Right behind fellow two-loss squad Notre Dame, this puts Kalen DeBoer‘s team in a precarious spot, as the No. 11 and No. 12 teams figure to be nudged out in favor of the ACC and GO5 representatives.

DeBoer was asked about his reaction to the Tide’s drop in the ranking following his team’s loss to Oklahoma, and he explained that he paid it little mind.

“Took a quick look at it, went back to work, didn’t read into anything. I just know that we have a ton of quality wins. I know they really look strongly at the losses,” DeBoer said during the SEC’s weekly coaches teleconference. “Last week was against a very good football team. I think we’ve played a lot of really good football. We’ve shown consistency and improvement throughout the year. A lot of improvement.”

Reading between the lines leaves one to infer that DeBoer believes his team’s plethora of quality wins should trump its two head-scratching defeats, with him frequently emphasizing his squad’s noted improvement since Week One.

One-loss BYU sits right behind Alabama at No. 11, with the Cougars’ lone defeat coming at the hands of the committee’s No. 5 team, Texas Tech.

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Despite his insistent pleas that he loves where he’s at, Kiffin has done nothing to deny that he is entertaining the notion of taking over as the head coach at Florida or LSU.

The Rebels’ head coach took to The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday to talk with the cast of characters, but all Kiffin did was dispel the notion that Ole Miss had given him an Egg-Bowl deadline to make a decision on his future.

Of course, this infuriated ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, who took to First Take to vent his frustrations.

“That was not exactly a denial yesterday. What was all that about? Was he trying out for Shakespeare?” Finebaum said. “That was absurd…Lane, it’s up to you, if you want to end the speculation, end it right now.”

Amidst a potential College Football Playoff run, Kiffin appears to be trying to balance the need to block out exterior noise while also planning for his future. That has prompted many in Oxford, Gainesville and everywhere in between to question his loyalties and how is handling the whole situation.

The post Paul Finebaum rips Lane Kiffin’s ‘absurd’ appearance on Pat McAfee Show appeared first on Saturday Down South.

With the program’s 2025 National Championship rings having recently arrived, Golden and assistant coach Carlin Hartman made the short trip down to Orlando in order to surprise current Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard with his piece of jewelry.

Golden and Hartman walked into a team meeting after being introduced by Steve Kerr, who noted that his squad has two former Gators in its midst, both of whom won national titles. Al Horford, a back-to-back champion in 2006 and 2007, is the other.

Florida’s head coach spoke to the Warriors’ players about why he specifically made the trip to see Richard.

“We just finished our third year at Florida, culminating with a national title, and the first young man we brought into our program was Will,” Golden said. “As soon as Will committed with his family, we said that if we were able to go out and build a team with a bunch of guys like Will Richard, we could have a bunch of success in a short amount of time.”

Golden went on to emphasize how Richard was the MVP of the National Championship win over Houston and discuss what he believes the guard can bring to a team when it comes to his selflessness.

“He doesn’t care about who gets the credit,” Golden said.

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The storylines surrounding Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin are abundant, but reports emerged earlier Wednesday that Jon Sumrall would be meeting with representatives from Florida later in the night.

Of course, that report was later refuted, and with On3’s Florida beat writer being the one to break the news before the outlet’s national insider said the meeting had been called off. NOLA.com’s Tulane source disputed that there was ever a meeting in the first place.

So amidst it all, Sumrall decided to have some fun. He posted an image to X/Twitter with the caption: “Most important meeting I have all week…Wednesday Night with QB’s! ⁦@On3sports⁩”

Sumrall appears to be locked in to potentially guiding two-loss Tulane to a College Football Playoff appearance…at least for this evening.

Sumrall’s name has swirled around the openings at Auburn and Florida, and for good reason. He boasts a 40-11 overall record in his four years as a head coach, including a pair of 10-win campaigns at Troy.

Between his stints with the Trojans and Green Wave as well as various roles at SEC programs in the past, the former Kentucky linebacker has been well-indoctrinated into the Southeast and seems primed for a step up.

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Senior safety Bryce Anderson was carted off the field after suffering a head injury during the team’s game against Notre Dame on Sept. 13, and although he returned to play against Florida just three weeks later, he has not seen the field since.

And during his weekly media availability, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko revealed that Anderson will likely redshirt for the remainder of this season, considering he has only appeared in four games in 2025.

“I think at this point, he’s [Anderson] still not completely back,” Elko said. “I think he’s getting really close. I certainly don’t think it would be in Bryce’s best interest for him to go out and play in one of these remaining two games.”

“I think [redshirting] would potentially present an opportunity for him as we move forward beyond these next two,” Elko added.

Anderson began the season as a starter in the secondary and has been a productive member of the Aggies’ back end for years. He’s racked up 116 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions in his career thus far.

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Yet despite the team already being all-but-eliminated from the College Football Playoff, Missouri still has a shot at clinching the program’s third straight 10-win season down the stretch, and recruits are taking notice.

The haphazard rumors swirling around Eli Drinkwitz‘s potential move to another SEC school have done little to dampen Mizzou’s momentum on the recruiting trail, and the sixth-year head coach received some good news Wednesday.

RELATED: Looking for a Fanatics Sportsbook Missouri promo! SDS is your go-to source!

Jayden McGregory, a 4-star safety out of Des Moines, Iowa as rated by 247Sports, announced that he would be flipping his commitment from Louisville to join Drinkwitz & Co. in COMO.

The 6-foot-2 prospect shared a message stating: “AGTG Columbia I’m home,” and he becomes the 22nd commit in Missouri’s 2026 class.

McGregory committed to Louisville on July 7 following a visit in late June. He made the trip to Columbia on June 6 and also took a visit to Minnesota in late May.

The two-way player also held offers from the likes of Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee and Nebraska.

The Tigers’ 2026 class now ranks 23rd overall in the nation according to 247Sports.

The post Missouri flips 4-star safety amid Eli Drinkwitz rumors appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Some leading quarterback, standout receiver or productive tailback would have stolen the show by now and won over everybody’s pick to win the prestigious award.

But the 2025 campaign has strayed from the norm.

Quarterbacks are still the focal point, but none have appeared to separate themselves. Alabama’s Ty Simpson was torching defenses and emerging as a favorite before he hit a speed bump in the form of Oklahoma’s vaunted unit on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed showed that he was mortal in throwing a pair of first-half interceptions against South Carolina before leading a furious rally, and even Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza has appeared to cool off in recent weeks.

The most flawless signal-caller of them all has been Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, but a lack of ‘Heisman moments’ and high-tier competition up to this point has caused some to look elsewhere. And while Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia is far from done, he has some ground to make up as the Commodores pursue the CFP.

So with Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton appearing to make the biggest Heisman statements on Saturday, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler discussed their thoughts on the current race following the weekend’s games.

“The Heisman is just so wide open, and it just feels like the last few years it’s come down to who gets hot at the end of the year,” Herbstreit said. “We saw some great performances today…and Gunner Stockton played really well. This kid has played so well in these big games, he had 5 total touchdowns against 5 incompletions tonight.”

Fowler agreed, stating that he believes the Heisman Trust likely hasn’t narrowed its choices down much as of yet.

“I don’t see a clear group of 4 finalists at this point,” Fowler said.

The post Kirk Herbstreit, Chris Fowler ponder Heisman Trophy race as Gunner Stockton shines in Georgia’s win over Texas appeared first on Saturday Down South.

ESPN’s Heather Dinich has been releasing weekly predictions, and her Week 13 update included five SEC teams ranked within her top 12, with all of them qualifying for the final bracket.

