Oregon would get bye as No. 4 seed and Texas A&M would play at home on AP Top 25-based CFP bracket

Oregon would receive a coveted top-four seed and Texas A&M would play a first-round home game in the biggest changes to the College Football Playoff mock bracket based on the latestAssociated Press Top 25.

Texas A&M slipped from No. 3 to No. 7 in Sunday's AP poll, allowing Oregon to move up one spot to No. 4. That would give the Big Ten three of the top four seeds, with Ohio State No. 1 and Indiana No. 2. Georgia of the SEC would be No. 3. Top-four seeds earn byes to the quarterfinals.

Now that the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game matchup is set, Virginia would bump Miami out of the bracket as the league's highest-ranked team in the AP poll (Virginia will play unranked Duke in the title game). Miami had held that spot in last week's bracket while still alive for the conference title game.

The Southeastern Conference has five of the 12 teams on the bracket. The Big Ten has three teams and the Big 12, ACC and Sun Belt one each. Notre Dame would be in as an independent. The CFP committee will release its fourthrankingsof the season Tuesday night.

Based on the AP Top 25, the CFP would open like this:

— No. 9 seed Notre Dame at No. 8 seed Oklahoma. Winner vs. No. 1 Ohio State.

— No. 12 seed James Madison at No. 5 Texas Tech. Winner vs. No. 4 Oregon.

— No. 10 seed Alabama at No. 7 Texas A&M. Winner vs. No. 2 Indiana.

— No. 11 seed Virginia at No. 6 Mississippi. Winner vs. No. 3 Georgia.

The first three teams outside the bracket: BYU, Miami and Vanderbilt.

BYU is ranked No. 11 by the AP but would get bumped by Virginia of the ACC. Miami is No. 12 in the AP poll but would be bumped to make room for Group of Five representative James Madison of the Sun Belt.

The five highest-ranked conference champions automatically qualify for the CFP, but no longer do the four highest-ranked champions receive a first-round bye.The 12-team bracket is now seeded directly based on the CFP's final rankingson Dec. 7.

The top four seeds will be assigned to quarterfinals in ranking order and in consideration of current bowl relationships. This year, quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl. The No. 1 seed would receive preferential placement based on geography.

Teams ranked Nos. 5-12 by the CFP will play in the first round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher-seeded school. First-round games are Dec. 19 and 20, quarterfinals Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, semifinals Jan. 8 and 9 and the championship game is Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign uphereandhere(AP News mobile app). AP college football:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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November 30, 2025

Oregon would get bye as No. 4 seed and Texas A&M would play at home on AP Top 25-based CFP bracket

Oregon would receive a coveted top-four seed and Texas A&M would play a first-round home game in the biggest changes...

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Matthew Stafford sets record for most TDs without an interception, then immediately throws 2 interceptions

Matthew Stafford finally threw an interception. But he secured his place in NFL history before the giveaway.

In the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers, Stafford found Davante Adams in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown pass. The score gave the Los Angeles Rams a 7-0 lead. And it put Stafford in the NFL history book.

STAFFORD ➡️ ADAMSName a better goal line duo this season 👀(via@NFL)pic.twitter.com/GRgVSHyIEM

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports)November 30, 2025

The touchdown was Stafford's 28th straight this season in a span in which he did not throw an interception. That's the most touchdowns without an interception in NFL history. He was previously tied with Tom Brady at 27.

Stafford entered Sunday having thrown 30 touchdowns and just two interceptions while leading the Rams to an NFC-best 9-2 record. He hadn't thrown an interception since a Week 3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

[Get more Rams news: Los Angeles team feed]

But Stafford didn't extend the record Sunday. On the very next Rams possession, Stafford threw a red-zone pass that got tipped at the line of scrimmage. The ball bounced high into the air, and Panthers safety Nick Scott picked it off in the end zone.

Then on the next Rams possession, Stafford threw another one. And this one didn't get tipped.

Stafford targeted Puka Nacua in the flat near midfield. But Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson jumped the route and intercepted the ball at the Los Angeles 48. He ran untouched from there to the end zone for a pick 6 and a 14-7 Panthers lead.

The pair of interceptions doubled Stafford's total this season in which he'd joined Drake Make for the lead in the MVP race.

It's been a remarkable season and one that has the Rams in Super Bowl contention. But Stafford would certainly like to have those two passes back.

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November 30, 2025

Matthew Stafford sets record for most TDs without an interception, then immediately throws 2 interceptions

Matthew Stafford finally threw an interception. But he secured his place in NFL history before the giveaway. I...

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Pat Fitzgerald in, Jonathan Smith out for Michigan State football

Less than two hours after it was reportedMichigan State was firing football coach Jonathan Smithafter just two seasons, it appears theSpartanshave already found their man.

Former Northwestern coachPat Fitzgeraldwill get his chance to return to coaching, back in the Big Ten in East Lansing.

People with knowledge of the situation who couldn't speak publicly confirmed to the USA TODAY, Detroit Free Press and Lansing State Journal, Fitzgerald is the pick. A contract had not yet been signed as of midday Sunday, Nov. 30.

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Fitzgerald, who turns 51 on Tuesday, went 110-101 over 17 seasons with his alma mater from 2006-22, the entirety of his head coaching career and the Wildcats' longest-tenured coach in school history. The Midlothian, Illinois, native was an All-Big linebacker for Northwestern from 1993-96 and was a consensus All-American, won the Big Ten defensive player of the year and was the national winner of both the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award in both the 1995 and 1996. He received the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1997.

As a coach, Fitzgerald won the Big Ten West title in 2018 and was named Big Ten coach of the year, and he won a second West division title in 2020 and earned the national Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.

The hire doesn't come without concerns.

