BRIAN KELLY

With all sorts of turmoil behind them, No. 1 Georgia left no doubt about the top team heading into the College Football Playoff.

Harold Perkins Jr. had four sacks and two forced fumbles to help No. 7 LSU to a 13-10 win over Arkansas.

Three key takeaways from the state’s football scene this past weekend -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

Jayden Daniels ran for 25-yard touchdown in overtime and then found tight end Mason Taylor for a needed 2-point conversion, and 15th-ranked LSU defeated No. 6 Alabama 32-31.

LSU re-entered The Associated Press College Football poll at No. 18 and No. 25 South Carolina earned a ranking for the first time in four seasons.

Jayden Daniels ran for three touchdowns and passed for two scores, and LSU roared back from an early two-touchdown deficit to hand No. 7 Mississippi its first loss this season, 45-20.

Alabama reclaimed No. 1 from Georgia in The Associated Press college football poll in one of the closest votes in the recent years.

Steven Gilmore returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter and Khalan Labron ran for 163 yards as Marshall shocked No. 8 Notre Dame 26-21.

The Southeastern Conference was perhaps one blocked kick away from perfection on opening weekend, with a few impressive nonconference wins and some no-brainers.

Shyheim Brown blocked LSU’s extra-point attempt with no time left to give Florida State a 24-23 victory Sunday night, spoiling Brian Kelly’s debut as Tigers coach.

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LSU quarterback Myles Brennan has decided to end his college football career after five seasons with the Tigers.

Alabama is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 for the second straight season.

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey says the league “is stronger now than at any other time in our history.”.

Three huge matchups to kick off the college football season, the XFL, a new Australian Open agreement and two new “30 for 30” documentaries were announced by ESPN as part of its presentation to advertisers in New York.

Alabama coach Nick Saban is concerned about the current state of college football.

Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher is angry about rumors that booster-funded NIL deals are fueling the Aggies’ recruiting success.

Texas A&M holds the lead in the race for the national recruiting title in college football.

A person familiar with negotiations says new Florida coach Billy Napier agreed to a seven-year, $51.8 million contract that makes him the fifth-highest-paid coach in the Southeastern Conference.

Notre Dame has promoted defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to replace Brian Kelly as head coach of the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame is working on a deal to promote defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to head coach to replace Brian Kelly.

Michigan moved up to No. 2 in the second-to-last College Football Playoff rankings.

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick says he won’t be rushed into finding a replacement for football coach Brian Kelly no matter where the team is going in the postseason.

Urban Meyer says he will not be Notre Dame’s next head coach.

Newly hired LSU coach Brian Kelly is in Baton Rouge after flying in on a private jet with athletic director Scott Woodward.

LSU is hiring Brian Kelly away from Notre Dame.

Florida was added to the lengthy list of schools looking for a head football coach that already includes LSU and USC.

Jack Coan threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns in a little more than a half and No. 6 Notre Dame had two defensive touchdowns in winning its sixth straight game, 55-0 over beleaguered Georgia Tech on Saturday.

Jerome Ford rushed for a career-high 189 yards and four touchdowns to help No. 3 Cincinnati roll past UCF 56-21.

Jonathan Doerer kicked a 48-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining, capping a dramatic rally to give No. 14 Notre Dame a 32-29 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday night.

Alabama and Georgia remain the top two teams in The Associated Press college football poll after a week in which nine ranked teams lost.

Chris Tyree returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and Drew Pyne threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter in relief of an injured Jack Coan as No. 12 Notre Dame beat No. 18 Wisconsin 41-13 at Soldier Field.

Kyren Williams scored two long touchdowns, the second a 51-yard run with 6:05 remaining, as No. 12 Notre Dame held off Purdue 27-13 for its 26th straight victory at home.

The Associated Press preseason college football poll has been released and Alabama is No. 1.

Last season was a bonanza for schools from outside the Power Five conferences.

Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book (12) is sacked by Alabama defensive lineman Byron Young (47) in the second half of the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)ARLINGTON, Texas – Ian Book had Notre Dame moving with a chance to get within a touchdown of No. Notre Dame beat the Tigers 47-40 in November while Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sidelined because of a positive COVID-19 test. “I don’t have a unique problem at Notre Dame,” Kelly said. Everybody can keep saying, you know, Notre Dame is not good enough.

4 Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal originally scheduled to serve as the 107th Rose Bowl. It's still unclear whether the game in the Dallas Cowboys' stadium will be called the Rose Bowl, but the decision ended a streak of 78 straight years in Pasadena for a bowl game first played in 1902. The festive week of genteel celebrations around the Rose Bowl game already had been mostly canceled, interrupting a beloved annual holiday tradition for hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles-area residents and tens of thousands of visiting fans. Alabama's first bowl game was the 1926 Rose Bowl, and the Tide played in six early editions of the game. They haven't been back in the official Rose Bowl game since 1946, although they beat Texas on Jan. 7, 2010, in the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl stadium.

