Tuesday's penultimate in-season College Football Playoff rankings reveal did not feature much movement near the top, with the top four remaining Oregon, Ohio State, Texas and Penn State and Notre Dame moving into the top five.

• However, Alabama is now projected to miss the field of 12 after taking its third loss of the season this past weekend, and a couple of teams from South Carolina are also bubbling under in the playoff picture.

  The four teams who would receive first-round byes did not change from last week. The four highest-ranked projected conference champs were Oregon, Texas, Miami -- which moved up to the No. 6 ranking -- and Boise State, which slid up to No. 11.

  Taking the place of BYU, which suffered its second defeat in a row after a 9-0 start, Arizona State entered the bracket for the first time as the projected Big 12 champion and the No. 12 seed. The Sun Devils are the highest Big 12 team in the new rankings at No. 16.

  Georgia and Tennessee, both 9-2, are sitting pretty at Nos. 7 and 8 in the rankings after three of its SEC counterparts dropped to 8-3. Alabama put together a lifeless effort in a 24-3 loss to Oklahoma, Ole Miss fell 24-17 at Florida and Texas A&M lost a 43-41 four-overtime thriller at Auburn.

  Alabama dropped six ranking spots to No. 13 and is the second team out, behind No. 12 Clemson (9-2). On Saturday, Clemson hosts rival South Carolina, now ranked No. 15 and one of the stronger 8-3 teams in the country.

  Indiana dropped five places to No. 10 after being dealt its first loss of the year by Ohio State, 38-15.

  CFP projected first-round byes: No. 1 seed Oregon, No. 2 seed Texas, No. 3 seed Miami, No. 4 seed Boise State

  CFP projected quarterfinal games (campus sites):

  No. 9 seed Tennessee at No. 8 seed Georgia

  No. 10 seed SMU at No. 7 seed Notre Dame

  No. 11 seed Indiana at No. 6 seed Penn State

  No. 12 seed Arizona State at No. 5 seed Ohio State

  CFP rankings (different from seeds)

  1. Oregon (11-0)

  2. Ohio State (10-1)

  3. Texas (10-1)

  4. Penn State (10-1)

  5. Notre Dame (10-1)

  6. Miami (10-1)

  7. Georgia (9-2)

  8. Tennessee (9-2)

  9. SMU (10-1)

  10. Indiana (10-1)

  11. Boise State (10-1)

  12. Clemson (9-2)

  13. Alabama (8-3)

  14. Ole Miss (8-3)

  15. South Carolina (8-3)

  16. Arizona State (9-2)

  17. Tulane (9-2)

  18. Iowa State (9-2)

  19. BYU (9-2)

  20. Texas A&M (8-3)

  21. Missouri (8-3)

  22. UNLV (9-2)

  23. Illinois (8-3)

  24. Kansas State (8-3)

  25. Colorado (8-3)

  --Field Level Media

Longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is pondering whether to retire or return for his 21st season as the school's head man.

• Whittingham, 65, said he will decide on his future after the season. The Utes finish Friday at UCF.

  "My decision will be made on what's best for the program, not what's best for me," Whittingham said during his Monday press conference. "So, it'll be completely determined on how I feel this program is best served going forward."

  Utah has struggled mightily in its first season in the Big 12 and has dropped its last seven games. The Utes were preseason favorites but sit 4-7 overall and 1-7 in Big 12 play.

  This marks just the third losing campaign in Whittingham's 20 seasons as head coach. The other two were in 2012 and 2013 when the Utes were in the Pac-12.

  Whittingham has recorded seven seasons of 10 or more wins and has a 166-86 record with the Utes since replacing Urban Meyer late in the 2004 season.

  The school has been preparing for the future by announcing prior to this season that defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley would become head coach whenever Whittingham chooses to retire.

  "I'll sit down and evaluate everything," Whittingham said. "I can tell you right now that Coach Scalley will be involved in decisions going forward because it's only right that he does that because he's the coach in waiting and when that time comes we need to make sure that he's had input on big decisions. So it'll be a team effort in that respect going forward as far as hiring and recruiting and that type of thing."

  Whittingham said not many coaches get to pick their timing in terms of their tenure ending.

  "Like I said, it's what's best for the program that ... my decision will be dictated based on," Whittingham said. "To time it just right so you go out at just the right time, I mean, there's a very, very small percentage of people that are able to do that.

  "And so again, I'm not saying, 'Well this was a bad year so for me I got to come back and have a better year.' I mean everyone wants to have a better year next year regardless of who the coach is."

  Part of Utah's slide is due to losing standout quarterback Cameron Rising to a season-ending leg injury. Rising is weighing whether to seek a medical waiver that would allow him to play in 2025 for an eighth college season.

  "That's on Cam's timeline and obviously we've got to at some point make our own decisions on what's going to happen if there is still indecisiveness, but I think that should be cleared up in the next week to 10 days," Whittingham said.

  Freshman Isaac Wilson replaced Rising but sustained his own leg injury in Saturday's 31-28 loss to then-No. 22 Iowa State. Wilson will miss the finale but is expected to recover in time to compete in spring football drills.

  Luke Bottari will start for Utah against UCF. He completed 5 of 9 passes for 55 yards against Iowa State.

  --Field Level Media

Mack Brown intends to return to North Carolina next year for his 36th season as an FBS head coach.

• Asked about his future at his weekly press conference Monday, the 73-year-old Brown said, "You never talk to your athletic director until the year's over. Everybody always does that. My total focus is on NC State. What an awful thing to be talking about me when we just played a bad game and need to beat State."

  A reporter followed up with the direct question of whether he planned to return in 2025, and Brown replied, "Yes."

  The Tar Heels had a four-game losing streak early in the season and are coming off a 41-21 loss at Boston College. Following a 70-50 loss to James Madison in September, Brown said he would step down if he felt he could no longer do the job of coaching the program to success.

  Brown led the Texas team that won the 2005 national championship with a 13-0 record and a classic Rose Bowl win over Southern California.

  He spent 10 seasons at North Carolina before taking over at Texas and he returned to the Tar Heels in 2019. In a combined 16 seasons in Chapel Hill, Brown's teams have gone 113-78-1, including 6-5 this year.

