Reports surfaced on Wednesday that Ragnow, who announced his retirement last June to “prioritize my health and my family’s future,” was making his return to the NFL. Ragnow will rejoin the Detroit Lions. The organization confirmed his return in a social media post.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Wednesday was the deadline for the 4-time Pro-Bowl center to come out of retirement and be eligible for this season. If a player is on a club’s reserve-retired list, he must be reinstated before his Week 13 game. Since the Lions play on Thanksgiving, that meant Wednesday was their deadline.

The Lions drafted Ragnow with the 20th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft out of Arkansas, and he quickly established himself as one of the best centers in the NFL. In only 7 seasons, he earned four Pro Bowl nods and 3 second-team All-Pro selections.

One of the reasons Ragnow retired in the first place was that he had had injury issues throughout his career. He only played in 4 games in 2021 after suffering a season-ending torn plantar plate in his left foot. Then, he dealt with injuries to his toe, knee, and ankle in 2023.

Ragnow rejoins a Lions team that finds itself in one of the hottest-contested divisional races in the league. Detroit is third in the NFC North, sitting at 7-4. Green Bay, whom Detroit faces on Thanksgiving Day, is 7-3-1 on the season while the Chicago Bears lead the division with an 8-3 record.

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One of the most significant injuries to have plagued the LSU defense was one suffered by star linebacker and tackling machine Whit Weeks. From Oct. 18 through Nov. 15, Weeks missed 4 games for the Tigers.

On Tuesday, he revealed that he broke his ankle during the Tigers’ 24-19 loss to Ole Miss on Sept. 27, played through the injury against South Carolina on Oct. 11, and then went through rehab. 

“I hardly even practiced before that (South Carolina) game, just because I could hardly even walk on it,” Weeks told local reporters this week, per NOLA.com. “But then I just kind of sucked it up for that game. But then I remember on Sunday, I was taking a shower, and I couldn’t even stand in the shower, (so I was like,) ‘I probably need to go get this checked out.’ Sure enough, I got an MRI on it, and sure enough, it was broken.”

In the South Carolina game, Weeks says he broke a different bone in the same ankle that he injured during the Texas Bowl against Baylor at the end of the 2024 season.

Weeks’ injury has been an enormous blow to LSU, not just because he’s one of their better players on defense, but also because he’s one of the team’s prominent leaders. Once he left the lineup, the Tigers gave up 31 points in a loss to Vanderbilt, 49 in a loss to Texas A&M, and 20 in a loss to Alabama.

He says it is not yet fully healed, but he still expects to play on Saturday against No. 8 Oklahoma.

“It cracked right down the middle,” Weeks said, per NOLA.com. “So once it’s healed, it’s healed. But it’s going to take just a couple more weeks, hopefully. I’m trying to turn that corner, but just struggling.”

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When talking to the media before the game on Friday, Texas A&M offensive lineman Ar’maj Reed-Adams was asked if there was a revenge factor to last year’s game and if he had a response to the Longhorns stomping on the logo, and he only said, “Cowards do what cowards do.”

The Longhorns are the underdog in this game, with a very slim chance of making the College Football Playoff after 3 losses. If they upset the Aggies and got help from around the country, it could get interesting.

The Aggies have been the better team and more consistent this season, entering this game undefeated and looking to make one last statement in the regular season.

The script from one year ago has flipped for these programs. Texas was the team comfortably in the College Football Playoff going on the road, while this season, it’s the Aggies.

Those postseason storylines are only amplified by the genuine hate that exists in this rivalry. These teams picked up where they left off after last season, which was the first game between the two since 2011, but it’s clear the hatred will never go away.

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The Rebels still have a game to play in Starkville, against a solid Mississippi State team, in one of the most bitter rivalry games in the country, and the Bulldogs would love nothing more than to beat the Rebels. However, ESPN analyst Peter Burns said he does not think there are actual distractions and that the Rebels should cruise to a win.

“It should mean nothing. This game should not be close,” Burns said.

He reasoned that the Rebels run the ball extremely effectively thanks to Kewan Lacy at lead running back, and they will pound the run against the Bulldogs because that is the biggest weakness that has plagued Mississippi State all season.

Burns also said that if Mississippi State does end up winning the game, it would be one of the biggest choke jobs we have seen in recent memory, because the Rebels can beat MSU in multiple ways.

Everything revolving around Ole Miss is speculation at this point, but on Friday, they will prove whether the distractions were distractions in the first place.

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However, one of their biggest offseason additions — Pitt transfer Jaland Lowe — has been sidelined for most of the year by a shoulder injury suffered in practice.

At a media availability on Thursday, Pope gave an update on Lowe’s status, but stopped short of offering a timetable for his return.

“We’re still in consultation. Still seeing how rehab goes. So, right now, it’s just a matter of can he get to a place where he feels some stability and some strength,” Pope said. “So, I wish I had better answers for you right now, but it really is kind of a day-to-day process to see where he ends up.

“He’s got really good mobility right now, and so it’s just a matter of stability and strength and kind of see what we get and take another swing at it, if we can.”

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

While he was at Pitt, Lowe averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 1.8 steals a game. He quickly became one of the better guards in the ACC, making him a massive transfer portal pickup for Kentucky.

The Wildcats are coming off an 83-66 loss to Michigan State. They host Loyola (MD) on Friday.

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However, he has since been activated, and his practice window has been opened.

This week, the Bengals are playing the Patriots, and after Burrow was a limited practice participant last week before the Steelers game, he has been a full participant in two straight practices.

It is worth noting that head coach Zac Taylor and the Bengals have not confirmed whether Burrow will play this weekend. Still, based on the injury report and the fact that he has been listed as a full participant, it should help Bengals fans get excited to see him come back for the homestretch of the NFL season.

The former LSU all-time great quarterback would be an instant boost for the Bengals and could help them cling to their small postseason hopes.

Burrow is a difference-maker and has been throughout his football career. He helped LSU reach heights the program had never seen in 2019, winning the Heisman Trophy and leading LSU to the national title. The Tigers won a program-record 15 games and capped their fourth-ever unbeaten season.

When healthy, he has been a top-5 quarterback in the NFL. The Bengals are currently a 6-point underdog (via BetMGM) against the 9-2 Patriots in Week 12. That game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.

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Former Florida wide receiver Chris Doering released his rankings, listing Texas A&M as the top team in the conference and Arkansas as the last. Some other noticeable differences Doering had compared to the other panelists were that he had Tennessee lower than everyone else, and he and Alyssa Lang had Florida and Mississippi State higher than the others.