“Why would we play if you can’t have families at the game?" "If you can’t have families at bowl games, why would you go to a game where your families can’t be part of it? “Why can’t it be the Rose Bowl in Las Vegas or can it be the Rose Bowl in another town?” Kelly said. "They can’t be around their families for Christmas, and you’re going to tell me we’re going to have a playoff and maybe one site can have families and the other can’t? I am so sick and tired of this playoff committee talking about having sites where you can’t have parents at and their families.

It was Book’s 30th victory as a starter, the most ever for a Notre Dame quarterback. “It’s a dream come true to be able to attend Notre Dame and have a good career,” Book said. Notre Dame started its run thanks to a roughing the passer by Syracuse that Book later turned into a 28-yard TD run. Book finished with 348 total yards, becoming only the second Irish player to move past 10,000 yards (10,008) in total offense. Notre Dame: The Irish have an extra week to rest up for Clemson after the conference adjusted the schedules earlier this week, canceling their last game.

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)BOSTON – Notre Dame has a history of following big wins with letdowns against rival Boston College. I’m fortunate to be at Notre Dame that long. 1 Clemson, Notre Dame (8-0, 7-0 ACC) racked up a season-high 561 total yards against BC. The last time Notre Dame beat a top-ranked team was 1993, and then following week the Fighting Irish were upset by BC on a last-second field goal. It was recovered by Notre Dame defensive end Daelin Hayes on the Eagles 49 with 2:05 left in the quarter.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)The final major college football conference to begin its season gets going Saturday. The Pac-12 kicks off at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) with Arizona State at No. Instead of Pac-12 after dark it’s Pac-12 for lunch. The Hawkeyes will try to avoid that in this unique conference-only season at home against Michigan State. Arkansas State also had a marquee upset early in the season, beating Kansas State.

Notre Dame and coach Brian Kelly have agreed to a contract extension that runs through the 2024 season. Kelly is entering his 11th season as Notre Dame coach, and 30th season as a head coach in college football. “We are pleased to be able to have Brian lead our football program for the foreseeable future,” Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement. Kelly is approaching Lou Holtz’s Notre Dame record for most games coached in program history. He has already matched Holtz with five double-digit victory seasons at Notre Dame.

The Atlantic Coast Conference and Notre Dame are considering whether the Fighting Irish will give up their treasured football independence for the 2020 season play as a member of the league. The ACC had announced plans last week for a 10-game league slate with one nonconference game and its championship game played either Dec. 12 or 19. Now Notre Dames lone nonconference game will be a previously scheduled visit from Western Michigan on Sept. 19. Notre Dame, a member in all other league sports, already had a scheduling agreement to annually play five or six games with ACC teams as an independent. The Irish were set to play five-time reigning ACC champion Clemson, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Duke, Georgia Tech and Louisville this year.

After the pandemic wiped out spring practice for most major college football teams, an NCAA plan to extend the preseason by two weeks could help coaches and players make up for the lost time. Schools have started this week bringing their football players back to campus for voluntary workouts mostly weight training and conditioning in team facilities. Lyons said teams will be required to complete at least the four weeks of standard preseason before playing a game. Todd Berry, executive director for the American Football Coaches Association, said he would expect some coaches to segment their teams, holding multiple practices per day. If facing coverings are needed for players, Stewart said neck gaiters stretchy scarves made of lightweight, breathable material could be the way teams go.

15 Notre Dame reached double-digit wins for the third straight season by beating Stanford 45-24 on Saturday. Book has been especially sharp late in the season with 12 TD passes and no interceptions in the final three contests. His 33 TD passes on the season are second in school history to Brady Quinn's 37 in 2006. Stanford then had seven punts and a fumble the next eight possessions before getting a late TD run from Cameron Scarlett. CELEBRATIONFor the second straight week, an opponent celebrated a rivalry game win at Stanford Stadium.

(AP) - Ian Book delivered the type of clutch, game-winning drive that can make Notre Dame fans forgive the quarterbacks' mistakes. After getting blown out at Michigan last week, Notre Dame faced some harsh criticism. After two incomplete passes, Notre Dame caught Virginia Tech in a blitz and Book ran away from it and darted into the end zone. "Just a lot of grit and perseverance," Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet said. "It's a tough locker room in there," Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente said.

16 Notre Dame looking in the rear-view mirror when it has danger lurking Saturday in a visit from red-hot Virginia Tech. The reality is that Notre Dame (5-2) will try to salvage a season that once had high promise. "I know that we will see the Notre Dame team that we saw in all the weeks before that," Fuente said. The Irish, meanwhile, managed just 47 rushing yards on 31 carries against the Wolverines after rushing for a season-high 311 yards against USC. 6 Irish won 45-23 behind Book's 271 passing yards and Dexter Williams' 178 rushing yards, including a 97-yard TD run.

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, who challenged his team and coaches after the loss to the Bulldogs, liked what he saw. Thanks to the sacks, Notre Dame held Virginia to 4 yards rushing. Notre Dame: Virginia came into the game ranking No. Notre Dame did fumble the ball once as punt returner Chris Finke muffed one in the third quarter. With this 900th victory, Notre Dame is one of eight schools at the plateau, led by Michigan's 957.