Still-undefeated Texas A&M was Dinich’s highest-ranked squad from the conference at No. 3, as although the Aggies had to mount a furious rally to beat lowly South Carolina, Mike Elko‘s team still boasts pristine metrics:

The Aggies needed the biggest comeback in school history to beat 3-7 South Carolina 31-30, and keep their No. 3 spot and unblemished record. Of the top-three teams, the Aggies had the best strength of record (No. 1) and strength of schedule (No. 15) entering Week 12. Texas A&M’s win at Notre Dame remains one of the best nonconference victories in the country, but it’s also the Aggies’ only one against a current CFP top-25 team. The road win at Mizzou helps the Aggies’ résumé, but was tempered in the room because it came against the Tigers’ freshman backup quarterback Matt Zollers, who was playing for injured starter Beau Pribula.

Georgia slotted in at No. 4 thanks to its blowout win over Texas on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss landed at No. 6 after it pulled away from Florida, and the Rebels appear to have the inside track into the CFP as long as they can avoid an upset to Mississippi State in the season finale. But as Dinich points out, a second loss could prove to be more damming than many think for Lane Kiffin & Co:

Ole Miss has only two road wins — Sept. 6 at Kentucky and Oct. 25 at Oklahoma. With the No. 34 schedule strength entering this week and just one CFP top-25 win, a second loss could be more damaging to the Rebels’ playoff hopes than it might appear.

Oklahoma made the biggest statement of the weekend by upending Alabama in Tuscaloosa, a result that boosted the Sooners’ chances of reaching the CFP to 52.3%. Dinich ranks OU at the No. 8 spot and believes Brent Venables‘ side just needs to close out home dates with Mizzou and LSU to qualify.

And lastly, Alabama slides in at No. 9 following its aforementioned defeat. The Crimson Tide still boast one of the strongest résumés in the nation, but Notre Dame provides contention purely because its pair of defeats were to much stronger foes.

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The Longhorns were handed their third defeat by Georgia on Saturday night in 35-10 fashion, but with Arch Manning & Co. still eyeing a home date with unbeaten Texas A&M on their schedule, they have one more chance to truly impress the committee.

ESPN’s Heather Dinich and Paul Finebaum discussed that point Sunday morning, with Dinich being asked if Texas’ CFP hopes are truly dead.

“No, they’re absolutely not because they still have another opportunity against a Top 5 team when they play Texas A&M,” Dinich said. “A lot can still happen above them…remember the conference championship games still have to be played! They’re right on the bubble.”

Dinich added that had BYU lost to TCU on Saturday night, Texas would have moved back into her projected field.

Finebaum agreed with Dinich’s idea, explaining that while he’s personally not encouraged by what he saw from UT on Saturday night, he does see a path for them to win out and sneak into the CFP.

“I think Heather makes a great point, and we can be prisoners of the moment and say that ‘Texas is dead’ when they’re not,” Finebaum said. “And when you saw A&M play yesterday, you can begin to think that Texas has a chance to win that game. But they just looked so bad last night, it’s hard to imagine them overcoming all of this.”

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Thus, a win in this rivalry battle would go a long way towards buoying the spirits around these programs, and the kickoff time for the game was revealed on Sunday.

RELATED: Need a way to stream Arkansas-Texas and more Week 13 games? Sling TV offers plenty of options for football fans!

Texas will welcome Arkansas for a 3:30 p.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. local-time start (3:30 p.m. ET), and the game has been awarded the prime afternoon ABC broadcasting slot as well.

Arch Manning & Co. will be desperate to bounce back after Georgia pulled away for a 35-10 win over UT last Saturday. The loss all-but-destroyed the Longhorns’ College Football Playoff hopes, although there is still a slim chance they can qualify if they win out and receive plenty of help.

Meanwhile, Arkansas is just looking to take any form of positive momentum it can into an offseason of change. The head-coaching search is ongoing in Fayetteville, and while Bobby Petrino has kept the team largely competitive since taking over on an interim basis, it is difficult to imagine the school hiring him on a full-time basis without a single win.

Texas currently holds a 57-23 all-time advantage in the series, although the Razorbacks have won five of the last eight meetings. Texas went into Fayetteville and took home a 20-10 victory last season.

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Thus, Week 13 features few marquee matchups in the conference, but there is still plenty on the line with a plethora of SEC squads still looking to solidify their College Football Playoff résumés this weekend.

And in Nashville, Kentucky will look to play spoiler when it visits a Vanderbilt team that can ill-afford to suffer another loss as it slings to CFP hopes with two defeats to its name.

So with the Wildcats surging as of late and Diego Pavia & Co. always providing a good time, SEC Nation announced that its traveling pregame show will be visiting the Music City on Saturday.

Marty & McGhee will kick things off at 9 a.m. ET before SEC Nation takes to the stage at 10 a.m. ET.

Fresh off a bye week, Vanderbilt will look to avoid a back-breaking upset ahead of a crucial road date with in-state rivals Tennessee.

Meanwhile, Kentucky cruised to a win over Tennessee Tech on Saturday and needs just one win in its final two games to reach bowl eligibility. The Wildcats will visit rivals Louisville following this matchup.

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The chase for the dozen bids available in the College Football Playoff is heating up with just two weeks left in the regular season, and the Coaches Poll provided the first glance at what the week’s updated rankings may hold.

The SEC featured 9 programs in this week’s Coaches Poll, with the league claiming five of the top 10 spots in the rankings.

Notably, Georgia vaulted up to the No. 4 spot thanks to its victory and the Crimson Tide’s loss, something Ole Miss also benefited from when rising to No. 6.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma entered the top 10 at No. 8, while Alabama (10) and Texas (18) each took tumbles down the poll.

1. Ohio State

2. Indiana

3. Texas A&M

4. Georgia

5. Oregon

6. Ole Miss

7. Texas Tech

8. Oklahoma

9. Notre Dame

10. Alabama

11. BYU

12. Georgia Tech

13. Vanderbilt

14. Utah

15. Miami

16. USC

17. Michigan

18. Texas

19. Virginia

20. Tennessee

21. Missouri

22. James Madison

23. North Texas

24. Houston

25. Tulane

Missouri was a new addition to the poll following the Tigers’ dominant win over Mississippi State.

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Eighth-year head coach Mike Locksley currently stands at 37-47 overall during his time in College Park, with the Terps having won bowl games in three straight seasons from 2021-2023 before falling to a 4-8 record last year.

And with the team struggling to manufacture much positive momentum following a 4-0 start, many had begun to call into question Locksley’s future with the program, especially considering all of the other movement that had been occurring in the coaching realm.

But on Sunday, Maryland Athletic Director Jim Smith revealed to ESPN that Locksley will return to lead the team in 2026 and that the school is focused on building up its resource-base for the football program.

“We are working to strengthen our NIL support for 2026 and beyond and have already seen success for next year,” Smith told ESPN. “We are prioritizing roster retention, recruiting and competing in the transfer portal.”

Another likely reason for Locksley’s return is the fact that Maryland boasts a strong core group of young players to build around. True-freshman quarterback Malik Washington has shown flashes of being a home-state hero after being a highly touted prospect coming out of high school, and fellow freshmen Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis have combined for 15.5 tackles for loss off the edge.

“We are optimistic about the young talent in our program and where we are in recruiting,” Smith told ESPN. “Everyone involved with the football program is focused on giving Coach Locksley the resources to succeed in the Big Ten,”

It is also worth noting that Maryland plays seven home games in 2026, which includes five Big Ten home contests.

