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Who is No. 1 in the first rankings?

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Until now, college football fans had to be content with just the AP top 25 and the Coaches Poll to get its weekly fill of the latest rankings, but as the calendar turns to November, this week marks the first time the playoff selection committee reveals its own judgments.

And those will be the ones that count, as the selectors are once again charged with shaping the actual College Football Playoff field and the national championship race.

This season has been defined by upsets, surprise contenders, and highly-ranked teams proving to be paper tigers, resulting in plenty of change in the weekly polls up to now, and leaving the selectors with quite a dilemma in assembling their own top 25 rankings.

Predicting the College Football Playoff top 25 rankings

Tim Heitman – Imagn Images

25. Tennessee. Look, this isn’t what we would do, but the committee will argue that an SEC team with two of its three losses coming by one possession against top-ten conference opponents still warrants a ranking. It doesn’t, but they might think it does.

24. Memphis. The committee has to be seen ranking a Group of Five team, and this is their best bet. The American is the best G5 conference, and while Navy is still atop its standings, their strength of schedule won’t warrant a ranking. Memphis also has a win over USF, the other American contender, making it the front-runner here, and would be the No. 12 seed if the playoff started this week.

23. Cincinnati. The Big 12 hopefuls had won 7 straight games and were just 3 points in a loss to Nebraska away from being undefeated before a bad loss at Utah.

22. Missouri. Two losses against expected top-15 SEC opponents help the Tigers, but the loss of quarterback Beau Pribula to an injury and four tough games left to play don’t.

21. Washington. This could be a 10-2 team if the Huskies can beat Oregon in the finale, which somehow doesn’t feel impossible right now.

Predicting the College Football Playoff rankings

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

20. Michigan. They won three-straight since the loss at Southern Cal, and there’s a win over Washington that looks better each week.

19. USC. Wins over Nebraska and Michigan, both with winning records and the latter by 18 points, help boost the Trojans’ rep in the committee room.

18 . Georgia Tech. An 8-1 record looks good on paper, but the committee won’t have much regard for the Jackets’ strength of schedule, and even less given their loss to NC State this past weekend. The win over Clemson that got them ranked in the first place is worthless now.

17. Utah. There are two costly losses, against Texas Tech and BYU, but both of those are highly-regarded teams, and the Utes are averaging 45 points in every Big 12 win.

16. Miami. The head-to-head win over Notre Dame will count for something, but the Hurricanes have also dropped two of their last three, both to then-unranked teams.

Predicting the College Football Playoff rankings

Robert Myers-Imagn Images

15. Vanderbilt. Two of those three wins against then-ranked SEC opponents don’t look so good anymore after they plummeted out of contention, and its two losses have come against prospective top-ten teams.

14. Louisville. A nice win over Miami and sitting just four combined points away from being undefeated have the Cardinals have a decent resume to build from.

13. Virginia. Sitting at 8-1 and undefeated in conference play, given the loss to NC State was a non-ACC game for scheduling reasons, the Cavaliers’ position in the league race could be a boost in the committee’s deliberations.

12. Notre Dame. Despite the loss to Miami and the 0-2 start, the Fighting Irish have done more since then, beating three teams with winning records during their six-game win streak.

11. Oklahoma. The losses to Texas and Ole Miss hurt the Sooners, but both are top-ten teams, and OU is coming off that big win at Tennessee shows this team can still win in big moments despite facing arguably college football’s toughest remaining schedule.

Predicting the College Football Playoff rankings

BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

10. Texas. Wins against ranked SEC foes in Oklahoma and Vanderbilt help boost the Longhorns’ reputation with this offense playing better at the right time, but future results against Georgia and Texas A&M will be critical for their staying power.

9. Texas Tech. Winning on the road against Utah is not something many teams have done, and that combined with a win over Houston, and ranking second in college football in margin of victory per game, are solid resume-boosters for the 8-1 Red Raiders.

8. Oregon. The loss to Indiana hurts, as does the Ducks’ relative lack of a strong schedule, and the win at Penn State, a jewel in their crown several weeks ago, is now basically worthless.

7. BYU. Being undefeated helps the Cougars, as does a win over resurgent Utah, and they have a chance to supercharge their strength of record if they can beat Texas Tech this weekend.

6. Ole Miss. Ordering the best teams in the SEC should be easy for the committee, given Alabama beat Georgia and Georgia beat the Rebels, but they lack a truly otherwise-dominant strength of schedule, just inside the top 25 compared to Bama and Georgia in the top-ten.

Predicting the College Football Playoff rankings

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

5. Georgia. The selectors like one-loss SEC teams more than undefeated teams in other conferences, and the Bulldogs also have a win over then-undefeated and still top-ten Ole Miss.

4. Indiana. Technically the most dominant team in college football, ranking No. 1 in average margin of victory at 31 points per game, but not having a ranked non-conference win could put them behind the Aggies and Crimson Tide.

3. Texas A&M. A win at Notre Dame looks better each week and a dominant performance at LSU is solid even if that team has slipped for a team playing its best football in a generation, and is the last among the SEC that remains undefeated.

2. Alabama. You could argue no other team has this good a resume, beating four ranked opponents in a row in college football’s toughest conference.

1. Ohio State. It’s possible the Buckeyes will have just one win over a CFP ranked team (Texas), but the selectors should keep them atop the rankings given how well they’ve dominated their competition to this point.

More: When the College Football Playoff rankings come out today



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College Basketball Rankings: Coaches Poll Top 25 updated after Week 8

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The USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll Top 25 has been refreshed following the eighth week of the season. It was a bit of a light week due to Christmas, but some showdowns still took place amid the holiday celebrations, resulting in some movement throughout the Top 25.

