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College Football Playoff Bubble Watch: Could Deion Sanders, Colorado sneak into field?

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College Football Playoff Bubble Watch: Could Deion Sanders, Colorado sneak into field?

On Saturday, while Deion Sanders and Colorado sat at home and Travis Hunter did a Heisman Trophy media tour of national pregame shows, the Buffaloes were among the biggest winners in the College Football Playoff race.

Iowa State lost at home to Texas Tech and trimmed the list of undefeated Big 12 teams to just one. Not long after, Kansas State tripped up in Houston, suffering its second Big 12 loss and falling behind the Buffaloes in the conference standings after beating Colorado last month.

Now Colorado, which won a single conference game a season ago and trailed 28-0 at halftime to Nebraska in Week 2, has a real path to the Playoff. This is the benefit of the current iteration of the Playoff: Every conference race has relevance. And the Buffaloes are right in the thick of the Big 12 race.

Two weeks ago, six teams in the league had one conference loss or fewer. After the inevitable chaos arrived in the most wide-open power conference, there are only three. And one of them is Colorado.

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BYU is the Big 12’s lone remaining undefeated team, and the Buffaloes are now tied with Iowa State in second place. The Buffaloes travel to Texas Tech this weekend and finish the season with games against three teams sitting in the bottom four of the conference. Neither BYU nor Iowa State will face Colorado.

Iowa State still has Kansas State and Cincinnati, two teams in the top half of the conference. BYU still has a good chance to finish 12-0 but travels to rival Utah and Arizona State and hosts improving Kansas and Houston.


Colorado wide receiver-defensive back Travis Hunter is one of the favorites in the Heisman Trophy race. (Ron Chenoy / Imagn Images)

All Colorado needs to control its fate for the Playoff is one Iowa State loss. If it doesn’t get it, it might still qualify for the Big 12 Championship Game via tiebreakers. (Note: How the tiebreakers are applied likely will depend on if BYU loses and, if it does, who it loses to.)

At that point, Sanders and the Buffs would be 60 minutes away from the Playoff.

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It’s a new world of college football, and no power conference team can be counted out until the heart of conference play arrives. Colorado is living proof of that.

Each week, Bubble Watch will examine who’s in, who’s out and who’s somewhere in the middle leading up to the first 12-team College Football Playoff. It’s a realistic snapshot of the field, not a projection. The five highest-ranked conference champions will get an automatic Playoff berth. Find Austin Mock’s model’s bracket projections here.

ACC

Team

Definitely in

Probably in

In the mix

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Keep an eye on

Clemson’s ugly home loss to Louisville delivered a massive hit to the ACC’s odds of putting two teams into the bracket.

But it does eliminate the possibility of an ugly tiebreaker scenario among three teams undefeated in conference play. Clemson doesn’t have a win that will impact the committee and has two losses. The Tigers will need a lot of help to land an at-large bid if they don’t win the ACC.

SMU has a decent resume but may still come up short of an at-large bid at 11-1 if it can’t win the ACC. Miami is the league’s only team with a great shot to do so. If chaos strikes in the last month of the season, Pitt and Louisville are still looming to steal an ACC title game spot.

Big Ten

Team

Definitely in

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Probably in

In the mix

Keep an eye on

Ohio State’s win over Penn State was a massive win for the Big Ten. The odds of landing three teams in the Playoff look like a near certainty, and four is well within reach. Indiana continues to be dominant, getting to 9-0 with an average margin of victory of 32.9 points and winning all nine games by at least 14.

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An Ohio State loss to Penn State might have made the Indiana-Ohio State game on Nov. 23 a Playoff elimination game. Instead, both teams could still have legit Playoff hopes with a loss, although it’ll be a nervy Selection Sunday if the loser doesn’t play for the title in Indianapolis.

One of the league’s top four teams may be very sad when the final rankings drop, but it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the league playing its way into legitimate Playoff contention.

Big 12

Team

Definitely in

Probably in

In the mix

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Keep an eye on

Kansas State’s and Iowa State’s losses opened the door for an impossibly sexy proposition for the Playoff (see above), but it did major damage to the league’s hopes of landing an at-large bid. Iowa State is the league’s only team with a real shot, but it will have to run the table and hope Kansas State keeps winning to make an Iowa State win in Farmageddon look as good as possible.

Even then, it might take BYU getting to the Big 12 title game and losing to Iowa State, Colorado or K-State for the league to get more than one team.

SEC

Team

Definitely in

Probably in

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In the mix

Keep an eye on

The SEC has five teams with one conference loss. Good luck sorting out who makes it to Atlanta. The race for the automatic bid is going to be unpredictable down the stretch.

