In most cases, our knowledge increases with the passage of time. It’s what Faces sung about back in 1973, and it’s how every Alfred Hitchcock mystery found resolution. But we’re almost two months into the FBS season, and college football is still as opaque as opening day.
We do know some things. Ohio State is unsurprisingly good; Penn State is surprisingly not. What do we make of Notre Dame, though? How about USC, Oklahoma and (*winces*) Texas? Who deserves our Heisman hyperfixation? Uncertainty is this sport’s selling point, and there have been wholesale amounts of it through the first half of the season.
Last Saturday gave us a lot to parse through. Indiana stunned Oregon on “College GameDay.” Arch Manning led a Red River Rivalry upset. And the James Franklin epoch ended with a loss to … Northwestern?! More strangeness awaits. The week already started with two upsets on Tuesday night (Arkansas State eked out a last-second win over South Alabama, while Western Kentucky fell at home to FIU). Here’s what’s next, with the forthcoming schedule sorted by headliners and sleepers in each broadcast window.
All times ET, and all odds via BetMGM.
Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.
| Game | Time (ET) | TV | Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Delaware at Jacksonville St. |
7 p.m., Wed. |
ESPN |
|
|
Tulsa at East Carolina |
7:30 p.m., Thu. |
ESPN |
|
|
Louisville at Miami |
7 p.m., Fri. |
ESPN |
|
|
San José St. at Utah St. |
9 p.m., Fri. |
CBSSN |
|
|
LSU at Vanderbilt |
Noon, Sat. |
ABC |
|
|
Georgia Tech at Duke |
Noon, Sat. |
ESPN |
|
|
Arizona at Houston |
Noon, Sat. |
FS1 |
|
|
Ole Miss at Georgia |
3:30 p.m., Sat. |
ABC |
|
|
UNLV at Boise State |
3:30 p.m., Sat. |
FS1 |
|
|
Texas Tech at Arizona State |
4 p.m., Sat. |
Fox |
|
|
Tennessee at Alabama |
7:30 p.m., Sat. |
ABC |
|
|
USC at Notre Dame |
7:30 p.m., Sat. |
NBC |
|
|
Utah at BYU |
8 p.m, Sat. |
Fox |
ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC are free over the air. In addition, CBS streams on Paramount+, Fox streams on Fox One and NBC streams on Peacock. All ESPN network broadcasts, including ABC, also stream on ESPN Unlimited.
There are two games on Wednesday evening. UTEP and Sam Houston are a combined 1-11 this year, so we’ll go with the Blue Hens and Gamecocks. Two of Delaware’s last three tries have made for close finishes (beat UConn 44-41, lost to Western Kentucky 27-24). Quarterback Nick Minicucci has topped 300 passing yards twice, and he has a pair of three-TD rushing efforts as well. Jacksonville State’s Cam Cook leads the nation in rushing (832 yards, 5.9 yards per carry, seven scores). He’s dynamic between the tackles and pounds the rock beyond his 5-foot-11 frame.
Our only offering Thursday. If you’re not quite feeling championship series baseball … or the NHL’s opening week … or the Joe Flacco-Aaron Rodgers duel in pro football, well, here’s your salvation. Tulsa’s offense isn’t particularly watchable right now, but edge rusher J’Dan Burnett is scorching with six sacks in six games (he had five in four years at Louisiana Tech). ECU ranks 20th in passing offense and 15th in scoring defense. The Pirates are hosting their annual “Night of the Boneyard” with sleek black jerseys. It’s like “Night of the Living Dead,” with QB Katin Houser as the lead, and without the reanimated corpses.
This is the Hurricanes’ first interstate matchup since August (wins against Florida State, Florida, South Florida and Bethune-Cookman). Heisman hopeful Carson Beck is feeling himself under center, and Rueben Bain Jr. looks like a top-10 draft pick on the defensive line. Miami has been playing with self-assurance, and last year’s meeting with Louisville was a 52-45 banger. The Cardinals would be undefeated if not for a three-point overtime loss to Virginia last outing. Wideout Chris Bell’s recent lines: 12/170/2 TD versus UVa, and 10/135/1 TD at Pittsburgh.
