Utah’s coaching handoff is starting to look like one of the cleanest in college football this century.
That’s not a small thing for a program that just watched Kyle Whittingham step aside after two decades and handed the keys to Morgan Scalley. But the Utes have made the transition look almost effortless, and Saturday’s 28-20 win over BYU only sharpened that picture. Utah hadn’t beaten the Cougars since 2019, and the victory pushed the Utes deeper into the national title conversation while giving Scalley another strong case that the job is in steady hands.
The Utes didn’t exactly cruise. Devon Dampier was uneven at quarterback, but Utah got enough from him to survive a BYU collapse.
The Cougars helped with four interceptions and 11 penalties for 80 yards, and that was enough for Utah to walk away with a result that says plenty about where the program stands right now. Arizona is next on Saturday after a miracle Friday-night win over TCU.
Nebraska, meanwhile, keeps looking worse than its numbers suggest it should be. The Cornhuskers came into the week No. 18 in ESPN’s Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings, but Friday’s double-digit loss to Illinois only added to the frustration.
Bret Bielema’s team handled the moment, and Nebraska was outgained by 50 yards in the game. It has become the kind of season that makes Matt Rhule’s situation feel uncomfortable, even with a $63 million buyout hanging over everything.
Nebraska now needs two wins in its final three games against Rutgers, Ohio State and Iowa just to reach a bowl, and that path does not look especially friendly.
UCLA also kept showing the kind of resilience that makes it hard to dismiss. Coach Bob Chesney’s team has the feel of 2024 Indiana, even without the James Madison tie-in.
The Bruins are not blowing away quality opponents - their biggest win over a team with a winning record is only by 10 points over Wisconsin - but they keep finding ways. Against Minnesota, backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach flipped a tied game early in the fourth quarter by connecting with Aidan Mizell on two 75-yard touchdowns, turning the night into a 34-20 UCLA win.
The Golden Gophers’ 20 points were the most anyone had scored against UCLA since Sept. 19.
Texas also made a statement in a game that mattered for the CFP picture. November in the SEC is going to be a string of elimination games, and the Longhorns handled the first one with authority.
With wide receiver Cam Coleman out and defensive end Colin Simmons easing back from injury, Texas leaned on Arch Manning, and he delivered one of his best performances of 2026. Manning threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns against Missouri, and the result likely knocked the Tigers out of the playoff race.
Missouri’s one major win came against Florida, and Texas now sits one win away from real CFP optimism if it can beat LSU next Saturday after missing the field in ’25.
In Other News...
UCLA Freshman Just Changed The Way Fans Will View This Team
UCLAs rout of North Florida was the kind of game that can reset the conversation around a roster in a hurry. The Bruins won 114-63, and freshman Nikola Kusturica was at the center of it, putting together a polished, all-around performance that went well beyond scoring. He finished with 29 points and added work on the glass, in the passing lanes and around the rim, the sort of contribution that makes a young player look far more settled than a typical first-year piece.
For UCLA, the bigger takeaway was how complete the team looked on both ends while Kusturica kept piling up production with efficiency. The Bruins were sharp offensively, disruptive defensively and in control for long stretches, and the freshmans emergence gave the blowout a different feel than a standard nonconference win. If this is a sign of how quickly he can impact games, opponents may have to start viewing UCLA a little differently. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs USC Showdown Could Decide Far More Than Bragging Rights
The annual UCLA-USC rivalry is back on the calendar, and this years meeting at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 28 carries the kind of late-season weight that can ripple well beyond Pasadena. Both programs still have plenty of football ahead on their 2026 schedules, but this one already stands out as the kind of game that can shape how each side is viewed when the dust settles.
For Bruins fans, the setting alone adds to the stakes, with the rivalry landing in a familiar place and at a familiar time of year. Tickets are already on the market through StubHub, a reminder that demand for this matchup never really cools off, especially when the two Los Angeles programs arrive with something more meaningful than bragging rights on the line. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Road Win Sparked A Big Debate Bruins Fans Know Well
UCLAs 34-20 win at Minnesota had the kind of explosive moments that can change the tone of a season, and Aiden Mizell was right in the middle of it. The wide receiver turned just two catches into a huge night, while Ty Dieffenbach kept the Bruins moving through the air and Wayne Knight added balance on the ground with 109 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The result also fed into a familiar Bruins conversation about what this offense can be when the big plays show up. Dieffenbachs line was productive, but not spotless, and the kind of efficiency debate that follows a road win like this is exactly the sort of thing UCLA fans know well. Scooter Jacksons interception and steady work on defense helped make the margin hold, but the bigger question is how often the Bruins can keep pairing chunk plays with enough consistency to make them sustainable. [Read more 🡒]