Top-ranked Georgia will look to secure consecutive undefeated regular seasons for the first time in school history by continuing its dominance over in-state rival Georgia Tech on Saturday in Athens, Ga.

The game, which is nicknamed “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate,” has become as one-sided as any in the nation. Georgia has won the past four meetings by an average of 36.3 points after a 45-0 win last year. The Bulldogs have beaten the Yellow Jackets in 17 of the past 20 meetings.

Georgia (11-0, 8-0 SEC) is coming off a 16-6 victory at Kentucky on Saturday and will play in the SEC title game for the fifth time in the past six years when it faces LSU on Dec. 3.

Georgia Tech (5-6, 4-4 ACC) rallied from a 17-0 second-quarter deficit to pull out a 21-17 upset of then-No. 13 North Carolina (9-2, 6-1 ACC) on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The Yellow Jackets, however, must defeat Georgia to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2018.

Georgia is first nationally in scoring defense (11.09 points per game), third in rushing defense (83.1 yards per game), fifth in total defense (272.1 ypg) and 11th in scoring offense (38.4 points).

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett has completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 3,011 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions, leading an offense that is seventh in the country in yards per game (496.3).

Tight end Brock Bowers has 41 receptions for 625 yards with four touchdowns, while Ladd McConkey has 46 catches for 606 yards and four touchdowns. Kenny McIntosh has been a threat out of the backfield with 33 receptions for 341 yards and a score, in addition to rushing for 568 yards and seven scores on 111 carries.

The Bulldogs’ Daijun Edwards is averaging 5.1 yards per carry, having rushed for 547 yards and seven touchdowns on 107 carries.

Georgia Tech has gone 4-3 under interim coach Brent Key, who was promoted from assistant head coach and run game coordinator after the school fired Geoff Collins following a loss to Central Florida on Sept. 24 that dropped the Yellow Jackets to 1-3.

Key, however, could be coaching his final game with the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech also fired athletic director Rick Stansbury and hired J Batt, the former executive deputy director of athletics, chief operating officer and chief revenue officer at Alabama.

“I’m worried about Georgia, it’s the No. 1 team in the country,” Key said. “It’s the biggest challenge of my life right now, taking this group over there to Athens at 12 o’clock on Saturday.

“It’s Georgia and Georgia Tech, and that’s why you come to school here, is to play this game, it’s an honor.”

The Yellow Jackets’ two quarterback system of Zach Gibson, who went 13-for-18 passing for 174 yards, and Taisun Phommachanh, who went 2-for-5 passing for 13 yards in addition to rushing for 44 yards and a score on 10 carries, led an offense that amassed 373 yards against the Tar Heels.

The defense held North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, a Heisman Trophy candidate, to 16-for-30 passing for 202 yards and an interception.

“They’re playing really well now. They’re playing really hard now,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “I think (Key) has done a tremendous job at getting these guys to compete.”

–Field Level Media

Amid the resurgence of its football program that saw the team ranked in the Top 25 for a spell earlier this year, Kansas signed coach Lance Leipold to a new contract with an extension through the 2029 season, multiple reports said Tuesday night.

Kansas (6-5, 3-5 Big 12) is bowl eligible for the first time since 2008. The Jayhawks spent two weeks in October ranked in the AP poll, which they hadn’t achieved since 2009.

Leipold, previously the coach at Buffalo, took over the Jayhawks in March 2021 after the school fired Les Miles amid allegations that he behaved inappropriately with female students.

After a 2-10 finish in 2021 highlighted by a 57-56 upset over Texas, Kansas opened this season 5-0 with conference wins over West Virginia and Iowa State. The Jayhawks went on to add a 37-16 beatdown of then-No. 18 Oklahoma State.

It’s already Leipold’s second extension in 19 months on the job. In September, Kansas announced a one-year extension that brought his contract at the time through the 2027 season.

Despite that, Leipold’s name was linked to vacancies at Nebraska and Arizona State earlier this season.

Under Turner Gill, Charlie Weis, interim coach Clint Bowen, David Beaty and Miles from 2010-20, Kansas football had gone a combined 21-108 with winless seasons in 2015 and 2020.

