If you recall, IU was also unbeaten when rolling into Columbus last November before getting rudely dumped, 38-15. The Hoosiers lost contact in the 2nd half because they couldn't budge the Buckeyes defense which allowed only 153 yards. The challenge for IU's Heisman candidate QB Fernando Mendoza is to not run aground vs. OSU as did predecessor Kurtis Rourke, who passed for only 68 yards a year ago at the Big Horseshoe. While there are plenty of shiny objects on the OSU offense, it's the defense which sets the Buckeyes apart, allowing fewer than 8 ppg. Only Texas has come closer to the Buckeyes than 14 since last year's loss to Michigan...17 games ago! Play Ohio State (Big Ten at Indianapolis)

Refer to Ohio State games vs. Texas (14-7), Washington (24-6), and Michigan (27-9)...a common theme among all of those ranked foes was that none of them could even reach double-digit scoring. The Buckeyes can strike quickly with wideouts like Jeremiah Smith and frosh QB Julian Sayin having matured into a responsible leader, though Ryan Day is just as apt to play the field-position game and let his defense (allowing a nation's-low 7.75 ppg) dictate matters. Here's the rub in the Big Ten title game, however...IU plays some pretty good defense, too, in fact ranking second nationally in points allowed at 10.9 ppg. This has all of the earmarks of an old-fashioned Big Ten slugout. Play Ohio State-Indiana Under (Big Ten at Indianapolis)

After Kirby Smart's first Georgia team went 8-5 in 2016, he's gone 107-8 against teams not named Bama...but 1-7 against the Crimson Tide! Bama has also had the Bulldogs' number in SEC title games, with the lone loss to Smart coming in the 2021 national title game...after the Tide had won another SEC championship game from the Bulldogs. Unlike a year ago when Kalen DeBoer's side had its problems away from Tuscaloosa, this Bama edition proved it could win on the road, including at Athens over the Bulldogs in late September. Georgia's chances are minimized on Saturday if QB Gunner Stockton can't perform better than last week vs. Georgia Tech, when completing only 11 passes for a mere 70 yards. Play Alabama (SEC at Atlanta)

Give Miami HC Chuck Martin credit for making an emergency QB switch to frosh Thomas Gotkowski in the last two games, wins over Buffalo and Ball State, that got the RedHawks in position for a return to Ford Field after backup Henry Hesson proved inadequate as a replacement for original starter Dequann Finn, who left the team in early November. Gotkowski tossed 4 TD passes and 0 picks to reward Martin's faith and put Miami-O back into Detroit. Nothing bad to say about WMU, which overachieved for HC Lance Taylor, but note the one Broncos loss in MAC play came in midseason during a 26-17 loss at Oxford in what was Finn's last real hurrah at QB for the RedHawks. Play Miami-Ohio (MAC at Detroit)

Texas Tech has mowed down almost everyone in its path this season and no desire to buck the Red Raiders against any Big 12 foe. Joey McGuire's crew went 11-1 SU and vs. the spread and rarely took a deep breath in the wins, all by 22 points or more. Credit work in the portal from HC Joey McGuire and Football GM James Blanchard who re-stocked both lines with transfers and began dominating from the outset whistle. After battling injuries, QB Behren Morton is back in the saddle, while RBs Cameron Dickey and J'Koby Williams combined for 1730 YR. BYU wad fortunate the earlier 29-7 loss at Lubbock wasn't worse as the Red Raiders settled for five mostly-short FGs. Play Texas Tech (at Arlington, Tx)

Expected dicey weather tonight in Boise could slow down proceedings in the MW title game. The blue carpet could be covered in white as a mix of rain and slow could turn into slush on the gridiron and perhaps slow these offenses much more than the 56-31 result at midseason on the same field. The Broncos apparently get QB Maddux Madsen back to active duty for the first time in over a month, but there are no secrets between these two, meeting for the third straight time in this title game and fifth time since the 2023. Last year's MW championship showdown ended 21-7 in the Broncos' favor and we might see a scoreline somewhat similar tonight. Play UNLV-Boise State Under.

We'd say Wyo is a pretty tough sell these days. The Cowboy offense has completely stalled, scoring a mere 17 points the past three games combined, now down to 127th ranked in the country. There's a chance that HC Jay Sawvel might sit QB Kaden Anderson and give a look to true freshman Mason Drube. Nothing wrong with a Cowboy defense that ranks 23rd in scoring D at 19.9 ppg, but that hasn't stopped a current three-game skid. For Hawaii, a chance to regroup and get ready for a bowl game after MW title hopes were dashed at UNLV last Friday. At home this season, the Rainbow Warriors are 5-1, and QB Micah Alejado leads an offense that's passed for nearly 3200 yards. Play Hawaii

