Derek Peterson, Author at Saturday Down South

Sherrone Moore had ‘long history’ of domestic violence against Michigan staffer, per report

Derek Peterson — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 01:43:02 +0000

Former Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore had a “long history” of domestic violence against a female football staffer during their relationship, according to a report from The Athletic on Wednesday.

Last Friday, Moore was arraigned on charges of third-degree home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering. Moore, who was fired by Michigan last week after an investigation found credible evidence he was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a Michigan staffer, was arrested later that same day after allegedly breaking into the staffer’s home and threatening to kill himself.

The Athletic obtained a transcript of a complaint authorization hearing that took place last Friday, during which Detective Jessica Welker of the Pittsfield Township Police Department testified about the circumstances that led to Moore’s ouster and arrest.

The woman told police that she disclosed her relationship with Moore to the University of Michigan early in the day on Dec. 10. She was preparing to leave town when Moore barged into her home and picked up multiple knives, according to Welker’s testimony.

According to Welker’s testimony, Moore denied assaulting the staffer or “threatening her with any weapons” in his interview with police the night of his arrest. Moore was not charged with assault. According to The Athletic, the charges brought against Moore indicated his intent to “terrorize and harass the victim,” but there was not sufficient evidence to prove any intent to assault or batter the victim.

Moore’s case remains under active investigation. Charges could be added or amended, according to the report, but the prosecutor’s office told The Athletic it has not received “any requests for charges for any previous incidents involving Mr. Moore.”

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Mizzou set to lose another receiver to transfer portal, per report

Derek Peterson — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:13 +0000

Missouri wide receiver Marquis Johnson plans to enter the transfer portal, according to a report from PowerMizzou. He is not expected to play in the Gator Bowl against Virginia on Dec. 27, according to the report.

Johnson’s father, Domonique, confirmed the news of his departure to the outlet. Domonique Johnson then posted on social media that his family has “much respect” for Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

“Sometimes a man just needs a change of scenery for HIS wellbeing,” Domonique Johnson wrote on social media.

Johnson, a 5-foot-11 receiver from Dickinson, Texas, started 7 times for the Tigers this season. He brought in 28 receptions for 340 yards and 2 touchdowns. Johnson will depart Columbia with 66 career catches for 1,075 yards and 6 scores.

After an encouraging true freshman season, during which Johnson caught 13 passes for 383 yards and 3 scores, excitement was high for Johnson’s future with the Tigers.

He played in 12 games with 2 starts as a sophomore, and he doubled his receptions, but he averaged half as many yards per catch as he did in his first year. Still, the 2025 season was pegged as a breakout campaign for Johnson.

With the departures of Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr., Johnson was expected to take a step as a junior. He caught a career-best 28 receptions, but the breakout never fully materialized.

Johnson is the third receiver to opt for the transfer portal, joining redshirt freshman James Madison II and junior Joshua Manning. Mizzou is also set to lose its leading receiver, Kevin Coleman Jr., who has exhausted his eligibility.

Following offensive coordinator Kirby Moore’s move to Washington State, Mizzou’s offense figures to look much different next season.

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Former Alabama QB AJ McCarron ends lieutenant governor bid

Derek Peterson — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 23:15:52 +0000

Former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron will no longer be seeking the Republican nomination for the lieutenant governor seat in 2026.

In a press release on Wednesday announcing the decision, McCarron said he was stopping his campaign to accept a “new career opportunity” in football that will require his full focus. McCarron said details about his new football position will be made public later this week.

“With a double-digit lead in the polls and solid fundraising lined up, I was eager to bring a fresh voice and new leadership to the Alabama State House, but football is calling my name again,” McCarron said in a statement.

McCarron entered the race in October. His campaign page cites the death of political activist Charlie Kirk as a motivating factor in McCarron’s decision to “get off of the sidelines and get into the game.”

He did not rule out a return to the political sphere in the future, saying he could “return to the political playing field once my career on the football field has truly run its course.”

According to a report from the AP, McCarron first registered to vote in the state of Alabama days before announcing his candidacy. He also endorsed former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville for governor of Alabama while claiming a need for “political newcomers” and “conservative outsider candidates” to enter politics.

McCarron led Alabama to national championships in 2011 and 2012. He finished second for the Heisman Trophy in 2013 and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He appeared in 19 games across 7 seasons in the NFL.

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Steve Sarkisian says CFP committee didn’t stick to ‘principles’ this season

Derek Peterson — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 22:32:43 +0000

In a media availability with reporters in Orlando ahead of the Citrus Bowl, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian called the upcoming 9-game SEC schedule “unheard of,” suggested Texas should get credit for scheduling tough out-of-conference games when it comes to the College Football Playoff, and said if that doesn’t happen, Texas will look “long and hard” at its future out-of-conference scheduling.

Sarkisian said Texas plans to honor upcoming games against Ohio State and Michigan in 2026 and 2027. But the Texas head coach was still clearly bothered by his team’s exclusion from the CFP this season after playing what he felt was one of the most difficult schedules in the country.

And Sarkisian felt like the ways the Longhorns challenged themselves were in keeping with the things the CFP selection committee said it would value… until it didn’t.

“We need to get clear criteria for what the committee is looking for,” Sarkisian said, per KVUE’s Cory Mose. “Tell us what the criteria is, and then stick to the criteria. If we’re not going to value strength of schedule, then surely that’s going to adjust what we do moving forward.”

Sarkisian hasn’t been shy about criticizing the selection committee since Texas was left out of the field.

The Longhorns finished 13th in the final Top 25 from the committee. Even had Tulane and James Madison not received auto-bids into the field as conference champions, Texas would have been left out in favor of 10-2 Notre Dame and 11-2 BYU.

“This year, you look at the principles of the CFP, the first bullet point is strength of schedule. Then, we need to honor what the criteria and the principles are of the CFP,” Sarkisian said. “If we can lay the foundation for that, then that will directly impact what we do moving forward. And then they have to follow through with what they say is important to them.

“Clearly, this year, we didn’t feel like they followed through with what the principles of the CFP were. That’s why we fought for our case.”

Sarkisian cited a winning record against top-10 teams. Texas played 5 teams in the regular season that were ranked in the AP Top 10 at the time of the game, winning 3 and losing 2.

Texas 2 wins against teams that finished in the CFP selection committee’s top 10. Vanderbilt was an AP Top 10 team when Texas played it, but Vanderbilt finished 14th in the CFP committee’s rankings.

According to ESPN’s FPI, Texas played the seventh-toughest schedule in the country and produced the 12th-strongest record against that schedule.

“I don’t feel bad about fighting for our case,” Sarkisian said. “We played 5 top-10 ranked teams in 12 regular-season games.”

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Notre Dame RB Jadarian Price opts for NFL Draft

Derek Peterson — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 21:22:22 +0000

Notre Dame is losing both parts of its dynamic backfield.

On Wednesday, running back Jadarian Price announced on his Instagram page that he plans to forgo his senior season and enter the 2026 NFL Draft.

“Notre Dame has truly been a blessing in my life,” Price wrote in a lengthy message shared on social media. “Choosing to be a student-athlete here for the past four years is something I will always be grateful for.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jadarian Price (@jadariandprice)

Price’s backfield running mate, Jeremiyah Love, declared for the draft Tuesday night.

The Denison, Texas, native spent 4 seasons at Notre Dame. In 2024 and 2025, he spelled Love in the Irish backfield to give coach Marcus Freeman one of college football’s best 1-2 punches at running back. Price ran 120 times for 746 yards and 7 scores in 2024, helping Notre Dame to a runner-up finish in the College Football Playoff.

This season, Price ran for 674 yards and a career-best 11 touchdowns on 113 carries. He ran for a season-high 87 yards in the win over USC on Oct. 18, and he produced 121 scrimmage yards with 2 scores in the 56-13 bludgeoning of Arkansas on Sept. 27.

Love and Price are RB1 and RB2, respectively, in Mel Kiper Jr.’s positional rankings for the upcoming NFL Draft. Love is the third overall prospect on Kiper’s big board. Though Price is not in the top 25, he’s not expected to wait long to hear his name called.

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Heisman voter shreds Diego Pavia for antics: ‘It was a punk move’

Derek Peterson — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:49:35 +0000

In a few weeks time, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia went from one of college football’s beloved figures to one of its easiest players to root against. Pavia’s heel turn was completed the night of the Heisman Trophy ceremony when, in defeat, the super-senior posted a message on social media disparaging voters who cast ballots for Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and then partied with a sign that read “f*** Indiana.”

Pavia has since apologized for what he called “disrespectful” antics.

One Heisman voter in particular was not satisfied with the apology.

Chase Goodbread, a columnist for The Tuscaloosa News, penned a piece this week that took Pavia to task for his behavior in the hours after the Heisman ceremony.

Goodbread referred to Pavia’s behavior as “jackassery” and wrote that, “after 6 years in college, you’d think Pavia would’ve signed up for at least one course in humility by now.”

From Goodbread’s column, which can be read in its entirety here:

He’s a big boy now. Old enough to have more than one college degree. Old enough to beat the NCAA in court to gain extra eligibility, and old enough to make the pile of NIL money that came with that. Old enough to know better. And old enough to handle some criticism.

It was a punk move, Diego. This voter wasn’t sitting right next to Mendoza Saturday night, but my congrats for him are at least genuine.

Mendoza finished with 643 first-place votes for the Heisman, more than 3 times as many as Pavia garnered. It was a landslide victory for Mendoza.

Pavia will have one final chance to cleanse the narrative surrounding him when Vandy meets Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31.

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Betting Stuff: Best bets for the 2025 College Football Playoff First Round

Derek Peterson — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

On Friday, the opening round of the College Football Playoff begins. A rematch of SEC blue bloods gets us rolling ahead of a weekend that should produce at least a couple of down-to-the-wire games.

Here’s how to bet the action.

The best price at the time of publication is listed in parentheses, but shop around at any of your preferred sports betting apps.

Last week: 1-2
2025 season: 19-27-1
2024 season: 33-37

CFP First Round schedule, odds

SDS is your one-stop shop this season, with live, up-to-date college football odds. You can find point spreads, game totals, and money line odds for every postseason game below.

Alabama team total under 20.5 points (-120 via BetMGM)

We know what Alabama is, and we know what Oklahoma is. We know how both of these teams have to play to win big games. Neither wants to see an up-tempo, high-possession game. Alabama can’t run the football and it can’t create pressure on the other side. Oklahoma can’t move the ball with any degree of consistency. Both have shown a proclivity for turning the football over.

The script here should be a grind-it-out game. The point total (40.5) is one of the lowest in CFP history. Since beating Bama in Tuscaloosa, OU has managed only 17 points in each of its last 2 games. Quarterback John Mateer has completed just 54.4% of his passes with 3 interceptions, but Oklahoma has won both because the defense has been nearly unbreakable.

Mizzou managed 6 points. LSU mustered 13. In 9 games against power conference opponents this season, OU has forced opposing offenses to gain 18.0 yards for every point they score. For a single, solitary touchdown, an offense needs to gain 126 yards. Teams are averaging only 64 plays against the Sooner defense this season, and just 4.3 yards per play.

Do you trust this painfully one-dimensional offense to crack the code against the Sooners? I don’t.

The Sooners have arguably college football’s most difficult defense to go against. Head coach Brent Venables has 3 weeks to prepare for what Alabama does. Mateer has nearly 3 weeks to rest and heal. And Alabama’s starting quarterback is rumored to be less than 100%.

(Those rumors are just that — rumors — and Simpson said Monday he was feeling “great,” but you have to at least listen to the noise here. No one is truly healthy at this point in the season.)

Ole Miss -17 vs. Tulane (-110 via Fanatics)

Lane Kiffin may have high-tailed it out of Oxford, but unfortunately for Tulane, the major pieces that made the Rebels a terror for teams to deal with all remain. Oddsmakers suggested they would downgrade Ole Miss if Kiffin left, but that hasn’t really happened. The Rebels were a 12.5-point favorite over Tulane when they met back in September. For the rematch, they’re hovering around the 17-point key number.

Normally, you’d look at that and sell on the Rebels, who could come out a little flat given everything that has changed with the coaching staff. I don’t buy it. Ole Miss should be plenty motivated to come out and make a statement. This group beat Tulane by 35 points the first time, and the Green Wave are dealing with coaching changes of their own.

If Ole Miss jumps out to a hot start, the Rebels can lean on Tulane and turn this into a blowout. If Ole Miss is flat to open the game, it should still be able to find a rhythm. Tulane doesn’t stop the run. Tulane is 95th nationally in rushing success rate allowed. The line gets no push and the team tackling leaves plenty to be desired.

