Lane Kiffin had us hitting refresh all day. Mark Stoops says ‘0% chance’ he walks. Kentucky has 0% chance of a bowl. And The Game makes people do crazy things — like headbutt referees, apparently.

Here’s the worst of Week 14 of the college football season in our Flop 10.

Lane Kiffin Watch

It was DEFCON LANE. Saturday was billed as Decision Day, per Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter’s declaration for post-Egg Bowl clarity regarding Kiffin’s future.

All day, Ole Miss and LSU fans, plus college football media types (with young families!) were held hostage waiting for news to break on whether Kiffin was heading to LSU or staying with Ole Miss. He heard he went to yoga, met with coaches to gameplan for potential SEC title game and then a meeting with Carter, which turned into a meeting also with the chancellor. By 9:30 p.m. ET, the reporting was Kiffin wanted to have his cake and eat it too: He wanted to leave for LSU but stay through the CFP. ESPN’s Marty Smith, who was staked out all day in Oxford, called it a ‘sticking point.’

And so I guess I’ll be stuck to my computer for another day.

Kentucky

That math was simple for Kentucky: Beat in-state rival Louisville, and the Wildcats would be bowl eligible. Well… Kentucky lost 41-0.

You want the bad news or more bad news? Mark Stoops was on a warming seat earlier this season, but back-to-back wins over Auburn and Florida cooled some of the exit talk — along with his $37 million buyout. But after losing big at home to Vanderbilt and then no-showing in its rivalry game against a Louisville team ravaged by injury, folks in Lexington may not be thrilled with Stoops saying, ‘0% chance I walk.’ It doesn’t help that UK alum Jon Sumrall is now the hot name on the coaching carousel being linked to nearly every SEC opening.

Nebraska

Nebraska fans, how ya feeling? The school felt compelled to give Matt Rhule a raise and extension after Penn State came sniffing around a gushing alum.

The Cornhuskers are 1-3 since Rhule signed his new deal. Some of that downturn can be attributed to Dylan Raiola’s injury, but Penn State managed to hammer the Huskers with a backup QB and an interim coach — an interim coach who Rhule gave his coaching start to.

Then Nebraska finished the regular season Saturday with a 40-16 home loss to Iowa, while rumors are swirling about Raiola’s future in Lincoln. Things are swell.

Jaishawn Barham

I was under the impression if you make contact with a referee, you’re done for the day. And if you headbutt a referee, you should be suspended. But Michigan standout defender Jaishawn Barham was only flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Just dumb, and dangerous, considering YOU’RE WEARING A HELMET! The Game makes people do stupid things, but this was beyond stupid.

Florida State

To earn a bowl bid the Seminoles (5-7) needed a win Saturday over its floundering rival Florida, who is having an even worse season and already fired its coach. So naturally, the Gators (4-8) pummeled the ‘Noles, winning 40-21.

FSU administration has already rewarded Mike Norvell with another season, so missing a bowl game for the second straight year isn’t fatal. Though at a place like FSU, it should be. Norvell is 7-17 over the past two seasons, and it’s stunning he’s still there. A $58 million buyout is one helluva hard pill to swallow.

SMU

SMU, WYD? All you had to do was beat a Cal team that just fired its coach and you’d be in the ACC Championship game playing for a second straight CFP spot. The Mustangs lost 38-35 as SMU’s last-second field goal went wide right. You never go far right in Berkeley. Now, Duke (7-5, 6-2 ACC) will play Virginia in the title game.

A Duke win could be disastrous for ACC because there’s no guarantee the CFP committee takes Duke as one of the highest-rated conference champions. That may go to James Madison (11-1). Dukes > Duke. Oh, the intrigue!

Cal freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele completed 31-of-40 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns, showing why he’ll be very popular in the transfer portal, should he choose to enter.

Purdue

Purdue finished 2-10 in Barry Odom’s first season in charge, marginal improvement from last year’s 1-11 record that got Ryan Walters fired. It marks the first time since 1922-23 Purdue won two games or fewer in consecutive seasons.