The post Maryland AD announces decision on Mike Locksley’s future with program appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Georgia extended its current winning streak to six games when it pulled away from Texas for a 35-10 victory on Saturday night, but that wasn’t the only ‘win’ the program earned this weekend.

On Sunday, Class of 2028 quarterback Jayden Wade announced his college commitment, and he chose to continue his athletic career with the Bulldogs. Wade is currently ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the freshman class by 247Sports and attends IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Wade unofficially visited Georgia when Kirby Smart’s team hosted Alabama on Sept. 27, and he had previously made a trip to the campus in late June as well.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound signal-caller also holds offers from the likes of Auburn, Florida, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M.

Wade currently plays under IMG head coach Greg Studrawa, a former Buckeyes assistant coach. He started his first varsity season this fall and finished with 1,383 yards, 20 TDs and just two interceptions on 60.8% completion, which all came while the team went 9-0 on the year.

To little surprise, Wade is the first member of Georgia’s 2028 recruiting class and places the Dawgs right behind Ohio State with the No. 2 overall class for that year.

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The Longhorns visit Athens for a date with Georgia on Saturday night, and with two losses to their name, the visitors need to spring the upset in order to keep their College Football Playoff hopes treading above water.

And with the team coming off a bye week, Texas is well-rested and apparently healthier than it’s been all year for this primetime game.

Earlier Wednesday, On3 reported that defensive backs Michael Taaffe and Jelani McDonald were each practicing and appearing primed to suit up against the Bulldogs. Taaffe was donning a small cast over his thumb after missing two games following surgery, while McDonald exited the team’s Nov. 1 win over Vanderbilt with a concussion.

And when Texas’ injury report was revealed Wednesday night, the program accomplished a rare feat in the SEC by featuring no players on the list.

The return of McDonald and Taaffe to the secondary is key for the Longhorns in plenty of ways. The duo ranks second and third on the team in total tackles respectively while also having picked off three passes combined.

In addition, prior to Taaffe missing the Mississippi State game, Texas’ defense had not allowed an opponent to score more than 30 points. Both the Bulldogs and Vanderbilt have eclipsed that mark since.

The post Texas provides encouraging injury update ahead of top-10 showdown with Georgia appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Mateer broke a bone in his throwing hand during Oklahoma’s clash with Auburn on Sept. 20, but he returned to start in the Red Rivalry Game just 17 days later.

Still, Mateer has yet to complete more than 20 passes or throw for over 230 yards since returning from the injury, and the Sooners have lost two games in the meantime.

But according to head coach Brent Venables, Mateer’s hand is progressively getting healthier, as evidenced by his in-practice throwing.

“It’s been improving and the velocity in which he’s been able to throw, I’ve seen him getting better and better.,” Venables said. “That hand will just continue to get healthier and better as the season goes on.”

With over 2,200 yards of total offense and 14 touchdowns to his name this season, Mateer’s services will certainly be needed during Oklahoma‘s final three games. The upcoming trip to Tuscaloosa looms large and could be a playoff-eliminator, but home dates with Missouri and LSU will likely be challenging as well.

And with this game featuring a hostile environment and an Alabama defense that is coming off one of its best performances of the season, it’s safe to assume that Mateer’s hand will be put to the test.

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And on Wednesday night, the former Tigers’ ace was announced as the National League’s Cy Young Award Winner following his second stellar season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skenes is the first former LSU pitcher to win a Cy Young Award.

Skenes finished third in the NL’s Cy Young Award voting in 2024, placing behind Chris Sale and Zach Wheeler.

This past season, Skenes started in 32 games, nine more than the previous year. He recorded an ERA of 1.97 and went 10-10 as a starter, while his 216 strikeouts also eclipsed his 170 from 2024.

Pittsburgh finished the season at 71-91, prompting many to spin the rumor mill regarding Skenes’ attitude toward the club and others contacting the team about trades. The Pirates went 76-86 the year prior.

Skenes is certainly not used to losing, as he won the 2023 College World Series while at LSU, breaking the school’s record for strikeouts in a single season. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the World Series and also won National Pitcher of the Year honors. Skenes began his playing career at Air Force before transferring to Baton Rouge.

The post Former LSU standout Paul Skenes named 2025 NL Cy Young appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Ole Miss will be welcoming 4-star safety and current Florida commit Kaiden Hall for a visit to watch the Rebels and Gators clash at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday night, which would generally create plenty of speculation.

But with the ongoing saga surrounding Lane Kiffin‘s potential connection to the open Florida coaching position, Hall’s presence likely won’t demand the headlines it usually would.

Still, while most eyes will be on Kiffin and his interactions with Florida staffers/players, Hall is certainly a key piece of the puzzle as well. The Milton, Florida native stands at an imposing 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, which would be considered an ideal frame to many secondary coaches in the SEC.

Hall took an unofficial visit to Gainesville in late May and committed on June 3, but he took visits to Alabama and Oklahoma before checking out Florida State as recently as Oct. 3. Hall holds offers from a wide range of SEC schools, and he’s one of 19 players still locked in to Florida’s 2026 class.

Kiffin’s movement or lack thereof could have a direct impact on Hall’s commitment, adding yet another layer to Saturday night’s game.

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According to reports by Front Office Sports, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum is considering a shift into the political sphere to make a run at a U.S. Senate position as a Republican in Alabama.

Finebaum is reportedly “very close” to leaving ESPN, with sources believing that the “Mouth of the South” is waiting until after the current college football season to make a final decision.

The radio host and analyst had previously spoken with OutKick’s Clay Travis regarding the idea. The conversation occurred following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in September, which affected Finebaum deeply.

“One or two people in Washington had reached out to me about whether I would be interested in politics, something I never thought about before. Something I didn’t really think possible,” he told Travis. “I gave some thought to it as the weekend [after Kirk’s murder] unfolded and got a little bit more interested.”

Current U.S. Senator and former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville is making a run for the Governor position in Alabama, thus presenting an opportunity for Finebaum to step in and become another sports-related figure to head up politics in the state.

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The latter result occurred Sunday afternoon, as while Dart was looking to escape the pocket against Chicago, a swarm of Bears surrounded him. Whilst attempting to evade, Dart’s helmet was partially pulled off, and he was brought to the ground while also taking several more hits.

Giants fans also noted that Dart made no movement or recognition that he had fumbled the ball, a sign that he was not fully cognizant of what was going on around him. The quarterback gingerly walked off the field and was taken to the locker room shortly after.

Later in the afternoon, ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed that Dart was ruled out of the game with a concussion.

The rookie signal-caller out of Ole Miss has impressed since taking over for Russel Wilson as the Giants’ starter earlier this year. Entering Sunday’s game, Dart had thrown for 1,175 yards, 10 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions while completing 62.3% of his passes. And as mentioned, Dart has used his legs quite a bit as well, having ran for 251 yards and 5 scores.

This was the second time Dart had undergone concussion protocols this season, with New York having already been fined for breaching that protocol once.

The post Jaxson Dart leaves Giants game due to concussion appeared first on Saturday Down South.

And few are better at firing a team up than current Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables, who returned to his former place of work during the Sooners’ bye week.

Venables was on the sidelines for the Tigers’ 24-10 win over the Seminoles, and head coach Dabo Swinney expressed how great it was to have his former defensive coordinator back in town.

“I went over and asked him what he thought they [Florida State] were gonna call on a 2nd-and-14. And he’s like: ‘Probably a screen or draw!” Swinney said, doing his best Venables impression in the process. “I love Brent.”

Swinney was also able to have one of his former players join him for a meeting during the week. Legendary linebacker James Skalski, who played on Clemson’s 2016 and 2018 National Championship teams before becoming a three-year starter from 2019-2021, is currently a graduate assistant on Venables’ staff at OU.

