As a Florida legacy, it’s no surprise that Graham will be back in orange and blue. He wears No. 5, the same number his father, Gator great Earnest Graham, wore playing running back for Steve Spurrier. Beyond the family legacy, Graham is also excited about the new staff in Gainesville.

Graham told Florida Victorious about hearing from new head coach Jon Sumrall after his hiring.

“We loved him, man. He was intense. He told us straight up that he wasn’t going to back down,” Graham told the collective. “He was ready for the challenge and we loved him. I feel like a lot of guys bought into that.”

Since that first meeting, Sumrall has also added his coordinators. Former Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White will be the new Florida DC, and Graham strongly approves.

“He preached to me that he needs me here and, you know, the defense is going to run through me,” Graham told Florida Victorious. “So he has a great appreciation for the linebacker position and him playing it. We can relate in that way and we can build our relationship in that way.”

Running the defense through Graham is a smart decision by White. Graham started every game for the Gators in 2025, recording 76 total tackles (7 TFLs), 2 sacks, 7 QB hurries and 4 pass breakups.

The post Florida LB Myles Graham confirms return for 2026, speaks on new Gator coaches appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The first round of the CFP begins on Dec. 19. We’re still more than a week away from the action officially kicking off. But, bettors have a ton of options to get in on the fun early.

College Football Playoff picks

You can find a breakdown of the first-round action here. Below are 3 broader CFP-related bets to make right now.

Oregon vs. James Madison first-half spread

Oregon is a much more talented team. The Ducks are fifth in the 247Sports Talent Composite. The Dukes are 127th. Depth and athleticism matter in this tournament, and Oregon has major advantages in both categories.

James Madison has rolled this season thanks to an excellent defense that stuffs teams at a high rate (6.5 tackles for loss per game). The Dukes win on early downs to set up longer down-and-distance situations later. They’ve been able to manage a high rate of explosives allowed because they generate quick-change stops.

On offense, they’re efficient when they need to be, but they’re explosive when they have to be. Running back Wayne Knight has 9 runs of at least 30 yards this season. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III has 7 runs of 20-plus yards and 17 passes of 30-plus yards. Huge gains of 50-plus pushed JMU over Washington State and then Troy late in the season.

That kind of profile has been enough to overwhelm a schedule that can easily be pushed over. According to ESPN’s FPI, the Dukes played a schedule this season that ranked 123rd out of 136 FBS teams.

In the Playoff, against the best the sport has to offer, a reliance on splash plays is a recipe for disaster. Against the 2 best defenses JMU faced this season (Louisville and Wazzu), the Dukes had a 58-yard run, a 68-yard pass, and a 3.6 yards-per-play clip on the other 126 scrimmage plays they ran.

Oregon, after being decimated by injuries late in the regular season, should be healthier. Early on at home, there will be plenty of energy to feed off of. A couple of big plays from the offense to pop the proverbial roof off and Oregon could be off to the races. This could turn into a 21-3 game in a hurry.

Bet Oregon -10.5 in the first half (-118) via BetMGM

Oregon to make the semifinals

If there’s a team to take advantage of Texas Tech, it’s Oregon, whose completeness on offense and ability to short-circuit other offenses make it not just a threat to advance in this Playoff but to win the whole thing.

It feels a little like déjà vu with the Ducks, who looked like the favorite to win it all last year before laying an egg in the Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State. The coaching staff should remember that experience and use it as a motivating factor for this year’s group leading into a potential quarterfinal game with Texas Tech.

Last season, the Buckeyes got hot in the first round and rolled right over a team that had been sitting idle. All 4 teams that had a first-round bye last season lost. Part of that was due to the seeding structure. We’ll find out this year how much of a factor rust actually was.

But, more than anything, you look at the potential quarterfinal matchups, and it comes down to trust. You’d trust Indiana over whoever wins in Norman. You’d trust Ohio State over the winner in College Station. And you’d trust Georgia over the Lane Kiffin-less Rebels, whom the Dawgs already beat once earlier this year.

I trust Oregon more than Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders have one of the best defensive fronts in football — if not the best — and in that way, they feel a bit like the mid-BCS-era SEC teams that leaned heavily on suffocating defenses. Is the offense good enough to beat an elite team if it has to? In 3 games against the 2 Utah-based teams Tech played (i.e., Tech’s 3 best wins), the Red Raiders made 14 trips to the red zone and scored just 5 touchdowns.

That’s been a season-long issue. Texas Tech gets touchdowns on just 56.2% of its red zone trips, which ranks 101st in the country. Oregon can be run on, but if the Ducks simply bend rather than break, can Tech finish off drives? It couldn’t against Utah or BYU, and neither of those teams possessed quarterbacks anywhere close to Dante Moore in terms of quality.

Depending on the nature of Oregon’s first-round win, the Ducks might actually be favored in the Orange Bowl.

Bet Oregon to make the CFP semifinals (-105) via DraftKings

Indiana to win the national championship

Here’s something to consider with teams that are being coached this postseason by guys who have already accepted other jobs. The earlier games might not get in the way much. The longer their team hangs in the field, though, the more those coaches are going to be strained.

Let’s say Oregon, which will have to replace both Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi after the season, beats Texas Tech to advance to the Peach Bowl. That game will be played on Jan. 9 — exactly 7 days after the winter window for the transfer portal opens. How heavy does Stein want to hit the portal to retrofit a Kentucky team that was just battered down the stretch and figures to have major turnover? That work will be tireless.

Oregon (+800 via Caesars) looks like a solid value bet to win the national championship because of its quality.

Indiana (+300) is the safest bet.

The Hoosiers beat the Ducks in Autzen earlier this year. They have blown teams out early, put teams to bed late, won rock fights in unfriendly environments, come from behind to win, and answered every single question posed to them.

Ohio State might be the more talented team. Indiana just beat that more talented team on a neutral field. And the Hoosiers aren’t even the favorite to win the CFP.

IU is fourth in adjusted net EPA per play, according to Game on Paper. The 4 semifinalists last season all ranked top-4 in the same metric. Indiana has no weaknesses.

Its quarterback has answered the bell in big moments. Its defense wins with efficiency and with splash plays. Its run game is among the most efficient in the sport. It wins on third down better than anyone. It gets to the red zone on offense more than just about anyone. It stays out of the red zone on defense better than anyone. It takes the football away better than just about anyone and holds onto the football better than just about anyone.

Swap the logo next to the statistical profile with, let’s say, an Alabama logo, and you’d be getting minus odds for this team to win a national title.

Bet Indiana to win the national championship (+300) via Caesars

The post Betting Stuff: 3 College Football Playoff bets to target right now appeared first on Saturday Down South.

A lot of fans are comparing Ole Miss’s Lane Kiffin situation to 2023 Florida State, insisting the Rebels should be dropped from a host spot or even dropped out of the Playoff altogether. I vehemently disagree with the notion that Rebels players should be punished because their head coach bolted for a new job.

Back in 2023, the Seminoles lost starting quarterback Jordan Travis to injury and showed a pullback in efficiency at the position. It’s very important to remember that this happened in the 4-team Playoff era. That Florida State squad — even with Tate Rodemaker at the helm of the offense — would have hosted a Playoff game under the 12-team format we’ll see this season.

And keep in mind, the 2023 committee made their decision to keep Florida State out of the 4-team field after a few weeks of monitoring how the Seminoles fared without Travis. Ole Miss still has Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy, Wydett Williams, Suntarine Perkins and every other player who helped the Rebels achieve an 11-1 season, and they haven’t yet been seen in a game without Kiffin on the sidelines. It would be asinine of the committee to make a proactive judgement here.

Rant over. Let’s change gears.

BYU is the team in the Playoff hunt that’s hardest to pin down. If I had a vote, BYU and Alabama would both jump Notre Dame for reaching their respective conference championship games. Both teams claim better wins than the Irish, and BYU has a “better loss.” Miami, having beaten Notre Dame earlier this season and Pitt in Week 14, should jump the Irish, too. The logic tracks here, but would the Committee really drop Notre Dame 3 spots despite winning in Week 14? How much emphasis will they put on the eye test?

Better question: Can these guys join a conference already?

Obviously, the above means that Texas and Vanderbilt just don’t have any hope here. There are simply too many mouths to feed and not enough spots at the table. Since the Longhorns beat Vanderbilt and boast the bigger brand (yes, it absolutely matters), I have Texas in the Citrus Bowl facing Michigan. Vanderbilt gets the 2nd best non-Playoff bid in the SEC lineup, facing off against Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The only other bowl-eligible teams in the SEC this season are Tennessee, Mizzou and LSU.

College Football Playoff

We’ll leave this here for anyone not familiar with the current CFP format for 2025-26:

• The top 5 conference champions will be awarded auto-bids, as they were last year. However, unlike last year, the top 4 of those 5 conference champions will not be guaranteed a first-round bye. Seeds 1-4 are simply be determined by their CFP ranking at the end of the season.
• This year’s quarterfinal matchups feature the Rose, Sugar, Cotton and Orange Bowls, with the Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl as semifinal hosts. As with last season, first-round matchups (Seeds 5-12) will be hosted by the higher-ranked team on campus.

Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. 8/9 winner

Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. 7/10 winner

Orange Bowl: Indiana vs. 6/11 winner

Cotton Bowl: Texas Tech vs. 5/12 winner

First Round

College Station, Texas: No. 5 Texas A&M vs. No. 12 North Texas

Eugene, Oregon: No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 11 Virginia

Oxford, Mississippi: No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 BYU

Norman, Oklahoma: No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama

The Rest

Citrus Bowl: Texas vs. Michigan

ReliaQuest Bowl: Vanderbilt vs. Iowa

Gator Bowl: Tennessee vs. Miami

Mayo Bowl: Mizzou vs. Clemson

Music City Bowl: LSU vs. Illinois

The post SEC bowl projections after Week 14: Do the right thing, selection committee appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Fortunately, there are some incredible games on the menu, including Alabama-Auburn in the Iron Bowl and Ohio State-Michigan in The Game. Friday provided plenty of drama, but the college football and NFL slates this weekend provide more opportunities to win money in DFS contests.

As they do every week, our DFS experts — Andrew Olson and Adam Spencer — have provided their top 3 CFB plays and their 2 favorite NFL picks for this weekend. But before we dive into those…

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Week 14 CFB Picks

Here’s who the guys like for Saturday’s college football action:

Andrew Olson

Tommy Castellanos, Florida State QB: Higher than 43.5 rush yards

Gus Malzahn is surely licking his chops getting ready to face a porous Florida defense. The Gators have given up over 200 rushing yards in each of their past 3 games. Castellanos is FSU’s leading rusher this season.

Carson Beck, Miami QB: Higher than 0.5 INTs thrown

SEC and ACC fans can agree on one thing: Carson Beck throws interceptions. Beck’s Hurricanes face a Pitt defense that snags a lot of picks. The Panthers enter the game with 14 INTs, good for second in the ACC.

Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt QB: Higher than 48.5 rush yards

SEC teams are averaging 177 rushing yards per game against Tennessee. Pavia is Vanderbilt’s leading rusher this season, getting 5 yards per rush for an average of 60 yards per game. We know he’s going to lay it all on the line against the Vols.

Adam Spencer

Cade Klubnik, Clemson QB: Higher than 236.5 pass yards

I think Clemson will win outright this weekend, but I do expect it to be a hard-fought, back-and-forth Palmetto Bowl. Look for Klubnik to throw it early and often, putting up 237+ yards through the air.

Ahmad Hardy, Mizzou RB: Higher than 107.5 rush yards

I’d play this number up to 199.5 yards, honestly. I expect the Missouri Tigers to feed Hardy the ball all day against a pitiful Arkansas defense. He ran for 300 yards against Mississippi State. Why wouldn’t he be able to go for 108 against Arkansas?

Jeremiah Cobb, Auburn RB: Lower than 72.5 rush yards

I just don’t see an elite Alabama defense letting Cobb get to 73+ yards on the ground. I also don’t think the game script will allow Auburn to run the ball as much as it might want to. Space and touches will be tough to come by for Cobb.

Week 13 NFL Picks

And here’s who the guys are playing on NFL Sunday:

Andrew Olson

Jakobi Meyers, Jacksonville Jaguars WR: Higher than 41.5 receiving yards

Meyers seems to be fitting in well with the Jaguars after being traded. Over the last 2 games, he logged 9 catches on 12 targets for 114 yards. He draws a favorable matchup against the Tennessee Titans to build on this strong start.

Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders TE: Lower than 0.5 rushing + receiving TDs

Ertz has been kept out of the end zone the last 4 games and that seems unlikely to change for him in Week 13. Washington is expected to still be without Jayden Daniels and the Commanders face a stingy Denver defense on Sunday night.

Adam Spencer

Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers RB: Higher than 39.5 receiving yards

Running the ball will be difficult against Cleveland. The 49ers will have to move the ball through the air. Fortunately for them, McCaffrey is as good of a receiver as he is a running back. Going for 40+ receiving yards should be doable, even against one of the NFL’s top defenses.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks WR: Higher than 97.5 receiving yards

Sam Darnold revenge game? Sam Darnold revenge game. The Vikings are also probably pretty upset that they don’t still have Darnold as their quarterback. JSN will be eager to outplay Justin Jefferson, too. I think JSN goes for 100+ yards on Sunday afternoon.

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The post Underdog Picks of the Week: Our top plays for CFB and NFL, Nov. 29-30 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Auburn (6-2) trailed by 9 points at the break and fell down by 11 early in the second half. But a hot-shooting night from Pettiford powered the Tigers to an 85-74 victory. St. John’s, which opened the season ranked fifth in the nation, has lost 3 of its first 7 games.

Playing its third game in as many nights, Auburn showed some serious mettle in the second half. The Tigers were blown out by Michigan on Tuesday, losing by 30 points in what was the program’s biggest defeat in over 2 years.

They shot 46% from the field over the opening 20 minutes, but went 1-for-6 on triples and turned the basketball over 10 times. St. John’s converted those giveaways in 13 points while also grabbing 10 offensive rebounds.

Auburn cut the turnovers in the second half (down to 2) and connected on 16 of its 25 shots from the field while also getting to the foul line 21 times. Keyshawn Hall made 9 free throws by himself in the second half to score 18 points in 18 minutes. Hall finished with 20.

Pettiford, though, was the star of the show. He scored 18 of his game-high 27 points in the second half while connecting on 6 of his 8 attempts from the field and 2 of his 3 triples. He played every minute of the second half and turned it over only once.

“I knew that if I got things rolling, my team would follow,” Pettiford said after the game. “Once I got going, they kept feeding me, and it just kept going.”

Auburn led by as many as 7 in the first half. Over the final 8:30 of the opening salvo, St. John’s outscored Auburn 25-9.

In the second half, Auburn used a 13-2 run to flip the game.

“Proud of our guys,” said coach Steven Pearl. “[Tuesday] was not easy. To lose the way we lost was a little deflating. Our defense stepped up and carried us. Really proud of the effort and execution.”

Auburn faces NC State next as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. That game tips from Neville Arena on Dec. 3 at 9:15 p.m. ET (ESPN).

The post Auburn uses second-half surge to upset No. 14 St. John’s appeared first on Saturday Down South.

And just like their real-money counterparts, sweepstakes sites also happen to offer some fantastic bonuses that allow you to play the best casino games forever without spending a single cent. Our experts have found the 10 best no-deposit sweepstakes casino bonuses, and they are excited to tell you all about them and how to claim them.

Because sweepstakes casinos do not offer real-money games, they aren’t subject to the regulation that prohibits traditional online casinos and are therefore available in many US states. However, you must always check if sweepstakes casinos are allowed in your area.

List of the Top 10 No Deposit Bonuses at Sweeps Cash Casinos in December 2025

Before you dive in and claim your juicy sweepstakes bonus, it’s essential to understand how these online casinos work. Sweepstakes casinos allow you to use two currencies to wager on games. Gold Coins (GC) comprise a virtual currency that you either purchase or collect through bonuses. However, you cannot withdraw GCs. Sweeps Coins (SC) are the second currency. You can’t buy SC, but you can collect them as a bonus or through bonus bundles when you buy Gold Coins. SC can be redeemed for cash prizes or gift vouchers in some cases.

Now that you understand how sweepstakes casinos work, it’s time to get started with the exciting process of looking for the right bonus. We’ll start by listing our top 10 sweepstakes bonuses. You can quickly and easily claim each site’s introductory offer without breaking the bank, along with daily rewards. This will give you more than enough GC and SC to start your sweeps journey on the right foot.

What Types of No Deposit Bonuses are Available at Sweeps Cash Casinos?

There’s no free lunch, the saying goes, but sweepstakes casinos are as close as it gets! You can claim a variety of no-deposit bonus types at our top sweeps casinos. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ways to score free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.

New Customer Bonuses

All of our featured sweepstakes casinos offer no deposit bonuses to new players. In most cases, you’ll receive a mix of Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. To receive a new customer bonus, simply open a new account, although some sites may require a quick verification check.

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Daily Login Bonuses

You can usually claim free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins each and every day by simply logging into your account. This ensures that you can steadily add to your balance without spending any money. Some sweepstakes sites give you a set number of coins each day, while others may have a daily wheel that is guaranteed to earn you a prize. Either way, these sweepstakes casino bonuses are easy to claim.

Mail-in Bonuses

You may not know this, but you can earn sweepstakes casino bonuses through the postal system. While the exact rules may differ slightly from site to site, the general idea is that you send a handwritten letter asking for coins. You then receive a bonus code that you can instantly redeem on the site.

Social Media Giveaways

Many of our highlighted sweeps casinos are active on social media platforms, such as X, Facebook, and Instagram. In addition to filling you in on the latest news and offering a platform to provide feedback, you can also usually find exclusive sweepstakes bonuses and bonus codes that you can use to claim SC, GC, and other benefits.

VIP/Loyalty Bonuses

Most sweepstakes casinos have a VIP and/or loyalty rewards program. There are several ways to earn comp points. For instance, you will typically earn rewards points for each coin package you purchase. You can then redeem these points for Sweeps Coins and Gold Coins, along with other benefits.

Every point you earn gets you closer to the next VIP level. Each new tier you reach greets you with bigger and better rewards. While those at the highest tiers reap the largest rewards, those in the lower levels benefit too.

Why do Some Sweepstakes Casinos have Unique Currencies?

While most sweepstakes operators use two types of currency, Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC), some casinos prefer to do things a bit differently and refer to their coins by unique names. In most cases, it’s the same principle, just named differently. And in other instances, there’s a conversion rate between the casino’s coins and widely-known currencies. It’s really not complicated at all, but here’s a cheat sheet of a few of the casinos that use different currencies.

Many sweepstakes casinos also offer reward points, which allow you to collect loyalty points for your activity on the site, and then use these points to climb through rewards tiers, claim benefits, and exchange points for perks.

Why do Sweepstakes Casinos Offer Free SC for Users?

One of the main reasons sweeps casinos provide players with regular Sweeps Coins bonus offers is that it is one of the most effective ways to attract new players and retain existing ones. This encourages engagement and allows players to experience the joys of casino gaming without ever having to risk or spend real money.

That said, sweeps casinos are also required by law to offer free Sweeps Coins. After all, sweeps casinos follow a sweepstakes model, which is what separates them from traditional real-money gambling sites.

Can I Turn My Free SC into Real Cash Prizes?  

You can turn your Sweeps Coins into real cash. Now, you’ll have to collect a certain number of Sweeps Coins before you can exchange them for real-life prizes. This will vary from site. However, once that threshold is met, you can redeem those valuable coins for cash. A lot of sweepstakes casinos give you the option of receiving your payout via electronic gift card, online bank transfer, or e-wallet.   

Also, you’ll likely need to wager the total Sweeps Coin amount a few times before redeeming them. Again, wagering requirements vary depending on the operator. You achieve the wagering requirement by playing games, which is the most entertaining part of the adventure.  

Finally, you’ll need to complete the site’s verification process. This involves uploading copies of a couple of documents that prove your identity, age, and location. Something like a driver’s license and mobile bill should do the trick.  

In the table below, we’ve listed the minimum coins you’ll need in order to redeem prizes, as well as the wagering requirements (which are the times you have to play through your bonus before you can redeem if for prizes).  
 
These requirements change over time and vary between jurisdictions for casinos. So always refer to the terms and conditions on the sweepstake casino’s site.  

The Best No Deposit Offers in Depth

We are going to break down our top 5 sweepstakes casino bonuses in detail. We’ll also give you some insight into the types of games you can play at these sites, along with a few other helpful tidbits of information. This way, you’ll know what to expect when you claim your sign-up bonus.

ACE.com

ACE.com is a brand-new sweepstakes casino that serves about 500 games from over 30 software providers, including BTG, Habanero, and 3 Oaks. Right now, you can claim 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins when you open a new account. You can earn between 0.20 and 0.40 more Sweeps Coins every day when you log in and spin the Daily Wheel. You’ll also win up to 2,000 Gold Coins that you can use to play games like free slots with bonus and free spins.

Not that you’ll need to, but you can kickstart your coin stack by participating in ACE.com’s first purchase offer. You’ll get 50,000 Gold Coins plus 25 Sweeps Coins for just $9.99. Each Sweeps Coin offers a value of $1. You can redeem a minimum of 10 SC using a gift card, or a minimum of 75 SC for a bank transfer. Redemptions are normally processed within 5 days.

High 5

Launched in 2023, High 5 is a popular sweeps casino with over 1,700 games from 25 top-tier providers, including Evolution, IGT, Relax Gaming, and many exclusive High 5 slots. You’ll find an excellent range of game types, such as slots, Plinko, Slingo, table games, and loads of live dealer games. It’s one of the most complete sweepstakes casinos around.

New players will receive 5 million Gold Coins along with 1 SC to start with. You can then log in each day to instantly earn an additional 0.5 SC. For more value, you can purchase the Starter Pack for $4.99. It includes 75 Gold Coins, 15 Sweeps Coins, and a 0.5 SC daily login bonus for 4 days. Each Sweeps Coin is worth $1. You can redeem a minimum of 50 SC using a gift card, or a minimum of 100 SC to receive your prize through a bank transfer. Processing usually takes between 1 and 5 days.

Fliff

Fliff has been around since 2018, and it boasts a collection of 1,000+ games from 28 providers. This includes slots, table games, and a broad range of live dealer games. The site also offers a solid selection of original, in-house games. Ideal for those who relish variety. Coincidentally, Fliff also offers social sports betting.

If you sign up now, Fliff will instantly credit your account with 5,000 Gold Coins and 1 Sweeps Coin. Logging in each day will reward you with an additional 1,000 GC and 0.10 Sweeps Coins. To top it off, you can claim free coins every two hours. For just $4.99, you’ll get 350,000 Gold Coins plus 150 Sweeps Coins. You need a minimum of 50 Sweeps Coins to make a redemption. You should receive your prize money within 3 to 5 days.

Stake

Stake went live in 2017, and it’s one of the most popular sweepstakes casinos in the US. You’ll receive 10,000 Gold Coins and 1 Sweeps Coin when you sign up. You can then claim the same amount of both every day when you log in.

You can play free online slot games with your bonus SC and GC, as well as about 4,000 other games from Play’n Go, Evolution, Pragmatic Play, and nearly 40 more providers. The game collection is very diverse. It’s got slots, table games, live dealer options, Plinko, Crash, Mines, scratchers, and a strong assortment of Stake Originals, like The Bandit, 5 Little Pigs, and Cyber Runner.

You need to have at least 5 SC to make a redemption. Stake doesn’t place a limit on how much you can redeem, except in Florida, where redemptions are limited to $5,000. You must also satisfy a reasonable 3X wagering requirement.

Jackpota

Jackpota came online in 2024, and it is among the most generous sweeps sites when it comes to sweepstakes casino bonuses. You’ll earn 7,500 Gold Coins plus 2.5 Sweeps Coins for signing up. Each daily login will earn you an additional 1,500 GC and 0.20 SC.

Jackpota has one of the most potentially lucrative first purchase offers. You’ll receive 80,000 GC, 40 SC, and 75 free SC spins for $19.99. If you want to earn even more free SC, try referring a friend. Each successful referral can net you up to 200,000 and 100 SC. Full details can be found in the “Together is Better” offer on Jackpota’s promotions page.

With all of those SCs and GCs, you can play over 1,500 games from 20+ software developers. This includes over 20 Megaways slots and 20 live dealer games, including Gravity Roulette, Adventures Beyond Wonderland, and Buffalo Blitz Live.

How to Claim a Sweepstakes No Deposit Bonus

Claiming sweepstakes bonuses is a cinch and shouldn’t take more than a few seconds. While the precise steps may be a bit different at each site, they all follow the same easy-going rhythm.

Redeem your SC: Provided you have satisfied the site’s redemption conditions, you can redeem your SC in your account profile. Simply select a payment method, enter the amount of SC you’d like to redeem, and follow any further on-screen instructions to submit the redemption request. The operator will process the request and send you your money.

Select your bonus: Select the link to any bonus listed on the table near the top of this page. This will redirect you to your chosen casino.

Register: Hit the “Sign Up” or similar icon at the top of the casino’s main page to trigger the registration form. Fill out the required information and submit the form.

Claim your bonus: After you’ve logged in for the first time, you’ll be prompted to claim your sign-up bonus. In some cases, it will be automatically credited to your account.

Get verified: Before you start playing, go into your account profile and select the “Verification” tab. Follow the instructions on the screen to upload the required documentation. Remember, you won’t be able to redeem your Sweeps Coins unless you’ve been verified.

Start playing: You can now play all of your favorite casino games using your desktop or mobile device. The games look great and run smoothly on both platforms.

Sweepstakes No Deposit Bonus FAQs  

The post 10 Best No Deposit Bonuses at Sweeps Casinos Listed appeared first on Saturday Down South.

A List of the Top 10 Sweepstakes Casinos in the US 2025

The Top 5 Sweepstakes Casinos in More Depth 

You’re really not going to go wrong with any of the free online casinos listed above, but there are some brands that we think stand out from the crowd. Below, we’ll take a deeper dive into our 5 best free casino sites and explain why they deserve their position.  

ACE.com 

ACE is one of the newest online free casinos and made its debut in mid-2025. New players joining ACE for the first time get a no purchase reward of 7,500 GC and 2.5 SC from the start and a free spin on the Reward Wheel. There is also a welcome offer for purchases, providing a 150% boost on some coin packages.  

You’ll also be able to claim ongoing free coins bonuses, including daily login coins, mail-in requests, and a referral bonus. There are 400 games available on ACE, which is fewer than other major sweeps casinos, but allows players to explore specialist slots from Games Global, Thunderkick, and NetGaming.  

One of the standout features of ACE.com is its sitewide jackpot network, which has a top potential win of 100,000 Sweeps Coins. Purchase methods for additional coins include debit cards like Visa/Mastercard, bank transfer, and Apple Pay. You can only redeem coins using bank transfers, with redemptions taking 3 to 5 business days.  

Best for: Welcome Bonus 

• Games: 400+ 

• Purchase Methods: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Apple Pay 

• Redemption Methods: Bank Transfers, Gift Cards 

• Redemption Time: Instant-5 days 

• Customer Support: Live Chat, Email, Phone, X 

Pros: 

• Instant gift card redemption 

• Generous welcome bonus 

• Games from 33 leading software providers 

Cons: 

• No VIP program 

• Fewer games than competitors 

• Limited banking options 

Our Score: 4.6/5.0 

High 5 

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High 5 has been one of the best free online casinos since opening back in 2012, making it one of the longest-standing social casinos. It is also one of the most unique, as it serves as a showcase for High 5 Games slots, offering a full catalog of titles from the developer. But players can also enjoy slots, live dealer tables, and other options from providers like Pragmatic Play, Evolution, IGT, and more.  

With over 1,500 games in total, you’ll have plenty of choice, alongside tons of bonuses that help you keep playing for free. First up is the no purchase reward of 5 Sweeps Coins, 250 Game Coins and 600 Diamonds when you register. From there, this is a first purchase boost if you want to buy coins, alongside regular free coins promos like daily free credits, a VIP program, mail-in, social media giveaways, and a referral bonus.  

High 5 also has a flexible selection of payment options, but redemptions can be on the slower side, taking 3 to 10 business days.  

Best for: Wide Game Selection 

• Games: 1,500+ 

• Purchase Methods: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal, Trustly, Skrill 

• Redemption Methods: Skrill, eCheck 

• Redemption Time: 1-2 days 

• Customer Support: Live Chat, Email, X 

Pros: 

• Large game selection 

• Huge game library  

• Variety of banking methods 

Cons: 

• No phone support 

• Small table game selection 

• No gift card redemption  

Our Score: 4.3/5.0 

McLuck 

McLuck launched in 2023, and quickly built its reputation as a leading casino among sweepstakes players in North America. This sweepstakes casino provides the best of both worlds, combining a quality and quantity of games, with over 700 titles from more than ten of the industry’s top software providers. With a sleek native app, an attractive no-deposit bonus that will get you playing for free in no time and some of the industry’s most generous coin bundles, it’s obvious why McLuck sweepstakes casino became so popular with players since it launched.  

Best for: Playing on Mobile 

• Games: 700+ 

• Purchase Methods: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay, Google Pay 

• Redemption Methods: Cash 

• Redemption Time: 1-2 business days 

• Customer Support: Live Chat, Phone, Email, X 

Pros: 

• iOS and Android app 

• Dedicated live casino section from Iconic21 

• Generous no-deposit bonus 

Cons: 

• Coins can only be purchased with a credit card 

• Chat support restricted to depositing players 

•  Restricted in many states 

Our Score: 4.4/5.0 

Stake 

If you ask many people what the best free online casino is, Stake.us will be a common answer. Debuting in 2022, this is one of the best-known sweepstakes casinos and is the social version of the full casino giant Stake.com. 

Cryptocurrency support is perhaps the defining feature of Stake, with purchases and redemptions available through over a dozen digital coins. This gives Stake an edge because it can often deliver redemptions instantly or within hours. The platform also allows purchases/redemptions through more conventional methods.  

Stake provides 250,000 GC and 25 SC for new players with no purchase necessary, but bigger no-deposit bonuses are available through promo codes. There are also first-purchase boosts if you want to buy more coins. This social casino is known for its in-house Stake games alongside slots, live dealers and table games, comprising a huge library of games. 

