In the midst of a dramatic start to the college football season, unexpected teams have risen to the fore in a muddled chase for the College Football Playoff. That includes long-shot candidate Cincinnati, which looks to make a case at Indiana this week.
Many teams struggled in Week 1 but standout performances could carry forward for Texas, fresh off a dominant debut by Steve Sarkisian and Hudson Card, and Iowa, looking to impose its imposing defense on rival Iowa State.
As college football kicks into full gear across the nation, key games include Alabama hosting Miami in what could be the toughest game they'll play all year, Kedon Slovis and USC hosting San José State with Clay Helton on the hot seat, and Clemson facing Georgia on neutral ground in Charlotte, North Carolina.
College football's championship game could be decided by the health of Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
It's the New Year's Six bowls, and the College Football Playoff semifinals. Can Notre Dame pull the upset against the heavily-favored Crimson Tide? Will either team have an edge when Trevor Lawrence and Clemson face Ohio State?
Among the top bowl games over next week: Kyle Trask and the Florida Gators taking on the Oklahoma Sooners in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Ready or not, bowl season is here! The premier matchup in the first round of bowls sees Khyiris Tonga and the BYU Cougars face the UCF Knights in the Boca Raton Bowl. Elsewhere, Tulane faces Nevada in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, and Hawai'i meets Houston in the New Mexico Bowl.
It seems set in stone that the four playoff berths will be given to Power 5 teams, which begs the question: what happens if Cincinnati beats Tulsa to finish at 8-0 and AAC champions?
In the craziest college season in recent memory, with COVID cancellations running rampant, it's comforting to know that the Army Black Knights (led by fullback Jakobi Buchanan) will still face the Navy Midshipmen on Saturday.
Yes, there are big contests in the SEC (Texas A&M at Auburn) and Big 12 (West Virginia at Iowa State. But the week's real main event sees BYU travel to Conway, South Carolina, to play Grayson McCall and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in the game you never knew you needed to see.
