November Took The Wheel

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It was one of those weekends when the sport grabs the steering wheel and floors it. Auburn made it official, Hugh Freeze is out after a 15-19 run and a 10-3 home faceplant to Kentucky, and the buyout chatter turned into paperwork. SMU lit up Dallas with an overtime upset of No. 10 Miami, sealed by Ahmaad Moses’ goal line pick and T.J. Harden’s 1 yard walk off. Nebraska lost more than a game when Dylan Raiola broke his fibula against USC, flipping a promising Big Ten push into a freshman led scramble. NC State dumped No. 8 Georgia Tech from the ranks of the unbeaten with 583 yards and a full on field party. Ohio State handled Penn State behind four Julian Sayin touchdowns, while Oklahoma walked out of Neyland with a résumé sharpening win and Georgia edged Florida late. Oh, and the Big 12 rolled into the week with BYU and Texas Tech both in the top 10 because why not.

In other words, November arrived, took the keys, and told your playoff bracket to sit quietly in the trunk.

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📰 2-Minute Drill: Where Logic Goes to Die

Auburn pulls the plug on Hugh Freeze
Auburn fired Hugh Freeze after two-plus seasons, a 15-19 record, and a 6-16 SEC mark, one day after a lifeless home loss to Kentucky. The buyout is approximately $15.8 million. When the offense stalls this long, the patience stalls faster.
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Nebraska loses Dylan Raiola for the season
Nebraska’s starting QB Dylan Raiola suffered a broken right fibula in the 21-17 loss to USC and is out for the year, per ESPN reporting. The Huskers’ Big Ten climb now turns to a backup plan. That’s not the depth chart anyone wanted in November.
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Big 12 doubles up in the AP Top 10
BYU rose to No. 8 and Texas Tech to No. 9, giving the Big 12 two top-10 teams for the first time in two years, per the new AP poll. Their showdown now carries real playoff oxygen. Someone’s bandwagon is about to get crowded.
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SMU shocks No. 10 Miami in overtime
T.J. Harden’s 1-yard TD in OT lifted SMU past Miami 26-20 after the Mustangs picked off Carson Beck on the first possession. The Hurricanes’ playoff path now needs a GPS reroute. Dallas just handed the ACC a headache.
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NC State hands No. 8 Georgia Tech its first loss
The Wolfpack piled up 583 yards and beat Georgia Tech 48-36, snapping the Jackets’ unbeaten run. Duke Scott and CJ Bailey headlined a relentless offense that never blinked. Field-storming was optional, catharsis was not.
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📼 Instant Classic

SMU 26, No. 10 Miami 20, Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, Texas

A cardiac stress test disguised as overtime broke out in Dallas. SMU stunned No. 10 Miami 26-20, the Mustangs’ first home win over an AP top-10 opponent since 1974. Quarterback Kevin Jennings gutted through an ankle scare and piled up a career-high 365 yards while a near-record crowd shook Ford Stadium.

The fulcrum came on the opening possession of OT. Safety Ahmaad Moses undercut a goal-line throw from Miami’s Carson Beck for his second interception of the night, turning the place electric. Three snaps later, T.J. Harden knifed in from a yard out, the walk-off that capped SMU’s late rally and flipped an upset from possible to permanent.

Context mattered. Miami’s playoff path took a dent and Mario Cristobal labeled the mistakes self-inflicted, while SMU grabbed a live wire in the ACC race and a program jolt that felt like 1983’s echoes. The Boulevard became a block party, the stands turned confessional, and a blueblood-in-waiting announced itself with style. It was tense, loud, and decided by a single read at the goal line, which is exactly why it was an Instant Classic.

🎙️ Coach Speak Decoder Ring

What they said: "Hope there's one in Deep Ellum and one in Downtown Dallas." — Rhett Lashlee, SMU, on fans tearing down the goalpost after upsetting No. 10 Miami

What they meant: We just beat a top 10 team and I am perfectly fine if the city turns our win into a moving parade of aluminum uprights. Translation, this program wants the chaos, the headlines, and the donors lining up to buy new posts. It signals that SMU’s party finally matches its ambition, with Dallas as the backdrop and a conference race suddenly alive. Goalposts are temporary, but brand building on the Boulevard is forever.

