All of a sudden, that 24-team College Football Playoff format might be front and center for an SEC dreaming of getting five, six, ten of its members into the postseason tournament.

Yes, the CFP is supposed to use a new metric – which is really a twist on what it already utilizes – that gives more respect to the strengths of schedules. That's supposed to boost the SEC – give, say, 2025 Texas credit for losing at Ohio State, even though it went 9-3 – but there are two issues with that, at least when it comes to what we're projecting below.

First, the College Football Playoff always falls back on record ranking. If there's a debate in the Grapevine meeting room – it's nice; the food is tremendous – 10-2 is a lot easier to sell than 9-3, which is why we haven't seen Power Four programs with three pre-conference championship losses leapfrog those with two or fewer.

And second, even though the upsets are coming – last Saturday probably wasn't an outlier – there's no way, no how, no chance the committee will put in a 9-3 power conference team in over an 11-1 Power Four program.

That's where the SEC comes in. A few weeks ago, it looked like the conference would own the CFP. And then Florida started losing. So did LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Now, as we're doing this just past the midway point in the season, there are just four SEC teams left – Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee – with fewer than two losses, and all of them have one.

So how many SEC teams will make the College Football Playoff? Our best guess is three, and it'll take a shoehorn to make that happen. (By the way, we're still bullish on Kentucky, but we're predicting a few close losses over the next few weeks.)
– Why the 24-Team CFP Probably Won't Suck
Oct 17, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) walks off the field with his arm in a sling after the game against the Indiana Hoosiers Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Projected Final Record: 13-0
Remaining Games: at App State, Troy, at Southern Miss, at UConn, Coastal Carolina

This will likely be a big debate if Boise State keeps on rolling and goes 12-1 with a Pac-12 **** le, with its only loss coming to Oregon in the season opener. James Madison won't have any Power Four wins – last year's team didn't either – but if it's 13-0, it'll be tough to leave out.
Projected Final Record: 9-3
Remaining Games: at Auburn, Alabama, Texas, at Tennessee, at Arkansas
Here's where the strength of schedule emphasis kicks in. The call is that the committee would rank a three-loss LSU over a Big 12 or ACC team – it's my favorite CFP line, because I swear I've seen a little box behind glass that the committee goes to when it's in a pinch that says – … because it's Alabama.

There's still one more LSU loss coming somewhere – like, at Tennessee – but Alabama is everything in the brief history of the College Fo

On August 6, James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) reported results for the quarter ended June 30 and beat its own numbers by enough to raise guidance just three months into the fiscal year. Net sales jumped 64% year over year to $1.475 billion, adjusted EBITDA climbed 79% to $422.1 million, and both figures came in ahead of what management had originally guided investors to expect. For a company that closed a transformative acquisition less than a year earlier, that kind of overshoot forces a reassessment of the growth story ahead.
The headline growth number is inflated by the AZEK Exteriors deal folded into the base, so the more telling figure is the 12% pro forma net sales growth, which also beat original guidance. Siding & Trim, the core fiber cement business, posted organic net sales growth of 20% as North American fiber cement volumes returned to growth for the first time in several quarters. CEO Aaron Erter tied that to share gains against vinyl and other competing materials, along with programs like ColorPlus and Expanded Statement drawing more of the higher-end repair and remodel market. Adjusted EBITDA margin in that segment expanded 140 basis points to 33.5%, powered by favorable pricing, cheaper raw materials, and continued savings from the company's Hardie Manufacturing Operating System even as freight costs rose.
Management also said cost synergies from the AZEK integration are running ahead of schedule and revenue synergies are on track, evidenced by newly expanded nationwide distribution partnerships with Boise Cascade and other regional distributors. In Deck, Rail & Accessories, sell-through accelerated every month of the quarter and outpaced shipments, pulling channel inventory back to normal levels and setting up a cleaner back half of the year. Free cash flow more than doubled to $254.2 million, and the company used the cash to pay down $400 million of senior unsecured notes.
Erter was careful to frame the beat as execution rather than a healthier market, telling investors the company is "not ***** uming a housing market improvement" for the rest of fiscal 2027. Part of the quarter's strength came from an easy comparison, since channel inventory was deliberately reduced a year earlier, and management said that benefit is expected to moderate as the year goes on. Deck, Rail & Accessories net sales actually fell 5% on a pro forma basis because the company intentionally cut production to work down channel inventory, leaving the segment with an operating loss of $3.3 million for the quarter.