Dari Nowkah, Alyssa Lang, Benjamin Watson, and Chris Doering all agreed on the top five in the conference as well. Those unanimous rankings are Texas A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, and Alabama.

The larger point that these rankings show is that the middle of the SEC is a mess. There is not much separating any of these teams, and with only 2 weeks left, nothing is set in stone. Four teams are alive for the SEC title game: Texas A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Alabama. None of those spots will be cemented until next week, during the last week of the regular season.

Doering and the rest of the SEC Network’s panelists do these rankings weekly, so obviously, things change, and there is likely to be even more that changes next week.

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Tennessee is wearing its all-white uniforms as it travels to The Swamp to meet the Gators. It is the Volunteers’ standard away look, but it also means they will not wear their white-on-orange road look.

The Volunteers wore all-white in road games against Alabama, Kentucky, and Florida, and all-orange in a road game against Mississippi State.

This is a lost season for Florida. At 3-7, the Gators are already out of bowl contention, but they can still cause a bit of havoc for the Vols.

And doing so wouldn’t necessarily be out of the norm. Tennessee has struggled in the Swamp this century, making it a house of horrors for the Volunteers. Florida won the last meeting in Gainesville, a 29-16 upset of a Tennessee team that was ranked No. 11 in the country at that point.

Florida has won 10 straight over Tennessee at home, dating back to the 2005 season. Tennessee’s only 2 wins this century at Florida came in 2001 and 2003.

Kickoff on Saturday is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Not only are there SEC title game and College Football Playoff implications on the line, but the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide will want revenge after they lost to the Sooners last year in a game that knocked them entirely out of the CFP picture.

FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt made picks on the biggest games of the weekend, including this one. His initial read was that No. 11 Oklahoma presented a tough matchup for Alabama and potentially had a path to winning the game. However, he’s siding with Alabama to pull off the win at home.

“I’m thinking to myself, ‘Boy, I really want to take the Sooners in this game.’ And I just can’t. I just can’t,” Klatt said on his podcast this week. “I will take the points, but I cannot, in good conscience, say that Oklahoma is going to go in there with an offense — that we just don’t know if they’re going to be able to score a lot of points — and beat Alabama.

“… Give me Alabama, in a thriller.”

The key is how this Oklahoma defense plays against Alabama. The Sooners can get after the quarterback, and that’s a significant factor for Oklahoma’s chances. That could also help the Sooners because the Crimson Tide have struggled to run the ball consistently, putting even more pressure on quarterback Ty Simpson.

When you flip the sides, Klatt also mentioned that Alabama can not contain mobile quarterbacks well, meaning they could have issues against OU quarterback John Mateer. Those factors favor Oklahoma.

Still, Klatt picked the Tide to win 24-21. That result would see Oklahoma cover the 6-point spread at BetMGM. Kickoff on Saturday is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Texas travels to Athens, Georgia, in a monster game that will have a hand in shaping the SEC and College Football Playoff standings. Georgia is 8-1 and Texas is 7-2. This game will either seal Texas’s fate or emphatically answer the question of whether it belongs. Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt isn’t sure.

Klatt broke down the game on the latest episode of The Joel Klatt Show. He emphasized that he is picking Georgia to win and cover at home, mainly due to his trust in the Bulldogs.

“Texas, in general, is a team that, let’s face it, we haven’t seen a complete game from them,” Klatt said. “If we’re really being honest with ourselves, don’t we know, deep down, that it’s going to take a complete game from any team to beat Georgia in Athens? It’s what it took from Alabama. They played one of the great halves of football that we’ve seen so far in the college football season in that win over Georgia in Athens. Ty Simpson was amazing in that game.”

This game means everything for a crowded SEC, where a tiebreaker could very easily determine the championship game participants. It would be extra crucial for Texas, given that the Longhorns already have 2 losses. If the Longhorns lose, they’d be in danger of missing the Playoff after opening the season at No. 1.

“So, you have to believe that Arch [Manning], at some point, would have to go otherworldly and play the best football that he’s played in his career for Texas to win this game,” Klatt said. “You see, if you just boil this down to trust, let’s really talk honestly about this. Which team do you trust in this game?”

For Klatt, that trust comes down to Georgia at home against a team they swept last year.

“Do I have faith that Texas is going to, all of a sudden, put something together that I have not seen from them yet this season? I have not seen evidence that Texas can go in and beat Georgia,” Klatt said. “

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Georgia is a 6.5-point favorite, per BetMGM.

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Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger was the first to report on Thursday that Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades had stepped down from his role as chairman of the committee after taking a leave of absence from Baylor.

Later on Thursday, the CFP selection committee formally approved Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek to serve as the new chair.

“We are deeply appreciative of Mack Rhoades’ leadership and service as Chair of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee this season,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a statement. “Mack has informed us of his decision to step down for personal reasons, and our thoughts are with him and his family during this time. 

“We are pleased to announce that Hunter Yurachek will assume the role of Selection Committee Chair, effective immediately. Hunter’s experience, integrity, and commitment to the game make him exceptionally well-suited to lead the committee as it continues its important work throughout the remainder of the season.”

Rhoades initiated the leave due to “personal reasons,” which left the committee with 11 members, as opposed to its normal number of 13. Baylor reportedly initiated an investigation into Rhoades over alleged violations of the school’s faith-based policies and practices.

The committee also approved the addition of Utah athletic director Mark Harlan to join the committee in place of Rhoades.

Despite the sudden moves, the committee is adding a wealth of experience. Yurachek has been an athletic director for 15 years and has been at Arkansas since 2017, while Harlan has been at Utah for the last 6 years.

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Georgia enters the game at 8-1, while Texas comes to Athens, Georgia, with a 7-2 record. However, on ESPN’s Thursday episode of “Get Up,” Josh Pate did not overthink his pick, believing that Georgia was the obvious choice.

“Georgia had two shots against Texas last year. They went 2-0,” Pate said. “I think this matchup comes down to quarterback play.”

For Pate, the key difference between the teams comes down to Gunner Stockton and what he’s shown compared to Arch Manning.

“He is a guy that, over the course of the season, you have seen almost linearly improve,” Pate said. “That is the hallmark of a good offensive staff and a kid with a good head on his shoulders.”