  A College Football Hall of Fame inductee in 2018, Brown has gone 282-149-1 as the head coach of Tulane (1985-87), North Carolina (1988-97, 2019-24) and Texas (1998-2013).

  --Field Level Media

Alabama junior linebacker and team captain Deontae Lawson is out for the rest of the season due to a lower leg injury, head coach Kalen DeBoer told reporters Monday.

• The coach had described it as a "lower extremity injury" in his comments following the Crimson Tide's 24-3 loss at Oklahoma on Saturday.

  Lawson, regarded as a top prospect at linebacker in the 2025 NFL Draft, was injured in the second quarter and did not return to the game.

  "Just an amazing leader," DeBoer said. "Chosen team captain by the team. I can see not just what he means to us on the field but just the love that our players have for him, especially those that have been through multiple years seeing what he pours into it. I know we all feel for him. We appreciate everything he's been doing.

  "Obviously, you greatly miss everything he does on the football field, but you love having that guy in the locker room leading your team."

  The 6-foot-2, 239-pound Lawson ranks second on the Crimson Tide with 76 tackles. He also had two sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, one interception, four pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

  The two-year starter also is responsible for communicating the coaches' calls on defense through the helmet radio. Justin Jefferson, who backs up Lawson, will take over that role.

  "When you lose a guy that is really, he's kind of your steady-maker in the box and does such a great job with the green-dot communication and is such a leader for our guys and a great communicator on the field, that's tough," defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said on Monday. "That's a tough loss for sure."

  Alabama (8-3), which dropped from seventh to No. 13 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, plays host to in-state rival Auburn on Saturday in Tuscaloosa in the annual Iron Bowl game to conclude the regular season.

  --Field Level Media

Four-star linebacker and Florida native Ty Jackson flipped his Class of 2025 commitment from Southern California to the Gators on Monday.

• The decision comes days after Jackson visited the Gators as they notched a 24-17 win over then-No. 9 Ole Miss to secure bowl eligibility. This marks the second time in coach Billy Napier's three-year stint that the Gators will play in a bowl game.

  The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Jackson, who grew up in Loxahatchee, Fla., is ranked No. 124 overall in the 247Sports Composite and is the third-highest rated commitment in Florida's Class of 2025. He originally committed to the Trojans in September.

  The Gators have been busy making moves in the lead-up to the early signing period, in particular making life more difficult for their in-state rivals Florida State. Within the past eight days, Florida snatched four-star quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. and three-star offensive lineman Daniel Pierre Louis away from the Seminoles.

  The Gators also lured three-star defensive lineman Stephon Shivers away from Georgia.

  Florida (6-4, 4-4 SEC) is coming off back-to-back wins over ranked teams (LSU and Ole Miss) as they head into their final regular season game Saturday at Florida State.

  --Field Level Media

East Carolina is removing the interim label and promoting Blake Harrell to head football coach, ESPN reported Monday.

• The Pirates are 4-0 since Harrell took over for Mike Houston, who was fired on Oct. 20 after compiling a 27-38 record in five-plus seasons.

  Harrell, who was promoted from defensive coordinator, has guided ECU (7-4, 5-2 American Athletic Conference) to wins over Temple, Florida Atlantic, Tulsa and North Texas.

  The school's board is expected to meet in the coming days to formally approve a contract, per the ESPN report.

  Harrell, 45, has been on the Pirates coaching staff since 2020. He previously was the defensive coordinator with Kennesaw State (2019), linebackers coach (2014-15) and defensive coordinator (2016-2018) at The Citadel and assistant coach at Lenoir-Rhyne (2007-13).

  --Field Level Media

Oregon, Ohio State, Texas and Penn State held on to their spots atop the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll, issued Sunday, but the same can't be said for the rest of the teams after a day of upsets on Saturday.

• The Ducks (11-0) were idle but remain the unanimous No. 1 team ahead of the three 10-1 squads. Among them, Ohio State posted the biggest win, sending previously undefeated Indiana (10-1) plummeting five spots to No. 10 after its 38-15 triumph.

  But the Hoosiers weren't the only team in a freefall.

  Alabama (8-3) dropped six places to No. 13, and Ole Miss (8-3) also fell six rungs to No. 15 after losses to unranked Oklahoma and Florida, respectively. No. 19 BYU (9-2) and No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3) found themselves seven spots lower following defeats.

  And Colorado (8-3) and Army (9-1) -- teams that had College Football Playoff aspirations -- both plunged seven places.

  The topsy-turvy day also saw the Top 10 reorganized, with Notre Dame (10-1) moving up one place to No. 5, followed by Georgia (9-2) and Tennessee (9-2).

  No. 8 Miami (10-1) and No. 9 SMU (10-1) each entered the Top 10, followed by Indiana.

  Missouri (8-3) moved back into the Top 25, following its 39-20 win over Mississippi State. Washington State (8-3) fell out of the Top 25 after its 41-39 loss at Oregon State.

  The CFP selection committee will announce its rankings, which ultimately will be used to determine the postseason field, on Tuesday.

  The rest of the Top 25:

  11. Boise State (10-1)

  12. Clemson (9-2)

  13. Alabama (8-3)

  14. Arizona State (9-2)

  15. Ole Miss (8-3)

  16. South Carolina (8-3)

  17. Iowa State (9-2)

  18. Tulane (9-2)

  19. BYU (9-2)

  20. Texas A&M (8-3)

  21. UNLV (9-2)

  22. Illinois (8-3)

  23. Colorado (8-3)

  24. Missouri (8-3)

  25. Army (9-1)

  --Field Level Media

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is set to undergo what is being termed a "precautionary MRI" to determine the extent of an injury he suffered Saturday in the No. 3 Longhorns' 31-14 victory over Kentucky, Orangebloods.com reported.

• Per the report, the test will be performed Sunday and is being done to rule out the possibility of structural damage.

  After the game, Ewers called his ankle "just a little tender," and he recalled the first-half scramble play during which the injury occurred.

  "I was around the 50-yard-line and I stepped up and kind of took off running a little bit and then kind of got hip-drop tackled and I think he kind of just rolled up on it a little bit. But it's football and stuff like that happens," he said.

  With Ewers hobbling, the Longhorns turned to the run game in the second half, which opened with a 24-7 Texas lead.