–Field Level Media

Through 11 games, Florida State has had a renaissance under third-year coach Mike Norvell, but all of that will be tempered if the No. 16 Seminoles fail to do their job on their home turf on Black Friday.

Their mission: Beat the University of Florida.

On a rare Friday evening matchup on rivalry weekend, the Seminoles will host the Gators in Tallahassee, Fla., in the 66th meeting between the schools.

Following Saturday’s 49-17 walloping of Louisiana, Florida State (8-3) sits with a chance at a nine-win regular season, which would be its first since 2016 — an improvement that represents a major upturn in the program.

After Norvell started his tenure in the state capital with a dismal 3-10 mark in 2020 into the first four games of 2021, the former Memphis coach and his Seminoles have won 13 of the past 19. They finished 5-3 in the ACC’s Atlantic Division this season, trailing only 8-0 Clemson.

Across their last four contests against Georgia Tech, Miami, Syracuse and Louisiana, FSU has won the scoring battle 173-39.

Despite the Gators (6-5) being inconsistent in 2022 — beating then-No. 7 Utah in the season opener and losing last week to SEC East Division doormat Vanderbilt — Norvell sees a dangerous squad under first-year coach Billy Napier.

“You see talent, this is a talented team,” said Norvell, whose group has won four straight games on two occasions. “Great size, speed, athleticism. You’ve seen them play at very high levels at different spots of the year.

“They’re in the first year of a new staff, new schemes, different things like that. It’s a talented group we’re playing.”

Napier opined that hitting on all cylinders isn’t happening on a regular basis — in Gainesville or anywhere else.

“I think we live in a time where you just see a lot of inconsistency,” he said Monday.

The Gators lead the all-time series 37-26-2, but that inconsistency was out in full force in Nashville, Tenn., last weekend. Napier’s club did the nearly unthinkable in its SEC finale: Losing to the one foe it consistently defeats.

In a mistake-filled showing against Vanderbilt, the Gators dropped a 31-24 decision after trailing almost the entire game, once by as many as 16 points.

The Commodores recovered a muffed punt for a score late in the first half. They then received three touchdown passes from Mike Wright for a 28-12 third-quarter lead that Florida could never equal, much less overcome.

In the Music City, the Gators authored a teary gridiron ballad in front of mostly their fans who had traveled to see an easy win.

They committed 80 yards in penalties, went 4-for-15 on third downs and rushed for 45 yards in losing on the road against the Commodores for the first time since 1988 — ending a 15-game winning streak.

Said Napier after the ugly showing: “It’s a setback, no question … I saw a lot of Florida beating Florida.”

The Gators will be without Ventrell Miller (targeting) for the first half against Florida State. Two of their top wide receivers, Xzavier Henderson and Ricky Pearsall, are questionable to play.

–Field Level Media

With two losses, it’s fair to assume that No. 18 North Carolina is eliminated from the College Football Playoff, but the Tar Heels are aiming to end their regular season on a strong note and carry some momentum into its Atlantic Coast Conference Championship clash with Clemson.

On Friday, the Tar Heels will host rival North Carolina State in Chapel Hill in the regular-season finale for both squads. It’s a chance for both teams to bolster their resumes for bowl season.

UNC (9-2, 6-1 ACC) brings to the game a potent offense, while NC State (7-4, 3-4 ACC) brings a stout defense. The Heels are sixth in the nation in passing touchdowns per game (3.1) and tied for eighth in total offensive yards per game (492.7). Meanwhile, the Wolfpack are 21st in total defense (323.4 yards allowed per game) and ninth in rushing yards allowed per game (101.4).

Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye still leads the nation in total yards with 4,211 this season.

“NC State is a very emotional game, it’s a rival game, and I’ve always said that fans are the ones that create rivalries,” UNC coach Mack Brown said. “NC State has played great defense; not good defense. Drake Thomas, Isaiah Moore and Payton Wilson are three of the best linebackers in the country.”

Both teams are coming off loses. North Carolina saw its six-game winning streak snapped on Saturday in a surprise 21-17 loss to Georgia Tech.

The Tar Heels started that game against the Yellow Jackets off strong, as Elijah Green broke away for an 80-yard touchdown on UNC’s first offensive play. Brown told his players and assistant coaches to mentally reset after that play.