#Growth #sales #management

The Oregon Ducks were embarrassed on the road in a Week 2 loss to Oklahoma State. And, to add injury to insult, the Ducks were down a key weapon on offense and lost more important pieces as the game went on.
Tight end Jamari Johnson made the trip to Stillwater and warmed up with the team, and there was no reason to believe he wouldn't suit up and take the field. However, as the game kicked off, the ESPN broadcast reported that Johnson wouldn't play against the Cowboys.
After the upset loss, Dan Lanning clarified that Johnson suffered an injury against Boise State, which remains undisclosed, and he was unable to practice before the Oklahoma State game. On Monday, with a short week of practice ahead of a Friday night game against Portland State, Lanning gave an update on Johnson's status.
"Still evaluating it with Jamari," Lanning said. "We'll see what that looks like. I think I mentioned last week he might be down for a few (games), so we'll see if he's able to get back to where he's able to perform."
If Johnson is unable to play for a few weeks, Oregon will have to lean on its unproven options at tight end. Penn State transfer Andrew Olesh drew the start against Oklahoma State and made one catch. Freshman Kendre Harrison also played, while Clemson transfer Markus Dixon played one snap.

#lanning #week #ducks

Florida State is in search of a new athletic director after the university fired Michael Alford on Monday, Sep. 14, four years after he was hired.
The move was made by FSU president Richard McCullough, who said the Seminoles' athletic program needs to better position itself for the future of collegiate athletics. When he spoke with the media Monday morning, McCullough gave insight into what FSU is looking for in its next athletic director.
He placed a value on business acumen and cited the need for success in revenue generation, while also being savvy enough to navigate the complexities of modern collegiate sports, particularly football.
While no move is imminent, here are a few names that make our initial FSU AD hot board.
Dickey has led the Broncos since 2021, and during his time as the program's athletic director, ***** ey has had a huge impact on revenue generation for the program. That's an area that McCullough highlighted as being important to the Seminoles next AD when speaking to the media after Alford's firing. ***** ey, named the 2025 National ***** ociation of Collegiate Directors of Athletics AD of the year, has overseen Boise State's transition from the Mountain West into the reimagined Pac-12, which would suit FSU and the university's potential interest in departing the ACC.

#Athletic #collegiate

Seriously, now what? How will the AP Top 25 voters pick their teams this week after making a statement by leaving Michigan out last week, and with Oregon losing to Oklahoma State, and after Texas made its big comeback win over Ohio State?

After one of the most interesting Week 2 weekends in a long time, there should be plenty of movement, and we try to predict what the voters will do.
The call: Texas will make the move up from 4 to 1 after beating the previous No. 1, Ohio State – but this is a true guess. No. 2 Georgia has been dominant so far.
Michigan was technically 28th after its close call win over Western Michigan. But after taking down No. 11 Oklahoma, the 2-0 Wolverines will move back into the top 25.
Oregon was No. 2, was mediocre in a win over Boise State and dropped to 8. After losing to an Oklahoma State team that lost to Tulsa the week before, the Ducks will (probably) drop out of the top 25 entirely.
Top Others Receiving Votes: Boise State, South Carolina, Western Michigan, UCLA, Oregon, Pitt, Virginia Tech, Colorado

#michigan #western

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Hauss Hejny accounted for five touchdowns to lead Colorado State to a 58-24 victory over Southern Utah on Saturday night.
Hejny finished 18 of 30 for 325 yards and threw four touchdown passes. He added 85 yards on the ground on five carries that included a 75-yard touchdown run with 12:31 left in the game to cap the scoring.
Colorado State, which is 2-0 for the first time since 2011, led 48-21 at halftime and finished with 678 yards of offense. It was their highest scoring output since posting 52 points against Boise State on Nov. 11, 2017.
Mel Brown had a 73-yard touchdown run and finished with nine carries for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson Harper made six catches for 102 yards receiving with a touchdown. Terrence Smith Jr. caught two touchdown passes and finished with four receptions for 90 yards. Cedric Ross had a pair of catches for 87 yards and a score.
Will Burns was 12-of-23 passing for 233 yards and threw a touchdown pass and two interceptions for Southern Utah (1-2). Floyd Chalk had 17 catches for 144 yards with two scores for the Thunderbirds.

