It’s been a revolving door at No. 1 the past couple of weeks. Purdue opened the 2025-26 season in the top spot but got replaced by Arizona after the Wildcats won at UConn in mid-November — arguably the single most impressive victory of the season thus far. If not for a Power Rankings hiatus for Thanksgiving, the Boilermakers would have taken the No. 1 spot back just a couple days later when they blew out Texas Tech in the Bahamas.

Instead of a debate between the Wildcats and Boilermakers, though, a third team emerged during Feast Week — and ultimately jumped both teams to rise to No. 1.

Michigan‘s performance at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas was perhaps the best Feast Week run we’ve ever seen. Three wins over potential NCAA tournament teams — San Diego State, Auburn and Gonzaga, the last of which looked like a No. 1 candidate before the loss — by a combined 110 points. The Wolverines rose to No. 1 in nearly every metric, from KenPom to Bart Torvik to the NET.

Some of the stats were simply eye-popping, with this one standing out:

Michigan is the first team in the AP Poll era (since 1948-49) with consecutive 30-point wins, both coming against ranked opponents 🤯 pic.twitter.com/6YRG6siO1s

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) November 27, 2025

Dusty May has the best defense in the country and a team that’s huge, deep, old and can win playing different ways. Entering the second quarter of the regular season, Michigan is the national title favorite — and No. 1 this week.

Previous ranking: 13

In terms of individual performances from Vegas, UAB transfer Yaxel Lendeborg was, frankly, mildly disappointing through the first couple games of the season, averaging 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds and not looking like the first-round draft pick Michigan thought it was getting out of the portal. That’s changed quickly, and Lendeborg has played himself into the Player of the Year discussion. Over the past five games, he’s averaging 18.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.6 steals — while shooting 43.5% from 3.

Next seven days: vs. Rutgers (Dec. 6), vs. Villanova (Dec. 9)

Previous ranking: 2

Saturday’s matchup against Iowa State will feature the nation’s best offense against one of the nation’s elite defenses. The Cyclones thrive off defensive pressure, forcing turnovers at a higher clip than anyone in college basketball. Braden Smith should be up to the task, although a head-to-head matchup between Smith and Tamin Lipsey — should the latter play, having missed three straight games with a lower-body injury and likely a game-time decision — could be special. Don’t ignore Trey Kaufman-Renn vs. Joshua Jefferson, two of the best power forwards in the country, either.

Next seven days: vs. Iowa State (Dec. 6), vs. Minnesota (Dec. 10)

Previous ranking: 1

Can Arizona continue to win at a high level while still shooting — or not shooting — the way it does? The Wildcats have made just two 3s in three of the first seven games, including the wins over Florida and UConn. Through one month, they rank 359th in 3-point attempt rate (26.8%), even though they’re making triples at a 37.2% clip. For some historical context, only seven NCAA tournament teams ranked in the bottom 50 in 3-point attempts last season, including Michigan State and St. John’s. Two seasons ago, nine tournament teams ranked in the bottom 50, but none advanced to the second weekend.

Next seven days: vs. Auburn (Dec. 6)

Previous ranking: 5

We’ve still yet to see a fully healthy UConn, but the version we’ve gotten through the first month of the season is good enough to compete for a third title in four years. Braylon Mullins made his debut against Illinois last week and didn’t take long to show why the Huskies have been so eager to get him on the floor. He was a key catalyst in the win at Kansas, finishing with 17 points and three 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Tarris Reed Jr. returned against the Illini but played only 15 minutes, then sat against Kansas. Freshman Eric Reibe has provided a huge lift in Reed’s absence, averaging 12.8 points and 6.3 boards over the past four games.

Next seven days: vs. East Texas A&M (Dec. 5), vs. Florida in the Jimmy V Classic in New York (Dec. 9)

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Mullins’ breakout performance lifts UConn over KU

Mullins’ breakout performance lifts UConn over KU

Previous ranking: 7

Cameron Boozer continues to establish himself as the most productive player in college basketball, and the front-runner for both Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year. After a couple of “down” games against Kansas and Niagara, his past three games, against Howard, Arkansas and Florida, have resulted in averages of 30.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists, shooting nearly 65% from the field and 44% from 3. Boozer’s 90 points in three games is the most by a Duke player in a three-game span since JJ Redick in 2006 and the most by a Duke freshman in program history, according to ESPN Research.

Next seven days: @ Michigan State (Dec. 6)

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Cameron Boozer leads Duke to victory

Jeff Borzello recaps Duke’s win over Florida and Cameron Boozer’s performance.

Previous ranking: 8

The consistent dominance with which Michigan State is playing right now is incredibly impressive. The Spartans have scored between 1.21 and 1.24 points per possession in four straight games, and they’ve yet to allow a single opponent to reach 1.00 points per possession. Jeremy Fears Jr. is also playing the best basketball of his career, leading the nation in assists and becoming a more reliable threat as a scorer. He has hit double figures in scoring five times so far this season, including 19 points against North Carolina and 14 points against Iowa.

Next seven days: vs. Duke (Dec. 6)

Previous ranking: 17

Joshua Jefferson has quietly played himself into the National Player of the Year discussion, averaging career highs — 18.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists — across the board. What makes his season even more impressive, though, is how much his game has developed over the course of his career. The 6-foot-9 senior has become one of the elite playmaking bigs in the country, dishing out 10 assists in each of his past two games. This is a player who had 76 assists total in 60 games at Saint Mary’s. If Iowa State is without Lipsey against Purdue, Jefferson will again be the offensive fulcrum.

