia Tech Season storyline: Entering the season with top 25 expectations following last season’s late surge, Tech instead began the year 2-3 with disappointing losses to both Vanderbilt and Rutgers. They played brilliantly in a last-second loss to Miami and seemed to be peaking just in time for injuries to wreck their offensive backfield. Still, a midseason three-game winning streak and a late-season pummeling of Virginia salvaged bowl eligibility.
Player to watch: The quarterback, whoever it is. With so many senior stars — running back Bhayshul Tuten, edge rusher Antwaun Powell-Ryland, nickel back Keonta Jenkins — who might choose to opt out in the coming weeks, it’s hard to figure out which Hokies will definitely see the field in Charlotte. But whether it’s Kyron Drones’ swan song after an injury-plagued season or it’s freshman William Watson III attempting to continue a pretty solid audition for the 2025 starting job, Tech will have someone pretty intriguing behind center. — Connelly
ESPN BET early line: Minnesota -4.5
Bahamas Bowl Nassau, Bahamas Jan. 4, 11 a.m. ET (ESPN2)
Buffalo Season storyline: The Bulls rebounded nicely from a 3-9 season in 2023 under first-year coach Pete Lembo, who returned to the MAC and helped Buffalo to its highest wins total since 2019. Buffalo recorded notable MAC wins against Northern Illinois, triumphing in overtime on the road, a win against Toledo, and overcame several blowout defeats to win its final four regular-season contests. Lembo’s team has a balanced offense that limits turnovers and a defense with some star power but some inconsistent play. The Bulls boast one of the nation’s best and most prolific linebacker tandems in Shaun Dolac and Red Murdock, who have combined for 302 tackles to lead the MAC, including 30.5 for loss and eight quarterback hurries.
Player to watch: Dolac. The senior linebacker won MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the FBS in total tackles with 159, while leading the conference in both tackles for loss (16.5) and interceptions (5). He also led the league in tackles last season with 147, which ranked second nationally. Dolac earned MAC defensive player of the week honors five times, a program record, and had a pick-six and two interceptions in a late-season win against Eastern Michigan. Liberty will need to craft its offensive game plan around identifying the 6-1, 225-pound Dolac, who is all over the field for coordinator Joe Bowen’s defense.
Liberty Season storyline: The Flames won a team-record 13 games and reached the Fiesta Bowl in 2023, and returned star quarterback Kaidon Salter and other key pieces for coach Jamey Chadwell. But after a 5-0 start, Liberty saw its nation-long win streak end against winless Kennesaw State, marking the first time in 23 years – and just the sixth time in the AP Poll era, that a team 5-0 or better fell to an opponent 0-5 or worse. The Flames would drop two more games and failed to qualify for the Conference USA championship game. Led by Salter and Quinton Cooley, Chadwell’s offense remained solid but didn’t reach its standard productivity level.
Player to watch: Running back Quinton Cooley. After a 1,400-yard season in 2023, Cooley continued to consistently pile up yards, even for a less-potent Liberty offense. He had eight 100-yard rushing performances and four multi-touchdown games, finishing the regular season with 1,254 yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 contests (Liberty’s game against Appalachian State was canceled). A bowling ball at 5-7 and 220 pounds, Cooley averaged at least 4.1 carries in every game and six yards per carry in six games. He will be a challenge for a Buffalo team that ranks 62nd nationally in defending the run. — Rittenberg
Apariția lui Timothée Chalamet a fost aparent pregătită pentru a-l ajuta să-și promoveze viitorul film, dar actorul a șocat publicul cu un set impresionant de alegeri bine informate. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)
Într-o zi plină de campionate de conferințe, fanii fotbalului universitar s-au confruntat deja cu ceea ce ar putea fi cel mai mare șoc al zilei: Timothée Chalamet știe mingea.
Chalamet s-a alăturat biroului ESPN College GameDay din Atlanta sâmbătă, înaintea meciului pentru titlul SEC dintre Texas și Georgia. Actorul nominalizat la Oscar a continuat apoi să facă o serie de selecții bine cercetate și bine informate, spre șocul fanilor și a analiștilor College GameDay deopotrivă.
În timpul locului său, Chalamet a zguduit statistici specifice și a făcut referire la progresul echipei în raport cu sezoanele precedente. El a verificat numele jucătorilor mai puțin cunoscuți, cum ar fi fundașul Ohio Parker Navarro și fundasul SMU Kevin Jennings.
„Vreau să merg cu 6-0”, a spus Chalamet în timp ce făcea alegerile.
Selecția lui Chalamet ca selecționer de invitați, care a fost anunțată la începutul acestei săptămâni, a stârnit câteva sprâncene: Hollywood A-Lister aparent nu avea nicio legătură nici cu Texas, nici cu Georgia și nu și-a manifestat anterior un interes public pentru fotbalul universitar. Apariția sa în emisiune părea în mare măsură pregătită să-și promoveze viitorul film, „A Complete Unknown”. (ESPN și distribuitorul filmului au ambii aceeași companie-mamă, Disney.)