#state #catches #Colorado #southern

BOISE, ID — For the first time in the Charles Huff era, Memphis football lost.
The Tigers (2-1) lost 38-20 to Boise State (1-1) thanks to a 35-3 run by the Broncos that started at the end of the first half and carried over into a dominant second half. It's a loss that establishes Boise State as the top team in the Group of Six even before conference play has started for most teams.
"What's delayed is not denied," Huff said after the game. "We've still got a long road ahead. No one in our building talked perfection. We all talked about getting better each week. Although the scoreboard doesn't reveal us getting better, we can learn from how we played today."
Both teams came in planning to lean heavily on their running game. Boise State ultimately won that battle by a landslide, as the Broncos ran for 357 yards and averaged 7.6 yards per carry.
Huff said after the game that he thought Memphis' defense wore down a little bit in the second half. He also said Boise State didn't do much schematically that confused the Tigers.

#huff

The USC Trojans host the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in their third game of the 2026 season. USC continues to make its way through the cupcake portion of its schedule, two weeks before the season-defining September 26 game against Oregon. USC needs to continue to shake off rough edges, become more disciplined, and work toward a state of more complete preparedness for Oregon.
The Oregon Ducks did not look good against Boise State, but Boise State is a much tougher opponent than the Fresno State team USC shut out last week. Louisiana is even more of a cream puff than either of those teams, so while Oregon's struggles might encourage USC fans, the reality is that the Ducks faced a tough opponent. USC can't put too much stock in what it does against Louisiana. What matters is establishing good habits so that they become second nature. Improving the level of discipline throughout the roster is, in many ways, the main priority for this game, alongside not getting anyone injured two weeks before playing Oregon.
Get real-time updates, scoring plays, turning points and expert ******* ysis throughout USC's game against Louisiana. Follow along for highlights, injury news, key plays and an instant breakdown of the game.
Hit refresh for the latest updates as the game continues.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC vs Louisiana live updates: Highlights, predictions, ******* ysis

#state #ducks

A week after inching past a much-less talented Group of Six opponent in Boise Stat, the No. 6 Oregon football team fell in a shocking upset to Oklahoma State Sept. 12 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, 39-31.
It's Dan Lanning's first loss to an unranked opponent as the Ducks' head coach and the first time in college football history a team on a 10-plus-game losing streak broke such a streak with a win over a top-10 team.
It's also a humiliating defeat for a Ducks team that received widespread acclaim and praise as a national championship contender during the offseason.
"The score was closer than it really was, because it wasn't close in a lot of ways," Lanning said. "We got our ****** kicked in a lot of areas."
But what went wrong for the Ducks in Stillwater? What problems arose in Week 2 that weren't issues in Week 1, and what are new causes of concern? What's going on with the Oregon run game, and why haven't the Ducks been able to consistently get stops against, on paper, significantly less talented teams?

#talented

What's wrong with Oregon? Ducks' shocking loss to Oklahoma State raises questions about new coordinators originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It's too early to hit the panic **** on for any college football team. But of any FBS team, Oregon may have the most reasons to be worried.
After a Week 1 scare against Boise State, the Ducks fell to unranked Oklahoma State on Saturday, with Drew Mestemaker's three total touchdowns helping the Cowboys down the country's No. 6-ranked team in Stillwater.
There's a growing list of problems for Oregon, which now faces even more pressure for matchups like USC, Michigan and Ohio State later in 2026.
Here's a breakdown of what's been going wrong for the Ducks through two games.