“It’s usually an imposter,” Brown said. “It just looks like it’s going to be too easy. And you jump out 17-0 and then you don’t finish it.”

Indeed, UNC was held scoreless in the second half as Georgia Tech scored a pair of touchdowns to take the lead. Brown called the loss and the Heels’ performance “very uncharacteristic” and “very, very disappointing.”

UNC might get two offensive weapons back for the NC State game. After missing the loss to Georgia Tech — both with upper-body injuries — tight end John Copenhaver and receiver Antoine Green both practiced on Monday.

The Wolfpack are coming off a 25-10 road loss at Louisville. NC State was forced to play redshirt freshman Ben Finley at quarterback due to injuries to Devin Leary and MJ Morris. In his first appearance of the season, Finley completed 16 of 35 passes for 201 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

It remains unclear if Morris will play against North Carolina.

“I’m not going have any answers on medical things,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said. “Let’s see this week how practice goes. We have four days. It’s really nobody’s business.”

Last week was also a tough week for NC State off the field as a former player — Joseph Boletepeli — was arrested after stalking and making threats against Doeren.

“Outside of the COVID year where it was tough for everybody to be a head coach, this last week was the hardest in my career,” Doeren said.

UNC has the advantage in the all-time series against NC State with a 68-37-6 record. The Wolfpack beat the Tar Heels last season 34-30 in Raleigh.

–Field Level Media

No. 25 Cincinnati is familiar with competing for the American Athletic Conference championship.

No. 21 Tulane isn’t.

But both teams will meet as equals on Friday in an AAC showdown in Cincinnati.

The winner will claim the regular-season conference title and host the AAC championship game next Saturday.

The Bearcats (9-2, 6-1 AAC) are two-time defending conference champions and have won 32 consecutive games in Nippert Stadium. Only Clemson (40) has a longer active winning streak at home.

“Nobody wants to be the guy that lets the streak go,” linebacker Wil Huber said. “But it’s not something that you go into the week thinking, ‘I’m not going to lose this streak.’ No one goes into a game thinking about not trying to lose. We go into every game expecting to win.”

Cincinnati, which qualified for the College Football Playoff last season, is 31-4 since the start of the 2020 season.

“I want them to embrace the opportunity that they’ve created and enjoy it,” Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said of his players. “It doesn’t always happen at the end of November that you’re playing for the championship in the final game. They’ve created this and they deserve to enjoy it.”

Fickell said he’s unsure if starting quarterback Ben Bryant will be available. Bryant suffered a foot injury during the first half of a 23-3 win at Temple last Saturday.

Evan Prater replaced Bryant and would start if Bryant is unable to go.

“I think he’s ready,” Fickell said of Prater, who completed 12 of 17 passes for 127 yards last week. “It’s not going to be too big for him if he has to go in there. In the second half, he did a really good job of managing where we were and what we needed to do.”

The Green Wave (9-2, 6-1) were picked seventh in the AAC preseason poll after finishing 2-10 last season.

“It’s a great feeling to reflect back on how bad we did last year and now we’ve got the chance of a lifetime,” said running back Tyjae Spears, who has five consecutive 100-yard games and is 4 yards short of 1,000 for this season. “We’re just living in the moment, trying to make the most out of the opportunity we have.”

Tulane sat alone atop the conference standings before losing to UCF 38-31 two weeks ago but bounced back with a dominant 59-24 victory against SMU last Thursday. Quarterback Michael Pratt passed for three touchdowns and ran for three more.

“We played a great game and we’re going to have to play great again on Friday,” Green Wave coach Willie Fritz said. “We’ve got to take care of business. This is a big, big challenge for us.”

Tulane first appeared on the national radar this season after upsetting Kansas State 17-10 on the road on Sept. 17. Fritz said he expects a similar atmosphere in Cincinnati.

“This is a big deal for our program,” Fritz said. “We try to do the same preparation if at all possible every single week.”

These teams could meet again in the championship game, or the winner could face either UCF or Houston depending on what happens Saturday when UCF faces USF and Houston plays Tulsa.

–Field Level Media