Matt Hayes
Former Florida assistant Bob Stoops was pursued twice for the Gators job and now looks like as good a time as any for the Oklahoma coach to return to Gainesville.
Let's turn some arguments upside down and see which teams belong in the final four field.
After bouncing around from QB to safety to running back and back to quarterback, Blake Sims has gained the confidence of this Bama team and is winning games.
Alabama may move into the No. 1 spot and who knows where the Bulldogs end up in the playoff rankings after a game that left more questions than answers.
The 'Noles finally have motivation after Oregon was moved past them in the playoff rankings. Also in this week's installment: a look at the committee's thought process in grading Ohio State and TCU.
Delaying Winston's code of conduct hearing likely means a decision in connection with rape allegations will come too late to matter.
The Bulldogs are No. 1 because they're unbeaten. Are they the best team in the country? They get the chance to prove it Saturday vs. Alabama, writes Matt Hayes in this week's First-and-10. He also discusses Baylor-TCU, Bob Stoops and the Everett Golson.
Now we know the committee's new math: Non-conference wins > head-to-head wins. This week, No. 7 Baylor comes out the loser even though it beat No. 4 TCU.
Oregon's impressive victory over Utah is among keys ahead of this week's College Football Playoff rankings.
Urban Meyer has Ohio State playing like an SEC team and with its decisive win against Michigan State, it's also in the middle of the playoff discussion.
If Baylor and TCU finish season with one-loss apiece, Bears will own head to head and conference championship advantage — and Frogs are well ahead of them in rankings right now.
TCU likely finishes the season undefeated if it beats Kansas State on Saturday, but four ho-hum weeks afterward do the Frogs no favors. Also, is Tiger Stadium enough to lift LSU over a better Alabama team?
Arizona State faces Notre Dame in a de facto College Football Playoff elimination game. How ASU got here is the story of a nomadic coach in the right place at the right time.
The Seminoles are being sized up against last season's championship team, fairly or unfairly, writes Matt Hayes in this week's First-and-10. Also, take a look at this weekend and what the big games mean for each team.
Consolidation atop the rankings is on the way; the Ducks will be one of many teams under threat this weekend.
No stranger to pressure and bizarre finishes, Auburn came up with a play — as it tends to do — when it needed it vs. Ole Miss. Because of that, the Tigers remain in the middle of the playoff picture for another week.
The Horned Frogs struggled at times Saturday against West Virginia, but found a way to win and now own three exceptional victories.
Frustrated with Michigan's 'little brother' attitude toward Michigan State, Mark Dantonio scores a late TD in response to the Wolverines planting a stake at midfield.
This isn't the LSU team we've grown accustomed to seeing.
Bill Snyder's latest signature player fit the template. Waters is a guy no one else wanted but who does what it takes to win.
In this week's First-and-10 column, Matt Hayes looks at how FSU has ascended to the nation's most hated team (more than Notre Dame), as well as SEC West and College Football Playoff scenarios.
Notre Dame's loss strengthens its resume while FSU looks beatable in the College Football Playoff.
Jameis Winston completed 15 of 16 passes in the second half and continues showing the ability to compartmentalize distractions, play and win football games for the Seminoles.
Florida AD Jeremy Foley said earlier this season Muschamp gets the full season, but after Saturday's loss at home vs. Missouri, it's time to look for replacements.
Since their win against Alabama in 2012, the Aggies are 2-7 vs. ranked teams, 9-7 against Power 5 schools and are a weekly crapshoot.
West Virginia upset No. 4 Baylor and for the first time since he took over the Mountaineers in 2011, Dana Holgorsen finally looks comfortable as a head coach.
One (Notre Dame or Florida State) is guaranteed to lose this weekend. Another (Baylor) is dealing with a dangerous letdown game at West Virginia.
While more of the country ignores Minnesota's existence, the most important thing to happen at the U in six decades is just getting ramped up.
Agree with the rule or not, the predicament Todd Gurley and Jameis Winston have their teams in was avoidable with better decisions. This week's First-and-10 also looks at J.T. Barrett vs. Braxton Miller and Rebels vs. Bulldogs.
Notre Dame is unbeaten; the world awaits its showdown with Florida State. Our weekly look at the playoff field.
It's the Big 12 way: score points and the team that gets a stop wins. TCU found that out Saturday, losing to Baylor, 61-58.
In this week's Five Things to Watch, it's possible that a Mississippi school will be No. 1 when the Sunday polls are released — or that the SEC West is in utter chaos.
Why does the association insist on believing it can control the names and likenesses of players?
Media members put college football's playoff selection plan to the test. Holy smoke, enlightenment doesn't come easily.
On Thursday, a group will mock a playoff from the 2008 season, which should provide plenty of discussion from the Big 12 tiebreaker to undefeated Utah and Boise State.
Discussed in this week's First-and-10: Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard went on a rant about officiating in the Cyclones' 17-point loss and redefining the SEC after South Carolina's stumbling start to 2014.
