Chris Vannini
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Chris Vannini
@chrisvannini.com
• Senior reporter, The Athletic
• College football, dogs and pro wrestling... skeets?
• Co-host, Bunch Formation and Getting Over podcasts
• DM, [email protected], Signal: ChrisVannini.01
• linktr.ee/chrisvannini
Pinned
If you're looking for people to follow here, some lists:

The Athletic writers: bsky.app/starter-pack...

CFB folks: bsky.app/starter-pack...
The idea that the highest-ranked team in a Power 4 conference (Miami) can miss the ACC title game and the CFP is embarrassing for the sport.

Conference realignment messed up everything by making these leagues way too big.
November 26, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Committee chair Hunter Yurachek says Notre Dame and Miami were compared in the same pool this week.

"The committee still feels Notre Dame is a complete team and has been consistent throughout the season."

Did credit Miami for playing better and making it closer.
November 26, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Why did Michigan jump Texas for beating Maryland? Just to keep space between Vanderbilt and Texas and avoid that head-to-head conversation? Weird.
November 26, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Finally going live now
📺 I'll be LIVE reacting to the College Football Playoff rankings as it happens, at 7 pm ET tonight.

Live on the Bunch Formation YouTube page, come hang and ask questions: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cF2...
LIVE College Football Playoff rankings reaction 11/25
YouTube video by Bunch Formation
www.youtube.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:47 AM
UMass finishes 0-12, following a loss to Bowling Green.

The Minutemen have lost 23 straight to FBS teams, dating back to October 2023.
November 26, 2025 at 12:31 AM
📺 I'll be LIVE reacting to the College Football Playoff rankings as it happens, at 7 pm ET tonight.

Live on the Bunch Formation YouTube page, come hang and ask questions: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cF2...
LIVE College Football Playoff rankings reaction 11/25
YouTube video by Bunch Formation
www.youtube.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:25 PM
As for the North Texas job, coaches to watch include Clemson OC Garrett Riley, Texas State HC GJ Kinne, Oregon RB coach Ra'Shaad Samples, Miami OC Shannon Dawson, Texas Tech OC Mack Leftwich and more:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...
Oklahoma State hiring North Texas’ Eric Morris to replace Mike Gundy
Oklahoma State will turn to North Texas' Eric Morris as its next head coach, who coaches the nation's leading passer Drew Mestemaker.
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
SOURCE: Oklahoma State is targeting North Texas head coach Eric Morris to be its next head coach, @theathletic.com has learned.

North Texas is 10-1 this year, and Morris would finish the rest of the season with the Mean Green, including a potential conference title and CFP bid.
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 PM
The 63 nominees for the Broyles Award, for the nation's top assistant coach:
November 25, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Finalists for the Maxwell Award for the nation's top player:

Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin
November 25, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by Chris Vannini
This is new: Heisman Trophy ballots don't open until conference championship Saturday night, and the voting window is 48 hours.

Ballots were previously live for a week, opening the Monday before conference championship games. This is a good change.
November 25, 2025 at 3:25 AM
This is new: Heisman Trophy ballots don't open until conference championship Saturday night, and the voting window is 48 hours.

Ballots were previously live for a week, opening the Monday before conference championship games. This is a good change.
November 25, 2025 at 3:25 AM
The Chicago Bears are 8-3 with a point differential of -3.

Arkansas is 2-9 with a point differential of +3.
November 24, 2025 at 8:55 PM
🐻 The Cal Job Report Card + Candidate Hot Board

You can make bowl games, but money is a big problem. And can anyone keep JKS around?

Tosh Lupoi, Jim Mora, Sean Lewis and other names to watch: www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...
November 24, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Alabama DC Kane Wommack declines comment when asked about being in the mix for head coaching jobs, including Arkansas (where he once played).
November 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Lane Kiffin at his weekly press conference says he only wants to answer questions about the game and the team.
November 24, 2025 at 6:48 PM
My updated ranking of the open head coaching jobs, adding Cal to the list: www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...
Ranking college football’s 12 open coaching jobs: LSU over Florida, Cal over Stanford and more
This could be the most active coaching carousel college football has seen in many years.
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Art Briles is officially named head coach at Division II Eastern New Mexico.
November 24, 2025 at 3:32 PM
🎙 New Bunch Formation
- Oregon, ACC and CFP fallout going into Rivalry Week
- Why Florida State kept Mike Norvell
- Why Cal fired Justin Wilcox and what's next
- Lane Watch, Arkansas latest + more

🎧📺 Listen/Watch: linktr.ee/bunchformation
November 24, 2025 at 3:17 PM
This week's Athletic 136, ranking every team:

1. Ohio State
7. Oregon
13. Texas
43. UConn
110. Boston College
135. Charlotte

Full list: www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...
Ranking 136 college football teams after Week 13: The contenders are getting crowded
The teams at the very top and very bottom of our FBS rankings are running out of time to make big statements.
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:03 PM
I refuse to believe the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 50 years old as a franchise. 1976 was 25 years ago.
November 24, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Some potential names to watch for the Cal job: Oregon DC Tosh Lupoi (former Cal player), UConn coach Jim Mora, SDSU coach Sean Lewis, UC Davis coach Tim Plough, among others.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...
Cal fires coach Justin Wilcox, names Nick Rolovich interim after first loss to Stanford since 2020
In Wilcox's nine years in Berkeley, the Bears never won more than seven games in the regular season.
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Cowboys-Eagles is a college football game (complimentary and derogatory)
November 24, 2025 at 12:27 AM
This Cowboys/Eagles game and the Shedeur win are going to feed First Take families for weeks.
November 24, 2025 at 12:22 AM
SOURCE: Cal has fired head coach Justin Wilcox, @theathletic.com has learned.

The Bears are 6-5 and lost 31-10 to Stanford. (ESPN first reported)
November 23, 2025 at 11:19 PM