Each week during the college football season, USA TODAY Sports' insiders will talk with coaches, athletics administrators, agents and more to bring you the behind-the-scenes news. They are granted anonymity to speak candidly. Here's what we're hearing this week:
LSU knows its 'the most hated team in college football'
The work is done. Camp is over. Kickoff is 10 days away.
Inside LSU football headquarters, chaos is the only certainty.
At this point, calm is unwelcome.
"We live in 'The Truman Show,'" one LSU staffer told USA TODAY Sports, granted anonymity to speak freely. "A simulation of this can’t get anymore (expletive) wild or weird.”
OK, but the football?
"We’ll talk next week."
Game week arrived. The chaos was more pronounced. LSU tried using a friendly state legal system to challenge the NCAA, but
more specifically the SEC, about rostering players who just last month were with NFL teams.
“Coach, I’m just telling you, we’re leaning into this shit,” the LSU staffer said. “Our culture right now is really good. These guys know we’re the most hated team in college football.
“They don’t care.”
What did it mean for Clemson?
“Sam (Leavitt, LSU’s prize free-agent signing at quarterback) has been electric,” the staff member said. “He’s barely turned the ball over all camp. If he doesn’t turn it over, I think we might run (Clemson) out. I don’t think they can score on us.”
The foreshadowing is a forewarning; LSU rolled. Clemson looked lost. In the big picture, too.
Lane Kiffin is on top of his game, while Dabo Swinney's championship credentials seem further away than ever.
Matt Rhule's extra friendly contract extension
Nebraska's response to rumored Penn State interest in Matt Rhule was simple: Pay him.
Documents reviewed by USA TODAY Sports show Nebraska first offered Rhule an extension on Oct. 29, 2025, ultimately locking in at least $25 million in additional guaranteed compensation.
The deal dramatically boosts the value of Rhule's original contract, with his annual pay rising from $8.5 million in 2026 to at least $12.5 million in each of the contract's final three years.
Just as important, the agreement heavily favors the coach. If Nebraska parts ways with Rhule before the deal expires, it would owe 90 cents on every dollar of his remaining guaranteed base salary.
Rhule is 20-19 a game into his fourth season in Lincoln, and while the Huskers opened with a win over Ohio, it was far from convincing despite the 49-21 score. The Bobcats were within one score in the fourth quarter.
Miami figures out West Coast travel
Mario Cristobal learned a lesson the hard way.
In Miami's first ACC trip to California on Oct. 5, 2024, the Hurricanes arrived the day before a late-night game against Cal and nearly paid for it. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza (remember him?) and the Golden Bears pushed unbeaten Miami to the brink before the Hurricanes rallied for a 39-38 victory.
Cristobal swore he'd never make that trip on such a short timeline again.
So when Miami opened the 2026 season Friday night at Stanford, the Hurricanes arrived three days ahead of kickoff.
As one Stanford official told USA TODAY Sports, "We were told that Mario said, 'If we're flying across three time zones, we're going three days early.'"
It worked. The Hurricanes opened their season with a 45-6 demolition of the Cardinal.
Tarleton State football ready for bigger stage
For the second consecutive season, Tarleton State has knocked off an FBS opponent.
A year after stunning Army in a double-overtime thriller, the Texans left little room for drama this time.
Tarleton State raced to a 17-0 first-half lead and never let Eddie George's Bowling Green squad get closer than the final margin in a 20-13 victory.
The win is another milestone for coach Todd Whitten, the program's all-time winningest coach and the architect of its rapid rise from NCAA Division II to the FCS ranks earlier this decade.
The Texans have reached the FCS playoffs in back-to-back seasons and entered this week ranked No. 5 in the AFCA FCS Top 25.
Whitten's personal story is every bit as compelling as the program's ascent.
He has spoken openly about his struggles with alcohol addiction. In December, he'll celebrate 11 years of sobriety.
After beating Bowling Green, Whitten didn't bask in the accomplishment. He praised his team's effort, expressed pride in the program and immediately turned his attention to areas that still need improvement.
That mindset is one reason Tarleton State is increasingly viewed as a potential FBS candidate.
The Stephenville, Texas, university, which enrolls more than 13,000 full-time students, boasts resources and facilities that already compare favorably with many Group of Six programs. University leadership remains interested in taking another step up the college football ladder if a conference is willing to offer a landing spot, according to a person familiar with the school's ambitions.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What we're hearing: LSU leans into villain role; Nebraska's risky Matt Rhule bet