The Boilermakers haven’t won a Big Ten game since 2023 and have lost 21 straight games against Power Four teams, the worst streak amongst power conference programs.

What magnifies Purdue’s futility is it coincides with Indiana’s back-to-back trips to College Football Playoff. At least Friday’s 56-3 loss was better than last year’s 66-0 Old Oaken Bucket defeat. Marginal improvement…

Bonus nugget: Vanderbilt reached 10 wins this season, meaning Purdue has the longest active streak among Power Four teams without a double-digit win season (1979). Go basketball!

Youngstown State

In Yale’s first FCS playoff game in program history, it trailed Youngstown State 35-7 at halftime. Then the Penguins froze as Yale scored 36 points in the second half — 29 unanswered — and flipped the script, winning Saturday’s FCS first round game 43-42.

‘It’s like a nightmare and you feel like you let a lot of people down,’ YSU coach Doug Phillips said afterward. ‘… We’ll carry that one a long time into this offseason… Gotta dig down deep, myself, staff, players, and figure out how you give up such a big lead.’

Harvard had no such luck in the Ivy League’s first foray into the FCS. The Crimson bled heavily, losing 52-7 to Villanova in its first round game.

UMass

The Minutemen lost to Bowling Green 45-14 on Tuesday to finish the season 0-12, the worst year in program history. UMass is the lone FBS team without a win this season, not a great start to coach Joe Harasymiak’s tenure. Back in the MAC for first time since 2015, UMass lost its games by an average margin of 27.5 points. The Minutemen last FBS win was Oct. 28, 2023, when it beat Army.

Baylor

Baylor needed a win to become bowl eligible and lost at home to Houston to finish 5‑7 in Year Six of Dave Aranda. Anyone else surprised this was Aranda’s sixth season? I guess that’s an indictment of the program’s recent mediocrity. His record in Waco is 36-37, and he got the assurance from his AD he’d return for 2026, an assurance that came with the disclaimer: ‘This decision will garner strong opinions.’

Here’s a fun, strong opinion from a worried Bears fan:

BONUS: Oklahoma State

One team that did make a coaching change, maybe should have just let Mike Gundy finish out the season. Because the Cowboys lost nine in a row after firing Gundy. It was so bad, they couldn’t even win coin tosses (2-10 this season). OSU finished 1-11 and 0-9 in Big 12 play after Saturday’s 20-13 loss to Iowa State. That’s two straight winless conference seasons and 19 straight league losses. Hopefully better days are ahead with North Texas coach Eric Morris set to bring his high-octane offense to Stillwater.

USA TODAY Sports reporter Jordan Mendoza contributed to this story.

The Los Angeles Chargers are spicing things up in the turnover battle.

There’s your classic turnover and then the limited edition variety, which L.A. pulled off on Nov. 30 against the rival Las Vegas Raiders. Just moments after Justin Herbert tossed an interception to Kyu Blu Kelly, Geno Smith returned the favor with something that is guaranteed to end up on highlight reels.

Vegas’ quarterback lofted a ball down the sideline for Dont’e Thornton Jr., who was, fittingly, being defended by Donte Jackson.

Jackson and Thornton fought for the ball, where it eventually fell into the arms of Tony Jefferson.

Take a look:

Given the play’s wild nature, a review had to take place.

If either player was out of bounds when they touched the ball, the interception would be voided and possession returned to the Raiders.

Replay upheld the call on the field, allowing the tip drill highlight to stand.

Nothing would come of the turnover for the home side, who would promptly turn the ball over on downs and give it right back to Vegas.

A pair of teams heading in opposite directions meet in the Week 13 ‘Sunday Night Football’ matchup.

The Washington Commanders (3-8) defend home turf against the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos (9-2) on NBC (8:20 p.m. ET).

The Commanders have endured a nightmare season after a dream NFC championship game run in 2024. The lackluster defense, multiple injuries to Jayden Daniels and an aging roster have all played into the ineffective campaign that sees them firmly in third place of the NFC East.

What’s worse: They’ll again have to navigate this matchup without Daniels, who continues to recover from an elbow injury.