Next seven days: @ Purdue (Dec. 6)

Previous ranking: 12

Gonzaga looked like one of the elite teams in college basketball prior to its 40-point loss to Michigan in the Players Era title game. Despite the lopsided defeat, the Zags are still likely in that conversation. Mark Few made a lineup change after the first four games of the season, inserting Mario Saint-Supery at the point guard spot and Tyon Grant-Foster on the wing. According to BartTorvik.com, Gonzaga was No. 52 in offense and No. 2 in defense in its first four games; that has flipped to No. 25 in offense and No. 45 in defense since the lineup change. If you remove the Michigan game, it’s No. 3 on offense and No. 23 on defense.

Next seven days: @ Kentucky (Dec. 5), vs. North Florida (Dec. 7)

Previous ranking: 11

Coach Kevin Young has singled out Robert Wright III as the primary reason for BYU’s improved play over the past couple of weeks. The Baylor transfer was at it again against California Baptist on Wednesday night, finishing with 15 points, 11 assists, three steals and just one turnover, going 3-for-5 from 3-point range. Over his past four games, Wright is averaging 16.3 points, 8.0 assists, 2.3 steals and shooting 9-for-15 from 3-point range — while turning it over just eight times.

Next seven days: vs. Clemson in the Jimmy V Classic in New York (Dec. 9)

Previous ranking: 4

We’re still waiting for Nate Oats to have his full allotment of players, but the Crimson Tide continue to find impactful players on their bench. Aden Holloway was the latest addition to the injury report Wednesday, joining Latrell Wrightsell and Keitenn Bristow. And while Miami transfer Jalil Bethea made his debut against Clemson, it was freshmen Amari Allen and London Jemison and sophomore big man Aiden Sherrell who stepped up against the Tigers. Allen had his fourth straight double-figure scoring game and first career double-double; Jemison scored in double figures for his third straight game; and Sherrell posted 10 boards and eight blocks.

Next seven days: vs. UTSA (Dec. 7)

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Clemson Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide: Game Highlights

Clemson Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide: Game Highlights

Previous ranking: 16

Hubert Davis might have found something late in the win over Kentucky: Freshman guard Derek Dixon hit the go-ahead 3 with just under a minute to go and then drove for the eventual game-winning layup with 16 seconds to go. Dixon played a season-high 24 minutes against the Wildcats, with starting point guard Kyan Evans playing a season-low 16. Dixon provides extra physicality and athleticism in the backcourt, and he clearly has the moxie to take — and make — big shots late in games. It’s a position battle to monitor.

Next seven days: vs. Georgetown (Dec. 7)

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Tar Heels get statement win over Kentucky

Jeff Borzello recaps the blue-blood matchup between North Carolina and Kentucky.

Previous ranking: 3

Through one month of the season, Houston is clearly not what people expected entering the campaign. But there’s no need to sound any alarm bells or sell all your Houston stock. Exiting the Players Era Festival last year, Kelvin Sampson’s team was 4-3 with losses to Auburn, Alabama and San Diego State. The Cougars had allowed at least 1.12 points per possession in all three games. They lost just one game the rest of the regular season, allowing only two teams to hit that points per possession mark.

Next seven days: vs. Florida State (Dec. 6), vs. Jackson State (Dec. 10)

Previous ranking: 6

Louisville’s success on the offensive end is predicated on a few different things: pace, points off turnovers and volume 3-point shooting. The Cardinals struggled with all three against Arkansas on Wednesday. They didn’t have a single fast-break point or a single point off turnovers in the first half and had their worst 3-point shooting performance since Dec. 11 of last season (8-for-37). Despite all of that, they were in the game late — but then also happened to have their worst defensive performance of the season and couldn’t get crucial stops. They’ll have chances to bounce back with Indiana, Memphis and Tennessee up next.

Next seven days: vs. Indiana in Indianapolis (Dec. 6)

Previous ranking: 10

Kylan Boswell is having by far the best season of his career, but it’s not just the numbers — career highs across the board — that are jumping out. It’s the way he has performed in the Illini’s biggest games. He had 22 points and three 3s in the big win over Texas Tech in early November, 22 points and seven assists in the loss to Alabama, and he was Brad Underwood’s best player in the defeat to UConn. He went for 25 points and nine rebounds against the Huskies, carrying the rest of the team for stretches.

Next seven days: vs. Tennessee in Nashville (Dec. 6), @ Ohio State (Dec. 9)

Previous ranking: Unranked

The Commodores might be the biggest surprise of the first month of the season. They’re pummeling teams right now, and not just the cupcakes on their schedule. They beat a good VCU team by 15 points on Nov. 27, destroyed a previously unbeaten Saint Mary’s team by 25 on Nov. 28 and then dominated a previously unbeaten SMU team by 19 on Dec. 3. They have one of the elite offenses in college basketball and Tyler Tanner is perhaps the most underrated point guard in the country. He had 26 points and six assists in the win over SMU.

Next seven days: No games

Previous ranking: 19

Arkansas lost narrowly to Michigan State and Duke in its two previous marquee nonconference matchups but set the tone early in Wednesday’s win over Louisville. The Razorbacks kept the Cardinals at arm’s length for most of the game and led by as many as 20 points in the second half. The freshman guard duo of Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas are getting much of the attention, but Trevon Brazile is playing arguably his best basketball since the 2022 Maui Invitational. He had 21 points and five boards against Louisville and is now averaging nearly 14 and eight over his past five games, shooting 40% from 3.

