UNDATED (AP) — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney faces criticism after a 51-10 loss to LSU on Saturday. Former players have voiced their frustration on social media. Swinney, in his 19th season as head coach, acknowledges the criticism but remains focused on the rest of the season. Clemson's recent performance has raised questions about Swinney's future. ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum suggested Swinney should consider leaving before the program declines further. Swinney has been criticized for not using the transfer portal effectively. Clemson faces Georgia Southern next, with uncertainty around the quarterback position and injuries impacting the lineup.
UNDATED (AP) — LSU jumped back into the top 10 in the first Associated Press Top 25 college football poll of the regular season. Oregon slipped out of the top five and Michigan fell out of the rankings altogether after it needed a second-chance Hail Mary try at home to beat Western Michigan. Ohio State remained No. 1 by a wide margin entering its showdown with No. 4 Texas on Saturday. The Buckeyes received 46 first-place votes from the voting panel of 69 writers and broadcasters. The other 23 first-place votes were divided among six teams; two of those votes went to Texas.
UNDATED (AP) — Mississippi would face LSU in a first-round College Football Playoff game, according to the first regular-season Associated Press Top 25 poll. Ohio State, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Texas are the top four seeds. Indiana, Oregon, Miami, and LSU would host first-round games. The five highest-ranked conference champions qualify, with seven spots for the next highest-ranked teams. Notre Dame could be an at-large team if in the top 12. First-round games are December 18 and 19. The championship is January 25 in Las Vegas. The AP will publish brackets based on weekly Top 25 polls until the CFP selection committee's rankings on November 3.
IRVING, Texas (AP) — The College Football Playoff is discussing expanding its tournament to 24 teams with ESPN. The CFP announced Tuesday that this move is not a commitment but a step to gather more information. The playoff expanded from four to 12 teams in 2024. Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey supports 16 teams, while others prefer 24. The current ESPN deal is worth $7.8 billion over six seasons. A 24-team playoff would eliminate automatic qualifiers and make conference title games less significant. Supporters argue it would provide more programs access to the playoff.
UNDATED (AP) — Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney is The Associated Press national college football player of the week. Toney caught 12 passes for a school-record 234 yards and three touchdowns in the Hurricanes’ 45-6 win at Stanford. Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Heintschel was runner-up. The second-year QB threw seven touchdown passes in a 59-14 win over Miami (Ohio) to set the Atlantic Coast Conference record and tie the school record.
