Plus: The Trump administration declines to issue sanctions over Salt Typhoon’s hacking spree, officials warn of a disturbingly stealthy Chinese malware specimen, and more.
The power of automations is what draws many of us to Home Assistant in the first place, but there’s no denying that the process can feel a little drawn-out. Good news! A new experimental Home Assistant feature aims to make it easier to create automations, and you can try it out right now with the flick of a switch.
The Soundcore Work taps into one of artificial intelligence’s undeniable strengths: transcription. Instead of trying to write or type out notes, this device records audio and then turns it into useful information.
Buying gifts for the special woman in your life can be tricky. What do you buy a person who has everything? What should you gift to someone who's picky about their products? Our advice is to curate a gift according to her interests and personality.
A gift for the lady in your life should be just that: A gift for her. Part of our bigger series on the Best Gifts For Everyone, we’ve put together this comprehensive list to guide you on your important mission. And if it happens to be a teen girl you're shopping for, then we have a list for that, too.
So whether she's a techie, runner, or pet owner, these are the best gifts for her.
Octopath Traveler 0 had every excuse to be half-assed. It could have been smaller, leaner, and less compelling than its predecessors, just by virtue of where it came from. It is a minor miracle that it’s none of those things.
The latest throwback-style turn-based RPG from Square Enix, in case you don’t know, is a $50 console and PC adaptation of a free-to-play mobile game from 2020. The developers took a bunch of existing characters, enemies, storylines, mechanics, and music, and reconstituted them into an entirely different and wholly welcome new format. Given that mobile games are inherently fleeting, as they rely on storefronts, servers, and payment processes that will cease to exist someday, I think this is kind of incredible.
It also helps that the end result is just a real, real good RPG. Octopath Traveler 0 takes a foundation that could’ve produced something awkward and rickety and turns it into a game that keeps expanding and becoming more compelling the more time you invest into it. It might not feel as premium as the other console games in the series, but that doesn’t stop Octopath Traveler 0 from being one of the best RPGs of 2025, and a worthy addition to what is quickly becoming a very good series.
Making your own dude is cool.Credit: Square Enix/Steam
Octopath Traveler 0 is different from the first two console entries in the series in a number of ways, largely owing to the fact that it’s reformed from components of Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, a free-to-play phone spin-off. That means the very design fabric that made those first two games stand out is gone here.
Specifically, you no longer choose from one of eight pre-designed characters and spend the rest of your journey recruiting the other seven. That format produced games that felt more like short story collections than grand adventures, as each character had their own distinct arcs that largely didn’t involve the other characters. In Octopath 0, you instead create your own character, choose a starting class, and set off into the same prologue that every other player will see.
Soon enough, your humble hometown gets burnt down by some nefarious evildoers, and it’s up to you and a handful of other survivors to rebuild and seek revenge. There are several bespoke story arcs that rarely touch each other here, as in previous Octopath games, but they’re centered around heroes rather than villains. You can do them in whatever order you want, but you’ll have to do them all eventually.
Your party starts out small and gets much, much bigger later.Credit: Square Enix/Steam
Perhaps the biggest change, which comes directly from the mobile game, is that there are multiple dozens of playable party members in Octopath 0, as opposed to just eight in each of the previous two games. You don’t have to pay money to participate in slot machine pulls to unlock them anymore, as they’re now doled out at a reasonable pace over the course of the story, and many of them are optional to recruit.
Structurally, Octopath 0 is substantially more appealing to me than Champions of the Continent could ever hope to be. I don’t like free-to-play gacha games, but I like narrative RPGs. I think it is an act of near-genius to adapt a mobile game to a console game in the way the developers have here. While Octopath 0 feels different from its brethren, it rarely feels lesser than those other games. There are fewer combat animations for each character, to be sure, and it’s noticeable to fans of the other games that much of the music is reused. But Octopath 0 does not cut corners. This is, for all intents and purposes, a big, new, fully-featured RPG built using the bones of a mobile game. In a world where new games take forever to get made and budgets are ballooning, I can’t help but applaud this novel approach to filling the gap between 2023’s Octopath Traveler II and whatever comes next.