The four teams “in the mix” have a real shot to play their way into or out of the field during the season’s final month, especially as the ACC and Big 12 were coughing up bids on an upset-filled Saturday when Clemson, Iowa State and Kansas State all lost.

Vanderbilt and Missouri are looming with two conference losses, but there are too many teams between them and the top for either to reasonably reach Atlanta. Plus, both have ugly losses (Georgia State for Vanderbilt, A&M/Alabama for Mizzou) that make an at-large bid seem almost impossible.

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Group of 5

Team

Definitely in

Probably in

In the mix

Keep an eye on

Running back Ashton Jeanty’s Heisman campaign has slowed in recent weeks, but Boise State’s Playoff hopes have surged as competition has fallen off. And if we get a surprise winner in the Big 12 … could the Broncos sneak into the No. 4 seed with the Group of 5 automatic bid? It’s possible, but we’ll have a better idea of the odds when the committee releases its first rankings on Tuesday. If Boise State is ranked higher than any Power 4 conference champion on Selection Sunday, it will get the bye into the quarterfinals as the No. 4 seed.

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Boise State has a chance to avoid a rematch with UNLV if Colorado State keeps winning. The Rams are tied atop the Mountain West standings at 4-0 and none of the three play each other in the final month of the season, so it could come down to a tiebreaker if Colorado State loses. Army is still looming in the American but doesn’t have the resume strength of Boise State and seems unlikely to crack the committee’s Top 25, despite being one of just five remaining undefeated FBS teams.

Navy and Memphis: Thanks for playing. The Midshipmen lost for the second consecutive week, and Memphis went on the road and gave up 44 points in a loss to UTSA. Those two are removed from the Playoff conversation.

Others

Team

Definitely in

Probably in

In the mix

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Keep an eye on

The Irish didn’t need any more help, but they got it anyway from the ACC and Big 12.

Mock’s model gives the Irish an 89 percent chance to make the field, and Notre Dame keeps moving up the seeding lines, too. Army will be the Irish’s toughest remaining game, and rival USC continues to slide, falling to 4-5 with a loss Saturday at Washington.

(Top photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

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Chargers’ Justin Herbert gushes over Madison Beer in heartfelt birthday tribute: ‘Changed my life forever’

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Chargers’ Justin Herbert gushes over Madison Beer in heartfelt birthday tribute: ‘Changed my life forever’

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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert gushed over 27-year-old singer Madison Beer in a heartfelt birthday tribute on social media, offering fans a rare glimpse into the couple’s relationship. 

The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, who normally shies away from the public eye, posted a series of photos to his Instagram Stories on Thursday. 

Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up prior to a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 8, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

“Happy birthday to my favorite person of all time,” Herbert wrote in a post that showed the couple on the sidelines of one of his NFL games. “I love you so much. You’ve changed my life forever.”

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In another photo appearing to show the couple out to dinner, Herbert wrote, “I am the luckiest guy alive…”

Herbert, who turns 28 later this month, shared another photo of the “Make You Mine” artist petting goats and captioned the photo, “My goats.”

The couple was first linked together in August when they were spotted together on the set of one of Beer’s music videos in Los Angeles. Herbert and Beer were photographed in October on the sidelines of a Chargers game at SoFi Stadium, seemingly confirming the dating rumors. 

Quarterback Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers and singer Madison Beer attend an NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 24, 2025. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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The same month, Herbert went viral after blocking a rogue basketball from hitting Beer when the two sat courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game.  

Herbert signed a five-year, $262.5 million extension with the Chargers in July 2023. Despite proving himself to be one of the elite young quarterbacks in the NFL, Los Angeles’ offensive struggles have seen the team fall short in back-to-back playoff appearances.

Quarterback Justin Herbert (10) of the Los Angeles Chargers blocks a basketball from hitting Madison Beer as they attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 24, 2025. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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 The team’s offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, was fired in January and replaced with former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who is regarded as one of the top offensive minds in football. 

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Shohei Ohtani’s second-inning grand slam propels Japan to a rout in World Baseball Classic opener

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Shohei Ohtani’s second-inning grand slam propels Japan to a rout in World Baseball Classic opener

The last time Shohei Ohtani was seen wearing a World Baseball Classic uniform with “Japan” across his chest, he was striking out Mike Trout of the United States on a ninth-inning, full-count slider to give his country a victory in the championship game three years ago.

So much has happened in Ohtani’s life between then and now. He has a wife and a daughter, a new interpreter, a new Major League team, two World Series championships and three more Most Valuable Player awards.

Yet unforgettable WBC memories continue. This time, he delivered from the batter’s box instead of the pitcher’s mound.