“Skalski was in my team meeting yesterday,” Swinney said. “And it was also awesome to see him [Venables] be a Dad. He could see T-Bone..and you talk about one of the best leaders we’ve had here: Tyler freakin’ Venables.”

Nicknamed T-Bone, Tyler Venables blocked a punt during the Tigers’ loss to Duke last week. The son of Brent has been with the Clemson program since 2020 and plays safety.

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After it was first reported during SEC Network’s broadcast that sophomore receiver Tank Hawkins would be opting out of UF’s remaining games this season, Gonzales was asked about it after the fact.

The interim coach explained that Hawkins had approached him earlier during the week in hopes of preserving his redshirt, as the Virginia native had only appeared in two games this season, the opener against Long Island and the ensuing loss to South Florida.

Gonzales says he and the staff were more than happy to adhere to Hawkins’ request.

“Tank came up, very professional. He came out and asked if he could preserve his redshirt,” Gonzales said during a postgame press conference. “Absolutely. I said I 100 percent honor it. So, at this point, yes.”

It remains to be seen if Hawkins just intends to preserve another season of college football for himself in Gainesville, or if this is a sign that he intends to enter the transfer portal and doesn’t want to burn a year of eligibility he could use elsewhere.

Hawkins was a 4-star recruit in the Class of 2024 out of the notorious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He tallied 10 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown as a freshman last year, but he had only hauled in a pair of passes for 16 yards thus far this season.

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The College Football Playoff ranking provides the most accurate outlook for a team’s postseason hopes, the AP Poll reflects what the media thinks of the sport while the Coaches Poll gives CFB’s leading voices a chance to share their thoughts.

Week 12’s Coaches Poll was revealed Sunday, and it featured 9 SEC teams and plenty of shakeup beyond the Top 7 remaining static.

Virginia (8 spots), Missouri (7 spots) and Louisville (6 spots) were the biggest fallers, while Pittsburgh (7 spots), Utah (4 spots) and Texas (3 spots) were the benefactors of chaos surrounding their bye weeks.

No new SEC teams dropped out of the poll or joined it, although five of them changed positions.

1. Ohio State

2. Indiana

3. Texas A&M

4. Alabama

5. Georgia

6. Oregon

7. Ole Miss

8. Texas Tech

9. Notre Dame

T-10. Texas

T-10. Oklahoma

T-12. Georgia Tech

T-12. BYU

14. Vanderbilt

15. Utah

16. Miami

17. Michigan

18. USC

19. Virginia

20. Tennessee

21. Louisville

22. Cincinnati

23. Pittsburgh

24. Missouri

25. James Madison

Notably, Oklahoma and Texas are tied in the 10th spot despite the Longhorns’ head-to-head win, which will likely give them the edge in the CFP rankings.

Also important to note is that Missouri remains a ranked win for everybody who has beaten the Tigers. Many teams will cheer for Mizzou to still be included when the new CFP rankings are released Tuesday.

The post Coaches Poll Week 12: SEC lands 9 teams in top 25 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

After all, these two programs reside in very different realities at the moment. The Crimson Tide are primed for a return to the College Football Playoff if they can close out their season strong, while the Tigers are just hoping to take some form of positive momentum into an offseason that will be defined by change.

Alabama didn’t light up the scoreboard as it has in other games this season, but the Tide passing attack was still efficient while its defense stifled both Garrett Nussmeier and LSU backup quarterback Michael Van Buren when he entered the game.

Following the matchup, ESPN’s Peter Burns shared his four main takeaways:

• “Ty Simpson + Ryan Grubb is the perfect match of confidence.
• Bama still not able to run the ball on demand is bit concerning.
• LSU needs to do whatever they can to make sure DC Blake Baker stays in Baton Rouge.
• I miss when this game felt epic.”

Burns referenced the tangible chemistry between Simpson and his coordinator Grubb, as the Alabama offense has reached new heights ever since the former Washington OC reunited with his boss, Kalen DeBoer.

However, Burns did make note of the one weakness still plaguing this team: the ground game. The Crimson Tide only managed 56 yards on 2.2 per touch, numbers that will need to improve against higher quality opponents.

And on a related note, Burns’ third point referenced how defensive coordinator Blake Baker should be a high atop the list of potential returning staff members for the next head coach in Baton Rouge, as LSU’s defense has remained fairly consistent throughout this season’s struggles.

And lastly, Burns called attention to a fact that all football fans can relate to: This game has lost some of its luster. The “Game of the Century” days are far gone, as LSU’s up-and-down eras following the departure of Les Miles has made this series a hit-or-miss in recent years.

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Week 11 was no different, as contenders like Texas A&M, Ohio State, Texas Tech and Georgia cruised to comfortable wins while Oregon, Indiana and Alabama survived upset bids. And with the first CFP rankings having been released last Tuesday, fans are now eagerly awaiting the weekly reveal as the bracket begins to take a rough shape.

ESPN’s Heather Dinich released her Sunday projection of the field following the weekend’s action, and she included 6 SEC teams in her top 12, but only 5 qualified for the bracket.

The undefeated Aggies are Dinich’s highest ranked SEC squad at No. 3, with them sliding just behind Indiana and Ohio State. The reasoning for that being that the committee said it believes TAMU’s defensive statistics pale in comparison to the Hoosiers’ and Buckeyes’, although Dinich pointed out that this weekend’s results could change that.

Though Indiana was fortunate to escape Penn State with a win, Texas A&M went on the road and beat the committee’s No. 22 team soundly, scoring 24 points in the second half against Mizzou.

Alabama and Georgia remained static at No. 4 and No. 5 respectively, and she has one-loss Ole Miss in front of Texas Tech at the No. 6 spot. With Tulane’s win over Memphis on Friday night, the Rebels’ strength of schedule is only getting better.

The Rebels’ 45-10 win against Tulane on Sept. 20 continues to enhance their overall record strength, even though it’s not a CFP top 25 win. The Green Wave earned an important win at Memphis on Friday, keeping their playoff hopes alive. Tulane also beat Northwestern and Duke this season, and the committee pays attention to opponents’ opponents (yes, you read that right).

Rounding out the included SEC teams are Texas at No. 10 and Oklahoma at No. 11. With the Longhorns owning the head-to-head advantage over the Sooners, they figure to remain in front for the foreseeable future, which means they would also be the only Red River team to make the playoff. At the 11th spot, OU would get bounced out the bracket in favor of the ACC Champion or the Group of Five’s representative.

If the playoff were today, Oklahoma would still be bumped out of the field during the seeding process to make room for the ACC champion, which is still projected to be ranked outside of the committee’s top 12 but guaranteed a spot as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions.

Here is Dinich’s top 12:

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Ole Miss
7. Texas Tech
8. Oregon
9. Notre Dame
10. Texas
11. Oklahoma (ACC champion Georgia Tech No. 11 seed in CFP)
12. BYU (American champion USF No. 12 seed in CFP)

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As teams began to separate themselves as the ‘elite’ in the sport, so did various quarterbacks. Specifically, there was a trio of signal-callers that each appear well on their way to reaching the College Football Playoff.

CBS Sports’ Randy Cross, a College Football Hall of Famer out of UCLA, revealed his top 3 Heisman contenders recently, and it was that group of quarterbacks who made up the list.

“Just call me chalk,” Cross said. “I’m gonna go with Ty Simpson of Alabama in the 3 hole, Julian Sayin in the 2 hole and the other Mendoza [Fernando].”