Oregon first quarter team total over 8.5 points vs. James Madison (+120 via Fanatics)

The spread is huge, and it’s certainly understandable to be wary of laying those points with an Oregon team that is A) dealing with coach turnover, B) recovering from a rash of injuries at the end of the regular season, and C) facing a pretty proud defense. James Madison ranks fourth nationally in adjusted EPA per play faced. Texas Tech, which the Ducks would meet in the quarterfinals with a win, ranks third.

If Oregon comes out ready to go and puts the game out of reach before the fourth, it would make sense to save things for the Red Raiders.

Expect the Ducks to take plenty of swings in the first quarter. Coach Dan Lanning loves to go for 2 on early scores to set the tone. And his Ducks will likely be fired up after last year’s one-and-done showing at the Rose Bowl.

With 21 days between games, the Ducks should be in a much better place. Star receiver Dakorien Moore hasn’t played since Oct. 25. Gary Bryant Jr. hasn’t played since Nov. 8. Evan Stewart, the team’s top wideout, hasn’t played in a game yet this season. All 3 were at practice on Monday.

Will Stein will also still call the plays for the offense despite accepting the Kentucky job.

The Ducks have averaged 8 first-quarter points across 11 games against FBS competition this season. They have cleared 8.5 first-quarter points 4 times. Against a James Madison team that will probably need some time to adjust to the team speed of the Ducks, I like Oregon’s chances to do it a fifth time.

Derek Peterson

Saturday Down South • December 15, 2025 at 7:58pm

Pick

Odds

Over +8.5

Team Prop

CFB • James Madison Dukes @ Oregon Ducks

120 on Fanatics

SCHEDULED • 12/21/2025

Betslip #1765828697774-a44e-515

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Five players who could realistically win the 2026 Heisman Trophy

Derek Peterson — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Taken in totality, the last 2 seasons of college football have effectively rewritten the narrative surrounding the Heisman Trophy.

When Jayden Daniels won the award after an undeniably great individual season for LSU in 2023, the mandate seemed clear. The Heisman would go to the most electric quarterback in the country, irrespective of team success. Daniels was the 12th quarterback in the previous 14 years to win the award.

The top 3 finishers that year were all quarterbacks.

Then, in 2024, a non-QB won the award for the first time since 2020. It took a unique effort to win it. Travis Hunter played multiple positions and wowed the electorate, even while his Colorado team failed to make the 12-team College Football Playoff or even play for a conference title. And Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty finished second.

Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Miami’s Cam Ward finished a distant third and an even more distant fourth, respectively. Maybe the stranglehold quarterbacks had on the award was loosening.

Not so fast. Voting for the 2025 award showed this is still very much a quarterback-first exercise. Absent a historically dominant season from a receiver (DeVonta Smith) or a running back (Jeanty), or a generational 2-way run (Hunter), the default is still to passers.

Quarterbacks took 3 of the top 4 spots in the voting. Quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza and Diego Pavia finished first and second. But even in a quarterback-dominant final tally, it still feels like we took another step away from where we’d been.

Pavia had better numbers than Mendoza. That much is an irrefutable fact. Pavia had more passing yards, more total offense, and more 10-yard completions. He had a better yards-per-pass average. He had a better EPA per drop-back average. He had a better passing grade from PFF and more big-time throws, as graded by PFF. He had a better adjusted completion rate.

Mendoza didn’t lead the nation in Total QBR. He didn’t lead the nation in passing. He didn’t lead the nation in touchdowns responsible for. He wasn’t the highest-graded passer in the country.

Yet he won, and it wasn’t particularly close. Mendoza fit into a sweet spot for the award — good enough numbers with an elite story. He took Indiana (Indiana!) to a Big Ten title and a 13-0 record.

That victory opened yet another pathway to the award for quarterbacks.

So, I’m keeping that in mind when looking ahead to the 2026 Heisman Trophy market.

2026 Heisman Trophy favorites

Below, you’ll read 5 names. When markets open to bet on the 2026 Heisman Trophy, these are the guys I’ll be looking for.

You’ll notice that Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy aren’t on the list.

Regarding Smith, his ceiling might be capped. Because of the coverage he faces — weekly brackets, double-, and triple-teams — a (DeVonta) Smith-like season seems unlikely. Additionally, if Smith were somehow to produce a season with freakish numbers, Sayin would have to get some degree of credit. Sayin’s top-4 finish already suggests he’d have enough name recognition in the eyes of voters to finish ahead of Smith or take enough votes away to prevent either from winning.

Regarding Hardy, it’s more straightforward. Jeanty produced the second-best rushing season in college football history and finished second. He was the first running back to crack the top 3 in voting since 2017. With the way the game is played now, this award just feels unattainable for running backs.

So, who should be the favorite for the award next season? Here’s who I like.

Ohio State QB Julian Sayin

I touched on Sayin already, but he seems likely to be one of the betting favorites when markets open. Sayin finished fourth in voting this season after posting 3,323 yards (11th nationally), 31 touchdowns (second), and a 78.4% completion rate (first) against just 6 interceptions.

Sayin also led the country in passer rating (182.2) and ranked second in Total QBR (89.8).

After a redshirt season in 2024, Sayin took the reins of the offense and piloted Ohio State to a 12-1 record and a runner-up finish in the Big Ten. He’ll still have Smith to throw to next season, and the receiver room is set to add another elite youngster in 2026 signee Chris Henry Jr. He’ll have Bo Jackson to hand the ball off to; Jackson became the fifth true freshman in OSU history to run for 1,000 yards. He’ll have another dominant offensive line. He’ll have all the necessary tools.

Any step from Sayin would be a problem for the rest of the Big Ten. The Buckeyes’ scoring output was down this season (34.9) from where it was during the title run in 2024 (35.7). An improved Sayin with the weapons that are around him could be the mix that produces a 40 points-per-game offense.

Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss

Ole Miss has reportedly submitted a waiver to the NCAA for another year of eligibility for Chambliss, who played 3 seasons at D2 Ferris State before transferring to Ole Miss. He threw for 3,016 yards and ran for 470 with 24 total touchdowns despite not starting until Week 3.

Chambliss can do everything — run, throw, evade pressure, and pepper defenses with downfield throws. He had 23 completions of at least 20 air yards on 41 attempts this season. He had 7 300-yard passing games. He had 5 games with at least 3 total touchdowns and no interceptions. He also had a 100-yard rushing game against Tulane on Sept. 20.

Even though Lane Kiffin has left, Chambliss has the profile to put up an elite statistical season. If the Rebels were to maintain their current form and make another run at the CFP, he’d have a pretty strong narrative as well.

Oregon QB Dante Moore

Depending on the opening Heisman Trophy odds, Moore will be the guy most worth backing. He might jump into the 2026 NFL Draft, but if he stays at Oregon (he should), he’s in store for a massive season. Moore came to Eugene seeking development. Is one season of starting experience enough to satisfy that? Bo Nix benefited from several years with Dan Lanning, and I’d wager Oregon will try to leverage that situation to keep Moore in town for another season.

Moore threw for 2,733 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing 72.5% of his throws with 6 interceptions. He was the nation’s best deep-ball passer, with a 98.5 grade on throws of 20 yards or more, per PFF. He finished 16th in Total QBR and 16th in EPA per dropback.

A return to Eugene would send Moore into his fourth season of college ball. He had 1 season of experience at UCLA before joining the Ducks, then took a redshirt year behind Dillon Gabriel in 2024.

Moore also played the entire year without his No. 1 receiver. Evan Stewart tore a patellar tendon in June and hasn’t played since. Should he return, he’d pair with star freshman Dakorien Moore to give the Ducks one of the best 1-2 punches at wideout in all of college football. If Oregon’s pursuit of a national title ends in heartbreak, maybe a guy like Kenyon Sadiq — a breakout tight end this season — decides to run it back as well.

Though the Ducks have lost offensive coordinator Will Stein to Kentucky, the pieces are there for an explosive offense in 2026 if everyone returns.

Notre Dame QB CJ Carr

Carr finished eighth in Total QBR in his first season as a starter. The redshirt freshman won a camp battle for the job and then threw for 2,741 yards with 24 touchdowns against 6 picks. Carr became the first Notre Dame quarterback to throw at least 1 touchdown in each of his first 12 starts in more than a decade. His 24 passing touchdowns were the most by an Irish passer in their first 12 starts since 1966.

If Carr can kick his addiction to intentional grounding penalties, there is nothing left in his game that warrants concern. At times this season, he looked like a future All-American. His 354-yard, 4-touchdown day against Arkansas was spectacular. His 13-for-16 day against Navy was wonderful.

“Well, those defenses were overmatched,” you might say. To which I’d direct you to look at Notre Dame’s 2026 schedule. The Irish open the season against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. They play Miami at home on Nov. 7, 2026. They might play USC, but they might not. The rest of the schedule features Rice, Michigan State at home, Purdue, North Carolina, Navy, Boston College, SMU, Syracuse, and Stanford.

Seven of Notre Dame’s 12 opponents next season have defenses that finished outside the top 75 in adjusted EPA per play.

After being bounced from the CFP field on Selection Sunday, the Irish could be a team that tries to run up the score on anyone and everyone in 2026. As it seeks to replace the NFL-bound Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price in the backfield, giving Carr more agency to move the ball seems like the move. The connection between Carr and a healthy Jaden Greathouse could be one of the best in the country.

A Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t thrown for more than 3,200 yards in a season since 2014. If Carr does that and the Irish blitz their schedule to make it back into the CFP, he’s a finalist at a minimum.

LSU QB (Insert name here)

Chambliss became the sixth Kiffin-coached quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a season in the last 7 years. Jaxson Dart missed the mark in 2022 (his first year with Ole Miss) by 26 yards. Kiffin also had 3,000-yard passers in 2 of his 3 seasons as the Alabama offensive coordinator.

The Kiffin offense produces big seasons for quarterbacks. To this point, it hasn’t yielded Heisman buzz, but that could change at LSU.

And, no, the subhead here isn’t a misprint. No one knows who Kiffin’s starting quarterback will be next season. Garrett Nussmeier is heading to the NFL. Michael Van Buren Jr. closed out the 2025 season as LSU’s starter. Kiffin will certainly look to the portal for a quarterback or 2.

Many have connected departing Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt to LSU. That would be a strong addition for Kiffin. Leavitt saw his 2025 season wrecked by injury, but he threw for 2,885 yards and 24 scores as a first-time starter in 2024.

Other portal options might include (but aren’t limited to) Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, NC State’s CJ Bailey, and Florida’s DJ Lagway. LSU will be linked to big names, but even if none of them eventually come, Kiffin has shown an ability to identify high-level quarterbacks. Dart was a gem. Chambliss was a stroke of genius, and Kiffin wasted no time pivoting to him when necessary.

LSU didn’t burn through cash to bring Kiffin aboard to miss another CFP. And Kiffin didn’t leave Ole Miss to have a worse season. Expect every resource to be made available to Kiffin to build this roster. If Kiffin lands a reliable option at the position and his usual numbers follow, LSU is in a prime position to make a run at the CFP, and that will put whoever is playing quarterback squarely in the mix for the Heisman Trophy.

The post Five players who could realistically win the 2026 Heisman Trophy appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Final voting revealed for 2025 Heisman Trophy

Derek Peterson — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 01:27:12 +0000

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the 2025 Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, finishing as the runaway winner amongst a group of finalists that also included Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia.

Pavia finished second in voting with 1,435 total points. Mendoza garnered 2,362 points. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love finished third (719 points) while Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin came in fourth (432).

Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who finished fifth, was the only other player who earned more than 100 total voting points.

Mendoza was the top vote-getter across all 5 regions of the electorate. One year after 2-way Colorado star Travis Hunter beat out Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty for the Heisman in one of the smallest margins of victory this century, Mendoza ran away with the award.

He received 643 first-place votes. Pavia had 189. Love had 46. Rodriguez had 17. No other player had more than 8.

2025 Heisman Trophy voting

	*1st-place votes*	*2nd*	*3rd*	*Total Points*
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana	643	191	51	2,362
Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt	189	352	164	1,435
Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame	46	157	267	719
Julian Sayin, Ohio State	8	118	172	432
Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech	17	56	132	295
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State	4	18	36	84
Gunner Stockton, Georgia	3	6	22	43
Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss	2	5	7	23
Caleb Downs, Ohio State	2	3	10	22
Haynes King, Georgia Tech	2	1	10	18

h/t The Athletic’s Ralph D. Russo

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Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza captures 2025 Heisman Trophy

Derek Peterson — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 01:00:39 +0000

A year of firsts for Indiana continued on Saturday night, when quarterback Fernando Mendoza was named the winner of the 2025 Heisman Trophy.

