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The Notebook

College football, on the record — Josh's analysis and the news moving the sport.

Breaking news, deep reads, recruiting, rankings and the arguments worth having. Updated throughout the day.

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The Notebook

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Why I think Nebraska keeps Indiana close

Nebraska has handled the credible teams it has been given, but Indiana presents a different weight class.

Josh Pate · 1d

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Updated 2 HRS AGO

⚡ The Wire · general · 2h

Dub Jellison previews Minnesota’s test at Purdue

On3 published a Q&A with Gold and Black’s Dub Jellison ahead of Minnesota’s game at Purdue on Saturday, Oct. 10. The Boilermakers are 1-3 entering the 8 p.m. ET kickoff, while the Gophers are 4-1. That leaves the game itself as the story: Minnesota must avoid a bad loss at a Purdue team that went 2-10 last season, while the Gophers went 8-5 and 5-4 in the Big Ten. Minnesota has won three games since its Sept. 12 loss to Mississippi State, including victories over Washington and Michigan. The Q&A offers a guide to Purdue’s changes, but the available material does not provide enough of Jellison’s analysis to judge that read. For Minnesota, the assignment remains simple: make the 4-1 record hold up at Purdue.

The Wire Desk

⚡ The Wire · general · 2h

Georgia tests Smart’s Alabama history

## What Happened

The Wire Desk

⚡ The Wire · general · 2h

Michigan offers four-star quarterback Brayden Tillman

Koy Detmer delivered the offer during a morning visit to Traverse City West; Tillman’s class year and response were not reported. Michigan offered four-star in-state quarterback Brayden Tillman during a morning visit to Traverse City West, with quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer delivering the offer, On3 reported. The offer gives the Wolverines a chance to keep a highly regarded Michigan prospect in state and add a promising quarterback to their future scholarship pipeline. Tillman’s class year, reaction and other scholarship offers were not reported, so the timeline and competition for his recruitment remain unclear. Michigan hosts Penn State on Oct. 17. Tillman’s next recruiting step has not been disclosed, but the Wolverines have made their move to keep him home.

The Wire Desk

⚡ The Wire · general · 3h

Kentucky tests LSU’s playoff path in SEC clash

Kentucky will host LSU at 7 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 10, with both teams at 4-1 and the Wildcats carrying a four-game winning streak into a game that presses LSU’s playoff path. Kentucky has won four straight since a 45-17 loss to Alabama, including a 35-34 victory at South Carolina on Oct. 3. LSU’s only loss came at Ole Miss on Sept. 19, and this is the Tigers’ first road game since then. Kentucky’s defense has made takeaways its answer to a major weakness. The Wildcats rank last among FBS teams in third-down conversion rate, but they are second in the SEC in forced-turnover percentage and own a plus-five turnover margin. LSU is even in turnover margin, while Sam Leavitt has thrown seven interceptions. The matchup turns on whether Kentucky can avoid third-and-long. The Wildcats rank first in the SEC in early-down conversion rate, a useful edge against an LSU pass defense that leads the conference in measures based on expected points allowed per play and per dropback. Kentucky also has a way to attack LSU’s best trait. The Wildcats rank fifth in the SEC in explosive-play percentage, while LSU ranks 12th in explosive plays allowed. Kenny Minchey has thrown 11 touchdown passes against one interception and has been the SEC’s most efficient quarterback on play-action throws, giving Kentucky a way to create big gains before the Tigers can settle into obvious passing situations. The available information does not identify whether Leavitt or Minchey will start. Kentucky visits Oklahoma on Oct. 17, while LSU hosts Mississippi State that day. Kentucky’s formula is direct: stay efficient on early downs, force a turnover and make LSU defend the explosive play.