  Ewers was 20-of-31 passing on the day for 191 yards with two touchdowns. Only 14 of those yards came in the second half, when Texas gained 132 on the ground.

  The Longhorns will end their regular season next Saturday at Texas A&M with the winner earning a berth to meet No. 10 Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship game. The No. 15 Aggies were upset Saturday, losing 43-41 to Auburn in a four-overtime classic.

  --Field Level Media

Tulsa fired head coach Kevin Wilson on Sunday.

• The Golden Hurricane fell to 3-8 overall (1-6 in American Athletic Conference) this season and 7-16 during Wilson's two years as their head coach with a 63-30 setback to South Florida on Saturday.

  While Tulsa gained 478 yards against South Florida, the Golden Hurricane turned the ball over five times and allowed 715 total yards.

  "With the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics, we know the importance of positioning our football program and athletic department to thrive and excel in the upcoming years," Golden Hurricane vice president and director of athletics Justin Moore said.

  "Our standard will be to play in bowl games every season, compete for conference titles, and build a program that everyone connected to the Golden Hurricane will be proud of."

  Tulsa tabbed wide receivers coach Ryan Switzer as the interim head coach, although Moore said the school will hold a national search for a new coach.

  "Our national search for a new head coach begins today and I am confident that we will attract a strong pool of candidates who want to be at The University of Tulsa and who align with our vision for our football program," Moore said.

  Tulsa wraps up its season against FAU (2-9, 0-7) next Saturday.

  Wilson, 63, posted a 26-47 record, including losses in two bowl games, during six seasons as the head coach of Indiana (2011-16). In between head-coaching jobs, he was the offensive coordinator at Ohio State.

  Switzer, 30, excelled as a wide receiver at North Carolina and played in 41 NFL games (one start) over three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys (2017) and Pittsburgh Steelers (2018-19).

  --Field Level Media

Auburn's Payton Thorne tossed a two-point scoring pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the fourth overtime to give the host Tigers a 43-41 upset of No. 15 Texas A&M on Saturday night in Southeastern Conference play.

• The Aggies had a chance to force another extra session, but Amari Daniels dropped Marcel Reed's pass in the end zone.

  The setback severely hurts the chances of Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2 SEC) being part of the 12-team College Football Playoff field.

  Auburn blew a 21-point lead and later forced overtime on Ian Vachon's 29-yard field goal with five seconds left in regulation. Thorne was 19-of-31 passing for 301 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Tigers (5-6, 2-5). Jarquez Hunter rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries.

  Reed completed 22 of 35 passes for 297 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for the Aggies. Noah Thomas caught five passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns, Jahdae Walker had a receiving score and Terry Bussey added a rushing touchdown for Texas A&M.

  No. 2 Ohio State 38, No. 5 Indiana 15

  Caleb Downs' punt return for a touchdown broke up a tight game and pushed the Buckeyes past the Hoosiers in Columbus, Ohio.

  Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) can earn a rematch with top-ranked Oregon in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 7 if it beats Michigan next Saturday. Oregon defeated Ohio State 32-31 at home on Oct. 12.

  Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard was 22-of-26 passing for 201 yards with two TDs and an interception. Kurtis Rourke completed only 8 of 18 passes for 68 yards for Indiana (10-1, 7-1).

  No. 3 Texas 31, Kentucky 14

  Quinn Ewers passed for 191 yards and two touchdowns while playing the final 2 1/2 quarters with a gimpy right leg as the Longhorns handled the Wildcats in an SEC game in Austin, Texas.

  Texas (10-1, 6-1 SEC) survived despite having six fumbles (losing two), including one that was returned for a touchdown in the third quarter to give Kentucky some hope.

  Cutter Boley, who entered at quarterback for the Wildcats (4-7, 1-7) to start the second half in favor of starter Brock Vandagriff, passed for 160 yards. Kentucky amassed just 232 yards of total offense.

  No. 4 Penn State 26, Minnesota 25

  Nicholas Singleton rushed for a go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter and the Nittany Lions converted a fake punt late in the fourth, helping them secure a victory over the Golden Gophers in Big Ten play in Minneapolis.

  Omari Evans reeled in a 45-yard scoring strike and Tyler Warren had eight catches for 102 yards for Penn State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten), which overcame two blocked kicks to record its third win in a row.

  Marcus Major rushed for a 20-yard score and tight end Jameson Geers reeled in a touchdown pass for Minnesota (6-5, 4-4), which has dropped two straight after a four-game winning streak.

  No. 6 Notre Dame 49, No. 19 Army 14

  Jeremiyah Love rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass, helping the Fighting Irish crush the Black Knights at Yankee Stadium in New York.

  Riley Leonard completed 10 of 13 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns for Notre Dame (10-1). Jadarian Price rushed for 53 yards and a pair of scores.

  Quarterback Bryson Daily had 39 carries for 139 yards and two touchdowns for Army (9-1). The Black Knights had their 13-game winning streak snapped. Their most recent loss had been against Massachusetts on Oct. 28, 2023.

  Oklahoma 24, No. 7 Alabama 3

  The Sooners forced two big turnovers in the third quarter and freshman running back Xavier Robinson ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns to lead Oklahoma to a win over the Crimson Tide in Norman, Okla.

  Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC) forced Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe to throw a pair of interceptions in the third, one of which ended up being a pick-6. Milroe finished with 164 yards and three picks on 11-of-26 passing.

  Alabama (8-3, 4-3) totaled 234 yards of offense.

  No. 8 Miami 42, Wake Forest 14

  Cam Ward passed for 280 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score as the Hurricanes defeated the Demon Deacons in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup in Miami Gardens, Fla.

  Miami (10-1, 6-1 ACC) can clinch a berth in the ACC championship game against No. 13 SMU by beating Syracuse next Saturday. Ward completed 27 of 38 passes as the Hurricanes totaled 508 yards of offense and improved to 6-0 at home. Ward also threw for a two-point conversion and was intercepted once.

  Wake Forest (4-7, 2-5) was led by Demond Claiborne, who had 176 all-purpose yards. His biggest play was a 100-yard kickoff return for a score.

  Florida 24, No. 9 Ole Miss 17

  Montrell Johnson Jr. rushed for the tiebreaking touchdown and Bryce Thornton made two huge interceptions in the final 1:32 to help the Gators beat the Rebels in Gainesville, Fla.