Mendoza, a redshirt junior from Miami, Florida, who began his collegiate career at Cal, is the Hoosiers’ first-ever Heisman winner. Prior to this season, the school had only ever produced 1 other Heisman Trophy finalist — Anthony Thompson, the 1989 runner-up.

But, behind Mendoza, Indiana has been a trailblazer for much of the season, so Saturday’s result doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

He beat out Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, and Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia for the award.

Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez finished fifth in voting for the award, followed by Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, and Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King.

Mendoza transferred from Cal over the offseason, joining Curt Cignetti in Bloomington and picking up the reins from Kurtis Rourke, who led Indiana to its first 11-win season in school history.

The 6-foot-5 Mendoza propelled IU to a 12-0 regular season, a Big Ten Championship victory over Ohio State, and the top overall seed in the College Football Playoff.

Indiana’s unbeaten run through the regular season was its first since 1945, when it went 9-0-1. IU was voted the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 for the first time in program history. The 13-10 win over the Buckeyes on Dec. 5 gave IU its first outright Big Ten championship since 1945, as well as its first win over Ohio State since 1988.

Heading into bowl season, Mendoza is the only quarterback in the FBS with 5 games of 4 touchdown passes or more and no interceptions. He leads the nation in touchdowns thrown (33) and leads all power conference quarterbacks in touchdowns responsible for (39).

Mendoza has accounted for 2,980 yards through the air while completing 71.5% of his passes. He has just 6 interceptions this season.

Mendoza doesn’t lead the country in completion rate. He isn’t even top-20 in passing yards. Julian Sayin, a Heisman finalist, is the national leader in quarterback rating. He’s not the nation’s best deep-ball passer. He doesn’t have the most explosive plays.

This Heisman Trophy battle wasn’t like the Jayden Daniels win a few seasons ago, where video game-like numbers made the answer obvious. It wasn’t like last season’s race, when a generational talent made the answer undeniable. No, this Heisman win was about something deeper.

Mendoza was the most outstanding player on a team that defied expectations every step of the way.

At the beginning of August, Indiana was +10000 to win the national championship at BetMGM. The Hoosiers had worse odds than Auburn to win the title. When BetMGM opened betting on the Heisman Trophy, Mendoza was +5500 to win the award.

Very few expected IU to do what IU has done. Except Cignetti, of course.

“None of us were surprised he’s a finalist,” Cignetti told IU’s Pete DiPrimio for a feature on his quarterback. “We saw that coming for quite a long time. He solidified his place the other night (against Ohio State). It’s a credit to him for being as committed as he is for putting himself in position to play like he plays. His teammates and the assistant coaches are a big part of that.

“What stands out to me is the way he performs when the game is on the line, the plays he makes, the throws he makes. He’s made a number of big plays with his legs, as well. We’ve been involved in quite a few tight contests, away from home or at a neutral venue, and that’s when he seems to lock in and play his best ball.”

Perhaps no moment was bigger than the Hoosiers’ final drive at Beaver Stadium on Nov. 8. Indiana took the ball with 1:51 to play, positioned at its own 20, trailing 24-20.

A first-down sack put the Hoosiers at their own 13.

Nine plays later, Mendoza connected with Omar Cooper Jr. in the back of the endzone for a 7-yard touchdown on third down. Indiana went up 27-24. Thirty-six seconds remained in the game.

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1987256513531105715

A Heisman Moment, clear as day.

That play, and the resulting win — Indiana’s first-ever in at Beaver Stadium — instantly became one of the greatest moments in Indiana football history. Because it signaled this truly special season might actually go the distance.

“Mendoza refused to lose,” Cignetti told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the postgame radio interview that day. “I can’t say enough about him.”

With Mendoza leading the way, Indiana went 3-0 this season in games decided by less than 7 points. The Hoosiers also beat Oregon, which was ranked No. 3 at the time and earned the 5-seed in the CFP, by 10 points in Eugene. Mendoza had 215 yards passing, 31 yards rushing, and a key fourth-quarter touchdown that day.

Next, the Hoosiers will look to win a Playoff game, something they didn’t do last season. They will face the winner of Oklahoma-Alabama on Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl. If Mendoza can lead Indiana to the title game, IU will be playing for its first-ever national championship.

The Heisman winner hasn’t played on a national championship team since 2020, when DeVonta Smith helped Alabama to a title.

But, if anything was learned from this year of firsts at IU, it’s that you can’t count out the Hoosiers.

The post Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza captures 2025 Heisman Trophy appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Nate Oats updates status of Aden Holloway ahead of Arizona game

Derek Peterson — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 21:03:33 +0000

Junior guard Aden Holloway is dealing with a wrist injury that has his status up in the air for Saturday’s game against No. 1 Arizona.

When he met with reporters on Friday, Alabama head coach Nate Oats called Holloway a “game-time, game-day decision” for the matchup with the Wildcats. Holloway has not played since Nov. 27.

“Very limited practice yesterday. We’ll see how he feels this morning,” Oats said. “See what he can do today. That’s probably going to have to end up being a game-time, game-day decision and see how his wrist is feeling. Other than that, should be good to go.”

Forwards Taylor Bol Bowen and Keitenn Bristow are also both dealing with separate injury issues of their own, but Oats said that both practiced on Friday and seemed to intimate they’d be fine for the game.

Bol Bowen has made 8 starts this season and ranks fourth on the team in scoring at 10.9 points per game. Bristow played 51 minutes across 3 games from Nov. 19-26, but that has been the extent of his action this season.

Holloway has started all 6 games in which he has appeared for the Tide. In his last outing, he finished with a double-double, with 17 points and 10 assists. Holloway has 3 games this season with 20 points, including a season-high 26 against UNLV on Nov. 26.

Alabama will need all the help it can get against the unbeaten Wildcats (8-0). Tip-off on Saturday is set for 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Alabama (-1.5, via BetMGM) is a slight favorite in the game.

The post Nate Oats updates status of Aden Holloway ahead of Arizona game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Jon Sumrall to hire former national champion Gator for Florida staff

Derek Peterson — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 20:05:52 +0000

Phil Trautwein blocked for Tim Tebow and paved the way for a pair of Florida national championships as a player. As a coach, he has mentored multiple first-round NFL Draft selections on the offensive line.

Few have the CV to match what Trautwein has done throughout his football career. So, it was no surprise to see new Florida head coach Jon Sumrall target the Penn State assistant for his staff.

According to multiple reports, Trautwein is nearing an agreement to join Sumrall in Gainesville as the Gators’ new offensive line coach. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was first to report the news on Friday.

Trautwein, 39, has spent the last 6 seasons at Penn State coaching offensive linemen. Before that, he was Boston College’s line coach from 2018-19. Over those 8 seasons, he has coached 39 combined all-conference selections on the offensive line.

Three of his players have gone on to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. A fourth, Olaivavega Ioane, could hear his name called in the 2026 NFL Draft’s first round next spring.

As a player, Trautwein spent 5 years at Florida. He was a 2-time national champion, a second-team All-SEC selection in 2006, and a first-team All-SEC pick in 2008. He started 29 times for the Gators before moving to the NFL.

Trautwein spent parts of 4 seasons in the NFL before retiring in 2012 and moving into coaching.

Seven former Penn State offensive linemen who played for Trautwein have been drafted into the NFL. Trautwein has also recruited multiple 5-star prospects to Happy Valley.

Trautwein said back in August he didn’t see himself leaving Penn State for “any other college football job,” but the midseason dismissal of head coach James Franklin forced him to re-evaluate.

Now, he’s set for a homecoming.

The post Jon Sumrall to hire former national champion Gator for Florida staff appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Sherrone Moore made ‘unwanted advances’ toward other women while at Michigan, per report

Derek Peterson — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 19:13:37 +0000

Sherrone Moore was arraigned in a local court in Michigan on Friday, where he was officially charged with third-degree felony home invasion, misdemeanor stalking (domestic relationship), and misdemeanor breaking and entering.

The former Michigan head football coach was arrested on Wednesday, hours after he was fired by the school. Through an investigation, Michigan found credible evidence that Moore had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and fired him for cause.

The prosecutor for the case on Friday said Moore went to the staff member’s home after being fired on Wednesday and threatened to kill himself. The scene unfolded just days after the staff member broke off a multi-year relationship with Moore, the prosecutor said.

“Our victim broke up with the defendant on Monday morning. She presented herself to (the school) and corroborated the fact they had a relationship,” the prosecutor said.

A report from the Wall Street Journal on Friday stated that Moore, who is married, had been involved in a relationship with the staff member from 2022 to 2024, when she ended things. Sometime after Moore became the Michigan head coach in 2024, the staff member received a substantial raise.

Though an initial investigation into Moore turned up no evidence of an improper relationship, the staff member went to the school earlier this week to confirm the details of the relationship.

According to the WSJ, Moore was also the subject of multiple complaints by at least 2 different women who told the school he had made unwanted advances toward them online.

Moore’s next hearing is set for Jan. 22, 2026.

The post Sherrone Moore made ‘unwanted advances’ toward other women while at Michigan, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Bijan Robinson apologizes for ‘insensitive’ comment after Falcons win

Derek Peterson — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:33:08 +0000

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson apologized late Thursday night for a comment he made while on the postgame Thursday Night Football studio show.

Following Atlanta’s 29-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Robinson was one of several players who joined the Prime Video postgame show to discuss the performance. At one point, analyst Richard Sherman referenced a play where Robinson made several defenders miss and likened it to backyard football.

Robinson caught the reference and used a name that has long been used to describe the keepaway game — “smear the q****.” The former Texas tailback quickly took to social media to apologize for the reference.

“Hey everyone I want to apologize for the insensitive comment I made in the broadcast,” Robinson said in a post. “It was a football game we used to play as a kid but that’s not an excuse. I recognize the mistake and make sure to do better in the future. It was not reflective of my beliefs and I am so sorry to those I offended seriously!”

Hey everyone I want to apologize for the insensitive comment I made in the broadcast, it was a football game we used to play as a kid but that’s not an excuse. I recognize the mistake and make sure to do better in the future. It was not reflective of my beliefs and I am so sorry…
— Bijan Robinson (@Bijan5Robinson) December 12, 2025

The postgame comment overshadowed what was a wonderful night for Robinson.

Robinson finished with 93 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. He also had 8 receptions for 82 yards. It marked the fourth time this season the third-year back has had at least 170 scrimmage yards in a game.

The post Bijan Robinson apologizes for ‘insensitive’ comment after Falcons win appeared first on Saturday Down South.

2025 Bowl Season: Picking the winner of every bowl game

Derek Peterson — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Predicting winners in the postseason is a lot like throwing darts blindly across the bar. So much can go wrong.

Outside of the College Football Playoff, the college football bowl season depends only on what you make of it. Some teams will take it seriously. Some won’t. Some players will try to close out their careers with a win. Others will opt out and look ahead to what is next. The rosters could change significantly between when you read the picks below and when the games actually kick off.

Alas, let’s take a couple of shots and see what can actually hit the board. Watch your heads.

College football postseason schedule, odds, picks

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s easy to get thrown out of routine. You wake up one morning at your grandfather’s house, turn on the TV, and realize football is being played before you’ve even had your first cup of coffee. Fortunately, at SDS, we’ve got you covered with live, up-to-date college football odds and kickoff schedules for the postseason. You can find point spreads, game totals, and money line odds for every bowl game below.

LA Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington

Boise State has lost 9 straight games to power teams (Notre Dame included) dating back to the 2019 season.

Winner: Washington

Salute to Veterans Bowl: Troy vs. Jacksonville State

I’m trusting the defense more in this matchup. Troy ranks 38th nationally in allowed success rate, per Game on Paper. Jax State is 109th.

Winner: Troy

Cure Bowl: Old Dominion vs. South Florida

The Bulls will be without a chunk of their offensive staff after Alex Golesh took the Auburn job. On Wednesday, that reality cost them starting quarterback Byrum Brown. A once-promising season ends with a dud.

Winner: Old Dominion

68 Ventures Bowl: Louisiana vs. Delaware

Delaware is the better team, but Louisiana is the hotter team, having won 4 straight to qualify for the postseason. I’ll take the better team after an extended break.

Winner: Delaware

Xbox Bowl: Missouri State vs. Arkansas State

The Bears end their first FBS season in style.

