Spenser Davis, Author at Saturday Down South

Predicting the next head coach at Penn State

Spenser Davis — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 13:30:00 +0000

Penn State will hire its next head coach in the coming weeks after parting ways with James Franklin earlier this season.

Along with Florida, LSU and Auburn, Penn State is one of the best open jobs on the market and figures to be of significant interest to numerous top coaches.

Penn State head coach candidates

Kalshi, a predictions market that is legal in all 50 states, has posted markets for more than a dozen potential candidates to be the next Penn State head coach.

Let’s break down some of the leading candidates before making a prediction on Penn State’s coaching search.

Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri head coach

Current Kalshi price: 42 cents per contract

Eli Drinkwitz is the clear favorite to be the next Penn State head coach if you believe in Kalshi’s market prices. He’s set to wrap up his 6th season at Mizzou in a couple of weeks and led the program to back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2023 and 2024. The Tigers have taken a small step back this year, but Drinkwitz is still expected to be a candidate at all the top open jobs this cycle. One potential negative for Drinkwitz at Penn State is he’s never coached at a Big Ten institution and has spent almost all of his career in the South.

Brent Key, Georgia Tech head coach

Current Kalshi price: 21 cents per contract

Georgia Tech coach Brent Key has turned things around at his alma mater in relatively short order. The Yellow Jackets are contending for the ACC title this season. In the 3+ years prior to Key taking over as interim head coach in 2022, Georgia Tech won a total of 10 games. However, Key has made some pretty convincing statements about remaining at his alma mater beyond this season. “Slice me open and see what colors I bleed,” Key said earlier this month. Like Drinkwitz, Key has spent most of his career in the South and has never worked at a Big Ten program.

RELATED: Interested in signing up with Kalshi? Here’s a Kalshi promo code to help new users earn a sign-up bonus when they join!

Brian Hartline, Ohio State offensive coordinator

Current Kalshi price: 15 cents per contract

Brian Hartline is regarded as one of the top offensive coaches in the country. The former NFL wideout has had a big hand in turning Ohio State into the nation’s premier wide receiver factory. Hartline, 38, does have some potential marks against him, though. He’s an Ohio State alum who has never coached anywhere but in Columbus. He’s been on staff since 2017 in various capacities and is Ohio State’s offensive coordinator in 2025. Hartline is the team’s primary play caller in 2025, which should be a boost for his candidacy. The Buckeyes are thriving with first-year quarterback Julian Sayin and are averaging 6.95 yards per play this season (12th nationally entering Week 13).

Bob Chesney, James Madison head coach

Current Kalshi price: 11 cents per contract

Bob Chesney is less established than the coaches above him on this list, but he could be a candidate at any number of top jobs this offseason. Chesney is in his second season at James Madison and already has the Dukes competing for a College Football Playoff berth. Chesney is a Pennsylvania native who played at Dickinson College, a Division III program located less than 100 miles from Happy Valley. Chesney’s career has brought him to several schools in the northeast, including Holy Cross, Assumption and Johns Hopkins.

Here’s a look at the live market on Kalshi for Penn State’s next head coach:

Penn State head coach prediction

Given the options above, I like backing Bob Chesney to be the choice in State College. He has deep ties to the area and is a proven winner at multiple levels. I’m skeptical about the fit for Drinkwitz or Key given their lack of Big Ten experience and their well-documented affinity for their current jobs. Hartline is intriguing, but being an Ohio State lifer may be enough of a red flag to keep his name further down the list. Chesney checks more boxes than any of these other candidates.

How does Kalshi work?

Kalshi is one of the top prediction markets available and is legal in all 50 US states. Markets posted on Kalshi could include everything from sports to politics to weather.

Here’s how it works: Users purchase contracts for a certain prediction in a given market. Those contracts will then pay out at a rate of $1 per contract if graded as accurate. For example a $10 prediction on Bob Chesney to be the next head coach at Penn State would pay out approximately $85 if Chesney is the next permanent head coach in Happy Valley.

Kalshi users can also adjust their position before the market is settled. So if new information about a Penn State coaching candidate becomes available, users can adjust accordingly.

The post Predicting the next head coach at Penn State appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Predicting 5 upsets for Week 13 of the 2025 college football season

Spenser Davis — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 16:00:00 +0000

The end of the 2025 college football season is near.

It’s time for Week 13, which means Thanksgiving and numerous rivalry games are right around the corner. As always, this story will seek to predict 5 underdogs who will win outright this weekend.

Last week was a solid one for upset predictions. We went 2-3 as Oklahoma (+180) and Virginia (+195) both won outright, leading to a bottom line of +0.57 units for the week.

5 upset predictions

Below you’ll find 5 upset picks for this week. Included is the best market price from a variety of sports betting apps based on the latest college football odds:

Florida over Tennessee

I’m still not sure the market has caught up to just how bad Tennessee’s defense is this season. Some models like SP+ still have some preseason priors baked in, so the Vols rank 56th in defensive SP+ this year entering Week 13. But metrics that are limited to this season paint a much darker picture. Per Game on Paper, Tennessee’s defense ranks 113th in EPA-per-play allowed and 124th in defensive success rate.

I saw enough out of Florida last week to believe that the Gators haven’t quit quite yet. This Florida offense is certainly capable of making big plays, as we saw in Oxford last week. The Florida defense should get a nice boost with Caleb Banks set to return this week, too. I think Florida will be ready to go for this home game and Tennessee could be in trouble in The Swamp.

Pick: Florida +165 (via BetMGM)

USC over Oregon

This pick is a product of me being lower on Oregon than the consensus. The Ducks are the better overall team and they’re at home, but I do think USC can cause some problems in this matchup. I think USC has the quarterback advantage and the Trojans will be highly motivated — a win would put them in serious contention to earn a College Football Playoff berth for the first time under Lincoln Riley. I think this game could end up being significantly closer than the markets currently suggest.

Pick: USC +305 (via Fanatics)

Pittsburgh over Georgia Tech

Give me Pitt in a bounce-back spot after getting crushed by Notre Dame this past week. The Panthers have a good team, but playing the Fighting Irish was a bit too much to ask of true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel. Georgia Tech’s defense has been horrendous for most of this season and the Yellow Jackets have a rivalry game against Georgia on deck. It’s not a true look-ahead spot because GT has no path to the Playoff if it doesn’t beat Pittsburgh. But I’m more optimistic about Pitt heading into late November than I am about Georgia Tech.

Pick: Pittsburgh +120 (via bet365)

Cincinnati over BYU

The Bearcats are coming off of back-to-back losses to Utah and Arizona. The latter of those defeats came at home and was bitterly disappointing, as it knocked Cincy out of the top 25. Cincinnati does still have a path to the Big 12 Championship Game, though, and I do think we get a better effort from the Bearcats this week against a BYU team that has struggled at times on the road this season. I think BYU is a bit overrated by the polls — it comes into this game ranked 11th in the AP Poll but 22nd in SP+. I think Cincy has a good chance to win outright.

Pick: Cincinnati +115 (via BetMGM)

Stanford over Cal

Both Stanford and Cal are off a bye this week. The Cardinal have been consistently competitive in the face of adversity this season. There’s a long way to go, but I like what Andrew Luck seems to be building out there from a culture standpoint. Cal beat Louisville in overtime last time out and will certainly have the QB advantage in this game, but the Golden Bears have been pretty volatile this season game-to-game. I Stanford’s prospects are being underrated here.

Pick: Stanford +130 (via bet365)

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • November 18, 2025 at 10:07pm

Pick

Odds

AwayTeam

Moneyline

CFB • USC Trojans @ Oregon Ducks

305 on Fanatics

SCHEDULED • 11/22/2025

Betslip #1763503669698-16bd-293

The post Predicting 5 upsets for Week 13 of the 2025 college football season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

College Football Playoff rankings, Nov. 18: Alabama, Texas tumble

Spenser Davis — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 01:53:22 +0000

The College Football Playoff selection committee released a new batch of rankings on Tuesday evening.

Week 12 was very eventful across all of college football, but particularly in the SEC. In the biggest games of the week, Oklahoma defeated Alabama in Tuscaloosa while Georgia handed Texas its third loss of the season.

Both of those results had serious CFP implications and are reflected in this week’s rankings.

College Football Playoff rankings Week 13

Here’s a look at this week’s top 25:

Ohio State
Indiana
Texas A&M
Georgia
Texas Tech
Ole Miss
Oregon
Oklahoma
Notre Dame
Alabama
BYU
Utah
Miami
Vanderbilt
USC
Georgia Tech
Texas
Michigan
Virginia
Tennessee
Illinois
Missouri
Houston
Tulane
Arizona State

College Football Playoff contenders

Only 12 teams will ultimately advance to the College Football Playoff. While those programs are not yet known, prediction markets have begun to separate the contenders from the pretenders.

Over on Kalshi, a prediction market that’s legal in all 50 states, here’s a top at the top contenders for this year’s national title:

Interested in joining Kalshi? Here’s a Kalshi promo code to help you earn an exclusive bonus when you sign up!

According to Kalshi’s marketplace, Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M are the top favorites to win it all this season. The Aggies remain on track for a top-4 seed in the CFP this season thanks to their historic comeback win over South Carolina on Saturday.

The post College Football Playoff rankings, Nov. 18: Alabama, Texas tumble appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Eli Drinkwitz talks future Mizzou NIL plans, ‘reality’ of roster building

Spenser Davis — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 23:11:23 +0000

Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz met with reporters on Tuesday and covered a number of topics as the Tigers prepare to face Oklahoma on the road this weekend.

Mizzou has taken a small step back this season as the Tigers already have 3 losses with a couple of regular season games to play. Drinkwitz’s focus is on building a sustainable winner in Columbia, and that means having an NIL budget to compete with the best programs in the country.

On Tuesday, Drinkwitz discussed what it would look like for Mizzou to increase its NIL footprint. He said Mizzou will be looking at partnering with Fortune500 companies that are based in the state of Missouri. Per Drinkwitz, Missouri has 11 Fortune500 companies, which is the fourth-most among SEC states.

“We’ve got to continue to develop the relationships with those companies and get those companies to invest in our athletes,” Drinkwitz said. “We need their support. We are the institution of this state. We provide those companies with a lot of workers. And so it would be awesome if we got to see some reciprocal investments.”

Drinkwitz emphasized that Mizzou will need to step up its NIL game in order to attract — and retain — key players for a roster that’s capable of competing for an SEC Championship.

“You want better results? You’ve got to get better players,” he added. “We’ve got great players right now, but you can always use more. In order to keep the current players we have … you’ve got to offer them the same amount of money that other people are. That’s the reality.”

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As Mizzou looks to have a better season in 2026, Drinkwitz said the “next jump” will be the most difficult so far.

“The next jump is going to be the hardest jump,” Drinkwitz said. “Going from good to great is the hardest jump possible.”

Here’s video of his comments from Tuesday’s press conference:

Long, but worth a listen: #Mizzou HC Eli Drinkwitz talks about the next steps MU needs to take in the NIL space.

He says the University has done a very good job in NIL over the years, but wants to get to a place where his team can beat the teams that have 'unlimited' NIL.… pic.twitter.com/CwZP1c9uDA
— Nathalie Jones (@NathalieABC17) November 18, 2025

The post Eli Drinkwitz talks future Mizzou NIL plans, ‘reality’ of roster building appeared first on Saturday Down South.

James Franklin finalizing deal for next head coaching job, per report

Spenser Davis — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 21:21:22 +0000

Former Vanderbilt and Penn State head coach James Franklin has his next job, according to a report.

Franklin is finalizing a contract to become the next head coach at Virginia Tech. That’s per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, who notes that Franklin has 128 career victories and brought the Nittany Lions to the final four just last season.

Sources: Virginia Tech and James Franklin are finalizing an agreement for him to become the school’s next coach. Franklin has won 128 games over 15 seasons as the head coach at Vanderbilt and Penn State. He led Penn State to the CFP semi-finals last year. pic.twitter.com/Pr4TyLBB9N
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 17, 2025

Franklin replaces Brent Pry, who was fired earlier this season after less than 4 years on the job. It’s been a disappointing decade for Virginia Tech, who has not won 9+ games in a single season since the 2017 campaign. The Hokies are 3-7 so far this year and will not be bowl-eligible in 2025.

Franklin will be looking to turn things around quickly in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech competed for ACC Championships at the height of the Frank Beamer era. The Hokies won 10 consecutive games every year from 2004-11 under Beamer’s leadership.

This is the first major hire of this year’s coaching carousel. Florida, LSU, Penn State and Arkansas are among the jobs that are expected to be filled in the coming weeks.

Franklin does have ties to the region. Prior to being named the head coach at Vanderbilt, he was the offensive coordinator at Maryland from 2008-10. He also worked for the Terps from 2000-04. He was also the wide receivers coach at James Madison for one season back in 1997.

The post James Franklin finalizing deal for next head coaching job, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Lane Kiffin’s family members reportedly visited Gainesville, Baton Rouge amid coaching rumors

Spenser Davis — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:57:17 +0000

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin reportedly is still weighing his options as he approaches a potential crossroads in the coming weeks.

With LSU and Florida both having vacant head coaching positions, Kiffin has been discussed as a potential candidate for both of those jobs. Kiffin is on the cusp of leading Ole Miss to its first-ever College Football Playoff berth this season.

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, things seem to have escalated. Per the report, members of Kiffin’s family visited Gainesville on Sunday and Baton Rouge on Monday.

The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander also reported on Monday that LSU arranged for members of Kiffin’s family to fly from Oxford to Baton Rouge.

It’s unclear at this time whether Kiffin would prefer the Florida job or the LSU job, should he decide to leave Ole Miss.

After the game on Saturday night, Kiffin declined to say whether he expected to be the Ole Miss head coach next season.

“I love what we’re doing here,” Kiffin said after Ole Miss’s 34-24 win over Florida. “Today was awesome. I don’t talk about that stuff. And really, to even talk about it right now would be disrespectful to our players and how well they played today.”

Kiffin has been the head coach at Ole Miss since the start of the 2020. As of publication, Kalshi markets have priced Kiffin as the favorite to be the next head coach at both Florida and LSU.

Here’s a look at the up-to-the-minute Kalshi market for LSU’s next head coach:

The post Lane Kiffin’s family members reportedly visited Gainesville, Baton Rouge amid coaching rumors appeared first on Saturday Down South.

10 college football ideas I’m buying or selling after Week 12

Spenser Davis — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 15:30:00 +0000

It’s time for the penultimate week of the 2025 college football season.

With Week 12 in the books, let’s take stock of the slate of games we just absorbed and break down some of the emerging narratives in college football. Last week, we discussed the ACC’s struggles, LSU’s quarterback situation, Alabama’s offensive issues and Washington’s bounce-back potential, among other topics.

10 college football ideas to buy or sell

Let’s dive in for Week 12:

Selling: Oklahoma is a Playoff lock

Oklahoma gutted out a 23-21 win in Tuscaloosa on Saturday afternoon. This victory was both a big step in the right direction for the Sooners and also a pretty flukey result. On the one hand, this is exactly the type of game Oklahoma often lost under Brent Venables in the early part of his tenure — coming out on top shouldn’t be easily dismissed.

On the other hand, Oklahoma gained just over 200 yards and struggled to move the ball into scoring range for most of the game. The Sooners won because they converted 3 Alabama turnovers into 17 points. Great for OU to win the game, but I’m not so sure that’s a repeatable strategy down the stretch. To that point, Oklahoma’s postgame win expectancy per ESPN’s Bill Connelly was just 4.8%. That’s the lowest for any winning team this weekend.

At 8-2 with a favorable schedule remaining, the Sooners look like they’re on track to make the College Football Playoff. But with lingering injuries on defense and consistency issues on offense, I wouldn’t be shocked if Oklahoma slips up in 1 of its last 2 games of the season vs. Mizzou or LSU.

Buying: Alabama will be fine

I picked Oklahoma last weekend, but I actually came away from that game thinking Alabama deserved to win (and cover the spread) based on how it played. The Crimson Tide had a few too many negative plays, but they also created a ton of explosives. It took Oklahoma more than half the game to figure out a solution for tight end Josh Cuevas.

Alabama nearly had a positive EPA on the day despite enduring 3 back-breaking turnovers — that’s pretty tough to do. All in all, it was Alabama’s best offensive performance in several weeks.

Of course, the Crimson Tide do need to find a solution for Ty Simpson’s fumbling issues. Simpson has now fumbled in 5-straight games and has really struggled against pressure this season. I think Alabama will be fine over its last 2 games of the season — including against Auburn in Week 14 — but that’s a problem the Tide will have to solve if they’re going to win the SEC or make a dent in the CFP this season.