All three have produced highly impressive numbers, with Simpson’s mind-boggling efficiency somehow seeming normal when standing alongside that of Mendoza and Sayin.

The Alabama QB’s 2,184 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 1 interception on 67.8% completion are certainly worthy of the award, and he’ll have plenty more opportunities for Heisman moments down the stretch of the season. On track to reach the SEC title game, the Crimson Tide will host LSU and Oklahoma in back-to-back weeks before they close the season with a rivalry date against a tough Auburn defense.

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With the SEC’s weekly availability reports being unveiled Wednesday, both the Tigers and TAMU featured four players in the list, with all of the Aggies being listed as ‘out.’

And most notably, linebacker Scooby Williams will not play in the game, as the veteran linebacker has been battling injuries all season long and struggled to see the field.

A three-year player at Florida prior to transferring to Texas A&M, Williams produced a productive 2024 campaign with 43 total tackles, 4 pass breakups and an interception that season.

And to start 2025, Williams was one of the most impactful defenders within Mike Elko’s defense. The 6-foot-2 senior recorded 6 tackles, a sack and forced a fumble that he recovered against Utah State, and he also recorded a crucial interception against Notre Dame.

But on that play, Williams suffered a lower body injury, and he was only able to return in late October to play against Arkansas and LSU before being dinged up again.

Notable for Mizzou is the fact that tight end Brett Norfleet was listed as ‘questionable,’ as the experienced tight end would provide a security blanket for freshman quarterback Matt Zollers if he is able to suit up.

The Aggies and Tigers will kick off at 3:30 p.m. EST, with the game being broadcast by ABC.

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From the state’s governor firmly planting himself as a factor in the current head-coaching search to a new president settling in, the University has been dominating headlines.

And perhaps simply because LSU’s head brass believed the school was beginning to step out of the spotlight, new president Wade Rousse went on a New Orleans radio show to provide some clarity on the Athletic-Director situation.

Verge Ausberry was originally hired as the interim AD following the firing of Scott Woodward last week, but that interim tag was apparently removed.

While that would lead many to believe Ausberry is now the full-time AD, Rousse wanted to reel that thought back in.

“I removed the interim tag. He’s the acting AD,” Rousse said. “He has my full authority to go find us a coach for the best job in America.”

Many comments feature people questioning the differences between an “interim” and “active” AD, considering neither is the full-time role. Despite this, Rousse did make it known that Ausberry would at least be in charge throughout the pursuit of LSU’s next head football coach.

The “acting AD” comments followed an early statement from Rousse indicating he wasn’t committed to the AD long-term.

Does the statement inspire confidence within the athletic department regarding Ausberry’s future? That remains to be seen.

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While this rivalry game has generally carried heavy SEC and National Championship implications in the past, this year’s edition bears little resemblance, considering the fact that LSU already owns a trio of losses and it recently fired former head coach Brian Kelly.

And to add insult to the Tigers’ injuries, Alabama will be getting two key receivers back from ailments for this game.

As Tuscaloosa News’ Colin Gay reported, Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer went on his weekly ‘Hey Coach’ radio show and revealed that wide receivers Lotzeir Brooks and Isaiah Horton will both return for this weekend’s clash.

A New Jersey native who owns the state’s all-time receiving touchdowns record, Brooks has made an impact as a shifty target during his freshman year. He averages 16.9 yards per reception and has hauled in 16 catches for 255 yards, which includes a season-high 4 for 58 in the win over Missouri.

Meanwhile, Horton transferred in from Miami following a productive 2024 campaign with the Hurricanes. He was dinged up in the win over South Carolina and exited the game, having recorded 22 catches for 272 yards and five scores prior to that.

Brooks and Horton will make their return to the field at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night, with the game being broadcast by ABC.

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With a run of on-field excellence like that generally comes success in the recruiting world, but that was not the case for the Longhorns on Wednesday.

As rated by 247Sports, 4-star senior defensive tackle Dylan Berymon out of Monroe, La. has decommited from Texas and re-opened his recruitment. The Ouachita Parish product committed to the program in early June.

Berymon visited the Longhorns on June 6 and committed the next day before taking ensuing summer trips to see Texas A&M and USC. He visited Texas Tech and Purdue earlier in the year, and the 6-foot-2, 315-pounder also held offers from the likes of Florida, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, Oregon and Baylor.

A true run-stopper, Berymon is explosive in the middle of a defense and boasts an emerging arsenal of pass-rushing moves. In addition, Berymon also competes in the shot put for his school.

Texas’ 2026 class currently ranks 7th in the nation according to 247Sports and features 20 commits. Berymon was one of five defensive linemen in the class prior to Wednesday.

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Rising stars in the head-coaching and coordinator ranks now have a myriad of Power 4 roles to choose from, and FOX analyst Joel Klatt attempted to sift through the jumble of jobs on Wednesday.

The former Colorado quarterback was brutally honest about the Tigers’ opening, saying that it pales in comparison to other SEC roles and has plenty of potential concerns.

“I don’t think Auburn is a great job, and if you stack it up against the others…it’s not better than the top 3 of LSU, Penn State and Florida,” Klatt said. “It’s probably better than Arkansas, probably, and so it’s probably the 4th or 5th best job in the current cycle of the 8 that are out there.”

Klatt went on to add that the existence of that team in Tuscaloosa will always hold back the Auburn program’s potential,

“It’s not a great job if you’re not even the best, biggest or most important program in your state. Sorry, I’m not sorry,” Klatt said. “It is what it is, and Auburn has a little-brother complex. They’re not Alabama, and it’s not even close. Yet they want to be Alabama. So their expectations and operations are as if ‘we’re Alabama.’ But you’re not.”

The FOX analyst went on to critique Auburn’s championship runs, citing Cam Newton’s Herculean 2010 effort as essentially saving the program’s skin.

“That defense [2009 Auburn] and the 2019 LSU defense are among the worst units to win championships in the past 20 years,” Klatt said. “So I think that the expectations at Auburn do not line up with the reality of what it is.”

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And with positions of that caliber comes rumors that anybody and everybody could be involved in the coaching search, including candidates that are from within the same league.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg listed out a handful of potential options for Auburn‘s head brass to pursue, and he included a pair of current SEC coaches as targets.

First up is Vanderbilt‘s Clark Lea, a rising prospect in the coaching ranks who has accomplished the unthinkable at Vanderbilt. Here’s Rittenberg’s analysis on Lea:

The rest of the SEC — the rest of the country, for that matter — is taking notice of Lea and what he’s doing at Vanderbilt. Lea has changed the vibe at his alma mater, traditionally an SEC/Power 4 doormat, by bringing in quarterback Diego Pavia and others from New Mexico State. Vanderbilt is off to its best start (7-2) since 1950 and earned its first AP top-10 ranking since 1947. The Commodores are in the mix for a once-unthinkable CFP appearance, which ironically could keep Lea out of candidate pools as schools will want to fill those roles. Lea, 43, isn’t looking to run away from Vanderbilt but likely understands that it will be easier to consistently contend elsewhere, and Auburn offers those resources.

Another option could be Missouri‘s Eli Drinkwitz, who has plenty of ties to Auburn given the fact that it gave him his college-coaching start in 2010 as a quality control analyst. Here’s what Rittenberg wrote about Drinkwitz’s potential candidacy:

Even after failing to land Lane Kiffin last time around, Auburn would be foolish not to assess whether any sitting SEC coaches have interest in the job. Drinkwitz, 42, has done incredible work at Missouri, winning 21 games over the past two seasons with a Cotton Bowl championship and a No. 8 finish in 2023. He has Missouri at 44-25 and recently beat Auburn in overtime. Missouri has increased its investment in football and Drinkwitz enjoys Columbia, but the program historically hasn’t competed consistently at the top of the sport. Drinkwitz should be on the radar for Florida and likely would view the Gators as a better opportunity. But Auburn has potential, too, especially for a dynamic offensive-minded coach who has proven himself in the SEC.

