Greetings from the sports desk located somewhere below the main deck of the Good Pirate Ship RedState. Or, if you prefer, my laptop.
I apologize for this weekly college preview post being written well after the slate of games has already started. Been dealing with some family health issues and off-site shenanigans, which have proved quite the distraction, especially when it comes to getting a decent night’s sleep. I’m not trolling for sympathy; instead, simply explaining why I’m behind schedule.
The “putting things in perspective” aspect has been run into the ground, so I’ll pass. That said, I do have a different outlook on the matter than the usual pontifications of varying rewordings of Midnight Oil’s lone Stateside hit from 1987. It’s days like these that give cause to appreciate the mini-vacation sports can provide when the presenters of the same allow it to happen, minus social justice silliness or politically flavored variations thereof. We of the human race need our figurative batteries recharged from time to time. That’s why we enjoy recreational activities, be they of a passive or active participation manner. Some create art as a release — music, theater, video, dance, paint, sculpture, what have you — while most sit back and enjoy the creative efforts of others. Some of us enjoy throwing a football around with friends and family, while many of us take delight in watching highly skilled, trained athletes perform at the highest level. It’s all part of being human, activities not prohibited by faith. As I once heard a pastor say, people tend to get so caught up in the profound theological meanings of things that they forget that Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding reception, primarily to keep the party going.
With all that duly noted, here’s the AP Top 25 heading into today (Saturday, October 10, 2026), which is week six of college football:
| 1. | Texas | (4-0) |
| 2. | Georgia | (5-0) |
| 3. | Notre Dame | (5-0) |
| 4. | Miami (FL) | (5-0) |
| 5. | Ohio State | (4-1) |
| 6. | Alabama | (5-0) |
| 7. | Indiana | (5-0) |
| 8. | BYU | (4-0) |
| 9. | Ole Miss | (3-1) |
| 10. | LSU | (4-1) |
| 11. | Texas Tech | (5-0) |
| 12. | Utah | (4-0) |
| 13. | Oregon | (3-1) |
| 14. | Missouri | (4-1) |
| 15. | Tennessee | (4-1) |
| 16. | Florida | (4-1) |
| 17. | Mississippi State | (4-1) |
| 18. | Oklahoma State | (3-1) |
| 19. | USC | (5-1) |
| 20. | Iowa | (4-1) |
| 21. | UCLA | (4-0) |
| 22. | Houston | (4-1) |
| 23. | Boise State | (4-1) |
| 24. | SMU | (4-1) |
| 25. | Pitt | (5-0) |
Pitt is new to this week’s rankings, replacing Kentucky, which suddenly remembered it’s not basketball season, so what are we doing here?
The marquee matchup is #2 Georgia visiting #6 Alabama, a game so loaded with interest that President Trump had planned on attending until Tuscaloosa decided to host a unique halftime show in the presence of Hurricane Isaias. It'll still be better than Bad Bunny. Anyway, assuming weather permits the game to be played at all, let alone well, this is strength on strength. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, who, although not quite in the same category as Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, is definitely top-tier, has the Bulldogs’ offense biting as well as it barks. At the same time, Georgia’s defense excels at forcing turnovers. Alabama is also humming along on both sides of the ball, with its sophomore quarterback Keelon Russel a well-honed weapon both throwing and running. He leads an offense that is a scoring machine, and the defense is getting the job done. Hopefully this one won’t be won by Mother Nature.
Elsewhere, #1 Texas and Oklahoma renew the Red River Rivalry in a game that gives all of us the glorious opportunity to say … on the count of three, everyone … “Throw Out the Record Books!” Which, given that this marks the 122nd time this game has been played, must be pretty heavy. Texas is clearly the better team, but Oklahoma has something to prove, so this should be fun. #7 Indiana travels to Nebraska, where, after some time lost in the cornfields, the Cornhuskers are 5-0 and looking to reinsert themselves into the perennial powerhouse conversation in college football. Indiana has Ohio State at home after this one, so it has to watch against the double whammy of playing a team determined to pull off the upset this week while not looking ahead to the biggest regular-season game of the year on its schedule next week. Finally, the other matchup of ranked teams this weekend besides Georgia and Alabama is in the PAC-8 … um, 10 … er, 12 … Big Ten (seriously?), with the resurgent (to put it mildly) #21 UCLA Bruins traveling up north to take on the #13 Oregon Ducks. Oregon is heavily favored, but do not overlook the Bruins.
Enjoy the weekend, everyone.