From the outhouse to the penthouse: The Broncos sit comfortably atop the AFC West and are in the driver’s seat as the 2025 NFL season reaches its crescendo. Thanks to a Thanksgiving loss to the Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs’ reign at the top of the division may be nearing its end.

Still, there’s plenty of season left to go, and any win – or loss – could drastically change the outlook of the NFL playoff picture.

USA TODAY Sports will provide updates, analysis and highlights from the Week 13 ‘Sunday Night Football’ matchup below. All times are Eastern.

What channel is Commanders vs Broncos Sunday Night Football on?

TV channel: NBC

NBC is the broadcast home of ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Mike Tirico will be on the call alongside Cris Collinsworth. Melissa Stark will provide updates from the sidelines.

Commanders vs Broncos start time

Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET | 6:20 p.m. MT

The ‘SNF’ matchup between the Commanders and Broncos will get underway at 8:20 p.m. ET, the customary start time for ‘SNF.’

How to watch, live stream ‘SNF’

Live stream:Peacock, NFL+
TV channel: NBC

Peacock, NBC’s proprietary streaming service, will broadcast ‘SNF.’

Commanders vs Broncos picks, predictions

Here’s how the expert panel at USA TODAY Sports sees this game shaking out:

Jarrett Bell: Broncos, 23-16
Nick Brinkerhoff: Broncos, 27-17
Chris Bumbaca: Broncos, 27-21
Nate Davis: Broncos, 30-17
Tyler Dragon: Broncos, 25-17
Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz: Broncos, 31-16

Commanders vs Broncos odds, moneyline, O/U

Spread: Commanders (-2.5)
Moneyline: Commanders (-135), Broncos (+114)
Over/Under: 46.5

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NFC East standings

The Commanders are in third place in the NFC East standings.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)
Washington Commanders (3-8)
New York Giants (2-10)

Which NFL team has the most Super Bowl wins? 

The Steelers are tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl wins with six. 

Pittsburgh and Dallas have the unique distinction of playing each other more than any other team combination in Super Bowl history with three matchups. 

J.K. Dobbins injury update

The Broncos’ starting running back was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 15. He suffered a foot injury that requires surgery.

Denver’s head coach Sean Payton left the door open for Dobbins to potentially return for the postseason. “Yes. It wouldn’t be soon, but that (Dobbins) has a chance to happen,” Payton told reporters on Nov. 26.

Commanders vs. Broncos injury report

Oldest players in NFL 2025

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers: 42 years old
Nick Folk, K, New York Jets: 41 years old
Matt Prater, K, Buffalo Bills: 41 years old
Joe Flacco, QB, Cincinnati Bengals: 40 years old
Matt Prater, K, Arizona Cardinals: 40 years old
Calais Campbell, DL, Arizona Cardinals: 39 years old
Morgan Cox, LS, Tennessee Titans: 39 years old
J.J. Jansen, LS, Carolina Panthers: 39 years old
Thomas Morstead, P, San Francisco 49ers: 39 years old
Jon Weeks, LS, San Francisco 49ers: 39 years old

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Shedeur Sanders earned a victory in a respectable NFL starting debut against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12. His second didn’t go quite as smoothly, as his Cleveland Browns lost 26-8 against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.

Sanders once again showed off his arm talent, making a beautiful throw on his 34-yard touchdown strike to Harold Fannin Jr. He was largely efficient and entirely avoided turnovers while completing 64% of his passes.

However, Sanders did have issues with sacks against a San Francisco defense that entered Sunday’s game having generated the lowest pressure rate of any NFL team. He took three sacks throughout the Week 13 battle and lost 34 yards as a result of them.

Sanders will need to continue to work on getting the ball out of his hands quicker while also looking to avoid drifting back and taking sacks that result in massive losses of yardage. That will be his biggest area for growth if the Browns continue to trust him the rest of the way as a starter.

USA TODAY Sports tracked Sanders’ second NFL start vs. the 49ers. Below are his stats and highlights from the game, as well as analysis of his performance and more.