The Wire Desk

⚡ The Wire · general · 3h

Vernell Brown III remains questionable for Florida

After missing Florida’s 45-17 loss at Missouri on Oct. 3, wide receiver Vernell Brown III remains questionable for the Gators’ game against South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 10, while running back London Montgomery and cornerback Dijon Johnson have been upgraded to probable. Brown did not fully practice Wednesday. Jon Sumrall said on the SEC teleconference that the receiver would get additional work Thursday and Friday. “(Brown) looks a lot better. He did not fully participate in practice today. He did run a little bit more yesterday, so we're cycling. He ran yesterday; today is more of a recovery day and the back end of this week, we'll give him a little bit of a run Thursday and Friday. ... He seems really optimistic,” Sumrall said. Johnson could strengthen a secondary that had him for only three snaps against Missouri. He was limited in practice last week and is carrying an ankle injury. Montgomery’s injury has not been identified. South Carolina expects four players to miss the game: Jalewis Solomon, Jayden Sellers, Kobby Sakyi-Prah and Josiah Thompson. Carter Miller, Quay’sheed Scott, Julian Walker and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy are doubtful, while Mazeo Bennett Jr. is questionable. Florida is 4-1; South Carolina is 2-3 and has lost three straight. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET. For Florida, the immediate question is whether Brown can do enough late-week work to return to the passing attack.

The Wire Desk

⚡ The Wire · general · 3h

Isaias threatens Alabama-Georgia game

The undefeated, top-seven SEC teams remained scheduled for Oct. 10 in Tuscaloosa as forecasts warned of 50-to-60-mph gusts, flooding and tornadoes. Alabama and Georgia remained scheduled Friday for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday, Oct. 10, in Tuscaloosa, but Tropical Storm Isaias threatened to move the SEC’s biggest early-season playoff matchup out of its planned window. There were currently no plans to change the kickoff as Isaias neared Category 3 hurricane strength Friday morning. Meteorologist Matt Lanza forecast 50-to-60-mph gusts across much of Alabama and eastern Mississippi from Friday night into Saturday morning. The storm also was forecast to bring damaging winds, flooding rain, storm surge and a chance of tornadoes to the Southeast. The immediate concern may be wind-related power and safety problems near the site, not rain alone. Officials had not said whether they would change the kickoff, move the game, delay it, postpone it or cancel it. Conditions at kickoff also remained uncertain, and no timetable for a decision had been announced. Both teams reached the matchup with wins on Oct. 3: Alabama beat Mississippi State 56-23, while Georgia defeated Vanderbilt 38-14. Alabama finished 11-4 in 2025, including a 7-1 SEC record; Georgia went 12-2 and also finished 7-1 in conference play. Josh Pate’s preseason bracket picked Georgia as the national champion and Alabama as a playoff team, putting two projected postseason teams in the path of the weather threat before their first meeting of 2026. For now, the plan remains Georgia at Alabama in Tuscaloosa at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday. The storm could force the decision away from the field before the teams get there.

The Wire Desk

⚡ The Wire · general · 3h

Ohio State puts its standard on the line against Maryland

Ohio State hosts 2-3 Maryland on Saturday, Oct. 10, with the 4-1 Buckeyes trying to turn a heavily tilted Big Ten game into a convincing step toward the national championship they are chasing. Ryan Day told his team Maryland “is a really good team with good players and good coaches,” then challenged the Buckeyes to meet Ohio State’s high standard. A comfortable win is expected; mistakes and a lack of improvement will draw the coaches’ attention anyway. Maryland is 0-2 in Big Ten play and has not beaten a ranked conference opponent since joining the league in 2014, carrying an 0-39 record in those games. Josh Pate’s preseason bracket put Ohio State at No. 2 and in the national championship game, so this home date tests that projection before tougher road games at Indiana on Oct. 17 and USC on Oct. 31. Ohio State beat Iowa 31-14 on Oct. 3 after losing by one point at Texas. The Buckeyes need the result.

The Wire Desk

⚡ The Wire · general · 3h

Texas A&M picks maroon helmets for Missouri game

Texas A&M announced Thursday that it will wear maroon helmets, white jerseys and white pants Saturday, Oct. 10, at No. 14 Missouri, where the 3-2 Aggies will test whether their 34-7 win over Arkansas marked a real turnaround. Coach Mike Elko credited the response after consecutive losses to Kentucky and LSU. “Proud of the response. Challenged the guys to come out and play physical and control the line of scrimmage,” Elko said. The Aggies rushed for 231 yards and four touchdowns against Arkansas. Missouri, 4-1 after a 45-17 win over Florida, piled up 560 yards in that game. Texas A&M’s SEC championship hopes and season momentum now face a much stronger test.