The Bulldogs swept Texas last year, with matchups in both the regular season at Austin and the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. Stockton is expected to face a greater pass rush than Manning will on the other side, but Pate said there’s more trust with Stockton at home. 

“It is tough to win in that building on a Saturday night. Bama did it earlier this year. I do not think Texas will. I am going to take Georgia.bVery close one-possession game,” Pate said.

Pate had the most to say on the game, but Taylor Lewan and Dan Orlovsky also agreed with the pick of Georgia to make it 3-0 over the Longhorns the past two seasons. However, Will Compton disagreed and opted for Texas, citing the Longhorns’ recent performance and that they finally seem like they are putting it together.

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Mike Elko joined the Thursday episode of The Pat McAfee Show and talked about how confident this Aggies team is and how they are only growing in confidence.

“We felt like we had a chance to take a huge step forward as a program,” Elko said. “Last year we had a great first two months, but we didn’t finish it the right way. We had a great offseason and went into the season confident we could have a good year.”

While on McAfee’s show, he also made sure to say that, as confident as the Aggies feel right now, they need to finish strong this month.

“There’s expectation that if you spent that amount of money to make a change and you’re the guy we picked, they’re expecting results here,” Elko bluntly said. “This is two years in a row we’ve put ourselves in position in November, but we’ve got to go finish it.”

The Aggies have been dominant so far and have every right to be confident, but they must ensure they finish the season strong to avoid not having control of their own destiny.

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Kelly was dismissed after Texas A&M walked into Baton Rouge and blew out the Tigers, 49-25 on Oct. 25. In a lengthy statement shared on social media, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity with the Tigers and his best wishes for their continued success.

The full statement is below:

Moving to Baton Rouge four years ago, my family and I were clear. There would be no halfway. We would be all-in for LSU and Louisiana. This journey began with great expectations with my own vision of how to get there.

Sometimes the journey does not end the way we hope. But when I think of our time together, I will remember and appreciate what we did accomplish. All of the exceptional student athletes I had the privilege to coach. A Heisman trophy winner and more than a dozen Tigers playing on Sundays.

39 players earning SEC Academic Honor Roll honors in 2024 alone. My daughter and son earning advanced degrees from LSU and a third who began his career working at the university.

The roar of Death Valley when we beat Alabama. The losses will always hurt, but I will remember all of the wins. I don’t need to tell any of you how special Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium are. I am honored to have worn the purple and gold and been a part of it.

As everyone heads on their way to see the Tigers play, I wish Coach Wilson, the coaches and our players the best this weekend. I know they will do their best for themselves and for LSU. We will be watching and cheering for you.

The journey may have ended but it’s a journey that will stick with me and my family forever.

LSU is 5-3 on the season. After knocking off Clemson and ascending to No. 3 in the AP poll, dreams of a breakthrough season in Death Valley felt close to materializing. The season went off the rails following a 24-19 loss to Ole Miss.

LSU skated past South Carolina before losing back-to-back games in ugly fashion to Vanderbilt and A&M. Kelly departed with a 34-14 record across 4 seasons, but his dismissal brought an end to an impressive streak of 3 consecutive LSU coaches who captured national titles during their time in Baton Rouge.

The Tigers face Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

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The ‘Dores are coming off a recent close loss to Texas. Now, they head back home to face an Auburn team that just fired Hugh Freeze. On Thursday, they revealed their look for that game.

Vanderbilt will host the Tigers in their all-black uniforms with white helmets for the night game in Nashville.

This game offers a unique matchup between the two programs. Auburn has the better football history, but they enter this game struggling. Vanderbilt is having a potential program-defining season this year. The Commodores are on track for a College Football Playoff spot if they keep winning, which would be rare air for a program that has been known as the basement-dweller of the SEC.

The Auburn Tigers enter this game having a disastrous season by their standards. They are 4-5 and all of their losses have been by 10 points or less. The key has also been the fact that this offense has struggled to find its footing this season, ranking as the worst unit in the SEC. 

Still, Auburn could shake things up further in the conference if it can get a win against Vanderbilt. Despite Auburn having a better football history as a program, the two teams have a close head-to-head history, with the series being tied at 22-22-1. This could be another entertaining matchup in the series’ history.

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ESPN is a giant rights holder for college football, and both Disney and ESPN had their talent take to social media last week, posting calls to save the networks on the service. Kirk Herbstreit was among those who issued a call to fans.

Pat McAfee, one of ESPN’s biggest personalities, disliked the move and he roasted Herbstreit on his show on Thursday.

McAfee, to his credit, ripped into the dispute itself and wants it to end.

“We’re all done with it,” McAfee said.

“And also, if you’re on TV, stop telling people to go to a website to save a multi-billion-dollar deal. Nobody cares what you have to say. There will be nothing that we have to say or any website that will be visited. There are, I don’t want to say the exact names, but these people (hands up high), let’s put our swords down. Let’s put our swords down for the good of sports.

“We need each other. A lot of people saying ‘greedy corporations,’ it’s like, yeah. We need each other, especially with where sports are right now. And we’re in the middle of it, so let’s get it done. And stop asking me to go to a website. I don’t want to do that, so stop … all you’re doing is pissing everybody off even more. So it’s like, let’s just not do that.”

The two sides remain at an impasse over a new deal that will be fair for everyone involved, and it does not appear to be slowing down yet.

RELATED: YouTube TV subscribers are still without ESPN’s networks heading into Week 11. Check out what our friends at SlingTV have to offer in the meantime.

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On Thursday’s episode of the Paul Finebaum Show, Mike Elko elaborated more on how he and his team are navigating the season as the top-ranked team in the SEC. He said that the team has a quiet confidence to them, and that has translated to them winning on Saturdays.

“We’re the hunted team. We learned what that felt like last year. It’s a good learning lesson and something we had to go through. There’s a quiet confidence in our locker room right now. They know what goes in to winning on Saturdays.”

The Aggies are the only remaining undefeated team in the SEC, with an 8-0 record. They have two big road games remaining against Missouri and Texas, and if they win at least one of those games, they will be in the College Football Playoff.

The mindset Elko has discussed is crucial because, at the end of the day, these are still college kids. Their confidence in continuing to compete in the toughest conference and knowing they will win is a testament to their talent as a team and how good a coach Elko is.

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Coleman was listed as questionable on the team’s availability report Wednesday night. Head coach Hugh Freeze clarified at Thursday’s media availability that Coleman, who is battling an ankle injury, will look to “give it a go” against the Wildcats.

