Tom Fornelli
LightNews LightNews
banner
tomfornelli.bsky.social
Tom Fornelli
@tomfornelli.bsky.social
15K followers 150 following 500 posts
Living for and living off of college football. IG/Threads:
@tom_fornelli. Twitter/TikTok: @TomFornelli
Posts Replies Media Videos
tomfornelli.bsky.social
There weren't a lot of picture-changing results this week, but Oregon feels like a safe bet after the USC win, and it wasn't a great day for James Madison.

That and more in the CFP Vibe Check.

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
College Football Playoff picture: James Madison's uphill battle to make field
The Dukes don't join the list of five other CFP contenders we've officially declared dead, but they needed more help Saturday and a larger margin of victory.
www.cbssports.com
November 23, 2025 at 3:37 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
What's the point of having a projected bracket that doesn't count if you aren't going to simulate that projected bracket for results that don't count?

There is none. So I gave that bracket meaning today.

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
College Football Playoff predictions, scenarios based on bracket entering Week 13
Parsing through the CFP bracket entering Week 13 to determine who wins the 2025 national championship
www.cbssports.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:58 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
Is this year's Ohio State better than last year's Ohio State? I looked into that, and more, in B1G Time:

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
Big Ten storylines, picks: Ohio State even better than last year's title team?
Plus, a pick for the huge showdown between Big Ten newcomers USC and Oregon
www.cbssports.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:57 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
This week's power ratings are out, and the top four remains the same. Yes, one of those top four teams is Alabama.

Let me explain!

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
College Football Power Ratings: Alabama holds steady despite loss to Oklahoma
Plus, Texas A&M drops multiple spots after a rough first half necessitated an epic comeback
www.cbssports.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:32 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
Get ready to spend Thanksgiving arguing with your loved ones about Texas. Plus:

🏈 Georgia peaking
🏈 B1G had a good weekend
🏈 Beware of Pirates

And more in the CFP Vibe Check.

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
College Football Playoff Vibe Check: Texas poised to be center of arguments
The Longhorns are now in line to finish as the most popular three-loss team come season's end
www.cbssports.com
November 16, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by Tom Fornelli
opepanther.bsky.social
Hearing people at work talk about how windy it is now, but how it wasn't when they got to work. They must not be Puntcast listeners, because they would know that the sun powers the wind. #PodcastOfScience @rkalland.bsky.social @tomfornelli.bsky.social @chippatterson.bsky.social
November 13, 2025 at 3:00 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
The Six Pack is looking to go 3-3 this week...again....with picks for

🏈 Oklahoma/Alabama
🏈 Texas/Georgia
🏈 Minnesota/Oregon
🏈 Wake Forest/North Carolina
🏈 Colorado St/New Mexico
🏈 Coastal/Georgia Southern

#TrustTheProcess

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
The Six Pack: Picks for Alabama-Oklahoma, Georgia-Texas and lock of Week 12
Trust The Process with these college football picks for the Week 12 slate
www.cbssports.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:37 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
No, the ACC champion will not be left out of the College Football Playoff.

The CFP Vibe Check: www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
College Football Playoff Vibe Check: Sorting out ACC mess as SEC keeps rolling
The ACC Championship race is in flux with the second installment of the CFP rankings coming Tuesday
www.cbssports.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:16 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
Wisconsin is putting off til tomorrow what it could've done today.

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
Wisconsin backing Luke Fickell for 2026, but its investment is too little and too late
The problem here is that money cannot fix everything
www.cbssports.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:53 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
This week's Six Pack features picks for:

🏈 BYU/Texas Tech
🏈 Oregon/Iowa
🏈 Auburn/Vanderbilt
🏈 Washington/Wisconsin
🏈 Colorado/West Virginia
🏈 Sam Houston/Oregon State

#TrustTheProcess

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
The Six Pack: Picks for BYU vs. Texas Tech, Auburn vs. Vanderbilt and Tom Fornelli's lock for Week 11
Trust The Process with these college football picks for the Week 11 slate
www.cbssports.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:59 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
Two things that can be true: Iowa is good and Iowa has benefitted from an easier schedule to this point.

Are they both true? We'll find out this week when the Hawkeyes look to play spoiler at home against Oregon. That and more in B1G Time:

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
B1G Time: Is Iowa a real College football Playoff contender, or just a cornfield ghost?
Plus, putting Jeremiah Smith's incredible career start in historical perspective
www.cbssports.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Reposted by Tom Fornelli
fishecon.bsky.social
Omg @tomfornelli.bsky.social talking about the Canes
I'll tell you what we do with Miami. We never believe in them again. We never buy into anything that they're doing. I don't care how talented they are, how well they're playing. We never believe that they're going to continue playing well, or that they're ever going to avoid doing dumb shit, and losing games they're not supposed to lose, as long as just the way that that team is. Like I texted you earlier, Chip, Miami could win 75 straight games, and for the rest of my life, I'll still be like, yeah, but they're probably going to blow this one.
November 2, 2025 at 2:26 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
Not a lot of change in this week's power ratings, but one team finally fell outside the top 12 despite winning while a team that lost hung around.