The Wire Desk

⚡ The Wire · general · 4h

Louisville turns to Lincoln Kienholz against Florida State

Louisville will start Lincoln Kienholz at quarterback against Florida State on Friday, Oct. 9, putting a thrower-first dual-threat option at the center of a 2-3 team’s three-game losing streak. Kienholz’s legs are part of Jeff Brohm’s plan, not merely an escape hatch. Brohm is Louisville’s head coach and playcaller, so Florida State must account for designed quarterback runs and improvised gains without easing its coverage of the passing game. The Seminoles saw a different quarterback challenge against Virginia, when quarterback play helped Florida State. Louisville’s last two losses came by three points — 30-27 to Wake Forest on Sept. 26 and 31-28 at NC State on Oct. 3. Kienholz now gets the chance to keep the Cardinals from slipping further before the ACC race moves on.

The Wire Desk

⚡ The Wire · general · 4h

Notre Dame hosts Stanford after Cardinal’s historic loss

Seven days after Stanford suffered the second-worst loss in program history, 5-0 Notre Dame will host the 2-3 Cardinal on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 3:30 p.m. ET with a 15-game winning streak and its margin for error before ranked tests on the line. The teams took sharply different paths into the matchup. Notre Dame beat North Carolina 37-26 on Oct. 3 for its first 5-0 start under Marcus Freeman. Stanford lost 57-3 at Wake Forest, a result that left the Cardinal trying to recover before the 40th meeting of a series that began in 1925. The clearest strength for that push has been the connection between quarterback C.J. Carr and receiver Jordan Faison. Carr has 16 total touchdowns and one interception in 2026. Faison followed the North Carolina win with eight catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns, and the duo has completed 75.5% of its passes together. Faison arrived at Notre Dame as a highly regarded lacrosse recruit after playing quarterback in a Wing-T offense. His football role has since grown into a central one, and his latest performance gives Carr a proven target as the Irish move toward BYU and Miami. Stanford has its own reason to view the matchup as more than a recovery stop. The Cardinal's last win over a top-10 opponent came in 2017, when it upset Notre Dame. Notre Dame has won the last three meetings, while Stanford enters under first-year coach Tavita Pritchard after a 2-3 start and a loss that exposed how much ground the program must cover. The game sets a simple test for both teams: Notre Dame can carry its unbeaten start and unbeaten streak into the ranked portion of its schedule, while Stanford can change the conversation with the kind of result that last revived this rivalry. Carr and Faison have given the Irish the most reliable answer to that pressure so far.

The Wire Desk

⚡ The Wire · general · 4h

Penn State faces USC with playoff outlook under pressure

Penn State, riding a two-game losing streak into a home game with 5-1 USC, will try to steady its season Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions are 3-2 after losses to Wisconsin, 24-20, on Sept. 26 and Northwestern, 34-13, on Oct. 2. USC has won five of six, including a 25-21 victory over Washington on Saturday, Oct. 3, after its 41-27 loss to Oregon. A Penn State loss would drop the Nittany Lions to 3-3 and put their playoff path under real pressure. Josh Pate's preseason bracket placed Penn State No. 7 in the playoff field, making a home loss to the 5-1 Trojans a direct challenge to that projection. Penn State plays at Michigan on Oct. 17, but USC is the immediate test: the Trojans arrive with the stronger record and recent momentum, while the Nittany Lions have home field and a slide to stop.

The Wire Desk

⚡ The Wire · general · 5h

Kentucky hosts Kellan Hall for LSU game

Kentucky will host five-star defensive lineman Kellan Hall for its Saturday, Oct. 10, game against LSU, giving the Wildcats another visit with their top target in the 2028 class. Defensive back Grayden Reid is also expected to return. Hall’s visit gives Kentucky another chance to turn his interest into a recruiting win that could shape the Wildcats’ future defensive front. Kentucky and LSU enter the 7 p.m. ET kickoff with 4-1 records. Hall’s return gives the Wildcats another opportunity to make the program’s case to its most prized 2028 defensive target.

The Wire Desk