Every Saturday, senior national college football writer Matt Hayes discusses four trending stories along with a 12-team College Football Playoff bracket.

First Down: The Billy Napier Tenure Comes to an End

A collective of Florida boosters has raised funds to facilitate the termination of head coach Billy Napier, according to two individuals familiar with the situation who spoke to YSL News Sports under the premise of anonymity due to the delicate nature of the proceedings, which will commence once interim president Kent Fuchs makes his decision. The timing remains uncertain.

If Florida decides to part ways with Napier, he stands to receive roughly $26 million in buyout funds. However, that figure might be reduced due to an ongoing NCAA investigation into Florida’s recruitment practices related to former high school recruit Jaden Rashada, including Napier’s involvement.

Fuchs was the one who hired Napier in 2022 and was a strong advocate for him until his retirement in February 2023. Fuchs resumed his duties in an interim capacity this summer after Ben Sasse stepped down as president.

Fuchs and the Florida administration have earnestly sought Napier’s success, equipping him with the necessary financial resources, structural support, and facilities. Yet, the team’s performance has deteriorated over time, despite Napier’s assurances this offseason that things would improve.

In a recent match, Texas A&M handed the Gators a 33-20 defeat at home, marking the second blowout loss at the Swamp this season, following the much-anticipated 41-17 loss to Miami in the season opener.

The Gators have allowed an average of 38 points in their last eight games against opponents from major conferences.

In a disheartening trend, for the second consecutive home game against FBS teams, fans began leaving the stadium early in the third quarter. The Aggies, who started backup quarterback Marcel Reed in place of the injured Conner Weigman, were up 20-0 by halftime and led 33-7 midway through the third quarter.

This latest loss dropped Florida’s record under Napier to 12 wins and 16 losses in 28 games, with a disappointing 7-15 record against power conference teams. Another losing season, especially against one of the toughest schedules in the nation, would mark Florida’s fourth consecutive losing season — a feat not seen since the World War II era.

Even the promising performance of freshman quarterback DJ Lagway wasn’t enough to turn the tide. Florida managed only 63 yards in the first half, with their drives resulting in three punts and an interception.

Second Down: The Decline of Florida State

Let’s simplify what is currently going wrong at Florida State.

The Seminoles have accumulated only 156 rushing yards for the entire season.

This is after three games.

While it’s easy to direct blame towards troubled quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei for the offensive struggles and the Seminoles’ shocking winless record, that observation seems too simplistic.

If Florida State cannot establish a running game, averaging a mere 2.2 yards per carry, the identity of the quarterback becomes irrelevant.

“I challenge all of us,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell stated following Saturday’s 20-12 home defeat to Memphis. “Everything is under evaluation.”

The offensive line serves as a significant part of this issue. It highlights that what has made FSU formidable under Norvell can also present immense challenges.

The transfer portal isn’t a treasure trove, as some might believe.

It often contains players who were overlooked for a reason, despite coaching staff’s confidence in their ability to improve. It is not a miraculous solution.

This is especially true for the offensive line.

Four of Florida State’s top seven offensive linemen have transferred: starting guards Keiondre Jones (from Auburn) and Richie Leonard (from Florida), starting tackle Jeremiah Byers (from Texas-El Paso), and backup guard TJ Ferguson (from Alabama).

None have made a significant impact. In fact, their performance has been detrimental to the team.

If you’re an experienced upperclassman offensive lineman from a power conference in the transfer portal, the chances are you were either not starting at your previous school or were not expected to start. It is unrealistic to expect these players, who are sort of castaways from other programs, to improve a unit’s performance — particularly on the offensive line, where teamwork and collective experience are crucial.

Florida State recorded just 37 rushing yards on 24 carries against Memphis, 21 yards on 16 carries versus Boston College, and 98 yards on 31 carries against Georgia Tech.

And you still wonder what’s going wrong with the Seminoles?

Third Down: The Next NFL Quarterback from LSU

While many focused on LSU coach Brian Kelly’s emotional outbursts on the sidelines during a thrilling comeback victory over South Carolina, a more impressive display unfolded on the field.

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is continuing to evolve into a top-tier thrower. An NFL scout, who spoke to YSL News Sports on condition of anonymity to safeguard their team’s draft strategy, remarked that Nussmeier is edging closer to being a first-round draft pick.

“The velocity, the accuracy, the variety of release points. It’s quite remarkable,” the NFL scout noted.

According to the scout, “He’s a formidable and powerful player who remains composed and is willing to endure some hits to make a pass. He faced a lot of challenges during the game, and it didn’t affect him. It was truly a remarkable performance.”

Nussmeier led LSU back from a 17-0 deficit, completing 285 yards and throwing two touchdowns. He consistently delivered key third-down passes that helped LSU recover from setbacks throughout the game, including a critical 29-yard pass to wide receiver Karen Lacy, which set up the touchdown run by Josh Williams that clinched the win.

“That was an outstanding Sunday throw,” the scout commented. “Even when they were down 17 or 14 points, he kept pushing forward, delivering one big throw after another.”

Fourth Down: The End of Bedlam

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State easily defeated Tulane and Tulsa, respectively, with a combined score of 79-29.

Does anyone else notice something concerning here?

Both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State declared that last year’s Bedlam rivalry game would be the last for the foreseeable future.

What led to this decision?

Oklahoma State’s resentment played a role (not that there’s anything wrong with that), as well as Oklahoma’s stance of moving forward.

On the other hand, Oregon and Oregon State continued their annual rivalry game on Saturday, as did Washington and Washington State. Despite conference changes eliminating the need for these rivalries, all four schools chose to continue their traditions.

Instead of participating in their rivalry, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State opted to face lesser opponents this Saturday for guaranteed victories.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey stated he cannot compel teams to engage with their rivals, but it would be advisable for the SEC and Big 12 to encourage these two rivals to rekindle a matchup that started in 1904, when Oklahoma was still a territory.

The Bracket: Here Comes Texas

1. Texas

2. Ohio State

3. Miami

4. Oklahoma State

Memphis (12) at Georgia (5)

Oregon (11) at Alabama (6)

Missouri (10) at Ole Miss (7)

Southern California (9) at Tennessee (8)

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for YSL News Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.