Winner: Missouri State

Myrtle Beach Bowl: Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan

The Myrtle Beach Bowl gets a pair of conference champs in a CUSA vs. MAC matchup. The Broncos have an outstanding defense, and they’ve won 9 of their last 10 because of it. Make it 10 of 11 to close the year.

Winner: Western Michigan

Gasparilla Bowl: Memphis vs. NC State

Memphis lost 4 of its last 6 games and then lost its coach to Arkansas. NC State won 3 of 4 to get back into the postseason. The Wolfpack haven’t won a bowl game since 2017. That’ll end here. Only a couple of points separate these 2 teams, so motivation becomes a factor worth considering.

Winner: NC State

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Washington State vs. Utah State

For the second offseason in a row, Wazzu has to replace its head coach. The Cougars had several strong showings against good teams this year, but the coaching change opens the door to opt-outs and portal departures.

Winner: Utah State

Boca Raton Bowl: Toledo vs. Louisville

Toledo is good. The Rockets will keep this close. But I’m still rolling with Louisville.

Winner: Louisville

New Orleans Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss

Another battle between stability and uncertainty. Southern Miss coach Charles Huff left to take the Memphis job. Give me the Hilltoppers.

Winner: Western Kentucky

Frisco Bowl: UNLV vs. Ohio

The UNLV defense stinks, but I don’t see Ohio slowing the offense down enough in this one.

Winner: UNLV

Hawaii Bowl: Cal vs. Hawaii

A homecoming game for Cal here. Former Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich gets to lead the Bears on an interim basis after Justin Wilcox was let go. And Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele gets to play in front of his family.

Winner: Cal

Sports Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Northwestern

The Wildcats have won 5 straight bowl games dating back to the 2016 season. Make it 6 straight.

Winner: Northwestern

Rate Bowl: New Mexico vs. Minnesota

New Mexico can make life difficult for an already-challenged Minnesota offense. I like the Lobos to deal PJ Fleck his first bowl defeat as the Gopher head coach.

Winner: New Mexico

First Responder Bowl: FIU vs. UTSA

UTSA is better, and it should be able to run on the FIU defense.

Winner: UTSA

Military Bowl: Pitt vs. East Carolina

Is Desmond Reid going to play? Is Mason Heintschel going to recapture his earlier form after several poor performances late in the year? ECU has to replace both coordinators, but the Pirates have the defense to pull off an upset here if Pitt’s run game is shorthanded.

Winner: East Carolina

Pinstripe Bowl: Penn State vs. Clemson

The Disappointment Bowl. If you’d said at the start of the season these 2 would meet in the postseason, most would have assumed it would be deep into the CFP. Instead, they’re on a baseball diamond. I expect Penn State to be hit hard by opt-outs. Dabo Swinney thinks the Tigers won’t be. I’ll take his word for it.

Winner: Clemson

Fenway Bowl: UConn vs. Army

I like the Huskies here. Their ineptitude when it comes to stopping the run is concerning, but their quarterback is excellent and that gives them the edge in what could be a “who has the ball last” kind of game.

Winner: UConn

Pop-Tarts Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. BYU

BYU has advantages all over the field. I don’t trust the Georgia Tech defense to contain LJ Martin.

Winner: BYU

Arizona Bowl: Miami (OH) vs. Fresno State

Miami’s quarterback situation is a mess, and the RedHawks’ top wide receiver has already made a decision to enter the transfer portal. Too much to be concerned with on the Miami side of things; I’ll roll with the Bulldogs in the Snoop Dogg Bowl.

Winner: Fresno State

New Mexico Bowl: North Texas vs. San Diego State

This one is difficult to project. North Texas will be without its head coach (Eric Morris), who is getting Oklahoma State up and running, and probably hopes his star quarterback will follow. UNT also missed out on a potential CFP spot by losing to Tulane in the AAC title game. San Diego State missed out on the Mountain West title game by dropping its final game to New Mexico, then lost its defensive coordinator to Nebraska (Rob Aurich), who might also pull a couple of star SDSU defenders with him to Lincoln. If Drew Mestemaker plays, UNT wins.

Winner: North Texas

Gator Bowl: Virginia vs. Mizzou

I’m about as big a Virginia skeptic as you’ll find. Mizzou has a ton of notable names who could opt out, but if the Tigers get the bulk of their defense on the field, they’ll control the game.

Winner: Mizzou

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Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Houston

Blake Baker makes a strong first impression on his new head coach, and the Tigers end the year with some momentum to take into 2026.

Winner: LSU

Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Appalachian State

A postseason rematch between Sun Belt squads. Georgia Southern took the first meeting, 25-23 on the road. The Eagles closed with 3 wins in 4 games to make a bowl. App State lost 5 of its final 6, but said yes to a bowl game anyway to fill a spot. The Mountaineers get the extra practices. The Eagles get the win.

Winner: Georgia Southern

Independence Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech

Neither team will be full-force. Coastal will be without its head coach after firing Tim Beck. Louisiana Tech can run the ball, Coastal can’t stop the run, and Tech will have a crowd edge.

Winner: Louisiana Tech

Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Illinois

Illinois hasn’t beaten a good team since September. While Tennessee closed the regular season with a dud, the Illini have been flat-out bad against equal or better competition for most of the season. I like the Vols.

Winner: Tennessee

Alamo Bowl: USC vs. TCU

USC has a bunch of players in the “could opt out” discussion, but I imagine this game will mean something to Lincoln Riley’s team. The Trojans are seeking what would be just their second 10-win season in the last 8 years. After a smashing success on the recruiting trail, a win here would give the Trojans a top-15 finish and some serious juice heading into 2026. That should be enough motivation for enough guys to close out the year with a win.

Winner: USC

ReliaQuest Bowl: Iowa vs. Vanderbilt

After winning 3 consecutive bowl games from 2017-19, Iowa has 1 bowl victory since — a 21-0 flattening of Kentucky in 2022. This Vanderbilt team is much better, and should be motivated to close out the best season in school history. Diego Pavia will want to go out in style.

Winner: Vanderbilt

Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs. Duke

The Blue Devils brought calamity down on the College Football Playoff selection committee by winning their last 3 games and swiping the ACC crown. Now, they get to play an Arizona State team that should be missing its top players. An at-times disappointing season ends strongly for Manny Diaz and Darian Mensah.

Winner: Duke

Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Texas

So. Michigan… your guess is as good as mine as to what the Wolverines’ mindset will be against Texas. Texas has transfer portal departures and opt-outs to deal with in the 2-deep, but Michigan could see an upheaval after the Sherrone Moore dismissal. No chance the team will be able to focus on this game.

Winner: Texas

Las Vegas Bowl: Nebraska vs. Utah

Nebraska was already without its top quarterback, and now it’ll be without its top running back for the bowl game. Emmett Johnson is off to the NFL. The Huskers, who have made several staff changes since the end of the regular season, will struggle to keep Utah at bay. I just don’t see a ton of points for Nebraska here. The Utes snap a 5-game bowl losing streak.

Winner: Utah

Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs. Texas State

Give me the Bobcats by a wide margin. Texas State has a top-10 offense, according to Game on Paper, and Rice has a bottom-20 defense.

Winner: Texas State

Liberty Bowl: Navy vs. Cincinnati

Does Brendan Sorsby play? He responded to that question after the regular season by saying, “We’ll see,” which doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence. Cincy closed the season with 4 straight losses, and the offense really struggled to do much of note in any of those games. In a limited-possession ballgame against the Midshipmen, that’s concerning.

Winner: Navy

Holiday Bowl: Arizona vs. SMU

As long as the 2-deeps aren’t ripped up by transfers and opt-outs, this should be one of the better games of the non-CFP postseason. I like Arizona, which closed the year by surging. The Wildcats won 5 straight, including each of the last 2 by at least 24 points.

Winner: Arizona

Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State

Bad teams don’t just flip to great overnight. They give a fanbase flashes of what’s to come while tripping and face-planting on the way there. Mississippi State spent most of this season in the middle portion of a program rebuild. I think the Bulldogs are on the right track, as evidenced by uneven but competitive play throughout the year. The defense held it together before falling apart late in the season. The offense should look a little better with Kamario Taylor making another start. The last thing that comes is the week-to-week consistency. I’ll roll with the Bulldogs here in a game that could be a real springboard.

Winner: Mississippi State

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SEC 2026 football schedule: Every team’s schedule revealed

Derek Peterson — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 02:53:04 +0000

We haven’t wrapped up the 2025 college football season yet, but that didn’t stop the SEC from taking a peek at the 2026 season.

On Thursday night, the league announced full schedules for every team across the conference. A handful of massive games immediately jumped out.

The Lane Kiffin era at LSU kicks off league play in Oxford against Ole Miss early in the season. We get a back-to-back stretch of games in mid-October for Alabama that could heavily influence the SEC Championship discussion. Oklahoma and Texas also have early bye weeks before closing out their respective regular seasons with 8 straight games each.

Next year’s schedule will be the first time SEC teams play 9 league games.

2026 SEC football schedule

The league unveiled the full schedule on Thursday night during a live show on SEC Network. The opponents were already known; Thursday’s news was the order. Some teams were handed some incredibly difficult stretches. And the action will get going early for others.

Every team’s full schedule is below.

Alabama

Sept. 5: East Carolina
Sept. 12: at Kentucky
Sept. 19: Florida State
Sept. 26: South Carolina
Oct. 3: at Mississippi State
Oct. 10: Georgia
Oct. 17: at Tennessee
Oct. 24: Texas A&M
Oct. 31: BYE
Nov. 7: at LSU
Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt
Nov. 21: Chattanooga
Nov. 28: Auburn

Arkansas

Sept. 5: North Alabama
Sept. 12: at Utah
Sept. 19: Georgia
Sept. 26: Tulsa
Oct. 3: at Texas A&M
Oct. 10: Tennessee
Oct. 17: at Vanderbilt
Oct. 24: BYE
Oct. 31: Mizzou
Nov. 7: at Auburn
Nov. 14: South Carolina
Nov. 21: at Texas
Nov. 28: LSU

Auburn

Sept. 5: Baylor (in Atlanta)
Sept. 12: Southern Miss
Sept. 19: Florida
Sept. 26: Vanderbilt
Oct. 3: at Tennessee
Oct. 10: BYE
Oct. 17: at Georgia
Oct. 24: LSU
Oct. 31: at Ole Miss
Nov. 7: Arkansas
Nov. 14: at Mississippi State
Nov. 21: Samford
Nov. 28: at Alabama

Florida

Sept. 5: Florida Atlantic
Sept. 12: Campbell
Sept. 19: at Auburn
Sept. 26: Ole Miss
Oct. 3: at Mizzou
Oct. 10: South Carolina
Oct. 17: at Texas
Oct. 24: BYE
Oct. 31: Georgia (in Atlanta)
Nov. 7: Oklahoma
Nov. 14: at Kentucky
Nov. 21: Vanderbilt
Nov. 28: at Florida State

Georgia

Sept. 5: Tennessee State
Sept. 12: Western Kentucky
Sept. 19: at Arkansas
Sept. 26: Oklahoma
Oct. 3: Vanderbilt
Oct. 10: at Alabama
Oct. 17: Auburn
Oct. 24: BYE
Oct. 31: Florida (in Atlanta)
Nov. 7: at Ole Miss
Nov. 14: Mizzou
Nov. 21: at South Carolina
Nov. 28: Georgia Tech

Kentucky

Sept. 5: Youngstown State
Sept. 12: Alabama
Sept. 19: at Texas A&M
Sept. 26: South Alabama
Oct. 3: at South Carolina
Oct. 10: LSU
Oct. 17: at Oklahoma
Oct. 24: Vanderbilt
Oct. 31: BYE
Nov. 7: at Tennessee
Nov. 14: Florida
Nov. 21: at Mizzou
Nov. 28: at Louisville

LSU

Sept. 5: Clemson
Sept. 12: Louisiana Tech
Sept. 19: at Ole Miss
Sept. 26: Texas A&M
Oct. 3: McNeese State
Oct. 10: at Kentucky
Oct. 17: Mississippi State
Oct. 24: at Auburn
Oct. 31: BYE
Nov. 7: Alabama
Nov. 14: Texas
Nov. 21: at Tennessee
Nov. 28: at Arkansas

Ole Miss

Sept. 5/6: Louisville (in Nashville)
Sept. 12: Charlotte
Sept. 19: LSU
Sept. 26: at Florida
Oct. 3: BYE
Oct. 10: at Vanderbilt
Oct. 17: Mizzou
Oct. 24: at Texas
Oct. 31: Auburn
Nov. 7: Georgia
Nov. 14: at Oklahoma
Nov. 21: Wofford
Nov. 28: Mississippi State