Shedeur Sanders stats today

Here’s how Sanders performed in the Browns’ game against San Francisco:

Passing: 16/25 (64%)
Passing yards: 149
Passing touchdowns: 1
Interceptions: 0
Carries: 1
Rushing yards: 6
Sacks: 3 (34 yards)

Kevin Stefanski announces Shedeur Sanders will start Week 14

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was asked whether Sanders would start the Browns’ next game after their loss to the 49ers. His response?

‘Yes,’ Stefanski said.

This marked a departure from Stefanski’s strategy following Week 12. He didn’t immediately announce Sanders as the starter after his win over the Raiders, instead waiting until later in the week to make his decision.

But now, Cleveland will prepare for its upcoming matchup with the Tennessee Titans, knowing Sanders will be leading it.

Shedeur Sanders scrambles for 6 yards on fourth-and-26, sealing loss

Sanders and the Browns were trailing 26-8 with under two minutes left in regulation when Sanders was tasked with navigating a fourth-and-26. He wasn’t able to find anyone open and scrambled for six yards before being brought down.

The 49ers will get the ball back with 1:40 left in regulation. The Browns have one timeout remaining, so even if Cleveland gets the ball back, it will be with next to no time remaining in regulation.

Shedeur Sanders sacked for 10-yard loss on fourth-and-16

The Browns had to go for it on fourth-and-16, trailing by 15 with just 7:30 left in regulation. Sanders hung in the pocket, scanning the field before Keion White came bursting through the middle of the offensive line.

Sanders wasn’t able to evade White and was brought to the ground for a 10-yard loss.

Shedeur Sanders injured after sliding down for sack, returns

Sanders suffered an apparent injury after sliding down for a sack. He limped off the field for a play, with Dillon Gabriel coming on to replace him.

Sanders’ absence lasted just one play. He was able to return to the field after Gabriel’s one snap and will look to finish out the fourth quarter.

Shedeur Sanders tosses two incompletions as Browns go three-and-out

The Browns continue to struggle in the second half. On their third drive of the third quarter, Sanders tossed two incompletions after a 1-yard run by Quinshon Judkins on first down.

Cleveland was forced to punt and will wrap up the third quarter having generated just 23 yards on 12 plays and now trailing 17-8.

Browns offense starts second half slowly

The Browns are continuing to take a ground-dominant approach to open the second half. Sanders has gone 2 of 3 passing for 12 yards, but Cleveland’s drives have ended with a punt and a failed fourth-down conversion, which saw tight end Harold Fannin Jr. botch a snap on a ‘Tush Push’ attempt.

Sanders is now 10 of 14 passing for 108 yards and a touchdown.

LeBron James shouts out Shedeur Sanders after TD pass

The Los Angeles Lakers star appeared to shout out Sanders after his touchdown pass to Harold Fannin Jr.

James grew up in Akron is known to be a big-time Browns fan.

Shedeur Sanders stats at halftime

The Browns operated with a run-heavy offense in the first half, giving their runners 20 combined carries while Sanders attempted 11 passes and was sacked once.

Despite this, Sanders has enjoyed an efficient outing thus far, completing 8 of 11 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. He has had a couple of missed opportunities, including overthrowing Jerry Jeudy for a potential deep gain early in the game and taking a 13-yard sack while his team was in field-goal range, but otherwise, the Colorado product has been steady and accurate.

Sanders’ best throw came on his touchdown toss to Harold Fannin Jr. The fifth-round rookie layered the ball perfectly to the tight end to set up the score, which briefly gave the Browns a lead and helped them stay within striking distance of the 49ers, who have a 10-8 advantage at halftime.

Sanders and the Browns will look to re-take the lead in the second half. They will get the ball first coming out of the locker room.

Shedeur Sanders hits tight end Harold Fannin for 34-yard TD

The Browns ran the ball nine times to open what figures to be their final drive of the first half. After gaining 56 yards on those carries, Kevin Stefanski finally dialed up a passing play for Sanders.

Sanders found Fannin, a fellow rookie, open on the left sidelined after a double move. The Colorado was able to make his best throw of the day, feathering the ball to Fannin before he ran the rest of the way for a score.

