<div>UNDATED (AP) — The biggest games of the college football regular season are not quite as important as they used to be. No. 2 Georgia visits No. 4 Alabama on Saturday in a monster showdown of two Southeastern Conference superpowers. Now that the College Football Playoff includes 12 teams, the consequences for losing regular-season games are not as great, but the games still can be.UNDATED (AP) — Teams across the Atlantic Coast Conference are expanding staffs to help deal with the challenges of recruiting during the transfer-portal era. That's meant creating what amounts to their own NFL-like front offices. Those growing personnel staffs are charged with tracking the national landscape in terms of players who are potential candidates to transfer and might be a good fit. The challenge is being ready to move quickly when the transfer-portal window opens in December. California coach Justin Wilcox said he thinks personnel and recruiting areas are places “where you're going to see teams continue to grow.”SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Miami (Ohio) turned up the heat on Notre Dame in the first half last weekend. Then the Fighting Irish defense stood up and held fast. Nobody expected anything less from a unit with a defensive-minded head coach, Marcus Freeman, and three preseason All-Americans. And now as the offense tries to find its footing, the defense has become the constant No. 16 Notre Dame can rely upon as it prepares to host high-scoring No. 15 Louisville on Saturday. Freeman says “in our red zone defense, there’s a belief, a mindset, ‘put the ball down, we’re right where we want to be.’”CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — The big play is back in a big way for No. 17 Clemson. Behind revived passer Cade Klubnik, the Tigers are stretching the field and piling up points. They have put up 125 in consecutive wins over Appalachian State and N.C. State with Klubnik leading the way. He's accounted for 11 touchdowns in those wins, six of those scoring plays going for 29 yards or longer. Clemson has lost its opener to then top-ranked Georgia but are gaining momentum and confidence each week with their offensive showings. Coach Dabo Swinney says "our quarterback’s blossoming right before our eyes.”UNDATED (AP) — No. 2 Georgia visits No. 4 Alabama on Saturday night for a Southeastern Conference opener and only their third regular-season meeting since 2015. Of the last eight matchups, four have come in SEC title games and two in College Football Playoff championship games. This will be the first time since 2017 that two top-four teams have met before October. Other Top 25 matchups have No. 19 Illinois at No. 9 Penn State, No. 15 Louisville at Notre Dame and No. 20 Oklahoma State at No. 23 Kansas State.LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Tennessee’s announcement of a 10% talent fee on 2025 football season tickets to help pay players could have been considered inevitable in the still-evolving era of name, image and likeness compensation. Especially with revenue going directly to players likely in the fall of 2025. It nonetheless sent shock waves throughout the sport and could spur other Power Four conference programs to follow suit. The question is whether even diehard fans are willing to absorb another surcharge, though this one could directly impact on-field talent.</div>

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UNDATED (AP) — The biggest games of the college football regular season are not quite as important as they used to be. No. 2 Georgia visits No. 4 Alabama on Saturday in a monster showdown of two Southeastern Conference superpowers. Now that the College Football Playoff includes 12 teams, the consequences for losing regular-season games are not as great, but the games still can be.