Anderson, who has spent over 4 decades in college baseball and was Tennessee‘s pitching coach, informed new Volunteers head coach Josh Elander that he was heading west, according to the On3 report. Elander replaced Vitello as Tennessee head coach last month after Vitello departed Knoxville to take the manager’s job with the San Francisco Giants.

Now, it appears that another piece of the Vols baseball program will be trading in 1 color of orange for another one in San Francisco.

Anderson’s reported departure created another opening in Knoxville, and that spot has reportedly been filled already. Low also reported on Wednesday night that Elander will promote Josh Reynolds to be the Volunteers’ new pitching coach. So, Reynolds is reportedly replacing Anderson as the man in charge of Tennessee’s pitching staff in 2026.

Reynolds spent last season as Tennessee’s director of pitching performance, so he’ll have a much bigger role beside Elander in 2026. Tennessee hired Reynolds in July 2024, so last year was his first season in Knoxville.

He has been in college baseball for over 20 years, with Reynolds previously being a part of the coaching staffs at Northwestern and Kansas State.

The post Tennessee baseball assistant reportedly leaving to join Tony Vitello’s San Francisco staff appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The former Alabama star quarterback is close with SEC circles and now as an ESPN college football analyst and podcast host, he has a unique perspective on the madness that typically develops within the SEC. That’s what has happened with Kiffin, even as he coaches the Rebels to a 10-1 record and a No. 6 spot in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.

Ole Miss is on a bye this week, but that hasn’t stopped the Kiffin saga from churning. His possible departure is mentioned seemingly everywhere, and on Wednesday it was McElroy’s turn to speculate on whether Kiffin leaving Oxford would hurt Ole Miss’s standing — that is, assuming the Rebels do make the Playoff next month.

Would the CFP selection committee dare penalize Ole Miss should Kiffin leave? McElroy tried to answer that delicate question on his Always College Football podcast.

“Yes. I think they could. I think you treat Lane Kiffin’s absence like you treat a quarterback,” McElroy said. “I do think that he does provide an advantage with his acumen, his ability to tweak plays right before the snap. I think that could have an impact on how they are evaluated (by the selection committee).”

McElroy also knows how messy of a situation it would create for the Rebels if Kiffin did leave before the Playoff.

“I think that cooler heads need to prevail in the event that Lane Kiffin decides to leave Ole Miss,” McElroy said. “This is still the best opportunity that Ole Miss has had to go win a championship. Give your team the best chance. The best way you give your team a chance is by allowing Lane Kiffin to be on the sidelines.”

The post Greg McElroy weighs in on whether CFP selection committee would penalize Ole Miss for a Lane Kiffin departure appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Fox Sports host was discussing the Kiffin topic with fellow FOX host Colin Cowherd, and while Cowherd had a few suggestions for where Kiffin should wind up in 2026, for Klatt the choice was obvious.

“I think he’s going to Florida. I really do,” Klatt said. “I think he’s going to Florida, and I think he’s going to be the next coach of the Gators.”

Klatt acknowledged the Kiffin issue has been hard for him to wrap his arms around.

“I have been all over the map on this, but Lane is a unique cat,” Klatt said. “Now, I don’t know if he can come back to Ole Miss.

“You can’t lead them on for this long. And now there’s going to start to be animus. Like, why aren’t you signing an extension? What’s the problem?”

Not only does Klatt believe Kiffin is heading to Gainesville, he also thinks the move is going to create chaos and soon.

“I think that we’re going to have one of the biggest messes in college football history go down before the Playoff when Lane Kiffin steps away from a College Football Playoff team and goes to coach another team,” Klatt said.

Time will tell what happens with Kiffin and when. For now, his Rebels are rolling with a No. 6 spot in the latest CFP rankings that were revealed on Tuesday night.

The post Joel Klatt makes prediction on where Lane Kiffin will be coaching in 2026 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The longtime Fox Sports talk show host doesn’t think Kiffin should even entertain those possible offers from the 2 SEC rival schools. Instead, Cowherd has a message for Kiffin — stay put or go pro.

“I think he should stay at Ole Miss or go pro. I don’t want to bounce into LSU or Florida,” said Cowherd on Wednesday while discussing the topic on his show with fellow Fox Sports host Joel Klatt. “Either stay at Ole Miss. They’ve got NIL money. I made a call on that 2 days ago. They’ve got NIL money. That’s not an issue.”

Cowherd said he simply doesn’t believe going to Gainesville or Baton Rouge would be a significant step up from where he is right now.

“I think the SEC jobs outside of maybe Georgia are all kind of the same,” Cowherd said. “They’re all dysfunctional, a bit delusional. Georgia, maybe (Alabama), but Bama doesn’t have Georgia’s high school football talent within a hundred feet of the campus. So, I, to me, if you have an SEC job and you’re winning, stay in that job.”

Right now, Kiffin is winning at Ole Miss. The Rebels are 10-1 overall and 6-1 in the SEC, and they were placed at No. 6 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night.

The post Colin Cowherd says Lane Kiffin should consider 2 options but not Florida or LSU appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Earlier Wednesday afternoon, there were conflicting reports on Sumrall’s apparent scheduled meeting with UF to discuss its head coaching position. First, a report by On3’s Zach Abolverdi suggested that Florida was set to meet with the 43-year-old Sumrall about bringing him in to replace the fired Billy Napier.

But just a few hours later, On3’s Pete Nakos reported that the meeting had been called off and that Sumrall was removing his name from the list of candidates in Gainesville.

Sumrall is in his 2nd season at Tulane, and right now he has the Green Wave riding high with an 8-2 record and the No. 24 spot in the latest College Football Playoff rankings that were revealed on Tuesday night. Tulane is poised right now to make the Playoff, but amid all of that success Sumrall is also being mentioned for a lot of the current Power 4 coaching vacancies.

Florida appeared to be 1 of those positions that Sumrall was in the mix for, but Wednesday’s latest reported developments now suggest otherwise.

Before he got to Tulane, Sumrall was the head coach at Troy for 2 seasons, winning the Sun Belt Conference title in both of those years.

The post Jon Sumrall not interviewing with Florida as conflicting reports emerge about planned meeting appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Franklin just suffered through hard times amid his firing as head coach at Penn State a little over a month ago. So, Franklin is very familiar with grinding through challenges, and he knows there will be plenty of those in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech is a 3-7 football team in mid-November and just 2-4 in the ACC, records that Hokies fans would never have imagined during the glory years under Frank Beamer.

Brent Pry, who was Franklin’s former defensive coordinator at Penn State, was fired by Virginia Tech a few months ago after the Hokies stumbled to an 0-3 start. So, Franklin will get a shot to do what Pry couldn’t in Blacksburg, and Franklin talked about what awaits during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday.

“I need to evaluate the current roster. I need to see how recruiting is going to go, what is available in the transfer portal,” Franklin said. “The reality is, we’re going to be aggressive from Day 1. We’re going to wake up every single morning and give Virginia Tech everything we got.”

Franklin knows there will be a ton to take on, because that’s today’s reality.

“The investment level is what it’s all about. College football has changed,” he said.

Here are Franklin’s full comments on those big challenges ahead:

The post Virginia Tech HC James Franklin on new job: ‘We’re going to be aggressive’ appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Van Buren made his first career collegiate start in Nussmeier’s place last Saturday against Arkansas, and he got to do it in front of those crazy fans at Death Valley. It wasn’t pretty, but Van Buren got it done in his first shot in the spotlight, helping LSU rally for a 23-22 victory that snapped a 3-game losing streak. Amid the firing of head coach Brian Kelly and the injury woes of Nussmeier, who began the season as a Heisman Trophy candidate, Van Buren is just trying to make the most of his unlikely chance.

And, by the way, he made clear on Tuesday that he wants to stay exactly where he’s at right now. Van Buren completed passes to 8 different receivers on Saturday and went 21 of 31 for 221 yards passing, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions. He also ran it 10 times for 36 yards, and by Tuesday’s comments to Cory Diaz, who covers LSU for the USA Today Sports Network, he’s looking forward to many more Saturdays wearing the LSU uniform.

When Van Buren was asked if he felt like he had a future in Baton Rouge, his answer was emphatic.

“Most definitely,” he told Diaz.

When a follow-up question asked Van Buren why he felt that way, he showered LSU with praise.

“I love it here in Baton Rouge,” Van Buren said. “I love the place, Tiger Stadium. Everything about this place. That’s why I want to continue my career here.”

