Greetings from the sports desk located somewhere below the main deck of the Good Pirate Ship RedState. It’s college football week three (okay, I’ll go along with the new math that says week one actually is two weeks long); thus, Sammy the Shark and Karl the Kraken assure me they have been hard at work compiling all the latest statistics …
More like compiling carbs.
Anyway, before getting into this weekend’s action (September 18-19, 2026), a look back at last weekend, which was highlighted by — what else? — #1 Ohio State visiting #4 Texas. For three quarters it looked like a replay of last year’s bout in Columbus, with the Buckeyes clearly holding the upper hand. Then Arch Manning remembered what his last name was, leading the Longhorns to erase a 20-point deficit en route to a 24-23 Texas win that reminded one and all, even understandably stunned Ohio State fans, why we love college football so much. Anything can happen and usually does. Including tempests located inside teapots over college kids being, well, kids. But what is life without the normalcy on which we can all pretend, such as sports journalists who are unable to get over themselves?
We begin examining this weekend’s action by looking at the current AP Top 25, which for some impossible-to-understand reason still doesn’t include my California Golden Bears (sigh). I mean, they beat Syracuse on the road last Saturday. What more do you want? Anyway, here goes:
| 1. | Texas | (2-0) |
| 2. | Georgia | (2-0) |
| 3. | Notre Dame | (2-0) |
| 4. | Indiana | (2-0) |
| 5. | Miami (FL) | (2-0) |
| 6. | Ohio State | (1-1) |
| 7. | LSU | (2-0) |
| 8. | Ole Miss | (2-0) |
| 9. | Texas A& M | (2-0) |
| 10. | Alabama | (2-0) |
| 11. | BYU | (2-0) |
| 12. | USC | (3-0) |
| 13. | Texas Tech | (2-0) |
| 14. | Penn State | (2-0) |
| 15. | Tennessee | (2-0) |
| 16. | SMU | (2-0) |
| 17. | Utah | (2-0) |
| 18. | Iowa | (2-0) |
| 19. | Michigan | (2-0) |
| 20. | Missouri | (2-0) |
| 21. | Oregon | (1-1) |
| 22. | Houston | (2-0) |
| 23. | Louisville | (1-1) |
| 24. | Oklahoma | (1-1) |
| 25. | Virginia | (2-0) |
Michigan has reinserted itself into the Top 25 following its 17-10 victory over previously #11-ranked Oklahoma, with an unimpressive Washington falling out of the rankings despite being undefeated.
Before getting to this weekend’s marquee matchup, we do have some games between ranked opponents. In Big 12 action, tonight (Friday, September 18, 2026), #22 Houston travels within the great state of Texas to lovely Lubbock for a match with #12 Texas Tech, the latter doubtless hoping they will leave the visitors singing a Mac Davis song as they leave town following the Red Raiders running roughshod over the Cougars. Tomorrow (Saturday, September 19, 2026), in an ACC contest, #23 Louisville hosts #16 SMU.
And then there is the Big One.
In a bout threatening to shatter the Solid South, aging brat Lane Kiffin leads #7 LSU into Oxford — the one in Mississippi, although it wouldn’t surprise me if Kiffin tried to organize a game against the one in England if he thought it’d help pad his team’s statistics — to take on #8 Ole Miss, otherwise known as the school he jilted last year seeking greater coaching glory. Or something like that.
Aside from the doubtless warm and affectionate greeting Kiffin will receive from the Rebels faithful, the actual game itself is of high interest. Ole Miss is led by stud quarterback and strong Heisman Trophy candidate Trinidad Chambliss, whose combination of powerful athleticism and ice water in his veins when the heat is on has NFL franchises dreaming of calling his name come 2027 draft time. Along with top-notch running back Kewan Lacy, Chambliss and company are an offensive machine, as are the Tigers … maybe. Their star quarterback, Sam Leavitt, may or may not be injured, with his status during the week leading up to the game first listed as doubtful and then magically moved up to questionable. Just like Kiffin’s ethics, or lack thereof. (You might say I’m not a fan.) Anyway, the SEC, which already holds Kiffin and LSU in something less than high esteem after its flirtation with adding NFL-drafted players to its squad a few weeks ago, has cast a wary eye on the situation. Believe it or not, deliberately mislisting a player’s health status to mislead an opponent about whom they will be playing is frowned upon.
There are about five zillion other plotlines leading into this one, some of them involving the actual game of football. A handful of former Ole Miss players followed their coach to LSU. Rebels head coach Pete Golding worked under Kiffin at Ole Miss as his defensive coordinator from 2023 until Kiffin’s departure last year. LSU appears to have a stronger defense than Ole Miss, although their opponents thus far haven’t had much to offer on either side of the ball. Between all that and what promises to be an insane crowd, you’ve got everything you could possibly want. Hopefully minus anyone getting stupid.
Oh — at 1-1, Cal is at home this Saturday against legendary college football powerhouse Wagner. The Seahawks, currently 1-2, call Staten Island, New York home. They are looking to bounce back from an off day in their last game, which saw even more legendary college football powerhouse James Madison come out on top by the razor-thin margin of 87-3 in a contest that witnessed the Dukes tie an NCAA record by returning three punts, two via return and one that was blocked, for touchdowns. Seriously, who schedules these things?