UConn is aiming for a repeat championship with Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd leading the Huskies.
All of the 2025 Final Four teams are capable of returning to the national semifinals.
Several conferences, including the SEC and ACC, will be exciting competitive races to watch.

It’s time for another season in women’s hoops.

We are nearly seven months removed from when Connecticut won its 12th national championship, with the 2025-26 season tipping off on Monday, Nov. 3. The game continues to grow as its expected to be another exciting campaign. There are veteran stars that are ready to make that push for a title, while a new crop of players are ready to make their introduction to the country. Parity is as strong as ever with so many teams capable of making the Final Four and hoisting that national championship trophy.

Here are the top 10 storylines to watch in women’s college basketball as the race to Phoenix and the 2026 Final Four tips off.

UConn repeat?

Geno Auriemma will be turning the Paige with Bueckers gone, but his team still remains the top dog in the sport. Unanimous USA TODAY Sports preseason All-America selection Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd will be leading the national championship defense alongside KK Arnold, Jana El-Alfy and Ice Brady. Reinforcements come from transfers Kayleigh Heckel and Serah Williams to give Auriemma another loaded team.

When Connecticut wins titles, it doesn’t just do it once. The past three times the Huskies broke a national title drought, they won it again the following year (2002-04, 2009-10, 2013-16). UConn has the pieces to break off another back-to-back title run, and everyone will be chasing it all season.

Dawn Staley reloads South Carolina

South Carolina has made the Final Four five consecutive seasons, and while Dawn Staley lost several key players that got the Gamecocks there, the expectation is still to get back.

Leading scorer Joyce Edwards will get a more expanded role, and she’ll be joined on the court by Ta’Niya Latson, who led the nation in scoring at Florida State last season. Plus, a pair of five-star freshmen join the fold in Agot Makeer and Ayla McDowell, giving South Carolina plenty of firepower to keep the Final Four streak going.

UCLA Betts on sister duo

Lauren Betts is back at UCLA following her dominant run to get the Bruins in the Final Four for the first time, and she’s brought help with little sister and touted freshman, Sienna. It will be a veteran core leading the Bruins with the Betts sisters, with seniors Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Angela Dugalic and Utah transfer Gianna Kneepkens making up the attack.

With this being the last run for a squad that has taken UCLA to new heights, it feels like its the best shot the Bruins have to win their first national championship. They are the clear favorite to run the Big Ten.

USC without JuJu

Arguably the best player in the sport won’t be on the court this season with Southern California star JuJu Watkins sitting out as she recovers from her torn ACL she suffered in the tournament last March. Given the Trojans will be without their do-it-all guard, the hype has died down for USC.

However, don’t sleep on the Trojans just yet. Even though they lost some players to graduation or transfer portal, No. 1 recruit Jazzy Davidson arrives and has the ability to keep the team a threat alongside Kennedy Smith and Londynn Jones. Even without Watkins, USC may be the dark horse team to watch this season.

Kim Mulkey and LSU

Some might have expected the loss of Angel Reese would mean a down year for LSU, but the Tigers nearly made the Final Four again. After two consecutive Elite Eight appearances, coach Kim Mulkey is eyeing a return to the national semifinals.

The Tigers got Flau’jae Johnson back and she’ll be the center piece of Mulkey’s high scoring offense alongside Mikaylah Williams. A trio of highly-rated freshman also join the fold, as well as MiLaysia Fulwiley from South Carolina. Mulkey always make her teams worth watching, but LSU will be a mystery for the few month with a really easy non-conference schedule. We won’t know if the Tigers are legit until 2026 comes around.

SEC gauntlet

The SEC was great in hoops last season, getting two teams in the Final Four in men’s and women’s. Now to start the season, the league is looking incredibly deep and one that’s going to have plenty of high stakes matchups.

Three teams − South Carolina, Texas and LSU − start the season in the top five of the coaches poll, with another five ranked. Oklahoma and Tennessee are building off solid seasons, and Mississippi could be a new power on the block with the arrival of Cotie McMahon. Plus, there’s the ever entertaining Mikayla Blakes of Vanderbilt. It’s going to be tough for every team to navigate this heavy conference slate.

