Welcome to Glass Slipper! They could never make me dislike Justin Fields; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

Here are my 10 biggest takeaways from Week 9 of the college football season.

1. Lane’s leeway.

Ole Miss folks spent the past week buttering up their head coach, in hopes of preventing him from exploring opportunities elsewhere. Lane Kiffin seemingly interpreted their benevolence as a license to make horrendous choices. Let’s get gutsy! Even if it backfires, the fan base can’t be mad! This is my chance to cut it loose!

The on-field result was one of the most poorly-managed games I’ve ever witnessed. Kiffin first trotted out the dreaded Austin Simmons package at the goal line, only for the backup quarterback to immediately chuck two awful passes. Lane is then denied on fourth down from his own 25-yard line. He gets away with another wild decision to go for it on the last play of the third quarter. Apparently feeling remorseful for his ultra-aggressive calls, Kiffin overcompensates by making no real attempt to score a touchdown on the Rebels’ critical red-zone trip late. What on Earth are you doing, man?

Look, maybe I’m being dramatic; after all, he did manage to stumble into a massive road win anyway. I just wonder if the 50-year-old’s newfound sense of freedom is going to linger, and ultimately cost Ole Miss its dream campaign at some point. That feels like a legitimate possibility to me.

2. Take five.

Germie Bernard is a first-round pick. I don’t know where the so-called draft experts have him, and I don’t particularly care. The route-running is sound, he’s special with the ball in his hands, and the effort he displays as a blocker almost makes me tear up.

If Xavier Legette went 32nd overall back in 2024, I better not see Germie last into Day 2.

3. The benefits of a big mouth.

Here’s Diego Pavia - the country’s fascination - next to true freshman BYU signal-caller Bear Bachmeier this season.

Pavia is currently fifth on the Heisman odds list. Bear? Tied for 20th. Pretty stupid, huh? I guess Diego is proving that arrogant yapping works wonders.

4. Inexplicable.

Six perfect teams remain. Five are slotted inside the top 10. The last one is… unranked. No, that’s not a joke. The AP poll still excludes Navy, for reasons that I truly cannot comprehend.

I’ll once again take this opportunity to request a ballot. Let me fix things.

5. The climb.

Brendan Sorsby improves each year, and he’s flung himself directly into Heisman discussions with his latest leap. It’s a remarkable rise, for a guy that sat at No. 101 amongst QBs in his recruiting class.

Sorsby has now tallied 73 total touchdowns and only 14 interceptions in his career. He’s 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, with a live arm. That certainly sounds like a coveted NFL prospect to me.

6. Heart and soul.

I’m ready to say it. Jacob Rodriguez is the third-best player in America. The top non-Buckeye, if you’d like me to phrase it in a different way. No one talks about him, and it’s driving me up a wall.

72 tackles. 7.5 for loss. Five(!!) forced fumbles. Four pass breakups. Two picks. A touchdown. He’s incredible.

7. Electricity.

It’s been a little bit since we had a truly impactful return man at the collegiate level. We have two such dudes here in 2025. Ryan Niblett helped rescue his Longhorns in Starkville, and KC Concepcion buried LSU shortly after.

As a kid who was raised in the Devin Hester and Josh Cribbs era, it always feels nice to have real threats at the position floating out there. I can’t wait until Ryan and KC share the field in Week 14.

8. End of the road.

You can make the argument that the James Franklin firing was unfair. You cannot say the same about this Brian Kelly situation. That was perhaps the most embarrassing half of football I’ve ever watched a team play, at any level. Concepcion took that punt to the house, and the Tigers proceeded to flat-out quit. The body language was nothing short of gross.

The general public loved to take its digs at Franklin. I know one thing, though. His players would never slump their shoulders and roll over like that. Never. LSU - in a must-win scenario at home - allowed 35 unanswered points in a 20-minute span, while Kelly was busy flinging his assistants under the bus. He clearly needed to leave, and the athletic department deserves credit for moving quickly. Your turn, Florida State.

A fascinating search is on deck. I already made my argument for why the Tigers should hurl a bag at Lane Kiffin. I think Joe Brady deserves a long look, as well; guiding Joe Burrow to a Heisman and Josh Allen to an MVP earns you a fair share of brownie points with star recruits. If nothing else, seeing Brady’s face on the sidelines would give the fans joyous memories of the glory days.

9. My updated Heisman ladder.

1) Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech LB

2) Fernando Mendoza, Indiana QB

3) Haynes King, Georgia Tech QB

4) Ty Simpson, Alabama QB

5) Cashius Howell, Texas A&M EDGE

6) Julian Sayin, Ohio State QB

7) Blake Horvath, Navy QB

8) Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati QB

9) Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL) EDGE

10) Bear Bachmeier, BYU QB

10. Time to peek ahead.

Vanderbilt and Texas at noon. Oklahoma and Tennessee in primetime. Then, we’re staying up late for Cincinnati and Utah.

The home stretch is approaching. Here we go.

Pressroom

Spin It

“Clearly” by Alessia Cara. Let’s power through the week.