Mark Stoops isn't going anywhere.

• The Kentucky head coach denied a report that he told athletic director Mitch Barnhart that he wanted to leave the program after a loss in November last season to Tennessee.

  "There's zero chance I'm walking away. Zero," Stoops told reporters after Saturday's 35-14 road loss to Georgia to fall to 2-3 overall and 0-3 in the Southeastern Conference.

  He added: "That's unequivocally 100 percent false, and anyone who says anything else is lying."

  Kentucky has been roughed up in SEC play of late, falling to 1-10 in its last 11 league games after the team's blowout defeat to the Bulldogs. The Wildcats have been outscored 312-163 in that span.

  They're also 20-23 overall since a 10-3 campaign in 2021. Kentucky is 69-76 and made eight consecutive bowl appearances from 2016-23 under Stoops, who's the SEC's longest-tenured head coach after beginning his tenure with the program in 2013. The team went 4-8 last season, 1-7 in the SEC.

  If the Wildcats were to fire Stoops, they'd owe him 75 percent of his remaining salary. He currently has a $38-million buyout.

  Kentucky won't catch a break after its bye, as it has back-to-back games against ranked Texas and Tennessee.

  --Field Level Media

An attorney for the late Kyren Lacy, the former LSU wide receiver who died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound in April after he was charged with negligent homicide and felony hit-and-run, said Friday that Lacy's car was nearly far behind the accident at the time of impact.

• Speaking over a surveillance video that caught the Dec. 17, 2024, collision in Lafourche Parish, La., attorney Matt Ory told Homa, La., TV station HTV10 that Lacy's car was so far behind the collision, it was not visible in the video at the time of the accident.

  "We know from data that Kyren Lacy did in fact pass four cars, there's no disputing that. Further north, Kyren Lacy passed four cars," Ory said. "However, he was back in his lane of travel, 92.3 yards -- back in his lane -- behind (the car occupying the man killed in the crash). ... He's 72.6 yards behind the vehicles at the time of impact. Key word, behind the vehicles. That is not how this story was ever painted. Never."

  According to reports, police alleged Lacy crossed a center line in an attempt to pass slower vehicles, which a pickup truck driver to brake and swerve to avoid Lacy's car. Another vehicle then allegedly swerved to avoid the pickup and crossed the center line, crashing head-on with a vehicle containing Herman Hall, 78. Hall later died at a hospital.

  The video depicts an SUV colliding head-on with another vehicle (part of the collision is obscured by a parked vehicle) with a vehicle behind the SUV coming to a stop. Nearly four seconds later, a car identified by Ory as the one driven by Lacy appears in the camera, slows down and appears to go around the accident.

  Lacy was later charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run with death and reckless operation of a vehicle and surrendered to police in mid-January.

  On the night of April 12, two days ahead of his scheduled grand-jury appearance, Lacy, 24, led authorities on a pursuit before crashing in Spring, Texas. When deputies removed Lacy from the car to take him into custody, they found him with the gunshot wound and he was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said.

  Lacy, a native of Thibodaux, La., caught 58 passes for 866 yards and shared the Southeastern Conference lead with nine touchdown receptions in 12 games in 2024.

  He finished his collegiate career with 162 catches for 2,360 yards and 26 touchdowns in 64 games with Louisiana (2020-21) and LSU (2022-24). Largely viewed as an NFL prospect, Lacy's name was not on the list of players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine when it was released in mid-February, a month after Lacy's arrest.

  --Field Level Media

Former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said he is ready to return to the sidelines if he can find the right opportunity.

• "All depends what the best thing available is," Orgeron told Baton Rouge's WAFB-TV on Wednesday night. "But I'm ready to coach again. I left a little bit of meat on the bone. I'm ready to go."

  Orgeron, 64, guided the Tigers to an undefeated national championship in 2019 with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson fueling the offense.

  LSU stumbled to a 5-5 finish in 2020 and was 6-6 in 2021 when Orgeron and the program agreed to part ways.

  Orgeron has an overall record of 67-47 including three seasons at Ole Miss (2005-07), one as the interim coach at Southern California (2013) and six seasons at LSU (2016-21).

  --Field Level Media

The College Football Playoff title game following the 2027 regular season and ensuing playoff rounds will be played in New Orleans, the CFP announced Wednesday.

• The contest will be played at Caesars Superdome on Jan. 24, 2028.

  This will mark the second time New Orleans will be host to the championship game during the CFP era. This will be the 14th edition and the fourth after expansion to at least 12 teams being part of the playoff.

  "The College Football Playoff is thrilled to bring the national championship game back to New Orleans in 2028," CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a statement. "Few cities embrace college football quite like New Orleans, with its unmatched hospitality, culture and passion for the game. We know fans, teams and the entire college football community will have an unforgettable experience in one of the sport's most iconic destinations."

  Louisiana leaders called it an opportunity to showcase the city of the New Orleans and the state.

  "This is what winning looks like. This is what making New Orleans a championship city is all about," Gov. Jeff Landry said at a press conference at the Superdome.

  LSU defeated Clemson 42-25 on Jan. 13, 2020 behind star quarterback Joe Burrow to win the 2019 season crown.

  This season's game is on Jan. 19, 2026 at Miami Gardens, Fla. Las Vegas is the host in 2027.

  --Field Level Media

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said at his Monday press conference that linebacker Jah-Marien Latham "will recover fully" after suffering a neck injury in practice last week, while linebacker Qua Russaw is out indefinitely with a broken foot.