It's revenge for the Cougs after the Beavers pulled out a 10-7 win in the first meeting on November 1 when OSU made a brief rally for interim HC Robb Akey. It's the same Beavers who didn't cover a spread in their first seven games, subsequently lost to Sam Houston and were whipped by Tulsa. News of Kalen DeBoer Bama aide JaMarcus Sheppard as the new HC for 2026 might simply encourage more Beavers to look at the portal as an escape from Corvallis. For Jimmy Rogers' Wazzu, it has battled a rugged schedule, but note the last two home games were romps past Toledo and La Tech (both likely bowl-bound), and the Cougs need this win to get bowl-eligible themselves. Play Washington State

Expect Paul Bunyan's Axe to be going back to Madison with the Badgers. That's because Wisconsin is looking like, well, Wisconsin again the past month, almost coincidentally since HC Luke Fickell got a vote of confidence and commitment to keep him for 2026 in hopes of a turnaround. Maybe it's already begun as the Badgers are starting un and defend as they used to do both, and frosh QB Carter Smith is at least providing serviceable leadership in November. The Gophers got a career passing day from QB Drake Lindsey last week vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field and still lost, likely because this PJ Fleck edition isn't running the ball nearly as well as his past Gophers teams. Play Wisconsin

Reports of an undercurrent gathering momentum at Penn State to keep interim Terry Smith as the fulltime coach. While remote, it is worth noting that Smith has connected with the team, which now looks like Penn State again. Every effort since taking over for James Franklin has been good, including close losses to Iowa and Indiana, and wins over Michigan State and last week vs. Nebraska both impressed. The catalyst lately has been RB Kaytron Allen, rumbling for 341 rush yards across the past two wins. Rutgers hasn't beaten Penn State since entering the Big Ten and usually hasn't been close...nothing likely changes on Saturday in Piscataway. Play Penn State

It was a one-shot deal for UAB and interim Alex Mortensen, losing four straight after the Memphis upset. The Blazers have not been just losing, they've been getting destroyed in their skid, allowed more than 50 ppg across the last two vs. North Texas and USF. Note QB Jalen Kitna hasn't helped the past two games, firing five picks across the losses to the Mean Green and Bulls. Meanwhile, Tulsa is showing late-season life for first-year HC Tre Lamb, wins over Oregon State and Army on the spin, with RB Dominic Richardson now over 1000 YR and off of a 203-yard explosion last week at West Point. Frosh QB Baylor Hayes has passed for 250+ yards in three of the past five games. Play Tulsa

We'll see the status of 'Ville QB Miller Moss, though it might not matter much except that frosh backup Deuce Adams looked like a deer caught in the headlights last week at SMU when completing only 12 passes for 94 yards in a 38-6 loss to the Mustangs. As for Moss, he had been tailing off in the second half of the season anyway, with just 2 TD passes across his last four starts. The Cards have been tailing off, too, losing three straight and covering one of five since their season hit its zenith in the October upset of Miami. Note UK has won and covered the last three as series visitor and Mark Stoops gets the Cats bowl-eligible with a win. Play Kentucky

The Gamecocks seem hellbent to make the best of the situation as the team is finally looking like we thought SC might this season, narrowly losing at Texas A&M and blowing out Coastal Carolina in the last two games. No coincidence, perhaps, that both efforts are since OC Mike Shula was dismissed, and QB LaNorris Sellers has amassed over 300 total yards in each of his last two games in front of the Palmetto State special. Clemson proved a false alarm long ago this season as the pundits overrated Dabo Swinney's returning talent. This will be the final reg season game for QB Clade Klubnik, but he hasn't been able to lift the Tigers above the lowest-possible bar and bowl eligibility. Play South Carolina

Some curveball lately in the Territorial Cup lately, with the road team winning big the past two seasons. This one should be closer but it's also Arizona's turn after absorbing a frightful 49-7 beating from the Sun Devils a year ago in Tucson. These aren't the same Wildcats, however, a couple of plays from being 9-1, while QB Noah Fafita has sufficiently rehabbed his rep from a bumpy 2024, tossing 25 TD passes vs. just 5 picks this season. Full respect for ASU's Kenny Dillingham and turning journeyman Jeff Sims (at his fourth school) into a competent pilot in the wake of Sam Leavitt's injury, but the Fifita-led Cats seem to be playing with a sharper edge. And there's the revenge motive, too! Play Arizona

Whew! The Aggies are still unbeaten but have cut it close more than once, especially two weeks ago vs. South Carolina, and earlier escapes at Notre Dame and Arkansas. Flying so close to the flame, A&M could eventually get burned, and cannot again afford QB Marcel Reed to make mistakes as his two picks vs. the Gamecocks on November 15 nearly proved very costly. Texas salvages its season with a win and keeps its remote playoff chances alive (there will need to be lots of dominoes falling the Longhorns' way, but not impossible). The defense will need to prevent too many big plays by Reed, but Arch Manning has played his best games in November, and the Horns offense is starting to click.