Buying: Texas A&M earned its come back win

If you just looked at the underlying metrics from Texas A&M’s furious comeback win over South Carolina, you’d have no clue this game was ever close. From Game on Paper:

Success rate: Texas A&M 47%, South Carolina 25%
EPA-per-play: Texas A&M 0.01, South Carolina -0.2
EPA-per-drop back: Texas A&M 0.45, South Carolina -0.18
Explosive play rate: Texas A&M 10%, South Carolina 8%

It was a great effort from the Gamecocks, but Texas A&M was the rightful winner of that game — and that’s without factoring in all of A&M’s unforced errors in the first half that put the Aggies in a 30-3 hole. Texas A&M almost lost outright as a 19-point favorite, which would be concerning under most circumstances. But in this case, I wouldn’t downgrade the Aggies too much going into Week 13.

Buying: James Madison is a CFP threat

James Madison hasn’t garnered much hype this season, but Bob Chesney’s bunch is certainly a threat to earn a College Football Playoff spot down the stretch. The Dukes might be even better than when Curt Cignetti was in charge before he moved to Bloomington. JMU is 9-1 this season (its only loss came against Louisville) and just finished up a thrashing of Appalachian State in Week 12.

JMU’s path to the Playoff isn’t a no-brainer, but it’s definitely viable if it gets a few breaks.

It’s possible a 3-loss ACC team like Pitt or SMU will win that conference, which would put the selection committee in a tough spot (assuming James Madison runs the table and finishes at 12-1). It’s also not out of the question that James Madison would end the season ranked higher than the AAC’s champion. South Florida’s loss to Navy puts the Bulls’ Playoff hopes in serious doubt.

North Texas is the last AAC team with only 1 conference loss, but the Mean Green weren’t ranked by the selection committee last week. We should get an answer on Tuesday night regarding how the committee feels about JMU and North Texas. For what it’s worth (maybe not much) the AP Top 25 has James Madison ranked 1 spot ahead of UNT this week.

It’s worth noting ESPN’s Football Power Index currently gives the Dukes a 52.4% chance to make the Playoff. Given the current market prices, I think there’s value on betting JMU to get there.

Pick: James Madison to make the Playoff (+250 on DraftKings)

Buying: Alex Golesh would be a great hire by Arkansas

One under-the-radar coaching carousel thing that happened this weekend: Alex Golesh is the favorite to land the Arkansas job over on Kalshi. Golesh overtook Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield for that position on Saturday morning and has maintained that lead through the weekend.

Golesh checks a lot of boxes for Arkansas. He has head coaching experience, is well-regarded as a play caller and has SEC roots. Prior to becoming the head coach at South Florida, Golesh was an assistant at Tennessee under Josh Heupel.

USF’s loss this past weekend also likely takes Golesh out of the running for a College Football Playoff appearance. That could be a positive for a program like Arkansas that would like to make a hire relatively quickly.

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Selling: Georgia Tech is a postseason threat

Any hope of Georgia Tech getting it together for the postseason should be out the window after Saturday. The Yellow Jackets just simply don’t have it on the defensive side of the ball. Following a narrow comeback win over a terrible Boston College team, Georgia Tech now ranks 129th out of 134 FBS teams in EPA-per-play allowed.

Georgia Tech’s résumé now includes a 7-point win over Colorado, a 3-point win over Clemson, a 1-point overtime win over Wake Forest, a 2-point win over Boston College and a loss to NC State. Nothing about that suggests Georgia Tech is capable of doing much damage in late November or early December. The schedule only gets tougher from here, as the Yellow Jackets close out the season with Pittsburgh and Georgia. I think it’s time to fade Georgia Tech.

Pick: Pitt +3 (-115 on Fanatics)

Buying: Virginia should be the ACC favorite

Along those same lines, I think Virginia should be the clear favorite in the ACC. It’s far from a lock that Virginia will reach the conference title game, but the Cavaliers do have lots of scenarios where they clinch a spot in Charlotte as long as they beat Virginia Tech in Week 14. Virginia could still get left out due to tiebreaker scenarios, but the Cavaliers to have the cleanest path to a 7-1 ACC record.

Plus, Virginia is coming off of a rather impressive road win at Duke in Week 12. The Cavaliers have the best pass defense among any of the ACC’s contenders, which could prove to be a big deal down the stretch. I don’t think Virginia is a real threat to win a Playoff game — should it get there — but I do like the Cavs to win the ACC more than any of the other options entering Week 13.

Pick: Virginia to win the ACC (+300 on BetMGM)

Buying: Texas still has hope to reach the CFP

Texas picked up its third loss of the season on Saturday, dropping another game to Georgia. That’s the Bulldogs’ third win over Texas in the last 2 seasons alone. Despite that result — and Texas’s previous losses to Ohio State and Florida — I don’t think the Longhorns are out of the College Football Playoff race.

That’s mainly because Texas has a huge opportunity in Week 14 — it could potentially knock off an 11-0 Texas A&M team during the final week of the season. That game is in Austin, too, and Texas A&M has not been quite as impressive on the road this season — particularly on defense.

Even at 9-3, Texas will need significant help. Oklahoma would need to lose to either Mizzou or LSU. Vanderbilt might need to lose to Tennessee in Week 14. A stunning Notre Dame loss would be highly convenient. Texas fans should also be rooting for Oregon to beat USC on Saturday — the 10-2 Trojans stealing a bid is a real possibility at this point. Texas needs Texas Tech to run the table in the Big 12, too. The path is slim, but it’s still there with 2 weeks to go.

Selling: Miami has an at-large CFP case

I’ve noticed some chatter that Miami should get some consideration for an at-large berth in the College Football Playoff if it goes 10-2. Frankly, I don’t see how the selection committee could discuss that for more than a minute with a straight face. As we broke down last week, this year’s ACC is one of the weakest power conferences in recent memory. The league as a whole is 6-16 with a -205 point differential against the other power conferences this season. It would be unconscionable to give this ACC more than 1 CFP bid. I’m not sure this version of the ACC should get 2 bids even if we had a 16-team format this season. There are more than a dozen teams vying for 7 at-large spots who are significantly more deserving than Miami.

Yes, Miami beat Notre Dame — a team that’s currently on track to make the CFP with 2 losses. No, head-to-head shouldn’t out-weigh the rest of the résumé discrepancies between these teams. Miami has losses to SMU and Louisville — teams that are nowhere near the CFP discussion as things currently stand. Notre Dame, meanwhile, has been thumping teams for the better part of 2 months. That stretch includes comfortable wins over Playoff-hopefuls such as USC and Pittsburgh. Miami sleep-walked through the middle part of its schedule and now has to face the consequences of another failed season.

Buying: Jake Dickert should get Coach of the Year buzz

Look, Jake Dickert is not going to win any national Coach of the Year awards this season. He may not even get the nod in the ACC. But I do think it’s worth highlighting what he’s accomplished in his first year in Winston-Salem. Wake will enter Week 13 with a legitimate chance to go 9-3 in the regular season.

Dickert has beaten established coaches (to varying degrees) like Rhett Lashlee, Tony Elliott and Bill Belichick in recent weeks. Wake also nearly upset Georgia Tech early in the season and did pull off big road wins in Blacksburg and Corvallis. It’s been an unmitigated success for Dickert in Year 1. The advanced metrics mostly back it up, too. Wake enters Week 13 ranked No. 39 nationally in Game on Paper’s schedule-adjusted EPA-per-play metric.

As a reminder, Dave Clawson led Wake to a 4-8 record in back-to-back seasons before stepping aside on Dec. 16, 2024 — very late in the modern hiring cycle for college football. Wake hired Dickert 2 days later. We’ll see if it’s sustainable, but things are off to a great start in Winston-Salem.

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • November 17, 2025 at 6:06am

Pick

Odds

AwayPointSpread +2.5

Spread

CFB • Pittsburgh Panthers @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

-105 on Fanatics

SCHEDULED • 11/23/2025

Betslip #1763359604052-16bd-143

The post 10 college football ideas I’m buying or selling after Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Mizzou reportedly has ‘early optimism’ for Beau Pribula’s status vs. Oklahoma

Spenser Davis — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 03:04:08 +0000

Mizzou quarterback Beau Pribula could return to the lineup this week against Oklahoma, according to a report.

That’s per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, who notes there is “early optimism” regarding Pribula’s status for Mizzou‘s Week 13 game against the Sooners. Pribula has been out for a couple weeks after suffering an ankle injury against Vanderbilt.

Sources tell @CBSSports that there’s early optimism that Missouri QB Beau Pribula may be able to return to action and start when the No. 23 Tigers face No. 8 Oklahoma on Saturday, just three weeks after suffering a nasty ankle injury vs. Vanderbilt pic.twitter.com/s36eT6jv41
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) November 17, 2025

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Pribula notably warmed up prior to Mizzou’s win over Mississippi State in Week 12. The Tigers got a huge effort from Ahmad Hardy in that game, as he rushed for 300 yards in that win vs. the Bulldogs.

True freshman quarterback Matt Zollers has been filling in for the injured Pribula. Zollers was solid against Mississippi State, throwing for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns on 15 attempts.

While Mizzou may be eliminated from College Football Playoff contention, the Tigers could certainly play spoiler against their old Big 12 rivals. Oklahoma is poised to reach the CFP this season if it wins out, but that would mean beating Missouri in Norman this weekend.

Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.

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Clemson OL suffers season-ending injury in postgame celebration

Spenser Davis — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 22:54:06 +0000

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney announced some unfortunate injury news on Sunday.

The Tigers will be without true freshman offensive lineman Brayden Jacobs for the rest of the season. According to Swinney, Jacobs suffered a foot injury while celebrating with teammates on the field after the Louisville game.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says true freshman OL Brayden Jacobs has a foot injury and will be out for the season as well. Dabo says Jacobs got hurt not during the game but while **celebrating** on the field after the Louisville game. Says he fell on his foot wrong
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) November 16, 2025

Here’s a clip of the moment where Jacobs seemingly suffered the injury:

The ESPN broadcast indirectly captured this moment … Jacobs (74) jumps to celebrate after Clemson’s game-ending QB kneel, and his right foot bends as it hits the ground. In the next shot, you can see him tumbling down in the back of a Dabo shot https://t.co/2Qn9HVceR4 pic.twitter.com/cXHjvhFCLb
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) November 16, 2025

Jacobs signed with Clemson as a 4-star recruit in the class of 2025. He was the No. 178 overall player and the No. 19 offensive tackle in the country for the class of 2025, per 247 Sports Composite rankings. He’s played well this season as a true freshman and figures to be a big part of what the Tigers want to do up front moving forward.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jacobs has played 363 snaps so far this season and has the second-highest blocking grade on the team. Jacobs has played both left tackle and left guard so far this season for the Tigers.

Clemson is 5-5 this season and has two games remaining. The Tigers will close out the year with matchups against Furman and South Carolina.

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Lane Kiffin answers question about his future after win over Florida

Spenser Davis — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 04:44:42 +0000

Ole Miss is still facing an uncertain future following its 34-24 win over Florida on Saturday night.

Head coach Lane Kiffin has been rumored to be interested in multiple SEC openings this offseason, including the Gators’ job. After the win over Florida, Kiffin was asked if he planned to still be the head coach in Oxford next season.

Kiffin declined, saying it would be “disrespectful” to entertain the topic after the win.

“I love what we’re doing here,” Kiffin said. “Today was awesome. I don’t talk about that stuff. And really, to even talk about it right now would be disrespectful to our players and how well they played today.

“We’ve got a lot of things going here and doing really well.”

Lane Kiffin was asked if he’s going stay at Ole Miss next year.

“To even talk about that right now is so disrespectful to our players.” pic.twitter.com/B9mFR8N6QQ
— Aidan Gallardo (@aidangallard0) November 16, 2025

Ole Miss is closing in on its first-ever College Football Playoff berth. The Rebels are idle in Week 13 before their rivalry-game matchup against Mississippi State on Thanksgiving weekend.

As of this writing, Kiffin is still the favorite to be the next head coach at Florida, according to the latest market prices at Kalshi. Here’s a look at the market to be Florida’s next head coach:

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Ole Miss fans chant ‘We want Lane’ after win over Florida

Spenser Davis — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 04:22:13 +0000

Ole Miss defeated Florida 34-24 on Saturday night in Oxford.

That result put an end to an emotionally-charged week for the Ole Miss faithful. With Florida’s head coaching position vacant, rumors about Lane Kiffin‘s potential interest in a move to Gainesville have been swirling for weeks.

At the end of the game, Ole Miss fans were vocal in their appreciation of Kiffin as the game drew to a close. Here’s a clip from the broadcast, which features loud ‘We want Lane’ chants from the crowd in Oxford:

https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1989901058974294475

This is a huge result for Ole Miss, and not just because it could have implications for Kiffin’s future. The Rebels are now 10-1 this season and appear to be a near-lock for their first-ever trip to the College Football Playoff. Their final game of the season is against Mississippi State.

Ole Miss has lost just once this season — against Georgia in Athens way back on Oct. 18. The Rebels have picked up a few other impressive wins along the way, including a victory over a top-10 Oklahoma team in October.

As for Kiffin’s future, much is still undecided. However, over on Kalshi, Kiffin’s chances to be the next Florida head coach have been on a downward trend since early Saturday morning. Here’s a look at the current Kalshi market:

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Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff chances soar after upset win at Alabama

Spenser Davis — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 00:18:57 +0000

Oklahoma upset Alabama 23-21 in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night, which moves the Sooners to 8-2 on the season.

OU was already on the cusp of a College Football Playoff berth, but now has its biggest résumé win of the season — a road victory at the No. 4 team in the country.

Oklahoma took advantage of several Alabama miscues in order to get this win. The Crimson Tide turned the ball over 3 times and Oklahoma made them pay each time. Alabama also missed a field goal at the end of the first half that would have tied the game.

The result of this contest will have drastic postseason implications. Alabama’s margin-for-error to reach the SEC Championship Game is now zero. The Crimson Tide will enter Week 13 in a tie for second place in the SEC. Texas A&M is now the last remaining unbeaten SEC team in conference play.

For Oklahoma, the Sooners are now in prime position to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time under Brent Venables. Oklahoma has 2 games remaining, both at home, against Mizzou and LSU to close out the season.

OU’s CFP odds on Kalshi — a predictions market that’s legal in all 50 US States — have soared since its win over Alabama became final. Prior to kickoff, Oklahoma had roughly a 26% chance to make the Playoff. As of this writing, OU’s Playoff odds are up to about 75% on Kalshi.

Here’s a look at the up-to-date CFP market on Kalshi:

The post Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff chances soar after upset win at Alabama appeared first on Saturday Down South.

How to stream Texas vs. Georgia following end of ESPN-YouTube TV battle

Spenser Davis — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 22:12:07 +0000

The financial battle between Disney and Google may be over, which means millions of college football fans narrowly avoided being impacted for a third consecutive Saturday.

Due to the carriage dispute, Disney-owned channels such as ABC and ESPN weren’t available on YouTube TV. The outage may not be impacting Week 12’s slate, including the primetime ABC game this week: Texas vs. Georgia, but for anyone who canceled their YouTube TV subscription amid the battle, there are some options to stream tonight’s huge matchup.

How to watch Texas vs. Georgia

Although YouTube TV will have access to ABC and any other ESPN channels this weekend, there are some viable alternatives for fans who are looking to watch this game.

SlingTV has a “day pass” for new users who are looking to watch college football this weekend. The day pass lasts for 24 hours and includes ESPN3, which will have a simulcast of games played on ABC this weekend.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Texas vs. Georgia odds

According to most sports betting apps, Georgia is a 6.5-point favorite over the Longhorns in Athens.

Fans who aren’t in a legal sports betting state can still consider Kalshi as an option. Kalshi is legal in all 50 US States. Here’s what the market looks like for this game between the Longhorns and Bulldogs:

RELATED: Here’s a Kalshi promo code to help you get started with a $10 bonus!

Texas vs. Georgia history

Texas and Georgia have met 7 times previously. This series between 2 of college football’s most-proud programs is very close — the Longhorns hold a 4-3 advantage going into Saturday’s game.

However, the Bulldogs have had the upper hand lately. Georgia won both matchups a year ago, including the SEC Championship Game.

The post How to stream Texas vs. Georgia following end of ESPN-YouTube TV battle appeared first on Saturday Down South.

SEC Championship Game participants won’t be finalized until after final week

Spenser Davis — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 21:36:28 +0000

Although the SEC’s regular season is winding to a close, participants in the conference title game are still unknown.