  Johnson rushed for 107 yards on 18 carries as the Gators (6-5, 4-4 SEC) defeated a ranked team for the second straight week. Florida beat then-No. 21 LSU last week.

  The setback was painful for Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3), as its third loss figures to stomp out its CFP aspirations.

  No. 10 Georgia 59, UMass 21

  Carson Beck completed 20 of 31 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns as the Bulldogs pummeled the Minutemen in Athens, Ga.

  Nate Frazier ran for career highs of 136 yards and three touchdowns, while Arian Smith caught three passes for 110 yards and a score as Georgia (9-2) won its second straight game overall and 30th straight at home, a streak that dates back to 2019.

  AJ Hairston completed 7 of 16 passes for 121 yards and a score for UMass (2-9), which dropped its third straight. Jalen John ran for 107 yards and a TD and Jakobie Keeney-James caught three passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.

  No. 11 Tennessee 56, UTEP 0

  Nico Iamaleava passed for four touchdowns and Dylan Sampson rushed for 77 yards and set a school record for TDs in a season as the Volunteers rolled past the Miners in Knoxville, Tenn.

  Iamaleava was 15-of-20 passing for 173 yards for Tennessee (9-2), while Bru McCoy caught a pair of TD passes and Squirrel White and Ethan Davis each had a TD reception.

  Skyler Locklear was 10-of-19 passing for 50 yards with an interception for UTEP (2-9). JP Pickles also had a turn under center for the Miners and was 10-of-15 passing for 72 yards. Kenny Odom had eight receptions for 70 yards.

  No. 12 Boise State 17, Wyoming 13

  Ashton Jeanty became the Broncos' first 2,000-yard rusher by collecting 169 yards on 19 carries in beating the Cowboys in Laramie, Wyo.

  Jeanty, who also found the end zone once on the ground, entered the contest as the nation's leading rusher with 1,893 yards. His big performance on Saturday helped Boise State (10-1, 7-0 Mountain West Conference) clinch a berth in the conference championship game. Maddux Madsen completed 14 of 26 passes for 168 yards for Boise State.

  Kaden Anderson started under center for the Cowboys (2-9, 2-5), but he did not play in the second half because of an apparent injury. He had 116 yards and a TD on 9-of-14 passing prior to exiting. Evan Svoboda took over and hit on 6 of 13 passes for 87 yards.

  No. 13 SMU 33, Virginia 7

  Kevin Jennings passed for 323 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score as the Mustangs added to their case to be a part of the CFP with a win over the Cavaliers in an ACC matchup in Charlottesville, Va.

  SMU (10-1, 7-0 ACC) has won eight straight games and clinched a berth in the ACC championship game against either Miami or Clemson in its first year in the league. The winner of the ACC championship earns an automatic berth in the 12-team CFP.

  Anthony Colandrea passed for 108 yards and a score for Virginia (5-6, 3-4), which has lost five of its past six games. The Cavaliers need to win at Virginia Tech next weekend to play in their first bowl game since the 2019 season.

  No. 21 Arizona State 28, No. 14 BYU 23

  Sun Devils cornerback Javan Robinson intercepted a pass from the Cougars' Jake Retzlaff to thwart a BYU threat with 1:04 left in Arizona State's victory in Tempe, Ariz.

  The Cougars (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) used two timeouts, and Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt tried to burn time by running backward on a couple of plays to the BYU 39. Two delay of game penalties put the ball at the BYU 49 with seven seconds left.

  Leavitt tried to burn those seconds by dropping back and throwing the ball high into the air. The ball dropped out of bounds with one second left. A throng of fans rushed the field thinking that Arizona State (9-2, 6-2) won. The game was delayed at least 20 minutes before Retzlaff's Hail Mary pass fell incomplete short of the end zone.

  Kansas 37, No. 16 Colorado 21

  Devin Neal scored four touchdowns as the Jayhawks upset the Buffaloes at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

  Kansas (5-6, 4-4 Big 12) became the first team in college football history with a losing record to win three straight games against ranked opponents. The Jayhawks' bowl chances seemed bleak after Kansas lost at then-No. 16 Kansas State on Oct. 26 and fell to 2-6. But if the Jayhawks win at Baylor next Saturday, they'll be bowl-eligible.

  Shedeur Sanders was 23-of-29 passing for 266 yards and three touchdowns for Colorado (8-3, 6-2), which rushed for only 42 yards. Heisman Trophy candidate Travis Hunter had eight catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns.

  No. 17 Clemson 51, The Citadel 14

  Quarterback Cade Klubnik helped the Tigers score six touchdowns before the visiting Bulldogs could respond for an easy non-conference victory.

  Klubnik led Clemson (9-2) with 198 yards and three touchdowns. His biggest connection came in the second quarter when Bryant Wesco Jr. caught a 55-yard touchdown pass to put the Tigers up 21-0. Wesco led Clemson with 75 receiving yards, while Antonio Williams had two touchdown catches.

  The Citadel (5-7) was able to rush for 288 yards on 55 attempts. The Bulldogs' second touchdown came from a trick play, with the visitors selling a run before pulling off a successful flea flicker back to quarterback Jonathan Bennett, who threw a 66-yard scoring strike to Javonte Graves-Billips with 10:31 remaining in regulation.

  No. 18 South Carolina 56, Wofford 12

  LaNorris Sellers threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns -- and rushed for another score -- as the Gamecocks rolled to their fifth straight victory, topping their in-state FCS foe in the Terriers in Columbia, S.C.

  Sellers completed 23 of 27 passes and ran for 53 yards on 13 carries for the Gamecocks (8-3). Dalevon Campbell hauled in five of Sellers' passes for 120 yards, and the South Carolina offense was also boosted by Raheim Sanders rushing for 72 yards and a score on 15 carries.

  Amari Odom finished with 215 yards and a touchdown on 15-of-28 passing for Wofford (5-7).

  No. 22 Iowa State 31, Utah 28

  Carson Hansen's 3-yard touchdown run with 1:31 left lifted the Cyclones to a win over the Utes in Salt Lake City, forcing a four-way tie for the Big 12 Conference lead with one week left in the regular season.

  Hansen's score capped a 75-yard drive for Iowa State (9-2, 6-2 Big 12). His halfback pass to Gabe Burkle on third-and-1 on the previous play went for 26 yards to set up the decisive score.

