ACC looks to build on impressive start
The ACC had a perfect start to non-conference play in Week 0. Stanford and Florida State took care of mid-majors, while North Carolina had the most impressive non-conference win, defeating TCU.
The Virginia Cavaliers, last season’s ACC runner-up, had arguably the best win of college football’s opening weekend altogether, defeating conference rival NC State, 34-8.
The first full weekend of the season offers the ACC an opportunity to make an even bigger statement. The No. 24 Louisville Cardinals play the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels in Week 1’s only ranked matchup, while Clemson travels to LSU.
Boston College (at Cincinnati), Georgia Tech (vs. Colorado) and California (vs. UCLA) can establish the conference’s depth, which would help the ACC’s chances of earning an at-large College Football Playoff berth.
Pac-12 begins anew
The Pac-12 is off life support as it enters its next eight-team era (not to be confused with the 1968-78 Pac-8). The former Conference of Champions is a shell of its former self, but it can begin a return to respectability by outperforming expectations against a daunting Week 1 slate.
The Fresno State Bulldogs kick things off at No. 14 USC, which is hoping to have a few more spectators after a sparsely attended opener, while the Oregon State Beavers, Boise State Broncos, Texas State Bobcats and Washington State Cougars also go on the road against AP-ranked competition.
Colorado State, which hosts Wyoming, has the best chance among Pac-12 programs to leave Week 1 with a win against the FBS. Anything more from the conference would be an impressive accomplishment; anything less could portend a long 2026.
Missouri Tigers (re-)add to loaded 2026-27 roster
The college basketball season tips off in two months on Nov. 1, and Missouri has a potential SEC and national title contender after re-adding fifth-year forward Mark Mitchell, who previously planned to attend Kentucky before backtracking due to the SEC’s rules against players transferring within the conference.
Last season, Mitchell, a two-time All-SEC selection, averaged a career-high 18.3 points on 54.7 percent shooting while adding 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Missouri finished 20-13, advancing to its second consecutive NCAA Tournament and third in four seasons under coach Dennis Gates, losing in the Round of 64 to Miami.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote that Mitchell’s arrival — alongside the additions of five-star freshmen Jason Crowe Jr. and Toni Bryant and transfers Kennard Davis (BYU), Jaylen Carey (Tennessee), Bryson Tiller (Kansas) and Jamier Jones (Providence) — potentially makes this the “best team” of Gates’ tenure, which at one point appeared likely to be brief.
In 2023-24, his second season, Missouri went 8-24, including 0-18 in SEC play. The Tigers have won 42 games in the past two seasons, and even bigger things may be on the horizon this season.