Texas A&M‘s comeback win over South Carolina had significant ramifications for the SEC Championship race. According to Chuck Dunlap, who serves as the SEC’s communications director, the participants in this year’s SEC title race won’t be known until after the Week 14 slate is over. No team will be able to clinch a berth until that day’s games are complete.

The SEC will have games on Nov. 28 and Nov. 29 to close out the regular season on Thanksgiving weekend.

https://twitter.com/SEC_Chuck/status/1989795178492912038

Texas A&M’s win over the Gamecocks means the Aggies can clinch a spot in the SEC Championship Game with a win on Saturday. Alabama is also in position to clinch a berth if it wins out.

However, any further slip-ups from the Crimson Tide or Aggies could cause significant chaos down the stretch. Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas all have 1 conference loss as of this writing (the Bulldogs and Longhorns play each other later in the day on Saturday night).

Texas A&M will face Texas in Week 14. If the Longhorns don’t lose over the next couple weeks, that game could be for a berth in the conference title game.

Here’s a look at the live SEC Championship Game market on Kalshi:

The post SEC Championship Game participants won’t be finalized until after final week appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Mike Elko praises Texas A&M’s ‘unbelievable grit’ after comeback vs. South Carolina

Spenser Davis — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 21:06:41 +0000

Texas A&M pulled off a remarkable comeback on Saturday, beating South Carolina 31-10 to remain undefeated.

The Aggies trailed 30-3 at halftime, but rallied to complete one of the biggest comeback victories of the season. After the game, head coach Mike Elko was asked about what it takes to pull off a comeback under those circumstances.

“I think unbelievable grit, unbelievable togetherness,” Elko said. “They obviously gotta play really bad at the start of the game. That starts it. But they don’t blink. We’ve been in a lot of these situations. We’ve found ways to find wins. No one panicked on our sideline. We just went out and made a heck of a lot of plays in the second half.”

Texas A&M completely dominated the second half. The Gamecocks were unable to score after the break and Texas A&M’s offense got whatever it wanted. The Aggies finished the game averaging 7.4 yards per play.

Texas A&M’s victory means the Aggies are 10-0 on the season. They have just 1 SEC game remaining, which will come against Texas in Week 14. The Aggies will face Samford next weekend.

A win over the rival Longhorns would put Texas A&M into the SEC Championship Game. It could also go a long way toward securing a bye in the College Football Playoff.

The post Mike Elko praises Texas A&M’s ‘unbelievable grit’ after comeback vs. South Carolina appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Police officer scolds Nyck Harbor after scoring 80-yard TD vs. Texas A&M

Spenser Davis — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 19:38:47 +0000

South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor was involved in an awkward moment late in the first half against Texas A&M.

After scoring an 80-yard touchdown to give South Carolina a 27-3 lead, Harbor continued running up the tunnel at Kyle Field. On his way back down, Harbor and his teammate were bumped by what appeared to be a Texas A&M police officer.

The officer then scolded Harbor on his way back to the playing field.

Here’s a clip of the exchange:

what in the world was this officer thinking here trying to bump through Nyck Harbor and another South Carolina player before scolding them? pic.twitter.com/Bdp3ja9s4I
— Nick Bromberg (@NickBromberg) November 15, 2025

That 80-yard touchdown put the Gamecocks in prime position to pull off one of the biggest upsets of this season. Texas A&M was favored by as many as 19.5 points this week. The Aggies entered this game with a 9-0 record and were ranked No. 3 in the latest College Football Playoff committee rankings.

However, it seems Texas A&M is headed for its second straight loss to South Carolina.

For the Gamecocks, a win would mean they could still reach bowl eligibility this season. South Carolina entered this game with a 3-6 record and will close out the year with Coastal Carolina and Clemson.

The post Police officer scolds Nyck Harbor after scoring 80-yard TD vs. Texas A&M appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Mike Elko shares reaction to abysmal first half vs. South Carolina

Spenser Davis — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 19:02:25 +0000

Texas A&M is facing a 30-3 deficit at halftime against South Carolina.

After a shocking first half, head coach Mike Elko addressed his team’s lackluster performance on the broadcast. Specifically, Elko was asked about what the Aggies can do to help quarterback Marcel Reed be more effective in the second half.

“We’ve got to find some easy throws for him,” Elko said on the broadcast. “We’ve got to create separation. We’ve got to catch the football. We’ve got to run the football. A lot of things we’ve got to fix.”

Reed had one of his worst halves of the season. He completed 6-of-19 passes for 141 yards and 2 interceptions. Reed also lost a fumble that South Carolina returned for a touchdown late in the first quarter.

If Texas A&M isn’t able to mount an epic comeback, this loss will have serious consequences. It means the Aggies have still not secured a spot in the SEC Championship Game — and they will face Texas in their SEC finale later this month. This performance could also take Reed out of the Heisman Trophy conversation.

A loss would also hurt Texas A&M’s College Football Playoff résumé. The Aggies were on track to potentially earn a first-round bye in the CFP. However, a loss to South Carolina could push the Aggies further down the bracket.

Texas A&M is 9-2 all-time against South Carolina.

The post Mike Elko shares reaction to abysmal first half vs. South Carolina appeared first on Saturday Down South.

John Beam, former football coach and ‘Last Chance U’ star, dies after shooting

Spenser Davis — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 21:21:38 +0000

John Beam, a former football coach and star of Netflix’s ‘Last Chance U’ series, has died as a result of injuries sustained in an on-campus shooting this week.

That news was first reported by ABC News on Friday afternoon. Beam was shot on Thursday at Laney College in Oakland, California. Per ABC News, authorities confirmed they arrested a suspect early Friday morning. According to Oakland Police, this was a “targeted incident.”

Laney College’s 2019 season was chronicled by Netflix in Season 5 of ‘Last Chance U.’ The series was not renewed by Netflix following the airing of Season 5 in 2020.

Beam was a football coach in the Bay Area for 4 decades before becoming Laney College’s athletic director last year.

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee shared a statement on social media on Thursday following the shooting.

“Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland — a mentor, an educator, and a lifeline for thousands of young people,” the statement reads in-part. “For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family.”

The last two days have been incredibly heavy for our city.

My thoughts are with Coach John Beam and his loved ones. We are praying for him.

Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland – a mentor, an educator, and a lifeline for thousands of young people. For over 40 years, he has shaped… pic.twitter.com/bqJ0JGmEcF
— Barbara Lee (@BarbaraLee_CA) November 14, 2025

The post John Beam, former football coach and ‘Last Chance U’ star, dies after shooting appeared first on Saturday Down South.

College football insider shares latest on Mario Craver’s status before South Carolina game

Spenser Davis — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 19:22:33 +0000

Texas A&M wide receiver Mario Craver will reportedly be a “true game-time decision” for the Aggies’ Week 12 contest against South Carolina on Saturday.

That’s according to On3’s Pete Nakos, who shared that news on Friday afternoon.

Sources have told @On3sports that Texas A&M star wide receiver Mario Craver is a true game-time decision against South Carolina.

Aggies are 9-0 and No. 3 in the nation. https://t.co/TABLd3EPkI https://t.co/izKkr8wka1 pic.twitter.com/sgev77xJ0X
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) November 14, 2025

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Craver was officially listed as “questionable” on Texas A&M‘s Thursday night availability report. The Aggies will release 2 more availability reports before the game starts — one on Friday evening and a final report before kickoff on Saturday.

If Craver isn’t able to play on Saturday, it would be a big blow for Texas A&M’s offense. Craver leads all Texas A&M pass-catchers with 46 receptions and 775 yards so far this season. He’s also No. 2 on the team with 4 receiving touchdowns in 2025 (KC Concepcion has 8).

Craver has played the majority of his snaps in the slot this season. Per PFF, Craver leads all Texas A&M receivers with 173 slot snaps in 2025. Concepcion is No. 2 on the team in that category with 84. If Craver can’t play vs. the Gamecocks, it’s possible Texas A&M would deploy Concepcion in the slot more often and open up outside receiver snaps for players like Ashton Bethel-Roman and Terry Bussey.

Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.

The post College football insider shares latest on Mario Craver’s status before South Carolina game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Texas A&M assistant coach expected to get head coaching looks, per report

Spenser Davis — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 18:45:26 +0000

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko may have to rebuild part of his coaching staff this offseason.

With the Aggies off to a 9-0 start in 2025, multiple members of Elko’s staff are expected to be in line for promotions at other schools. Offensive coordinator Collin Klein has long been viewed as a potential head coaching candidate, but Holmon Wiggins could also reportedly garner head coaching interest this offseason.

That’s according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, who notes that Wiggins is expected to be a candidate for Group-of-5 head coach vacancies this offseason. Wiggins currently serves as Texas A&M‘s co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach.

Here’s what Feldman reported on Friday:

OC Collin Klein isn’t the only Texas A&M assistant coach who is getting consideration for FBS head coaching vacancies. Holmon Wiggins, the Aggies’ 45-year-old co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach, has impressed folks in the search process and is in play for Group of 5 jobs. Before coaching in College Station, Wiggins spent five seasons working for Nick Saban at Alabama.

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Wiggins, 45, has also worked at programs like Virginia Tech, Memphis and Tulsa. He played running back at New Mexico from 1998-2001. He’s currently in his second season at Texas A&M.

Texas A&M’s offense has been a huge reason for its success this season. The Aggies are averaging 6.71 yards per play this year, which ranks 19th nationally entering Week 12.

The post Texas A&M assistant coach expected to get head coaching looks, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Georgia vs. Texas preview: Picks, predictions for the top-10 showdown

Spenser Davis — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Georgia will host Texas on Saturday night in a rematch of last season’s SEC Championship Game.

Both of these teams are ranked in the top-10 of the latest College Football Playoff rankings, so this game is loaded with postseason implications. Texas may need to win to keep its Playoff hopes alive while Georgia can’t afford another loss if it wants a shot at another SEC title.

Georgia vs. Texas preview

Here’s what you need to know about both of these teams:

Texas football notes

Texas lost 3 games during the 2024-25 season — 2 of them were to Georgia. The Longhorns lost in Austin during the regular season and then again in the SEC Championship Game.
Georgia played with Gunner Stockton under center for most of the second half of last year’s SEC title game. The Texas defense held Stockton to just 71 passing yards on 16 attempts. The Longhorns also recorded an interception.
Texas will have a rest advantage in this game. The Longhorns are coming out of an idle week and haven’t played since their win over Vanderbilt on Nov. 1.
Arch Manning has shown improvement in recent weeks. Over his last 2 games, he’s completed 68% of his passes and is averaging 8.5 yards per attempt.
The Texas offense has still graded out as mediocre so far this season. The Longhorns are 91st in passing success rate and 83rd in rushing success rate, per Game on Paper.
Defensively, Texas has been among the best in the nation this season. That’s been particularly true in the run game — UT ranks 4th in EPA-per-rush allowed.
The Texas secondary has been a bit more vulnerable this season. The Longhorns have conceded positive EPA-per-pass in 3 consecutive games against Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. The Commodores game was particularly troublesome as Diego Pavia threw for 365 yards and 3 touchdowns on 38 attempts.
One potential reason for Texas’s struggles has been the absence of star safety Michael Taaffe, who hasn’t played since the Kentucky game. Taaffe is expected to return to the lineup against the Bulldogs.

Georgia football notes

Georgia is coming off of perhaps its most complete game of the season. The Bulldogs beat Mississippi State 41-21 last week in Starkville.
Gunner Stockton threw for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns on 29 attempts. For the season, Stockton is up to No. 31 nationally in passer efficiency rating and No. 30 in EPA-per-dropback (per Game on Paper).
UGA’s rushing attack was excellent against Mississippi State and now has solid season-long numbers as well. Georgia ranks 30th in rushing success rate and 42nd in EPA-per-rush.
The defense has been a much bigger concern for the Bulldogs, particularly up front. Even after a strong game vs. Mississippi State, Georgia still only has 11 sacks on the season (122nd nationally in sacks per game).
The lack of disruption up front has led to an ineffective secondary. The Bulldogs are 100th nationally in EPA-per-pass allowed, according to Game on Paper.
Per PFF, Georgia’s highest-graded defensive players are CJ Allen, defensive lineman Christen Miller and safety KJ Bolden. Linebacker Raylen Wilson leads the team in pressures (17) and hurries (14).

Georgia vs. Texas predictions

Here are 2 picks for this game:

Gunner Stockton lower than 224.5 passing yards

This projection comes from Dabble. Although the Texas pass defense has struggled in recent weeks, the return of safety Michael Taaffe should have a big impact on what the Bulldogs are able to do offensively. I don’t think Stockton will be anywhere close to the 8.5+ yards per attempt he posted in his last couple home games against Kentucky and Ole Miss. The Longhorns should be able to get some pressure this week, which could result in a more run-heavy approach for the Bulldogs. Georgia is also down one of its top receivers in Colbie Young.

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Arch Manning lower than 18.5 rushing yards

This pick comes from Underdog. Manning hasn’t come anywhere near this projection in any of his last 3 games. The Texas offensive line has struggled mightily at times this season and it should be noted that sacks count against a quarterback’s rushing total at the college level. So even if Manning gets loose for a couple of medium-sized runs, we could see his rushing yardage still go lower than 18.5 yards. Inclusive of sacks, he has 9 rushing yards on 22 attempts in his last 3 games. Even if you exclude sacks, Manning is averaging under 20 rushing yards per game over his last 3 outings.

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Predicting 5 underdogs to cover the spread in Week 12

Spenser Davis — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Week 12 of the college football season is here.

As always, this piece will seek to predict 5 underdogs who will cover the spread this coming week. Let’s dive in.

Predicting 5 against-the-spread underdogs

Here are 5 picks for Week 12:

South Carolina +19.5 over Texas A&M

Texas A&M is coming off of a dominant road win over Mizzou this past weekend. I certainly expect the Aggies to win this game rather handily, but I do think South Carolina is more than capable of keeping this within the current number. I’m intrigued by what South Carolina’s offense will look like this week now that Mike Shula is no longer calling the plays. That should be a big morale boost for everyone on South Carolina’s offense. The fact that South Carolina is coming off an idle week is nice, too, because it gives the new offensive staff more time to come up with wrinkles that Texas A&M won’t necessarily be expecting.

Pick: South Carolina +19.5 (-115 on BetMGM)

RELATED: Not in a legal betting state? You can still get in on the action with Kalshi, a predictions market that’s legal in all 50 states!

Minnesota +25.5 over Oregon

Minnesota has had its struggles this season, but I don’t see a reason for this number to be north of 3 scores. Oregon has consistently shown it doesn’t have an elite offense against even semi-quality opposition. The Ducks have been dominant against the likes of Oklahoma State, Oregon State and Rutgers, but that’s it. The Golden Gophers have a top-30 defense this season, per SP+’s updated ratings. Minnesota may only need to score 10 points or so to keep this within the number. I’ll back Minnesota to get it done, especially since Oregon has a top-25 matchup with USC on deck.

Pick: Minnesota +25.5 (-109 on Caesars)

Navy +10.5 over South Florida

Notre Dame stuffed Navy in a locker last week, beating the Midshipmen 49-10. I like backing Navy coming off of a performance like that because I expect a much better effort this week against South Florida. Navy might also be due for some third-down regression on both sides of the ball — it went 3-of-11 last week while Notre Dame was 7-of-10. I don’t think USF’s defense will provide nearly as much resistance as Notre Dame’s did. I wouldn’t play this under 10, but I think Navy will be able to move the ball enough to keep the final score within the number.

Pick: Navy +10.5 (-115 on Fanatics)

Iowa +7 over USC

I think this is too many points for the Hawkeyes. They’re coming off of a narrow loss to Oregon under brutal conditions at Kinnick last week. Now Iowa will head west to take on a USC team that can’t stop the run in sunny Southern California. The Trojans are 126th nationally in rushing success rate this season. Iowa is 8th in rushing offense success rate. I like the Hawkeyes to keep this close.

Pick: Iowa +7 (-112 on DraftKings)

Tulsa +3 over Oregon State

Tulsa is bad, but not “lose to Sam Houston State at home” bad. That’s what Oregon State did last week. The Beavers were probably unlucky to lose based on the final box score, but they still found a way to lose to the Bearkats in Corvallis. That was Sam Houston’s first win of the season. Tulsa has been fighting hard under first year head coach Tre Lamb and has an offense that has consistently averaged around 5 yards per play this season. I think we’re on quit watch with an Oregon State team that has been playing under an interim coaching staff for more than a month now.