TCU looks for encore with new players

How do you follow up a dream season at TCU? Do everything you can to make it more than a one-hit wonder.

The Horned Frogs advanced to their first Elite Eight with Hailey Van Lith leading the charge, but nearly everyone is gone. TCU coach Mark Campbell got the best addition of the transfer portal with star Olivia Miles coming from Notre Dame. New arrivals also include Clara Silva, Kennedy Basham and Veronica Sheffey to make it not just a completely new team in Fort Worth, but one that can run the Big 12 again. This is by far the most intriguing team to watch in the country.

Who runs the ACC?

Every conference has its top contenders, but the race in the ACC is as good of a guess as anyone with so many teams trying to claim the league.

It starts with Duke since it is the defending tournament champions and have Toby Fournier back. But there’s also North Carolina State and North Carolina which are trying to replace veteran stars with transfer portal additions. Notre Dame did lose Miles, but Hannah Hidalgo is also still in South Bend to lead the Fighting Irish team. There’s really so much unknown in this league, it’s going to make a compelling race to watch and see who rises to the top.

Which mid-major makes Cinderella run?

Only one double-digit seed advanced to the second round of the tournament last season in South Dakota State. Could this be the year a mid-major or double-digit seed makes it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2022?

The Jackrabbits still have a deep team that will definitely run the Summit League and likely make the tournament, where it could get to its first Sweet 16 since 2019. There’s also Richmond, which gave UCLA all it could handle in the second round and returns top two scorers in Maggie Doogan and Rachel Ullstrom to dominate the Atlantic 10. Princeton also looms as well. This could be the year we get a great Cinderella run in the big dance.

Can a new team make Final Four?

Along with Texas, UConn, South Carolina and UCLA made up the 2025 Final Four and every team has everything they need to do it again. So, will anyone be able to make sure the semifinals look different this time around?

It hasn’t happen in nearly 30 years, when in 1996, UConn, Tennessee, Georgia and Stanford all made it back to the Final Four one season later. It’s happened several times with three of the teams, with 2015 being the last occurance. For more than 350 other teams, it will be their mission to make sure its not a repeat when the NCAA Tournament gets to Phoenix.

USA TODAY Sports’ NHL points projections saw pretty much the status quo from the 2024-25 playoff field.

The Utah Mammoth would replace the St. Louis Blues in the West and the Columbus Blue Jackets would replace the Montreal Canadiens in the East.

But in the early going – emphasis on early – the changeover is potentially more drastic. The Mammoth are looking great. The Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks are better than expected. The Blues and Minnesota Wild aren’t.

Here are the latest USA TODAY Sports NHL power rankings (change from preseason rankings are in parentheses):

1. Colorado Avalanche (+7)

Martin Necas is off to a strong start and received an eight-year, $92 million contract extension. The Avalanche ended the Devils’ eight-game winning streak and downed the Golden Knights before falling to the Sharks.

2. Winnipeg Jets (+4)

Mark Scheifele has passed Blake Wheeler as the franchise’s all-time point leader and is the NHL’s top scorer this season. The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners are starting strong again.

3. Montreal Canadiens (+17)

Cole Caufield, who wasn’t part of the 4 Nations Face-Off, is putting himself in the mix for the U.S. Olympic team with 10 goals in his first 12 games.

4. Vegas Golden Knights (-2)

Jack Eichel is putting up MVP-worthy numbers, helping the Golden Knights through some injuries, including to Mark Stone. The oft-injured Stone is week-to-week.

5. New Jersey Devils (+6)

Jack Hughes is healthy and has 10 goals. He helped the Devils win eight in a row, though the team is in a 1-3 slide.

6. Pittsburgh Penguins (+22)

They’re the biggest surprise of the early season. Sidney Crosby remains ageless, and Evgeni Malkin is joining him in that category with 18 points in 13 games at age 39. They’ll have to cope without injured Rickard Rakell.