Octopath Traveler 0 takes a while to get going
You'll do plenty of this, at least for a while.Credit: Square Enix/Steam
As a non-full-priced game with such a strange origin story, it would be reasonable to expect a game with less going on than its higher-budget counterparts in the same series. That expectation could not be farther off the mark, though.
I’ll just state it bluntly: This game took me about 80 hours to finish. It’s a massive investment, and it’s an investment that requires a degree of patience. Many of the early first 20 hours or so are spent setting the table for what comes later. You will spend a lot of that time recruiting a full party and starting the process of rebuilding your hometown, which is done in a fairly substantial town-building minigame. There are essential, game-changing battle mechanics that are hidden behind building certain structures that don’t unlock until you hit that 20-hour mark, approximately.
Do not misunderstand me; I am not saying Octopath Traveler 0 takes 20 hours to get good. I am saying, however, that it saves its best for later. Like I said, it’s an investment, and I think it’s a rewarding one to make.
But once it starts rolling, it becomes unstoppable
Fights with a full party are thrilling.Credit: Square Enix/Steam
That reward takes a few different forms. One of them is excellent turn-based combat, which is some of the most fun in any game released this year.
Unlike previous Octopath games, in which you had four party members on screen at once, Octopath 0 lets you work with eight homies on the field at any given time. They’re arranged into a front row and back row. Those in the front can attack and take damage, while those in the back are guarded from hits and slowly recover resources with each passing turn. You can instantly switch between one character and another character who is in the same horizontal slot as them on the formation screen, and figuring out who plays second fiddle to whom is a huge part of build-crafting in this game.
This works exceptionally well with the main battle conceit of every Octopath game, which is the Boost system. At the start of each turn, every character earns one Boost Point, and they can hold up to five at a time. You can use as many as three in one turn to power up whatever you’re about to do, whether it’s a big attack or a healing spell. In previous games, you had to be a little stingy with Boost Points, but not here. Having a whole backup crew gradually building up points means you’re incentivized to use more of them more often, and the combat is balanced accordingly. It’s an exciting and different challenge from something like Octopath II.
Building up your hometown is plugged into your progression, as well. As I said earlier, you have to build certain structures and house them with certain recruitable NPCs to unlock many key features of the battle system. Building requires resources, but collecting them is generally painless as long as you’re observant and make sure to pick things up on the road. Perhaps a bit annoyingly, there are also important quality-of-life features like fast travel that are locked behind building and upgrading structures.
I do have one complaint about town-building, which is that you can essentially “finish” your town (that is, build every essential gameplay structure) halfway through the main story, at which point there’s no longer much need to think about it. I would have preferred more hooks for the endgame, but I suppose there’s also something to like about just focusing on exploring and fighting as the game winds towards its conclusion.
The story gets better later
This dude is the best character in the game.Credit: Square Enix/Steam
Speaking of which, the other main vector of satisfaction if you choose to invest your time in Octopath Traveler 0 is the narrative. This game is all about how greed is bad, and each villain represents a different kind of greed. Some want fame, some want wealth, some want power, but they all want, and that is where they end up harming those around them.
At first, it feels very heavy-handed and predictable. Stick with the story long enough, however, and you’ll find that the early predictability gives way to later twists that actually have weight to them. Octopath Traveler 0 is an exceptionally earnest game, never trying to trick or outsmart the player. It just wants you to care about this world and these people, and I think it does a fine job of extracting those feelings from the player by the time it’s done.
Part of that is a lengthy finale chapter, which amounts to maybe a quarter of the game by itself. This is where every other previously-disconnected storyline comes together, and all the characters you’ve met up to that point start interacting with each other for the first time. The game’s biggest narrative swings all happen in the finale, including a villain reveal for the ages. This is easily the best antagonist of any Octopath game, but to say any more would ruin the fun for you.
