What, you ask? After double-checking to shore up a hazy college memory, chaos theory states that within the apparent randomness of chaotic complex systems, there are underlying patterns, interconnection, constant feedback loops, repetition, self-similarity, fractals and self-organization.

If that doesn’t describe the current insanity revolving around Kiffin, we aren’t sure what to tell you. Because Kiffin – the chaos master himself throughout pretty much his entire employed adult life – is creating yet another seemingly self-immolating pattern.

In case you lost track trying to keep score, Kiffin is the most sought-after person on Saban’s green earth at the moment. Entire athletic departments and fanbases at Ole Miss, Florida and LSU are simultaneously hyperventilating at their perceived chances of landing the 50-year-old hot yogi/social media influencer who also dabbles in college football coaching.

The problem, we fear, that will result in the combined effect of all this hysteria – either drummed up by the nimble fingers of uber-agent Jimmy Sexton or a more organic groundswell of pent-up glee – is that this will end badly for all but 1 of the involved parties.

Why, again you ask?

Again, chaos theory. Why else would the Family Kiffin be jet-setting on scouting visits to Baton Rouge and Gainesville while the glow of getting to 10-1 by beating the Gators was still fresh?

This has happened before, and over and over again. We saw the result of Kiffin-a-palooza first in Knoxville way back in 2009 – when the recently-deposed Oakland Raiders coach took Tennessee by storm by way of taking wild verbal swipes at Urban Meyer and South Carolina WR Alshon Jeffery. Predictably, the whirlwind that Kiffin kicked up only resulted in a 7-6 record that spectacularly backfired when he bolted Tennessee for USC after just a single season… leaving chaos in his wake.

The same trend happened in Los Angeles, as Kiffin went 8-5 and 10-2 in his first 2 seasons at the helm of the Trojans but then mustered only a 7-6 mark in 2012 after being the preseason No. 1 and was then fired on the tarmac in the middle of the night by USC athletic director Pat Haden just 5 games into the 2013 season.

Chaos, redux.

Kiffin became the most prominent enrollee in the Nick Saban Reclamation Project, getting hired to coordinate Alabama’s offense out of the 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust era it had lived in starting in 2014. And while Kiffin and Saban got along about as often as the Tide lost games, it didn’t take the Alabama boss long to show Kiffin the door in 2017 after he got the FAU head coaching job – and was too busy recruiting future Owls to work on the Crimson Tide’s offensive game plan for the national championship game.

Now that’s chaos at its finest, somehow figuring out a way to screw up a shot at coaching for a second-straight national title ring simply by not properly working out your 2-week notice.

Mercifully, Kiffin’s tenure at FAU came and went without a ton of hullabaloo – which probably led to Ole Miss figuring that Kiffin had matured enough for another shot in the SEC. Not quite… as his dalliance with Auburn in 2022 might have self-destructed the Rebels down the stretch to the tune of 4 losses in their final 5 games.

Which all leads up to 2025 – and peak Kiffin Chaos Theory unfolding in real time. First, Florida shows Billy Napier the door. Next, LSU bids Brian Kelly an abrupt goodbye. And finally, Kiffin’s Rebels are 10-1 with a very real shot at earning a first-round College Football Playoff bye.

That 3-pronged nexus of unlikelihood is swirling around the Mouth of the South himself like an F-5 tornado, all the while the impresario of it all is busily tweeting out daily affirmations and gleefully giving softball “interviews” to Pat McAfee this week while the SEC explodes around him.

This is a pattern, y’all. It doesn’t take multiple upper-level psychology level classes to determine that Kiffin wants this to happen – needs this to happen – to somehow feel appreciated and loved. Once? Maybe. Even twice in a career? OK, perhaps. But over and over and over again?

This will end badly in Baton Rouge and Oxford when Kiffin takes the Florida job. Or it will end badly in Gainesville and Oxford when Kiffin takes the LSU job. Or it will end badly in Baton Rouge and Gainesville when Kiffin stays at Ole Miss.

No matter what happens in the ensuing days and weeks, the only predictable outcome is that Kiffin will make 1 fanbase gleefully happy while simultaneously setting match to gasoline in 2 other football-mad locales.

Voila. Chaos theory.

Who says you can’t learn about deep topics while enjoying college football, right?  

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ESPN’s SP+ score predictor gives the Volunteers a double-digit advantage, forecasting a 33-23 victory in Gainesville. Here’s a look at SP+ score predictions for every Week 13 contest:

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The Volunteers are 7-3 overall and 3-3 in SEC play entering Saturday’s game against the Gators. Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar has thrown for 2,941 yards and 22 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in 2025.

Florida, on the other hand is 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the SEC and has lost 3 straight games after firing coach Billy Napier following a 23-21 victory over Mississippi State on Oct. 18. Defending SEC Freshman of the Year DJ Lagway has had a more tempered 2025 campaign, throwing for 1,980 yards and 12 touchdowns with 13 interceptions.

Florida and Tennessee have met 54 previous times, with the Gators leading the all-time series 32-22. The Volunteers have won 2 of the last 3 games against the Gators, including last season’s 23-17 overtime win in Knoxville. Florida enjoys a 17-5 record at home against Tennessee.

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ESPN analyst Adam Rittenberg was quick to analyze the latest hire in a new story for the World Wide Leader.

Rittenberg gave the Hokies an A grade for landing Franklin, given that the former Penn State and Vanderbilt coach spent most of his career in and around the mid-Atlantic region – serving as a Maryland assistant, leading programs at Vanderbilt and Penn State and even working in the state of Virginia at James Madison in 1997.

The analyst also pointed out that, while Penn State let Franklin go for his final spate of losses, the coach won 104 games in State College and led the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season.

Here’s an excerpt of Rittenberg’s analysis:

Virginia Tech’s two post-Frank Beamer hires were a coach who had not led a Power 4 program (Justin Fuente) and a first-time head coach (Brent Pry). In Franklin, Virginia Tech gets a proven winner from the Big Ten and SEC, who knows the region extremely well and will be extremely motivated to compete for league titles and CFP appearances.

Franklin’s big-stage shortcomings are a concern but perhaps not as much for a program like Virginia Tech, which is seeking to become a consistent conference title contender again

Virginia Tech is expected to formally introduce Franklin at a press conference on Wednesday.

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He said he’ll be paying attention to where Alabama and Miami are ranked when the next top-25 is revealed on Tuesday night. Both the Crimson Tide and Hurricanes have 2 losses entering Week 13.

“Where (the CFP committee) rank Alabama this week, after losing to Oklahoma, is going to be a precursor for what they think of Bama,” Herbstreit said to Joey Galloway while looking over the AP media poll that lists Alabama at No. 10. “There is no SEC bias (in the AP poll), same with the coaches. Both of them had Alabama at 10. They had Miami at 14.

“As we’re sitting here trying to project what the committee might do in 3 weeks on that Sunday. If Bama were to win out, I am starting to look at these at-large teams… Does Miami have a case? Of course they have a case, but as they’re weighing those options, I don’t see how you move Miami 3, 4, 5 spots, depending on where they are this Tuesday, past Alabama if Alabama is ahead of them and they win out.”

Alabama (8-2 overall, 6-1 SEC) faces Eastern Illinois in Week 13 (2 pm ET, SEC Network+) and then finishes the regular season Nov. 29 at Auburn (7:30 pm ET, ABC). Miami (8-2 overall, 4-2 ACC) plays at Virginia Tech in Week 13 (Noon ET, ESPN) and closes at No. 22 Pitt on Nov. 29.

The next College Football Playoff rankings will be revealed on Tuesday night.

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Tuberville, currently a United State Senator (R, Ala.) who is running to replace Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey in 2026, coached the Tigers from 1999-2008. Tuberville went 85-40 in his tenure on the Plains, including 7 straight victories against arch-rival Alabama, 5 SEC West titles and a retroactive share of the 2004 national championship.

Auburn also attempted to replace Tuberville with Bobby Petrino in 2003 – an aborted effort dubbed “JetGate”. Tuberville resigned following the 2008 season following a 5-7 campaign. After a year with ESPN, Tuberville then coached at Texas Tech from 2010-12 and then at Cincinnati from 2013-16.

Campbell played for Tuberville at Auburn from 2001-04, appearing in 48 games and starting in 34. He completed his career with 7,299 passing yards, 45 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. Campbell’s senior season in 2004 was his best, as he threw for 2,700 yards and 20 touchdowns against 7 interceptions en route to a 13-0 record and a No. 3 national ranking.

