College Football Highlights From Week 14, the Conference Championships Schedules, and the New AP Top 25 – RedState

The rivalry weekend was expected to bring some drama, and that's about what it did; there was someif not much. There was only one real result in the poll: Several schools in the bubble are now looking to get the attention of the playoff committee.

The conference final will be the deciding factor. Will Alabama's loss in the SEC finals lead to their rebound? Will James Madison or North Texas come from outside? And can Duke actually make the playoffs with Miami if they manage to upset Virginia? These are migraine-inducing questions that the playoff committee will have to grapple with in the coming weeks.

• The Lane Kiffin drama comes to a close with the news that he will be jumping ship to attend LSU. How this will impact Ole Miss in the postseason remains questionable. Athletic director Keith Carter told him he would not coach in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Tulane coach John Sumrall will remain on staff for the American Conference title game and a possible playoff berth, even as he is named the new head of the Florida Gators program.

Lane Kiffin talks with ESPN's Marty Smith about his decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU as he prepares to board a plane. 🏈🎙️ #CFB https://t.co/wH3EcY6NcC pic.twitter.com/Suvet4bqNU

— Horrible announcement (@awfulannouncing) November 30, 2025

• While social media trolling following the win is superficial, the Longhorns trolled the Aggies in real time by playing a clip of A&M coach Mike Elko declaring his team the flagship program in Texas. on the stadium scoreboard after their loss.
• Michigan defenseman Jashon Barham appeared to head the referee, but only took the penalty and was not ejected.

THESE MICHIGAN VOICES ARE CLASSLESS, HE JUST HEADED THE REFERRER pic.twitter.com/MZcNt2tO8E

— wok (@dontsipwok) November 29, 2025

• Since the playoff format, Texas Tech is only the third team to have 11 wins by 20 points or more. The other two were Alabama in 2018 and Ohio State in 2019.
• After losing to the Wolfpack, Bill Belichick's first season ended without a bowl bid as the Tar Heels went 0–8 against teams with at least five wins.
• Although Clemson went 7-5, Dabo and his Clemson program have questions after the season. Duke is 7-5 and playing for the ACC Championship.

Ohio State 27 – Michigan 9

The Buckeyes have been a dominant force for years, and even as defending champions, they had one blemish on their resume. There was a lot of talk about how it had been more than 2,000 days since they beat the Wolverines, and in frigid Ann Arbor conditions, the first quarter seemed almost to prolong that misery, but then the expected happened. Ohio State outscored Michigan 24-3 in the remaining three quarters, holding the home team to just 163 yards and doubling its time of possession. The Buckeyes posted a monster conversion rate of 10/17 on third downs and 2/3 on 4th downs, outscoring their opponent.

Texas 27 – Texas A&M 17

The Lone Star game in Austin on Friday was a tight one, with the Aggies leading at the half but deadlocked after the break. A&M converted on three straight possessions and then, during a rally at the 4th, Marcel Reed threw a pair of interceptions, one of which was inside the 5-yard line. Arch Manning struck the dagger with a 35-yard touchdown run with seven minutes to play.

Oklona 11 – Furniture 13

In a game where the first half was almost unwatchable (3-3 at half-time), things only got marginally better later on. The Sooners likely secured a playoff berth despite a sloppy offense that relied on two big touchdowns with passes of 48 and 58 yards to get the result. Otherwise, it was a stifling defense that held the Tigers to less than 200 yards of total offense despite John Mateer's three interceptions.

Miami 38 – Pitt 7

The Hurricanes continued to cause problems for the selection committee as they took to the cold Akrizur Stadium and dominated the ranked Panthers. Carson Beck continued his strong November, passing for 267 yards and three touchdowns, while freshman sensation Malici Toney caught 13 passes, one for a touchdown, and scored another passing score.

Vanderbilt 45 – Tennessee 24

It looked like doom for the Commodores' postseason chances when turnovers gave the Vols a 14-0 lead, but Diego Pavia turned up the heat and the score was tied at 21 at halftime. Pavia rushed for a total of 423 yards, including 165 rushing passes and a rushing touchdown. Cedric Alexander added to the problems by giving Vanderbilt another 115 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

CONFERENCE FINAL

Friday, December 5

• SUN BELT – Troy at James Madison at 7 p.m. on ESPN

• AMERICAN ATHLETIC – North Texas vs. Tulane, 8 p.m. on ABC

• MOUNTAIN WEST – Boise State vs. UNLV, 8 p.m. on FOX

Saturday, December 6

• BIG 12 – BYU vs. Texas Tech, 12:00 pm on ABC

• MID ATLANTIC Western Michigan vs. Miami (Ohio), 12:00 p.m. on ESPN

• SEC – Georgia vs. Alabama, 4 p.m. on ABC

• ACC – Virginia vs. Duke, 8 p.m. on ABC

• BIG 10 – Ohio State vs. Indiana, 8 p.m. on FOX

New AP Top 25 (First Place Voting): Tennessee, Arizona State and SMU fall out of the table as the poll includes Arizona, Navy and Missouri.

1. Ohio State (61)

2. Indiana (5)

3. Georgia

4. Oregon

5. Texas Tech

6. Ole Miss

7. Texas A&M

8. Oklahoma

9. Our Lady

10. Alabama

11. BYU

12. Miami

13. Vanderbilt

14. Texas

15. Utah

16. Virgo

17. USC

18. Michigan

19. James Madison

20. North Texas

21. Tulane

22. Arizona

23. Naval

24. Georgia Tech

25. Missouri

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