Derek Peterson, Author at Saturday Down South

Tennessee basketball throttles Tennessee State to move to 5-0

Derek Peterson — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 03:09:38 +0000

Behind a dominant defensive performance at home on Thursday night, Tennessee basketball moved to 5-0 on the young season.

The Vols beat Tennessee State 89-60 on their home floor. Five different UT players scored in double figures as the Volunteer offense knocked in 8 triples and 31 free throw attempts. Ja’Kobi Gillespie led the way with 17 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. Nate Ament and Amaree Abram each added 15 points.

But the story of the game was the Tennessee defense.

Tennessee forced a season-high 22 turnovers — 12 of which came off steals — and turned those extra possessions into points. They had 13 fastbreak points and 24 points off turnovers. They controlled the boards and limited Tennessee State to 7 second-chance points.

The Tigers shot 32% from the field and just 19% from beyond the 3-point line. They made only 5 triples all game. Tennessee also made more free throws than TSU attempted (25).

Tennessee has held each of its first 5 opponents under 70 points.

With the win, Tennessee has now opened consecutive seasons with 5-0 starts for the first time since 2019 and 2020. The Vols head to Las Vegas on Monday to face Rutgers in the Players Era Men’s Championship.

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Mizzou QB Beau Pribula could return vs. Oklahoma

Derek Peterson — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 01:39:15 +0000

Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula is questionable to play on Saturday when the 22nd-ranked Tigers travel to Norman to face the eighth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

Pribula has not played since injuring his ankle on Oct. 25 in the loss to Vanderbilt, but he has been trending in the right direction in recent weeks. Pribula not being immediately ruled out suggests there’s at least a chance he can return to the field.

According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Pribula has been medically cleared to play. A final decision on his status will be made on Friday.

In Pribula’s absence, Mizzou has started true freshman Matt Zollers in each of the last 2 games. He’d draw a third straight start if Pribula is ultimately ruled out.

Zollers threw for 138 yards and a touchdown in relief of Pribula against Vanderbilt. In his first start against Texas A&M on Nov. 8, he struggled, completing only 7 of his 22 passes for 77 yards.

He found a bit more rhythm in the 49-27 win over Mississippi State last weekend, though he had plenty of help from the Tigers’ ground game. Zollers threw for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns with an interception.

Pribula has 1,685 passing yards, 220 rushing yards, and 16 total touchdowns this season. He has a Total QBR of 72.1. Zollers has a 50.8 QBR on the season.

Kickoff on Saturday against the Sooners is set for noon ET on ABC.

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Kentucky defensive back recruit flips commitment to Florida State

Derek Peterson — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 01:01:39 +0000

Florida State has landed a commitment from Vero Beach (Fla.) High defensive back Jordan Crutchfield.

The 6-foot-3 safety prospect announced his decision on Thursday night, flipping his pledge from Kentucky to Florida State. Crutchfield had been part of the Wildcats’ 2026 class since June, but he took an official visit to Florida State last weekend and was convinced to join the Seminoles’ class.

BREAKING: Class of 2026 DB Jordan Crutchfield has Flipped his Commitment from Kentucky to Florida State, he tells me for @rivals

The 6’4 210 DB had been Committed to the Wildcats since June

“Curated through Christ, Blessed to be blessed.”https://t.co/oC4FOWQlC8 pic.twitter.com/pZ073vzutN
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) November 20, 2025

Crutchfield is listed as a safety in the industry-generated 247 Composite, but he has some versatility to play several spots across the secondary. He also gets snaps as a receiver for his high school.

In the Composite, Crutchfield is a 3-star recruit. He’s the 58th-ranked prospect from the state of Florida and the 39th-ranked safety in the class. Overall, he sits at No. 461 in the national player rankings.

So far this season, Crutchfield has been credited with 27 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and an interception for Vero Beach. He also has 2 touchdown receptions on offense.

Kentucky’s class is down to just 13 known commitments. With the Early Signing Period a month away, Mark Stoops and his staff have some serious work to do.

The Florida State class, which ranks 14th nationally, is up to 28 known pledges.

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LSU settles Week 13 status for QB Garrett Nussmeier

Derek Peterson — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:41:37 +0000

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will not play on Saturday when the Tigers host Western Kentucky.

Interim LSU coach Frank Wilson announced the decision Thursday night when he met with reporters. Wilson said Nussmeier “wants to play” but is simply unable to do so. Nussmeier aggravated an abdominal injury recently. He did not play in last week’s 23-22 win over Arkansas.

With Nussmeier eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s possible he has played his final game at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers play at Oklahoma to close out the regular season on Nov. 29. It’s unclear if Nussmeier will be available for that game.

“I think there’s a want to for him,” Wilson said when asked if Nussmeier would try to play again this season. “But I also think there’s a consciousness of care and not to tear up scar tissues or make a matter worse than what it needs to be. There’s certainly a want. He wants to play. He’s just not able to at the moment.”

Michael Van Buren Jr. will make his second straight start at quarterback.

Last week, Van Buren completed 21 of his 31 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown. He also ran 10 times for 36 yards.

Wilson also said linebacker Whit Weeks is “probable” to play on Saturday. Weeks has missed each of the Tigers’ last 4 games while dealing with an ankle injury.

“He’s had a good week of practice ushering in and out and popping around,” Wilson said. “I thought he showed tremendous progress. He’s talking and feeling the right way. In what capacity and how much, I’m not sure, but right now, I would say he’s probable.”

Saturday’s game against Western Kentucky is slated to kick off at 7:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network. LSU is a 21.5-point favorite, per BetMGM.

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LSU open to hiring Ed Orgeron as assistant, per report

Derek Peterson — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:11:03 +0000

Ed Orgeron has gone on record saying he’s open to a return to LSU, regardless of the capacity.

The feeling seems to be mutual.

According to a report from CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, LSU is “open” to bringing Orgeron back as an assistant coach if the Tigers were to hire Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss. Zenitz’s reporting uses the phrasing “if/when” as it relates to a potential Kiffin hire. Kiffin is said to be considering the Tigers, though he has said throughout the week he is focused on the Rebels’ regular-season finale.

Orgeron and Kiffin have a history of working together. They worked on the same staff at USC from 2001-04. When Kiffin was the head coach for a season at Tennessee, Orgeron was his associate head coach.

In 2015, Orgeron joined the Tigers as a defensive line coach. In 2016, he took over the program as its head coach. Orgeron went 51-20 in 6 years with the Tigers, winning the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2019.

He has been out of coaching since parting ways with LSU after the 2021 season.

“Yeah, I’d consider it,” Orgeron said last month when asked if he’d be open to a reunion. “I love LSU. I still got my home in Baton Rouge. I loved when I was coaching for Coach (Les) Miles, being the defensive line coach. I love the Tigers, and if I’m getting back into coaching, for sure I’d consider it. No doubt.”

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Michigan clarifies stance on Big Ten future amid capital investment dispute

Derek Peterson — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 22:00:20 +0000

Following comments made earlier in the week by the school’s board of regents, a dispute between Michigan and the Big Ten over a capital investment proposal that would flush the league with cash but, in Michigan’s view, be detrimental to the league’s future seemed to threaten the future of the partnership.

On Thursday, the board released a statement saying, in part, it is “committed” to the Big Ten going forward.

Earlier this week, a report from the Detroit Free Press stated that Michigan could consider going independent in 2036 if the Big Ten agreed to receive private capital investment without unanimous consent. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti had been in discussions with a private equity firm about a multi-billion-dollar investment. Michigan opposed the move.

University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker told the Free Press this week that U-M “would consider” leaving the Big Ten over the deal.

On Thursday, the board met to discuss the proposal and released a statement shortly after clarifying their stance.

“We remain opposed to this deal. Importantly, we are committed to the Big Ten Conference and will continue to explore opportunities that address the pressing financial challenges facing Big Ten athletic departments,” said Mark Bernstein, chair for Michigan’s Board of Regents.

The capital deal is reportedly on hold.

Michigan is one of the founding members of the Big Ten, college athletics’ oldest league. The Wolverines have been in the league since 1896, though they spent a decade as an independent from 1907-16 after being voted out.

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College football’s Top 25 résumé ranking entering Week 13

Derek Peterson — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Another change at the top. Another shuffle at the bottom. You can find last week’s rankings here.

Ranking the Top 25 résumés in college football

This is not a power ranking of the best teams in college football. This is not a ranking of how I think these teams will look at the end of the season or a prediction of who will make the College Football Playoff. This ranking aims to compare who has accomplished what, who has beaten whom, and who has lost where. While some might treat the non-power conferences as second-rate, I’m more inclined to give those teams love. If Tulane is above Texas, does that mean I think Tulane would beat Texas on a neutral field if they played tomorrow? It does not.

Let’s get to it.

Dropped from the ranking: 18 South Florida, 21 Louisville, 24 Cincinnati, 25 Iowa

25. North Texas (9-1, 5-1 AAC)

BEST WIN: 59-10 vs. Washington State
LAST WEEK: NR

The Mean Green keep thumping teams. The 29-point win over UAB was the fifth time this season North Texas has beaten an opponent by at least 3 touchdowns.

24. Missouri (7-3, 3-3 SEC)

BEST WIN: 23-17 at Auburn
LAST WEEK: NR

A warm welcome back to Missouri, which ran roughshod over Mississippi State last week for a 49-27 victory. The Tigers are firmly in the top 20 of most power ratings, and 2 of the 3 losses have come to Sagarin-rated top-10 teams. The lack of a strong win keeps them from climbing much higher, but the overall quality of the season, given the context and the schedule, warrants inclusion here.

23. Virginia (9-2, 6-1 ACC)

BEST WIN: 30-27 at Louisville
LAST WEEK: NR

The Cavaliers picked up a solid win at Duke. They led 31-3 going into the fourth quarter, so the final margin was a little less indicative of the type of game it was.

22. SMU (7-3, 5-1 ACC)

BEST WIN: 26-20 vs. Miami
LAST WEEK: NR

The Mustangs have 2 fewer wins than Virginia and an extra loss, but they are above Virginia. Why? SMU is 1-0 against Sagarin-rated top-10 teams, and it is 2-0 against top-30 teams. Virginia has yet to play a top-10 team, and it has faced only 1 top-30 team.

21. Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 SEC)

BEST WIN: 41-34 at Mississippi State
LAST WEEK: 23

Tennessee did what it was supposed to against New Mexico State. I’m curious how the defense will look against Florida.

20. Texas (7-3, 4-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 23-6 vs. Oklahoma
LAST WEEK: 10

Texas is an interesting team. It feels like the Longhorns have done a lot while simultaneously doing very little. Texas has 2 wins over Sagarin top-30 teams, but it is 0-2 in games against top-10 teams. And neither of those games was particularly pretty for the Longhorns.

19. Georgia Tech (9-1, 6-1 ACC)

BEST WIN: 24-21 vs. Clemson
LAST WEEK: 22

There still isn’t a clearly defined elite victory on the résumé. They still play in a bad conference. They still have a bad loss, and they almost suffered another one in Week 12. But the Yellow Jackets are 9-1.

18. James Madison (9-1, 7-0 Sun Belt)

BEST WIN: 63-27 vs. Old Dominion
LAST WEEK: 20

The Dukes beat Appalachian State 58-10 over the weekend. It was their fourth win this season by 30-plus points. James Madison is up to seventh nationally in adjusted net EPA per play. The team is legit good.

17. Tulane (8-2, 5-1 AAC)

BEST WIN: 38-32 at Memphis
LAST WEEK: 19

Tulane avoided the post-big win hangover and beat FAU 35-24 to move one step closer to the American title game and, by extension, the CFP. The Green Wave have 2 wins over power conference teams and a massive road win at Memphis in a “have to have it” spot.

16. Michigan (8-2, 6-1 B1G)

BEST WIN: 24-7 vs. Washington
LAST WEEK: 17

In the 16-19 range, I was constantly left asking myself, “Well, who else are you going to go with?” Michigan has flirted with disaster in back-to-back games. The bottom of the Big Ten — which the Michigan Men have been beating up on of late — is pretty bad, but not as bad as the ACC or the Sun Belt.

15. Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 31-24 vs. LSU
LAST WEEK: 16

Seven programs have at least 4 wins over Sagarin top-30 teams so far this season. Six of them are in my top 9 this week. Vanderbilt is the seventh.

14. BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 24-21 vs. Utah
LAST WEEK: 15

BYU’s 9-1 record deserves acclaim, but the only thing of substance on the résumé is the 3-point home win over Utah, and I can’t forget the shellacking at Texas Tech that quickly. The head-to-head with Vanderbilt here comes down to the best win. Vandy has quantity. Utah is better than any of the teams Vandy has beaten.

13. USC (8-2, 6-1 B1G)

BEST WIN: 31-13 vs. Michigan
LAST WEEK: 14

Gutsy win over Iowa by the Trojans, who have won 3 straight since the loss to Notre Dame. The Playoff beckons if USC can pull an upset this weekend. The Trojans are in a block with my 11 and 12 teams, and head-to-head is the differentiator.

12. Notre Dame (8-2)

BEST WIN: 34-24 vs. USC
LAST WEEK: 13

Notre Dame caused a raucous this week over its ranking in the CFP Top 25, which technically didn’t change from the previous week. I think the committee is being intentionally obtuse with Notre Dame. Good team, but there’s zero reason for the Irish to be above Alabama or Miami. Notre Dame is 0-2 against Sagarin top-10 teams. Alabama and Miami are a combined 2-0. The Irish aren’t anywhere close to Alabama in my view. Miami beat Notre Dame on the field. This is a good spot.

11. Miami (8-2, 4-2 ACC)

BEST WIN: 27-24 vs. Notre Dame
LAST WEEK: 12

Miami smoked NC State, which only made me more annoyed about the loss to Louisville. The Hurricanes are getting a bit of a raw deal this season, but they can’t really absolve themselves of blame. Great wins, avoidable losses.

10. Utah (8-2, 5-2 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 45-14 vs. Cincinnati
LAST WEEK: 9

Utah has done exactly what a team needs to do when it doesn’t get a ton of opportunities to beat elite teams — obliterate the rest. The Utes lost the only 2 games they’ve played against a Sagarin-rated top-30 team. The other 8 games have been decided by an average of 35.3 points per game. Even if you remove the Cal Poly result, the Utes still have an average margin of victory of 32.6 points. While they don’t have the kinds of résumé-building wins Miami has, they don’t have the head-scratching losses and they’ve passed the eye test every week.

9. Alabama (8-2, 6-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 24-21 at Georgia
LAST WEEK: 4

Alabama lost in a bad way to a good team. I’m not going to hammer the Crimson Tide for that, but they do drop a bit. Ty Simpson needs to figure out how to take better care of the football; the offensive problems have officially caught up to Alabama. And, for weeks, we could say “yeah, but…” with the Florida State loss because Alabama kept beating good teams. Now that the Tide have suffered another loss — at home, no less — it’s harder to deflect from that Week 1 eyesore.

8. Oregon (9-1, 6-1 B1G)

BEST WIN: 18-16 at Iowa
LAST WEEK: 7

It has been interesting to see folks play the “who have they beaten” game with Oregon after the Ducks thoroughly dismantled Minnesota on a short week with a depleted roster. Oregon has become the team your buddy loves to hate. The Ducks are 2-1 against Sagarin-rated top-30 teams. They have the fifth-best résumé when judged by SP+. They have the seventh-best strength of record, according to FPI. The Ducks are a worthy top-10 team, and I have no qualms about having them ahead of Alabama. Upset about that decision? Take it up with Mike Norvell.

7. Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 33-27 at Tennessee
LAST WEEK: 11

Oklahoma won another game on the road against a ranked opponent that it really didn’t have any business winning. Teams that outgain their opponent on a per-play basis win the vast majority of the time. Oklahoma lost the per-play efficiency battle against Tennessee (minus-0.2 yards per play) and won by 6 in Knoxville. Then it lost the efficiency battle again at Alabama (minus-1.2) and won by 2. A defense that forced 4 turnovers through the first 8 games of the season has come up with 6 in the last 2 games. Is that sustainable? Probably not, but it’s still darned impressive.

6. Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 34-26 at Oklahoma
LAST WEEK: 8

While the entire sports media landscape debates what Lane Kiffin should or should not do, I’m left lamenting the fact a special season is being drowned out by the noise. Ole Miss beat Florida to move to 10-1 and seemingly lock up a spot in the CFP. And I don’t think this year’s team is as talented as last year’s group. Given all the noise surrounding it, the locker room deserves a ton of appreciation for going out and taking care of business.

5. Texas Tech (10-1, 7-1 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 29-7 vs. BYU
LAST WEEK: 5

Tech has a Sagarin-rated top-10 win. It is 2-0 in games against top-30 teams. It is top-5 in résumé SP+. It is top-5 in ESPN’s game control metric. It has a top-10 strength of record, according to FEI. It has a top-10 résumé, according to KFord’s ratings. The only loss was on the road with a backup quarterback, and it came in the final minute. The 4 consecutive wins since that loss have all been by at least 22 points. I will not be entertaining any arguments that suggest this is anything other than a top-5 team.

4. Georgia (9-1, 7-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 43-35 vs. Ole Miss
LAST WEEK: 6

Kirby Smart owns Steve Sarkisian. That budding “rivalry” isn’t a rivalry. Smart has outmaneuvered Sarkisian in 3 consecutive matchups. Georgia flat dominated Texas in what was a “stop doubting us” kind of statement game. I won’t walk back any of the comments about Georgia’s friendly whistle this season, but I won’t doubt the Dawgs any longer. They just keep answering the moment.

3. Ohio State (10-0, 7-0 B1G)

BEST WIN: 14-7 vs. Texas
LAST WEEK: 3

The Buckeyes obliterated UCLA. A no-nonsense team in Columbus.

2. Texas A&M (10-0, 7-0 SEC)

BEST WIN: 41-40 at Notre Dame
LAST WEEK: 1

Texas A&M did everything wrong in the first half against a bad South Carolina team. Then it woke up in the second half and took it to the Gamecocks. I didn’t drop Indiana after it needed to come from behind to beat Penn State, but I’m dropping Texas A&M for needing to come from behind to beat South Carolina. The Hoosiers were on the road, and they didn’t trail until the fourth. The Aggies were at home, and they looked horrendous in the first half to fall into a 27-point hole. Texas A&M is 5-0 against Sagarin-rated top-30 teams while Indiana is 4-0. A&M still has a case to be No. 1, but the margins at the top are that thin. If I weren’t reactive to the results as they happen, there wouldn’t be any point to weekly updates for this ranking.

1. Indiana (11-0, 8-0 B1G)

BEST WIN: 30-20 at Oregon
LAST WEEK: 2

Indiana smashed Wisconsin. It was “only” a 24-point win at home, but the Hoosiers never trailed and out-gained Wisconsin 6.3 yards per play to 3.7. The Hoosiers sit atop KFord’s “most deserving” ranking this week, and they hold the top spot in SP+’s résumé ranking.

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Lane Kiffin responds to speculation he could leave Ole Miss

Derek Peterson — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 19:11:04 +0000

Lane Kiffin was asked about quite a bit on Wednesday when he made his weekly appearance on the SEC coaches teleconference call. Very little had to do with football.

Kiffin, reportedly the primary target in both the LSU and Florida head coaching searches, repeatedly stated that he was not commenting on other jobs. His Ole Miss program is on a bye week this week as it readies for the Egg Bowl, which meant Lane Kiffin was peppered with questions about his future as the Rebels’ coach.

“I love it here. We are in the greatest run that this school has ever had,” Kiffin said. “It’s amazing. I’m living in the moment. The players are, too. It’s awesome to be a part of.”

The Rebels are 10-1 and ranked No. 6 in the latest College Football Playoff Top 25. They seem like a near lock to make the CFP. Should Kiffin be offered and accept the Tigers’ job or the Gators’ job, though, he wouldn’t be around for that run.

He was asked directly on Wednesday if he still expected to be the head coach when Ole Miss kicks off against Mississippi State on Nov. 28.

“Why would I not expect to coach next week?” he responded. “We’re gameplanning, we just practiced. I don’t even understand how that would happen.”

A report (which was later refuted) on Tuesday claimed that Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry spoke directly with Kiffin about the LSU job. Kiffin was asked about that as well on Wednesday.

“I wouldn’t comment on that either way,” he said.

When asked if it was possible he could accept another job before the start of the postseason, Kiffin said, “I’m not speaking on other jobs.”

The noise surrounding a potential departure is at an all-time high. Earlier this week, it was reported that Ole Miss had given Kiffin a deadline to decide on his future with the school, but he publicly denied any such ultimatum had been given just a day later.