Mississippi State

Sept. 5: UL Monroe
Sept. 12: at Minnesota
Sept. 19: at South Carolina
Sept. 26: Mizzou
Oct. 3: Alabama
Oct. 10: BYE
Oct. 17: at LSU
Oct. 24: Oklahoma
Oct. 31: at Texas
Nov. 7: Vanderbilt
Nov. 14: Auburn
Nov. 21: Tennessee Tech
Nov. 28: at Ole Miss

Mizzou

Sept. 5: Arkansas PB
Sept. 12: at Kansas
Sept. 19: Troy
Sept. 26: at Mississippi State
Oct. 3: Florida
Oct. 10: Texas A&M
Oct. 17: at Ole Miss
Oct. 24: BYE
Oct. 31: at Arkansas
Nov. 7: Texas
Nov. 14: at Georgia
Nov. 21: Kentucky
Nov. 28: Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Sept. 5: UTEP
Sept. 12: at Michigan
Sept. 19: New Mexico
Sept. 26: at Georgia
Oct. 3: BYE
Oct. 10: Texas (in Dallas)
Oct. 17: Kentucky
Oct. 24: at Mississippi State
Oct. 31: South Carolina
Nov. 7: at Florida
Nov. 14: Ole Miss
Nov. 21: Texas A&M
Nov. 28: at Mizzou

South Carolina

Sept. 5: Kent State
Sept. 12: Towson
Sept. 19: Mississippi State
Sept. 26: at Alabama
Oct. 3: Kentucky
Oct. 10: at Florida
Oct. 17: BYE
Oct. 24: Tennessee
Oct. 31: at Oklahoma
Nov. 7: Texas A&M
Nov. 14: at Arkansas
Nov. 21: Georgia
Nov. 28: at Clemson

Tennessee

Sept. 5: Furman
Sept. 12: at Georgia Tech
Sept. 19: Kennesaw State
Sept. 26: Texas
Oct. 3: Auburn
Oct. 10: at Arkansas
Oct. 17: Alabama
Oct. 24: at South Carolina
Oct. 31: BYE
Nov. 7: Kentucky
Nov. 14: at Texas A&M
Nov. 21: LSU
Nov. 28: at Vanderbilt

Texas

Sept. 5: Texas State
Sept. 12: Ohio State
Sept. 19: UTSA
Sept. 26: at Tennessee
Oct. 3: BYE
Oct. 10: Oklahoma (in Dallas)
Oct. 17: Florida
Oct. 24: Ole Miss
Oct. 31: Mississippi State
Nov. 7: at Mizzou
Nov. 14: at LSU
Nov. 21: Arkansas
Nov. 27: at Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Sept. 5: Missouri State
Sept. 12: Arizona State
Sept. 19: Kentucky
Sept. 26: at LSU
Oct. 3: Arkansas
Oct. 10: at Mizzou
Oct. 17: The Citadel
Oct. 24: at Alabama
Oct. 31: BYE
Nov. 7: at South Carolina
Nov. 14: Tennessee
Nov. 21: at Oklahoma
Nov. 27: Texas

Vanderbilt

Sept. 5: Austin Peay
Sept. 12: Delaware
Sept. 19: NC State
Sept. 26: at Auburn
Oct. 3: at Georgia
Oct. 10: Ole Miss
Oct. 17: Arkansas
Oct. 24: at Kentucky
Oct. 31: BYE
Nov. 7: at Mississippi State
Nov. 14: Alabama
Nov. 21: at Florida
Nov. 28: Tennessee

The post SEC 2026 football schedule: Every team’s schedule revealed appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Contract details revealed for new Tennessee DC Jim Knowles

Derek Peterson — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 22:16:19 +0000

Jim Knowles will make less at Tennessee next season than he did at Ohio State in 2024 when he helped the Buckeyes to a national championship.

The Volunteers formally announced the hiring of Knowles on Thursday. He’ll take the place of Tim Banks, who was fired on Dec. 8, and he’ll come at a slight discount. According to contract details obtained by On3’s Chris Low, Knowles will be paid $2 million to coordinate the Tennessee defense next season.

Knowles will make $2.2 million in 2027 and $2.4 million in 2028, according to a report from Low.

Banks was paid $2.15 million this season. He just inked a 3-year contract extension last January after helping Tennessee to the College Football Playoff, but the defense underperformed this year and that forced Josh Heupel back into the market for a top assistant.

Knowles made $2.2 million with Ohio State in 2024, according to the USA Today database. After his Ohio State defense finished first in scoring (12.9 points per game) and yards per play (4.2), Knowles jumped to Penn State.

The Nittany Lions enter the postseason ranked 33rd in defensive SP+. While the defense wasn’t necessarily a problem, it wasn’t up to the standard Penn State thought it would get when it plucked Knowles away from the Buckeyes.

Tennessee’s gain. The Vols enter the postseason 61st in defensive SP+. They were among the stingiest defenses in the country last year, when they ranked fourth in success rate allowed. This year, UT ranks 129th in defensive success rate.

“Hiring Jim Knowles was our top priority from the start of this process,” Heupel said in a press release on Thursday. “Jim has a proven track record of developing elite defenses that play with an edge, and we got to see that first-hand during the 2024 College Football Playoff.”

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SEC announces All-Freshman teams for 2025 season

Derek Peterson — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:36:41 +0000

The SEC announced its 2025 All-Freshman team on Thursday, a group of first-year (and in some instances second-year) players that was dominated by Alabama and Tennessee.

Four different players from both the Crimson Tide and the Vols were named to the All-Freshman team — the most of any program. That included standout Tennessee receiver Braylon Staley, who was named Freshman of the Year by the SEC on Wednesday.

Georgia had 3 selections. Florida’s Vernell Brown III earned recognition at 3 different positions.

In total, 12 teams were represented across the offense, defense, and special teams units. Nine schools had multiple selections.

The full All-Freshman team can be found below.

OFFENSE

QB Cutter Boley, Kentucky
RB Chauncey Bowens, Georgia
RB Tory Blaylock, Oklahoma
WR Vernell Brown III, Florida
WR Braylon Staley, Tennessee
TE Kaleb Edwards, Alabama
OL David Sanders Jr., Tennessee
OL Michael Carroll, Alabama
OL Kobe Branham, Arkansas
OL Dontrell Glover, Georgia
OL Kail Ellis, Auburn
AP Vernell Brown III, Florida

DEFENSE

DL Jayden Woods, Florida
DL Elijah Griffin, Georgia
DL Lance Jackson, Texas
DL London Simmons, Alabama
LB Edwin Spillman, Tennessee
LB Elijah Melendez, Auburn
LB Tyler Lockhart, Mississippi State
DB Dijon Lee Jr., Alabama
DB Courtland Guillory, Oklahoma
DB DJ Pickett, LSU
DB Ty Redmond, Tennessee

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK Scott Starzyk, Arkansas
P Mason Love, South Carolina
RS Vernell Brown III, Florida
KOS Max Kelley, South Carolina
LS Silas Hall, LSU

The post SEC announces All-Freshman teams for 2025 season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore reportedly detained by police

Derek Peterson — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:54:20 +0000

Hours after being dismissed as the head football coach at Michigan, things went from bad to worse for Sherrone Moore.

According to a report from ESPN’s Dan Wetzel, Moore was detained by police in Saline, Michigan, on Wednesday night and turned over to authorities in Pittsfield Township relating to an investigation into potential charges. It’s not immediately clear what led to Moore’s arrest.

Moore was fired for cause by Michigan on Wednesday after a University investigation uncovered “credible evidence” that Moore violated University policy by engaging in an “inappropriate relationship” with a Michigan staff member. The school dismissed Moore, effective immediately, and named Michigan assistant Biff Poggi the interim coach for the team’s bowl game against Texas on Dec. 31.

Moore went 17-8 across 2 full seasons as the Michigan coach. He replaced Jim Harbaugh following the school’s national championship season in 2023, where he served as head coach for 1 game while Harbaugh was suspended.

The Wolverines went 9-3 this season but missed out on the College Football Playoff after losing to Ohio State to end the regular season. Moore’s tenure ended with an 18-8 record as head coach.

Moore, 39, was an assistant on Harbaugh’s staff before being promoted to head coach in January 2024. His dismissal after 2 full seasons in charge marks the shortest tenure by a Michigan head football coach in nearly a century.

The post Former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore reportedly detained by police appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Michigan fires coach Sherrone Moore over alleged inappropriate relationship

Derek Peterson — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:59:30 +0000

Michigan has fired head coach Sherrone Moore, effective immediately.

Multiple reports emerged Wednesday that Moore had been let go by the school for cause. Michigan quickly confirmed those reports with a statement that claimed the school found “credible evidence” that Moore engaged in an “inappropriate relationship” with a Michigan staff member.

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel cited a “clear violation of University policy” in a release announcing the decision. Biff Poggi will serve as the interim coach while the team prepares for the Citrus Bowl against Texas on Dec. 31.

Michigan went 9-3 this year, improving upon an 8-5 year in Moore’s debut.

Moore made $6.1 million this season, per the USA Today database. His buyout called for $13.9 million, but U-M will be able to avoid that after an investigation into the alleged violation of school policies.

The controversy is just the latest in a rocky tenure for Moore in Ann Arbor. Earlier this summer, Moore was included in the sanctions handed down by the NCAA after its investigation into the sign-stealing scheme under Harbaugh. Moore was suspended for a game and given a 2-year show cause.

The post Michigan fires coach Sherrone Moore over alleged inappropriate relationship appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Ole Miss to open 2026 season vs. ACC team in Nashville

Derek Peterson — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:40:31 +0000

Ole Miss will open the 2026 season with a neutral-site game against Louisville.

The 2 programs announced the game on Wednesday. It will take the place of Louisville’s previously scheduled matchup with Georgia, which was nixed via a “mutual” decision earlier in the day.

Louisville wasted no time finding a replacement. According to a release from the schools, the game will be played on either Saturday, Sept. 5, or Sunday, Sept. 6, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

Headed to Nashville for our 2026 season opener against Louisville #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/w0VH4eZ5M0
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 10, 2025

It’ll be just the second-ever meeting between the schools. They played each other in 2021 for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Ole Miss won the game 43-24.

That game catapulted Ole Miss into the AP Top 25 for the first time under Lane Kiffin and ended a 5-year drought outside the poll. Ole Miss has spent all but 3 weeks ranked in the AP Top 25 since.

Next year’s Rebels will look a little different, though. Kiffin is off to LSU and the program promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to take his place. The game against Louisville will open Golding’s first full-time season as the school’s head coach.

Louisville went 8-4 this season. The program is 3-0 in season-openers under Jeff Brohm.

The post Ole Miss to open 2026 season vs. ACC team in Nashville appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Betting Stuff: 3 College Football Playoff bets to target right now

Derek Peterson — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Selection Sunday came, sowed discord and disruption, and went, leaving us with a 12-team College Football Playoff bracket that looks wonderfully balanced with tradition-rich titans and new-age monsters.

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.

Betting Stuff: How to bet the opening lines for the CFP First Round

Derek Peterson — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

It’s finally time for the College Football Playoff.

The path here was clunky. Watching the CFP selection committee stumble its way into a correct 12-team field was painful. Miami and Alabama were more deserving of spots than Notre Dame and Texas, but the week-to-week rankings and postulating from the selection committee made it impossible for them to actually defend those statements without looking ridiculous.

Seeding minutiae aside, the 12 teams we got are the 12 teams we should have gotten. Now, boardroom battles turn to field fights, and that’s where our attention belongs at the end of the day. So, let’s take a look at a slate of first-round CFP action that features 2 rematches across 4 games.

Here’s how to bet the early market ahead of the Playoff’s opening round.

Last week: 4-3
2025 season: 51-66-1
2024 season: 84-69-1

CFP First Round 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 conference championship game below.

CFP First Round picks

You can find my early bets for the CFP’s opening round below. After that, I’ll break down each game on the card.

Derek Peterson

Saturday Down South • December 8, 2025 at 3:29pm

Pick

Odds

HomePointSpread +1.5

Spread

CFB • Alabama Crimson Tide @ Oklahoma Sooners

-110 on Caesars

SCHEDULED • 12/20/2025

Betslip #1765207794564-a44e-298

Alabama at Oklahoma

Trends tell a simple story here. Oklahoma has won 4 straight, including road wins in Knoxville and Tuscaloosa. Since losing the first meeting with Oklahoma, Alabama needed a fourth-down dice roll deep into the fourth quarter to get past Auburn and got blown out in the SEC Championship Game by Georgia. Oklahoma’s defense has been consistently excellent for weeks. The only consistency in Alabama’s game of late has been inconsistency.

