Run the North | Golden Gophers football

[redsox907]

would have been better for Ohio State to win. At least you would have lost to the best then

edit: my b didn't mean to steal your bump

[ShireNiner]

BREAKING NEWS: Arch Manning enters Transfer Portal | Minnesota star safety decides to leave | Jeremiah Smith enters NFL Draft | USC's hosting BYU's Bear Beireimach



Trojan Conquest: USC Returns to Glory in the 12-Team Era

By: Bruce Felderman | January 23, 2027
Senior Writer, CFB

The 2026-2027 college football season has finally closed it's curtains in the bright lights of Las Vegas, and when the dust settled at Allegiant Stadium, the hierarchy of the sport had a distinctively cardinal and gold hue.

For the first time in over two decades, the USC Trojans are the undisputed kings of college football. Their 28-17 victory over Ohio State didn’t just clinch a national title; it validated a seismic shift in the sport’s landscape. In year two of the "new" Big Ten, Lincoln Riley’s squad proved that the West Coast could not only survive the move eastward but dominate it.

The final poll reflects a season where the Big Ten officially became the center of the football universe.

1. USC (15-1): The Trojans survived a brutal schedule and a championship scare to finish on top. Jayden Maiava’s fourth-quarter heroics in Vegas will go down in Trojan lore alongside the greats of the Pete Carroll era.

2. Ohio State (12-3): A bitter pill for Ryan Day. The Buckeyes were dominant for much of the year, but the inability to close out the Trojans in the final 15 minutes of the season will lead to a long, introspective winter in Columbus.

7. Minnesota (12-4): Perhaps the story of the season. Mick Smith took a 7-seed and a 2,000-yard rusher in AJ Turner all the way to the Sugar Bowl. The Gophers proved that "Power North" football can still derail the nation's elite.

Beyond the championship battle, the 12-team playoff delivered on its promise of chaos and Cinderella stories.

Texas Tech (No. 3) finished the year as the most efficient team in the country. Under Joey McGuire and Heisman-caliber QB Conner Weigman, the Red Raiders turned Lubbock into a slaughterhouse for top-tier opponents, falling only to Minnesota in a narrow quarterfinal upset.

SMU (No. 5) proved their ACC move was no fluke, finishing as the highest-ranked team from the conference after a deep playoff run. Meanwhile, Florida (No. 4) emerged as the lone survivor of an SEC bloodbath that saw perennial powers like Georgia (No. 6) and LSU (No. 9) falter in the quarterfinal rounds.

1. USC (15-1)
2. Ohio State (12-3)
3. Texas Tech (13-1)
4. Florida (12-3)
5. SMU (12-3)
6. Georgia (11-3)
7. Minnesota (12-4)
8. Pittsburgh (10-3)
9. LSU (10-3)
10. UCLA (10-4)
11. BYU (11-3)
12. Duke (11-2)
13. Texas (10-3)
14. Clemson (11-3)
15. Alabama (10-3)
16. Ole Miss (10-4)
17. Michigan (10-3)
18. Oregon (10-3)
19. Georgia Southern (12-2)
20. Florida State (10-3)
21. Miami University (10-4)
22. Tennessee (10-3)
23. Baylor (8-5)
24. California (8-5)
25. San Jose State (9-4)

---

---

Bruce Felderman is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering NCAA Football. Bruce previously wrote for ESPN, The Telegraph, and The Athletic before we paid way more money and he came to us.

---

---

More from ShireNiner Nation:

• Another transfer calling out JMU for disrespectful acts
• Blades holding their own in the Prem
• Schools first Heisman might be the best WR of all time

Comments

[ShireNiner]

would have been better for Ohio State to win. At least you would have lost to the best then

edit: my b didn't mean to steal your bump

No worries, I just didn't want my next article at the bottom of the last page. I like USC winning, makes an easier story line than Ohio State winning again..

[ShireNiner]

Only two transfers this year compared to the 21 departures last season for Smith

Gophers say good-bye to Seniors and Brown

By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler | January 28, 2027
@AidensFake


MINNEAPOLIS— The 2026-2027 season was a historic ride for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, but the "Power North" engine is undergoing a massive overhaul. With the conclusion of the Sugar Bowl, head coach Mick Smith faces another roster turnover. The Gophers are waving goodbye to a staggering 17 contributors, including the most prolific rusher in school history and the heart of a defense that carried them to the Final Four.