7. Utah Mammoth (+8)

Utah put together a seven-game winning streak this season after introducing their new mascot. They’re a deeper team that’s coming together. Logan Cooley received an eight-year extension.

8. Detroit Red Wings (+17)

The YzerPlan seems to be working this season. General manager Steve Yzerman has brought in many pieces over the seasons, but the key is that captain Dylan Larkin is on pace for his best season.

9. Carolina Hurricanes (-4)

The Hurricanes won their first five games without a point from free agent signee Nikolaj Ehlers. Injuries on the blue line have dropped them a little and Ehlers is still seeking his first goal with Carolina.

10. Anaheim Ducks (+12)

GM Pat Verbeek hired coach Joel Quenneville to make a push toward a playoff spot. They were leading the Pacific Division on Nov. 2.

11. Dallas Stars (-10)

They opened 3-0 before the injuries start piling up. Jamie Benn (collapsed lung) hasn’t played all season, and Roope Hintz and Matt Duchene have missed time. Still, they have points in their past six games.

12. Edmonton Oilers (-9)

Connor McDavid went the first six games without a goal and Evan Bouchard went the same number of games without a point. But they have picked it up, including Bouchard’s overtime goal on Nov. 1.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning (-7)

The Lightning’s 1-4-2 start was one of the season’s big puzzles. But the team has turned it around with five wins in a row.

14. Seattle Kraken (+15)

The Kraken, who have made the playoffs once in their history, were sitting in a wild-card spot on Nov. 2.

15. Columbus Blue Jackets (+2)

The Blue Jackets were sitting in a wild-card spot on Nov. 2. They’ll need to improve on their special teams to stay there.

16. New York Rangers (+3)

Maybe the Rangers need to spend the rest of the season on the road. They’re 6-1-1 away from Madison Square Garden and 0-4-1 at home, scoring one goal in their first four games there.

17. Florida Panthers (-13)

The Panthers are above .500, not bad considering the major injuries they’re going through.

18. Washington Capitals (-9)

Alex Ovechkin needed three goals entering the season to reach 900. He still hasn’t reached it after 12 games and has a 7.4 shooting percentage.

19. New York Islanders (+4)

Defenseman Matthew Schaefer, 18, picked up a point in his first six NHL games and was named rookie of the month for October. He’s off to a good start for the November award with a two-goal game on Nov. 2.

20. Toronto Maple Leafs (-10)

Mitch Marner left in free agency and William Nylander has missed time with injury. That’s a lot of offense to make up.

21. Buffalo Sabres (+3)

Sabres fans were chanting for general manager Kevyn Adams’ firing after an 0-3 start. Those chants have vanished now that they’re over .500.

22. Philadelphia Flyers (+5)

GM Daniel Briere’s offseason moves are paying off. Trevor Zegras is leading the team in scoring and Dan Vladar has been the better of the two netminders.

23. Chicago Blackhawks (+9)

The Blackhawks are more competitive this season. Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar make them fun to watch and goalie Spencer Knight is doing his part while being kept very busy.

24. Los Angeles Kings (-11)

Captain Anze Kopitar’s final NHL season isn’t off to a good start. He missed four games with a foot injury and is still seeking his first goal.

25. Ottawa Senators (-11)

26. Boston Bruins (-2)

Which team are they? The one that opened 3-0? The one that lost six in a row? Or the one that has won its last three?

27. Vancouver Canucks (-9)

Kiefer Sherwood is among the leaders in hits again this season. The big difference: The pending free agent also has scored nine goals.

28. Nashville Predators (+2)

Defenseman Roman Josi, who suffered an upper-body injury on Oct. 23, has been placed on injured reserve.

29. Minnesota Wild (-17)

The Kirill Kaprizov-led power play has been in the top five. But the Wild are at or near the bottom in penalty killing and 5-on-5 play.

30. San Jose Sharks (+1)

No sophomore slump for Macklin Celebrini, who’s among the NHL’s top scorers. After a rough start, the Sharks have won three of their last five games.

