TWIF Notes 12/1/25

Welcome Back!

Wow! We had yet another exciting weekend, with a few upsets and a lot of near upsets. We alos have had several more coaches fired and/or hired.

This year, I decided to keep up with which teams I watch on TV, with a goal of seeing every team. However, it appears I won't be able to do that. I am short 3 teams: San Diego State, WKU, and Sam Houston. This means I only saw 133 of the 136 teams in the FBS ranks, but I could still see SDSU and WKU in a bowl bowl.

Anyway, let's get into this week's winners and losers!

Winners

Georgia- The Dawgs will be appearing in their 5th consecutive SEC Championship Game, tying the record (Florida from 1992-96), and this will be their 8th appearance in the last 9 seasons, as they've tied Florida for 2nd most appearances overall at 13. Oh, and they beat Georgia Tech 16-9 for their 8th straight victory in the series, tying the longest streak by either team (GT from 1949-56).

Alabama- The Crimson Tide may have saved their season with a 27-20 victory over rival Auburn. A loss would have knocked them out of both the CFP and the SEC CG.

Oklahoma- The Sooners have probably secured a spot in the CFP with a hard fought 17-13 decision over LSU. 

LSU- The Tigers lost to OU (see above) but got the coach they wanted, Lane Kiffin, who goes from an 11-1 Rebels team to the 7-5 Bayou Bengals.

Florida- The Gators ended their season ona high note with a 40-21 demolition of rival FSU. And then they hired Jon Sumrall from Tulane.

Ole Miss- I'm not really sure that the Rebels belong on this side of the ledger, but a 38-19 rout of rival Mississippi State has to mean something, even if they lost their HC to LSU. DC Pete Golding will be taking over as the HC, and maybe he will do all right, but the timing of all these coaching moves just strikes me as ugly. 

Vanderbilt- The Commodores bested rival Tennessee 45-24 to finish with 10 wins, their most ever, with their 6 SEC wins also their most ever. However, it doesn't appear to be enough to sway the CFP committee, as they only have eyes for the likes of Notre Dame and Miami (same record), or Oklahoma and Alabama (also the same record).

Penn State- The Nittany Lions edged Rutgers 40-36 to secure bowl eligibility and end the regular season on a 3-game winning streak.

Ohio State- The Buckeyes crushed Michigan 27-9 to get the Wolverine monkey off their backs and finish the season undefeated. In addition, their defense held 10 opponents to 10 points or less, with only Illinois (16) and Penn State (14) scoring more. 

Oregon- The Ducks punched their ticket to the CFP by overcoming rival Washington 26-14. I fully expect the Quack Attack to host a 1st round contest.

Indiana- The Hoosiers finished 12-0 after a 56-3 stomping of Purdue, their 1st ever undefeated regular season. 

Iowa- The Hawkeyes finish 8-4, which doesn't sound all that great, but do you realize they have won at least 8 games in 10 consecutive seasons? 

Clemson- The Tigers closed out the season with a 28-14 victory over rival South Carolina, and this gives them 4 wins in a row to close out the season at 7-5, their worst record since they were 6-7 in 2010, HC Dabo Swinney's 2nd full season in Columbia.

Miami, Fl- The Hurricanes made a case for inclusion in the CFP by flattening Pitt 38-7. At 10-2, the Canes are among several teams with a case to make it in, but they didn't make the ACC CG, which could hurt their case.

Duke- The Blue Devils somehow made it into the ACC Championship Game after slapping Wake Forest 49-32 to finish the season at 7-5. The nightmare scenario for the ACC is for Duke to win, which would likely keep the conference completely out of the CFP, unless Miami gets in as an at-large team.

Virginia- The Cavaliers topped rival Va Tech 27-7 to secure a spot in the ACC CG, and with a win there, should get into the CFP. However, it's a rematch with Duke, and we all know it's difficult to beat the same team twice, but that only applies if the teams are roughly equal. Also, at 10-2, the Wahoos have their 1st double-digit win season since they were 10-3 (bowl loss) in 1989 under legendary HC George Welsh. One more win would give UVA their most ever.

Boston College- The Eagles dumped Syracuse 34-12, ending a 10-game losing streak and earning their 1st FBS win of the year. 

California- The Golden Bears bounced back from their loss to Stanford a week ago to topple SMU 38-35 and secure a winning season for the first time since they were 8-5 in 2019.

Utah- The Utes eased by Kansas 31-21 to finish 10-2, yet another one of those bubble teams with just 2 losses. They won their last 5, and like Vandy, may end up on the outside of the CFP, but my Power Rankings love Utah (and Vandy).

