When all the top teams in the win or don’t play, there isn’t much mystery about the next College Football Playoff rankings release. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some things worth noting in the fourth reveal of the season after an uneventful Week 13.

First, let’s start with the obvious. Ohio State retained its position at No. 1 ahead of its matchup with Michigan. The Buckeyes must win to guarantee a spot in the Big Ten title game with the likely opponent being No. 2 Indiana, which has held that spot since the first rankings.

Texas A&M, the other remaining Bowl Subdivision unbeaten, remains third followed by Georgia and Texas Tech. The Aggies can lock up a spot in the SEC title game with a defeat of Texas.

The second part of the top 10 had one change. This group has some danger ahead of Week 14. No. 6 Oregon – up one spot – faces a tricky test at Washington. No. 7 Mississippi, which drops one spot, heads to rival Mississippi State and Oklahoma is eighth and must finish off its SEC gauntlet by beating LSU. Notre Dame and Alabama occupy the last two spots for at-large teams with the Crimson Tide also going on the road against its biggest rival – Auburn.

Lurking outside the top 10 are the next five of Brigham Young, Miami, Utah, Vanderbilt and Michigan. The Cougars can still control their destiny by winning the Big 12 while the others are poised to potentially join the field with some help in the final two weekends. It’s notable the Hurricanes are three spots behind Notre Dame – a team that they beat in the opener. A win against No. 22 Pittsburgh could boost Miami closer and possibly knock out the Fighting Irish.

There is more definition among how things stack up in the race for the automatic bid going to one champion of the Group of Five conferences. Tulane was the only team among the contenders ranked last week, and the Green Wave remained at No. 24. Nobody else joined them.

Tulane and North Texas will play for the American Conference title if both win this weekend, which would likely mean unranked James Madison is out of the picture without one of those teams losing. The Dukes will not face a ranked opponent in the Sun Belt title game.

The ranking is the fourth of five Thursday releases by the committee. The next one will come Dec. 2 after Week 14. The College Football Playoff field is revealed in the final ranking on Sunday, Dec. 7.

CFP rankings Top 25

Ohio State (11-0)
Indiana (11-0)
Texas A&M (11-0)
Georgia (10-1)
Texas Tech (10-1)
Oregon (10-1)
Mississippi (10-1)
Oklahoma (9-2)
Notre Dame (9-2)
Alabama (9-2)
Brigham Young (10-1)
Miami (9-2)
Utah (9-2)
Vanderbilt (9-2)
Michigan (9-2)
Texas (8-3)
Southern California (8-3)
Virginia (9-2)
Tennessee (8-3)
Arizona State (8-3)
SMU (8-3)
Pittsburgh (8-3)
Georgia Tech (9-2)
Tulane (9-2)
Arizona (8-3)

How the College Football Playoff would look based on rankings

First round

No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Texas Tech

No. 11 Miami at No. 6 Oregon

No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Mississippi

No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma

Quarterfinals

No. 4 Georgia vs. Tulane-Texas Tech winner

No. 3 Texas A&M vs. Miami-Oregon winner

No. 2 Indiana vs. Alabama-Mississippi winner

No. 1 Ohio State vs. Notre Dame-Oklahoma winner

What is the College Football Playoff schedule?

The schedule for first-round games taking place on campus sites will see No. 5 hosting No. 12, No. 6 facing No. 11, No. 7 meeting No. 10 and No. 8 squaring off with No. 9.

Winners of those games will advance to the quarterfinals with the Cotton Bowl hosting its matchup on Dec. 31. The other three games of the round will be played Jan. 1 with the Orange Bowl starting the day followed by the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl will host the semifinals on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9, respectively.

The championship game will be played on Jan. 19 in Miami Gardens, Florida, at Hard Rock Stadium.

One of the bigger changes to the projected 12-team College Football Playoff bracket that came out of the fourth top 25 rankings reveal was Oregon moving ahead of Ole Miss.

However, the biggest takeaway from the CFP rankings reveal show was provided by CFP selection committee chair Hunter Yurachek.

In the process of responding to a question from Rece Davis about the Ducks swapping spots with the Rebels following a top-20-ranked win over USC, Yurachek, the athletic director at Arkansas, poorly broke out the ‘6-7’ joke trend, which created quite an awkward moment on television for all involved.