Pick: Tulsa +3 (-115 on Fanatics)

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • November 13, 2025 at 8:57pm

Pick

Odds

AwayPointSpread +25.5

Spread

CFB • Minnesota Golden Gophers @ Oregon Ducks

-109 on Caesars

CLOSED • 11/15/2025

Betslip #1763067435237-16bd-974

The post Predicting 5 underdogs to cover the spread in Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Jon Gruden, James Franklin among favorites to land Arkansas head coaching job

Spenser Davis — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 16:04:49 +0000

Jon Gruden and James Franklin are among the favorites to be the next permanent head coach of Arkansas football.

That’s according to the latest market prices on Kalshi, a predictions market where users can make wagers on everything from the weather to world events to sports. That includes a market on who will be the next permanent head coach in Fayetteville.

As of last week, Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield was a heavy favorite to take over on a permanent basis. However, Silverfield has slipped slightly below Gruden and is now well behind Franklin.

As of this writing, a “yes” contract on Kalshi for Gruden to land the job costs 21 cents. Contracts pay out at a rate of $1 for a correct prediction, meaning Gruden is looking at roughly 5-to-1 odds. Silverfield’s price has slipped to 11 cents per contract as of publication. Interim coach Bobby Petrino isn’t far behind with a price of 9 cents per contract. However, Franklin is ahead of the pack at 50 cents per contract.

Here’s an up-to-the-minute look at where this market stands:

RELATED: Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the Arkansas football coaching market as well as more information on how Kalshi works.

Other reported candidates for the job include interim head coach Bobby Petrino, Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, Florida State offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and North Texas head coach Eric Morris, among others.

There is no known timetable for Arkansas to make a permanent head coach hire.

The Razorbacks are scheduled to face LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday.

The post Jon Gruden, James Franklin among favorites to land Arkansas head coaching job appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Predicting 5 upsets for Week 12 of the 2025 college football season

Spenser Davis — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Week 12 of the college football season is here.

As always, this piece will seek to predict 5 upsets for this week’s college football slate. Last week was a good one — we went 3-2, hitting on Wake Forest (+210), Tulane (+195) and Nebraska (+105). That equates to +2.11 units for the week.

Upset picks Week 12

Here are 5 upset picks for this weekend:

Arkansas over LSU

I think LSU gave its best effort last week in a 20-9 loss to Alabama. The Tigers’ defense was good in that game, but the offense continues to struggle. Michael Van Buren is expected to make his first start of the year on Saturday, which should inject a significant amount of variance into this game. Arkansas is coming off of a bye and really should have won 2 weeks ago against Mississippi State. The Razorbacks lost that game due to having a record 193 penalty yards, which was very uncharacteristic. I think Arkansas could get its first SEC win of the season on Saturday.

Pick: Arkansas +180 (via BetMGM)

Oklahoma over Alabama

Oklahoma is off a bye and will be playing an Alabama team that hasn’t looked right on offense for several weeks. The Crimson Tide haven’t had a game with above-average EPA-per-play outputs on offense since Oct. 18. The Sooners have one of the best defenses in the entire country and they generate pressure at-will — something Ty Simpson has struggled with this season. I think Alabama should be favored, but the current price is way too high.

Pick: Oklahoma +180 (via bet365)

Mississippi State over Mizzou

Mississippi State let go of the rope a little bit last week against Georgia. The Bulldogs have been competitive in every other game this season and need 1 more win to secure bowl eligibility for the first time under Jeff Lebby. I think you’re getting a pretty good price to back Mississippi State on the road against a Mizzou team that will be playing a third-string quarterback. The Tigers have little to play for at this point in the season and coach Eli Drinkwitz acknowledged as much by saying the locker room was “devastated” after the Texas A&M loss.

Pick: Mississippi State +225 (via DraftKings)

Virginia over Duke

I faded both of these teams last week and I’m back again to bet against the Blue Devils. I don’t think Duke should be favored by almost a touchdown against any semi-competitive ACC team. We’ve seen Duke play really bad football at times this season. Virginia was comically overrated last week and is still not a top-25 team, but I think we see a better effort from the Cavaliers this week. I’m not too concerned about the Chandler Morris injury — I doubt there’s a massive difference between Morris and backup Daniel Kaelin. I suspect the current number reflects an expectation that it will be Kaelin under center. If that’s true and Morris is able to go, this price is much better than what we’ll see on game day.

Pick: Virginia +195 (via DraftKings)

Michigan State over Penn State

Everyone seems to be impressed with Penn State again after the Nittany Lions almost beat Indiana on Saturday. I’m not quite there. I think it’s possible Penn State gave its best effort of the season against the Hoosiers and we might not see that again this year. Michigan State is 3-6 on the season and have to win out to make a bowl. I think the Spartans will be highly motivated to make a statement against a Penn State program that has dominated this series recently (PSU has won 4 of the last 5). Michigan State should also be energized following the emergence of quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who threw for 311 yards on 28 attempts last time out. Michigan State is also coming out of an idle week while Penn State has to scrape itself off the pavement following yet another heart-breaking loss.

Pick: Michigan State +235 (via bet365)

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • November 11, 2025 at 9:47pm

Pick

Odds

AwayTeam

Moneyline

CFB • Oklahoma Sooners @ Alabama Crimson Tide

180 on Bet365

CLOSED • 11/15/2025

Betslip #1762897633972-16bd-597

The post Predicting 5 upsets for Week 12 of the 2025 college football season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

10 college football ideas I’m buying or selling after Week 11

Spenser Davis — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:50:03 +0000

Let’s review Week 11 of the college football season.

As we do every week in this piece, we’ll take a look at some of the emerging narratives from this past Saturday and see if they can be backed up by publicly-available data. Last week, we discussed Notre Dame’s impressive underlying metrics in Week 9, the ACC’s path to being a 1-bid league, Virginia’s under-the-radar struggles, Texas Tech’s prowess and much more.

Week 11 college football takeaways

Here are 10 college football ideas to buy or sell coming out of Week 11:

Buying: Yes, the ACC really is that bad

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, the ACC had to play another Saturday’s worth of games this week. Three of the ACC’s best teams lost in heartbreaking fashion. Duke fell to UConn, losing its third nonconference game of the year (none of which were to particularly great teams). Louisville lost to Cal and Virginia lost to Wake Forest.

Simply put, it’s been a disastrous year for the ACC. That league has been a punching bag in both major revenue sports for a couple years now but never has it earned its jabs more than this season. Here are a couple of stats to consider. First: According to ESPN’s FPI, Duke has a 2.2% chance to make the College Football Playoff but a 19.9% chance to win the ACC.

Let that sink for a second. That implies there’s a very real potential that the ACC’s champion could get left out of the CFP this season. If that champion is Duke (the Blue Devils currently have the second-best odds behind Georgia Tech per FPI) then there will be good-faith conversations about whether Duke belongs in the CFP over either of the top G5 champions. The AAC is very likely to get a team into the 12-team field. But don’t sleep on the Sun Belt’s James Madison, which could very well end up this season with a 12-1 record.

While the ACC is considered one of the “power” conferences, it has fallen well short of that this season. Here’s how the other conferences have fared against each other (and Notre Dame) in nonconference play this season:

SEC: 10-4, +45 point differential
Big 12: 9-7, +35 point differential
Big Ten: 5-7, -16 point differential
ACC: 6-15, -183 point differential

One of those things is not like the other.

Selling: Oregon is a national title contender

Full credit to Oregon for going into Iowa and getting a win in some tough conditions. But that is not how a national title contender handles its business. The Ducks have looked lost on offense too often this season — this is their third Big Ten win that was much, much closer than it should have been. Oregon only beat Wisconsin by 14 and had to go to overtime with Penn State (a result that seemed impressive at the time, but has aged poorly).

I’m most concerned about Dante Moore, who has regressed from his early-season Heisman contention status. Over his last 4 games, Moore has a 5-to-4 TD-to-INT ratio and his yards-per-attempt has dipped to 7.5.

On Kalshi, a predictions market legal in all 50 US states, you can wager on teams to not win the national championship. I like fading the Ducks at a price of 96 cents per contract.

Buying: LSU should make a QB change

This is something of a no-brainer. Garrett Nussmeier is out of eligibility this season and hasn’t looked right all year. It’s unfortunate for Nussmeier, who could have left for the NFL Draft after last season but decided to return to school in hopes of improving his draft stock and competing for a national championship in Baton Rouge.

But with the way things have gone, LSU should look to get some meaningful reps with Michael Van Buren under center. The Mississippi State transfer looked pretty good in limited reps this past week against Alabama. Other schools will certainly be inquiring about Van Buren when the transfer portal opens, so it would behoove LSU to know just how much it believes in him as the quarterback of the future. With 4 losses already this season, there’s nothing left to gain — or learn — from the Nussmeier experience.

Buying: Notre Dame can win the national title

I was out on Notre Dame after it picked up its second loss of the season, but that was clearly premature. The Fighting Irish have seemingly fixed their issues on defense. Critics may point to Notre Dame’s soft strength-of-schedule over the last couple of months, and that would be fair. But Notre Dame’s defense sucked against Purdue back in September, too. Since then, the Fighting Irish have held all but one opponent (USC) to under 14 points. That includes wins over Arkansas, Boise State, NC State and, most recently, Navy.

The other major development is that CJ Carr might be a future No. 1 overall draft pick. He has been lights-out in his first year as Notre Dame’s starter. Per PFF, Carr has a big-time throw rate of 7.5%, which ranks 2nd nationally among quarterbacks with at least 200 dropbacks. Carr also has an average depth of target of 11.2 yards (also 2nd nationally) and has thrown just 4 interceptions all season. He looks like the real deal. I think Notre Dame will have no problem with Pitt this weekend.

Pick: Notre Dame -10.5 (-110 on BetMGM)

Selling: Alabama’s offense is still excellent

Alabama hasn’t lost a game since the season-opener, but the Crimson Tide’s offense has been quietly regressing over the last few weeks. That trend continued on Saturday as Alabama posted a below-average EPA-per-play on offense for the second week in a row in a win over LSU. Your mileage may vary on how much Alabama should actually care about that given the win column keeps getting filled up week after week.

But this is an Alabama team that hasn’t been able to run the ball all season and now has a passing offense that’s beginning to stall. One big issue is that Ty Simpson is struggling against pressure. Per PFF, Simpson is averaging 6.6 yards per attempt against pressure this season and has a turnover-worthy play rate of 7.2%. Both of those numbers are alarming, but here’s another red flag — Simpson doesn’t have any interceptions against pressure this season, suggesting he’s likely due for some regression to the mean in the turnover department.

Pick: Oklahoma +7 vs. Alabama (-110 on bet365)

Selling: Texas Tech can win the National Championship

I don’t think this is an opinion that’s held too tightly by fans across the country, but I’m selling any notion that the Red Raiders could contend for college football’s top prize. Tech’s win over BYU on Saturday was loud, but it was largely thanks to its defense. Despite a 29-7 final score, the Red Raiders had just a 33% success rate and a negative EPA-per-play on the day, according to Game on Paper.

It’s also worth noting Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton is reportedly playing through a hairline fracture in his leg. Tech has already lost its backup quarterback for the season, so that’s extremely concerning. The College Football Playoff in this era is a war of attrition as much as it is anything else. The Red Raiders have neither the high-end talent nor the durability to seriously contend for the national title this season.

Like Oregon, Texas Tech’s “no” side to the national championship market on Kalshi is priced at 96 cents per contract.

Buying: Texas A&M can win the SEC

Texas A&M turned in a pretty dominant performance against a short-handed Mizzou team on Saturday in Columbia. The Aggies haven’t been perfect this season, but they’ve been really close. They might have the best profile of road wins in the country this season — Notre Dame, Arkansas, LSU and Missouri. Marcel Reed continues to play well enough for Texas A&M to separate from opponents in the second half.

Perhaps most importantly, Texas A&M’s defense has continued to take steps forward. Per Game on Paper, the Aggies rank 5th nationally in pass defense success rate. They also don’t allow explosive plays through the air — they rate in the 81st percentile nationally in that category. At this point, I think Texas A&M should be the odds-on favorite to win the SEC.

Pick: Texas A&M to win the SEC (+160 on DraftKings)

Buying: The Heisman Trophy race will likely be decided by the Big Ten Championship Game

Could Ty Simpson or Marcel Reed still win the Heisman Trophy? Sure, it’s possible. But I think the overwhelming likelihood is that the winner of the Big Ten title game between Ohio State and Indiana will also take home college football’s most prestigious individual honor. Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin have separated from the rest of the pack in Heisman Trophy betting odds.

Simpson has been floundering down the stretch, so he’d need to make a big turnaround in order to get back into the mix in late November. Reed’s passing numbers just aren’t there from an efficiency standpoint — he enters Week 12 ranked 26th in passer efficiency rating (Mendoza and Sayin are top 2 in that category).

Bettors who agree with that sentiment could find value in betting on the Heisman rather than the outcome of the Big Ten title game. The best-in-market odds for Ohio State to win the Big Ten are -150 while Sayin’s price to win the Heisman Trophy is +185. On the other side, Indiana is +150 to win the Big Ten while Mendoza is +190 to win the Heisman. Something to consider.

Selling: Maryland is hopeless

I’m on the Terps this week coming off of their third-straight loss. Maryland lost to Rutgers 35-20, but the box score suggests this game was much closer. Maryland averaged 7 yards per play in the loss but only scored 20 points because of poor execution on late downs. For context, the mean number of points scored by teams who average between 7 and 8 yards per play this year is 38.8. I think we’ll see some regression to the mean this week for the Terps. I also like that Maryland is playing an Illinois team that ranks shockingly low (109th) in Game on Paper’s schedule-adjusted EPA-per-play metric.

Pick: Maryland +14 (-110 on Fanatics)

Selling: It’s time to give up on Washington

Washington had one of the most disappointing results of the weekend with its 13-10 loss to Wisconsin. The defeat will certainly end any hope of reaching the College Football Playoff this season, but I still like the Huskies to win another game or 2 down the stretch. For one thing, Wisconsin’s win was pretty flukey — Bill Connelly’s postgame win expectancy metric gave the Badgers just a 19.4% chance to earn the outright win.

Washington has also been a much better team at home than on the road this season. The Huskies have won their last 2 home games by 3+ scores (and gave Ohio State a pretty good game prior to those results). On the road, Washington has lost to Wisconsin, was uncompetitive against Michigan and nearly lost to Maryland. The Huskies are back home this week against Purdue and I think the price is too cheap.

Pick: Washington -16.5 (-110 on bet365)

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • November 10, 2025 at 6:41am

Pick

Odds

AwayPointSpread +14

Spread

CFB • Maryland Terrapins @ Illinois Fighting Illini

-110 on Fanatics

CLOSED • 11/15/2025

Betslip #1762756904705-16bd-880

The post 10 college football ideas I’m buying or selling after Week 11 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

College GameDay announces location for Week 12 show

Spenser Davis — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 21:33:27 +0000

ESPN’s College GameDay is headed to Pittsburgh for Week 12.

The World Wide Leader announced that news on Sunday afternoon. Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee and the rest of the crew will be on hand for the Panthers’ Week 12 matchup against Notre Dame. It’s a game that could have College Football Playoff implications, particularly for the Fighting Irish.

It’s also a chance for GameDay to visit McAfee’s hometown, the show noted in its official announcement:

COLLEGE GAMEDAY IS HEADED TO PITTSBURGH AND PAT IS HEADED HOME

We’ll be outside Acrisure Stadium for our first Saturday show in the Steel City in 20 years!@PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/Fj60IytzCq
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 9, 2025

If Notre Dame wins, the Fighting Irish will be in prime position to reach the CFP. Marcus Freeman’s team debuted at No. 10 in the initial CFP selection committee rankings last week. Pitt is the final ranked opponent on Notre Dame’s schedule for the 2025 season.

GameDay is headed to Pitt over a few other high-profile options. In the SEC, Georgia and Texas will play in Week 12. Alabama is also set to host Oklahoma on Saturday in a game that will surely have CFP implications.

GameDay has not been to Pittsburgh since the 2022 season when they were on hand for the season-opener as the Panthers faced rival West Virginia. Prior to that day, GameDay’s only other previous trips to Pitt were in 2005 and 2003.

The post College GameDay announces location for Week 12 show appeared first on Saturday Down South.

NFL predictions for Week 10: 3 plus-money bets

Spenser Davis — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 13:56:53 +0000

It’s time for Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season, which means 3 more bold predictions to consider for this NFL Sunday.

Last week, we went 1-2 with these plus-money bets. The Denver Broncos won outright against Houston as +110 underdog but that was our only winner of the weekend.

We’ll strive for a better Week 10.