The most painful departure for the Gopher faithful is A.J. Turner. The senior running back, who became the first Gopher to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in a single season, heads to the NFL hoping to follow last season's running back as a fourth-round pick. Turner’s ability to turn a three-yard cloud of dust into a 60-yard house call was the identity of this team. While Fame Ijeboi remains, the loss of Turner’s veteran leadership and sheer volume (316 carries) leaves a void that cannot be filled by a single player.

The defense, which ranked among the best in the Big Ten for much of the second half of the season, is being gutted by graduation. Aidan Gousby (106 tackles) and Jon Nestor (99 tackles) were the vocal and physical leaders of the front seven. In the secondary, the loss of Kerry Brown (102 tackles) to the transfer portal is a stinging blow. Minnesota tried keeping the junior safety, but Brown was determined to go to a title challenger for his senior season.

Brown was the "eraser" in the back end, and his exit leaves a young secondary without its most experienced signal-caller.

While the departures are not as extensive as last season, the holes will still be felt.

Departures
A.J. Turner, HB - All-American, Doak Walker Winner, 316 atts, 2,061 yds, 6.5 avg, 22 TDs
Kerry Brown, SS - 2nd team All-American, 102 tkls, 13 TFL, 1 sack, 3 INTs
Demarco Russ, CB - redshirt year
Ashton Beers, C - 15 GP, 3 sacks allowed
John Nestor, CB - 99 tkls, 8 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 def TD
Aidan Gousby, MIKE - 106 tkls, 21 TFL, 3 sacks, 4 INTs
Greg Johnson, LG - 15 GP, 3 sacks allowed
Evan Redding, CB - 68 tkls, 1 TFL, 1 INT
Spencer Alvarez, LT - 0 appearances
Jerry Cross, TE - 58 rec, 553 yds, 1 TD
Dexter Ricks , CB - 2nd team All-Conference, 75 tkls, 3 TFL, 4 INTs
Tyler Bailey, K - 0 appearances
Nate Johnson, RG - 0 appearances
DeAree Rogers, WR - 45 rec, 391 yds, 4 TDs
Jake Appleget, TE - 3 rec, 30 yds
Trevon Mcalpine, DT - 24 tkls, 9 TFl, 2.5 sacks
Jourdan Thomas FS - All American, 93 tkls, 5 TFL, 2 sacks, 3 INTs

---

Aiden “AJ” Wexleris a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering Minnesota Gophers Football. He previously covered local high schools in the Minneapolis area. He is based in Minneapolis, MN. Follow AJ on Twitter @AidensFake.

Comments

[Deuce2223]

Going to be interesting to see if you try and replace Turners production via who you have on your roster or if you gain some interest from a top RB in the portal.. Sometimes you can find some 3* gems with a little scouting.. I found Swaim in my Boise State Dynasty and he was probably my favorite RB I have played with.

[djp73]

best be hitting that portal for an RB1

[Soapy]

Hell of a run there my boy

[Captain Canada]

Regroup, reshuffle, and get back in there

I think Fame can go nuclear as well, but maybe it'll be smarter to go by committee if you think you can go on another run. Keep him healthier down the stretch.

[ShireNiner]

Going to be interesting to see if you try and replace Turners production via who you have on your roster or if you gain some interest from a top RB in the portal.. Sometimes you can find some 3* gems with a little scouting.. I found Swaim in my Boise State Dynasty and he was probably my favorite RB I have played with.

I hit the portal but for defense. We have some good young running backs but defensive line was very thin.

best be hitting that portal for an RB1

It’s Fame time.

Hell of a run there my boy

Thank you, I thought this was the year.

Regroup, reshuffle, and get back in there

I think Fame can go nuclear as well, but maybe it'll be smarter to go by committee if you think you can go on another run. Keep him healthier down the stretch.

That is what I’m thinking too. Fame will be the main guy but then splitting carries between the other three.

[ShireNiner]

Bump