The ‘6-7’ trend dates back to the song ‘Doot Doot,’ released by rapper Skrilla in December 2024, and has become a TikTok viral trend in recent months. It was recently named as the ‘Word of the Year’ by Dictionary.com and means either ‘so-so’ or ‘maybe this, maybe that’ and is an example of ‘brainrot slang’ per Dictionary.com.

Now back to the CFP talk.

The Ducks picked up their biggest win of the season in the selection committee’s eyes in Week 12 with a 42-27 win over USC. The win for Dan Lanning’s squad not only keeps them in the mix for a spot in the Big Ten championship game but has them well-positioned to host a first-round home game in Eugene, regardless of whether they make a trip to Indiana to defend their Big Ten title.

Ole Miss dropped down a spot to the No. 7 seed despite being on bye. Both Ole Miss and Oregon have the same number of wins at 10, though the Ducks have one more ranked win than the Rebels at three, which includes their Sept. 27 win over then-No. 3 Penn State.

Yurachek was also asked whether the Rebels could be penalized depending on Lane Kiffin’s upcoming decision of whether he’s staying at Ole Miss after the 2025 season or leaving for LSU or one of the other open head coaching vacancies that are still open.

‘We didn’t have any discussion about Ole Miss and their coach, that was all about Oregon and their performance against USC. Their strength of schedule continues to climb but they’ve been dominant on the offense and defense side of the ball,(and are) really good on special teams,’ Yurachek said.

‘The committee had been waiting for them to have this signature win to really put in what we thought they deserve to be.’

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New York’s mayor and the UFC’s CEO have different ideas about discipline following a recent brawl.

Dana White said MMA fighter Dillon Danis would be banned from future UFC events for his role in a brawl that erupted in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 15, during UFC 322. Afterward, White said, ‘So they called me from downstairs and they said, ‘We got him down here. Do you want to press charges and have him arrested?’ And I said, no, we don’t want to press charges. It’s the fight business, man.”

But New York Mayor Eric Adams indicated he has more extensive plans than White, the UFC’s CEO. The New York Police Department is involved, according to the outgoing mayor.

“These assaults at Madison Square Garden are completely unacceptable,’’ Adams wrote on his personal X account. “The NYPD is already conducting a full investigation, and everyone responsible will be held accountable.’’

Danis, a former teammate of Conor McGregor, was thought to have instigated the brawl that took place near the octagon before the main card started the night of UFC 322.

After the event, White said he was to blame. But Adams suggested the individuals who participated in the brawl will have to take responsibility.

On X, Adams shared video of the brawl that included Danis, who previously competed on the Bellator circuit, and members of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team, according to MMAJunkie.

ESPN reported that multiple videos showed teammates of UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev also were involved.

Twenty-six modern-era candidates have advanced as semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, it was announced Nov. 25 after another round of voting.

The group includes five first-ballot candidates – Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, Philip Rivers and Jason Witten – and 19 players who reached this stage of the process last year.

Four of the 19 returning semifinalists – Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri – automatically advanced to this stage after finishing in the top seven in balloting last year, as stipulated by the Hall’s bylaws.

Two other players are semifinalists for the first time: Lomas Brown and Kevin Williams.

Other semifinalists: Eli Manning, Fred Taylor, Steve Smith, Sr., Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne, Jahri Evans, Richmond Webb, Steve Wisniewski, Marshal Yanda, Rodney Harrison, Earl Thomas, Darren Woodson, Terrell Suggs, Robert Mathis and Vince Wilfork.

After reducing a slate of 52 modern-era candidates chosen by a screening committee, the Hall’s 50-member selection committee will vote in the coming weeks to reduce the list of 26 modern-era semifinalists to 15 finalists. The results of that voting will be announced in late December. Reduction votes are also occurring with subcommittees for the coach, contributor and seniors categories, with five finalists for those categories to be announced on Dec. 3.

The total of 20 finalists – 15 modern-day candidates, three seniors, one coach and one contributor – will be voted on by the entire selection committee in January and revealed in advance of Super Bowl 60.