The Browns attempted a 2-point conversion following the touchdown pass and Quinshon Judkins was able to power the ball into the end-zone. That gives the Browns an 8-7 lead.

Shedeur Sanders sacked for 13-yard loss, knocking Browns out of field goal range

Sanders and the Browns were facing a third-and-15 on the edge of field-goal range when the 49ers managed to pressure the rookie quarterback. Sanders tried to spin away from the pressure, but he ended up falling further back in the pocket and absorbing a 13-yard loss.

The sack pushed the Browns out of field-goal range and forced Corey Bojorquez on to punt on fourth-and-28.

Shedeur Sanders completes 18-yard pass after hand hit while throwing

Sanders’ longest completion of the first quarter was an 18-yarder to Isaiah Bond. It wasn’t pretty, as the ball floated to the undrafted rookie after Sanders had his hand hit while releasing the ball. Still, it resulted in a big gain for the Browns.

Browns stopped on fourth-and-1 carry near red-zone

Sanders was able to get Cleveland’s offense into a rhythm after Christian McCaffrey got into the end-zone to give San Francisco a 7-0 lead. The rookie quarterback was able to complete a 13-yard screen pass to Quinshon Judkins and had a couple more short-distance completions to Gage Lardavain and Jerome Ford to help get the Browns into scoring range.

However, the 10-play Browns drive ended with four consecutive running plays before Judkins was stopped short of the line on a fourth-and-1. That prevented Cleveland from scoring, though Sanders has looked solid early, completing 5 of 7 passes for 44 yards.

Browns forced to punt after Shedeur Sanders overthrows Jerry Jeudy

The good news? Sanders was able to complete his first two passes of the day to Jeudy and Quinshon Judkins. The bad news? On a third-and-3, Sanders was unable to hit Jeudy streaking open down the middle of the field after getting strong protection from his offensive line.

As a result, Cleveland’s first possession ends with a punt on a drive during which Sanders completed 2 of 3 passes for 12 yards.

49ers to start game with ball

Sanders will have to wait to get his first home snaps with the Browns. San Francisco will start the game with the ball.

How to watch Shedeur Sanders today: Browns vs 49ers

TV channel: CBS

The 49ers and Browns Week 13 matchup will air on CBS.

What time do the Browns play today?

Start time: 1 p.m. ET | 10 a.m. PT

The 49ers and Browns are one of several games in the early afternoon slot.

Browns vs 49ers live stream

Live stream:Fubo | Paramount+ | NFL+

Cord-cutters have a few options to watch Shedeur Sanders play today. Fubo carries CBS, Fox, ABC, ESPN and the NFL Networks, and also offers a free trial.

Paramount+, CBS’ proprietary streaming service, and NFL+ will also carry the game.

Watch NFL action all season with Fubo (free trial)

Shedeur Sanders stats

Through two appearances this season – one in relief and one start – here’s how Sanders has performed:

15/36 passing (41.7% completion rate)
256 passing yards
One touchdown
Two interceptions
128 yards per game
52.5 passer rating

Lane Kiffin is off to LSU, and Ole Miss has handed the keys to Pete Golding.

Golding is in his third season as Rebels defensive coordinator and this will be his first head coaching job. Ole Miss announced it will promote Golding to head coach after Kiffin announced his decision to leave for LSU.

Golding’s first game will be in the College Football Playoff.

Grade: B-

To grade this hire, first consider the situation. Lane Kiffin’s stay-or-go saga held the Ole Miss job hostage, even while the Rebels approached their first College Football Playoff bid.

By the time Kiffin officially pledged to LSU, many top coaching candidates who might have been willing to consider Ole Miss already had been hired elsewhere. Kiffin’s heel turn on the doorstep of the Rebels’ first playoff bid put pressure on athletic director Keith Carter to make a hire who could keep the roster and coaching staff intact for a postseason run. Players can rally around this hire.

In the short term, that makes this a strong move. In the long term, stay tuned.

Golding is a skilled defensive coordinator who trained under Nick Saban. Ole Miss’ best stretch under Kiffin came after he hired Golding to run his defense ahead of the 2023 season. He’s built a reputation for being a good recruiter, too.