Turnovers cost the Tide in the first meeting with the Sooners. When an offense is one-dimensional, as Alabama’s was that day, a defense is live to create opportunities to take the football away. And Alabama is coming off a rushing performance against Georgia where its leading rusher ran for 11 yards.

No Alabama player had a run longer than 5 yards against the Bulldogs in the SEC title game. Simpson threw a pick and finished with a QBR of 19.9 — by far his worst of the season and the ninth-worst in a game by a qualified SEC quarterback all year.

Oklahoma closed out the regular season with at least 1 takeaway in each of its final 4 games. After producing just 4 turnovers in its first 8 games (and none in its first 4), OU has 9 takeaways since.

The offense looked abysmal at home against LSU, when quarterback John Mateer threw 3 interceptions and the Sooners managed only 17 points. But Oklahoma still averaged 6 yards per play that day with a 15% explosive play rate.

With a couple of weeks to rest, recover, and gameplan for the Tide, a cleaner performance isn’t out of the question. Plus, Oklahoma has been able to win games without scoring a ton of points. When held under 30 this season, the Sooners are 6-2.

Nothing about the Alabama offense provides hope that it can go on the road and beat this Oklahoma defense. The Sooners rank second nationally in allowed success rate, per Game on Paper, and they’re third in havoc rate. At home, 17 points might be enough to get the job done for a third straight game for OU.

Bet Oklahoma +1.5 (-110 via Caesars)

Miami at Texas A&M

This is another matchup where recent form stands in stark contrast between the 2 sides.

Miami has won 4 straight, all of them by at least 17 points, and all while scoring at least 34 points itself. The Hurricanes beat up on a couple of bad ACC teams and then mopped the floor with Pitt in the regular-season finale, 38-7. They got a jolt of life from the selection committee when, despite not playing a game, they flip-flopped with Notre Dame to sneak in the Playoff field. Expect the Hurricanes to play with some serious energy early.

On the other side, Texas A&M is coming off its first loss of the season at Texas. A 27-17 defeat to big brother in Austin was deflating, and it cost the Aggies both a shot at an SEC title and a likely first-round bye. Now, they have arguably the toughest first-round draw of any of the hosting teams. A&M is also just a few weeks removed from the no-show first half against South Carolina.

Marcel Reed, not Carson Beck, is the biggest swing piece in the game. Reed’s form has dipped over the last few weeks, and he injured his ankle in the Texas game. Though he returned, and coach Mike Elko downplayed the severity of the issue after the game, his mobility wasn’t the same afterward.

Reed’s ability to manage, navigate, and escape the pocket is paramount against Miami’s ultra-strong defensive front. The Hurricanes have 31 sacks in 10 games against power opponents this season. Rueben Bain Jr. is a menace who must always be accounted for, but Akheem Mesidor (7) is actually the team’s sacks leader. It’s a group effort; 6 Miami defenders have multiple sacks this season. Miami ranks fifth nationally in havoc rate.

If Reed is still limited in any way by the ankle, Miami will pin its ears back and try to fluster him. According to PFF, Reed’s passer grade when pressured this season is 33 points worse (43.1) than when he is kept clean (76.1), and his completion percentage plummets from 68.2% to 39.7%.

Coming into the season, all of the questions with the Aggie offense focused on Reed’s arm and his decision-making. In 9 games against power opponents, he has 10 interceptions and 17 turnover-worthy plays. He has multiple-interception games in 3 of his last 5 outings.

Miami is a threat to win this outright if Reed is anything less than stellar.

Bet Miami +4 (-110 via DraftKings)

Tulane at Ole Miss

Tulane gave up 45 points in the first meeting between these 2 teams. In what was Trinidad Chambliss’s second start of his Ole Miss career, the Rebel quarterback threw for 307 yards, ran for 112, and scored a pair of touchdowns. Ole Miss averaged 7.9 yards per play and hit 14 explosives.

However, half of the total points came in the fourth quarter. Ole Miss scored 22 and Tulane finally got a touchdown on the board with 3:42 to play in the game.

With Lane Kiffin as the school’s head coach, Ole Miss made a habit of running up scores and piling on points. With new leadership in charge of the program, will Ole Miss take a more merciful approach to garbage time?

Maybe in the future, but not right now. After Kiffin made an utter spectacle of his departure, he claimed the team wanted him to coach them in the CFP only for several players on the team to publicly refute that claim.

Ole Miss fans are livid with Kiffin for his handling of the situation. The Ole Miss coaching staff that stayed on might think Kiffin tried to hold the Playoff run hostage for his own desires. If the team never actually asked for Kiffin to coach them, and he went public saying they did, I imagine we’ll see a pretty spirited effort from that group in their first game out.

Tulane is walking into a hornet’s nest. And there’s already a sizeable gap between these 2 sides.

Ole Miss could hit the total on its own here.

Tulane coach Jon Sumrall is pulling double-duty this month, getting the Green Wave ready to fight Goliath while trying to establish the foundation for his Florida program. That’s a difficult balancing act for anyone.

The Green Wave were a bit unlucky to finish with just 10 points in the first meeting. They had a 70-yard drive end on downs at the Ole Miss 5, then each of the next 2 possessions ended on downs in Ole Miss territory. They also threw a pick immediately after recovering an Ole Miss fumble late in the fourth. I’d expect the total to be closer to 60 in the rematch, given everything at play.

Bet over 56.5 total points (-110 via BetMGM)

James Madison at Oregon

When first-half props start getting posted at most sportsbooks, those will be the more fruitful numbers to target. Oregon has a talent edge at the line of scrimmage that should result in this game being decided pretty early on.

The Ducks are a massive, 3-touchdown favorite, but I’m not a fan of laying that kind of number in a spot where Oregon figures to heavily tilt the field with the run game, or a spot where Oregon could take its foot off the gas in the fourth and save something for Texas Tech.

Models love James Madison. The Dukes are seventh nationally in adjusted net EPA per play, according to Game on Paper. (The Ducks are third, by the way.) Their defense is awesome at everything except controlling explosive plays. Their offense leans on a ground game that mashes teams at the line of scrimmage.

You have to take the numbers with a grain of salt. James Madison’s schedule ranked 123rd out of 136 FBS clubs, according to ESPN’s FPI. And the formula that led to a 12-win season against that schedule is a bad formula to put up against a team with better athletes at the skill positions and bigger athletes in the trenches.

Both of Oregon’s coordinators have accepted head coaching jobs elsewhere, but both are staying on to coach the Ducks in the CFP. Maybe focus becomes an issue the farther into the Playoff the Ducks go, but it shouldn’t be a problem right out of the gate.

Oregon should also be fired up to go out and have a better showing than in last year’s Playoff, when it earned the top overall seed and a bye, and got torn apart by Ohio State in its debut game.

Expect a heavy dose of the run game. Oregon has a deep room led by Noah Whittington. Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. have both looked excellent this season behind Whittington. All 3 are averaging north of 6 yards per carry. Oregon can pound the ball while keeping everyone fresh. The Ducks have a top-25 run game when judged by success rate, and they’re top-10 in tackles for loss allowed.

This could look like the Fiesta Bowl against Liberty 2 seasons ago.

Bet Oregon team total over 34.5 points (-120 via DraftKings)

The post Betting Stuff: How to bet the opening lines for the CFP First Round appeared first on Saturday Down South.

DFS Picks: Top plays for the 2025 SEC Championship Game

Derek Peterson — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000

For the fifth time in 10 years, Alabama will meet Georgia for the SEC crown. Georgia has yet to beat Alabama in an SEC Championship Game since Kirby Smart took over as the Dawgs’ head coach, though he has gotten closer the longer he has built his program.

Alabama rolled Georgia in the 2016 title fight, 54-16. Alabama won the 2021 title game 41-24. In 2023, when the 2 sides met again, Georgia lost by just 3.

Nick Saban is no longer around to torment Smart, with Kalen DeBoer taking his place and looking to lead the Crimson Tide to a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

The game kicks off at 4 p.m. ET on ABC. Let’s look for a few DFS angles to attack.

SEC Championship DFS predictions

Below are 3 DFS picks for the SEC Championship Game that can be found across some of the best apps for daily fantasy sports on the market. New users can hit the banner below each player pick and our SDS sign-up bonus will be applied to your account.

Alabama QB Ty Simpson: Higher than 0.5 interceptions

Ty Simpson has only thrown 4 interceptions this season, 2 of which came in the blowout win over Eastern Illinois. That game looks like an aberration in hindsight; he only dropped back to pass 19 times — the lowest since Week 2 — and yet he threw as many interceptions as he had in his first 10 games combined. Simpson bounced back and was turnover-free in the win at Auburn.

But Simpson hasn’t exactly been clean with he ball. He has 14 turnover-worthy plays this season, per PFF. In the first meeting with Georgia, he had 2 but didn’t throw a pick.

Simpson surged in confidence after his season-opening stinker, but this game represents another new frontier. There’s something different about a conference title game — the nerves, the pressure. Simpson has struggled when pressured this season, and Georgia’s defense has started to turn it up of late. The Dawgs have 4 of their 8 interceptions on the season in their last 3 games. Corner Ellis Robinson IV has a pick in each of his last 2 appearances. I think the Dawgs get at least 1 off Simpson.

Via Underdog

Georgia RB Nate Frazier: Higher than 60.5 rushing yards

Chauncey Bowens ran for 119 yards and a touchdown against Alabama in the first meeting. But after getting hurt against Texas on Nov. 15, Bowens hasn’t seen the field. He dressed, but didn’t play against Georgia Tech, and Smart said after the game he could have played but the staff ultimately decided to hold him out after he was limited in practice.

Part of the calculus there has to include Nate Frazier’s surge. He has taken hold of the backfield since exploding for 181 yards on 12 carries in early November. Frazier has led all Georgia backs in carries in 7 straight games, and he has at least 61 yards in 3 of his last 4.

Bowens, if available, would cut into Frazier’s workload a bit, but Georgia should be able to run on this Alabama defense and that means Frazier should get enough volume to threaten this number. Alabama ranks 48th nationally in yards per carry allowed, giving up 3.9 per play to opposing rushing attacks. Auburn ran for 152 last week. Georgia ran for 227 in the first meeting.

The Dawgs have been more run-heavy in recent weeks. If that continues — Alabama’s defense is definitely stronger against the throw game than the run game — Georgia’s top back should have a decent day.

Via Dabble

Georgia QB Gunner Stockton: Lower than 27.5 pass attempts

Gunner Stockton threw 20 times for 130 yards and a score in the first meeting with Alabama. Over the Dawgs’ last 2 games, he hasn’t gone over 21 pass attempts. And, the last time out, he threw for just 70 yards against what had been a slumping Georgia Tech defense.

Alabama’s defense has faced just 26.6 pass attempts a game this season, and it gives up only 15.5 completions a game. The Tide have more interceptions than touchdowns allowed through the air. I just don’t think the way to attack this defense is to turn Stockton into a heavy drop-back guy.

Via Underdog

The post DFS Picks: Top plays for the 2025 SEC Championship Game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

College football’s Top 25 résumé ranking entering Champ Week

Derek Peterson — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Rivalry Week wasn’t exactly “Chaos Week.” The AP Top 10 was all in action, and 6 of the 10 covered the spread in wins. Three others (Georgia, Oklahoma, Notre Dame) all failed to cover the number from Vegas but still won their games outright.

Texas A&M was the only team in the top 20 that lost to a lower-ranked/unranked team.

It was more like… Status Quo Week? We’ll workshop the name. But with little going wrong at the top of the sport, there wasn’t much to change this week at the top of the Résumé Ranking. A couple of teams dropped out of the back half, but no one who was in the top 15 a week ago moved out of the top 15 this week.

You can find last week’s rankings here.

Ranking the Top 25 résumés in college football

This is not a power ranking of the best teams in college football. This is not a ranking of how I think these teams will look at the end of the season or a prediction of who will make the College Football Playoff. This ranking aims to compare who has accomplished what, who has beaten whom, and who has lost where. While some might treat the non-power conferences as second-rate, I’m more inclined to give those teams love.

Let’s get to it.