The Hall’s bylaws stipulate that between four and eight new Hall of Famers will be selected for the Class of 2026.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on  X: @JarrettBell

This was the first time Deion Sanders watched his son play from the stands instead of coaching from the sideline.
Sanders’ Colorado team is 3-8 after four straight losses, prompting a ‘come-to-Jesus meeting’ with his players.
Despite his team’s record, Sanders stressed that he is ‘not a loser’ and knows how to fix the program.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders thanked Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis for allowing him to sit in his stadium suite and watch his quarterback son Shedeur beat Davis’ Raiders Sunday Nov. 23 in a 24-10 win for the Cleveland Browns.

It was Shedeur’s first start as an NFL quarterback and also the first time Deion Sanders watched his son play from a stadium seat instead of on the sideline as a coach. Sanders shared this Tuesday at his weekly news conference in Boulder and noted he returned to his job Monday for a “come-to-Jesus meeting” with his team as the Buffaloes prepare for their final game this year at Kansas State on Nov. 29. His team is 3-8 and has lost four straight games, but Sanders also stressed he’s “not a loser” and knows how to right the ship.

“The owner of the opposing team allowed the dad of the quarterback on the opposing team to sit in his box,” Sanders said Tuesday. “Like how many times did that happen? Like, that is unbelievable, man. So I’m so thankful and appreciative for that opportunity in that moment. That’s the first time I’ve ever watched him play without me on the sideline. I’ve never seen him play without me coaching him, so that was strange.

Sanders it was “healthy” because “I was just in straight dad mode.”

“I wasn’t in coach mode, and I loved that I was able to see him gain the first victory,” Sanders said.

Asked if he was a “nervous wreck” about it, Sanders dismissed that notion. He’s not known to admit being nervous about anything.

“No, no, no,” Sanders said before indicating he couldn’t answer that question the way he might have wanted. “Thank you, Lord. You know where I was going with that.”

Deion Sanders says he knows how to right the ship

Colorado often practices on Sundays. But Sanders returned to campus for a “come-to-Jesus” meeting with his team Monday as he plans to change quarterbacks again by redshirting freshman starter Julian Lewis.

“I know how to get it right,” Sanders said. “I’ll get it right. We’re headed in the right direction.”

Sanders said he has key pieces in place, including Lewis, and just needs a “reset’ with his roster and staff.

Deion Sanders: ‘I’m not a loser’

He said leaving Boulder to go see watch his son Sunday left him feeling “funky” because his team had just suffered a 42-17 loss against Arizona State the night before.

“I don’t want to take a ‘L’ with me,” Sanders said. “I wanted two ‘Ws’ you know, over the weekend (including his son’s game). And so that had me feeling a little funky, because… I don’t like that on me, man. I don’t like that.”

Sanders then stressed he’s “not a loser.”

“You could be a loser or a guy who lost games,” Sanders said. “I would rather be a guy who lost games than a loser, ‘cause I’m not a loser. And that bothers me, man.”

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

The second hiring domino of this year’s coaching carousel fell Tuesday with Oklahoma State hiring Eric Morris as its next football coach.

Morris has North Texas (10-1) in the thick of the College Football Playoff chase with a spot in the American Conference Championship game on the line this weekend against Temple.

Here’s how the hire grades out:

Eric Morris to Oklahoma State grade

A-

Will it work? Don’t know.Do I like the hire? Absolutely.

Oklahoma State is catching Morris, 40, on his way up. After two losing seasons to start his North Texas tenure, he’s enjoyed a breakout campaign in Year 3, steering the Mean Green into playoff contention. If UNT’s star freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker follows Morris to Stillwater, all the better. Mestemaker played safety as a high school senior. Paired with Morris, he’s become the American Conference’s best quarterback. Impressive.

Morris suits Oklahoma State’s needs. He’s from Texas, a crucial state for Cowboys recruiting, and he’s spent most of his coaching career within the state. He’ll bring a track record for quarterback development within the Air Raid offense. That system makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys. Plenty of high schools in Texas run the Air Raid, inspired by former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. Morris played for Leach at Texas Tech and worked under him at Washington State.

Just consider the quarterbacks Morris has helped develop. Baker Mayfield. Patrick Mahomes. Cam Ward.

Is it any wonder I like this hire for a program that needs a revolution of offense?

The fourth of six College Football Playoff rankings were revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 25, and to no surprise, the top 12 didn’t see much of a change.