Campbell was selected in the first round by Washington in the 2005 NFL Draft (No. 25 overall) and recorded 10 seasons in the NFL.

In the addition to Tuberville and Campbell, the ASHOF Class of 2026 includes Jeff Brantley, John Copeland, Kim Evans, Evan Mathis, Ray Odums and Les Stuedeman. The 58^th annual induction banquet and ceremony is set for May 9, 2026, at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel.

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Oklahoma made that news clear on Monday afternoon:

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The Sooners debuted the uniform combination against Kansas on Oct. 15, 2022 – a game Oklahoma won 52-42 – and are wearing it for the 4^th time. Oklahoma last wore the same gear on Nov. 2, 2024 against Maine, a game OU won 59-14, and is 3-0 in the set.

Oklahoma and Missouri have squared off 97 previous times, with the Sooners enjoying a 67-25-5 record against the Tigers. The teams first played in 1902 for the Tiger–Sooner Peace Pipe.

Mizzou has won 2 of the last 3 meetings against Oklahoma, including a 30-23 victory last season in Columbia. Oklahoma is 33-8-5 against Missouri in Norman.

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ESPN pundit Paul Finebaum said Sunday that all the shine that Beamer had earlier in the season has since been tarnished.

“Shane Beamer right now, I hate to say it, looks like a loser,” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show on YouTube. “There’s no getting around it. I don’t know how he scrapes that away. Eight weeks ago, people were concerned he might leave for Virginia Tech. That’s no longer on the board. He’s got a better chance leaving, being shown the door, than he does getting another job.”

Virginia Tech officially hired James Franklin to be its next head coach on Monday.

Beamer’s Gamecocks had the 3^rd-ranked Aggies under control for the first 30 minutes at Kyle Field last weekend, only to see Texas A&M storm back to win 31-30. The loss was South Carolina’s fifth straight and dropped the Gamecocks to 3-7 overall and 1-7 in the SEC.

South Carolina will attempt to reverse its fortunes Saturday at home against Coastal Carolina (4:15 pm ET, SEC Network) before finishing the season Nov. 29 at home against cross-state rival Clemson (Noon ET, SEC Network).

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According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, there’s a “growing likelihood” Banks will return this week vs. the Vols.

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The redshirt senior re-aggravated a preseason foot injury in Florida’s 2010 loss to then-No. 3 LSU on Sept. 13. He had already missed the Gators’ first 2 games of the 2025 season due to the injury sustained in fall camp. Banks did not record a stat against LSU in 34 snaps before his injury.

Banks was expected to anchor Florida’s interior in 2025 and build on a solid junior season in which he posted 21 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.

Banks was initially listed on the SEC Availability Report as “doubtful” before Florida’s Week 12 matchup against then-No. 7 Ole Miss but was then upgraded to a “game-time decision”. He went through pregame warmups but reportedly didn’t feel ready to suit up for the game.

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The ultimatum, reported by The Athletic, comes as Kiffin and Ole Miss (10-1 overall, 8-1 SEC) are off during Week 13. Kiffin is considered a candidate for open jobs at both Florida and LSU.

Multiple reports also indicated that LSU sent a private plane Monday for Kiffin’s family to visit Baton Rouge, and that the Kiffins took a similar trip Sunday to Gainesville – though the coach reportedly was not on either trip.

Kiffin has been a target of both Florida and LSU after the Gators fired Billy Napier on Oct. 19 and LSU controversially dismissed Brian Kelly on Oct. 26. Rebels fans chanted “We Want Lane” during the closing moments of the 7^th-ranked Rebels’ 34-24 victory over Florida in Oxford on Saturday night.

“I love what we’re doing here,” Kiffin said to reporters after the Florida game. “Today was awesome. To even talk about it right now would be so disrespectful to our players and how well they played today. We’ve got a lot of things going here. Doing really well, and I love it here.”

Kiffin has amassed a 54-19 record in 6 seasons at Ole Miss, and he is 115-53 across 14 collegiate coaching seasons at Tennessee, USC, FAU and Ole Miss.

Ole Miss is idle in Week 13. The Egg Bowl is set to be played on Nov. 28.

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“I’m honored and humbled to join the Hokie family,” Franklin said in a statement released by Virginia Tech. “My vision is simple: to restore unmatched excellence, to build something that lasts, and to serve this University, the Commonwealth of Virginia and our amazing fan base with honor, integrity, and passion. I look forward to getting to work with our players, our staff, and the entire Virginia Tech community.”

Virginia Tech said that Franklin, 53, will be officially introduced at a press conference at 10 am ET on Wednesday. Franklin was originally owed a $49 million buyout after being fired by Penn State on Oct. 12, but part of his deal with the Hokies reportedly includes a $9 million settlement from the Nittany Lions.

“Virginia Tech has attracted and hired an incredible head coach and extraordinary recruiter in James Franklin. The Board of Visitors enthusiastically supports this hire,” said Rector of the Board of Visitors John Rocovich. “We signal to Hokie Nation, and the entire nation, the shared importance of athletic support and success.”

Franklin replaces his former defensive coordinator, Brent Pry, who was fired in September after an 0-3 start and a 16-24 record with the Hokies through 4 seasons.

Franklin carries 30 years of coaching experience to Virginia Tech, including a 128-60 overall record at Penn State and Vanderbilt. Franklin is one of 3 active FBS coaches with a 68-plus winning percentage and 14-plus years of head coaching experience. His 104 wins in his 12 seasons as head coach at Penn State are the 2^nd-most wins in Nittany Lions history.

Virginia Tech (3-7 overall, 2-4 ACC) has been coached by interim coach Philip Montgomery since Pry’s firing. The Hokies play host to No. 15 Miami this Saturday (Noon ET, ESPN).

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Daniels has already played in 3 games this season and the program wants to ensure Daniels will be able to take a redshirt year in 2025. Players can only feature in a maximum of 4 games every regular season while maintaining a redshirt.

“You have a great responsibility as a head coach to do what is best for your football team and your program at all times. That’s what you’re hired to do and what you need to do,” Durkin told reporters at his weekly Monday news conference. “And you have a responsibility to the young men you coach and their families to do what is best for them. Any time you can thread the needle when those two things align together, that is the best and what makes it work.

“I think the best thing for Ashton is to be able to preserve his redshirt year and be able to come back and play another year.”

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If Daniels doesn’t play vs. Mercer, he could return for the Iron Bowl against Alabama and still keep his year of eligibility in-tact.

Daniels, who transferred to Auburn in 2025 after 3 seasons at Stanford, went 50-for-80 for 538 yards with 2 touchdown passes and an interception. He started Nov. 1 against Kentucky (a 10-3 loss that then saw coach Hugh Freeze fired) and also Nov. 8 against then-No. 18 Vanderbilt (a 45-38 overtime loss).

Durkin went on to say that both senior Jackson Arnold (1,278 passing yards with 6 TDs and 2 interceptions) and freshman Deuce Knight will play for the Tigers this Saturday against Mercer (2 pm ET, SEC Network+).

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“I sure hope he would. He makes us better,” Wilson said Monday about Weeks. “I’m respectful and understanding of his injury and its impact on his future. If there is a possibility that he can play, he will do so. He said this morning has a desire to play.”

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LSU listed Weeks as questionable the Wednesday and Thursday prior to its Week 12 matchup against Arkansas. Wilson then said Weeks would be given a game-time designation Saturday, but the linebacker was instead ruled out of the action Friday.

Weeks has appeared in only 6 games in 2025 and has played a full share of snaps in just 5 outings. Weeks was flagged for targeting and ejected on the first defensive series of the contest in Week 3 against Florida.

Weeks, who recorded 125 tackles in 2024, has only 29 stops in 2025. The Tigers (6-4) play host to Western Kentucky on Saturday (7:45 pm ET, SEC Network) and then finish the regular season Nov. 29 at No. 11 Oklahoma.

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FootballScoop.com reported that LSU’s offer to Kiffin would top Kirby Smart’s deal, currently the highest-paid college football coach. LSU’s new AD Verge Ausberry, new President Wade Rousse and even the Governor of the great state of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, are on board.

The same story, written by Scott Roussel and John Brice, says that LSU still considers retired Alabama coach and former LSU boss Nick Saban as the “dream” but that hiring Kiffin would be a “home run”.

Smart is reportedly set to haul in $13.28 million in Athens in 2025 including potential bonuses on a 10-year, $130 million contract signed in March 2025 that extends through 2034. Kiffin is set to earn $9 million in 2025 coaching the Rebels and is eligible for up to $2.6 million more in incentives based on his team’s performance.