Dar Chalamet le-a dovedit că toți cei care urăsc au greșit cu un loc de selecție de invitați de succes, arătând cunoștințele aprofundate și cercetările pe care le-a făcut pentru a se pregăti pentru asta.
Alegerile lui Chalamet pentru ziua au inclus: Jackson State peste Southern (SWAC Championship), Louisiana peste Marshall (Sun Bet Championship), Arizona State peste Iowa State (Big 12 Championship), SMU peste Clemson (ACC Championship) și Oregon peste Penn State în (Campionatul Big Ten). El a fost singura persoană din emisiune care l-a ales pe cei defavorizați Ohio peste Miami (OH) în campionatul MAC.
Fotbalul universitar a fost puternic răsturnat în ultimii ani de realinierea conferinței, NIL și transferurile de jucători. În ciuda schimbărilor, una dintre cele mai vechi tradiții ale sale dăinuie: jocurile cu bowl. Aceste jocuri de sfârșit de an datează din 1902, când Michigan a învins Stanford cu 49-0 în Rose Bowl, care a fost inițial numit „Meciul de fotbal Turneu Est-Vest”.
Programul jocurilor de fotbal din colegiu arată puțin diferit în acest an, deoarece playoff-ul de fotbal universitar s-a extins de la patru echipe la 12 echipe. Playoff-ul extins ar fi trebuit să înlăture o mare parte din consternarea față de care echipele au făcut tăierea, dar mormăitul din Miami, Ole Miss și alții arată că nu este cazul. Mai multe echipe nu au diminuat intriga sezonului regulat, așa cum au prezis unii, cu supărări săptămânale care au schimbat proiecțiile în finalul 12, avantajul pe terenul de acasă și asigurându-și o renunțare.
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De obicei, banii de la TV conduc trenul în schimbări. ESPN a deținut drepturile asupra CFP într-o tranzacție care se desfășoară pe parcursul sezonului 2025-26, în valoare de 470 de milioane de dolari pe an. În martie, ESPN a ajuns la un nou acord pe șase ani, în valoare de 7,8 miliarde de dolari, care durează până în 2031-2032, pentru a fi deținătorul drepturilor de playoff. „Acest acord consolidează și mai mult ESPN ca casa fotbalului universitar”, a declarat Jimmy Pitaro, președintele ESPN, într-o declarație când înțelegerea a fost anunțată.
Două luni mai târziu, ESPN a ajuns la o înțelegere de cinci ani pentru a sublicență unele meciuri din playoff către TNT, care va găzdui o pereche de jocuri CFP din prima rundă în următoarele două sezoane, după care canalul de cablu va adăuga două sferturi de finală în fiecare dintre cele trei ulterioare. ani.
Conform noului aranjament CFP, școlile Big Ten și SEC urmează să primească fiecare aproximativ 21 de milioane de dolari anual, în timp ce programele ACC primesc aproximativ 13 milioane de dolari și membrii Big 12 12 milioane de dolari. Notre Dame, care este independentă, este de așteptat să primească și aproximativ 12 milioane de dolari. Școlile Grupul celor cinci vor împărți 9% din câștiguri, ceea ce înseamnă puțin mai puțin de 2 milioane de dolari per instituție.
Iată ce trebuie să știți despre jocul de bowl și programul playoff-urilor pentru sezonul de fotbal universitar 2024-25.
Câte jocuri cu bowl sunt?
Există 36 de jocuri în afara Playoff-ului de fotbal al colegiului, plus cele 11 jocuri de playoff care vor determina campioana națională. Cele șase jocuri tradiționale de bowl de Anul Nou, inclusiv Rose, Orange și Fiesta, vor fi jocurile din sferturile de finală și semifinalele playoff-ului.
Programul bowl începe cu Cricket Celebration Bowl pe 14 decembrie și se încheie cu meciul Campionatului Național pe 20 ianuarie, la aproape două săptămâni după meciul pentru titlu de anul trecut. Mărcile de renume Allstate, AT&T, Capital One și Goodyear sponsorizează din nou jocuri, la fel ca și câteva nume mai puțin cunoscute, cum ar fi Scooter's Coffee, StaffDNA, SRS Distribution și 68 Ventures. Chiar și Snoop Dogg are propriul său joc de bowl anul acesta cu Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl.
Când sunt anunțate jocurile cu bowl?
Majoritatea meciurilor vor fi dezvăluite duminică, 8 decembrie, pe parcursul zilei, pe ESPN. Meciurile pentru titlul conferinței de sâmbătă vor stabili ordinea generală pentru jocuri și playoff. Rețelele Disney ESPN și ABC vor fi casa pentru aproape toate jocurile de bowl, în timp ce Fox, CBS și The CW vor difuza fiecare câte un singur joc. În mai, TNT a ajuns la o înțelegere de cinci ani pentru a sublicența unele jocuri playoff de la ESPN. TNT va găzdui o pereche de jocuri CFP din prima rundă în acest an.
Cine face parte din Comitetul de Selecție CFP?
