Forde-Yard Dash: This Massive Saturday in College Football Is Simply Unmatched

Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football, where Nebraska’s self-proclaimed best fans in the sport have some self-policing to do. First Quarter: The Vanishing Difference Between Hero and Bum. Second Quarter: The Collapse—and Potential Rebuild—of Florida State. Third Quarter: The 10 Main Characters in Decision ’26.

Fourth Quarter: This Is the Saturday We’ve Been Waiting for

America has a job to do Saturday, and that job is nothing. No errands. No yard work. No shopping. You can fire up a grill, but the cooking should be done during halftime or with an outdoor TV within sight.

Do not take your eyes off the ball. See the ball. Be the ball. Watch the ball. Watch college football from noon ET until Late Thirty. We’ve rarely, if ever, had a Saturday this good. The Dash’s hurry-up, no-huddle breakdown of the six ranked-on-ranked matchups to come:

No. 7 BYU at No. 3 Utah (31)

Time: Noon ET.

Series: Utah leads, 59-34-4. The Cougars were not easily discouraged, starting 0-17-3 against the Utes before winning their first game in the series in 1942.

Current streak: BYU has won three in a row.

Line: Utah by 5.5.

X factor: A 10 a.m. local kickoff is an advantage for BYU, since its fans generally are tasked with showing up for games sober anyway. Utah fans will have to get the tailgate consumption going before their systems are fully ready.

Dash pick: Utah 27, BYU 20. The Utes officially entered scary mode when they obliterated Cincinnati on the road last week, leading 42–6 at halftime. They scored touchdowns on their first four offensive possessions, plus two defensive scores. That’s probably not repeatable against the Big 12’s No. 2 defense, but it revealed Utah’s offensive potential. The Cougars are unlikely to match that explosiveness, ranking last in the Big 12 in scrimmage plays of 10-plus yards and 30-plus yards.

Utah quarterback Devon Dampier throws a pass against Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

No. 10 Texas at No. 19 Missouri (32)

Time: Noon ET.

Series: Texas leads, 18–6. The two haven’t played a regular-season game against each other since 2011, before the Tigers left the Big 12 for the SEC.

Current streak: Texas has won one in a row.

Line: Texas by 2.5.

X factor: Mizzou is 4–0 at home, with every win by double digits. The Longhorns have played only one road game to date, a win at Tennessee.

Dash pick: Missouri 20, Texas 17. The small line indicates the dire health status of the Longhorns, who have an array of injuries to critical players. Even if star edge rusher Colin Simmons returns after missing two games, Texas is expected to be down its left tackle (Trevor Goosby), its No. 2 rusher (Hollywood Smothers) and two top defensive backs (Graceson Littleton and Kade Phillips). Two of the Horns’ two three receivers (Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman) are likely to end up on the injury report as well, in some capacity. The setup is ripe for an upset that knocks Texas out of the College Football Playoff.

No. 9 Alabama at No. 15 LSU (33)

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET.

Series: Alabama leads, 58-27-5.

Current streak: Crimson Tide has won three in a row, five out of the last six and 13 of the last 15.

Line: LSU by 5.5.

X factor: Death Valley is a renowned night venue, and the departure from the usual night kickoff against Alabama was noted by Tigers coach and conspiracy theorist Lane Kiffin. “If someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what’s been going on, they must’ve just been on Mars the last four months,” Kiffin said.

Dash pick: LSU 30, Alabama 24. Just because it’s a day game doesn’t mean this will be an easy place to play. The Tigers are undefeated at home this season with an average winning margin of 36.2 points. The Tide, meanwhile, lost their last road game by 16 points. With star tight end Trey’Dez Green back in the lineup last week, LSU’s offense put up its most yards against an FBS opponent since the opening beatdown of Clemson.

LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green runs after a catch as Mississippi safety Sharif Denson attempts to make the tackle. — LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green returns this week. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No. 8 Kentucky at No. 16 Tennessee (34)

Time: 6:15 p.m. ET.

Series: Tennessee leads, 86-26-9.

Current streak: The Volunteers have won five straight. The Wildcats have won just three times against their annual nemesis since 1984.

Line: Tennessee by 6.5.

X factor: Kentucky went the entire month of October without turning the ball over, a four-game stretch that is the longest for the program in 13 years.

Dash pick: Tennessee 24, Kentucky 21. The Vols’ ability to wreak havoc at the line of scrimmage could be key—they lead the SEC in sacks (35) and tackles for loss (66). If they can keep quarterback Kenny Minchey off-rhythm and under duress, the game could be a struggle for the Cats.

No. 2 Georgia at No. 12 Mississippi (35)

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET.

Series: Georgia leads, 34-15-1.

Current streak: Mississippi won the most recent one, in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals last year, and has won the last two meetings in Oxford, Miss.

Line: Georgia by 3.5.

X factor: The Bulldogs struggled twice with Ole Miss last year, winning one and losing one, with Trinidad Chambliss accounting for five touchdowns in those games.

Dash pick: Georgia 35, Mississippi 24. The assumption here is that Kirby Smart’s team got its semi-annual meltdown game out of its system against Auburn and is ready to punish everyone the rest of the way. That looked like the case last week, when the Bulldogs walloped Florida, 27–8. They will also have revenge in mind after having their season ended by the Rebels last year, and they should have a better plan for containing Chambliss.

No. 1 Miami at No. 4 Notre Dame (36)

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET.

Series: Notre Dame leads, 18-9-1.

Current streak: Miami has won the last two, both of which damaged Fighting Irish playoff hopes.

Line: Notre Dame by 5.5.

X factor: Who wins the matchup when America’s slipperiest route runner (Miami’s Malachi Toney) is covered by America’s best cornerback (Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore)?

Dash pick: Notre Dame 41, Miami 34. As noted in the Third Quarter, The Hurricanes are unraveling defensively. The Irish have the quarterback and the offensive balance to take advantage of that. They’ve also had this game circled since the schedule came out, after what the loss in Miami meant in terms of impacting who went to the 2025 playoff and who stayed home.

Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney scores a touchdown against North Carolina. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That lineup doesn’t even include three massive Big Ten games (37): No. 5 UCLA at Minnesota in a 9 a.m. body-clock kickoff for the undefeated Bruins; Oregon at No. 11 Ohio State in a CFP elimination game; and No. 21 Iowa at Northwestern in another elimination game. Dash picks in those games: UCLA, Ohio State and Iowa.

Coach Who Earned His Comp Car This Week

Joe Klanderman (38), Baylor

In his debut as the interim coach after the firing of Dave Aranda, Klanderman led the Bears to an absolute bludgeoning of Central Florida on the road, 41–9. Baylor outgained UCF by 222 yards, scoring its most points against an FBS opponent since September 2025. Baylor has a chance to severely disrupt the Big 12 race, with games remaining against BYU, Texas Tech and Houston.

Coach Who Should Take the Bus to Work

Brent Venables (39), Oklahoma

He fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Monday, a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. The offense has been putrid all season, but it was a defensive collapse Saturday against South Carolina, giving up the most yards (521) in four years and most points (42) in three. That, in Year 5, was the latest evidence that Venables ain’t it at a place that aspires to win championships.

Point After

The Dash hasn’t visited any fancy establishments in the last week, but while in Los Angeles did sample the reliably excellent products of SoCal-based Stone Brewing (40). Have a Stone Delicious IPA and thank The Dash later.

PODCAST: Listen to Sports Illustrated’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, hosted by Pat Forde, on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s college YouTube channel or on SI TV.

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