With conference play picking up this coming weekend, we’re getting into the nitty-gritty of the season, where the rankings will fluctuate week-in and week-out. While this past week was packed with tune-up games and not a ton of riveting action, that won’t be the case from now until April.

Regardless, the Coaches Poll Top 25 is certain to see plenty of movement. For now, here’s how things stack up after Week 8. This week’s updated rankings are below.

Michigan enjoyed a full week off and enters the week undefeated at 11–0. The Wolverines return to action with home games against McNeese State on Monday and USC on Friday.

Senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg has been the engine, stuffing the stat sheet with 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. Michigan will look to stay perfect as conference play looms.

Arizona
Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Arizona rolled past Bethune 107–71 last Monday to improve to 12–0 on the season. The Wildcats host South Dakota State before traveling to Utah for a road test on Saturday.

Freshman guard Brayden Burries has emerged as a steady scorer, averaging 14.0 points per game. Arizona’s depth and tempo continue to overwhelm opponents early in the season.

Iowa State remained perfect at 12–0 after an off week. The Cyclones host Houston Christian on Monday and West Virginia on Friday.

Junior forward Milan Momcilovic leads the team at 18.3 points per game. Iowa State’s balance continues to separate it from most of the field.

UConn had the week off and remains one of the nation’s most complete teams at 12–1. The Huskies head to Xavier on Wednesday before hosting Marquette on Sunday.

Junior guard Solo Ball leads the backcourt with 15.4 points per game. This week offers a strong measuring stick against Big East competition.

Purdue
Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Purdue stayed idle last week but remains firmly entrenched near the top of the Coaches Poll with an 11–1 record. The Boilermakers face a tricky week with a home matchup against Kent State on Monday before heading to Wisconsin on Saturday.

Senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn continues to anchor the frontcourt, averaging a double-double at 13.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Purdue’s ability to maintain consistency through a two-game week will be closely watched.

Duke remained idle last week and sits at 11–1 entering a two-game stretch. The Blue Devils host Georgia Tech on Wednesday before traveling to Florida State on Saturday.

Freshman phenom Cameron Boozer has been dominant, averaging 23.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Duke will be tested defensively as ACC play intensifies.

Gonzaga extended its winning streak with a victory over Pepperdine on Sunday and sits at 13–1. The Bulldogs play three times this week, traveling to San Diego before hosting Seattle U and LMU.

Junior forward Braden Huff leads the way with 19.1 points per game. Gonzaga’s depth will be tested during the busy stretch.

Houston
John Jones-Imagn Images

Houston enters the week at 11–1 after a quiet stretch. The Cougars host Middle Tennessee State on Monday before heading to Cincinnati on Saturday.

Senior guard Emanuel Sharp continues to pace the offense with 17.9 points per game. Houston’s defensive pressure remains its calling card heading into conference play.

Michigan State enjoyed a week off and sits at 11–1 on the season. The Spartans host Cornell on Monday before traveling to Nebraska on Friday.

Senior forward Jaxon Kohler has been a force inside, averaging 13.9 points and 10.3 rebounds. Michigan State will look to sharpen its execution away from home.

BYU cruised past Eastern Washington 109–81 last Monday to improve to 12–1. The Cougars face a lone test this week with a road trip to Kansas State on Saturday.

Freshman star AJ Dybantsa has lived up to the hype, averaging 23.1 points per game. BYU’s offense remains one of the most explosive in the country.

11. Vanderbilt
12. North Carolina
13-T. Nebraska
13-T.
Louisville (+1)
15. Alabama
16. Texas Tech
17. Kansas
18. Arkansas
19. Illinois
20. Tennessee
21. Virginia
22. Florida
23. Iowa
24. Georgia
25. St. John’s

Dropped Out: No. 25 USC

Others Receiving Votes: Kentucky 35; USC 25; Utah State 14; Auburn 7; Saint Louis 6; Clemson 6; Seton Hall 5; Oklahoma State 5; Yale 4; UCLA 4; Saint Mary’s 4; LSU 3; California 2; Villanova 1; Miami (OH) 1; Indiana 1



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Petrino’s Friend Found a Workaround to Pay Taylen Green That’s Now Prohibited by NCAA

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Petrino’s Friend Found a Workaround to Pay Taylen Green That’s Now Prohibited by NCAA
photo credit: Craven Whitlow

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When Bobby Petrino returned to Arkansas after the 2023 season, his first task was finding a new quarterback.

In this era of college football, that also meant funding a new quarterback. For that, the former head coach leaned on his old friend Frank Fletcher.

The Little Rock-based businessman stepped up and footed a large chunk of the bill for Taylen Green, the talented signal caller Petrino identified to run his offense for the Razorbacks.

It hasn’t only been a transactional relationship, though. Over the last two years, Fletcher has been mindful of Green’s life after sports. Rather than simply handing the star quarterback a boatload of cash, he offered something few college athletes receive: personal relationship and mentorship.

“I had a wonderful two years with Taylen Green,” Fletcher said during Monday’s edition of Morning Mayhem on 103.7 The Buzz. “I was lucky that I happened to back a player that was that nice a kid and [had] great parents. I’ve learned a lot from him. I’m teaching him everything I know, and he wants to learn.”

Fletcher helped Green navigate the financial market by giving the QB1 homework, making him chart a series of stocks over a few months – something that could prove even more important after his subpar finish to the 2025 season likely impacted his pro prospects.