For the fourth consecutive week, Ohio State was tabbed as the No. 1 seed, as the Buckeyes head into ‘The Game’ against Michigan with an undefeated 11-0 record. Indiana, Texas A&M and Georgia all stayed put as well at the No. 2 through No. 4 seeds, respectively.

The biggest change from the selection committee from last week’s reveal to this week’s top 25 reveal was Oregon moving up a spot ahead of Ole Miss to the No. 6 seed following its win over USC in Week 13. Tulane was once again penciled in at the No. 12 seed as the highest-ranked team among the Group of Five conferences.

CFP first-round competition takes place across Friday, Dec. 19, and Saturday, Dec. 20 at the site of the four-highest ranked at-large seeds, i.e., those ranked No. 5 through No. 8. Thanks to its fifth top-25 ranked win of the season last week vs. Missouri, Oklahoma looks well-positioned to host a first-round home game in Norman despite not going into Week 14 of the season with a path to the conference championship game.

Of course, the Nov. 25 reveal of the CFP top 25 rankings doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things for the 12-team field, as the ranking that does matter is the one announced on Sunday, Dec. 7.

Here’s a look at how the CFP bracket would look if the season ended following the Week 13 rankings reveal on Nov. 25:

CFP bracket

Here’s a look at how the 12-team CFP bracket would look after the Nov. 25 release, including first-round matchups and more:

College Football Playoff first round matchups

No. 12 Tulane vs. No. 5 Texas Tech
No. 11 Miami vs. No. 6 Oregon
No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 7 Ole Miss
No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 8 Oklahoma
Byes: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 4 Georgia

College Football playoff quarterfinal matchups

No. 4 Georgia vs. Winner of No. 5 Texas Tech/No. 12 Tulane
No. 1 Ohio State vs. Winner of No. 8 Oklahoma/No. 9 Notre Dame
No. 3 Texas A&M vs. Winner of No. 6 Oregon/No. 11 Miami
No. 2 Indiana vs. Winner of No. 7 Ole Miss/No. 10 Alabama

CFP rankings after Week 13

Here’s the full CFP top 25 rankings from the Nov. 25 release:

Ohio State (11-0)
Indiana (11-0)
Texas A&M (11-0)
Georgia (10-1)
Texas Tech (10-1)
Oregon (10-1)
Ole Miss (10-1)
Oklahoma (9-2)
Notre Dame (9-2)
Alabama (9-2)
BYU (10-1)
Miami (9-2)
Utah (9-2)
Vanderbilt (9-2)
Michigan (9-2)
Texas (8-3)
USC (8-3)
Virginia (9-3)
Tennessee (8-3)
Arizona State (8-3)
SMU (8-3)
Pitt (8-3)
Georgia Tech (9-2)
Tulane (9-2)
Arizona (8-3)

CFP schedule 2025-26

Here’s a full breakdown of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff bracket schedule:

CFP First-Round

On campus sites

Friday, Dec. 19

Game 1: 8 p.m. ET

Saturday, Dec. 20

Game 2: Noon ET
Game 3: 3:30 p.m. ET
Game 4: 7:30 p.m. ET

CFP Quarterfinals

Wednesday, Dec. 31

Cotton Bowl (Game 5): 7:30 p.m. ET

Thursday, Jan. 1

Orange Bowl (Game 6): Noon ET
Rose Bowl (Game 7): 4 p.m. ET
Sugar Bowl (Game 8): 8 p.m. ET

CFP Semifinals

Thursday, Jan. 8

Fiesta Bowl (Game 9): 7:30 p.m. ET

Friday, Jan. 9

Peach Bowl (Game 10): 7:30 p.m. ET

CFP Championship

Monday, Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami): 7:30 p.m. ET

A rather quiet Week 13 in college football brought minimal change to the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25, with minimal major movement among the top 10 teams.

The same happens with the fourth unveiling of the College Football Playoff top 25 rankings reveal.

The top five seeds did not change from last week’s unveiling, as Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Georgia and Texas Tech stayed at No. 1 through No. 5, respectively. The biggest change came with the selection committee rewarding Oregon for its win over USC by bumping the Ducks to the No. 6 seed, which moved Ole Miss down to No. 7.

Stream CFP rankings release shows live with Fubo (free trial)

In the process of discussing the committee’s decision to swap the Ducks and the Rebels, CFP selection committee chair Hunter Yurachek poorly executed the ‘6-7’ trending joke in his response to Rece Davis, which created an awkward moment on television.

