All College Football Playoff paths are quickly and undeniably leading directly to the SEC, where the exiled king is primed for a roaring comeback. 

Which, of course, makes everyone outside the league want to puke.

But it’s time to accept a world where six SEC teams are selected to the CFP, a move that would not only spread controversy and panic, it could set the tone for the future of the college football postseason. 

First, the six teams currently headed toward the CFP, desperately trying to break the Big Ten’s two-year hold on the national title: Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas and Oklahoma. All it’s going to take is another Notre Dame loss (see: at Pittsburgh).

Now, the future: Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, the chair of the CFP board of managers and arguably the strongest president in all of college sports, said last week on the ‘Paul Finebaum Show’ the SEC prefers no automatic qualifiers for future playoffs. 

Remember, the deadline to change the CFP for the 2026 season (and expand the field) is Dec. 1, and the SEC and Big Ten have been bickering for months about format (16 or 20 teams, automatic qualifiers, selection committee, etc.). No automatic qualifiers sets up the possibility of the SEC (and/or Big Ten) dominating the playoff for years to come. 

Look at this year’s 12-team format: there isn’t an ACC team worthy of a Top 12 ranking, but the conference champion will get an automatic bid. Texas Tech is the only Big 12 team that appears to be a lock for a spot.  

The highest-ranked Group of Five champion receives a spot, and that scenario would leave nine CFP spots for a deep SEC, a top heavy Big Ten and potentially Notre Dame. It’s not as crazy as you think. 

Meanwhile, back in the best conference in the game, two more heavyweight matchups this week (Texas-Georgia, Oklahoma-Alabama) won’t eliminate teams, but will more than likely shuffle the order of how the teams are ranked by the selection committee.  

A look at this week’s projected CFP field, and a prediction on how the CFP selection committee will vote:

The 12-team CFP bracket field

1. Indiana: Every championship team runs into a rough spot against a team it should beat. That Indiana found a way to win a game it shouldn’t is what elite teams do. Next: Wisconsin.

2. Ohio State: I get it, the schedule is putrid. But this team looks a lot like the 2022 team that could’ve won it all, and didn’t because of a missed field goal in the CFP semifinal against Georgia. Next: UCLA.

3. Texas A&M: The path (not necessarily the players) looks a lot like LSU 2019. Overwhelming offense, and a defense that’s figuring it out in the back half of the season. Next: South Carolina.

4. Alabama: The run game has been a problem all season. If Oklahoma can make the Tide one dimensional and affect the quarterback, it will get interesting in Tuscaloosa. Next: Oklahoma. 

5. Georgia: The pass rush is beginning to affect the quarterback, which leads to better coverage in the secondary. Now here comes suddenly hot Arch Manning. Next: Texas.   

6. Ole Miss: It’s all about positioning and favorable schedule. As long as Rebels keep winning, there’s a possibility to reach the top four and earn a first round bye. Next: Florida.

7. Texas Tech: The only question: Can injured QB Behren Morton continue to gut it out, week after week? If he can, this team is dangerous — especially in a first round home game. Next: UCF. 

8. Oregon: Don’t underestimate the win at Iowa, and more important, the play of QB Dante Moore when the Ducks needed him. There’s still heavy lifting ahead. Next: Minnesota. 

9. Texas: Obsessing on all things Manning has overshadowed Texas finding a way back to the CFP with a few gut-check wins. Now it looks like the pass game is beginning find its stride. Next: at Georgia. 

10. Oklahoma: A close loss to Alabama won’t be a critical blow, an ugly loss opens the door for two-loss Vanderbilt. OU needs John Mateer of September to emerge. Next: at Alabama. 

11. Notre Dame: You can’t have one thing without the other. If the committee is praising an Irish resume that essentially consists of a good loss to Texas A&M, that must mean the SEC holds more weight — and therefore, earns more deference. Next: at Pitt.

12. Vanderbilt: The committee is already talking eye test, which is typically saved for the last week of the season. OK, I’ll bite. Eye test: Vanderbilt or BYU or any ACC team? Next: Kentucky.

Five automatic qualifiers: Indiana (Big Ten), Texas A&M (SEC), Texas Tech (Big 12), Georgia Tech (ACC).

First round byes: Indiana, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Alabama.