Just sit with it for a while
Before we’re done here, I’d be remiss not to mention that Square Enix’s “HD-2D” art style that started with the first Octopath game is still great here. I really dig the intentionally low-fidelity look of the sprites and 3D assets, combined with modern lighting and depth-of-field effects. It doesn’t really look like an old game, but it looks awesome, nonetheless. Yasunori Nishiki’s music is also a standout element of Octopath 0, as he has become one of the finest RPG composers working right now. One of the boss fight themes is such a smoking hot banger that I’ve been listening to it for a week straight in my free time.
Unfortunately, performance in the Nintendo Switch 2 version (which is what I played) isn’t great. It targets and comes close to hitting 60 frames per second most of the time, but there's a noticeable stutter that seems most prevalent during the first few seconds after entering a new area. Not unplayable by any means, but certainly a little disappointing.
Still, Octopath Traveler 0 is a remarkably long and generally worth-the-effort experience, especially for anyone who vibes with the other games in the series. This is the kind of game that you’d yearn for as a teenager on summer break with nothing else to do. You can sink into it for dozens of hours, and it just keeps getting better the more you play it, thanks to excellent combat and a story that finds its best self in its later stages.
I understand not everyone has time for that kind of thing in their adult lives, but if you can create a window in your life for Octopath Traveler 0, your patience will largely be rewarded.
Octobpath Traveler 0 is available for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5 for $49.99.
Christmas stocking stuffers have long been the afterthoughts of gift-giving, mere "Let's just get this out of the way" or "Oh no, I forgot again" presents. Think: tacky socks, bulk chocolate candy from the clearance aisle, and Chapstick. (And do not get us started on wh*skey st*nes.) Most of these last-minute gift ideas are just begging to be tossed in a junk drawer or the donation pile, never to see the light of day again. Granted, it's a fate they probably deserve.
That's a shame, because unpacking your stocking should be the perfect start to the happiest day of the year. So, we consulted our deep bench of shopping reporters, deal hunters, and product reviewers to gather the very best stocking stuffers of the season.
We've gathered our favorite tiny-but-impressive gift ideas that can work for everyone on your list. So, whether you're searching for stocking stuffer ideas under $25 or something fancier that will catch them by surprise on Christmas morning, we have more than 60 unique gifts to inspire you.
[Engineezy] might have been watching a 3D printer move when inspiration struck: Why not build a robot arm to clean up his workbench? Why not, indeed? Well, all you need is a 17-foot-long X-axis and a gripper mechanism that can pick up any strange thing that happens to be on the bench.
Like any good project, he did it step by step. Mounting a 17-foot linear rail on an accurately machined backplate required professional CNC assistance. He was shooting for a 1mm accuracy, but decided to settle for 10mm.
With the long axis done, the rest seemed anticlimactic, at least for moving it around. The system can actually support his bodyweight while moving. The next step was to control the arm manually and use a gripper to open a parts bin.
The arm works, but is somewhat slow and needs some automation. A great start to a project that might not be practical, but is still a fun build and might inspire you to do something equally large.
We have large workbenches, but we tend to use tiny ones more often in our office. We also enjoy ones that are portable.
Whether you're logging into your bank, health insurance, or even your email, most services today do not live by passwords alone. Now commonplace, multifactor authentication (MFA) requires users to enter a second or third proof of identity. However, not all forms of MFA are created equal, and the one-time passwords orgs send to your phone have holes so big you could drive a truck through them.…
The QC Ultra (Gen 2) have category-leading noise cancellation. Bose upgraded its ANC algorithm and microphone system to be more dynamic and responsive to low-frequency sounds. These technologies adaptively remove about 95 percent of external fracas. Anything that comes through will sound like background effects on songs and movies. Aware mode (aka transparency) is just as rewarding for keeping tabs on surroundings. Another brand hallmark that remains undefeated is Immersive Audio. This feature creates amazing surround sound for all stereo content. It isn’t confined to any specific technology (*cough* Dolby Atmos cough) and is the most realistic sounding of all other spatial audio formats on headphones.