LSU is searching for a new coach after Brian Kelly was fired Oct. 26 after the Tigers lost 49-25 to Texas A&M – a defeat that effectively eliminated LSU from College Football Playoff contention.

Kiffin is the current favorite to take over at LSU according to the latest market prices on Kalshi:

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Chase denied spitting on Ramsey, but the league office determined there was “sufficient” video evidence to warrant the suspension:

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Chase is appealing the suspension – one that would be heard and ruled upon by either Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, or Jordy Nelson, the hearing officers jointly appointed by the NFL and NFL Players Association.

If the suspension is upheld, Chase would miss his team’s upcoming game against the New England Patriots in Week 12. Schefter reported that the suspension would cost Chase his weekly paycheck of $448,333 along with a $58,823 per game active bonus he would be forfeiting.

Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter spit on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the first play from scrimmage in Week 1, prompting Carter’s ejection. The NFL viewed that as a 1-game suspension.

Chase starred at LSU during the Tigers’ run to the 2020 national championship – a season in which he won the Biletnikoff Award for the country’s top collegiate receiver.

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The Ole Miss boss continued to stir the social media pot Monday with this post responding to the atmosphere inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium during the 7^th-ranked Rebels’ 34-24 Week 12 victory over Florida.

Kiffin is reportedly being courted by both Florida to replace Billy Napier and by LSU to replace Brian Kelly – all the while leading Ole Miss to a 10-1 record and to the doorstep of a College Football Playoff berth. Members of Kiffin’s family have reportedly visited Gainesville and Baton Rouge this week.

Kiffin’s Monday post on X (formerly Twitter) echoed what he told reporters after downing the Gators and finish the 2025 home slate a perfect 8-0.

“As you get older, everybody always says the good old days,” Kiffin said Saturday night. “Like, remember when we were in the good old days? When we were in high school, and everyone always talks about how they were. I said, ‘Hey guys, I think we’re in the good old days right now.’ I think for our fans, for our players, it’s like this utopia.”

Ole Miss enjoys a Week 13 off week before taking on Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl in Starkville on Nov. 28 (Noon ET, ABC).

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“We build our core culture around being a physical team, and you have to recruit physical players,” Smart said after his fifth-ranked Bulldogs downed No. 10 Texas 35-10. “And they have to buy into that process. A lot of these kids want a check. They don’t want physicality. If you have the check and no physicality, you end with nothing. You’re not just getting checks at our place. We’re hitting people.”

Smart’s Bulldogs improved to 9-1 overall and have an excellent chance to make the SEC Championship Game with a 7-1 conference record. The loss by Texas hurts the Longhorns’ chances of earning an at-large bid in the 12-team College Football Playoff, but Texas could still have a chance at a bid if it sweeps the final 2-game stretch against Arkansas and No. 3 Texas A&M.

Georgia’s SEC slate is complete, as the Bulldogs take on Charlotte in Week 13 (12:45 pm ET, SEC Network) and then play host to No. 16 Georgia Tech on Nov. 28 (3:30 pm ET, ABC).

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Commodores-Wildcats is 1 of 4 games pitting SEC teams set for Week 13. Oklahoma-Missouri will kick off at noon ET on Saturday in Norman and be televised by ABC. Arkansas takes on Texas in Austin at 3:30 pm ET on ABC. Tennessee plays Florida in Gainesville at 7:30 pm on ABC.

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The other Week 13 games involving SEC programs include Samford at Texas A&M (Noon ET, SEC Network+), Charlotte at Georgia (12:45 pm, SEC Network), Eastern Illinois at Alabama (2 pm, SEC Network+), Mercer at Auburn (2 pm, SEC Network+), Coastal Carolina at South Carolina (4:15 pm, SEC Network) and Western Kentucky at LSU (7:45 pm, SEC Network).

Kentucky and Vanderbilt first met on the football field in 1896 and have played 97 times prior to the 2025 matchup. The Wildcats hold a 48-44-4 all-time record against the Commodores – with 41 games being decided by 7 points or less.

Vanderbilt has won 2 of its past 3 meetings against Kentucky, including last season’s 20-13 decision.

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The 8^th-ranked Ducks (9-1 overall, 6-1 Big Ten) are riding a 4-game winning streak after thumping Minnesota 42-13 in Week 12. No. 17 USC (8-2, 6-1) has won 3 straight after edging No. 21 Iowa 26-21.

College GameDay in Oregon is a routine affair, as Eugene has hosted the show 13 previous times – including earlier this season when the Ducks lost to then-No. 7 Indiana 30-20 on Oct. 11. Oregon was also a part of a College GameDay matchup on Sept. 27 when the Ducks downed then-No. 3 Penn State 30-24 in State College.

Oregon enters the matchup against USC with a 20-14 all-time record when featured on College GameDay and 9-4 at home.

Oregon is led by quarterback Dante Moore, who has passed for 2,190 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. The Ducks rank 7^th nationally at 39.2 points per game and are 6^th in the country by allowing just 13.7 points per outing.

USC quarterback Jayden Maivia has been even more prolific, throwing for 2,868 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. The Trojans also score in bunches, averaging 38.2 points per game that ranks 10^th nationally.

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Oklahoma-Mizzou will kick off at noon ET on Saturday in Norman and be televised by ABC – 1 of 4 matchups in Week 13 involving SEC teams. Kentucky faces Vanderbilt in Nashville at 3:30 pm ET on ESPN. Arkansas takes on Texas in Austin at 3:30 pm ET on ABC. Tennessee plays Florida in Gainesville at 7:30 pm on ABC.

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Other Week 13 games involving league teams include Samford at Texas A&M (Noon ET, SEC Network+), Charlotte at Georgia (12:45 pm, SEC Network), Eastern Illinois at Alabama (2 pm, SEC Network+), Mercer at Auburn (2 pm, SEC Network+), Coastal Carolina at South Carolina (4:15 pm, SEC Network) and Western Kentucky at LSU (7:45 pm, SEC Network).

The Tiger–Sooner Peace Pipe goes to the winner of the Oklahoma-Mizzou game, which has been played 97 times heading into the Week 13 clash. Oklahoma leads the series, which began in 1902, 67–25–5.

Mizzou has gotten the better of Oklahoma recently, winning 2 of the last 3 games against the Sooners – including last year’s 30-32 victory in Columbia. Oklahoma owns Mizzou in Norman, though, to the tune of 33-8-5.

No. 11 Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2) is coming off a 23-21 upset win against No. 4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Missouri (7-3, 3-3) got a 300-yard rushing effort from Ahmad Hardy to down Mississippi State 49-27.

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The SEC announced Sunday that the Week 13 matchup between the Gators and 23^rd-ranked Volunteers will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and be broadcast on ABC from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville.

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Florida-Tennessee has been predominantly a September affair in recent history, through the matchup used to be played in this late-season spot in the 1950s. Florida leads the rivalry 32-22, but Tennessee earned a 23-17 overtime victory last season in Knoxville.

The Gators have also dominated the series against the Volunteers at Florida Field, winning 17 of 22 matchups in Gainesville. The last time Tennessee downed Florida on the road was in 2003, a 24-10 victory.

Florida (3-7 overall, 2-5 SEC) has lost 3 straight games after firing Billy Napier the day after edging Mississippi State 23-21. The Gators lost a close battle at No. 7 Ole Miss 34-24 in Week 12.

Tennessee (7-3, 3-3) thumped New Mexico State 42-9 in Week 12. The Volunteers’ 3 losses have come to Top 25 SEC teams – a 44-41 overtime loss to No. 6 Georgia, a 37-20 road loss to No. 6 Alabama and a 33-27 defeat by No. 18 Oklahoma.

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The loss dropped the Longhorns to 7-3 this season, and also dropped coach Steve Sarkisian’s record to 1-7 against Top 5-ranked teams. But both Herbstreit and Fowler agreed that an upset victory against No. 3 Texas A&M in the final week of the regular season could change everything.

“We talked about this on College GameDay this morning,” Herbstreit began. “With the schedule Texas has, you gotta go to Arkansas and then you have Texas A&M at home, it was kind of the consensus that if they split those two games, they would be in the discussion – even with three losses, because of that massive game at the end of the year against No. 3 Texas A&M.

“Sark’s gotta be the happiest guy in the world that A&M won (against South Carolina). It will be a discussion when it comes to being an at-large team if they were to win at home against Texas A&M, I don’t know just right yet if they are done as a three-loss team.”