Best for: Cryptocurrency Payments 

• Games: 2,000+ 

• Purchase Methods: various cryptocurrencies, credit cards, bank transfers.   

• Redemption Methods: cryptocurrencies 

• Redemption Time: instant 

• Customer Support: Live Chat, Email, X 

Pros: 

• Cryptocurrency payment 

• Instant redemptions  

• Large game library with exclusive titles 

Cons: 

• No phone support 

• No mobile app 

• Unavailable in many states 

Our Score: 4.4/5.0 

Jackpota 

Jackpota launched in 2024 and has wasted no time in becoming one of the leading free casinos for US players. There is an in-house progressive jackpot running on Jackpota that can reach up to 100,000 Sweeps Coins. Promotions are strong, including a 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins welcome offer when you open your account. You can always play for free with Gold Coins, including bonuses such as referral promos, email offers, daily login credits, and more.  

Even if you aren’t on the jackpot hunt, you’ll be able to choose from a catalog of 700+ games from notable studios like Pragmatic Play, Relax Gaming, BGaming, and Novomatic. Alongside slots, there are other options, including game shows and live casino games. Arcade games like Plinko and scratchcards bring some rapid-fire fun to the game selection. Jackpot players can purchase Gold Coins for additional play and redeem Sweeps Coins.  

Best for: Progressive Jackpots 

• Games: 700+ 

• Purchase Methods: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay, Google Pay.   

• Redemption Methods: Gift cards, Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay, Google Pay. 

• Redemption Time: 2-5 days 

• Customer Support: Live Chat,  Phone, Email, X 

Pros: 

• Progressive jackpot slots  

• 48-hour redemptions  

• Gift card redemption 

Cons: 

• No mobile app 

• High minimum redemption for non-gift card options 

• No table games 

Our Score: 4.2/5.0 

What are Sweepstakes Casinos? 

Sweepstakes casinos are online sites that allow people to enjoy casino-style games for free using a promotional sweepstakes model instead of real-money gambling. Players get two types of virtual currency, one that allows free gameplay and the other that can also be redeemed for cash or other prizes. Because this model does not involve direct wagers, the best free online casinos can operate in more states than standard online casinos.  

Sweepstakes Casinos vs Traditional Online Casinos 

Traditional online casinos require players to deposit real money and are under tight regulations and licenses, while also being available in only a handful of states.  

Sweepstakes casinos use promotional rules where payments involve purchasing Gold Coin (GC) packages instead. Players cannot withdraw winnings from a sweepstakes platform, but they can redeem Sweeps Coins (SC) prizes. You may see similar gaming options, but sweepstakes casinos are generally more casual and focus on low-pressure gaming.  

Sweepstakes Casinos vs Social Casinos 

Social casinos only use the free GC model and remove the promotional sweepstakes. Users can only play games purely for entertainment and can never redeem anything for cash. The best free casino sites focus on pure casual gaming, while sweepstakes casinos have more incentive-driven models.  

List of Pros and Cons of Sweeps Cash Casinos vs Real Money Casinos 

How Do Sweepstakes Casinos Work? 

Online free casinos using a sweepstakes model may seem confusing at first, especially if you’re new to the concept or more used to playing at traditional real-money online casinos. So, now is a great time to take a deeper look at exactly how sweepstakes casinos work.  

Sweepstakes Currency: Gold Coins vs Sweeps Coins 

All of the brands in our best free online casino list use two types of currency, usually known as Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC): 

• Gold Coins are a credit that you can use to access free games at a sweepstakes casino. You can claim them for free in bonuses or by purchasing them directly. GCs have no real work value, so they are for entertainment only, and you cannot redeem them for cash.  

• Sweeps Coins are purely promotional tokens that you get by claiming free casino bonuses or playing games. You cannot purchase SC directly, but they are sometimes given as a promotion in Gold Coins packages. Sweeps Coins have real money value, and you can potentially redeem them for cash rewards.  

Purchasing Coins vs Playing for Free 

The core of a sweepstakes casino is a free-to-play model that allows players to access games for entertainment. This is possible by using Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins that you get from promotions. You can play the best online casino games for free by claiming promos such as daily login coins, referral bonuses, social media giveaways, email offers, and email requests.  

While top sweepstakes casinos give players lots of free coins, there is not an unlimited flow on all platforms. If you want to extend your game time or simply have more coins to play, you can choose to purchase Gold Coins packages. There is no obligation to ever buy coins, but bundles usually come with promotional Sweeps Coins too.  

Redeeming Sweeps Coins 

Sweeps Coins are redeemable for cash rewards, but you’ll first need to meet the minimum redemption amount. On most of the best free gambling sites, the minimum will be from 50 SC to 100 SC. The casino will convert the Sweeps Coins into a cash value, with most brands offering a conversion of 1 SC to $1. You can redeem that cash value by using one of the available payment methods.  

Joining Sweeps Casinos and KYC Checks 

Sweepstakes casinos do not always have the same registration requirements as standard iGaming sites, and many times, you can sign up with just an email address. However, there are still verification and Know Your Customer (KYC) checks. This starts with geolocation requirements that show you are playing from a state where the sweeps casino is active. You will usually need to verify yourself before you redeem SC by giving proof of ID and address.  

How to get Free Sweeps Coins 

At our recommended sweeps sites, you’ll find plenty of regular bonuses that reward SC alongside Gold Coins, including daily login credits, email giveaways, social media coin drops, competitions, loyalty schemes, and referral promos. 

If you do decide to purchase Gold Coins, most casinos also give free bonus SC to help boost your sweeps balance. Knowing what the best free casino games are is important because sites have slots that you can play using SC and then claim SC if you win. 

What Types of Bonuses Do Sweeps Casinos Offer? 

Promotions are vital to the best free casino apps as they are a way to get extra coins to keep playing for free. If you really want, you can only claim bonuses and never need to purchase additional coins. You’ll find the following bonuses available on most sweepstakes casinos: 

Welcome Bonuses 

There are two types of welcome bonuses at sweepstakes casinos. The first is a no deposit bonus that the casino gives you completely for free when you register and verify your email. This will usually be a small amount of Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. There will usually also be a first purchase offer, which offers a discount and boost on a GC package with bonus Sweeps Coins on top.  

Leagues and Leaderboards 

Many sweeps and social casinos have tournaments and leaderboards where you accumulate points as you play. Slot leagues are the most common, where players start with the same number of coins and play through the competition. Players who rank highest on the leaderboard by the end of the tournament win a huge number of GC and/or SC.  

Social Media Contests 

Sweepstakes sites are usually very active on social media platforms like Facebook, X, and Instagram. It really pays to follow free casinos on socials as you can pick up free coins, free spins on slots, and other big rewards.  

Refer a Friend Bonuses 

A referral bonus is a simple concept where you claim a reward if one of your contacts registers with the free online casino and makes a purchase. You will be given a referral code to share with friends, and they must use this code when they sign up.  

Sweepstakes Casino Payment and Deposit 

Purchase payment options vary a lot at sweepstakes casinos, much more than on traditional iGaming sites. Some free casino platforms have a broad range of options, while others are much more limited. Most brands support debit/credit cards and bank transfers, while some may extend options to e-wallets and even cryptocurrencies.  

Comparing Payment Options at Top Sweeps Casinos: 

Are Cryptocurrencies Commonly Accepted at Sweepstakes Casinos? 

Some sweepstakes casinos, such as Stake.us, allow you to purchase coin bundles and redeem prizes via cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. With this type of payment method, players can benefit from anonymous payments and swift transactions. 

How Fast Do Sweepstakes Casinos Pay Out? 

Players can redeem real-life prizes through Sweeps Coins, but redemption cash-out times can be slower compared to real-money gambling sites. Payment options can also vary widely, and most sweepstakes casinos only support options like bank transfers, debit/credit cards, and e-wallets. 

Are Sweepstakes Casinos Legal? 

One of the main benefits of free online gambling sites like sweepstakes casinos is that they are more widely available than real-money casino platforms. That’s because they operate according to promotional contest laws (where no purchase is necessary), not real-money gambling regulations. Because of this, sweepstakes casinos are available in most US states without the need for a gambling license.  

Which States Have Regulated Against Sweepstakes Casinos? 

There are some states that have banned or restricted sweepstakes casinos: 

• Montana SB 555, effective Oct 1, 2025, bans dual-currency sweepstakes platforms.  

• Connecticut SB 1235, effective Oct 1, 2025, criminalizes sweepstakes casino operations.  

• New Jersey Legislation outlaws sweepstakes-style dual-currency gaming.  

• California AB 831, effective Jan 1, 2026, bans sweepstakes platforms using Gold + Sweeps Coins.  

• Washington Already enforces strict gambling laws that prohibit sweepstakes casinos.  

• Idaho Allows Gold Coin games but prohibits redeemable Sweeps Coins / cash prizes. 

We will keep this guide updated on every legal change we hear about. But note that before playing at any sweepstakes casino, you must check if it is not prohibited in your jurisdiction. 

What do we look at When Reviewing Sweepstakes Casinos? 

Free online casinos are a fast-growing sector, and dozens of sweepstakes operators are on the market. Choosing the best sites requires an expert eye. That’s why we use a strict review process that is the same for each casino we test. Our team of industry experts covers the following factors to ensure fair ratings for each brand: 

• Security is your first priority, and while sweeps sites aren’t required to hold gambling licenses, our team looks for fair game testing and security measures like SSL encryption.  

• Games are important because they are the main source of entertainment. We like sweepstakes casinos that offer a broad range of slots and other categories like live dealer tables.  

• Bonuses allow you to keep playing for free and for longer, so we always provide our opinions on free casino rewards. Our team also provides a breakdown of promo T&Cs.  

• Payments can be a sticking point on sweepstakes casinos; we check casinos to see which payment options are available and how long it takes to redeem prizes.  

• Support should be available on all top free casinos. Our team tests all contact options, including live chat and FAQ sections.  

Why Trust our Reviews? 

Our review system is designed to find what is good and bad in all the free casinos we test. And we never recommend a casino randomly. Each site has been through our strict multi-step review that involves us really using the casino. This hands-on approach allows our experts to give real user feedback to help you compare casino sites more accurately.  

Responsible Gaming at Sweepstakes Casinos? 

The best casino free sites allow you to play without spending a cent, but you still need to stick to the practices of responsible gambling. Even if you’re playing for free, set yourself a time limit and step away from sessions to cool off and enjoy other activities. If you do choose to purchase Gold Coins, always spend within your financial means.  

There are resources you can use to help if you need extra support: 

• National Council on Problem Gambling 

• Gamblers Anonymous 

• Gam-Anon 

• National Problem Gambling Helpline 

• National Center for Responsible Gaming 

Conclusion: How do I find the right sweepstakes casino for me? 

Our top free online casinos allow you to experience the thrill of casino games with the pressure off. You can play when you want and how you want without using your hard-earned money, while still potentially having cash prizes along the way. Sweepstakes casinos on this page are the leading brands, but we still recommend that you compare each site to find the best option for your needs.  

US Sweepstakes Casinos FAQ 2025

The post Complete Guide to US Sweepstakes Casinos 2025 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Ole Miss didn’t even play this week, and The Lane Train still dominated national headlines.

Is he staying? (He should.) Is he going? If he is going, where is he going?

TBD, but Ole Miss certainly is going to the Playoff. Just like Notre Dame and, sorry, Paul, the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion. Diego Pavia better be going to New York as a Heisman finalist.

The clock struck midnight, however, for “Arch sucks” takes, Stephen A. Smith’s SEC credibility and Alabama’s ground game, which, when not playing an FCS opponent, hasn’t been this bad since … 1955?

Those are just some of the 10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after Cupcake Week Week 13 in and around the SEC.

10. Assessing Lane Kiffin’s options

LSU reportedly has offered Lane Kiffin a 7-year, $90 million deal, with an annual salary of $13 million. Florida and Ole Miss reportedly have matched the annual offer and robust NIL investment.

To be honest, I’ve been more amused by the frantic, daily arm’s race than interested in who has the edge.

Why? At the risk of repeating myself, I think it’s a moot point. I can’t understand why Kiffin would leave everything he has built at Ole Miss, where every goal he could possibly entertain anywhere else already exists in Oxford.

If this were 2021, done deal. It’s not.

We are in the NIL/Portal/Parity Era. Coaches and players no longer need to go to a handful of programs to chase a championship. LSU probably will win another natty, with or without Kiffin, but it will never have another team as great as the 2019 team. That’s just the new and improved reality of college football.

There’s also the reputational risk of Kiffin leaving Ole Miss in the middle of a historic Playoff push, abandoning the place that allowed him to seemingly find peace, plant roots and start building a legacy that doesn’t begin with being fired on a tarmac.

For those reasons and others, I’ve written and still believe that Kiffin is better off staying at Ole Miss, where his name could soon be on the turf at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

I don’t think there’s any chance Kiffin goes to Florida, where he’d never escape Steve Spurrier’s shadow and would have to win 3 national championships just to upstage Urban Meyer.

It’s more difficult to ignore LSU’s history and stranglehold on Louisiana’s best recruits — but it’s also impossible to ignore LSU’s current state of instability and penchant for firing coaches.

If Kiffin goes — again, he shouldn’t, and I’ll only believe it when I see it — it will be to LSU. If that happens, he better win a national title by Year 3 … or else.

9. Finebaum was absolutely right to call out Stephen A. Smith

In case you missed it, Stephen A. Smith believes Kiffin is gone and Ole Miss fans need to get over it. He said it’s easier to win national titles at LSU and Florida than Ole Miss. It used to be, sure, but not anymore.

Regardless of where you stand on that side issue, this is where Smith went off the rails:

In explaining to Paul Finebaum and others on ESPN why Kiffin will leave for LSU or Florida, Smith said this: “I’m going to bring it home, all right. He’s in Oxford, Mississippi, OK? Let’s get this out the way. Listen, ladies and gentlemen, you all can’t say it. Don’t you dare say it Paul, don’t you say it Doggie (Chris Russo), don’t you say it Shae (Cornette). Leave it to me, I’ll say it. The brothers ain’t trying to come to Oxford, Mississippi for the most part compared to Gainesville or Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Let’s just call it what it is, OK?”

Finebaum didn’t react in the moment, but he later addressed Smith’s characterization of Oxford on his show.

“I realize a lot of you did not see what Stephen A. said, but he clearly made it racial,” Finebaum told his audience. “He clearly said, in his words, ‘the brothers do not want to go to Oxford, Mississippi,’ which has been proven to be completely incorrect. I’ve been to Oxford a million times and I think it’s terribly unfair to bring up echoes of yesteryear, the ’60s, and try to portray Oxford as that type of place today. It’s not. The South has changed. You can make your own interpretation, but to dump on Oxford while saying Gainesville and Baton Rouge would be utopia was just baffling to me.”

National commentator Tim Brando also admonished Smith, writing on X that “his words were divisive, despicable and given his pedestal a true reflection of how the self proclaimed World Wide Leader views Mississippi and the South in general. I’ve respected Stephen A’s work ethic and intelligence and have stated such many times over. Words matter and his this morning were reprehensible and will never be forgotten.”

Brando has a daughter who went to Ole Miss and started his career at ESPN.

Media beefs frequently are ego-driven, occasionally staged and rarely matter. (See: Whitlock vs. Stephen A.)

This was different.

Two media heavyweights rightfully calling out arguably the biggest name in sports talk for feeding stereotypes was a meaningful moment. Last week, Smith was among the many (myself included) who called out the Texas state trooper who bumped into 2 South Carolina players. Smith said the Trooper should be suspended and never work another game.

Too bad ESPN stayed silent after Smith’s harmful commentary about Ole Miss.

8. … however, this Playoff take was horrible, Paaawwwl!

It is absolutely incredible how fast the Playoff discussion has jumped the shark.

Fifteen years ago, I was on an island actually wanting a Playoff. As soon as it arrived, I began pleading for expansion while others broke out their bullhorn over concerns that we’d never find 4 quality teams! Now we’re at 12, with everybody in America having a shot … and the noise is growing louder every day about the intruder who crashed the Haves’ party.

This week, Finebaum, a friend of SDS, by the way, blasted the new system that “lets the Group of Whatever in” and “that division really has no business playing” in the Playoff. (He specifically called out the USF and the American Conference as unworthy, perhaps forgetting that USF beat Florida, Memphis beat Arkansas, North Texas beat Washington State, and Tulane beat Northwestern and Duke … this season.)

That’s his opinion. That’s fine.

Finebaum also said: “That’s like letting the Triple-A’s best team into the major league playoffs. It doesn’t happen in any other sport.”

That’s a fact error.

Finebaum knows that literally every other major sport, pro and college, has a path for underdogs to fight for the national championship.

The NCAA Tournament, the single greatest tournament in sports and the blueprint for how other playoffs are conducted, awards automatic bids to 31 conference champions — 31! More than 80% of those automatic bids go to smaller conference champions that, using Finebaum’s football logic, have no business being there?

That’s nonsense. Underdogs staging stunning upsets helped turn the NCAA Tournament into March Madness.

Finebaum specifically mentioned Major League Baseball and NFL as examples of leagues that only put the best teams in the playoff. Are you sure?

In 2025, 3 wild-card teams had a better record than 2 division winners. Does Finebaum believe that the AL Central and AL West champs shouldn’t have made the playoffs?

Last year in the NFL, 4 wild-card teams had a better record than 3 of the 6 division winners. Should those 3 division winners have stayed home?

Last year in the NBA, 5 teams with a losing record qualified for the playoffs.

I could go on, but you get the point. Those sports give everybody the same opportunity to make the postseason. Finebaum knows that. It’s his job to stir the pot. Again, fine.

College football finally has it right. The only way to improve this system is to add to it and expand to 16, not suddenly revoke access to Group of 5 conferences that have forever been on the outside looking in — as if reserving 1 spot out of 12 for an underdog is the worst thing in this sport’s history.

7. Save your Cupcake Week jokes, a’ight?

Was I impressed with Texas A&M’s 48-0 victory over FCS Samford?

You know I wasn’t.

Was it utterly unnecessary for Alabama to play (and subsequently beat the paw prints off) the FCS Eastern Illinois Panthers on Saturday?

You know it was.

But save your faux outrage, B1G Nation.

Last year, 2 Big Ten teams played Eastern Illinois.

This year, Indiana played FCS Indiana State, Ohio State played FCS Grambling, and Oregon played FCS Montana State. They just did it earlier.

If it’s OK for the B1G, it’s OK for the SEC — no matter how loud the B1G talking heads scream into your TV.

P.S.: That rugged B1G Week 13 schedule? Ohio State rested its 2 best receivers — including Heisman contender Jeremiah Smith — because it knew it didn’t need either to rip Rutgers.

6. No, I’m not mad about Alabama’s Playoff ranking

Have you replaced the big screen you broke after the Playoff committee dropped Alabama from No. 4 to No. 10 — behind 2-loss Notre Dame?

I understand being a fan, but I don’t get the outrage in this instance. Not after that Oklahoma game in Week 12, anyway.

Change Alabama’s team colors, peel off the iconic numbers and slap a logo on the helmets.

Now watch that team actually play. Or, rather, watch that team try to run the football.

The Tide can’t. Not against real competition, anyway.

Sure, they ran for 269 yards and 8 TDs against FCS Eastern Illinois, a glorified scrimmage that was less physical than the typical A-Day Game.

Against real competition, however, the Tide are more 1-dimensional this season — and especially in their previous 3 SEC games — than they ever were under Nick Saban. Even when Saban’s dynasty was at its run-the-ball best, its passing game was reliable and potent enough to consistently contribute. Even when Saban switched gears and went all-in on airing it out, the running game never teetered on the edge of irrelevancy quite like this.

Entering Week 13, Bama’s passing game was averaging 186.0 more yards per game than the rushing game. That’s the 2nd-largest yardage gap since Saban arrived — just behind the pass-happy 2021 group led by Heisman winner Bryce Young. But even that team featured a 1,300-yard rusher in Brian Robinson Jr.

Number can lie, sure. The yardage gap isn’t critical if both sides are producing; see 2021. That’s not happening in 2025. Jamarion Miller enters Week 14 with a team-high 410 yards, all but guaranteeing the Tide will fail to produce a 1,000-yard rusher for the 4th consecutive season — and 2nd consecutive under Kalen DeBoer.

Forget the 7 Bama teams under Saban that averaged north of 200 rushing yards per game. Every Bama team this century has averaged at least a modest 120 rushing yards per game. The last Bama team that failed to crack 110 rushing yards per game? The 0-10 1955 Tide.

The Tide haven’t topped 150 yards rushing yet this season against a Power conference team. They didn’t gain 100 in their previous 3 SEC games. They ran for 87 and 80 yards, respectively, in losses to FSU and Oklahoma — which, not surprisingly, were Ty Simpson’s 2 worst games of the season.

Translation: If Simpson doesn’t play like a Heisman Trophy winner every time out, the Tide are in serious trouble and look far more like a questionable bubble team than a Playoff lock fighting for a first-round bye.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Notre Dame would beat Alabama.

5. 5 ‘locks’ that might not even make their league title game

The greatest rivalry in college sports is Narrative vs. Results.

Entering the final week of the regular season, we still don’t know who is going to play in the most critical leagues’ championship game.

That’s exactly how the NFL draws it up.

It’s still possible that Week 13 league leaders Ohio State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Georgia Tech and Tulane don’t even make their league title game. Likely? Not in each case, but possible. (MRed has a fun tool to break down scenarios.)

Want chaos? The ACC has it, but it no longer owns exclusive rights.

Georgia Tech could have wrapped up an ACC title game spot in Week 13, but Pitt blasted the Yellow Jackets — and now the Yellow Jackets need help to reach the ACC title game. Suddenly, Miami is back in the picture, but only if, among other things, it beats Pitt AND Virginia Tech upsets Virginia in Week 14.

The Big Ten? Ohio State has been a wire-to-wire No. 1 and has the best odds to win the national title, but if the Buckeyes lose at Michigan next week — more than possible — they would then need help to reach the B1G title game. (Granted, OSU’s lose-and-still-make-it scenarios start with Indiana losing to Purdue, which isn’t happening … but the possibility exists.)

The Big 12? Texas Tech has led the race from the start, but if the Red Raiders lose to West Virginia, they’ll need help to reach the title game.

The SEC? There were so many title-game scenarios heading into Week 13, the SEC didn’t even address it beyond saying nobody can clinch or be eliminated. Week 14 will provide all of the answers. The most interesting possibility? If Texas A&M loses to Texas, the Aggies suddenly need upsets in the Egg Bowl and Iron Bowl to make it to Atlanta for the first time.

The American? There are at least 4 teams still in contention to reach its championship game. Tulane is in the driver’s seat, but nothing is set. This race is particularly interesting because, most likely, it will produce the Group of 5 automatic bid. Any chaos here brings presumed Southern Conference champion James Madison into the picture. If that happens, there will be no silencing the noise about eliminating automatic bids for conference champions.

4. Predicting the SEC’s 4 Playoff teams

The SEC’s math problem came into full focus in Week 13.

With 5 teams ranked in the top 10 of the Playoff rankings, of course the league has a case to get 5 teams in the Playoff. I’ve made that case all season while also noting the math — and politics — won’t allow it.

Let’s break it down.

There are 7 at-large Playoff bids.

Playoff No. 9 Notre Dame delivered the most impressive performance of Week 13, blowing out Syracuse as Jeremiyah Love added to his Heisman campaign with 171 yards and 3 TDs — against an ACC team, not an FCS team. The Irish are a Playoff lock assuming they handle Stanford in Week 14.

That leaves 6 at-large bids.

The B1G will grab 2 of those — the title game loser and Oregon, which handled USC in Week 13. That leaves 4 bids — and that’s not even considering what happens if Michigan beats Ohio State (again) to finish 10-2.

Miami is poised to pass lucky Week 13 winner Utah in the rankings and grab 1.

See the problem? That pretty straight-forward scenario leaves 3 at-large bids remaining — and that’s assuming the Big 12 only gets its automatic qualifier.

I’ll let y’all debate the resumes.

After Week 13, these 4 SEC teams are headed to the Playoff:

Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Georgia and … a fierce fight between Alabama or Oklahoma.

I’m giving the nod to Oklahoma, not only because the Sooners beat the Tide but also because Alabama’s season-opening loss to FSU might be the worst among Playoff contenders.

3. Six … Sevens? Have yourself a day, Arch

“Peyton never did that.” That was my immediate reaction after Arch Manning made the best play of his young career, on the greatest day of his young career, Saturday against Arkansas.

As a receiver.

Manning, showing athleticism that neither of his famous uncles possessed, adjusted his feet to a high pass on a trick play, flipped his hips and feet, jumped and came down with a TD, all part of Texas’ easy romp over the Hogs. We’ve seen 5-star receivers drop passes like that.

Manning’s best play was merely the highlight of his best day. In addition to the TD catch, he threw for 389 yards and 4 TDs and also rushed for a TD. (Yes, teenagers, Manning accounted for 6 … 7s.)

In doing so, he became the first player in Texas football history to throw for a TD, run for a TD and catch a pass for a TD.

He has now topped 300 yards passing in 4 consecutive games — all against SEC defenses.

The preseason Heisman hype was ridiculous. So, too, were the overreactions that he’s a bust.

He’s absolutely going to be a problem in 2026.

2. Diego Pavia, SEC Offensive Player of the Year

How fitting, on Senior Day, Heisman hopeful Diego Pavia delivered the single greatest offensive game in the history of Vanderbilt football.

Pavia was nearly perfect, completing 33-of-39 passes.

He set Vandy’s single-game record with 484 passing yards.

He tied Vandy’s single-game record with 5 TD passes … and ran for another. (So, like Manning, Pavia accounted for, all together, 6 … 7s. Promise, I’ll never write that again.)

Next week, he’ll become just the 4th Vandy QB to pass for 3,000 yards. Barring injury, he’ll break Kurt Page’s record of 3,178 yards, too. With 26 TD passes, he’s already tied Kyle Shurmur’s single-season record and is on pace to become the first Vandy QB to throw for 30+ TD passes in a season.

Along the way, he has led Vandy to the precipice of its first 10-win season.

Words are fine, but give the man the hardware he deserves: SEC Offensive Player of the Year.

Heisman? I still like Jeremiah Smith and Jeremiyah Love as the best players in America, but there’s no denying Pavia is the Most Valuable Player in the country.

1. Dear Shane, it’s a little early for Talkin’ SZN

I realize Shane Beamer has nothing left to play for — and now, not even a sentimental landing spot for his next gig — but this was a bit much.

“I do know next year at this time, we’re going to be sitting here on this Tuesday night, watching the Playoff rankings to see where we are in ranking show,” Beamer told reporters.

Know? There’s overreacting — and then there’s just wishful thinking.

Forget making it all the way to the National Championship Game on Jan. 19. Can we at least get through the SEC Championship Game before Talkin’ SZN begins?

The post 10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after Week 13 in the SEC appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The school announced the move on Friday. The new deal will keep Alberts in College Station through 2031. Alberts joined the school in 2024 after spending several seasons at Nebraska. While he wasn’t the man to hire Mike Elko, Alberts has nevertheless overseen a historic rise for the football program.

Texas A&M football ranks third in the nation and is 10-0 for the first time in more than 30 years. The Aggies are seeking their first-ever SEC Championship and their first trip to the College Football Playoff.

With one conference game remaining in the regular season, the Aggies are a decent bet to make the league title game. They’re also likely a lock to make the CFP regardless of what happens on Nov. 28 against Texas.

“We’re building something special here at Texas A&M, and my partnership with Trev is an integral part of that,” Elko said of Alberts in a statement. “I’ve truly appreciated his leadership, especially the open dialogue he maintains with his coaches to gather feedback and elevate Texas A&M as one of the nation’s premier brands. This contract ensures continuity in the momentum we’ve already created, and I’m excited about our future.”

Alberts has overseen 2 national championships during his tenure with the Aggies. The women’s tennis program claimed its first in program history in 2024, and the men’s outdoor track & field program won its fifth outdoor title in 2025. Texas A&M has also won 4 SEC championships since Alberts was hired, with women’s tennis winning in 2024 and 2025, men’s indoor track & field in 2025, and softball winning the SEC Tournament crown in 2025. The baseball program also played for a national title in 2024.

“I want to express my gratitude to the Texas A&M Board of Regents, Chancellor Glenn Hegar and Interim President Tommy Williams for their continued confidence in our vision for the athletics department,” Alberts said. “From the moment we arrived, Angie and I have felt embraced by the Texas A&M family and this truly feels like home. We’re fortunate to work alongside extraordinary coaches, staff and student-athletes who pour themselves into their programs every single day. The momentum we’ve built over the past 20 months is real, and I’m energized by the opportunity to continue elevating this department with them.”

The post Texas A&M announces contract extension for AD Trev Alberts appeared first on Saturday Down South.

What, you ask? After double-checking to shore up a hazy college memory, chaos theory states that within the apparent randomness of chaotic complex systems, there are underlying patterns, interconnection, constant feedback loops, repetition, self-similarity, fractals and self-organization.

If that doesn’t describe the current insanity revolving around Kiffin, we aren’t sure what to tell you. Because Kiffin – the chaos master himself throughout pretty much his entire employed adult life – is creating yet another seemingly self-immolating pattern.

In case you lost track trying to keep score, Kiffin is the most sought-after person on Saban’s green earth at the moment. Entire athletic departments and fanbases at Ole Miss, Florida and LSU are simultaneously hyperventilating at their perceived chances of landing the 50-year-old hot yogi/social media influencer who also dabbles in college football coaching.

The problem, we fear, that will result in the combined effect of all this hysteria – either drummed up by the nimble fingers of uber-agent Jimmy Sexton or a more organic groundswell of pent-up glee – is that this will end badly for all but 1 of the involved parties.

Why, again you ask?

Again, chaos theory. Why else would the Family Kiffin be jet-setting on scouting visits to Baton Rouge and Gainesville while the glow of getting to 10-1 by beating the Gators was still fresh?

This has happened before, and over and over again. We saw the result of Kiffin-a-palooza first in Knoxville way back in 2009 – when the recently-deposed Oakland Raiders coach took Tennessee by storm by way of taking wild verbal swipes at Urban Meyer and South Carolina WR Alshon Jeffery. Predictably, the whirlwind that Kiffin kicked up only resulted in a 7-6 record that spectacularly backfired when he bolted Tennessee for USC after just a single season… leaving chaos in his wake.