The representatives for the ACC and the Group of Five continue to be the most pressing question after the Nov. 25 rankings reveal. Miami remains the highest-ranked ACC team, though if the Hurricanes make the official CFP bracket, they will do so as an at-large, as Mario Cristobal’s squad needs a lot of things to go right in Week 14 to make the ACC championship game. This means whoever makes the ACC championship game will likely be penciled in at No. 11 in the bracket.

For the Group of Five, Tulane stayed in the field at No. 12 as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.

USA TODAY Sports brought you updates as the bracket is revealed on Nov. 25. Follow below:

CFP rankings reveal highlights

CFP bracket after Week 13

Here’s how the CFP bracket looks after Week 13’s top 25 release:

Ohio State *
Indiana
Texas A&M *
Georgia
Texas Tech *
Oregon
Ole Miss
Oklahoma
Notre Dame
Alabama
Miami *
Tulane *

* Denotes five highest ranked conference champions

CFP rankings after Week 13

Ohio State (11-0)
Indiana (11-0)
Texas A&M (11-0)
Georgia (10-1)
Texas Tech (10-1)
Oregon (10-1)
Ole Miss (10-1)
Oklahoma (9-2)
Notre Dame (9-2)
Alabama (9-2)
BYU (10-1)
Miami (9-2)
Utah (9-2)
Vanderbilt (9-2)
Michigan (9-2)
Texas (8-3)
USC (8-3)
Virginia (9-2)
Tennessee (8-3)
Arizona State (8-3)
SMU (8-3)
Pitt (8-3)
Georgia Tech (9-2)
Tulane (9-2)
Arizona (8-3)

CFP bracket matchups after Week 13

College Football Playoff first round matchups

No. 12 Tulane vs. No. 5 Texas Tech
No. 11 Miami vs. No. 6 Oregon
No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 7 Ole Miss
No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 8 Oklahoma
Byes: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 4 Georgia

College Football playoff quarterfinal matchups

No. 4 Georgia vs. Winner of No. 5 Texas Tech/No. 12 Tulane
No. 1 Ohio State vs. Winner of No. 8 Oklahoma/No. 9 Notre Dame
No. 3 Texas A&M vs. Winner of No. 6 Oregon/No. 11 Miami
No. 2 Indiana vs. Winner of No. 7 Ole Miss/No. 10 Alabama

Oregon moves up to No. 6 seed

The CFP committee was impressed by Oregon’s win over USC in Week 13, as the Ducks were bumped up to the No. 6 seed in the 12-team CFP bracket. As a result of Oregon moving up, Ole Miss moved down a spot to the No. 7 seed despite being.

CFP rankings coming up

USC defeats Seton Hall in the Maui Invitational. CFP rankings show coming up!

Why is CFP rankings show delayed?

Due to the ongoing Seton Hall vs. USC men’s college basketball game at the Maui Invitational, the fourth unveiling of the College Football Playoff top 25 rankings has been delayed. The Pirates and Trojans have well over nine minutes left to play in the second half in Maui.

CFP bracket predictions

Here’s a look at CFP rankings for this week and final bracket predictions from experts from USA TODAY Sports:

Rankings predictions from Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY

Ohio State
Indiana
Texas A&M
Georgia
Texas Tech
Ole Miss
Oregon
Oklahoma
Notre Dame
Alabama
BYU
Miami

Ohio State *
Texas A&M *
Indiana
Georgia
Texas Tech *
Ole Miss
Oregon
Oklahoma
Alabama
Notre Dame
SMU *
Tulane *

* Denotes one of five highest-ranked conference champions

CFP rankings schedule, release times

Here’s a look at the remaining dates on when the College Football Playoff rankings will be released:

Tuesday, Nov. 25: 7 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Dec. 2: 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Dec. 7: Noon ET

CFP bracket schedule 2025-26

Here’s a full breakdown of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff bracket schedule:

CFP First-Round

On campus sites

Friday, Dec. 19

Game 1: 8 p.m. ET

Saturday, Dec. 20

Game 2: Noon ET
Game 3: 3:30 p.m. ET
Game 4: 7:30 p.m. ET

CFP Quarterfinals

Wednesday, Dec. 31

Cotton Bowl (Game 5): 7:30 p.m. ET

Thursday, Jan. 1

Orange Bowl (Game 6): Noon ET
Rose Bowl (Game 7): 4 p.m. ET
Sugar Bowl (Game 8): 8 p.m. ET

CFP Semifinals

Thursday, Jan. 8

Fiesta Bowl (Game 9): 7:30 p.m. ET

Friday, Jan. 9

Peach Bowl (Game 10): 7:30 p.m. ET

CFP Championship

Monday, Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami): 7:30 p.m. ET

When is the CFP national championship in 2026?