• Latham, a sixth-year graduate student, was transported to a hospital in Birmingham last Tuesday for evaluation after hurting his neck in practice.

  In 45 games since starting his Alabama career in 2020, Latham has notched 44 tackles (four for loss), 2.5 sacks and one fumble recovery. Latham made two tackles in the Crimson Tide's season-opening loss at Florida State but left that game with a lower-body injury and did not appear again.

  "Jah-Marien will recover fully," DeBoer said. "That's the main thing in the big picture of everything. But unfortunately won't be back this season."

  Russaw, a starting outside linebacker, broke his foot early in Alabama's 24-21 win at Georgia on Saturday. He will undergo surgery this week, according to DeBoer.

  "He won't be out for the season, but it will be an extended period of time," DeBoer said.

  No. 10 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC) plays host to No. 16 Vanderbilt (5-0, 1-0) this Saturday in a rematch of the Commodores' stunning upset of the then-No. 1 ranked Tide last year in Nashville, Tenn.

  --Field Level Media

Interim Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino fired three defensive assistants in his first full day on the job, ESPN reported Monday.

• Petrino, appointed after Sunday's firing of Sam Pittman, reportedly fired Razorbacks defensive coordinator Travis Williams, defensive line coach Deke Adams and defensive assistant Marcus Woodson.

  The dominoes began falling after Arkansas (2-3, 0-1 SEC) gave up 643 yards of offense in Saturday's 56-13 thrashing by then-No. 22 Notre Dame in Fayetteville, Ark. The Razorbacks gave up 42 points in the first half, their most before halftime of a game since 2005.

  Pittman was fired after five-plus seasons with a 32-34 record, including a 3-0 mark in bowl games.

  Petrino, who was head coach of the Razorbacks from 2008-11, had been Pittman's offensive coordinator.

  Arkansas is off this week and returns to action next Saturday, Oct. 11, at No. 15 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1).

  Petrino, 64, has a 119-56 record as head coach at Louisville (2003-06, 2014-18), Arkansas and Western Kentucky (2013). He also coached Missouri State to an 18-15 record from 2020-23 before it became an FBS program and spent 13 games as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. With a 3-10 record, he abruptly resigned to take the Arkansas job.

  The first go-round at Arkansas for Petrino ended when he was fired after it was discovered he was having an affair with a young staff member in the athletic department.

  --Field Level Media

Less than a week after firing head coach Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State announced on Sunday that it has also relieved defensive coordinator Todd Grantham of his duties.

• In his fourth game with the Cowboys (1-3, 0-1 Big 12) since taking over the role, Grantham's defensive unit was gashed for 612 total yards in Saturday's 45-27 conference loss to visiting Baylor. Offensiive quality control coach Clint Bowen will replace Grantham on an interim basis.

  Offensive coordinator Doug Meacham was named Gundy's interim replacement after the program's all-time winningest coach was let go following last weekend's loss to Tulsa.

  Last December, Gundy hired Grantham, who became Oklahoma State's highest-paid assistant (three years, $4.2 million deal) and was slated to make $1.3 million this season. Per the contract terms, he will receive all $1.3 million.

  Grantham, 59, spent the 2023 season and part of the 2024 campaign as the New Orleans Saints' defensive line coach before joining Gundy's staff. He has also served as the defensive coordinator at Florida and with the Cleveland Browns and spent time on the coaching staffs of Georgia, Mississippi State and Louisville.

  Oklahoma State has had four defensive coordinators in the last five seasons, though Bowen brings plenty of experience in the role at Kansas from 2014-18. His son Banks is a freshman quarterback with the Cowboys. Clint Bowen spent the previous four seasons coaching football at the high school level.

  --Field Level Media

Oregon and Ole Miss parlayed Top-4 victories into Top-4 rankings in the latest AP Top 25 poll, released Sunday afternoon.

• Oregon supplanted Miami at No. 2 just behind top-ranked Ohio State - a 24-6 winner over Washington - while Miami is now third, and Ole Miss is fourth.

  The Ducks defeated previous No. 3 Penn State in Happy Valley 30-24 in overtime on Saturday to get to 5-0 this year. The Rebels likewise stayed undefeated (5-0), upending previous No. 4 LSU, 24-19.

  No. 4 is Ole Miss' highest ranking since 2015.

  Penn State fell to seventh, while the Tigers are now 13th.

  Texas A&M climbed to sixth after its 16-10 win over Auburn, while Indiana moved up to eighth after defeating Iowa 20-15.

  Oklahoma rose to fifth and Texas rose to ninth during bye weeks.

  Georgia's 24-21 loss to Alabama knocked the Bulldogs down to 12th, two spots below the aforementioned Crimson Tide, and their lowest ranking since 2020.

  Florida State, despite its dominant Week 1 win over Alabama, was the week's biggest dropper after its 46-38 overtime loss to Virginia. The Seminoles are now 18th after dropping 10 spots, while Virginia made its first poll debut in six years at No. 24.

  Arizona State also reentered the poll at No. 25 after beating TCU Friday night.

  TCU and Southern Cal fell out of the rankings.