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Paul Finebaum names best landing spot for Lane Kiffin

Derek Peterson — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:25:12 +0000

As the season winds down, one of the more polarizing stories in all of college football is the decision facing Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.

Should he stay or should he go? If he stays, there will be trouble in Baton Rouge and Gainesville. Both programs have been heavily linked to Kiffin since firing their respective coaches. Whiffing on the man who has turned into the biggest fish in this year’s coaching market would be tough to swallow for either school.

But someone is going to be left disappointed when it’s all said and done. Kiffin can only coach at 1 school. During an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up Wednesday morning, Paul Finebaum was asked what he believes the ideal landing spot is for Kiffin.

“I think it’s Florida. He’s always been a Florida fan. He grew up idolizing Steve Spurrier. I think it comes down to Florida or LSU,” Finebaum said. “It seems like he has already left Ole Miss. You just don’t leave them hanging like he has if you’re going to stay there. … I think he’s trying to decide between LSU and Florida, and Florida seems like a slightly better choice.”

Earlier this week, it was reported that Ole Miss had given Kiffin a deadline to decide on his future with the school. Kiffin went on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday to deny any such ultimatum had been given.

Kiffin’s family members reportedly took trips to Gainesville and Baton Rouge on Sunday and Monday.

As Ole Miss readies for its regular-season finale in Starkville, it seems as though the Kiffin sweepstakes are coming to a head. With Ole Miss on a bye week, Kiffin has some extra time he wouldn’t otherwise have. Maybe that means nothing, but LSU and Florida are both likely seeking an answer sooner rather than later.

The Early Signing Period is approaching. Either program will want its coaching search wrapped up with enough time for the new leader to salvage a recruiting class and prepare for the opening of the transfer portal.

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CFP chair gives befuddling reason for ranking Notre Dame over Miami

Derek Peterson — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:09:38 +0000

In the latest College Football Playoff Top 25, released Tuesday night by the CFP selection committee, Notre Dame is ranked 4 spots ahead of Miami.

The Irish are 8-2 on the season, sitting at No. 9 in the ranking. If the regular season ended today, the Irish would be in the field. The Hurricanes are also 8-2, though they sit back at No. 13.

“I think when you look at Notre Dame and Miami, we really compare the losses of those 2 teams,” selection committee chair Hunter Yurachek said to ESPN Tuesday night. “Miami has lost to 2 unranked teams. Notre Dame has lost to 2 teams that are ranked in our top 13.”

There’s only one small problem with that logic.

One of those 2 Notre Dame losses? That was to Miami.

“We really haven’t compared those 2 teams,” Yurachek said. “They haven’t been in similar comparative pools to date.”

What?

Yurachek, who is also the Arkansas athletic director, suggested that Notre Dame and Miami are so far apart from each other in the committee’s estimation that a head-to-head result doesn’t even come into play.

The selection committee ranks teams in voting blocks, looking at pods of teams at a time. Miami isn’t in Notre Dame’s orbit, so there’s no reason for the committee to compare the 2 teams, according to the committee.

“But Miami is creeping up into that range where they will be compared to Notre Dame if something happens above them,” Yurachek said.

Miami is still in the field based on the current batch of rankings. The Hurricanes would land the No. 11 seed. But, with a very slim chance to make the ACC title game, the Hurricanes would be in real danger if a bid thief emerged during conference championship weekend. They aren’t a lock; Notre Dame seems to be.

And, based on Yurachek’s statements Tuesday night on ESPN, Miami can’t really change that unless teams in front of it trip up.

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Betting Stuff: Best bets for Week 13 of the 2025 college football season

Derek Peterson — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:00:00 +0000

As always, fade accordingly.

The best price at the time of publication is listed in parentheses, but shop around at any of your preferred sports betting apps.

Last week: 1-2
2025 season: 12-25-1
2024 season: 33-37

Week 13 schedule, odds

SDS is your one-stop shop this season, with live, up-to-date college football odds. You can find point spreads, game totals, and money line odds for every Week 13 game below.

SMU -2.5 vs. Louisville (-122 via FanDuel)

Louisville has lost back-to-back games to drop out of the ACC title race. The offense hasn’t looked right for weeks. Plus, you have to consider who comes to town next week. SMU, meanwhile, has surged to 5 wins in 6 games. They need help, but the Mustangs can force their way back to Charlotte for a second consecutive season if they win out and receive a couple of breaks.

SMU is equipped to keep the tires of the Cardinals’ offense spinning. While the Mustangs give up a ton of chunk gains that lead to red-zone opportunities for the opposition, they don’t usually break after bending. Only Ohio State and Indiana allow a lower touchdown rate on red-zone trips than SMU (36.8%), and those 2 have combined to face fewer red-zone trips (35) than the SMU defense has (38). A third of the red-zone possessions teams have had against SMU end without points. The Mustangs lead the nation in takeaways (26) and passes defended (72). They also rank in the top 25 for tackles for loss (67).

That is a big red flag for Louisville. Quarterback Miller Moss has 7 interceptions on the season — at least 1 in 5 of his last 7 games. He has 16 turnover-worthy plays. And he made some not-so-savory comments about the Louisville locker room after the Cards’ loss to Clemson last week. Look for SMU, off a bye, to push some buttons and further exacerbate the Louisville offensive woes.

Georgia Tech-Pitt total over 61.5 points (-115 via DraftKings)

Situationally, this feels like a good spot for both teams to figure things out on offense. Pitt was a disaster last week against Notre Dame — its first bad showing on the side of the ball since turning to Mason Heintschel at quarterback. Now, the Panthers go against a Tech defense that gave up 48 points to NC State in its first loss of the season and followed that stunner up by allowing 34 points to Boston College. The Yellow Jackets generate stops on less than 60% of the drives they face in part because they are constantly hit with huge gainers. In 10 games, opposing offenses have hit 29 plays of at least 30 yards. Only 4 FBS defenses have allowed more.

Because of the offense, the Yellow Jackets are still very much in the thick of the ACC Championship discussion, though. Tech is 6-1 in league play. Beating Pitt in this spot would send the Yellow Jackets to Charlotte for the title game, thus putting them on the doorstep of the College Football Playoff. Given the state of the ACC and the résumé for Tech, this game matters more than the regular-season finale against Georgia, and I’d look for Tech to leave it all on the field against the Panthers.

Pitt’s defense has given up at least 30 in 5 of the last 8 games. Good teams have given the Panthers fits. This could be a 34-31, last-team-with-the-ball-wins kind of game.

Notre Dame -13.5 second-half spread vs. Syracuse (-120 via DraftKings)

The Fighting Irish need style points to strengthen their CFP case in the eyes of the committee. That means rolling a Syracuse team that has lost 6 straight games. The Orange have one of the poorer defenses in all of college football (6.2 yards per play allowed, 118th nationally), and that has led to their undoing in the second halves of games.

In the 38-10 loss to Miami the last time out, Syracuse gave up 24 points in the second half. During the losing streak, Syracuse has allowed an average of 16.7 second-half points and been outscored in 5 of 6 overall. Part of Notre Dame’s charm is that it chokes the life out of teams. Over their last 8 games, the Irish are plus-119 in the second half, including plus-41 in the fourth quarter. They average close to 20 second-half points, and they’ve only given up 2 fourth-quarter touchdowns.

With 7 losses already on the season, Syracuse is out of the bowl picture. The run defense has been leaky all year. If Notre Dame doesn’t put the game away in the first half, it should sprint away from Syracuse in the second half.

Derek Peterson

Saturday Down South • November 18, 2025 at 4:34pm

Pick

Odds

Over +61.5

Over/Under

CFB • Pittsburgh Panthers @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

-115 on DraftKings

SCHEDULED • 11/23/2025

Betslip #1763483682786-a44e-277

The post Betting Stuff: Best bets for Week 13 of the 2025 college football season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Mississippi State lands 2026 pledge from Louisiana lineman

Derek Peterson — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 14:41:04 +0000

Mississippi State landed a commitment on Wednesday from New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr offensive lineman Leon Noil Jr.

A 3-star prospect from the 2026 class, Noil announced his decision on social media Wednesday morning. Noil had previously committed to Nebraska back in June, but he backed off that pledge on Sunday and reopened his recruitment. Mississippi State, which hosted him for a visit earlier in the summer, wasted little time getting him into its class.

What can i say…HAILSTATE #HOME pic.twitter.com/Db9d2OoQEh
— Leon Noil Jr (@leonnoiljr) November 19, 2025

Noil is a 6-foot-5, 270-pound offensive lineman with some scheme versatility to move around along a team’s front. He played left tackle for Edna Karr’s state championship squad as a junior, but could move inside at the next level.

In the industry-generated 247 Composite, Noil ranks as the No. 29 prospect from the state of Louisiana. 247Sports lists him among the 2026 class’s interior offensive linemen; he’s ranked No. 73 at the position. Overall, he sits at No. 926 in the class.

His pledge brings Mississippi State up to 23 known commits for the 2026 cycle. The class ranks 46th in the country. The Bulldogs will be looking to make a push over the final month leading into the early signing period. Though they’ve shown progress on the field in Year 2 under Jeff Lebby, their second signing class is tracking slightly behind last year’s group. The 2025 high school signing class for MSU ranked in the top 30 nationally.

You can see Noil’s highlight tape below, via Hudl:

The post Mississippi State lands 2026 pledge from Louisiana lineman appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Betting Stuff: How to bet the opening lines for Week 13

Derek Peterson — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:00:00 +0000

One good week is all we need at this point to turn things around. Did I consider picking against my instinct in all 8 spots this week? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. But I’m going to continue to trust the process and hope the luck starts to swing the other way sooner rather than later.

One change to the card this week. The “upset of the week” money line pick is gone, replaced simply with an underdog of the week to target. That spot is crushing me this season. I’m 3-7 outright over the last 10 weeks with those picks despite those underdogs going 6-4 against the spread.

Last week: 2-6
2025 season: 39-55-1
2024 season: 84-69-1

Week 13 schedule, odds

At SDS, we’ve got you covered all season with live, up-to-date college football odds. You can find point spreads, game totals, and money line odds for every Week 13 game below.

Week 13 picks

You can find my early bets for the week below. After that, I’ll break down each game on the card.

Derek Peterson

Saturday Down South • November 17, 2025 at 8:14pm

Pick

Odds

AwayPointSpread +9.5

Spread

CFB • Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Penn State Nittany Lions

-110 on Bet365

SCHEDULED • 11/23/2025

Betslip #1763410461068-a44e-761

No. 14 Miami at Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech defense is ghastly. That unit ranks 132nd nationally in adjusted EPA per play, according to Game on Paper. FBS opponents have performed better than their season scoring average by roughly a field goal against the Hokie defense. Miami is at 33.7 points per game on the season and has scored at least 38 points in 3 of its last 4. Since the loss to SMU, Miami has blown out back-to-back opponents.

And the Hurricanes need to continue to do exactly that if they’re going to make the College Football Playoff. Though they realistically have no path to the ACC title game, they could still make a case for an at-large bid if they end the year looking like one of the best teams in the country.

SP+ projects 38 points for Miami. Other models have Miami scoring around 5-to-6 touchdowns as well. Virginia Tech creates virtually no havoc and has one of the worst pass defenses in the country. Only 6 FBS defenses have defended fewer passes than Virginia Tech, and only 12 have fewer interceptions. Unless Miami quarterback Carson Beck hands it to the Hokies, Miami should not struggle to put 30 on this VT defense.

Bet Miami team total over 30.5 (-170 via DraftKings)

Baylor at Arizona

Arizona has won 3 straight. Baylor has lost 3 of its last 4. In the most recent loss — a 55-28 defeat to Utah at home — the Bears gave up scoring plays of 64, 67, and 74 yards on the ground. They also gave Utah a 65-yard pick-6 and a 25-yard passing score. Baylor ran 91 plays to score 28 points and gave up an explosive play rate of 19%.

In the other 2 defeats (both on the road), Baylor gave up 83 combined points despite allowing only 14 explosives in 140 defensive snaps. Baylor has one of the worst defenses in the country by success rate. Though Arizona is not a run-heavy outfit on offense, if the Wildcats are constantly operating from standard downs, quarterback Noah Fifita should be able to eat up the secondary. And Fifita hasn’t thrown a pick since Oct. 11.

During its 3-game winning streak, Arizona has held opponents to 20.3 points per game and forced 7 turnovers. Though Arizona doesn’t generate a ton of negative plays on defense, it does limit the effectiveness of opposing passers. The unit ranks seventh nationally in passing success rate allowed. Baylor leans heavily on the arm of quarterback Sawyer Robertson. I like the matchup for the Wildcats here.

Bet Arizona -6.5 (-107 via Caesars)

Kansas at Iowa State

The 5-5 Jayhawks are live to win outright in Ames on the other sie of a bye week. After starting the season 3-1, Kansas lost 4 of its next 6 to put bowl eligibility in jeopardy. A second consecutive season without a bowl game for Lance Leipold would be damaging, and Kansas has to host Utah in the regular-season finale. Iowa State is coming off a bye of its own, but the same level of desperation might not be present with the Cyclones, who snapped a 4-game losing streak their last time out to win their sixth game of the season.

Both offenses have advantages they can press against the respective defenses. For Kansas, look for quarterback Jalon Daniels to make some plays with his legs. Iowa State has been hurt throughout the season by mobile quarterbacks. In the 8-point loss to Cincinnati, it couldn’t contain Brendan Sorsby (64 yards). BYU’s Bear Bachmeier ran for 49 yards and Arizona State’s Jeff Sims exploded for 228.

Bet Kansas +4.5 (-112 via DraftKings)

UConn at FAU

Florida Atlantic is 3-1 ATS in its last 4 games as an underdog, winning one of them outright. But even amid that run, the 3 outright defeats have all come by double-digits. The Owls are 4-6 in their first season under coach Zach Kitley, and the offense hasn’t been the issue. FAU has at least 400 yards of offense in 4 of its last 5. In back-to-back losses to South Florida and Navy last month, the Owls gave up 1,025 yards and 90 points. In the 11-point loss to Tulane last week, they gave up explosive plays on a quarter of Tulane’s snaps.

Led by quarterback Joe Fagnano, UConn has one of the more effective offenses in all of college football. The Huskies rank in the 88th percentile for EPA per play on their non-explosive snaps. And only 12 FBS teams have more snaps this season that gained at least 20 yards.

The Huskies have a 1,000-yard tailback in Cam Edwards. They have a 1,000-yard receiver in Skyler Bell. And Fagnano has just 1 interception in 367 pass attempts. UConn should be able to separate enough to cover this number.

Bet UConn -7.5 (-105 via BetMGM)

No. 16 USC at No. 6 Oregon

The game of the week comes in the Big Ten, when a pair of former Pac-12 programs meet each other in Eugene for a game that could heavily influence the College Football Playoff bracket. Unless chaos unfolds during Thanksgiving weekend, neither of these teams will be able to play for a conference title. With an otherwise weak schedule, Oregon quietly needs this win to reinforce its résumé. USC, with 2 losses already on the year, only has a case for the CFP if it beats the Ducks.

Resiliency has been a hallmark of both teams’ seasons. Oregon has consistently been bitten by injuries and, to this point, the depth has been enough. USC has gotten off to slow start after slow start and found ways to fight back.

On the Oregon front, perhaps an extra day of rest after a cakewalk against Minnesota last week does the locker room some good. Oregon’s skill positions were supremely limited against the Gophers.

USC trailed Iowa 21-10 at the half last week before scoring 16 unanswered over the final 30 minutes to win. Lincoln Riley called it a “culture” win. The Trojans held the Hawkeyes to 4.9 yards per play in the second half. Over the last 5 games, USC has outscored the opposition 76-32. That includes 20 points allowed to Notre Dame in a loss.

None of the other 4 opponents — Michigan, Nebraska without Dylan Raiola, Northwestern, or Iowa — are comparable in any way to Oregon on the offensive side of the ball. The Ducks are third nationally in offensive efficiency, averaging 7.4 yards per play.

The Ducks have the secondary to wrangle USC quarterback Jayden Maiava. USC’s ground game, which has been salvaged by walk-on running back King Miller, is mildly concerning. But more than anything, the injury situation for both teams makes this one hard to pin down.

USC left tackle Elijah Paige left the game against Iowa with an injury. So did starting safeties Kamari Ramsey and Bishop Fitzgerald. Oregon was without wideouts Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. against Minnesota, though tight end Kenyon Sadiq did make his return to the field. There has also been some buzz recently about wideout Evan Stewart.

There’s a chance Oregon jumps out to a hot start in this game given everything at play — USC’s run of slow starts, Oregon’s matchup edges at key spots, USC’s injury situation. And the Trojans haven’t won a game like this in a while. Under Lincoln Riley, USC is 0-4 against AP Top 10 teams. Overall, it has lost 6 straight games to top-10 teams and 9 of the last 10.

Bet Oregon -5.5 first half spread (-108 via DraftKings)

Coastal Carolina at South Carolina

The Week 12 game against Texas A&M was the first time since Sept. 27 that South Carolina‘s offense scored more than 23 points. The Gamecocks had 30 points at halftime and a 27-point lead on the No. 3 team in the country.

We know what happened in the second half, but I’m more interested in what happened in the first half, because that showing seems to be the catalyst for this week’s number. The Gamecocks had 312 yards of offense and 30 points on the board in the first half. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers threw for 204 yards and the offense averaged 8.2 yards per play.

Seven points came from a fumble return for a touchdown. Seven more came off an 80-yard touchdown from Nyck Harbor. South Carolina snapped the ball 38 times in the first half and produced 10 explosive plays.

Based on everything we’ve seen from South Carolina this year, I’m inclined to set that performance aside. It’s not repeatable. In the second half against Texas A&M, South Carolina snapped the ball 26 times and averaged 2.9 yards per play. The A&M mistakes dried up and the South Carolina lead evaporated.

A 35-point effort against Kentucky on Sept. 27 and a 24-point game against Virginia Tech in the opener are the only other games all season that have featured more than 23.5 points from the South Carolina offense. South Carolina’s defense scored 14 points against Kentucky, and its special teams scored 7 against Tech.

Coastal Carolina has 18 turnovers this season, so the potential exists for the Gamecocks to get more scoring production from other non-traditional places. Eleven of the Canticleers’ 18 giveaways came in the first 3 weeks of the season. The defense also has 9 takeaways in its 3 most recent games.

Coastal has also averaged 42.3 points per game over its last 4. The Chants got shredded by better teams earlier in the season but after a quarterback change, it ripped off 4 straight wins.

Quarterback is the position to watch here. CCU’s Samari Collier exited last week’s game with an injury and was later spotted on crutches. Tad Hudson replaced him. Hudson struggled heavily in blowout losses to East Carolina and Old Dominion earlier this year.

A hangover could come into play for South Carolina after the way the A&M game ended. Add in everything else, and this could be an ugly football game.

Bet under 53.5 total points (-110 via BetMGM)

Western Kentucky at LSU

The Tigers have been one of the most disappointing teams in the country this season. LSU narrowly avoided what would have been an embarrassing home loss over the weekend, skating by Arkansas 23-22, but I don’t think there are many positives to glean from the result.

Arkansas had a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and then imploded. After a score from Taylen Green gave the Razorbacks a 2-score lead, they did everything in their power to give the game away. The next 5 drives were as follows: a 3-and-out, an interception, a 3-and-out, an interception, and a turnover on downs. Arkansas missed a 48-yard field goal with 5:08 to play and then never got the ball back.

Western Kentucky is top-25 nationally in both offensive and defensive success rate. The Hilltoppers (8-2 ATS) have also been one of the most reliable teams to back all season. They even have 2 outright wins as an underdog!

That probably won’t happen here, but LSU might have to pitch a shutout to cover this number and that probably won’t happen either.

Bet Western Kentucky +22.5 (-110 via FanDuel)

Dog of the Week: Nebraska at Penn State

Nebraska can’t stop the run, and that’s mighty concerning with Penn State on deck. But Penn State can’t stop the run either, and Emmett Johnson is one of the nation’s best running backs you may not have heard of.

Johnson has 1,131 yards and 11 scores this season. He averages 5.6 yards per carry. Nebraska’s raw rushing numbers look bad because the Huskers can’t pass-block. But NU ranks in the 90th percentile or better for stuff rate, line yards per carry, and opportunity rate. Johnson has at least 124 rushing yards in 4 of his last 5 games. Penn State ranks 100th nationally in rushing success rate allowed.