The same trend happened in Los Angeles, as Kiffin went 8-5 and 10-2 in his first 2 seasons at the helm of the Trojans but then mustered only a 7-6 mark in 2012 after being the preseason No. 1 and was then fired on the tarmac in the middle of the night by USC athletic director Pat Haden just 5 games into the 2013 season.

Chaos, redux.

Kiffin became the most prominent enrollee in the Nick Saban Reclamation Project, getting hired to coordinate Alabama’s offense out of the 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust era it had lived in starting in 2014. And while Kiffin and Saban got along about as often as the Tide lost games, it didn’t take the Alabama boss long to show Kiffin the door in 2017 after he got the FAU head coaching job – and was too busy recruiting future Owls to work on the Crimson Tide’s offensive game plan for the national championship game.

Now that’s chaos at its finest, somehow figuring out a way to screw up a shot at coaching for a second-straight national title ring simply by not properly working out your 2-week notice.

Mercifully, Kiffin’s tenure at FAU came and went without a ton of hullabaloo – which probably led to Ole Miss figuring that Kiffin had matured enough for another shot in the SEC. Not quite… as his dalliance with Auburn in 2022 might have self-destructed the Rebels down the stretch to the tune of 4 losses in their final 5 games.

Which all leads up to 2025 – and peak Kiffin Chaos Theory unfolding in real time. First, Florida shows Billy Napier the door. Next, LSU bids Brian Kelly an abrupt goodbye. And finally, Kiffin’s Rebels are 10-1 with a very real shot at earning a first-round College Football Playoff bye.

That 3-pronged nexus of unlikelihood is swirling around the Mouth of the South himself like an F-5 tornado, all the while the impresario of it all is busily tweeting out daily affirmations and gleefully giving softball “interviews” to Pat McAfee this week while the SEC explodes around him.

This is a pattern, y’all. It doesn’t take multiple upper-level psychology level classes to determine that Kiffin wants this to happen – needs this to happen – to somehow feel appreciated and loved. Once? Maybe. Even twice in a career? OK, perhaps. But over and over and over again?

This will end badly in Baton Rouge and Oxford when Kiffin takes the Florida job. Or it will end badly in Gainesville and Oxford when Kiffin takes the LSU job. Or it will end badly in Baton Rouge and Gainesville when Kiffin stays at Ole Miss.

No matter what happens in the ensuing days and weeks, the only predictable outcome is that Kiffin will make 1 fanbase gleefully happy while simultaneously setting match to gasoline in 2 other football-mad locales.

Voila. Chaos theory.

Who says you can’t learn about deep topics while enjoying college football, right?  

The post Chaos Theory is in full effect again with Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin appeared first on Saturday Down South.

For this week, the bottom half of the rankings stayed the same, but we had some major shuffling towards the top of our power rankings. Texas A&M remained unbeaten in dramatic fashion. Georgia continues to own Texas. LSU and Arkansas played an entertaining slopfest.

We only have 2 weekends remaining in the regular season, but the good news is that there’s still everything left to play for. No tickets have been punched to the SEC Championship Game just yet.

So, where do all 16 SEC teams stack up entering Week 13? Let’s take a look at our updated power rankings, shall we?

16. Arkansas (2-8 overall, 0-6 in SEC)

• Previous ranking: 16
• Last week: 23-22 L at LSU
• This week: at Texas

Another week, another incredible collapse by the Arkansas Razorbacks. This team just cannot win close out games when it has a lead going into the 4th quarter. It’s almost impressive how bad the Hogs are when they have a lead in the final frame. This school needs some fresh blood. Bobby Petrino isn’t going to get the full-time job. A total overhaul is needed.

15. Auburn (4-6, 1-6)

• Previous ranking: 15
• Last week: OFF
• This week: vs. Mercer

Auburn had the week off and should take care of business against Mercer this coming weekend. The Tigers should feel like they have a good chance of winning the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium. That could end up deciding whether the Tigers go bowling this postseason or not. Expect Auburn to have plenty of motivation for that matchup, as if a major rivalry game wasn’t enough motivation.

14. South Carolina (3-7, 1-7)

• Previous ranking: 14
• Last week: 31-30 L at No. 3 Texas A&M
• This week: vs. Coastal Carolina

The Gamecocks took an incredible lead in the first half at No. 3 Texas A&M. Then… well, then South Carolina fell apart. Everything that went right in the first half went wrong in the second. How are Gamecock fans feeling about coach Shane Beamer? Social media wasn’t kind during the second half, but we’ll see what happens as South Carolina plays out the final 2 weeks of the regular season.

13. Florida (3-7, 2-5)

• Previous ranking: 13
• Last week: 34-24 L at No. 7 Ole Miss
• This week: vs. Tennessee

This has been the story all too often for Florida over the past few years — the Gators manage to compete against elite teams but can’t finish the job. Of course, that makes it all the more exciting when Florida does pull off an incredible upset, which it has on occasion in recent seasons. But the new head coach, whoever it ends up being, will be tasked with making sure the Gators are an elite team, not just a squad that can compete with the nation’s best.

12. Mississippi State (5-6, 1-6)

• Previous ranking: 12
• Last week: 49-27 L at Mizzou
• This week: OFF

The Mississippi State run defense is a problem. Like, a big problem. The Bulldogs just allowed Mizzou RB Ahmad Hardy to run for 300 yards in a lopsided loss in Columbia on Saturday. They get a week off, sure, but who awaits them in the Egg Bowl? Oh, just former Mizzou RB Kewan Lacy, who is now running wild for Ole Miss. This could get ugly.

11. Kentucky (5-5, 2-5)

• Previous ranking: 11
• Last week: 42-10 W over Tennessee Tech
• This week: at Vanderbilt

Kentucky now has a 3-game winning streak. This was a dominant win over an FCS opponent, but not just any FCS opponent. Tennessee Tech entered with a perfect 10-0 record. Kentucky didn’t even sweat in this win. The Wildcats absolutely have not given up on Mark Stoops. Now the Cats just need a win either at Vanderbilt this weekend or at Louisville during Rivalry Week to clinch bowl eligibility. Don’t count Kentucky out!

10. LSU (6-4, 3-4)

• Previous ranking: 10
• Last week: 23-22 W vs. Arkansas
• This week: vs. Western Kentucky

Needing to come from behind to beat Arkansas isn’t anything to write home about. Everyone has done it this year. This wasn’t a good sign for LSU. But the Tigers did at least clinch bowl eligibility (for whatever that’s worth). Sorry if I sound down, but the only thing worth paying attention to regarding LSU is the hunt for a new head coach.

9. Mizzou (7-3, 3-3)

• Previous ranking: 9
• Last week: 49-27 W vs. Mississippi State
• This week: at Oklahoma

As a Mizzou graduate (have I ever mentioned that fact?), it’s frustrating that it took until the Tigers suffered their third loss of the season to start feeding Ahmad Hardy again. Yeah, I think you, dear reader, could’ve rushed for 100+ yards against Mississippi State. But Hardy ran for 3x that amount, becoming only the second Tiger ever to rush for 300+ yards in a game (Devin West being the other). Feed the guy the ball!

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8. Tennessee (7-3, 3-3)

• Previous ranking: 8
• Last week: 42-9 W vs. New Mexico State
• This week: at Florida

It’s not crazy to think that, if a 3-loss team is going to make the Playoff (without winning its conference championship game like 10-3 Clemson did last year), Tennessee could be that team. The Vols lost to Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma. If the season ended today, those 3 teams would be in the Playoff. Tennessee hasn’t beaten anyone of note, but that would change if the Vols took down Vanderbilt in Week 14. I’m not sitting here and saying that Tennessee making the Playoff is likely, but if chaos were to happen, the Vols could put themselves in a good position by winning out.

7. Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2)

• Previous ranking: 6
• Last week: OFF
• This week: vs. Kentucky

Everything I just said about Tennessee also applies to Vanderbilt. The Commodores are in an even better position, as a win over rival Tennessee in the final week of the regular season would be impressive. The problem? Vanderbilt absolutely cannot overlook this Kentucky team. The Wildcats have figured some things out and are now much more dangerous than they were in the first half of the season.

6. Texas (7-3, 4-2)

• Previous ranking: 5
• Last week: 35-10 L at No. 5 Georgia
• This week: vs. Arkansas

The Texas Longhorns got spanked by Georgia, which has become a concerning trend under Steve Sarkisian. He just can’t beat Kirby Smart. The Longhorns would have a very slim chance at the Playoff with 3 losses if they manage to beat Texas A&M during Rivalry Week, but that’s obviously easier said than done. At this point, the running game and offensive line don’t give the Longhorns a chance to win big games.

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5. Alabama (8-2, 6-1)

• Previous ranking: 2
• Last week: 23-21 L vs. No. 11 Oklahoma
• This week: vs. Eastern Illinois

You can only flirt with disaster for so long before disaster flirts back. Alabama hasn’t been playing its best football lately, but has been finding ways to win regardless. Even though the Alabama offense dominated the Oklahoma offense in terms of yards, the Sooners forced the Tide into several crushing mistakes. The mistakes finally caught up with Kalen DeBoer and company.

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

• Previous ranking: 7
• Last week: 23-21 W at No. 4 Alabama
• This week: vs. Mizzou

Maybe Oklahoma should’ve just lost the first 2 games of the season like Notre Dame did. Seriously, the way the Sooners have played the last 2 outings (at Tennessee and at Alabama) with their backs against the wall has been nothing short of incredible. Now, only a pair of Tigers stand between the Sooners and the Playoff. As much as I’d love my Mizzou squad to pull off the upset in Norman, I just don’t see it happening (especially if R Mason Thomas is back from injury).

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

• Previous ranking: 4
• Last week: 34-24 W vs. Florida
• This week: OFF

I know many (myself included) were expecting the Rebels to win this game by even more. But I think this was a statement made by Lane Kiffin and company. This is the exact kind of game Ole Miss has lost in recent years. This weekend, the Rebels won. And won by multiple scores. That matters. This Ole Miss team is different. If I were a betting man (and I am), I’m now of the belief that Kiffin is staying put in Oxford.

2. Georgia (9-1, 7-1)

• Previous ranking: 3
• Last week: 35-10 W vs. No. 10 Texas
• This week: vs. Charlotte

The Georgia Bulldogs are now officially in the clubhouse in the race to the SEC title game. At 7-1, they’re in a good position to punch a ticket to Atlanta. Alabama holds the head-to-head over the Dawgs, but Georgia has the head-to-head advantage over Ole Miss. There are plenty of strength-of-record scenarios that this race could come down to. However, now it’s just about finishing off a push to the Playoff for Kirby Smart and company.

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

• Previous ranking: 1
• Last week: 31-30 W vs. South Carolina
• This week: vs. Samford

Wow. Just wow. How can you play as bad as the Aggies did in the first half and still win? Well, by playing as well as Texas A&M played in the second half, of course. We can talk about style points and struggle wins all we want, but the goal is to go 1-0 every week, and Texas A&M accomplished that in Week 12. This team is a win away (at Texas in Week 14) from its first-ever SEC Championship Game.

The post SEC Power Rankings after Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post USC AD hints at future of Notre Dame series with schedule comments appeared first on Saturday Down South.

There’s still a bit more time left on the NFL schedule, as we prepare for Week 11 (out of 18) to resume on Sunday. But fret not, DFS fans. There’s still plenty of money to be made before all is said and done!

Every week, our DFS experts — Andrew Olson and Adam Spencer — share their 3 favorite college football picks and their top 2 NFL plays from the Underdog app. Keep reading below to see who the guys like this week. But first…

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Week 12 CFB Picks

Here are our favorite college football picks on the Saturday slate:

Andrew Olson

DJ Lagway, Florida QB: Lower than 220.5 pass yards

A week after getting benched during a blowout loss at Kentucky, Lagway faces No. 7 Ole Miss in Oxford. In 6 games away from home, all Florida losses, Lagway is averaging 168.4 passing yards. The Ole Miss defense allows 156.6 passing yards on average at home.

Carson Beck, Miami QB: Higher than 21.5 completions

For all his faults, Carson Beck has high completion percentage of 72.7. Beck’s Miami Hurricanes are facing NC State in Week 12. The Wolfpack have one of the ACC’s worst passing defenses, in which opponents are throwing 37 times per game on average.

John Mateer, Oklahoma QB: Lower than 209.5 pass yards

We’re a month into Mateer’s return from injury, and the passing numbers haven’t been great. Post-injury, he logged his most attempts (31) and yards (223) at home against Ole Miss. Thanks to Oklahoma‘s quirky schedule, Mateer’s first 2 SEC road games have come during the last 3 outings. At South Carolina and at Tennessee, he posted 309 yards passing on 55 attempts. Alabama’s passing defense has been strong at home, allowing 162.2 yards per game.

Adam Spencer

Rueben Owens, Texas A&M RB: Higher than 64.5 rush yards

Texas A&M ran for over 200 yards in the second half against Mizzou last weekend. Owens himself totaled 102 yards on the ground. South Carolina isn’t nearly the defensive force that Mizzou is, so I like Owens to have 65+ yards this Saturday at home.

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana QB: Higher than 241.5 pass yards

I like the Hoosiers to easily dispatch Wisconsin at home. However, even if it turns into a blowout, Mendoza should be allowed to pad his numbers a bit for his Heisman Trophy résumé. He’s in a race with Ohio State QB Julian Sayin and others at the moment, so every yard helps.

Behren Morton, Texas Tech QB: Higher than 251.5 pass yards

Texas Tech should be able to handle UCF at home pretty easily. I expect a lot of running from the Red Raiders in the second half, but look for Morton to have a huge first half. He could reach 252 pass yards before the intermission in this one.

Week 11 NFL Picks

Here are our top NFL Sunday plays:

Andrew Olson

James Cook, Buffalo Bills RB: Higher than 79.5 rush yards

Cook only ran the ball 14 times for 53 yards in Buffalo’s surprising upset loss to the Miami Dolphins. The Bills might want to get back to feeding Cook the ball starting Sunday. There are rushing yards to be had against the Tampa Bay defense. Cook notably hasn’t gone under 80 yards rushing in back-to-back weeks all season.

Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals: Higher than 18.55 fantasy points

Chase has been on quite the hot streak as of late, going for 90 receiving yards or better in his last 5 games. Chase’s biggest game of the year came against Pittsburgh in Week 7, when he recorded 16 catches for 161 yards and 1 touchdown, worth 38.1 fantasy points. Chase gets to face the Steelers secondary again Sunday.

Adam Spencer

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills QB: Higher than 220.5 pass yards

I’ll piggyback off of Andrew’s James Cook pick. I think this could be a massive day for the Buffalo offense. The Bills need a statement win in a big way after a loss to the Dolphins last week. Give me Allen to connect on a few big plays and put up 221+ yards through the air.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks WR: Higher than 10.5 targets

I like the addition the Seahawks made at the trade deadline, grabbing Rashid Shaheed from the Saints. But JSN is still the top dog in this receiving room. I like him to draw 11+ targets from Sam Darnold in a huge NFC West battle on Sunday.

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The post DFS Picks of the Week: Our top Underdog plays for college and NFL, Nov. 15-16 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Alabama native grew up a huge fan of the 7-time Pro Bowler. Williams shared with the media on Tuesday the feedback Jones gave him before the win against the Tigers.

“Just talking a couple basic things,” Williams said. “Just to help out in routes and when the ball is in the air, nothing too serious.”

Williams finished with 3 receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown. Overall this season, Williams has recorded 36 receptions for 528 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Williams explained what aspects of the now-retired Jones’s game that he aims to emulate.

“Definitely his physicality and his mentality on each individual play,” Williams said. “He plays like its his last play every play. You could just definitely tell, like, he loves football and just continuing to have the attitude of gratitude day-in and day-out, and you just see it. Your film, you can’t wipe that away, so when you turn on his tape, you can’t miss it.”

Next up for Williams and No. 4 Alabama is a massive home game vs. No. 15 Oklahoma on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET/ABC).

The post Ryan Williams reveals best piece of advice he’s gotten from Alabama legend Julio Jones appeared first on Saturday Down South.

If you’re seeking alternative YouTube TV options for Tuesday night’s Playoff rankings, don’t. It’s not worth it. There are times when it could be worth it, but the Week 12 Playoff Poll won’t be one of them.

Maybe that’s a discouraging thing to say to you, reader of this Playoff prediction column. I don’t care. My objective is to give you the truth.

Last week, I gave you the truth by predicting that Texas and Oklahoma would round out the top 12, and that it would differ from the AP Poll. We had all 12 teams accurately predicted, just not in the perfect order with teams ranked No. 6-9. That’s fine.

This week, we’ll give you the exact top 12 so that you don’t have to watch the rankings show:

12. BYU

After a demoralizing loss to Texas Tech, I tend to think that BYU won’t fall off the face of the earth. Two-loss Vanderbilt and 1-loss Georgia Tech are teams worth watching in this spot, but BYU losing on the road to a top-10 team for its first defeat of the year will provide a bit of grace. The Cougars have that all-important Utah win in the Holy War that should be a buffer of sorts. BYU will likely be tasked with winning the final 3 regular season games, one of which includes a trip to Cincinnati, in order to get into the top 10 before a potential Texas Tech rematch in the Big 12 Championship.

11. Oklahoma

The idle Sooners won’t get a drastic shakeup. They still have 2 wins against teams ranked in the current AP Top 25 and 2 losses against teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll. That’s a combination for minimal variance. Beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa to hand the Tide their first conference loss of the season would change that conversation. For now, though, OU will stay locked in just outside the top 10.

10. Texas

Last week’s ranking of Texas over Oklahoma confirmed that the selection committee values head-to-head when it’s convenient. It’s convenient with Texas, who beat Oklahoma convincingly on a neutral site and has that Vandy win. Both of those victories are better than Oklahoma’s, and I’d argue they’re better than any win that Notre Dame has on its résumé. But with the selection committee putting the Irish as the top 2-loss team based on the response after those “quality losses” to start the season, it’s safe to say that’s not changing.

9. Notre Dame

Eight consecutive wins has given Notre Dame the benefit of the doubt in the eyes of the selection committee. Whether that’s justified isn’t up to me. If it were, I would point out that the Power Conference foes that Notre Dame beat are a combined 7-21 in conference play. Again, I’m not in charge of pointing that out, nor am I in charge of pointing out that Notre Dame’s 2 wins away from South Bend came against teams that are a combined 3-16 overall. If I were in charge of that, I wouldn’t have the Irish as the top-ranked 2-loss team.

8. Oregon

Winning at Iowa is no small feat, especially with how nasty those conditions were. That was a hard-fought win against a 6-win team who has, oddly enough, turned into the best thing on Oregon’s résumé. As it stands, though, the Ducks now lack a win against a team that’s in the current AP Top 25. The irony is that beating a ranked Iowa team knocked the Hawkeyes team out of the Top 25. Oregon is still set up well to get an at-large bid, but that first ranking suggested the selection committee isn’t necessarily sold on the body of work because of how that Penn State win aged.

7. Texas Tech

You could argue that blowing out BYU should have Texas Tech even higher than No. 7. Simply taking the Cougars’ spot might not seem significant, but there’s something else worth monitoring with Tech and BYU. If both teams are going into the Big 12 title game with 1 loss and it’s a grudge match, that sets up a likely scenario in which both teams are in. That’s based on last year’s SMU precedent. Even if the Red Raiders are still outside of the top 5-6, that’s a nice silver lining that didn’t feel as likely before the first ranking.

6. Ole Miss

If you’re upset that I’ve got Ole Miss here instead of Texas Tech, remember this. Whatever gap that existed a week ago has narrowed by virtue of Ole Miss facing The Citadel and Tech blowing out a Top 25 team for the second time. And while “quality losses” are a bit overrated, I do wonder if the selection committee will value Ole Miss losing on the road to top-5 Georgia after blowing a 9-point 4th quarter lead is less of a knock than losing to unranked Arizona State, albeit without Behren Morton. It won’t be surprising if Ole Miss gets leapfrogged, but for now, it’s 1 spot ahead of the surging Red Raiders.

5. Georgia

Georgia being sandwiched between Alabama and Ole Miss makes sense considering that’s where you’ll find the Dawgs’ lone loss and best win. Beating Mississippi State like a drum won’t necessarily help the résumé in a significant way, but it will push back on the trend of playing in nail-biters in SEC play. The good news for Georgia is that it likely still has a loss to give. The bad news is that it has a pair of legitimate contenders (Texas and Georgia Tech) still on the schedule, which means nothing is guaranteed.

4. Alabama

Alabama and Louisville are the only teams with 3 wins vs. AP Top 25 squads, which is why the Tide have overcome that horrific loss to Florida State. As we outlined with Notre Dame, winning 8 in a row packs some punch. There’s a level of consistency that the selection committee valued by putting the Tide as the top-ranked 1-loss team. That’ll still be the case after making sure LSU didn’t feed off interim coach energy in Tuscaloosa.

3. Texas A&M

The selection committee told us last week that Texas A&M‘s win at Notre Dame wasn’t quite as good as Indiana’s win at Oregon. That’s fine for the Aggies. They’re still in ideal position at No. 3 after drubbing Mizzou to knock the Tigers out of the AP Top 25. Sure, Mizzou had a true freshman quarterback in his first career start. A&M also racked up 220 second-half rushing yards against a top-15 run defense on the road. The Aggies are 4-0 in true road games and worthy of being in the conversation for the No. 2 spot, but it’s hard to envision the selection committee reversing course after last week’s initial ranking.

2. Indiana

As IU was facing its first defeat of the season against Penn State with an interim coach, you already saw some of those 2024 narratives resurface. Poke holes in the depth of the résumé, if you will, but that win at Oregon got even better with the Ducks winning at Iowa. Indiana likely won’t be moved off that No. 2 line unless it falters before the Big Ten Championship, though if A&M beats Texas in Austin to get to 12-0, those conversations will be had. Until then, the Hoosiers aren’t going anywhere.

1. Ohio State

Let’s not diminish what Ohio State has done. That Texas win has come all the way back around, and while beating Washington and Illinois on the road in convincing fashion won’t necessarily count as wins vs. the current Top 25, that still added some depth to the résumé. Texas remains the only team to keep it within 17 points against Ohio State, which is why the Buckeyes aren’t in jeopardy of losing that top spot if they win out.

The post Predicting the top 12 of the second Playoff Poll of 2025 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The energy was very high in the Lone Star state in anticipation for this high-octane Big 12 showdown between the top 2 teams in the conference, and Pat McAfee was feeding off that energy from the crowd all morning long.

In classic Pat McAfee fashion, the GameDay host capped off the show by delivering one of the most electric picks of the year for the Texas Tech-BYU game that fired up the crowd inside Jones AT&T Stadium right before kickoff.

“If you step foot in this town one time, you say to yourself, ‘this is a football God’s dream’, and this is God’s country,” McAfee said. “This is the Texas Tech Red Raiders’ time, and I’m rolling with the Texas Tech Red Raiders,” McAfee said, standing up on his chair and ringing a massive cowbell next to Red Raiders’ legend Patrick Mahomes.

This perfectly illustrates McAfee’s elite ability to play into the crowd, and also shows why he’s become such a fan favorite since joining the GameDay crew back in 2022.

The post Pat McAfee gives electric pick for BYU-Texas Tech game to close out College GameDay appeared first on Saturday Down South.

With each clutch throw that Simpson makes in his first season as Alabama‘s QB1, surely there are NFL folks taking note. He checks a ton of boxes. The physical measureables are there at 6-2, 208 pounds, he’s the son of a head coach (and it shows), he’s been the driving force of an offense that lacks an elite ground game, he became the first SEC quarterback to ever beat 4 consecutive AP Top 25 foes without any extra rest and he’s shown he can make every throw on the field, though the intermediate passing game (10-19 yards) is where he’s been at his best with a 130.4 NFL quarterback rating.

(Literally as I was writing this, I went to PFF to look up those advanced stats and saw that Simpson was on the home page going No. 1 overall in Trevor Sikkema’s post-trade deadline mock draft.)

Simpson has been even better than the most optimistic preseason projection, which is why he’s among the current Heisman Trophy favorites heading into the second weekend of November. For some, the notion of an Alabama quarterback being “must watch” doesn’t make sense considering that Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe all finished in the top 6 of the Heisman (Hurts finished No. 2 after he transferred to Oklahoma in 2019).

But Simpson is indeed must watch for a variety of reasons. His emerging greatness needs to be appreciated by those who love watching a modern passing attack like the one Ryan Grubb and Kalen DeBoer are running at Alabama. Simpson should also be appreciated by college football purists who love watching a guy stay at the same school and wait behind multiple quarterbacks while enduring a head coaching change.

A question lingers, though. It’s the one I can’t help but wonder about.

Is Simpson going to be the exception to the new unwritten rule about avoiding 1-year starters in the first round in the NFL Draft?

And if not, would coming back to school with an inevitably large price tag make sense?

We’re not here today to make that decision for Simpson. He’s proven that he doesn’t need any help at making decisions in high-pressure situations. In fact, that very element could be the thing that allows him to overcome the “1-year starter” knock that’ll loom with those NFL Draft discussions.

Just in case you haven’t been following this trend, take a look at the first-round quarterbacks selected in the last decade who were only 1-year starters in college:

• Mitch Trubisky, 2017
• Kyler Murray, 2019
• Dwayne Haskins, 2019
• Trey Lance, 2021
• Mac Jones, 2021
• Anthony Richardson, 2023

That’s not exactly an inviting group. Murray is the only one of that group who got a second contract with the team who drafted him, and most recently, there’s speculation that Murray was given a soft benching in favor of Jacoby Brissett.

None of those 6 guys attempted 600 passes at the college level. Simpson likely won’t hit 600 college pass attempts unless he returns for Year 5 — he’d need to average 36 passes for the rest of the season if it included 16 games — which would be his last year of eligibility. And sure, while there were guys in that group like Trubisky, Murray and Jones who waited until Year 4 of college to become starters, this is about meaningful reps.

But what’s unique about Simpson as a first-year starter is that he’s already gotten a ton of meaningful reps in high-leverage situations.

• Leading by 1-7 points: 54-for-81 (66.7%), 679 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs, 157.5 QB rating
• Tied: 41-for-54 (75.9%), 478 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT, 177.1 QB rating
• Trailing by 1-7 points: 16-for-23 (69.6%), 222 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 193.7 QB rating
• Total: 111-for-158 (70.2%), 1,379 yards (8.7 yards/attempt), 13 TDs, 1 INT

That’s 158 pass attempts when the scoring margin is 7 points or less. Just for a little perspective, Richardson had 184 such passing attempts in his lone full season as QB1, and Jones had 189 such passing attempts during that entire 13-game season he had as Alabama’s QB1. For all we know, Simpson will have both of those numbers surpassed by game’s end on Saturday against LSU, and he’ll finish with a number closer to the late Haskins, who had 323 such attempts as QB1 in 2018.

Whatever draft discussion exists with Simpson should factor something like that into the equation. Let’s also remember that Simpson could end up starting in 16-17 games this season. That’s closer to 1.5 seasons. Shoot, Simpson could wind up facing 8-9 AP Top 25 finishers if Alabama makes a run to the College Football Playoff National Championship. That’d be as many as Lance (0), Trubisky (4) and Haskins (4) combined. Of course, one could argue Josh Allen faced 2 AP Top 25 finishers in his entire college career and life turned out just fine for him.

It’ll be in the eye of the beholder with Simpson. He’ll undoubtedly receive some sort of draft feedback in December or January. Perhaps the 1-year starter element and his 86 drop-backs under pressure (No. 10 in SEC) will create at least some slight skepticism from the next level that’ll have some wondering if a nice payday to return to Alabama makes more sense. Of course, if Simpson does that, he’d have to consider the college-level trend that’s taken shape in the NIL era.

Being a decorated returning QB hasn’t exactly gone well in this era of college football

It wasn’t long ago that Simpson saw what that was like with Milroe. Granted, that included a significant scheme/coaching change. Simpson, in theory, wouldn’t have to worry about that. Then again, neither did Garrett Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik or Drew Allar, all of whom were draft-eligible quarterbacks who returned to school and have since hurt their respective NFL Draft stocks with disappointing 2025 seasons. Go ask 2024 Carson Beck or 2024 Quinn Ewers about that, too.

Any world in which Simpson returns would include an overwhelming amount of hype/NIL opportunities/preseason accolades. Managing that — even for a coach’s son who seemingly says and does all the right things — could still prove to be a challenge.

It’s the other side of the coin that needs to be remembered when anyone suggests that Simpson returning to school and getting $4 million is the “safe” decision. There’s risk in that, too, especially for someone who doesn’t have the luxury that a post-2024 Beck had with another year of eligibility.

To Simpson’s credit, he’s done a masterful job of assessing risk and making plays in meaningful moments. It’s not just that he has the 20-1 TD-INT ratio. PFF has him for turnover-worthy plays on just 2.2% of his drop-backs, which ranks No. 2 in the SEC and No. 13 among Power Conference quarterbacks (min. 150 drop-backs). You could say the degree of difficulty lessens with a receiver room as talented as Alabama’s, but watch him and you’ll realize that he’s not just benefitting from favorable passing-game surroundings; he’s making that offense go.

Add it all up and these are a fascinating couple of months ahead for Simpson. Who knows what it entails both with college and NFL Draft accolades? Lord knows someone who has 8 career college starts is hardly a finished product. Simpson would be the first person to tell you that. His self-criticism has felt like a chip off the old Nick Saban block, but amid his emergence is a prevailing thought.

He’s absolutely earned the right to have all eyes on him.

The post As we appreciate Ty Simpson’s emerging greatness, a deeper NFL Draft question lingers appeared first on Saturday Down South.

That’s what it looks like in Tuscaloosa right now, with Alabama reeling off 7 straight wins, 4 of them over ranked teams, and that’s what it looks like to the college football world outside T-Town. It’s been a remarkable 2-month transformation from that terrible afternoon in Tallahassee. The tide has turned in 2025 because the Tide have turned serious doubt into a newfound belief that glory can be achieved without Nick Saban being on the sideline.

There is a feeling that’s building around this team as its 2nd bye fades and the LSU game draws closer. Even when Alabama played down to its competition a few weeks ago in that escape act at South Carolina, it woke up in time with a flurry of magic reserved only for those special teams that know they can go far.