  The full top 25 is as follows:

  1. Ohio State (4-0)

  2. Oregon (5-0)

  3. Miami (4-0)

  4. Ole Miss (5-0)

  5. Oklahoma (4-0)

  6. Texas A&M (4-0)

  7. Penn State (3-1)

  8. Indiana (5-0)

  9. Texas (3-1)

  10. Alabama (3-1)

  11. Texas Tech (5-0)

  12. Georgia (3-1)

  13. LSU (4-1)

  14. Iowa State (5-0)

  15. Tennessee (4-1)

  16. Vanderbilt (5-0)

  17. Georgia Tech (5-0)

  18. Florida State (3-1)

  19. Missouri (5-0)

  20. Michigan (3-1)

  21. Notre Dame (2-2)

  22. Illinois (4-1)

  23. BYU (4-0)

  24. Virginia (4-1)

  25. Arizona State (4-1)

  --Field Level Media

Arkansas fired football coach Sam Pittman on Sunday, a day after the Razorbacks were trounced by Notre Dame 56-13 and moved to 2-3 on the season.

• Bobby Petrino, who served as offensive coordinator under Pittman, was named interim head coach. He previously held the head coaching role from 2008-11.

  Pittman was hired as Arkansas' coach in December 2019. He had a 32-34 overall record and led the team to three bowl game victories.

  "I want to thank Coach Pittman for his service and dedication to the University of Arkansas throughout his time as head coach," athletic director Hunter Yurachek said in a statement Sunday.

  "From Day 1, you could tell how much this opportunity meant to him. At this time, however, I feel a change is necessary to put our student-athletes and program in the best position to be successful. The goal for our football program is to be highly competitive within the Southeastern Conference and compete for a national championship. As we move forward in the process of finding our next head coach, I am certain we will be able to provide the necessary resources to our staff and team to reach our goals."

  Yurachek said a national search for a head coach will begin immediately, adding Petrino will be considered for the full-time job.

  Pittman, 63, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Pittsburg State, his alma mater, in 1984 and held a variety of assistant coaching jobs on the offensive side until getting his first shot as a head coach at Arkansas.

  Immediately before accepting the Arkansas job, he was on the staff of Kirby Smart at Georgia. He also worked as assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Arkansas from 2013-15.

  Petrino has a 119-56 record as head coach at Louisville (2003-06, 2014-18), Arkansas (2008-11) and Western Kentucky (2013). He also coached Missouri State to an 18-15 record from 2020-23 before it became an FBS program and spent 13 games as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. With a 3-10 record, he abruptly resigned to take the Arkansas job.

  The first go-round at Arkansas for Petrino, now 64, ended when he was fired after it was discovered he was having an affair with a young staff member in the athletic department.

  --Field Level Media

Dante Moore tossed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Gary Bryant Jr. in the second overtime and Dillon Thieneman recorded a game-ending interception as No. 6 Oregon produced a 30-24 victory over No. 3 Penn State on Saturday night in Big Ten play at University Park, Pa.

• Moore completed 29 of 39 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns as the Ducks (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) notched a big victory in front of 111,015 fans during Penn State's famed annual "White Out" game.

  Drew Allar was 14-of-25 passing for 137 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for Penn State (3-1, 0-1). Devonte Ross was credited with two touchdown receptions for the Nittany Lions.

  Oregon blew a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead and fell behind 24-17 when Kaytron Allen scored on a 4-yard run in the first overtime session. The Ducks tied the score on Moore's 2-yard shovel pass to Jamari Johnson.

  No. 1 Ohio State 24, Washington 6

  Julian Sayin passed for 208 yards and two touchdowns and CJ Donaldson scored twice as the Buckeyes ended the Huskies' 22-game home winning streak with a victory in Seattle.

  Washington led Ohio State 3-0 before the Buckeyes took a 7-3 halftime lead thanks to an 18-yard TD catch by Jeremiah Smith with 1:08 remaining. A Donaldson 1-yard run extended Ohio State's lead to 14-3 midway through the third quarter before Grady Gross kicked his second 28-yard field goal to make it 14-6.

  Sayin completed 22 of 28 while Smith made eight catches for 81 yards. Washington was second nationally averaging 55.7 points while the Buckeyes were tied with BYU for the fewest points allowed (5.2).

  No. 13 Mississippi 24, No. 4 LSU 19

  Trinidad Chambliss passed for 314 yards and a touchdown and the Rebels' defense held the Tigers in check in Oxford, Miss.

  Chambliss, who rushed for 71 yards, overcame a costly third-quarter interception and Ole Miss outgained the Tigers 480-254. Kewan Lacy led the Rebels on the ground with 87 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown.

  Garrett Nussmeier completed 21 of 34 for 197 yards with a touchdown and an interception for LSU. As a team, the Tigers rushed for only 57 yards on 22 carries. Nic Anderson caught the lone passing score for the Tigers, while Harlem Berry added one on the ground.

  No. 17 Alabama 24, No. 5 Georgia 21

  Ty Simpson completed 24 of 38 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns, and the Crimson Tide held on for a 24-21 win over the Bulldogs in Athens, Ga.

  Isaiah Horton and Germie Bernard had one touchdown reception apiece to open a first-half 14-0 lead, and Simpson added a score on a quarterback scramble for Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC), which ended Georgia's 33-game home winning streak and hasn't lost in Athens since 2003.

  Georgia (3-1, 1-1) was anchored by 119 rushing yards from Chauncey Bowens. It cut the deficit to three points with a pair of rushing touchdowns by Bowens and Josh McCray, but the Bulldogs' final three possessions ended on two punts and a turnover on downs.