Fowler agreed.

“There has never been a three-loss team in, but there has to be one at some point in the modern climate,” Fowler added. “Maybe they could be that first one, if they take can care of the Razorbacks and Aggies. But I think they need some help, and it would depend on the other teams that would be in contention for those spots.”

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Hardy now leads FBS programs nationwide with 1,346 rushing yards on 197 carries with 15 touchdowns, and his 6.8 yards-per-carry average is 14^th in the country.

Hardy’s 300-yard rushing performance was the second in Mizzou history, trailing only Devin West’s 319-yard outburst versus Kansas in 1998. The effort also shattered Hardy’s previous single-game best of 250 yards, and the 3 touchdowns were the first for Hardy in a single game in his collegiate career.

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“I’m from Mississippi,” Hardy said to reporters after the game. “A lot of teams didn’t recruit me coming out of high school, so it was kind of personal. But then, again, like I told the guys, the seniors, I was doing it for them.”

Hardy scored on runs of 10, 72 and 43 yards for Mizzou, which snapped a 2-game losing streak with the home victory. The Tigers finish the season at No. 11 Oklahoma on Nov. 22, and then at Arkansas on Nov. 29.

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Everything that needed to go right in a winding path from a season-opening disaster to kickoff Saturday afternoon had gone right – from teaching the Georgia Bulldogs to behave yet again to avenging last season’s epic wrong against Vanderbilt, from holding off Mizzou to sparking up stogies against Tennessee … disaster seemed to have dealt Alabama its only scoring blow way back on Aug. 30 in Tallahassee.

Until Saturday afternoon, anyway.

That’s the thing when you dance every week with disaster: every now and then, disaster is bound to win. Which is precisely what happened on a picture-perfect day at Bryant-Denny Stadium: disaster connecting time after time after time, with Alabama finally running out of counterpunches.

Oh sure, the 11th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners had something to do with the 24-21 result that threw a goodly amount of the Southeastern Conference future into disarray. Oh sure, the Sooners sidling into Tuscaloosa and taking down the Tide despite being out-everything-ed on offense is something you don’t see every day.

But make no mistake: No. 4 Alabama gift-wrapped a victory to Oklahoma like a most-gracious host coming over for the holidays. Consider:

• The Crimson Tide’s plus-10 turnover margin was the best in the SEC and 4th-best nationally – until Alabama coughed it up 3 times;
• Alabama’s generally solid punt return defense allowed a 46-yard return that led to Oklahoma’s first score;
• Conor Talty hooked a 36-yard field goal right before halftime so badly that he chewed out his long snapper on the way to the locker room;
• Alabama (8-2 overall, 6-1 SEC) outgained Oklahoma 406-212, won the first down battle 23-12 and held the ball for almost 9 more minutes… but still lost.

The comedy of errors wasn’t limited to measurables, either. Heisman Trophy hopeful Ty Simpson passed for 326 yards, sure, but he also held the football far too long time after time in the face of a steady Oklahoma defense. It was almost like Simpson experienced a Wreck-It Ralph glitch whenever the Sooners (8-2, 4-2) got their backs up and broke through the Alabama offensive line.

“Yeah I mean, with the pressure that they brought, he’s got to get rid of it and be okay with throwing it away,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said about Simpson’s inability to be smart under duress. “You can only hold on [to the ball] so long and feel like with the blitz they had, you’re going to overwhelmed and outnumbered. And so you just got to understand the situation.

“I know it’s 3rd down and he wants to stay on the field, but you just got to understand, your defense is playing pretty good, too. And you just got to live with punting once in a while.”

Simpson not calibrating his internal clock and throwing the rock into Row 6 proved especially costly twice, as he was stripped of the football during a sack for the 5th straight game and also uncorked an 87-yard Pick-6 to Sooners safety Eli Bowen in the 1st quarter.

None of those miscues were outcome-altering on their own, but collectively they were simply too much for Alabama to overcome — even though the Crimson Tide still found themselves driving in the waning minutes to either tie it with a field goal (gasp, Talty again?) or win it with a touchdown. But some dodgy clock management by DeBoer and Simpson both eating an 11-yard sack with 1:55 to play and then one-hopping passes to Isaiah Horton and Ryan Williams were the final nails in the proverbial coffin.

“I feel like we still dominated the game,” Alabama linebacker and captain Deontae Lawson said afer the game. “It was just a couple plays that hurt. That will lose you the game. We’ll look at it and we’ll get better from it.”

Although the Oklahoma victory/Alabama loss will make Tuesday’s weekly CFP rankings reveal mighty interesting (the Sooners were poised to be the odd-team out last week, and now the Tide might just switch places…), Alabama still has a path to the Magic 12 in front of it.

After a nonconference breather next week against Eastern Illinois, that path goes right down Wire Road and through the Loveliest Village on the Plains. At the end of it awaits the Auburn Tigers, who might have fired coach Hugh Freeze but also host the annual Iron Bowl at the same Jordan-Hare Stadium that has been a house of horrors for Alabama throughout history.

“Everybody’s mad,” Simpson said in a quiet Alabama locker room. “There’s a handful of plays we wish we would have had back. The outcome would have been different. These guys are resilient. These guys fight their tails off every single day. We’re just going to stay together. We’ve still got 2 more games. We control our own destiny. That’s what we need to do.”

Knowing what you need to know is all fine and good, but doing it is a wholly different thing. Can the Crimson Tide, freshly spanked by disaster and tasting defeat for the first time in an otherwise glorious 77 days, figure it out and take care of business against That Team Down The Road?

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Kanell continues to rank unbeatens Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M as his top 3 teams, with Georgia checking in at No. 4 and Oregon at No. 5.

Ole Miss is ranked sixth according to the CBS Sports analyst, with Texas Tech at No. 7, Oklahoma at No. 8, Alabama at No. 9, Miami at No. 10, Notre Dame at No. 11 and Georgia Tech at No. 12.

Ohio State and Indiana had little trouble dispatching UCLA and Wisconsin, respectfully. Texas A&M narrowly avoided disaster against South Carolina in Week 12, rallying from a 30-3 halftime deficit to edge the Gamecocks 31-30.

Oklahoma’s big move comes after the Sooners took down Alabama 23-21 in Tuscaloosa. Ole Miss escaped an upset bid by Florida to win 34-24. Miami attempted to solidify its position by swamping NC State 41-7, and Georgia Tech stayed relevant in the ACC by nipping Boston College 36-34.

The official College Football Playoff rankings are released Tuesday evening. Rankings by the CFP selection committee will determine the bids that go to the 5 highest-ranked conference champions and the 7 highest-ranked remaining at-large teams. The top 4 conference champions will automatically be seeded 1-4 and receive first-round byes. Seeds 5-12 will play on-campus, first-round games (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, etc.).

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A Butkus Award candidate for the top linebacker in America in 2025, Allen was trying to disrupt Texas quarterback Arch Manning when he was pushed to the ground by a Longhorn blocker.

Allen left the playing surface after being down for a moment and headed to the Georgia medical tent. Allen then departed for the locker room accompanied by members of the Bulldogs athletic training staff.

A 3-year standout in the Georgia defense, Allen entered Saturday night’s game with 39 solo tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 pass deflections and 2 forced fumbles. Over his career with the 5th-ranked Bulldogs, Allen has made 109 solo stops, 9 pass deflections, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and an interception.

Allen was named one of the 12 semifinalists for the Butkus Award last week, and is aiming to become the 4th Georgia linebacker in the past decade to win the award – joining Roquan Smith (2017), Nakobe Dean (2021) and Jalon Walker (2024).

Allen entered Week 12 leading the SEC with 8.3 tackles per game.

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Heupel indicated to reporters after the game that Carter was not present because a “standard” for the program wasn’t met. The coach added that he wouldn’t comment on Carter again Saturday — thus offering no specifics on the reason for Carter’s absence or any potential permanence.

This issue marks the most recent incident that Carter has been a part of in his 2 seasons in Knoxville. According to a report by Knox News in July, Tennessee’s team leaders were fed up with Carter after confronting the standout defensive back following his absence from numerous team activities.

According to the report at the time, Carter’s status with the Volunteers was currently “uncertain” – further angering teammates and Tennessee fans who had already endured the Nico Iamaleava saga in the spring.

Carter had recorded 16 solo tackles, 3 pass deflections, 3 forced fumbles and 2 sacks defensively in 2025 before missing Saturday’s game against New Mexico State. He also had 11 punt returns for 145 yards this season.