ANC on the WH-1000xM6 is right below the QC Ultra (Gen 2), which is a huge compliment. These headphones do a terrific job of eliminating most unwanted noises and minimizing high-frequency sounds. Transparency mode is superb for increasing ambient awareness. There are 20 adjustable levels to control the amount of noise you want to hear. Listening at max level captures every peep in your vicinity with precision. Still, we prefer the QC Ultra’s more powerful ANC since it eliminates high-frequency sounds better. We also favor Immersive Audio over Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. The latter is fine for watching movies, but it doesn’t sound as natural. Not to mention, 360 Reality Audio only works with a very limited number of streaming services, which also have limited content.
Sony has practicality and sound quality in the bag
Much like the WH-1000xM5, the Mark Series VI headphones have a versatile control scheme consisting of motion, physical, touch, and voice functions. All of them work exceptionally well. Voice controls are most impressive. Siri and Google Assistant commands are accurately registered and executed. Intelligible features like Speak-to-Chat are on point to automatically mute sound when detecting your voice. The QC Ultra (Gen 2) boast their own responsive control scheme, but they lack the WH-1000xM6’s smart voice functionality.
Audio performance is where the WH-1000xM6 shine brightest. Sony’s suite of proprietary technologies gives them unbeatable wireless sound. The 30mm drivers dish out detailed and dynamic audio. Frequencies are nicely balanced, and being able to tweak them via customizable EQ simplifies sound personalization. Our favorite Sony feature, DSEE, upscales clarity, depth, and fidelity on all tracks, no matter the file or streaming service. LDAC codec support boosts bitrate transmission on Android devices to reveal more depth and nuance in songs.
The QC Ultra (Gen 2) “pick up details well across the spectrum of lows to highs,” as described in our full review. You get an awesome mix of crisp mids and deep bass on contemporary tracks. Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive and Lossless codecs result in CD-like quality over Bluetooth (Android only). There’s an adjustable EQ in the Bose app. Unfortunately, it is nowhere near as advanced as Sony’s EQ. Again, Immersive Audio is magnificent for 3D sound, but the all-new Cinematic Mode is underwhelming; all it does is make background effects louder.
Researchers have discovered a large, orderly spiral galaxy that formed soon after the Big Bang, when space was only about 1.5 billion years old.
The galaxy, named Alaknanda, appears in observations made by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope as part of major sky surveys. Because the Milky Way lookalike is seen at an extreme distance, its light has traveled for more than 12 billion years to reach Earth. Only recently has telescope technology become powerful enough to spot galaxies with this level of detail from such an early time.
For decades, astronomers believed galaxies in the early universe were too turbulent to settle into neat spiral shapes. Young stars and gas were thought to move chaotically, producing irregular clumps instead of smooth disks and arms. Hubble Space Telescope observations supported this view, as spiral galaxies seemed more scarce beyond about 11 billion years in look-back time.
The discovery raises new questions about how such structures formed so early.
"Alaknanda reveals that the early universe was capable of far more rapid galaxy assembly than we anticipated," said Yogesh Wadadekar, the study's co-author, in a statement. "Somehow, this galaxy managed to pull together 10 billion solar masses of stars and organise them into a beautiful spiral disk in just a few hundred million years. That's extraordinarily fast by cosmic standards, and it compels astronomers to rethink how galaxies form."
Webb’s sharper vision has revealed many disk-shaped galaxies from the early universe, and now, a small but growing number of true spiral galaxies — including Alaknanda — far earlier than predicted by older models. The telescope found CEERS-2112 and REBELS-25, two spiral galaxies, in the early universe in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The discovery of Alaknanda, made by scientists at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in India, has been published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
The research team was able to see immense detail in Alaknanda with the help of a natural phenomenon known as gravitational lensing.Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / I. Labbe / R. Bezanson / Alyssa Pagan / Rashi Jain / Yogesh Wadadekar
"The physical processes driving galaxy formation — gas accretion, disk settling, and possibly the development of spiral density waves — can operate far more efficiently than current models predict," said Rashi Jain, the lead author, in a statement. "It's forcing us to rethink our theoretical framework."