It's all explained within.

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
College Football Power Ratings: SEC teams drop despite wins, Miami hangs around
Plus, Oklahoma reappears after a major road win keeps its CFP hopes alive for another week
www.cbssports.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:01 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
The CFP Vibe Check: This week was more of a reality check for many in the ACC, Big Ten, and Mountain West.

Where do things stand before our first CFP rankings release?

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
College Football Playoff rankings come Tuesday: How bad will the vibes be for every non-SEC team?
The debut of the 2025 College Football Playoff rankings come Tuesday, and we're projecting some downtrodden vibes for most everybody not in the Southeast
www.cbssports.com
November 2, 2025 at 4:02 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
Wrote about the newest Heisman frontrunner at your local sportsbook.

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
Julian Sayin steering Ohio State: Heisman leader continues impressive debut season
It was easy to overlook Sayin amid a sea of supporting offensive talent, but the redshirt freshman has stolen the show
www.cbssports.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:38 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
The Six Pack is out with picks for:

🏈 Vandy/Texas
🏈 Cincinnati/Utah
🏈 Penn St/Ohio St
🏈 USC/Nebraska
🏈 Virginia/Cal
🏈 Wyoming/San Diego St

#TrustTheProcess

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
Six Pack of college football picks: USC vs. Nebraska, Texas vs. Vanderbilt and more Week 10 games
Trust The Process with these college football picks for the Week 10 slate
www.cbssports.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:23 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
For the first time this season two Big 12 teams have cracked the top 12 of my power ratings, and neither are the Big 12 teams still undefeated in conference play.

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
October 28, 2025 at 2:59 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
The Oregon offense has slowed down considerably in its last 4 games. Is it a lull or a concern? Wrote about that, the youth movement at Maryland, and thoughts on how Washington and Iowa are being treated in the AP Poll in B1G Time.

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
B1G Time: Cracks starting to show in Oregon's facade?
Plus, the inconsistent logic at the bottom of the AP Top 25 poll
www.cbssports.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:23 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
CFP Vibe Check

A&M is real, and it's spectacular
Get ready to speak CFP, Ole Miss
Iowa?
Cincinnati!
Memphis gave teams hope
My latest projection and more!

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
College Football Playoff Vibe Check, Week 9: Nine teams bow out of race
Plus, Iowa and Cincinnati have officially thrown their names in the hat of potential playoff contenders after strong weeks
www.cbssports.com
October 26, 2025 at 3:08 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
The Six Pack is out with picks for:

🏈 Oklahoma/Ole Miss
🏈 LSU/Texas A&M
🏈 Iowa State/BYU
🏈 Cincinnati/Baylor
🏈 Central Michigan/UMass
🏈 Northern Illinois/Ball State

#TrustTheProcess

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
Six Pack of college football picks: Key SEC showdowns step into Week 9 spotlight
Trust the process with these picks, predictions and locks for Week 9 of the college football season
www.cbssports.com
October 23, 2025 at 4:49 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
Texas remains in the top 12 of my power ratings, and I don't like it, so I wrote about it. Read that, and about the 11 teams ahead of the Longhorns here:

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
College Football Power Ratings: Texas lingers despite struggles as Alabama, Oregon climb
The Longhorns have one of the worst offenses in the country, yet most of their goals remain attainable
www.cbssports.com
October 21, 2025 at 1:57 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
I think Matt Rhule is the next head coach at Penn State. I also think there are two other candidates who would seriously consider the job and are better options. Wrote about that and plenty more in B1G Time.

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
B1G Time: Matt Rhule looks like the favorite for the Penn State job, but he might not be the best candidate
Plus, why the conference could be on track for historic futility
www.cbssports.com
October 14, 2025 at 2:30 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
Penn State firing James Franklin and my power ratings are reflections of a shift in college football that's happening far quicker than I anticipated.

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
College Football Power Ratings: Big Ten occupies top three spots entering Week 8
Elsewhere, a couple of Texas teams not named the Longhorns have begun to emerge at midseason
www.cbssports.com
October 14, 2025 at 2:28 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
This is a response to my picks column.
misfitguitars.bsky.social The Island of Misfit Guitars @misfitguitars.bsky.social · Oct 12
You and the Cover 3 podcast hate the big 12, not even a mention about texas tech?? Your bio should say you cover college ball "selectively".
October 12, 2025 at 5:37 PM
tomfornelli.bsky.social
CFP VIBE CHECK

- Prepare for a 3-loss at-large
- Oregon concerns?
- How serious is USC?
- A revolutionary idea for the Big 12

www.cbssports.com/college-foot...
College Football Playoff Predictions: A 3-loss SEC team in field is coming this fall
Tom Fornelli delivers College Football Playoff take after take following a shape-shifting Week 7
www.cbssports.com
October 12, 2025 at 5:37 PM