31. St. Louis Blues (-15)

The Blues have been plagued by poor goaltending numbers and injuries to Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours.

32. Calgary Flames (-11)

The Flames are the NHL’s most disappointing team. After missing the playoffs on a tiebreaker, they didn’t do too much to address their scoring woes. They’re last in goal per game and are in the hunt for better draft lottery odds in the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes.

Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles have made their splash move at the NFL trade deadline.

The Miami Dolphins are trading edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles in exchange for a 2026 third-round draft pick, according to multiple reports.

The Dolphins are paying a portion of Phillips’ pro-rated $13.25 million salary to facilitate the deal, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported.

The Eagles had already been active in the lead-up to Tuesday’s cutoff, last week acquiring cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Michael Carter II to add flexibility to their secondary.

With Phillips, however, the team adds a former first-round draft pick who can change the complexion of a pass rush that has netted just 16 sacks in eight games. Veteran Brandon Graham came out of retirement during the season to aid the group.

Phillips, 26, is in the final year of his rookie contract. He has three sacks on the season, with all of them coming in the last five games. He’s also compiled 20 pressures during that span, according to Next Gen Stats.

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio previously coached Phillips in 2023, when he held the same title with the Dolphins. Phillips recorded 6 ½ sacks in eight games that season before being sidelined by a torn Achilles.

The Dolphins parted ways with general manager Chris Grier on Friday, giving interim general manager Champ Kelly the opportunity to reshape the 2-7 team’s outlook by shipping off key pieces ahead of the trade deadline.

This story has been updated with new information.

With the calendar turned to November, the sounds of bouncing balls, squeaking sneakers and referees’ whistles are echoing in campus gyms throughout the land. Yes, college basketball is back, and it’s time to look at who might play a starring role in the coming months on the way to March Madness.

Two weeks ago, we unveiled the preseason USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball poll with Purdue at No. 1. Last week it was 10 players on our preseason All-America team. But there are a lot more guys who could have a major impact once teams and conference races start to take shape. In no particular order, here’s a look at a number of other players to watch in 2025-26.

Trey Kaufman-Renn, F, Purdue

Braden Smith is Purdue’s engine, of course, but Kaufman-Renn is often the finisher. He averaged 20.1 points and 6.5 rebounds last season, and he might be even more productive in his final season with a couple of true centers allowing him to return to his natural power-forward position.

Milos Uzan, G, Houston

The Cougars will again be greater than the sum of their parts, but Uzan is the glue that holds it all together. He can score himself (11.4 ppg) and shot 42.8% from the three-point arc, but he’s even more valuable as a distributor (4.3 apg). With some key pieces departing and talented newcomers arriving, Uzan’s leadership will be more critical this season.

Nate Bittle, C, Oregon

The seven-footer with three-point range averaged 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks for the Ducks. He’s expected to add more to those total this season. With high-scoring guard Jackson Shelstad also back in Eugene, Oregon could be a dark horse in the loaded Big Ten with Bittle manning the middle.

Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville

One of the nation’s top recruits and a standout on the U.S. under-19 team this past summer, Brown will step in immediately to run the point for the Cards as a freshman. Brown has the ability to shoot from deep and penetrate to the basket that should fit well in Pat Kelsey’s system.

Tamin Lipsey, G, Iowa State

Though an injury limited his work in the preseason, the experienced floor leader shouldn’t miss a beat when he retakes the court for the Cyclones. He averaged 10.6 points, 3.1 assists and 2.0 steals as a junior last year and should again be among the Big 12’s most efficient ball handlers.

Graham Ike, C, Gonzaga

Ike will give away an inch or two to opposing post players at times, but he makes up for it with footwork and positioning. He’ll likely be asked to add to his 17.3-point, 7.3-rebound averages for a rebuilt squad with new pieces in the backcourt as the Bulldogs hope to restart their streak of Sweet 16 appearances that ended last season.