  No. 9 Texas A&M 16, Auburn 10

  Le'Veon Moss ran for 139 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and Marcel Reed passed for 207 yards as the Aggies outlasted the Tigers in a Southeastern Conference dustup in College Station, Texas.

  Texas A&M (4-0, 1-0 SEC) got all it needed from Reed, Moss and kicker Randy Bond in the first half and let the defense take over after halftime. Bond produced field goals from 33, 49 and 44 yards, hitting the final one with 2:42 to play. KC Concepcion caught seven of Reed's passes for 113 yards.

  The Tigers' anemic attack managed just 177 yards in the game. Auburn (3-2, 0-2) got 125 yards passing from Jackson Arnold, but he was also sacked five times, including their final offensive play on fourth-and-1.

  No. 11 Indiana 20, Iowa 15

  Fernando Mendoza hooked up with Elijah Sarratt on a 49-yard touchdown pass with 1:28 left to lift the Hoosiers to a Big Ten win over the Hawkeyes in Iowa City.

  Mendoza found Sarratt open over the middle on the third-down play and Sarratt broke a tackle and raced into the end zone, completing a big game that saw him catch six passes for 132 yards. Mendoza was 13-of-23 for 233 yards and two touchdowns with an interception as Indiana (5-0, 2-0) survived its first road test of the season. Roman Hemby added 86 yards on 15 rushes.

  Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski completed 19 of 25 passes for 144 yards and an interception before leaving with a leg injury in the fourth quarter. Drew Stevens' 54-yard field goal gave the Hawkeyes (3-2, 1-1) a 13-10 edge with 12:43 left in the game, but the Hoosiers tied it shortly thereafter. Stevens missed wide left from 42 with 2:01 remaining.

  No. 14 Iowa State 39, Arizona 14

  Quarterback Rocco Becht scored three rushing touchdowns and Carson Hansen added two rushing scores as the host Cyclones rolled to a victory over the Wildcats.

  Iowa State (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) had five rushing touchdowns for the first time in more than a year despite gaining only 111 yards on the ground. Hansen finished with 63 yards and his two scores. Becht scored on a trio of 1-yard runs. Becht added 243 yards on 14-of-20 passing with an interception but failed to throw for a touchdown for the first time in 23 games, ending the longest active streak in FBS. Chase Sowell had four catches for 146 yards for the Cyclones.

  Arizona (3-1, 0-1) got 253 passing yards and two touchdowns from Noah Fifita, who was also intercepted twice. Ismail Mahdi ran for 85 yards for the Wildcats, who were playing in Ames for the first time since 1968.

  No. 15 Tennessee 41, Mississippi State 34 (OT)

  DeSean Bishop's 25-yard touchdown run on the first play of overtime followed by a defensive stand gave the Volunteers their first Southeastern Conference victory with a win over the Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss.

  The Volunteers stopped the Bulldogs on four plays from the 5-yard line to preserve the comeback win. Joey Aguilar was 24 of 40 for 335 yards with a passing and rushing touchdown and two interceptions. Mike Matthews (six catches for 118 yards) and Chris Brazzell II (six for 105 and a touchdown) had 100-yard receiving days.

  Mississippi State's Blake Shapen was 18 of 29 for 180 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Fluff Bothwell ran for 134 yards on 23 carries with two scores, and Davon Booth rushed for one. Colton Hood tallied a touchdown on an interception, and Joshua Josephs ran a fumble back for another defensive score for Tennessee.

  No. 16 Georgia Tech 30, Wake Forest 29 (OT)

  Haynes King threw for 243 yards and a score, adding 106 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as the Yellow Jackets escaped with an overtime victory over the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, N.C., in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

  King ran for a 2-yard touchdown to begin overtime, before Demond Claiborne's 25-yard rush cut Wake's deficit to 30-29. Wake Forest elected to go for the game-winning two-point conversion but Robby Ashford's pass fell incomplete, sealing the Georgia Tech win.

  Eric Rivers had eight catches for 77 yards and a score for the Yellow Jackets who extended their best start to a season since 2014. Ashford threw for 222 yards, adding a score on the ground, while Claiborne ran for 119 yards and two scores for Wake Forest.

  No. 19 Vanderbilt 55, Utah State 35

  Diego Pavia threw for five touchdowns and ran for another as the Commodores continued their best start to a season in 17 years by defeating the Aggies in Nashville, Tenn.

  Pavia completed 26 of 34 passes for 321 yards and also ran for a game-high 79 yards on nine carries. Junior Sherrill caught three of the touchdown passes in the final tune-up for the Commodores (5-0) prior to next week's visit to No. 17 Alabama.

  Bryson Barnes threw for three touchdowns and backup quarterback Jacob Conover tossed two touchdown passes for Utah State (3-2), which was denied matching its 2024 win total before the end of September. Braden Pegan, Miles Davis, Josh Sterzer, Javen Jacobs and Brady Boyd caught touchdown passes.

  No. 20 Missouri 42, Massachusetts 6

  Ahmad Hardy rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns as the Tigers pulled away from the Minutemen in the second half in Columbia, Mo.

  Hardy scored on runs of 5, 1 and 16 yards for the Tigers (5-0), which outgained the Minutemen 521-124 and gained 31 first downs to their eight. Quarterback Beau Pribula completed 26 of 29 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

  AJ Hairston hit 11 of 31 attempts for 75 yards with a score and a pick for UMass (0-4), which managed just 19 yards on 16 rushes. Max Dowling caught a 2-yard touchdown pass to make it a 7-6 game late in the first quarter before the extra point was blocked.