Tennessee plays at Florida on Nov. 22, and takes on No. 14 Vanderbilt at home in the season finale on Nov. 29.

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Ole Miss (9-1 overall, 5-1 SEC) is in a similar situation as last season – on the verge of locking up a College Football Playoff berth and facing a struggling Gators team. In 2024, Florida stunned the then-No. 9 Rebels 24-17 in Gainesville to knock them out of CFP contention.

Ole Miss has outgained Florida 291-223 in the first half, but the Rebels have turned the ball over once. Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is 15-of-18 for 177 yards and 1 touchdown but threw an interception that led to a Florida touchdown. Florida’s defense has also sacked Chambliss 3 times in the game’s first 30 minutes.

Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, who was benched last week against Kentucky, is 9-of-17 for 155 yards and a touchdown. Both Lagway and Gators running backs Jaden Baugh also have rushing touchdowns in the game so far.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has been rumored as a top target for the open Florida coaching job, which became available when Billy Napier was fired Oct. 19. Florida assistant coach Billy Gonzales has been coaching the Gators on an interim basis, and is 0-2 in that role.

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Lacy tied the record last week against The Citadel, as the sophomore motored for 3 TDs to pace the 7th-ranked Rebels to a 49-0 victory.

Lacy broke the Ole Miss record held by Quinshon Judkins – who rushed for 16 touchdowns as a freshman at Ole Miss in 2022. Judkins stayed in Oxford in 2023 before transferring to play at Ohio State in 2024 and then turning pro to be drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2025.

Lacy entered Saturday night with 912 rushing yards on 200 carries. He also had caught 22 passes for 134 yards through 10 games this season. Lacy’s rushing touchdowns already led the SEC, and his rushing totals ranked 3rd in the SEC entering Week 12 play behind Mizzou‘s Ahmad Hardy (1,046 yards) and Arkansas’s Mike Washington (913 yards).

Ole Miss averaged 183.9 rushing yards per game heading into Saturday’s test against Florida – which ranked 6th in the SEC and 38th nationally. The Rebels’ 28 team rushing touchdowns was tied with Vanderbilt for the conference’s best entering Week 12.

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A make would have tied the 4^th-ranked Tide with No. 11 Oklahoma 17-17 and potentially changed the direction of what ended up being a 23-21 Sooners victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

After the game, though, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer criticized the entire kicking operation equally when he was asked about the critical miss that was also tipped at the line of scrimmage by Oklahoma’s Taylor Wein.

“We can get a little better snap, but we can make the kick too,” DeBoer said. “It is a little bit of everything on the execution – from snap to the kick. We gotta find a way to kick it through when it’s not perfect. We gotta find a way to execute better on the whole operation.”

Talty is now 11-for-17 on field goal attempts in 2025 and he has made all 35 of his PAT kick attempts. His long in 2025 is 48 yards, with Talty going 2-for-3 from 20-29 yards, 4-for-5 from 30-39 yards, 5-for-8 from 40-49 yards and 0-1 from 50+ yards.

The redshirt sophomore earned the starting position after serving as a backup in 2023 and 2024 – with Talty exclusively handling kickoff duties in 2024.

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The 5th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs hosted the 10th-ranked Longhorns with plenty at stake for both teams, as Texas entered Saturday night at 7-2 overall and needing a victory to stay in contention for a College Football Playoff berth. Georgia entered Saturday at 8-1 with an inside track of earning 1 of the 12 CFP spots.

Peyton’s nephew Arch Manning has passed for 2,123 yards and 18 touchdowns against 6 interceptions in his first season starting for the Longhorns. He took over the starting spot in Austin after Quinn Ewers departed for the NFL at the end of the 2024 season, and was a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate before a slow start derailed that quest.

Arch’s uncle Peyton Manning was a 2-time first-team All-SEC quarterback at Tennessee from 1994-97, throwing for 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns against 33 interceptions. He was the No. 1 overall pick to the Indianapolis Colts, and played 18 seasons in the NFL en route to 2 Super Bowl victories with the Colts and the Broncos and a 2021 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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The rapper known as Waka Flocka Flame reportedly helped rescue some Kentucky Wildcats fans at Kroger Field who were stuck in an elevator, helping to pry the doors open so fans could escape.

Waka Flocka Flame’s presence was clearly a good thing for Kentucky, as the Wildcats got to 5-5 this season with a 42-10 victory over Tennessee Tech – which absorbed its first loss of the season. Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley went 18-of-21 for 236 yards and a touchdown, and wide receiver Kendrick Law hauled in 11 receptions for 124 yards.

The Wildcats nearly doubled up OVC-Big South power Tennessee Tech in total yardage, torching the FCS’s top-ranked defense for 468 yards while allowing the Golden Eagles just 264 yards.

Waka Flocka Flame, whose “No Hands” track won the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards Best Club Banger, was in Lexington to play a concert later Saturday evening. The artist, who has famously feuded over the years with fellow rapper Gucci Mane, was scheduled to take the stage at 8 p.m. at Manchester Music Hall.

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But Saturday, with Mizzou set to take on Mississippi State (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network), Pribula was spotted warming up on Faurot Field after spending the week listed as “doubtful” to play against the Bulldogs.

Pribula left the field with an air cast on his left leg after a 4th-and-goal play against the Commodores, an injury that Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said would keep the senior out for “a while.”

“Beau has no broken bones, but he did have an ankle injury that had to be popped back in place,” Drinkwitz said after the Vanderbilt loss. “So, don’t have a timetable for his return, but it could be a while.”

Missouri struggled without Pribula in its subsequent game against Texas A&M, losing to the then-No. 3 Aggies 38-17 for a 3rd loss in 4 games following a 5-0 start to the season. Freshman Matt Zollers took over after Pribula’s injury, finishing 14-of-23 for 138 yards and a touchdown against Vanderbilt but going only 7-for-22 for 77 yards against the Aggies.

Pribula was the second Missouri quarterback to suffer a potential season-ending injury this season, as Sam Horn fractured the tibia in his right leg on the Mizzou’s first snap from scrimmage during a 61-6 victory against Central Arkansas on Aug. 28.

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The 3-star ballcarrier from Montezuma, Georgia, Parker has starred at Macon County High School. The 5-9, 198-pound Parker is rated 45th in the country among running backs by the 247Sports composite ratings and the 63rd-best prospect in the state of Georgia’s 2027 class.

Parker committed to Georgia before the No. 5 Bulldogs clashed with No. 10 Texas (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Sanford Stadium.

Georgia now boasts the No. 6 recruiting class for 2027 according to 247Sports. That puts the Bulldogs behind the top-ranked Texas A&M Aggies and 2nd-ranked Oklahoma Sooners among SEC programs in that class.

Parker reportedly narrowed his final selections to Alabama, FSU, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Tennessee at the start of the 2026 season, and was recruited by Georgia running backs coach Josh Crawford and assistant running backs coach David Hill.

Parker rushed for 1,211 yards on 171 carries and 19 touchdowns for 5-6 Macon County in 2025. He also caught 11 passes out of the backfield for 122 yards and 3 TDs and is a track athlete for the Bulldogs as well.

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Everyone wants a piece of the loquaciously controversial Ole Miss coach, from the bayou to the edge of Paynes Prairie – and certainly all the fine folk who have ever frequented The Grove. Heck, there might not be a Southeastern Conference program out there that wouldn’t want a piece of the ol’ Lane Train if they had the opportunity.

Which is what makes Saturday’s game between Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels and the Florida Gators (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) even more interesting – as if the Rebels’ march toward a first-ever College Football Playoff berth wasn’t interesting enough at face value.

Why? Because Florida is currently without a coach and working desperately behind the scenes to queue up at the ticket window for an express pass on said Lane Train. By all accounts/speculation/innuendo, Kiffin has been target No. 1 for the Gators from the moment athletic director Scott Stricklin showed Billy Napier the door.

Did someone say awkward?

Listen, we aren’t dumb/naïve enough to suggest that Kiffin is doing anything less than fully preparing Ole Miss to absolutely pulverize Florida on Saturday night in Oxford. To suggest otherwise would be foolhardy, not to mention fireable on Kiffin’s end. But every decibel of Kiffin-tuned noise that emits from Gainesville (and Baton Rouge, and the New York Football Giants, and anywhere else that might want to employ him in 2026…) is noise that couldn’t help but to reach Kiffin on some level.

