Today: The most intriguing Playoff contenders, On3's Heisman poll, coaching carousel intel, and Andy Staples' CFP predictions.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

The most intriguing teams who still have a chance to make the CFP field

Bear Bachmeier, CJ Carr, Arch Manning, Diego Pavia

The College Football Playoff committee will release its next rankings tonight. Before the reveal, it is worth sorting out which programs remain alive to crack the 12-team field. The list is obviously much longer than it ever was in the four-team era, with 24 total teams still technically alive. Among the teams still chasing a spot are several of the most intriguing contenders in the country, each with a path that ranges from legitimate to improbable.

SEC

Texas: A lot of people said Texas was eliminated when it lost to Georgia. Eliminated? Texas can still finish with three losses and a win over Texas A&M at the end of the season. One of those losses came in a one-possession game at Ohio State in the opener. Texas needs help and must beat the Aggies, but it is not out of the picture.

Vanderbilt: This is a tough, gritty team that has won over the public. The problem is the lack of quality wins. If Vanderbilt finishes 10-2 as an SEC team, it will be in the discussion, but its resume could be scrutinized if hard conversations happen before Selection Sunday. The Commodores need to beat Tennessee and root for chaos elsewhere.

Big Ten

Michigan: If you checked out after Michigan was throttled by USC, that is on you. The Wolverines have won five straight and are now 9-2 heading into the showdown with Ohio State. If Michigan wins and finishes 10-2 with the best win in the country, it will be in the CFP. The path is narrow, but the upside is enormous.

ACC

Pittsburgh: Pitt bounced back from its blowout loss to Notre Dame with a win over Georgia Tech and now faces Miami. If the Panthers win and get help, they could find themselves in Charlotte. The CFP chances are slim, but they are not dead.

SMU: SMU is 8-3 overall but 6-1 in ACC play after beating Louisville 38-6. The Mustangs have only one path: win the conference. Beat Cal on Saturday and they are headed back to Charlotte, where a title would send them to the CFP.

Miami: Miami looked like a national title contender a month ago before losses to Louisville and SMU. The Hurricanes do not need to win the ACC to get in. If they finish 10-2 with a win over Notre Dame on the resume, they could have a theoretical at-large case and even keep the door cracked for a two-bid ACC.

Big 12

Arizona State: The Sun Devils are down bad right now. They lost Sam Leavitt for the season, and now he's reportedly thinking about transferring. But they keep winning and remain at two Big 12 losses. Beat Arizona in the Territorial Cup and hope for a miracle, and the path is still alive.

Group of 6

North Texas: The Mean Green are 10-1 and sit atop the American. If it beats Temple, it will play in the conference title game. Win that, and it is likely in the CFP. Head coach Eric Morris is heavily involved in coaching carousel discussions, which makes their potential selection even more intriguing.

See all 24 teams who are still alive in the CFP race.

NCAA FOOTBALL

On3 Heisman Trophy Poll: Ranking the contenders after Week 13

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza remains atop the On3 experts' Heisman Trophy poll. Can anyone run him down?

On3 polls its top national analysts every week for their Heisman rankings. Voting in this poll are Andy Staples, Ari Wasserman, Chris Low, Brett McMurphy, Pete Nakos, JD PicKell, and Charles Power. Each expert submits a top ten ballot, scored on a 10-point system for first place, nine for second, and so on. Here is how the Week 13 voting shook out.

1. QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana – 67 points

Weekend stats: BYE

Mendoza delivered another high-efficiency outing against Wisconsin two weeks ago, going 22-24 with 299 yards and four TDs. He was idle this past week before Purdue this weekend, and maintains a strong hold on the race. Will anyone be able to catch him?

2. QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt – 55

Weekend stats: 33-of-39 for 484 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT; 15 carries for 48 yards, 1 TD

Pavia posted one of the most explosive performances of the entire season. He nearly hit 500 yards passing and accounted for six total scores. Vanderbilt is 9-2 and pushing for a Playoff berth, and if the Commodores close strong, Pavia will push for a trip to New York.

3. RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame – 52

Weekend stats: 8 carries for 171 yards, 3 TD

Love is the hottest non-quarterback in the race. He has scored in every game this season and has multiple touchdowns in three of his last four appearances. His season totals are beginning to look impossible to ignore: 1,306 rushing yards, 7.1 yards per carry, 17 rushing touchdowns, plus 274 receiving yards and three more scores.

4. QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State – 47

Weekend stats: 13-of-19 for 157 yards, 2 TD

Sayin produced another efficient outing in a one-sided win over Rutgers. His season totals remain exceptional, and the question is whether he can generate late-season signature moments that rival those of Mendoza and Pavia.

5. QB Marcel Reed, Texas A&M – 44

Weekend stats: 10-of-15 for 120 yards, 3 TD

Reed handled business in a quick blowout of Samford. With strong efficiency numbers and a playoff resume behind him, he remains in the hunt as the season enters its decisive stretch.

See all 14 players receiving votes.

COACHING CAROUSEL

College football insider: Coaching carousel intel at Arkansas, Penn State, Florida State & more

Lane Kiffin, Mike Norvell, Tosh Lupoi, Eric Morris

Lane Kiffin holds the keys to the college football coaching carousel as Rivalry Week arrives. Florida, LSU, and Ole Miss are expected to offer salary packages approaching the $14 million mark and commit at least $25 million in NIL roster support. Each program has prepared contingency plans, but all lines of communication with Kiffin remain open as a formal decision is expected Saturday. With nine power conference jobs still open and the carousel accelerating, here is the latest.