College Football Playoff first round

• (12) South Florida at (5) Georgia
• (11) Georgia Tech at (6) Ole Miss
• (10) Oklahoma at (7) Texas Tech
• (9) Texas at (8) Oregon

College Football Playoff quarterfinals

• Texas-Oregon winner vs. Indiana (1), Rose Bowl
• Oklahoma-Texas Tech winner vs. Ohio State, Cotton Bowl
• Georgia Tech-Ole Miss winner vs. Texas A&M, Sugar Bowl
• South Florida-Georgia winner vs. Alabama, Orange Bowl

How the CFP committee will vote

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Oregon
7. Ole Miss
8. Texas Tech
9. Notre Dame
10. Texas
11. Oklahoma
12. BYU

When do the next College Football Playoff rankings come out?

Tuesday, Nov. 11: 7 p.m

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

STORRS, Conn. — The No. 1-ranked UConn women’s basketball team unveiled its 2025 NCAA championship banner at Gampel Pavilion on Sunday. Then, the 12-time national champion Huskies continued their dominance.

Azzi Fudd led UConn with 23 points, shooting 60% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range. Sarah Strong has 21 points and nine rebounds. Kayleigh Heckel added 12 points and six steals off the bench for UConn (2-0).

‘I would say that whenever we’re drawing up a play in the huddle, one of the first two words out of my mouth is Azzi or Sarah,’ UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. ‘So they are going to be involved one way or another and what we’re doing. A lot of times it’s both.

‘Based on these first two games, that’s kind of the way that I wanted to go, you know, for the rest of the season. … You know, 21 and 23 points. It’s a point a minute, I think that’s pretty good.’

Auriemma was pleased with Fudd’s all-around effort. She added five assists, three rebounds and two steals.

‘She really leaning into this defensive mentality,’ Auriemma said. ‘Last year, we put Paige (Bueckers) on the other team’s best player, right? … This year, Azzi’s going to have to guard the other’s team’s best player. And that’s all there was to it, and she loves it.’

Sole Williams led Florida State (2-1) with 14 points. Allie Kubek and Jasmine Shaver added 11 points apiece.

See a recap of the game and highlights below:

Third quarter: UConn 83, Florida State 48

The Huskies took their largest lead of the game by outscoring the Seminoles 32-21 in the quarter. UConn has 36 points in the paint and 22 fastbreak points. Azzi Fudd has 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting including three 3-pointers. Sarah Strong has 21 points and nine rebounds. Kayleigh Heckel added 10 points off the bench.

Sole Williams has 11 points to lead Florida State. The Seminoles have 22 turnovers and are shooting 39% from the field.

Halftime: UConn 51, Florida State 27

The combination of Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong are overwhelming the Seminoles.

Fudd has 20 points, going 8-for-12 from the field with two 3-pointers. Strong nearly has a double-double with 16 points and 8 rebounds. She also has two assists, two blocks and a steal. She stole the ball at midcourt in the waning minutes of the second quarter and took it in for a driving layup. Stong was fouled and converted the free throw.

UConn continues to outrebound Florida State 22-15. The Huskies also have 11 steals and 26 points off turnovers.

Sole Williams is leading Florida State in scoring with seven points.

First quarter: UConn 23, Florida State 13

UConn has taken a double-digit lead at the end of the first quarter. Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd have 10 points each. The Huskies are dominating the boards with 15 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.

Sole Williams has five points for the Seminoles. Florida State has eight rebounds and is shooting 31.1% from the field.

We are underway in Storrs

UConn had four chances on its opening possession, grabbing three offensive rebounds, and is 1-for-5 to start the game. Azzi Fudd broke the drought with a mid-range jumper.

Florida State at UConn: Time, streaming

• Date: Sunday, Nov. 9
• Time: 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT)
• Location: Gampel Pavilion
• Stream: FS1

UConn unveils championship banner

Florida State starting lineup

UConn starting lineup

Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who guided the league to new heights of financial prosperity during his 17-year run yet drew heavy scrutiny for his handling of the league’s concussion crisis, died Sunday in Chevy Chase, Maryland, his family announced. He was 84.

Tagliabue’s apparent cause of death was heart failure complicated by Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with approximately seven years ago.

Tagliabue, who was previously an attorney for the league, served as NFL Commissioner from 1989-2006, taking over for Pete Rozelle. During that span, he helped the league navigate several crises, including the decision to postpone games after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and handling the fallout from Hurricane Katrina. His ability to maintain broker labor peace and avoid any work stoppages has been widely credited as a major factor in the league’s financial boom during his tenure. With billions pouring in from multiple new media rights deals over the course of his time at the helm, franchise values boomed.