“He went through (practice). Obviously, today is a jog through and he did do that and looked good doing it,” Freeze said. “Tells me he feels pretty good. He’s gonna give it a go. He wants to play and he’s going to give everything he can to do that.”

Coleman avoided a high-ankle sprain in the 33-24 win over Arkansas. The first sign of optimism was when Freeze said on Monday that the diagnosis was not nearly as bad as they initially feared. Coleman stayed on the field for a few minutes in the first quarter after Arkansas defensive back Stephen Dix Jr. rolled up on Coleman’s leg from behind. 

Coleman immediately limped off the field and straight into the medical tent. After being examined for several minutes, he tested his ankle on the sideline. He was cleared to return for the second half of the game, but did not record a catch and finished with two receptions for 27 yards and one touchdown. 

Coleman’s availability against Kentucky is massive for this Auburn offense, and he will be the primary target for whoever starts at quarterback for the Tigers.

Freeze also said that kicker Connor Gibbs — also listed as questionable — is battling a strained hip flexor but will “give it a go.” Wideout Malcom Simmons is dealing with a hyperextended knee that he suffered during Tuesday’s practice.

Defensive lineman Jourdin Crawford was characterized by Freeze on Thursday as “doubtful” to play.

Freeze also said that running back Durell Robinson is “full go” and will play against Kentucky. Robinson hasn’t played since Week 2.

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Following last week’s 33-24 win over Arkansas, Hugh Freeze opened up the quarterback competition between Jackson Arnold and backup Ashton Daniels. Both played in the Week 9 win, with Daniels making his season debut.

When he met with reporters on Thursday, Freeze said the coaching staff was still undecided on the starter for their Week 10 game against Kentucky.

“Both looked really good. They really did. Both, I thought, prepared really well,” Freeze said. “(They) split reps, and a lot of good stuff from both of them. That’s kind of been what practice is like, though. We believe in both of them, but you’ve got to hopefully give us the spark we need to win, and we’ve got to figure out exactly what that is. Jackson’s been incredible in those (opening drives).

“We’ll get together tomorrow and make a decision.”

Arnold has been inconsistent this year, throwing for 1,263 yards and 6 touchdowns. He has completed 63.3% of his passes and has just 2 interceptions, but Auburn ranks dead-last in the SEC in yards per pass attempt, touchdowns thrown, and passer rating. Arnold has also been running for his life in the pocket and sacked 27 times.

Daniels completed 6 of his 8 passes against the Razorbacks for 77 yards.

The Tigers host Kentucky on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network. Auburn is a 10.5-point favorite, per BetMGM.

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The news comes after Dart replaced Russell Wilson with the New York Giants as the starting quarterback. Dart jump-started a stagnant offense and immediately made the Giants more versatile and fun, capable of knocking off a team on any given Sunday.

Through 4 games in October, Dart leads all rookie quarterbacks in total touchdowns (10), passing touchdowns (7), and passer rating of (90.0). He also has 3 rushing touchdowns, which is tied for first. Dart has 984 passing yards and 8 passing touchdowns with only 3 interceptions and a 59.9% completion rate on the season.

The Giants only won 1 game in October, but it was huge. The offense exploded against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football, winning 34-17. Overall, the Giants are 2-4 since Dart took the reins of the offense, but they were 0-2 before that. Instead of looking lifeless, they feel they could win any game on their schedule.

Dart seems like an excellent fit for the type of offense that Brian Daboll wants to run in New York. He also looks well worth the 25th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he will only continue to grow and improve as an NFL quarterback, especially after learning from Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss.

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ESPN college football analyst Jordan Rodgers appeared on Wednesday’s “Get Up. ” When asked who he thought was the best quarterback in the country, he said Ty Simpson. He also said he has been a massive reason behind Alabama’s 6-game winning streak.

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“I’m running out of breakdowns to do on him,” Rodgers said. “I love his ability to manipulate the pace of the football with his throws. He can make the fastball throw with a Level 1 throw, add more trajectory to it with a Level 2 throw, and be accurate by dropping his throw in a bucket with a Level 3 throw. Other guys can do it, but he does it consistently and accurately, which is something special to watch.”

Simpson has had an incredible season with the Crimson Tide so far. He has 1,931 passing yards and 18 passing touchdowns to only one interception. He also has a 70.2% completion percentage. Simpson’s play has put him firmly in the Heisman Trophy conversation, along with the discussion about who should be the first quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. Seeing how he plays down the stretch this season will be interesting for that potential.

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As sad as the move is for Tennessee fans, athletic director Danny White, in a statement Wednesday, thanked Vitello and wished him well with the Giants.

“Congratulations to Tony on this incredible opportunity to lead the San Francisco Giants,” White said. “We wish him the best as he embarks on this new chapter in his career and thank him for everything he has done to transform Tennessee baseball into a championship program.

“The growth of baseball on Rocky Top has been remarkable, culminating in the 2024 National Championship. We are committed to continuously investing in the program at a championship level across all areas. Furthermore, the upcoming $109 million renovation of Lindsey Nelson Stadium will transform it into one of the premier baseball venues, providing an exceptional experience for the best sports fans.

“Our focus is on our players and coaching staff while finalizing the next steps in this evolving process.”

The official Tennessee baseball account on X also posted a “thank you” message to Vitello for all the good he did in Knoxville.

It will be interesting to see what happens from here for both sides, but Tennessee is in good hands moving forward, and Vitello gets to live out a dream as a manager in the MLB.

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For the Giants, the first domino to fall in this situation was missing the postseason and firing Bob Melvin as their manager. Talks started from there, with D1Baseball insider Kendall Rogers reporting that both sides had been talking for at least a few weeks.

Rogers provided a complete timeline of what he heard.

Vitello’s camp, according to Rogers, spent several weeks going back and forth with the Giants’ front office. San Francisco reportedly wanted a decision over the last weekend, but with Vitello still undecided, that deadline came and went.

The chance to lead a major-league side, according to Rogers, could not be turned down.

The Giants are struggling, and it would be a shock if they started winning immediately under their new leader. Vitello will hope to bring the magic he had at Tennessee to the Bay Area. Vitello took Tennessee to 3 College World Series appearances in 7 years and won the 2024 national championship. 

There are only a limited number of these jobs, so it makes sense why Vitello would take one, but it immediately makes Tennessee one of the best jobs available in college baseball.