Bama wants to go to Atlanta. It also wants to go back to the Playoff after a 1-year hiatus. If the regular season ended right now, the 4th-ranked team in the country would absolutely be Playoff-bound. But it doesn’t. There’s still a month’s worth of land mines left on that path to the Playoff and that includes hurting rivals who want to ruin what Kalen DeBoer has built in Year 2. 

Can Alabama survive its arduous stretch run? Sure it can, but it’ll need to check these 5 boxes to punch that Playoff ticket: 

1. Beware of reeling rivals with interim head coaches

When you have as much at stake as Alabama will over the next month, you can’t afford to leave anything to chance. It doesn’t matter who’s on the other sideline. But when there are old, bitter rivals on that other sideline, rivals who are down and hurting with recently fired head coaches, that’s a big reason to be at attention and on point. It can’t be any other way for the Tide when they host LSU this Saturday night and play at Auburn on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Yes, the 2 tradition-rich programs with the Tigers nickname are a combined 3-8 in the SEC, which is why they are now being led by interim head coaches in early November. So, what is there to worry about for Bama? Well, everything, because of that old adage that a wounded animal, Tigers in this case, is the most dangerous animal. The players on both of those rosters are feeling badly right now, pondering their futures, with some certainly ready to hit the transfer portal for the 2026 season.

But you know what else they are? They’re super motivated and maybe a little (or a lot) angry, and they want to show their interim coaches that what led to those firings isn’t acceptable. For LSU, it’s Frank Wilson. For Auburn, it’s DJ Durkin. Those players, at least for now, are their players, and they’ll want very badly to attach something special to an otherwise forgettable fall. That something special would be knocking off Alabama and at least putting a dent in their hated rival’s Playoff plans.

Wilson and Durkin also have a golden opportunity right now to prove themselves again as head coaches. Wilson has only been a head coach at UTSA and McNeese State, going a combined 26-40. Durkin went 10-15 in 2 seasons at Maryland, and he actually has done this interim routine before and in the SEC, coaching Florida to a win in the Birmingham Bowl at the end of the 2014 season after Will Muschamp stepped down. Those Gators rallied around Durkin and these Auburn players can surely do the same on Nov. 29 against Alabama.

Both interim coaches will be gunning for the Tide this month. So will their players. Their seasons have already been lost, so what more is there to lose? For Alabama, there is everything to lose. That’s a really dangerous combination. It’s something Kalen DeBoer and his players are going to have to navigate if they want to make it back to Atlanta and the College Football Playoff.

2. Beware of a rested team that just won in Knoxville

Bama’s other remaining SEC opponent besides LSU and Auburn will be a ranked, high-octane Oklahoma team that will arrive in T-Town on Nov. 15 fresh off a bye and a season-saving victory at Tennessee the week before. If the 2 downtrodden but dangerous Tigers teams at LSU and Auburn weren’t enough to worry about, the Sooners will provide plenty of more concern in Week 12.

Unlike LSU and Auburn, Oklahoma is still very much in Playoff contention itself. The Sooners were 12th in the first CFP rankings that were released on Tuesday night, and when they visit Alabama they’ll be really rested and really sky-high after that primetime victory at Neyland Stadium that saved them from that dreaded 3rd loss. Oklahoma just prevailed in a hostile environment, so it won’t be intimidated in the slightest in another hostile environment 2 weeks later. 

Bama will have its hands full with John Mateer healthy again and back at the helm of an offense that can put up points with the best of them. The Sooners know that if they can duplicate what they did in Knoxville and win in Tuscaloosa, they’ll suddenly be in prime position to earn a Playoff berth. They have Mizzou and LSU at home to end the regular season, which will be hard but doable. They’ll be favored in both games. 

They won’t be favored against Alabama, but they ruined the Tide’s Playoff hopes last November in Norman and they’d just love to beat Kalen DeBoer again. Of course, this has proven to be a different Bama team in 2025, new starting quarterback and all, but there are a lot of players on this team who were there last year and remember the embarrassment of that loss. This Tide team will need to cross another threshold a week from Saturday by ruining Oklahoma’s Playoff hopes this time. 

3. Don’t assume the job’s done just by getting to Atlanta

This is where it gets tricky, or it would get tricky if the Tide take care of business this month and earn a spot in the SEC Championship Game. There were rumblings last year when Championship Weekend arrived with the first 12-team Playoff format on deck. What if a prospective Playoff team lost in its conference title game? Should that loss count against them or should it be largely ignored, because it’s an extra game tacked onto the regular season that’s earned by great play over the course of 3 months?

If Alabama loses a game in November and still sneaks into the SEC title game through a tiebreaker, then it’s probably asking for trouble if it then loses in Atlanta. But let’s assume Bama runs the table and finishes 11-1. If a 1-loss Tide team loses the SEC title game after winning 11 in a row, then things could still get dicey on Selection Sunday. That’s why Kalen DeBoer’s team must check this box, too — just go ahead and win in Atlanta, raise that SEC trophy and guarantee that you’re going to the Playoff.

An 11-1 Tide team can’t get to the SEC title game and assume they’re already Playoff-bound just because they’ve reeled off 11 straight wins and went 8-0 in conference play. Yes, you can point to Texas last year and say there would be wiggle room for Bama even with a loss in Atlanta, because the 2024 Longhorns lost the SEC title game in overtime to Georgia yet still got into the Playoff as a 2-loss team and made it all the way to the semifinals.

That’s all comforting but that was last year. Too many other things can happen on Championship Weekend, and maybe the loser in Atlanta doesn’t get in this time around. That’s why Alabama has to do what Alabama has usually done in recent years when it gets to the SEC title game — win. Then it can enjoy that first-round Playoff bye as a reward without sweating it out on Selection Sunday.

4. Feed Jam Miller more because he matters that much

Winning 11 in a row, then winning an SEC title and being a Playoff team is almost impossible to pull off without much of a running game. Yet here Alabama is, sitting at 7-1 and on the verge of doing just that with its leading rusher barely cracking the 300-yard mark. Yes, Jam Miller missed the first 3 games of the season but he’s only averaging 3.8 yards per carry this year and he’s only scored 2 touchdowns.

It’s been a grind for Miller, to say the least, but he’s shown flashes this year, running for 136 yards against Vanderbilt and 85 the following week against Mizzou. Miller’s still got it in him, and that’s why he needs to keep getting chances to put it on display again down the stretch and, just maybe, in the Playoff. 

The 12 carries against Tennessee and the 10 carries against South Carolina aren’t enough. Miller got 22 carries in the Vanderbilt game and 20 in the Mizzou game, and everybody saw what the results were. At some point in the next month, you would think anyway, the Tide are going to need something substantial from Miller to get where they want to go.

5. The defense can’t rest — it’s come too far

While a lot of the focus and praise for the Tide’s turnaround has centered on Heisman contender Ty Simpson, first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and the emergence of Germie Bernard, quietly the Bama defense has stood tall over the past 2 months. Since getting shredded for 31 points and 230 yards rushing in the loss at Florida State, Kane Wommack’s unit has calmed down and settled in nicely.

Sure, Bama’s D has bent a little, but it hasn’t broken. The Tide haven’t allowed more than 24 points in a game since, which means Simpson and the offense haven’t been asked to outscore anyone during this 7-game winning streak. 

There have been huge plays at just the right moments, like Zabien Brown’s 99-yard pick-6 against Tennessee, DaShawn Jones’ pick-6 against South Carolina and Deontae Lawson’s strip late in that same game. Those season-turning plays combined with the overall consistency has gotten Bama to the precipice of the Playoff. That same formula needs to continue for another month.

The post The 5 boxes Alabama must check to punch its Playoff ticket appeared first on Saturday Down South.

There wasn’t a great deal of drama, at least judging from social media and even the reaction of ESPN’s own Greg McElroy. The only cause for frustration was the ESPN app’s video feed going out in the middle of the rankings show.

As far as the top 3, it was expected to be made up of Ohio State, Indiana, and Texas A&M. In fact, the Buckeyes were No. 1, followed by the Hoosiers and the Aggies.

So why were the Aggies placed No. 3 in the initial rankings?

“We felt like Ohio State and Indiana were close, when you look at the statistical data. We felt Ohio State was a little bit better on the offensive line and defensively,” Rhoades said, according to TexAgs. “When we included A&M as part of the discussion, we felt like the separator there was the defense.”

Looking ahead to Texas A&M’s schedule, it has Mizzou, South Carolina, Samford, and Texas coming up. While it’s No. 3 in the rankings, the prime objective now is to run the table and make as strong a case for itself as it can while doing so.

The post CFP chair gives honest answer for why Texas A&M is behind Ohio State, Indiana appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Naturally, most of the commotion about the uniform came from Tennessee fans, who believe it’s the “best black uniform in the game.” However, folks on Rocky Top aren’t the only ones swooning over the look. Many non-Volunteer supporters revealed they loved the garb.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Former ESPN analyst David Pollack, a Georgia alum, also spoke glowingly about Tennessee’s uniform. He pointed out that the whole primetime window — Ole Miss in Gray camouflage, Nebraska in black tops and pants with a white helmet and Tennessee’s “Dark Mode” — featured tremendous alternate combinations.

Tennessee is looking for a second consecutive win over Oklahoma on Saturday night.

The post Tennessee’s ‘Dark Mode’ uniforms earn rave reviews from college football fans appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The only time it didn’t come this year was against Alabama, though that’s debatable because Georgia had a true freshman receiver drop what would’ve been a go-ahead touchdown pass that would’ve erased a 14-point deficit. That doesn’t make that loss any easier to stomach, but it’s a reminder that when this team needs to dial up that all-important play, it’s somehow always there.

On Saturday in Jacksonville, you could see it coming from a mile away. Once a banged-up Georgia defense shut down a 4th-down attempt by Florida, erasing that 3-point deficit became inevitable. Never mind the fact that the Dawgs had barely possessed the ball in the second half. Up until Chauncey Bowens got a carry at the Florida 36-yard line, UGA had just 9 carries for 1 yard in the second half.

And right on time, Georgia did a Georgia thing. The UGA offensive line cleared a bath for Bowens to cut back, and he delivered a 36-yard dagger right through the hearts of Florida fans.

Sure, Georgia needed another favorable ruling on a controversial deep pass to an inexplicably wide-open J. Michael Sturdivant to hold on and avoid a go-ahead touchdown drive for Florida, but would you expect anything less?

This is Georgia. That is, the team who hasn’t led at the break in 5 of 6 SEC games, yet has won 5 of 6 SEC games. Make that 3 4th-quarter comebacks for the Dawgs.

No big deal. Even Gunner Stockton’s game-sealing run — wherein he took a knee before scoring the walk-in touchdown that would’ve cashed Georgia -7.5 tickets — was no big deal.

Call it poise, call it casual, call it whatever — Georgia is winning the way SEC games have to be won now

It didn’t matter that this was a Florida team who was in its first game with an interim coach (Billy Gonzales) who had a first-time play-caller in Ryan O’Hara. The Gators showed up like a team with nothing to lose. It was easy to forget that the Gators hadn’t beaten a ranked Power Conference foe away from home since the 2020 Cocktail Party. And it was also easy to forget that Georgia hadn’t lost to an unranked team since the 2019 South Carolina debacle.

Shoot, it’s been easy to forget that this season. We all saw the Auburn game. Georgia basically arrived to Jordan-Hare Stadium once officials made the polarizing call that Jackson Arnold didn’t cross the plane in a 10-0 game. This team is still feeding off that energy.

Would it be nice if Georgia could put its foot on the gas and play a 60-minute game against a non-Kentucky SEC team? Sure. You know what’s a nice thing to have in your back pocket come Playoff time? A coach with multiple rings and a team that won’t panic down a score or 2 in the second half.

Florida’s aforementioned chance to make it a 2-score game came on that 4th-down run in a 20-17 game. A conversion there and Florida is either looking at a 23-17 lead or a 27-17 lead with just under 8 minutes to play. Georgia got that key stuff from Raylen Wilson and true freshman Elijah Griffin, but at this point, the question is worth asking — are we sure Georgia wouldn’t have found a way even if it didn’t get that 4th-down stop?

That’s where we’re at.

Imperfect, Georgia is not. It feels different than an imperfect Georgia team that won last year’s SEC Championship Game. Time will tell how that race will shake out. UGA lost control of its destiny when it lost to Alabama and ended the nation’s longest home win streak.

But much like Ohio State last year, Georgia can do the thing that plucky Playoff underdogs fear. The Dawgs can be the ridiculously talented team who makes the field without having played its best football yet.

All the ingredients are there, even if it’s not the prevailing takeaway from a 4-point win against a 3-win Florida squad. Times have changed. So has Georgia. It has morphed into a team who can trust its quarterback in late-game situations, and know that its defense won’t break. What more do you want in this era of college football?

On Halloween weekend, Georgia once again did its best Michael Myers imitation. It’s becoming one of the scariest sights in America to see Georgia in the second half. Perhaps another Alabama will come along and stand up to the haunting villain that the Dawgs have become among SEC fans.

But I wouldn’t set my watch to that.

The post Is Georgia playing with fire? Maybe, but this elite resiliency is impossible to ignore appeared first on Saturday Down South.

This week we take a look at the Tennessee/Oklahoma game. These 2 teams first played in the 1939 Orange Bowl, a 17-0 Tennessee victory. But over the last 86 years there is a very limited history between the Vols and Sooners, with a total of only 5 previous meetings. In 2015, future Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield led Oklahoma to a furious comeback and a 31-24 double OT win over Tennessee. That game is still on the short list for sustained noise at Neyland Stadium. It was 4 hours of absolute bedlam.

Fast-forwarding to the present day, Saturday evening has the potential to also be unhinged. Tennessee gets its first and only home night game of the season at Neyland, and it’ll break out the black “Dark Mode” jerseys. Throw in a very long day of tailgating and just to be safe, and security better be on the lookout for golf balls and mustard bottles.

The stakes are pretty high. Following Tennessee’s blowout win at Kentucky and Oklahoma’s home loss to Ole Miss, both the Vols and Sooners sit at 6-2. The winner of this game still has Playoff hopes. The loser of this game is all but eliminated from Playoff consideration.

Last weekend, Tennessee’s offense got its swerve back following a disappointing performance at Alabama. The Vols gained 504 yards, QB Joey Aguilar threw for 396 of those, and 3 UT pass catchers (Chris Brazzell, Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley) each collected over 100 receiving yards themselves. UT decided to take a knee in the UK red zone in the final 2 minutes, otherwise they probably crack the 60-point mark. The Vols’ offense is more than capable of keeping it in every game the rest of the way.

Tennessee’s defense? Well, that’s a concern. Yes, Edrees Farooq had a pick-6, and a Jadon Perlotte fumble recovery deep in UK territory led to another Vols TD, but giving up 34 points to one of the worst offenses in the SEC is troubling. Tennessee’s defensive backfield is still ravaged by injuries, and it shows. The Vols hope to have leading tackler Arion Carter back for Oklahoma after the junior LB wasn’t able to go against Kentucky.

Oklahoma’s strength lies in its defense, but that group looked shaky against Ole Miss. The Sooners’ defense is allowing less than 10 points per game, but gave up 34 against the Rebels. The 413 yards OU surrendered was more than double its season average. Was that game an aberration? Well, we will know more this weekend as one of the best defenses in the country matches wits with one of the best offenses in the FBS.

But what about Oklahoma’s offense? Can they keep pace with Tennessee’s? QB John Mateer had surgery on this hand a month ago, and has yet to return to form. Against Ole Miss, he completed 17 of his 31 passes for 223 yards, missing open receivers multiple times. Making matters worse, this is an Oklahoma team that does not run the football well. The Sooners are averaging only 130.1 rushing yards per game, placing them in a tie for 99th in the FBS. This is all music to the ears of Tennessee’s defense.

The Vols are a very tough team to beat at Neyland Stadium. Since late November 2021, Tennessee is 23-2 in Knoxville, and those 2 losses were to SEC and national powerhouse Georgia. They might struggle (much of the time) on the road, but Josh Heupel’s group feeds off the home crowd energy.

Speaking of Heupel, much like last season’s win in Norman, a victory on Saturday night would mean everything to him. Heupel was OU’s star QB in 2000, the last time the Sooners won the national title. His firing in 2014 after serving as an Oklahoma assistant coach for a decade has been well-documented, and left some scars.

Team momentum, personal motivation, game location… don’t overthink this result.

Fearless Prediction: Tennessee 31, Oklahoma 20

The post Fearless Prediction: Tennessee vs. Oklahoma appeared first on Saturday Down South.

More than any other section of the country, we southerners still live off the land. We hunt and fish for food, not just sport. We have miles and miles of fertile farmland where we grow cotton we do not wear and raise tobacco we do not smoke. We grow timber and mold furniture we do not use. It’s not the most forgiving place economically, but it’s the economy we know.

Change comes slowly, often with bitter, violent resistance. Sometimes that resistance makes no sense and has no moral defense.

But the South is also beautiful, brimming with hard-working people who fill houses of worship on Sundays and live with compassion and decency Monday through Friday. Southerners are rarely hesitant to share a meal or help a neighbor in need.

Despite compulsive and constant upheaval, change and the slow fight for it has also resulted in triumph.

The South has delivered a city, Atlanta, with more new wealth (mostly Black) than any other city in the country. The South is the birthplace of some of the country’s greatest art and much of the country’s best music.

The South is also home to the best football.

This isn’t up for debate, no matter what the heathens from the B1G say thanks to their 2-consecutive national championships, which I am told somehow makes them experts on winning, even though the SEC has won more than half the college football titles since 2005.

No matter how slow we talk down South, we all agree — across racial, political, religious, and class lines — that the best football happens in the SEC. We’ve had that belief since Paul Finebaum played in our living rooms while we were infants, and if you disagree well, you are welcome to explain to us how Michigan, Ohio State, Miami, Clemson, or Oregon would fare over the rigors of an 8-game SEC schedule.

We might feel a little twinge of cringe when someone calls the Finebaum show or tweets at the SDS Pod and argues that it’s tougher to win a SEC Championship than a national championship, but what we don’t say, at least out loud, is that there’s a part of us that agrees with that caller.

We’re a little whack-a-doodle down here in the SEC, and we know it.

And the one change we’ll always make quickly is football coach.

Despite Tim Brando’s protestations, Florida’s fanbase was hardly toxic in wanting their administration to dismiss Billy Napier, who was finally fired earlier this month after going 22-23 in just over 3 seasons at Florida, the worst mark for a Gators coach since World War II.

LSU?

Well, outsiders might view their fanbase as crazy for dismissing a coach who went 34-14 and coached the program’s third Heisman winner just 2 seasons ago. But when you know it isn’t working, you just know, okay?

Alabama?

The fans were about to fire Kalen DeBoer again last weekend, at least on Finebaum on Monday. Then Deontae Lawson made the play of the season for the Crimson Tide and Alabama left Columbia, South Carolina, with a 29-22 win. DeBoer is back to being the frontrunner for SEC Coach of the Year.

Kentucky?

Basketball season starts November 3.

Texas?

Steve Sarkisian’s offense isn’t working, Arch Manning is in concussion protocol, and a season that began at No. 1 feels on the brink. Naturally, Sarkisian may be seeking a parachute to the NFL.

Auburn?

Hugh Freeze staved off the executioner with a narrow win over Arkansas.

But in a world where Vanderbilt is a power and College GameDay was in Nashville for a Vandy-Mizzou game in October, is any coach not named Kirby Smart, Lane Kiffin, Clark Lea, or Eli Drinkwitz truly safe?

The season of perpetual discontent in the conference of constant coaching turnover has produced the closest “List” race since we started the Greatest List in College Football way back in the year of Burrow, 2019.

With 3 quarterbacks on this week’s list (the most since Week 1), it’s increasingly possible that a player at the most important position in sports will top the list for the 4th time.

It’s also possible that a defender joins Georgia’s Nakobe Dean (2021) as “List” Champion, or that Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson has a short-lived reign as the only running back to conquer the rankings.

What’s clear is nothing is decided, and we’re about to play November football. Talk about turmoil!

Last week’s “List” is here.

As always, we start with Honorable Mentions, limited to 2 per program.

Honorable Mention: Alabama:  Deontae Lawson, LB; Kadyn Proctor, OT. Auburn: Xavier Atkins, LB; Alex McPherson, K. Arkansas: Mike Washington, RB. Florida: Jadan Baugh, RB; Myles Graham, LB. Georgia: Drew Bobo, C; Ellis Robinson IV, DB. Kentucky: Alex Afari Jr., LB. LSU: Mansoor Delane, CB; AJ Haulcy, S. Mississippi State: Brenen Thompson, WR; Brylan Lanier, DB. Missouri: Chris McClellan, DT; Keagan Trost, OT. Oklahoma: Kip Lewis, LB; R Mason Thomas, DE. Ole Miss: Kewan Lacy, RB; Diego Pounds, OT. South Carolina: Dylan Stewart, Edge; Vicari Swain, PR/DB. Tennessee: Joey Aguilar, QB; Lance Heard, OT. Texas: Colin Simmons, Edge; Michael Taaffe, S. Texas A&M: Mario Craver, WR; Marcel Reed, QB. Vanderbilt: Langston Patterson, LB; Eli Stowers, TE.

10. CJ Allen, LB (Georgia)

Kirby Smart’s best player is Allen, who ranks 8th in the SEC in tackles with 56, has 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and the SEC’s best tackle rate (94%) of players who have played over 200 snaps this season. This isn’t Georgia’s best defense in the Smart era — far from it — but Allen has provided leadership and stability to the group as Gunner Stockton continues to improve. A deserved spot on “The List” as the Dawgs head to the Cocktail Party.

9. CJ Heard, S (Vanderbilt)

Heard made the play of the season for Vanderbilt, forcing and recovering this fumble with Mizzou driving in a tie game late in the fourth quarter on Saturday.

The Commodores scored on the next possession and held on to win, 17-10. On the year, Heard has 43 tackles, a sack, an interception, and a fumble recovery. A freshman All-American at FAU, Heard is now making good on his promise at Vanderbilt, leading what is quietly one of the nation’s best secondaries with big plays and excellent coverage (Heard has allowed just 2 explosive pass plays in coverage this season).

8. Chris Brazzell II, WR (Tennessee)

Welcome back to “The List”, Chris Brazzell II. The Volunteers wide receiver went nuts against Kentucky, posting 138 yards receiving and a touchdown in Tennessee’s 56-34 rivalry game win.

Brazzell II leads the SEC in receiving yards (740) and touchdowns (8) while ranking 5th in receptions (43). His explosiveness is a huge reason the Volunteers lead the SEC in total offense and success rate offensively.

7. Ahmad Hardy, RB (Missouri)

The SEC’s leading rusher ran for 97 yards against Vanderbilt, leaving open the question of why Eli Drinkwitz didn’t feed the big fellow more in Missouri’s 17-10 loss on Saturday afternoon. Hardy has 937 yards rushing this season — good for second nationally — but he’s eclipsed 100 yards just once in SEC play and failed to score a touchdown for the second time in 3 games. With freshman quarterback Matt Zollers now the starter in CoMo, it may get worse before it gets better for the Tigers’ star.

6. Trey Zuhn III, OT (Texas A&M)

Zuhn III continues to have a stellar season protecting Marcel Reed’s blind side. Zuhn III graded out at 87.2 as a pass blocker in Texas A&M’s Brian Kelly tenure-ending rout of LSU, surrendering 0 pressures against what had been one of the nation’s best defenses entering the evening. On the season, Zuhn III has allowed just 4 pressures, second-fewest among SEC linemen (Missouri’s Keagan Trost). That’s been vital for the unbeaten Aggies, who rank 21st nationally in total offense and 20th in success rate.

5. Diego Pavia, QB (Vanderbilt)

It wasn’t Pavia’s best day on Saturday against Missouri, but when the Commodores needed a drive to keep their College Football Playoff dreams alive, Pavia answered the bell, capping a 12-play game-winning touchdown drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to keep Vanderbilt in the top 10 and win the biggest game played at FirstBank Stadium this century. Pavia is the only player in the SEC who leads his team in both passing yards and rushing yards and he’s accounted for 20 touchdowns this season.

4. Trinidad Chambliss, QB (Ole Miss)

One of the stories of the year in college football, Chambliss, who transferred from tiny Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, was sensational in the Rebels’ thrilling 34-26 win at Oklahoma last weekend. Chambliss threw for 315 yards and a touchdown and ran for 53 more yards, helping the Rebels carve up one of the nation’s best defenses to the tune of 431 total yards at nearly 5 yards per play (a season high against Oklahoma in 2025).

Chambliss has now thrown for 250 yards or more in all 6 games he’s started this season. That’s the longest streak in the SEC this year.

3. Anthony Hill Jr., LB (Texas)

Hill earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the third time in his career, collecting 4 tackles for loss, 4 pressures, and 2.5 sacks in Texas’s rally at Mississippi State. Hill’s best came in the fourth quarter. With Texas trailing 38-28 and needing a stop, Hill came up with a sack to force a quick 3-and-out with 9 minutes remaining in the game. Then, with the game tied and 2 minutes to play, Hill generated a pressure to force an incompletion on first down and caused a fumble on a sack on third down, all but assuring the game would go to overtime. Texas won the game — which it trailed by 17 points on 2 occasions — in the added session.

2. Ty Simpson, QB (Alabama)

Simpson wasn’t great at South Carolina, losing another fumble and averaging under 6 yards per attempt for the first time since Alabama’s season-opening loss at FSU. But even on an “off night” against relentless South Carolina pressure, Simpson tossed 2 touchdown passes and orchestrated a 14-play, 79-yard drive in the fourth quarter that helped Alabama tie the game at 22. Great players find a way to win, and Simpson is a great player.

1. Cashius Howell, Edge (Texas A&M)

The best player on the last undefeated team in the SEC, Howell was productive against LSU, registering 2 more sacks and another pair of pressures and hurries to add to his SEC highs of 34 pressures and 23 hurries this season.

Howell’s 10 sacks rank second nationally for a defense that leads the nation in quarterback pressures, hurries, and sacks.

The post Ranking the top 10 players in the SEC after Week 9 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

1. Auburn won.
2. Auburn won on the road.
3. Auburn won an SEC game.

Beyond that, well, now we are devolving a smidge toward what could be charitably call “rearranging deck chairs on the HMS Freeze.” Because if anyone in orange and blue is undeniably happy after Auburn’s 33-24 victory over the bedraggled Razorbacks… we don’t quite know what to tell you.

The twin axioms of “any SEC win is a good win” and “winning on the road in the SEC” certainly apply in the affirmative with the Tigers, alas, as the 4-game losing streak dissipated into the slate gray sky above a half-empty Reynolds Razorback Stadium. But while Joe Public might catch the score scrolling across the screen over a half-eaten basket of hot wings and think to himself “ok, yeah Auburn won…” for precisely 7/10ths of a second, actually witnessing said clash between 2 conference bottom-feeders made this learned critic wonder just how much time is left on Hugh Freeze’s clock.

Because while Arkansas was as bad as advertised Saturday, Auburn’s own Mediocrity Department stayed busy keeping up with the Hogs for almost the entire 60 minutes. Fortunately for Big Toilet Paper, Auburn’s defense made the trip to Fayetteville – coming up with 3 huge 4th-quarter turnovers to turn the proverbial tide toward the visitors for good.

The entire week has been rather interesting for Freeze and Auburn, even before Saturday’s pillow fight with the Pigs. First, Freeze basically found himself pleading for a statement of support from Auburn athletic director John Cohen on Monday after being asked if one has been offered at this point (hint: it had not…).

Then in the middle of the week, news broke that the SEC suspended official Ken Williamson for his colossal botching of the Auburn-Georgia game – giving the dual effect of a sense of justification for Freeze, Cohen and Co. going bananas on Williamson during the game as well as fueling the fanbase’s general conspiracy theory that the entire vertically-striped world is against them.

Saturday was more of the same roller-coaster of emotions, including an eruption of grumbling by the faithful after Auburn attempted a pass on a run-heavy drive late in the first half against Arkansas that was gobbling up 7.5 yards per tote – a decision that backfired spectacularly via an 89-yard interception return for a score to make it 21-10 Arkansas at intermission.

Oof.

That interception was enough for Freeze to hand quarterback Jackson Arnold a clipboard and turn to Ashton Daniels for the duration – deviating slightly from the alleged plan that was to have Arnold and Daniels split reps against Arkansas and a decision that could turn permanent due to Arnold’s continued struggles in 2025.

Fortunately for the moving firm that we still think will hastily pack up Casa De Freeze at some point this season, Auburn’s special teams and defense likely kept their services from being needed this weekend. Alex McPherson drilled all 4 of his second-half field goal attempts, and the Tigers defense got a huge pick-6 of its own – a 49-yard Rayshawn Pleasant miracle – as part of said 3-turnover 4th quarter in which Auburn scored 17 unanswered points to clinch the W.

“That group of young men and that group of coaches, as disappointing and as hurtful as those 4 tight losses are, I think there are people who maybe would have shut it down,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said to reporters after the game.

Freeze said he kissed Pleasant after the Pick-6, and if he was being truthful he should be doling out smooches to the entire Auburn defense as well as to coordinator DJ Durkin on the flight home to the Plains. And while he is distributing the love, Freeze should send a bouquet to interim Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino as well. After all, it takes 2 to tango – and Petrino’s Hogs were certainly complicit in their late self-destruction.

So yeah… Auburn won a football game – its first in 42 days since South Alabama succumbed 31-15 on Sept. 13. And yeah… Auburn won on the road – for the first time in 57 days since going to Waco and taking down Baylor 38-24. And yeah… Auburn won an SEC game – for the first time all season as well as in the 336 days since edging Texas A&M 43-41 in double-OT last season.

Beyond that, well… there are a few times even a win/road win/SEC win can genuinely feel as close to a loss as it can possibly get. And Saturday was certainly one of them.

The post Auburn won an SEC road game… which is just about all the good news the Tigers could muster against Arkansas appeared first on Saturday Down South.

And we’re already past the halfway point of the college football season. Every game from here on out will feel even more intense as teams fight for Playoff position.