Without Dylan Raiola, true freshman TJ Lateef will make his second straight start. Lateef showed promise in his first start against UCLA, and it didn’t look like Nebraska watered down the gameplan much for him. Penn State has to win out to make a bowl game, so there’s still plenty to play for in Happy Valley, but the Huskers have enough fight to keep this close.

Bet Nebraska +9.5 (-110 via bet365)

The post Betting Stuff: How to bet the opening lines for Week 13 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Ahmad Hardy goes nuclear as Mizzou runs over Mississippi State

Derek Peterson — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 04:47:19 +0000

Missouri completed 8 passes and scored 49 points.

Yes, the Tigers recorded 2 defensive touchdowns in their 49-27 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, but that wasn’t the story of the game.

Ahmad Hardy was.

On 25 carries, Hardy authored one of the best rushing performances in SEC history. His first touch of the game went for 34 yards. He then had runs of 22, 43, and 72 yards. When it was all said and done, Hardy, who joined the 1,000-yard rushing club in Week 11, piled up 300 yards and 3 scores on the ground. In the process, he moved into the top 5 on Mizzou’s single-season rushing list.

He needs 281 yards to tie Cody Schrader for the program’s all-time record. And Mizzou (7-3, 3-3 SEC) has 3 games still to play this season.

Hardy’s 300 rushing yards were the sixth-most in SEC history. The record, shared by Vanderbilt’s Frank Mordecai (1978) and Arkansas’s Darren McFadden (2007) is 321.

Redirect a couple of Jamal Roberts’ carries to Hardy, and he might have broken it. Roberts finished with 45 rushing yards on 9 attempts. He also had 2 explosive runs.

Mississippi State couldn’t stop Mizzou’s rushing attack regardless of who was leading it. The Tigers averaged 14 yards per carry in the first quarter. They averaged 10 per carry in the third and 8.1 in the fourth. Factoring out sacks and a couple of kneel-downs, Mizzou ran 35 times for 350 yards.

Because of the explosiveness of the Mizzou offense, the Tigers only made 1 red zone trip all day. MSU quarterback Blake Shapen was picked off twice, but the Tigers returned both for touchdowns.

After nearly upsetting Texas and then knocking off Arkansas to end its conference losing streak, Mississippi State (5-6, 1-6 SEC) has been blown out in back-to-back weeks. The Bulldogs need a win in the Egg Bowl to reach bowl eligibility.

Mizzou closes out the regular season with road games at Oklahoma and Arkansas

Missouri 49, Mississippi State 27

Here’s the Mizzou-Mississippi State box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

Matt Zollers vs Blake Shapen

A statistical breakdown of how Missouri quarterback Matt Zollers compared to Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen:

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Kirk Herbstreit calls Notre Dame a Playoff lock after win at Pitt

Derek Peterson — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 04:24:35 +0000

With the result in hand between Georgia and Texas and the remaining seconds ticking off the game clock, the conversation shifted to the College Football Playoff picture.

ESPN’s Chris Fowler, alongside Kirk Herbstreit in the booth, mentioned Notre Dame and said style points will matter for the Irish down the stretch. He began to comment on the potential for Notre Dame to end on a 10-game winning streak before Herbstreit interjected.

There’s no drama in South Bend. The Irish are in the 12-team field after beating Pitt on Saturday, according to Herbstreit.

“They have an injured Syracuse team and Stanford. We can punch their ticket,” Herbstreit said. “Notre Dame’s in the Playoff.”

Fowler responded: “They’re a lock at 10-2?”

Herbstreit chuckled.

“Yeah. They’re in. I just put them in,” the former Ohio State Buckeye said. “Down to 11.”

Notre Dame lost its first 2 games of the season. The first came by 3 points on the road at Miami. The Hurricanes have stumbled a bit recently, but they’re 8-2 and still in the thick of the Playoff mix. The second loss came by 1 point at home to Texas A&M. The Aggies, of course, are 10-0.

Since Week 2, Notre Dame has won 8 straight. All 8 of them have come by double-digits. Including Saturday’s 37-15 win over the Panthers, 6 of the 8 have come by 21 points or more.

Depending on how Pitt (7-3) and USC (8-2) finish their respective seasons, Notre Dame could have 2 ranked wins or none.

Pitt was ranked 22nd this week and closes out with games at Georgia Tech and against Miami. USC was ranked 17th by the CFP selection committee, but it has to go to Oregon next Saturday and close with UCLA.

Syracuse and Stanford are a combined 6-14 on the season. They won’t move the needle for the Irish. But, if Herbstreit is correct, they won’t need to.

The post Kirk Herbstreit calls Notre Dame a Playoff lock after win at Pitt appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Smart beats Sark again as Georgia rolls Texas

Derek Peterson — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 04:07:40 +0000

Georgia outscored Texas 21-0 in the fourth quarter on Saturday to turn a tight ball game into a rout.

After Gunner Stockton hit London Humphreys for a 30-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, Georgia pulled out a surprise onside kick and stole a possession. Stockton hit Lawson Luckie from 6 yards out to cap the drive and put the Dawgs up 28-10. Texas never recovered.

Behind a 5-touchdown performance from Stockton, No. 5 Georgia won its ninth game of the season and kept its national championship hopes alive with a 35-10 win over No. 10 Texas.

Stockton completed 24 of his 29 passes for 229 yards and 4 scores. He also ran for 29 yards and a touchdown. He had an interception in the third quarter that led to a Texas touchdown, but Stockton was otherwise excellent.

Texas was done in by its inability to run the football. The Longhorns finished with 23 rushing yards on 17 attempts. Factor out the sacks and the Longhorns averaged 2.8 yards per run. Quarterback Arch Manning threw 43 times.

The win moved Kirby Smart to 3-0 against Texas since the Longhorns joined the conference. All 3 games have been top-10 matchups.

For Steve Sarkisian, that fact is a bit more excruciating. Since taking over the Texas program in 2021, Texas is now 5-9 against AP Top 10 opponents.

Texas (7-3, 4-2 SEC) hosts Arkansas next Saturday before closing out the regular season against Texas A&M.

Georgia (9-1, 7-1) has games remaining against Charlotte and Georgia Tech.

No. 5 Georgia 35, No. 10 Texas 10

Here’s the Georgia-Texas box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

Gunner Stockton vs Arch Manning

Who helped their Heisman odds the most? A statistical breakdown of how Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton performed against preseason Heisman favorite Arch Manning:

The post Rapid Reaction: Smart beats Sark again as Georgia rolls Texas appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Kewan Lacy powers Ole Miss to win over Florida

Derek Peterson — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 03:33:31 +0000

Those clad in blue and orange in the stands wanted Lane Kiffin.

The guys wearing orange and white on the field wanted no part of Kewan Lacy.

Behind a monster day from the Rebels’ leading rusher and a timely interception from Suntarine Perkins in the fourth quarter, No. 7 Ole Miss held off Florida for a 34-24 win. Gator fans might want Kiffin, but they’ll have to continue waiting. The Rebels (10-1, 6-1 SEC) took another significant step toward the College Football Playoff while also staying in the hunt to reach the SEC Championship.

Lacy was simply unstoppable.

He entered the day needing just 88 yards to cross the century mark. He nearly got there in the first quarter alone. He officially crossed the threshold with a 9-yard run in the second quarter.

Lacy ended the day with 224 yards and 3 scores on 31 carries. With the effort, he became the second Rebel to rush for 1,000 yards under Kiffin, joining Quinshon Judkins (twice).

Judkins set the program record with 1,567 yards in 2022. Lacy needs 431 yards to tie that record.

Lacy scored the game’s opening touchdown. A 27-yard field goal then put the Rebels up 10-0 early. Florida punched back to take a 14-10 lead in the opening moments of the second quarter. We went back and forth from there.

Ole Miss took the lead back on a 43-yard touchdown pass to De’Zhaun Stribling. Florida wrestled it back with a 57-yard touchdown pass to J. Michael Sturdivant.

Lacy scored from a yard out in the opening moments of the fourth quarter to put the Rebels up 3. That was the final score of the ballgame.

Ole Miss had a chance to put the game out of reach in the final 3 minutes. Facing a third-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Ole Miss called pass plays on consecutive snaps. Trinidad Chambliss threw it away after rolling into no-man’s land on third down, then fired incomplete on fourth to turn the ball over.

It was the Rebels’ sixth trip to the red zone at that point. They produced 2 touchdowns from those 6 trips. A cleaner operation in the red area might have given the Rebels breathing room earlier. Instead, they had to sweat out the result.

But they did exactly that. Perkins picked off Florida’s DJ Lagway with 9:21 to play. When the Gators got the ball back with 2:40 to go, Princewill Umanmielen got to Lagway for a third-down sack that forced the Gators into a fourth-and-9 from their 4. Florida got the stop and Lacy scored his third touchdown of the day on the very next play.

The Rebels are off next week to prepare for the regular-season finale in Starkville. A win in the Egg Bowl would punch the Rebels’ ticket to the Playoff.

Florida (3-7, 2-5 SEC) is officially eliminated from bowl eligibility. The Gators have home games remaining against Tennessee and Florida State. They’ll look to avoid what would be just the fourth 8-loss season in program history. Florida hasn’t lost 9 games in a single season since 1979.

No. 6 Ole Miss 34, Florida 24

Here’s the Ole Miss-Florida box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

Trinidad Chambliss vs DJ Lagway

Did Trinidad Chambliss help his Heisman odds? Here’s a statistical breakdown of how Chambliss performed against Florida quarterback DJ Lagway:

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Kalen DeBoer called out for ‘inexcusable’ late-game management in loss to Oklahoma

Derek Peterson — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 02:32:26 +0000

Alabama can point to a handful of plays as being the reason why it lost at home to Oklahoma on Saturday night, 23-21. The Crimson Tide committed 3 turnovers. They missed a field goal at the end of the first half. Quarterback Ty Simpson took a sack on the final offensive possession.

But, for CBS Sports pundit Adam Breneman, head coach Kalen DeBoer had a hand in the loss as well. Breneman called out DeBoer after the game for “inexcusable” clock management in the closing minutes.

Alabama had to burn its second timeout of the half prior to a third-and-21 play to avoid a delay of game penalty. That, Breneman said, was a major issue.

“Alabama, late getting a play-call in, have to burn a timeout, which is inexcusable at that point in the game. And that comes down to coaching,” Breneman said. “You can blame the quarterback, but you’ve got a young quarterback in his first year starting. That’s on Kalen DeBoer, that’s on [Ryan Grubb], the offensive coordinator.

“They have to get the play-call in on time. [They] burn the timeout, and then when they don’t get the first down, the game’s over.”

https://twitter.com/CBSSportsCFB/status/1989871204006592823

It might be a moot point, all things considered. Simpson completed a third-down pass for 15 yards to set up a fourth-and-6 play for the game. Had Alabama still had 2 timeouts in its pocket, it might have taken one there to stop the clock.

Assuming Alabama doesn’t call time and the game plays out the same way, Oklahoma would have gotten the ball back with around a minute remaining. The Tide would have been able to stop the clock only twice. They wouldn’t have had another opportunity anyway.

Still, the Tide looked uncomfortable in the moment. But they looked uncomfortable all throughout the game. Simpson had a sack-fumble for the fifth straight game. After opening the second half with a touchdown drive, Alabama gained a total of 15 yards on its next 3 possessions.

The Sooners were able to turn the Tide over on downs on their final possession and kneel out the win.

The post Kalen DeBoer called out for ‘inexcusable’ late-game management in loss to Oklahoma appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Tennessee rolls New Mexico State at home

Derek Peterson — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 00:45:37 +0000

Tennessee jumped out to an early lead and never looked back on Saturday, cruising to a 42-9 win over New Mexico State.

In what was a brief reprieve from conference play, the 23rd-ranked Vols (7-3, 3-3 SEC) outscored the visiting Aggies 14-0 in the first quarter and then 21-0 in the third quarter.

Quarterback Joey Aguilar threw a pick on Tennessee’s opening drive, but responded nicely and led touchdown marches on each of the Vols’ next 3 possessions, including a 13-play, 99-yard drive to go up 21-0. Tennessee cooled from there, but it scored on each of its first 2 possessions out of the halftime break.

Aguilar finished the day with 204 passing yards, drawing closer to the 3,000-yard mark for the season. Aguilar is looking to become the Vols’ first 3,000-yard passer since Hendon Hooker crossed the threshold in 2022. He is 59 yards away.

Tennessee’s starting quarterback wasn’t without his warts on Saturday, though. He was picked off twice, marking a second consecutive game with multiple interceptions. He has double-digit interceptions in each of his last 3 seasons.

The Vols’ defense limited the damage on each giveaway, though. After the first, Tennessee punched NMSU off the field in 4 plays. After the second, the Vols got off the field in 5 plays. Neither drive gained more than 11 yards.

And UT picked off 2 passes of its own. The Vols also recorded 4 turnovers on downs. They held NMSU to 64 rushing yards (adjusted for sacks) and 9-for-24 on third and fourth down.

The Vols travel to Gainesville next Saturday to face Florida.

No. 21 Tennessee 42, New Mexico State 9

Here’s the Tennessee-New Mexico State box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

Joey Aguilar vs Logan Fife

A statistical breakdown of how Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar performed compared to New Mexico State quarterback Logan Fife:

The post Rapid Reaction: Tennessee rolls New Mexico State at home appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Oklahoma upsets Alabama to keep Playoff hopes alive

Derek Peterson — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 00:10:05 +0000

It shouldn’t have been a close game. Oklahoma was outgained by nearly 200 yards. But missing a field goal and turning the football over 3 times will disrupt even the best teams.

And Alabama was incredibly frazzled in a 23-21 loss to the Sooners at home on Saturday.

The victory for No. 11 Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2 SEC) was its second consecutive win over a ranked opponent on the road. Forget staying alive in the College Football Playoff discussion; Saturday’s win boosted the Sooners’ odds to make the Playoff to such a degree that now you have to consider Oklahoma a safe bet to make the field.

They have 2 games remaining in the regular season. Both are at home. The first is against a Mizzou team playing with a third-string quarterback. The second is against LSU.

Oklahoma couldn’t run the football at all against the Crimson Tide. It averaged 3.4 yards per carry when you account for sacks. And quarterback John Mateer threw 23 times to gain just 138 yards. The Sooners scored 1 offensive touchdown and won in Tuscaloosa.

They call it Sooner Magic for a reason.

The defense dominated in spots, though Alabama moved the football throughout. The OU defense forced only 4 turnovers total through its first 8 games. That unit forced 3 on Nov. 1 in Knoxville and forced 3 again on Saturday.

Eli Bowen picked off a pass from Ty Simpson in the first quarter and returned it 87 yards for a touchdown. OU forced 3 fumbles throughout the game and recovered 2. The Sooners also sacked Simpson 4 times, including deep in the fourth quarter to put the Tide 11 yards behind the sticks on their final possession of the game.

Peyton Bowen knocked away a Simpson pass intended for Ryan Williams a few plays later on a fourth down to give the Sooners the ball and let Mateer kneel out the clock.

On the missed 36-yard field goal from Alabama kicker Conor Talty at the end of the first half, Taylor Wein got a finger on the ball to impact its flight.

Alabama averaged 5.4 yards per play, but Oklahoma made the plays that mattered.

For the Crimson Tide (8-2, 6-1 SEC), the loss is damaging to their SEC title hopes but not necessarily so for their CFP dreams. Alabama hosts Eastern Illinois next week before traveling to Auburn for the Iron Bowl to close out the regular season.

No. 11 Oklahoma 23, No. 4 Alabama 21

Here’s the Oklahoma-Alabama box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

Ty Simpson vs John Mateer

How did Heisman favorite Ty Simpson fare Saturday? Here’s a statistical breakdown of how Simpson performed against Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer:

The post Rapid Reaction: Oklahoma upsets Alabama to keep Playoff hopes alive appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Incredible stat highlights improbability of Texas A&M comeback vs. South Carolina

Derek Peterson — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 21:15:35 +0000

Texas A&M trailed South Carolina on Saturday for longer than it had trailed in its first 9 games of the season combined.

And the Aggies still won.

If there’s a stat that sums up just how improbable the Aggies’ 31-30 victory over South Carolina was, it’s that.

According to ESPN, Texas A&M trailed for 31 minutes and 8 seconds total through the first 9 games of the season. On Saturday, the Aggies trailed the Gamecocks for a total of 42 minutes and 56 seconds.

A&M didn’t take its first lead of the game until the 10:47 mark in the fourth quarter when EJ Smith ran in a 4-yard touchdown to officially complete the comeback.

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed threw 2 interceptions, one of them in the endzone, in the opening half. He also lost a fumble that was picked up and returned for a touchdown by South Carolina. The Aggies missed a field goal and kicked another off the upright. They went into the locker room at halftime trailing 30-3.

But they scored 21 points in 13 minutes of game time in the third quarter. Reed completed 9 of his 12 passes in the frame for 203 yards, piloting an offense that averaged more than 14 yards per play.

In the fourth quarter, A&M had a chance to ice the game with its offense late but a turnover gave South Carolina one final chance to redeem itself. The Aggie defense emphatically slammed the door on that hope with a pair of sacks on the Gamecocks’ final possession.

The victory was the largest comeback win in Texas A&M history, and it was the first by an SEC team after trailing by at least 27 points since 2004.

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Rapid Reaction: Texas A&M erases 30-3 halftime deficit to stun South Carolina

Derek Peterson — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 20:43:30 +0000

Talk about a tale of 2 halves.

First-half Texas A&M looked like it didn’t belong anywhere near the College Football Playoff. Second-half Texas A&M — and, specifically, third-quarter Texas A&M — looked like the No. 3 team in the nation that had roared to a 9-0 start.

The Aggies trailed South Carolina 30-3 at the halftime break. They scored 21 unanswered in the third quarter to completely change the complexion of the game, then took the lead early in the fourth quarter. Though there was drama late, A&M held on to win 31-30 and rescue its perfect season.

In the victory, Texas A&M became the first SEC team since 2004 to trail by 27-plus points in a league game and come back to win. Teams were previously 0-286 when trailing by at least 27 points in an SEC game.

Everything went wrong in the first half. Everything.

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed threw 2 interceptions, one of them in the endzone. He also lost a fumble that was picked up and returned for a touchdown by South Carolina. The Aggies missed a field goal and banged another off the upright.

Reed completed just 6 of his 19 passes in the first half. He went 16-for-20 for 298 with 3 scores in the second half.

The Aggies produced 374 yards of offense over the game’s final 30 minutes. They averaged 10.4 yards per play. In just that third quarter, A&M bit off 14.1 yards per play and outgained South Carolina 240-65.

With the clock ticking under 4 minutes to play, A&M had it third-and-goal from the 1-yard line. A score would have put the Aggies up 9. Rather than hand it off to tailback EJ Smith, A&M inserted freshman running back Jamarion Morrow and ran a trick play that sent the snap directly to him and gave him the option to keep or pitch to Reed.

Morrow was immediately bottled up and threw a backward pass to Reed. Reed couldn’t corral the ball, South Carolina recovered it at the 9, and gave the offense a chance to go win the game.

The Aggie defense snuffed out any remaining hope. They sacked South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers on 2 of his last 3 plays to force a turnover on downs and ice the ball game.

A&M (10-0, 7-0 SEC) will face Samford next week before traveling to Austin to face Texas on Nov. 28. A win over the Longhorns would send A&M to the SEC Championship Game.

No. 3 Texas A&M 31, South Carolina 30

Here’s the A&M-South Carolina box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

Marcel Reed vs LaNorris Sellers

Did Marcel Reed help his Heisman odds? Here’s a statistical breakdown of how the Texas A&M quarterback performed against South Carolina passer LaNorris Sellers:

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South Carolina’s first-half domination of Texas A&M calls CFP worthiness into question

Derek Peterson — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 19:03:27 +0000

It was a splattering in College Station throughout the first 30 minutes on Saturday.

The third-ranked Texas A&M Aggies did quite literally everything they could do to dig themselves into a seemingly insurmountable hole at home against a 3-6 South Carolina team that has 1 win in 7 prior conference games.

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed threw 2 interceptions, 1 of them in the endzone. He also lost a fumble that was picked up by South Carolina and returned for a score. A&M missed a field goal and kicked another off the upright. And an A&M receiver dropped a touchdown in the endzone.

South Carolina had 312 yards of offense to A&M’s 132 in the first half. It kicked a field goal with 2 seconds remaining to go up 30-3 at the break. After which, ESPN play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch asked what everyone at home was thinking.