Alaknanda — named after the Himalayan river that is a twin headstream of the Ganga — spans roughly 32,000 light-years across, comparable to large modern spiral galaxies. It also contains a huge number of stars.
Images show that the galaxy already has a flat, rotating disk with two clear spiral arms with the classic pinwheel shape. These arms appear smooth and symmetrical, earning Alaknanda the label of a "grand-design" spiral galaxy, meaning it has defined arms rather than patchy or broken ones.
Along the spiral arms, scientists observed chains of bright clumps of newborn stars. These clumps look like a string of beads, marking areas where gas has collapsed into dense pockets that ignite new stars. In other views, each string appears as part of a larger spiral arm.
The research team was able to see immense detail in the distant galaxy with the help of a natural phenomenon known as gravitational lensing. A massive galaxy cluster's gravity acts like a giant magnifying glass in the sky, bending and enhancing the light of Alaknanda to appear twice as bright.
Observing Alaknanda across different wavelengths of light allowed scientists to estimate the age of the galaxy's stellar population and found the stars average only about 200 million years old.Credit: NASA GSFC / CIL / Adriana Manrique Gutierrez illustration
To understand Alaknanda’s history, researchers compared its brightness across 21 different wavelengths of light, spanning ultraviolet to infrared. By matching those measurements to computer models of stellar populations, they estimated that the galaxy’s stars average only about 200 million years old. That means roughly half formed in a rapid burst after the universe was already more than 1 billion years old.
Alaknanda continues to grow quickly. It forms new stars at a rate equal to about 63 suns per year — dozens of times faster than the Milky Way does today. Certain colors of light shine brighter than expected because glowing gas around new stars gives off strong signals, confirming the galaxy’s intense star-forming activity.
Scientists still do not know how spiral arms formed so quickly in these ancient systems. Some theories suggest they arise from slow-moving density patterns inside disks, while others point to gravitational disturbances from nearby galaxies or large clumps of gas. Alaknanda even appears to have a small neighboring galaxy that could have helped trigger its spiral structure, but more evidence is needed to draw that conclusion.
Future observations using Webb’s instruments for measuring motions inside galaxies, along with radio telescopes, could map how Alaknanda’s stars and gas orbit its center. Those data could help determine whether its disk has settled into its final configuration or whether the spiral arms represent a mere phase in its development.
Sometimes a piece of art comes to you right when you need of it.
That's what "Hope N' Mic Night" was for me. The sixth episode of Bob's Burgers Season 15 aired on November 10, 2024. On its surface, it was a silly episode about the Belcher kids putting together an open mic night at the family's burger joint — because the school's talent show was cancelled for lack of talent. However, when fan favorite Marshmallow (now voiced by Jari Jones) got on the makeshift stage and sang a slowed-down version of "Seabird" while playing the guitar, the episode became about more than musical shenanigans and Tina's love of butts. It was a beacon of hope and reminder of the power of community when I needed both.
I picked the episode as one of the best of 2024. So, when Bob's Burgers creator Loren Bouchard joined me for a Say More interview, I knew I wanted to touch on this episode, and how it displays the cartoon show's evolution — and Marshmallow's too. In the virtual interview, Bouchard shared how the episode came about, and what it meant for Marshmallow.
How Marshmallow went from a one-joke line to a fan favorite on Bob's Burgers.
Originally voiced by David Herman, Marshmallow first appeared in Season 1's "Sheesh! Cab, Bob?" as an unexpected guest at Tina's birthday party. There, she made a grand entrance and delivered a solid punchline about how she got her name. ("'Cause if you show me a sweet potato pie, I am on top of it.") Since then, Marshmallow has popped up again and again, cracking Bob's back, supporting the kids' basement casino, and attending every party, from Tina's birthday, to the Bog to Beach parade, and that secret subterranean Christmas rave.
Fans loved her, but also they began to question the casting choice to have a white cis man provide a deep voice for character that's a trans Black woman. Ahead of Season 15, the role of Marshmallow was recast, bringing in Jones, who made her debut in "Hope N' Mic Night."