NFL Week 10 bold predictions

Here are 3 plus-money bets to consider for this week:

Giants over Bears

I like the Giants to win outright against Chicago this weekend. The Bears have consistently found ways to lose games this season — and they were on track to do so again last weekend before a miracle long touchdown pass to Colston Loveland in the game’s final minute. Caleb Williams looked excellent last week, but I expect New York’s defense to offer a little more resistance than Cincinnati’s did. On the other side of the ball, the Giants offense ranks top-5 in the NFL in EPA-per-play since Week 6.

Pick: Giants money line +190 (via Fanatics)

Amon-Ra St. Brown 100+ receiving yards

The Commanders have one of the worst secondaries in the NFL and it’s been getting worse in recent weeks. Since the start of Week 7, they rank dead last in the NFL in EPA-per-drop-back allowed. Washington also has one of the most-targeted slot cornerbacks in the NFL this season in Mike Sainristil. Per PFF, he’s seen 42 slot targets this season and has allowed 32 catches for 362 yards on those attempts. His 1.78 yards per snap allowed out of the slot ranks next-to-last in the NFL among slot corners with at least 100 coverage snaps this season. Enter one of the NFL’s most prolific wide receivers: Amon-Ra St. Brown. Detroit gets creative with where he lines up, but he’s in the slot about half the time. I like his price to go over the century mark for the third time this season against a Washington defense that has neither the talent nor the motivation to stop him.

Pick: Amon-Ra St. Brown 100+ receiving yards (+145 on BetMGM)

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Quinshon Judkins to score twice

The Jets are near the very bottom of the NFL when it comes to rushing defense. This looks like a great matchup for running back Quinshon Judkins, who has already amassed 20 red zone rush attempts so far this season. He’s turned 4 of those into touchdowns. The Browns aren’t great on offense, but they’ll be getting to face a Jets defense that was just gutted at the trade deadline. Among the players New York moved was defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who is among the best run defenders in the NFL.

Pick: Quinshon Judkins 2+ TDs (+370 on DraftKings)

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • November 7, 2025 at 10:25pm

Pick

Odds

AwayTeam

Moneyline

NFL • New York Giants @ Chicago Bears

190 on Fanatics

CLOSED • 11/09/2025

Betslip #1762554338850-16bd-392

The post NFL predictions for Week 10: 3 plus-money bets appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Frank Wilson comments on future of QB position at LSU after benching Garrett Nussmeier

Spenser Davis — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 04:50:07 +0000

Frank Wilson made the decision to bench quarterback Garrett Nussmeier in the second half of LSU‘s loss to Alabama on Saturday night.

Nussmeier had a rough go of it against the Crimson Tide — he threw for 121 yards on 21 attempts and struggled mightily on third down before being lifted for Michael Van Buren.

After the game, Wilson commended Nussmeier for how he handled that decision.

“He was a great teammate,” Wilson told reporters. “He was supportive of his teammate. He stayed engaged.”

Wilson added he hasn’t considered how LSU will approach the quarterback position for the remainder of the season.

Frank Wilson III says he's proud of the way Garrett Nussmeier handled the change and continued to support Michael Van Buren Jr. and the rest of his teammates.

"He was a great teammate. He was supportive of his teammate. He stayed engaged."

Says he hasn't thought about the QB…
— Jerit Roser (@JeritRoser) November 9, 2025

Nussmeier is out of collegiate eligibility at the end of this year. He spent all 5 seasons of his college career at LSU, including the last 2 as the Tigers’ starter.

However, it’s possible LSU will take a more forward-thinking approach to the end of the season. Van Buren has multiple years of eligibility remaining and LSU could benefit long-term if he has more starting reps to close out the 2025 season.

LSU will play Arkansas, Western Kentucky and Oklahoma to end the season.

The post Frank Wilson comments on future of QB position at LSU after benching Garrett Nussmeier appeared first on Saturday Down South.

ESPN-YouTube TV dispute: How to watch Florida vs. Kentucky

Spenser Davis — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 22:10:46 +0000

The ongoing financial dispute between Google and Disney is once against impacting college football fans.

The result of that dispute is YouTube TV subscribers will not have access to Disney-owned channels such as ESPN and SEC Network for the second week in a row. That means fans who were hoping to watch Florida vs. Kentucky on Saturday night will have to make other arrangements.

How to watch Florida vs. Kentucky

YouTube TV subscribers will have to find another method to watch the Gators and Wildcats on Saturday. That game is set to be broadcast on SEC Network at 7:30 p.m. ET and therefore won’t be available on YouTube TV barring a last-minute agreement between Google and Disney.

SlingTV is an option for fans who are looking for a new streaming service. Sling has SEC Network included in its “sports extra” package.

Fubo is another potential alternative for fans who are looking to watch this game and others on Saturday night. Fubo has a free trial option for new customers.

Florida vs. Kentucky betting odds

Florida is a slight road favorite in this showdown between old SEC East foes. Florida has already fired head coach Billy Napier and there are plenty of rumblings around Mark Stoops at Kentucky. The Gators are coming off of a disappointing loss to Georgia. Kentucky defeated Auburn in its most recent game.

Here’s a look at the betting odds for this game:

Florida vs. Kentucky history

Florida and Kentucky have played 74 times previously, with the Gators dominating the series overall. UF has 54 wins all-time against the Wildcats.

Florida also won last season’s matchup against Kentucky 48-20 in Gainesville. However, the Wildcats have been more competitive in recent seasons. They’ve won 4 of the last 7 meetings overall, including a 2021 victory that has since been vacated by the NCAA.

The post ESPN-YouTube TV dispute: How to watch Florida vs. Kentucky appeared first on Saturday Down South.

ESPN vs. YouTube TV saga: How to stream LSU vs. Alabama

Spenser Davis — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 21:52:53 +0000

The ongoing carriage dispute between ESPN and YouTube TV is threatening to disrupt another weekend of college football.

That includes Saturday night’s primetime matchup between LSU and Alabama in Tuscaloosa. These old SEC West foes will be meeting for the 90th time on Saturday night. The game is set to be broadcast on ABCs.

How to stream LSU vs. Alabama

With Disney channels not appearing on YouTube TV for another college football Saturday, millions of fans will have to find an alternative solution if they still want to watch LSU and Alabama in Week 11.

SlingTV offers one potential solution. Sling’s “Orange” package includes ESPN 3, which has a simulcast of all ABC college football games. SlingTV is currently offering a “day pass” for $4.99 that includes multiple ESPN channels and several other major networks.

Fubo is another viable alternative. Fubo has a free trial period for new customers and also includes ABC, ESPN, SEC Network and numerous other channels.

LSU vs. Alabama betting odds

LSU is a significant underdog in this matchup. The Tigers will be playing their first game with interim head coach Frank Wilson. In LSU’s most recent game, the Tigers were blown out by Texas A&M at home and the program parted ways with Brian Kelly the next day.

Like LSU, Alabama was idle in Week 10. The Crimson Tide enter this contest on a 7-game winning streak.

Here’s a look at the betting odds for this game:

LSU vs. Alabama history

This series has been dominated in recent years by Alabama. The Crimson Tide have won 4 of the last 5 meeting against LSU, including a 42-13 win in Baton Rouge last season. The only exception over that time frame was a 32-31 win for LSU back in 2022.

Alabama is 57-27-5 all-time against the Tigers.

The post ESPN vs. YouTube TV saga: How to stream LSU vs. Alabama appeared first on Saturday Down South.

YouTube TV, ESPN still ‘far apart’ in negotiations, per report

Spenser Davis — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 18:01:26 +0000

The ongoing standoff between YouTube TV and ESPN appears to have no end in sight.

According to a report from The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, the two parties remain “far apart” in negotiations to end their carriage dispute. If an agreement is not reached soon, YouTube TV subscribers will have to find alternative solutions to watch college football games on ESPN for a second consecutive weekend.

On Oct. 30, YouTube TV sent a message to subscribers saying it would provide customers with a $20 credit if the service was without Disney for an “extended period of time.” As of publication, YouTube TV has not made any other public statements to its subscribers regarding that credit.

Fans who are looking for solutions to this problem may find them with SlingTV or Fubo. Both streaming services have packages that include ESPN and other major channels. SlingTV is offering a “day pass” that costs $4.99 for 24 hours of access. Fubo has a free trial option for new customers.

As Marchand’s report points out, the YouTube TV/ESPN dispute is also impacting NFL fans. Monday Night Football is broadcast on Disney networks and therefore was not available for YouTube TV subscribers in Week 9. If this standoff continues, YouTube TV subscribers won’t have access to Eagles vs. Packers this upcoming week, either.

Saturday’s college football slate on ESPN networks includes Georgia vs. Mississippi State (ESPN), LSU vs. Alabama (ABC), Auburn vs. Vanderbilt and numerous other games.

The post YouTube TV, ESPN still ‘far apart’ in negotiations, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

LSU vs. Alabama preview: Odds, picks, predictions

Spenser Davis — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 15:00:00 +0000

LSU will make the trip to Tuscaloosa on Saturday to face off against rival Alabama in a major SEC showdown.

This game isn’t as nationally relevant as it usually is — LSU has lost 3 games already this season and is out of the College Football Playoff picture entering Week 11. However, there are still plenty of stakes for both teams as they prepare to take the field on Saturday night.

LSU Alabama odds

Here’s a look at the latest college football odds for this game:

LSU football notes

LSU will be playing its first game since firing Brian Kelly on Saturday. The Tigers are coming off of an embarrassing home loss to Texas A&M. Frank Wilson is the interim head coach.
Garrett Nussmeier has shown little signs of improvement throughout the season. Statistically, Nussmeier has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the SEC this season. He ranks 12th in passer efficiency rating during league play and has a 7-to-4 TD-to-INT ratio.
LSU has one of the worst rushing attacks in the country. The Tigers rank 130th in rushing success rate, per Game on Paper.
However, it’s worth noting LSU also fired offensive coordinator Joe Sloan one day after it fired Kelly. LSU does have an experienced offensive coordinator on staff in offensive line coach Alex Atkins. He previously served as OC at Florida State (2022-24) and Charlotte (2019).
LSU’s defense had its worst game of the season last time out against the Aggies. The Tigers gave up 7 yards per play and 4 rushing touchdowns in that loss.
LSU linebacker Whit Weeks is arguably the Tigers’ best overall player. He’s missed the last 2 games due to injury and is considered doubtful for this game against the Crimson Tide.
LSU’s defense ranks 28th in Game on Paper’s schedule-adjust EPA-per-play metric.

Alabama football notes

Like LSU, Alabama is coming off of an idle week and should be well-rested for this matchup against the Tigers.
The Crimson Tide have won 7 straight games, with 4 of those victories coming against ranked opponents.
However, underlying data suggests Alabama has been fortunate to not pick up an additional loss over the last few months. Per Bill Connelly’s postgame win expectancy metric, Alabama has been the third-luckiest team in the country. That metric gives Alabama an estimated 5.18 wins so far this season.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is a top candidate for this year’s Heisman Trophy. The latest Heisman betting odds have Simpson running in third place behind Julian Sayin and Fernando Mendoza.
Alabama’s running game has been a big problem this season. The Crimson Tide are 121st nationally in rushing success rate, per Game on Paper.
Defensively, Alabama’s strength is its secondary. According to CFB-Graphs, Alabama has held opponents to a negative EPA-per-pass in 7 consecutive games.
Alabama does have a bit of an injury crisis worth monitoring up until kickoff. Linebackers Qua Russaw, Cayden Jones and Jah-Marien Latham as well as defensive lineman Jeremiah Bearman are listed as out due to injury. Additionally, reserve defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick is suspended for this matchup due to a recent arrest. Finally, tight end Danny Lewis is listed as “questionable” while star receiver Ryan Williams is “probable” for the LSU game.

LSU vs. Alabama picks

We hit on a Trey’Dez Green anytime TD prop earlier this season and I’m going back to the well. Green is LSU’s best red zone threat at 6-7. He also moves remarkably well for his size. Alabama has some injury concerns this week on defense, but its cornerbacks are strong. I think LSU will be looking for Green to make some plays. Green is responsible for almost half of all LSU receptions inside the 10-yard line this season. He also leads the team in red-zone catches entering Week 11.

Pick: Trey’Dez Green anytime TD (+225 on DraftKings)

I think Alabama’s listed team total is too high. The Crimson Tide really haven’t been all that special on offense in recent weeks. Per CFB-Graphs, they actually had an EPA-per-play that was below-average in their win over South Carolina last time out. I also expect LSU to play well in its first game under interim coach Frank Wilson. The Tigers’ defense has slipped in recent weeks, but I’m banking on a rejuvenated unit showing up in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

Pick: Alabama team total under 29.5 (-102 on BetMGM)

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • November 6, 2025 at 6:16pm

Pick

Odds

Player

Player Prop

CFB • LSU Tigers @ Alabama Crimson Tide

225 on DraftKings

CLOSED • 11/09/2025

Betslip #1762452999600-16bd-491

You can also trade this game on Kalshi, a prediction market that is legal in all 50 US States:

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET in Tuscaloosa.

The post LSU vs. Alabama preview: Odds, picks, predictions appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Predicting 5 underdogs to cover the spread in Week 11

Spenser Davis — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000

It’s almost time for Week 11 of the 2025 college football season.

We went 2-3 with our underdog picks last week despite having closing line value in 4 of the 5 games. We’ll hope for better results this week.

Week 11 college football predictions

Here are 5 picks on underdogs to cover the spread in Week 11:

Mississippi State +9 over Georgia

I like Mississippi State against the number in the battle of the Bulldogs this week. State has been competitive in virtually every game this season and is coming off of a big comeback win over Arkansas this past weekend. Georgia has been underwhelming this season despite its nearly pristine record entering Week 11. Perhaps most importantly, UGA has a date with Texas on deck that will have major College Football Playoff implications. I think Georgia will do what it needs to do to win this game and not much more.

Pick: Mississippi State +9 (-110 on Fanatics)

Mizzou +7 over Texas A&M

Texas A&M hits the road to face a Mizzou team that has an elite rushing attack led by Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts. A&M is coming off a bye, so the Aggies will theoretically be well-rested for that challenge. But Texas A&M’s defense isn’t great against the run — it ranks 90th in EPA-per-rush allowed, according to Game on Paper. Mizzou also has a new quarterback in freshman Matt Zollers and there’s very little relevant tape on him given that he’s a true freshman. Mizzou has an excellent defense and I think the Tigers will be able to keep this within a touchdown at home.

Pick: Mizzou +7 (-115 on BetMGM)

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Kansas +5 over Arizona

I like backing the Jayhawks this week. KU’s defense has been terrible for about a month now, but its offense is still good enough to keep it in games. The Jayhawks have a top-35 offense per Game on Paper’s EPA metric and will be facing an Arizona team with a pretty lackluster passing attack this week. Arizona’s metrics might be a bit inflated after it demolished a quickly-collapsing Colorado team this past weekend.

Pick: Kansas +5 (-110 on Fanatics)

LSU +10 over Alabama

I like LSU at this number. The Tigers clearly have a talented roster and still possess an elite defense led by coordinator Blake Baker. LSU’s offense could also look different this week with Joe Sloan no longer calling the plays. Garrett Nussmeier has seemingly been playing hurt this season — to some degree, at least — so getting him coming out of an idle week is enticing. I like what I’ve heard from interim head coach Frank Wilson as he attempts to galvanize this team, too. Lastly, Alabama’s results have looked better than the process for a few weeks now. Alabama ranks just 25th nationally in net success rate, per Game on Paper. I think LSU can keep this within single digits. That’s not bad by any means, but it’s also not overwhelmingly positive for a team that seems to be power-rated in the top 5 nationwide.

Pick: LSU +10 (-110 on bet365)

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UConn +9.5 over Duke

Duke is being hyped as a potential College Football Playoff participant following its narrow win over Clemson this past week. This is a look-ahead spot for Duke, who will face Virginia next week in a game that carries massive ACC title (and therefore CFP) implications. But first, Duke has to go on the road and play the Huskies. UConn has turned into a surprising-competent program under Jim Mora. UConn already has 1 ACC win this season (over Boston College on the road last month). I’m not calling for the outright victory here, but I do think UConn will keep this well within the number.

Pick: UConn +9.5 (-110 on DraftKings)

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • November 5, 2025 at 10:08pm

Pick

Odds

HomePointSpread +7

Spread

CFB • Texas A&M Aggies @ Missouri Tigers

-115 on BetMGM

CLOSED • 11/08/2025

Betslip #1762380529297-16bd-142

The post Predicting 5 underdogs to cover the spread in Week 11 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Raiders vs. Broncos preview: Picks, predictions for Thursday Night Football

Spenser Davis — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 16:00:00 +0000

The Denver Broncos will host the Las Vegas Raiders in an AFC West showdown on Thursday Night Football this week.