This is the zig to the zag of new industry norms. Many Power Four athletic directors have shied away from turning to the coordinator ranks for their coaching hires in the past couple of seasons, as the job of being a head coach is bigger than ever.

And yet it’s worth noting the SEC’s best active coach had no head coaching experience, before Georgia hired Kirby Smart. In the Big Ten, Ohio State elevated Ryan Day from coordinator to coach to succeed Urban Meyer.

That’s not to compare this hire to those. It’s only to say hiring a good coordinator steeped with SEC experience feels like no more of a gamble than hiring a coach from the Group of Five.

Considering Ole Miss’ available moves, this is a fine choice. Re-evaluate in a year or two. For now, this hire provides stability in a moment the Rebels desperate need it.

Two plays into the Indianapolis Colts’ first defensive drive against the Houston Texans, the AFC South leaders lost one of their newest defensive stars.

The Colts have ruled out cornerback Sauce Gardner for the rest of their Week 13 divisional game. Gardner appeared to get hurt while taking on a block from Texans tight end Cade Stover on his second play of the game.

CBS cameras caught Gardner heading back to the Colts’ locker room with team trainers. He appeared almost completely unable to put weight on his left foot.

Indianapolis acquired the two-time All-Pro in a trade with the New York Jets ahead of the trade deadline, sending two first-round picks and receiver Adonai Mitchell to New York as part of the deal.

Sauce Gardner injury update

The Colts have ruled out Gardner for the remainder of their Week 13 game with a calf injury.

NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported later in the game that Gardner’s injury is believed to be a calf strain, as his Achilles appears to be intact from early testing. The cornerback will undergo more tests in the coming hours and days to confirm he avoided a major injury.

Gardner sustained the injury at some point during his second snap on defense against the Texans. The two-time All-Pro cornerback was taking on a block from Stover, one of Houston’s tight ends, when he pulled up with a leg injury and walked gingerly off of the field.

CBS cameras later showed Gardner exiting to the locker room with a couple of Colts athletic trainers. The cornerback appeared unable to put any weight on his left foot.

Gardner had not missed any time in his first four weeks with his second team, but he’ll miss almost all of Week 13’s divisional game.

Colts CB depth chart

Sauce Gardner (questionable – calf)
Charvarius Ward
Kenny Moore II
Mekhi Blackmon
Jaylon Jones
Chris Lammons
Johnathan Edwards (out)
Justin Walley (IR – ACL)

The Colts traded two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Jets for Gardner ahead of the NFL trade deadline in early November. Gardner recorded at least six tackles and exactly one pass defense in each of his first two games with Indianapolis before exiting Week 13’s game early.

Indianapolis started the season with Xavien Howard after his one-year hiatus in 2024, but he retired after starting the first four games of the season.

This story has been updated.

Florida football is hiring Tulane’s Jon Sumrall as its next head coach, the school announced Sunday, Nov. 30.

Sumrall, in his second season at Tulane, has the Green Wave at 10-2 this season and in contention for a College Football Playoff berth. No. 23 Tulane (No. 24 in CFP) plays No. 22 North Texas in the American Conference championship game on Friday, Dec. 5, with the winner having a strong shot at reaching the 12-team bracket.

‘The University of Florida is one of the premier programs in college football, and it’s an incredible honor to serve as the head football coach,’ Sumrall said in the announcement. ‘I believe in building a team rooted in toughness, accountability and a relentless competitive spirit. Florida has everything necessary to compete at the highest level — the resources, the support, the tradition and the passion of Gator Nation. My family and I are excited to get to work.’

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports Florida is finalizing a 6-year deal with an average annual salary of $7.5 million.

Sumrall has been a hot commodity in the coaching carousel this season, and he’ll be tasked with turning around a program that hasn’t seen much success in recent years. The 43-year-old coach replaces Billy Napier, who was fired midseason after going 22-23 in four seasons.

The Gators haven’t won nine or more games since 2019, when they went 11-2 under Dan Mullen. He saw moderate success in Gainesville after Jim McElwain and Will Muschamp’s tenures fizzled out, but no Florida coach has approached the success of Urban Meyer, who won two BCS national titles with the Gators.