With Nussmeier’s status going forward in question, Van Buren could get another opportunity to shine in front of the Tiger Stadium faithful this Saturday night against Western Kentucky. Kickoff is at 7:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network, and Van Buren just might be under center again when the Week 13 matchup begins.

The post LSU quarterback Michael Van Buren comments on future plans: ‘I love it here’ appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Fighting Irish factor really made Tide fans’ blood boil, because they feel that despite last Saturday’s stumble against Oklahoma and despite now having the same 8-2 record as Notre Dame, that Alabama has the better portfolio. But somehow that general feeling among the passionate Bama fan base didn’t translate to the Playoff selection committee, which dropped the Crimson Tide 6 spots from No. 4 to No. 10.

Seeing Notre Dame 1 spot above their beloved Tide at No. 9 added insult to injury in the new rankings, with just 2 weeks left in the 2025 regular season. Of course, Alabama has a chance to change all of this in these last 2 weeks by blasting Eastern Illinois this Saturday and taking down rival Auburn on the road the following week.

If everything else falls into place by Selection Sunday next month, then nobody in Tuscaloosa will remember the rankings from Nov. 18 that made a lot of fans cringe and head to social media to vent.

Here is just a sampling of the shock and anger that Alabama fans and media were feeling:

The post Alabama fans, media crush CFP selection committee for latest rankings reveal appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The 12th-ranked Wildcats lost, 83-66, but it was the way they went down in the ESPN spotlight game at Madison Square Garden. Kentucky fell to 3-2 on the young season, but this was the Wildcats’ second defeat in a showdown situation, with UK also suffering a 96-88 road loss to rival Louisville exactly a week earlier.

It was obvious to everyone watching that Kentucky wasn’t ready from the tip on Tuesday night, with the Wildcats falling behind big in the first half. When halftime mercifully came, Michigan State held a commanding 44-27 lead, and the dazed Wildcats were forced to play from way behind for the rest of the night.

RELATED: Interested in betting on college basketball this season? Here’s a DraftKings Kentucky promo code to help you get started!

That didn’t go well either for head coach Mark Pope and company, and Michigan State improved to 4-0 while Kentucky and its passionate fan base were left to wonder what happened — again. There will be a lot of bad fallout for Pope in the next few days until Kentucky plays again on Friday night at home against Loyola of Maryland.

On Tuesday night though, things got really ugly for Kentucky and specifically for Pope. Here is just a sampling of the criticism from the UK basketball community and college basketball media at-large:

The post Kentucky fans, media blast Mark Pope for disappointing performance vs. Michigan State appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Longhorns will be trying to shake off a horrible loss in Week 12 at Georgia, where they fell, 35-10, to suffer their 3rd defeat of the season. Texas is now 7-3 overall and clinging to life in its pursuit of a College Football Playoff berth, with a 4-2 SEC mark to go with it. The Longhorns will need to win out and hope for a lot of help to get that Playoff berth, and they will have to start on Saturday by taking care of the 2-8 Razorbacks who are still winless in the SEC at 0-6.

The Horns and Hogs will get the spotlight treatment on Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC, with all eyes watching to see if Texas can rebound from the Georgia disaster.

ESPN’s SP+ is available for all of the Week 13 matchups, and the model is projecting the favored Longhorns to take care of business on their home field and keep whatever College Football Playoff hopes they have intact. The model has Texas beating Arkansas, 33-23.

Here’s that prediction along with the rest of the Week 13 slate:

The history of the Texas-Arkansas rivalry goes back a long way, way back to 1894, when the Longhorns blanked the Razorbacks, 54-0. Texas also won last year’s meeting in Fayetteville, 20-10, and holds a commanding 57-23 lead in the all-time series.

The Longhorns will have to continue that dominance on Saturday, or those flickering CFP hopes will be gone completely.

The post ESPN’s SP+ predicts final score of Arkansas vs. Texas game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Sooners come into the Week 13 matchup on a major high, having just taken down Alabama in Tuscaloosa last Saturday. That victory kept Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff chances alive, improving the Sooners to 8-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC. But Brent Venables‘ team still has no margin for error going forward, and a solid Mizzou team would just love to ruin those CFP dreams that Oklahoma has.

The Tigers are coming off their own highlight-reel victory over Mississippi State, with Ahmad Hardy rushing for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns. Oklahoma will have to deal with Hardy on Saturday, and that will likely be a huge key in whether the Sooners can survive and keep those Playoff chances intact. The Sooners and Tigers will kick things off at noon ET on ABC.

ESPN’s SP+ is available for all of the Week 13 matchups, and the model is projecting the favored Sooners to hold serve at home in the all-important matchup. It is predicting a tight game, with Oklahoma outlasting Mizzou, 27-22.

Here’s that prediction along with the rest of the Week 13 slate:

Oklahoma is a 7.5-point favorite over Missouri, according to the latest college football betting lines. Fans looking to sign up with a new sports book in Missouri can go here to view the best Missouri sports betting promos.

The old rivals have already met 97 times, with Oklahoma holding a healthy 67-25-5 lead in the all-time series that began way back in 1902. Mizzou won that first meeting, 22-5, and the Tigers also took the most recent meeting last season in Columbia, winning 30-23.

Oklahoma will need to get some payback on Saturday in Norman. If the Sooners don’t, then the fruits of that Alabama upset won’t mean much and those CFP hopes will be gone.

The post ESPN’s SP+ predicts final score of Mizzou vs. Oklahoma game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

When starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion, in came Sanders to try to rescue the Cleveland Browns on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. The former Colorado star and son of NFL legend Deion Sanders entered the game with 12:43 left in the 3rd quarter, with the Browns looking for a spark in Gabriel’s absence.

But it didn’t go well for Sanders, the rookie who infamously had to wait until the 5th round and 144th overall pick to hear his name called at the draft by the Browns. Sanders’ first chance to prove everybody wrong came in mid-November of his rookie season in front of the home fans, but things went horribly for Sanders and the Browns.

First, there was Sanders himself, who completed just 4 of 16 passes for 47 yards, with 0 touchdowns and 1 interception. He was harassed by the Ravens’ defense while struggling, too, being sacked twice while finishing with a 13.5 passer rating.

To add insult to injury, the Browns lost the game in crushing fashion, with Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 2:31 left in the 23-16 comeback victory. So, not only did Sanders not play well at all, his team didn’t get the win either, falling to 2-8 on the season.

Sanders had 1 final chance to save the day for himself and the Browns after Andrews’ go-ahead score. Things began well, too, with Sanders completing a 25-yard pass on the first play of the drive to get Cleveland to the Baltimore 25-yard line. The tying score was well within reach, but things stalled from there, and Sanders’ last pass on 4th-and-5 fell short of the target.

Before the injury, Gabriel, the former star at Oregon, went 7 of 10 for 68 yards with a passer rating of 88.8.

The post Shedeur Sanders struggles mightily in NFL debut appeared first on Saturday Down South.

ESPN announced on Sunday morning that it was heading to Eugene for this Saturday’s titanic Big Ten showdown between USC and Oregon. Both teams are squarely in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot, with the Trojans and Ducks meeting in a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS.

They’ll be facing off on national TV and with Playoff stakes at an all-time high, so ESPN decided to head back to Eugene, where it also broadcast College GameDay on Oct. 11 in the leadup to Oregon’s huge matchup against Indiana later that day. But Fallica, who left College GameDay to join Fox Sports in 2022, can speak candidly on ESPN’s choices nowadays, and he did just that on Sunday afternoon with a post on his social media account.

Fallica believes that ESPN could have done “something special” this Saturday by heading to a less-known locale for the pregame show.

Fallica worked for College GameDay since 1996 as a research producer, so he has a longstanding history with the network and the pregame show.

The post Former ESPN employee criticizes College GameDay location choice for Week 13 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Chase, a former star wideout at LSU between 2018-2020, said he did not spit on Ramsey, according to a report by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Whether Chase spit on Ramsey or not, officials didn’t see the apparent incident on the field in the heat of the moment.

Ramsey, a former standout at Florida State, said that he hit Chase after being spit on by Chase. Because the officials did not see Chase spit on Ramsey, they only ejected Ramsey from the game and not Chase.

But after the victory, Ramsey was adamant with reporters that Chase did indeed spit on him as the 2 players fought with each other. Ramsey paid the worst price on Sunday, being ejected for throwing a punch at Chase in the 4th quarter. Cincinnati also got a first down because of Ramsey’s penalty.