There are two other Friday games that deserve chaos consideration (chonsideration?). A ranked Nebraska team treks up to Minnesota, and Matt Rhule’s one-score proclivities are well established by now. In the late kickoff, Bill Belichick’s humiliation ritual continues with North Carolina at Cal. But we’ll give Friday’s spot to two Mountain West members with a low spread and a high-scoring outlook. Who says no to the over-under of 64.5 points? The Aggies are narrow home favorites behind QB Bryson Barnes (12 TD, 2 INT). The Spartans counter with Walker Eget (13 TD, 3 INT, fifth in passing yards per game). Recommended viewing for fans of flying objects.
Place your ear to the conch and you’ll hear John Madden joyously grumbling about unstoppable forces versus immovable objects. LSU has allowed a paltry 11.8 points per game so far (fifth in college football), while Vandy is averaging more than 43 on the other end (seventh best). The linebacking Brothers Weeks (West and Whit) headline a demoralizing Tigers defense. Harold Perkins Jr. is versatile at the second level, and cornerback Mansoor Delane is flying up NFL mock boards.
Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia is a two-way game breaker. He should be eager to bounce back after Alabama bottled him up, and the Nashville crowd should be popping for this commercial broadcast.
There are other worthy options, from Washington-Michigan at the Big House to John Mateer’s redemption try in South Carolina. But we’ll land on the 3-0 ACC teams with punchy offenses and budding national profiles. Georgia Tech hasn’t been this high in the AP rankings since 2014 … yet it is a slim underdog in Durham. Unranked Duke is averaging more than 42 points across its three-game conference win streak.
The shifty and hard-nosed visiting quarterback, Haynes King, has at least one rushing TD in each of his games this season. The host, Darian Mensah, is second in passing EPA, trailing only USC’s Jayden Maiava in expected points added per dropback. As always … small spread, big total, can’t lose, no Friday night or lights required here.
Arizona just gave BYU a lasting jump-scare, the type that comes from under the bed or within a dark hallway. The Wildcats showed a lot of resolve in last Saturday’s double-OT loss. QB Noah Fifita is a dimer when he has enough time to operate. Houston’s one loss was to formidable Texas Tech, and receiver Amare Thomas has put up more than 19 yards per catch in his developing connection with Conner Weigman. Bill Connelly’s SP+ predictive model has these opponents separated by 0.8 points. Don’t sleep on the H-Town action.
Here is our only draw between top-10 teams this week, so of course it gets the window’s top billing. “College GameDay” will be in Athens on Saturday. Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart both came from the Nick Saban coaching tree. Kiffin called Smart, “the best coach in college football” at his Monday presser, but he also questioned his counterpart’s calorie intake.
Georgia’s defense is eating, as it’s known to do, and QB Gunner Stockton starts the week with the third-best QBR in the country. But the Bulldogs have a tough assignment in Rebels quarterback-turned-folk hero Trinidad Chambliss. The most unlikely breakout of 2025 wasn’t on a Division I roster last year. His ascent has rightfully captured hearts and spun heads. Chambliss seems wholly unafraid of the moment after toppling LSU three weeks ago.
Trinidad Chambliss has entered the Heisman Chat.
Forest Hills Northern grad Trinidad Chambliss (Mississippi Rebels QB) was 23/39 for 314 yards and 1 TD + rushed for 71 yards in their upset win over #4 LSU. pic.twitter.com/wy6v7kEEZQ
— The D Zone (@TheD_Zone) September 27, 2025
There are notable trap games in this window that should be acknowledged. Indiana takes on Michigan State in a Peacock app exclusive, which prohibits split-screen viewing. Texas A&M visits Arkansas, which is 2-4 overall and winless in conference play. Ohio State has Wisconsin … and we cannot recommend watching Wisconsin with any sound mind. How about the dynamic Red Raiders in the arid Tempe desert?