Comitetul este format din 13 membri a căror sarcină este să clasifice primele 25 de echipe, să atribuie primele 12 în clasamentul playoff-ului și să atribuie locurile de bowl. Conform ghidurilor CFP, clasamentele se bazează pe „evaluarea de către membri a performanței echipelor pe teren, folosind campionatele de conferință câștigate, puterea programului, rezultatele în față și compararea rezultatelor cu adversarii obișnuiți.” Formatul playoff-ului pentru acest sezon va include cinci calificări automate de la cei cinci campioni de conferință cu cel mai bine clasat și șapte oferte la mare.
Mai jos este programul complet al jocurilor de bowl 2024-2025 cu liste TV.
Programul meciurilor din playoff de fotbal universitar
Jocul CFP din prima rundă
• Vineri, 20 decembrie, ora 20.00 ET. Urmărește pe ABC/ESPN
Jocul CFP din prima rundă
• Sâmbătă, 21 decembrie, ora 12:00 ET. Urmărește pe TNT
Jocul CFP din prima rundă
• Sâmbătă, 21 decembrie, ora 16.00 ET. Urmărește pe TNT
Jocul CFP din prima rundă
• Sâmbătă, 21 decembrie, ora 20.00 ET. Urmărește pe ABC/ESPN
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl – Sfert de finală CFP
• Marți, 31 decembrie, ora 19:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – Sferturi de finală CFP
• Miercuri, 1 ianuarie, ora 13.00 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Rose Bowl Prezentat de Prudential – Sfert de finală CFP
• Miercuri, 1 ianuarie, ora 17:00 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Allstate Sugar Bowl – Sferturi de finală CFP
• Miercuri, 1 ianuarie, ora 20:45 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Capital One Orange Bowl – Semifinală CFP
• Joi, 9 ianuarie, ora 19:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic – Semifinală CFP
• Vineri, 10 ianuarie, ora 19:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Campionatul Național CFP Prezentat de AT&T
• Luni, 20 ianuarie, ora 19:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Alte jocuri cu bowl
Bol pentru celebrarea cricketului
• Sâmbătă, 14 decembrie, ora 12:00 ET. Urmărește pe ABC
IS4S Salutare Veteranilor Bowl
• South Alabama vs. Western Michigan, sâmbătă, 14 decembrie, ora 21:00 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl
• Memphis vs. Virginia de Vest, marți, 17 decembrie, ora 21.00 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Boca Raton Bowl
• Miercuri, 18 decembrie, ora 17:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
LA Bowl
• Miercuri, 18 decembrie, ora 21.00 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
• Joi, 19 decembrie, ora 19.00 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN2
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
• Vineri, 20 decembrie, ora 12:00 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
• Vineri, 20 decembrie, ora 15:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
castron Myrtle Beach
• Luni, 23 decembrie, ora 11 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Celebrul castron de cartofi din Idaho
• Luni, 23 decembrie, ora 14:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Bowl Hawaii
• South Florida vs. San Jose State, marți, 24 decembrie, ora 20:00 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Game Above Sports Bowl
• Joi, 26 decembrie, ora 14.00 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Evaluează Bowl
• Joi, 26 decembrie, ora 17:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
68 Ventures Bowl
• Joi, 26 decembrie, ora 21.00 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Birmingham Bowl
• Vineri, 27 decembrie, 12 sau 15:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Bowl forțelor armate Lockheed Martin
• Vineri, 27 decembrie, 12 sau 15:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
• Vineri, 27 decembrie, ora 19.00 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Bowl de vacanță DirecTV
• Vineri, 27 decembrie, ora 20.00 ET. Urmărește pe Fox
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
• Vineri, 27 decembrie, ora 22:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
• Sâmbătă, 28 decembrie, ora 11 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
• Sâmbătă, 28 decembrie, ora 12:00 ET. Urmărește pe ABC
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
• Sâmbătă, 28 decembrie, ora 14:15 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Bol Pop-Tarts
• Sâmbătă, 28 decembrie, ora 15:30 ET. Urmărește pe ABC
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
• Sâmbătă, 28 decembrie, ora 16:30 ET. Urmărește pe CW Network
Go Bowling Military Bowl
• Sâmbătă, 28 decembrie, ora 17:45 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Valero Alamo Bowl
• Sâmbătă, 28 decembrie, ora 19:30 ET. Urmărește pe ABC
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
• Sâmbătă, 28 decembrie, ora 21:15 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
• Luni, 30 decembrie, ora 14:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
ReliaQuest Bowl
• Marți, 31 decembrie, ora 12:00 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
• Marți, 31 decembrie, ora 14.00 ET. Urmărește pe CBS
Bol cu citrice Cheez-It
• Marți, 31 decembrie, ora 15:00 ET. Urmărește pe ABC
Texas Bowl
• Marți, 31 decembrie, ora 15:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
• Joi, 2 ianuarie, ora 19:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Bol pentru primul răspuns SERVPRO
• Vineri, 3 ianuarie, ora 16 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Duke's Mayo Bowl
• Vineri, 3 ianuarie, ora 19:30 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN
Bahamas Bowl
• Buffalo vs. Liberty, vineri, 4 ianuarie, ora 11 ET. Urmărește pe ESPN2
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