In the second inning of Japan’s WBC opener against Chinese Taipei on Friday at the Tokyo Dome, Ohtani smacked a hanging curve a few feet over the right-field wall for a grand slam, triggering an offensive onslaught that resulted in a 13-0 victory.

“I thought it might land as an out, so above all, I really wanted to get the first run on the board,” Ohtani told reporters afterward.

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Ohtani led off the game with a double and singled in his second at-bat of the second inning, when Japan put up a WBC-record 10 runs. He added a run-scoring single in the third inning, giving him five runs batted in.

In 2023, Ohtani hit and pitched Japan to the WBC title, batting .435 with eight RBIs and allowing only two earned runs in 9 2/3 innings on the mound. This year, he will only bat, saving his pitching for the Dodgers, who begin their quest for a third consecutive World Series title in three weeks.

Japan’s starting pitcher Friday was a decorated Dodger nevertheless. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, MVP of the 2025 World Series, threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings, walking three and striking out two while giving up no hits.

His command wasn’t pinpoint — he threw 53 pitches, 33 for strikes — but it is still spring training, even though the atmosphere was electric for Japanese players competing in front of a crowd of 42,314 that included actor Timothy Chalamet and superstar Bad Bunny.

“I know there will be some tough battles ahead, but if the fans and the team can unite and everyone can help build the excitement together, it will really encourage us,” Ohtani said.

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Russell Wilson escalates feud with Sean Payton, labels Broncos coach ‘classless’

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Russell Wilson escalates feud with Sean Payton, labels Broncos coach ‘classless’

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Russell Wilson and Sean Payton spent just one NFL season together, but tension lingered after a rocky year.

And it appears the tension that built up from that tumultuous stretch continues to linger.

Wilson’s interview on the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast, recorded before last month’s Super Bowl between Seattle and New England, recently resurfaced. 

In the interview, Wilson doubled down on his October comment labeling Payton “classless,” saying he felt slighted by his former coach’s remarks.

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Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos talks to quarterback Russell Wilson on the sideline during an NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium Aug. 11, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)

“[When] you’ve been on the same side or this and that, and I got the same amount of rings as you got, meaning Sean, right?” said Wilson, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks as Payton did coaching for the New Orleans Saints. 

“I got a lot of respect for him as a play-caller, this and that, but to take a shot, I don’t like. I don’t think it’s necessary, you know, I mean, especially when I’m not even on your own team anymore. So, for me, there’s a point in time where you have to, I’ve realized, I’ve stayed quiet for so long. There’s a there’s a time and place where I’m not.

“I know who I am as a competitor, as a warrior, as a champion, too, and, you know, I’ve beaten Sean, too. You know, like we’ve been on the same place and the same thing. And so, it’s not a matter of disrespect. Just don’t disrespect me.”

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Sean Payton and Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos during an a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Empower Field at Mile High Nov. 19, 2023, in Denver, Colo. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)

After a rocky one-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, Wilson joined the New York Giants last offseason. However, he was relegated to a backup role after just three games.

Rookie Jaxson Dart quickly showed promise once he had the chance to start, but his season was briefly derailed by injury. Jameis Winston — not Wilson — stepped in for Dart in a handful of games. Dart threw three touchdowns in a Week 7 matchup with the Broncos, nearly pulling off an upset in what was eventually a close loss.

After the game, Payton said Dart provided a “spark” to the Giants’ offense.

“I was talking to [Giants owner] John Mara not too long ago, and I said, ‘We were hoping that that change would have happened long after our game,’” Payton said.

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The New York Giants’ Russell Wilson attempts to escape a sack by Dallas Cowboys defensive end James Houston (53) in the first half of a game Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.  (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Payton also said the Broncos would have faced less of a challenge had Wilson been under center.

“Classless … but not surprised,” Wilson responded in a social media post. “Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later though the media.”

Despite last season’s struggles and chatter about his football future, Wilson does not appear ready to call it quits in 2026.

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“I wanna play a few more years for sure,” he said. “I think, for me, I’ve always had the vision of getting to 40, at least. I think the game is different. Quarterbacks, we get hit. It’s not, you know, we get hit hard, but … there’s certain rules. I mean, back in the day when I started, bro, it was you just get [clobbered]. 

“I mean, so I feel like the game allows you to, you know, live a little longer, I guess. I feel healthy. I feel great. But I think, more than anything else is, do you love the game? Do you love studying? Do you love the passion for it all? Do you love the process? Do you love the practice? Do you love — everybody loves the winning part of it, but it’s process. There’s a journey that you got to be obsessed with. And that part I’m obsessed with.”

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