Heavy investment in name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals continues to correlate with on-field success in college football. Twelve programs that spent approximately $40 million on players this season have combined for a 72.2% win rate, with only Michigan (5-4) and Texas A&M (4-5) falling outside College Football Playoff contention. The remaining ten teams all have three or fewer losses, and four — LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, and Ole Miss — carry three losses each, potentially setting up the first three-loss CFP entrant.
Georgia Establishes Itself as Nation's Best
No. 2 Georgia demolished No. 10 Ole Miss 42-7 in Oxford, reinforcing its case for the top ranking. Defensive back KJ Bolden said the Bulldogs "could have put up 60" and "could have pitched a shutout." Quarterback Gunner Stockton completed nine passes, four to Talyn Taylor for 140 yards and three touchdowns. Georgia has won seven of its last eight against AP-ranked teams, though its recent CFP performances remain a question mark.
Missouri's Playoff Hopes Fade Again
Missouri lost 34-20 at home to Texas, dropping to 1-11 in its last 12 games against ranked opponents. Quarterback Austin Simmons threw a critical interception in a comeback attempt. Despite Simmons announcing his return for 2027, the Tigers face No. 2 Georgia and top-10 Kentucky in the next two weeks. CBS Sports' forecasting gives Missouri a 9.4% CFP chance with a win over Georgia, but the projection appears optimistic.
UCLA Remains Undefeated Under First-Year Coach
The Bruins improved to 9-0 (6-0 Big Ten) with a 34-20 road win at Minnesota, their best start since 1998. Coach Bob Chesney became only the second FBS coach to start 9-0 after taking over a nine-loss team, joining Curt Cignetti. Backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach threw for 303 yards on just 8-of-16 passing, including back-to-back 75-yard touchdowns to Aidan Mizell, marking the fewest completions to reach 300 yards since 2000.
SMU Revives ACC and Playoff Aspirations
After a 51-28 blowout of Virginia Tech, SMU's playoff chances jumped to 8.8% and could reach 20.4% with a win over Wake Forest next week. The Mustangs would then hold a tiebreaker advantage and face Notre Dame on Nov. 21. Quarterback Kevin Jennings has thrown 13 touchdowns against one interception over the last five games, though the defense ranks 54th in scoring.
Lane Kiffin's Alabama Woes Continue
LSU fell 31-13 at home to Alabama as a 5.5-point favorite, dropping Kiffin to 0-6 against the Crimson Tide as a head coach, with four losses by double digits. The third-highest-paid coach in the sport ($11.5 million) has yet to win a major conference title or playoff game. USC's Lincoln Riley ($11.5 million) and Texas A&M's Mike Elko ($10.8 million) similarly face scrutiny for underwhelming results relative to their salaries.
First-Year Coaches Struggle at Michigan and Tulane
Michigan lost 15-6 to Michigan State, failing to score seven points in back-to-back home games for the first time since 1936. The offense has broken pre-World War II futility records, and a high-priced quarterback was benched. Tulane, coming off a playoff appearance, was routed 60-10 by Tulsa, falling to 4-5. Coach Will Hall went 18-35 at Southern Miss, and athletic director David Harris called the result "embarrassing" and "alarming given the point differential."