#state #oklahoma #wrong #week

Oregon survived a scare against Boise State in Week 1, overcoming an upset to open the season with a win.
A week later at Oklahoma State, Oregon found itself in a similar position — only this time Dan Lanning's squad couldn't deliver the same ending: Oklahoma State defeated No. 6 Oregon 39-31 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma on Saturday, Sept. 12.
REQUIRED READING: Oregon stunned by Oklahoma State by running and throwing of Drew Mestemaker
The Ducks fought all the way back and briefly took a 31-30 lead when Dante Moore connected with Evan Stewart for a 38-yard touchdown. But Oklahoma State answered right back, as quarterback Drew Mestemaker scored on a 10-yard rushing touchdown to permanently put the Cowboys back in front.
Oregon then made a bold decision with 6:48 remaining in the fourth quarter, going for it on fourth-and-8 from its own 33-yard line. The gamble did not pay off, as Moore's pass to Dierre Hill Jr. on the right side fell incomplete, resulting in a turnover on downs. The failed conversion gave Oklahoma State prime field position and put the Ducks' comeback hopes in serious jeopardy when the Cowboys tacked on a 31-yard field goal from Sam Keltner.

#ducks

A week after losing to Tulsa and a year after losing by over 60 points to Oregon, the Cowboys shocked the No. 6 Ducks 39-31 on Saturday.
Oregon, a 24-point favorite, was somehow even sloppier than it was in its Week 1 win over Boise State. And the epitome of that adjective came just after the 2-minute warning. As Oregon needed a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to tie the game, RB Dierre Hill simply dropped a toss from QB Dante Moore and Oklahoma State recovered.
THE PITCH IS **** ED AND OKLAHOMA STATE HAS IT!!! pic.twitter.com/HAyEKGLIMM
Oregon had three timeouts after the fumble, but QB Drew Mestemaker kept the ball on a third-down read option to seal the game with a run for a first down.
"I don't know if I can top this," OSU coach Eric Morris told ESPN after the game. "I'm not going to retire but I might think about it tonight."

#week #cowboys

In two weeks, USC faces Oregon in the Trojans' game of the year, the one which will shape the rest of their season. Oregon's outlook after the Boise State game is marked by concern and optimism. The concern comes from how poorly the Ducks played. The optimism comes from being able to win in spite of the below-par performance. Ducks Wire noted the good and bad performers from the game. Here are one of each:
Ducks Wire liked what it saw from linebacker Dylan Williams:
"The biggest riser on the defense in my mind was linebacker Dylan Williams, who played a huge role in this game, stepping up alongside Jerry Mixon and Devon Jackson in that linebacker room. While his stats don't jump off the page, Williams was flying around the field and had a huge impact on this game, earning some high praise from Dan Lanning when all was said and done. Expect to see a lot more of Williams this year."
Ducks Wire did not like what kick returner Evan Stewart brought to the table:
"As a wide receiver, Evan Stewart was great on Saturday, with eight catches for 72 yards. As a punt returner, though, Stewart left a bit to be desired. He had a trio of mistakes: a fair catch at the 3-yard line and two ****** ed punts, one of which was recovered by Boise State. In the end, Oregon was still able to get the win, and Lanning expressed support of Stewart after the game, but it's clear that this operation needs to clean up going forward for the Ducks, or we may see someone else back there in the return game."

#game #stewart #oregon #dylan

After squeaking out a win at home against Boise State in its season opener, the No. 6 Oregon football team will look for more consistently strong play in its first road test against Oklahoma State in Stillwater this weekend.
The Ducks (1-0) will likely deal with scorching temperatures and potential stormy weather as they hit the road for the first time this season to take on a Cowboys (0-1) side that hasn't lost a home opener since 1995.
The Register-Guard will have live updates and highlights from Oregon at Oklahoma State. Come back to follow along.
Watch Oregon vs. Oklahoma State on Fubo
Buy Oregon Ducks football tickets