Next seven days: vs. Fresno State in North Little Rock (Dec. 6)

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Highlight: No. 25 Arkansas fends off No. 6 Louisville in ACC/SEC Challenge

Trevon Brazile puts up 21 points and snags five rebounds while Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas pour in 17 each in the Razorbacks’ 88-80 victory over the Cardinals.

Previous ranking: 23

Auburn’s offense is clicking right now. At the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas, star point guard Tahaad Pettiford snapped out of a slump, averaging 22.3 points and shooting 42.1% from 3. He did struggle against NC State (six points), but the Tigers got huge shotmaking performances from Kevin Overton (29 points, six 3s) and Keyshawn Hall (28 points, five 3s). Steven Pearl’s team has responded well to the blowout loss to Michigan. Over their past three halves — a 55-point second half against St. John’s and Wednesday’s 83-73 win over the Wolfpack — the Tigers are shooting 60.8% from the field and 56.7% from 3.

Next seven days: @ Arizona (Dec. 6)

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NC State Wolfpack vs. Auburn Tigers: Game Highlights

NC State Wolfpack vs. Auburn Tigers: Game Highlights

Previous ranking: Unranked

USC avoided a letdown after winning the Maui Invitational by getting a solid road win at Oregon despite the absence of Rodney Rice due to injury. Chad Baker-Mazara has been terrific for the Trojans, scoring at least 23 points on four occasions — including averaging 24.0 points over his past two games. He came up huge late against the Ducks, getting three straight USC baskets in the final minutes while it was a one-possession game. The Trojans’ schedule the rest of 2025 looks fairly manageable, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them head into their Jan. 2 visit at Michigan undefeated.

Next seven days: vs. Washington (Dec. 6), @ San Diego (Dec. 9)

Previous ranking: Unranked

Kansas went 3-0 in Las Vegas at the Players Era Championship, getting improved play from Bryson Tiller and Jamari McDowell and looking like it had the chops to survive without Darryn Peterson. And through one half against UConn on Tuesday, it was more of the same. But down the stretch, the Jayhawks really struggled to find any consistent offense. That said, there should be more optimism about this team once Peterson returns. Veterans like Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White can fill roles, Flory Bidunga has really emerged and Elmarko Jackson is playing better, too.

Next seven days: vs. Missouri in Kansas City (Dec. 7)

Previous ranking: 18

After the Volunteers looked like a potential top-10 team again by beating Houston in their second Players Era Championship game, they’ve now lost back-to-back games to Kansas and Syracuse. Against the Jayhawks, they simply couldn’t get stops when they needed, but it was the offense that really struggled against Syracuse. Ja’Kobi Gillespie had 10 points, his fewest since the season opener, while Nate Ament went 2-for-10 from the field. Tennessee doesn’t have the firepower to survive when its top two shotmakers aren’t scoring.

Next seven days: vs. Illinois in Nashville (Dec. 6)

Previous ranking: 9

Florida’s new-look backcourt has been a work in progress, though one half of the transfer tandem seems to be finding his way. Boogie Fland had 17 points against Providence out in San Diego, then had 16 points in the one-point loss to Duke — including the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute. He turned it over on the final possession, but his aggressiveness and confidence are back. Now, can Todd Golden coax the same jump from Xaivian Lee? It was notable he opted to play Urban Klavzar more in the second half against Duke, and Klavzar responded with a pair of 3s.

Next seven days: vs. UConn in New York (Dec. 9)

Previous ranking: 15

Texas Tech has yet to fully hit its stride, with concerns on both ends of the court. Offensively, the Red Raiders are struggling to make shots from the perimeter against capable opponents. In two losses to Illinois and Purdue, they went a combined 14-for-56 from 3. It was only marginally better (16-for-52) in narrow wins over Wake Forest and Wyoming. Defensively, they’ve allowed at least 1.06 points per possession in five of their eight games. Upcoming contests against LSU, Arkansas and Duke will test them further.

Next seven days: vs. LSU in Forth Worth (Dec. 7)

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Wyoming Cowboys vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders: Game Highlights

Wyoming Cowboys vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders: Game Highlights

Previous ranking: Unranked

Another new addition to the rankings, the Cornhuskers actually own the nation’s longest win streak dating back to last season, winning four games to take the inaugural College Basketball Crown and then ripping off eight straight to open this 2025-26 campaign. The victory over Oklahoma looks better, too, after the Sooners won at Wake Forest. Rienk Mast has been awesome after missing all of last season with a knee injury; he’s averaging 17.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Next seven days: vs. Creighton (Dec. 7), vs. Wisconsin (Dec. 10)

Previous ranking: Unranked

TCU might have had the most highs and lows of any team in these rankings over the first month of the season. The Horned Frogs opened the campaign with a home loss to New Orleans — which won four games last season and has won one game since beating TCU. They fell late to Michigan, which looks even better in retrospect. They then went to San Diego and had one of the best Feast Weeks in the country, beating Florida and Wisconsin on back-to-back nights. It’s an uneven résumé, but they’re exceeding expectations and Brock Harding (17.5 PPG, 8.5 APG last two games) is a fun watch.