Donovan Dent, G, UCLA

Dent arrives in Westwood after putting up 20.4 points and 6.4 assists a game at New Mexico last year. He’s a high-speed, high-motor guy at both ends of the floor, which should make him a quick study in Mick Cronin’s system. If he its the ground running, the Bruins should be in the thick of the Big Ten race.

Bennett Stirtz, G, Iowa

The reigning Missouri Valley Conference player of the year followed coach Ben McCollum to Iowa City from Drake. Stiritz rarely left the floor last season, averaging 39.4 minutes per game. During that time, he put up 19.2 points and 5.7 assists for the Bulldogs, so it will be interesting to see if his skills translate to the rigors of the Big Ten.

Richie Saunders, G, Brigham Young

Much of the attention given to the Cougars will center on prized recruit AJ Dybantsa, but it might by the play of Saunders that is most critical to helping the team reach the Final Four. The senior sharpshooter averaged a team-high 16.5 points per game and made 43.2% of this 3-point shots last season. His ability to play a foil to Dybantsa and hit open shots when the defense is draw away from the freshman could be a lethal combination.

Tomislav Ivisic, C, Illinois

Kasparas Jakucionis was the freshman that was had the biggest impact for the Illini last season, but quietly Ivisic had a standout first campaign, leading the team with 7.7 rebounds and finishing second with 13.0 points per game. Jakucionis is now in the NBA which opens the door for Ivisic to be one of the breakout players this season. He has size at 7-1 to be an interior force, while bringing a deceptive shooting touch that can stretch defenses and pull big defenders away from basket.

After a magical postseason run in 2024 during which the Washington Commanders QB could do no wrong, it has been the exact opposite in 2025. A sophomore slump might’ve been expected, but no one could’ve imagined the nightmare that the Commanders are living after Week 9.

Daniels exited ‘Sunday Night Football’ against the Seattle Seahawks with an elbow injury. To make matters worse, it came with the team facing a 31-point deficit with just over seven minutes left in the game.

Questions will be asked about the reasoning for Daniels’ continued participation at that point, but the freak injury was seemingly just that.

Depending on the timeline, Daniels’ potential extended absence might just be the final nail in the Commanders’ coffin this season.

Here’s the latest on the Commanders’ star.

How long is Jayden Daniels out?

There is not yet a concrete timeline for Daniels’ return to action, but he is expected to miss time after suffering an elbow dislocation against the Seahawks on ‘Monday Night Football.’

ESPN’s John Keim reports Daniels ‘is expected to be sidelined indefinitely, but it is uncertain whether his season is over.’ Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the second-year quarterback is expected to ‘miss several games’ but that ‘the belief is [the injury is] not as bad as it could’ve been.’

Daniels will have an MRI to reveal the extent of the injury Monday. X-Rays on Daniels’ injured left arm were negative, according to multiple reports.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn did not provide much of an update about Daniels’ injury following the game. He simply told reporters during a postgame news conference the 24-year-old quarterback had suffered a left elbow injury.

‘I’ll update you more once I know more,’ Quinn said. ‘But that’s what I know tonight.’

Week 9 marked Daniels’ return to game action after he missed the team’s previous contest with a hamstring injury. He missed two games earlier in the season with a knee injury, marking what has been an injury-plagued season for the young star.

Jayden Daniels injury update

Daniels suffered an elbow injury in Week 9 and had his arm promptly put into an air cast before being helped off the field.

The quarterback was injured on a scramble with just over seven minutes remaining in the game. His arm was bent backward by the Seahawks’ Drake Thomas, who swung Daniels down on the tackle.

Commanders QB depth chart

Jayden Daniels (injured)
Marcus Mariota
Josh Johnson

Daniels is the unquestioned starter in Washington. As he goes, the Commanders go. He is the face of the franchise and one of the league’s brightest young stars.

It’ll be difficult for Washington to continue their playoff chase without their starter under center.

Mariota figures to continue starting, while Johnson serves as the backup if Daniels is forced to miss an extended period.

