Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football, where Finebaum for Senate makes as much sense as any other college sports-related politician in Alabama. First Quarter: Here He Comes Again, Somehow. Second Quarter: Are We Really Doing This Again? Third Quarter: The Looming Notre Dame Argument.
Fourth Quarter: October Bold Predictions
September is a wrap, so let’s look ahead and make some declarations about what’s to come:
Missouri (31) will be the last unbeaten team in the SEC.
The Tigers are off until Oct. 11, when they play Alabama at home. They’re catching the Crimson Tide at the right time, after games against Georgia and surprising Vanderbilt.
Then Mizzou plays its first road game of the season on Oct. 18, at Auburn. That’s a tough place to play, but Hugh Freeze’s team figures to be on a three-game losing streak by then. That will ramp up the toxicity around the program, further embattling Freeze.
So let’s pencil in Missouri as 7–0 going to Vandy Oct. 25, for the showdown nobody saw coming—Ahmad Hardy vs. Diego Pavia for the Who Knew Heisman Showdown of the Year. The Tigers will win that and enter November 8–0, whereupon Eli Drinkwitz will have risen to the top of the Florida coaching search hot list. (Even if the job isn’t yet open.)
Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia (32) will be universally regarded as the best assistant coach hire of 2025.
Not the guy he replaced, Jim Knowles, who is now making $3 million at Penn State. Not Ben Arbuckle, who is doing meritorious offensive work at Oklahoma. Not Corey Hetherman at Miami.
Patricia’s unit surrendered a total of 22 points in the first four games, including just two touchdowns. Ohio State is the only team in the country that hasn’t given up a red zone touchdown, and has allowed points in just two of seven opposing drives inside the 20-yard line. With Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin coming in October, expect the Buckeyes’ defensive dominance to continue.
By the end of the month, CJ Carr (33) will be Notre Dame’s strongest Heisman Trophy candidate since Brady Quinn.
A guy who hadn’t thrown a college pass before this season has been extremely good through four games, improving with every start. His 181.10 efficiency rating ranks 10th nationally, and his 10.5 yards per attempt is fifth. Carr has created big-play combinations with Virginia transfer wide receiver Malachi Fields and tight end Eli Raridon, and running back Jeremiyah Love has been a weapon in the passing game as well.
Carr seems to have the vital combination of aplomb and competitiveness that makes for a special quarterback. He has three home games in October to further establish himself.
The Texas Tech schedule (34) will be a growing argument if the Red Raiders keep winning.
The undefeated Raiders have played the worst nonconference schedule of any power-conference team by a wide margin. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kent State and Oregon State are all winless against FBS competition and have an average Sagarin Rating of 196. Tech’s road win over Utah was eye-catching, but in the muddle of the Big 12 it would help to have something—anything—on the résumé from outside the league to help its College Football Playoff at-large candidacy.
Of course, Texas Tech can win its way into an automatic bid by capturing the Big 12 title. But anything short of that could leave them on the outside looking in.
The ACC will be out of undefeated teams (35) by November.
There currently are three, and The Dash can target when they will lose in the next month: Miami in its first road game Saturday at Florida State, as the Seminoles continue to produce highly variable performances; Louisville at Miami on a Friday night, Oct. 17; and Georgia Tech at Duke the next day.
That doesn’t mean the ACC will be reduced to a one-bid league, although that remains a real possibility. If the league can advance two one-loss teams to Charlotte for the championship game, a close contest between them could help get a second team in the bracket—just as it did last year.
Florida (36) will spring a surprise on someone again this year.
Billy Napier may be going, going, almost gone—but he’s got opportunities in October to wreak some havoc on the SEC race. Texas comes to The Swamp for the first time Saturday, and the Gators then go to Texas A&M the following week. Those games both could become defensive slogs in which a play or two makes the difference.
And after hosting Mississippi State on Oct. 18, Florida gets its annual shot in Jacksonville at Georgia on Nov. 1. The Gators have lost four straight in the series, but haven’t lost five in a row to the Bulldogs since 1979–83. They are, to say the least, due.
South Florida at Memphis (37) will establish the favorite to host the American championship game—which figures to have a playoff bid attached for the winner.
The two meet Oct. 25, and with no disrespect intended to Tulane, Navy and North Texas, the winner will assume the inside track in the league. For two programs that have chased power-conference admission for years, that game will provide a big stage.
Coach Who Earned His Comp Car This Week
Tony Elliott (38), Virginia
After three years of struggle at a program that was caught flat-footed in the NIL and facilities races, Elliott might have a job-saving breakthrough season underway. The Cavaliers are 4–1 and coming off a thrilling, field-storming upset of Florida State. The former Clemson offensive coordinator has built an explosive offense around transfer quarterback Chandler Morris, ranking second in the ACC in both points and yards per game. If Virginia can win at Louisville on Saturday, its chances of making the league title game for just the second time improve dramatically.
Coach Who Should Take the Bus to Work
Rich Rodriguez (39), West Virginia
At least he won the Backyard Brawl, because what came before and after has been pretty brutal. There was the loss to Ohio prior to beating Pittsburgh, and then consecutive Big 12 blowouts against Kansas and Utah by a combined 65 points. Losing at home to the Utes by 34 points cannot be completely attributed to the absence of injured quarterback Nicco Marchiol.
Point After
When thirsty in the football hub of Atlanta, The Dash recommends hitting the products made by Roswell-based Gate City Brewing Company (40). Try an Awe Juice IPA and thank The Dash later.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Forde-Yard Dash: Bold Predictions Put Shocking Unbeaten SEC Team in Spotlight.