Iowa State- The Cyclones finished their season with a 20-13 win over hapless Oklahoma State. ISU started the season 5-0, lost 4 straight, then won their last 3 to end up at 8-4.

Kansas State- The Wildcats secured their 6th win and a bowl berth with a 24-14 victory over Colorado.

Texas Tech- The Red Raiders plastered West Virginia 49-0 to end an 11-1 campaign, their best season since they were 11-1 in 2008 under HC Mike Leach (lost the Cotton Bowl to finish 11-2). TTU will have a rematch in the Big 12 Championship Game with...

BYU- The Cougars pummeled UCF 41-21 to latch onto a rematch with Texas Tech in the Big 12 CG. At 11-1, the best path for BYU to make the CFP is to pull the upset. This will be the 1st time in the CG for both teams.

Arizona- The Wildcats had a FANTASTIC season (another team my Power Rankings love) as they overran rival Arizona State 23-7 to knock both the Sun Devils and the Utes out of playing in the Big 12 CG. At 9-3, Arizona could match 2023's 10-3 season with a bowl win.

Notre Dame- The Fighting Irish finished the season with a bang, burying Stanford 49-20, and winning their last 2 by a combined 119-27 score. After opening the season 0-2, the Irish captured each of the next 10 wins to put themselves in prime CFP position. But was it enough? There are an awful lot of 10-2 teams, and one of them- Miami- beat ND back in the opener.

Tulane- The Green Wave blanked Charlotte 27-0 and will face North Texas in the American Conference Championship Game for a spot in the CFP (probably). Tulane won their last 4 to finish 10-2 for a 4-year stretch of 42-12 (pending the results of any and all postseason games). This will be their 4th consecutive title game appearance (1-2 so far), but HC Jon Sumrall will be leaving for Florida after the season.

Army- The Black Knights held UTSA's explosive offense in check in a 27-24 victory over the Roadrunners. The win gives Army their 6th wins and bowl eligibility even before facing Navy in 2 weeks.

North Texas- the Mean Green destroyed Temple 52-25 to earn a trip to the AC CG. However, like so many other teams, they are losing HC Eric Morris, as he is heading to Oklahoma State when UNT finishes their season.

East Carolina- The Pirates decimated FAU 42-3 to finish 8-4, their 2nd straight 8-win season, and their 3rd in the last 4 years.

Temple- The Owls fell 52-25 to UNT to end their season on a 4-game losing streak after starting the year 5-3. Even though they ended the year short of making a bowl game, this is their best season since they were 8-5 in 2019.

Boise State- The Broncos somehow end up in their 4th (and final) consecutive Mountain West Conference Championship Game after slipping past Utah State 25-24. Boise State will also host the contest, though they had the worst overall record (8-4) of the 4 teams tied for 1st place.

UNLV- The Rebels kicked the stuffing out of Nevada, winning 42-17 as they will meet Boise State in the MWC CG. At 10-2, this will be their 3rd consecutive attempt to unseat the Broncos.

Hawaii- The Rainbow Warriors defeated Wyoming 27-7 to finish 8-4, their most wins since they were 10-5 in 2019.

Fresno State- The Bulldogs got back to their winning ways, finishing 8-4 in HC Matt Entz's 1st year. FS had won at least 9 games for 3 seasons in a row before winning only 6 last season.

New Mexico- The Lobos won their last 6 games, including their closer 23-17 over SDSU in OT, to finish 9-3 for the 1st time since they were 9-4 (won the bowl game) in 2016 under former HC Bob Davie. First year HC Jason Eck has guided the team to their 1st winning record in a decade.

James Madison- The Dukes smashed CCU 59-10 and are just one win away- in the SBC CG- from possibly claiming a spot in the CFP. However, even though they are 11-1, HC Bob Chesney is leaving to take over at UCLA.

ODU- The Monarchs survived Ga State 27-10 to reach a record of 9-3, their 1st winning season since they were 10-3 in 2016.

Louisiana- The Ragin' Cajuns won their last 4 games to finish 6-6, but it took OT to subdue rival ULM 30-27. 

Texas State- The Bobcats also had a late surge to get to 6 wins, winning their last 3, including 49-26 over South Alabama last weekend.

Troy- The Trojans seized the spot in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game by handling USM 28-18. Troy won their last 2 games to finish 8-4.

Arkansas State- The Red Wolves topped App State 30-29 to finish 6-6, achieving bowl eligibility for a 3rd consecutive year.