Next seven days: vs. Notre Dame (Dec. 5), vs. North Texas in Forth Worth (Dec. 7)

Previous ranking: 14

St. John’s edged out another team in the midst of a tailspin, Kentucky, for the final spot in this week’s rankings. The Red Storm did not have a great time in Las Vegas, losing by one to Iowa State before bouncing back to beat Baylor — and then allowing 55 points in the second half in a loss to Auburn. They now need to take advantage of their remaining nonconference tests, given the way the Big East is shaping up. Ole Miss visits Madison Square Garden this weekend, and Kentucky awaits in Atlanta on Dec. 20.

Next seven days: vs. Ole Miss (Dec. 6)

Dropped out: UCLA Bruins (No. 20), Wisconsin Badgers (No. 21), NC State Wolfpack (No. 22), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 24), Georgetown Hoyas (No. 25)

DETROIT — Two years later, Dan Campbell still gets upset at the thought of how the Detroit Lions‘ game at the Dallas Cowboys ended on the night of Dec. 30, 2023.

The controversial prime-time loss remains a triggering moment for the Lions coach. But that night, while never forgotten by the Lions and their fans, was the start of something more for a journeyman offensive lineman who emerged as a cult hero for his role in the contest that now bears his name in Detroit: “The Dan Skipper Game.”

Detroit thought it had sealed the win. With 23 seconds left and down by a point in a back-and-forth nailbiter between two of the NFL’s top teams, starting left tackle Taylor Decker caught Jared Goff‘s two-point conversion attempt to give the Lions a 21-20 lead. But a flag was called on the play alleging Decker had not reported himself as an eligible receiver. Officials said after the game it was Skipper, instead, who had done so. Detroit would go for 2 again, but failed on two more attempts, before ultimately losing the game 20-19.

“I think more than anything it just makes you mad, that’s about it,” Campbell said during Sunday’s practice ahead of the Dec. 4 rematch with the Cowboys at Ford Field (8:15 ET, Prime Video). “But all good. If you’re a fan, that was a heck of a game, I know that.”

In the days following that loss in Dallas, fans and the Detroit community rallied around Skipper to the point that now, Ford Field erupts every time he reports as eligible as the Lions’ sixth offensive lineman for their jumbo package — an occurrence that will inevitably be the case Thursday night.

“Looking back, it definitely changed a lot of things in my life. It’s something to tell my kids about. It’ll be a lot of fun one day,” Skipper told ESPN. “I’m still bitter about it. There’s still some lingering frustration that may not ever go away, but at this point it’s pretty cool just how the city’s rallied behind me really and made us feel at home and it’s been awesome.”

Here are must-read and untold quotes from those who witnessed that wild finish in Arlington, Texas two seasons ago.

By the end of December, the Cowboys hadn’t lost a home contest all season at 7-0, while Detroit was coming off an emotional win at Minnesota where they clinched the NFC North title for the first time in 30 years while trying to secure one of the top two seeds in the NFC.

It was also a homecoming for Campbell, a native of Clifton, Texas. Campbell played for Texas A&M and played for the Cowboys from 2003-05 but was leading one of the greatest turnarounds in franchise history during his third season as Detroit’s head coach.

Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan to ESPN before kickoff in 2023: “(Campbell) has turned that thing around, man. This team has the confidence that he has, they know he believes in them and as you’re gonna see tonight, this thing can be anywhere. Who would’ve ever thought the Detroit Lions would come to play the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas has the record they have, that people would go, ‘We don’t know whose gonna win this game?’ I think that’s all attributed to Dan Campbell and what he’s done with this team.”

Dave Birkett, Lions beat writer for Detroit Free Press since 2010: “It was the second to last game of the season and we thought both the Lions and Cowboys were really good teams and thought it might be a playoff showdown.”

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions wide receiver: “I remember we were trying to get the 1 seed at the time … and if we lost, we would probably get the 3 seed because we really can’t get the 2 seed, so we were going all for the 1 seed.”

Skipper: “I feel like we kind of turned the tables a little bit. We were on a roll. I was thinking ‘just go in there and win one,’ and that would be a big one at the time. They were pretty hot. I was just thinking, ‘How do we win another game?'”

Birkett: “From the Lions standpoint, this is the first time that they had finally crossed that threshold where they were a really good team. I’ve covered this team for a long, long time and they were bad for many years, but under Dan Campbell they started to turn it around in 2022, so 2023 was the year where you’re like, ‘this team has a shot to go far in the playoff and maybe make the Super Bowl’ and that game against the Cowboys, you knew was like a litmus test for how good the Lions were.”

For Skipper, the game also felt personal as he returned to Dallas after being cut by the organization in 2017. Skipper signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Arkansas but failed to make the 53-man roster coming out of training camp, then was signed to the practice squad only to get released on Sept. 20, 2017 before beginning his first stint with the Lions’ practice squad five days later.

Skipper: “I have a lot of personal history with those guys. Anytime someone fires you, you have a little extra hate in your heart. So, yeah, definitely wanted that one. And then going back, just even that [AT&T] stadium … that f—ing place, I’ve got a terrible record in that joint so yeah, just trying to go in there and finally win one. The debacle played out.”

Kalif Raymond, Lions wide receiver: “I wanna say we were even ticked off from the year before we lost to them at the same place. I feel like every time we go into Dallas we had a sour taste. So, we just want to make a statement.”

It was a slow offensive start for both teams, but the Cowboys led 7-3 after two quarters following a 92-yard touchdown reception by Dallas receiver CeeDee Lamb on the second possession of the game.

Dallas also inducted two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Jimmy Johnson into the team’s ring of honor at halftime, so numerous franchise legends were in attendance, including Roger Staubach, Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin.

Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions running back: “It was fun. It was a lot of energy in that stadium.”

Penei Sewell, Lions offensive tackle: “It was kind of a rough game offensively at first. They were giving us different looks that we weren’t quite prepared for.”

Johnson in 2023 on entering the Cowboys Ring of Honor: “Well, I don’t think anybody can ever imagine what this means to me. This was a special time in my life. This was something that paid dividends for me the rest of my life. It’s something that I’m extremely proud of. We took over the worst football team in the NFL…the worst! Three straight losing seasons and a 3-13 record and not only did we win Super Bowls, we were able to put together the team of 90’s. So obviously, I’m very proud of that and I’m proud to have my name up in the stadium.”

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Cowboys took a 17-13 edge after Brandin Cooks‘ eight-yard touchdown reception from Dak Prescott. The Cowboys then took a 20-13 edge after a 43-yard field goal from kicker Brandon Aubrey with less than two minutes left as the Lions began their final drive. Lions QB Jared Goff would complete an 11-yard touchdown pass to St. Brown with 23 seconds remaining to cap a nine-play, 1:18 drive as they trailed 20-19, but decided to go for 2 instead of kicking the extra point.

Sewell: “We had a chance at the end of the game to go with a two-minute drive down [the field]. We ended up scoring and then we knew that play was in that week, but I didn’t think (Campbell would) call it for a situation like this. But yeah, he called it and to my knowledge the refs already knew about that play. Like, it’s one of those plays that they have a meeting about and they tell them beforehand.”

Skipper: “It’s kind of like every week. You kind of find out early in the week, how it’s gonna be called a little bit. I knew that there were a couple trick-play type things that were jumbo but not a whole lot. I wasn’t expected to play a bunch of snaps.”

Raymond: “All I know is we talked about it in detail, like what was gonna happen. We talked about how that game was gonna happen and then also that play in detail before the game because we knew exactly what the expectation was. So, it was no surprise by everybody, and it was a surprise to everybody because everybody knew the expectation that game was.”

Skipper: “Sure enough, it gets called. Going into it, we’d talked and repped it for a while, so we knew what we were getting.”

Officials flagged Lions offensive lineman Taylor Decker after he caught a clean pass after breaking free from the end of the line that appeared to be the potential game-winning 2-point conversion with 23 seconds left. Decker was called for an illegal touching penalty for not reporting as eligible after catching the play-action pass from Goff in the end zone that left the crowd stunned momentarily.

The Lions and the referees gave contradictory accounts afterward, with Detroit saying definitively that Decker reported as an eligible receiver and Skipper did not. Skipper also said afterward that he did not report to an official.

However, in a pool report, NFL referee Brad Allen said the opposite, that Skipper reported to him as eligible and Decker did not.

Allen said of Decker in the 2023 pool report: “On this particular play, number 70 (Skipper), who had reported during the game a couple of times, reported to me as eligible. Then he lined up at the tackle position. So, actually, he didn’t have to report at all. Number 68 (Decker), who ended up going downfield and touching the pass, did not report. Therefore, he is an ineligible touching a pass that goes beyond the line, which makes it a foul. So, the issue is, number 70 (Skipper) did report, number 68 (Decker) did not.”

Decker in 2023 on what the officials told him after he was flagged on the two-point conversion: “They didn’t tell me anything after the play. I mean all I really want to say on it, just so I don’t get myself into trouble, is, I mean, I did exactly what coach told me to do, and went to the ref, said ‘report.; Yeah, I don’t know. It was my understanding, too, you know, Dan brings up the possibility of those sorts of plays pregame, so I did what I was told to do. Did how we did it in practice all week, and that’s probably all I’m really going to touch on with that.”

Skipper: “Several years later, we’re all human. We all make mistakes. Ran on the field, and they said, ‘Hey 68’s eligible.’ All three of us were in there and they went over and said 68 in front of the ball. Just the whole debacle for how that was handled after the fact and then even after they threw the flag, you could see the referee on the opposite sideline talking about the fact that they knew the play was coming and f—ed it up.

“That was one of the few times I’ve seen red. That was frustrating to say the least.”

Sewell: “Emotions were a rollercoaster. It was very high because we caught the game-winning touchdown and then we’re all going to the sideline and the refs said there was a flag on the play and that happened. And we went up again, we’re like ‘all right, cool, whatever, they called it.’ Went over again. They went offsides and we had an incomplete so we’re like, ‘OK, we have another opportunity.’ And then we just went incomplete again.”

Skipper: “Unfortunately, no one was miked. I think the refs got confused. I’ll go to my grave telling you how it was executed. How it went down and I think there’s two other guys that would back me up on that one and one guy who didn’t see it that way. So, it is what it is, it’s all good.”

Detroit would continue to go for the win in a 2-point conversion fest but was stopped twice after the controversial play. Goff was intercepted on the next attempt, but the Cowboys were flagged for being offside. Then on the final attempt, Goff threw another incomplete pass to tight end James Mitchell that was short of the goal line as the Lions fell short of a comeback victory, losing their sixth straight game to the Cowboys.

Birkett: “I’m definitely in my head like, ‘Wow this guy [Campbell], this is a little crazy.’ I can’t believe all this is happening, but I will say I thought for sure when they were going for it a third time, they were going to get it. And you know most teams have a couple two-point plays per week and then they ran three of them, but that was just the ultimate belief that he has like, ‘we’re going for it.’ It doesn’t matter where we’re at on the field, doesn’t matter what’s going on in the game, we’re going to get this and we’re going to win this game. Didn’t work out, but that’s certainly the thought that I had watching that was like, ‘holy crap, they’re gonna get this’ but then they didn’t.”