“It is 30-3, South Carolina,” Pasch said. “If this continues, and it’s a blowout, where does the committee put them?”

The Aggies entered Saturday’s matchup unbeaten on the season. They were viewed as a near lock to make the College Football Playoff.

After the opening half against the Gamecocks, many on social media suggested that, should little change in the second half, A&M should find itself on the outside looking in when the next batch of rankings are released on Tuesday.

Watching Texas A&M football :( pic.twitter.com/oQmchYDJaw
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) November 15, 2025

A&M deserves to be left out of the CFP after this. Losing at HOME – like This! Damn!
— Devin Newsom (@DevinNewsom) November 15, 2025

How bad does the splattering have to get before Texas A&M is dropped out of the CFP completely?
— McGoogs (@GoogsMc) November 15, 2025

Texas A&M has only one ranked win let’s make sure we consider that with the CFP rankings this week since that’s a huge thing with other conferences. @JaredHalusGT
— Miles Garrett (@MilesGarrettTV) November 15, 2025

Texas A&M is an SEC example of some of the problems we've highlighted in the B1G with conf expansion.

A&M has played 7 of the bottom 8 teams in the SEC

SC has played 5 of the top 7, 7 of the top 10
— College Football Nerds (@CFBNerds) November 15, 2025

The playoff committee looking at Texas A&M come Tuesday pic.twitter.com/XvGQ6E8uMM
— College Football Zone (@CollegeFBonX) November 15, 2025

Idc if it’s one game. If South Carolina beats Texas A&M by 30 we gotta BAN Texas A&M from the playoff
— MattBeGreat (@mattbegreatyt) November 15, 2025

Texas A&M should be in jeopardy of missing the College Football Playoff with a loss of this nature. MUST WIN vs Texas or they’re getting left out. pic.twitter.com/EFFL8ZlP9S
— Josh Rugger (@RugsWX) November 15, 2025

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LSU season perfectly encapsulated by kickoff crowd for Arkansas game

Derek Peterson — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 18:20:10 +0000

When LSU fans woke up on Sept. 27 and planned their day around their football program, their Tigers were ranked fourth in the nation. LSU was 4-0 at that point. An offseason of spending had LSU looking like a legitimate contender to win the SEC and get back to the College Football Playoff.

Hours later that same day, LSU lost to Ole Miss. That was the start of a 5-game stretch that featured 4 losses and cost Brian Kelly his job. With the season crashing and burning in spectacular fashion, LSU fans can be forgiven for spending their Saturday mornings a little differently now.

On Saturday, with the Tigers hosting Arkansas in a battle of interim-coach-led programs, Tiger Stadium was looking a little sad.

A pair of beat writers covering the game from the press box captured the scene some 20 minutes prior to kickoff.

20 minutes out from kickoff and I must say. This is the sparsest crowd I can recall at #LSU.

I don’t blame anyone for not coming. But it is surreal to see. pic.twitter.com/7D91JEJ6lL
— Preston Guy (@PGuy77) November 15, 2025

About 15 minutes to kickoff pic.twitter.com/p9EkmYz8pq
— Thomas Murphy (@TomMurphyADG) November 15, 2025

LSU announced an attendance of 101,924 for its previous home game on Oct. 25, a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M that was the final nail in the coffin for Kelly.

On one hand, Saturday’s contest with Arkansas is the last SEC home game of the season. The Tigers host Western Kentucky next week and then travel to Norman for the regular-season finale.

On the other hand, the weather in Baton Rouge was fairly decent, and plenty of families probably felt they had better ways to spend their afternoon than watching a 5-4 football team with a backup quarterback and an interim coach battle a 2-7 football team with an interim coach.

LSU averaged more than 99,000 at its home games in 2024, per D1.ticker. While that number was the eighth-best nationally and right in line with LSU’s 5-year average, it was slightly under its 2023 average. The 2025 numbers will surely highlight just how disappointing the end to the Kelly tenure was for all involved.

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USC AD hints at future of Notre Dame series with schedule comments

Derek Peterson — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 20:47:02 +0000

Though she did not explicitly mention Notre Dame, it was impossible to read the statement on future nonconference scheduling from USC athletic director Jen Cohen and not think about the future of the series between the Irish and the Trojans.

On Friday, Cohen put out a statement to reporters stressing that future scheduling decisions would be based on “what is best for the success of our football program.” The future of the series with Notre Dame has been a hot-button topic for months. Cohen said Friday that USC wants to play nonconference opponents at home “as early as possible every year.”

This year, the Trojans played Notre Dame in South Bend on Oct. 18. Last year, the two teams met in Los Angeles on Nov. 30.

Notre Dame, which has won 7 of the last 8 games in the series, has played USC on or after Oct. 12 every year since 1926, when the first meeting between the 2 schools took place.

“USC is the only team in the Big Ten to play a nonconference road game after Week 4 in either of the past 2 seasons. USC is also the only team to play a nonconference game after Week 4 in both seasons,” Cohen said in her statement. “Intentionally making our road to the CFP significantly more difficult than our Big Ten peers does not align with our goal to win championships.”

Cohen mentioned that USC is the only FBS program to have never played an FCS opponent. She said USC wants to play “meaningful” games and will continue to schedule at least one power conference opponent outside of Big Ten play.

“If that opponent is a rival with whom we share a long and storied tradition, all the better,” Cohen said.

USC chased a payday and left the Pac-12 after the 2023 season, triggering the eventual implosion of the league. Since joining the Big Ten, USC has frequently made a fuss about its scheduling quirks — from kickoff times to opponents.

Head coach Lincoln Riley has repeatedly cast doubt on the future of the series with Notre Dame while the Irish have stressed their desire to continue playing the game.

Cohen said in her statement that decisions on future scheduling will include input from Riley, university leadership, and “feedback from stakeholders across the Trojan Family.”

In August, after an offer to extend the series with Notre Dame, Cohen told the Los Angeles Times that the series was an “important” one to USC and to USC fans.

With the 2025 meeting between the 2 schools the last in the scheduling agreement, USC leadership had been reluctant to give Notre Dame what it sought — a long-term deal. USC first offered to extend the series through 2026, which Notre Dame balked at.

“Our ultimate goal … is to compete for and win Big Ten and College Football Playoff championships,” Cohen said Friday. “Playing 9 games annually in the toughest conference in college football to qualify for a playoff for which future selection criteria remain uncertain, we have a limited number of strategic levers to pull in pursuit of that goal.

“Nonconference scheduling is among the most important of these levers. … For the well-being of our student-athletes, and to schedule equitably with our Big Ten rivals, we want to play our nonconference opponents in the Coliseum as early as possible every year.”

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Friday Forecast 2025: SDS staff picks against the spread for Week 12

Derek Peterson — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 19:03:31 +0000

We have officially reached the closing stretch of the 2025 regular season. It’s crunch time.

The Saturday Down South staff returns to give their ATS picks for the top Week 12 college football games.

Let’s dive in.

(Editor’s note: All odds for this piece might not necessarily reflect current odds.)

Week 12 college football picks

Here’s how the crew picked 10 of the biggest games in Week 12. If you want to bet alongside the guys, check out our guide on the best sports betting apps to score a sign-up bonus at your shop of choice.

Clemson at No. 20 Louisville

Spenser Davis: Louisville’s loss to Cal last week was absolutely inexcusable. Miller Moss has quietly become one of the ACC’s least-efficient quarterbacks in recent weeks. Over his last 3 games, Moss is averaging just 5.7 yards per attempt and has more interceptions (3) than touchdowns (2). With that being said, I’m still taking Louisville to cover this number at home. Clemson didn’t really out-play Florida State by that much last week despite a 14-point margin. I think Louisville will be fired up to play this game and will be much more effective than it was last week against Cal. PICK: Louisville -2.5

Andy Olson: The line seems about right to me, as this is a game I’d expect Louisville to win by a field goal. My concern is with the Cardinals having a tough path to the College Football Playoff. But they’re not mathematically eliminated, so there shouldn’t be any quit on display Saturday. PICK: Louisville -2.5

Derek Peterson: Louisville has played one good game since the start of October, and that was against a Miami team notorious for screwing around in ACC play. The Cardinals have grown remarkably inefficient on offense and Clemson has averaged close to 40 points over its last 4 with Cade Klubnik in the starting lineup. PICK: Clemson +2.5

Adam Spencer: The ACC is a complete crapshoot this year. Anyone can seemingly beat anyone on any given Saturday. (Or Friday, such as it were.) I’ll flip a coin and say it landed on Louisville here. Give me the Cardinals to stay in the ACC title game mix. PICK: Louisville -2.5

Ethan Stone: Louisville is considerably less of a disaster than Clemson this season. Given the Cardinals are at home and only need 3 points, I’ll stick with Louisville. PICK: Louisville -2.5

South Carolina at No. 3 Texas A&M

SD: I like the Gamecocks this week. Texas A&M is coming off a big win and might already be looking ahead to a couple of weeks from now when it will face Texas. I’m also interested to see South Carolina’s offense without Mike Shula running the show. The Gamecocks are off a bye so we should see a good effort here as they look to build momentum for next season. PICK: South Carolina +19.5

AO: I went back and forth on this one. The matchups are all A&M but a couple outside factors swung me to the South Carolina cover. The Gamecocks may try some things that aren’t on the game tape with the recent OC change. With the morning kick in College Station, I wonder about A&M’s energy for a lesser SEC game. PICK: South Carolina +19.5

DP: I took the Aggies earlier in the week and I’m sticking with that pick here. I don’t think South Carolina is equipped to keep the Aggies’ front from running the game. PICK: Texas A&M -18.5

AS: This is yet another chance for the Aggies to make a statement to the Playoff committee. They’re right there lurking if Ohio State or Indiana has any sort of slip-up. I like the Aggies to take care of business on Saturday. PICK: Texas A&M -19.5

ES: I genuinely believe South Carolina is going to keep fighting until the season is over, no matter how much they lose. The Gamecocks are going to lose this one as well, but I think they’ll keep it close. PICK: South Carolina +19.5

No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 22 Pitt

SD: If Notre Dame plays a clean game, this won’t be close. Pitt has a true freshman at quarterback in Mason Heintschel. He’s got 11 turnover-worthy plays in only 6 games this season, according to PFF. I think Notre Dame will win the turnover battle decisively and cruise to a big road win with CJ Carr leading the way. PICK: Notre Dame –10.5

AO: Pitt’s wins don’t stand out as all that impressive considering the opponents. Notre Dame is better tested. The Irish have dominated the ACC over the last few years, and I expect that to continue on Saturday. PICK: Notre Dame –12.5

DP: Too many points here. Pitt has looked different since switching quarterbacks and Notre Dame has essentially looked like itself on defense once in 7 games against power conference teams this season. PICK: Pitt +11.5

AS: Notre Dame can’t afford to let this opportunity to bolster its Playoff résumé slip by. The Irish not only need to win this game, they need to do it with some style points. PICK: Notre Dame -11

ES: Judging by Pat Narduzzi’s technically true comments this week, it doesn’t seem like the Panthers have the right attitude heading into this one. Notre Dame needs this and Pitt doesn’t. That just about settles it. PICK: Notre Dame –12.5

Arkansas at LSU

SD: I think Arkansas is live to win this outright. This would be a massive win for a Razorbacks program that has continued to fight under the leadership of Bobby Petrino. LSU, meanwhile, can’t wait to get to the offseason. I’m expecting Michael Van Buren to start for the Tigers, and we might get a sloppy performance out of the LSU offense. PICK: Arkansas +6.5

AO: Feels like this one sets up real well for Arkansas. The situations aren’t the same, but I think of how Florida played Georgia and then Kentucky. LSU probably emptied the tank against Alabama. Tiger Stadium in the daytime is not the same as a night game. If the Hogs are going to get an SEC win, this might be their best shot. PICK: Arkansas +5.5

DP: Has LSU figured out how to defend mobile quarterbacks yet? No? Well, that answers that. PICK: Arkansas +5.5

AS: I’m expecting pure and utter chaos in this game. Anything can happen. I wouldn’t be shocked if Arkansas found another creative way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the fourth quarter of this game, but I’ll back the Hogs to cover 6.5 points anyway. PICK: Arkansas +6.5

ES: I think Adam is spot on here. This feels like it’ll be close enough for Arkansas to win, at the very least. PICK: Arkansas +6

No. 11 Oklahoma at No. 4 Alabama

SD: Alabama hasn’t played well on offense in about a month. Ty Simpson has really struggled against pressure this season and now he has to face one of the best defensive lines in the country. I think we get a relatively low-scoring game here and I’d back the Sooners to keep it within the number (and have a chance to win outright in the fourth quarter). PICK: Oklahoma +6.5

AO: It would take a lot for me to pick against Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Oklahoma has a great run defense, but Bama leans on the passing attack anyway. Tide by a touchdown in a revenge game feels about right. PICK: Alabama -5.5

DP: Alabama can’t run the ball, but that hasn’t been detrimental to the bottom line since the opener. Oklahoma’s offense makes me worried; I don’t think there’s enough there to pull off another road win against a better team. PICK: Alabama -6

AS: Alabama is a beast at home. It has been since Nick Saban was prowling the sidelines and that hasn’t changed under Kalen DeBoer. I think the Sooners will keep it close in the first half, but Ty Simpson will have a second-half showing that puts him back into the Heisman Trophy picture. PICK: Alabama -5.5

ES: I was very unimpressed with Oklahoma when the Sooners beat Tennessee a few weeks ago. Tennessee played about as bad as it possibly could and still just about won it at the end. Alabama is on another level, especially defensively, and has been great at home this season. I’ll take the Tide by a touchdown or more. PICK: Alabama –

NC State at No. 15 Miami

SD: I’ve been fading Miami in spots like this for a while now but I’m going to give the Canes another chance. NC State’s defense is absolutely terrible. In their last 3 games, the Wolfpack have allowed 36 to Notre Dame, 53 to Pittsburgh and 36 to Georgia Tech. It’s remarkable NC State was still able to beat the Yellow Jackets despite conceding 8 yards per play. I think a Miami blowout is more likely, though. PICK: Miami -15

AO: Does anybody really know what we can expect from either team? Maybe the Hurricanes learned something from last year’s collapse. Perhaps Miami has some juice from its latest CFP ranking and will be looking to make a statement as it tries for an at-large bid. PICK: Miami -14.5

DP: There’s track meet potential with this game, which means a backdoor cover in garbage time is on the board. NC State, though inept defensively, has found a bit of a groove on offense in recent weeks. Plus, there’s no telling what headspace the Canes are in. PICK: NC State +15.5

AS: Isn’t this exactly the kind of game Mario Cristobal’s teams always falter in? NC State probably isn’t as good as the Louisville team that Miami lost to at home a few weeks ago, but I still like the Wolfpack to at least cover the spread here. PICK: NC State +15.5

ES: NC State’s defense is really terrible, but this is hard to pick because the Wolfpack are so hot and cold. Since Miami is similarly hard to read this season, I’ll take the massive spread in favor of NC State. PICK: NC State +15.5

No. 21 Iowa at No. 17 USC

SD: Iowa has one of the most efficient rushing offenses in the country and USC can’t stop the run at all. USC has more talent, but I think the Hawkeyes will be inspired in their first trip to USC since 1976. PICK: Iowa +7

AO: Iowa played Oregon much closer than I expected. But I feel like the weather and Kinnick Stadium in November deserve a lot of credit. I don’t see the Hawkeyes keeping up with this USC offense. PICK: USC- 6.5

DP: I have basically the same read on this game as Andy. Iowa shot its shot last week. No one has made the trip out to L.A. and kept it close against the Trojans. PICK: USC -6.5

AS: Iowa tends to make almost every game it plays a struggle for all involved. I think the Hawkeyes can keep this within a touchdown on the road. PICK: Iowa +7

ES: Iowa has honestly been really impressive this season. The Hawkeyes have a semblance of an offense, especially their run game, and force opponents to play their style. I don’t think that’s a good thing for Jayden Maiava given how Dante Moore performed last week against this defense. PICK: Iowa +7

Florida at No. 7 Ole Miss

SD: I can’t bet Florida at anything close to this number after seeing its effort last weekend against Kentucky. The dynamics around Lane Kiffin and Florida are certainly interesting, but I don’t think he’d have any issue with running up the score on the Gators if the opportunity presents itself. PICK: Ole Miss -14

AO: New Billy, same problem. The 2025 Florida Gators play terribly in true road games. Whether it’s DJ Lagway or Tramell Jones, I expect the UF quarterback to be under pressure early and often, making it a long day for the orange and blue on offense. PICK: Ole Miss -13.5

DP: A loss at Florida last season prevented one of the best teams in Ole Miss history from going to the CFP. I wonder if the memory of that carries more weight this week than the Florida distraction for coach Lane Kiffin. PICK: Ole Miss -10.5

AS: How much did Lane Kiffin learn from 2022 when his name was being mentioned at Auburn and his Ole Miss team cratered down the stretch? I think he’s a completely different person and coach than he was back then and I’m buying all the Kiffin stock I can. Give me Ole Miss to win this one big. PICK: Ole Miss -13.5

ES: Florida is saving its energy for next week so it can turn into the ‘85 Bears, just like it does every time Tennessee comes to Gainesville. On a real note, the Gators just lost by 30 to Kentucky, so I think Ole Miss can handle this. PICK: Ole Miss -14

No. 10 Texas at No. 5 Georgia

SD: I’ve faded Georgia a lot this season but I think the Bulldogs win by a touchdown. Texas’s offensive line has not been good. UGA hasn’t managed much pressure this season, but I think it will be in the backfield often enough to bother Arch Manning on Saturday. I also like that Kirby Smart seems to have Sarkisian’s number. Smart beat Steve Sarkisian twice last season. PICK: Georgia -5.5

AO: Billy Napier visited Georgia practice this week. Look out for the Bulldogs to suffer from a self-inflicted error at the worst possible time. PICK: Texas +6.5

DP: I think we’re looking at a back-and-forth game here between 2 offenses that will try to dump it quick and short and let their playmakers work in space. I don’t trust Georgia. PICK: Texas +6.5

AS: Both of these teams played some of their best football in their last games. Texas is coming off a bye week, but I still like Georgia and Kirby Smart to get the job done at home and start a new home night game winning streak. PICK: Georgia -6

ES: Texas flopping against Ohio State and Florida on the road earlier this season makes an already easy decision that much easier. I’m not betting against Kirby Smart in this type of game. PICK: Georgia -6

TCU at No. 12 BYU

SD: BYU got smoked last week in Lubbock, but the Cougars played a little better than the final score might indicate. They were only out-gained by 1 yard per play in a game that finished 29-7. BYU had some flukey special teams plays go against it early and never really recovered against an elite Texas Tech defense. TCU does not have anything close to an elite defense. The Horned Frogs give up a ton of explosive plays and have a mediocre-at-best secondary. I think BYU will be much better at home this week. PICK: BYU -3.5

AO: This line feels like a bit of an overreaction to the Texas Tech game. The Red Raiders absolutely won that game in impressive fashion, but BYU had bad bounces and could have easily kept it closer if a few sequences went differently. I like the Cougars to bounce back strong at home. PICK: BYU -3.5

DP: BYU did this last season, opening the season with a roar only to fall apart down the stretch. A comprehensive beating in Lubbock puts the Cougars in familiar territory, but not out of the Big 12 title picture just yet. They can stabilize by beating a TCU team that hasn’t looked right on offense in weeks. PICK: BYU -3

AS: BYU still has everything to play for. The Cougars have been nearly impossible to beat at home. They’ll bounce back in a big way and cover this spread in Week 12. PICK: BYU -3.5

ES: A great Texas Tech quarterback just kind of exposed BYU’s secondary, and the Red Raiders didn’t really have all that great of a game. BYU always loses late in the year before completely imploding, so I like TCU straight up here. PICK: TCU +3.5

The post Friday Forecast 2025: SDS staff picks against the spread for Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Ed Orgeron in contact with SEC school about opening, per report

Derek Peterson — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 17:11:18 +0000

Former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron has been in communication with Arkansas about the school’s vacant head coaching job, according to a report from On3’s Pete Nakos.

The report also mentions Oregon State as a potential landing spot for Orgeron, who has been out of coaching since 2021, when he and LSU parted ways. Recently, Orgeron has made it abundantly clear that he wants to return and is willing to accept an assistant position on another head coach’s staff if that’s what it takes.

Orgeron threw his name in the hat for the LSU job when the Tigers fired Brian Kelly last month. He said in August he hoped to return and has been connected to several jobs that have come open since the 2025 season began.