Toledo- Though they fell short of making the MAC CG, the Rockets ended the season on a tear, winning their last 4 and outscoring those foes by a combined 125-18. At 8-4, Toledo tied for the best overall record for MAC teams.

Ohio- Like Toledo, the Bobcats tied for the best overall record in the MAC at 8-4 but fell short of making the title game. 

Miami, Oh- The Redhawks won their last 2 to claim a 3-way tie with the 2 teams listed above, but they will get to play in the MAC CG, even though they were 0-2 against the other 2 teams. Somehow, that didn't count, because Ohio didn't play Toledo. Go figure...

Central Michigan- The Chippewas turned things around in HC Matt Drinkall's 1st season in Mt. Pleasant, finishing 7-5 despite their 21-3 loss to Toledo last weekend. However, this is their 1st winning record since they were 9-4 in 2021.

Western Michigan- The Broncos finished 1st in the MAC as they won their last 4, including a 31-21 victory over rival Eastern Michigan in the finale. 

Kent State- The Golden Flashes ended several losing streaks this season: 21 straight losses, 26 FBS losses in a row, and 17 consecutive MAC losses. Even though they finished at 5-7, it's a huge improvement over the last 2 years. Let's hope KSU can keep HC Mark Carney for the foreseeable future.

La Tech- The Bulldogs defeated Missouri State 42-30, and at 7-5, have their 1st winning record since they were 10-3 in 2019.

Jacksonville State- The Gamecocks will return to the CUSA Championship Game after downing WKU 37-34 in their finale. A win in that game or their bowl will give JSU 9 wins for a 4th season in a row, and all 3 seasons at the FBS level.

FIU- The Panthers slaughtered Sam Houston 56-16 to ensure their 1st winning season since they were 9-4 in 2018. They got there by winning their last 4 games, including an upset of Jax State 2 weeks ago.

Delaware and Missouri State- These teams entered the FBS ranks  (and CUSA) this year, and the Blue Hens destroyed UTEP to finish 6-6 while the Bears lost their last 2 games to finish 7-5. Great debuts by both teams!

Kennesaw State- The Owls could become the only team to go from 10 losses to 10 wins, as they are 9-3 after edging Liberty 48-42 in 2 OTs. KSU will be playing Jax State in Jacksonville (Alabama, not Florida) in a rematch of a mid-November clash that favored the Gamecocks. 

Losers

Texas A&M- The Aggies faced a team as talented as they were for the 1st time since topping Notre Dame in week 3, but this time came out on the losing end of a 27-27 score. The Longhorns dominated the 2nd half, knocking TAMU from the SEC CG and possibly from a Top 4 seed in then CFP.

Arkansas- The Razorbacks ended the season losing their final 10 games, but they've jettisoned Bobby Petrino and hired Ryan Silverfield from Memphis. 

Kentucky- The Wildcats appeared to have turned things around before losing their last 2 contests, being outscored 86-17 and falling 1 win shy of qualifying for a bowl. UK has decided to move on from HC Mark Stoops, meaning 6 SEC teams will have new HC's next year- 37.5%. 

Nebraska- The Cornhuskers were destroyed by Iowa by a score of 40-16, and they were outscored in their final 2 games 77-26. Though they finish 1-win better in the regular season than last year, it will take a bowl win to top 2024's 7-6 record.

Wisconsin- The Badgers have fallen further behind after a 17-7 loss at Minnesota, as they have gone from 9 wins in 2021, to 7 wins in 2022 and '23, to 5 wins last year, and then just 4-8 this year.

Rutgers- The Scarlet Knights finished their season at 5-7, slipping back after 2 consecutive 7-win seasons.

UCLA- The Bruins fell 29-10 to USC to end their season on a 5-game losing streak. They lost their 1st 4, won 3 in a row, then dropped the rest. UCLA has hired JMU coach Bob Chesney for next season.

Maryland- Once again, the Terrapins were great in September (4-0), but awful in October and November (0-8) after a 38-28 loss to a Michigan State team that came into the game 0-8 in the Big Ten. 

Purdue- Like Arkansas, the Boilermakers won the 1st 2 games, then reeled off 10 straight losses, as they finished 0-9 in the Big Ten.

SMU- The Mustangs just needed a win to reach their 2nd straight ACC title game and their 3rd CG in a row, but instead dropped a 38-35 decision to Cal, and ending any hopes of sneaking into the CFP.

Georgia Tech- With their 16-9 loss to UGA, the Yellow Jackets ended the regular season losing 3 of their last 4 after starting 8-0.

FSU- The Seminoles fell to rival Florida by a score of 40-21, ending the season at 5-7 and missing a bowl for the 2nd consecutive season.