Florida will hope that changes under Sumrall, who has won at every stop of his college career. He finished with a 23-4 record in two seasons at Troy before leading Tulane to a 19-7 record, also in two seasons.

Before Sumrall took over at Tulane, he led Troy to back-to-back Sun Belt championships in 2022 and 2023 after the program went 5-7 the year prior to his hiring. The 2022 Sun Belt Coach of the Year and the Trojans finished No. 20 in the final US LBM Coaches Poll in 2022.

Sumrall also has SEC experience. He played linebacker at Kentucky from 2002-04 before starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Wildcats in 2005. He was an assistant at San Diego, Tulane and Troy before coaching linebackers at Ole Miss in 2018 and Kentucky from 2019-20. He also served as co-defensive coordinator for the Wildcats in 2021.

Sumrall also had interest from Auburn but reportedly withdrew from the search. Florida was also reportedly interested in Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin for its vacancy, although the Gators reportedly turned their attention to Sumrall in recent days. Kiffin, meanwhile, appears to be headed to LSU.

Although Florida missed out on Kiffin, Sumrall certainly appears to be a strong option for a program searching for consistent success.

The Chicago Bears have moved into the top seed in the NFC playoff picture following a win and a loss by the Los Angeles Rams.
Several teams, including the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, are making late-season pushes for a playoff berth.

Every week for the duration of the 2025 regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the NFL’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting Sunday afternoon and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too).

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Here’s where things stand with Week 13 underway:

NFC playoff picture

1. Chicago Bears (9-3), NFC North leaders: With back-to-back victories over winning adversaries − in conjunction with the Rams’ stunning loss Sunday − the Bears have now rocketed to the top of the conference. Chicago’s 6-2 record in NFC games sends LA (4-3) down a spot. Remaining schedule: at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions

2. Los Angeles Rams (9-3), NFC West leaders: Carolina snapped their NFC-high six-game winning streak in rainy Charlotte, a loss that dropped LA out of the conference’s top spot. Remaining schedule: at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals

3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4), NFC East leaders: Two losses in a row not only mean a lot more scrutiny but − beware − a team that could fall into the Cowboys’ clutches in the division if it’s not careful. Remaining schedule: at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5), NFC South leaders: They narrowly beat Arizona to narrowly maintain their half-game lead over Carolina in the division. Remaining schedule: vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers

5. Seattle Seahawks (8-3), wild card No. 1: All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents, including two in the division − defeats that won’t serve them well in the tiebreaker department. No matter what happens, Seattle’s Week 11 loss to the Rams means they can’t move up Sunday … but the team could fall behind the Niners. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers

6. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1), wild card No. 2: They merely maintained their standing (for now) with their Thanksgiving win at Detroit, but a loss would have dropped them from the field entirely. A thin margin for the Pack to be sure … yet they remain just a half-game off the NFC North lead, too. Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

7. San Francisco 49ers (9-4), wild card No. 3: They now have a 1½-game lead on their wild-card pursuers after Sunday’s win, but are only a half-game behind the Rams for the NFC West lead. Remaining schedule: BYE, vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks

8. Detroit Lions (7-5), in the hunt: Getting swept by the Packers further entrenches Detroit, which could have moved into a wild-card slot with a Turkey Day win, on the outside of the field. Huge game this Thursday night with Dallas. Remaining schedule: vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears

9. Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1), in the hunt: Three wins in a row further fuels playoff aspirations in Big D. Week 14’s game in Detroit looms as massive − and potentially must-win − for the Cowboys and Lions. Remaining schedule: at Lions, vs. Vikings, vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants

10. Carolina Panthers (7-6), in the hunt: A shocking upset of the Rams on Sunday reaffirms the Panthers as an outfit to be reckoned with, though they didn’t gain any ground in the wild-card or divisional races (on a day when they could have gone into first place had Tampa Bay lost). Remaining schedule: BYE, at Saints, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers

AFC playoff picture

1. New England Patriots (10-2), AFC East leaders: Week 12’s narrow defeat of the Bengals gave the Pats the league’s best record, moving them past Denver and into the conference’s top spot. Good chance they hold onto it when they hit their off week. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

2. Denver Broncos (9-2), AFC West leaders: Being idle during Week 12 cost them first place in the conference, but you can bet the break was welcome − especially for a team that will need to be close to fully charged for a brutal four-game stretch at the end of its regular season. Remaining schedule: at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4), AFC South leaders: Their win in Nashville coupled with Indy’s loss moves the Jags into first place by virtue of the common-games played tiebreaker, which they own by a one-win advantage. Slide back later, and victories over the Chiefs and Chargers could serve them well when it’s time to sort out tiebreakers. Remaining schedule: vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), AFC North leaders: Baltimore’s Thanksgiving loss restores them to first place. A win over Buffalo on Sunday would help a lot more. Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

5. Indianapolis Colts (8-4), wild card No. 1: They’ve dropped three of their past four to fall off the conference pace … and have now ceded first place in the AFC South to Jacksonville after Sunday’s loss to Houston. And the schedule doesn’t let up the rest of the way out. Remaining schedule: at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

6. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), wild card No. 2: They needed last week off … and Buffalo’s Week 12 loss granted the battered Bolts improved positioning. Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

7. Buffalo Bills (7-4), wild card No. 3: QB Josh Allen took a beating − as did the Bills’ hopes of catching the Patriots in the AFC East race in their most recent loss to Houston. A 4-3 record in conference games leaves Buffalo behind the Chargers in the wild-card seeding. Remaining schedule: at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

8. Houston Texans (7-5), in the hunt: They’ve won five of six, including four in a row. If they want to win the AFC South for a third straight year, the Texans likely need to sweep the Colts − and they took their first step toward that with Sunday’s win at Indy − while continuing their surge. Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts

9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-6), in the hunt: Not only will they almost certainly not win the AFC West for the first time since 2015, they could well miss the postseason for the first time since 2014 − Andy Reid’s second year in K.C. And don’t forget they’ve lost to the Broncos, Chargers, Bills and Jags, who are all ahead of them. Remaining schedule: vs. Texans, vs. Chargers, at Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders

10. Baltimore Ravens (6-6), in the hunt: A sloppy performance against the Bengals cost them first place in the AFC North and a slot in the projected playoff field. Unlike several other squads, the Ravens are also on the wrong side of a head-to-head tiebreaker with Kansas City. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Bengals, vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025

Lane Kiffin said after Ole Miss football’s 38-19 win over rival Mississippi State on Friday, Nov. 28, that he’d have an answer on his coaching future Nov. 29.

However, that decision by Kiffin, who led the Rebels to an 11-1 finish this season and a likely College Football Playoff berth, did not formally come until Sunday when he was announced as the new LSU coach.

ESPN reported Kiffin has yet to sign the deal that would reportedly pay him $12 million annually.

Although, as Kiffin proved after a resolution to his coaching future didn’t come to fruition on Nov. 29 as he said, things can change. Just ask ESPN’s Marty Smith, who was candid about being in Ole Miss facilities all day Nov. 29, anticipating a decision.

‘I wrote him at 8:46 (p.m.) CT and said, ‘will there be a resolution tonight? Please God and heaven tell me yes,” Smith said late Nov. 29 on SEC Football Now. ‘And he did not write me back.’

Kiffin met with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter for multiple hours Nov. 29, according to multiple reports. Kiffin was potentially waiting for the conclusion of the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn, as the Rebels would’ve reached the SEC championship game with a Crimson Tide loss.

ESPN reported it’s unlikely Kiffin coaches Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff, despite the Rebels firmly in the field after finishing 11-1 this season.

The 50-year-old coach was by far the most sought-after commodity of the 2025 carousel after he led Ole Miss to a 55-19 record in six seasons at the helm. He won 10 or more games in four of his six years with the Rebels and finished in the top 13 of the US LBM Coaches Poll three times.

Kiffin was also in the mix for the opening at Florida, although the Gators are expected to hire Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, according to multiple reports.