The SEC West will be at war and Florida State tries to avoid pitfalls before its date with Notre Dame.
If we learn one thing from Ole Miss' heart-stopping, white-knuckle victory over SEC king Alabama, it’s this: it all begins again next week.
From Nick Marshall to Blake Sims to Bo Wallace and Dak Prescott, look at every big game involving ranked teams and see where the position has clearly evolved.
Prescription for beating the Tide? The Rebels will get after Sims early and often, and Bama might not have the blocking to save Sims.
It's a huge weekend in the state of Mississippi - one that has never been seen there before.
Florida State and Texas A&M survived Week 5. How does it impact their playoff chances against Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma and Auburn?
Arkansas still hasn’t won an SEC game since 2012, but the Hogs showed they’ll play a key role in deciding the West.
Arkansas should have beaten Texas A&M, but it's looking more and more like the SEC is going to cannibalize itself out of the playoffs.
Michigan barely dented the scoreboard in a 30-14 humiliation in front of empty seats in a stadium that never, ever, has empty seats.
Georgia beat Tennessee, but the young Vols showed that they can beat anyone in the SEC East — a fact that doesn't bode well come SEC title game time.
Who has NC State beaten? No one that indicates it can upset top-ranked FSU in Raleigh. This week's Five Things to Watch also discusses Michigan hypotheticals, what-if at Tennessee.
How good do you want to be? Petersen's bland and boring mantra might put you to sleep, but it's keeping opposing coaches awake at night.
FSU is drowning in negative publicity and has no one to blame but itself.
Nation's top teams have had their issues early this season. So which four would make the playoff today: Oregon, Auburn, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, FSU?
Alabama can't do some things it usually does — run with power, protect the QB, cover in the secondary. But the Tide are working on it.
Tide QB Blake Sims has done well with quick throws, but Florida's defense will make him throw it downfield more.
A full year in Dana Holgorsen’s system has Clint Trickett playing so well that the Mountaineers are a legitimate factor in the Big 12 race a year after winning only four games.
West Virginia's 108 plays, Jameis Winston's behavior, Jeff Driskel's lack of progression and what Georgia should do with Todd Gurley are discussed in the First-and-10.
As the upset flavor of the week, Georgia felt what Michigan State, South Carolina, Ohio State, Stanford and USC have felt before it: The new playoff system doesn't play favorites.
These are your Florida Gators under Will Muschamp, everyone. Outcoached, outplayed and out of excuses.
South Carolina and Georgia both have a loss and both have holes on defense. But don't forget about Missouri.
The Razorbacks ran for 438 yards Saturday in beating Texas Tech and Bret Bielema showed what he envisioned when he left Wisconsin for Arkansas.
The Hokies blew out Ohio State in Columbus last week, then returned home to play ECU in a prove-it game — and were down 21-0 before the first quarter ended. This is the way it works in college football.
Tennessee might not stick with Oklahoma tonight, but Butch Jones is the right coach for the job and Vols' fans should look toward 2015, when OU visits Knoxville.
Success eludes the Razorbacks week after week, leaving Bret Bielema's critics to snicker. In Texas Tech, the Hogs find their perfect foil.
The complete lack of respect for another player — another man — is a disgusting microcosm of today's punishment in college football.
Don’t automatically throw the Big Ten on the playoff scrap heap. Anyone who's watched the Spartans know they could easily be one of the best four teams in the nation.
This was Marcus Mariota on Saturday night: poised, polished and reassuming his spot as the best player in the game.
How the Big Ten fares in three big non-conference games Saturday will go a long way in determining its playoff fate.
The Longhorns' first-year coach won't tolerate the nonsense that once eroded the program.
Art Briles and Baylor, for example.
Four years after nearly being left without a conference, Baylor is thriving. The Bears opened their new stadium Sunday, unveiled a statue of their Heisman winner and staked claim as the powerhouse of Texas, writes Matt Hayes.
Each week, SN's Matt Hayes will pick the four teams he thinks deserve to be in the first four-team College Football Playoff. Yes, it's early, but Oklahoma, FSU, Oregon and Michigan State get the nod. See which teams just miss, too.
Hunger? Jameis Winston and Florida State must become ravenous to avoid close calls like Saturday's game. Welcome to the world of defending champs, SN's Matt Hayes says. Good just isn't enough.
Alabama is starting Blake Sims at quarterback, but that's not the Crimson Tide's biggest issue, writes Matt Hayes in this week's Five Things to Watch. West Virginia will test the Tide secondary.
Comparisons will be plentiful, with previous SEC stars atop the list. But it's best to know Dak Prescott by who he is, not who he reminds you of as he prepares for the SEC season. SN's Matt Hayes makes the intro.
Just wait until you can't see how any of the 13 College Football Playoff committee members voted? Zero accountability is what you have, writes SN's Matt Hayes in this season's opening week of First-and-10.