Every week, our DFS experts — Andrew Olson and Adam Spencer — share their 3 favorite college football picks and their 2 favorite NFL plays over on the Underdog app. Their picks are included below. But first…

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Our Week 9 CFB Picks

Here’s who we like this Saturday in the college football world:

Andrew Olson

John Mateer, Oklahoma QB: Higher than 238.5 pass yards

The Ole Miss passing defense is coming off a game where it got shredded for 289 passing yards by Georgia’s Gunner Stockton. When it comes to Mateer, it’s all about the number of passing attempts. Considering how potent the Rebel offense is, this could be a game Oklahoma asks Mateer to sling it so the Sooners keep up.

Arch Manning, Texas QB: Lower than 218.5 pass yards

Mississippi State’s pass defense has been up and down this year, but there haven’t been many “ups” for Arch Manning, especially on the road. Away from home, Manning is averaging just 182.8 passing yards per game on 6.5 yards per attempt. There’s plenty of room here for Manning to improve upon last week’s rough outing at Kentucky and still come in lower than the number.

Marcel Reed, Texas A&M QB: Lower than 219.5 pass yards

The Aggies shouldn’t be asking Reed to throw too much on Saturday at LSU, one of the toughest road environments in all of college football. LSU’s last 3 opponents have run the ball 45 times each against the Tigers for a combined 598 yards. LSU has been stingier defending the pass.

Adam Spencer

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana QB: Higher than 265.5 pass yards

The Hoosiers host the resurgent UCLA Bruins at noon ET on Saturday. I expect the Bruins to be a little sleepy after making the cross-country road trip. Mendoza and the Hoosiers get off to a hot start and the star QB makes another Heisman statement.

Taylen Green, Arkansas QB: Higher than 304.5 pass+rush yards

Green is an absolutely electric player. He has outperformed this number significantly in 4 of his last 5 games, with the lone exception being against Notre Dame. Auburn is no Notre Dame. Bobby Petrino’s offense will put up points on the Tigers and Green will have a big day with both his arm and legs.

Sawyer Robertson, Baylor QB: Higher than 311.5 pass yards

Robertson has thrown for 318, 345 and 393 yards in his last 3 outings. On the road against a good Cincinnati team, I think he’ll continue to sling it early and often. He’s a volume passer and Baylor might be behind on the scoreboard in the second half. That bodes well for another 312+ yard performance.

Our Week 8 NFL Picks

And here are the picks we like from the Sunday slate:

Andrew Olson

Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons RB: Higher than 19.5 yards longest rush

Robinson should feast on Sunday. This Miami Dolphins defense has struggled to contain running backs all season. If Atlanta feeds Bijan like it should, he has the speed to break off a long run.

Cam Skattebo, New York Giants RB: Higher than 57.5 rush yards

It was just over 2 weeks ago that Skattebo gashed the Philadelphia defense for 98 rushing yards on 19 carries, scoring 3 times. Have the Eagles really figured out how to stop Skattebo this fast? It seems doubtful considering Philadelphia is in the bottom half of the league in run defense.

Adam Spencer

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills QB: Higher than 225.5 pass yards

The Bills now have the Patriots breathing down their necks in the AFC East race. They no longer have any leeway for lackluster showings. Playing a tough Carolina squad this week, I think the Bills will set the tone early through the air, leading to a big day from Josh Allen.

Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals WR: Higher than 88.5 receiving yards

Chase got 16 receptions on 23 targets for 161 yards and a touchdown last Thursday against the Steelers in an absolutely electric performance. It doesn’t matter who is throwing Chase the ball (in this case, veteran Joe Flacco), the guy is going to put up numbers. I like him to have 89+ yards against the Jets this Sunday.

Remember to sign up for Underdog by clicking here now. Underdog is one of the top apps like PrizePicks on the DFS market today. Use Underdog promo code SDS when you sign up to receive $100 in bonus credits ahead of this weekend’s slate of games.

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The post DFS Picks of the Week: Our top Underdog plays for college and NFL, Oct. 25-26 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Game of the Week: Texas A&M (-2.5) at LSU

The stakes: At this point on the calendar, any given edition of A&M vs. LSU stands to set the course for the rest of both teams’ seasons. Winner enters November on the Playoff track, as ever; the loser, with their back against the wall. But this particular edition also looms as a potential turning point for both head coaches’ tenures.

For Brian Kelly, there’s no getting around the possibility that Saturday night could turn out to be a point of no return. If that seems a little dramatic for the coach of a team that was ranked No. 4 in the country less than a month ago — not to mention a coach with a $53 million buyout — well, yeah. Have you been paying attention to the college football hot seat lately? These are dramatic times in the profession. And dramatic mood swings have emerged as a recurring theme of Kelly’s tenure.

Consider how differently LSU’s big September wins over Clemson and Florida look now, with Clemson nursing a losing record in ACC play and Florida looking for a new head coach, than they did at the time. It was immediately after the Florida game, a 20-10 decision in which LSU’s offense managed a single touchdown, that Kelly went off on a reporter who dared to lead off the post-game presser following a win with a question about the offense’s struggles. That question has aged a lot better than the tirade it inspired. Not only have the Tigers lost 2 of their past 3 conference games in the meantime at the hands of Ole Miss and (ugh) Vanderbilt; with A&M on tap and a road trip to Alabama on deck, they’re in serious danger of reprising last year’s 3-game losing streak against A&M, Bama and Florida at the same stage of the season. There was open speculation about Kelly’s job security then, too, exacerbated by the fact that in the midst of that skid he lost a commitment from the No. 1 recruit in the country. For a few weeks there, it really felt like the walls were closing in.

A year later, what has changed? LSU pulled out of the skid to win its last 3 in 2024, and opened this season 4-0. Yet here they are again, season on the line as they stare down the barrel of another rapid descent from the top 10 to irrelevance. How many times can this scenario play itself out before a bunch of disgruntled boosters decide that obscene buyout is worth it? There’s only one way for Kelly to avoid finding out: Win on Saturday night.

For Mike Elko, the pressure runs in the opposite direction. Texas A&M is 7-0 for the first time in 30 years, 4-0 in SEC play for the first time since joining the conference, and boasts its best AP ranking (No. 3) at this point in the season or later since 1975. The Aggies passed their first big road test, a come-from-behind, 41-40 win at Notre Dame in Week 3, and haven’t trailed after the first quarter in any other game. If they’re not thinking big already, a primetime win in Baton Rouge would certainly grant them permission.

At the same time, it would also serve as a reminder not to take anything for granted. Last year’s win over LSU, a 38-23 final in College Station punctuated by a 31-point second half, seemed to crack open the possibilities. A&M climbed into the top 10 following the win with visions of a Playoff run and a potential SEC championship in its eye. Instead, the Aggies got blown out of their next game at South Carolina and limped to a 1-4 finish, going out unranked and undistinguished in all-too-familiar fashion for A&M fans who endured similar November fadeouts under Kevin Sumlin and Jimbo Fisher.

All indications so far are that this team is better equipped to seize its opportunity in Elko’s second season than the ’24 team, despite the benefit of an exceedingly friendly conference slate to date. (A&M’s first 4 victims, Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida and Arkansas, are a combined 2-12 in SEC play.) The Aggies are more balanced, significantly more explosive, and, with the emergence of redshirt sophomore QB Marcel Reed, more settled behind center. In a chaotic season across the conference and the country, why not A&M? The pieces are in place, finally, for a serious push. Just how serious, we’re all about to find out together.

When Texas A&M has the ball: Can LSU put the game on Marcel Reed’s arm?

Reed was the unlikely star of last year’s win over LSU, coming off the bench midway through the 3rd quarter to replace a struggling Conner Weigman. The turnaround was instantaneous: In just a few minutes’ worth of action, Reed accounted for 132 total yards, 3 touchdowns (all rushing), and A&M’s longest completion of the night (54 yards). It’s been his job since, and he’s rewarded his coach’s confidence by consistently hitting his marks as both a runner and a passer.

Don’t be fooled by Reed’s reputation as a dual-threat. He is a productive runner, as LSU found out the hard way last year. But he’s improved as a passer, as well, coming in ranked among the SEC leaders for the season in yards per attempt (8.8), touchdowns (15) and passer rating (156.0). The Aggies made a significant investment in upgrading the talent level at wide receiver, bringing in big-ticket transfers Mario Craver (Mississippi State) and KC Concepcion (NC State) via the portal; they currently rank 1-2 in the SEC in receiving yards vs. FBS opponents.

The question mark is how Reed will react under less-than-ideal circumstances. He has operated in mostly balmy conditions so far, benefiting from a veteran o-line, steady ground game, and comfortable leads on the scoreboard. To his credit, on the one occasion Reed has faced adversity, at Notre Dame, he led a pair of 4th-quarter scoring drives to pull off the upset. The backfield will be shorthanded on Saturday night due to a lingering ankle injury to starting running back Le’Veon Moss. There’s no shortage of candidates to keep the chains moving on the ground, but if Reed is good enough to make a habit out of rallying the team from behind on the road, LSU would love to make him prove it.

When LSU has the ball: Can the Tigers protect Garrett Nussmeier?

It was difficult to separate Nussmeier’s struggles in last week’s 31-24 loss at Vanderbilt from the Tigers’ glaring issues up front. The starting left tackle, Tyree Adams, left the game due to injury in the first quarter, in the midst of an eventual touchdown drive; from that point on, LSU only reached the end zone once more over the final 3 quarters, as the result of what can only be described as a fluke play that resulted in a 62-yard touchdown.

Credit to Zavion Thomas for keeping the spark alive, however briefly, but Nussmeier spent most of his afternoon in Nashville running for his life with not much else to show for it. He was under duress on 13 of his 30 drop-backs, per Pro Football Focus, which chalked up the majority of those pressures to Adams’ backup of the left side, DJ Chester, and the regular starter on the right, Weston Davis. But then, he didn’t fare much better when kept clean, averaging a meager 4.5 yards per attempt on an average depth of target of 3.5 yards. He missed on his only attempt of 20+ air yards, settling for a heavy diet of screens that accomplished little. Vandy dominated time of possession in the second half, sending the Tigers home on a pair of meek 4th-quarter punts following back-to-back 3-and-outs to close the game.

Adams has already been ruled out against Texas A&M, and coaches have seen enough from Chester. Instead, they’ll turn to a true freshman, Carius Curne, who will make his 2nd career start and first on the blindside. The guy he’ll be facing on the other side of the line of scrimmage? SEC sack leader and aspiring first-rounder Cashius Howell.

Put it this way, this is a very bad night to have a rushing attack that ranks next-to-last in the SEC.

X-factor: LSU’s run defense

The other significant injury news for the Tigers concerns the resident tackle machine, junior LB Whit Weeks, who is doubtful to play for the second week in a row as he nurses an ankle injury. In his absence, Vanderbilt piled up 239 yards rushing on 5.3 per carry and amassed a 13-minute advantage in time of possession.

Notably, the Commodores’ leading rusher in that game was Heisman hopeful QB Diego Pavia, who ran for 91 yards (excluding sacks) and a pair of touchdowns. Corralling athletic quarterbacks has been a persistent problem for Kelly’s teams over the years, including last year’s loss at A&M after Reed replaced the lethargic Weigman. The Tigers seemed clearly unprepared for his mobility in that game. This time around, they have no excuse, especially with a healthy Harold Perkins Jr. back in the fold.

The verdict …

How much stock do you put in the unholy aura of Saturday night in Tiger Stadium? Death Valley has earned the handle over the years as one of the most hostile venues in America for a visiting team after sundown, but it is not typically the only thing LSU has going for it in a big game. The Tigers are limping into a must-win date with an underachieving quarterback, an unsettled o-line, a suddenly flagging defense missing its best player, and a sinking feeling about the direction of both the season and the program. This is a prove-it date for Texas A&M, too, whose track record with an opportunity to take the next step is not very inspiring. But the Aggies have been steady by comparison, and resilient in the one situation where they’ve had to be in South Bend. Maybe that says more about the friendly conference slate to date than it does about their prospects going forward. Or, maybe, they’re as good as advertised.

Prediction: • Texas A&M 27 | LSU 22

Ole Miss at Oklahoma (-5.5)

The next step in Ole Miss’ ascent from upstart to contender: Winning a big game in hostile territory. The Rebels are 1-6 under Lane Kiffin in true road games vs. ranked opponents, the lone win coming in a 2023 trip to then-No. 24 Tulane. They seemed well on their way to checking that box last week, sprinting to a 35-26 lead at Georgia through 3 quarters; instead, they abruptly turned into pumpkins in the 4th, giving up 17 unanswered points as the Bulldogs tightened their grip like an older sibling reminding his feisty kid brother exactly where he stands. Even with a reasonably competitive loss on Saturday, Ole Miss should still have a gilded path to the Playoff if it takes care of its business against by far the league’s friendliest November lineup (South Carolina, The Citadel and Florida at home, Mississippi State on the road). Still, it would be reassuring to head off the one potential argument that could wreck that assumption before it has a chance to take root.

Oklahoma (6-1) has the opposite problem, schedule-wise: Saturday’s date is the first of 5 straight against currently ranked teams, including back-to-back trips to Tennessee and Alabama on deck. If the Sooners stand any chance of surviving and advancing against that gauntlet, it will be by virtue of the defense, a fully operational Brent Venables unit that leads the SEC in nearly every relevant category except takeaways. Given the current state of affairs at Texas and South Carolina (see below), it’s safe to say Ole Miss’ offense is the best the Sooners have faced, probably by a wide margin. As much as they would love to see John Mateer rekindle some of the spark that had him briefly atop the Heisman odds in September, his 3 interceptions in a wipeout Week 7 loss to the Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry are fresher in mind. His first priority on Saturday: Don’t make things any harder for the D than they already are.

Prediction: Oklahoma 24 | • Ole Miss 20

Missouri at Vanderbilt (-2.5)

Vanderbilt’s offense is not going to set any records for tempo, but what the Commodores lack in urgency they more than make up for in efficiency. The deeper you dive statistically, the better they look. Per efficiency guru Brian Fremeau, the ‘Dores rank No. 1 nationally in points per drive, averaging 4.1 points in non-garbage-time possessions vs. FBS opponents; they also come in 2nd in available yards and possession efficiency, and 5th in yards per play, at 7.5 yards a pop. Per advanced stats site gameonpaper.com, Vandy is among the nation’s best in success rate (2nd) and EPA per play (4th), among a slew of other metrics. It’s converting on 3rd down (54.1%) and scoring touchdowns in the red zone (80.7%) at a steadier clip than any other offense in the SEC.

Anyway, there’s not going to be a test on the vagaries of calculating EPA. If you tuned in to last week’s landmark, 31-24 win over LSU — featuring 4 extended touchdown drives that collectively drained more than 25 minutes off the clock — you don’t need a glossary to get the gist. Diego Pavia is on the cusp of breaking through as a legitimate Heisman candidate, and with a repeat performance against another ranked visitor we can officially welcome Vanderbilt to the November CFP picture.

For its part, Missouri’s Playoff hopes are still very much alive, too, and its offense is still faring almost as well on paper as Vandy’s. But not nearly as well as it was a couple of weeks ago, before a couple of deflating outings against Alabama and Auburn. The Tigers were competitive in a losing effort against Bama, and survived (barely) its first road test of the season last week in double overtime. In the process, though, they’ve struggled to sustain their September success on the ground. The Crimson Tide didn’t exactly stuff the run in Week 7, but did dominate possession, forcing Mizzou into comeback mode for essentially the entire second half. Auburn did stuff the run, limiting workhorse Ahmad Hardy to a season-low 58 yards on just 2.4 per carry. QB Beau Pribula dropped back 47 times, a red flag for a decidedly run-first offense, and threw two interceptions for the second week in a row.

It says something about something that the Tigers managed to escape with all their goals intact. Unfortunately, in this case exactly what it says probably has more to do with Auburn’s eagerness to shoot itself in the foot. If Mizzou wants to look forward to playing meaningful football after the weather turns, it starts with keeping Hardy on track to 1,000 yards rushing and Pribula in his comfort zone.

Prediction: • Vanderbilt 28 | Missouri 23

Alabama (-12.5) at South Carolina

Nothing is going right for South Carolina’s offense right now: The Gamecocks can’t run the ball, can’t protect LaNorris Sellers, can’t convert on 3rd down, and have accrued more negative yardage on sacks than any other FBS team. It’s hard to watch. But the most disappointing piece of the puzzle remains the ongoing inability to get super freak wideout Nyck Harbor involved on a regular basis. After 2 1/2 seasons of waiting patiently for his enormous potential to come to fruition, Carolina fans are glancing nervously at their watches.

It’s not that Harbor has been forgotten; it might actually be less frustrating if he had. Instead, the Gamecocks’ attempts to feed him have produced a couple of highlight-worthy plays (most notably a 64-yard bomb from Sellers in the opener against Virginia Tech) and not much else on anything like a consistent basis. Since the opener, he has just one reception on a throw of 20+ air yards and one touchdown, a playground-style, 4th-and-goal reception that accounted for South Carolina’s only points in last week’s 26-7 loss at Oklahoma. Altogether, Harbor was targeted 6 times against the Sooners, hauling in 4of them … for a grand total of 22 yards.

Again, there are more pressing issues, beginning up front with a thoroughly overmatched offensive line. (Not an especially young one, either.) Sellers’ failure to launch is impossible to separate from the fact that he’s running for his life on literally half of his dropbacks, per PFF, which has ripple effects throughout the offense. At some point, the only way to keep the receivers involved is to toss them a bunch of quick stuff out of desperation. Still, the Gamecocks opened the season with their highest expectations in more than a decade based largely on the idea that a couple of über talents like Sellers and Harbor making the leap would be enough to make up for the lack of playmakers around them. With one or both likely on their way out at year’s end, the time for making good is running out fast.

Prediction: • Alabama 31 | South Carolina 13

Texas (-7.5) at Mississippi State

Texas fans scanning the schedule before the season probably didn’t think twice about this game. At this point, though, if it’s not setting off alarms it should be. The Longhorns have have not traveled well, to put it mildly, losing their first 2 road trips at Ohio State and Florida and barely escaping with their season intact last week in an overtime slog at Kentucky. Arch Manning has looked so lost/broken/secretly injured that Steve Sarkisian fielded questions last week about whether he’d considered sending the preseason Heisman favorite to the bench. The shorthanded, shambolic o-line has arguably been worse. All 4 Texas touchdowns in Columbus and Gainesville came with the ‘Horns already trailing by 2 scores; their only touchdown in Lexington was set up by a punt return inside the UK 10-yard line.
 
Meanwhile, Mississippi State is past ready to put its 2-year, 15-game SEC losing streak to bed. The Bulldogs established some dark-horse cred in a Week 2 upset over Arizona State, which also reinforced Starkville’s reputation as a kind of Bermuda Triangle. In conference play, they’ve already threatened to snap the streak against Tennessee, in an eventual overtime loss in Week 5, and Florida, where the offense was within range of a game-winning field goal in Week 8 when QB Blake Shapen threw a game-ending pick instead. Eventually they’re gonna beat somebody, probably sooner rather than later. The Longhorns, who haven’t faced the cowbells since the first leg of a home-and-home in 1991, should not dismiss the possibility that it could be them.

Prediction: Texas 24 | • Miss. State 19

Tennessee (-7.5) at Kentucky

Tennessee’s pass rush is arguably the strength of the team, but it was a no-show against Alabama, rarely laying a hand on Ty Simpson and failing to record a sack for the first time this year. (The Vols’ 26 sacks going into the game were tied for the FBS lead.) Kentucky’s struggling o-line presents an opportunity to resume destruction. The Wildcats’ starting tackles, Group of 5 transfers Shiyazh Pete (New Mexico State) and Alex Wollschlaeger (Bowling Green), have plainly struggled against SEC edge rushers, allowing a combined 36 QB pressures and 5 sacks on the season, per PFF. Pete, in particular, was repeatedly posterized in Week 8 by Texas’ Collin Simmons, whose 3 sacks went a long way toward keeping the score within reach on an anemic night for the UT offense.

Of course, Simmons is going to be posterizing much higher-compensated tackles than Pete for many years to come. Tennessee doesn’t boast an individual star with his surplus of juice. But between Joshua Josephs, Caleb Herring, Dominic Bailey and Tyre West, there is more than enough to go around as the Vols extend their winning streak over Kentucky to 5.

Prediction: • Tennessee 29 | Kentucky 16

Auburn at Arkansas (-2.5)

Stylistically, these teams could hardly be more different: In one corner, arguably the league’s worst offense; in the other, unquestionably the league’s worst defense. One side built for slugfests, the other for shootouts. In SEC play, the average combined point total for both teams in Auburn games is a meager 34.3 ppg, lowest in the conference. In Arkansas games, it’s 76.0 ppg, easily the highest.

In terms of the trajectories of their respective seasons, though, they’re on nearly identical tracks. Between them, the Tigers and Razorbacks are a combined 0-7 in conference play, with all 7 losses coming at the hands of ranked opponents. (Note that there’s only 1 shared opponent in the mix, Texas A&M.) More important, all 7 have been competitive decisions that were easy to imagine going the other way.

Arkansas’ 3 SEC losses have been decided by a combined 12 points, with an excruciating, 1-point loss at Memphis thrown in for good measure. Auburn’s 4 SEC losses have been decided by 29 points, or roughly a touchdown per game, but have usually felt even closer — the Tigers led in the second half against Oklahoma, Georgia and Missouri, only falling to the Sooners in the final 5 minutes and to Mizzou in double overtime. The combination of untimely turnovers, blown opportunities, and dubious reffing that has brought them to this point could inspire hours of aggrieved podcasting, and has.

The big difference, of course, is that Arkansas has already fired Sam Pittman, emotionally punting on the rest of the season. All the Razorbacks have at stake is Bobby Petrino‘s bid for the full-time job and QB Taylen Green‘s draft stock. Auburn, on the other hand, remains very much in the throes of speculation over the fate of Hugh Freeze, who midway through Year 3 is a dismal 5-15 in SEC play and 1-12 vs. ranked opponents. The silver lining is a manageable schedule over the coming weeks that presents an opportunity for the Tigers to build some momentum heading into the Iron Bowl. Freeze would love to get one last shot at saving his bacon against the Crimson Tide in Jordan-Hare Stadium, where Auburn always gives Bama all it can handle. If he’s going to make it that far, though, he’s got to start stacking some Ws, starting in Fayetteville.

Prediction: • Auburn 31 | Arkansas 26

Scoreboard

Week 8 record: 6-2 straight-up | 2-6 vs. spread
Season record: 68-13 straight-up | 31-45 vs. spread

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That’s 6 weeks. And that’s a really long time to wait without facing a team with a number next to its name. During that interminable time, Alabama has done a little something about its own ranking, methodically inching up the AP Poll to No. 4 after that Week 1 loss at Florida State left it at No. 21.

But wait just a minute. South Carolina is surely sulking right now, in every way, as the Gamecocks sit at 3-4 to go with a disaster of a 1-4 SEC record. There’s no denying their reality near the bottom of the conference. There’s also no denying that South Carolina was itself ranked early this season, even if that feels like a lifetime ago.

These same Gamecocks were ranked 10th once upon a time in 2025. They were No. 11 when Vanderbilt came to Columbia in Week 3 and put a 31-7 beating on the Gamecocks that included an injury to star quarterback LaNorris Sellers on a helmet-to-helmet hit. South Carolina has never been the same since that dark night at Williams-Brice, losing 4 out of 5 after a 2-0 start.

Can the Gamecocks get that early season mojo back? That’s highly doubtful. But they can certainly summon up the strength for 4 hours, on national TV and in front of their home fans, to at least scare the heck out of an Alabama team that’s probably feeling a tad invincible right now after 4 ranked SEC wins in 4 weeks.

All the human nature ingredients are there for a big letdown on Saturday, which the Tide simply can’t afford to let happen after all they’ve built, and here are 5 things they must do to avoid that massive pitfall: 

1. Stay humble and remember last year’s narrow escape at home

A litter over 12 months ago, South Carolina traveled to Tuscaloosa and nearly left with a victory. There wasn’t any letdown that day, so you can’t blame it on that, because Alabama had just returned home after that stunning loss at Vanderbilt. If anything, the Tide should’ve been sky-high motivated to show how much of a fluke the Vandy loss was, but instead they almost lost again, needing to dig out of a 4th-quarter deficit before holding on for dear life.

That gritty Gamecocks team was quarterbacked by a freshman phenom named LaNorris Sellers, and so is this year’s team. Even though South Carolina has fallen off the wagon this fall, if Sellers can nearly beat Bama on the road as a freshman, he can surely give the Tide more fits at home as a sophomore. You just know Sellers has been thinking about that missed opportunity constantly and relishes a 2nd shot.

And Kalen DeBoer was there, too. He was in Year 1 and leading a shell-shocked team coming off the harrowing Vanderbilt experience, and so it would be a good idea for him to remind his players about what nearly happened that day. Yes, DeBoer has his team rolling right now, but Bama’s 1 loss this season did come on the road against a seemingly inferior foe. 

South Carolina outgained Alabama last season, almost won despite turning it over 4 times and was likely a failed 2-point conversion away from sending the game to overtime. Shane Beamer is desperate for a win right now and so is his sinking program, and so there’s no other choice for Alabama then to remain humble, hungry and keenly aware of the tricky situation that awaits in Columbia.

2. Stay humble and remember South Carolina was once ranked

Look, there’s a reason that Alabama is a healthy favorite on Saturday but not an overwhelming favorite. The midweek spread sat at just 11.5 points, and for a team that’s ranked 4th in the country, coming off 4 straight SEC wins over ranked teams and facing a team that’s just 1-4 in the SEC, that’s really not a lot. There are multiple reasons for that and, sure, 1 of them is that South Carolina is at home.

But the Gamecocks aren’t getting more points because those who shape the spread don’t have short memories. They realize that South Carolins was actually in the top 10 for goodness sakes early in the season before it all went wrong. Largely the same young men will be putting on Gamecock helmets on Saturday, and you just get the sense that Shane Beamer’s beleaguered bunch has 1 more stand left in them.

That stand could very well arrive Saturday, whether it’s for a half, 3 quarters or just maybe a full 60 minutes. LaNorris Sellers has to be sick over how his sophomore season has gone after such a breakout in 2024. South Carolina even fired its offensive line coach a few weeks ago amid the free-fall. Frustration is rampant right now, and Saturday’s ABC stage against arguably the most high-profile program in America is the perfect opportunity to let it all out.

South Carolina never would’ve been ranked 10th in the first place if there wasn’t talent below the surface. It’s there, somewhere. Alabama needs to show up for the 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff with this knowledge, place a 2nd order of that humble pie and make believe it’s playing that ranked South Carolina team from early September.

3. Understand that this game is South Carolina’s Super Bowl

The Gamecocks’ season is on the precipice of total destruction. If South Carolina doesn’t come up large on Saturday in front of its loyal fan base, brutal road challenges against Ole Miss and Texas A&M are what follows. Good luck with all that, Gamecocks, who could very well be 3-7 by mid-November.

Williams-Brice Stadium can be a really hard place to win on the right day, and South Carolina knows what’s at stake in a few days. The Gamecocks can either make their season or see it really spiral out of control. Expectations were through the roof in 2025 after that 6-game win streak to end the regular season last year, getting to 9 wins and having LaNorris Sellers back with a year of experience under his belt.

Sure, Clemson comes to Columbia to end the season, and that’s always big. But if things don’t go right on Saturday and the losses really start piling up, then how much will the Clemson game really matter if South Carolina is, say, 4-7? A victory over Alabama at home would be a season resuscitator and a season maker. This is the Gamecocks’ Super Bowl, and Kalen DeBoer’s surging team can’t feel above the fray on Saturday. 

The Tide have to be ready and willing to get dirty in this one. These are the spots where your team captains earn their stripes. It’s just as important, maybe more so, that Ty Simpson leads like a 2025 season captain than plays like a Heisman candidate. Alabama must match South Carolina’s desperation.

4. Don’t let LaNorris Sellers give Williams-Brice a whiff of belief

The first quarter will tell the tale. Sellers was so special as a redshirt freshman last season, right down to that thrilling 20-yard touchdown run late in the 4th quarter to stun Clemson on the road. He really was 1 of the stories of the 2024 season, but the promise of a follow-up in 2025 has fizzled. 

Sellers rushed for 674 yards and 7 touchdowns last season. This year, more than halfway through the regular season, Sellers has somehow rushed for just 108 yards on 84 carries, which calculates to 1.3 yards per carry. No wonder South Carolina is struggling to score points with embattled coordinator Mike Shula. The head of the snake has been shut down, and if Kane Wommack’s defense can keep that snake from getting loose, especially early, then the doubts creep in again and that home crowd will get restless again.

You know the way upsets by home teams are usually cooked up. The seeds for something special are planted early, the crowd senses it and starts believing, and then it’s survival time for the road favorite. It’s all about that 1st quarter for Bama’s defense, and it’s all about continuing Sellers’ miserable 2025 narrative.

5. Keep feeding Germie Bernard, keep winning games

Yes, Ryan Williams is still the most explosive weapon Alabama has, and, sure, Jam Miller is probably its most invaluable weapon, because basically the entire running game revolves around him being available. So, where does that leave Bernard? He just might be the most crucial weapon to Bama’s success.

Through Williams’ inconsistencies and Miller’s injuries, Bernard has been a rock for the Tide in 2025. He leads Bama in receiving in late October, not Williams, with 33 catches for 472 yards and 5 touchdowns. And what about last week’s win over Tennessee, when Bernard even led Bama in rushing with 49 yards on 4 carries. Where would the Tide be in 2025 without the senior from Las Vegas?

They wouldn’t be on a 6-game win streak and ranked 4th in the country, that’s for sure. His success has meant the Tide’s success, and to get out of Williams-Brice with its win streak still intact, it would be wise to stick with that winning formula. Keep Bernard heavily involved and keep stacking victories.

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Both the Tigers and Commodores boast one loss coming into this game and thus have plenty at stake when it comes to their SEC and College Football Playoff hopes.

Similarly, both are coming off one-score victories, with Mizzou needing two overtimes to take down Auburn on the road last week while Vanderbilt kept LSU at arm’s length on its way to a 31-24 home win over the Bayou Bengals.

Now, this date between two of the SEC’s usual bottom-feeders has become a marquee matchup, and an opening betting line for the game was announced Sunday.