Denver currently leads the division and could make a run at beating out the Chiefs to win their first AFC West title since 2015. The Raiders are in their first season under head coach Pete Carroll and will bring a 2-game losing streak into this matchup.

Raiders vs. Broncos odds

Here’s what the up-to-the-minute betting odds look like for this contest:

Not in a legal betting state? You can still get in on the action with NoVig — a prediction market that’s legal in over 40 US States! Here’s a NoVig promo code to help you get started.

Here’s what you should know about both teams before placing a bet on this game:

Raiders news and notes

The Raiders are 2-6 this season but are coming off of a competitive overtime loss to the Jaguars in Week 9. Vegas had one of its better offensive games of the season as it averaged 5.5 yards per play and Geno Smith threw 4 touchdown passes.
Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has been a bit of a disappointment this season. The first-round pick is averaging just 3.9 yards per carry and has just 3 rushing touchdowns in 8 games.
However, a lot of Jeanty’s efficiency issues could be explained by a poor offensive line. Jeanty is tied for 8th in the NFL in rushing yards per attempt after contact, per PFF.
The Raiders’ passing game will be a bit of a mystery moving forward. Jakobi Meyers leads the team in targets with 49, but he was traded to the Jaguars this week.
Brock Bowers will likely have an even bigger role moving forward. Bowers is arguably the NFL’s best tight end and has 40 targets in just 5 games this season. He’s also coming off of the best game of his young career — 12 catches for 127 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Tre Tucker is a name that could see more attention from Smith in the passing game. Rookies like Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. could also see more action, but Tucker leads the team in yards per route run (1.65) by a decent margin, per PFF.
The Raiders’ defense ranks 23rd in EPA-per-play allowed this season. Vegas is strongest against the run — 16th in rush defense EPA and 19th in rush defense success rate.

Broncos news

The Broncos are one of the NFL’s biggest surprises this season. They currently lead the AFC West with a 7-2 record and are coming off of a win in Houston last weekend.
Bo Nix is putting up very similar efficiency stats to what he did last season as a rookie. He has a TD% of 5.3%, an INT% of 1.9%, is averaging a little over 6 yards per attempt and has posted a 43% passing success rate. Those numbers are all very close to what they were a year ago.
Two areas where Nix has improved greatly: He now leads the league in sack rate at just 2.72%. Nix also leads all NFL quarterbacks in game-winning drives with 4 already this season (he had 3 all of last year).
Although RJ Harvey received some preseason hype, it’s been veteran JK Dobbins who gets the vast majority of the snaps and rushing usage in Denver’s backfield.
Troy Franklin and Courtland Sutton both have 60+ targets so far this season, although Sutton has been much more efficient when he catches the ball. Sutton averages 9.1 yards per target while Franklin is at 6.
Franklin has 12 red-zone targets this season, which is by far the most on the team. Sutton is second with 5. However, Franklin has just 3 red-zone touchdowns this season (and Sutton has zero).
Denver’s defense is elite. The Broncos rank 4th in EPA-per-play allowed this season.
Denver runs a very aggressive defensive system that results in lots of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Broncos are No. 2 in the NFL with a 28.8% pressure rate this season.
However, a key cog in the Broncos’ defense may not play on Thursday night. Cornerback Pat Surtain II, who won Defensive Player of the Year last season, missed last week’s game against Houston with an injury, hasn’t practiced this week.

Raiders vs. Broncos picks

I think Geno goes under this number. He had 39 last week, but that was an overtime game that had an unusual amount of scoring in the 4th quarter (31 points between the 2 teams). Before last week, he had gone under this total in 4 of his previous 5 games. Smith is also one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL against pressure. Among 34 quarterbacks with 50 drop backs this season, Smith ranks 30th in PFF’s passer grade. Against pressure, Smith is 35-of-70 for 400 yards Given Denver’s high-pressure defensive profile, I think the Raiders will have a more run-heavy game plan installed for this matchup.

Pick: Geno Smith under 31.5 pass attempts (-105 on Fanatics)

I think there’s value on Troy Franklin to find the end zone. As I wrote above, Franklin dominates Denver’s red-zone targets (he has 7 more than the next-closest Bronco through Week 9). And yet, Franklin’s anytime TD price is well behind Courtland Sutton’s (+145) and nearly equal to RJ Harvey’s (+200). At 6-3, Franklin has the size to be an excellent red zone threat and I think he will find the end zone again on Thursday night against a bad Vegas secondary.

Pick: Troy Franklin anytime TD (+190 on BetMGM)

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • November 5, 2025 at 5:26pm

Pick

Odds

Under +31.5

Player Prop

NFL • Las Vegas Raiders @ Denver Broncos

-105 on Fanatics

CLOSED • 11/07/2025

Betslip #1762363609336-16bd-465

The post Raiders vs. Broncos preview: Picks, predictions for Thursday Night Football appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Predicting the next head coach for Arkansas football

Spenser Davis — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 23:13:25 +0000

Arkansas is 1 of 4 SEC programs with a vacant head coaching position for 2026.

The Razorbacks will be seeking a replacement for Sam Pittman this offseason. Pittman lasted 5+ seasons in Fayetteville before being ousted after a blowout loss to Notre Dame earlier this season.

Arkansas head coaching candidates

Over at Kalshi, a prediction market legal in all 50 US states, fans can wager on who will be the next head coach at Arkansas.

Let’s break down some of the top candidates according to Kalshi’s marketplace:

Ryan Silverfield, Memphis head coach

Current Kalshi price: 24 cents per contract

Ryan Silverfield replaced Mike Norvell at Memphis back in 2020. He had been on the Tigers’ staff since 2016 as an assistant. Silverfield’s tenure hasn’t always been smooth when it comes to on-field results, but Memphis appears to be a College Football Playoff contender. Barring a collapse, this would be Memphis’s third straight season with 10+ wins under Silverfield. Although he’s from Florida, Silverfield has never coached in the SEC at any level (but does have an NFL background).

Gus Malzahn, Florida State offensive coordinator

Current Kalshi price: 20 cents per contract

Gus Malzahn has deep ties to the state of Arkansas. He played for the Razorbacks from 1984-85 and was a successful high school coach in the state a couple of decades ago. Arkansas gave him his first college coaching job in 2006 (wide receivers coach). He was also the head coach at Arkansas State before Auburn hired him to be its head coach in 2013. Malzahn is currently in his first season at FSU and previously stated he considered retirement before joining the Noles’ staff.

Jon Sumrall, Tulane head coach

Current Kalshi price: 19 cents per contract

Jon Sumrall is expected to be one of the hottest names on the market this offseason. He has deep ties to SEC country — he played at Kentucky and has now been the head coach at Group-of-5 programs in Alabama (Troy) and Louisiana (Tulane). He’s also a former Ole Miss assistant coach. Sumrall is also expected to be considered by Auburn, Florida and LSU.

Bobby Petrino, interim Arkansas head coach

Current Kalshi price: 19 cents per contract

Bobby Petrino is currently serving as the interim head coach at Arkansas. While the Razorbacks have been competitive under his leadership in recent weeks, they have yet to win an SEC game. Petrino’s lack of wins could be what keeps him from earning the full-time gig. However, athletic director Hunter Yurachek said Petrino would have the opportunity to land the job after firing Pittman. Petrino was given the authority to make several changes to his defensive staff after he was named interim coach. Arkansas is likely to be a big underdog in its 3 remaining games against LSU, Texas and Mizzou.

Jon Gruden, former NFL head coach

Current Kalshi price: 11 cents per contract

Jon Gruden is a potential candidate if Arkansas wants to make an outside-the-box hire. Gruden’s popularity has grown over the last year as he’s taken a content creator role at Barstool. The former NFL head coach has also publicly expressed a desire to coach in the SEC. He has not formally coached at the college level since he served as the wide receivers coach at Pittsburgh back in 1991.

Arkansas football head coach prediction

Given the above options, I think Silverfield is by far the most-likely and best-priced option. He’s won enough at Memphis to warrant consideration from SEC vacancies. He’s also not likely to be heavily pursued by the likes of Auburn and LSU (unlike Sumrall, who could be a finalist for higher-profile jobs).

Perhaps other potential candidates will emerge over the course of this search. But I’m hesitant to believe Malzahn, Petrino or Gruden will receive serious consideration for the job based on various factors. As for Sumrall, I think he has a great chance to land one of the other 3 SEC openings.

Prediction: Ryan Silverfield to be Arkansas’s next head coach (24 cents per contract)

How does Kalshi work?

Kalshi is a prediction market that gives users the opportunity to put money behind their projections. Unlike traditional sportsbooks, Kalshi is 100% legal in all 50 US States. Kalshi doesn’t just offer markets on sports — you can also make predictions on outcomes relating to politics, the weather and more.

Kalshi users can purchase contracts that will pay out at a rate of $1 per contract if the prediction is ultimately graded as accurate. For example, if Silverfield is named the next permanent head coach at Arkansas, a $10 prediction at a cost of 24 cents per contract would pay out $39.

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Predicting 5 upsets for Week 11 of the 2025 season

Spenser Davis — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000

We’ve reached Week 11 of the 2025 college football season.

We’re back for another week of upset predictions across college football. Upsets are down a little bit this season. Money line underdogs of +100 or higher have won just 26.5% of their games through Week 10. That’s down from 28.3% over the Weeks 1 through 10 in 2024.

Still, we press on in search of 5 winners this week.

Upset picks Week 11

Here are 5 upset predictions for this week’s slate:

Auburn over Vanderbilt

With Vanderbilt still licking its wounds from the Texas loss, the Commodores now host an Auburn team that will be playing for an interim head coach on Saturday. Gulp. This Auburn roster is good. The defense is really good and I think the offense can play at a much higher level than we saw against Kentucky this past weekend.

Pick: Auburn +210 over Vanderbilt (via BetMGM)

Wake Forest over Virginia

I’ve been on Wake a lot this season. It’s generally been a good idea, although it certainly wasn’t last week when the Demon Deacons got curb-stomped by Florida State. But I’m back on the Jake Dickert train this week as Wake travels to face the nation’s most overrated team in Virginia. The Cavaliers are ranked No. 12 in the AP Poll this week but most advanced metrics wouldn’t put Virginia anywhere near the top 25. I’ll give Wake another shot since I like the spot for fading the Cavaliers and because the Demon Deacons have already pulled off a couple big upsets this season (including a win over SMU just 2 weeks ago).

Pick: Wake Forest +210 over Virginia (via bet365)

Tulane over Memphis

Readers may remember a few weeks ago when I took Memphis to beat South Florida a week after the Tigers had lost in stunning fashion to UAB. That move paid off. We have a similar pattern available to us this week and Memphis is involved once again. Tulane is a big road underdog on Friday night against the Tigers, one week after they got absolutely embarrassed on the road at UTSA. I think Jon Sumrall and his team will have Tulane in a much better position this week for what is a massive game in the AAC.

Pick: Tulane +195 over Memphis (via BetMGM)

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Stanford over North Carolina

North Carolina has been legitimately improved on defense for several weeks now. The Tar Heels finally got over the hump last week with a big win over Syracuse. But the Orange started a freshman walk-on lacrosse player at quarterback in that game and UNC was still losing at halftime. I’m happy to sell high on Carolina as a sneaky-competent Stanford team rolls into Chapel Hill. I think this will be a very low-scoring game and I think the Cardinal are live to win outright.

Pick: Stanford +240 over North Carolina (via Fanatics)

Nebraska over UCLA

I’m a little surprised to see Nebraska is an underdog against UCLA even with Dylan Raiola being out for the season. I think TJ Lateef can move the ball on the Bruins. I also think Matt Rhule will be eager to rally his team around a backup quarterback on the road. Nebraska’s primary weakness is rushing defense, but UCLA’s running backs have been underwhelming this season. Nico Iamaleava is by far UCLA’s leading rusher entering Week 11. The Bruins are coming off of a bye, but I just think this Nebraska team is tougher and better in the trenches than UCLA is.

Pick: Nebraska +105 over UCLA (via bet365)

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • November 4, 2025 at 5:41pm

Pick

Odds

AwayTeam

Moneyline

CFB • Tulane Green Wave @ Memphis Tigers

195 on BetMGM

CLOSED • 11/08/2025

Betslip #1762278093275-16bd-457

The post Predicting 5 upsets for Week 11 of the 2025 season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

College Football Playoff rankings, Nov. 4: Top-25 revealed by committee

Spenser Davis — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 01:16:59 +0000

The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2025 season have been revealed.

The initial rankings were announced by the CFP selection committee on Tuesday evening. They follow the first 10 weeks of the college football season, which concluded this past Saturday.

College Football Playoff rankings, Week 11

Here’s a look at the first top-25 of the season:

Ohio State
Indiana
Texas A&M
Alabama
Georgia
Ole Miss
BYU
Texas Tech
Oregon
Notre Dame
Texas
Oklahoma
Utah
Virginia
Louisville
Vanderbilt
Georgia Tech
Miami
USC
Iowa
Michigan
Mizzou
Washington
Pittsburgh
Tennessee

College Football Playoff changes

The College Football Playoff did make some changes this offseason. Most notably, the 4 highest-ranked conference champions will no longer receive an automatic bye to the quarterfinal round. Instead, teams will be seeded 1 through 12 after the committee’s process determines which squads will make the field.

However, the 5 highest-ranked conference champions will still receive an automatic berth for the 12-team bracket. That means the champions from the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC are likely to receive automatic inclusion in the CFP. Additionally, at least one Group-of-5 conference champion will claim a spot.

Another notable change to how the committee will operate this season revolves around its strength-of-schedule metric. The CFP previously announced it will use a new SOS model this season that rewards teams for earning impressive wins and punishes them for suffering bad losses.

Odds to make the College Football Playoff

Several teams have already separated themselves for a spot in the CFP. Programs like Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Alabama are currently leading the way in College Football Playoff odds.

Here’s a look at where the top teams currently sit in National Championship odds:

The post College Football Playoff rankings, Nov. 4: Top-25 revealed by committee appeared first on Saturday Down South.

YouTube TV-ESPN saga: How to watch first College Football Playoff rankings show

Spenser Davis — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 22:10:25 +0000

The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2025 season will be revealed on Tuesday evening.

The rankings reveal will be broadcast on ESPN, with a start time slated for 8 p.m. ET. However, YouTube TV subscribers will not be able to watch unless an agreement is reached with Disney to end the ongoing carriage dispute between the two parties. Barring a last-minute deal, ESPN channels will not be available on YouTube TV in time for the rankings reveal on Tuesday night.

How to stream the CFP rankings show

Fans do have some options when it comes to services that will have access to the rankings reveal show on ESPN.

SlingTV is currently offering a “day pass” for new users who are interested in signing up for their Orange package, which includes ESPN. The day pass is $4.99. ESPN is also set to broadcast the Duke vs. Texas basketball game on Tuesday night.

Fubo is also a potential solution for YouTube TV subscribers. Fubo is currently offering a free trial for new customers.

CFP rankings show start time

Here’s what you need to know:

Time: 8 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN (via SlingTV or Fubo)

Odds to make the College Football Playoff

Prediction markets such as Kalshi have posted odds to make the College Football Playoff ahead of Tuesday night’s reveal.

Here’s a look at where the market currently stands:

Kalshi is legal in all 50 US states. Here’s a Kalshi promo code if you’re interested in signing up.

College Football Playoff ranking predictions

Ahead of the big reveal, Saturday Down South’s Connor O’Gara revealed his predictions for the top-12 teams on Tuesday night:

Ohio State
Indiana
Texas A&M
Alabama
Georgia
Oregon
Ole Miss
BYU
Texas Tech
Notre Dame
Texas
Oklahoma

The post YouTube TV-ESPN saga: How to watch first College Football Playoff rankings show appeared first on Saturday Down South.

YouTube TV-ESPN dispute: How to watch Texas vs. Duke basketball game

Spenser Davis — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 21:10:59 +0000

The 2025-26 college basketball season is off and running. Opening day for most teams across the country was on Monday, but several high-profile teams — like Duke and Texas — will make their season debuts on Tuesday evening.

Unfortunately, college basketball fans who subscribe to YouTube TV will have to find an alternative way to watch this game. Due to an ongoing financial dispute between Google and Disney, ESPN channels are currently not available on YouTube TV.

Saturday’s game between the Blue Devils and Longhorns is set to be broadcast on ESPN.

How to stream Texas vs. Duke basketball

Fortunately for fans still hoping to watch this game, there are alternatives to YouTube TV.