  Utah (4-7, 1-7) had a chance to force overtime, but Cole Becker, who earlier made field goals of 34 and 47 yards, missed wide right on a 54-yard attempt with eight seconds left.

  No. 23 Missouri 39, Mississippi State 20

  Marcus Carroll rushed for three touchdowns and a two-point conversion as the Tigers defeated the Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss.

  The Tigers (8-3, 4-3 SEC) ran the ball 56 times for 204 yards. Nate Noel gained 95 yards on the ground. Brady Cook completed 15 of 20 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown for Missouri. Luther Burden III caught seven passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.

  Davon Booth rushed for 124 yards and one touchdown for the Bulldogs (2-9, 0-7). Michael Van Buren Jr. completed 16 of 28 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown.

  No. 25 Illinois 38, Rutgers 31

  Pat Bryant caught a 40-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with four seconds remaining as the Fighting Illini rallied for a dramatic victory over the Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, N.J.

  Bryant's dramatic catch came after Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) initially decided to attempt a go-ahead 57-yard field goal into the wind. Following a timeout, the Ilini went for it on fourth down. Bryant finished with seven catches for a career-high 197 yards.

  Kyle Monangai rushed for 122 yards on 28 carries and Athan Kaliakmanis completed 19 of 37 passes for 175 yards for Rutgers (6-5, 3-5). Kaliakmanis also rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

  --Field Level Media

Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein was carted off the field with 5:32 left in the first quarter with an apparent left ankle injury during Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference game against host Louisville.

• The freshman was sacked at the Panthers' 49-yard line by Louisville's Ashton Gillotte, who rolled on the quarterback's ankle. Holstein was in a walking boot as he was helped to the cart.

  Holstein missed last week's game against Clemson after suffering a head injury in the loss to Virginia two weeks ago.

  Holstein was 3-for-5 passing for 51 yards and an interception before exiting.

  Nate Yarnell, who threw for 350 yards in the loss to Clemson, replaced Holstein.

  --Field Level Media

Ole Miss star receiver Tre Harris departed in the second quarter of a 24-17 loss to Florida on Saturday and didn't return due to a groin injury.

• Harris fell to the ground and grabbed his hip and groin areas after being unable to hang on to a pass with just over five minutes to go in the first half in Gainesville, Fla.

  Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said Harris was already dealing with an injury in the area.

  "Just a freak situation," Kiffin said in his postgame press conference. "He got hit right on the same injury, exactly right where it was, and then dropped the ball because of it."

  Harris wasn't in uniform when Ole Miss returned for the second half, and the school ruled him out a short time later.

  Saturday's game was Harris' first since Oct. 12 against LSU. He missed three games due to injury.

  Harris entered the contest as the national leader in receiving yards per game at 141. He caught a 43-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to go over 1,000 yards for the season.

  It was Harris' lone catch of the game. He has 60 receptions for 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games.

  --Field Level Media

Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein will return from injury to start Saturday against Louisville, according to multiple reports.

• Holstein left two games within the past month with apparent head injuries.

  He departed the Panthers' 41-13 win over Syracuse on Oct. 24 after taking a hit on a run, but he played the following week in a 48-25 loss to then-No. 20 SMU. Against Virginia the next week, he left with an apparent head injury while sliding at the end of a run in a 24-19 loss.

  Holstein dressed but did not play last Saturday in the Panthers' third straight loss, when then-No. 17 Clemson scored a touchdown with 1:16 remaining to win 24-20.

  Holstein was medically cleared earlier in the week but Pitt (7-3, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) coach Pat Narduzzi told reporters Thursday he wasn't sure who would be starting.

  "I don't know, it's a great question, we'll see ... we'll see," Narduzzi said at his weekly news conference. "And again, it's still a work in progress. He's cleared to play right now, so we'll see game time."

  Holstein won the starting job in training camp. A transfer from Alabama, Holstein has a completion rate of 61.9 percent (177 of 286) and has thrown for 2,177 yards with 17 TDs and six interceptions in nine games.

  He is also Pitt's second-leading rusher with 323 yards and three touchdowns.

  Nate Yarnell started against Clemson and completed 34 of 54 pass attempts for 350 yards.

  --Field Level Media

Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara released a statement Friday slamming the "100% false" media reports that suggested he had thrown his final pass for the Hawkeyes.

• McNamara has been sidelined since sustaining a concussion during the Oct. 26 win against Northwestern.

  Backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan has started the last two games for the Hawkeyes (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) but is out with an ankle injury for Saturday's game at Maryland (4-6, 1-6).

  Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said earlier this week that Jackson Stratton will be the likely starter against the Terrapins if McNamara is unavailable.

  McNamara's cloudy status prompted speculation on a podcast this week that he was "not mentally ready to play." The podcast hosts from the Des Moines Register and The Athletic also suggested that McNamara -- who played three years at Michigan (2020-22) before transferring to Iowa -- is not "fit to play quarterback in the Big Ten right now."

  "We don't want to bury his career yet, but it does seem like that interception against Northwestern was his last snap as a Hawkeye," Leistikow said.

  McNamara, who passed for 1,017 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games this season, released a statement updating his current status.

  "My status is the same as it's always been -- a proud member of this football team," he said.

  McNamara said he has not yet been cleared to play. He said he was cleared to practice on Sunday but suffered an "adverse reaction" and was unable to practice this week and therefore unable to travel with the team to Maryland.

  "I have been working with the University of Iowa doctors and trainers, a concussion specialist focused on vision training, as well as engaging in hyperbaric treatments as frequently as possible," McNamara said. "I have every intention to play versus Nebraska next Friday night and I am confident that my teammates will return from Maryland with a win."

  Including his time with the Wolverines, McNamara has completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 4,703 yards with 31 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 34 games.

  --Field Level Media

East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., a potential first-round pick, declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Friday.

• Revel, who sustained a torn left ACL in practice in September, had one season of eligibility remaining.

  "After an incredible journey at East Carolina, I am officially declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft," the senior posted on social media.

  "... Pirates nation, thank you for your unwavering energy and support every game. Representing ECU is an honor, and I look forward to continuing to do so on Sundays!"

