It’s Sunflower Showdown week, something every Kansan is aware of and something very important to me. I graduated from Kansas State and my girlfriend graduated from Kansas, so it’s a house divided by more than just distance. Some of my closest friends are Jayhawks, but that’s what happens when you grow up in Topeka. Half of your classmates go to KU, the other half go to K-State. That’s what makes it special, everyone in the state gets invested. Now back to football… K-State has won 16 consecutive matchups against KU, but this year’s Jayhawks team led by QB Jalon Daniels is the best chance they’ve had in recent memory. Neither team is out of Big 12 title contention despite rocky starts for both schools which makes the matchup that much more interesting. Whoever loses this game will not only feel the sting of a rivalry loss but also shatter any hopes of winning the Big 12 this season.

In non-Sunflower Showdown news (because neither team will be involved this year) we are just under two weeks from the first College Football Playoff poll, which comes out on Tuesday, November 4 at 8pm eastern. There will be 6 CFP rankings prior to the end of the season, every Tuesday after Nov. 4 until the final “Selection Day” on Sunday, December 7.

The Oklahoma Sooners returned to form on Saturday, taking down QB LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina after a brutal performance the week prior in the Red River Rivalry. I still think Sellers needs to be a 2027 prospect, which would be a tremendous hit to this year’s QB class. Both QB John Mateer for OU and QB Trinidad Chambliss for the Rebels look to bring home their team’s 7th win, and most importantly avoid the dreaded 2nd loss.

Shoutout to QB Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt who got a massive win over QB Garrett Nussmeier and LSU. They enter the top 10 of the AP Poll for the first time since 1947!!! They’ll host #15 Missouri on Saturday on ESPN. Two 6-1 teams battling with high hopes in the SEC.

Vandy isn’t the only “surprise” team in the top 10 with Georgia Tech coming in at 7th after a 7-0 start. If Tech can win their next four games, the potential for a top 10 matchup against Georgia on November 28 looms large. But don’t overlook the Orange.

Texas A&M sits third in the AP Poll with a 7-0 start, but they will be tested this weekend with a night game in Baton Rouge against 5-2 LSU. While LSU has disappointed so far in 2025, they get yet another home game at night which is their biggest advantage as a program. Super mega weirdo Brian Kelly will surely have the Tigers ready to play.

The SuperContest Picks & Why:(North Texas -25.5 at Charlotte)The best freshman quarterback in college football right now plays for the Mean Green. Drew Mestemaker is tied for 9th in the country with 17 passing touchdowns, and he’s coached by Eric Morris, who was Patrick Mahomes offensive coordinator at Texas Tech. Morris then went on to recruit Cam Ward and develop him at Incarnate Word before recruiting John Mateer to Washington State.

(North Carolina +10.5 vs Virginia)There is a ton going on in Chapel Hill right now, but the fact is Virginia has skated by in their last two matchups, and they should have lost to Washington State. On the flip side, UNC should have won their game against Cal. I’m not sure the Heels get it done, but it’s trending to be a close one.

(Oklahoma -5 vs Ole Miss)Ole Miss was so close to becoming an elite contender in the SEC last week but failed to move the ball in the fourth quarter. They face an Oklahoma defense that is better across the board than the Georgia defense. In fact, OU’s defense is #1 in the country in total defense, allowing just 213 yards per game, which is 100 yards less per game than the Bulldogs’ D.

(Kansas State +2.5 at Kansas)I have to ride with the Cats here. K-State should have a 3-game winning streak, but Baylor made an improbable fourth quarter comeback where TE Michael Trigg took over the game. Wildcats lost that game by one point. They’ve lost four games this year by a combined 13 points. We cannot let the streak end with Avery Johnson as the QB. The Will Howard crowd will be loud and even more unbearable.

(Utah -13.5 vs Colorado)Utah is coming off a very emotional loss to BYU on the road. They return home and get a Colorado team that has struggled against Power-4 competition. They got their first win against P4 competition last week in Boulder against a banged-up Iowa State team. I think Utah is a much better team.

(Oregon -32.5 vs Wisconsin)New uniforms for the Ducks this weekend, and what a time to bring them out. Wisconsin is not good at football at all. They should 100% hire Kansas Head Coach Lance Leipold, who famously won 6 National Championships at Division-III Wisconsin-Whitewater before revitalizing the Buffalo program on his way to turning around one of the largest football dumpster fires in history. #LanceLeipoldtoUW

(Houston +7 at Arizona State)People joked about third year Willie Fritz, but it’s legit. The Cougs are 6-1, tied for third place in the Big 12. The Sun Devils will be without WR Jordyn Tyson, widely regarded as one of the 2026 NFL Draft’s top wide receiver. Houston boasts a top 25 defense in the country which will be their advantage in a hostile desert environment.

vs Cal

vs Boise State

at Rice

vs Akron

at Cincinnati

vs UMass

at West Virginia

at Georgia Tech

at Indiana

at Louisville

vs Stanford

vs Michigan

vs NC State

at Purdue

at Wake Forest

at Troy

vs Ohio

at Kent State

vs Western Michigan

at Northern Illinois

vs Northwestern

at Arkansas

vs Appalachian State

at Iowa

vs UL Monroe

vs Utah State

vs Texas

at Fresno State

vs Texas A&M

vs Temple

vs Missouri

at Iowa State

vs Alabama

vs South Florida

at Texas Tech

vs Illinois

at Navy

vs Toledo

vs Georgia Southern

vs Tennessee

vs Colorado State

I’ll use this blog to keep track of my 2025 picks except for week 1 since I did not know this existed at the time.

For the college SuperContest, you pick any 7 games you want. Extremely simple. Purely for my own entertainment, I’m going to pick every single game on the card with a heavy emphasis on tracking my Big 12 picks since I’ve established myself as a Big 12 guy.

I will be posting my NFL picks prior to the TNF game each week, and the college picks will come out on Fridays unless there’s a Thursday game on the card and sometimes I’ll just skip Thursday honestly.

Another reminder, these are not bets I will be placing myself. I do this purely for fun.