Circa Sports gives the hosting Commodores a narrow 3-point edge over the Tigers. Vanderbilt has not beaten Missouri since 2019.

Attention Missouri residents! Sports betting will be legal in your state very soon. Here’s how you can get started with a FanDuel Missouri promo on launch day!

The loser of this game figures to be all but eliminated from the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff hunts, while the victor will position itself well to make a run at both titles when it hits the stretch run of November.

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

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We didn’t have a single SEC team on bye, and we didn’t have any nonconference matchups. That’s the type of stacked slate that we usually only get a couple times a year, and with 10 SEC teams in the AP Top 25, Saturday was monumental as we pass the midway point of the season.

Shoot, we had Vanderbilt hosting a top-10 team as a favorite. If that didn’t illustrate how massive this Saturday was, I’m not sure what could.

These were the biggest takeaways from Week 8 in the SEC:

Is Georgia “the most resilient team in college football?” It’s hard to quantify that nationally, but it’s tough to argue

For the 4th time in 5 SEC games, Georgia fell behind by multiple scores. That’s just not a sentence you say about teams who are 4-1 in SEC play. This time, UGA trailed by 2 scores in the 4th quarter against an Ole Miss team who had won 4 1-score games. Didn’t matter. It didn’t even matter that Ole Miss didn’t even punt until the 4th quarter. UGA just found a way. Once again.

That prompted Kirk Herbstreit to call Georgia “the most resilient team in college football.” One could point out that Georgia was a dropped touchdown pass vs. Alabama from making it a 5-0 mark in SEC play, though you could say a shanked field goal from Tennessee went UGA’s way. Whatever the case, Georgia hasn’t flinched. Gunner Stockton is at the center of that. He played through an oblique injury and missed significant practice time, yet you wouldn’t have known it from what the first-year starter delivered in a shootout with Trinidad Chambliss.

Is Georgia flawed? Absolutely. The defensive struggles to start games is baffling. Even coming out of the break, Ole Miss hit a big 75-yard catch and score in which Georgia’s defensive backfield just took horrible angles. That’s not even mentioning the lack of a pass rush for the vast majority of SEC play so far.

But in a year in which top-10 teams are dropping like flies and there appear to be a lack of invincible teams, is Georgia’s flaw something that could be overcome on that stage? Time will tell. For now, though, a path to the 8th SEC Championship Game berth in the last 9 seasons is wide open.

It’s not just Diego Pavia’s world; it’s Vandy’s world and we’re just living in it

We’re running out of words to praise what Pavia and Vandy are doing. Yes, that was active tense because after beating a top-10 LSU team as a home favorite, we need to have active conversations about what the Dores are capable of in 2025. After all, Pavia converts seemingly every meaningful 3rd or 4th down. And if he doesn’t, he drops one in a bucket or he miraculously escapes a sack to at least give his team a chance. He hit the Heisman Trophy pose after a touchdown on Saturday, and it’s fair to wonder what more he has to do to move into those conversations.

Let’s also not discount how difficult Vandy made life on Garrett Nussmeier, who made plays, but many of them felt like they were highlight-reel throws. That unit needs to get more praise for how improved it is with Steve Gregory as Clark Lea’s defensive coordinator. Even Ty Simpson had some tough moments against that group with the pressure it dialed up.

So let’s acknowledge that at 6-1 for the first time since 1950, Vandy has legitimate Playoff life with 5 games to play. This is what the Dores are looking at:

• vs. Mizzou
• at Texas
• vs. Auburn
• vs. Kentucky
• at Tennessee

Yes, the road trips to Texas and Tennessee stand out. But is it crazy to think that Vandy can earn a split in those games? It shouldn’t be.

LSU’s Playoff hopes aren’t dashed, but they might as well be

You could see it all over Nussmeier’s face in the closing seconds. He knew what type of opportunity LSU left in Nashville. And yes, while Vandy absolutely outplayed LSU, there were opportunities on the board when the defense finally got a couple of stops late. But loss No. 2 might as well have come with a “no need apply” letter from the selection committee.

Without Whit Weeks, the defense picked the worst time to have its worst game of the year. Instead of showing up desperate knowing what was at stake in a top-25 matchup, LSU lacked discipline and failed to get off the field far too often. Nussmeier didn’t even have one of those horrendous, costly mistakes and it still didn’t matter. The Tigers couldn’t get that breakthrough score-and-stop sequence to flip the momentum, which feels like a microcosm of this season.

We’ve yet to see LSU score more than 24 points vs. FBS competition this year, and it’s tough to see that changing with how banged up LSU looked on the offensive line. Nussmeier might be over that oblique injury, but you just expect him to limp down the field after every big-time throw he makes. It’s a rough watch.

And now, LSU will go into a pair of matchups vs. Texas A&M and at Alabama, both of whom are capable of ending its Playoff hopes for good. It’s not hyperbole to suggest that Saturday was the most devastating loss of the Brian Kelly era.

Alabama just did something that had never been done in SEC history

That is, win 4 consecutive games vs. AP Top 25 teams without any bye weeks or extra rest. Insane. Here’s perhaps the even more impressive thought. The 4 teams that Alabama beat are 23-1 in non-Alabama games this year, and the loss was Tennessee losing to Georgia in overtime. Yeah, that résumé will give Alabama a whole lot of grace with the selection committee, not that it looks like a team in need of it.

Kalen DeBoer is 19-3 vs. AP Top 25 foes and in home games as a Power Conference head coach, he’s 25-0. Sooner or later, his skeptics will turn into believers. Until then, they can watch a clear path to Atlanta that’s opened up for the Tide without a loss in conference play. Also key is that Oklahoma is the lone remaining SEC opponent who has just 1 conference loss. Alabama will have the head-to-head with Mizzou, Georgia and Vandy if it should come down to that.

Considering where DeBoer and the Tide were after Week 1, that’s hard to fathom.

Billy Napier’s job is __________.

“Uh, TBD?”

After Matt Hayes reported for USA Today that Napier could be fired regardless of the result on Saturday, Florida got a down-to-the-wire game that needed a Machai Boireau big-man interception to close out a Mississippi State team who hadn’t won an SEC game in 2 years. Make of that what you will. If that gave Napier another game to keep his job, that’s a strange basis for a long-term decision. After all, his 3rd-and-1 decision to pass could’ve easily been the difference in that game. It wasn’t.

Napier certainly celebrated like someone who looked like he earned another game in his role, as he should. What’s he supposed to say as his team pulls out an emotional victory?

“Hey, I know I’m cooked. How much is my buyout again?”

That’s not how this works. I can hardly imagine that a 2-point home win vs. Mississippi State changed minds behind closed doors. The hay might be in the barn with someone who has an 0-14 mark vs. AP Top 25 teams away from home. Improving to 3-4 beat the alternative, though. Time will tell if it truly matters.

Hugh Freeze’s job is __________.

“Over.”

That’s my belief after his 3rd consecutive 0-4 start to SEC play. Another game slipped away from Freeze. Imagine that. Fittingly, the game ended in double overtime with his hand-picked quarterback throwing to his own lineman to avoid a sack. It was that kind of night for Jackson Arnold, though at least he finally threw an interception. Unfortunately for Auburn, untimely sacks taken, missed kicks and a failed stand late were at the root of yet another heartbreaker.

It felt like the type of loss that you just can’t suffer in Year 3. Not after the way that Auburn imploded late in SEC play. It’s a team that can’t get out of its own way and simply doesn’t know how to win games. At some point, that’s an indictment on the head coach. Freeze knows it. If that was his last game, he’ll look back on a 2-12 mark in games decided by 10 points or less with just 1 win vs. an AP Top 25 team.

All signs point to Auburn beginning its 3rd coaching search of the 2020s. It’s just a matter of when that’ll be.

Your last remaining SEC unbeaten is … Texas A&M? You bet.

For the second consecutive year, A&M has set itself up with an ideal path to Atlanta. Unlike last year when A&M lost the season opener, though, it’ll take a 7-0 record into the last Saturday of October. The Aggies didn’t play disciplined defensive football, but as we’ve seen for the majority of the year, the offensive line set the tone and Marcel Reed was excellent. Reed wasn’t sacked and the Aggies had 217 rushing yards without Le’Veon Moss, who suffered a significant injury (again) last week. Rueben Owens and the emerging EJ Smith looked the part. A&M just continues to find a way to close games with a multi-faceted attack.

Mike Elko wasn’t pleased with that defensive performance, nor should he be. You know what he should be pleased with, though? A&M is 7-0 for the first time since 1994, and his squad is 4-0 in SEC play for the second consecutive season. In other words, this squad has the makings to do more than avoid 8-4 jokes.

A&M will be a top-3 team heading into Baton Rouge. That’s all any Aggie fan could’ve hoped for 2 months ago.

It’s maddening how casual Texas is

I’ll say it. Texas deserved to lose that football game at Kentucky, and it had been a game against any non-Kentucky SEC team, it would’ve suffered loss No. 3. Yes, that takes into account the defense and special teams that bailed them out. Even the Longhorns’ defense, which stood tall in overtime with that huge goal-line stand, let Cutter Boley bounce back in several key spots.

But above all else, it was maddening to watch this Texas offense operate. A week after a potential breakthrough win vs. Oklahoma, Arch Manning looked like the guy who took the field vs. Ohio State, the offensive line couldn’t get any push and it lacked urgency in key moments. DeAndre Moore got out of bounds when he shouldn’t have, which led to Kentucky having enough time to tie the game on a field goal at the end of regulation. And even after that goal-line stand in overtime, Texas had a holding penalty in overtime to make the kick more difficult.

Yes, Texas is in survive-and-advance mode right now as a 2-loss team. But even Steve Sarkisian has to be beside himself trying to figure out this team. The offense is still stuck in the mud heading into late-October. Sooner or later, this offense needs to find a pulse against SEC competition.

Tory Blaylock fueled a much-needed Oklahoma bounce-back win

With John Mateer still working his way back after the thumb surgery, you knew that Brent Venables wanted to feed his tailback in a matchup like that against a vulnerable South Carolina run defense Saturday. You heard the Oklahoma coach turn a question about the mysterious lack of touches for decorated transfer Jaydn Ott into a reason why he loves Blaylock. The true freshman rewarded his coach with a career-high 101 rushing yards on 19 carries while Xavier Robinson had 11 carries for 58 yards.

That was a welcome sight after the Sooners had struggled to find any sort of backfield identity outside of Mateer. On Saturday, he carried the rock 19 times, which 4 more than the most carries by an OU running back this season. Perhaps of equal importance, the Sooners rolled while Mateer only had 7 rushing attempts. The hope was that he wouldn’t be subjected to unnecessary hits as he continues to work his way back from injury. While Mateer wasn’t perfect throwing the ball — he could’ve been picked off multiple times — he still made enough plays with the elusive Isaiah Sategna to keep the Sooners out of a deficit on the road.

The remaining schedule is nothing but ranked foes, but watching a bell-cow back of sorts emerge felt like an important step for the OU offense.

The post The biggest SEC takeaways from Week 8 of 2025 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Alabama offense has been employing the big man in some very unique ways in goal-to-go situations, both splitting him out wide on screen passes and handing the ball off to him in the backfield as the biggest running back in the history of college football.

Proctor can do it all, and if there’s one guy who can appreciate the big man getting the ball, it’s former North Carolina and Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday, who joined ESPN’s Get Up on Wednesday morning to crown the star tackle for the Tide as the Travis Hunter of the 2026 NFL Draft.

“We’ve renamed him the Travis Hunter of this year’s draft,” Saturday said. “He can do it all. Play quarterback, catch passes, Wildcat, you name it. He is a man amongst boys. Not only is he an athlete, but he’s an intelligent athlete because he’s an offensive lineman. I love this kid.”

SEC Network analyst Jordan Rogers also loves what he’s seen from Proctor, and he wants to see the 6-foot-7, 366-pound juggernaut lined up outside against a corner 1-on-1.

“Let’s get this guy in the red zone split out wide, 1-on-1 with a corner, Darnell Washington-style,” Rogers said. “Let’s get this man more touches. The guy is an athlete. He’s a unicorn.”

Unicorn is about the only suitable word available to describe Proctor, and with the Tide feeding him the ball near the goal line, it’s only a matter of time before he finds the end zone.

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During his Monday press conference, DeBoer praised Alabama’s fans for their passion and urged them to ratchet it up to the highest level for the primetime showdown.

“Looking forward to a great game. We need our fans loud, extremely loud. We need an environment that’s the best in the country here this weekend,” DeBoer said. “Again, we’re playing for a lot each week. We appreciate the support we get. Our players feel an energy and feed off of it.”

Alabama is coming off a fifth straight victory after beating then-No. 14 Missouri 27-24 on the road. Tennessee defeated visiting Arkansas 34-31 last Saturday.

Alabama leads the all-time Third Saturday in October series 59-40-7 vs. Tennessee. Tennessee beat Alabama 24-17 last season. However, Tennessee hasn’t won at Alabama since a 51-43 victory on Oct. 25, 2003.

No. 11 Tennessee at No. 6 Alabama is slated for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The SEC clash will be televised on ABC.

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PrizePicks, one of the largest daily fantasy sports companies in the United State, today unveiled their new first-of-its-kind social feature “The Feed,” which will allow users to see and interact with picks their peers are making in real time.

The new social feature will allow users to create PrizePicks profiles and easily follow friends, peers, and other daily fantasy sports (DFS) players on the PrizePicks app. The feature will allow users to easily play the same lineup as their favorite DFS customers and share their own lineups with the PrizePicks community.

We’re advancing the daily fantasy sports world forward into its next phase, blending how fans socialize online with how they root for their favorite players on gameday,” Dylan Cooper, PrizePicks SVP of Product, said. “These social features create an interactive experience that allows players to build lineups, ride with their favorite celebrities and flex their knowledge with their friends, all within the PrizePicks app.”

Focusing on PrizePicks Community

PrizePicks also recently debuted new player profile features that allows users to create their own unique usernames and see their lifetime DFS stats on the PrizePicks app. “The Feed” will allow other users to search for and follow profiles of users throughout the PrizePicks community.

Additionally, players can now easily copy a lineup and tail their friends, celebrities, or anyone with a profile on the app. Submitted lineups will appear on their feed in real time and users will be able to play identical lineups at the push of a single button. Lineups can also be shared with other users directly or through their own social media feeds

PrizePicks users will have the ability to switch their profiles from public to private if they no longer want their lineups to be featured on the main feed.

Allwyn Acquires Majority Stake

The debut of “The Feed” comes several weeks after Allwyn, a lottery-led gaming entertainment company, announced it was set to acquire a majority stake of PrizePicks. Allwyn will acquire a 62.3% stake of PrizePicks for an expected initial price of $1.6 billion, according to a PrizePicks release. Based on the $1.6 billion price tag for the majority stake in the company, PrizePicks has an implied upfront enterprise value of $2.5 billion.

The implied valuation could rise to $4.15 billion over the next three years if PrizePicks meets certain performance metrics.

The post PrizePicks Debuts New Social Feature ‘The Feed’ appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Walter Clayton Jr. was the star of stars for Florida when the Gators captured their 3rd national championship with a thrilling victory over Houston. The date was April 7, and the place was San Antonio, and that’s what Florida Victorious’ focus is on now. Florida fans will now have a chance to own a piece of that special court in San Antonio where a championship was brought home to Gainesville.

After UF won back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007, it took 18 years for a 3rd championship to be won by the Gators, and it took a lot of unbelievable shot-making by Clayton and his teammates.

What Florida Victorious is doing is truly one of a kind,” UF junior forward Thomas Haugh said. “They’re giving Gator fans the opportunity to own a real piece of our championship court — a piece of history — while directly supporting the student-athletes who made those memories possible. It’s an incredible way to celebrate our success and invest in the future of Florida basketball.

According to Florida Victorious, “every board, every painted line (and) every inch of the historic court is being preserved” for Gators fans. The offer is the first time a national championship court has been offered to its fan base. According to the NIL partner, every dollar that’s raised through the raffle entries and through sales will go to supporting Florida Victorious and Florida athletes.

This isn’t just wood and paint — it’s the very floor where the Gators made history, where the Gators cut down the nets, and where a new chapter of Florida basketball pride was written,” Florida Victorious CEO Erick Reasoner said. “Thanks to an incredible gift and the support from Gator Athletics and Gator boosters, we have the privilege to share that moment with Gator Nation in a tangible way — and every piece sold will directly support our student-athletes.

Florida Victorious has partnered in this special offer to UF fans with Artsman and Goldin, which will feature it in their Elite Auction spotlight in December.

For more information, Gators fans can go here to learn all about this special championship offer.

The post Florida NIL partner offers Gator fans opportunity to own piece of national championship court appeared first on Saturday Down South.

In homage to the legendary Nick Saban, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer clearly isn’t feeding into any rat poison. Especially not after falling to then-unranked Florida State in the season opener.

During his Monday press conference, DeBoer showed the utmost respect to undefeated Missouri going into the matchup.

“They’re 5-0,” DeBoer said. “They’re a ranked team.”

Missouri is 1 of 4 undefeated SEC teams remaining, including Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma. The Tigers are coming off a bye week after a 42-6 victory vs. UMass on Sept. 27.

Alabama will have to key in on running back Ahmad Hardy, who is the spearhead of why Missouri is ranked third nationally in rushing yards (292.0). The Crimson Tide’s defense could be up to the task, since they’re 21st nationally in points per game (16.0).

Alabama has found its footing since the embarrassing loss to the Seminoles, winning its last 2 games against ranked opponents (Georgia and Vanderbilt). Alabama at Missouri is slated for 12 p.m. ET on Saturday (ABC).

The post Kalen DeBoer rejects label of ‘trap game’ for Alabama at Mizzou appeared first on Saturday Down South.

However, those who wish to be first in line to bet on sports when betting does make its way to Missouri can now download the DraftKings Sportsbook App to get prepared. Click below to do so today.

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It’s very important to stress that, as of early October when you’re reading this, sports betting is not currently available in Missouri. Legislation will go into effect in early December to legalize online sports betting, but for now all there is to be done for prospective bettors in the state is download the DraftKings App, get your strategy ready and wait it out until December.

Keep scrolling for a further look at what the DraftKings Missouri Promo Code could entail once it hits the shelves in the Show-Me State.

Breaking Down the DraftKings Missouri Promo Code

As mentioned above, Missouri residents cannot currently download the DraftKings Missouri Sportsbook app and bet on games. The Show-Me State is bordered by several states with legal sports betting, however, so some prospective bettors in Missouri may have some history with online betting. Here are a few things to know from those states where sports betting is currently live.

Let’s get out in front of this to start: There is no promo code you technically have to enter to claim DraftKings’ eventual offer in Missouri, or in any state outside of Missouri today. Just use any of the links on this page and the offer will be automatically downloaded to your account once it’s been created. Nifty, huh?

The current DraftKings offer for those in legal betting states is Bet $5, get $200 in Bonus Bets, if that bet wins. It’s about as straightforward as it sounds: Just sign up, bet at least $5 and claim $200 in bonus bets if that bet wins. The best course of action to take is that of a low-risk, low-reward wager with your initial $5 bet, which has a higher likelihood of hitting than a 7-leg parlay would.

Why Choose DraftKings Sportsbook?

So, why DraftKings?

This is the all-important question, isn’t it? After all, there are dozens of options out there currently, so it can be a bit daunting when you’re first starting out. DraftKings is a good option because it’s popular (which means it’s held accountable to common-sense updates and has a reason to adhere to feedback), it has a great design and runs plenty of in-app promos.

Here’s an example of some that are currently available as of October 2025. It’s unlikely that these exact same promos will be available when sports betting comes around in Missouri, but it’ll look something like this.

• Ghost Leg: Turn any Thursday SGP (Same Game Parlay) into an NFL Sunday Ghost Leg Token, which offers users a safety net on any SGP on Sunday.
• King of the End Zone: Win a share of $2 million if your player scores the longest touchdown of DraftKings’ Game of the Week.

Download the DraftKings Sportsbook App Before Missouri’s Online Betting Launch

Sports betting is not yet live in Missouri, but prospective users can get ready for December’s launch by downloading the app today. Just a few more months, Missouri sports bettors.

The post DraftKings Missouri Promo Code: Download App Now to Make NFL Bets Later appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Among the storylines that will be feeding into the pivotal mid-season tilt is the injury status of star Sooners quarterback John Mateer, who has been dealing with a hand injury he suffered against Auburn.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian sat down on Monday to discuss the uncertainty surrounding Mateer and how his team is preparing for the game, with his status still up in the air.

“We’ll plan for Mateer. We have to,” Sarkisian said. “He’s a dynamic player. He’s the heartbeat of that offense. Everything goes through him.

“Coach Arbuckle has a great scheme that we’ve got to prepare for. He’s a fantastic coach. They tax you a lot of different ways with varying tempos, formations, trick plays, quarterback runs, shot plays. So we’ve got to prepare for the offense as much as we need to prepare for the quarterback, whichever one it’s going to be. It’s more about the offense in our world.”

It’s clear that Sark and his staff aren’t leaving anything up to chance when it comes to the Sooners’ dynamic offense, and they really can’t afford to either.

Given the current shape of things, the Longhorns more than likely can’t afford to lose another game if they want to make the College Football Playoff at season’s end.

Whether or not Mateer ends up starting this weekend will go a long way in deciding who comes out on top in the iconic Cotton Bowl, though, and that means Texas has to be prepared for all scenarios.

If Mateer doesn’t play, Oklahoma will start Michael Hawkins Jr. under center. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.

The post Steve Sarkisian discusses Texas’s preparation for Oklahoma amid John Mateer uncertainty appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Arch Manning and the 3-1 Longhorns will come to Gainesville for their SEC opener, while Napier’s Gators will try to break that ugly 3-game losing streak that followed their season-opening win. And they’ll try to do it with their own quarterback, DJ Lagway, leading the way.

It was a long month of September for the sophomore signal-caller who was supposed to have a breakout season in 2025. Instead, there’s been no breakthrough, Florida has plummeted out of the rankings, and now Lagway will oppose Manning on Saturday in a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN. It’ll be yet another big challenge for Lagway, who has thrown for just 690 yards in 4 games with just 5 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions.

Lagway’s season QBR is really low, sitting at just 46.9, but Napier believes there’s some hope for his quarterback and his team. Napier told reporters that Wednesday’s practice was Lagway’s best since he started practicing, and that alone should give Gators fans some hope.

Napier also shared some hopeful words with reporters regarding Lagway.

“I think that he improves with each full speed rep that he gets,” said Billy Napier about his quarterback’s confidence. “We obviously had an open date last week, so that presented an opportunity for him to get more work. Obviously, we know about, he’s had a very challenging offseason in terms of time missed, and I think that we’re trying to get him caught up, right? It’s all about feedback for me at quarterback, right? Every time I take a snap, or play a play, or process, or the ball comes off my hand, I’m self-correcting, right? I’m improving my process in terms of how I communicate, how I process, my decision-making and just what I can get away with, my anticipation, my accuracy.”

Napier talked about the challenges he’s faced with Lagway.

“The challenge for us is trying to get him ramped up,” Napier said. “I think this is the sixth week of real practice, so he’s working his tail off, and I think that with each rep that he takes, I think he’s getting more and more comfortable.”

All eyes will be on Lagway on Saturday as he tries to outduel Manning on national TV and will Florida out of its losing ways.

The post Billy Napier speaks on DJ Lagway’s confidence, getting better ahead of Texas matchup appeared first on Saturday Down South.

You know what else was revealed? Kalen DeBoer owns Kirby Smart. Also: Ole Miss doesn’t have a QB controversy; it has The Answer. Running backs deserve Heisman love, and the business side of college football is as brutal as transparent officiating is beautiful.

Those are just some of the 10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after Week 5 in and around the SEC.

10. Kirby has a new Kryptonite … and his name is Kalen DeBoer

Until Saturday, only 2 college football coaches had defeated Kirby Smart 2 or more times in a row: Nick Saban and Coach O. Both won national championships during those streaks, by the way.

Kalen DeBoer joined the list Saturday night in Athens, defying the odds and logic, as Alabama stuffed Georgia 24-21.

The Tide exposed Georgia’s limited passing game and unleashed its own lethal passing game.

Georgia will lament how it could control the line — 6.9 yards per rush — yet falter in the red zone (0-for-3). In a 1-score game, o-fers lead to oh-nos!

Bottom line? I’m sorry, Paaaawwwlll! I take it all back. I wrote off Alabama and had Dabo replacing DeBoer.

All of that still might happen, by the way — unless DeBoer gets to play Georgia every game.

Roll Tide.

9. In Trinidad They Trust

Has a QB gone from the bench to SEC Offensive Player of the Year in the same season?

Only asking because, oh, my, Trinidad Chambliss showed he’s not only the best QB Ole Miss has, he might be the most dangerous quarterback in the entire SEC.

Chambliss capped his 3rd consecutive 300-yard passing game with a 4th-and-complete-trust completion to seal a narrative-changing 24-19 victory over No. 4 LSU. Chambliss threw 1 TD pass and added 71 yards rushing. He’s already topped 1,000 yards passing. Not bad for a D-II transfer.

It’s more than the numbers, though. It’s the way he impacts defenses. He literally is a game-plan changer.

If he keeps going, he might be a season-changer. He’s certainly changed Ole Miss’ national championship odds — as well as your opinion on Lane Kiffin‘s ability to win a big game.

8. Forget the offense, it’s time to worry about Brian Kelly

First things first: There’s zero shame in losing a road game against an undefeated top-15 SEC team.

However …

When does Brian Kelly actually win one of these games?

In 2023, Kelly’s LSU Tigers lost at No. 20 Ole Miss and at No. 8 Alabama — the only Top 20 SEC teams they faced on the road.

In 2024, Kelly’s Tigers lost at No. 14 Texas A&M — the only ranked SEC team they faced on the road.

In 2025, Kelly’s Tigers just lost at No. 13 Ole Miss.

More damning, Kelly’s Tigers were ranked inside the top 15 in each of those games. He’s not bringing SoCon players to an SEC fight. In some cases, he’s the alleged heavyweight.

LSU still has road games at Vanderbilt and Alabama this season, both of which could be in the top 15 at kickoff. How confident are Tigers fans that he’ll break through and win 1, much less both?

Now that’s a fair question — even at the beginning of a press conference, ahem — given the title-or-bust circumstances surrounding his arrival in 2022.

Now, about that offense … woof. Preseason, I Sharpied in Garrett Nussmeier as a Heisman finalist and lock to add to LSU’s list of 3,000-yard passers — and maybe become the first Tiger to top 4,000 yards twice.

That’s not happening. Nussmeier hasn’t topped 275 yards yet this season and was held to 197 against Ole Miss. He also tossed another interception, adding to his maddening total. Yes, leading rusher Caden Durham was out, but even my youngest child is old enough to remember when LSU was RBU. Besides, wasn’t Ole Miss without its starting quarterback? And, to further the point, LSU entered the game ranked 15th in the SEC in rushing even with Durham.

Different schools, but it feels like we’re beginning to enter Dan Mullen territory. Maybe 10 wins really is Kelly’s ceiling. If it is, he’ll eventually have an office in another football building.

He wasn’t hired to win 10 games at LSU. He was hired to win the next national championship.

7. Tennessee fans, I don’t know how you do it …

In Week 1, I crowned Tennessee while reminding myself, don’t overreact to Tennessee.

But the Vols are so much fun to watch, and their offense is dangerous enough to take out almost anybody.

Then comes a road trip to upset-capable Mississippi State, which, no matter how many times Josh Heupel reminded his players that this team was, indeed, capable of ruining the Vols season, all the Vols likely heard was: “Mississippi State has lost 12 consecutive SEC games and topped 30 points in only 1 of those.”

That’s exactly how you find yourself staring at a 7-point deficit late in the 4th quarter, needing 75 yards — and a spectacular/fortunate 4th-down conversion — just to keep your Playoff hopes alive.

Credit the Vols. Joey Aguilar didn’t play a clean game, but he was on point when it mattered most.

Great teams win these kinds of games. Merely good teams lose a lot of these 1-possession games.

The Vols are somewhere between good and great. My advice: Keep the outlook (and glass) half-full. Comes in handy.

6. Arkansas has a bye. Time to say, bye-bye …

The only positive thing you can say about Arkansas’ performance Saturday vs. visiting Notre Dame is this: At least the Hogs didn’t lose yet another 1-score game.

Giving up 42 points in the first half — 28 in the final 8 minutes, including 14 in the final 40 seconds — tells you everything you need to know about the state of this program.

I hate saying players have quit on Sam Pittman because I can’t pretend to know their mental state, but it’s pretty obvious they’ve turned the page. A quick glance at the stands in the 3rd quarter tells you fans have, as well.

It’s time for Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek to do the same.

Forget worrying about technicalities in a an already-modest buyout saving you a few dollars.

The bye week is here.

Firing a defensive coordinator isn’t salvaging or fixing anything.

Thank Pittman, pay him, promote Bobby Petrino and move on.

5. Diego Pavia won’t win the Heisman, but he’s college football’s MVP

The Heisman Trophy is awarded to “the most outstanding player” in the country. Says so in the bylaws. Scan the list of Heisman winners, and it’s pretty obvious that “most outstanding” doesn’t always equate to most valuable.

Vanderbilt QB/Hype Man Diego Pavia isn’t the most outstanding player in college football — though he’s far better than you think.

Valuable? No question.

Think about what Pavia walked into, 2 years ago.

Fast-forward to how far Pavia has carried Vanderbilt fotball since.

Vanderbilt won 7 games last season — highlighted by the historic Alabama takedown.

Saturday, the No. 18-ranked ‘Dores improved to 5-0 with a thorough beating of Utah State. This is just the 2nd time Vandy has been 5-0 since WWII — and first time since the 2008 season. (The program record is 9-0, set in 1904, so, stay tuned ….)

Pavia, who tied a program record with 5 TD passes Saturday, now has 12 wins in 1 1/2 seasons — with more to come.

Vandy won 12 games — combined — from 2019-2023.

Again, perspective: He has completely changed the way you think about Vanderbilt football — or the fact that you even think about Vanderbilt football.

Next week, Pavia will try to become the first starting QB to beat Alabama 2 times since Nick Saban arrived in 2007. (Of course, those other QBs had to go through Saban, but we’re not about to rain on King Pavia’s parade. Cue: SEC Shorts.)

