The Scarlet and Gray

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Conference Championship Preview: Playoff Spots, Byes and Chaos on the Line

Marissa Bleday
December 4, 2025


Conference championship weekend has arrived, and unlike the old days, this isn’t just about trophies and bragging rights. Across the country, these games will shape the final College Football Playoff bracket, determine byes and likely send multiple teams from “safe” to “sweating” in one afternoon.

#3 Indiana Hoosiers (12-0) vs #1 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0)
The main event is in the Big Ten, where unbeaten No. 1 Ohio State meets unbeaten No. 3 Indiana in one of the best title-game matchups the conference has seen in years.

Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers are no longer a feel-good story, they’re a fully formed contender, powered by Heisman frontrunner Fernando Mendoza. He enters the weekend with 4,006 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and, almost impossibly, zero turnovers, while adding 413 rushing yards and four scores. Roman Hemby has been a touchdown machine, and Omar Cooper Jr. gives Indiana a true No. 1 target.

But Ohio State is the ultimate stress test: the nation’s top defense by both yards and points allowed, plus an offense that has surged late behind Julian Sayin. After throwing for 392, 405 and 384 yards in the last three games, Sayin gives the Buckeyes a counterpunch to Indiana’s explosiveness, and Jeremiah Smith remains the most terrifying one-on-one matchup in the sport.

Ryan Day summed up the tension this week: “This is what championship football is, elite on elite. You don’t win these games by flinching.”



#8 Texas A&M Aggies (11-1) vs #2 Georgia Bulldogs (11-1)
The SEC title game might be the most emotionally loaded. No. 2 Georgia and No. 8 Texas A&M both enter at 11-1, but the pressure lands differently.

Georgia is trying to reassert itself atop the league with an offense-first identity behind Gunner Stockton and playmakers like Zachariah Branch.

Texas A&M, meanwhile, is trying to keep a dream season from unraveling after last week’s rivalry loss to Texas. The Aggies were 11-0, looked like a lock and now arrive in Atlanta needing to prove the season was more than a hot start. Marcel Reed’s growth gives A&M a chance, and Mike Elko’s group still has the profile of a contender, if it can finish.

Elko put it plainly earlier this week: “We’ve got one game to decide what this season becomes.”



#9 BYU Cougars (11-1) vs #7 Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-1)
The Big 12 championship brings a rematch with real stakes and real resentment. No. 7 Texas Tech beat No. 9 BYU 38-20 in Lubbock on Nov. 8, but neutral-site rematches can feel like entirely different games, especially when the losing team has a month to stew on it.

BYU’s true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier has matured quickly and has become one of the country’s most efficient passers.

Texas Tech, though, may have the more postseason-ready formula: a defense that can wreck protection with David Bailey and Romello Height screaming off the edge. If the Red Raiders control the line again, they’re in. If BYU protects better, this could flip.

#11 Miami Hurriances (10-2) vs #17 Virginia Cavaliers (10-2)
In the ACC, it’s brutally simple: win and in. Lose and out. No. 11 Miami faces No. 17 Virginia in a game that feels like a referendum on both programs’ trajectories.

Miami looks like the more physically imposing team, with Carson Beck’s experience, Mark Fletcher’s downhill running and a front that can overwhelm opponents. Reuben Bain Jr. has turned into one of the most disruptive defenders in the country, and Miami’s defensive line gives the Hurricanes a clear edge on paper.

But Virginia has been one of the season’s steadiest teams, and Chandler Morris has delivered winning football in big moments. This is the kind of game where Miami’s talent advantage meets Virginia’s composure.

#20 Tulane Green Wave (10-2) vs #21 North Texas Mean Green (11-1)
The Group of 5 race is the other major drama, and the American title game between No. 20 Tulane and No. 21 North Texas feels like a de facto play-in.

North Texas is the fireworks show, led by freshman Drew Mestemaker and an offense that can score in bursts.

Tulane is more balanced, more veteran and probably better built for a championship setting, with Jake Retzlaff running the offense and Maurice Westmoreland leading a defense that can create game-changing plays. Jon Sumrall has Tulane positioned for exactly this kind of moment.



#25 Boise State Broncos (9-3) vs Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors (9-3)
But the American winner may not be able to relax if Boise State and James Madison make noise. No. 25 Boise State gets Hawai’i in the Mountain West title game, and the Broncos’ résumé is suddenly in the conversation after a surprising CFP ranking jump.

Maddux Madsen has been outstanding, but Hawai’i’s offense is dangerous enough to turn this into a shootout.

#23 James Madison (11-1) vs Troy Trojans (8-4)
James Madison, meanwhile, gets Troy in the Sun Belt title game and is trying to make its own late push despite injuries, including concerns around quarterback Alonza Barnett.

Other Games to Watch

Toledo Rockets (8-4) vs Western Michigan Broncos (8-4)
Kennesaw State Owls (9-3) vs Jacksonville State Gamecocks (8-4)
Elsewhere, the MAC and Conference USA title games may not decide the CFP, but they’ll still provide the chaos, weirdness and momentum swings that make this weekend great.

By Sunday, the bracket will be set. Until then, it’s all pressure, and no more hiding.





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Ohio State’s 2026 Class Superlatives: Stars, Sleepers, and the Guys Who’ll Define It
By Colten Brooks on December 4, 2025


Loyola Academy (Chicago, IL) WR Ashton Ramsey is the player most fans are most excited to see.