#oregon #oklahoma #home #Football

The Oregon Ducks' defense hasn't received much kudos this week after allowing the Boise State Broncos to score 27 points on them in Week 1, including multiple 70-plus yard scoring drives. While the standard wasn't met as a collective with blue-chippers lining every position, defensive tackle Bear Alexander's performance was a different story.
Facing an underrated Broncos rushing attack headed by Dylan Riley (1,125 yards, 10 touchdowns in 2025) and Sire Gaines (811 yards, eight touchdowns), the Ducks were going to be tested up front to begin the season. And, especially in the second half, there were moments where the Boise State run game was successful in churning out positive gains. But by game's end, they'd ran for just 93 yards on 26 carries, good for just 2.6 yards per pop.
Alexander answered the call, totaling eight tackles including a sack of quarterback Maddux Madsen. There were moments of the second-year Oregon starter simply discarding Boise State's center and guards before swallowing up Riley or Gaines near the line of scrimmage.
The performance of Alexander caught the eye of The Athletic NFL draft ***** yst Dane Brugler, who dove into the Week 1 tape and made a strong claim about the defensive tackle's draft stock.
"At 6-3 and 311 pounds with 34-inch arms and 10 1/8-inch hands, Alexander is a physical presence in the trenches who can shred blocks or hold his ground versus double teams," Brugler wrote. "A former top recruit, he had stops at Georgia and USC before transferring to Oregon, where he is realizing his potential. With his size and ability, Alexander started his senior season as a top-100 prospect and is competing to be in the top-50 conversation."

#boise #week #riley

The opener for Oregon Football at Autzen Stadium was an interesting one, as an electric go-ahead touchdown from Moore to Moore sealed the deal late in the game.
Many felt it shouldn't have come down to that, and they have a point.
Now granted, Boise State has been and is a dog of a program, a total workhorse. You're not going to catch the Broncos sleeping, as Oregon knows only too well.
That being said, the talent disparity is real. Boise, as determined as they may be, simply cannot match up with Oregon skill-wise position by position.
Knowing that, perhaps Oregon was a bit overconfident? They certainly didn't need to help the Broncos out as much as they did.

#Broncos

This year has been tougher than most, with absolutely nothing to go off of for Week 1, but now the belief systems start to kick in. While I lean a bit too heavily on the flaky historical trends this week, I'd be doing America a disservice if I didn't at least point them out.

It's Week 2. Let's have some fun.

Results So Far: 13-12
– CFN Week 2 Expert Picks
– Week 2 Schedule, Picks
Line: Michigan State -17.5
ATS Pick: Michigan State
– Game Prediction and Preview

Along with Michigan State being far better than an Eastern Michigan team that just lost to San Jose State and struggled against Sacramento State, there's a historical thing happening here.

Michigan State is 7-0 all-time against Eastern Michigan, and … fine. This is a goofy trend, but the Spartans really should roll in this.

The Spartans won 73-14 in 2014. 23-7 in 2012, 42-10 in 2008, 52-20 in 2006, 56-7 in 2002, 51-7 in 1999, and 47-0 in 1996. Six total wipeouts and one outlier on the 17.5 in 2012.
Line: Oregon -23.5
ATS Pick Oregon
– Game Prediction and Preview
If Oklahoma State is about to turn the machine on, fine, I'll tip my cap and move on. But I just can't get past this. It's not like 2025 North Texas, and all its star players now with Oklahoma State, did anything against the powerhouses.

The best win was against … Navy?

The Cowboys didn't look anywhere near close to being ready for primetime last week in the loss to Tulsa, and now they get an Oregon team coming off a mediocre performance against Boise State.

What happened the week after the last time Oregon had a tough fight against the Broncos? In 2024, it followed up the 37-34 win with a 49-14 domination at Oregon State.
Line: Indiana -56.5
ATS Pick Indiana
– Game Prediction and Preview

I have a personal rule to always pick the underdog that walks into a building up 50 or more against the spread. I whiffed on that last week, taking Utah Tech +51.5 against BYU – the Cougars won 63-7.

I ****** umed Miami -59.5 would stop scoring at some reasonable point against Florida A&M on Thursday night. The Hurricanes won 77-7. Indiana beat Indiana State 73-0 last season.

In the first year under Curt Cignetti, it beat Western Illinois 77-3. I'll take the chance that 56.5 might be laughably low against another FCS team if history repeats itself.