St. Brown: “I remember going for the 2-point conversion after that like 3 times so that’s really what stood out to me. In my head I was like, ‘We’re gonna go for it again?’ And then we got the flag, and it’s like ‘We’re going to go for it again?’ That was probably one of the only times since I’ve been here where it was like, ‘I probably would’ve kicked the field goal there.’ But we were rocking with it. It was 1 seed or 3 seed, so that’s what we did. It was a fun game.”

Dak Prescott, Cowboys QB, in 2023 after win: “To us getting the stop on the last one, it was just a roller coaster, a roller coaster of thoughts and that sense of let me get the ball. From earlier with the punt conversion they got to one of the early fourth downs, I said this guy is crazy. Respect with the craziness talking about Coach Campbell. I love it. I really do. You’re playing to win a game and not lose a game. That’s what he did tonight. Credit that mindset. That’s a helluva team. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them again.”

Gibbs: “It was crazy. It was my first time doing that. Cool experience though.”

Campbell: “If anything, you get in that situation again, you try to find a way to win that one instead of how do you keep it out of the hands of the officials? That’s really what you’re trying to do. Just leave it out of there, that way it’s just up to you.”

As he entered the postgame news conference, Campbell was visibly frustrated after a controversial penalty negated what would have been the go-ahead 2-point conversion late in the game. Detroit’s loss in Dallas would become a trending topic across the sports world as flashing billboards were spotted in metro Detroit alongside Interstate 75 and I-696 from an anonymous donor that read: “DECKER REPORTED”.

In the aftermath, Campbell said he woke up feeling fine the very next day. The following season, Detroit would use that 2023 experience as motivation when they delivered a 47-9 beatdown against the Cowboys in Dallas to end its losing streak.

Birkett: “So my recollection was Dan was definitely frustrated, and I believe Lions PR tried to cut his press conference off after a couple minutes and it was a little bit unclear in my recollection what he was frustrated about. Was he frustrated with Dan Skipper? Was he frustrated with Taylor Decker? Was he frustrated with the officials? And so I think I was trying to get to that at the end of the press conference so I was like, ‘what is your frustration about?’ And he said something to the effect of ‘I don’t like losing, Dave!’ And that sort of went viral because ESPN’s showing it on SportsCenter and wherever it was and I got back up from the press conference after that and I had a text from (Lions great) Calvin Johnson that was like, ‘Were you the one that pissed Coach off?’ And that’s when I knew like ‘Oh, my God, this thing has taken off.'”

St. Brown: “I felt that was the first game where you feel like you won, but you actually lost.”

Goff: “It was a very sad moment for all of us. But it created some notoriety for (Skipper). It was unfortunate the way that happened at the end and would’ve been a cool story otherwise, but I’m glad it’s made him a culture symbol in our city.”

Birkett: “It’s crazy now because anytime (Skipper) steps on the field and they announce 70’s reporting as eligible, Detroit fans go wild. He’s become like the ultimate cult hero and really a symbol of the team and kind of this era of Lions football where this guy, who’s a sixth lineman, who had to scratch and claw for every inch of his playing career and got cut I don’t know how many times, is now this guy that the Lions can’t do without because he’s a valuable part of what the Lions do with their jumbo package but also that fans truly embrace.”

Campbell: “Skip’s a different breed of man. He’s something else. … He’s reliable, dependable, and he does a lot of jobs for us.”

Skipper: “It just goes to show that when you roll with Detroit, there’s no place better to be. It’s one of those really special places that has been beaten down and thought of as a certain way, but you get here and it’s not like that. I think when people come, they’re always just so shocked that it is what it is. That’s the people, that’s the things that this place has done, and it’s changed so much. At this point, people talk shit and I’m like show up and they see it’s a sweet place. This team we try to embody what this city’s about.”

The first College Football Playoff rankings came out five weeks ago. They looked a lot like tonight’s rankings.

We’ve had precious little movement at the top, with a few teams jockeying up or down a slot, but effectively no seismic shifts in the landscape. BYU and Texas are the only two teams that were projected in the field in the committee’s first ranking that aren’t now — and they’re just barely on the outside with reasonable arguments for inclusion.

Since the first CFP ranking, teams ranked in the top 18 are a combined 55-9, with six of those losses coming to other teams ranked in the top 18. All three outliers are courtesy of — you guessed it — the ACC (Louisville to Cal, Virginia to Wake and Georgia Tech to Pitt).

That’s a massive anomaly. Last year, top-18 teams at this point had lost 19 games, including 14 to teams outside their own grouping. Top-10 teams are 33-4 this year. In the first 11 years of the playoff, top-10 teams had lost an average of nine games by this point in the season.

The two words that best describe this year’s playoff push are “status quo.”

That, of course, has been bad news for all the teams on the outside looking in — from those with valid cases such as Miami, BYU and Vanderbilt, to underdogs such as USC, Utah or Arizona that might’ve had a shot in a more chaotic year.

But the real loser in this copy and paste rankings season is all the fans who just want to see things get weird. It’s a sad state of affairs when we’re left to rely on MACtion and the ACC to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to college football drama. The power players need to step up — or, perhaps, ratchet down — their game to add a bit more drama.