Texas Tech ranks second in the nation in scoring at 47.5 points per game, and the air-raiding offense is once again rolling under Behren Morton. Critically, Morton is dealing with a leg injury suffered in last weekend’s win over Kansas. Arizona State may have looked flat in Utah, but that was without Sam Leavitt. The QB who helped lead the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff last year could be back under center this week after dealing with an ankle injury.
UNLV is undefeated after squeaking past Air Force with a 51-48 victory. Boise State has topped 40 points in all four of its wins, and its blue turf is still one of the most aesthetically pleasing things in college football. The afternoon window is packed, but these two Mountain West Playoff bubblers deserve some love. The winner on Saturday keeps its outside CFP chances upright.
Ty Simpson is balling out like a Heisman Trophy heavyweight. He has 16 touchdowns to just one pick. He’s rerouted a potential Tide disaster with five consecutive Ws — the last three against ranked SEC teams — and he dealt Georgia its first home loss in six years. Simpson is supported by a pro-level defense that’s been particularly unforgiving on passing downs. Alabama is No. 3 in yards allowed through the air per game; it gets another chance to prove itself against Vols QB Joey Aguilar and vertical menace Chris Brazzell II (6/177/3 TD line against Georgia).
Tennessee has given us a handful of memorable finishes (44-41 OT heartbreaker to UGA, but a 41-34 OT rally at Mississippi State). And Alabama has given us much to talk about in the early going. This should be a good one.
Time for the Jeweled Shillelagh. Notre Dame’s unique independent setup puts all of its games on chaos watch. The Fighting Irish are comfortably 4-0 versus unranked opponents (their last four matchups), but they’ve dropped two thrillers by a combined four points versus the ranked ones (Miami and Texas A&M in the first two weeks). USC is indeed ranked, rocking a No. 20 spot in the latest AP poll. That doesn’t guarantee any cuticle gnawing, but the Trojans’ WR1 Makai Lemon poses all kinds of problems in South Bend. He enters Saturday as the sport’s second-best receiver by total yardage, and he’s on pace for first-round draft status despite his 5-foot-11 stature.
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love brings his own wattage with 11 total TDs already. A third Irish L before November would seriously dent their postseason bid. USC hasn’t won at Notre Dame since 2011. This historic animosity could yield weirdness, and we sincerely hope that it does.
*Presented by Bob Seger … and the quaking aspen, official state tree
It’s not a true sleeper given its stakes, but it still slips under the radar with the aforementioned blue bloods in this late window. Utah defensive end John Henry Daley has an absurd eight sacks so far, and he’ll have to chase down slippery BYU freshman Bear Bachmeier in the biggest game of his career to date. Utes QB Devon Dampier is elusive and nimble, too, and he can make a bellowing statement against the Cougars’ vaunted defense.
Utah-BYU has it all: ranked rivals, intrastate trophy game, an SP+ outlook separated by 0.5 points (projected final score of 24-24!). This is that meme with the wrestling guy everyone hates. Sorry, we do football over here. Dirty soda optional but encouraged.
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U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, took in more campaign cash in the third quarter than any other GOP contender for Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat, according to Federal Election Commission records.
The congressman reported $513,992 in donations from July through September — almost $100,000 more than the $417,890 in contributions reported by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, his main rival in the GOP primary.
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is running for governor instead of seeking a second term in the Senate.
More than 77% of Moore’s contributions came from individuals, the records showed.
Roughly $114,000 was donated by political action committees.
Moore’s campaign spent more than $244,000 during the third quarter, including fundraising and digital advertising. He also refunded $29,500 in contributions.
The congressman ended the third quarter with more than $557,279 in cash on hand.
