Good morning, and welcome back to CFB Roundup from CFB Home – the first daily newsletter that’s all college football, all the time with no bias, no slant, and no fluff.

Updated AP Top 25

The newest edition of the AP Top 25 was released yesterday following the final week of the regular season:

1. Oregon (62/62 first place votes)

2. Texas, +1

3. Penn State, +1

4. Notre Dame, +1

5. Georgia, +3

6. Tennessee, +1

7. Ohio State, -5

8. SMU, +1

9. Indiana, +1

10. Boise State, +1

11. Alabama, +2

12. Arizona State, +2

13. South Carolina, +3

14. Miami, -6

15. Ole Miss

16. Iowa State, +1

17. BYU, +2

18. Clemson -6

19. UNLV, +2

20. Colorado, +3

21. Illinois, +1

22. Missouri, +2

23. Syracuse, Not Ranked

24. Army, +1

25. Memphis, Not Ranked

Dropped: Tulane (18), Texas A&M (20)

RV: TAMU (93), LOU (45), DUKE (30), KSU (10), TUL (9), LSU (6), ULL (5), UF (4), BAY (1), MICH (1)

Updated ESPN Playoff Odds

ESPN’s Playoff Predictor updated yesterday with 24 teams being listed as having at least a 0.1% chance to make the 12-team CFP:

1. Notre Dame: 100%

2. Texas: 100%

3. Oregon: 100%

4. Penn State: 99.7%

5. Georgia: 99.4%

6. Indiana: 98.9%

7. Tennessee: 98.1%

8. Ohio State: 96.3%

9. SMU: 68.9%

10. Boise State: 68.6%

11. Iowa State: 53.8%

12. Arizona State: 44.0%

13. Clemson: 41.3%

14. Alabama: 30.3%

15. UNLV: 27.5%

16. Miami: 23.6%

17. South Carolina: 20.9%

18. BYU: 14.6%

19. Army: 8.3%

20. Ole Miss: 3.1%

21. Louisiana: 1.8%

22. Marshall: 0.6%

23. Tulane: 0.5%

24. Missouri: 0.1%

West Virginia Firing Head Coach Neal Brown

West Virgnia is set to fire its Head Coach Neal Brown, according to CBS.

If true, Coach Brown closes out his six seasons with West Virgnia with a 52-15 loss to Texas Tech this past weekend.

Brown was hired after 3 consecutive 10+ win seasons at Troy, but was 22-25 in his first 4 seasons at West Virginia. After a 9-4 record last season, Brown looked like he saved his job and even signed an extension. However, after going 6-6 this season with a 5-4 conference record, Brown is now back on the job market and AD Wren Baker is making his first head coaching hire for the football team since taking the AD job in 2022.

Brown is expected to be owed $9.7M in buyout money for being fired by West Virgnia.

Gus Malzahn Resigning from UCF to Become Florida State’s OC

Former UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn announced over the weekend that he was planning on stepping down as HC of the Knights to go be the Offensive Coordinator at Florida State.

Malzahn took over in 2021 and won 9 games in each of 2021 and 2022. In his first season in the Big 12, the Knights took a small step back to go 6-7 last season and then took another step back, going 4-8 this season.

Malzahn is taking over an FSU offense which finished last in the ACC in yards per game.

UCF released a statement on Coach Malzahn’s firing, sharing, “We would like to thank Coach Malzahn for his contributions to our football program over the past four seasons, including our transition into the Big 12 Conference. We appreciate his professionalism and dedication to our student-athletes throughout his tenure at UCF and wish he and his wife, Kristi, the very best in their future endeavors.”

Purdue Fires HC Ryan Walters

Purdue has fired Head Coach Ryan Walters after two seasons.

Walters’ buyout was $9.5M according to On3’s Pete Nakos as he followed his first season of 4-8 with a 1-11 season where the Boilermakers were winless against FBS competition.

Walters was originally hired by Purdue after having been the Defensive Coordinator for Illinois where they ranked 3rd in the nation in yards allowed per game and led the nation in fewest opponent points per game.