  Revel recorded two interceptions in three games this season, returning one 50 yards for a touchdown on Sept. 14 against Appalachian State.

  Over three seasons with the Pirates, Revel had three interceptions, 15 passes defensed and 70 tackles in 24 games. He was a second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection last season.

  ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Revel as the No. 2 cornerback and No. 23 overall prospect in the 2025 draft class.

  --Field Level Media

Iowa cornerback Jermari Harris has opted out of the remainder of the 2024 season in order to prepare for the NFL draft, according to a report by 247Sports.com.

• The 6-foot-1 sixth-year senior from Chicago has recorded 27 tackles, three interceptions and a team-high seven pass breakups in 10 games for the Hawkeyes this season. That includes a pick-6 in a 38-21 win over Troy earlier this season.

  Iowa (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) plays at Maryland on Saturday before closing out its regular season at home against Nebraska on Nov. 29. The Hawkeyes are already bowl eligible, so Harris is likely opting out of three games in total.

  After missing the entire 2022 season due to an ankle injury, Harris was suspended for two games of the following season for his involvement in the gambling investigation into Iowa athletics. He later emerged as the Hawkeyes' top cornerback, earning the team's comeback player of the year award after compiling 42 tackles, one interception and eight pass breakups.

  Harris will finish his college career with 105 tackles and eight interceptions.

  --Field Level Media

SMU and head football coach Rhett Lashlee are in agreement on a contract extension.

• The school announced the extension on Friday but, as a private university, is not required to disclose any terms. He previously received a contract extension last November.

  Lashlee is in his third season at SMU and the Mustangs are 9-1 (6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). They are No. 13 in the College Football Playoff rankings and have two games remaining on the regular season -- Saturday at Virginia and Nov. 30 at home against Cal -- before a potential appearance in the ACC championship game on Dec. 7.

  This is the Mustangs' first season in the ACC.

  In 2023, he led SMU to an 11-3 record as a member of the American Athletic Conference and to its first league title since 1984.

  "Rhett was the clear choice when we conducted our head-coaching search in 2021, and everything he and his staff have accomplished only validates our decision," athletic director Rick Hart said. "He has operated in alignment with our values and represents SMU with class and integrity. As we go through a time of significant change in college athletics and the college athletics model, Rhett has been an invaluable partner and leader."

  Lashlee, 41, has a 27-10 record with the Mustangs. He previously worked as the offensive coordinator at SMU as well as at Miami, UConn, Auburn, Arkansas State and Samford.

  --Field Level Media

Five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class, reneged on his commitment to LSU and announced Thursday he will attend Michigan.

• Underwood committed to LSU in early January but the Wolverines remained in contact with the Belleville, Mich. native. Less than two weeks before the start of the early signing period, he made it official that he's headed to Ann Arbor during a social media video.

  Speculation that Underwood might flip from LSU to Michigan picked up after four-star quarterback Carter Smith decommitted from the Wolverines in late October.

  When Underwood announced his original commitment to LSU on Jan. 6 in the Belleville High cafeteria, Michigan was one of the three finalists along with Alabama.

  The 6-foot-4 Underwood won two state titles at Belleville, which is located approximately 20 miles east from Ann Arbor. He fell short in both his junior and senior seasons.

  Underwood's high school career ended last Friday night when Belleville lost 35-21 to Novi Detroit Catholic Central in a Division I quarterfinal matchup.

  Underwood bypassed Michigan in January two days before the Wolverines defeated Washington in the national championship game. At that time, there was heavy speculation that coach Jim Harbaugh would not return to Michigan.

  Harbaugh indeed left for the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers and he was replaced by offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, who is 5-5 this season.

  --Field Level Media

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter plans to turn pro and prefers to continue a dual role, playing wide receiver and cornerback in the NFL.

• Hunter could be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and is the favorite for the Heisman Trophy.

  Speculation about his future quieted as he gained notoriety by the week this season. Field Level Media projects Hunter as a top-three pick in the draft, and he confirmed Thursday this will be his last season at the college level.

  "That's definitely for sure," Hunter said on a conference call with reporters.

  Hunter is consistently playing between 100 and 125 snaps per game for Colorado. He has three interceptions on defense with 74 receptions, 911 yards and nine touchdowns playing wideout for quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Also a projected early first-round pick, Sanders committed to play in the East-West Shrine Game in Dallas. The son of Colorado head coach and Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders said Thursday he would cast a Heisman vote for Hunter.

  "If it's between me and him, I would want him to get it," Sanders said. "He does a lot of amazing things and things that haven't been done before. I'm not a selfish guy. I know what he's capable of, so I would rather him win."

  Hunter said he would invite his QB to New York if he's not named a Heisman finalist before they go about the business of finishing the season, possibly in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

  Shedeur Sanders said he's the best quarterback in the draft, and doesn't believe that's anything new.

  "I feel like I was the best quarterback in the last draft, too," said Shedeur Sanders. "Ever since I was draft eligible, I knew I'm the best quarterback. It's not up for me to prove myself to talking about why."

  Former teammates at Jackson State where Deion Sanders also coached, Hunter said he felt his draft stock began to rise only after critics moved past "the hate" for his coach. A flashy, charismatic cornerback in the NFL after starring at Florida State, Deion Sanders was the fifth overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Hall of Famers Troy Aikman (first, Cowboys), Barry Sanders (third, Lions) and Derrick Thomas (fourth, Chiefs) were chosen ahead of "Prime Time" along with offensive tackle Tony Mandarich (second, Packers).

  Hunter has picked the brain of Deion Sanders about a dual role in pro sports. Sanders was used selectively as a wide receiver and returned punts but was primarily a cornerback in addition to playing Major League Baseball.

  There's no base-stealing in Hunter's future, but he does believe he can push the envelope as a full-time two-way NFL player.

  "It's never been done," Hunter said. "I understand that it will be a high risk, (teams) don't want their top pick to go down too early, and I know they're going to want me to be in a couple packages. But I believe I can do it. Nobody has stopped me from doing it thus far. I like when people tell me I can't do it."

  --Field Level Media

Colorado coach Deion Sanders has filled his pending vacant roster spot at quarterback with Julian Lewis, a top-10 prospect in the Class of 2025.