4. 4 takeaways from SEC schedule reveal

On Monday morning, Chris Low revealed the SEC’s 3 permanent opponents for the next 4 seasons. A couple of days later, the SEC confirmed Low’s reporting with an hour-long special on ESPN. By then, of course, Finebaum produced 2 shows, and SEC fans had overreacted to everything worth overreacting to.

I get one shot to overreact: Right here, every Sunday morning with you fine folks before we all head out for some much-needed saving.

My 4 biggest takeaways:

1. The SEC nailed it with Texas’ 3 permanent, err, “annual opponents.” It’s the most authentic, logical grouping in the league.

2. LSU got who? No Alabama? No Florida? Take your pick, but either the LSU vs Alabama or Florida vs. LSU rivalry has to be restored as an “annual” game, not an extra, occasional thrown into the rotation. I thought this was the biggest miss. It’s a puzzle, I get it. Remove one team, impact all of the others. It’s not as simple as just swapping LSU for Kentucky, but that’s what AI is for. Figure it out because this both matchups are among the best, high-stakes rivalries in the SEC.

3. Poor Auburn. No matter what happens, the Tigers can’t escape Alabama or Georgia. They’re still the only SEC team that has to play both every year. Obviously, the iconic Iron Bowl has to stay — even if/when the SEC expands to 32 teams and officially becomes the NFL (National Feeder League). And you can’t exactly get rid of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, either. And now Vandy’s good, too? In football? Poor Auburn.

4. Georgia ain’t losing to its 3 annual partners, a’ight? It’s cyclical, Paaawwwlll! The Gators are a great head coach from reclaiming the East, err, um, getting back to Atlanta!

Given the current circumstances on those respective campuses, I’ll take Georgia going 12-0 vs. Florida, Auburn and South Carolina against whatever record you prefer — even your first choice: 1-11.

3. A non-QB Heisman ballot, just for Coach Drink …

Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz wasn’t wrong when he chided the media’s fasciation with giving quarterbacks more love than running backs, in general, but particularly when discussing the Heisman Trophy. A quick look at the Heisman odds proves his point: There isn’t a running back to be found — and Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith generally is the only non-QB in the top 10.

Overreactions readers might remember that I had Smith on my Week 1 Heisman ballot — and noted I liked his chances to win the award primarily because there isn’t a Joe Burrow-type QB this season.

“Sure, quarterbacks still lead the way in the 2025 race, but there’s no player in America capable of separating from his peers — or opponents — quite like Smith.”

In honor of Drinkwitz, here’s my all-non-QB Heisman ballot.

1. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State: He’s the best player in America and might win it anyway.

2. Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri: Credit Drinkwitz for setting up an RB-friendly system that all but guarantees Mizzou a 1,000-yard rusher — usually with guys AP voters on either side of the country have never heard of. Hardy is the latest. Undersized and overlooked in every way imaginable, all the Louisiana-Monroe transfer has done thus far is run to the top of the SEC leaderboard in rushing yards. He had 130 yards (and 3 TDs) Saturday, giving him 730 yards through 5 games.

Here’s a fun fact: In the past 4 seasons, Mizzou has produced 2 1,600 yard rushers (Tyler Badie, 1,604 in 2021; Cody Schroeder, 1,627 in 2023). Hardy is on pace to become the 3rd Tiger to crack 1,600 yards — in 5 years.

Here’s some perspective on how ridiculous that is … courtesy of SDS’ trusty, exclusive database of every 1,000-yard rusher in SEC history:

Alabama has only produced 3 1,600-yard rushers in program history — and nobody since Derrick Henry set the SEC record with 2,219 yards in 2015.

Auburn has only produced 3 1,600-yard rushers (yes, Bo Jackson did it) — and nobody since Tre Mason (1,816 yards in 2013).

Georgia Heisman winner Herschel Walker is the only Dawg to top 1,600 yards — and he did it 3 times! In 1981, Walker set the SEC’s magic number of 1,891 yards — a single-season record that stood for more than 30 years until Henry broke it.

LSU’s most recent 1,600-yard rusher is Leonard Fournette (1,953 in 2015). Fournette and Charles Alexander are the only Tigers to top 1,600 yards in a season.

Arkansas’ Darren McFadden is the only Hog to top 1,600 yards, and he did it twice. (He should have won the 2007 Heisman, and he belongs on this list of the biggest Heisman snubs of all-time.)

Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt haven’t produced a single 1,600-yard rusher — ever. Kentucky has produced 1 (Moe Williams). South Carolina has 2 — both by George Rogers before joining the SEC. Texas A&M has 3, but 2 were before joining the SEC.

Oklahoma (7) and Texas (6) have produced the most 1,600-yard rushers, but none of those rushers dealt with SEC defenses.

So, in sum, Mizzou has produced 2 1,600-yard rushers in the past 4 seasons and has a chance to do something in a 5-year span that most SEC teams have never done.

That’s worth your attention.

3. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame: The Irish have fully recovered from the 0-2 start and are back in the Playoff hunt — thanks largely to Love, who added 4 more touchdowns (2 rushing, 2 receiving) in the 56-13 blowout at Arkansas. The Reggie Bush comps are legit: Love has now accounted for 8 TDs and is the dynamic playmaker in Notre Dame’s offense, capable of turning any touch into a Heisman moment.

2. He’s a man! He’s 40! He’s … outta here

Mike Gundy won a lot of football games in his 21 seasons at Oklahoma State. He won 170 to be exact. That’s not only the most in school history, it’s more than the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 Cowboys coaches won combined.

So why is it, almost 20 years later, every time we hear his name, we shout: “I’m a man! I’m 40!”

Gundy, of course, was in the news Tuesday because Oklahoma State unceremoniously fired him. In fairness, OK State had not been even OK for a few years. OSU lost 11 of its final 12 games under Gundy dating to last season.

Still …

It was a heck of a ride, Cowboy. Here’s hoping that this wasn’t his last rodeo.

1. SEC … follow the ACC’s lead — now

So, apparently, the ACC has been showing its replay review process all season. Who knew? I’m too busy watching SEC football to absorb anything other than ACC highlights.

Friday night’s primetime Virginia-FSU game was a revelation to me — and judging by the response on Twitter — most of the country. (Oh, Virginia was, too, and as we fully embrace the Portal-Parity Era of college football, I’m trying to prepare myself for Virginia vs. Indiana in a Playoff game.)

Back to the review process: It was fascinating, watching the ACC replay center scour video replays from numerous angles and discuss the findings with the lead official on the field. Viewers saw the same angles, heard every word of the conversation. Including the head of the replay review center finishing every review by asking the lead official: “Are in we all in agreement?”

Ultimate transparency. Zero conspiracy.

I mean, imagine the scenario in which Playoff-hopeful FSU got the benefit of an overrule without us hearing how and why a call was reversed? That’s how every other league does it — under the veil of secrecy. That’s how conspiracies start.

The SEC likes to lead the way, but they’re chasing badly in this instance.

The ACC showed everybody — from the SEC to the NFL — the value in transparency. With all the problems the SEC dealt with this past week, including the Auburn AD admonishing the SEC and its officiating during the Oklahoma game, the time is now.

Fix it.

The post 10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after Week 5 in the SEC appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The team just announced a long-term extension for head coach Mike White that will keep him in Athens through the 2031 season.

White, who was hired in 2022 to replace Tom Crean, has quickly turned around a Georgia basketball program that had been among the worst in the SEC for nearly a decade.

His prowess as a recruiter and ability to add key additions via the transfer portal have turned the Dawgs from SEC bottom feeders to one of the fastest rising programs in the nation. The 2024-25 season was the best in recent memory for Georgia, as White led them to a 20-13 record and their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since way back in 2015.

It’s clear that White has the Dawgs on an upward trajectory, and the power brokers inside the UGA Athletics Department have enough faith in what he is building to keep him around for the foreseeable future.

Georgia basketball will open the 2025-26 season with Bellarmine on Nov. 3.

The post Georgia basketball announces contract extension for Mike White appeared first on Saturday Down South.

According to the Yahoo Sports report, the NCAA committee has not decided what the exact length of a single fall transfer portal window will be, and it also hasn’t decided what the timing of the fall window will be on the calendar. The report said a decision on all of the details of that single fall transfer portal window will come within the next month.

The Division I Football Oversight Committee had voted earlier this month to approve a 10-day portal, but that particular period of time was not approved on Wednesday. The reported elimination of the spring portal window will help consolidate the movement of players from 1 program to another to 1 period of time instead of 2 and would also eliminate the distraction of the spring portal window when teams are busy with spring football practice.

“In response to student-athlete feedback, football oversight committees will consider modifications to the proposed single January window, including the length of the window and corresponding dates,” the NCAA said in a statement.

The 1 big question that would remain going forward is when that single portal window would be, with the previous proposal being for Jan. 2-11.

The post NCAA decides to eliminate spring football transfer portal window, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

On Wednesday morning, Tennessee announced updates to the Vols’ gameday experience. Tweaks to the process, including an earlier stadium entry time — gates will open 2-and-a-half hours before kickoff — are being implemented for this Saturday’s game versus UAB.

This change, and numerous others, come after congestion entering Neyland Stadium plagued Tennessee’s home games against both East Tennessee State (Sept. 6) and Georgia (Sept. 13).

I could see it, and I heard feedback from our fans. I could tell that frustration was real,” White told Adam Sparks of the Knoxville News Sentinel. “People told me how long they had waited (to enter Neyland Stadium). I started apologizing to people. I told them we’d fix it, and we will.

The Vols’ initial changes were designed to increase security for the football venue. According to Tennessee’s press release, their extended security perimeter on the south end of the stadium will remain in place. However, “it will be adjusted at the bottom of Peyton Manning Pass.”

White deserves kudos for acting to rectify this situation in short order. He’ll see if the changes are effective when the Volunteers host the Blazers at 12:45 p.m. E.T. on Saturday (SEC Network).

Athletic Director Danny White has announced football gameday updates for fans entering Neyland Stadium.

Details here → https://t.co/eL7y3Vjeco pic.twitter.com/iLJu3F4h3b

— Tennessee Athletics (@Vol_Sports) September 17, 2025

The post Tennessee announces gameday updates after delays at Georgia game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

For me, Week 3 was a miserable week replete with bad beats. Georgia -3.5 misses because they don’t kick the PAT on a game-winning touchdown in overtime. Oregon -27.5 misses because the Ducks’ fourth-string defense gives up a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 31-0 game. Wisconsin just gives up on the road. At least we didn’t back Penn State against the spread. Ouch.

The only win last week was the upset spot.

Let’s try to do a little better in this window.

Here’s how to bet the early market for Week 4’s games.

• Last week: 1-5
• 2025 season: 13-16
• 2024 season: 84-69-1

Week 4 schedule, odds

At SDS, we’ve got you covered all season with live, up-to-date college football odds. You can find point spreads, game totals, and money line odds for every Week 4 game below.

Tulsa at Oklahoma State

The gap between Tulsa and Oklahoma State, according to Bill Connelly’s SP+, is about a touchdown. That’s on a neutral field. Boone Pickens is a difficult place to visit when it’s rocking, but there’s absolutely nothing for the Cowboy fanbase to feel good about right now, so a Friday night game against a 1-2 visitor won’t exactly make for an electric environment.

There may even be empty seats.

In fact, there may be a lot of empty seats.

This will be Oklahoma State’s first game back on the field since getting its teeth brutally kicked in for all to see by Oregon 2 weeks ago. Dan Lanning, a master motivator, took a small shred of a comment from OSU head coach Mike Gundy and turned it into a manifesto of disrespect for his team to feed off of. The Pokes were down 41-3 at the half and wound up enduring the worst loss the program has suffered in over a century. Oregon ran for 312 yards. In the opener a week prior, UT Martin ran for 3.8 a carry, adjusted for sacks. Oregon had more yards of offense against the Cowboys than the Cowboys have in their first 2 games combined.

With a backup quarterback and a coach who probably should have been shown the door a while ago, there’s very little to get excited about in Stillwater.

Tulsa doesn’t appear to be very good, either. Navy turned the football over on its first 3 possessions of the game against the Golden Hurricanes last week and had a lead going into the halftime break. The Tulsa offense ranks 95th in the country in EPA per play, according to Game on Paper. The defense ranks 80th. (Oklahoma State is outside the top 100 in both categories.) A week prior, Tulsa lost on the road 21-14 to New Mexico State.

I like the Golden Hurricanes against this number in a spot where an in-state school has an opportunity to earn some respect early in coach Tre Lamb’s tenure. Things slipped away from Tulsa in the second half against Navy, but they were competitive (and mistake-riddled) in the first half. I think Oklahoma State might be done already.

Bet Tulsa +13.5 (-115 via ESPN Bet)

Maryland at Wisconsin

Maryland is a touchdown underdog on the road. SP+ says Maryland is the better team by almost 2.1 points. According to Game on Paper, Maryland ranks 37th in net EPA per play while Wisconsin ranks 64th. One could argue that Wisconsin has played stiffer competition, but I’m not ready to give Wisconsin credit for going on the road and getting ripped to shreds by Alabama simply because it played the game.

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson had nearly as many touchdown passes as he had incompletions. Ryan Williams made the Badger secondary look like toddlers fumbling over themselves in a peewee game. Wisconsin was down 35-7 going into the fourth quarter and Alabama took its foot off the neck. At the end of the game, Wisconsin waved a white flag and quit.

It doesn’t sound like starting quarterback Billy Edwards will be back for this game, so Danny O’Neil figures to run the show once again. He had 2 ugly interceptions against Alabama, giving him a pick in every game thus far. The ground game also disappeared against the Tide, which was discouraging.

Maryland quarterback Malik Washington is coming off his best game of his young career, throwing for 261 yards and accounting for 2 total touchdowns in a 44-17 win over Towson. Washington had a 94.8 QBR in the game, the second-highest from a Big Ten quarterback in Week 3.

Washington has at least 250 yards passing in his first 3 games for the Terps, and his completion percentage topped 70% for the first time in Week 3.

Maryland held its first 2 FBS opponents under 4 yards per play. It is giving up just 2.9 yards per carry so far. It has 8 takeaways. According to Game on Paper, only 5 defenses have a lower EPA per play faced than the Terps’ defense. Wisconsin had significant trouble trying to block Alabama’s front, and now it gets to face a defense that has at least 3 sacks in every game so far.

I think the seat is warm under Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, and a noon ET crowd will be angsty. I like Washington, who has made some pretty solid throws for a freshman and has had a ton of wide-open receivers through his first 3 games. Alabama had a ton of open receivers, too.

Bet Maryland +8.5 (-110 via Fanatics)

Arkansas at Memphis

Memphis has had a really good offensive start to the season. Arkansas has had a really bad defensive start to the season. Get ready for some more points.

The game against Ole Miss saw the point total creep under 60 prior to kickoff, and that felt like a major overreaction to the quarterback change in the Rebels’ backfield. And that proved to be the case, as we got 59 combined points in just one half. Arkansas sits 63rd nationally in EPA per play faced after surrendering 475 yards and 8 explosive pass plays to the Rebels. The Hogs actually outgained the Rebs on a per-play basis, but lost the game. That’s the fourth time that has happened since just the start of the 2024 season.

After creating multiple takeaways in each of their first 2 games, Arkansas got nothing off of Ole Miss in Week 3.

Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis has had a decent start in his first season with the program, completing 73.3% of his throws for 608 yards while adding 190 rushing yards in 3 games. Tailback Sutton Smith has been great out of the backfield as well.

The Tigers could be spicy here at home against a visiting SEC school. They’ve effectively neutralized the last 2 run games they’ve seen — 89 yards, 50 carries — and have only allowed 3 touchdowns in 3 games. Obviously, slowing down a Taylen Green-Bobby Petrino offense is an entirely different animal, but if the Tigers can get a couple of stops, they might be able to win the possession game and hang close.

Bet Memphis team total over 27.5 points (-114 via FanDuel)

Kent State at No. 7 Florida State

The Seminoles have been 56 points better than expectations through their first 2 games. They beat the Week 1 number by 27.5 points, then beat an astronomically high 45.5-point spread by almost 30 points (lol) in Week 2. The offense looks legit. The defense is stuffing the ground game. And now Florida State is another massive favorite against a truly awful Kent State team.

The Golden Flashes ended a 21-game losing streak in Week 1 with a 4-point win over FCS Merrimack. They followed that result up by losing to Texas Tech by 48 points. Then they lost to Buffalo at home last week. The offense, which was nonexistent a year ago, is still MIA. That unit ranks 126th in EPA per play, according to Game on Paper.

Opponents are averaging 72 plays a game against this Kent State defense to begin the season and no FBS team has given up more scrimmage plays of at least 20 yards. This could be a huge-possession game where Florida State will get to pick the score. Coming off a bye week, I’m looking for FSU to try and regain the groove it had before the break.

Bet Florida State -44.5 (-115 via ESPN Bet)

No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma

In terms of the vibes at kickoff, this will be the best atmosphere we see anywhere across the country on Saturday. (What we’ll see in Lincoln, Nebraska, might be close.) Unfortunately, I think there’s the potential for this to be a lopsided result.

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables knows Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold. He knows the strengths. He knows the weaknesses. He knows the buttons to press. Auburn has just 7 completions of at least 15 yards in 3 games so far this season. Arnold’s completion percentage has been 25.3 percentage points worse when blitzed versus when not. We know Auburn has the receivers to make plays, but does it have the quarterback to take advantage of a defense down the field? That question is still largely unanswered.

Auburn has been able to run over its first 3 opponents, and Arnold has been fabulous in this part of the game. The Tigers had 307 rushing yards against Baylor, 224 at 6.6 a pop against Ball State, and then 195 at 5 a carry against South Alabama. None of those defenses compares in the slightest to OU’s.

The Sooners are second nationally in EPA per play faced, according to Game on Paper. They rank fifth nationally in rushing success rate allowed. If Auburn can’t run the ball and Oklahoma is able to create opportunities to rush the passer, we’ll see turnovers. But even then, I don’t think Oklahoma has to “earn” those opportunities against Arnold. Venables might say, “OK, the game is on your arm, prove you can beat us.” The Sooners did not give up an explosive pass play in the opener. They’ve allowed 5 all season.

On the other side, the combination of Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer should be able to take advantage of an Auburn defense that has been bad in space to start the season. Mateer gets the ball out quickly and Arbuckle does well to get his playmakers in space. Mateer is averaging 8 yards per pass attempt this season on throws behind the line of scrimmage. Auburn currently grades out 106th in team tackling, per PFF. And 7 backend players have been tagged for allowing at least 20 yards after the catch on receptions where they were the primary defender, per PFF.

There are a lot of arrows that point in Oklahoma’s favor in this matchup. The Tigers might be able to stop the run, but the Sooners have a pretty strong 3-0 record despite not really figuring out the ground game yet.

Bet Oklahoma -6.5 (-110 via bet365)

South Carolina at No. 23 Mizzou

It might get a lot worse for South Carolina before it gets better. The Gamecocks could be without their starting quarterback when they go on the road to face a white-hot Mizzou team, and that that means another blowout could be in the cards.

After LaNorris Sellers was knocked out of the Vanderbilt game, South Carolina ran 41 offensive plays and didn’t score a point. They gained 184 total yards at 4.5 per play. The Gamecocks had 5 second-half possessions; they turned it over on downs on the first 2, and they committed turnovers on the last 3. Vanderbilt wasn’t particularly good on offense — 5.1 yards per play, 4.2 sack-adjusted yards per run — and the ‘Dores still put 31 on the board thanks to 4 total takeaways.

This offense was not working even when Sellers was healthy, but if he’s unavailable for the Week 4 matchup, South Carolina loses that running element that still made its quarterback dangerous.

On Sunday, South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said he was “optimistic” about Sellers heading into the week. The line from most shops says the opposite. If Sellers is dealing with a concussion, this “will he, won’t he” game will drag right up to kickoff.

If Sellers is unavailable, South Carolina might get rolled. No one in the SEC has looked more impressive through the first 3 weeks of the season than Mizzou. Ahmad Hardy will be the best back South Carolina has faced thus far. Beau Pribula will be the best passer South Carolina has faced thus far — by a laughable margin, too. The Gamecocks had to replace 5 draft picks from their defense this season, and the early returns have been underwhelming; they rank 59th in EPA per play faced despite playing a Virginia Tech team that just fired its coach and an FCS squad.

However, if Sellers is available, things change. South Carolina can’t afford another loss this early in the season. The College Football Playoff will all but assuredly be out of reach if they have multiple defeats on the record before October arrives. From Oct. 11 through Nov. 15, South Carolina plays 5 straight games against teams that currently sit in the AP top 15, and 3 of those games are on the road. This becomes a desperation spot.

I lean Mizzou, but the uncertainty of Sellers’ situation has me hesitant to get involved. Let’s see what the first availability report of the week (on Wednesday) says and see how the market reacts to that.

Lean Mizzou -12.5 (-115 via FanDuel)

Upset Spot of the Week: No. 21 Michigan at Nebraska

Do you believe?

Do you really believe?

If you say no, Deion Sanders isn’t going to appear out of thin air and scold you. You’d certainly be justified in saying no. Since the start of the 2017 season, Nebraska is 0-25 against ranked opponents. Rutgers is the only other power conference team without a win over a ranked team during that same span. What’s more? Nebraska is just 9-16 against the spread in those games against ranked teams.

Futility is pretty much ingrained into the corn at this point. Is this team different? That’s the question that gets answered in Week 4 because the Huskers are coming off consecutive thumpings of outmanned opponents and welcoming a Michigan team to Memorial Stadium that is ranked off the strength of its name only.

According to FPI, Michigan’s strength of record ranks 53rd nationally. (Nebraska is 18th.) Michigan had a ho-hum 17-point win over New Mexico in its opener and then managed only 13 points on the road against Oklahoma in Week 2. Seven of those came from a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the third quarter. Sure, the Wolverines obliterated Central Michigan last weekend, but Pitt put 45 points on that same defense so I’m not sure how much can be gained from the result.

Bryce Underwood struggled in his first road start, completing 9 of his 24 pass attempts for 142 yards. He had 3 rushing attempts and lost a yard. Nebraska will look at what Oklahoma did and try to force Underwood to stay in the pocket and beat it with his arm. In what will be a hostile road environment, that’s a tough task.

Is Nebraska’s offense legit? Because it was a sputtering mess in the Week 1 win over Cincinnati and a flamethrower in the 2 weeks since. The last 2 opponents were Akron and Houston Christian, whose athletes don’t compare in any way, shape, or form to Michigan’s. Still, quarterback Dylan Raiola has found a rhythm, completing 39 of his last 52 passes (75%) for 586 yards and 6 touchdowns. He hasn’t thrown a pick. He hasn’t taken a sack. And he has a 28.8% explosive play rate.

Picking the Huskers to beat the Wolverines goes against every trend, but I do think there’s something to the concept of belief. Nebraska won a tight game in Week 1 against Cincy, and the last 2 results should have the confidence sky-high in Lincoln. Nebraska is due for one of these.

Bet Nebraska money line (+115 via BetMGM)

The post Betting Stuff: How to bet the opening lines for Week 4 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Let’s dive in.

(Editor’s note: All odds are via BetMGM. Point spreads used for this piece were taken earlier in the week and might not necessarily reflect current odds.)

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Week 3 college football picks

Here’s how the crew picked 10 of the biggest games in Week 3. If you want to bet alongside the guys, check out our guide on the best sports betting apps to score a sign-up bonus at your shop of choice.

2025 season records:

• Andy Olson: 13-10-2
• Derek Peterson: 11-12-2 
• Ethan Stone: 10-13-2
• Spenser Davis: 9-14-2
• Adam Spencer: 7-16-2

No. 12 Clemson (-3.5) at Georgia Tech 

Spenser Davis: Here’s a fun fact: In the Brent Key era, Georgia Tech is 7-8 straight up as an underdog (and 10-5 against the spread). Winning (and covering) in these types of games is something the Yellow Jackets do quite often. And yet, I’m going with Clemson. Before the season started, Clemson was favored by almost double digits in this game at some shops. Clemson’s disappointing performance vs. LSU and slow start vs. Troy are certainly noteworthy, but I think this line has moved too far. PICK: Clemson 

Andy Olson: I did not fill out a preseason top 25 this year, but I don’t think I would have ranked Clemson as high as others. I wasn’t super high on Clemson to begin the year and I’m feeling Haynes King and the Yellow Jackets at home in a big game. I wouldn’t be surprised by an outright upset, but the points certainly make this decision easier. PICK: Georgia Tech 

Derek Peterson: Georgia Tech is 2-0 to begin the season despite being minus-4 in the turnover department and missing its starting quarterback for a game. I think this is a tricky spot for Clemson regardless of what is going on with Haynes King. The Tiger offense just doesn’t look right — 126th nationally in EPA per play — and you don’t typically fix problems in your first road game of the season. You typically expose new ones. PICK: Georgia Tech 

Adam Spencer: I’m very worried about how much everyone has been on Georgia Tech in this spot. When the public is overwhelmingly on one side, it usually makes sense to play the other. If Haynes King isn’t 100% healthy for this game, it’s going to be tough for Georgia Tech to win. I’ll (reluctantly) take Clemson in this one. PICK: Clemson 

Ethan Stone: Clemson’s offense has looked clunky to start the season. No run game and inconsistent play from Klubnik worry me even before you throw in Bobby Dodd magic for what will be Clemson’s first road test of the season. I like GT to win outright. PICK: Georgia Tech 

Wisconsin at No. 19 Alabama (-20.5) 

SD: Alabama has underwhelmed a lot under Kalen DeBoer, but all of the most disappointing performances have come away from home. In Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide have been pretty much unbeatable over the last couple of years. I think we’ll see another big-time effort from Alabama and I don’t think Wisconsin has the juice to keep up on either side of the ball. PICK: Alabama 

AO: I’m currently in the camp that Alabama pulled an “LSU” of years past and just laid an egg in the opener. Alabama has key advantages, plus the home crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium. I’ll take the tide to roll to a lopsided win over the Badgers. PICK: Alabama 

DP: Wisconsin got the ground game going in Week 2 and its defense has played as well as any in the country through the opening 2 games of the season. I have zero interest in laying 3 touchdowns given the state of this Alabama team. Blowing out an awful ULM team does nothing for me. This was a team I backed to win the SEC just a few weeks ago, so I obviously still think there’s talent here, but I want to see the mindset change. PICK: Wisconsin 

AS: I think it’s important here to ask why Florida State did what it did against Alabama. Thomas Castellanos was magnificent. Well, Wisconsin’s top QB, Billy Edwards Jr., is likely out for this matchup. Give me the Tide to (just barely) cover this massive spread. PICK: Alabama 

ES: You can’t convince me that the amount of effort we saw against Florida State is enough to beat any competent team by 3 scores. PICK: Wisconsin 

No. 6 Georgia (-3.5) at No. 15 Tennessee 

SD: Georgia has created virtually zero explosive plays so far this season against lesser competition than it will face against the Vols. That would be easier to excuse if we weren’t coming off of a dreadful offensive season for the Bulldogs in 2024. I’ll take the points. PICK: Tennessee 

AO: There’s a part of me that feels like the “old Georgia” (2021-23) will decide to show up on Saturday. But from what I’ve watched of these two teams so far, I can’t shake that 2025 Tennessee looks like it has a real chance to beat 2025 Georgia straight up. UT as a home underdog is too good to turn down, even if “old Georgia” shows up and makes fools of Vol backers. PICK: Tennessee 

DP: Tennessee is the home side, but Tennessee is down both of its starting cornerbacks and hasn’t played up to its potential on defense. I’m anxious to see how Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar looks against a real defense. PICK: Georgia 

AS: Tennessee’s corners being out worries me, but I haven’t seen anything from Gunner Stockton to show that he’s the guy to take advantage of that fact. I’m more inclined to play the under in this matchup, but since this article is all about picking spreads, give me the points with Tennessee. PICK: Tennessee 

ES: I think this will be the most competitive Georgia/Tennessee matchup of the Josh Heupel era. This is Gunner Stockton’s first start in a true road environment and truth be told, I’m not worried about the Vols secondary at all with Ty Redmond and Colton Hood playing the way they are – though that unit cannot afford any more injuries. I think Neyland will get to Stockton and the Bulldogs’ offense in a low-scoring affair. PICK: Tennessee 

Pitt (-7) at West Virginia 

SD: West Virginia lost to Ohio last week and it wasn’t even that big of a surprise — the Mountaineers were only favored by 3.5 at most shops. Starting running back Jaheim White is also out for the year after suffering an injury on Saturday against the Bobcats. Still, I’m reluctant to lay a touchdown in a rivalry game that’s as heated as this one when neither team is anything special. PICK: West Virginia 

AO: Throw out the records for the Backyard Brawl. I’m not sure about West Virginia pulling off the upset, but I think Rich Rodriguez will have the Mountaineers playing beyond their abilities for the bitter rivalry. PICK: West Virginia 

DP: The line for this game opened under 2 points and has ballooned. The obvious play here is to back West Virginia in a rivalry spot. Neither team has played anyone, right? The problem is one of the “nobodies” the Mountaineers played beat them, and did so with a script that is plenty repeatable for Pitt. Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro had 87 rushing yards, which helped offset 3 interceptions. West Virginia got virtually nothing from its ground game. Eli Holstein can run, and Pitt has stopped the run wonderfully through its first 2 games. PICK: Pitt

AS: One of these teams just lost to Ohio. Not Ohio State. Ohio. One of these teams didn’t just lose to Ohio. That’s the extent of my analysis here for the Backyard Brawl. I’ll go with the Panthers. PICK: Pitt 

ES: Neither of these teams has played a Power 4 opponent, but West Virginia still has a loss on its resume after falling 17-10 at Ohio last week. The Bobcats are no slouch, but West Virginia looked bad in that one – especially in the run game. Pitt, on the other hand, has allowed less than 80 yards rushing through 2 games and has the far superior QB in Eli Holstein. I like the Panthers to take control of this one on offense. PICK: Pitt 

No. 18 South Florida at No. 5 Miami (-17) 

SD: My instinct is to fade South Florida coming off of a couple of big, high-profile wins. But it’s also a lookahead spot for Miami with a Florida matchup looming in Week 4. My guess is Miami is up by 21 points late and the cover comes down to whether or not USF can find the backdoor. PICK: South Florida 