#line

While the Cleveland Browns' 2026-27 NFL season is set to begin on Sunday, many fans will continue to tune into the 2026 college football season in hopes of a new quarterback.
Last week, the quarterback viewing guide highlighted LSU's Sam Leavitt and Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss as two names to watch for in Week One. Both quarterbacks thrived in their primetime matchups, and this weekend, there are even more prospects in key contests.
Here are three quarterbacks Browns fans should watch during Week Two of the 2026 college football season.
Saturday at 12:00 PM EST vs Oklahoma State (ESPN)
After barely surviving a potential upset against the Boise State Broncos in Week One, the Oregon Ducks will not receive an easy break on Saturday.

#Browns #quarterback #watch

Notre Dame is now number three in the ***** ociated Press Top 25 poll after beating Wisconsin 41-13 in Week 1.
That's a one-spot jump. Notre Dame received four first-place votes.
Ohio State is now number one, with Georgia, Texas and Indiana rounding out the top five.
There were few big movers, but Oregon did slide four spots to No. 6 after winning a close one over Boise State. Michigan dropped out of the Top 25 despite hanging to win against Western Michigan on a controversial Hail Mary.
https://t.co/T23NtgfCyw
Michigan is out of the AP Top 25 after a controversial Hail Mary and LSU jumps into the top 10 after blowing out Clemson. See the full rankings. pic.twitter.com/TSjd4wsJeL

#hail #number

Week 0 and Week 1 gave us plenty of drama! UMass gave us one of the biggest upsets in modern day College Football when they knocked off Rutgers, while Michigan needed a diabolical miracle to beat Western Michigan at the buzzer on a Hail Mary. Oregon also a close call at home to Boise State, so the Big Ten was off to a rough start, but they have a chance to make a statement in Week 2. Texas hosts Ohio State in Week 2 as the headline
Well, here are my Top 25 rankings entering Week 2 of the 2026 season, along with quick overviews and predictions for each team. Every Sunday moving forward you can find my Top 25 here on NBC! Make sure to join the chat on social and chime in with your rankings or where I went wrong! Let's get to it.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
2026 Record: 1-0 (0-0)
Last Game: 56-3 win vs Ball State
Next Game: At #5 Texas — Saturday at 7:30 PM ET
Three different Buckeyes threw for five touchdowns against Ball State and three different rushers had a touchdown as well. Ohio State even scored in the final two minutes against Ball State in a 56-3 win. The Buckeyes were shaking off all the rust and getting all their guys confidence up ahead of the top five showdown with Texas. Ohio State won last year's meeting versus Texas in Columbus, 14-7. We'll see what happens this year! I say Ohio State 21, Texas 20. Jeremiah Smith snaps his two-game touchdown drought against Texas and the Longhorns move to 0-6 against Ohio State and Georgia since 2024.
2. Georgia Bulldogs
2026 Record: 1-0 (0-0)
Last Game: 63-3 win vs Tennessee State
Next Game: Vs Western Kentucky — Saturday at 12:45 PM ET

#state #texas

Oregon Ducks football coach Dan Lanning wasn't all that pleased following his team's 34-27 win over Boise State in the 2026 season opener. The Ducks were sloppy much of the time, and while some mistakes are expected in first games, others were compounded by miscues that just can't happen, first game or not.
The Ducks were flagged 10 times for 90 yards, and some of those were costly, directly leading to Boise State scoring just a couple of plays later.
There was a lot of bad in that game, but there was a lot of good also. Oregon managed to play through the adversity, erase a 10-point deficit, and eventually hang on to win against a determined Broncos team that showed why they are favorites to win the new Pac-12 this year.
Now the Ducks will face a different kind of adversity as they go on the road for the first time this season, a trip to Stillwater, Okla., to face a brand new Oklahoma State team. This isn't the team Oregon played just a year ago and pounded 69-3. The Cowboys have 91 new scholarship players, so film is limited. They did play at Tulsa last week, but OSU fell 24-10.
Here's everything Lanning had to say in his weekly Monday night press conference before preparing to face the Big 12 team.