The bad blood was building between the 2 players on these 2 AFC North rival teams. Chase and Ramsey were separated from each other after locking horns on the previous play, with both players being penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The post Ja’Marr Chase could face suspension from NFL for apparent spitting incident appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The former Alabama star quarterback threw for 448 yards on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, breaking Cam Newton’s single-game team passing yards record in the process. You might remember that Newton played at and starred at Auburn, so even though Young and Newton played in the SEC at different times, that Alabama-Auburn rivalry knows no bounds when it comes to time periods.

Newton’s previous Panthers passing yards record was 432 yards, which he set in 2011 during his prolific rookie season in Carolina. Newton was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after that magical 2011 season, which included that very prolific day when he threw for those 432 yards.

Well, records are made to be broken, and 14 years later that single-game mark was broken by a former Alabama quarterback, of all people. Even better for Young, his special performance on Sunday came in a thrilling, 30-27 overtime victory in Atlanta that lifted the Panthers to 6-5.

Young went 31 of 45 on Sunday with 3 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions, so those record-breaking passing yards came during an efficient performance that produced a very important victory for Carolina.

After the game, Young spoke to reporters about what it meant for him to break Newton’s long-standing record, highlighting how much respect he has for what Newton accomplished during his career.

Young is in his 3rd season in Carolina after playing at Alabama from 2020-22. He captured the Heisman Trophy during the 2021 season.

The post Bryce Young breaks Cam Newton passing yards record in career-best day for Panthers appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The former 4-star recruit who stayed in-state to go to Tennessee is now reportedly heading elsewhere after not even making it through his 2nd season in Knoxville. During his true freshman season last fall, Carter had 38 tackles, 28 of them solo, with 1 sack and 1 interception. He had 25 tackles this season, 16 solo, with 1 sack and 3 forced fumbles.

With the reported sudden end to his time at Tennessee, Carter shared a message with Volunteers fans on Sunday afternoon. He claimed in his post that his 2025 season ended prematurely because of injury, not because of any other issues with the program.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank The University of Tennessee Coaches, administrators and fans for a wonderful 2 years,” wrote Carter. “Unfortunately my season has been cut short due to injury. I have decided to enter the transfer portal and I am excited about the opportunities going forward!”

Carter never got to play in what turned out to be Tennessee’s final game before his reported decision to transfer. He was suspended from Saturday’s’ home game against New Mexico State, with head coach Josh Heupel declining to say anything more about the suspension other than that Carter failed to meet Tennessee’s “standard.”

The post Boo Carter shares statement on departure from Tennessee football program appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Titans head coach Mike McCoy told reporters of Ridley’s season-ending diagnosis after Sunday’s game, which Tennessee lost, 16-13, on a last-second field goal. Ridley was carted off the field after suffering the injury midway through the 1st quarter on Sunday, and at that point his return to the game was questionable.

Ridley’s 2025 season was already marred by injury before Sunday’s season-ending blow. He was making his return to action on Sunday after missing over a month with a hamstring injury. But his return to the field was short-lived after catching 1 pass for 13 yards on Sunday. That 1 catch proved costly, as the fateful injury occurred seconds later.

It happened on the Titans’ first offensive play of Sunday’s game, when Ridley caught that 13-yard pass. Ridley was trying to get more yardage after the initial catch, but he was hit by 2 Houston defensive players. He apparently was injured so badly on the play that he couldn’t continue, and FOX cameras caught Ridley being carted off the field for further examination.

Ridley came into Sunday’s game with 16 catches for 290 yards in limited action this season because of injury. He failed to catch a touchdown pass this year, and now he faces a long rehab journey to be ready for the 2026 season.

He was a big-time weapon at Alabama from 2015-17, helping the Crimson Tide win national championships in 2015 and 2017. Ridley finished his Crimson Tide career with 224 catches for 2,781 yards and 19 touchdowns.

The post Former Alabama WR Calvin Ridley to miss rest of the season for Titans after injury appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Alabama hadn’t lost at home since early in the 2023 season, with the loss snapping the Tide’s 17-game home winning streak. Those fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium were stunned afterward, as another streak came to an end, with Bama’s 8-game win streak coming to a sudden halt. Oklahoma was happy to take advantage of all those Alabama mistakes in the dramatic 23-21 victory, and the chaotic nature of the win was reflected on Sunday morning when the postgame win expectancy numbers were crunched by ESPN’s Bill Connelly.

The Sooners’ victory was the very lowest of the unlikely winners in those postgame win expectancy numbers. According to Connelly’s numbers, Oklahoma’s postgame win expectancy was only 4.8%, by far the lowest of the weekend.

The next-lowest number was Clemson‘s 13.4% postgame win expectancy in its Friday night upset at Louisville. That percentage was still a big increase over Oklahoma’s number, which reflects how much had to happen for the Sooners to get out of Tuscaloosa with the gigantic victory.

Alabama’s 3 turnovers, 2 fumbles lost and 1 very costly interception, directly led to OU’s win, and that certainly led to the Sooners’ very low postgame win expectancy. But nobody asks how you get it done, only that you get it done, and Oklahoma was as opportunistic as it gets in breaking those hearts in Tuscaloosa in Week 12.

The post Oklahoma’s victory at Alabama registers lowest postgame win expectancy of Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The slate was capped by Georgia’s emphatic victory over Texas in primetime, which booted the Longhorns out of Playoff contention with a 3rd loss.

ESPN’s 11 experts all had those cardiac Aggies 3rd in their CFP picks, with every expert also putting Ohio State at No. 1 and Indiana at No. 2, so the top 3 was exactly the same in every expert’s eyes as we head toward the final 2 weeks of the 2025 regular season.

And what about Alabama after its home winning streak was snapped at 17 by those Sooners? The Crimson Tide were still a part of the Playoff field for all 11 ESPN experts, although their seeding obviously took a hit. All 11 experts also had Georgia and Oklahoma as part of the updated field, and Ole Miss was also part of the updated Playoff field for every expert after it took care of business at home against Florida on Saturday night.

Last season featured the first 12-team Playoff format, with Ohio State beating Notre Dame in the national title game. The Buckeyes are still undefeated in 2025 through Week 12, and 11 experts believe they are the top-seeded team right now. Of course, there’s still plenty of football left, with plenty of time for the chaotic ACC to sort itself out and for that Group of 5 team to emerge and grab a Playoff spot.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post ESPN experts update College Football Playoff picks after Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The comedian is apparently hooked on college football, SEC style, as he showed again when joining Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin for his stroll from the bus to the stadium in the leadup to Saturday night’s showdown against Florida (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Oxford.

When Kiffin got off the bus to start that famous stroll to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for the Week 12 clash, he had a very surprising visitor who immediately went up to him and started jumping around, as only Von can. Kiffin and Von had an initial embrace, and then it was time for Kiffin to play the straight man, for once.

Kiffin is known for his humor, but this time he had a professional comedian to provide the reaction as the Ole Miss fans cheered wildly for their coach and Von.

In early October, Von was the guest picker for ESPN’s College GameDay from Tuscaloosa in the leadup to that day’s showdown between Alabama and Vanderbilt. So clearly, Von has a love for multiple SEC settings, and he donned an Ole Miss shirt on Saturday as he played to the Rebels fans and got big smiles of appreciation from Kiffin.

Who knows where Von might turn up next in 2025, but so far he’s got a good head start on some famous SEC football locales.

The post Theo Von walks alongside Lane Kiffin, fires up Ole Miss fans ahead of Florida game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Conor Talty set up for a 36-yard field goal that would’ve tied the game at 17-17 after Alabama trailed 10-0 and 17-7. It was a great opportunity that ultimately went really badly, because the snap was high, the kick was shanked and there was no tie game. Instead, it was 17-14 Oklahoma at halftime, and Talty was incensed.

He yelled at his long snapper, who started the whole process gone wrong, but it was a telling moment in a frustrating first half for the home team. Kickers don’t often scream at their long snappers or holders, at least not on the field, so Talty’s outburst in the national TV spotlight on ABC was something to see.

Here’s the bad snap, the bad kick and 1 frustrated kicker who couldn’t contain his emotions as the Tide jogged to the locker room:

It was Talty’s only field goal attempt of the first half. He did make both of his extra point attempts after Alabama’s 2 touchdowns, but it was the kick gone awry and reaction to it that had fans talking at halftime as the Crimson Tide’s 8-game winning streak was on the line.

The post Alabama kicker chews out teammate after missing field goal appeared first on Saturday Down South.

So offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb went into the playbook and found something unusual to get 4th-ranked Alabama rolling. The Crimson Tide had a 1st-and-10 from the Sooners’ 36-yard line with 12:40 left in a half that had produced 0 points. That would change soon, though, thanks to a little trickery by Grubb and his offense.

Quarterback Ty Simpson dropped back to pass but intentionally stumbled on his way back from center, which is designed to throw the defense off. It worked like a charm, as Simpson pretended to regain his footing from the pretend stumble, stepped up and found freshman tight end Kaleb Edwards, who was wide open streaking down the left sideline. Edwards caught the pass from Simpson and was tackled at the Oklahoma 11-yard line.

It was a 25-yard gain, and it was huge, setting the Tide up for Daniel Hill’s 1-yard touchdown run that cut the Sooners’ lead to 3. The fake stumble play, or “Stumblebum” as Awful Announcing called it on social media, was a takeoff on Ben Johnson’s play call when he was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions.

Here is the 2025 Alabama version of the play:

Here’s the 2024 Detroit Lions’ version of the stumble play authored by then-OC Johnson, who ironically ran this play against the Chicago Bears and is now the head coach of the Bears:

Both plays were successful for the Crimson Tide and Lions, and who knows when we’ll see the crazy play call crop up again in a college or NFL game.

The post Alabama runs intentional stumble play to set up TD vs. Oklahoma appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Late in the first half, as visiting South Carolina was rolling up a shocking big lead over the 3rd-ranked Aggies, something innocent turned into something very controversial. Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers tossed an 80-yard touchdown pass to wideout Nyck Harbor, giving South Carolina that stunning 27-3 lead that became 30-3 by halftime. When Harbor ran down the tunnel with teammates in celebration of the TD and the big lead, he accidentally bumped the trooper, who cameras caught having words with Harbor.

Texas A&M police released a statement on the incident, and so did James, who took to his social media account to voice his anger over what happened. The Los Angeles Lakers star wasn’t just unhappy, he was fuming, and he let his feelings be known about what the Texas A&M cop did.

“That A&M cop needs to be suspended!” wrote James.

James would have been glad to know that the trooper was relieved of his assignment at Kyle Field on Saturday, according to the statement by Texas A&M police.

It was a short day for the trooper who went viral for his controversial actions late in the first half, and as it turned out a long day for South Carolina, which blew a 30-3 halftime lead in a stunning 31-30 loss. That Harbor touchdown turned out to be the Gamecocks’ last TD of the day.

The post LeBron James calls for suspension of Texas A&M cop over Nyck Harbor incident appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The 3rd-ranked Aggies completed an improbable comeback from down 27 points at halftime, rallying for a 31-30 victory over South Carolina in front of a raucous crowd at Kyle Field. Texas A&M improved to 10-0 overall and 7-0 in the SEC with the largest comeback victory in program history, according to the broadcast on ESPN.

SEC teams were 0-286 when they trailed by 27 or more points in a conference game since 2004. Make that 1-286 now, as the Aggies scored 21 points in the 3rd quarter and finished off the record-breaking comeback with another 7 points in the 4th period.

Marcel Reed bounced back from a horrible first half to lead the Aggies’ comeback, throwing for 439 yards and 3 touchdowns on the memorable afternoon to continue his drive for the Heisman Trophy.

Reed and the Aggies woke up after a forgettable first half that ended with them trailing 30-3 and looking for answers. The offense found those answers and so did the defense, which pitched a shutout in the final 30 minutes after getting torched in the first half.

Texas A&M finished off the comeback by stopping South Carolina on downs with 1:07 left in the game, and all there was left to do was celebrate the improbable victory.

The post Texas A&M makes SEC history with unbelievable comeback win appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Now, the Indiana quarterback has etched his name into the Hoosiers’ football record book. He did it with 5:21 left in the 4th quarter of Saturday afternoon’s 31-7 victory over hapless Wisconsin. Mendoza dropped back and calmly found Omar Cooper Jr. for a 5-yard touchdown pass that finished off the scoring in front of the home crowd and set the Indiana single-season passing TD record.

It was Mendoza’s 30th touchdown toss of a season that’s been storybook, at least so far. The California transfer has been nothing short of sensational in his first season at IU, with the stats and the victories to back it up. Saturday’s win over Wisconsin improved the 2nd-ranked Hoosiers to 11-0 overall and 8-0 in the Big Ten, as they chase a College Football Playoff spot and a shot at a national title.

Here is Mendoza’s record-breaking touchdown pass to finish off another win:

Mendoza didn’t just set a record on Saturday. He lit up that stat sheet in his continued drive toward a possible Heisman Trophy, completing an astonishing 22 of 24 passes for 299 yards with 4 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions.

That last TD made sure he’s in the Indiana record book forever, but the book is hardly closed on the 2025 season for Mendoza. It’s just getting started as his Hoosiers close in on a perfect regular season and a Playoff berth, while Mendoza continues to close in on that Heisman Trophy.

The post Fernando Mendoza sets Indiana single-season passing TD record  appeared first on Saturday Down South.

McCluster played at Ole Miss from 2006-09, and he was a first-team All-SEC selection and a 3rd-team All-American during his final season in Oxford. He knows the pulse of Ole Miss’s fandom, having delighted them in the past with 1,955 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns during his 4 years as a Rebel.

This time, McCluster entertained the Ole Miss faithful with the Friday night hype video on the eve of the Rebels’ Week 12 SEC showdown against struggling Florida. The 9-1 Rebels will host the 3-6 Gators in a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN, as Ole Miss tries to move a step closer to a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The hype video is titled “Not Satisfied” for a team that still has a lot of work to do to grab that elusive Playoff berth.

The Rebels will be trying to take care of business as double-digit favorites under the lights in Oxford, and they’ll be wearing this uniform combination in the national TV spotlight game:

Ole Miss knows it’s supposed to win on Saturday night, and that’s not always an easy thing, but it made sure its fan base was properly pumped up this week with that intense hype video and the uniform reveal.

Now the Rebels just have to go out and get that 10th victory of the season.

The post Ole Miss drops hype video, reveals uniform combo for Week 12 matchup against Florida appeared first on Saturday Down South.

John Brice of Football Scoop posted on his social media account that it “sounds like” Carter would miss the Week 12 matchup at Neyland Stadium (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network) because of a hip flexor injury.

Carter has 25 total tackles this season, 16 of them solo, with 1 sack and 3 forced fumbles, so he’s been a big part of the Volunteers’ secondary this year.

While Tennessee, which is ranked 23rd in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, is favored by over 40 points against the 3-6 Aggies on Saturday, not having Carter in the lineup would be a big blow to its defense as it tries to get rolling after a bye week.

While Carter played in Tennessee’s last game 2 weeks ago, a home loss to Oklahoma that effectively ended its Playoff hopes, he didn’t play even 1 snap on defense. Carter was the Volunteers’ punt returner against Oklahoma, and it was the first time this year that Carter played fewer than 20 snaps on defense.

If Saturday morning’s report proves right, Carter won’t be getting any snaps anywhere on the field for Tennessee in Week 12.

The post Tennessee to be without Boo Carter vs. New Mexico State, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Bulldogs junior tight end could have gone most anywhere he wanted to play his college ball. But the native of Norcross, Ga., decided to stay in-state and play at Georgia so he could be close to his younger brother Cannon, who is disabled. Cannon is missing a portion of his brain, and rather than go to a far-away college where he couldn’t be near his little brother, Lawson believed it was best to play down the road at Georgia.

“At the end of the day, I need to be close to home,” said Lawson in the heartfelt feature story that aired on Saturday morning.

Lawson Luckie and his teammates will be playing in a very big football game on Saturday night, when No. 5 Georgia hosts No. 10 Texas in a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC. These are the moments why Lawson opted to stick close to home and play in Athens, and he’ll be playing for his little brother Cannon in primetime like he is every time he suits up for the Bulldogs.

Knowing Cannon would not be living a normal life, as his mother, Hillary Luckie, explained in the feature, it was important for big brother Lawson to be near him for any kind of support he could lend. It was the ultimate show of love and unselfishness from Lawson, who has been in the Georgia program since 2023.

During his recruiting process, Lawson was getting offers from many schools. But with his choice to play in Athens, Lawson could get home to see his brother whenever he wanted and Cannon could come see his big brother play at Sanford Stadium, which the ESPN feature showed.

The Luckie brothers’ bond is tight and full of love, and here is the full video of the emotional feature story:

The post College GameDay feature spotlights Georgia TE Lawson Luckie’s powerful bond with disabled younger brother appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Earlier on Friday, On3 had reported that Weeks was likely to miss LSU‘s Week 12 matchup against the Razorbacks. The On3 report also said that Weeks’ status was “unclear” for the rest of the 2025 season.