AO: Mario Cristobal should send his old Bama buddy Billy Napier something nice for making his job easy this week. There’s no way USF is sneaking up on Miami after going into The Swamp and pulling off the upset. I think the Canes will show everybody how it’s done and cover. PICK: Miami 

DP: This is the point where I’d like to fade South Florida, but I just can’t at 17 points. Miami wins and the Bulls get a backdoor cover. PICK: South Florida 

AS: I agree fully with Derek. Heck, if this spread was Miami –16.5, I might take the Hurricanes. I just can’t get there with –17, though. PICK: South Florida 

ES: South Florida has earned enough respect from me to pick +17. PICK: South Florida 

Arkansas at No. 17 Ole Miss (-8) 

SD: I think Arkansas might be a bit overlooked this year. Taylen Green and Bobby Petrino is a lethal combination. At some point this year, the Razorbacks are going to win outright as a big underdog in SEC play. That might not be this week, but I do think the Hogs will cover. PICK: Arkansas

AO: If Arkansas were at home, I’d probably go for a Razorback cover. In Oxford, though, I think Pete Golding’s defense does some things to slow down Bobby Petrino’s offense, led by Taylen Green. I also expect Ole Miss to come in hungry, as the Rebels probably didn’t leave Lexington feeling all that satisfied. PICK: Ole Miss 

DP: I think Austin Simmons is talented, it just doesn’t appear he’s ready. Against an Arkansas team that, offensively, is playing as well as any in the country to open the season, turnovers are going to be a major theme of this game. PICK: Arkansas   

AS: Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin apologized for not covering an 8.5-point spread at Kentucky last week. At home in Oxford, he doesn’t have to apologize to bettors this week. Take the over in this one and also play the Rebels to cover. PICK: Ole Miss 

ES: I don’t trust Sam Pittman to win this one, but I think Taylen Green and the Razorbacks offense has enough juice to keep up with Kewan Lacy and Co. Throw in a few Austin Simmons turnovers and I think this will be competitive late. PICK: Arkansas 

Florida at No. 3 LSU (-8.5) 

SD: This is the perfect spot to hold your nose and do something uncomfortable. Everyone is ready to push Florida off the deep end while Brian Kelly is still getting praise for beating Clemson in Week 1. Meanwhile, UF responded very well to losses last season, Clemson struggled mightily against Troy in Week 2, and LSU might be down another starting offensive lineman this week. I’m buying low on the Gators and selling high on LSU. PICK: Florida 

AO: Expect the unexpected gets overused in sports, but it’s absolutely the case for Florida and LSU. We’ve seen some weird things in these games over the years. UF’s last QB to win in Death Valley was Austin Appleby. Tim Tebow is the last Gator QB to win at night in Death Valley. Treon Harris, Kyle Trask and Graham Mertz, though, all played well in Death Valley night games since Tebow lied about his concussion recovery to give it a go in 2009. I think DJ Lagway and the Gators play better on Saturday than they did against USF. Probably not enough to win outright, but I like UF to cover. PICK: Florida 

DP: LSU wins by 10 at home with the crowd at its back. If LSU hadn’t been sleepwalking last week, maybe I’d buy into Florida in a bounceback spot, but I think Brian Kelly will have been on his team’s butt this week to kick it back into gear. PICK: LSU

AS: LSU’s offensive line took a step back this past week against Louisiana Tech. But this is a team that beat Clemson by a touchdown on the road. At home, the Tigers should be at least 10 points better than a reeling Florida squad. Something is broken with the Gators. Garrett Nussmeier and company have another strong showing and start SEC play with a double-digit home victory. PICK: LSU 

ES: I think LSU is a little overrated (think top 10 instead of top 3), but I’m just disgusted with that performance from Florida against USF. I think the Bulls are good for a G5 team, but Byrum Brown and Alex Golesh simply managed the game better than DJ Lagway, whose stock fell considerably after Saturday night. I have supreme confidence in Garrett Nuss and a really good Tigers defense, though. I don’t think they’ll cover by much, but give me the Tigers by 10-14. PICK: LSU 

No. 16 Texas A&M at No. 8 Notre Dame (-7) 

SD: Texas A&M’s run defense numbers are appalling. The Aggies have faced UTSA and Utah State, yet are ranked 111th nationally in EPA per rush allowed, according to Game on Paper. Explosive plays have been a big issue. Marcel Reed is also banged up, although he is expected to play. I mostly liked what I saw from CJ Carr in Week 1 and I think he’ll play well at home against an Aggies team that I think is much worse than the Miami squad he faced a couple of weeks ago. PICK: Notre Dame 

AO: I’m not crazy about laying the whole 7 here, but I feel more confident in Notre Dame winning after seeing the Irish at Miami. I wouldn’t be surprised by an A&M cover, but I think it’s ever so slightly more likely Notre Dame wins by more than 7. PICK: Notre Dame 

DP: Notre Dame won this matchup in College Station last season by completely neutralizing the Texas A&M pass game. A&M’s defense held it in the game for a prolonged stretch. I don’t think this Aggie defense is quite as good, and Notre Dame has had extra time to prepare. Marcus Freeman is 6-1 ATS with a rest advantage, and I think Notre Dame will have a better plan this time around to get its playmakers the ball. All that being said, I think this A&M offense is better than it was a year ago. I would have loved to get a shorter number to back the Irish at, so I’ll go against the grain. PICK: Texas A&M

AS: I have my concerns about Notre Dame. I have my concerns about the Irish offense, namely regarding the usage of Jeremiyah Love (or lack thereof) down in Miami. But I also have my concerns about the Aggies at this point in the season. I’ll take Notre Dame to cover, just barely. PICK: Notre Dame 

ES: Marcel Reed has not performed well on the road, and he’s yet to face a team like Notre Dame on the road, too. The Fighting Irish have also had an off-week and could use a turnaround after falling just short at Miami. I think the Irish win this one by a few scores. PICK: Notre Dame 

Vanderbilt at No. 11 South Carolina (-5.5) 

SD: I feel this is going to be a popular upset pick this week — and I agree. I think South Carolina’s offense is on track to be much, much worse than most believed it would be before the season began. Maybe Vicari Swain saves South Carolina yet again with another miraculous punt return touchdown, but I’d bet Clark Lea is smart enough not to punt it to him. Diego Pavia has quietly been awesome so far this season — I’m excited to see if he can translate that to an SEC road game. PICK: Vanderbilt 

AO: I know matchups always vary, but it’s impossible to ignore what these two teams did to Virginia Tech in the first two weeks. I have to ride with Vanderbilt and the points. Williams-Brice Stadium at night is as rowdy as it gets, but I think Diego Pavia will feed off that energy. Pavia and the Dores are too hot to deny right now. PICK: Vanderbilt 

DP: Vandy has done a lot of chirping this week, which will always worry me. You want to have a chip on the shoulder, but managing that so it doesn’t turn to overconfidence is difficult. Still, I’m really put off by the start South Carolina’s offense has had. While Vandy has been a machine through its first 2 games, South Carolina has done next to nothing inspiring on the offensive side of the ball. The defense and special teams (28 points) have almost matched the offensive output (34 points). That’s just not sustainable in any way, shape, or form, and it could very well lead to a collapse this weekend. I like the ‘Dores outright. PICK: Vanderbilt

AS: I don’t understand this line. At the very least, these are 2 evenly matched teams, so you give the home team 2-3 points for home-field advantage. The fact that the lifeless Gamecocks offense is favored by 5.5 points over a team with a pulse is suspect to me. This seems like a situation where preseason expectations are still guiding bettors rather than the results on the field through 2 weeks. It’s rare that we get a game in Week 3 with such similar résumés from both sides. Both the Commodores and Gamecocks have hosted an FCS squad and both have faced Virginia Tech away from home. The Commodores have fared much better in those games. PICK: Vanderbilt 

ES: Apart from his first drive of the season, LaNorris Sellers has been a little underwhelming. Sorry Gamecock fans! I think he and the Gamecocks will pick it up at the end of the season as South Carolina always seems to do, but right now Diego Pavia is just playing better football. The Commodores’ offense, as a result, is legit. Man, this feels weird. PICK: Vanderbilt 

Duke (-1) at Tulane 

SD: Setting the scene here — Duke lured Darian Mensah away from Tulane this offseason with a reported multi-million dollar NIL package. I imagine Jon Sumrall and the Green Wave have some feelings about that. It’s not often a prized transfer QB has to go on the road to face his former school and teammates and coaches the very next season. And yet, I like Duke. Tulane has had a heck of a time trying to replace Mensah and the early returns on Jake Retzlaff in that role have been less than reassuring. Tulane’s defense got pushed around by South Alabama last week, too. PICK: Duke 

AO: We don’t talk about Tulane as a particularly tough place to play, but I can’t pick Duke on the road after seeing that Illinois game at home. Darian Mensah is obviously motivated to ball out in his return, but the Green Wave defense will be giving something extra, too. PICK: Tulane 

DP: Duke lost by 26 points at home to Illinois but it didn’t get outplayed by 26 points. Quite the opposite, in fact. The Blue Devils outgained Illinois on a yards-per-play basis 7.0 to 5.7. They were pretty good on third down, generated 10 tackles for loss, only had 2 of their own plays stuffed for a loss, and trailed by just a single point at the break. They lost by 26 because they turned the ball over 5 times, leading to 21 Illini points. Duke beat Duke. And that leads me to believe they’ll be itching to get back on the field. Add the Mensah element of it all — which Spenser laid out above — and I like the Blue Devils in a bounceback spot. PICK: Duke

AS: This is a weird game, as Duke heads to New Orleans to face the Green Wave. Darian Mensah is obviously very familiar with this stadium and the Tulane squad, and I was very impressed with the Duke front 7 against a Playoff-caliber Illinois team last week. Give me Duke to win and cover. PICK: Duke 

ES: I think Tulane mops the floor with Duke against former Green Wave QB Darian Mensah. PICK: Tulane 

The post Friday Forecast: SDS staff picks against the spread for Week 3 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

However, AP voter Haley Sawyer of the SoCal News Group had a mystifying ballot that somehow had Florida moving up 2 spots while still keeping South Florida unranked.

Sawyer has received public wrath both from South Florida fans and college football fans in general over the last day or so. Given an opportunity to explain her ballot, Sawyer declined.

“I don’t want to go too much into my process or logic…” Sawyer said in a video. “But I will say I appreciate everyone’s interaction on social media and all of your feedback.

“There’s ton of people who vote on the AP Poll. It’s not a perfect system, but at the end of the day, no matter who you pick, it does even out because there’s so many people who vote … It’s really fun for discussion but it doesn’t probably matter in the end.”

Ultimately, Sawyer’s ballot was an extreme outlier so it didn’t result in significant changes to this week’s AP Poll.

Florida will have ample opportunities to get back into the rankings based on merit in the coming weeks, starting with a road contest at No. 3 LSU on Saturday. South Florida also has an opportunity to move up in the AP Top 25 — and perhaps land a spot on Sawyer’s ballot — against Miami on Saturday.

The post AP Poll voter addresses scrutiny after moving Florida up on ballot despite USF loss appeared first on Saturday Down South.

For the Florida Gators, it was the latest in a series of mystifying September setbacks spoiling another summer filled with grandiose promises of Billy Napier returning Florida to the program’s past glory.

This was supposed to be the year.

Year 4.

Napier’s players. Napier’s culture. Elite discipline. No more entitlement.

A team that said, “Spot the Ball,” and then prided itself on execution and discipline.

A team with a “championship mentality.”

One of Napier’s mentors, Nick Saban, once said you “have a championship culture when the discipline comes first and the entitlement is gone.”

All summer, Napier said making progress towards a championship mentality was one of the things he had become most proud of during his time at Florida.

“We don’t have those (entitlement or discipline) issues, in my opinion, we don’t have distractions,” Napier said last month. “I think that these guys appreciate everyone’s role within the organization, how they treat people,” he continued. “Nobody feels entitled with what they have.”

You wouldn’t have known it watching the Gators on Saturday night.

Florida played without discipline, committing 11 penalties for 103 yards, including 2 backbreaking penalties on South Florida’s game-winning drive, both of which helped the Bulls escape from the shadow of their own goalposts. The second of those penalties, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called on defensive linemen Brendan Bett for spitting on a South Florida player, was inexcusable on any field, let alone in a program whose foundation is supposed to be culture and discipline.

When asked about the lack of accountability and discipline, Napier was blunt.

“The procedure penalties, obviously, we can live with the technical penalties. The ones that keep you up at night are the ones that are player decision-making. There has to be responsibility there. The (players) are under my leadership. We have to eliminate those. I think that players make mistakes. It’s part of the game. But ultimately it is coaching,” Napier said.

It’s a sober and honest answer from a man and coach of high character and integrity.

But it’s not good enough to own the problem. Napier is compensated handsomely to fix it. He knows it.

“There’s no excuse. The football has to be better,” Napier said.

But can Napier fix it?

There were too many questions and issues on the football field on Saturday night to believe he can fix it.

Florida’s celebrated quarterback, DJ Lagway, continues to look like a player who didn’t throw in spring practice, was on a pitch count throughout the summer, and didn’t play 11 on 11 until the final week of camp. He was out of sync on intermediate throws, and when he did throw down field, missed badly for an incompletion (first half, to a wide-open J. Michael Sturdivant) or interception (overthrown ball downfield intercepted by a diving James Chenault). A late fourth quarter drop by budding star Vernell Brown III on arguably Lagway’s best pass of the night didn’t help matters, but Florida’s inability to get consistent first downs, let alone points, speaks to Lagway’s growing pains.

Looking deeper under the hood, it feels like Lagway’s issues aren’t just about rust.

The book is out on the young quarterback, too.

After feasting on single high looks early in his Florida career, defenses have adjusted. Like Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl and FSU in the regular season finale a year ago, South Florida planted 2 high safeties deep, daring Lagway to make quick reads and drive the length of the field. The sophomore quarterback has his moments, but the consistency is lacking.

“Coaches watch film, too. They know my strengths. I have to go prove I can adapt,” Lagway, as self-aware as ever, said following the game.

Napier’s play-calling did little to help.

The Gators gashed the Bulls on single gap and off tackle runs in the first half, averaging 7.1 yards on those concepts. But Napier insisted on incorporating misdirection and east-west running concepts into the game plan in the first half, negating Florida’s size advantage on north-south runs and allowing South Florida’s small but fast defenders to chase horizontally. Florida’s east-west run game failed, putting the Gators behind the sticks at inopportune times and allowing the Bulls to build confidence.

The players around Lagway underperformed, too.

For all the talking season chatter about Florida having the most talented offensive in the SEC, multiple players on the unit struggled for a second consecutive week.

A Kam Waites hold negated a nifty Ja’Kobi Jackson touchdown run. A Bryce Lovett false start contributed to Florida settling for a field goal on a first half possession. All-American Jake Slaughter was called for a hold in the second half, negating a first down run by Lagway. All-SEC tackle Austin Barber committed a brutal false start penalty on 3rd and 2 late in the third quarter, spoiling another Florida possession. The Gators also surrendered a sack for the second consecutive game.

Even with the miscues and playcalling missteps, Florida averaged 6.4 yards per play in the opening half but failed to finish 3 drives deep in South Florida territory, settling for 3 Trey Smack field goals. As the third quarter dragged towards a gut-check fourth quarter, you could sense the collective confidence of a sold-out Swamp waning.

The reason? South Florida’s senior quarterback, Byrum Brown.

While Lagway and the Florida offense struggled, Brown was outstanding.

Dodging Florida pressure all evening, Brown kept a host of successful Bulls plays alive with his ability to both buy time and scrap for yardage with his legs. No play better embodied this than the penultimate play from scrimmage in the first half. As George Gumbs and Jayden Woods closed in for a sack, Brown pirouetted his way past both pursuing Gators and turned what would have been a drive-killing sack into a 20-yard run to set up a Nico Gramatica field goal to cut the Florida lead to 9-6 at the half.

Then, with the third quarter winding down, Brown found Keshaun Singleton for a 66-yard touchdown, zinging the throw perfectly between 2 converging Florida defenders for a touchdown and South Florida’s first lead.

A possession later, the Bulls added a safety when All-SEC long-snapper Rocco Underwood overshot punter Tommy Doman, who saved a potential touchdown by knocking the ball out of the endzone. Those 2 points proved vital, and by the time 89,909 strong sang “I Won’t Back Down,” the Bulls had the football and a 6-point lead.

That’s when The Swamp roared to life, and so did the Gators.

Feeding off a frenzied crowd, Florida forced a 3-and-out. A play later, Vernell Brown III, whose Dad captained Urban Meyer’s first Florida team, returned a punt 40 yards down the right sideline to set Gators up deep in South Florida territory. Five plays later, DJ Lagway found Tre Wilson on a slant to tie the game, and a Smack extra point put Florida back in the lead.

For a moment, it seemed as if Napier and the Gators would escape, learning a valuable lesson in victory instead of a harder lesson in a devastating defeat.

With USF driving, All-SEC defensive end Tyreak Sapp, back for his senior year despite being assured of a NFL Draft selection last spring, roared around right tackle and dragged Brown down for a huge sack, pushing the Bulls back to the 43-yard line. South Florida reclaimed the sack yardage a play later, but the damage was done, and Nico Gramatica’s 58-yard field goal fell 5 yards short.

But the Bulls, aptly named and game for a fight all evening, forced a 3-and-out of their own, earning one last chance.

On the final drive, Florida couldn’t get out of its own way.

On second and 10 from their own 11, Brown fired incomplete for Singleton, but Florida’s Dijon Johnson was called for pass interference, giving the Bulls breathing room and a first down at the 24. The Bett ejection came a play later. Brown then completed a screen to Alvon Issac that appeared doomed, but the Bulls running back broke 3 Florida tackles near the line of scrimmage before galloping 29 yards to the 32, well into the range of Gramatica, a preseason Lou Groza Award favorite.  This time, Gramatica didn’t miss.

The Gators, on the other hand, missed a vital opportunity.

A win over a good South Florida team was almost essential to any Playoff hopes Florida had, and a Playoff berth, which would be Florida’s first as a program, was a spoken goal for this group from the first day of spring practice.

It only gets harder from here.

Florida will play 4 ranked teams — and 3 ranked in the top 10 — over the next month. Two of those games will come on the road.

Late Saturday night, Napier and DJ Lagway talked about embracing what’s next.

“I’m heartbroken,” Lagway told the media following the game. “I’m excited to get back to work, though. Great teams peak in December, not September.”

That may be true.

But championship cultures beat USF on their home field in September.

Napier’s Florida?

They played like a team that expected to win. That played like a group that felt entitled to win.

But as they’ve done half the 40 games Napier has coached in Gainesville, Florida lost.

A championship mentality is nice to talk about.

Mediocrity is Florida’s reality.

The post Billy Napier spent a summer preaching championship culture and discipline. In stunning loss to USF, the Gators had neither appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“Man, I’m glad I called that guy.”

“That guy” was Beau Pribula. As in, the current Mizzou and former Penn State backup quarterback who was the subject of think pieces everywhere when he left the Playoff-bound Nittany Lions to join Drinkwitz’s program. Pribula was used in a unique, run-heavy role that asked him to attempt just 4 passes that traveled 20 yards past the line of scrimmage in 2024. Questions about Pribula’s passing game were, by all accounts, fair.

So, too, was Drinkwitz’s faith in his evaluation. We saw that play out on Saturday in an epic, long overdue chapter of the Border War.

Pribula and an elite Mizzou rushing attack fueled a 42-31 victory against Kansas. Yes, the latter put it away. Mizzou running back Jamal Roberts put the exclamation point on Mizzou’s comeback win after a first quarter that put the Tigers in their largest home deficit (15 points) since Oct. 16, 2021 vs. Texas A&M. And yes, part of Mizzou’s early deficit was the byproduct of Pribula not putting 2 hands on the ball on a scramble, which resulted in a Kansas scoop-and-score.

Outside of that, though? How could you not be impressed with Pribula?

That’s not the type of game that Mizzou was expected to be involved in. Like, a shootout with 39 pass attempts from Pribula, 30 of which were completed for 334 yards. That smashed his previous highs in all 3 categories. Before 2025, Pribula’s career-high in pass attempts was exactly 1/3 of that (13), which happened when Penn State starter Drew Allar got hurt at Wisconsin last year.

It’s silly to compare anything Pribula did at Penn State to what he’s being asked to do this year as Mizzou’s QB1. Converting on 4th down and moving the chains with his arm wasn’t exactly his role at Penn State. He came to Mizzou knowing that would be part of the gig. A big part of the gig.

On Saturday, he fueled a 4-for-5 4th-down conversion rate, which included darts to Kevin Coleman Jr. and patient throws in the flat to tight end Brett Norfleet, who hauled in a pair of go-ahead touchdowns.

That’s faith in scheme and trusting that even with a free rusher barreling down on him, he’d have his tight end set up with room to run.

Speaking of Norfleet, Pribula’s 3rd-and-goal throw to him from the 11-yard line might’ve been the most “glad I called that guy” throw of the day. Pribula threaded the needle that led to Mizzou taking the lead late in the 3rd quarter.

Pribula made plenty of throws like that. He layered throws to Coleman, he didn’t look reluctant attacking downfield and once again, he showed why he’s already one of the more effective running quarterbacks in the sport.

A 1-dimensional Pribula doesn’t lead Mizzou in a game like that. Not with how many crucial spots he faced. Pribula and the Tigers offense converted a combined 14-of-24 3rd/4th downs. That wasn’t an accident. Pribula might’ve had that “first start vs. a Power Conference team” moment on that early fumble, but he did a better job of protecting the ball — and himself — than his counterpart, Jalon Daniels, who has the unique distinction of being the only FBS quarterback who started at least 1 game in each of the last 6 seasons. But like Pribula, Daniels had a fumble when he was taken down with 1 hand on the ball.

It was clear, though. Pribula had more help than Daniels.

Mizzou’s defense might not have had a vintage game, but take away the scoop-and-score and it allowed 24 points and just 254 yards of offense. And Pribula didn’t need a heroic rushing performance because Roberts and Ahmad Hardy had a combined 243 yards on 35 carries. Could some of that be attributed to the threat of Pribula’s legs and the growing emergence of the Mizzou passing game? You bet.

That’s what Mizzou needed to establish in the first part of this season with a favorable schedule. That schedule won’t force Mizzou to play in a road game until Week 8, nor will the Tigers face a 2024 Playoff team. The runway is there. It would’ve looked much murkier with a loss at home to Kansas.

No worry. Pribula and Co. took care of that.

Nobody will crown Mizzou for beating a historic bottom feeder like Kansas, who has been a much tougher out under Lance Leipold. Pribula might not be considered a household name just yet. After all, multiple College GameDay analysts incorrectly said his last name when their making picks.

More performances like Saturday will take care of that problem.

The post A Border War comeback showed exactly why Eli Drinkwitz brought Beau Pribula to Mizzou appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Whether it be Michael Jordan’s return to the Bulls, George Foreman’s rise from grill pitchman back to the heavyweight championship or Tiger Woods’ recovery from personal woes and back issues to win the 2019 Masters, second chances are woven into our sports culture.

In the college football world. Lane Kiffin got a second chance after washing out at USC by way of becoming the inaugural recipient of the Nick Saban Redemption Scholarship. The Ole Miss coach spent a couple years soaking in wisdom in Tuscaloosa – along with receiving the occasional ass-chewing – before embarking back out into the head coaching wilderness.

Now, with Kalen DeBoer’s future as foggy as ever following a disastrous start to his second season with the Tide, is it time for Alabama to pull the trigger on the most karmic of second chances?

Is it time to bring back Lane Kiffin?

We know what you’re thinking. All of it. First, doesn’t Alabama already have a head coach? Yes, of course, DeBoer is only 1 game into his second season in Tuscaloosa – but the ice beneath his feet is thawing at a rapid pace after the Crimson Tide’s brutal road defeat at Florida State last weekend.

Not only has DeBoer spent this week actually doing his job trying to get his team better before this Saturday night’s home opener against UL-Monroe, he has also been trying to reassure boosters and really all of the Crimson Tide Nation that woe is not nearly as close as it appears.

But should Alabama go from bad to worse in the coming weeks, whether it be a cataclysmic loss to the Warhawks this week or merely an epic disaster by falling to Wisconsin the week after, DeBoer could very likely be called into AD Greg Byrne’s office for a very uncomfortable conversation.

Which brings us to the second chance question for Alabama. Is Kiffin the most logical alternative to replace DeBoer in Tuscaloosa – or did Alabama miss out on Kiffin for good when they tapped DeBoer to replace Saban in January 2024?

That could be even stickier. Outside of Byrne and Kiffin, few if any know for certain whether Kiffin was legitimately pursued as a Saban successor in the 48 hours between when Saban stunningly announced his retirement and Byrne popped the question on DeBoer.

The Ole Miss coach and Twitter (er… X) super-user might have been approached via back channels to gauge his interest, but that might also have been quietly rebuffed after Kiffin received a fair bit of feedback flack after a reported dalliance with Auburn before the Tigers went with Hugh Freeze in 2023.

Whether Kiffin’s temperature was taken or not by Byrne and Alabama 18 months ago, times and situations change at all time. Kiffin has won 45 of his 63 games in Oxford and has recruits flocking to The Sip with an uber-clever recruiting brand, but he also can’t help but to feel like he is bumping his head on the proverbial ceiling.

Can Ole Miss really expect to contend for an SEC championship and deep College Football Playoff run based on the less than $9 million it reportedly has for NIL in The Grove Collective? For all the 10-win seasons under Kiffin so far, the Rebels likely can’t squeeze twice as much out of NIL donors like Alabama reportedly has done for the 2025 team.

In other words, Kiffin has done a superb job raising Ole Miss to the penultimate step in the pantheon of the SEC. But the distance between that step and the summit that Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and Alabama live on is massive – and likely no amount of pithy tweets and snarky Paul Finebaum Show appearances will make it any easier to climb.

Can Alabama navigate the mother of all second chances and lure Kiffin back to his adopted home (not to mention Joey Freshwater’s fabled stomping grounds)? Not only would it take the reported $70 million to buy out DeBoer, but drawing Kiffin from Ole Miss will also certainly take a pretty penny… Does that money exist in Alabama’s ecosphere?

And would Kiffin really want to try his hand at rebuilding Alabama from what it is starting to become to what it very recently has been? Is he up for that level of scrutiny – not to mention non-stop comparisons not only to Saban but to his own successes as Alabama’s former offensive coordinator?

Or did Alabama simply miss out on the coach that could have maintained Saban’s Process and added his own flair for the next 20 years – with no second chance to make it right ever materializing again?

The post Will Alabama ever get another chance to snag Lane Kiffin? appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Roughly an hour after South Carolina sealed a 24-11 win over Virginia Tech, the Gamecocks’ social feeds released footage of the team’s bench going crazy during Swain’s return. Players jaunted their way down toward the endzone and head coach Shane Beamer started waving for the crowd to stay loud as Swain celebrated.

LaNorris Sellers completed 63.2% of his passes (12/19) for 209 yards and 1 touchdown in the game. He didn’t light up the stat sheet with his legs — 13 carries (including 4 sacks and 3 kneel downs) for 25 yards — but did scamper for the game-winning first down with 2:12 remaining in the contest.

South Carolina wreaked havoc defensively, totaling 4 sacks and 7 tackles for loss on the day. Standout edge defender Dylan Stewart posted 1 of those sacks and 1.5 of the tackles for loss. The Gamecocks host the South Carolina State Bulldogs in Week 2 before beginning SEC play versus Vanderbilt in Week 3 (Sept. 13).

The post South Carolina shares video of insane sideline celebration on punt return TD vs. Virginia Tech appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Before the Longhorns’ game against Ohio State on Saturday, Finebaum even said Manning was the best player the sport has seen since Tim Tebow.

So, it was a particularly tough look for Finebaum when Manning ended up struggling mightily against the Buckeyes, finishing with just 170 yards and an interception in the 14-7 defeat.

On Sunday, Finebaum admitted that he was “guiltier than anyone” for the sky-high expectations placed on Manning’s shoulders ahead of the season.

“Listen, I will take whatever blame comes my way,” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show. “What happens, is we buy into a narrative. We feed it and what is really interesting Matt, forget what I say or you or any other pundit, Vegas is also culpible here. They made him the favorite to win the Heisman. When you throw out a hot take and you look at Vegas and go ‘they’ve got to know something’, it just feeds into the frenzy.”

For Manning, it was his first career road start. To make your first road start in Columbus is a tall task for any quarterback. At times on Saturday, the third-year passer showed his potential. However, there were too many times where he had receivers running open and he couldn’t make the connection.

In today’s college football, a Week 1 loss at the defending national champion isn’t going to doom a team. The Longhorns are still considered one of the favorites to make it to the College Football Playoff. They even remained at No. 1 in ESPN’s recently-updated FPI ratings. Manning will have a chance to make his mark in several other big games this year.

The Longhorns are back in action next week against San Jose State, and will look to bounce back from a disappointing Week 1.

The post Paul Finebaum admits he’s ‘guiltier than anyone’ for Arch Manning hype machine appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Make your first $5 entry after signing up with the Underdog promo code. Win or lose, you’ll be awarded with a $50 bonus. Use this to make predictions on passing yards, touchdowns, rushing yards and other stats.

The highlight of Saturday is the matchup in Columbus, Ohio. Lee Corso will finish his time on the College Gameday crew at No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Ohio State. Below, we explain the different types of contests you can enter for this matchup and others, such as No. 9 LSU vs. No. 4 Clemson.

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Combine several different picks to create an entry on Saturday. These are just some of the popular markets for Texas-Ohio State and LSU-Clemson:

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Check out the different drafts every weekend to compete against other customers for large prize pools. For example, the “CFB Battle Royale – Week 1” tournament has a $5 entry and $45,000 worth of prizes, with first place getting $5,000.

There are rankings that display the top players each day. Running back Nicholad Singleton of Penn State has been the top choice in most drafts, followed by Smith of Ohio State. And there is a news feed that shows the latest updates, like which quarterbacks will start and who is injured.

Sign up here to use the Underdog promo code SDS and begin with a $5 entry. New customers will receive a $50 bonus for college football fantasy contests.

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