The good news is, the committee’s ad hoc reasoning, mushmouthed explanations and mind-boggling about-faces still leave plenty to argue about, even if the big picture hasn’t changed all that much.

Here’s this week’s biggest slights, snubs and shenanigans.

It’s not entirely clear how this committee values wins. For the past month, the priority has certainly appeared to be about which team has the better losses (unless, of course, you’re Alabama).

That seems a foolish way to prioritize playoff teams, since the goal of the playoff isn’t to lose to good teams but to win games.

Does Texas have a bad loss? Yes. A 29-21 defeat to woeful Florida — even if the Gators also played Georgia and Ole Miss close and just walloped a team that beat Alabama head-to-head — is problematic.

But look who Texas has beaten: No. 7 Texas A&M by 10, No. 8 Oklahoma by 17 and No. 14 Vandy by three (in a game they led by 24 in the fourth quarter). That’s the résumé of a team capable of winning a national championship — even if the Horns were also capable of losing to a second-rate SEC team.

Are we trying to find teams with the most upside or give participation trophies to the ones which have not lost an ugly one? (Except, again, Alabama.)

And it’s not as if the committee believes an extra loss is disqualifying. Oklahoma, Alabama, Notre Dame and Miami all have two losses and are ranked ahead of one-loss BYU (more on that in a moment), so what’s the harm of moving a three-loss Texas ahead of a two-loss team that has accomplished less?

This all comes back to the most frequent and justified criticism of the committee: The same rules aren’t applied evenly. In some cases, record matters. In some cases, best wins matter. In some cases, better losses matter. The standard varies based on the team being considered. But if the committee is going to err in favor of any team, it should probably do so for one that’s proved — not once, not twice, but three times — that it can beat an elite opponent.

Oh, and moving Texas up ahead of, say, Notre Dame would also have the added bonus of allowing the committee to sidestep another tricky situation. Which leads us to…

We’re putting these two teams together because we’ve already lamented the committee’s utterly disingenuous evaluation of them repeatedly, so it feels redundant to keep going down the same rabbit hole. But, for the sake of two programs being astonishingly misevaluated, let’s do one more round.

For Miami, the logic is obvious: The Canes beat Notre Dame head-to-head.

But let’s keep going. Miami’s two losses — SMU and Louisville — would rank as the fourth- and fifth-toughest games on Notre Dame’s schedule, had the Irish played them. Instead, Notre Dame has cruised through an essentially listless slate. Six of Notre Dame’s 10 wins came against teams that beat zero or one other Power 4 opponent. Stanford — seriously, Stanford! — is Notre Dame’s fourth-best win (by record). Yes, Notre Dame played well enough in losses to two very good teams, but one of those teams has the same record and is somehow ranked lower! Even if this is strictly about the “eye test,” there’s little argument for ignoring the head-to-head outcome. Notre Dame’s strength of record is 13th. Miami’s is 14th. Notre Dame’s game control is fifth. Miami’s is sixth. If all else is the same, how is head-to-head not the deciding factor?

Yet, here’s a little more salt in the wound for the Canes: Had Florida State finished 6-2 instead of 2-6 in ACC play, Miami would’ve won the (fifth) tiebreaker for a spot in the ACC title game and could’ve locked up its place in the playoff by simply beating Virginia. Instead, the Canes will sit at home and watch and hope and, at this point, probably get left out. Chess, not checkers, by rival FSU.

As for BYU, the committee’s desire to overlook the Cougars makes no sense. Let’s take a look at a blind résumé, shall we? (Note: Best wins and composite top 40 based on an average of SP+, FPI and Sagarin ratings.)

Team A: No. 6 strength of record, No. 14 game control, best win vs. No. 11, next vs. No. 28, loss to No. 5, four wins vs. composite top 40, five wins vs. teams that finished 7-5 or better

Team B: No. 7 strength of record, No. 10 game control, best win vs. No. 13, next vs. No. 27, loss to No. 7, three wins vs. composite top-40, two wins vs. teams that finished 7-5 or better

Now, just based on that information, Team A would seem the obvious choice. Now what if I told you Team B just lost its head coach, too?

That’s right, Team A is BYU and Team B is Ole Miss. Every bit of data here suggests the Cougars are, at worst, on even footing with the Rebels or ahead, and yet the committee has Ole Miss ranked five spots higher.

This is, arguably, the second year in a row in which BYU was clearly the most overlooked team in the country.

A week ago, Notre Dame was ranked one spot ahead of Alabama.

Then on Saturday, the Irish beat 4-8 Stanford by 29 (in a game they at one point led 42-3), while Alabama beat 5-7 Auburn by seven (in a game the Tigers had a chance to tie before fumbling in Tide territory late).

The committee looked at those two results and said, “You know what, we like what we saw from the Tide! Move ’em up!”

What could possibly be the logic for shifting opinions on these two teams? The only other team that jumped another winning team was Texas, and the Longhorns beat the No. 3 team in the country emphatically, not a second-tier team that fired its head coach a month ago.

Oh, and hasn’t the committee made it pretty clear losses are supposed to matter? Well, Notre Dame has two losses to teams ranked in the top 12. Alabama got beat by a Florida State team that finished 5-7.

Even by the eye test, this makes little sense. Notre Dame has proved to be one of the most complete, dominant teams in the country, with a secondary that’s near impossible to throw on, a rookie quarterback who has been nearly flawless and a running back who might well be the best player in the country. Alabama, on the other hand, has a one-note offense that can’t run the football.

