Black Sunday came earlier than usual in college football as nine FBS head coaches have been fired midway through the regular season, and Nick Saban thinks it’s

The 2025 college football season has officially surpassed the midway point of the regular season after the conclusion of a thrilling Week 8 slate. Among the games that will shape the College Football Playoff picture was the final matchup between No. 13 Notre Dame and No. 20 USC for the foreseeable future.

The verdict: Fiction. Honestly, Illinois’ resume isn’t far too different from that of Notre Dame, which is being widely viewed as a Playoff team. USC is the best win for each of them. And their losses are against top-10 teams — No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana for the Illini, and No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 9 Miami for the Fighting Irish.

For years, Ohio State football has been a staple at the top of college football rankings, and since last year's national championship, no one's taken them down.

Penn State has some company in a miserable category this week, as the Nittany Lions are no longer the only former top-10 team ranked in the Bottom 25. Florida State is in the same boat after a 20-13 loss at Stanford marked its fourth straight defeat.

The Big Ten has never been stronger on the recruiting trail and that’s become apparent with USC at the top of the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Oregon and Ohio State aren’t far behind, either.

The Eagles have been without starters Jaedn Skeete, Daveon Crouch, Syair Torrence, and Amari Jackson since the third week of 2025.