Instant classics only
From The GIST College Sports (hi@thegistsports.com)
Good morning!
Start your week like ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit’s dog, Ben, and scratch your college sports itch by catching up with us. The star of the show, always.
— Colorado football quarterback (QB) Shedeur Sanders on his two-way superstar teammate Travis Hunter, who put up another unbelievable game as the Buffs smacked around UCF 48–21 on Saturday.
- Hunter’s MVP chances were originally slim because Colorado isn’t a playoff contender — and because he’s not a QB. But each week, it becomes harder and harder to claim that there’s anyone more impressive than him.
Football
🏈 Instant classic
The GIST: When a phenomenal performance from college football’s chosen one takes a back seat in the news, it means an all-time great game hit the weekend’s gridiron. Here’s what had us shook in Week 5:
Alabama tops Georgia in an instant classic: Expectations couldn’t have been higher for the Georgia Bulldogs’ Saturday visit to Alabama’s Crimson Tide, yet it still managed to exceed the hype. From wild momentum swings to game-saving plays to Miss Terry’s College GameDay appearance to Holly Rowe’s outfit, the tilt was a spectacle from start to finish — and college football at its best.
- The first half belonged to the Tide, who entered the break up 30–7. But the Dawgs stormed back, taking the lead with under three minutes to play and delivering one of the most thrilling quarters of football fans have seen this season.
- In the end, the Tide sealed the dub with an unbelievable touchdown (TD) and an endzone interception, boosting Bama from No. 4 to No. 1 in the AP poll and dropping Georgia from No. 2 to No. 5. Unreal.
Top-10 teams stunned at home: Just two weeks after they almost toppled Georgia, the Kentucky Wildcats snagged a Top-10 road win by humbling then–No. 6 Ole Miss with a 20–17 upset. Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart’s Heisman odds took a major hit, while Kentucky proved their near-upset over Georgia was no fluke.
- Out west, Utah took a brutal 23–10 Saturday beating by fellow Big 12 newbie Arizona, sliding the Utes from No. 10 to No. 18 in the rankings. QB Cam Rising’s hand can’t heal fast enough.
No. 8 Miami survives Virginia Tech: Despite the Hurricanes’ narrow 38–34 escape from the Hokies on Friday, Miami QB Cam Ward remains the Heisman frontrunner thanks to his 343 passing yards and five TDs — four in the air, one on the ground.
Women's volleyball
🏐 Can’t touch this
The GIST: Less than one week into conference play, only four Division I women’s volleyball teams remain undefeated — but one squad is literally perfect: The No. 1 Pitt Panthers improved to 12-0 on the season this weekend and still haven’t dropped a single set.
The streak: The Panthers aren’t just winning — they’re crushing everyone in their path, including four Top-25 teams. This weekend, they opened ACC play with a pair of commanding road sweeps over Clemson and No. 13 Georgia Tech.
- The latter was particularly impressive, as the typically competitive Yellow Jackets never even came close to challenging the Panthers. Too easy.
The stars: Two sophomores, outside hitter (OH) Torrey Stafford and opposite Olivia Babcock, lead the Panthers’ attack, with senior setter Rachel Fairbanks running their formidable offense. That said, it’s Pitt’s impenetrable blocking game that really stands out, led by freshman middle blocker Ryla Jones. What’s that about defense and championships?
On other courts: Speaking of ACC sweeps, No. 5 Louisville welcomed No. 3 Stanford to the conference by handing the Cardinal their season’s second loss in yesterday’s 3-0 beatdown. Senior OH Charitie Luper led all players with a stunning 18 kills to seal Louisville’s fifth ranked win this season.
- The biggest deal in that dub, though? The Top-5 matchup received the attention it deserved with a top broadcast spot on ESPN. Between that and the Athletes Unlimited pro season starting up, women’s volleyball continues to be the moment.
The GIST's Bracket Challenge
⚾ Get ready for the playoffs with The GIST's Major League Baseball Bracket Challenge!
Lace up your cleats and join fellow GISTers in predicting the outcome of this year's World Series. What's on the line? Amazing prizes and ultimate bragging rights.
Prizes: First place wins a $300 airline gift card, second place gets a $200 airline gift card, and third place scores a $100 airline gift card. So fly.
How to play: Sign up for free, and we’ll remind you to lock in your picks before the playoffs begin. It's a home run!
📲 NCAA president weighs in on student-athlete NIL protections
NCAA president Charlie Baker addressed what he called “dysfunction in today’s NIL environment” on Friday, saying that the org doesn’t have the power to protect athletes from manipulative contracts or “promises made but not kept” — likely a reference to last week’s NIL–fueled drama between UNLV football and their now ex–starting QB, Matthew Sluka.
- Baker said the NCAA is calling on Congress to help it reign in NIL to “protect student-athletes from exploitation,” but some experts claim the governing body’s actual lobbying efforts center around protecting its own power. Sus.
🏈 UNLV football caps chaotic week with first-ever Top-25 ranking
Speaking of UNLV football…with the Rebels’ 59–14 Saturday win over Fresno State, they broke into the AP’s poll for the first time in program history. The Top-25 invite capped off the still-unbeaten squad’s topsy-turvy week — one that included Sluka’s self-benching and a failed flirtation with the rebuilding Pac-12 — on a high note.
🏃 Nuttycombe Invitational champs become cross country natty favorites
Villanova’s Sadie Sigfstead and No. 6 UNC’s Parker Wolfe captured the women’s and men’s individual prizes, respectively, at the regular season’s most prestigious meet on Friday, cementing themselves as natty, ahem, frontrunners. Wolfe, in particular, is flying high after setting a Nuttycombe men’s course record with a blistering 8km time of 23 minutes, four seconds. Speedy.
Here’s what has The GIST team currently hyped:
🛍 What to shop
Drake’s OVO "Campus Collection". This fall drop reps schools like Yale, Stanford, and Toronto, and is perfect for serving looks on the sideline all season long.
🌟 Who to celebrate
Layshia Clarendon, the WNBA’s first openly nonbinary player who recently announced their retirement. This game-changer’s impact extends beyond their groundbreaking on-court career.
🏈 What to learn about
Why ex-NFLer Reggie Bush is suing the NCAA, Pac-12, and USC for NIL compensation. Nearly 20 years after his college career, Bush is fighting for the money made off his name, image, and likeness during his time as a Trojan.
Today's email was brought to you by Katie Kehoe Foster and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Lindsay Jost. Fact checking by Mikaela Perez. Ops by Lisa Minutillo and Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster and Alessandra Puccio. Managing edits by Dee Lab. Head of Content Ellen Hyslop.