While Purdue eyes first national title, defending champion Florida has the pieces to repeat, while 2025 runner-up Houston is reloaded.
Highly touted freshmen like AJ Dybantsa at Brigham Young and the Boozer twins at Duke are expected to make a major impact.
After a dominant season, the SEC attempts to assert itself as the toughest conference in the country.

The ball is tipped, and there they are.

Nearly seven months after Florida was crowned the national champions, a new season of men’s college basketball begins with more than 350 teams starting their march toward the NCAA Tournament. With all of the hyped freshman and numerous transfers, no college basketball team is ever the same as it was last season. Some teams have regressed, while others have improved and are poised to make some noise in what many are hoping will end in cutting the nets.

So with the season ready to begin, here are the top 10 storylines to watch in men’s hoops, as the race to the 2026 Final Four in Indianapolis begins.

Is this finally the year for Purdue, Matt Painter?

After years of disappointing finishes, Matt Painter and Purdue finally got over the hump and reached the 2024 national championship game, only for the Boilermakers to lose to Connecticut.

Two seasons later, this may be the Boilermakers best chance yet. Purdue begins the season the No. 1 team in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll for the first time, and it’s no secret why. The team return several key veterans, including preseason All-American Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer. Big man Daniel Jacobsen returns from injury and is joined by South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff. Painter has all the pieces to finally win it at all, and the Boilermakers would love nothing more than to do it not far from home at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Florida eye’s repeat

Before Connecticut’s back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, Florida was the last team to win consecutive titles, and the Gators have the pieces to make a serious run toward another championship. While it lost key guards in Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin, Florida boasts one of the best front courts in the country.

Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu are back to form a dominant interior duo, and Thomas Haugh returns. Todd Golden then replenished the guard position by bringing in Boogie Fland from Arkansas, Xaivian Lee from Princeton and freshman CJ Ingram. A non-conference slate that includes Arizona, Duke and Connecticut will test the defending champions, as well as a tough SEC slate, but Florida has all the right pieces to return to the Final Four.

Houston reloads

Kelvin Sampson was seconds away from finally winning a national championship before it slipped out of Houston’s hands. It almost feels like Sampson took it personal and decided to go hard in refueling a team that should again make life tough for opponents.

Milos Uzan, Emanuel Sharp and Joseph Tugler are the key returnees, and they will be joined by arguably Sampson’s best recruiting class with forward Chris Cenac Jr. and guard Isiah Harwell leading the group. The blend of young and experienced should bode well for Houston, giving the Cougars more offensive flair to complement their outstanding defense.

UConn, St. John’s battle for Big East

One of the most entertaining conference races will happen in the Big East with Connecticut and St. John’s fighting for supremacy. The Huskies had a down year in their bid to three-peat after losing so much from the title teams. However, Dan Hurley is ready to contend again with veterans Alex Karaban and Solo Ball in place. Meanwhile, Rick Pitino continues the hype in New York City, bringing in transfers in Bryce Hopkins, Joson Sanon and Ian Jackson to join big man Zuby Ejiofor.

These two are miles ahead the rest of the Big East and each will have stiff tests in non-conference play. But we can’t wait to see these two play each other twice in February, with a third meeting potentially in the Big East tournament.

Can AJ Dybantsa bring glory to BYU?

The hype has never been higher in Provo, Utah. Brigham Young feels like it could have its best season with touted freshman AJ Dybantsa arriving to take the Cougars to new heights.

Dybantsa can really do it all on the court, and he will make a strong case to be the first overall pick in next year’s NBA draft. What really helps Dybantsa from other hyped recruits going to not typical power schools is BYU is coming off a season where it went to the Sweet 16. Leading scorer Richie Saunders is back and Robert Wright III arrives from Baylor. This should be a fun team to watch in one of the best home environments in college basketball, and the Cougars feel like they can make their first Final Four.

Can SEC replicate dominant season?

Last season was the year of the SEC, when it dominated the non-conference and sent a record 14 teams to the big dance. Even more impressive, seven of those teams reached the second weekend and the tournament ended with Florida winning it all.