At Arkansas, he would take over for Sam Pittman, who was dismissed earlier this year after a 2-3 start. Pittman had a 32-34 record across 5-plus years with the program.

The appeal with Orgeron is obvious. He understands the SEC, having spent a total of 9 years coaching at Ole Miss and then at LSU. He went 51-20 with the Tigers, engineering a perfect season in 2019 that culminated with a national championship. That 2019 team is regarded as one of the best national champions of all time.

But, to this point, Arkansas links have suggested other names. Former Penn State head coach James Franklin has frequently been linked to the Razorbacks’ opening.

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee was also briefly linked to the job before inking a contract extension with the Mustangs.

The post Ed Orgeron in contact with SEC school about opening, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

DFS Picks: Top plays from the SEC’s biggest Week 12 games

Derek Peterson — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Another week in the SEC brings another slate of top-notch games between ranked opponents.

Let’s take a look at 3 of the top games on the slate and search for a few DFS angles to attack.

Week 12 DFS predictions

Below are 3 DFS picks from the Week 12 college football slate that can all be found on Underdog Fantasy. If you’re new to Underdog, grab Saturday Down South‘s exclusive Underdog Fantasy promo code SDS that will help you earn $100 in bonus credits when you enter your first $5 contest!

South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers longest run higher than 15.5 yards at Texas A&M

Because of South Carolina’s inability to protect its quarterback on a down-to-down basis, avoid the raw rushing total for LaNorris Sellers. He could finish with 60 rushing yards; he is South Carolina’s most-used rusher this season with 117 attempts. But he could also finish with negative yardage because of the sack numbers, something that has happened 4 times in his last 7 games.

But Texas A&M is weak against the run, and I don’t think the market has caught up to that fact yet. The Aggies rank 103rd nationally in EPA per run faced. We played Ahmad Hardy’s “longest run” pick last week and he cashed it on Missouri’s first drive of the game. Explosives are there to be had against this Texas A&M defense.

And for Sellers on Saturday, the volume will certainly be there. He has at least 14 rushing attempts and at least 1 explosive run in each of his last 5 games. If South Carolina is chasing the game, the ball will be exclusively in Sellers’s hands. If South Carolina finds itself in a fight, some of the QB-designed stuff is still in play. Either way, Sellers is a safe bet to produce at least 1 explosive run against A&M.

Alabama WR Ryan Williams higher than 50.5 receiving yards vs. Oklahoma

Oklahoma’s secondary is gettable. Slot receivers in particular have been a real problem for Oklahoma throughout the year. Alabama likes to move its top receivers all over the formation, meaning guys like Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard can line up in the slot on any given snap. With Williams’ spurtability, I trust offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to have a plan that will put OU’s primary weakness at odds with Williams’s speed.

Tennessee’s primary slot receiver (Braylon Staley) had a 75-yard day against the Sooners. Ole Miss slot receiver Cayden Lee had 60 yards on 3 catches. Auburn slot receiver Eric Singleton Jr. had 60 yards on 9 catches. And South Carolina’s Jayden Sellers had 57 yards on 6 catches after entering the contest with no targets through the first 7 weeks of the season.

Williams has had a disappointing season to this point, it’s true. His touchdown catch against LSU was just his fourth of the year. Though he found the end zone, he finished with 33 yards, marking the fourth time in 8 games he has been held under 50 yards.

But Williams has also followed up duds with big games all year. After a 43-yard showing against Georgia, Williams caught 6 balls for 98 yards. After an 0-for day against Missouri, Williams made 5 catches for 87 yards.

Georgia WR Zach Branch higher than 62.5 receiving yards vs. Texas

Do I like going high on every single pick? Not particularly. And Georgia receiver Zach Branch is the obvious name atop the scouting report for the Bulldogs. But his target share is ridiculous and Branch has all the tools to make life unenjoyable for the Texas secondary.

The Longhorns play off, and quick-hitters have been burning them for weeks. Kentucky threw for 258 yards while completing 78% of its passes. Mississippi State threw for 382 yards while completing 63% of its passes. Vanderbilt threw for 365 yards with a 71% completion rate. You’d think with the way Texas puts pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the coverage would be better. It’s not. Texas ranks 83rd nationally in passing success rate allowed.

Branch has a ridiculous target share this year. He has 63 targets. The next-closest Bulldog has 29 targets. Georgia gets it to Branch immediately and lets him run; his average depth of target this season is 3.3 yards and he produces 10.2 yards per catch. Of the 103 FBS players this season with at least 60 targets, only 2 others have an ADOT under 5 yards and both of them are under 10 yards a catch.

Branch has at least 8 catches in each of his last 4 games. If that trend continues, he should clear his receiving number here with some room to spare.

The post DFS Picks: Top plays from the SEC’s biggest Week 12 games appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Alabama bullied inside by Boilermakers in 87-80 defeat

Derek Peterson — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 02:54:40 +0000

Alabama went cold from beyond the arc in the second half of Thursday night’s early-season top-10 battle with Purdue. As a result, the eighth-ranked Crimson Tide faded late and dropped an 87-80 result to the second-ranked Boilermakers.

The loss is Alabama’s first of the season.

“We didn’t deserve to win,” coach Nate Oats said after the game.

Aden Holloway led the Tide with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor and 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Labaron Philon added 11 points and 7 assists, though he shot just 5-of-14 from the field and 1-of-6 from 3. Taylor Bol Bowen had 13 points, and Aiden Sherrell added 12.

Latrell Wrightsell Jr. struggled in the loss, going 2-of-9 from the floor and 1-of-6 from 3 to finish with 6 points. He missed his last 4 shots from the field in the game, though his cold night was hardly isolated. Alabama went 6-for-23 from beyond the arc in the second half.

That helped Purdue, which held a 2-point lead at the break, inch ahead. The Boilermakers closed on a 7-0 run to win.

Alabama had no answers for Braden Smith or Trey Kaufman-Renn. Smith took 12 free throws, making 10 of them, and knocked down 5 triples to finish with a game-high 29 points. Kaufman-Renn flirted with a triple-double, posting 19 points to go with 15 rebounds and 5 assists.

More specifically, Alabama had no answers for Purdue in the painted area. The Boilermakers took 23 free throws compared to Alabama’s 10. They outscored the Tide in the paint 30-22. And, perhaps most importantly, they outrebounded the Tide 52-28.

That included 19 offensive rebounds, which led to 16 second-chance points. Eight of Kaufman-Renn’s boards came on the offensive glass.

“They outrebounded us by 24,” Oats said. “That’s embarrassing.”

Still, the Tide had a chance late. Philon flushed through a slam with 3:05 to play in the game, drawing the Tide within 3 points of the Boilermakers. That was the last shot attempt Alabama took inside the arc in the game.

The Tide’s final 5 attempts all came from beyond the arc. A triple from Houston Mallette with 1:42 to play tied the game at 80.

Smith got a shot at the rim to go 24 seconds later to put Purdue up by a score. Philon then missed the front end of a one-and-one and Alabama fouled Smith late in the ensuing Purdue possession. Smith made both of his foul shots to put Purdue up 4 with 47 seconds to play.

Alabama missed a triple on its next possession and had to play the foul game late. Purdue’s Oscar Cluff made 3 of 4 free throws to put the game away.

The Tide travel to Big Ten country next. They’ll face Illinois next Wednesday, Nov. 19, at the United Center in Chicago. The Illini are 3-0 on the season and currently ranked 14th in the AP poll.

The post Alabama bullied inside by Boilermakers in 87-80 defeat appeared first on Saturday Down South.

South Carolina basketball lands commitment from 4-star guard

Derek Peterson — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 01:56:01 +0000

South Carolina has landed a verbal commitment from Cleveland (Ohio) Garfield Heights point guard Marcus Johnson.

Johnson revealed his pledge to multiple outlets on Thursday. A one-time Ohio State commit, Johnson was drawing interest from programs like Louisville, Michigan, Tennessee, and Arkansas, among others. He is the cousin of current South Carolina senior Meechie Johnson.

Breaking: Marcus Johnson, the No. 28 ranked player in the SC Next 100 for the Class of 2026, has committed to South Carolina, he told ESPN's Paul Biancardi. pic.twitter.com/CI5TnVPAXA
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) November 13, 2025

The 6-foot-2 Johnson is a 4-star recruit in the 2026 class. In the industry-generated 247 Composite, Johnson is the fourth-ranked point guard prospect. He is the third-ranked recruit from the state of Ohio and the 47th-ranked recruit in the class.

Johnson is the reigning Ohio Mr. Basketball following a dynamic junior season for Garfield Heights. Johnson averaged 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.2 steals a game for Garfield Heights, which went 24-3 and advanced to the Division III state semifinals.

He becomes South Carolina’s second known 2026 pledge, joining guard Isaac Ellis, brother of Gamecocks freshman Eli Ellis.

For coach Lamont Paris, it’s turning into a family affair in Columbia. Meechie Johnson currently leads the 3-0 Gamecocks in scoring at 18.7 points a night. Eli Ellis leads the team in assists with 4 per game. Adding Marcus Johnson alongside Ellis would give Paris a dynamic backcourt led by a pair of guards who can handle the ball, run an offense, or create for themselves.

https://twitter.com/CourtsideFilms/status/1953177359563047399

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Frank Wilson gives injury updates on LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier, LB Whit Weeks

Derek Peterson — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 01:00:52 +0000

On the team’s initial availability report Wednesday night, LSU listed linebacker Whit Weeks as questionable. Following practice on Thursday, interim head coach Frank Wilson labeled Weeks a “gameday decision.”

The Tigers have been without their star linebacker since Week 7. Weeks has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury that has forced him to miss the last 3 games — all losses.

Wilson spoke with optimism about Weeks’s status for Saturday’s game against Arkansas, adding that the linebacker has been “engaged” during practices throughout the week.

“He has participated in team events. He participated today as well,” Wilson told reporters Thursday evening. “He has been on a pitch count, limited. He is probably a gameday decision.”

Wilson also revealed that quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who was not listed on the initial availability report, reaggravated an injury during Thursday’s practice.

Nussmeier was benched in LSU’s last game for Michael Van Buren Jr. Earlier in the week, Wilson told reporters that LSU would plan to play both Van Buren and Nussmeier in the game against Arkansas. Nussmeier worked with the first-team offense throughout the week, according to Wilson.

If he is unavailable, Wilson expressed confidence in Van Buren, who had “a good week” at practice.

“I think he’s probable,” Wilson said of Nussmeier. “But a little bit concerning. Something we need to monitor and continue to watch with him.”

Wideout Aaron Anderson will be available, Wilson said. Anderson was listed as probable on the initial availability report and Wilson said Thursday that he’ll be “ready to roll.”

The post Frank Wilson gives injury updates on LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier, LB Whit Weeks appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Key Kentucky basketball guard reportedly picks up injury

Derek Peterson — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:43:59 +0000

Kentucky guard Jaland Lowe injured his right shoulder during Thursday’s team practice, according to a report from KSR’s Jack Pilgrim.

The severity of the injury is unknown, according to KSR. However, the injury is said to be to the same shoulder that forced Lowe out of the lineup for the Wildcats’ 2 exhibition games and their season-opener against Nicholls.

Lowe made his season debut for Kentucky against Valparaiso on Nov. 7. He played 18 minutes and scored 6 points to go with 5 assists. Lowe played 30 minutes against Louisville on Tuesday, providing 9 points to go with 5 assists, 1 block, 1 steal, and 1 rebound.

Kentucky (2-1) played Eastern Illinois on Friday.

Lowe transferred to Kentucky this offseason after spending 2 years at Pitt. He started in 50 of his 64 appearances for the Panthers across those 2 seasons. As a sophomore, he developed into one of the ACC’s best guards, averaging 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 1.8 steals a game.

That made him one of the prized transfer portal recruits of the offseason. Kentucky coach Mark Pope brought in Lowe as part of a retooled backcourt.

It’s not immediately clear how much time Lowe will be forced to miss, but the setback is undoubtedly disappointing for the Wildcats. Kentucky has a neutral-site game against Michigan State at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 18. The Wildcats also have nonconference games against North Carolina, Gonzaga, and St. John’s over the course of the next month.

SEC play begins on Jan. 3 when the Wildcats visit Alabama.

The post Key Kentucky basketball guard reportedly picks up injury appeared first on Saturday Down South.

College football’s Top 25 résumé ranking entering Week 12

Derek Peterson — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000

The top 8 teams in this week’s ranking remained unchanged, though they did slightly change order. And 4 teams dropped out.

You can find last week’s ranking here.

Ranking the Top 25 résumés in college football

Let’s get to it.

Dropped from the ranking: 17 Missouri, 18 Memphis, 23 Washington, 24 Virginia

25. Iowa (6-3, 4-2 B1G)

BEST WIN: 37-0 at Wisconsin
LAST WEEK: 21

The Hawkeyes have several blowout wins over bad teams, a 1-point home win over a bad-but-more-talented Penn State team, and 3 losses by a combined 10 points. The Week 2 loss to Iowa State came on a field goal in the final 2 minutes. In the 5-point Indiana loss, the Hawkeyes were tied with less than 2 minutes to play. In the 2-point Oregon loss, the Hawkeyes had a lead with less than a minute to play. Losses are still losses, but Iowa holds onto its spot over some of the radioactively bad ACC teams that haven’t come close to playing the same quality of competition.

24. Cincinnati (7-2, 5-1 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 38-30 vs. Iowa State
LAST WEEK: NR

Cincinnati gets back into the top 25 despite being idle in Week 11. The Bearcats got the edge in a head-to-head with Pitt.

23. Tennessee (6-3, 3-3 SEC)

BEST WIN: 41-34 at Mississippi State
LAST WEEK: NR

The Vols were close to the cut line last week and they hop back in despite being idle in Week 11.

22. Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1 ACC)

BEST WIN: 24-21 vs. Clemson
LAST WEEK: NR

Georgia Tech has a better résumé than both Tennessee and Cincinnati when judged by K-Ford’s ratings. The same is true when judged by SP+. The SEC is better than the ACC by a country mile. But 1 loss is better than 3.

21. Louisville (7-2, 4-2 ACC)

BEST WIN: 24-21 at Miami
LAST WEEK: 19

The loss to Cal stinks, but the Cards have 3 wins that are better than Georgia Tech’s best win.

20. James Madison (8-1, 6-0 Sun Belt)

BEST WIN: 63-27 vs. Old Dominion
LAST WEEK: 25

The Dukes have won 7 straight since a 14-point road loss to Louisville. That includes a pair of road victories in back-to-back weeks. The Dukes have the 20th-ranked résumé, according to SP+. The schedule is weak, but JMU is also top-30 in FPI’s strength of record metric.

19. Tulane (7-2, 4-1 AAC)

BEST WIN: 38-32 at Memphis
LAST WEEK: NR

The Green Wave are very much a player in the chase for a Playoff spot. They have 2 wins over power conference teams and a road win at Memphis that kept them in the thick of the AAC title race.

18. South Florida (7-2, 4-1 AAC)

BEST WIN: 18-16 at Florida
LAST WEEK: 22

The Bulls pummeled UTSA on a Thursday night as their quarterback logged a 200-passing/100-rushing day. South Florida responded nicely to the loss to Memphis.

17. Michigan (7-2, 5-1 B1G)

BEST WIN: 24-7 vs. Washington
LAST WEEK: 20

Michigan was idle in Week 11.

16. Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 31-24 vs. LSU
LAST WEEK: 16

Vanderbilt stays right where it was a week ago. Diego Pavia was outstanding, but giving up 38 points to Auburn is pretty suspect.

15. BYU (8-1, 5-1 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 24-21 vs. Utah
LAST WEEK: 9

I was right not to buy into the Cougars. Big-time opportunity to make a statement on the road and they get slapped across the face with a tortilla for 3 hours. Texas Tech dominated and won 29-7.

14. USC (7-2, 5-1 B1G)

BEST WIN: 31-13 vs. Michigan
LAST WEEK: 14

I actually like this USC team quite a bit. On a short week, they handled their business against a Northwestern team that has snuck up on others in the conference this year. USC has been outstanding at home.

13. Notre Dame (7-2)

BEST WIN: 34-24 vs. USC
LAST WEEK: 13

It was good to see the Irish put the hammer down on a team after whatever that was in Massachusetts the week prior. And Navy didn’t give the ball away like candy this time the way it did in last year’s meeting. Notre Dame just lined up and dominated.

12. Miami (7-2, 3-2 ACC)

BEST WIN: 27-24 vs. Notre Dame
LAST WEEK: 12

The Hurricanes rolled Syracuse to move to 7-2 on the year. I don’t care much about the opponent, only that Miami took the game seriously.

11. Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 33-27 at Tennessee
LAST WEEK: 10

Oklahoma was idle in Week 11.

10. Texas (7-2, 4-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 23-6 vs. Oklahoma
LAST WEEK: 15

Texas was also idle in Week 11. Still, I upgraded the résumé a bit. It looks like the Longhorns have firmly found their footing and road wins at Kentucky and Mississippi State look better with extra data points. The gap between the Sooners and Longhorns was probably too large a week ago, and that mistake needed to be corrected. I still hate the Florida loss, but the Red River rivals are close enough now that the head-to-head matters, and that led to the move.

9. Utah (7-2, 4-2 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 45-14 vs. Cincinnati
LAST WEEK: 11

The Utes were idle in Week 11, but the sting of the blowout loss to Tech was lessened when Tech did the same thing to BYU. Cincinnati getting back into the Top 25 helped, too.

8. Ole Miss (9-1, 5-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 34-26 at Oklahoma
LAST WEEK: 8

No change for Ole Miss after blanking *checks notes* The Citadel.

7. Oregon (8-1, 5-1 B1G)

BEST WIN: 18-16 at Iowa
LAST WEEK: 5

The first 5 games of the season for Oregon were exceptional. The Ducks splattered bad teams and then won a high-stakes game at Penn State. But Penn State has fallen apart since that game, and Oregon has looked questionable for several weeks.

6. Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 43-35 vs. Ole Miss
LAST WEEK: 7

In an effort to avoid Muddy Waters 62 yelling into the void about me some more, Georgia got a small upgrade this week. The Bulldogs went on the road and controlled a game without intervention from the officials. Good job!

5. Texas Tech (9-1, 6-1 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 29-7 vs. BYU
LAST WEEK: 6

The best win of the weekend belonged to the Red Raiders, who hosted ESPN’s College GameDay, then went out and destroyed a previously unbeaten BYU team. Tech forced 3 turnovers, held BYU to 3-of-14 on third down, and limited BYU to 67 rushing yards on 27 attempts. The defense is good enough to win games in the CFP.

4. Alabama (8-1, 6-0 SEC)

BEST WIN: 24-21 at Georgia
LAST WEEK: 4

Alabama listened to talk all week about LSU’s sudden changes making the Tigers a threat to the Tide. Alabama went out and little brothered LSU.

3. Ohio State (9-0, 6-0 B1G)

BEST WIN: 14-7 vs. Texas
LAST WEEK: 3

The Buckeyes have given up double-digit points in back-to-back games. Alert the elders.

2. Indiana (10-0, 7-0 B1G)

BEST WIN: 30-20 at Oregon
LAST WEEK: 2

Indiana didn’t separate from Penn State, but it also didn’t trail in the game until less than 7 minutes were left on the game clock. Still, a come-from-behind win at Beaver Stadium is an achievement, and this happened to be Indiana’s first-ever win in State College. The toe-tapping touchdown catch from Omar Cooper Jr. was one of the greatest catches I’ve ever seen, considering the circumstances.

1. Texas A&M (9-0, 6-0 SEC)

BEST WIN: 41-40 at Notre Dame
LAST WEEK: 1

Texas A&M stays at No. 1 for me. The Aggies have won 3-straight road games in the SEC, which is remarkable. The latest came convincingly against a good-but-injured Missouri team.

The post College football’s Top 25 résumé ranking entering Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

‘Renewed momentum’ for deal between ESPN and YouTube TV, per report

Derek Peterson — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:33:38 +0000

There is “renewed momentum” a deal will soon be reached between Google and Disney that would restore ESPN’s family of networks to the popular TV streaming platform, YouTube TV, according to a report on Wednesday from The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand.

ESPN, ABC, and all of Disney’s other channels have been dark on the service since Oct. 30. The 2 sides have been embroiled in a carriage dispute that has prevented YouTube TV’s 10 million subscribers from accessing college football and NFL programming for the last 2 weeks.

YouTube TV said in a statement to Awful Announcing on Wednesday that the primary dispute with Disney is not about how much to pay for ESPN, but rather the price for ABC.