Johnny Manziel was the best and worst thing that ever happened to Kevin Sumlin’s coaching career. But make no mistake, says Matt Hayes, Sumlin was successful with QBs before Manziel and will be again at Texas A&M.
Transfer quarterback Michael Brewer can protect the ball — unlike predecessor Logan Thomas — and that could mean the difference between a mediocre Hokies team and a title-contending one, writes SN's Matt Hayes.
Braxton Miller is out for the season with a shoulder injury, but don't write off the Buckeyes' season yet, writes Matt Hayes. Urban Meyer's quarterback will fit his spread option system — no matter who it is.
Despite losing significance in college football's new playoff scheme, the AP and coaches rankings aren't anachronisms. SN's Matt Hayes says rather than zero weight, they have a gravity that can't be ignored.
Jeff Driskel faces a make-or-break season with Florida in 2014. The redshirt junior quarterback is one of six players with everything to gain — and everything lose — this season. Find out who else made Matt Hayes' list.
Brian Kelly wants his Notre Dame team to be physical; a ground-and-pound, line of scrimmage-dominating force. But that doesn't work these days, SN's Matt Hayes writes, and Kelly's made the adjustment in South Bend.
Is it finally time for mighty Alabama to take a fall? In this week's Mail Bonding, SN's Matt Hayes discusses whether the Crimson Tide can sustain success and whether it's the coach or the players who make things happen.
The Big 12 is the only power conference that doesn't have a championship game. Does playing everybody in the league make up for it? SN's Matt Hayes tackles that issue, and he names some sleeper teams for 2014.
How is Alabama ranked No. 2 and the Oklahoma team it lost to in the Sugar Bowl ranked No. 4? Matt Hayes says it's the start of politics in the four-team playoff era.
No matter how college football tries to curtail it, bad player behavior off the field is not going away. It's time the NFL repays the NCAA for providing a free farm system, Matt Hayes says, by limiting future income for misbehaving.
Remaining relevant isn't easy in college football. Look at Ole Miss. Houston Nutt, Ed Orgeron and David Cutcliffe couldn't do it. After two winning seasons, third-year coach Hugh Freeze says it's time things change.
SMU coach June Jones suggested the Group of 5 conference schools play in the spring, but SN's Matt Hayes says recruiting and scheduling make that unrealistic. But breaking from the Power 5 for its own postseason should be an option.
Nick Saban built Alabama into a powerhouse by developing players and establishing leaders, Matt Hayes writes. Now, he hands the keys to Jacob Coker, a QB who's been on campus all of two months.
On Thursday at SEC Media Days, Georgia coach Mark Richt talked about the school's drug policy, that calls for a one-game suspension on first offense.
He's only been on the LSU campus six weeks, but freshman running back Leonard Fournette is already being compared to some of the best backs to play the game — and, oh, yeah, that Jordan guy, SN's Matt Hayes writes.
With a lack of star power at SEC Media Days, Missouri QB Maty Mauk made a statement that everyone noticed: He can be like Manziel. That's right, he said it. SN's Matt Hayes talks about why it's not such a far-fetched notion.
Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin took the podium at SEC Media Days and his first question was — you guessed it — about Johnny Manziel. The former Aggie QB is in the NFL, but that couldn't keep Sumlin from getting dragged into the circus.
Steve Spurrier is a master of words, from his days at Florida into his run with South Carolina. He's at it again, doling out lessons in ancient war strategy, Matt Hayes writes: If your opponent is temperamental, irritate him.
Will Muschamp knows his team needs to win — big — this year for him to keep his job at Florida. It's just part of the deal for coaches in major college football, and especially for coaches in the South, writes SN's Matt Hayes.
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn won't be deterred by Nick Marshall's recent arrest. Malzhan's focus in keeping the Tigers in one direction.
Oklahoma picked up a stud in WR Dorial Green-Beckham. Problem is there's no way he'll be approved to play this season. SN's Matt Hayes touches on this among other hot topics, including UNC's latest NCAA intervention.
Sporting News is examining and ranking the non-conference schedules of every Power 5 conference team. Today: the Big 12
The Big 12's matchups against Power 5 schools in 2014 are all good ones, there just aren't enough, writes Matt Hayes. Texas and Oklahoma schedule the right away (and a few others), but overall, the non-conference slate is weak.
Dismissed by Missouri coach Gary Pinkel three months ago, wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham lands at Oklahoma. SN's Matt Hayes says the Sooners are taking a huge risk with the talented, troubled star.
Sporting News is examining and ranking the non-conference schedules of every Power 5 conference team. Today: the Pac-12
UCLA is one of those sleeper picks we see every year. The Bruins have a good coach, good quarterback, lots of talent and a tough non-conference schedule. Matt Hayes says it's the Pac-12's toughest — and could lead to big things.
Georgia plays two games vs. Power 5 schools in 2014, but could the SEC get burned by its strength of schedule when teams are selected for the first College Football Playoff? SN's Matt Hayes ranks the non-conference schedules.