#team #season

Rarely forthcoming, at least consistently, with updates on unavailable players, Oregon football coach Dan Lanning provided a pair of key updates to injured skill players Sept. 7 ahead of the Ducks' (1-0) game against Oklahoma State this weekend.
The fifth-year coach said freshman wideout Jalen Lott, a five-star prospect in the 2026 class, will be "down just for a little bit," after getting a minor corrective surgery on his hand earlier this fall.
Lanning also said UAB transfer Iverson Hooks, another player expected to receive playing time at receiver this season, tweaked his hamstring during practice last week and wasn't at full strength heading into Oregon's 34-27 win vs. Boise State.
He expects Hooks to be available this Sept. 12 against the Cowboys (0-1).
Buy Oregon football tickets

#players #rarely

The second AP Top 25 Football Poll will be released on Sept. 8. The lone remaining team to play is SMU, which faces Florida State in a Labor Day special.
Most of the top teams in the country enjoyed romps. Notre Dame pulled away from Wisconsin with a strong second half performance on Sunday.
Top 10 teams that had a major struggle were Oregon, which managed to outlast Boise State in a tussle on Saturday between a Big 10 and Pac-12 school, and Ole Miss, which survived a slobberknocker against Louisville on a last-second field goal.
Michigan falls out of these predictions after its lackluster performance that needed a miracle to defeat MAC foe Western Michigan. The Wolverines get a chance to find a spot back in the rankings this week because they play host to Oklahoma at the Big House on Saturday.
Record: 1-0

#second #play #performance

SEATTLE — Demond Williams Jr. threw for 268 yards and a touchdown, and No. 17 Washington survived offensive struggles for a 24-10 victory over Washington State in a season-opening Apple Cup on Sunday.
Williams also scored on a 5-yard keeper in the 118th meeting of the two teams, who were once both part of the Pac-12. Washington won last year's meeting 59-24 in Pullman.
Transfer Caden Pinnick made his debut as quarterback for the Cougars, throwing for 142 yards and scoring on an 11-yard keeper in the fourth quarter.
Washington State was one of the remaining members of the Pac-12 left after realignment broke apart the conference ahead of the 2024 season. The Cougars and Oregon State helped re-build the conference, which now includes Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State, along with non-football member Gonzaga.
The Huskies, meanwhile, bolted the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. Washington went 9-4 last season with a 38-10 win over Boise State in the LA Bowl.

#williams #keeper

It wasn't an easy day for the Oregon Ducks on Saturday, as they battled back from a 17-7 deficit to the Boise State Broncos to take the lead, only for the Broncos to respond and twice tie the game in the second half. But in the end, the Ducks mustered up a 34-27 victory, preserving a 1-0 record heading into next week.
Oregon's Week 2 opponent, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, didn't have an easy go of it either in Week 1 — but the difference is that while they fell behind early, they never found a way to come back, losing 24-10 to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on the road. Not only are the Golden Hurricane a Group of Six team in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), but they reside in Oklahoma and are considered the "little brother" to the Cowboys and Oklahoma Sooners.
Little brother no more, as Tulsa has now beaten Oklahoma State in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1950's.
It was a stunning result, as Oklahoma State was favored by two touchdowns coming in and had received top-25 buzz after hiring North Texas head coach Eric Morris, who brought along quarterback Drew Mestemaker (the nation's leading passer in 2025), running back Caleb Hawkins and wide receiver Wyatt Young from the Mean Green — plus 63 other transfers, overhauling a roster that won just a single game last season.
With the trio of Mestemaker, Hawkins and Young that powered college football's top scoring offense at North Texas in 2025, their Week 2 matchup against Oregon in Stillwater was cooking up to be a highly-anticipated game between two explosive offenses. But the Cowboys were anything but explosive against the Golden Hurricane, producing just 10 points and four turnovers, with Mestemaker accounting for three (two interceptions, one lost fumble) himself.