• Lewis is ranked No. 6 at the quarterback position by the 247Sports composite. Over the weekend, he decommitted from Southern California, to which he gave his verbal pledge in August 2023, and on Thursday announced his new destination on "The Pat McAfee Show."

  Lewis, from Carrollton (Ga.) High School, also considered offers from schools including Georgia, Indiana and Auburn before committing to the Buffaloes.

  The 6-foot-1 quarterback earlier reclassified from the 2026 class. Last week, he went over 10,000 career passing yards in high school.

  Colorado's current starting quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, is expected to be the first quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. And Lewis said he welcomes the chance to compete to replace the coach's son.

  "Coach Prime always says that the best players are gonna play and I wanna come in and compete," Lewis told McAfee. "I wouldn't have much fun sitting on the bench and I wanted to come somewhere that I have a chance to play."

  --Field Level Media

Central Michigan and former Florida head coach Jim McElwain confirmed this is his final season on the sidelines.

• The Chippewas (4-7, 2-5 MAC) have one game remaining, Nov. 30 at Northern Illinois. McElwain will stay on in the role until a new head coach is hired.

  "My wife Karen and I have cherished every moment of our football journey," McElwain said in a statement. "We want to express our deepest gratitude to the all the players who have welcomed us into their lives, and the incredible coaches and support staff at every stop along the way -- it has been a true privilege to work alongside all of them."

  ESPN reported McElwain made the decision without influence from the school administration.

  CBS reported earlier this month that the NCAA is investigating why infamous Michigan sign-stealer Connor Stalions was allegedly on CMU's sideline for the 2023 season opener against Michigan State.

  According to Dennis Dodd of CBS, "The NCAA is seeking to determine if McElwain had a role in allowing Stalions on the sideline of the Chippewas' season opener against Michigan State."

  McElwain will eventually move into a new position as Special Assistant to the Athletic Director.

  McElwain is 33-35 in six seasons at CMU, leading the Chippewas to a bowl win in 2021.

  Overall, he is 77-63 across 12 seasons at Colorado State (2012-14), Florida (2015-17) and CMU. He is 3-2 lifetime in bowl games.

  --Field Level Media

Chairman Warde Manuel and the College Football Playoff committee are under fire from Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who said teams and coaches shouldn't be guessing what evaluation criteria might be applied to formulate the 12-team playoff rankings.

• Georgia is No. 10 in the latest CFP Top 25 with a resume that includes two Southeastern Conference losses but also wins over No. 3 Texas, No. 11 Tennessee and No. 17 Clemson.

  "I've repeatedly said I don't know what they're looking for. They can't define that, and it's not simple either," Smart said on the SEC teleconference Wednesday.

  "It's not. I mean, anybody could be on that committee and say, 'Well, this is what we're looking for. This is our criteria.' And there's so much that it overlaps things, and everybody debates it, and I don't have time to really waste energy on it. So, I think it's more than your nonconference games and who you play."

  Manuel said the factors the committee is applying to each team include head-to-head competition, schedule strength and a more arbitrary variable, the "eye test."

  "Well, obviously Georgia has a very good win at Texas," Manuel said of why the committee sees a significant gap between Texas and Georgia. "As the committee analyzed the body of work of Texas versus where Georgia is at the present time with two losses, even to Top-25 teams, we came out that Texas was still a very strong team deserving of a 3 seed."

  Smart is not clear on what the "eye test" entails.

  "It just seems unjust to me when you evaluate somebody's got a third-ranked defense or somebody's got a fifth-ranked defense," Smart said. "Well, don't you think that third- or fifth-ranked defense (ranking) is dictated by who they've played on offense and how many top offenses they've played?

  "Because last time I checked, our offense and our defense have played the top offenses and defenses across the country. Well, you're not going to be ranked as high if you play top ones than if you play lower-ranked ones, and that's what gets me is they talk about the eye test."

  Ohio State is No. 1 in scoring defense, ahead of Notre Dame (third), Texas (fourth) and Ole Miss (fifth). Ohio State is fourth in run defense, two spots behind Ole Miss and one ahead of Penn State.

  Indiana is No. 2 in scoring offense behind Miami with the two teams that beat Georgia this season, Ole Miss (fourth) and Alabama (eighth), in the Top 10.

  "How do you play in the game? Well, how you play in the game is dictated, No. 1, by where you're playing -- home or away -- and No. 2, who you're playing. That's the two No. 1 indicators of how you play is who you're playing," Smart said. "Who you line up across from matters. But point differential, I don't know that I believe they actually look at just that. I don't know if that's actually the case.

  "They're looking at the whole picture of how you play, and that's dictated by who you play."

  LSU head coach Brian Kelly said on the teleconference that the 2024 season was accepted as one that would produce a flawed sample the committee could adjust to in future years. Not only because of the expansion from a four-team playoff to 12, but because of the expansion of the four remaining football power conferences.

  "I think it's going to be heavily decided on schedule. And I think that we're going to get that historical lesson this year," Kelly said. "But I think strength of schedule is going to play a major role ultimately in how this shapes itself moving forward."

  --Field Level Media

Ohio State will be without starting center Seth McLaughlin as it makes its push for the College Football Playoff, the Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday.

• Per the report, McLaughlin tore an Achilles tendon Tuesday in practice and is likely out for the season.

  The injury comes as the No. 2 Buckeyes prepare to host No. 5 Indiana on Saturday in Columbus. The winner gets a matchup with No. 1 Oregon in the Big Ten championship game, with the playoffs looming.

  It's the latest key injury for the Buckeyes offensive line, which already is without starting left tackle Josh Simmons, lost for the season with a knee injury.

  McLaughlin transferred to Ohio State this season from Alabama and was named to multiple midseason All-American teams.

  Buckeyes coach Ryan Day has yet to address the injury and how he will fill the center spot but is scheduled to meet with the media later Wednesday.

  Behind the offensive line, Ohio State is gaining an average of 5.25 yards per carry. The line also has allowed only 12 sacks in 10 games.

  --Field Level Media

Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis is a potential candidate to fill the head-coaching vacancy at Florida Atlantic, according to an ESPN report.

• No formal communication or interview has taken place as of Wednesday morning, according to CBS Sports.

  Second-year coach Tom Herman was fired Monday after going 6-16 in his short tenure at the Boca Raton school.