Dropped from the ranking: 17 Tennessee, 22 Arizona State

25. SMU (8-4, 6-2 ACC)

BEST WIN: 26-20 vs. Miami
LAST WEEK: 20

I struggled with SMU this week. On one hand, the Mustangs have 4 losses and reside in a conference that just isn’t deserving of much respect this season. On the other hand, SMU has one of the best wins of any team near the back-end of these rankings, and it is 3-0 against Sagarin-rated top-30 teams. Other teams considered for this spot don’t come close to that — Tennessee (0-4 vs. top 30), Navy (0-1), Washington (0-3).

24. Iowa (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten)

BEST WIN: 40-16 at Nebraska
LAST WEEK: NR

I thought the Hawkeyes would beat the Huskers, but I didn’t think it would be a demo at Memorial Stadium. Iowa outscored Nebraska 30-6 over the final 3 quarters to claim its 10th win in the last 11 meetings between the 2 border rivals. Three of Iowa’s 4 losses are to teams in my top 17, and none of them were by more than 5 points.

23. Missouri (8-4, 4-4 SEC)

BEST WIN: 23-17 at Auburn
LAST WEEK: NR

Mizzou was another challenging team to place. The SEC is brutal, and the Tigers ended up playing a much more challenging schedule than anyone gave them credit for at the beginning of the season. They went 0-2 against Sagarin-rated top-10 teams and 2-2 against other top-30 teams. Two of the losses featured a third-string quarterback, and the other 2 were to teams I have in my top 10. Good team, tough breaks.

22. North Texas (11-1, 7-1 AAC)

BEST WIN: 59-10 vs. Washington State
LAST WEEK: 24

North Texas still hasn’t played a Sagarin-rated top-30 team. The best team it played this season (South Florida) rates 31st in Sagarin and 23rd in SP+; North Texas lost that game at home 63-36. An 11-win season is a wonderful achievement, but the 10 FBS opponents UNT beat went a combined 45-63 against FBS competition this season.

21. Arizona (9-3, 6-3 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 23-7 at Arizona State
LAST WEEK: 25

Arizona went on the road for rivalry week and handled Arizona State to close the regular season on a 5-game winning streak.

20. Michigan (9-3, 7-2 B1G)

BEST WIN: 24-7 vs. Washington
LAST WEEK: 16

The Wolverines had a 6-3 lead after the first quarter and just could not keep the dogs at bay. Ohio State dominated the final 3 quarters, 24-3, to snap its losing streak in The Game. No shame in losing to Ohio State; everyone did this season.

19. Virginia (10-2, 7-1 ACC)

BEST WIN: 30-27 at Louisville
LAST WEEK: 23

Virginia cruised past Virginia Tech to cap its second-ever 10-win season and secure a spot in the ACC title game. The Cavs held Virginia Tech to a season-worst 197 yards of offense while rushing for 197 themselves. UVa has 1 game this season against a Sagarin-rated top-30 team, but it won that game, so here we are.

18. James Madison (11-1, 8-0 Sun Belt)

BEST WIN: 24-20 vs. Washington State
LAST WEEK: 19

The Dukes crushed Coastal Carolina to capture an 11-win regular season and push their head coach out the door yet again. After Curt Cignetti won 11 games 2 years ago, he landed a Big Ten gig. Now that Bob Chesney has won 11 games, he, too, has landed a Big Ten gig.

17. USC (9-3, 7-2 B1G)

BEST WIN: 31-13 vs. Michigan
LAST WEEK: 21

For a half, USC was hungover. It gave up 10 unanswered in the second quarter to crosstown rival UCLA and went into the halftime break trailing 10-7. USC then blanked UCLA in the second half to win 29-10. Nice bounceback from a disappointing result in Eugene. USC is a bowl win away from what would be just its second 10-win season in the last 8 years.

16. Tulane (10-2, 7-1 AAC)

BEST WIN: 38-32 at Memphis
LAST WEEK: 18

Tulane beat a horrible Charlotte team, so the move up has more to do with what happened around the Green Wave than anything they did. I still like that Tulane has multiple wins over power conference teams.

15. Utah (10-2, 7-2 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 45-14 vs. Cincinnati
LAST WEEK: 14

Utah completed the Sunflower State sweep by scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter to escape Kansas with a win. Lacking a clearly defined signature win, part of Utah’s charm was its ability to bulldoze teams. That hasn’t really been present over the last 2 weeks, thus the consistent drop.

14. BYU (11-1, 8-1 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 24-21 vs. Utah
LAST WEEK: 12

BYU has 1 good win, which came at home by 3 points. That’s the entire résumé. The rest of the schedule has featured beatdowns of bad teams or escape jobs. The best team BYU played beat the Cougars 29-7.

13. Vanderbilt (10-2, 6-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 45-24 at Tennessee
LAST WEEK: 13

Vanderbilt beat up a flawed Tennessee team on the road to capture its first 10-win regular season in school history — a tremendous achievement. The win, however, was Vandy’s first on the road this season over a team with a winning record. The ‘Dores get the nod over BYU because of quantity; they are 5-2 against Sagarin-rated top-30 teams while BYU is 1-1.

12. Texas (9-3, 6-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 27-17 vs. Texas A&M
LAST WEEK: 15

Texas is being judged against Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and BYU here. The Longhorns have the best win, but also the worst loss. They played a significantly tougher schedule than BYU. They own the head-to-head with Vanderbilt. I’m not knocking Texas for going and playing Ohio State on the road in Week 1; I’m knocking Texas for getting bullied by a bad Florida team. If Texas had just handled its business in that game, no one would care about the Ohio State result. (But Steve Sarkisian knows that.)

11. Notre Dame (10-2)

BEST WIN: 34-24 vs. USC
LAST WEEK: 11

The best wins are against USC and Pitt, which means “good losses” can only do so much for you.

10. Miami (10-2, 6-2 ACC)

BEST WIN: 27-24 vs. Notre Dame
LAST WEEK: 10

Miami hammered Pitt in a game I thought would be a lot closer. The Hurricanes are the ACC’s best team by a significant margin.

9. Alabama (10-2, 7-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 24-21 at Georgia
LAST WEEK: 9

Alabama made it out of Jordan-Hare Stadium with a win and a cover. The touchdown pass from Ty Simpson to Isaiah Horton on fourth-and-2 with 3:50 to play was a truly insane call from Kalen DeBoer, but it worked to get Alabama back to 10 wins.

8. Oregon (11-1, 8-1 B1G)

BEST WIN: 42-27 vs. USC
LAST WEEK: 8

Oregon beat a good Washington team on the road to end the regular season with only a single defeat to one of the best teams in all of college football. The Ducks currently have a 4-1 record against top-30 teams in both Sagarin and SP+.

7. Oklahoma (10-2, 6-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 23-21 at Alabama
LAST WEEK: 7

Oklahoma is legally not allowed to have a football team that complements itself. Either the offense is otherworldly, or the defense is a boa constrictor. Never both at once. The OU offense is poor, but the defense just chokes the life out of teams. With the win over LSU, OU grabbed its seventh over a Sagarin-rated top-30 team.

6. Texas A&M (11-1, 7-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 41-40 at Notre Dame
LAST WEEK: 2

Texas A&M blew it. No way to sugarcoat it. No excuse to make. The Aggies were a win over Texas away from an SEC title berth and they got handled. Marcel Reed was bad and the defense cracked, giving up 155 rushing yards to a single back in a Texas offense that hadn’t rushed for 155 yards as a team in any of its previous 7 games. Losing on the road to a top-15 team isn’t, in and of itself, a reason to send the Aggies tumbling, but it is disappointing. I thought Mike Elko was the guy to get A&M over that last hurdle.

5. Ole Miss (11-1, 7-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 34-26 at Oklahoma
LAST WEEK: 6

Lane Kiffin really left the best Ole Miss team in school history. For all the nonsense that surrounded the Rebels’ locker room leading up to the Egg Bowl, credit to the players for blocking everything out and buckling down. Mississippi State was within a single score a couple of times, but it only really ever felt like the Bulldogs were threatening a cover, not an outright win. Ole Miss had the game pretty well in hand.

4. Texas Tech (11-1, 8-1 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 29-7 vs. BYU
LAST WEEK: 5

Tech went on the road and battered a hapless West Virginia team, exactly as one would have hoped to see. The Red Raiders have won 5 straight since losing to ASU with a backup quarterback in the closing moments. All 11 Red Raider wins this season have been by at least 22 points.

3. Georgia (11-1, 7-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 43-35 vs. Ole Miss
LAST WEEK: 4

Georgia is a machine. A little help here. A little grit there. An explosion here. A defensive flex there. Whatever it takes to win football games, these Dawgs find it. They have a win over a Sagarin-rated top-10 team and a 4-1 record against top-30 squads. The only loss is to Alabama by 3 points. At the end of the day, this is one of the best résumés in college football.

2. Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 B1G)

BEST WIN: 27-9 at Michigan
LAST WEEK: 3

Ohio State jumps to No. 2, but still remains behind Indiana. I’ll explain why below.

1. Indiana (12-0, 9-0 B1G)

BEST WIN: 30-20 at Oregon
LAST WEEK: 1

The Buckeyes are 4-0 against Sagarin-rated top-30 teams while Indiana is 3-0, but Indiana has the win over Oregon — a top-10 team in Sagarin’s ratings. Judged by SP+, Ohio State’s best win is on the road over the 18th-rated team while Indiana’s is on the road over the fourth-rated team. Indiana is also 3-0 against SP+ top-20 teams while Ohio State is 2-0.

The post College football’s Top 25 résumé ranking entering Champ Week appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Betting Stuff: Best bets for Champ Week of the 2025 college football season

Derek Peterson — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

We’re officially on a run. Can it stretch to 3 weeks?

The best price at the time of publication is listed in parentheses, but shop around at any of your preferred sports betting apps.

Last week: 3-0
2025 season: 18-25-1
2024 season: 33-37

Champ Week schedule, odds

SDS is your one-stop shop this season, with live, up-to-date college football odds. You can find point spreads, game totals, and money line odds for every conference championship game below.

Troy-James Madison over 47 total points (-110 via bet365)

Project this total closer to 50. James Madison should do most of the heavy lifting as a 23-point favorite. The Dukes have advantages all over the field and should get a ton of opportunities to score. They rank seventh nationally in adjusted EPA per play thanks to a dynamite ground game and one of football’s best defenses. The Dukes have scored at least 50 points in 4 of their last 6. Troy is just a few weeks removed from a 33-0 shutout at Old Dominion — a team the Dukes put 63 on.

I’m expecting James Madison to continue scoring and give a spirited effort. Coach Bob Chesney is reportedly joining UCLA, but not until after the Sun Belt title game.

BYU-Texas Tech under 50.5 total points (-110 via DraftKings)

BYU did a ton wrong in the first meeting, and it gave up 7 red-zone trips to Texas Tech. Tech kicked 4 field goals and scored just 2 touchdowns from those 7 red-zone possessions. That has been a calling card of the BYU defense all season. The Cougars have only given up touchdowns on 41.9% of red-zone drives this season. BYU gives up field goals, but it limits the damage when teams reach the red area.

Texas Tech’s defense is also the stingiest in the country, giving up just 0.9 points per drive this season. Only 15% of all drives against the Red Raiders have resulted in points.

The first meeting was a 29-7 game. If BYU limits the self-inflicted errors, this will be a grind-it-out game. If not, Tech shouldn’t hit this number on its own.

Virginia -3.5 vs. Duke (-102 via BetMGM)

Virginia has a massive third-down advantage in this game. That was a factor in Virginia’s 34-17 win over Duke on Nov. 15. Given Duke’s erratic tendencies this season, Virginia’s advantages are problematic. The Cavs have a strong pass defense (13th in passing success rate allowed) to counter Duke’s efficiency through the air (24th passing success rate) and they have a secondary that flocks to the football. Duke quarterback Darian Mensah has avoided interceptions this season, but he has been somewhat lucky to do so. Virginia has the edge everywhere else. The Cavaliers have also covered the spread in 7 of their last 10 games. Duke has a losing record against the number this season.

The post Betting Stuff: Best bets for Champ Week of the 2025 college football season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Betting Stuff: How to bet the opening lines for Championship Week

Derek Peterson — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000

It’s time for conference championship week, when the College Football Playoff bracket will ultimately be shaped.

Here’s how to bet the early market ahead of the 9-game slate.

Last week: 4-4
2025 season: 47-63-1
2024 season: 84-69-1

Champ Week 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 conference championship game below.

Champ Week picks

You can find my early bets for the week below. After that, I’ll break down each game on the card.

