UNDATED (AP) — College football is seeing a surge in close games, with 30 one-score contests in conference play last week alone. This trend is the highest since at least 1973, according to Sportradar. So far this season, 128 conference games have been decided by eight points or fewer, with an average point differential of 13.9. The Power Four conferences have seen 69 one-score games, making for exciting matchups. This weekend's games include Miami at North Carolina, Ohio State at Southern California, and Florida at Georgia.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Miami is campaigning for two of its football stars, Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney, as top contenders for the Heisman Trophy. The Hurricanes are promoting their impressive performances, with Mensah leading the nation in yards per attempt and completion percentage. Toney tops the nation with 66 catches and ranks high in touchdown catches and receiving yards. Miami's offensive coordinator praises their preparation and focus, saying it inspires the team. Both players speak highly of each other’s skills and teamwork. Most sportsbooks have them in the top three for the award, trailing only Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
UNDATED (AP) — Women’s college basketball never fails to disappoint, with marquee matchups way before March Madness begins. The most anticipated early season game is a Nov. 24 rematch between preseason No. 1 South Carolina and second-ranked UConn from their Final Four matchup last season. Many people remember UConn coach Geno Auriemma’s meltdown in the handshake line when he yelled at South Carolina’s Dawn Staley. The two seem to have patched things up publicly after that incident. There’s no doubt that the rematch at Mohegan Sun two days before Thanksgiving will have a lot of eyes on the pregame and postgame handshakes.
UNDATED (AP) — Week 9 of the college football season features a pair of Top 25 matchups with No. 22 Arizona visiting No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 17 Florida meeting No. 3 Georgia in Atlanta. Fans must be wondering what's going to happen next in a season marked by upsets. A total of 10 teams in The Associated Press Top 25 have lost over the last three weeks. That includes two No. 1s and a No. 2 that were beaten by unranked opponents.
UNDATED (AP) — The ACC is in the mix to do something it has done only once during the College Football Playoff era. The ACC has been represented in the CFP championship game five times, with Clemson winning the title to cap the 2016 and 2018 seasons. But only once has the conference been represented in the same year by multiple teams in the tournament field —- in 2024. Undefeated and AP No. 1 ranked Miami, along with No. 14 Wake Forest and No. 19 SMU are in position to change that.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Fired N.C. State coach Dave Doeren says he'll keep cheering on the Wolfpack despite his weekend ouster midway through his 14th season. Doeren addressed reporters in a virtual news conference Tuesday but didn't take questions. That came days after the school fired him following a loss at Stanford that dropped the Wolfpack to 3-4. Doeren says he's not exactly sure what's next since it's a rare moment in his life with football not at the center of every routine. Doeren says he leaves the job “with no grudges.” N.C. State hosts California on Saturday under interim coach Todd Goebbel.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Beginning a lengthy letter to fans with “I hear you. I understand your frustration,” Florida State President Richard McCullough provided an out-of-the-ordinary update on the school’s search for an athletic director and the state of a floundering football program. The Seminoles are 3-4, including 1-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, heading into Saturday’s home game against Clemson. McCullough says: "We are not asking you to believe that everything is fine. We know it is not.” FSU fired athletic director Mike Alford last month, and coach Mike Norvell remains on the proverbial hot seat.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — N.C. State interim coach Todd Goebbel faces the job of guiding the Wolfpack through the remainder of the schedule after the midseason firing of 14th-year coach Dave Doeren. Goebbel's first game comes Saturday with a visit from California. The school announced Doeren's firing Saturday after a loss at Stanford dropped the team to 3-4. Goebbel talked Monday about fielding a team “that Coach Doeren will be proud of.”