In the few weeks since Napier hit the bread line, that noise was able to be diverted with all the usual platitudes. I have a good job. I am paid well. We have built a team ready to win at the highest level. Talk to my agent, Jimmy Sexton. Et cetera. But when the nexus of the noise stampedes straight into Kiffin’s current kitchen like it will Saturday, well, one would need noise-canceling headphones the size of Bundt cakes to block it all out.

Kiffin, naturally, isn’t one to follow someone else’s narrative when he is so adept at creating his own. The 50-year-old coach hasn’t been hired-fired-hired-fired-hired-fired-hired at the pace he has by accident. In addition to being a genuinely gifted and talented football savant, Kiffin knows how to play the noise game better than anyone out there. Dare we say, he has even thrived on the noise in Oxford while helming the Good Ship Sip to a 53-19 mark over the past few seasons.

Still the noise persists, growing louder and more fervent each week. The lure is out there, sparkling in the sunlight just as it was 2 years ago when Auburn came calling for his services. That time, Kiffin credited his daughter Landry as a reason why he didn’t eschew Oxford for the Plains – but not until his dalliance with Auburn allegedly damaged Ole Miss team morale and enveloped the Rebels to the tune of 5 losses in 6 games down the stretch.

This time around, partially because the noise comes from both Florida and LSU, the decibel level has magnified so much only a bona fide narcissist would be able to enjoy it. And no one can know for sure just how the current crop of Rebels will react to their coach once again being flirted with by prestige SEC programs.

All the while, and by all accounts, Kiffin has steadfastly continued to pull all the correct levers to maneuver the Rebels to the precipice of the College Football Playoff – ironically the same spot Ole Miss was at last year when it went to Gainesville and absorbed a 24-17 upset loss to Napier’s Gators that controversially (at least in Kiffin’s mind) eliminated them from CFP contention.

Kififn himself was prodded to talk hypothetically this week about what makes a “good” college coaching job and the advantage those programs have compared to the have-nots of the world. His answer sounded an awful lot like… well… Florida?

“People will say [the gap has] narrowed, and some stuff has narrowed because you can’t stockpile [talent] at those blue bloods, or however you want to refer to it,” Kiffin said Monday to reporters. “But there are still things where you’re gonna struggle to beat those guys because kids get recruited, and they see the size of stadiums, traditions, Heismans and national championships. Then your location to talent. I think all of those are in there.”

That description could also apply to LSU, of course. But Ole Miss ain’t playing the Tigers this week – the Rebels already dispatched the Bayou Bengals 24-19 earlier this season when Brian Kelly was still their coach. This week, the clear and present danger of Kiffin’s potential future is rumbling headlong into the fanfare and glory of Kiffin’s present.

The College Football Playoff beckons for Ole Miss, so long as the Rebels don’t tune into the noise and again step into a Gators-sized pothole. And their coach? Kiffin has a job to do this weekend in the Lane Bowl, even if it hurts Florida’s chance of landing him.

Like we said. Awkward.

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After the game, at least one Auburn player – junior defensive end Keldric Faulk – said he believes his team is without question a better unit than the Commodores despite the loss.

“Do I think we’re better than that team? Yes, 100%,” Faulk told reporters in the postgame locker room. “That team is nowhere near better than us. We beat ourselves in that game.

“But just to see our team grow and come together in the moment, especially in these moments having a major change in the beginning of the week. But we came together.”

Faulk and the Auburn defense didn’t exactly shine against Vanderbilt, allowing the Commodores 544 yards of total offense. Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia diced up the Tigers all night, throwing for 377 yards and 3 touchdowns and rushing for 112 yards and another score.

Auburn (4-6 overall, 1-6 SEC) is idle in Week 12, and ventures out of conference Nov. 22 to play host to Mercer (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) before hosting the annual Iron Bowl slugfest against No. 4 Alabama on Nov. 29.

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Florida quarterback DJ Lagway was a big contributor to the offensive malaise, going 11-for-19 for just 83 yards with 3 interceptions before being benched at halftime in favor of backup Tramell Jones Jr.

Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales, in his second game at the helm replacing the fired Billy Napier, addressed Lagway’s benching after the game.

“Well that was my decision. I think we had a rough first half, and I thought it might be good for him just to gather and look at it from a coach’s point and a coach’s point from the sideline,” Gonzales told reporters in his postgame press conference. “But yeah, we need to to play better all around, not just him, everybody needs to play a little bit better, not just him, and I’ll take the blame for everything.

“I think if you take a look at what we do and what we need to be and it’s unacceptable and I’m going to put me up in front and say that’s on me. I’ll take the blame for this loss, 100%, so we got to be better, and we’ve got to be better, I’ve got to be better, make sure these players continue forward.” 

Gonzales would not commit to either Lagway or Jones, who was just 9-for-17 for 60 yards in the second half against Kentucky, under center when Florida plays at No. 6 Ole Miss (7 pm ET, ESPN) in Week 12.

“We’ll take a look at the film and obviously we think (Lagway’s) a very talented young man but we’ll take a look at everything and move forward once we get back home,” Gonzales said.

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Burns’ breakdown is constructed by placing SEC teams into tiers according to his thoughts on their CFP chances, though this week he eliminated ‘Playoffish’ and ‘I mean technically alive’ for just ‘Still Alive’.

Burns lists the Texas A&M Aggies, Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels as the 3 SEC teams that are “Playoff Bound”. The Oklahoma Sooners, Texas Longhorns and Vanderbilt Commodores are “Still Alive”.

The rest of the conference, well, get a box of Rice-A-Roni as a consolation prize. That “Done” list includes LSU, South Carolina, Kentucky, Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Florida, Tennessee and Missouri.

Week 12 sees 2 SEC matchups involving ranked teams: No. 12 Oklahoma visits No. 4 Alabama (3:30 pm ET, ABC), and No. 11 Texas plays at No. 5 Georgia (7:30 pm, ABC).

Playoff Bound:

Texas A&M Aggies (9-0 overall, 6-0 SEC)

Alabama Crimson Tide (9-1, 6-0)

Georgia Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1)

Ole Miss Rebels (9-1, 5-1)

Still Alive:

Oklahoma Sooners (7-2, 3-2)

Texas Longhorns (7-2, 4-1)

Vanderbilt Commodores (8-2, 4-2)

Done:

LSU Tigers (5-4, 2-4)

South Carolina Gamecocks (3-6, 1-6)

Kentucky Wildcats (4-5, 2-5)

Auburn Tigers (4-6, 1-6)

Arkansas Razorbacks (2-7, 0-5)

Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-5, 1-5)

Florida Gators (3-6, 2-4)

Tennessee Volunteers (6-3, 3-3)

Missouri Tigers (6-3, 2-3)

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According to former Ole Miss quarterback, the credit for the Tigers’ outburst should go to Auburn offensive coordinator/running backs coach Derrick Nix.

“Congrats to Coach Nix. Called a great game,” Wallace wrote on his X account. “Was always a fav in our locker room. He deserves another great job.”

Nix coached the Rebels from 2008-23, starting at the running backs coach from 2008-19, then the wide receivers coach from 2020-22 and then as associate head coach/wide receivers coach in 2023. Nix departed Oxford in 2024 to reunite with Hugh Freeze, joining the Auburn staff.

Auburn also posted 38 points in a season-opening victory at Baylor, though the Tigers amassed 415 yards of total offense that night in Waco. Auburn entered Week 11 ranked 15^th out of 16 teams in the SEC with just 329.56 yards per game, and was also 14^th in scoring offense at 22.33 points per outing.

Auburn is idle in Week 12, and returns to action at home against Mercer on Nov. 22 (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network+).

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Nic Anderson sustained a right knee injury in the third quarter Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, exiting the game and heading to the injury tent. He then left the field on an injury cart and returned to the sidelines in street clothes and on crutches.

“He was gone from the game, and I think he was going to get some X-rays,” LSU interim head coach Frank Wilson told reporters the game. “I’m not sure beyond that, though.”

On3 Sports reported Sunday that Anderson’s injury could be a season-ending one, and that an MRI was scheduled for later in the day.

Anderson caught 2 passes for 32 yards against the Crimson Tide, bringing his season total to 12 receptions for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Oklahoma transfer had 38 receptions for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman for the Sooners in 2023 but played just 1 game as a sophomore in 2024 due to a quadriceps injury.

The Tigers (5-4) have 3 remaining games, starting in Week 11 against Arkansas (12:45 pm ET, SEC Network). Western Kentucky visits Baton Rouge on Nov. 22 and then LSU plays at No. 12 Oklahoma on Nov. 29.