SlingTV is currently offering a “day pass” for its “Orange” package that costs just $4.99. The Orange package includes ESPN, ESPN 2, TNT and numerous other channels.

Here’s what you need to know for the Texas-Duke matchup:

Tipoff time: 8:45 p.m. ET
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
TV: ESPN via SlingTV

Anyone looking for a short-or-long-term solution could also consider signing up with FuboTV. Fubo is currently offering new customers a free trial period when they sign up.

Texas vs. Duke betting odds

Duke is a significant favorite over the Longhorns, according to the betting markets. The Blue Devils have a sure-fire top-5 pick in Cameron Boozer as well as a roster that’s filled with other potential NBA Draft selections.

Texas, meanwhile, is entering what seems to be a rebuild under first-year head coach Sean Miller. The Longhorns were predicted to finish 9th in the SEC’s preseason poll, so they appear to still be on track to contender for an NCAA Tournament bid this season.

Here’s a look at the latest betting odds for this season-opener:

Texas vs. Duke basketball history

Duke has never lost to the University of Texas in men’s basketball. The Blue Devils have won all 5 meetings in this series. That includes one March Madness win for Duke — a 74-69 result that put the Blue Devils into the Sweet 16 back in 2009.

Duke and Texas last played in 2018 in Portland, Oregon. Duke won 85-78.

The post YouTube TV-ESPN dispute: How to watch Texas vs. Duke basketball game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

ESPN vs. YouTube TV dispute: How to stream Arkansas vs. Southern season-opener

Spenser Davis — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 20:45:37 +0000

Due to an ongoing carriage dispute between YouTube TV and ESPN, fans may have trouble watching opening day action of college basketball on Monday night.

That includes the season-opener for John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks. The Hogs are set to host Southern in a game broadcast on SEC Network on Monday evening.

How to watch Arkansas vs. Southern

YouTube TV subscribers may not have access to the Arkansas game on Monday night, but SlingTV may be a viable alternative. SlingTV offers SEC Network to subscribers via its “sports extra” package. Other ESPN-owned channels are available under its basic package.

Tip off time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
TV: SEC Network+ (via SlingTV)

Fans may also consider FuboTV as a potential alternative to YouTube TV. Fubo is currently offering a free trial to new users.

Arkansas vs. Southern betting odds

Arkansas is a massive favorite over Southern in this matchup. The Razorbacks are entering Year 2 under Calipari with legitimate postseason expectations. Arkansas got all the way to the Sweet 16 last season and will be looking for another deep March Madness run in 2026.

Here’s a look at the up-to-date betting odds for this Arkansas game:

Arkansas vs. Southern history

Arkansas and Southern have met 3 times previously, with the Razorbacks taking all 3 matchups. The last game in this series was a 79-44 win for the Hogs back in December of 2020. The first meeting was much closer — Arkansas won 76-75 back in 1985.

The post ESPN vs. YouTube TV dispute: How to stream Arkansas vs. Southern season-opener appeared first on Saturday Down South.

10 college football ideas I’m buying or selling after Week 10

Spenser Davis — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Week 10 of the college football season is in the books.

As we do every week in this piece, we’ll examine 10 prevailing college football narratives and see if they stack up to scrutiny. Last week, we covered LSU‘s athletic director situation, Bobby Petrino’s uncertain future at Arkansas, North Carolina‘s defensive improvement and Texas‘s advantages against Vanderbilt.

10 college football ideas to buy or sell

Let’s dive in:

Buying: Auburn is in position to make a huge leap under its next head coach

While Hugh Freeze never delivered the results Auburn was looking for, he is undoubtedly leaving the program better than he found it. The Tigers signed top-10 high school recruiting classes in 2025 and 2024, giving the next coach an excellent foundation to work from — provided Auburn can keep all that talent on the Plains through the coaching transitions.

Auburn has a young core that includes Deuce Knight, Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons and a half dozen or so key defensive contributors who have multiple years of eligibility remaining after 2025. If Auburn can keep all of that talent out of the portal, it could have a very quick rebuild under its next head coach. I wouldn’t even completely rule out a Playoff appearance if everything breaks right next season.

Selling: Notre Dame’s performance vs. Boston College was cause for concern

If you’re holding any Notre Dame futures, including the Irish’s odds to make the Playoff, I wouldn’t worry too much about the Irish’s underwhelming 25-10 win in Chestnut Hill on Saturday. The margin of victory was low and Notre Dame made some key mistakes, but Marcus Freeman’s team absolutely dominated on a down-to-down basis. Notre Dame won the yards-per-play battle by a margin of 8.3 to 3.6.

So far this season, there have been 17 games played between FBS teams where one team gained more than 8 yards per play and its opponent gained under 4 yards per play. The average margin of victory in those contests? A whopping 44.7 points.

If anything, I’m inclined to buy more Notre Dame stock given this result. It was another dominant performance for the Fighting Irish and now Freeman’s staff will have something to fire up the team about ahead of next week’s game vs. Navy.

Pick: Notre Dame team total over 41.5 (-110 on DraftKings)

Buying: The ACC will be a 1-bid league this season

The ACC quietly had a disastrous weekend. Miami, its front-runner and the only team the rest of the country seems to have respect for, lost to SMU. Georgia Tech, a team who was getting top-5 buzz, lost to NC State. Those results basically eliminate all possibility of the ACC getting more than 1 team in to the College Football Playoff this season. It’s only Nov. 3, but the ACC is out of undefeated teams and only has 3 teams remaining that have just 1 loss.

There will surely be chaos down the stretch, but it’s virtually impossible to construct a scenario where more than 1 ACC team makes the field this season. It would likely have to involve Georgia Tech upsetting Georgia in Week 14 but losing in the ACC title game. But even then, would a 11-2 Georgia Tech team make the CFP? I think there’s a real chance it wouldn’t, given that its strength-of-schedule (per FPI) currently ranks 84th.

Here’s another FPI-backed stat to put the ACC’s struggles into perspective: Virginia currently has the best chance to win the league at 31.2%, per FPI. However, FPI only gives the Cavaliers a 29% chance to make the College Football Playoff. That means FPI’s model shows a small — but statistically present — chance that Virginia wins the ACC but isn’t one of the 5 highest-ranked conference champions on selection day. FPI also only has 1 ACC team (Miami) included in its top 20 entering Week 11.

Selling: Virginia is a top-25 team

Speaking of Virginia, the Cavaliers are ranked No. 12 in this week’s AP Top 25. Looking through history, you’d be hard-pressed to find a team ranked in the top-15 this late in the season that’s as mediocre as this Virginia squad. Virginia’s résumé includes a loss to NC State, a 2-point win over Washington State, a 1-point overtime win over North Carolina and a 10-point win over Cal. The Cavaliers are 3-0 in overtime games this year.

Virginia ranks 62nd in Game on Paper’s schedule-adjusted EPA-per-played metric. It sits at No. 43 in Bill Connelly’s updated SP+ rankings. The Cavs are also just No. 46 in FPI despite having the highest odds to win the ACC (which really says it all). Virginia is ranked where it is because of its record, which is fine — the AP Poll is more of a résumé ranker than anything else. But Virginia has very little chance to make any real noise this postseason and shouldn’t be considered a top-25 team from a power ratings standpoint.

Buying: Arch Manning has made real progress

Arch Manning has seemingly made some real progress since his early and mid-season struggles. Over his last 2 games, Manning has thrown for 674 yards, 6 touchdowns and 1 interception in wins over Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

I don’t want to be results-oriented here, so let’s look under the hood. Per PFF, Manning’s improvement has come with a significantly lower average depth of target. In Weeks 1 through 8, Manning’s ADOT was an impressive 9.2. However, that’s about all there was to be excited about regarding Manning’s profile. He had a turnover-worthy play rate of 3.8% and his average yards per attempt was relatively low at 7.7.

Over Manning’s last 2 games, he’s lowered his ADOT to 7.4 yards but his average yards per attempt is up to 8.5. He also doesn’t have a turnover-worthy play over that span. To me, that indicates that Manning is seeing the field better and is able to hit the receivers that Steve Sarkisian is scheming open for him. On intermediate throws over the past 2 games, Manning is 11-of-18 for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns. That’ll play.

Buying: Texas Tech is by far the Big 12’s best team

College GameDay is headed to Lubbock this weekend to showcase what will be the most important Big 12 game in weeks: Texas Tech vs. BYU. The Red Raiders are big favorites — they’ve clobbered everyone in this league with the exception of Arizona State, whom they lost to when starting quarterback Behren Morton was hurt.

But BYU enters this game undefeated — somewhat improbably — and therefore appears to be a legitimate threat to Texas Tech’s Big 12 title hopes. Assuming Morton can stay healthy, though, I don’t think the Cougars are all that dangerous for Texas Tech. BYU’s profile on the road hasn’t been impressive this season. It barely beat Colorado and needed overtime to pull out a win against Arizona last month. The Cougars did win in Ames by a couple touchdowns, but they played a compromised Iowa State team (and still got out-gained on a yards-per-play basis).

I think this Texas Tech offense will have a huge day. Anyone who has been to games of this magnitude in Lubbock will tell you how intense the atmosphere is. With GameDay in town for the first time since Michael Crabtree and Mike Leach beat No. 1 Texas back in 2008, I think Texas Tech will be ready to make a massive statement.

Pick: Texas Tech team total over 31.5 (-105 on DraftKings)

Buying: Julian Sayin is a deserved Heisman leader

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin has surged to the top of the Heisman Trophy odds board. While I don’t think it’s any kind of foregone conclusion that Sayin will win, I do think he’s a good bet at this point. I’ve been down on Fernando Mendoza’s candidacy for weeks and I still don’t see a significant path for him unless the Hoosiers upset Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. Alabama’s Ty Simpson may be undervalued at this stage as well.

But Sayin appears to be the total package. He leads the nation in passer efficiency rating and yards per attempt. He’s the quarterback of the No. 1 team in the country. And perhaps most importantly, Sayin appears to be peaking at the right time. Over his last 5 games, Sayin has thrown for 1,409 yards, 15 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He hasn’t thrown a pick since September and now has back-to-back 4 TD games in Big Ten play entering Week 11. I think Sayin should probably be the odds-on favorite at this point, but you can still get him well above that price at most sports betting apps.

Pick: Julian Sayin to win the Heisman Trophy (+175 on BetMGM)

Buying: USC can still make the Playoff

USC’s win over Nebraska on Saturday went under the radar, but I think it was a pretty massive result for the Big Ten’s chances to get 4 College Football Playoff bids. The Trojans are now 6-2 on the season and will play home games against Iowa and Northwestern over the next couple of weeks. They close the year with UCLA at home as well.

Given what we’ve seen from USC at home this season, I feel pretty good about USC winning all 3 of those games. Only the Iowa game should have a chance to be competitive in the fourth quarter, but I think the Trojans get the job done there.

That leaves a Week 13 trip to Eugene, Oregon, for USC. That could be a de-facto play-in game for USC and I don’t think there’s much reason to believe the Ducks are significantly better than Lincoln Riley’s team. Let’s review Oregon’s résumé: 14-point win over Wisconsin, 10-point home loss to Indiana and an overtime win over Penn State. That result against the Nittany Lions has aged horribly, but so has the relatively close game against the Badgers. There’s a chance this Oregon team just isn’t elite. If that’s the case, would it really be so shocking if USC went in to Autzen and came out with a win on Nov. 22?

USC is 12th in SP+ and No. 3 in Game on Paper’s schedule-adjusted net EPA-per-play metric. Even with 2 losses already, I think USC is a real threat to earn a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Pick: USC to make the College Football Playoff (+500 on DraftKings)

Selling: Dabo Swinney can fix things at Clemson long-term

After seeing Clemson lose yet another ACC home game on Saturday, it seems clear that the Tigers have peaked under Dabo Swinney. The 2-time national championship coach won’t be fired anytime soon, but Swinney seems to have lost the faith of the locker room and the program in general. That was evidenced by his tirade against the Clemson defense after the Tigers conceded 28 points to Duke in the first half.

It’s also clear that Clemson is no longer operating at a level above the rest of the ACC. Since the start of the 2023 season, the Tigers have lost 7 home games. Only a handful of ACC schools have more home losses over that period. For context — from 2014 to 2022, Clemson lost a grand total of 2 home games.

Swinney has hinted at potentially leaving Clemson in the past. Perhaps now is the time? There are several high-profile SEC jobs available this cycle — something that won’t always be the case. There wouldn’t be any shame in Swinney leaving Clemson after a 17-year run as head coach. Sometimes you’ve just stayed at a place for too long — perhaps a reset would be best for all parties involved.

Selling: Tuesday night’s CFP rankings are meaningless

The College Football Playoff selection committee will unveil their first rankings of the season on Tuesday night. That show will be broadcast on ESPN (YouTube TV subscribers can get a SlingTV promo here). While none of the early rankings releases are as important as the final one, they can still tell us a lot about how the committee views certain teams and conferences in a broad sense.

That’s especially true this season, especially with the new strength-of-scheduling methodology that was announced earlier this year in the wake of only 3 SEC teams making last year’s CFP title game. As a refresher, here’s an excerpt from the press release announcing the change:

Changes for the upcoming season include enhancements to the tools that the selection committee uses to assess schedule strength and how teams perform against their schedule. The current schedule strength metric has been adjusted to apply greater weight to games against strong opponents. An additional metric, record strength, has been added to the selection committee’s analysis to go beyond a team’s schedule strength to assess how a team performed against that schedule. This metric rewards teams defeating high-quality opponents while minimizing the penalty for losing to such a team. Conversely, these changes will provide minimal reward for defeating a lower-quality opponent while imposing a greater penalty for losing to such a team.

It’s too early to know for sure if these changes will benefit the SEC, but we should get a first glimpse at the impact of this new approach on Thursday night. If the rankings look significantly different than they would have in prior years, it’s worth taking into consideration what that means for the CFP futures market.

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • November 3, 2025 at 6:05am

Pick

Odds

Player

Future

CFB • Heisman Trophy Winner

175 on BetMGM

SCHEDULED • 10/02/2025

Betslip #1762149949941-16bd-537

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Former Arkansas kicker Cam Little sets NFL all-time record for longest field goal

Spenser Davis — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 22:39:45 +0000

Cam Little stands alone in NFL history.

The former Arkansas kicker blasted a 68-yard field goal just before halftime of Jacksonville’s game against the Raiders on Sunday. Little, who made a 70-yarder in the preseason, broke the regular-season record which was previously set by Justin Tucker at 66 yards back in 2021.

Here’s a look at Little’s historic kick:

Cam Little breaks the NFL's all-time record with a 68-yard field goal @cameronglittle | #JAXvsLV on FOX pic.twitter.com/EPQZa5RGpJ
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) November 2, 2025

In addition to making history, Little’s field goal could prove to be crucial for Jacksonville as the Jaguars look to make a comeback in Las Vegas. They were shutout in the first half prior to Little’s make from 68 yards.

Sixty-plus yard field goals have been more common in the NFL this season. Entering Week 9, all kickers have combined for 6 makes of 60+ yards. Kickers made just 4 such field goals across the entirety of the 2024 regular season.

Little is in his second NFL season. Entering Sunday, he was 10-of-14 on field goals this season. All 4 of his misses had come from 40+ yards. He was a 6th-round pick out of Arkansas in the 2024 NFL Draft and has quickly established himself as a starting kicker in the NFL. He made 93% of his field goals as a rookie in 2024.

The post Former Arkansas kicker Cam Little sets NFL all-time record for longest field goal appeared first on Saturday Down South.

NFL picks for Week 9: 3 plus-money bets

Spenser Davis — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season.

As always, this piece will focus on 3 plus-money bets to consider for the upcoming NFL Sunday. Last week, we went 1-2 with the victory being Saquon Barkley going over 100 yards (+165). Unfortunately for us, the Patriots went over their team total and the Saints failed to win outright as an underdog.

3 NFL predictions for Week 9

Here are 3 plus-money bets for this week:

Broncos money line

I like Denver to go into Houston and pick up an outright win on Sunday. Both of these teams are coming off of victories in Week 8. The Broncos smashed the Cowboys while the Texans had arguably their best offensive game of the season against the 49ers. I think Denver deserves a bit more credit — Dallas has been pretty scrappy in most games this season. Meanwhile, the San Francisco defense that Houston dominated now ranks outside the top-20 in EPA-per-play allowed. CJ Stroud has also been terrible against pressure this season and no defense in the NFL has registered pressure more often than Denver’s through 9 weeks.

Pick: Broncos +110 on bet365

Looking to bet on NFL football this Sunday? Here’s everything you need to know before picking the best sports betting app to join!