  No. 22 Notre Dame 56, Arkansas 13

  CJ Carr completed 22 of 30 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns, and the Fighting Irish cruised to a win over the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Ark.

  Jeremiyah Love scored two touchdowns on the ground and two more touchdowns through the air for Notre Dame, which won its second straight game. Jadarian Price added 13 carries for a game-high 86 rushing yards and a touchdown.

  Taylen Green completed 17 of 32 passes for 207 yards and an interception for Arkansas. Green also rushed 10 times for a team-high 81 yards. Notre Dame outgained Arkansas 641-365.

  No. 23 Illinois 34, No. 21 Southern California 32

  David Olano's 41-yard field goal as time expired helped the Illini hold on to beat the Trojans in Champaign, Ill.

  The Illini (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) built a two-touchdown lead in the second half behind a strong all-around performance from quarterback Luke Altmyer. He became the first Illinois player to pass, rush and catch for a touchdown in the same game since Kurt Kittner in 1999. Altmyer threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns.

  The Trojans rallied late, as Makai Lemon connected with Jayden Maiava for a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter. USC running back Waymond Jordan recorded 94 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

  No. 25 BYU 24, Colorado 21

  Bear Bachmeier completed 19 of 27 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 98 yards as the Cougars rallied past the Buffaloes in Boulder, Colo.

  Chase Roberts had two touchdown catches and Cody Hagen added a rushing score for BYU (4-0, 1-0), which trailed 14-0 in the first quarter. The Cougars went into their bag of tricks as Hagen scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 32-yard reverse that featured a pair of fake handoffs before his scamper into the end zone for a 24-21 fourth-quarter lead.

  Kaidon Salter completed 11 of 16 passes for 119 yards and an interception, and also rushed 17 times for 49 yards and a touchdown for Colorado (2-3, 0-2). Dre'Lon Miller had a rushing and receiving touchdown for the Buffaloes.

  --Field Level Media

  --Field Level Media

Southern California safety Kamari Ramsey missed Saturday's 34-32 loss to No. 23 Illinois due to a bout with food poisoning.

• Ramsey fell sick Friday night in Champaign, Ill., and Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said the staff didn't know he was ailing until Saturday morning.

  Ramsey was not listed on the Big Ten availability report, which was released two hours before kickoff.

  Ramsey attempted to go through pregame warm-ups and didn't play in the first half. He appeared on the sidelines in street clothes in the second half.

  Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer took advantage of the No. 21 Trojans being shorthanded in the back end by passing for 328 yards and two touchdowns. Altmyer drove the Illini to David Olano's winning 41-yard field goal as time expired.

  Ramsey is in his second season with USC after transferring from UCLA. He had 60 tackles and one interception last season but has just seven stops in four games this year.

  --Field Level Media

Arkansas wideout Jalen Brown was carted off the field after sustaining a serious leg injury against No. 22 Notre Dame on Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark.

• Brown was injured while trying to make a touchdown catch in the third quarter. His leg bent awkwardly after he got it caught on a Notre Dame defender.

  Teammates surrounded Brown as the Arkansas medical staff attended to him on the field. After he was carted off, he reportedly was taken to a nearby hospital for X-rays.

  Brown entered Saturday's contest with 11 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

  --Field Level Media

UCF quarterback Tayven Jackson suffered an upper body injury in Manhattan, Kan., against Kansas State on Saturday, forcing him from the game in the first half.

• The injury, which required Jackson to remove his pads and even put his arm in a sling, somehow didn't keep Jackson from returning to the field in the third quarter.

  Early in the second quarter, Jackson was hit after releasing the ball by Wildcats defensive end Cody Stufflebean, landing hard on the turf.

  Jackson was attended to by medical staff and went to the locker room without his pads. He eventually returned to the sideline with his left arm in a sling, wearing warmups.

  The former Tennessee and Indiana signal-caller played a big role in the Knights' 3-0 start, completing 70.1 percent of his passes for 694 yards and three touchdowns, to go along with 72 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

  Jackson was 5-of-9 passing for 18 yards against the Wildcats before being replaced by Jacurri Brown.

  --Field Level Media

No. 4 LSU likely won't have leading rusher Caden Durham when the Tigers visit No. 13 Ole Miss on Saturday in an early-season SEC showdown in Oxford, Miss., ESPN reported on Friday.

• Per the report, Durham is doubtful with an ankle injury, though he is listed as questionable on Friday's SEC availability report.

  Tops among Tigers running backs this season with 213 yards on 52 carries, Durham was injured last Saturday in a 56-10 win over SE Louisiana. Durham had trouble running Friday during LSU's final walk-through and was limited in practice all week, according to the report.

  If Durham can't play, second-leading rusher Harlem Berry (15 carries, 87 yards) will look to fill the void along with Ju'Juan Johnson and Kaleb Jackson.

  The Tigers average just 116.8 yards on the ground, which ranks No. 111 nationally. Only South Carolina (80.3) has a lower rushing average in the SEC.

  --Field Level Media

Oregon running back Noah Whittington is expected to return from a two-game injury absence when the No. 6 Ducks visit No. 3 Penn State on Saturday night in a Big Ten showdown.

