Bo Nix has already lived through some of football’s biggest grudge matches, so the Denver Broncos quarterback knows a thing or two about what rivalry games feel like.
He’s been in the Iron Bowl. He’s dealt with Oregon’s biggest enemies, Washington and Oregon State. And now, with Sunday’s AFC West showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs staring him down, Nix is stepping into another matchup with plenty of edge.
The Broncos host the Chiefs in Week 8 in Denver, and it’s hard to ignore the timing. It’s the biggest AFC West game of the season so far, with Denver sitting at 5-2, unbeaten at home, while Kansas City tries to bounce back after its first loss of the year.
Nix was asked about the Iron Bowl, but his answer drifted into a broader point about what rivalry football looks like in college versus the NFL.
“Well, they’re different in in a sense of the divisions are a unique thing because there’s four teams, and obviously in college, there’s a lot more teams in your division,” Nix said.
“But the NFL rivalries are historical; they’re really cool, and they have a lot of just great tradition. I’d say college and the pros they’re just different in general, and it’s hard to compare the two.
But you can tell a rivalry, you can tell a big matchup when you see it, and really, it’s all the teams in our divisions. You would associate them with being our rivals just because of the head-to-head competitive games we’ve had over the over the years.
And historical franchises have historical rivalries, so this is just a really good, fun environment game. It’s two teams going at it that have been doing it for a long time, and it’ll be another one on Sunday.”
There’s also recent history behind this one. Last season, Denver knocked Kansas City off its AFC West perch, winning the division for the first time since 2015.
And the Broncos didn’t stop there - they swept the Chiefs in both regular-season meetings. Now Kansas City gets a shot at payback.
In Other News...
Former Alabama Rusher Sparks New Debate After Another Career Twist
Noah Carters path has taken another sharp turn, and it adds a fresh layer to a season that already had plenty of uncertainty around the former Alabama edge rusher. After transferring to Georgia Tech, Carter managed to appear in four games this year and still flashed the kind of pass-rush ability that made him a name to watch, finishing with three sacks even while dealing with injury issues.
Georgia Tech has now removed Carter from its football program, but the school has not offered an official explanation for the move. For Alabama fans who followed his development in Tuscaloosa, the latest twist only deepens the question of where his career goes next after a brief but productive stretch in Atlanta. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Bye Week Suddenly Comes With Real Stakes For The Tide
Alabamas open date arrives at a useful moment on the schedule, but it does not come with much room to exhale. The Tide have been dealing with injuries to key players, and a week off gives the staff time to reset, regroup and get a better sense of where the roster stands before the stretch run. Even without a game this Saturday, the attention around Tuscaloosa is still squarely on the bigger picture.
The rest of the SEC could make this bye week feel even more consequential, with results around the conference shaping Alabamas path to the SEC championship game and the College Football Playoff. And while the focus inside the program is on the season in front of it, there is also outside chatter about Kalen DeBoer and possible future coaching openings at USC, adding another layer to a week that already carries more weight than a typical pause in the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Playoff Path Just Got Tighter After Georgias Latest Statement
Georgias latest win over Florida did more than keep the Bulldogs rolling in the SEC East. It also sharpened the pressure on the rest of the league, including Alabama, as the conference race and the College Football Playoff picture continue to tighten with every late-season result. With championship projections and playoff contenders being sorted by recent form and what still lies ahead, the margin for error is getting smaller by the week.
For Alabama, that means the path forward is starting to depend as much on what happens around the league as what the Crimson Tide do themselves. Injuries and schedule difficulty are part of the equation now, along with the ripple effects from Georgias continued hold on the division and the broader SEC standings. The next stretch will go a long way toward determining whether Alabama stays in the mix or gets squeezed by the results stacking up in front of it. [Read more 🡒]