Ohio State's 2026 class is the kind that looks great on a graphic, five-stars at premium spots, a beefy OL haul, and a defensive back group that finally feels like it matches the program’s national standard again. But the fun part of signing day isn’t just ranking the names. It’s arguing about who matters most, who’s safest, who’s the wild card, and which “three-star” is going to make everyone pretend they saw it coming.

Here are the Buckeyes’ 2026 class superlatives.

Best Overall Prospect: WR Ashton Ramsey

Ashton Ramsey is the headliner for a reason. A five-star, top-10 national type with size, verified speed, and a contested-catch skill set that plays immediately in the Big Ten. He’s the kind of receiver Ohio State signs, develops, and then watches go in the first round while everyone else complains it’s unfair.

Most Important Signing: CB Teion Cherry II [Pictured Left]

Wideouts get the hype, quarterbacks get the headlines, but corners keep you alive. Teion Cherry II being in this class changes the entire defensive back picture. He’s a top-60 national player, Ohio’s best prospect, and a “bump-and-run” corner who fits what Ohio State wants to be on the outside: long, aggressive, and unbothered.

Highest Ceiling: OT Marcus Okam

Okam is the build-a-tackle blueprint: 6’8”, still filling out, and athletic enough to stay at LT long-term. If he hits, he’s an NFL player. If he hits fast, he’s a multi-year starter at a position Ohio State can’t afford to miss on.

Most College-Ready: S Sterling Hodel

There’s a difference between “highly ranked” and “ready to play grown-man football.” Sterling Hodel feels like the latter. He’s already built like an NFL safety, and the hybrid skill set (size + mobility) is exactly what you want in a modern secondary that has to cover space and thump in the run game.

Most Underrated: LB Emmanuel Wooden

This is the type of player who ends up being a fan favorite by October of his freshman year. He’s not the flashiest recruitment, but the tools pop: athletic, violent, and comfortable attacking downhill. If you’re projecting development at linebacker, Wooden’s senior film is the kind coaches trust.

Future 1st Round Pick: WR Ashton Ramsey

Yes, he’s already “Best Overall Prospect,” but this is the easiest projection in the class. Ohio State turns elite receiver traits into elite production. Ramsey’s profile screams “plays early, dominates later.”

Best Athlete: DB Bobby Jackson-Ruud

If the question is “who has the cleanest pure athletic profile,” it’s Jackson-Ruud. Track-speed DB traits, position flexibility, and the kind of movement skills that let a coaching staff figure out the rest. These are the guys who become matchup erasers when everything clicks.

Future Team Captain: LB Pauly O’Dwyer

Massillon Mike linebacker. “Signal caller.” 6’5” and built to be the voice of a defense. It’s not hard to picture O’Dwyer as the guy setting the front, making checks, and dragging the energy of the room behind him.

Hidden Gem: OT Alex Jordan [Pictured Right]

The ranking says developmental, but the body says “keep an eye on this.” 6’7”, 300 lbs, raw strength, and a tackle frame you can’t teach. If he takes to coaching and cleans up his footwork, he’s the kind of late-cycle lineman who becomes a real rotation piece by year two or three.

Boom or Bust: TE Jordan Ivory

Ivory might be a mismatch nightmare… or he might take time. Tight end is brutal because the jump is physical and technical: blocking, route nuance, learning coverages. If he hits, he’s a chess piece. If he doesn’t, he’s stuck in the “tools, not production” zone.

This class has stars at the top, but the real story will be the middle: the linemen who become starters, the linebackers who grow up fast, and the defensive backs who determine whether Ohio State’s ceiling is “very good” or “national title good” every single year.

 

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Wisconsin Hires Ohio State OC Brian Hartline as Next Head Coach, Sources Say

Marissa Bleday
December 5, 2025


Wisconsin has found its next head coach, turning to one of college football’s most respected rising assistants as Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline is set to become the Badgers’ new head coach, replacing Luke Fickell, who was fired midseason.

Hartline, widely regarded as one of the top recruiters in the sport and a longtime fixture on future head coach watch lists, will remain with Ohio State through the College Football Playoff, according to the terms of the transition. That means Hartline is expected to stay on the Buckeyes’ staff for Saturday’s Big Ten championship game against Indiana and any postseason run that follows.

The move gives Wisconsin a coach with deep Big Ten roots, elite recruiting credibility and a reputation for developing high-end offensive talent. Hartline has been a central figure in Ohio State’s offensive success and has helped build the Buckeyes into a destination program for top skill-position players.

For Wisconsin, the hire signals an aggressive bet on upside after a turbulent season that ended with Fickell’s dismissal before the regular season concluded. Hartline has never been a head coach, but his name has circulated for years as one of the most likely assistants in the country to make a successful jump.

The timing is also notable. With Ohio State still playing for championships, Hartline now takes on the unusual balancing act of finishing a title chase in Columbus while preparing to lead a Big Ten program of his own. Wisconsin is betting that transition will be worth it if Hartline becomes the program-building coach many believe he can be.

Power Four Head Coaching Changes

School	New Coach	From	Former Coach	Reason
Stanford			Troy Taylor	Fired
Florida	Blake Baker	LSU DC	Billy Napier	Fired
Oklahoma State			Mike Gundy	Fired
Florida State	Glenn Schumann	Georgia DC	Mike Norvell	Fired
Wisconsin	Brian Hartline	Ohio State OC	Luke Fickell	Fired
LSU	Matt Campbell	Iowa State	Brian Kelly	Fired
Michigan State			Jonathan Smith	Fired
Syracuse			Fran Brown	Fired
Iowa State			Matt Campbell	LSU
Rutgers			Greg Schiano	Retired