• Whittington's injury is undisclosed. He has 159 rushing yards on just 14 carries this season.

  Ducks coach Dan Lanning indicated early in the week that Whittington should be available. The team will submit an injury report but it isn't released publicly until two hours before kickoff.

  In last season's Big Ten title game, Whittington rushed for a season-best 82 yards on 15 carries as the Ducks defeated Penn State 45-37.

  Whittington had 68 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries in the season opener against Montana State and carried four times for 91 yards and a score against Oklahoma State in Week 2. The TD against the Cowboys came on a 59-yard run.

  Whittington rushed for 540 yards and six touchdowns and had 24 receptions for 136 yards and two scores in 2004.

  Jayden Limar has been the busiest Oregon running back with 32 carries this season. He has rushed for three TDs and leads the squad with 215 rushing yards.

  --Field Level Media

A proposal to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) commissioners could eventually turn over management of the NCAA's Division 1 FCS playoffs to a private equity firm, Front Office Sports learned on Thursday.

• Sequence Equity, a private equity firm, recently presented a plan to transfer the management of the NCAA's Division I FCS playoffs to a private entity. Under the proposal, FCS conferences would hold a majority stake in the playoffs, with the firm in a minority position providing capital in investment to boost playoff revenue.

  Per Front Office Sports, the NCAA has not responded to a request for comment, nor have multiple FCS leagues. The news of the proposal was first reported by Hero Sports.

  If approved, the proposal would have a similar look to the College Football Playoff, an LLC owned by Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and Notre Dame that operates outside the NCAA and holds a six-year, $7.8 billion media rights package. FBS schools receive hundreds of millions of dollars from the LLC.

  While the FCS wouldn't come close to matching the FBS' media rights, Sequence Entity -- which describes itself as "a multi-strategy investment platform based in Los Angeles, investing in sports, media, entertainment, technology, and infrastructure" -- believes FCS schools are missing out on media-rights dollars under their current setup.

  The 24-team postseason bracket in the FCS, which includes 13 leagues and more than 100 schools with football programs, is owned and operated by the NCAA. The NCAA also owns the media rights for the championship game, agreeing to a deal last year as part of a bundle with several other championships airing on ESPN. The network forks over approximately $115 million each year for those rights.

  --Field Level Media

Indiana starting safety Louis Moore can stay on the field this season after a Dallas County judge granted his eligibility on Wednesday, keeping the 24-year-old in the lineup for the undefeated Hoosiers.

• Moore sued in early August to challenge the NCAA's five-year eligibility limit, arguing his three seasons at Navarro Junior College (2019-22) should not count against his clock. In an order filed Wednesday, Judge Dale Tillery ruled the NCAA provision violates the Texas Antitrust Act and issued a temporary injunction that permits Moore to continue playing while the case proceeds.

  "This is a big victory for not only Louis Moore, but for all similarly situated student athletes who have illegally had their eligibility for attending junior colleges taken from them by the NCAA," attorney Brian P. Lauten said. "I am so proud of Louis for navigating this. Louis leads Indiana in tackles, interceptions, pass breakups and he's had to do that while living a lawsuit. I couldn't be more proud of him. He has earned everything he deserves."

  The injunction cites the "immediate need to allow Moore to play football for Indiana for the 2025-26 season" to prevent "irreparable harm" to his career, including development with the team, the opportunity to play, and the ability to fulfill his NIL agreement, according to the filing.

  Moore spent three years at Navarro, redshirted and dealt with injury, then transferred to Indiana and played for the Hoosiers in 2022 and 2023. He transferred to Ole Miss for 2024 before returning to Bloomington this season. According to the lawsuit, Moore entered the transfer portal on Dec. 27, 2024, after multiple programs pointed to a recent court decision involving Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia as a pathway to another season.

  Through four games this season, Moore leads Indiana with 23 tackles and two interceptions.

  --Field Level Media

Beginning next season, three major conferences will require their members to face at least 10 power conference opponents -- but the Big Ten isn't joining them, according to a multiple reports on Wednesday.

• The Big 12 will continue its policy of nine league football games plus one nonconference opponent from a power league, a standard it has used the past two years. The Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference to adopt similar minimums in 2026, consisting of nine conference matchups and one power opponent outside the league. Because the ACC has 17 teams, one school will play eight league games each season, but every member will still meet the 10-game power threshold.

  The Big Ten will continue to play nine conference games, as it has since 2016, but will not add a requirement for a non-conference power foe.

  That decision also lowers expectations for any change to the College Football Playoff for 2026. With no alignment on scheduling across leagues, the commissioners meeting this week in Chicago are expected to stay with the 12-team format used in 2024 and 2025.

  The Big Ten's stance comes months after coaches and officials highlighted their in-league grind at media days.

  "Everybody has to play the same number of conference games," Penn State's James Franklin said in July in reference to SEC teams then only playing eight league games. "Everybody should be playing eight or everybody should be playing nine."

  Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti pushed for broader consistency: "We need to standardize the schedule across the board if we want to have objective criteria for who should be in the playoffs and who shouldn't."

  In practice, several Big Ten programs are bypassing nonconference power opponents. This season, Penn State, Indiana, Washington, Rutgers, Northwestern and Maryland have none scheduled. Current versions of next season's schedules show Indiana, Nebraska, Penn State and Washington in the same position.

  --Field Level Media

Auburn receiver Horatio Fields broke his foot in practice earlier this week and will undergo surgery on Thursday, Tigers coach Hugh Freeze said Wednesday.