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Each of the Gamecocks’ next 5 opponents are ranked in the AP Top 25 this week, with 4 landing in the top-10. The gauntlet starts this weekend with a road game against No. 11 LSU in Death Valley. Three of those games are on the road, too.

Shane Beamer says his team knew what they signed up for when they chose to play in the SEC.

“One at a time, but if you don’t want to play that schedule, I told our players, ‘Y’all chose the wrong conference to come play in,'” Beamer said. “That’s just life in this league.”

The SEC has 9 ranked teams in this week’s AP Poll, proving how loaded and deep the league is and how much talent it has overall.

“So don’t tell me in recruiting, when we brought you in the portal that you want to compete and you want to play against the best in the SEC, and all of a sudden, shy away from it,” Beamer said. “There are plenty of other conferences that don’t play ranked teams every single week.”

South Carolina and LSU will kick off at 7:45 p.m. ET on Saturday night.

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He has dropped 6 passes in 6 games for the Crimson Tide. The drops also continue a theme from Williams that started at the end of last year, when he had 5 drops over Alabama’s final 7 games, and ended the year with 7 drops total.

When speaking to the media this week, he discussed what he is doing to fix the issue.

“Every ball that goes into the air, of course, I’m gonna try to make that play for my quarterback, for my teammates,” Williams said. “Really just focusing on being in the moment and concentrating on the ball, instead of my next move.

“Just continuing to stay on the JUGS machine, continue to do the extra stuff — catching rugby balls, tennis balls. Focusing on the ball and not the next move, like I said. Trying to be the receiver I want to be, I must catch the ball before I can do all the extra stuff.”

Williams called the issue “1,000%” mental.

“It’s a child’s game,” he continued. “It’s straightforward. Literally just looking at the ball all the way to the tuck. That’s pretty much all I can do.”

According to PFF, Williams has already dropped six passes this season. His drop rate of 22.2% is the worst of any receiver in the country with at least 30 targets so far this year. 

Alabama will go on the road to face Mizzou this weekend.

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ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy thinks the Gators have a chance to be a real problem for SEC teams down the stretch, especially given their loaded schedule.

“Florida might be a problem down the stretch,” McElroy said. “If you watched this game, this team needed hope. They looked like a team in free fall, especially with how unproductive this offense has been. They had over 450 yards on offense, and DJ Lagway looked like the guy we all thought he would look like.”

Florida’s defense has a lot to like, especially in the trenches. Given that they still play five more ranked teams on this schedule, having size and talent in the trenches will be a massive key for them moving forward.

The biggest key to determining whether Florida can keep winning and whether Billy Napier can keep his job will be this offense. DJ Lagway finally looked good this year against Texas after throwing for 298 yards and two touchdowns with an interception on a 75% completion percentage. He was not 100%, but he finally looks like he is, and that could be the difference between the Gators being a player in the SEC and if they fall off.

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We found what we found,” Sanders said at Tuesday’s news conference announcing the procedure. “We knew what it was.

Sanders also dismissed the idea of slowing down or stepping back due to his health issues, and hopes not to miss any time.

It has nothing to do with me working in the level that I’m trying to compete at,” Sanders said. “It’s hereditary. It is what it is.

Sanders is 58 and has dealt with different issues related to his health for a bit, like having previous blood clot issues in his foot, and then having his bladder removed due to cancer.

He said he was “hurting like crazy” during this past Saturday’s game against TCU. These blood clots are nothing new for Sanders, but the fact that he does not think he will miss any time coaching is the most impressive aspect of his recovery time.

It is worth noting that Sanders continues to say he will not retire because of this, and it would be impressive if he coached on Saturday.

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In anticipation of the game, the Gators announced their three captains: Jordan Castell, Sharif Denson, and Hayden Hansen.

Castell is a junior defensive back from Orlando, Florida, who has been solid this season. He has 17 total tackles, with nine of those being solo. He has been a significant piece for the Gators’ secondary over the last three years.

Denson is another defensive back named captain for this game. Denson has also had a solid season as a junior defensive back from Jacksonville, Florida. He has 11 total tackles, and 10 of those are solos. He joins Castell as a piece that needs to step up against Arch Manning and this Texas passing attack.

Hansen is a massive junior tight end who could be a giant target for the Gators to take advantage of against the Texas defense. The 6-foot-8, 269-pound tight end from Weatherford, Texas, has been decent this season. He has 15 receptions for 121 receiving yards and one touchdown on the year.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon in Gainesville.

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Saban credited DeBoer with changing the Crimson Tide’s mindset and getting them to play more urgently than they showed against the Seminoles.

“I think Kalen’s done a fantastic job of taking an expectation that everybody had at Florida State, and the disappointment of that, and getting the team psychologically turned around to get away from playing,” Saban said during Friday’s appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “I thought they played with a lot of anxiety at Florida State. When the game got 7-7, it seemed like the energy level changed based on everything everybody talks about around here is winning. Winning, winning, winning. Sometimes that can affect the players’ focus on, ‘What do I need to do to win?’ They’re so worried about the outcome that they create a bunch of anxiety because of the expectation.

“You’ve got to figure out a different way for the players to approach the competition—simple things, like playing one play at a time. Don’t focus on the scoreboard; concentrate on the next play. Don’t worry about the crowd, they’re not gonna make any plays in the game. These are things that players can focus on to maintain respect for what it takes to win. I think Kalen has done a fantastic job of that, and you see the different levels of tenacity of players who have competed in the last three games.”

With a big rematch against Vanderbilt this weekend, DeBoer and Alabama can make an even bigger statement and continue their fight for an SEC title.

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Van Pelt gave pick against the spread on his weekly ‘Winners’ segment this week and is going with the Noles +4.5 points.

“Florida State at home catching a few from unbeaten Miami, who we know is very good,” Van Pelt said. “But the Canes haven’t left their backyard yet this year. Doak will be a sea of hostility. Noles in a bounce-back spot after taking the ‘L’ in Charlottesville last week.”

Van Pelt is 8-7 all-time when picking the Seminoles during this segment, per ESPN.

Miami is coming off a bye, so the rest helps, but this will be their first road game of the season. The environment in Tallahassee should be a factor, just as it was for Alabama back in Week 1.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night.

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CBS Sports college football writer Will Backus wrote a list of potential replacements and immediately mentioned Guz Malzahn, Barry Odom, and Bobby Petrino as options thanks to their ties to the SEC.