Weeks was listed as questionable on LSU’s initial availability report on Wednesday night, then after practice on Thursday he was called a “gameday decision” by interim head coach Frank Wilson.

Weeks’ junior season has been marred by the ankle injury that just won’t go away. He has missed LSU’s past 3 games with a bone bruise in his ankle, and the Tigers have lost all 3 of those games to fall to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the SEC. During that time, LSU also fired head coach Brian Kelly, so clearly the absence of Weeks has proved costly right in the middle of the season.

The On3 report earlier Friday seemed to hint Weeks was going to miss his 4th straight game, and that was confirmed later Friday night when the availability report was released for Saturday’s 12:45 p.m. ET kickoff on SEC Network. Weeks aggravated the ankle injury against Ole Miss back in Week 5, and he hasn’t played since Oct. 11 against South Carolina.

The ankle problem goes back to last season for Weeks, who suffered a broken ankle during LSU’s bowl game against Baylor.

With Weeks being limited on the field this season, he has managed just 26 total tackles, 12 of them solo, with 1 sack and 1 fumble recovery. With Friday night’s development, he won’t be adding to those totals on Saturday against Arkansas.

The post LSU star linebacker Whit Weeks ruled out for matchup with Arkansas appeared first on Saturday Down South.

No. 5 Georgia and No. 10 Texas aren’t just both right in the middle of the College Football Playoff discussion in 2025, they share football history from just last year, when the Bulldogs and Longhorns met in the SEC Championship Game. Georgia won that showdown in overtime, and both teams went on to the Playoff.

On Saturday night, both teams want to get further down a path to a return trip to Atlanta, but somebody is going to have to lose a very important mid-November matchup that kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Texas has no wiggle room when it comes to making the Playoff, with 2 losses already, but Georgia might since it’s 8-1.

But don’t tell that to any Georgia player, Georgia fan or former Georgia player, like former Bulldog defensive back Kamari Lassiter, who narrated Friday night’s hype video that contained the headline “Elite Heat”. Lassiter knows what it takes to get to the finish line of college football, playing on those back-to-back national championship teams in 2021 and 2022.

This Georgia team is going to try to do what Lassiter’s teams did, and on Saturday night the Dawgs will have to deal with a desperate, surging Texas team that’s won 4 in a row and is coming off a bye. Georgia knows it’s got its hands full on Saturday night, and Lassiter got Bulldog fans pumped for the challenge with this hype video that just might keep them up all Friday night:

The post Georgia launches intense hype video on eve of SEC title rematch with Texas appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The legendary coach who led the Crimson Tide to 6 national championships is now a college football analyst for ESPN, and he knows what makes this Alabama team tick after an 8-game winning streak has the Tide primed to do big things. On the eve of Saturday afternoon’s huge showdown at home against No. 11 Oklahoma, Saban talked about the strength of the 4th-ranked Crimson Tide during his weekly Friday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

It certainly isn’t the running game, which has been feeble all fall, with Jam Miller leading Alabama in rushing with just 321 yards. Saban knows that the passing game has been Bama’s calling card during its 2-month surge, and he knows that quarterback Ty Simpson and his stable of wide receivers will be key once again against the Sooners in the 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC.

Saban was asked if he thinks Alabama can win a national title or get to a national title game with being just a 1-dimensional offense.

“Well, I think it’s hard, I really do, but if you got a good enough quarterback and good enough receivers, which that’s the strength of their team to me, Ty Simpson and the receiver core, and they make a lot of explosive plays,” Nick Saban said.

Saban still believes Alabama has “pretty decent” running backs on its roster, but the Tide just haven’t been able to establish any kind of running game this fall, whether Miller has been in the lineup or not. He also said the offensive line must improve down the stretch as that Crimson Tide passing game he complimented so much continues to try to thrive.

Here are Saban’s full comments on the issue as Bama gets ready for OU:

The post Nick Saban identifies the ‘strength’ of Alabama’s team entering Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

YouTube TV posted on its social media account on Friday night, letting viewers know that the nightmare is over and a deal has been reached with Disney.

“We’re happy to share that we’ve reached a deal with Disney to bring their content back to YouTube TV,” YouTube TV wrote in the post. “Subscribers should see channels, including ABC, ESPN and FX returning to their service over the course of the day. Thanks for your patience and for being a valued member.”

Here is YouTube TV’s post, which was a happy update for a change after all of the frustration:

ESPN also put out an announcement on its social media account on Friday night.

“The Walt Disney Company announces multi-year distribution agreement with YouTube TV,” said ESPN in its post.

ESPN announced to viewers in the post that Disney’s “full suite of networks and stations — including ESPN and ABC — have already begun to be restored to YouTube TV subscribers.”

The saga between Disney and YouTube stretched back to Oct. 31, when more than 20 channels went dark on YouTube TV. Two weeks later, the nightmare is over, just hours before a full Saturday college football slate for Week 12 of the season.

The post YouTube TV reaches deal with Disney, ending 2-week blackout appeared first on Saturday Down South.

But Tennessee was still ranked in the latest CFP rankings on Tuesday night, coming in at No. 23. The 6-3 Volunteers can still finish strong and get to 9 wins in 2025, but to do that they’ll have to win out, and that challenge starts on Saturday afternoon with a nonconference matchup against New Mexico State (3-6) at Neyland Stadium. The Vols will kick it off with the Aggies at 4:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network, and on Friday afternoon 4 captains were picked by Tennessee to lead the way on Saturday.

The Vols should have an extra bounce in their step on Saturday, coming off a bye after the demoralizing loss to the Sooners, and Josh Heupel‘s team will look to bounce back led by team captains Joey Aguilar, Jalen McMurray, Jourdan Thomas and William Wright.

The Tennessee football social media account celebrated the captain selections with this post on Friday afternoon:

Aguilar has been a bright spot for Tennessee this season in his first year in Knoxville. The senior signal-caller has thrown for 2,737 yards with 21 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.

On the other side of the ball, McMurray, a senior defensive back, has 43 total tackles, 27 of them solo, with 2 sacks. Thomas is a junior defensive back, while Wright, a senior defensive back, has 6 tackles in 2025, 3 of them solo.

The 4 players will be tasked with helping the Volunteers stay focused as a big favorite in a nonconference game.

The post Tennessee names captains for nonconference matchup against New Mexico State appeared first on Saturday Down South.

With Florida sitting at just 3-6 overall and 2-4 in the SEC, things won’t get any easier for the Gators in Week 12 when they head to Oxford to face an Ole Miss team that has its eyes on a College Football Playoff berth. The Rebels were ranked 7th in the last CFP rankings, and they are rolling this fall with a 9-1 record and a real shot to do something special in 2025.

For Florida, Saturday night’s matchup at Ole Miss (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) is a real shot to play spoiler, to help ruin the national championship dreams that Lane Kiffin‘s team has built up. It won’t be easy, with UF predictably being a double-digit underdog, but on Friday afternoon the Gators announced their 4 team captains for the game, who will try to help them navigate a very difficult situation and atmosphere in Oxford.

Florida’s 4 captains will be sophomore defensive lineman Michai Boireau, sophomore running back Jadan Baugh, senior wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant and junior edge rusher Kamran James. UF football’s social media account celebrated the captain selections with this post on Friday afternoon:

Boireau has 15 total tackles this season, 5 of them solo, with 2 sacks and 1 interception. On the other side of the ball, Baugh is the Gators’ engine when it comes to the running game, leading UF in rushing this season with 747 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Sturdivant has 20 catches for 264 yards and 1 touchdown for Florida this year, while James has been a menace this fall for UF’s defense, piling up 32 tackles, 18 of them solo, with 3.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble.

The quartet of Gators will be tasked with leading Florida on the field and off it during Saturday night’s big-time challenge at Ole Miss.

The post Florida announces captains for Week 12 game against Ole Miss appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The On3 report also said that the junior’s status is “unclear” for the rest of the season.

Weeks’ season has been marred by injury, and he’s missed LSU‘s past 3 games with a bone bruise in his ankle. According to Friday’s On3 report, Weeks is now set to miss a 4th straight game as LSU hosts Arkansas on Saturday in a 12:45 p.m. ET kickoff on SEC Network.

The ankle injury has hampered Weeks since he aggravated it against Ole Miss way back in Week 5. But Weeks’ ankle problems didn’t start this season. The issues go back to last season, when Weeks suffered a broken ankle in LSU’s bowl game against Baylor.