Marchand’s report suggests the same. From his report:

Disney negotiates all of its carriage agreements as a bundle package combining ESPN’s slate of networks, its ABC-owned affiliates, Disney Channel, FX and Freeform. Distributors have complained that Disney has been able to foist these extra channels on them, while Disney counters that they are all discounted as part of a bundle.

Either way, YouTube TV has shown little interest in doling out money for the programming that fewer people watch, with kids’ programming and drama increasingly moving to streaming services. Disney+, the company’s own direct-to-consumer product, offers a large array of kids’ programming.

Marchand went on to report that Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Disney CEO Bob Iger have become “more involved” in negotiations.

Disney has a quarterly earnings call scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 13 — a potential impetus for a deal, according to Marchand.

YouTube TV subscribers who wanted to watch the College Football Playoff rankings reveal on Tuesday night had to look elsewhere. Week 12 of the college football season features 3 ranked matchups on ABC — Notre Dame at Pitt, Oklahoma at Alabama, and Texas at Georgia — that will all factor heavily into the Playoff discussion. Without a deal, YouTube TV subscribers will be unable to watch any of the games.

Until a resolution is reached, subscribers could look to Sling TV, which offers day passes for college football fans who might be seeking a cost-conscious alternative.

The post ‘Renewed momentum’ for deal between ESPN and YouTube TV, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Betting Stuff: Best bets for Week 12 of the 2025 college football season

Derek Peterson — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Through the first 4 weeks of the season, this column was 6-8. Not good. But not laughably bad. Since, it is 5-15. I can’t get off the 1-2 train, and if you do the exact opposite of what is suggested below each week, you’re having a great year.

The best price at the time of publication is listed in parentheses, but shop around at any of your preferred sports betting apps.

Last week: 1-2
2025 season: 11-23-1
2024 season: 33-37

Week 12 schedule, odds

SDS is your one-stop shop this season, with live, up-to-date college football odds. You can find point spreads, game totals, and money line odds for every Week 12 game below.

Bet Oregon-Minnesota total under 44.5 points (-112 via DraftKings)

In what was Oregon head coach Dan Lanning’s only media availability of the week, he was less than forthcoming offering updates on a lengthy list of injured Ducks. Oregon needed a last-minute field goal to beat Iowa on the road in Week 11, and it came out of that game beaten to a pulp despite just having the prior week off.

Wideout Dakorien Moore and tight end Kenyon Sadiq did not play against Iowa. Slot receiver Gary Bryant Jr. left the game in the first quarter and didn’t return. The Ducks were down to 4 scholarship receivers against the Hawkeyes. They were also missing starting right tackle Alex Harkey, among a few others.

Now, Oregon has a short week to prepare for a Minnesota team that will have a major rest advantage. Given the situational spot and Oregon’s host of injuries on offense, does Oregon have its usual juice? Even if the Ducks rally, they haven’t had much “juice” lately anyway.

Oregon has been held to 21 points or less in regulation in 4 of its last 5 games. Minnesota also stinks. It has been demolished in each of its last 2 road games by a combined score of 83-6. On a Friday night, I think Oregon tries to shorten the game and make quick work of a Minnesota team that shouldn’t threaten much. With several playmakers dealing with injuries, it’s also worth considering that another week of rest could do Oregon well ahead of a Nov. 22 matchup with USC.

Bet Alabama -6 vs. Oklahoma (-110 via BetMGM)

Oklahoma feels like a popular pick this week, 2 weeks removed from knocking off Tennessee in Knoxville. But I’m still not sold on the Sooners. R Mason Thomas returned a fumble 71 yards for a defensive score and Oklahoma got 6 points off a pair of Joey Aguilar interceptions in the win. The Sooners were out-gained on a per-play basis and gave up nearly 400 passing yards.

Alabama’s defense is significantly better than Tennessee’s. The Vols give up 2.6 points per possession this year. Alabama gives up 1.7. Tennessee ranks 118th nationally in adjusted EPA per play allowed. Alabama ranks 26th. At this point, the safer assumption is that OU’s rushing success against Tennessee had more to do with the Vols than it did with the Sooners. And quarterback John Mateer still looked off in the throw game, finishing with an interception, no touchdowns, and a 5.5 yards-per-play clip.

Ty Simpson should have the same kind of success against the OU secondary that Aguilar did. And he might not make the same back-breaking mistakes. Absent those gifts, I don’t trust the Oklahoma offense to pull off 2 road upsets in consecutive games.

Bet Utah -8 at Baylor (-110 via Fanatics)

Utah ranks eighth nationally in net success rate, per Game on Paper. Baylor ranks 69th. We know that defense travels, and Utah has prevented more than three-quarters of all opponent drives from producing points this season, per ESPN. Baylor has been loose with the ball all year (17 giveaways, tied for 122nd nationally) and can’t defend the run. Utah has been demolishing teams all season long and I see no reason why that shouldn’t continue in Waco. If Auburn can win by double-digits there, Utah sure can.

Derek Peterson

Saturday Down South • November 11, 2025 at 3:55pm

Pick

Odds

HomePointSpread -6

Spread

CFB • Oklahoma Sooners @ Alabama Crimson Tide

-110 on BetMGM

CLOSED • 11/15/2025

Betslip #1762876557485-a44e-349

The post Betting Stuff: Best bets for Week 12 of the 2025 college football season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Betting Stuff: How to bet the opening lines for Week 12

Derek Peterson — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Six games involving AP Top 10 teams have a point spread in the double-digits in Week 12. The top 2 teams in the country are 30-point favorites in home games against other Big Ten teams. Texas A&M is a 3-score favorite at home over another SEC team. Ole Miss is a 2-score favorite. Texas Tech is a 3-touchdown favorite. Notre Dame is a 10-point favorite.

There are a pair of ranked-on-ranked games in the SEC that fill 2 of the 3 slots on ABC that should be outstanding games. Outside of that, it could be a blowout Saturday.

The Big Noon Kickoff game pits Michigan against Northwestern on a baseball diamond. The primetime NBC game is expected to be a blowout.

It might be a separation Saturday ahead of what will be the third batch of College Football Playoff rankings.

Taking a look at the early betting market, here’s what I’m playing.

Last week: 2-6
2025 season: 37-49-1
2024 season: 84-69-1

Week 12 schedule, odds

At SDS, we’ve got you covered all season with live, up-to-date college football odds. You can find point spreads, game totals, and money line odds for every Week 12 game below.

Week 12 picks

You can find my early bets for the week below. After that, I’ll break down each game on the card.

Derek Peterson

Saturday Down South • November 10, 2025 at 5:33pm

Pick

Odds

AwayPointSpread -8.5

Spread

CFB • Utah Utes @ Baylor Bears

-115 on Fanatics

CLOSED • 11/16/2025

Betslip #1762796014835-a44e-968

South Carolina at No. 3 Texas A&M

The Texas A&M defense felt disrespected by the CFP selection committee’s comments heading into Week 11, and that unit sought to overwhelm Missouri quarterback Matt Zollers in his first start. Mission accomplished.

Zollers threw 22 times for 77 yards. Mizzou had no passing attack to complement a ground game that hit quite a few big plays, and the Tigers finished with just 17 points on the scoreboard.

If the committee was concerned about A&M’s leaky run defense, those questions were not abated. But A&M played sound in the secondary and flummoxed a young passer without really pressuring him much (28% of drop-backs).

That performance presents an interesting jumping-off point for this week’s game against South Carolina.

Missouri has arguably the best running back in the country in Ahmad Hardy and probably the best 1-2 punch at the position with Jamal Roberts backing Hardy up. The Tigers are an excellent rushing team. South Carolina is not. The Gamecocks rank 119th in rushing success rate. Only 5 runs all season have produced more than 20 yards.

The one-dimensional nature of the offense has put even more pressure on quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who has had to navigate a broken pocket all year. Sellers has been sacked 33 times, including at least 5 times each in 3 of his last 4 games. South Carolina fired offensive coordinator Matt Shula after the Nov. 1 loss to Ole Miss and Shane Beamer gave play-calling responsibilities to Mike Furrey.

After a bye week, maybe South Carolina tries to throw different looks at the Aggies. Scheme tweaks won’t change the fact this offensive line is among the poorest in the country.

Only 9 FBS teams have given up more tackles for loss. (Four of those 9 have played a 10th game already.) South Carolina ranks in the 34th percentile for line yards gained per carry, but even when the line does produce openings, SC’s backs don’t gain yardage. On average, third-down plays need 8 yards to move the sticks.

A&M should have plenty of opportunities to tee off on Sellers. There are no concerns about health with the Aggies. There is no reason for this team to look ahead; Samford comes to College Station next week. Maybe the noon ET kick causes a sleepy start for the home side, but South Carolina simply doesn’t have the offense to sustain itself in a game like this.

Bet Texas A&M -18.5 (-110 via Caesars)

Wisconsin at No. 2 Indiana

Last week’s 13-10 win over Washington snapped an 11-game losing streak against power conference teams for Wisconsin. The Badger defense came to play and helped Wiscy secure a desperately needed victory at home.

Unfortunately, 13 points won’t be anywhere close to enough in Bloomington on Saturday. And Wisconsin has still managed more than 13 points against power conference teams only twice in its last 12 games. The Badgers scored 14 against Alabama earlier this year in a 24-point defeat and they scored 25 against Nebraska last season in a 19-point defeat.

Saturday’s matchup with Indiana pits the No. 4 team in the nation (by adjusted net EPA per play) against the nation’s No. 127 team. Indiana has found joy in pummeling teams into a pulp. Wisconsin has struggled against the quality it has faced on its schedule, last week’s game notwithstanding.

Iowa won 37-0 earlier in Madison. Ohio State won 34-0 a week later. Oregon won 21-7, but played half the game with a backup quarterback. I think the results of Week 11 provide the perfect buy-low/sell-high opportunity for both sides.

Indiana escaped Happy Valley with a 3-point win over a struggling Penn State team. IU will probably get dinged for the come-from-behind nature of the win when the CFP committee updates its Top 25 this week. Coach Curt Cignetti will be able to use any such slight as fuel for his team, which moves into a bye week after facing the Badgers. “Go make a statement, we’ll rest up after.” Something like that.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin finally snapped the losing streak. It broke through. It got to celebrate. Concerns persist, though. The Badgers threw for 48 yards and averaged 3.2 yards per play. They actually lost the efficiency battle with Washington, which averaged 3.7 yards per play. Wiscy was also 2-for-14 on third down. Washington had 2 turnovers and missed a field goal in a 3-point loss.

Half of IU’s wins this season have come by 30-plus. The bad teams have been obliterated. The road games have been challenging, sure, but I’m backing the Hoosiers at home.

Bet Indiana -30.5 (-110 via bet365)

No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 24 Pitt

Pitt will host ESPN’s College GameDay this weekend ahead of a top-25 matchup with Notre Dame. The Panthers are 7-2 on the season, but they are a deep sleeper in the CFP discussion.

The early-season loss to West Virginia is a problem. The loss to Louisville doesn’t help the résumé. But Saturday’s game against the Fighting Irish is the first of 3 straight against ranked competition, affording Pitt a chance to do something special. The path is still very much there. Closing out with wins in all 3 games could send the Panthers to the ACC title game.

GameDay is making its first visit since 2022. Pitt won that day, a 38-31 victory in the Backyard Brawl. It’ll be an early morning for fans. Maybe that helps create a raucous atmosphere inside Acrisure Stadium for the noon ET kick.

Pitt has a chance here. It needs help, but it has a chance.

Notre Dame just smashed Navy. But the 49-10 win marked the fourth straight time Notre Dame has beaten a service academy by at least 20 points. Notre Dame has won 7 of its last 8 against service academy teams by more than 20.

Prior to Week 11, Notre Dame beat Boston College by just 15 and beat USC by just 10. The Irish were plus-4 in the turnover department in those 2 games.

Pitt has 16 turnovers this season. Half of those have come during this 5-game winning streak. The Panthers had 4 against Stanford on Nov. 1 and still won by 15. The defense has created a takeaway in every game but the opener. It has 10 interceptions.

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr has just 4 picks this year, but he has 8 turnover-worthy plays. He was remarkable in games against Boston College and Navy; he was less so in the win over USC. But that’s how it goes for a young, first-time starter. Notre Dame knew it would live with the growing pains under Carr. The good has outweighed the bad.

He still makes those rookie mistakes, though. If any pop up against an opportunistic Panthers defense that defends the run well and creates a ton of havoc, Notre Dame will find itself in a fight.

At its core, Notre Dame wants to run the ball with Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. The Irish have a 58% run rate this year. Pitt ranks third nationally in rushing success rate allowed. It allows 2.4 yards per carry on the ground — the best raw mark in the FBS. Chunk runs are difficult to come by. Game-breaking gains on the ground are almost nonexistent.

If Mason Heintschel takes care of the ball (he has 6 turnover-worthy plays in his last 2), Pitt can hang with the Irish.

Bet Pitt +11.5 (-110 via Fanatics)

Marshall at Georgia State

Georgia State is among the worst teams in the country, and it has covered 1 spread in 9 games. The defense is ghastly. The Panthers have given up at least 38 points in 7 of their 8 games against FBS teams. The only win all season came against an FCS opponent. The 8 losses have been by an average of 25.3 points per game.

The Panthers have been getting closer in recent weeks. They lost to App State by 21. Then they lost back-to-back games by 17. At Coastal Carolina last week, they lost by 13. Progress! And, this week, they host a Marshall team that has lost each of its last 2 games by multiple scores.

But Marshall stops the run well enough, wins the field position battle more often than not, and has enough big-play ability on offense to suggest it can cover this number. More than anything, this is a bet against the Panthers, who have been 73 points worse than expected this season against all FBS competition.

Bet Marshall -7 (-110 via DraftKings)

No. 20 Iowa at No. 19 USC

I love USC, especially at home. Big Ten teams have been handled in Los Angeles this season, losing by an average of 18 points per game while going 1-2 against the spread.

Iowa had its heart broken by Oregon over the weekend, taking the lead in the closing minutes only to give up a game-winning field goal with just a few seconds left.

The Hawkeyes have been close to a signature win inside Kinnick Stadium this season. They lost by 5 to Indiana earlier in the year. Now they have the 2-point loss to Oregon. A win in either game would have made this a Playoff threat. Without either result, that door is closed.

A Big Ten title game appearance is probably off the table now, too. But for USC, both dreams are still alive. The Trojans (7-2, 5-1 B1G) might be looking ahead to Oregon on Nov. 22. That game will make or break the case, if there’s a case to be made. Saturday’s game against Iowa will determine whether the Trojans will have an audience; lose to Iowa and it won’t matter what happens in Eugene.

This will be just the fourth true road game for Iowa all year. The first was a 3-point loss to Iowa State in Week 2. The second was a 10-point win over Rutgers. The third was a shutout at Wisconsin.

Iowa was able to drag Oregon into a rock fight. Atrocious weather played a factor. Oregon’s lengthy injury report also contributed to the style of the game.

Clear skies and little breeze are expected Saturday in Los Angeles. Conditions will be perfect. Does Iowa have enough offense to threaten the Trojans if the game demands it?

The Trojans lead the nation in adjusted EPA per play. They rank in the 95th percentile for explosive play rate. And they rank in the 98th percentile for EPA per play on the snaps that don’t produce chunk plays. You might get a couple of stops, but you aren’t going to shut down the USC offense. No one has this year.

Factoring in the cross-country travel and the situational spot, I like getting USC under a touchdown here.

Bet USC -6.5 (-110 via DraftKings)

No. 13 Utah at Baylor

Baylor has been one of the hardest teams to get a read on this year. The Bears lost to Auburn at home, then beat SMU on the road. They beat Kansas State and then lost back-to-back to TCU and Cincinnati. On Nov. 1, they beat UCF 30-3.

They’re 2-7 against the spread. The Bears have an outright win as a 3-point dog and a 21-point loss as a 3.5-point dog. After a bye week, they host Utah for a night game at McLane Stadium in Waco, where they are a 9.5-point dog.

Utah has been among the best against the number all season because it crushes teams.

The Utes have 2 outright defeats — by 24 at home to Texas Tech and by 3 on the road to BYU. The Utes have 7 outright victories, all of which have come by at least 25 points. Utah is a machine when it comes to per-play efficiency, ranking top-20 in offensive and defensive success rate while ranking eighth in net success rate.

Baylor ranks 69th nationally in net success rate. Utes will stay on trend with another double-digit win.

Bet Utah -8.5 (-115 via Fanatics)

No. 11 Texas at No. 5 Georgia

I’m going for the total here in a game that could wind up going to overtime. Texas has found its groove. But Georgia keeps finding a way.

The Dawgs aren’t uber-explosive on offense and have a rather inconsistent rushing attack, but they’ve managed to score 43 points and 41 points in 2 of the last 3 outings. They had 44 in a game earlier this season against Tennessee and 35 against Kentucky.

This Texas defense is better than any Georgia has played this year. And the 20 points Georgia scored against the last good defense it faced (Auburn) might not be enough against the Longhorns’ budding offense.

Texas has scored 79 points in its last 2 games. The defense has slipped, but Arch Manning’s lightbulb moment in Starkville carried over to the Vanderbilt game, when he threw for 328 yards and 3 scores to lead the Longhorns to an upset victory.

Manning entered that game with questions after going through concussion protocol during the week. Fresh off a bye week, Manning should be in fine shape. And he might have another big game against a Georgia defense that neither pressures the quarterback nor stops the throw game.

Georgia is tied for 122nd nationally with 11 sacks in 9 games. Georgia is tied for 70th nationally in passing success rate allowed. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has faced plenty of criticism this season, but with an extra week to prepare, he should have a plan to take advantage of a porous pass defense.

Bet total over 47.5 points (-110 via BetMGM)

Upset Spot of the Week: Arkansas at LSU

A third straight loss for LSU featured a ton of change and yet nothing new. LSU fired its head coach and its offensive coordinator after the loss to Texas A&M. Then it benched its starting quarterback halfway through a loss to Alabama. The result of all that change was 9 points on the scoreboard.

It was LSU’s worst offensive performance of the season and marked the first time since Nov. 28, 2020, that LSU failed to score at least 10 points in a game. The Tigers managed only 232 yards of total offense, including 59 rushing yards.

The insertion of Michael Van Buren Jr. for Garrett Nussmeier early in the third didn’t help the ground game. Though Van Buren is more mobile, LSU produced just 4 rushing yards on 14 carries in the second half.

Alabama finished with 3 sacks and 7 tackles for loss, highlighting once again that the biggest issue plaguing the Tiger offense is its inability to block opposing fronts. LSU ranks in the sixth percentile or worse in opportunity rate, line yards per carry, and stuff rate.

That won’t change regardless of what happens at quarterback this week for LSU. Even though the Arkansas defense has taken its (many) lumps this season, the offense is combustible and Taylen Green is the exact kind of quarterback that has given LSU fits for years.

Trinidad Chambliss had 71 rushing and 314 passing against LSU in the Rebels’ win earlier this year. Diego Pavia had 86 rushing and 160 passing in Vanderbilt’s win. Marcel Reed had 108 rushing and 202 passing in the A&M win. In terms of total EPA this season, Green ranks higher than each of the 3 that were just mentioned. He’s fourth nationally.

Green was dinged in the Mississippi State loss, but he’s had an extra week to rest up and appears to be trending in the right direction. I’ll reach for a stunner to try and recoup some of my season’s losses.

Bet Arkansas money line (+180 via bet365)

The post Betting Stuff: How to bet the opening lines for Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Alabama grinds out 20-9 win over LSU

Derek Peterson — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 04:33:44 +0000

It wasn’t pretty, but it didn’t need to be. The changes made to LSU’s staff did nothing to spark a lifeless offense.

LSU turned it over twice and benched starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. The Tigers averaged only 4 yards per play and mustered just 9 points. Though it never got the ground game going and turned the ball over once itself, No. 4 Alabama controlled the game and walked away with a 20-9 victory.

Kalen DeBoer improved to 2-0 against LSU, extending the Tide’s winning streak in the series to 3 games. Dating back to the BCS national title game on Jan. 9, 2012, Alabama has won 13 of the last 15 games against the Tigers.

Alabama also moved to 8-1 on the season. It’s the 15th time in the last 18 seasons Alabama has won at least 8 of its first 9 games to start a year.

The Tide had a 3-0 lead after 15 minutes. The offense was remarkably slow to find a foothold in the game. They turned it over on downs on their opening possession. They stalled out and punted on their next drive after the first play went for 33 yards. The field goal came by way of an LSU fumble that set the offense up at the Tigers’ 24-yard line. Alabama wound up kicking from the 26.