Malzahn has revitalized the Florida State offense so far this year. The Seminoles are averaging 53 points per game after a massive struggle last season. However, his most recent stint as a head coach at UCF was an enormous disappointment. His time with Auburn was mainly great before it fizzled out, and he was a former offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Arkansas.

Odom was fired in his previous SEC tenure, but has found success after. He was also Sam Pittman’s defensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022. Before that, Odom was the head coach at Missouri from 2016 to 2019. After Arkansas, Odom went to UNLV, won, and is now in Big Ten country with Purdue. This is his first season, so the timing probably doesn’t work, but the ties can’t be ignored.

Petrino is a realistic option for Arkansas despite all the baggage. Arkansas is currently fourth in the SEC with 514.6 total yards per game and third in the conference with 213.8 yards rushing per game. Petrino’s time as interim will be interesting because the off-field issues were what did him in during his first stint with Arkansas.

Arkansas has money to spend on a head coach, so seeing where they go with this new hire will be interesting.

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Grubb helped orchestrate a near-flawless performance from the Crimson Tide offense against Georgia. They finished with 397 yards, 280 passing yards, and 117 rushing yards. They also went 13-19 on third down, staying on the field, keeping the Georgia offense on the sidelines, and making the defense tired. They finished with 25 total first downs. They also did not turn the ball over once against this defense. 

Golding’s unit also performed nearly flawlessly for the Rebels against LSU. The LSU offense finished with 256 total yards. The Rebels only allowed 197 yards through the air and could not run the ball, only getting 59 yards on the ground. They kept LSU from doing much of anything on third down, with them only going 2-11. They also forced one interception from Garrett Nussmeier in the 24-19 win.

Grubb’s impact on the Alabama offense is extremely apparent after he was not on the staff last year. Golding has also put on a masterclass on defense, even though the Ole Miss defense lost a lot of talent from last year. These two units are primed to get even better as the season progresses.

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“I think these guys are an excellent football team,” Saban told the assembled media at a Monday Morning Quarterback meeting. “Clark Lea has done a fabulous job there. Obviously, Diego (Pavia) is an outstanding quarterback. They have an excellent running back. I think this is a letter team just watching them all away around than they had a year ago.”

Saban did say that Alabama’s key difference from last year to this year is that they are focusing more on ball control, and it’s worked out so far.

“They are a ball-control team,” Saban said of Kalen DeBoer’s squad. “One of the significant differences in Alabama’s team that I see that could be a substantial benefit in the game is that, a year ago, there were a lot of three-and-outs and big plays. This year, they sustain the ball. Just like in the Georgia game, they kept the ball in possession.

“Seldom has the team with more rushing yards had less time of possession, which was the case in that game. They are good on third down. I hope we can continue to run the ball a little bit better in that area.”

Saban’s point is that Alabama beat Georgia this past weekend despite being outgained 227 to 117. They dominated on third down, going 12-19 on third downs. That will continue to be very important against the Commodores on Saturday.

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On3 Sports college football reporter Pete Nakos reported the news on Wednesday. 

Moi is a former three-star recruit from San Diego and a senior leader for the Volunteers. The 6-2, 307-pound DL has been sidelined since the season opener against Syracuse, when he was injured on the game’s third play. He tried to push it and play against Georgia, but could not go against the Bulldogs. He will also be available with the added time off after missing the UAB game.

Josh Heupel expressed optimism that Moi would return to the field Saturday during his Monday press conference, pointing the media to the Wednesday night SEC Availability Report. Moi posted a positive message on his Instagram story Tuesday night, indicating that he could return to the field against the Bulldogs.

“God, thank you is truly all I can say,” Moi wrote. “Let’s ride!”

The 6-foot-2, 305-pound lineman was solid at defensive tackle for Tennessee a season ago, playing 246 snaps. After transferring from Stanford following his sophomore season, Moi totaled 16 tackles and 2 sacks as a rotational player.

It is also worth noting that Moi was expected to have a bigger role this season, too. After playing an improved offense like Mississippi State, the Volunteers need all the help they can get on defense.

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Jordan Matthews entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on December 7 out of Tennessee and committed to Vanderbilt on December 18, 3 days before Tennessee played at Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The defensive back earned a solid role with Vanderbilt though, having totaled 5 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery through 4 games for the Commodores.

Matthews said he has heard from his old teammates back at Tennessee about the move, but he is embracing it. Then he dropped the bomb: Matthews insisted that Vanderbilt is the “winning” side of the rivalry.

“Some of my guys back at Tennessee have given me some stuff for it. It’s a nice rivalry, it’s deep and rich. I embrace that I’m on the other side of it, and now, I’m on the winning side.” 

It remains to be seen how this rivalry matchup will go at the end of the year, but Tennessee leads the series 80-33-5 dating back to 1892. Despite the added juice from Matthews, the Volunteers have owned this rivalry historically.

Could the tide turn in Vanderbilt’s favor this year, though? Vanderbilt is off to a 4-0 start and ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 after home wins over Charleston Southern and Georgia State and road wins at Virginia Tech and South Carolina. Things are going great for the Commodores, but time will tell if they show up against the Volunteers at the end of the year.

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ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on the injury and said that it looks like he will be back after the Eagles’ bye week on Nov. 2, and could be back by their Nov. 10 Monday night game against the Green Bay Packers.

Smith tore his triceps in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs and got surgery after the game. Smith had all of the offseason to recover from surgery, but he reaggravated the injury recently against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Georgia product was a star with the Bulldogs and was drafted by the Eagles with the 30th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was a prominent leader for the Bulldogs when they won the 2022 national championship over Alabama, and the best thing he offers is that he does a little bit of everything well, whether tackling in space or rushing the quarterback. He has also been solid in pass coverage.

This injury is a blow for the Eagles, but they have enough talent to be fine without him, and they have more Georgia Bulldogs they can rely on in Philadelphia. However, losing a talent like him is always a blow; time will tell how much he is missed during his recovery.

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The announcement naturally led to some hilarious reactions across social media, and Lane Kiffin also got in on the action. Still, speaking to the media, he seriously addressed the relationship and said that he likes Weeks and his family and is happy for them.

Kiffin said, “Whit is an awesome kid from a great family. I’m glad those two are happy together.”

These comments came after he had fun on social media after the news broke. He first responded to a few posts, saying, “Take the over,” indicating he would love to run up the score on his daughter’s boyfriend if given the chance in a tongue-in-cheek way.