Tagliabue’s time featured a good deal of movement for teams, with two new organizations – the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995 – starting up in that stretch, while two other cities got teams back with the rebooted Cleveland Browns (1999) and Houston Texans (2002). Twenty new stadiums were constructed while he served as Commissioner, which marked the start of a facilities arms war and helped further boost team values.

Under his watch, the league also instituted free agency and a salary cap.

Yet several of Tagliabue’s remarks and decisions regarding concussions and head injuries clouded his time. In 2017, he apologized for his 1994 comment that ‘is relatively small; the problem is the journalist issue.’

“There were some things that we did which probably should have been done much quicker,” Tagliabue told USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell in 2021. “But in the longer run, what’s happened in the last 20 years suggests it might not have made that much difference. Put it another way: For the most part, I think we did the things at the time that could have made the most difference.”

After retiring, Tagliabue was succeeded by current NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Tagliabue was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020 as part of the centennial class.

“All of us in the NFL are deeply saddened by the passing of Paul Tagliabue, whose principled leadership and vision put the NFL on the path to unparalleled success,’ Goodell said in a statement. ‘Throughout his decades-long leadership on behalf of the NFL, first as outside counsel and then during a powerful 17-year tenure as commissioner, Paul served with integrity, passion and an unwavering conviction to do what was best for the league.

‘Paul was the ultimate steward of the game—tall in stature, humble in presence and decisive in his loyalty to the NFL. He viewed every challenge and opportunity through the lens of what was best for the greater good, a principle he inherited from Pete Rozelle and passed on to me.’

The Washington Commanders’ trying day against the Detroit Lions got even more difficult early in the second quarter on Sunday.

Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne was ejected for the remainder of the game for striking Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown after a touchdown.

After hitting the side of St. Brown’s helmet, Payne was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and sent off.

It was not immediately clear what provoked Payne’s response.

The Lions extended their lead after running back Jahmyr Gibbs ran 13 yards for a touchdown on the previous play. Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu and cornerback Trey Amos were both injured on the play. After a two-point conversion, Detroit went up 22-3.

Payne, 28, is a former Pro Bowl selection (2022) who is Washington’s highest-paid defensive player.

The Commanders entered the contest on a four-game losing skid, with the last three defeats all coming by 21 points or more.

The NWSL quarterfinals are behind us. Only four teams remain in the hunt for the 2025 championship.

Regardless of the sport, the playoffs always bring unexpected results and this year’s NWSL playoffs were no different. After a dominant regular season, the Kansas City Current (21-3-2) were knocked out in the first round by No. 8 seed Gotham FC (9-8-9) in a shocking upset. Gotham’s win made them the first No. 8 seed to win in a match in the NWSL playoffs.

Despite the unexpected result though, the games themselves were absolutely thrilling, with only one quarterfinals match resulting in a two-score differential. Two games even went into extra time. If the quarterfinals were any indication, this year’s postseason is going to be one for the ages.

Here’s everything to know for the remainder of the NWSL playoffs:

2025 NWSL playoffs bracket

Quarterfinals

• No. 8 Gotham FC 2, No. 1 Kansas City Current 1 (extra time)
• No. 4 Orlando Pride 2, No. 5 Seattle Reign FC 0
• No. 2 Washington Spirit 1, No. 7 Racing Louisville FC 1 (Washington won 3-1 in penalties)
• No. 3 Portland Thorns FC 1, No. 6 San Diego Wave FC 0 (extra time)

Semifinals

All times Eastern

• Game 5, Nov. 15: No. 2 Washington Spirit vs. No. 3 Portland Thorns FC, 12 p.m. | CBS
• Game 6, Nov. 16: No. 4 Orlando Pride vs. No. 8 Gotham FC , 3 p.m. | ABC

Championship final

At PayPal Park in San Jose, California

• Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, 8 p.m. | CBS

All games will be available for viewing with NWSL+. The championship game will also be available to watch on Paramount+.

Stream the 2025 NWSL championship game with Paramount+

2025 NWSL schedule

The NWSL semifinals will take place on Saturday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, 16. The first game will feature the No. 2 Washington Spirit hosting No. 3 Portland Thorns FC Saturday at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. at Noon ET. The game will be televised by CBS.

On Sunday, No. 4 Orlando Pride will host No. 8 Gotham FC – a shocking second home game for Orlando as very few people expected Gotham to defeat the top-seeded Kansas City Current. That game will start at 3 p.m. ET at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando Florda. The game will air on ABC.

The championship game will take place on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be played at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, and will air on CBS while streaming on Paramount+.