Moore, who registered his Senate campaign committee in mid-August, has raised about $780,000 since then.
Meanwhile, more than 86% of the $417,890 in donations Marshall’s campaign took in from July through September came from individuals, FEC records showed.
The remainder came from $42,300 Marshall transferred from Marshall Victory Fund, another campaign committee he controlled, in the third quarter while political action committees contributed $14,500.
Marshall spent $245,291 during the quarter, mostly on political consulting, polling and fundraising.
He ended the quarter with $555,553 in cash on hand.
The attorney general formally entered the race on May 29.
Since then, Marshall has raised more than $824,209, records showed.
Former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson came in third in the third-quarter money race with a more than $330,861 haul. The entire total came from individual contributors.
Hudson spent about $175,000 during the quarter.
He ended the fundraising period with more than $357,038 in cash on hand.
Rodney Walker, a cattle farmer and businessman, loaned his campaign $325,000 and personally contributed another $50,000, records showed. He only reported $26.03 in contributions that were not from himself.
Morgan Murphy, a former Tuberville staffer who entered the race in late September, did not yet have fundraising figures on the FEC website.
The candidates’ fundraising totals were reported a month after Marshall led the Senate race’s only poll.
Marshall was the choice of 37% of respondents in The Alabama Poll, to 16% for Moore.
The poll found a large number — 40% — remain undecided.
Hudson got 7% while Walker got 1%.
On the Democratic side, Kyle Sweetser, a business owner and lifelong Alabama Republican who spoke at last summer’s Democratic National Convention, reported more than $21,688 in donations. He had more than $32,400 in cash on hand to end the quarter.
Dakarai Larriett, a business owner, Birmingham native, and University of Alabama graduate, did not show any fundraising numbers as of 6:27 p.m. Wednesday.
A report also did not show up for Mark Wheeler of Heflin, a Jacksonville State University graduate and chemist who works for a wire manufacturing company.
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The Tennessee Volunteers are set for a major matchup between them and the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, which is just days after the Crimson Tide defeated the Missouri Tigers and the Vols defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks.
These two teams simply hate each other. That is the best way to put it, as this is one of the better SEC rivalries of all time. The Vols have won two of the last two, but prior to their game winning kick by Chas McGrath the Vols lost nearly two straight decades in this rivalry.
One of the Alabama Crimson Tide receivers recently made a statement that many describe as bulletin board material. The Crimson Tide wide receiver detailed how the Vols defense and playing against them is like the field of dreams. Here is what he had to say.
“They like to play man-to-man, and they want to bring the house, so I mean it’s a great opportunity for our offense. They give up a lot of yards, but that’s because they trust and believe in their guys to get the job done. For us to have the opportunity to go against man-to-man, it’s a field of dreams. That”s what those receivers want, them man-to-man matchups. It’s going to be up to us to go out there and make plays.”
Willie Martinez (Tennessee DB coach) was asked about this in his presser appearance on Tuesday. Here was his response.
“I really don’t read what’s being said. That’d be the first time I’ve heard it. I’m sure that they probably listen to stuff like that. Or it’s out there on social media. We just we just care about how we prepare. We know that our opponent is a good team. Obviously, everybody that we play is really good and they’re going to be ready for us. We’ve just got to be at our best when we play them. And they got great receivers. We know that. We faced them last year. They’ve got a couple of a couple of other guys too that are doing a really good job. A quarterback that’s hot. Simpson is doing a really great job of managing the offense and being very productive. So we’ve got to do a good job again on those early downs, trying to get them behind the sticks to force the third down and longs and be efficient and the best we can.”
With the 2025 season in full swing, AL.com is continuing to highlight the top high school football players in Alabama.
Our latest statewide list focuses on the best linebackers in 7A. (Earlier: 7A quarterbacks | 7A running backs | 7A tight ends | 7A offensive linemen | 7A defensive linemen)
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