But things started to roll in a 14-0 second quarter. Ty Simpson led touchdown drives of 75 and 66 yards. Sandwiched in between them was a 9-play, 51-yard march that ended in a missed kick.

Simpson lost a fumble early in the fourth quarter that gave LSU life. The Tigers kicked a field goal with 10:28 to go that made it a 17-9 ballgame. After another Alabama punt, LSU took over with a chance to tie the game.

The Tigers went 3-and-out, giving the ball right back. Alabama responded with another field goal to put the game out of reach.

Simpson completed 21 of his 35 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown. Alabama managed only 65 rushing yards (adjusted for sacks) at 2.6 per carry. But explosives from the pass game did enough to generate scoring opportunities for the Tide.

LSU created no such opportunities. Nussmeier threw 21 times for 121 yards before being pulled. Michael Van Buren Jr. replaced him and completed 5 of his 11 passes for 52 yards. Van Buren lost a fumble in the fourth quarter that put a capper on the defeat.

The Tide will host Oklahoma next week. LSU has a home game against Arkansas.

No. 4 Alabama 20, LSU 9

Here’s the Alabama-LSU box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

Ty Simpson vs Garrett Nussmeier

Here’s a statistical breakdown of how Heisman frontrunner Ty Simpson performed against LSU counterpart Garrett Nussmeier:

The post Rapid Reaction: Alabama grinds out 20-9 win over LSU appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Kentucky stomps Florida as DJ Lagway is benched

Derek Peterson — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 04:03:39 +0000

The 2025 season went from bad to worse Saturday night in Lexington for the coachless Florida Gators.

A 38-7 loss to Kentucky dropped the Gators to 3-6 on the year. They are 2-4 in SEC play. And now they’re potentially pivoting to a new quarterback.

A true sophomore who was once viewed as a generational prospect, quarterback DJ Lagway entered the season viewed by many as a top player at the position. He was benched at halftime of Saturday’s game at Kentucky for true freshman Tramell Jones Jr.

Lagway’s last 2 official pass attempts in the game were picked off. The first — with 50 seconds remaining in the second quarter — was returned 55 yards to the Gators’ 19-yard line. Kentucky fumbled 2 plays later and gave it back to Florida. Three plays after that, Lagway was picked off again.

Kentucky’s Cutter Boley threw an interception of his own on the ensuing play, as Kentucky squandered another opportunity. Still, Kentucky went to the half up 24-7.

The Wildcats outscored the Gators 14-0 in the second half. Jones finished 9-for-17 passing for 60 yards. Lagway completed 11 of his 19 passes for 83 yards, a touchdown, and 3 total interceptions. It was his third game this season with multiple interceptions.

Florida has dominated the overall series, but Kentucky coach Mark Stoops now has 4 wins over the Gators in the last 5 years.

Saturday’s 31-point victory was the largest Kentucky win over a Florida team since 1950.

The 3-6 record through 9 games is Florida’s worst start to a season since 2017. A loss on the road to Ole Miss next Saturday would give Florida its worst 10-game start to a season since 1979. That team went winless in 11 games.

Kentucky hosts Tennessee Tech next weekend.

Kentucky 38, Florida 7

Here’s the Florida-Kentucky box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

DJ Lagway vs Cutter Boley

A statistical breakdown of how Florida quarterback DJ Lagway performed against Kentucky’s Cutter Boley:

The post Rapid Reaction: Kentucky stomps Florida as DJ Lagway is benched appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Michigan State holds off Arkansas for early-season statement win

Derek Peterson — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 02:40:33 +0000

Michigan State didn’t hit a shot from the field over the final 6:02 of Saturday’s early-season battle with Arkansas. But the Razorbacks missed 6 of their final 7 shot attempts from the floor, including a last-second attempt from Trevon Brazile to try and tie the game late.

As was the case for most of his evening, Brazile was off. His 3-point try with 2 seconds remaining missed everything. No. 22 Michigan State took over possession and escaped with a 69-66 victory.

Brazile was a force in his season debut for the 14th-ranked Razorbacks on Monday. He scored 25 points, grabbed 11 boards, and made 8 of his 14 shot attempts in the Hogs’ 109-77 win over Southern.

On Saturday night, he crashed back down to earth.

Brazile picked up 2 early fouls that limited him to 8 first-half minutes. He took just 1 shot attempt from the field, which missed, and went into the break with as many turnovers (1) as points.

After a lengthy review in the closing seconds of the game gave Arkansas possession with less than 5 seconds remaining on the clock, Brazile caught an inbounds lob out beyond the 3-point line on the right wing. With a defender draped on him and little time to do much else, Brazile put up a shot that was more a prayer than anything else.

It missed. He finished 1-for-5 from the field and 0-for-2 from 3-point range, managing just 3 points and 2 rebounds. Four personal fouls limited Brazile to just 19 minutes on the floor.

Arkansas forward Nick Pringle also fouled out in 28 minutes, finishing with 6 points and 7 boards.

Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas each scored 16 points. Acuff took 16 shots to get there while Thomas took 15. As a team, Arkansas shot just 39.3% from the floor and 25% from 3. They also missed 8 free throws in the game.

Michigan State was ice-cold from 3, only making 1 of 14 all night. Cameron Ward led the way with 18 points and 10 boards. MSU controlled the boards and won the paint battle, 46-28.

Arkansas will look to bounce back against Central Arkansas at home on Tuesday. MSU faces San Jose State before a game against Kentucky on Nov. 18. The college basketball season is just getting started, but Saturday’s result is the one that could matter when March Madness rolls around.

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Rapid Reaction: Vanderbilt outlasts new-look Auburn in overtime

Derek Peterson — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 01:14:30 +0000

Auburn had not given up more than 24 points through its first 9 games. But the Tiger offense also cratered in recent weeks, scoring more than 20 points in just 1 of its previous 6 games.

The school fired Hugh Freeze and then flipped into the Upside Down. With Ashton Daniels at quarterback, the offense found life while the defense lost its footing.

Vanderbilt took full advantage. The 16th-ranked Commodores needed overtime, but they were able to outlast the new-look Tigers for a 45-38 win.

The ‘Dores got a stop on fourth-and-7 in overtime to end the game.

Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia threw for a career-best 377 yards and 3 scores. He also ran for 112 yards and another touchdown — the best rushing game for Pavia since joining the Commodores.

Vanderbilt trailed 7-0 after the first quarter and fell down 20-10 at the halftime break. It was a 30-24 game going to the fourth but back-to-back touchdown drives to begin the fourth from Vandy flipped the game.

Auburn tied the game with a touchdown and 2-point conversion to Cam Coleman with 5:27 remaining in regulation. Vanderbilt had a chance to take the lead in the closing minutes but instead of attempting a field goal, Pavia was stuffed on a fourth-and-1 run.

That momentum didn’t sustain for Auburn, which stalled out on its final drive of regulation and then gave up a quick, 3-play score to Vandy to open the overtime period. The ‘Dores held on 3 straight plays to end the game once Auburn took over.

Auburn outgained Vandy in the game 563-544, but Vandy was better on a per-play basis. The Auburn defense, which had been stout all year, gave up 7.9 yards per play.

The Tigers (4-6, 1-6 SEC) need to win out to avoid consecutive seasons without a bowl game appearance. The last time Auburn missed out on a bowl in back-to-back seasons was 1998-99. Auburn has a bye week before hosting Mercer and Alabama to close the year.

Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2 SEC) remains very much alive in the College Football Playoff discussion. The Commodores host Kentucky on Nov. 22 and then travel to Knoxville on Nov. 29. Beating the Wildcats could set up the regular-season finale against Tennessee as a CFP play-in game.

No. 16 Vanderbilt 45, Auburn 38

Here’s the Vanderbilt-Auburn box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

Diego Pavia vs Ashton Daniels

Did Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia help his Heisman odds Saturday? Here’s a statistical breakdown of how Pavia performed against Auburn’s Ashton Daniels:

The post Rapid Reaction: Vanderbilt outlasts new-look Auburn in overtime appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Big plays fuel Texas A&M road rout of Missouri

Derek Peterson — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 00:07:24 +0000

Texas A&M hadn’t started a season 9-0 since 1992.

Forget the start; the Aggies hadn’t won 9 games in a single regular season since 2012.

With a 38-17 win over No. 22 Mizzou on the road on Saturday, No. 3 Texas A&M continued its best start in decades and all but solidified itself as a College Football Playoff participant. The Aggies play South Carolina and Samford at home before the regular-season finale against Texas. A 12-0 season is possible. At minimum, 11 wins should be expected.

Of course, A&M can’t look past the Gamecocks. But Mike Elko has this group locked in on the current task at hand each week. That was evident in Columbia on Saturday.

A&M led 14-0 at the halftime break. Facing a Mizzou team in desperation mode, the Aggie defense limited Mizzou to 122 total yards of offense in the first half. A third of that came on the first offensive snap of the game for the Tigers.

Mizzou tailback Ahmad Hardy broke a 40-yarder on his first touch. Hardy also had a 45-yard touchdown run in the fourth. For the game, he ran for 109 yards, pushing him over 1,000 yards rushing for the season and making him the ninth Tiger to rush for 1,000 yards in the SEC.

Jamal Roberts also ran for 110 yards and a score.

That was it for Mizzou. Freshman quarterback Matt Zollers, starting in place of the injured Beau Pribula, hit just 7 of his 22 passes for 77 yards. A&M also brought him down for 2 sacks.

The Tigers made it to the red zone only once. More than three-quarters of their yardage came on less than a fifth of their plays. Big plays were there to be had against the Aggies — if there’s an Achilles heel, it’s that — but Mizzou wasn’t efficient enough with its other snaps.

A&M’s offense was just as explosive. The Aggies averaged 6.8 yards per play. Marcel Reed completed 20 of his 29 passes for 221 yards and 2 scores. Reuben Owens II ran 13 times for 102 yards and 2 scores. They produced 11 explosives on the day.

No. 3 Texas A&M 31, No. 19 Mizzou 17

Here’s the A&M-Mizzou box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

Marcel Reed vs Matt Zollers

Did Texas A&M Marcel Reed help his Heisman odds Saturday? Here’s a statistical breakdown of how Reed performed against Mizzou quarterback Matt Zollers:

The post Rapid Reaction: Big plays fuel Texas A&M road rout of Missouri appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Auburn fans praise Ashton Daniels, mock Hugh Freeze over first half vs. Vandy

Derek Peterson — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 23:05:21 +0000

In just the first half of his second start for Auburn on Saturday, Ashton Daniels completed 14 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown.

Jackson Arnold, the previous starter who was recently benched for Daniels, had fewer than 177 passing yards in 6 of his 9 appearances this season.

Daniels also had 53 rushing yards and a touchdown in a first half that was dominated by Auburn on Saturday. The Tigers, playing their first game since firing coach Hugh Freeze, led No. 16 Vanderbilt 20-10 at the break.

Daniels also had a 51-yard rushing touchdown that was taken off the board because of a holding penalty. Auburn still managed to cap that drive with a touchdown — part of a string of 4 straight possessions to begin the game that ended with points.

For weeks, Auburn’s offense was an anchor weighing the team down. The Tigers went into Week 11 ranked 103rd nationally in scoring. South Carolina was the only team in the SEC that was worse on a per-play basis than Auburn, which went into the weekend averaging 4.9 yards per play.

Auburn averaged 7.7 yards per play in the first half against Vandy.

Was Freeze tanking the offense? Did he just pick the wrong quarterback? Auburn fans were scratching their heads on Saturday while watching an actually-functional attack. Of course, that bewilderment turned to social media barbs and jokes.

Arnold caught some of it. Freeze caught most of it.

Was Hugh Freeze actively tanking this offense?

Auburn is up 14-3 on Vanderbilt after walking down the field. Ashton Daniels is 8-9 passing for 129 yards and a touchdown, and has 38 rushing yards and a score.
— Nathan King (@NathanKing247) November 8, 2025

https://twitter.com/BarrettSallee/status/1987270059304145129

https://twitter.com/randoranderson7/status/1987287244370030726

If Hugh freeze never contacts Jackson Arnold, they might go 9-3 on the plains
— Cayden McFarland (@caydenmc) November 8, 2025

They have real players, held back by hugh freeze and Jackson Arnold https://t.co/lUKqTwiyVl
— kam (@jarvislaundry) November 8, 2025

Remeber when Freeze wanted Jackson Arnold out of the portal instead of a bum like Fernando Mendoza? Good times.
— gAUlf (@gAUlf_WDE) November 8, 2025

Me watching a 1st-time play caller score with ease with a backup QB and knowing Hugh Freeze wasted this season: pic.twitter.com/MDoYjvkUf0
— Carter Byrd (@CarterByrd13) November 8, 2025

I think you simply sue Hugh Freeze for damages and emotional distress, take it to court, and just hit play on the first half offense vs. Vandy as your case.

No buyout granted. Freeze actually pays Auburn back millions of dollars.

Freeze goes to jail for embezzlement.
— pablo escobarner (blue check) (@PabloEscoburner) November 8, 2025

I can't believe I'm saying this, Hugh Freeze might have been a worse coach than I realized… pic.twitter.com/VKTlRVwy2T
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) November 8, 2025

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Rapid Reaction: Trinidad Chambliss shines as Ole Miss blanks The Citadel

Derek Peterson — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 21:25:58 +0000

Trinidad Chambliss was nearly perfect and the Ole Miss defense was practically impenetrable on Saturday as the sixth-ranked Rebels blanked The Citadel for a 49-0 win.

Ole Miss moved to 9-1 on the season with the win.

The record through 10 games is the best by any Ole Miss team since 1962, when the program went 10-0 under John Vaught. The defensive shutout was also the second in as many seasons for Ole Miss, marking the first time since 2007-08 the Rebels have pitched shutouts in consecutive seasons.

The Citadel gained just 106 yards of total offense. Ole Miss held the Bulldogs to 83 rushing yards on 42 attempts and finished with 13 tackles for loss. The Citadel threw the ball just 8 times all game, managing only 23 yards on those 8 pass attempts.

Six of the Bulldogs’ 12 offensive possessions ended with a 3-and-out. They missed 2 field goals and turned it over on downs at the Ole Miss 15. So, the Rebels got some help keeping their opponent off the scoreboard, but the Bulldogs felt the pinch because Ole Miss wouldn’t stop scoring.

Chambliss led touchdown drives on 6 of the Rebels’ first 7 possessions before handing control of the offense off to Austin Simmons. In less than 2.5 quarters, Chambliss threw for 333 yards and 3 scores while completing 29 of his 33 passes.

Simmons threw 12 times for 100 yards. He didn’t have a touchdown and was picked off in the third. Ole Miss was also able to get freshman AJ Maddox some snaps in the fourth quarter.

Ole Miss piled up 603 yards of offense as a team, averaging 7.4 per play.

The Rebels host Florida next weekend.

No. 6 Ole Miss 49, The Citadel 0

Here’s the Ole Miss-Citadel box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

Trinidad Chambliss vs Cobey Thompkins

Did Trinidad Chambliss help his Heisman odds on Saturday? Here’s a statistical breakdown of how the Ole Miss passer performed against The Citadel’s Cobey Thompkins:

The post Rapid Reaction: Trinidad Chambliss shines as Ole Miss blanks The Citadel appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Georgia dominates middle 8 to roll Mississippi State

Derek Peterson — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 20:32:37 +0000

Mississippi State scored the game’s opening points on Saturday, capping a 14-play drive that took more than 5 minutes off the clock before Georgia touched the ball. The Dawgs settled for a field goal on their opening drive and then fumbled at the Mississippi State 3-yard line on their second drive.

This was a fight.

Georgia, as it has done all year, met the moment. Over the final 6 minutes of the second quarter and the first 6 minutes of the third quarter, the fifth-ranked Bulldogs scored 28 unanswered points to turn a 10-7 brawl into a beatdown. And Georgia cruised to a 41-21 victory because of it.

Coaches talk all the time about the middle 8 — the last 4 minutes of the first half and the first 4 of the second half. Games can flip in those minutes. Games can be won or lost in those moments. Georgia knows that intimately this season.

Quarterback Gunner Stockton threw an 8-yard touchdown to Oscar Delp with 5:09 to play in the first half that put the Dawgs up 17-7. On the ensuing MSU drive, Georgia came up with a fourth-down stop from its own 23 to get off the field and give the ball back to the offense.

On Georgia’s final drive of the opening half, MSU was flagged for targeting, pass interference, and then offsides. The offsides penalty came on a fourth-and-3 and extended a dead drive. Georgia scored 3 plays later on a 19-yard pass from Stockton to Zach Branch to take a 24-7 lead into the break.

Nate Frazier broke a 59-yard scoring run on the fifth play of the third quarter and suddenly the Dawgs were up by 24 points.

Georgia forced a quick 3-and-out on MSU’s first possession of the third. Georgia took over and Stockton found Noah Thomas for a 64-yard, catch-and-run touchdown to put the Dawgs up 38-7.

That was all she wrote.

MSU lost starting quarterback Blake Shapen early in the third quarter. Freshman Kamario Taylor replaced him for the rest of the game. He ran for 53 yards and 3 scores while completing 6 of his 10 passes for 97 yards.

Stockton threw for 264 and 3 scores for Georgia. Frazier had 181 yards on 12 rushing attempts.

The Dawgs moved to 8-1 on the season with the win. They are 6-1 in SEC play heading into next weekend’s showdown with Texas. Mississippi State dropped to 5-5.

No. 5 Georgi 41, Mississippi State 21

Here’s the Georgia-Mississippi State box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:

Gunner Stockton vs Blake Shapen

Did Gunner Stockton help his Heisman odds Saturday? Here’s a statistical breakdown of how Stockton performed against Mississippi State counterpart Blake Shapen:

The post Rapid Reaction: Georgia dominates middle 8 to roll Mississippi State appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Mississippi State QB Blake Shapen exits game vs. Georgia

Derek Peterson — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 19:25:29 +0000

Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen left Saturday’s game against Georgia early in the third quarter with an apparent injury after taking a hard hit.

Shapen stayed down on the field after being tackled by Gabe Harris Jr. while attempting a pass. He was tended to by team trainers on the field before walking off under his own power toward the Bulldogs’ locker room.

Mississippi State punted on the play immediately after Shapen was injured. Georgia scored 3 plays later on a 64-yard pass to go up 38-7.

Shapen had completed 10 of his 15 pass attempts for 86 yards at the time of his exit. He also ran for 15 yards.

It’s not immediately clear what his status is for the remainder of the game. After being taken to the locker room, he quickly returned with his helmet in hand.

Freshman quarterback Kamario Taylor replaced Shapen on the following MSU possession.

Taylor scored the opening touchdown of the game on Saturday, a 4-yard run that gave Mississippi State a 7-0 lead after a 14-play, 75-yard opening drive. The 6-foot-4 Taylor was a consensus 4-star recruit out of the 2025 class. He was the ninth-ranked quarterback recruit in the class, per the 247 Composite.

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Friday Forecast 2025: SDS staff picks against the spread for Week 11

Derek Peterson — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 20:20:06 +0000

We have our first batch of rankings for the College Football Playoff, and that means chaos is about to take over the sport. In Week 11, we have 6 different top-10 teams going on the road. Will any of them lose?

The Saturday Down South staff returns to give their ATS picks for the top Week 11 college football games.

Let’s dive in.

(Editor’s note: All odds for this piece might not necessarily reflect current odds.)

Week 11 college football picks

Here’s how the crew picked 10 of the biggest games in Week 11. If you want to bet alongside the guys, check out our guide on the best sports betting apps to score a sign-up bonus at your shop of choice.