  Lewis, 49, won two Super Bowls during a storied 17-year career with the Baltimore Ravens, who picked him in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He's a 13-time Pro Bowler and seven-time First-team All-Pro who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

  Among other NFL records, Lewis has the most tackles and most solo tackles in league history and is the only NFL player to have at least 40 career sacks and 30 career interceptions.

  However, Lewis has no coaching experience at the pro or collegiate level.

  According to ESPN, a hire of Ray Lewis could be modeled after the success of Deion Sanders, another Pro Football Hall of Fame defender who was hired at the collegiate level with no coaching experience. In two seasons at the helm of the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders has led the team from a 1-11 record before his arrival to fighting for spot in the Big 12 title game with an 8-2 record (6-1 Big 12). He previously coached at Jackson State.

  Since his retirement from the NFL, Lewis has worked in multiple media positions, including several years for ESPN.

  Lewis grew up in Lakeland, Fla., and played two seasons of college football at Miami.

  --Field Level Media

The first couple of College Football Playoff rankings provided some fuel for banter and insight into the selection committee's collective thought process. However, as there was a month remaining in the regular season when the first CFP Top 25 rankings were released, there were too many moving parts and hypotheticals to get overly analytical.

• The third set of weekly rankings is when things start to get more serious. Rivalry week looms, conference championship races are tightening, and erstwhile playoff hopefuls are beginning to fall by the wayside.

  Five takeaways from the Tuesday rankings announcement:

  1. It's good to be in the SEC

  A common complaint in the early years of the Bowl Championship Series was that the two-team national championship format punished the Southeastern Conference for having too many good teams, causing them to cannibalize each other. That sentiment is alive and well with the expansion of the championship system to 12 teams.

  While the SEC has only one representative ranked in the top sux -- Texas at No. 3 -- consider that six SEC teams are ranked No. 15 or better, six of them with multiple losses. It's the only conference with any multiple-loss teams ranked that highly, let alone boasting several.

  There are three teams ranked with three losses, and two of them -- South Carolina and Missouri -- hail from the SEC. While the depth leads to teams beating up on one another, it also provides more opportunities to rack up ranked wins.

  A good example is Texas A&M, which is within shouting distance of the playoff at No. 15. The Aggies are 1-2 against currently ranked opponents, with one of those losses coming out of conference against Notre Dame. The other defeat was to No. 18 South Carolina, the highest-ranked three-loss team.

  Texas A&M's top win came against No. 23 Missouri, a peculiar choice to remain in the polls, given that all three of the Tigers' losses occurred in October or November. The most recent of those defeats came last week at South Carolina, which climbed three spots on the strength of a ranked win.

  2. Indiana's margin for error

  Of the nation's three remaining undefeated teams, two have yet to face a Top 25 opponent. That changes in Week 13, and it could be a do-or-die scenario for both Indiana and Army.

  Army's pursuit of a playoff berth is inherently tenuous. The Black Knights' hopes rest on running the table and either a power conference descending into chaos or Boise State losing. But for Indiana, could an 11-1 Big Ten team realistically be excluded from the playoff if the Hoosiers lose to Ohio State this weekend?

  With another power-conference team, SMU, continuing to linger outside the playoff field at one loss, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Indiana could similarly slip. Unlike a hypothetical one-loss Indiana, however, SMU controls its conference-championship destiny.

  Should the Hoosiers lose to Ohio State, they would need to beat Purdue in their finale and hope for help -- specifically, losses by Penn State and Ohio State in Week 14 (or this week, in the case of the Nittany Lions) -- to secure a shot at Oregon in the Big Ten title game.

  SMU is one of the looming threats to pass Indiana if the Hoosiers falter, along with Boise State and several SEC teams benefiting from strong schedules.

  3. Boise State should root against Colorado State

  Thanks to a slip-up by the leader of one of the four power conferences in Week 12, Boise State escaped a projected opening-round playoff game and climbed to No. 4 among the top five conference champions.

  To maintain its position -- or potentially climb higher -- Boise State would benefit from a rematch with UNLV in the Mountain West championship game. Washington State's puzzling Week 12 loss to New Mexico erased a ranked win from Boise State's resume, but UNLV mitigated the damage by checking in at No. 24.

  If the Rebels reach 10 wins and remain in the Top 25, a second meeting with the Broncos would enhance Boise State's case. However, for that scenario to occur, Colorado State needs to lose. The Rams, quietly undefeated in the Mountain West after a lackluster start that included blowout losses to Texas and Colorado, are 7-3 overall and nowhere near the Top 25, even if they win out.

  While Fresno State may be Boise State's most bitter Mountain West rival, Broncos fans presumably will root for the Bulldogs in their Week 13 home matchup against Colorado State.

  4. Kansas is the Big 12's biggest problem

  BYU escaped precarious positions repeatedly on its way to a 9-0 start, but the law of averages -- and the surging Kansas Jayhawks -- caught up with the Cougars. Kansas disrupted Iowa State's playoff hopes a week earlier, temporarily knocking the Cyclones out of the Top 25 with a 45-36 win in Kansas City on Nov. 9.

  Iowa State returned to the poll this week, but at No. 22, the Cyclones are well outside the playoff picture. BYU hasn't been eliminated yet, but its drop to No. 14, combined with Boise State inching up to No. 12, leaves the Big 12's highest-ranked team fifth among the conference champions.

  Next up for Kansas is a home game against No. 16 Colorado on Saturday. A Jayhawks win, coupled with No. 21 Arizona State defeating BYU, could conceivably leave the Big 12 on the outside looking in.

  5. Plenty of head-to-head matchups loom

  Starting this weekend, a series of matchups featuring Top 25 teams squaring off promises lots of movement, even without another wave of upsets.

  No. 5 Indiana's showdown with No. 2 Ohio State is the game of the week this Saturday. Meanwhile, No. 6 Notre Dame's neutral-site clash with No. 19 Army at Yankee Stadium is a likely make-or-break moment for both teams' playoff aspirations.

  Reeling BYU visits surging Arizona State, with the winner controlling its destiny for a Big 12 championship game berth.

  The following week will bring additional drama, with the renewal of the Texas-Texas A&M series and South Carolina-Clemson clash both carrying playoff implications.

  Plenty can and will change, even as the playoff picture begins to take shape.

  --Kyle Kensing, Field Level Media