🐗 Arkansas, Oklahoma State pursuing same candidates

North Texas head coach Eric Morris has emerged as one of the hottest Group of Six candidates. At Arkansas, Morris is in the mix along with Alex Golesh, Ryan Silverfield, and Kane Wommack. Athletic director Hunter Yurachek has spoken to more than 20 candidates and worked to keep the search quiet, with clarity expected soon. Oklahoma State is also heavily involved with Morris, who has Big 12 experience from his years as Texas Tech's offensive coordinator. Collin Klein has also surfaced as a name to watch for the Cowboys, alongside Golesh and Wommack.

🍢 Florida State retains Mike Norvell

Florida State announced Sunday that Mike Norvell will return in 2026. Industry expectations aligned with the decision, given the roughly $58.4 million buyout. A review of the front office is underway, and changes are expected on the personnel side. No decisions have been made on Gus Malzahn or Tony White. How much Florida State will allocate to its 2026 roster remains an ongoing concern for some around the program. A win at Florida would secure bowl eligibility.

🦁 Penn State keeping search under wraps

The Nittany Lions' search remains unclear. James Madison's Bob Chesney has emerged as a name to watch, and athletic director Pat Kraft interviewed interim coach Terry Smith this week. Brent Key and Clark Lea have also been tied to the job, but there is no clear top target at this stage.

🐻 Tosh Lupoi viewed as prime candidate at Cal

Cal is focusing early attention on Tosh Lupoi, the former Golden Bears defensive lineman now in his third season with Oregon. Lupoi has deep West Coast recruiting ties and was a key figure in Alabama's national recruiting successes. GM Ron Rivera is running Cal's search, and other names to know include Sean Lewis, Jim Mora, and Ryan Grubb.

Get the latest on Auburn, UCLA, and all the other searches.

🚨Headlines

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

Andy Staples' CFP Prediction: All eyes turn to Ohio State-Michigan

Michigan's 45-20 win at Maryland was the only result from a quiet weekend that meaningfully shifted the College Football Playoff picture. Oregon handled USC. Oklahoma beat Missouri. Most contenders cruised or were off. The lone surprise came from Pittsburgh, which upended Georgia Tech to jumble an already frothy ACC race.

This weekend will not be so tame. Alabama travels to Auburn with enormous stakes. The ACC and Big 12 title participants will be decided. But everything now funnels toward Ann Arbor. Michigan's win ensured that The Game will feature 9-2 Michigan hosting 11-0 Ohio State in a meeting that could alter the bracket and reshape the emotional state of both fan bases. Michigan can extend the streak and vault back into the Playoff. Ohio State can break the streak and crush the Wolverines' hopes. This is what rivalry weekend should feel like.

Here is how Michigan's win and the weekend's results shaped this week's projected College Football Playoff bracket.

The top four

Ohio State remains No. 1 after a 42-9 win against Rutgers, though attention centered on the health of receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. Both are day to day, but the Buckeyes are secure regardless. Indiana stays at No. 2 after an idle week and should handle Purdue before heading to Indianapolis. Texas A&M holds No. 3 after a routine win and now turns to its rivalry showdown with Texas, a game that matters as much psychologically as it does competitively. Georgia stays at No. 4 after cruising past Charlotte. If the Bulldogs beat Georgia Tech, they may not need an SEC title game appearance to secure a quarterfinal bye.

Seeds 5-12

5. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders close at West Virginia and should enjoy a sizable talent edge. Their only drama is which Big 12 foe they will draw next.

6. Ole Miss: The Rebels head into the Egg Bowl with their CFP position buoyed by the win at Oklahoma. Even a loss might not knock them out, though all eyes are on Lane Kiffin's looming decision.

7. Oregon: The Ducks delivered their best outing of the season against USC despite injuries. A win against Washington would lock them into the bracket.

8. Oklahoma: The Sooners clamped down on Missouri and can make life miserable for LSU next week if the defense repeats that performance.

9. Notre Dame: The Irish crushed Syracuse 70-7. Stanford is next, and Notre Dame shouldn't have much more trouble with that matchup.

10. Alabama: The Tide brace for another tense Iron Bowl trip to Auburn, where their last two visits required miracle finishes.

11. SMU: The ACC is anyone's ballgame. But the Mustangs hammered Louisville and now control their path. Beat Cal and they are in, likely to face Virginia.

12. Tulane: Tulane must watch the bottom of the CFP rankings. If two American teams appear and both win, they advance. The Green Wave draw 1-10 Charlotte this weekend.

Read the full story from Andy Staples.

TRIVIA

Now here's a guy...

Below, you'll find 3 facts about a random college football player. You'll try to guess who the player is based on the facts. Let's go.

I was a five-star recruit and the No. 2 overall player in the 2012 class, one of the most hyped wide receiver prospects of the decade.
I became a starter at Missouri as a true freshman, then broke out as a sophomore with 59 catches, 12 touchdowns, and two scores in the SEC Championship Game.
After being dismissed from Missouri, I transferred to Oklahoma, sat out due to a denied waiver request, and declared for the 2015 NFL Draft without ever playing a snap for the Sooners.

Answer at the bottom.

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