The national championship game of the 2025-25 College Football Playoff is set for Monday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

How to watch College Football Playoff rankings release

TV channel: ESPN
Livestream: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)

ESPN will once again handle the broadcast of the College Football Playoff rankings reveal show. Streaming options for all CFP rankings release shows include the ESPN app (with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.

What time does CFP rankings come out today?

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 25
Time: 7 p.m. ET

The fourth unveiling of the College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. ET. It is the second-to-last CFP top 25 rankings reveal before the official Selection Sunday one on Sunday, Dec. 8.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders has decided to redshirt freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis.
Lewis will not play in the season finale, preserving a year of his college eligibility.
Veteran quarterback Kaidon Salter will start in place of Lewis against Kansas State.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has pulled a reverse and decided to place a ‘redshirt’ on freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis, who will now sit out his team’s season finale at Kansas State as a result.

Sanders made the announcement at his weekly news conference Tuesday while admitting that he’s “not going to say (Lewis) was happy” with the decision.

“I’ve made a decision that JuJu is gonna redshirt,” Sanders said. “That’s my decision. I want what’s best for the kid, what’s best for his family, what’s best for this wonderful university.”

Lewis said Nov. 8 after his first career start at West Virginia that he didn’t want to redshirt and instead wanted to play in the rest of the team’s games this season after sitting so long on the bench. Sanders also said his redshirt plan was to go with the player’s wishes, telling reporters Nov. 1 that he’s ‘not gonna mandate’ that decision. TNT reported during its broadcast Nov. 8 that Colorado said it planned to not redshirt him.

Colorado lost Lewis’s two starts at West Virginia and last week against Arizona State, but he’s shown flashes of moxie and poise at age 18. Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter instead will start against Kansas State on Saturday Nov. 29 after previously being demoted.

What does this decision by Deion Sanders mean?

According to NCAA rule, players can play in up to four games in a season and not lose a season of eligibility, making it a so-called redshirt year. Lewis has played in four games so far, including two starting assignments the past two contests. By playing at Kansas State, he would exceed that limit and return next year as a sophomore with three years of college eligibility left. By sitting out for the final game on Saturday, Lewis instead will return in 2026 as a redshirt freshman with four seasons left. Players have five years to play in four seasons under the current rule.

The redshirt issue still might be moot anyway, because litigation is underway seeking to allow players to have five years to play in five seasons. A court hearing in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 15 could lead to a preliminary injunction against the NCAA’s four-year eligibility limit, but it only would affect five players for now if granted.

Sanders still said this decision is “best for the program” and is betting Lewis might be around long enough to take advantage of four more seasons through 2029.

Colorado is 3-8 this year and is “trying to play spoiler this week” against Kansas State, Sanders said. The Wildcats are 5-6 and trying to become eligible for a postseason bowl game with a win against Colorado Saturday.

“It’s best for everyone, but mainly it’s great for him” Sanders said. “So I’m not going to say he was happy because he’s a competitor. He wants to compete. He wants to play.”

Decision removes injury risk for Julian Lewis

Lewis, a top recruit out of Carrollton, Georgia., finishes the season having completed 52 of 94 passes for 589 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions. Colorado has started three different quarterbacks this season, including Lewis, Salter and Ryan Staub.

All have struggled to replace last year’s starting quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son, who made his NFL starting debut Sunday in a 24-10 win for the Cleveland Browns at Las Vegas.

By sitting Lewis against Kansas State, Deion Sanders also is avoiding the risk of injury to Lewis. His son Shedeur suffered a fractured back in 2023 as the Colorado offensive line gave up the second-most sacks in the nation (56). This year, Colorado has given up the most sacks in the Big 12 (35), just like they last year (43),

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

(This story was updated to add new information).