However, the Boilermakers ranked 16th in the Big Ten in 2023 and Last in the Big Ten in 2024 in terms of total yards allowed. They also were last in points per game allowed in both seasons of Walters’ tenure.

Temple Hiring Sam Houston’s KC Keeler as Head Coach

Temple is planning to hire Sam Houston’s KC Keeler to fill its coaching vacancy according to a report from Pete Nakos.

Coach Keeler was 97-39 at Sam Houston and was 86-52 in 11 seasons at Delaware prior to coaching at Sam Houston.

Temple AD Arthur Johnson shared, in part, “Coach Keeler has a track record of evaluating, recruiting, and developing student-athletes into championship-level young men. His leadership, experience, and the culture he establishes within programs are exactly what Temple football needs as we look to return to prominence in the competitive college football landscape.”

Kennesaw State Announces Jerry Mack as the University’s Second Head Coach

Kennesaw State has announced that Jerry Mack will be its next head football coach.

Coach Mack was previously with Tennessee where he was the running backs coach for the Volunteers.

Mack said, among other things, that “KSU is one of the fastest-growing institutions in the country with no ceiling on the potential opportunities it presents for our student-athletes. I am grateful and honored to be entrusted as the leader and standard bearer of our team. I’m looking forward to helping our young men build on the success of our program, obtain degrees, win championships, and develop into great citizens that our KSU family will be proud of.”

FIU Firing HC Mike MacIntyre

FIU has announced that it is firing coach Mike MacIntyre according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

MacIntyre juts finished his third season with the Panthers, going 4-8 in each of the 3 seasons he was there, and his contract was paying him $750k in base salary per season.

Back a couple weeks ago, MacIntyre found himself in some hot water when he gave an unpopular answer in a press conference. He was asked if 2025 was a make or break year for the Panthers, to which MacIntyre responded by saying “this program hasn’t had a good history at all since the beginning of it.”

MacIntyre was supposed to be under contract through the 2027 season.

Texas Tech WR Micah Hudson, Former Consensus 5-Star WR Plans to Enter Portal

Former consensus 5-star WR Micah Hudson told On3’s Hayes Fawcett he intends to enter the transfer portal.

Hudson played in eight games as a true freshman where he caught 8 passes for 123 yards.

The standout receiver was ranked 12th nationally and 4th at the WR position in the 2025 class behind only Jeremiah Smith, Cam Coleman, and Ryan Williams – all guys who had great true freshman seasons and were expected to contribute right away.

Hudson originally chose Texas Tech over Texas and Ohio State, but early reports indicate that Ole Miss is the name to watch in this one.

Updated ESPN FPI

ESPN’s computer-generated Football Power Index, a CFB power ratings system has been updated:

