The Saturday Watchlist: 10-25-2025
Don’t let any poor weather get you down—today’s going to be a great college football Saturday.
Last week was so much fun. Vanderbilt’s win over LSU propelled it into the top 10 for the first time since World War II, while Notre Dame, BYU, and Alabama all picked up some big-time rivalry wins, and Texas A&M survived a storm in Fayetteville to take down the Razorbacks. And that was just the start of the awesomeness.
There’s no telling what could transpire today, though if the general forecast is correct, we’re bound for another explosive Saturday. Ole Miss and Oklahoma will play in what could amount to a crucial contest in the race to make the College Football Playoff, Vanderbilt is seeking another opportunity to prove itself, and Texas A&M hopes to quell any worries that Battered Aggie Syndrome will pop up again. And that’s just the action in the SEC! There are also fun rivalry games between Kansas and Kansas State, Minnesota and Iowa, and Michigan and Michigan State. It’s safe to say that no matter what you watch, you’re in for a good time.
That’s where The Saturday Watchlist comes into play. If you’re new here, welcome. This is the place where I deposit every college football game I consider worth watching on a given Saturday. If a game isn’t listed here, I don’t plan on watching it live. That doesn’t mean I won’t pivot if something wild happens elsewhere, but the following are the games I’ll absolutely have on my screens all day long.
There’s obviously a lot to choose from on any given Saturday. A whopping 136 schools make up the FBS, with another 129 in the FCS. Pair that with Division II and III, as well as the NAIA and JUCO, and wowza—that’s a lot to parse through. I hope this list helps you narrow down what’s important and what’s not. Even if the games I’ve laid out don’t suffice, I hope it at least gives you a better idea of what’s happening around the country on this glorious Saturday.
Here’s The Saturday Watchlist for October 25, 2025.
Note: All rankings are from the D Poll for Week 9, and all times are CT.
Early Window
Primary Screen: No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 15 Oklahoma – 11 a.m. – ABC
Secondary Screen: Auburn at Arkansas – 11:45 a.m. – SEC Network
Tertiary Screen: UCLA at No. 1 Indiana – 11 a.m. – FOX
Also worth tracking:
Syracuse at No. 5 Georgia Tech – 11 a.m. – ESPN
No. 10 South Florida at Memphis – 11 a.m. – ESPN2
Kansas State at Kansas – 11 a.m. – TNT
It’s “Separation Saturday” in the SEC, starting with Ole Miss’ trip to Norman to take on the Sooners. Can Lane Kiffin and company bounce back after the crushing loss to Georgia, or will Oklahoma’s defense be too much to handle? No matter the outcome, this one’s crucial for the race to the College Football Playoff, as the loser will no longer have any room for error.
Arkansas has nothing to lose, while Auburn, and especially head coach Hugh Freeze, have everything on the table. Should the Razorbacks win their first conference game of the season against the Tigers, it’s more likely than not that Freeze’s tenure on The Plains will come to an end. It’s safe to say this morning’s bout in Fayetteville is important, even if there are no CFP berths on the line.
Can UCLA pull off another stunner? Unlike Penn State, which the Bruins beat several weeks ago in shocking fashion, Indiana is locked in and has everything to play for. Curt Cignetti is not a coach to take a week off, so with that information, I find it extremely unlikely that UCLA’s renaissance continues in Bloomington. But what do I know? This is college football in 2025, which means anything is technically possible.
Afternoon Window
Primary Screen: No. 4 BYU at Iowa State – 2:30 p.m. – FOX
Secondary Screen: No. 12 Missouri at No. 9 Vanderbilt – 2:30 p.m. – ESPN
Tertiary Screen: Minnesota at Iowa – 2:30 p.m. – CBS
Also worth tracking:
No. 6 Alabama at South Carolina – 2:30 p.m. – ABC
Baylor at No. 16 Cincinnati – 3 p.m. – ESPN2
Texas at Mississippi State – 3:15 p.m. – SEC Network
BYU’s victory in the Holy War provided a good enough vibes boost to propel it into the top five in the D Poll, but it’s facing a major letdown spot in Ames this afternoon against Iowa State. In my estimation, BYU’s ability to just win games will do it wonders as it attempts to once again prove doubters wrong, though there’s always the possibility that Iowa State, a team once highly touted but now fallen out of favor with the general public, climbs up and takes down the undefeated Cougars.
I hope everybody doesn’t take this Missouri–Vanderbilt game for granted. First of all, College GameDay is in Nashville this morning, and that’s wonderful. Sure, would it have been nice if ESPN’s flagship college football show went to schools not in the SEC? Yeah, but Vanderbilt is a nice exception because that program deserves this spotlight. Then there’s Missouri, a team I have to imagine feels slighted with all the positivity being thrown toward its opponent. If anybody wants to play spoiler to the party, it’s Mizzou.
The annual clash between Minnesota and Iowa is as underrated a rivalry as they come. The Battle for the Floyd of Rosedale—named for a bronze pig trophy that originated from a 1935 wager between the governors of Minnesota and Iowa over a live hog—is usually an ugly slog of a game, but this is the Big Ten, and those are exactly the kinds of games Midwest college football fans love. It might not be your style, but please check it out. The passion those Golden Gophers and Hawkeyes will exhibit this afternoon will be well worth the price of admission.
Evening Window
Primary Screen: No. 3 Texas A&M at LSU – 6:30 p.m. – ABC
Secondary Screen: Houston at No. 25 Arizona State – 7 p.m. – ESPN2
Tertiary Screen: Michigan at Michigan State – 6:30 p.m. – NBC
Also worth tracking:
TCU at West Virginia – 5 p.m. – ESPN+
Stanford at No. 14 Miami – 6 p.m. – ESPN
North Dakota State at South Dakota State – 7 p.m. – ESPNU
Who’s ready for the most lackadaisical evening window we’ve had all season? Apart from the potential classic that is Texas A&M’s trip to Death Valley, there’s nothing really special here. Sure, I’m always going to be jazzed about a Big 12 game featuring two up-and-comers like Houston and Arizona State, but I imagine the general public has no idea that game is even happening today. Even Michigan–Michigan State—a rivalry once held in high regard—has lost a lot of luster over the past several seasons, and it appears this iteration will be another blowout in favor of the Wolverines. Yet nothing is certain. As I am prone to saying, it’s the times when it appears nothing is going to happen that something does happen. Perhaps that will be the case tonight.
Late Window
Primary Screen: Colorado at Utah – 9:15 p.m. – ESPN
Curse the beings that deleted the Pac-12 from existence. Because of that foolishness, we’re left with basically zero late-night action. The only Division I game happening after 8 p.m. CT is Colorado–Utah, and while that’s bound to be a perfectly fine experience, there was once a time when we all got to sit back, relax, and watch two or three late-night Pac-12 games all at once. When I am the commissioner of college football, this nonsense will cease. In the meantime, though, go watch Deion Sanders attempt to get the Buffaloes’ season back on track against a Utah team looking to rebound after a crushing loss to BYU in the Holy War.