• Fields was injured during Tuesday's practice.

  Freeze didn't put a timeline on Fields' recovery but said it was possible he could miss the rest of the season.

  "That's a huge loss for us," Freeze said during the Southeastern Conference coaches call. "He was kind of the leader of that receiver room, who knew every position and gave us flexibility to do a lot of things. A difficult loss."

  Fields has 12 catches for 106 yards and one touchdown in four games this season.

  An offseason transfer from Wake Forest, Fields had 39 catches for 463 yards and four scores for the Demon Deacons last season.

  Auburn (3-1, 0-1 SEC) visits No. 9 Texas A&M (3-0, 0-0) this Saturday.

  --Field Level Media

A former university provost at North Carolina claims in a lawsuit that the university broke state laws to hide discussions about hiring Bill Belichick as its football coach, Front Office Sports reported Wednesday.

• The lawsuit was filed Monday by Chris Clemens, who said the school and its board of trustees demonstrated a "systematic misuse of closed sessions to hide policy debates from public view."

  Clemens alleged three instances related to the athletic department, the biggest being Belichick's surprise hiring. The six-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots was unable to land another NFL job and reached a five-year, $50 million deal to become North Carolina's coach.

  According to the suit, Clemens said the trustees called an "emergency meeting" on Dec. 12 and illegally conducted a closed session to discuss and approve the hiring of Belichick. The board followed by affirming the hire and the contract terms.

  Clemens also alleges the board held a closed session in November of 2023 to compare the finances of membership in the Atlantic Coast Conference with the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference.

  In May 2024, Clemens said the board met behind closed doors "to debate conference realignment strategy and athletics department finances."

  "Each episode follows the same pattern: the Board invokes a statutory exemption, enters closed session, then discusses broad policy or budget matters that must be debated publicly," the suit says. "The Board compounds these violations by maintaining inadequate general accounts that prevent public understanding of what transpired."

  Clemens also alleges that the board attempted to "punish him for ‘leaking' closed-session information" to faculty members regarding a meeting about tenure. Clemens said he was asked to resign and did so, effective May 16.

  UNC board of trustees chair Malcolm Turner presented a statement to Front Office Sports.

  Turner said Clemens' claims were "disappointing and inaccurate, not to mention a waste of taxpayer dollars, for which this former officer of the University shows no regard."

  The Tar Heels are 2-2 through the first four games of Belichick's tenure. North Carolina was whipped 34-9 last weekend by host South Florida.

  --Field Level Media

Florida cornerback Dijon Johnson will miss the rest of the season following knee surgery, head coach Billy Napier confirmed Wednesday.

• The junior from Tampa, Fla., sustained the injury in Saturday's loss at Miami and had the procedure Tuesday.

  "It's going to be fixable, nothing long term there, but he will be out for the remainder of the season," Napier said.

  Making his eighth straight start, Johnson tallied four tackles and broke up a pass Saturday before getting hurt while tackling Hurricanes receiver Malachi Toney in the second half.

  A four-star recruit in the Class of 2023, Johnson has recorded one interception, one fumble recovery and 37 tackles in 29 career games.

  Napier also provided an update on quarterback DJ Lagway, who sustained a foot injury in the 26-7 loss at Miami and wore a protective boot at Tuesday's practice.

  Napier said Lagway is "100 percent" and the coach rejected speculation that his signal-caller could opt out of the rest of the season amid Florida's struggles.

  "It's comical," Napier said. "The kid has been back in here since Sunday, working his butt off Monday. (Tuesday) had a really good day. We can't control that outside narrative, obviously, but he's just fine. ... That's a total myth that's out there."

  The Gators (1-3, 0-1 SEC) have lost three straight. They are idle this weekend before hosting No. 10 Texas on Oct. 4 in Gainesville, Fla.

  --Field Level Media

Alabama linebacker Jah-Marien Latham suffered a neck injury during practice Tuesday and was transported to a hospital for further evaluation.

• Latham, a sixth-year graduate student, is being assessed at UAB St. Vincent's in Birmingham and has "full feeling and motion," according to Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer.

  "Our top priority is Jah's health and well-being. We are in close contact with his family and the medical team and will continue to support him in every way possible," DeBoer said in a statement.

  A native of Reform, Ala., Latham started the Tide's season-opening loss at Florida State and recorded two tackles before leaving with a lower-body injury. He has not played since.

  In 45 games since starting his Alabama career in 2020, Latham has notched 44 tackles (four for loss), 2.5 sacks and one fumble recovery.

  No. 17 Alabama (2-1) plays its Southeastern Conference opener Saturday night at No. 5 Georgia.

  --Field Level Media

Oklahoma quarterback and early Heisman frontrunner John Mateer will undergo surgery to address a right-hand injury he suffered in the first quarter of last week's victory over Auburn, the school announced on Tuesday.

• OU head coach Brent Venables says the expectation is that Mateer will be able to return to action sometime this season.

  "After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future," Venables said. "He's extremely disappointed he will miss some game action but is eager to correct the issue and move forward. As he is with everything, we know he will be aggressive with his rehabilitation and work to return to the field as quickly as possible."

  Mateer, a redshirt junior, has been a revelation for the Sooners' offense since transferring in from Washington State this offseason to join former WSU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle in Norman. Through No. 7 Oklahoma's 4-0 start, including wins over Michigan and Auburn, Mateer has thrown for 1,215 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 190 yards and four scores.