Bouchard spoke of Marshmallow's development over the seasons, saying, "I don't want to oversimplify and make it sound pat, but we're evolving. As somewhat oblivious cis white males, speaking for myself — we certainly have lots of not-cis-white males working on the show — but we're all evolving and learning. Marshmallow was never, ever intended to be mean [in terms of trans representation].... It was never like, 'Get it? That person is other and different and stupid' or whatever. It was always intended to be loving. But it was a short, sharp introduction of a character."
"Whatever was implied by Marshmallow's incredible life," Bouchard continued, "was not clear [at the start]. It was just a knockout entrance and a great line for how she got her name. And I loved that character. I loved that voice [by Herman] because I'm a dumbass, and I thought it was funny to hear a low voice. And, you know, that has to evolve as we learn and understand more about trans people and just the rich tapestry of human existence."
Alluding to fans' concerns over Marshmallow's original voice casting, he said, "I love that. When we were reminded about representation in casting in general, especially as it pertains to race, then we recast. And then I love that we then found Jari. Jari was the right person. It was so obvious. And then I could have conversations with Jari [about Marshmallow and her voice]... It was a such a reasonable thing to bring to my attention and to help me see that [the deep voice is] not what this character is about. And it's still going to be a funny character when we need it. You know, there's comedy. You don't need to have the low voice. That's not the joke."
As to why Bouchard thinks Marshmallow caught on with fans, he said, "When you add a character, you're theoretically not just adding the character who's gonna be 'funny.' You're adding a chemical reaction between one of your existing characters and this new character. So it's always the space between the characters. And in Marshmallow's case, Marshmallow was fantastic, but it was Bob's reaction to Marshmallow that made that work on the show."
As Bob puts it, she "comes and goes as she pleases, answers to no one, and is truly free."
Loren Bouchard on the real-world roots of "Hope N' Mic Night."
In this Season 15 episode, Louise, Tina, and Gene beg Bob and Linda to let them throw an open mic night. While the kids start promoting the idea around the Wharf, their parents learn how expensive and complicated the planning is for such an event. But before they can balk, Marshmallow stops by the restaurant to sign up. Marshmallow is the reason Bob carries on with the event. And that night, when a pesky fire marshal threatens to shut them down for being over capacity, it's Marshmallow's intervention that saves the show (again) — and the Belchers.
On open mic night, Bob's Burgers is packed, with lots of recurring characters performing kooky cover songs. Then, Marshmallow changes the tone of the episode by singing "Seabird" while playing guitar. She soulfully performs before her parents and her friends, and it's a rendition so beautiful I tear up thinking of it now.
Then, of course, the kids close out the night with a rousing song about butts. Because at its core, Bob's Burgers is always about learning to love yourself, as freaky or quirky as you are.
After confessing that this episode is a favorite of mine because of how it moves me, I asked Bouchard how the episode came about. He responded, "That one is near and dear to me as well. I wrote it with this sort of sandbox approach, like, 'Oh, won't it be fun to have an open mic night?' Like, we just get to have so many musical numbers, and we're going to license all these songs. It'll be our big spend for our music budget."
From there, Bouchard recalled the inspiration for "Hope N' Mic Night" — a humble open mic he attended on vacation with his family. "I had been to one over the summer at this little coffee shop in Cape Cod, and I just was so charmed — so fucking charmed — by these people, putting themselves out there and that urge," he said. "I'm sort of shy. I wish I were that guy who would get up and sing off-key at an open mic night, or this woman who played her flute to a backing track. I'm not even sure if she was possibly in the wrong key, but like, it was still so charming. I was excited to try and give that to Bob's and our kids, and then these side characters."
At this point in Season 15's development, Jones had been cast to take up the mantle of Marshmallow. Bouchard explained, "And it was one text to Jari Jones… We'd been looking for Marshmallow opportunities. And I said, 'Can you sing?' And she said, 'Yes.' And I was like, 'How would you like to do a cover of something?'"