Weeks hasn’t played since Oct. 11 against South Carolina, so his absence from the Tigers’ lineup has reached 1 month and now it reportedly is likely to continue in Week 12 against the Razorbacks. LSU has gone 0-3 since Weeks last suited up against South Carolina, and the slide has included head coach Brian Kelly being fired.

With Weeks being kept off the field by the injury, he’s got just 26 total tackles this season, 12 of them solo, with 1 sack and 1 fumble recovery.

The post LSU linebacker Whit Weeks reportedly unlikely to play vs. Arkansas, status ‘unclear’ for rest of season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

During their breakdown of the Week 12 showdown between Oklahoma and Alabama in Tuscaloosa, which kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC, both Doering and Burns gave the viewers on SEC This Morning a little Friday surprise. Doering and Burns both believe the Sooners can follow their victory at Tennessee a few weeks ago with another road win over an Alabama team that’s won 8 in a row.

Oklahoma comes into Tuscaloosa with the No. 1 defense in the SEC, and the 11th-ranked Sooners are also 3-0 in true road games this season, so they won’t be intimidated in T-Town. OU has everything on the line on Saturday, carrying 2 losses into the game, so the Sooners have no wiggle room, and Doering and Burns think they are the perfect team to finally hand 4th-ranked Alabama its 2nd loss of the season.

“I got Oklahoma winning this game,” said Burns, who particularly likes the Sooners coming off a bye. “Alabama hasn’t been able to run the ball, and (in) John Mateer I trust. Give me a close one, 27-24 OU, gives us a shocker.”

Doering couldn’t do anything but agree with his SEC Network colleague, pointing to that elite Oklahoma defense as the big reason why.

“I just think (the OU defense) leads me to the realization that Oklahoma is the perfect fit for beating Alabama,” Doering said. “They did it last year in Norman. They’re going to do it this week in Tuscaloosa.”

Here is the full video of the SEC Network duo calling for the Week 12 upset in Tuscaloosa:

The post SEC Network analysts pick Oklahoma to upset Alabama appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The legendary coach won 6 national championships at Alabama and 1 title before that at LSU, and so the 74-year-old man who’s now a college football analyst for ESPN has a special eye for special college football teams. We’re heading toward the time of year in the sport where those special teams separate themselves from the pack, and on Friday during his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Saban placed 3 teams above everyone else in college football heading into Week 12.

For Saban, the best trio of teams right now are the 3 teams who reside atop the College Football Playoff rankings and the AP Poll. It’s Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M, and then there’s everybody else behind them as we hit mid-November.

“I think there’s 3 teams that’s kind of proven they are a cut above — (Texas) A&M, Ohio State and Indiana. Those 3 teams have kind of shown they are a cut above the other teams,” Nick Saban said.

Those 3 elite teams are beatable, Saban said, but the rest of the pack of good teams below them would have to overcome something.

“The other teams are good enough to beat them, but they all have a little flaw or something that they all need to overcome,” Saban said. “It’ll be interesting to see how this works out down the stretch.”

There’s still 3 weeks left in an already crazy regular season, so a lot can change between now and then. But at least for now, this is how Saban sees the breakdown at the top of college football.

The post Nick Saban names 3 teams who are ‘a cut above’ everyone else before Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

From 0-1 to 8-1, an 8-game winning streak has carried Alabama into mid-November with all of its goals for 2025 firmly intact. A trip to Atlanta is within reach after a 1-year hiatus and so is a return trip to the Playoff after missing out last fall as the Crimson Tide crashed and burned in Kalen DeBoer‘s first season.

In late August, some wondered if DeBoer would even survive Year 2. But just 2 months later, some are wondering if DeBoer can win a national championship at Alabama 1 year quicker than Nick Saban, who won his first title in T-Town in his 3rd season. That’s how quickly the tide has turned for the Crimson Tide, because the games are suddenly dwindling and that finish line got a little closer last Saturday night with a predictably rugged 20-9 victory over LSU at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Seven days later on the same field, an even bigger challenge awaits an Alabama team that remained 4th in the latest AP Poll and CFP rankings. Here comes loaded and rested Oklahoma, coming off a bye after taking down Tennessee in Knoxville 2 weeks ago. The 11th-ranked Sooners (7-2) also arrive with desperation because of those 2 losses, knowing 1 more slip up signals the end of their Playoff dreams, and that just attaches more drama to the 3:30 p.m. ET showdown on ABC.

Alabama will have to do a lot of things to make it 9 in a row on Saturday. But we’ll narrow it down to 5 things the Tide must do to solve OU and move a little closer still to Atlanta and the CFP: 

1. Treat Oklahoma with the desperation of a Playoff game

We know the Sooners will absolutely have that desperation. Brent Venables‘ team is on the outskirts of the Playoff discussion at this moment, but that discussion would change drastically if his Sooners can win in Tuscaloosa like they just did in Knoxville. And if that happens, the whole CFP discussion around Alabama changes drastically, too, doesn’t it? 

Does Alabama still have a little wiggle room because it’s won 8 in a row and has only lost once? Perhaps. But when it’s this late in the season, the stakes are so high and the competition for Playoff spots is so fierce, the Tide have to treat every game as an absolute must-win. Kalen DeBoer’s streaking team can’t just assume a 2nd loss wouldn’t fully damage its Playoff hopes. Bama must assume the opposite, that 1 more loss would be 1 too many, no matter where that loss comes.

And if it comes on Saturday, things really get complicated because Oklahoma would have the same number of losses as Bama and suddenly have the head-to-head advantage for the Playoff committee to consider on Selection Sunday. The Sooners ruined the Tide’s Playoff hopes right around this time last November with a 24-3 thumping in Norman, which is just another log to throw on the motivational fire for Bama. The Tide have a chance to return the favor in 2025 with 1 afternoon full of payback in Week 12.

Oklahoma knows a win in Tuscaloosa can really pave its Playoff path. Saturday is the Sooners’ last road game of the regular season, and very winnable home games against Mizzou and LSU remain. OU can see the Playoff light, but Alabama must turn that switch off by treating a mid-November showdown like it’s already a Playoff game in December or January. Because Oklahoma surely is. These Sooners aren’t just really good — they’re really desperate, and the Tide must match that desperation or things in their charmed world will change instantly.

2. Beware the team that is undefeated in true road games

Oklahoma’s 2 losses have come on a neutral field in Dallas in the Red River Rivalry against Texas and on its home field against Ole Miss in Week 9. The Sooners are 3-0 in true road games in 2025, routing Temple in Philadelphia way back in Week 3, taking care of South Carolina in Columbia in Week 8 and taking down Tennessee in primetime at Neyland Stadium in their last game 2 weeks ago. 

Of course, that last road win in Knoxville was by far their most impressive. It was against a high-octane Volunteers team, at night, in a really tough place to win and in a must-win situation for both teams with each entering 6-2 and trying to prevent that dreaded 3rd loss. Oklahoma was the one that prevented that 3rd loss while effectively eliminating Tennessee from Playoff contention. The Sooners piled up 192 yards rushing, allowed just 63 and survived despite allowing Joey Aguilar to throw for 393 yards.

Oklahoma took every late Tennessee punch, and there were a few of them in the final few minutes, prevailing 33-27 in the de facto Playoff elimination game and sailing into a bye week with renewed hope. For the Crimson Tide, this means a resilient and rested Sooners team will be coming straight for them on Saturday, a team that isn’t afraid of the road 1 bit, a team that just won in a very hostile environment the last time it suited up and a team that has full confidence it can do it again.

Is that enough, Tide fans? Oklahoma has been in Playoff pressure mode since losing to Ole Miss 3 weeks ago. The Sooners dealt with that pressure just fine at night in Knoxville. They’ll take another big swing in the late afternoon in T-Town, and Bama best be ready for it all with its best fastball.

3. Also beware the QB who came to OU for spots like this

Things haven’t exactly gone smoothly for John Mateer in his first year in Norman. He was an early season Heisman Trophy candidate until he broke a bone in his right (throwing) hand in Oklahoma’s Week 4 victory over Auburn. The injury effectively ended Mateer’s Heisman chances, and when he returned to the lineup just 17 days after the surgery for the Red River Rivalry against Texas, he wasn’t the same guy, throwing 3 interceptions without a touchdown pass in a 23-6 loss.