  Over his last 16 games across the 2024-25 seasons, Mateer has thrown for 4,354 yards, rushed for 1,016 and accounted for 55 touchdowns (35 passing, 20 rushing). He entered this week with the best odds to win the Heisman Trophy (+700), according to BetMGM.

  In Mateer's absence, Oklahoma announced that sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. will be the team's starting QB for the time being. Hawkins started four games and appeared in seven last year as a true freshman, throwing for 783 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and rushing for 204 yards and a score.

  "We have all the confidence in the world in Michael and are excited for his opportunity to lead our offense while John recovers," Venables said. "He had some big moments for us last season as a true freshman and has just gotten better and better. I'm proud of the work Michael's put in and the progress he's made, and know he will attack this opportunity to help lead our football team."

  The Sooners are off this week and return to action next week vs. Kent State (1-3) before taking on rival Texas on Oct. 11 in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas.

  --Field Level Media

Oklahoma State fired head coach Mike Gundy on Tuesday after a 1-2 start to his 21st season.

• The university made the announcement one day after Gundy said he had zero interest in this being his final year in Stillwater.

  The Cowboys fell to Tulsa last Friday and have dropped 11 of the past 12 games dating back to the 2024 campaign.

  "I'm under contract, here, for I think 3 1/2 years," Gundy said Monday. "When I was hired here to take this job, ever since that day, I've put my heart and soul into this and I will continue to do that until, at some point, if I say I don't want to do it or if somebody else says we don't want you to do it."

  Gundy, who is owed $15 million, is the winningest coach in Oklahoma State history.

  He coached the Cowboys to 18 straight winning seasons and bowl appearances before the streak was broken last year.

  Gundy posted eight 10-win seasons at Oklahoma State, which finished ranked in the Top 25 on 10 occasions during his tenure. He was a three-time Coach of the Year in the Big 12.

  Doug Meacham, in his first season as the Cowboys' offensive coordinator, will be the interim head coach.

  "This is a decision about what's best for our football program, our student-athletes and Oklahoma State University and it reflects our unwavering commitment to championship-level football and competing for national success," university president Jim Hess said. "Coach Gundy dedicated decades of his life to OSU, achieving significant success and positively impacting hundreds of young men who wore the OSU uniform. His contributions to our university, both as a player and coach, deserve our profound respect and will not be forgotten."

  Gundy was 170-90 all-time, including 12-6 in bowls at his alma mater, where he was OSU's starting quarterback and assistant head coach before being hired. With Gundy at quarterback from 1986-89, the Cowboys had two 10-win seasons.

  Athletic director Chad Weiberg, who said in a statement that Gundy brought the program to "an unprecedented level of success," spoke with reporters a few hours after the firing.

  "I expected the results of this season to be different than they've been so far," Weiberg told reporters. "That goes back to the expectation level that Coach Gundy has set for this program.

  "We have higher expectations than that, so when it doesn't appear that that was going to be met, it felt like for the good of the program it was time to make this decision so that we could start the process of getting the program where we want it to be."

  Weiberg also pointed to "significant investments" the school put into this year's team, saying, "This is not an inexpensive football team that we have on the field this season."

  Gundy, 58, is famous in part for his press conference tirade 18 years ago in which he said, "I'm a man, I'm 40."

  Oklahoma State will host Baylor (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) in its conference opener on Saturday.

  Not long after Gundy's firing became official came word that in-state running back KD Jones decommitted from the Cowboys. Jones, a three-star running back from Jenks, Okla., committed to Oklahoma State over Oklahoma and other schools back in March.

  He pledged to the Cowboys on March 26, 2025.

  --Field Level Media

The Atlantic Coast Conference is set to follow suit with the other power conferences and introduce a new scheduling model, which will include nine conference games for each school.

• This shift was announced by the league Monday afternoon after all 17 member-school athletic directors voted to approve this change during a meeting earlier in the day. Each season, all ACC teams will play nine conference opponents and will be obligated to play a 10th game against an opponent from another Power Four conference.

  The new model will be formally adopted after it is presented to the ACC's faculty athletics representatives. It wasn't announced by the ACC if it will go into effect for the 2026 or 2027 season.

  "We have been incredibly intentional throughout our discussions on ACC Football, including the future of our conference schedule. Today, the athletic directors of the 17 football-playing institutions overwhelmingly supported a regular season schedule that includes nine conference games and a minimum of 10 games each year against Power 4 opponents," ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a press release. "This positions the ACC as one of only two leagues committed to having every team annually play a minimum of 10 games against Power 4 teams. There will be additional discussions and more details to be determined, but today's decision showcases the commitment and leadership of our ADs in balancing what is best for strengthening the conference and their respective programs."

  The Southeastern Conference announced Aug. 21 that it will be moving to a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026. Each team will have three annual opponents while rotating between the other 12 teams in the league on a biannual basis.

  The Big 12 was the first Power Four conference to introduce a nine-game conference schedule in 2011 and the Big Ten followed suit in 2016.

  One unique problem the ACC will have to navigate is having an uneven number of full-time members with 17. This means every team won't be able to play exactly nine conference games in a season.

  Potential solutions could include allowing one team a year to play eight conference games and two games against Power Four opponents or counting one of the ACC's annual games against Notre Dame in the conference standings.

  --Field Level Media