Auburn could offer superior resources, fan and booster support for both Lea and Drinkwitz, although it would take a lot to pull either of those two away from their current roles. They’ve each guided their respective programs to new heights and have been locked down with contract extensions in recent years.

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With the tradition Auburn boasts and the resources at its disposal, many coaches may be drawn to the potential on the plains, as evidenced by past national title game appearances.

With the university’s leaders having to compete with those at LSU and Florida for some of the sport’s top coaches, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg believes that there is one name Auburn could target that would stray from the norm.

Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann is a potential candidate according to Rittenberg, which would make him the second straight Bulldog DC to move into a head-coaching role. Schumann has plenty of experience within the state and is very familiar with what it takes to win in the SEC.

Here’s some analysis from Rittenberg on Schumann:

Most programs of Auburn’s caliber seek prior head-coaching experience in their searches. But rival Georgia has thrived with a first-time head coach in Kirby Smart, and Smart’s last defensive coordinator, Dan Lanning, is working out quite well in his first head-coaching gig at Oregon. Schumann is certainly viewed in a similar light, and has surfaced in recent coaching searches like North Carolina’s last year. He has spent his entire career at Alabama, his alma mater, working under Nick Saban in various roles, before joining Smart at Georgia. Schumann is only 35 and would need to grow into the role, but he has seen how the best SEC programs function and could bring that approach to the Plains.

Auburn is expected to conduct a national search to find its next head coach.

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And thus, Week 11’s AP Poll becomes the last that will carry weight, as most people will opt for the official CFP rankings once they are available.

It remains to be seen if the playoff committee agrees with the poll voters however, as 9 SEC programs cracked this week’s AP Top 25.

The top 7 remained the same, with shuffling primarily from, the Big 12, ACC and SEC mixing up spots 8-25. The latter league owns 7 of the top 15 spots in this week’s poll as well.

1. Ohio State

2. Indiana

3. Texas A&M

4. Alabama

5. Georgia

6. Oregon

7. Ole Miss

8. BYU

9. Texas Tech

10. Notre Dame

11. Oklahoma

12. Virginia

13. Texas

14. Louisville

15. Vanderbilt

16. Georgia Tech

17. Utah

18. Miami

19. Missouri

20. USC

21. Michigan

22. Memphis

23. Tennessee

24. Washington

25. Cincinnati

LSU received 4 votes as the only other SEC team included.

It is worth noting that the poll voters still opted to move two-loss Oklahoma ahead of two-loss Texas despite their head-to-head result, while unbeaten Texas A&M remains ahead of Alabama. Those are two talking points worth monitoring Tuesday night during the CFP ranking reveal.

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Oklahoma knocked Tennessee out of the CFP hunt in their elimination game on Saturday night, Georgia remained in the picture by escaping Jacksonville with a win while Texas made a bold leap back into the chase with a statement victory over Vanderbilt.

It’s shaping up to be another year where the SEC’s presence looms large in the bracket, and ESPN’s Heather Dinich believes that four of the league’s programs would qualify for the playoff if it began today.

Dinich currently has Alabama at No. 3 as her highest-ranked SEC team, with undefeated Texas A&M following closely behind at No. 4. She explained that the Crimson Tide’s plethora of ranked wins places them above the Aggies, although she did note that Bama’s lone loss could still come back to haunt it.

“Some committee members could continue to penalize Alabama for its season-opening loss to Florida State, which looks worse each week. Plus, the Aggies haven’t lost and are No. 1 in ESPN’s strength of record metric.”

Meanwhile, Georgia slides in at No. 5 and appears pretty set in that slot based on its head-to-head results within league play.

“The Bulldogs escaped a feisty Florida team in Jacksonville on Saturday to remain one of the committee’s top one-loss contenders. The head-to-head SEC results, though, will keep them sandwiched between Alabama and Ole Miss. Georgia’s only loss was by three points at home to the Tide on Sept. 27, and its best win was on Oct. 18 at home against Ole Miss. An overtime win at Tennessee will also help separate Georgia from other one-loss contenders ranked lower. And for as many questions as there have been about Georgia’s defense, Florida converted just 2 of 11 third downs and was 0-for-2 on fourth down.”

Ole Miss follows the Dawgs at No. 6, with them just edging unbeaten BYU in the rankings according to Dinich. While she applauds the Rebels’ ranked wins, she could see the Cougars being ranked higher based on other metrics.

“BYU is undefeated and entered Week 10 ranked No. 9 in total efficiency; Ole Miss was No. 21. BYU was also No. 5 in strength of record, a slight edge over No. 7 Ole Miss.”

That rounded out the four included SEC teams, but Dinich also ranked Texas and Oklahoma at No. 11 and No. 12, respectively. She believes both programs have great shots at reaching the field, but they would each be bumped out due to automatic qualifiers from the ACC and Group of Five.

The first official College Football Playoff Top 25 will be unveiled at 8 p.m. Tuesday night on ESPN. Here is Dinich’s latest top 12:

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Alabama
4. Texas A&M
5. Georgia
6. Ole Miss
7. BYU
8. Oregon
9. Texas Tech
10. Notre Dame
11. Texas (replaced by ACC champion Virginia as No. 11 seed in bracket)
12. Oklahoma (replaced by American champion Memphis as No. 12 seed in bracket)

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The loss to the Wildcats dropped Auburn to 3-6 on the season, prompting the home crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium to break out in a variety of postgame chants aimed at Freeze.

And with so many big-name coaches having already been fired this season, Tiger fans were closely following the timeline of Freeze’s inevitable dismissal Sunday morning. Some even went as far as to check on Freeze’s tee time, which offered a hint at the upcoming news given he is an avid golfer.

Auburn fans were incensed at the loss to a Kentucky program that has struggled mightily, with some saying that this has become the darkest era of football on the plains.

And when a dark era comes to an end, you celebrate, as Penn State and Florida fans did before their friends at Auburn did Sunday.

Many have now begun to dig back into Freeze’s notorious past, emphasizing that without some of those high-caliber recruits he signed at Ole Miss, the head coach may not have lasted long in the SEC.

Kentucky’s media and fans also wanted to point out that, despite their program’s struggles, Mark Stoops remains elite at winning games that prompt coaches to get fired.

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A day after they fell in a hard-fought 33-27 contest against Oklahoma, the Volunteers landed a commitment from 4-star in-state offensive lineman Princeton Uwaifo, a Class of 2027 prospect out of Murfreesboro.

Uwaifo chose the Volunteers over offers from the likes of Auburn, Missouri, Ohio State, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. He is rated as the fifth-best prospect in the state of Tennessee, the 13th-best offensive tackle in the nation and the No. 123 overall prospect according the 247Sports Composite.

The 6-foot-6, 316-pound tackle visited Knoxville for the Volunteers’ Sept. 13 game against Georgia and made his commitment official Sunday. He currently plays for Siegel High School and has been a frequent attendee of UT’s various football camps over the years.

Uwaifo becomes the third member of Josh Heupel’s 2027 class and the second from inside the home state. He’s also the highest-rated prospect in the group as the lone 4-star.

That 2027 class currently ranks 15th overall in the nation. Tennessee currently owns the 8th-best class for 2026, which comes after Hepuel & Co. landed the 11th ranked class last year, according to 247Sports.