Two weeks later, in another showdown game that Mateer transferred from Washington State to play in, he lost again, this time on his home field to Ole Miss. But Mateer showed his resilience a week later, in hostile territory no less, leading the Sooners to victory at Tennessee and keeping his team’s Playoff hopes alive. His stats weren’t great, but it only mattered that his team won, because these were the moments and the stages that he transferred to the SEC to live out.

This Saturday brings another 1 of those treasured moments, and Mateer knows they are fleeting. He also knows his team’s desperate situation, which he handled quite well a few weeks ago at Neyland Stadium. For Mateer, the Playoff has already arrived, and Week 12 will provide the ultimate stage he came to OU for — a late-season national TV spotlight game, at Alabama, with everything on the line and opposite a quarterback who’s still in the Heisman race he was booted out of a few months ago. 

Mateer’s motivation will be off the charts, and that surging Bama defense better bring it again.

4. Be up to the challenge against the SEC’s No. 1 defense 

Alabama’s 8-game winning streak and surge up the polls has somewhat masked an offense that’s only been scoring just enough points to win lately. The Tide only had 14 points until a little over 2 minutes remained in that chaotic comeback victory at South Carolina on Oct. 25. A bye the week after didn’t cure those recent offensive struggles, as Bama managed just 20 points in last Saturday night’s grind-it-out win over LSU in which it had only 17 first downs and 344 total yards.

With so much at stake right now, this would be concerning no matter who was on Alabama’s schedule next. But it just happens to be Oklahoma, which just happens to rank first in the SEC in scoring defense (14.1 points per game), total defense (264 yards per game) and tackles-for-loss (10.8 per game). These Sooners are well-equipped to win in Tuscaloosa because their defense is well-equipped to hold the Tide offense down, like LSU just did and even South Carolina did until late in the game.

OU’s D sure has Ty Simpson’s attention. Bama’s quarterback told reporters this week that this will be the most disruptive defense the Tide have faced yet this season. That’s saying a lot, and Alabama’s offense better be a lot better on Saturday than it’s been recently. If not, the Bama defense might not be able to bail the struggling offense out again.

5. Ty Simpson must play like the Heisman contender he is

If Simpson was willing to call OU’s defense the most disruptive that Bama has faced this season before even facing the Sooners’ D, then you know Simpson knows the Tide offense will have its hands full on Saturday. Simpson has lived a charmed life since the Week 1 disaster at Florida State, leading Bama to 8 straight wins while skyrocketing into Heisman Trophy contention in his first season as the Tide’s starter.

Simpson’s stats still look tremendous despite the offense’s struggles the past few games. He’s thrown for 2,461 yards, completed about 67% of his passes, thrown 21 touchdown passes with just 1 interception to go with a QBR of 81.3. But being the perfectionist that he is, Simpson is well aware that he lost a fumble in the LSU game, that the Tide barely reached 20 points and that a few weeks before that Bama was stuck on 14 points until about 2 minutes remained, and 1 of those 2 touchdowns was provided by the defense.

For Bama to beat Oklahoma, Simpson doesn’t necessarily have to deliver a Heisman-winning performance. He just has to play like the Heisman contender that he’s developed into over the past few months. That means no more lost fumbles and some more points scored. If Simpson is indeed Heisman-worthy, this is the game that will prove it, facing a ferocious defense and a desperate team, at home, on national TV, in mid-November.

If Simpson succeeds on Saturday, it would be hard to imagine Alabama failing.

The post The 5 things Alabama must do to solve Oklahoma and close in on a Playoff spot appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The 6th-ranked team in the country opened as a 13-point favorite at home over the Gators in this Saturday’s 7 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN. The total for the game was set at 53.5, with Ole Miss at 5-1 in the SEC while reeling Florida arrives in Oxford with a 3-6 overall record and a 2-4 mark in the SEC.

Florida reached another low in a season full of them on Saturday night with a 38-7 loss at Kentucky, with the Gators being held scoreless for the final 3 quarters of a forgettable night in Lexington. UF recently fired head coach Billy Napier, and it is playing out the string in 2025 while Ole Miss is playing for everything.

The Rebels are in the mix for a trip to the SEC Championship Game, but their aspirations are higher than that, with Lane Kiffin‘s team also battling for a College Football Playoff berth and a shot at a national championship.

Ole Miss comes in with a 3-game winning streak after that lone loss of the season to Georgia, and it will try to make it 4 in a row against the struggling Gators.

Here is the opening line for that matchup as well as the rest of the Week 12 slate:

The post Ole Miss opens as massive betting favorite in Week 12 game vs. Florida appeared first on Saturday Down South.

For those fans who experienced the glory of the Nolan Richardson era in Fayetteville, Nail’s descriptions are synonymous with those incredible Hogs teams. Included during Nail’s nearly 30-year run was Arkansas’s national championship in 1994 as well as Final Four appearances in 1990 and 1995.

Those relentless Razorback teams captured the imagination of a passionate fan base, and Nail was the radio voice behind all of those victories. During Nail’s glorious run, Arkansas won 11 regular-season or tournament titles in both the old Southwest Conference and later the SEC.

The official social media account of the Razorbacks paid tribute to Nail with this post on Sunday:

According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Nail died at his home in Fayetteville after recently being placed in hospice care following his battle with cancer.

For 29 years, Nail provided the radio calls for Arkansas basketball until he retired at the end of the 2009-10 season.

The post Former Arkansas play-by-play broadcaster Mike Nail passes away appeared first on Saturday Down South.

As YouTube TV’s dispute with Disney drags on, the streamer is attempting to offer its disgruntled viewers some relief to reward their patience amid the stalemate.

The email contained a statement that it felt would help ease growing concerns among its viewership as the saga continues right in the middle of the college football and NFL seasons. Fans who are looking for an alternative to YouTube TV could consider SlingTV or Fubo as this dispute continues.

“We’ve been working in good faith to negotiate a deal with Disney that pays them fairly for their content and returns their programming to YouTube TV,” the email read. “We know it’s been disappointing to lose Disney content, and we want you to know we deeply appreciate your patience. In light of the disruption, we’re offering our subscribers a $20 credit.”

The email to subscribers on Sunday also noted that they would be receiving a follow-up email in a couple of days with instructions on how they can redeem that $20 credit. When that credit is redeemed, it will be applied to subscribers’ next bill.

Here is a sample of what those frustrated YouTube subscribers received on Sunday and how they should proceed amid the dispute:

The post YouTube TV gives update on credit offer for subscribers amid ESPN outage appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Kelly was fired on Oct. 26, but 2 weeks later there is still a lot to work out before the coach and the program can officially go their separate ways. The negotiations between the 64-year-old Kelly and LSU have been a point of contention the past few weeks since the firing, and they have reportedly reached another boiling point in the aftermath of Kelly’s firing during his 4th season as Tigers coach.

Per the Advocate’s report, attorneys for Brian Kelly are asking LSU for “written confirmation” by 5 p.m. on Monday that the school will “fulfill its contractual obligation” to pay Kelly the full amount of his buyout. Kelly’s attorneys wrote a letter to LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry as well as John Carmouche of the LSU Board of Supervisors that was dated Nov. 5.

Included in that letter was the following statement, per the Advocate: “Absent this written confirmation by that date, Coach Kelly will pursue all available legal remedies.”

The school owes Kelly that $54 million buyout if he was fired without cause, which his attorneys have claimed was the case. If Kelly was fired without cause, he would be owed 90% of his remaining yearly compensation.

According to the Advocate, the terms of Kelly’s contract requires that buyout be paid out monthly until paid in-full. Per the report, Kelly previously declined settlement offers from LSU.

The post Brian Kelly at odds with LSU over buyout, reportedly sets deadline appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Stafford tossed his 400th career NFL touchdown pass in the 2nd quarter as he tried to lead his Los Angeles Rams to victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The visiting Rams were being rude guests on Sunday, as Stafford’s history-making 4-yard TD toss to Davis Allen gave Los Angeles a 21-0 lead against its NFC West rival.

Here is the touchdown pass that was yet another benchmark for the Super Bowl-winning QB:

Stafford led the Rams to that Super Bowl victory to end the 2021 season, which was his first year with the franchise. But he made his NFL name during a 12-year run with the Detroit Lions, who took him with the first overall pick of the 2009 draft out of Georgia.

He played at Georgia from 2006 to 2008, being named 2nd-team All-SEC and first-team All-American during his final season in Athens.

As Sunday showed, the Tampa native is still going strong at the NFL level all these years later, and Sunday provided another memorable moment for Stafford in his legendary football journey.

He’s 37 years old now, but Stafford is still adding accomplishments to his long list and trying to lead the Rams to another Super Bowl crown in 2025.