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That’s the route Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz chose Saturday night in the wake of the Tigers falling short against No. 3 Texas A&M – a 38-17 setback that was the 3^rd in 4 games for Mizzou with all coming against teams inside the Top 10.

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 Drinkwitz was asked about his record against ranked SEC teams the last two seasons, which now stands at 0-6, after the home loss to the unbeaten Aggies.

“Yep, they’re good teams,” Drinkwitz said after pausing to collect his thoughts. “And I don’t do a good enough job coaching.”

To be fair, Drinkwitz has built Mizzou into a perennial SEC contender in his 6 years in Columbia – leading the Tigers to an 11-2 record in 2023 and a 10-3 mark in 2024. Mizzou also earned back-to-back bowl wins in those years, winning the Cotton Bowl 14-3 over Ohio State in 2023 and the Music City Bowl 27-24 over Iowa in 2024.

And even though the Tigers are now 6-3 and likely out of the race for a College Football Playoff berth, the 42-year-old Drinkwitz is a hot candidate for the coaching openings at Penn State, LSU and Florida. Missouri plays host to Mississippi State in Week 12 (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

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The Week 12 SEC slate continues with Arkansas visiting LSU at 12:45 pm ET on SEC Network. Kentucky ventures away from conference play when the Wildcats play host to Tennessee Tech at 1:30 pm ET on SEC Network+.

RELATED: Need a way to see the Aggies and Gamecocks? Check out Sling TV to stream the game amid ESPN’s dispute with YouTube TV!

No. 12 Oklahoma plays at No. 4 Alabama at 3:30 pm ET on ABC in a marquee matchup with national implications. No. 25 Tennessee also plays a nonconference game, hosting New Mexico State at 4:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

Florida playing at No. 6 Ole Miss begins the evening window at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. No. 11 Texas plays at No. 5 Georgia at 7:30 p.m. on ABC. And No. 22 Missouri plays host to Mississippi State at 7:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

Auburn and Vanderbilt are both idle in Week 12.

Texas A&M and South Carolina have played 11 times throughout history, with the Aggies holding a 9-2 edge and a perfect 5-0 mark at Kyle Field. South Carolina won last season’s game, however, downing Texas A&M 44-20 in Columbia.

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But unlike the Buckeyes and Hoosiers, the Aggies have done something in 2025 that no other team in college football can claim: Win 3 games against AP-ranked teams on the road.

The Aggies achieved that mark in Week 11 by going to Columbia and downing No. 22 Missouri 38-17. That victory, coupled with the 49-25 demolition of then-No. 20 LSU in Baton Rouge on Oct. 25 and the 41-40 escape against then-No. 8 Notre Dame in South Bend on Sept. 13, puts Texas A&M in prime position for a first-round College Football Playoff bye.

No. 1 Ohio State’s lone road victory against a Top 25 team came Oct. 11 in Champaign against No. 17 Illinois. No. 2 Indiana’s lone road victory against a ranked squad was also Oct. 11 at No. 3 Oregon.

Texas A&M can add to that lofty mark Nov. 28 against No. 11 Texas in the season finale. The Aggies play host to South Carolina in Week 12 (Noon ET, ESPN) and face Samford on Nov. 22 before the matchup against the Longhorns.

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Not every victory is destined for instant induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. And when the teams in question are the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers, well, the odds of it being a rock fight are a lot higher than the result being Louvre-worthy.

That’s exactly what the Crimson Tide and Tigers begat at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night: a rock fight. There’s just too much talent, too much emotion, too much history between Alabama and LSU to produce any other result.

LSU ventured into Tuscaloosa with wounded pride and almost a full fortnight of laughable off-field blunders to go with an on-field result that had the Tigers out of College Football Playoff contention before the Halloween candy was gone. Alabama was precisely in the opposite state – riding a 7-game winning streak and strutting around with a No. 4 national ranking.

But here’s the thing about rock fights… seldom does recent history or pedigree or circumstance matter. Just how many rocks you can lay your hands on. Which is why Alabama’s eventual 20-9 win felt more like survival than victory, and LSU’s 20-9 loss felt more like yet another shoot-self-in-foot effort that could have easily gone the other way.

The Crimson Tide earned a 17th-straight home victory mainly by tightening their defense like a boa constrictor the closer the Tigers got to the goal line – forcing LSU to settle for a trio of Damian Ramos field goals and keeping the Tigers out of the end zone for the first time since the 2012 national championship game. That Alabama defense also confused and confounded LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier so much that interim Tigers coach Frank Wilson benched the senior and turned into sophomore Michael Van Buren Jr. in the third quarter.

Not that all that defense turned into a lot of Alabama points, as Heisman contender Ty Simpson was less-than-sharp on his side of the ball. The junior finished 21-for-35 with 277 passing yards and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Williams right before halftime. Alabama’s rushing attack also continued to underwhelm, totaling just 56 yards and producing only a 4-yard Daniel Hill TD run in the second quarter.

That 14-point spurt in the second quarter was all the lovers of offense were able to enjoy, though, as the majority of the game dissolved into a flurry of dropped passes and inopportune penalties from LSU along with Simpson unsuccessfully trying to thread the needle to the Alabama receivers.

Alabama’s clinching sequence the perfect synopsis of the entire 60 minutes. The Tide downed a punt inside the LSU 5 and forced a 3-and-out that included the Tigers dropping a wide-open pass that would have moved the chains. After an LSU punt to midfield, Alabama’s offense stalled out at the 26 to set up a 44-yard Connor Talty field goal (his second of the game) to make it 20-9.

Like we said… rock fight.

“We came out kind of flat, I want to be honest,” Simpson said. “Our defense kept us in it, they did a great job. We are just resilient and fight and find a way to win. Anytime you win in the SEC it is a special feeling, and especially at home – because it’s defending your turf.”

In the final analysis, though, it matters not that Simpson likely got lapped in the race to Mr. Stiff Arm by Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza but that the Alabama defense did enough to keep Alabama alive in the marathon that is the march to the College Football Playoff.

It matters not that the highlight package produced by the Crimson Tide could be measured by a stopwatch instead of a sundial but that Alabama kept throwing rocks for the full 60 minutes at an LSU team with precisely nothing to lose but also without enough rocks of its own to compete.

And it matters not the Tide required a razzle-dazzle play with 1:52 remaining to convert a 4th down and salt away the victory, or that Alabama and LSU mustered just a hair more offensive yards (576, with the Tide gaining 344 against LSU’s 232) as Vanderbilt piled up all by itself (544 in an OT win against Auburn) earlier Saturday.

Because ultimately, winning ugly beats losing 10 times out of 10 – and Alabama accomplished the former to run its record to 87-straight victories against unranked teams at home. And even if it was decidedly not museum-worthy, Simpson pointed out that Saturday’s win against LSU was another defining step in what might well be a season to remember.

“I want our legacy to be that everyone doubted us at first, how we came out the first game (a loss to Florida State). But that’s just part of it. It’s Alabama against the world,” Simpson said. “Nobody thinks we are good, nobody thinks that we can win. But it’s all about us and what we do, and it will be that way until the end of the season.”

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“The bottom line is this: Alabama did not look good (Saturday), they were lackluster,” Finebaum said Sunday morning on SportsCenter. “I am actually out on Alabama because of their running game. They just can’t get it going. To go far in the national championship, they will need to do better. They have one of the best quarterbacks, though, in Ty Simpson.”

Finebaum’s point about the Alabama rushing attack is valid, especially in light of the Crimson Tide’s pedestrian 56 ground yards on 26 carries against LSU. Daniel Hill led Alabama with just 21 yards on 7 carries, and the 2.2 yards-per-carry average continues a trend for the Tide.

Alabama entered Week 11 ranked 14^th in the SEC in rushing with just 118.88 yards per game and a 3.63 yards-per-carry average. Simpson, meanwhile, stayed in the Heisman Trophy conversation against LSU by throwing for 277 yards and a touchdown.

Alabama puts an 8-game winning streak on the line in Week 12 at home against No. 12 Oklahoma (3:30 pm ET, ABC).

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But that didn’t mean there wasn’t upheaval in the top half of the Top 25, as No. 7 BYU absorbed its first loss of 2025 when No. 8 Texas Tech beat the Cougars 29-7. No. 2 Indiana and No. 9 Oregon both had difficult times en route to earning victories, as the Hoosiers needed a last-minute toe-tap touchdown to edge Penn State 27-24 and the Ducks required a 39-yard Atticus Sappington field goal at the buzzer to edge No. 20 Iowa.