Tulane at Memphis

Spenser Davis: Tulane got smoked last week against UTSA in a total no-show performance. With that being said, I think this is too many points. The Green Wave have risen to the occasion in big games this season and I think they’ll do so again on Friday night in a game that has College Football Playoff implications. PICK: Tulane +4

Andy Olson: It’s hard to get a feel for this Tulane team. I’m also curious how all the Jon Sumrall chatter might affect the team. PICK: Memphis -3.5

Derek Peterson: Tulane has had trouble containing explosive plays, and Memphis has made a habit of biting off chunks at a time. I like the matchup here for the Tigers at home. PICK: Memphis -6

Adam Spencer: Could this battle between Jon Sumrall and Ryan Silverfield take place in an SEC matchup next year? It’s possible! For now, I’ll give Silverfield the edge since Memphis is the home team. PICK: Memphis -3.5

Ethan Stone: …… PICK: Memphis -3.5

No. 2 Indiana at Penn State

SD: From a fundamentals standpoint, the only sensible pick here is Penn State and the points. But Curt Cignetti’s Indiana team doesn’t act like most 2-touchdown favorites. The Hoosiers like to run up the score and they revel in squashing the joy out of everyone they play for a full 60 minutes. That’s hard to capture in a point spread — or in any other quantitative way. But we see it week after week. IU has played 2 competitive games this season and yet it ranks fourth nationally with a plus-57 point differential in the fourth quarter. PICK: Indiana -14.5

AO: I’ve learned my lesson about doubting the Hoosiers as favorites in Big Ten games. PICK: Indiana -14.5

DP: Penn State is bad and has no real reason to try anymore. Indiana is awesome and has had no real issue going on the road. Give me the Hoosiers, who have separated themselves atop the sport alongside the other 2 unbeaten teams. PICK: Indiana -14.5

AS: I picked Illinois to cover against Indiana. I won’t be making that same mistake here. Can the Hoosiers win by 50 again? That’s the only question this weekend. PICK: Indiana -14.5

ES: My gut told me to pick Penn State to cover the spread here. But that would mean going against this Indiana offense and picking a team that has lost 5 straight. No thanks, Nittany Lions. PICK: Indiana -14.5

No. 5 Georgia at Mississippi State

SD: If this was the Georgia of old, the Bulldogs would have no problem covering a spread like this. But I don’t think this defense is anything more than average in the SEC because they don’t pressure the quarterback. Mississippi State has been very competitive all season and I think we’ll see another close game in Starkville this weekend. PICK: Mississippi State +10.5

AO: This is a sneaky spot for Georgia. UGA regularly gives a great effort in the Cocktail Party. Kirby Smart and Co. now have to go to Starkville with a big game against Texas up ahead next week. MSU has put in some impressive upset bids at home this year, coming up just short of a couple big wins. I’ll take a cowbell cover. PICK: Mississippi State +10

DP: Georgia will get some phantom call to rescue it in the fourth quarter, but Mississippi State is a real team that should get taken seriously. The Bulldogs had been close to a breakthrough and finally got it against Arkansas. I think that momentum carries into this week. PICK: Mississippi State +8.5

AS: Fine, I’ll switch things up a bit and go against consensus here. Georgia hasn’t played its best game of the year yet. These Bulldogs haven’t been so dominant that they can afford to look past a tough Mississippi State team with Texas on deck next weekend. Kirby Smart’s bunch plays a strong wire-to-wire game and wins by double digits. PICK: Georgia -9

ES: I think this one is going to be close to this line, and Georgia really has played nothing but close games this season. Same for Mississippi State. Feels like I have to go with the Bulldogs +9 here. PICK: Mississippi State +9

No. 7 BYU at No. 8 Texas Tech

SD: I’m going to lay the points with Texas Tech and I expect a rocking-chair victory. The energy in Lubbock when Texas Tech is the center of the college football world is unparalleled. That’s the case this weekend as College GameDay gets to campus for the first time since the Michael Crabtree game in 2008 — one of the best regular-season games the sport has seen this century. I think BYU is vastly overrated with its No. 8 ranking and won’t be able to keep up with the Red Raiders. PICK: Texas Tech -10

AO: I expect Texas Tech to win, but I just can’t lay 10.5 to a top-10 opponent. I’m curious to see how the Cougars respond to being such a big road dog. PICK: BYU +10.5

DP: I’m a BYU doubter, but its voodoo magic is hard to deny. As a double-digit dog, I’ll roll the dice. PICK: BYU +10.5

AS: Texas Tech has Behren Morton healthy (ish) for this game. The Red Raiders are a different team with him at quarterback. College GameDay will be in town. Patrick Mahomes will be in town. Lubbock will be amped up. Big win for Texas Tech. PICK: Texas Tech -10

ES: This feels like the perfect time for BYU to lay an egg. Texas Tech dominated a similarly strong Utes rushing offense a few weeks ago, and the vibes in Lubbock are at a major high. Plus, this one kicks off at 11 am local time, which is just an early matchup for the Cougars on the road. A lot to like about the Red Raiders here. PICK: Texas Tech -10

No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 22 Missouri

SD: I didn’t hate what I saw from Matt Zollers in his cameo a couple of weeks ago. I also think the Mizzou defense could give Texas A&M some trouble, as could its rushing attack led by Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts. PICK: Mizzou +7

AO: Texas A&M has been the real deal this year. The Aggies are a complete team and have shown they can win on the road. Obviously, Mizzou’s upset hopes took a huge hit with the Beau Pribula injury. I’d be surprised if the Tigers keep this within the spread. PICK: Texas A&M -6.5

DP: I’m on the Aggies in several spots this week, which probably means bad things are coming for Mike Elko’s squad. But I have a hard time picturing Matt Zollers’s first career start going well against this defensive front. PICK: Texas A&M -7

AS: Texas A&M is a tough assignment for Matt Zollers in his first career start. It won’t be a total embarrassment like last year’s debacle in College Station was, but the Tigers will lose this one. The Aggies stay unbeaten in comfortable fashion on Saturday afternoon. PICK: Texas A&M -6.5

ES: Texas A&M is a machine right now, and I found the Aggies -6.5. Get ready to learn Cashius Howell, Matt Zollers. PICK: Texas A&M -6.5

No. 9 Oregon at No. 20 Iowa

SD: “What if Oregon is mediocre?” is a question I’ve thought about quite a bit since Penn State’s loss to UCLA. I do have some serious concerns about the Ducks. But the reality is, Iowa has one of the worst passing offenses in the country again this season. The Hawkeyes’ rushing defense is pretty bad down-to-down (110th in rushing success rate), and Oregon’s rushing attack is borderline-elite. I like the Ducks as long as it’s under a touchdown. PICK: Oregon -6

AO: Defense travels. It feels like Iowa is a bit of a trendy upset pick right now, but I think Oregon covers. PICK: Oregon -6.5

DP: Iowa has hosted 9 AP Top 15 teams at Kinnick since the start of the 2015 season. The Hawkeyes have 4 outright wins. The other 5 were decided by an average of 6.6 points. I have some concerns with Oregon. I’m backing the home side. PICK: Iowa +6.5

AS: It feels like everyone is down on Oregon. On the flip side, I’m just that impressed by Indiana. I think the Ducks win. It won’t be easy, but a 10-point victory is certainly possible, even at Kinnick. PICK: Oregon -6

ES: Iowa holding Fernando Mendoza and that monster of an Indiana offense to just 20 points is even more impressive with time. The Hawkeyes have played well at Kinnick Stadium this season, and Oregon has really yet to play a defense this good. On the road. 3,000 miles away from Eugene. PICK: Iowa +6.5

Auburn at No. 16 Vanderbilt

SD: Emotional loss for Vandy last week. Auburn could look a lot different on offense with a new coach running the show this week. I also think Auburn’s defense is excellent and could give Vanderbilt some real issues this week. PICK: Auburn +6.5

AO: I’m going to ride the interim coach wave that addition by subtraction helps the Auburn offense play better Saturday. Even a slight improvement on that side of the ball should keep this close. PICK: Auburn +6.5

DP: This will more than likely be a lower-scoring game. I like the Auburn defense to keep the Tigers within striking distance. PICK: Auburn +6.5

AS: Vanderbilt’s offense has struggled against elite defenses. Auburn’s offense has struggled against everyone. It might help that the Tigers now probably don’t have 34 different offensive play callers under this interim staff, but Vandy should still win comfortably. PICK: Vanderbilt -6

ES: Auburn just scored 3 points at home against Kentucky. Hugh Freeze is absolutely to blame for a decent amount of that, but the Tigers’ offensive line isn’t just magically fixing itself overnight. Can the Tigers get to 10 points? PICK: Vanderbilt -6.5

Wake Forest at No. 14 Virginia

SD: Virginia probably isn’t a top-40 team, let alone a top-15 team. Wake Forest is coming off of a terrible loss to Florida State last weekend. I think we’ll see a better effort from the Demon Deacons on Saturday in what will be an opportunity to earn a ranked road win. PICK: Wake Forest +7

AO: I tend to trust Virginia at home after Wake Forest turned in an embarrassing performance against Florida State. Hoos to cover a 7-point win feels about right here. PICK: Virginia -6.5

DP: Virginia has been flirting with danger recently. I’m out. PICK: Wake Forest +7

AS: Reading Spenser’s columns every week has me all aboard the Wake Forest hype train. He’s picked the Demon Deacons to pull off upsets almost every week, and almost every week (outside of a beatdown at Florida State), he’s been right. I’ll take Wake in this spot. PICK: Wake Forest +7

ES: I feel like this line is giving a little too much credit to Wake Forest, which completely fell on its face against the best defense it played all year last week. Virginia will be the second-best defense the Demon Deacons have faced all year, and they’ll have to face them in Charlottesville. I could see Virginia tripping before the finish line, but I don’t think it’ll be here. PICK: Virginia -6.5

Florida State at Clemson

SD: Imagine if you had told ACC commissioner Jim Phillips at the beginning of the season that Clemson would be hosting Florida State in a primetime matchup and the point spread would be a virtual pick ‘em. He probably would have been thrilled. PICK: Clemson +0.5

AO: It’s hard to know what to expect from Clemson right now. Are the Tigers going to fight to make a bowl game, or have they given up on the season altogether? I’m not sure FSU can be trusted on the road, so I’ll go with a slim Clemson home cover and hope for the best. PICK: Clemson -1.5

DP: I have no clue which of these teams are still motivated to play out their respective seasons. I have no clue which coach still has the ear of his locker room. I’ll take the team coming off the better result. PICK: Florida State +1.5

AS: Does the loser of this game fire its coach? Which dumpster fire will out-dumpster fire the other dumpster fire? I think Florida State at least covers this 2-point spread. PICK: Florida State +2

ES: Florida State has been so bad on the road this season, but Clemson is a shell of itself right now. And Florida State’s defense is the best unit on the field. In a tossup, I’ll take the Seminoles… but I don’t feel great about it. PICK: Florida State +1.5

LSU at No. 4 Alabama

SD: It’s just too many points. Alabama’s offense looked rough in its most recent game against South Carolina. LSU should be fired up to play for an interim head coach with Brian Kelly out the door. I think LSU beats the number and I wouldn’t be shocked if the outcome was still in doubt after 3 quarters. PICK: LSU +10.5

AO: I’ll ride the interim coach wave again, though I was a bit more hesitant here. We’ve known all year that LSU isn’t lacking talent. I have no doubt Frank Wilson will have the Tigers ready for a big rivalry game. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being close like 2021 after Ed Orgeron’s firing. PICK: LSU +10.5

DP: I got LSU earlier in the week and I’ll stick with that pick for this. It’s possible the dismissal of LSU’s offensive coordinator has a larger impact on the Tigers’ fortunes than the firing of Brian Kelly. I don’t think the Tigers are actually going to win this game, but there’s too much talent on the offensive side of the ball for it to be as backed up as it has been this season. I’m anxious to see if LSU has more conviction in the run game. PICK: LSU +10.5

AS: I think the interim coach bump will be a thing in the first half. But in the second half, Alabama will come to life and put the Tigers away. Ty Simpson has a Heisman Trophy moment and the Crimson Tide win by double digits. PICK: Alabama -9.5

ES: Alabama has played 4 games at home this season and none have really been close. Even against Vanderbilt, the Tide controlled the game the entire way. If you’re going to come into Byrant-Denny and buck that trend, you’re going to have to put up points. LSU currently ranks 95th in the country in total offense, so I’ll roll with the Tide. PICK: Alabama -10

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Florida bigs dominate, and make history, as Gators notch first win

Derek Peterson — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 16:07:32 +0000

Florida nearly doubled up on the visiting North Florida Ospreys in the first half. At the break, the third-ranked Gators led 52-28. And they never looked back.

Thanks to a record-setting day from Florida’s collection of bigs, the Gators trounced the Ospreys 104-64 to earn their first victory of the 2025-26 season.

Alex Condon scored 25 points in 26 minutes to lead all scorers. He also grabbed 10 boards, dished 4 assists, blocked 3 shots, and came up with 2 steals. Micah Handlogten came off the bench to record his second double-double in as many games to open the campaign, finishing with 17 points and 13 boards. Thomas Haugh scored 12 points to go with 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Rueben Chinyelu had 8 points and 9 boards.

“We imposed our wills,” said coach Todd Golden after the game.

In the blowout win, Florida also got a chance to insert 7-foot-9 center Olivier Rioux into the game. When Rioux entered with 2:09 to go in the second half, he made history as the tallest person ever to play in a basketball game.

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1986638332378411296

“I talked to the guys at halftime when we’re up 24 and I expressed to them the importance of getting off to a really good start so we can get some of the younger guys and some of the guys from down on the bench an opportunity to play,” Golden said after the game. “I think [Rioux] was pretty excited. It was pretty neat for him to finally see the floor.”

Because of Florida’s frontcourt depth, the redshirt freshman’s minutes will be sporadic this season. He played just 2 minutes Thursday night.

With a player like Condon leading the charge, the Gators have a star to anchor the frontcourt.

Condon was held to 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting in the season-opening loss to Arizona. He committed 6 turnovers and fouled out in 29 minutes. He also missed 3 free throws. On Thursday, he made 8 of his 12 shots from the field and 9 of 10 from the charity stripe. He only turned it over once and didn’t pick up a single foul.

“He wasn’t feeling sorry for himself and making excuses. He was just, ‘Let me get back to it, get back to what I know.’ I thought he did a great job of letting the game come to him, being aggressive when he needed to,” Golden said. “This is an insane All-American level type of night. We were all disappointed with how Monday went, but I thought he answered the bell.”

Florida hosts Florida State next Tuesday.

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DFS Picks: Top plays from the SEC’s biggest Week 11 games

Derek Peterson — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 16:00:00 +0000

In Week 11 of the college football season, we have a top-25 showdown in Columbia, and we have multiple SEC programs making their return to the field for the first time since dismissing an underperforming head coach. As is the case every week, all eyes will be on the Southeastern Conference.

Let’s take a look at 3 of the top games on the slate and search for a few DFS angles to attack.

Week 11 DFS predictions

Below are 3 DFS picks from the Week 11 college football slate that can all be found on Underdog Fantasy. If you’re new to Underdog, grab Saturday Down South‘s exclusive Underdog Fantasy promo code SDS that will help you earn $100 in bonus credits when you enter your first $5 contest!

Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy longest rush higher than 20.5 yards vs. Texas A&M

Mizzou is going to try and run the ball to make life easier on quarterback Matt Zollers in his first start. Of course, Texas A&M knows this and will likely be selling out to stop the run on early downs to create late-down opportunities to rush the passer. That being said, this Aggie defense has been susceptible to explosive runs all season long.

The Aggies have only given up 100 rushing yards in a game 3 times so far. Those numbers require a bit of context, though. Auburn, Florida, and LSU were all held under 100 yards against A&M, but none of them topped 30 ground carries. Five teams have run at least 30 times against the Aggies this year; those 5 teams have gained an average of 152.4 yards per game with a 19% explosive run rate.

UTSA had 3 runs of at least 20 yards. Utah State popped a 30-yard run. Notre Dame popped a 24-yard run. Mississippi State broke a 22-yard run. And Arkansas had 6 runs that gained at least 20 yards. Ahmad Hardy, still the SEC’s leading rusher despite being held under 100 yards in 3 straight games, is one of the most difficult running backs in the country to bring down. Given an opening or 2, Hardy should break loose. He has 8 runs this season that have gained at least 20 yards. With plenty of carries in the game plan, I like his chances of adding to that total.

Auburn WR Eric Singleton Jr. higher than 36.5 receiving yards at Vanderbilt

Interim head coach DJ Durkin said earlier in the week Ashton Daniels will draw the start for Auburn on Saturday against Vanderbilt. And that means Auburn’s receivers are worth targeting on the DFS market.

Vanderbilt’s defense hasn’t been reliable this season, but the ‘Dores have been able to work around that because of the style of play. The exposure is low. Still, Vandy ranks 71st in defensive success rate, per Game on Paper. They’re in the eighth percentile nationally (horrific) for explosive pass rate allowed and the fourth percentile for passing EPA per play. Third downs (typically passing downs) have been an issue all year. Nearly 30% of all pass attempts against this secondary have gained 10 yards.

Daniels struggled last week against Kentucky. As such, none of Auburn’s receivers had respectable days. Eric Singleton Jr. had his worst outing of the season — 2 catches for 12 yards. I expect a better performance from the pass game when Daniels makes his second start. With Hugh Freeze out the door, maybe there’s new life in the Auburn offense. This feels like a buy-low spot for Singleton, who still leads the team in receptions this year.

Alabama QB Ty Simpson lower than 272.5 passing yards vs. LSU

Alabama’s leader at quarterback hasn’t thrown for more than 260 yards in a game since Oct. 4. He had 340 in the win over Vanderbilt that day. He had 276 the week prior against Georgia, and 382 against Wisconsin 2 weeks before that. That 3-game stretch is the only time all season Simpson has cleared 272.5 yards in a game. And the LSU defense has only given up that kind of yardage through the air twice this season.

The defense was certainly an issue at home against Texas A&M a few weeks ago. Off a bye, and with a reconfigured coaching staff, the expectation is that LSU will show some grit. LSU’s defense has played poorly in consecutive games. Will it do so in a third straight? I’m not so sure.

And if the Tigers get any sort of help from their offense — which will be under the direction of a new play-caller — we could be looking at one of the better performances of the season from LSU. Of course, the Crimson Tide could also turn a 2-game skid into a 3-game skid by handling a reeling LSU squad. In that case, Simpson likely wouldn’t be throwing the ball around at all in the latter stages of the game.

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ESPN’s College GameDay reveals guest picker for Week 11 show

Derek Peterson — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 14:55:43 +0000

Disney does love its reboots, and with Dylan Raiola unavailable this weekend for the Huskers, he’ll be heading to College GameDay.

Oh, wait. Actually, ESPN secured the inspiration — not the inspired — for Saturday’s broadcast from Lubbock, Texas. Nothing quite compares to the original.

Former Red Raiders quarterback and current Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes will be the celebrity guest picker during the Week 11 show, which will be live from the Texas Tech campus ahead of a massive, top-10 showdown between No. 7 BYU and No. 8 Texas Tech.

https://twitter.com/CollegeGameDay/status/1986795913839251472

The Chiefs are on a bye this week, so Mahomes, who quarterbacked Tech from 2014-16, will head south to represent his alma mater. This will be just the second time in program history that Texas Tech has hosted GameDay. The first came in 2008, when then-No. 6 Texas Tech hosted No. 1 Texas.

Tech is 8-1 on the season, including a 5-1 record in Big 12 play. BYU is unbeaten at 8-0. Should Tech prevail, it’ll take a massive step toward the Big 12 title game and establish itself as a near-lock to make the College Football Playoff.

If BYU wins, the Cougars will create some distance between themselves and the rest of the conference. Cincinnati would be the only remaining Big 12 team with 1 or fewer losses in league play, the the Bearcats still have to face BYU on Nov. 22.

Kickoff from Jones AT&T Stadium is set for noon ET on ABC on Saturday. Tech is a 10-point favorite, per BetMGM.

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Florida wide receiver rotation gets a boost ahead of Week 11

Derek Peterson — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 03:01:08 +0000

Florida will be without Dallas Wilson and Eugene Wilson III on Saturday when it takes on Kentucky, but the Gators got some good news on Thursday night regarding 2 other wide receivers.

Vernell Brown III and Aiden Mizell were both listed as questionable on the initial availability report Florida handed into the SEC on Wednesday night. On the updated report 24 hours later, neither was listed at all.

Running back Duke Clark, also listed as questionable on Wednesday, was completely off the report on Thursday.

That would suggest all 3 skill position players will be available on Saturday against the Wildcats.

Brown is Florida’s leading receiver this season with 451 yards on 32 receptions. He did not play last week in the loss to Georgia.

Mizell has been a regular on the injury report this season, appearing in just 4 games so far. He has 11 receptions for 107 yards and a score.

Clark has played in only 3 games so far, logging 15 carries for 58 yards. Jadan Baugh has been the bellcow back in the Gators’ backfield, with 132 carries in 8 games. Ja’Kobi Jackson is the only other Florida running back with at least 20 rushing attempts this year, though he will not play against Kentucky.

The full report can be found here.

Kickoff for Saturday’s game in Lexington is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

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