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Texas A&M and Alabama sit in prime position to battle it out for the league’s championship in early December, while Georgia and Ole Miss lurk and are waiting on one of the two to stumble.

Meanwhile, Texas and Oklahoma are both still hanging on to their College Football Playoff hopes as two-loss squads, with each having plenty of opportunities to make statements to the committee over the coming weeks.

To sift through all that occurred Saturday, the Week 11 Coaches Poll was unveiled, and it included 9 SEC teams, with 6 residing in the top 15:

1. Ohio State

2. Indiana

3. Texas A&M

4. Alabama

5. Georgia

6. Oregon

7. Ole Miss

8. BYU

9. Texas Tech

10. Notre Dame

11. Virginia

12. Oklahoma

13. Texas

14. Georgia Tech

15. Louisville

16. Vanderbilt

17. Missouri

18. Miami

19. Utah

20. Michigan

21. USC

22. Tennessee

23. Memphis

24. Iowa

25. Cincinnati

LSU received a single vote as the only other SEC team included.

Of course, both the Coaches and AP polls will lose some of their luster when the first official College Football Playoff rankings are revealed at 8 p.m. EST on Tuesday night. The unveiling of the CFP’s poll will be broadcast by ESPN.

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With the recent NCAA ruling that altered the state of amateurism and allowed G-League athletes to play collegiately, many are calling into question the trajectory of athletics at that level.

Saban is one of them, and he believes the professional-based model is the only way to go considering the rules that are being changed and the money that is flying around.

“We’re letting G League players come play in college? Pretty soon, we’re going to have the New York Giants’ backup quarterback not getting enough development, so we’re going to send him to Penn State or somewhere else for a year to play,” Nick Saban said. “It’s crazy, absolutely crazy. Why not make these kids professionals, treat them like professionals and collective bargain the whole thing?”

The two most prominent examples of this occurring are Louisville’s Lane Johnson and Santa Clara’s Thierry Darlan, who both have been ruled eligible to play for their respective schools after competing at the G-League level. Johnson will suit up for the Cardinals beginning in 2026 following three years with G-League Ignite, while Darlan is playing as a junior for the Broncos this season.

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With the Tigers amidst a coaching search following the firing of Brian Kelly last Sunday, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry made headlines Wednesday when he proclaimed that LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward would not be selecting the next football coach at the school.

Late on in the same day, Landry posted a message on social media to clarify the role he will play in the search for the Bayou Bengals’ next head coach.

“I want to reiterate I am not picking the next coach at LSU,” Landry wrote.

“As Governor, it is my responsibility to protect the hard-earned tax dollars our citizens pay to the state. Everyone recognizes the tremendous amount of money at stake—money that our citizens could be on the hook for. In the absence of an LSU President, protecting our taxpayers AND the university we all love was of vital importance.

“As a father, fan, and a citizen who cares about our players, I have complete faith in Coach Wilson and that he will rally the boys the rest of the season and make LSU and all of Louisiana proud. Geaux Tigers.”

During the earlier press conference, Landry explained that the Board of Supervisors will construct a committee to pursue the University’s next head coach.

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The SEC’s weekly availability reports were revealed Wednesday, and a whopping eight Florida players were listed under the ‘out’ category.

And most notably, the Gators’ leading receiver Vernell Brown III has already been ruled out for this Saturday’s date with the Dawgs.

On a Florida offense that has been up-and-down throughout the season, Brown has been a consistent bright spot. The former blue-chip recruit has starred for his hometown school, hauling in a team-high 32 catches for 451 yards. The freshman truly broke onto the scene with an 8-catch showing against LSU, and he had racked up 70 or more receiving yards in three straight games heading into the bye week.

With Brown out, fellow touted freshman Dallas Wilson, UCLA transfer J. Michael Sturdivant and senior tight end Hayden Hansen will be counted upon to step up against a Georgia secondary that has been leaky when compared to its run defense.

The Gators and Bulldogs will kick off at 3:30 EST, with the game being broadcast by ABC.

The post Florida rules out leading wide receiver for Saturday’s rivalry game with Georgia appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The first-year starter suffered a concussion during overtime of Texas’ 41-34 road win over Mississippi State last weekend, and he was quickly examined and deemed unable to return.

Now with questions under center, the Longhorns will look to continue their tightrope act with zero margin for error, and a battle-tested Vanderbilt squad comes to town looking to avenge last year’s 27-24 defeat.

Ahead of the ranked clash, the SEC’s weekly availability report was released, and Manning appeared under the ‘questionable’ designation along with three other Texas players.

After a sluggish start to the season that included dismal performances against Ohio State, UTEP and Florida, Manning had begun to find his rhythm in recent weeks. The former blue-chip recruit struggled on the road against Kentucky, but strong showings against Oklahoma (166 passing yards, 34 rushing yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) and most recently Mississippi State (346 passing yards, 4 total TDs) sandwiched that game.

If Manning is unable to give it a go, Troy transfer Matthew Caldwell will likely take over behind center. Caldwell threw the game-winning touchdown to beat the Bulldogs in overtime last Saturday.

The post Texas reveals Arch Manning’s current status for Week 10 showdown with Vanderbilt appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Johni Broome, fresh off an SEC Player of the Year campaign with the Tigers, has been assigned to play for the Delaware Blue Coats.

Drafted 35th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2025 NBA Draft, Broome now joins the 2023 G-League Champions up north.

Broome’s college career stands as one of the most productive and extensive that the sport has seen. After starting a total of 61 games over two seasons with Morehead State, Broome opted to transfer to join Bruce Pearl and Auburn prior to the 2022 campaign.

After he routinely posted a double-double with the Eagles, Broome continued to average double-figure points in the SEC before he truly shined as a senior. In leading the Tigers to the 2025 Final Four, the Florida native averaged 18.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game while being named an All-American in virtually every major poll.

It remains to be seen if Broome can work his way back up to joining the 76ers’ rotation on a full-time basis, as he could gain invaluable knowledge from learning behind Joel Embiid.

The Blue Coats compete out of Wilmington, Delaware and were founded in 2007 as Philadelphia’s G-League affiliate.

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The Bulldogs are clinging to their College Football Playoff hopes and can ill-afford another loss as they look to run the table and lock up a spot in the 12-team field.

Meanwhile, the Gators fired head coach Billy Napier at the beginning of their bye week heading into this game, and thus they are now playing with all to gain and nothing to lose in Jacksonville.

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Ahead of the always heated clash, ESPN’s Greg McElroy took to his show ‘Always College Football’ to share his prediction for the game, and he believes that some fans will be surprised by the end result.

“I’ll take Georgia in this game, but I’ll actually take the points too,” McElroy said, referencing UF being a -7.5 underdog. “I actually think Florida’s offense will make some plays, and even though I think Georgia is really good against the run, I think there are a couple of vulnerabilities in the back end that DJ Lagway and this receiver core can have success against.”

The former Alabama quarterback added that he could see this becoming a higher-scoring game than most anticipate, in large because he doesn’t know if UGA’s pass rush will be able to disrupt Lagway like other units have in past games.

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The Bulldogs enter this game with little margin for error when it comes to their College Football Playoff hopes, especially considering dates with Texas and Georgia Tech still loom on the schedule. Thus, Kirby Smart‘s squad can ill-afford to drop this game as it looks to stay in the SEC title hunt and keep its CFP résumé in good health.

Meanwhile, the recent firing of Florida head coach Billy Napier has prompted former wide receivers coach Billy Gonzalez to step in on an interim basis. A still wildly-talented team, the Gators will be playing with nothing to lose and all to gain when they take the field in Jacksonville.