Bouchard hadn't yet figured out what the song would be, but he knew it had to be a "big moment." He continued, "We started looking for the song, and that was another whole journey... We looked at a lot of stuff, but when we really were at the deadline, 'Seabird' emerged. It's been on my radar since I saw it in the end credits of Hunt for the Wilderpeople. And it blew me away.
"I didn't know if it was a current song, if it was an old song, which it turns out it is. I had never heard it before, and I just found it so charming. The Alessi Brothers, I had never heard of them. But then ['Seabird'] became part of regular rotation in my house, my wife and I singing it to the point where our kids wanted to actually ban it. They said we weren't allowed to play it anymore because we had, like, worn it out, I guess.
"Anyway, then it was like, 'Oh my God, yes.' 'Seabird' slowed down. Guitar and voice. Chris Maxwell, who's one of our composers, played that guitar lick. And I just love it so much. And Jari killed it, just crushed it. It was one of those vocal sessions where you're crying. You can't believe your luck that you get to record a performance like that. I think we did two takes. That's it. It was perfect."
At this point, I teared up recounting how this episode made me feel the hope that comes from community. Bouchard replied, "Me too. I mean, that's what it was intended to do. And then Marshmallow delivered, you know, just delivered as a character. Jari as a performer, Chris as a guitarist, that song, everything came together. And that's why we do this."
He concluded, "You live for those moments doing a show like this, when it all comes together like that. We've had a few of them and boy, oh boy, it means everything to hear you say that, because it's why we do this."
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It’s been a big couple of days for college football. Indeed, Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Indiana Hoosiers this evening — played concurrently with Virginia vs. Duke — rounds off two days of conference championship action. But Ohio State vs. Indiana, the Big Ten Conference Championship Game, is the toughest game to call.
Ohio State and Indiana are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, and both teams are undefeated this season with a record of 12-0. This isn’t just a battle for the Big Ten title, it’s also a battle for the College Football Playoff's top seed.
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Ohio State are last year’s CFP champions and have a marginal edge. But whatever happens, it’s another can’t miss game.
If you want to watch Ohio State vs. Indiana for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Ohio State vs. Indiana?
Ohio State vs. Indiana takes place at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 6. This game takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Ohio State vs. Indiana is broadcast on FOX.
How to watch college football in 2025/26
Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended platforms, some of which include free trials, allowing you to follow the action without actually spending anything.
Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX
ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you will find live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will cost you $29.99 per month, but for the first year, new subscribers can also secure a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for the same price.
Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs just $19.99 per month, and you can also save $40 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can kickoff with a seven-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.
Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW
FuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and provides the opportunity to watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
Fubo takes sports seriously, which we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to Fubo's Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters for seven days before you make any sort of commitment.
Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW
Hulu + Live TV certainly isn't cheap, but it does offer plenty of bang for your buck. You'll have to cough up $76.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). The included access to ESPN+ provides bonus access to even more college football games on top of live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.
Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network
Sling is a comprehensive sporting service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you will need to be careful when selecting your plan. The Orange and Blue packages give you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and more in local markets, but for access to ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more, you'll need the Sports Extra package. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually want.
7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months
Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW
YouTube TV gives you access to more than 100 live channels. That's a whole lotta content. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.
How to watch Ohio State vs. Indiana from anywhere in the world
If you're outside the U.S. for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., allowing you to unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Ohio State vs. Indiana from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.
Sign in to your favorite streaming service
Watch Ohio State vs. Indiana from anywhere in the world
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free. That means 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (which includes a money-back guarantee).
5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 3 months(save $99)
The conference championship action continues with today’s college football. And this one’s a particularly intriguing encounter, as the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide battle it out in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game.
The odds are in Georgia’s favour. At 11-1 overall this season, they sit third in the rankings. That means win or lose in this SEC Championship game, they’ll get an automatic bid to the College Football Playoffs. In other words, the pressure is somewhat off — though they still won’t want to lose this game.