Northwestern firedFitzgerald in July 2023 due to a hazing scandal the schoolsaid "included forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature." Fitzgerald, who reportedly was owed $68 million from the private school on his contract that ran through 2031, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in October 2023 for $130 million.

Fitzgerald reached a settlement in his wrongful-termination lawsuit against Northwestern and was back on the market as an established winner with extensive Big Ten experience. On paper, this looks like a perfect fit. Fitzgerald would need to show a plan on offense and for how he's going to adapt to the NIL-driven landscape that has exploded during his three years off the sidelines. But a search that ends with him returning to the Big Ten would be a coup for the Spartans.

The Spartans program isn't without its own issues.MSU was hit with NCAA sanctions earlier this fall that occurred in 2022-23 under Mel Tucker,who received a three-year show-cause penalty for failing to monitor the program and two staff members who also received show-cause penalties. The NCAA said Tucker was not involved with providing improper benefits of around $11,000 to three players and six recruits, however, in its negotiated settlement with MSU.

Fitzgerald, who has been out of college coaching for three seasons, was 5-9 against the Spartans during his tenure at Northwestern. The Wildcats were 4-20 in his final two seasons, which included MSU's season-opening win under Tucker in 2021 in Evanston, Illinois.

Subscribe to the "Spartan Speak" podcast for new episodes onApple Podcasts,Spotifyor anywhere you listen to podcasts.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Michigan State football hire Pat Fitzgerald as new head coach

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November 30, 2025

Pat Fitzgerald in, Jonathan Smith out for Michigan State football

Less than two hours after it was reportedMichigan State was firing football coach Jonathan Smithafter just two seasons, ...

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College football Top 25 rankings: Texas A&M tumbles in US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 14

The voters inthe US LBM Coaches Pollhave weighed in following thebusy holiday weekend in college football, answering the question of where Texas A&M and Texas would land after the most significant rivalry result. We'll get to that in a moment, after we report the unsurprising news that a 1-vs.-2 showdown is on tap in theBig Tenchampionship game.

Ohio State and Indiana have been on a collision course for weeks, and the matter of the overall No. 1 seed will be determined next week in Indianapolis. For now, the defending national championBuckeyeshold the top ranking unanimously, with the Hoosiers once again comfortably at No. 2. Georgia, which will look to avenge its lone loss of the season in theSECfinale against No. 10 Alabama, moves up to No. 3. Oregon and Mississippi also move up a spot each to round out the top five.

TOP 25:Complete US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 14

Texas Tech, which will play for the Big 12 title against No. 11 Brigham Young, climbs to No. 6, overtaking the afore-mentioned Aggies who slip four places to No. 7. But the win against A&M only meant a two-position gain for theLonghornsas they move to No. 14. Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama retain their top-10 spots, while No. 12 Vanderbilt and No. 13 Miami (Fla.) also stay put.

Michigan slips just three places to No. 18 after falling to the Buckeyes but are out of theCollege Football Playoffpicture. Tennessee stays in the poll at No. 24 but takes a six-position hit after its decisive loss to Vanderbilt. No. 22 Arizona joins the rankings for the first time this season, and Navy moves back in at NO. 25. Pittsburgh and SMU fall out.

This story was updated to change a video.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College football Top 25 rankings: Coaches Poll get Week 14 overhaul

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November 30, 2025

College football Top 25 rankings: Texas A&M tumbles in US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 14

The voters inthe US LBM Coaches Pollhave weighed in following thebusy holiday weekend in college football, answering the...

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Reports: Michigan State fires Jonathan Smith after 2 seasons

Jonathan Smith's time at Michigan State lasted two seasons.

Per multiplereports, the Spartans are firing Smith on Sunday. MSU finished the season 4-8 after snapping a eight-game losing streak with a win over Maryland on Saturday.

Smith is the second Big Ten coach to lose his job in 2025 season. The first? Former Penn State coach James Franklin. Both teams entered Week 12 at 3-6 and needed to win out to make a bowl game.

Penn State did just that and beat Rutgers on Saturday to get to .500. Michigan State did not.

Six of Michigan State's eight losses came by multiple scores. The only close Big Ten losses Michigan State suffered all season came at Minnesota when the Gophers needed overtime in a 23-20 win and a week ago when the Spartans lost to Iowa.

Thanks to a season-ending loss against Rutgers in 2024, Michigan State went over a year without Big Ten wins.

That loss to Rutgers meant MSU finished 5-7 a season ago and also missed a bowl game. Through 24 games at the school, Smith's record was 9-15 and the Spartans' best win came at home over Iowa in October of 2024.

Smith came to Michigan State after turning Oregon State into a winning program in the waning days of the Pac-12. The Beavers had three consecutive winning seasons in the final three years of the old Pac-12's existence and won 18 games in 2022 and 2023 combined.

However, Smith wasn't able to show signs of quick progress at Michigan State. And now the school is looking for a third coach since Mark Dantonio retired at the end of the 2019 season. Mel Tucker was hired after him and the school has since agreed to NCAA penalties for violations during his tenure.

Michigan State has won just 17 games since the Spartans went 11-2 and won the Peach Bowl in Tucker's second season in 2021. MSU will miss a bowl game for the fourth straight season. That's the longest bowl drought for the school in over 40 seasons.

In any other season, Michigan State would find itself at or near the top of the coaching market. However, this is not a normal coaching carousel. A flurry of coaching moves Sunday morning has left a shallow pool of potential candidates with other power conference jobs still open.

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November 30, 2025

Reports: Michigan State fires Jonathan Smith after 2 seasons

Jonathan Smith's time at Michigan State lasted two seasons. Per multiplereports, the Spartans are firing S...

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