Ahead of the game, BetMGM released its odds for many of college football’s top Week 10 matchups, and the oddsmakers are seeing Georgia as a 7.5-point favorite. They also listed the over/under point total for the game at 50.5, suggesting not many expect these teams to light up the scoreboard on Saturday.

Per Georgia, the Dawgs lead the all-time series 57-44-2, with the first meeting in 1904 being the disputed game. Florida does not believe its blowout defeat should count that year because the team Georgia faced was one of UF’s four predecessor universities, not the actual state school.

The Gators and Bulldogs will kick off at 3:30 p.m. EST, with the game being broadcast by ABC.

The post Georgia opens as significant betting favorite over Florida in rivalry game matchup appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Hugh Freeze and Auburn have certainly suffered through their fair share of questionable calls, and their in-state neighbors had to deal with something similar on Saturday.

Clinging to a 15-14 early in the fourth quarter, South Carolina punted the ball away. Alabama‘s return man signaled for his teammates to move away from the ball where it landed, but a Gamecock appeared to push a Tide player in the back to get him to hit the pigskin.

South Carolina quickly fell on the ball after it ricocheted downfield, and they would score soon after to take a crucial 22-14 lead in the final frame.

Alabama would of course go on to rally for the win, but many still raised complaints about the lack of any penalty on that play.

Former NFL official and current rules analyst Terry McAulay took to social media to lay out why there could have been two fouls assessed following the fumble.

1. It is a foul for an illegal block in the back.2. The receiving team player being block is considered ‘passive’ since he is not actively engaged with the kicking team player. That block forces him into the ball. Since he is considered ‘passive’, he is deemed *not* to have touched the ball. Assuming no one else from the receiving team touched the before the kickers, the ball should belong to the receiving team at the spot of the kicking team recovery.”

McAulay proceeded to sarcastically suggest that the referees may be suspended due to this misstep, which comes after the SEC banned an official earlier last week for a call during the Georgia-Auburn game.

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The Longview, Texas native began his career at Texas A&M before transferring to join Brent Key and the Yellow Jackets’ program prior to the 2023 campaign, and he’s been the starting quarterback ever since.

And while leading GT to multiple gutsy wins this fall, King has virtually carried the offense on his back. The 6-foot-3 quarterback has thrown for 1,480 yards while completing 72.3% of his passes, ran for another 651 and accounted for 19 total touchdowns, all of which lead the team.

The current Heisman Trophy conversation has largely revolved around the likes of Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, but Key made a point to explain why he believes King belongs in that discussion following Saturday’s win over Syracuse.

After challenging the reporters present to define what the Heisman Trophy stands for, Key launched into an impassioned speech about what his veteran signal-caller brings to the table each week.

“Find me somebody that brings more value to the team, that is truly the epitome of what a team is rooted in,” Key said. “He can run, he can throw…I’m glad he’s on my team. I don’t have a vote, but it’ll be a shame if he’s not in New York. I think he will be.”

The latest Heisman Trophy odds at most sports betting apps like DraftKings have King priced at +2500 to win the award.

King will have plenty more opportunities to strengthen his Heisman résumé, beginning with a tricky road date against NC State this weekend.

The season finale against Georgia in Atlanta looms large as well, and a strong showing against the Bulldogs could be exactly what King needs to punch his ticket to New York.

The post Brent Key makes case for Haynes King as Heisman Trophy finalist appeared first on Saturday Down South.

And much like the rest of the NFL world, Giants’ quarterback Jaxson Dart was visibly upset at seeing his fellow rookie go down like in such a manner. Dart walked away from the scene, yelling before bending down to the ground as he pondered what had just occurred.

Skatttebo had his leg rolled up on during the second quarter and was carted off the field soon after. He had carried the ball three times for 12 yards and caught an 18-yard touchdown pass prior to leaving the game.

Through the first half of his first season in the NFL, Skattebo has impressed fans and players across the league with his productivity and play style after being drafted out of Arizona State. The bruising runner paced the Giants with 398 rushing yards and five touchdowns to go along with 189 receiving yards and another score coming into Sunday’s action.

Skattebo has been ruled out for the remainder of the game, but the extent of what is now being called a right ankle injury is still to be determined.

The post Jaxson Dart devastated by Cam Skattebo’s brutal injury appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Vanderbilt’s gutsy 17-10 win over Missouri vaulted the Commodores squarely into the CFP picture, and Diego Pavia & Co. join Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M and Ole Miss as being in strong position to reach the postseason bracket.

Following Week 9’s action, ESPN’s Heather Dinich took a stab at updating her latest projections for the CFP, and she has all five of those SEC programs included in her field.

The Crimson Tide are the highest-ranked SEC squad at No. 3 following their comeback win over South Carolina, with the Aggies, Bulldogs and Rebels following right behind in that order. The former and latter each picked up ranked wins in league play on Saturday, while Georgia was idle ahead of its date with Florida next week.

But the headliner from Saturday was Vanderbilt, and Clark Lea’s team slid in at No. 9 in Dinich’s latest rankings:

“The committee would have a difficult decision, putting the one-loss Commodores ahead of two undefeated teams, but could justify it because Vanderbilt’s two best wins are better than BYU’s wins against Utah and Iowa State — and better than any of Georgia Tech’s wins. The lone loss was to Alabama, which should be the committee’s top one-loss team. The Commodores have now won back-to-back games against ranked SEC opponents. They also earned a convincing 31-7 win at South Carolina, which just pushed Alabama to the brink. Vanderbilt would be compared with one-loss Texas Tech, and the Commodores have better wins than the Red Raiders, and a better loss, as Texas Tech lost to Arizona State.“

Of course, the ‘Dores next visit Texas for a de facto CFP-elimination game on Saturday.

Here is Dinich’s latest CFP top 12:

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Alabama
4. Texas A&M
5. Georgia
6. Ole Miss
7. Miami
8. Oregon
9. Vanderbilt
10. BYU
11. Georgia Tech
12. Notre Dame (Memphis projected No. 12 seed as American champion)

The post ESPN’s Heather Dinich projects 5 SEC teams make CFP after Week 9 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

No major upsets of elite teams or pivotal results from top 10 clashes.

Instead, Vanderbilt’s hard-earned 17-10 win over Missouri highlighted Saturday’s festivities, with the victory moving the Commodores up to No. 11 in this week’s coaches poll.

And while there was no movement amongst the top 10, there was plenty of shuffling below that group. In the SEC, Tennessee vaulted up to No. 14 following its road win over Kentucky, while Oklahoma and Missouri plummeted by seven and six spots respectively after they each lost ranked conference battles.

And even though Texas rallied to take down Mississippi State in overtime, the latest rankings moved the Longhorns down one place.

Meanwhile, formerly No. 19 LSU dropped out of the list entirely following its blowout defeat at the hands of Texas A&M. The Bayou Bengals received 19 votes.

The Coaches Poll for Week 10:

1. Ohio State

2. Indiana

3. Texas A&M

4. Alabama

5. Georgia

6. Oregon

7. Georgia Tech

8. Ole Miss

9. Miami

10. BYU

11. Vanderbilt

12. Notre Dame

13. Texas Tech

14. Tennessee

15. Virginia

16. Cincinnati

17. Louisville

18. Oklahoma

19. Texas

20. Missouri

21. Michigan

22. Houston

23. Navy

24. Utah

25. Memphis

The post Coaches Poll Week 10: SEC lands 9 in latest top 25 appeared first on Saturday Down South.