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That said, Alabama has a strong record against Georgia and will do everything they can to secure a win here. A loss would almost certainly see Alabama miss out on the playoffs. And with major history between these programs, this promises to be an electric showdown. And don’t forget there’s more action later today with Virginia vs. Duke and Ohio State vs. Indiana.
If you want to watch Georgia vs. Alabama for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Georgia vs. Alabama?
Georgia vs. Alabama takes place at 4 p.m. ET on Dec. 6. This game takes place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Georgia vs. Alabama is broadcast on ABC.
How to watch college football in 2025/26
Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended platforms, some of which include free trials, allowing you to follow the action without actually spending anything.
Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX
ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you will find live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will cost you $29.99 per month, but for the first year, new subscribers can also secure a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for the same price.
Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs just $19.99 per month, and you can also save $40 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can kickoff with a seven-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.
Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW
FuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and provides the opportunity to watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
Fubo takes sports seriously, which we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to Fubo's Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters for seven days before you make any sort of commitment.
Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW
Hulu + Live TV certainly isn't cheap, but it does offer plenty of bang for your buck. You'll have to cough up $76.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). The included access to ESPN+ provides bonus access to even more college football games on top of live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.
Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network
Sling is a comprehensive sporting service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you will need to be careful when selecting your plan. The Orange and Blue packages give you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and more in local markets, but for access to ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more, you'll need the Sports Extra package. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually want.
7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months
Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW
YouTube TV gives you access to more than 100 live channels. That's a whole lotta content. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.
How to watch Georgia vs. Alabama from anywhere in the world
If you're outside the U.S. for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., allowing you to unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Georgia vs. Alabama from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.
Sign in to your favorite streaming service
Watch Georgia vs. Alabama from anywhere in the world
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free. That means 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (which includes a money-back guarantee).
5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 3 months(save $99)
The pressure is on the BYU Cougars as they face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in this week’s college football championship action.
Texas Tech look like the favorites to win this Big 12 Conference Championship Game, with an overall record of 11-1 and a five-match winning streak. They’re currently ranked at No. 4, which would mean an automatic bid for the College Football Playoffs if they can beat the Cougars at the AT&T Stadium. BYU are also 11-1 but their form isn’t quite as good thanks to a heavy loss to Texas Tech already this season. It’s up to BYU to defy expectations and beat Texas Tech to secure that automatic bid — otherwise they’ll likely miss out on the CFP.
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By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
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They’ll be looking to join fellow Power Four team Virginia Cavaliers in the CFP, should Virginia win their championship game against the Duke Blue Devils later today.
If you want to watch BYU vs. Texas Tech for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is BYU vs. Texas Tech?
BYU vs. Texas Tech takes place at 12 p.m. ET on Dec. 6. This game takes place at AT&T Stadium.
BYU vs. Texas Tech is broadcast on ABC.
How to watch college football in 2025/26
Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended platforms, some of which include free trials, allowing you to follow the action without actually spending anything.
Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX
ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you will find live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will cost you $29.99 per month, but for the first year, new subscribers can also secure a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for the same price.
Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs just $19.99 per month, and you can also save $40 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can kickoff with a seven-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.
Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW
FuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and provides the opportunity to watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
Fubo takes sports seriously, which we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to Fubo's Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters for seven days before you make any sort of commitment.
Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW
Hulu + Live TV certainly isn't cheap, but it does offer plenty of bang for your buck. You'll have to cough up $76.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). The included access to ESPN+ provides bonus access to even more college football games on top of live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.
Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network
Sling is a comprehensive sporting service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you will need to be careful when selecting your plan. The Orange and Blue packages give you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and more in local markets, but for access to ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more, you'll need the Sports Extra package. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually want.
7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months
Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW
YouTube TV gives you access to more than 100 live channels. That's a whole lotta content. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.
How to watch BYU vs. Texas Tech from anywhere in the world
If you're outside the U.S. for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., allowing you to unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.
Live stream BYU vs. Texas Tech from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.
Sign in to your favorite streaming service
Watch BYU vs. Texas Tech from anywhere in the world
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free. That means 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (which includes a money-back guarantee).
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