Then, he retweeted a post he made back in May of him, his wife, and Landry when she was a baby at the beach, and said that she would, in fact, be rooting for the Rebels on Saturday.

The game itself should be a great matchup between two of the better teams in the SEC, and then this storyline only adds to the fun factor between two teams that could be competing for a College Football Playoff spot. It is also a great storyline because Lane Kiffin is one of the more fun coaches in college football.

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When talking with the media at Monday’s press conference, Kiffin did not give much information about Austin Simmons’s health, but he did make clear that if he is healthy, he will be the starter for the Rebels.

“We’ll have to evaluate (Simmons’) health and then make a decision,” Kiffin said. “Today was just a walkthrough, so it’s not enough to evaluate. But at 100% he was our starting quarterback. But we don’t know what percentage he’ll be.”

Chambliss has run the offense incredibly efficiently for Lane Kiffin and the Rebels. He has totaled 660 yards passing and 174 yards rushing with five combined touchdowns. Chambliss has the experience factor over Simmons, too, coming over from Ferris State as a two-time national champion. He also played well against Arkansas and Tulane, and this week, there is a steep upgrade in defense against LSU.

Simmons saw brief playing time against Arkansas, even throwing a touchdown pass, but he reaggravated a leg injury. There was hope that he could play against Tulane, but they did not need him.

It is clear that Simmons might still offer the best path to the future for the Rebels with his upside, but if the Rebels decide to stay with Chambliss, that is a great backup plan too.

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However, Pearl is not leaving the Tigers but transitioning into an administrative role. Despite the official retirement announcement, he will also not jump into the state Senate race, which was the main speculation.

“Many of you know that I thought about running for U.S. Senate… That would’ve required leaving Auburn. Instead, the University has allowed me to stay here and be Auburn’s senator, an ambassador at Auburn.”

Pearl’s run at Auburn is easily the best in the program’s history. He led the Tigers to five SEC titles, two Final Fours, and a school-record 246 wins for Auburn. 

It is very clear that Pearl made his home at Auburn, so it only makes sense that he would stay with the Tigers in some capacity. It also helps that the Tigers are one of the only schools that gave Pearl a lifeline after he got in trouble for improperly recruiting Aaron Craft while at Tennessee. He has remade his legacy and is now a part of Auburn for life.

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Auburn Athletic Director John Cohen released a statement regarding Pearl’s retirement and praised his accomplishments, especially his impact on student-athletes throughout his career, before and during his time on the Plains.

“Throughout his five decades on the court, Bruce has energized fan bases, won championships, helped student-athletes graduate, worked with young people to achieve their dreams, and impacted countless lives. The marks of a true college basketball Hall of Famer,” Auburn athletic director John Cohen said in a statement. “While Bruce has been a stalwart of college basketball for his entire career, nowhere has he made a more substantial impact than his 11 years at Auburn. During his tenure on the Plains, Bruce has brought pride to the Auburn family as he pursued and won championships through relentless toughness and determination.”

It is worth noting that Cohen has only been with Auburn since 2022, but Pearl’s last three years with the Tigers have been the best, highlighted by a Final Four appearance this past season.

Pearl’s son, Steven Pearl, will take over as Auburn’s head coach for the upcoming season. The Tigers will play their season-opener at home on Nov. 3 against Bethune-Cookman.

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FOX college football analyst Joel Klatt ripped into Clemson and Dabo Swinney on Monday’s edition of The Joel Klatt Show. Klatt was at a loss for words and said that this is a disaster, an embarrassment, and a total failure for the Tigers.

“I don’t know what to learn from this. This is just an utter failure from Clemson,” Klatt said. “An utter failure. There’s no other way to put it.”

Klatt also called out Swinney for an “odd” rant from Swinney last week in-which he said he’d move on from Clemson if the program was “tired of winning.”

Clemson is coming off of back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and Syracuse. Despite entering the year as a national title contender, the Tigers are 1-3 to start the season for the first time in the Swinney era.

Clemson will try to get back on track in a couple of weeks against North Carolina.

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One of the most prominent sports media personalities, ESPN college football analyst and overall hype man Pat McAfee, made it a point to gush about what Mateer and this Oklahoma offense have looked like so far this season on his Friday show.

“This might be the first time in a long time that we see Brent Venables with an offense that can match how great his defense is,” McAfee said. “What the Oklahoma offense looks like with Mateer after coming over with his offensive coordinator has resulted in an explosive and reliable offense. I like this Oklahoma team a lot.”

Through three games, Mateer has thrown for 944 passing yards and five touchdowns, with only three interceptions on a 67.6% completion percentage. Then, on the ground, he has 161 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 33 carries.

Everything on this offense flows through Mateer. Tory Blaylock is the leading rusher with 166 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. The receiving corps has been solid, too, with four receivers having over 100 yards receiving.

Oklahoma will face Auburn at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.

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The Vols will be led by 4 captains: linebacker Ben Bolton, cornerback Jalen McMurray, wide receiver Braylon Staley, and defensive lineman Tyree Weathersby.

RELATED: Calling all Tennessee residents! Here’s everything you need to know about Tennessee sports betting apps before placing a bet this football season!

Tennessee is coming off a massive game against Georgia, where it lost on a last-second touchdown in overtime. Considering how well Tennessee played in the game, the loss was a gut punch. They are about to play against UAB on Saturday and are in desperate need of a bounce-back after the way they lost the game.

Staley has been one of Tennessee’s best offensive players so far this season. He’s Tennessee’s second-leading receiver with 231 yards and 2 touchdowns this season, trailing only Chris Brazzell in both of those categories.

UAB is 2-1 entering this matchup having already defeated Akron and Alabama State. The Blazers lost to Navy back in Week 2.

The nonconference matchup on the SEC Network will kick off at 12:45 p.m. ET.

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The start of Alabama’s season has been a roller coaster. In Week 1, the Crimson Tide fell to Florida State in a stunning upset, losing 31-17. The most significant issues were on offense, where the Crimson Tide struggled to move the ball consistently against a Seminoles team that was awful last year.

The sky seemed like it was falling, but after two bounce-back games, Alabama was rolling, and a key reason for this is quarterback Ty Simpson. Simpson has been excellent in back-to-back wins over Louisiana-Monroe, throwing for more touchdown passes (7) than incompletions (5) in those games.

McCarron, a former Alabama quarterback himself, called out Alabama fans who jumped off the Simpson bandwagon too quickly.