🧢 The Backup Plan: Quarterback Controversy of the Week

Location: Boulder, Colorado (3-6) Involved Parties: Kaidon Salter vs. Julian “JuJu” Lewis

Colorado’s QB room went full carousel in a 52-17 loss to Arizona, with Kaidon Salter struggling and multiple quarterbacks seeing time. Afterward, Deion Sanders barred players from the podium and said, “Don’t attack the coordinators. Don’t attack the players. Come at me.” That’s classic damage control with a hint of challenge.

Here’s the truth, the fan base wants the five-star freshman. Lewis has already been positioned for snaps, and the staff knows a youth movement could reset the narrative and the offense. Salter’s experience versus Lewis’s upside is the program’s fork in the road, with bowl eligibility fading and recruiting optics front and center.

Prediction, if Lewis is healthy and practices clean, he starts a game in November and keeps it.

🚨 DEFCON 1: Hitting the Panic Button

Boston College (1-8)

A 25-10 loss to No. 12 Notre Dame in Chestnut Hill dropped BC to 1-8, 0-5 in the ACC, with an eight game skid and a 94 yard Irish touchdown gut punch right after a BC interception. Bill O’Brien tried to steady the optics: “It might not be a memorable team to anybody on the outside, but it’ll be a memorable team to me.” Translation, public reassurance while the offense sputters and patience thins. The close is brutal, SMU next, then Georgia Tech, then a rivalry trip to Syracuse, all with recruiting perception hanging in the balance. The Eagles are patching hull breaches with duct tape while the November seas keep rising.

🏆 Heisman Watch: The “Up and Down” Section

The Headliners

📈 Julian Sayin (Ohio State) [+175] – Managed the rivalry win with a composed second half, protecting the ball and extending Ohio State’s No. 1 résumé. Blue-chip leadership, steady volume, buyers crowding the book like earnings season.

📈 Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) [+240] – Orchestrated a 55–10 demolition of Maryland with efficient scoring drives and timely legs, tightening already short odds. The chart screams momentum, with November catalysts ahead and volatility working in his favor.

📈 Ty Simpson (Alabama) [+350] – Stacked clean, efficient wins while keeping interceptions off the ledger as Alabama climbs the SEC ladder. Quiet compounding, no meme-coin swings, and the schedule offers blue-chip breakout opportunities.

The Lurkers

📈 Arch Manning (Texas) – Returned sharp in a ranked win, reviving both brand and box score. A heavyweight road stage next is the breakout or breakdown candle for this mid-cap with mega-cap potential.

📈 John Mateer (Oklahoma) – Closed at Neyland with clutch legs and late poise, fueling “closer” chatter. Another SEC showcase could flip him from intriguing mid-cap to must-own large-cap by Monday’s open.

The “Can They Sustain It?” Crew

📈 Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt) – Big numbers, narrow loss at Texas, and the market trimmed exposure fast. Needs a ranked scalp to avoid a correction, otherwise this rally looks like a classic bull trap.

📈 Haynes King (Georgia Tech) – Video-game stat line but a costly late pick in their first loss. Electric intraday action, risky overnight hold, and November’s resistance line looks unforgiving.

The “We Need to Talk About…” Section

📉 Carson Beck (Miami) [+500 two weeks ago] – Overtime interception in a headline upset dented résumé and price. Turnover beta is high, and the market is re-rating this ticker toward value, not growth.

Penny Stock to Watch

💰 Kevin Jennings (SMU) – 365 yards and the OT stunner against a top-10 sparked a cult following. Long shot with loud tape, perfectly positioned for a late-cycle squeeze if SMU keeps winning.

So there you have it, buyouts, rankings, and NIL money still can’t stop a goalpost from going on a city tour. Injuries don’t read depth charts, and hot seats don’t wait for December. SMU–Miami didn’t care about your playoff models, and Auburn didn’t care about your patience. Next week the committee will swear the eye test is real, message boards will disagree, and the film will merely confirm your priors. Always remember, kickers write the last sentence. Translation, “we’re focused on us” means panic mode. See you in the splash zone.

— The Convert on Fourth Down Team

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