Now, how does the SEC follow up that historic run? Six teams − Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee and Auburn − start the season ranked and should be solid squads. Vanderbilt, Texas, Missouri, Mississippi and Mississippi State look like they can put up tournament worthy resumes, while Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Georgia may be able to do enough to get in. It will be tough to be just as good as 2024-25, but with all the talent the league possesses, it’s not out of the realm and will be a fun conference season to watch when 2026 begins.

Which transfers make immediate impact?

Some teams swung big in the transfer portal and hit home runs with new additions that are expected to take these squads toward contender status. After a great first season at Michigan, Dusty May got arguably the best transfer in Yaxel Lendenborg, a dynamic guard that can be the missing piece to get the Wolverines to the Final Four. Mick Cronin lacked a true offensive leader at UCLA, and he got one in bucket-getter Donovan Dent.

After another down season, Jerome Tang brings PJ Haggerty to Kansas State, while new coaches at Iowa (Ben McCollum) and North Carolina State (Will Wade) bring in top tier talent to lead a new direction, with Bennett Stirz (Drake) joining the Hawkeyes and Darrion Williams (Texas Tech) now with the Wolfpack. These transfers should bring big changes to their programs, but which one will be the one that takes teams to the next level?

Boozer twins arrive at Duke

Duke royalty arrives in Durham, North Carolina, with Carlos Boozer’s twin sons, Cameron and Cayden, joining the Blue Devils. Both are extremely talented, with the taller Cameron considered one of the best freshman recruits in the country.

Even with the loss of Cooper Flagg and several other NBA draftees, the twins should keep Jon Scheyer’s team one of the best in the country and dominate the ACC. Besides the Boozer twins, the veteran players around them will take on elevated roles, notably Caleb Foster and Isaiah Evans.

Can Kansas get mojo back?

Since Bill Self captured his second national title in 2022, the Jayhawks haven’t been the dominant force they’ve been for much of his tenure. Kansas is 34-22 in Big 12 play the past three seasons, with the last two campaigns having finishes outside the top three of the Big 12 for the first time under Self. Things haven’t gone great in the tournament either. The Jayhawks haven’t reached the Sweet 16 in three appearances, and last year saw the team get knocked out in the first round for the first time since 2005, Self’s second season in Lawrence.

Kansas is hoping to get back to its winning ways, and a good start is bringing in top recruit Darryn Peterson. The roster is completely revamped with Flory Bidunga the main returning piece. The pressure is on for Self to get the Jayhawks back in the title picture and not falling behind in the Big 12.

Which new coach succeeds?

The coaching carousel was certainly spinning in the offseason. Now comes the question of who brings a major turnaround in year one.

Coaches to watch include Darren DeVries at Indiana, Sean Miller at Texas, Will Wade at North Carolina State and Ben McCollum at Iowa, all of which have high expectations. But there are also some names worth watching at programs looking to take steps forward in Richard Pitino at Xavier, Josh Pastner at UNLV, Kevin Willard at Villanova and Ryan Odom at Virginia. Also, can Steven Pearl keep Auburn’s success going taking over for his dad?

In attempting to identify possible subjects for scrutiny on a given college football weekend, we here at Overreaction HQ must avoid getting too far into the proverbial weeds. There are, after all, moments from individual games all across the landscape that could fill a book the size of ‘War and Peace” if we offered commentary on all of them.

We’ll therefore try to limit ourselves to big-picture issues involving the College Football Playoff contenders as the season heads into its final month. We’ll begin this edition of the top five overreactions in ACC country, where the most significant results of Week 10 took place.

The ACC has no at-large candidates

The losses by Georgia Tech and Miami to unranked opponents leave the conference with no teams in the top 10 of the US LBM Coaches Poll. We reiterate, of course, that the polls are not officially considered by the CFP committee, but they often tend to look quite similar. As such, those results would appear to be quite damaging to the league’s prospects for getting multiple representatives into the 12-team playoff.