“Some of those watching the show have to jump back on the bandwagon. … It’s funny that fans wanted to get on Ty and say he didn’t play great in the first game,” McCarron said. “‘It was his fault.’ Blah, blah, blah. A lot of crickets out there right now. I said be patient with him. He’s going to be fine.”

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For the entire season, Simpson has 862 passing yards and 9 touchdowns with a 71.9% completion percentage.

Simpson’s biggest test yet comes next week when the Crimson Tide visits Georgia in Athens. The Georgia defense has more talent than any of the teams they have played so far, and it will be a real test to see how far he has evolved.

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Pate argued that Kentucky is the best job in college football with the caveat that “winning titles” isn’t the expectation in Lexington. Pate explained his pick while appearing on an episode of The Volume with Colin Cowherd this week.

“You’ll think I’m joking with you, but Kentucky football would be the job I’d want to take,” Pate told Cowherd. “Mark Stoops makes close to $10 million per year, and the goal is to win seven games. It’s in rural Kentucky, you can be there forever, he’s got a massive buyout, and unlike most of these other guys, you can blend the SEC pay scale without the SEC pressure.

“I can’t believe people don’t look at Mark Stoops and say, ‘That guy figured it out.’”

This is a crazy detour to make on the best jobs in college football, but Pate might have a point due to there not being as much pressure on that job.

Pate said Georgia would be his pick for the best coaching job in college football if winning championships was the priority.

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Hubbard picked off the Wisconsin backup quarterback, Danny O’Neil, twice in Alabama territory in drives that could have resulted in Wisconsin making this game look much different. The performance earned him the honor of being named the Panini Senior Bowl Player of the Week. 

This was only Hubbard’s latest honor after he was named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. He shared the title with LSU safety Dashawn Spears.

This is a massive turnaround for Hubbard, following all the blame he received for the loss against Florida State. He is exceptionally talented, and this is a return to his regular play.

Hubbard has shown talent and impressed last season, so it’s nice to see his return to form after a slow start to the year.

DPOW: Alabama SAF Bray Hubbard

The former HS QB had 2 interceptions vs Wis. (both in bama territory)

Set the tone for an Alabama defense that only allowed 1 TD and 209 total yards. Made some big hits and played with great effort. @BraysonHubbard @AlabamaFTBL pic.twitter.com/FjOOM46SVw

— Panini Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) September 15, 2025

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Many in the media have noticed, with one of the more prominent voices in college football, FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt, saying that the SEC still runs through Georgia. 

“The SEC still goes through Georgia, because those Dawgs can bite,” Klatt stated on The Joel Klatt Show. “They have resilience. This is a great, proud program. They practice with urgency. They build their roster with urgency. They play with urgency. We didn’t see this from Alabama against Florida State in Week 1. This is a team that answered the bell in that environment.”

Klatt also mentioned what impressed him the most was that Georgia would not fold in a crazy environment like that. He also said he does not think many teams have the mental toughness of the Georgia Bulldogs.

“Most teams would have folded. They wouldn’t have the mental fortitude. They wouldn’t have the toughness. And they wouldn’t have the quarterback with that same toughness to come back from 21-7,” Klatt added. “I’m sure the defenses will play better moving forward, because they won’t have to see the offenses they just saw.

“But it’s just a reminder — … Guess what, folks? You still have to beat Georgia. And that’s incredibly difficult to do. That conference still goes through Georgia.

“It goes through Kirby Smart. Right now, it goes through Gunner Stockton. So kudos to the Georgia Bulldogs for that big win, in what can only be described as one of the great environments in college football.”

The SEC has many challengers, but as Klatt said, this is still Georgia’s conference to lose.

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After the dominant win, the Tigers announced their players of the game across offense, defense, and special teams. The players are Ahmad Hardy at running back, Drey Norwood at cornerback, and Nick Deloach Jr. on special teams.

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Ahmad Hardy carried the Tigers on his back. He had 250 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on 22 carries. He also averaged 11.4 yards per carry against the Ragin’ Cajuns. He took all of the attention for himself on offense, but it is worth noting that Beau Pribula threw for 174 yards and two touchdowns while only having one interception.

Hardy was the game’s big story, but Norwood was recognized on defense for his 2 tackles, including 1 for a loss. Then, Deloach Jr. was also recognized for his two tackles on special teams in the return game.

This game is the latest example of how well the Missouri Tigers are playing, and they should be able to continue that play against a South Carolina team that is also dealing with injuries, especially under center, with LaNorris Sellers potentially missing the game due to a concussion.

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The show will broadcast from the South Oval on the University of Oklahoma’s campus from 10 a.m. to noon ET on Saturday, Sept. 20. The show, hosted by Laura Rutledge with Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper, Jordan Rodgers, and Tim Tebow, opened the season in Atlanta before the Syracuse vs Tennessee matchup. Then, they went to the Kansas-Missouri and Florida-LSU games the last two weeks.

The Sooners joined the SEC last season but did not play well enough to be noticed by the media. They went 6-7 and struggled to do much on offense. This season, they look entirely different, with the Sooners redoing their entire offense with Ben Arbuckle as offensive coordinator and John Mateer under center.

This is also a massive game for Auburn because the Tigers have looked great to start the year, beginning with a big win against Baylor on the road. If they can sneak out with a win in Norman, they have a chance to cement themselves among the SEC contenders.

The game is massive for the city of Norman, and it is a huge litmus test for both programs to prove that they belong in the conversation as potential contenders this season.

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On Saturday night, Penn State was favored by 48.5 points over Villanova, and it led 52-0 up until the game’s last play of the game.

However, the Wildcats scored an improbable touchdown right as the clock hit zero. Quarterback Tanner Maddocks rolled to his right and flung a the ball high into the air, only for Brandon Binkowski to haul it in with 1 hand.

That resulted in the ultimate bad beat for Week 3:

Penn State dominated the game, and Drew Allar threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns. Nicholas Singleton ran for two touchdowns, and Kaytron Allen added one more, and they also kicked three field goals. 

The defense also practically played a perfect game, and a shutout would have been the cherry on top of the dominant performance. However, the Wildcats had other plans as Tanner Maddocks hit Brandon Binkowski for an 8-yard score with 0:00 left on the clock. 

The Penn State defense still allowed 176 yards and only 96 yards through the air, while also picking off Villanova twice. 

Still, all those Penn State bettors were left holding losing tickets, and it’s a textbook reminder that even a play that has no bearing on the game’s outcome can completely ruin your day and leave you a loser.

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