#hurricane

USC football shut out Fresno State on Friday night. The Trojans were able to earn a day off and watch college football on Saturday. The game you know the Trojans were watching on Saturday was Oregon versus Boise State. The Ducks got a severe test. Ducks Wire reacted:
"'I'm glad this game was how it was; we've got a lot to learn,' (Dante) Moore said after a career day with 378 yards passing. 'Thank God it wasn't a 40- or 50-point blowout, because this just shows us who we are right now, and what we have to attack coming into next week.'
"If that's what (Dan) Lanning instilled in his guys after a tense, nerve-wracking, and often frustrating season-opener, then I think the Ducks won in more ways than one. Did Oregon look good on Saturday? No, not by their standards. Did they play well? At times, but it was far too inconsistent. Is there a lot to clean up? Yes, undoubtedly. Is everything they're aiming for still out in front of them?
"Coaching a championship contender is hard. You want them to be so dominant that they blow every opponent out of the water, but you also want to keep them motivated and hungry enough to keep working hard. It's like a magic trick, or threading a needle. Lanning has walked that tightrope several times over the years, and he got a bit of an ****** ist on Saturday in Week 1. The Ducks played far below their standards against what we believe is a pretty good Boise State team. They still showed how good they can be, keeping the ceiling high, but left us thinking about how hard they need to work to reach their goals. In the coming weeks, Oregon will undoubtedly tip towards the side of blowouts and bloodbaths. They may eventually fall toward humility down the road, too."
Oregon fell well short of expectations, but it did win a tough game, which could fuel the Ducks' confidence. It will be fascinating to see how the Ducks evolve before they play the Trojans on September 26.

#state #hard

USF's defense dictated the game and aided the offense as the Bulls bested Florida International, 19-9, in Brian Hartline's head coaching debut Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.
The difference a year — or more accurately, a massive roster and staff overhaul — can make was clear.
In 2025, the Bulls boasted a high-octane offensive operation. Their lowest scoring effort at Raymond James last season was a 34-point performance in their season-opening win over Boise State, and they entered Saturday having won seven consecutive home games by at least 25 points.
On Saturday, they won by 10 and their longest play went for 14 yards.
The offensive performance was lackluster, but the defense, now led by Josh Aldridge, delivered three turnovers and four fourth-down stops to lift USF to a comfortable victory.

#saturday #Bulls #james #international

It was the end of an era last season when Gary Danielson called his final game with CBS after 20 seasons as CBS's lead college football ****** yst.
Play-by-play announcer Brad Nessler, who had worked alongside Danielson at CBS since 2016 and also worked with him during a previous stint at ABC, was in need of a new partner for Big Ten action. He found it in Charles Davis, who traded in the NFL booth for the college one.
Davis made his CBS Big Ten debut on Saturday, calling Boise State-Oregon alongside Nessler and sideline reporter Jenny Dell.
By all accounts, the former Tennessee Volunteers star excelled in his college football debut, bringing some energy to the booth, as well as some somewhat relevant pop culture references.
Overall, Davis garnered high praise from many pundits and media members for his work on the day.

#danielson

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon didn't take too kindly to Boise State players dancing to "Shout."
The Ducks play the iconic song from the film "National Lampoon's Animal House" during the break between the third and fourth quarters of every home game at Autzen Stadium.
The video scoreboard shows the Nike commercial made in 2015 that features Oregon stars, including former quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Joey Harrington, who recreate the film's toga party scene. The Autzen fans always sing and dance along, and sometimes the Ducks players join in on the tradition.
But on Saturday, when the No. 2 Ducks hosted Boise State in the season opener, the Broncos' players danced along to the song. At the time, the game was tied 24-24.
"When we seen that, it was like, `Hey, you can't do that in our home,'" Oregon quarterback Dante Moore said. "So we made sure that we go out here and capitalize and finish drives and put some points on the board."

#players #autzen

Did Boise State get a touchdown because of an egregiously missed call by the officials in its game at Oregon on Saturday?
Broncos RB Sire Gaines scored on a 38-yard catch-and-run to give Boise State a 14-7 lead in the second quarter a play after Oregon's Evan Stewart **** ed a punt after calling for a fair catch.
However, Boise State should have been penalized on the punt. Take a look:
Stewart should have been given a clean opportunity to cleanly make that catch. While Boise State's Jameson Perry didn't make contact with Stewart, he was exceptionally close to the wide receiver as he tracked the ball. And that itself is a foul.
According to the NCAA's rule book if a player "is located where they could catch a free kick or a scrimmage kick that has crossed the neutral zone, and if the player is attempting to do so, they must be given an unimpeded opportunity to catch the kick." Further, "it is an interference foul if, before the receiver touches the ball, [an opposing player] enters the area defined by the width of the receiver's shoulders and extending one yard in front of him. When in question it is a foul."

#catch #stewart #kick