We’re not believers in using advanced metrics as a ranking of accomplishment, but if this is simply a “who’s better” debate…

• SP+ ranks Notre Dame fifth and Alabama 12th.

• FPI ranks Notre Dame third and Alabama sixth.

• Sagarin ranks Notre Dame second and Alabama seventh.

• FEI ranks Notre Dame fourth and Alabama ninth.

So, again, we ask: Why would the committee possibly make this change?

We’d wager you know the answer. That sticky Canes vs. Irish head-to-head debate is a real headache for the committee. But if Notre Dame’s currently the last team in and something unexpected happens this weekend (hello, BYU over Texas Tech), then the committee can do as it did in 2014 and wash its hands of a tough choice and keep both Notre Dame and Miami out.

(It’s also interesting that a seven-point win over a team with a losing record is enough to jump Notre Dame, but a 31-point win over a ranked Pitt did nothing for Miami’s relative placement with the Irish despite — and we’re not sure anyone has mentioned this yet — a head-to-head win!)

But, speaking of Alabama…

4. Championship game participants

Step into the time machine with us for a moment, all the way back to championship week 2024. Here’s the state of play: Alabama, at 9-3, is ranked No. 11, the first team out of the playoff and also out of the SEC title game. Still, the Tide and the SEC hope there’s a pathway to salvation because SMU — 11-1 and ranked eighth — still has a game to play against Clemson in the ACC championship. If the Mustangs were to lose, couldn’t the committee then justify slotting SMU behind Alabama based on another data point, even though the Tide were simply sitting at home watching the action?

This was the case being made throughout the run up to the ACC championship last season. SMU, which should’ve been celebrating a miraculously successful first season in the Power 4, spent hours upon hours defending itself against criticism that it didn’t belong in the same conversation with big, bad Bama. Rhett Lashlee hinted he thought the committee’s vote was rigged, SMU players lamented their status on the chopping block despite a ranking that should’ve put them safely in the playoff field, and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey made the rounds arguing that Alabama’s (and Ole Miss’ and South Carolina’s) strength of schedule ought to put them ahead of SMU (and others).

OK, back to the present day. Here we are with Alabama sitting perilously on the dividing line between in the field and out — a week ago, it would have been the last team in, but of course the committee had other ideas this time around — with a game to play against Georgia in the SEC championship. An ACC team (Miami) sits just a tick behind the Tide in the rankings, but it will be off this week.

So, what happens if Alabama loses?

The comparison to last year’s SMU isn’t even a particularly fair one. The Mustangs were at No. 8 before the ACC title game. Alabama is at No. 9 (and probably should be a spot or two lower). SMU’s game against Clemson was new territory. A loss to Georgia will actually undermine Alabama’s best argument for inclusion — the three-point win in Athens in September. And while SMU did make the playoff field last year, a last-second loss on a 56-yard field goal still dropped the Mustangs from No. 8 to No. 10 in the rankings.

Play this scenario out now: Alabama, ranked at No. 9, plays a team that currently counts as the Tide’s best win. Imagine if Georgia wins the rematch and does so convincingly. The committee docked SMU two spots for a last-second loss, so surely it will do at least that much to Alabama for a more convincing defeat, right? And here’s the other thing: Even with the ACC title game loss last year, SMU was 11-2 — one less loss than Alabama had. A Tide loss in the SEC title game will be defeat No. 3 — one more than Notre Dame or Miami or (presumably) BYU.

It’s hard not to see a conspiracy here given the committee’s inexplicable flip-flop between Alabama and Notre Dame. It’s hard not to see brand bias in how the Tide’s championship week narrative diverges from SMU’s a year ago. It’s not at all hard to envision a scenario where Alabama loses to Georgia, gets in as the last team anyway, and it’s all explained away as a completely reasonable decision.

Well, the committee finally weighed in on more than one team outside the Power 4 — mostly because it was just impossible to find enough Power 4 teams worth ranking — and the news isn’t good for JMU. With the committee deciding already that North Texas is the higher ranked team, the Dukes’ only hope for the playoff would seem to be a Duke win in the ACC title game.

But what exactly has the committee seen to warrant that decision? Check out the numbers.

Best win (by average FPI, SP+ and Sagarin ranking)
JMU: No. 54 Old Dominion
UNT: No. 62 Washington State

Next best
JMU: No. 62 Washington State
UNT: No. 68 Navy

Loss
JMU: No. 29 Louisville
UNT: No. 24 USF

Wins vs. bowl-eligible
JMU: six
UNT: five

Strength of record
JMU: 18th
UNT: 22nd

FPI
JMU: 28th
UNT: 37th

There are certainly some check marks in North Texas’ favor, including a more impressive win over common opponent Washington State and a slightly better SP+ ranking, but on the whole, James Madison has had the tougher path here. That can change should UNT beat Tulane, but the committee should’ve waited for that to happen. Instead, it has made it clear JMU isn’t sniffing the playoff unless it comes at the expense of the ACC.

Also angry this week: Vanderbilt Commodores (10-2, No. 14); The ACC leadership who voted on its tiebreaker policies; Manny Diaz, who has to try to make a coherent argument for his five-loss Duke Blue Devils getting in ahead of a one-loss JMU; Every 8-4 team with a markedly better résumé than 9-3 Houston, which isn’t ranked this week; and Lane Kiffin’s yoga instructor and Juice Kiffin’s dog walker.