1. Texas, 26.5

2. Notre Dame, 25.3 (+1)

3. Ohio State, 24.8 (-1)

4. Alabama, 23.9

5. Georgia, 21.6

6. Oregon, 20.8 (+1)

7. Tennessee, 20.7 (+1)

8. Ole Miss, 20.5 (-2)

9. Penn State, 20.4

10. Indiana, 18.7 (+1)

11. Miami, 17.3 (-1)

12. SMU, 16.6

13. Louisville, 16.4

14. South Carolina, 14.7 (+2)

15. Clemson, 14.4 (-1)

16. Texas A&M, 14.3 (-1)

17. LSU, 13.5 (+2)

18. USC, 13.3

19. Colorado, 12.7 (+5)

20. Tulane, 12.2 (-3)

21. Missouri, 12.2

22. Florida, 11.8 (+3)

23. Iowa State, 11.6 (+3)

24. Iowa, 11.4 (-4)

25. Kansas State, 11.3 (-3)

Other Commitments/Decommitments

5-Star (98) WR Jerome Myles decommits from USC

4-Star (94) EDGE Jayden Woods flips from Penn State to Florida

4-Star (92) OT Tavaris Dice flips from Auburn to Florida

4-Star (92) S Lagonza Hayward decommits from Tennessee

4-Star (92) OT Zac Stascausky flips from Washington to Oregon

2026 4-Star (92) ATH Kendre Harrison commits to Oregon

2026 4-Star (91) DL Bott Mulitalo commits to Oregon

4-Star (90) DL Joseph Mbatchou flips from Texas to Florida

4-Star (90) RB Marquise Davis flips from Kentucky to Missouri

4-Star (90) S Jordan Young flips from Clemson to Michigan

4-Star (90) IOL Peyton Joseph flips from Florida State to Georgia Tech

4-Star (90) IOL Justin Hasenhuetl decommits from Georgia Tech

4-Star (90) EDGE London Merritt commits to Colorado

4-Star (90) OT Chastan Brown decommits from UCF

2026 4-Star (90) WR Keeyun Chapman decommits from UCF

3-Star (89) QB Brady Hart flips from Michigan to Texas A&M

3-Star (89) WR Marcus Harris decommits from Oklahoma

3-Star (89) WR Jamien Little commits to Duke

3-Star (89) OT Carde Smith commits to Colorado

2026 3-Star (89) ATH Marcello Vitti commits to Iowa

2026 3-Star (88) CB Chaston Smith commits to Notre Dame

2026 3-Star (88) S Jamarrion Gordon decommits from UCF

3-Star (87) DL Jamarcus Moye commits to Mississippi State

3-Star (87) EDGE Ismael Kante commits to Illinois

3-Star (87) EDGE Chandavian Bradley commits to Oklahoma State

3-Star (87) ATH Isaiah Anderson decommits from Texas Tech

3-Star (87) CB Serious Stinyard decommits from West Virginia

3-Star (87) RB Brendon Haygood decommits from Boise State

3-Star (87) EDGE Lucien Holland decommits from Boise State

3-Star (86) OT Kaveon Lee commits to Minnesota

3-Star (86) OT Tucker Kattus flips from Kentucky to Clemson

3-Star (86) DL Alexander McPherson commits to Colorado

3-Star (86) WR Quentin Gibson commits to Colorado

3-Star (86) LB Ke’Breion Winston commits to Baylor

3-Star (86) DL Evan Powell decommits from West Virginia

3-Star (86) LB Macklin Sanders commits to East Carolina

3-Star (86) WR Romel Stevens commits to Arkansas State

2026 3-Star (86) CB Lennie Brown commits to Kansas

2026 3-Star (86) LB Daiveon Taylor decommits from West Virginia

3-Star (85) QB Hezekiah Millender flips from Boise State to Georgia

3-Star (85) CB Herlin Perry commits to USF

3-Star (85) S Dylan King commits to Temple

3-Star (85) LB Quatorious Walker decommits from Marshall

2026 3-Star (85) ATH Jack Duckworth commits to Arkansas

3-Star (84) LB Jashawn Nelson decommits from Purdue

3-Star (84) DL Josiah Victor commits to NC State

3-Star (83) OT Chance Holloman commits to Memphis

3-Star (83) QB Ethan Drumms decommits from Georgia State

3-Star (82) LB Tymere Burton commits to Utah State

3-Star (82) OT KJ Kotalik commits to Western Michigan

3-Star (81) ATH Blaine Downing commits to Montana State

3-Star (80) K Owen Simpson commits to UCF

3-Star (80) OT Jorden Cunningham commits to New Mexico

2026 3-Star (80) QB Jaxson Dosh commits to Western Michigan

2-Star (78) CB Fredd Adams commits to Coastal Carolina

2-Star (77) ATH Aiden Brown commits to Idaho State

2-Star (76) QB Marley Alcantara commits to Southern Oregon

Unrated S Kollin Collier commits to TCU

Unrated K Dillon Curtis commits to Utah

Unrated RB Jackson McCarter commits to James Madison

Unrated DL Antoniyo Smith flips from Jacksonville State to Eastern Michigan

Unrated CB Zavian Dilworth commits to Eastern Michigan

Unrated ATH Kwasie Kwaku commits to Bethune Cookman

2026 Unrated DL Ayden Johnson commits to Texas Tech

2027 Unrated QB Justin Dixon commits to Syracuse

2027 Unrated S Khalil Terry commits to Michigan State