It’s not entirely out of the question, however, although Virginia, the conference’s highest ranked team for the moment at No. 11, almost certainly will need to get there via the automatic route. Miami, now two games out of the league lead, is a long shot to win the conference championship. But ironically the Hurricanes might still have the best at-large case should they get to 10-2 thanks to that Notre Dame win way back in Week 1. Georgia Tech could also have an argument, but it would necessitate a non-conference win against Georgia in the regular-season finale.

But there’s one other team in the league nobody is talking about that might be able to assemble an at-large resume in the final stretch. That team is Pittsburgh. The Panthers were 2-2 and largely forgotten at the end of September but have rattled off five wins in a row and still have just one loss in conference. They end their campaign with head-to-head opportunities against both Georgia Tech and Miami, and before that they get their own shot at Notre Dame. Even if they run the table they might still get squeezed out of the league title game since they’d lose a potential tiebreaker with Louisville, and the bad loss to Backyard Brawl rival West Virginia will be a drag on their overall body of work. But a 10-2 mark with that set of wins would at least have to be considered.

This year’s Indiana is – Oregon?

Indiana, an 11-1 team in 2024 with no bad losses but no high-end victories, was the most divisive inclusion in the playoff field last season. There will be no such controversy associated with this year’s Hoosiers, who might be even better, but might there be other examples this year?

Just to be clear, the precedent is now established that an 11-1 team from a power conference is not going to be left out. But that will not silence advocates of other programs from questioning such a team’s actual achievements. There might, in fact, be such a team from the Hoosiers’ own conference that would draw such ire. Curiously, it’s a team universally recognized as being Indiana’s most notable win to date.

The analogy with Oregon isn’t perfect. Should the Ducks get to 11-1, their resume will include November wins against Iowa, Southern California and Washington, all of whom will have been ranked at some point during the season even if they don’t end up in the Top 25 when the field is set. Even so, there will inevitably be complaints coming from the general vicinity of some 9-3 SEC squad that said team played a tougher schedule.

Or … Ole Miss?

Heck, it might even be another SEC member that gets the no-good-wins treatment. The Rebels, via the vagaries of the conference’s scheduling computer, happened to miss most of the other teams in the upper half of the standings this year. The Oklahoma win should hold up well, and the Georgia loss is hardly damaging. Though that lone loss might keep Ole Miss out of the title game, much as the lone setback against Ohio State relegated Indiana to the at-large pool last year.

Again, an 11-1 team will not miss the playoff, especially one from the SEC – and especially especially at the expense of a 9-3 or 10-2 team from the same conference. What happens if the Rebels stumble to Florida or Mississippi State late, however? That kind of passionate debate that fuels this sport, so we accept it as part of the scenery.

The bubbly Red River – Texas

OK, we’ve spent a lot of sentences here already busting on followers of the ‘just means more’ league, so let’s look at a couple of specific cases. There are going to be several 9-3 candidates, and the league’s two newest members who brought their storied Red River rivalry with them seem headed in that direction. Let’s see how they might stack up.

We’ll start with the Longhorns, who would have the advantage of the head-to-head result against Oklahoma in hand. The Ohio State loss isn’t egregious, but the one at Florida is. Assuming a victory against last-place Arkansas, Texas can reach 9-3 by splitting its other two remaining contests, which are at Georgia and home against Texas A&M. A win in either of those would likely suffice, but losses in both would leave the ‘horns on the outside. Should they find a way to sweep those challenging contests, they could find themselves back in Atlanta, but given their numerous near disasters that scenario seems far-fetched.

The bubbly Red River – Oklahoma

The Sooners’ situation is somewhat more complicated. Since their two losses are both in conference and the Longhorns and Ole Miss hold tiebreakers against them, they’re likely limited to the at-large pool unless there’s a whole lot of chaos in the standings above them. They have a chance to create a little of that themselves in a couple of weeks at Alabama, but assuming they don’t win in Tuscaloosa they can still get to 9-3 with home victories against Missouri and LSU.

Would that be enough? It would depend on who else is in their immediate vicinity on the board. A non-conference win against Michigan could be a decisive chip, depending on the contenders. Bottom line? Expect plenty of drama in the coming month in a lot of college towns.