So how did Week 11’s results factor into the College Football Playoff picks from ESPN’s panel of experts?

A reminder: Rankings by the CFP selection committee will determine the bids that go to the 5 highest-ranked conference champions and the 7 highest-ranked remaining at-large teams. The top 4 conference champions will automatically be seeded 1-4 and receive first-round byes. Seeds 5-12 will play on-campus, first-round games (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, etc.).

Here are the latest Playoff picks from ESPN’s 11 experts:

Andrea Adelson: 1. Ohio State 2. Indiana 3. Texas A&M 4. Alabama 5. Georgia 6. Ole Miss 7. Texas Tech 8. Oregon 9. Notre Dame 10. BYU 11. Georgia Tech 12. North Texas

Kyle Bonagura: 1. Ohio State 2. Indiana 3. Texas A&M 4. Alabama 5. Georgia 6. Texas Tech 7. Oregon 8. Ole Miss 9. Notre Dame 10. BYU 11. Georgia Tech 12. North Texas

Bill Connelly: 1. Ohio State 2. Indiana 3. Texas A&M 4. Alabama 5. Texas Tech 6. Georgia 7. Ole Miss 8. Oregon 9. Notre Dame 10. BYU 11. Georgia Tech 12. North Texas

David Hale: 1. Ohio State 2. Texas A&M 3. Indiana 4. Alabama 5. Georgia 6. Texas Tech 7. Ole Miss 8. Oregon 9. Notre Dame 10. Texas 11. James Madison 12. North Texas

Eli Lederman: 1. Ohio State 2. Texas A&M 3. Indiana 4. Alabama 5. Georgia 6. Ole Miss 7. Oregon 8. Texas Tech 9. Notre Dame 10. Georgia Tech 11. BYU 12. North Texas

Max Olson: 1. Ohio State 2. Texas A&M 3. Indiana 4. Alabama 5. Georgia 6. Texas Tech 7. Ole Miss 8. Oregon 9. Notre Dame 10. BYU 11. Georgia Tech 12. North Texas

Adam Rittenberg: 1. Ohio State 2. Indiana 3. Texas A&M 4. Alabama 5. Georgia 6. Ole Miss 7. Texas Tech 8. Oregon 9. Notre Dame 10. BYU 11. Pittsburgh 12. South Florida

Mark Schlabach: 1. Ohio State 2. Texas A&M 3. Indiana 4. Alabama 5. Georgia 6. Ole Miss 7. Texas Tech 8. Oregon 9. Notre Dame 10. BYU 11. Pittsburgh 12. Tulane

Jake Trotter: 1. Ohio State 2. Indiana 3. Texas A&M 4. Alabama 5. Georgia 6. Texas Tech 7. Ole Miss 8. Oregon 9. Notre Dame 10. Texas 11. Pittsburgh 12. Tulane

Paolo Uggetti: 1. Ohio State 2. Texas A&M 3. Indiana 4. Texas Tech 5. Alabama 6. Georgia 7. Oregon 8. Ole Miss 9. Notre Dame 10. BYU 11. Pittsburgh 12. Tulane

Dave Wilson: 1. Ohio State 2. Texas A&M 3. Indiana 4. Alabama 5. Georgia 6. Ole Miss 7. Texas Tech 8. Oregon 9. Notre Dame 10. BYU 11. Georgia Tech 12. North Texas

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Former Ole Miss pole vaulter Drew O’Connor came out onto the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium turf at a timeout in the third quarter of the Rebels’ game against The Citadel, ostensibly to kick a field goal as part of an on-field promotion. O’Connor’s girlfriend, Madison Barnette, joined him to act as the holder for the field goal attempt, but instead of attempting the kick, O’Connor instead got down on one knee and proposed.

Barnette said yes, and slipped on a ring to the delight of the Ole Miss fans in the crowd.

Enter Kiffin, the 6^th-year Ole Miss coach, who apparently was watching the entire thing from the Rebels sideline. Clearly happy for the couple, Kiffin slyly slid into the couple’s joyous moment to pose for photographs while pointing at them in celebration.

Ole Miss does not keep official statistics on the amount of on-field proposals during games. Clearly inspired by the public declaration of love, the sixth-ranked Rebels cruised past The Citadel 49-0.

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Heisman Trophy contender Fernando Mendoza faced a third-and-goal at the 7 against a Penn State defense that had already picked him off once in the quarter — but hit a leaping Cooper along the back of the end zone. Cooper got a toe down inbounds, an instant-highlight catch that was upheld by instant replay. Mendoza was 5-for-8 for 87 yards on the game-winning drive, and finished 19-of-30 for 218 yards.

Penn State (3-6), which fired coach James Franklin earlier this season after losses at UCLA and at home against Northwestern, turned in its best performance of the season against the Hoosiers. But it still wasn’t enough to upend the Hoosiers (10-0), who are nearing back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances.

Interim coach Terry Smith’s Nittany Lions took a a 24-20 lead when Nate Singleton rumbled for a 19-yard touchdown reception from freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer with 4:20 to play. Grunkemeyer was starting just his third game after Drew Allar went down with a season-ending injury.

Penn State trailed 20-7 midway through the third quarter after Nicolas Radicic hit a 31-yard field goal. But the Nittany Lions roared back behind Singleton – who also tallied a pair of rushing touchdowns.

One of the reasons Franklin was let go by Penn State, which advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals last year, was a dreadful 1-14 record against Top 5 teams. The last time the Nittany Lions took down a Top 5 team was 2016 against Ohio State.

The Hoosiers shocked the nation last year by going 11-2 and making the CFP field and started 2025 with an 8-0 record and a program-high No. 2 national ranking.

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The sophomore running back dominated the Bulldogs in the first half Saturday, recording 3 rushing touchdowns – with the third one tying the program’s single-season rushing touchdown record.

The zone-read rush from 3 yards out gave Lacy his 16^th rushing touchdown in 2025, tying him with Quinshon Judkins – who also rushed for 16 touchdowns as a freshman at Ole Miss in 2022. Judkins stayed in Oxford in 2023 before transferring to play at Ohio State in 2024 and then turning pro and being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2025.

Lacy finished the first half with 49 rushing yards on 11 carries and caught a pass for 13 yards. He entered Saturday with 863 rushing yards on 189 carries and 13 touchdowns. He also has shared 21 receptions for 121 yards out of the backfield for the 6^th-ranked Rebels.

As a freshman, Lacy tallied 23 carries for 104 yards on the ground and 2 catches for 9 yards while at Missouri. Lacy’s best performance as a Rebel has been a 167-yard rushing effort against South Carolina with a touchdown.

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The 3-5 Gators play at the 3-5 Wildcats in a game with little SEC relevance and without former coach Billy Napier, who was fired Oct. 19 following a 3-4 start and a day after a home victory against Mississippi State.

“We just gotta focus on our team, stay together, stay strong, continue to improve. Fight and play together and play for one another. This is an opportunity. We have a lot of football ahead of us,” intones Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales in the Gators’ pregame hype video.

The Gators and Wildcats have a storied history, with Florida holding a 54-24 all-time lead over Kentucky in a game that has been played annually since 1967.

The Gators won the 2024 matchup 48-20 in Gainesville to break a 3-game losing streak to the Wildcats. Florida is 22-12 against Kentucky at Commonwealth Stadium, last winning in Lexington in 2019 by a 29-21 decision.

The series’ first matchup dates back to 1917, a 52-0 victory by Kentucky in Lexington.

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Luckie was injured on a 2^nd-and-9 pass play from the Georgia 24 – as Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton attempted to connect with his tight end on a deep crossing route. Luckie was still attempting to corral the pass when he was hit high by Mississippi State’s Jahron Manning.

Luckie was helped to his feet after several minutes and left the Davis-Wade Stadium field under his own power while being guided by Georgia’s athletic training staff to the sideline medical tent.

Manning was disqualified from the game, and the resulting 15-yard penalty moved the ball to the Georgia 39. Stockton and Georgia would complete the 9-play, 77-yard drive via a 19-yard touchdown pass to Zachariah Branch to make it 24-7.

Luckie did not have a reception against Mississippi State before he was injured, while Manning had totaled a team-best 5 solo tackles and 1 tackle for loss before his disqualification. Entering the game, Luckie had recorded 10 catches for 81 yards and 3 touchdowns – the TD mark equaling his single-season best set last season – for No. 5 Georgia.

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