According to one ESPN analyst, the Texas Longhorns are still in a good spot to make the College Football Playoff, but they still have some left to prove.

A look at 10 key topics in college football ahead of Texas at Mississippi State and Texas A&M at LSU in SEC play.

With the season just past the midway point, now is an opportune time to take a closer look at the rosters of some teams that have struggled.

Their offense is led by quarterback Blake Shapen, who has passed for 1,525 yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions. Fluff Bothwell is the leading rusher, accumulating 465 yards and six touchdowns. However, he missed the last game due to an injury and is questionable for this week’s game.

In just his second year at the helm, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is establishing a winning culture in College Station.

The 2025 college football regular season is humming right along as Week 9 is here. My College Football Projection Model looks to make it back-to-back winning weeks after making a (small) profit during Week 8. If you’ve followed me for some time, you know I’ll take any sort of winning week and won’t complain about it.

The transfer portal and NIL money have helped level the playing field across college football. The result is the type of parity that makes the NFL must-see TV with the competition tighter than ever, especially in the Power Four conferences.

The race for the College Football Playoff is one week away from November. A breakdown of where things stand in each Power Four league.