Wednesday, September 09, 2026

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College Football

Julian Sayin, Arch Manning, John Mateer, Bryce Underwood

Week 1 wrapped with more drama than expected, capped by a controversial finish between Michigan and Western Michigan. Week 2 brings one game that dwarfs everything else on the schedule, plus the first taste of conference play in a few spots. Here's a snapshot from Wilson Alexander's Top 10 Games of the Week.

7. Tennessee at Georgia Tech (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Tennessee freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon earned SEC freshman of the week honors after a five-touchdown debut against Furman, and linebacker Arion Carter is back from suspension as the Volunteers head to Atlanta as heavy favorites. Georgia Tech needs a response after last week's late collapse against Colorado, especially from a run game that mustered just 51 yards with sacks included.

1. Ohio State at Texas (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

Ohio State heads into Austin for the season's first top five matchup, with early College Football Playoff positioning on the line. Texas has dropped its last two meetings with the Buckeyes, but Steve Sarkisian gets this one at home, and the game showcases quarterbacks Arch Manning and Julian Sayin alongside wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Cam Coleman. Texas is a slight favorite, according to Polymarket.

Wilson Alexander ranked the other eight best games of Week 2 below, including a marquee matchup that has one starting quarterback's job in question and a rivalry renewal that won't happen again for another decade.

SEE THE FULL SLATE →

College Football

True Freshman Standouts from Week 1

Week 1 delivered a wave of standout true freshman performances across the country, with several top-rated prospects looking every bit the part in their college debuts.
Nebraska RB Jamal Rule earned True Freshman of the Week honors, racking up three total touchdowns and more than 160 all-purpose yards in a breakout debut.
Charles Power breaks down four more true freshmen who turned heads in Week 1, including a five-star name that already has a signature play to his credit.

FULL STORY →

College Football

Florida State put its fans in purgatory, and all they can do for now is boo

Florida State's home crowd turned openly hostile toward Mike Norvell throughout Monday night's loss to SMU, booing stalled drives, a timeout, and every setback in between.
The Seminoles rallied to tie it before falling 27-24, and Andy Staples argues that some fans may have welcomed the result given where the program stands financially heading into 2027.
Norvell addressed the boos head-on after the game, and Staples explains why "better play" might not be enough to pull Florida State out of its current purgatory.

COLUMN FROM ANDY STAPLES →

College Football

Louisiana politicians call out SEC hypocrisy amid league's 'ridiculous' threat to expel LSU

"I and a lot of other people in the United States Congress will be on them like a hobo on a ham sandwich. LSU hasn’t done anything wrong," said one Louisiana Senator.

College Football

Dabo Swinney gets chippy with reporter after Clemson roster construction question

Dabo Swinney continues to face immense criticism following Clemson's embarrassing 51-10 loss at No. 11 LSU. But rather than taking responsibility for the demoralizing defeat, Swinney instead flipped the script on a local reporter.