Xavier Worthy to score

I think Xavier Worthy will find the end zone on Sunday. The former Texas wideout has been good when healthy this season. He’s gained 1.89 yards per route run against zone coverage this season, per PFF. Buffalo’s cornerbacks are much better in zone than in man, so I’d expect Kansas City to see quite a bit of zone on Sunday. Rashee Rice and a few other KC pass-catchers are also excellent against zone, but they don’t have Worthy’s downfield threat. Worthy’s average depth of target this season is 14.4 yards — his speed makes him a threat to score from the red zone or an explosive play.

Pick: Xavier Worthy anytime touchdown +200 on DraftKings

Jaguars-Raiders alternate total under

The Jaguars and Raiders will face off in Las Vegas this weekend in a matchup involving 2 of the very worst offenses in the NFL. It seems to be fairly common knowledge that Vegas’s offense is bad — the Raiders are 2-5 on the season and have scored a total of 26 points over their last 3 games. But the Jags are almost as bad on offense. Vegas ranks 30th in points per drive this season, Jacksonville is 27th. The Raiders are 25th in early-down success rate, the Jaguars are 22nd. Jacksonville is +8 in turnover margin this season and yet has a negative point differential on the season because of how its offense has under-performed. And with Travis Hunter now on IR, the Jaguars have lost a key difference-maker on offense. The total for this game is currently priced at 44.5 across the board, which I think is a field goal too high.

Pick: Alternate total under 41.5 (+118 on BetMGM)

Searching for a new sportsbook to join? Here’s a BetMGM bonus code to help you get started with one of the best betting apps available!

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • November 1, 2025 at 6:02am

Pick

Odds

Player

Player Prop

NFL • Kansas City Chiefs @ Buffalo Bills

200 on DraftKings

CLOSED • 11/02/2025

Betslip #1761976941113-16bd-414

The post NFL picks for Week 9: 3 plus-money bets appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Oklahoma picks up massive road win over Tennessee

Spenser Davis — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 03:49:33 +0000

Oklahoma earned what was perhaps the biggest win of the Brent Venables era on Saturday night, beating Tennessee 33-27 in Knoxville.

The Sooners amassed just 99 yards offense in the first half, but still carried at 16-10 lead into the break thanks to a trio of turnover by Joey Aguilar. From there, OU was able to control the game in the second half.

Oklahoma‘s rushing attack had arguably its best game of the season. Two different Sooners — Xavier Robinson and John Mateer — rushed for over 100 yards. It was Robinson’s score late in the fourth quarter that proved to be the difference in OU’s victory.

Joey Aguilar threw for 393 yards in the loss, but threw 2 interceptions and lost a fumble that became a 71-yard scoop-and-score in the first quarter. Tennessee got almost nothing from its running game — excluding Aguilar, Tennessee players rushed for just 69 yards on 24 carries.

OU’s defensive line was dominant, sacking Aguilar 4 times and creating 8 tackles for loss.

This result means Oklahoma will take a 7-2 record into its game against Alabama in a couple of weeks on Nov. 15. The Sooners are still alive in the race for a College Football Playoff berth, while Tennessee drops to 6-3 and will likely be awaiting a bowl assignment on selection day.

No. 18 Oklahoma 33, No. 14 Tennesse 26

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

Joey Aguilar vs John Mateer

A statistical breakdown of how Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar performed against OU counterpart John Mateer:

The post Rapid Reaction: Oklahoma picks up massive road win over Tennessee appeared first on Saturday Down South.

College GameDay announces destination for Week 11

Spenser Davis — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 23:41:16 +0000

ESPN has announced a location for its flagship pregame show, College GameDay, in Week 11.

Pat McAfee, Kirk Herbstreit and the rest of the crew will be headed to Lubbock, Texas, to watch Texas Tech battle BYU next week. The Red Raiders and Cougars are two of the Big 12’s best and this game will have serious College Football Playoff implications for both teams and the conference as a whole.

Here’s the official announcement:

TEXAS TECH, ARE YOU READY?!

Next up, we're headed to Lubbock for a Big 12 showdown between @BYUfootball and @TexasTechFB pic.twitter.com/Da4oo1luAk
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 1, 2025

Texas Tech has just one loss this season and is currently the betting favorite to win the Big 12. The Red Raiders are coming off of a blowout road win over Kansas State in Week 10 and further stamp their CFP résumé with a big win over BYU.

The Cougars are idle in Week 10 but have won several impressive games in recent weeks. BYU won in Ames by 14 points last week and pulled off an upset win over Utah the week prior. BYU is 8-0 entering Saturday’s game in Lubbock.

College GameDay has only been to Lubbock one time previously. That trip came way back in 2008 when the Red Raiders played an instant classic against then-No. 1 Texas. Michael Crabtree famously scored the game-winning touchdown over the Longhorns in the final seconds of a historic 39-33 win.

Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.

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Florida fans erupt on SEC officials after controversial call late vs. Georgia

Spenser Davis — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 23:23:35 +0000

Florida fans are not happy with SEC officials.

The Gators, trailing Georgia 24-20 late in the fourth quarter, appeared to make a big gain when DJ Lagway found J. Michael Sturdivant wide open downfield against the Bulldogs.

Lagway’s pass was severely under-thrown, causing Sturdivant to have to come back to the ball. Sturdivant dove and appeared to get both his arms underneath the ball before it hit the ground. However, the pass was ruled incomplete by officials on the field and that decision was upheld by replay review.

Here’s a look at the play:

This is a catch by Florida pic.twitter.com/awHTaQE5LH
— John (@iam_johnw) November 1, 2025

Suffice it to say, Florida fans — and many neutral observers — vehemently disagreed with the decision to stick with the ruling that it was an incomplete pass.

Here’s the best of the reaction on social media:

That’s a Florida catch
— Booger (@ESPNBooger) November 1, 2025

Every week the SEC refs are keeping Georgia alive for the college football playoff.

That’s a catch by Florida. Brutal call.
— Jason Peterson (@jpsperspective) November 1, 2025

This SEX officiating crew for the Florida Georgia game needs to be investigated. That was a catch, and they know it. Fire em, all of em
— Bobby Williams (@wbobby00) November 1, 2025

Florida got SCREWED. That was absolutely a catch and it would’ve completely changed the outcome of that game.
— Pisces Papi (@DrScafacia) November 1, 2025

Congrats to the @SEC on another awful officiated UGA game. You can’t make it more obvious can you? Florida got screwed, that was a catch all day.
— KTSCards (@DentalGator1) November 1, 2025

Thank god Alabama is on a bye because SEC officiating is striking again.

That was a Florida catch.
— Sidelines – Bama (@SSN_Alabama) November 1, 2025

Oh, that's a Florida catch.
— Connor O'Gara (@cjogara) November 1, 2025

Florida robbed. The worst referee decision I've seen in years. That was a catch. Clear as day.

Florida v Georgia is a joke
— Tyler Schochenmaier (@TylerJShock) November 1, 2025

https://twitter.com/derrickwhite101/status/1984757275156730320

College refs being unable to determine clear plays on replay needs to be studied. That was a catch for Florida.
— Kevin (@limpbaddymormon) November 1, 2025

I’ve got no dog in the Florida/Georgia game, but Florida got robbed by the officials. That was a catch.
— Josh H. Ellis (@JoshHEllis) November 1, 2025

That was a catch. 1000%

1000% not surprised Georgia got the call.

Florida got screwed. #cfb
— Dylan Hager (@dhagerj15) November 1, 2025

That Florida catch is everything that is wrong with instant replay. The call on the field always matters more.

If that was ruled a catch and reviewed they would not have enough evidence to overturn it.
— Brett Lewis (@H2_Waste) November 1, 2025

The decision by officials ultimately proved to be too much for Florida to overcome. The Gators turned the ball over on downs on the next play and never saw the ball again. Georgia was able to run the clock out and secure a 24-20 win.

Georgia has now won 5 straight games in this series.

The post Florida fans erupt on SEC officials after controversial call late vs. Georgia appeared first on Saturday Down South.

YouTube TV-ESPN dispute: How to stream Kentucky-Auburn game

Spenser Davis — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 22:12:20 +0000

As of Saturday afternoon, YouTube TV subscribers still do not have access to any of ESPN’s network of channels.

That means SEC football fans hoping to watch their teams play on Saturday will have to make alternate arrangements. That includes Saturday’s Kentucky vs. Auburn game on the Plains.

How to watch Kentucky vs. Auburn

Fortunately for fans who are impacted by this carriage dispute between YouTube TV and ESPN, SlingTV can offer a viable solution. Sling subscribers will have access to all of ESPN’s channels after signing up.

Kickoff time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Auburn, Alabama
TV: SEC Network (via SlingTV)

Kentucky vs. Auburn betting odds

Auburn is a significant favorite over the Wildcats in this game. Auburn has just 1 SEC win this season, but the Tigers have been competitive in every game they have played so far in 2025. Kentucky is coming off of a blowout loss to Tennessee last weekend.

Here’s what the up-to-date odds look like for this game:

Kentucky-Auburn history

Kentucky and Auburn have met 35 times previously with the Tigers dominating this series. Auburn is 28-6-4 all-time against the Wildcats. That record includes 4 consecutive wins in this series for Auburn.

Kentucky has not won in this series since 2009. Before that, UK’s last victory against the Tigers came all the way back in 1966. Last season, Auburn won 24-10 in Lexington.

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How to stream the Oklahoma-Tennessee game during ESPN-YouTube TV dispute

Spenser Davis — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 20:29:49 +0000

Fans and YouTube TV subscribers who are hoping to watch SEC football on Saturday may have to come up with an alternative solution.

Due to a financial dispute between YouTube TV and ESPN, the World Wide Leader’s network of channels will no longer appear on YouTube TV. That could change if an agreement between the parties is reached, but as of publication, YouTube TV will not be carrying ESPN channels this weekend.

That means fans hoping to watch Tennessee vs. Oklahoma on YouTube TV will need a new streaming service, like Sling TV.

How to watch Tennessee vs. Oklahoma

With ESPN channels not currently available on YouTube TV, subscribers looking to watch college football games this weekend can switch to Sling TV.

This week, Sling is offering a “weekend pass” that will allow fans to watch college football games as well as a variety of other channels and products. Sling subscribers get access to all ESPN channels. They’ll also be able to watch ABC games, such as Tennessee vs. Oklahoma, via an ESPN3 simulcast.

Kickoff time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
TV: ESPN 3 via SlingTV

Tennessee vs. Oklahoma odds

Both the Vols and Sooners enter this game with 2 losses so far this season. That means the loser of this matchup is likely out of the race for a College Football Playoff berth in 2025.

Here’s what the college football odds look like for this game:

Looking for a new sportsbook in Tennessee? Here’s a full breakdown of all the best Tennessee sports betting apps on the market!

Tennessee vs. Oklahoma history

Tennessee and Oklahoma have played several memorable games in recent years. The Vols won last year’s matchup in Norman 25-15. However, Baker Mayfield led the Sooners to a dramatic overtime victory the last time the Sooners were in Knoxville back in 2015.

The Vols and Sooners have met 5 times previously with Oklahoma holding a 3-2 all-time advantage in this series.

The post How to stream the Oklahoma-Tennessee game during ESPN-YouTube TV dispute appeared first on Saturday Down South.

YouTube TV-ESPN dispute: How fans can still watch South Carolina vs. Ole Miss

Spenser Davis — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 19:03:45 +0000

YouTube TV subscribers may not be able to watch any SEC football games on the streaming service on Saturday due to an ongoing dispute with Disney.

As of publication, ESPN channels are not available for YouTube TV customers. While that could change if an agreement is reached, fans may need to make alternate arrangements if they plan to watch games such as South Carolina vs. Ole Miss on Saturday.

How to stream South Carolina vs. Ole Miss

Luckily for fans who are impacted by this carriage dispute, SlingTV is able to offer a solution. Sling subscribers will have access to ESPN’s full menu of channels — and they are currently offering a “weekend pass” for new subscribers.

Kickoff time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Oxford, Mississippi
TV: ESPN (via SlingTV)

South Carolina vs. Ole Miss spread

South Carolina is a big underdog in this matchup. The Gamecocks have just one SEC victory this season and have struggled offensively throughout the season. Ole Miss, meanwhile, is coming off of a big win over Oklahoma in Week 9.

Here’s what the up-to-date odds look like for this game:

South Carolina vs. Ole Miss history

South Carolina and Ole Miss have met 18 times previously. This has historically been a very even series, with the Rebels holding a 10-8 advantage in the all-time series.

Ole Miss has also won back-to-back games in this series, including a 2024 victory over the Gamecocks in Columbia that likely kept Shane Beamer‘s team from reaching the College Football Playoff.

The post YouTube TV-ESPN dispute: How fans can still watch South Carolina vs. Ole Miss appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Fans, media blast YouTube TV and ESPN for ongoing dispute during Week 10

Spenser Davis — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 17:02:48 +0000

Week 10 of the college football season has so far been marred by a significant disruption — YouTube TV is no longer carrying ESPN channels.

That’s due to an ongoing financial dispute between Google (who owns YouTube TV) and Disney (who owns ESPN). As a result, college football fans who rely on YouTube TV to access games are having to look elsewhere on Saturday.

That has, understandably, angered much of the college football community. YouTube TV released a statement earlier in the week stating that it would issue a $20 credit if ESPN channels are absent for a prolonged period of time.

However, YouTube TV’s service costs upwards of $80 per month — leaving many feeling uneasy about a $20 credit.

College football fans do have a potential alternative in SlingTV at roughly half the cost of YouTube TV. Sling carries all ESPN channels. SEC football games set to be broadcast on ABC this weekend can be viewed on SlingTV via a simulcast on ESPN 3.

Here’s the best of the social media reaction to ESPN’s dispute with YouTube TV:

A big middle finger to YouTube TV and ESPN….thank heavens for Sling day pass…my College football Saturday is saved
— brian lambert (@brylamb) November 1, 2025

https://twitter.com/Sling/status/1984245589031444758

Waking up to no ESPN or ABC on Youtube TV, and YouTube only offering a $20 credit pic.twitter.com/VU7gdNx4v9
— Brandon Pope TV (@BpopeTV) October 31, 2025

@YouTubeTV @espn @Disney Y’all better get this fixed before Saturday. I pay $80 a month and the only thing I watch on live tv is football. If y’all hadn’t billed me today I would have already went to @Sling. FIGURE IT OUT!!!! pic.twitter.com/gt4aOKMx4H
— Bradley Carter (@bradvolfan05) October 31, 2025

My YouTube TV is $80/mo. They are offering me a $20 credit for as long as this lasts. So 25% of my cable cost is already Disney/ESPN, and they have the gall to say that's not "fair rates".

Insane greed. https://t.co/INo3TmBj9N
— Jody S. Laughter∴ (@Lubbockist) October 31, 2025

So ESPN launching its own app just weeks ago has nothing to do with this YouTube dilemma, right? pic.twitter.com/NM986pMuQo
— Ronny (@primetimesc2) October 31, 2025

OK @YouTubeTV customers, what’s the move today?

Sling? Fubo? Other?
— Connor O'Gara (@cjogara) November 1, 2025

FWIW: I did the Sling Day Pass for today, seemed like the easiest option for short term https://t.co/p4HlasTEko
— parker fleming (@statsowar) November 1, 2025

“So Disney and YouTube couldn’t reach an agreement?”

“Uh huh.”

“So now the only way to watch the games is on ESPN+, which just got more expensive?”

“Correct.”

“And once they settle, YouTube’s gonna raise prices to cover Disney’s new fees?”

“That’s right Dave.” pic.twitter.com/RG0NoGtbsK
— james (@futtywap) November 1, 2025

Sling + Sports Day Pass for $6 is the move, fellas. https://t.co/ozWGNLnDz7
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) November 1, 2025

If Disney thinks I’ll pay for Hulu Live because they took their channels off YouTube Tv they are stupider than I thought pic.twitter.com/qpAwWD14WN
— Max Zuber (@aMaxZuber) October 31, 2025

YouTube TV has until 11am central time tomorrow to reach a new agreement with ESPN or I’m entering the transfer portal
— MattBeGreat (@mattbegreatyt) October 31, 2025

Seeing the College Football community team up and cook ESPN for the YouTube TV situation pic.twitter.com/191T8AT2rD
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) November 1, 2025

Deciding what TV provider I wanna go with after cancelling YouTube TV. pic.twitter.com/57o4DoOhuO
— Steak F (@steaakfriend) November 1, 2025

YouTube TV is essentially an $80 subscription to monthly emails about which television network YouTube is in a contract dispute with
— WBR (@W_B_Rick) October 31, 2025

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