Baylor- The Bears dropped a 31-24 decision to Houston to finish 5-7 in a season that offered much promise. Baylor has its 3rd losing season in the last 4 years. 

Cincinnati- The Bearcats opened the season with a loss to Nebraska in Kansas City, then reeled off 7 consecutive wins before dropping their last 4, including 45-23 on Saturday at TCU. Like Ga Tech, early season success did not carry though to the end.

Kansas- The Jayhawks fell short of a bowl for the 2nd straight year after losing their last 3 games to finish 5-7. They were unable to hang with Utah, as the utes pulled out the 31-21 win over KU.

Colorado- The Buffaloes returned to their losing ways as they finished 3-9 just 1 year after being 9-4. The Buffs couldn't keep up with Kansas State as they fell 24-14 to the Wildcats.

Oklahoma State- The Cowboys lost 20-13 to Iowa State, finishing at 1-11 and the only P4 team to not get an FBS win this season. However, they did hire a new coach- Eric Morris from North Texas. So that's 4 possible CFP coaches that have been plucked from their teams, for those of you keeping score. 

UConn- The Huskies didn't play a game last weekend, but HC Jim Mora will be the new coach at Colorado State, and it's fair to wonder if UConn will be able to sustain their momentum, as they have had back-to-back 9-win seasons for the 1st time in their history.

Oregon State- The Beavers were a pitiful 2-10, but at least they tied for the Pac 12 Championship!

Memphis- Not only did the Tigers lose 28-17 to Navy, but they also lost their last 3 games to finish 8-4, and then they lost their HC to Arkansas. What a terrible November...

USF- The Bulls obliterated Rice 52-3 to finish 9-3, but HC Alex Golesh is leaving for Auburn. In 3 years under Golesh, USF was 23-15, their best 3-year stretch since they were 29-9 from 2015-17. The Bulls sustained 4 straight losing seasons from 2019-22 (before Golesh arrived) with a combined record of 8-37.

Charlotte- The 49ers finish 1-11 with no FBS wins, their fewest wins since they were also 1-11 in 2015.

San Jose State- The Spartans ended their streak of 3 straight winning seasons with a dud, falling 41-14 to Fresno State to end a miserable 3-9 season. 

Colorado State- The Rams dropped their 6th contest in a row, 42-21 to Air Force, as they end their season with a 2-10 record. However, they have enticed Jim Mora to move over from UConn and become their new HC.

San Diego State- The Aztecs had a chance to claim 1st place all alone with a win, but instead fell 23-17 in OT to UNM. But at 9-3, it's not all bad, as SDSU had their most wins since 2021 (12-2), and were much improved from last season's 3-9 in HC Sean Lewis's 1st year.

Wyoming- The Cowboys started the season 4-4, then dropped their last 4 to finish 4-8.

Georgia State- The Panthers lost 27-10 at ODU to finish 1-11, their worst record since they were also 1-11 in 2014. Their only win was over an FCS squad.

Southern Miss- The Golden Eagles had everything in their favor at 7-2/5-0 before the bottom fell out, losing their last 3 and culminating in a 28-18 loss to Troy, causing them to miss the SBC CG.

ULM- The Warhawks began the season 3-1, then went on an 8-game slide to finish 3-9.

Buffalo- The Bulls lost their last 3 to finish 5-7, a huge disappointment after last season's 9-4 campaign.

Northern Illinois- The Huskies were 8-5 in 2024, but just 3-9 this season, ending it with a 35-31 home loss to Kent State.

UMass- The Minutemen finished the season at 0-12, the only winless team at the FBS level. In fact, they were so bad that they lost their FBS games by an average of 29.9 ppg.

Liberty- The Flames lost 48-42 in 2 OTs to Kennesaw State to end their season at 4-8, their worst record at the FBS level, and their worst overall since they were 1-10 in 2005 at the FCS level.

WKU- The Hilltoppers needed to win their last game to make the CUSA CG, but alas, they fell 37-34 to Jax State. However, at 8-4, they have 8 wins for the 5th consecutive season.

UTEP- The Miners ended their season losing their last 5 contests as they take a step back to 2-10. The defense gave up 30+ points 7 times, including in each of the last 5 games, and they allowed 61 in a 61-31 loss at Delaware.

Sam Houston- The Bearcats lost their last 2 to fall to 2-10 just 1 season after going 10-3. They're the only team this year to go from 10 wins to 10 losses.

That's it for this week! Come back tomorrow for my updated Power Rankings!

Until next time, may you and your loved ones be blessed!