The post Former Georgia star Matthew Stafford tosses 400th career NFL TD pass appeared first on Saturday Down South.

And although LSU gave Alabama a big scare on Saturday night, it ultimately fell short and dropped to 5-4 overall with just a 2-4 mark in the SEC. It’s been a tough road lately for an LSU team that had big dreams in 2025. But Week 12 could offer some needed relief, as the Tigers are home against another struggling SEC team in Arkansas.

The Tigers and Razorbacks will kick things off on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network, and on Sunday afternoon Circa Sports revealed the opening line for that game and all of the Week 12 matchups. The line for the matchup at Tiger Stadium has LSU favored by 6.5 points, with a total of 55.5.

Arkansas and its 2-7 overall mark could be just the remedy for LSU in Week 12, and the Hogs have yet to even win an SEC game in 2025, sitting at 0-5 in conference play.

LSU took care of Arkansas in a 34-10 beatdown last season in Fayetteville, and now the reeling Tigers will look to do the same this year in Baton Rouge.

Here is the line for that game and all of the Week 12 matchups:

The post LSU opens as home favorite over Arkansas in Week 12 SEC matchup appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The popular Saturday morning pregame show on SEC Network will be broadcasting live in the leadup to Saturday night’s heavyweight battle between Texas and Georgia. The Longhorns and Bulldogs will kick it off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, with both programs looking to keep driving toward a College Football Playoff berth.

The other big thing both teams are looking at is a possible SEC title game berth, which was the big moment that they shared last season in Atlanta. In the 2024 SEC Championship Game, Georgia outlasted Texas, 22-19 in overtime, and both teams went on to the Playoff.

This time around, the teams will be hooking up in a late regular-season game with implications everywhere. Texas is coming off a bye and is at 7-2 overall with those Playoff hopes still intact, although with 2 losses already the Longhorns have no wiggle room. They must go to Athens on Saturday night and beat the Bulldogs, who are 8-1 and coming off a Week 11 victory at Mississippi State.

The pregame show will begin at 10 a.m. ET from Athens, which follows Marty & McGee at 9 a.m. ET.

There won’t be confetti falling on the turf after Saturday night’s showdown, like there was last December in Atlanta. But there will still be a ton on the line for this mid-November matchup at Sanford Stadium.

The post SEC Nation announces destination for Week 12 game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The star linebacker had already been downgraded from questionable to doubtful on Thursday night’s availability report, and 24 hours later the junior was downgraded again to out.

Weeks has sat out LSU‘s past 2 games with a bone bruise in his ankle, and now it appears he’ll miss a 3rd straight game on a huge national TV stage in primetime as the Tigers and Crimson Tide do battle at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Weeks aggravated the ankle injury against Ole Miss back in Week 5, so he’s been hobbled for some time as Week 11 arrives. His ankle issue actually goes back to last season, when he suffered a broken ankle in LSU’s bowl game against Baylor.

With Weeks out of the LSU lineup again, the Tigers will likely lean more on sophomore Davhon Keys and senior West Weeks, who is Whit Weeks’ brother. The 3rd Weeks brother at LSU, freshman linebacker Zach Weeks, was also listed as out on Friday night’s availability report.

Meanwhile, Alabama star wideout Ryan Williams was listed as probable on Friday night for the SEC rivalry game, with the Crimson Tide trying to win their 8th straight game and stay on course for a College Football Playoff berth.

The post LSU reveals new status for star LB Whit Weeks in quest to play at Alabama appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Yes, LSU is down right now with a 2-3 SEC record and having just fired head coach Brian Kelly after its last game a couple weeks ago. But the Tigers got a week off, just like Alabama did in Week 10, and they’ll likely be loose and ready to try to ruin their rival’s College Football Playoff dreams — or at least put a dent in them.

This is what the 4th-ranked Crimson Tide will be up against in primetime on Saturday as interim head coach Frank Wilson leads LSU into Bryant-Denny Stadium. That stadium will be rocking for the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC, as the old SEC rivals resume their annual early November series. In the spirit of all that, Alabama football’s social media account released that 1-minute, 33-second hype video that is sure to get Bama fans’ blood pressure up slightly on the eve of the big game.

The video begins with the true statement that Alabama-LSU is one of the best rivalries in college football. It absolutely is, whether it’s in Baton Rouge or in Tuscaloosa, like this year, and whether both teams are elite or not. This time around, the Tigers aren’t elite, but any real Bama fan knows that rivalries like this mean you throw the records out the window.

The headline on the hype video post, “It’s all about US,” tells Tide fans that if their team attacks this game with the right attitude, then it can very well win its 8th game in a row on Saturday night.

Here is the hype video that’s a must-watch on the eve of another LSU-Bama showdown:

The post Alabama launches intense hype video on eve of rivalry matchup with LSU appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Let’s start with the visitors from the Plains, who are coming off a disastrous home loss to Kentucky in Week 10 that ultimately was the last straw for Hugh Freeze. Auburn fired Freeze as head coach last Sunday, 1 day after the 10-3 primetime loss dropped the Tigers to 4-5 overall and just 1-5 in the SEC. It was a horrible night at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and now 7 days later the Tigers will try to somehow bounce back against Vandy under the leadership of interim head coach DJ Durkin.

This wouldn’t be easy against any opponent, let alone a ranked Vanderbilt team that is stewing after last week’s agonizing loss at Texas. The Commodores are 16th in the first College Football Playoff rankings that were released on Tuesday night, and they believe there is still Playoff hope with a 7-2 record. Vandy can start by taking care of Auburn at home in Week 11, and that ESPN FPI indicator believes it has a great chance to do just that in the 4 p.m. ET kickoff on SEC Network.

The FPI is giving Clark Lea‘s team a 71% chance to bounce back and get to 8-2 on Saturday.

A little over a year ago, Vandy went to the Plains and gutted out a 17-7 victory over Auburn. On Saturday at home, the Commodores will try to do the same thing but with a lot more at stake this time around.

The post ESPN’s FPI predicts outcome of Auburn vs. Vanderbilt Week 11 showdown appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Things haven’t gone according to plan in 2025, and that’s an understatement. But Florida has a big-time opportunity on Saturday night to get back to .500 in the SEC, and that opportunity will come in Lexington against another struggling SEC team in Kentucky. The Wildcats are also 3-5 and even worse in the SEC at 1-5, so Florida, which is a slight road favorite in the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on SEC Network, will hope to bounce back from last week’s agonizing loss to Georgia.

Who will lead the Gators in their Week 11 battle? Well, everybody will play a part.

But Florida singled out 4 players on Friday afternoon who will be team captains on Saturday night against Kentucky. That important quartet of players will be senior offensive lineman Damieon George, junior tight end Hayden Hansen, senior edge rusher George Gumbs Jr. and senior defensive back Devin Moore.

Hansen, a Texas native, has caught 22 passes for 198 yards and 1 touchdown this season. On the other side of the ball, Gumbs has 23 total tackles this season, 9 of them solo, with 2.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble.

Moore, who was born in Naples, Fla., and stayed in state to play in Gainesville, has 22 total tackles this season, 13 of them solo, with 1 sack and 2 interceptions.

This trio, along with George up front on the offensive line, is who UF will be counting on for leadership as it tries to gain some traction late in an otherwise forgettable season.

The post Florida names team captains for Week 11 showdown vs. Kentucky appeared first on Saturday Down South.

While his father’s team hosts The Citadel in a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on SEC Network+, Knox Kiffin, who stars for Oxford High School right down the road from Ole Miss, will apparently be heading to Alabama to be courted by the Crimson Tide. Bama hosts rival LSU in a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC, and that’s reportedly where the younger Kiffin will be as he continues his recruiting process.

Knox Kiffin is a 6-foot-2, 170-pound quarterback who doesn’t have any rankings yet from the 247Sports Composite rankings system as he plays his sophomore season at Oxford High School.

The reported visit to Alabama on Saturday wouldn’t be Kiffin’s first to 1 of Ole Miss’s SEC rivals. Earlier this fall, Rivals also reported that Kiffin visited LSU in Week 7.

Kiffin had also previously gotten offers from Arkansas State, FIU, East Carolina and SMU, among other programs.

But on Saturday night, Kiffin will reportedly be on hand at 1 of the country’s biggest blue-blood programs as Alabama faces LSU in the continuation of a bitter rivalry.

The post Knox Kiffin will reportedly visit SEC program for marquee Week 11 game appeared first on Saturday Down South.