Derek Peterson

Saturday Down South • December 1, 2025 at 5:33pm

Pick

Odds

Under +50.5

Over/Under

CFB • BYU Cougars @ Texas Tech Red Raiders

-110 on DraftKings

CLOSED • 12/06/2025

Betslip #1764610435811-a44e-653

American Championship: North Texas at Tulane

This is a second consecutive AAC title game appearance for Tulane, which played for a conference championship last season but was handled in West Point by Army. Last year’s Green Wave squad lost its last 3 games to close out an otherwise fabulous season with a bit of a dud. This year’s squad enters the title fight on the back of 4 straight wins.

And coach Jon Sumrall isn’t done. Though he accepted the Florida head coaching job over the weekend, he was granted the ability by the Tulane administration to stay with the team and finish out the season. If Tulane, which is No. 24 leading into Tuesday night’s CFP Top 25 reveal, beats North Texas, the Green Wave stand to earn the G5’s automatic qualifier into the College Football Playoff.

(James Madison is ranked 19th and 2 spots ahead of Tulane in this week’s AP Poll. Despite being ranked in the AP Poll since Week 12, the Dukes have yet to be included in the CFP Top 25.)

North Texas coach Eric Morris, who accepted the Oklahoma State job last week, is also sticking around with his team to close out its season. It should be good-on-good, with everyone still very much locked in on the Playoff spot that could be awaiting the victor.

Who do you trust more? North Texas has won 6 straight, and none of them have been by fewer than 14 points. Tulane got popped by Ole Miss earlier this season, but it has otherwise played better against a tougher schedule.

The models love North Texas. SP+ predicts an 8-point win. Game on Paper’s adjusted net EPA per play metric has North Texas as the eighth-best team in the country. Brilliance through the air from quarterback Drew Mestemaker is a huge part of that.

But the Mean Green were exposed a bit by South Florida earlier this season on their home field. Mestemaker threw 3 picks and USF ran for 306 yards with 4 scores in a 63-36 Bulls win. Since giving up 32 to Memphis, Tulane has 7 takeaways, 21 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks in 3 games while allowing an explosive play rate of just 10.4%. The Green Wave have only given up 4 runs that gained more than 10 yards in the last 3 games.

Given the experience of last season, I like the Green Wave at home.

Bet Tulane money line (+115 via bet365)

Mountain West Championship: UNLV at Boise State

Since the start of the 2022 season, Boise State is 22-4 at home. Losing the battle at the line of scrimmage was the deciding factor in each loss, including earlier this season, when Fresno State stunned Boise at home, 30-7.

The Bulldogs outscored the Broncos 20-0 in the second half, but they did their work early. In the first 30 minutes of the game, Fresno State affected the quarterback, forced a turnover, and held the Broncos to 96 rushing yards on 20 attempts. Nearly half of that (44 yards) came on 1 carry. Then, in the second half, Fresno faced 9 runs and stuffed them for a net loss of 5 yards. They got 2 more turnovers and finished with 10 tackles for loss.

Starting quarterback Maddux Madsen was injured in the loss and he hasn’t played since. Coach Spencer Danielson said last week Madsen was “getting closer.” His status for the title game is uncertain. Max Cutforth has started 3 straight (his first 3 career starts) in relief of Madsen. He threw for 341 yards and 2 touchdowns in the win at Utah State last weekend.

Madsen threw 4 touchdown passes in the 56-31 win over UNLV at home earlier this year. But he had plenty of help. The ground game produced 294 yards as tailback Dylan Riley exploded for 201 and a score on 15 carries. Boise averaged 8.9 yards per attempt on the ground.

Even if Madsen can’t go, and Boise State has to turn to Cutforth again, there’s no reason to believe UNLV can stop the ground game and put the onus squarely on Cutforth’s arm. The Rebels rank 132nd in run defense this season, giving up 5.3 yards per carry. They rank dead last in the FBS in rushing EPA per play faced, per Game on Paper.

Bet Boise State -3.5 (-105 via BetMGM)

Big 12 Championship: BYU vs. Texas Tech

In the regular-season meeting between these teams in Lubbock, BYU was beaten 29-7 in a game that didn’t look that lopsided in the box score but just never felt as close in the moment. Per Game on Paper, Texas Tech had a net success rate of just plus-2% (33% vs. 31%). Neither team was particularly efficient on offense as both defenses generated a fair amount of havoc.

But BYU muffed a punt after forcing a 3-and-out on Tech’s opening drive, gave up a field goal, then gave up a touchdown, then missed a field goal, and gave up another score. The defense helped the Cougars tread water in the first half, but the offense did next to nothing.

Tech held the Cougars to 3.4 yards per play across the first 30 minutes. BYU had just 2 plays in the first half that gained more than 10 yards — a 12-yard run and a 15-yard pass.

Tech ranks in the 99th percentile nationally for non-explosive EPA per play allowed. The only way to beat the Red Raider defense is to gash it for big chunks at a time. BYU’s best playmaker on offense is its running back, LJ Martin, and he was limited to 35 yards on 10 carries by the Red Raiders. Running into the Big 12’s best defensive front over and over, hoping something pops, is not a recipe for success, but it might be BYU’s only chance. Bear Bachmeier isn’t far enough along yet as a passer to be a straight drop-back guy who beats a good defense. He has 9 turnover-worthy plays and a 6.3 yards-per-pass clip this season on non-play action pass attempts.

If BYU doesn’t shoot itself in the foot and give Texas Tech extra possessions with short fields, the defense can keep the Cougars in the game.

Bet under 50.5 total points (-110 via DraftKings)

SEC Championship: Georgia vs. Alabama

Georgia has scored at least 13 first-half points in 10 of its 12 games so far this season. Auburn and Florida have been the only teams to hold the Bulldogs shy of that mark. Alabama, conversely, has allowed an average of 8.2 first-half points over its last 6 games. Oklahoma scored 17 in Tuscaloosa. Everyone else over the back half of the season has been held under 12.

Tennessee scored 7. The Vols, however, had the ball first-and-goal from the Alabama 2 late in the half before Joey Aguilar threw a 99-yard pick-6. Aguilar also took a sack for an Alabama safety in the second quarter.

Tennessee is also the only offense Alabama has faced in its last 6 games that ranked inside the top 40 in adjusted EPA per play. Four of the last 5 games have come against either FCS competition or offenses outside the top 100. So, while defensive coordinator Kane Wommack deserves some credit for the late-season run the Tide defense has been on, it’s important to keep in mind the Tide have been abusing bad offenses for the last month.

Georgia does not possess a bad offense. Quite the opposite. Georgia ranks 33rd in adjusted EPA per play. It also ranks 29th in success rate. Expect a better performance from Georgia than what it showed last week against Georgia Tech on the road.

This is also a spot where I wonder if Kirby Smart tries to make a statement. In the last 2 games against Kalen DeBoer-led Alabama, Georgia has been pantsed early on.

In last year’s game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama outscored the Dawgs 21-0 in the first quarter. Georgia’s first 10 plays that day resulted in 12 total yards, 2 punts, and an interception. Then, in this year’s rematch in Athens, Alabama outgained Georgia 147-31 in the first quarter and didn’t give up a pass completion.

Look for the Dawgs to be aggressive early to try and get on the front foot and dictate terms to Alabama. Georgia has hounded some pretty good defenses this season, and we know all too well the Dawgs are capable of flipping a switch when they need to.

Bet Georgia over 12.5 first-half points (-112 via Caesars)

Big Ten Championship: Indiana vs. Ohio State

This one is simple. Ohio State is the better team. The Buckeyes have proved their might time and time and time again this season. They have won each of their last 11 games by at least 18 points and have given up multiple touchdowns in a game only twice all year.

Indiana is rolling, too, but the Hoosiers have been much tighter against teams with equal or better talent. Penn State was a 3-point win. Oregon was a 10-point win. Yes, the Hoosiers ultimately won those games, but they haven’t seen a team yet this season that will stress them the way the Buckeyes will.

And Ohio State should be soaring with confidence after handling Michigan at the Big House last Saturday. The Wolverines had just 163 yards of total offense and converted only 1 third down all game. Ohio State limited the Wolverines to a 24% success rate and dominated time of possession.

No FBS defense has given up fewer scrimmage gains of 10, 20, or 30 yards this season than the Buckeyes. Only 2 FBS defenses have been better on third downs. And no team has given up fewer red zone scores.

Roll with the best defense in football.

Bet Ohio State -5.5 (-110 via Fanatics)

ACC Championship: Duke vs. Virginia

In Virginia’s 34-17 win over Duke on Nov. 15, the Cavaliers took a 31-3 lead into the fourth quarter. Duke simply could not get the Cavs’ offense off the field unless UVa quarterback Chandler Morris threw it to a Blue Devil defender. One of Morris’s 2 interceptions was returned for a touchdown less than a minute after Duke found the endzone for the first time in the game.

It was a beatdown. Virginia went 12-for-19 on third down. The ground game produced 224 yards as J’Mari Taylor piled up 133 on 18 carries of his own.

Duke should put up more of a fight in the rematch, but third down is still going to be an issue. Virginia converts third downs at a 49.2% clip this season, which ranks 14th nationally. Duke allows third-down conversions at a 46.2% rate, which ranks 128th nationally. Duke also converts less than 40% of its own third-down tries while Virginia holds teams to a 27.3% conversion rate (second nationally).

Virginia wins on a down-to-down basis to avoid third-and-longs. The Cavs rank in the 92nd percentile for average third-down distance, per Game on Paper. The defense is also in the 96th percentile for late-down success rate allowed.

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah has also be playing with fire this season. He has only 4 interceptions, but he has 15 turnover-worthy plays. Virginia is tied for sixth nationally in passes defended. They knocked away 8 Mensah passes in the first meeting but didn’t get an interception. That likely won’t happen again.

Bet Virginia -3.5 (-102 via BetMGM)

Dog of the Week: Miami (OH) vs. Western Michigan

Yet another rematch of a regular-season game, one of 6 total across the 9-game weekend. Miami won the first meeting, 26-17 at home. The RedHawks rallied with 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to beat the Broncos. Former quarterback Dequan Finn had a touchdown throwing and rushing in the fourth, and a strip-sack of WMU’s Broc Lowry with 2:54 to play gave Miami a field goal for insurance.

WMU jumped out in front in the second quarter thanks to several huge plays. Facing a third-and-5 from their own 12 with less than 5 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Lowry hit passes of 45 and 43 yards on back-to-back plays to produce WMU’s first points of the game. The Broncos’ next possession was set up by a 72-yard kickoff return that started the offense 1 yard shy of the red zone.

Remove those 2 long pass plays and Western Michigan averaged 3.5 yards per play for the game. Miami won the turnover battle and produced 3 sacks while keeping WMU from getting to Finn a single time.

Finn has since left the team to prepare for the NFL. Miami lost 24-3 to Toledo in its first game without him, but won back-to-back by 17-plus points to close out the regular season and make it to the league title game. Henry Hesson started at quarterback in the Toledo loss. After a 3-interception performance, Miami pivoted to Thomas Gotkowski.

In his first start, Gotkowski threw for 185 yards and scored 2 touchdowns. Last week, he threw for 226 and 3 scores. With that unit seemingly stabilizing and Miami a constant threat to take the football away (20 in 12 games), the RedHawks are a decent bet to win outright.

Bet Miami (OH) +2.5 (-108 via Caesars)

The post Betting Stuff: How to bet the opening lines for Championship Week appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Lane Kiffin officially announces exit from Ole Miss, takes shot at AD Keith Carter

Derek Peterson — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:07:51 +0000

LSU has its next head coach.

The Tigers are hiring Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss to serve as the school’s 28th head football coach. Kiffin will join LSU after 6 seasons at Ole Miss, where he put together one of the best stretches in program history.

Kiffin made it official with a statement on Sunday afternoon. He also took a jab at Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter in his final statement, expressing disappointment that he won’t be able to remain with the program through its College Football Playoff run.

Here’s the statement from Kiffin:

pic.twitter.com/N2DWuu1NaM
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) November 30, 2025

Kiffin went 55-19 as the coach of the Rebels. His winning percentage (.743) ranks second all-time, behind only John Vaught, who went 190-61-12 (.745).

The Rebels won at least 10 games in 4 of Kiffin’s final 5 seasons with the program. Friday’s win over Mississippi State secured the school’s first-ever 11-win regular season just 2 years after Kiffin led Ole Miss to a then-program record 11 wins.

Ole Miss’s 50 total wins (and counting) since the start of the 2021 season represent the most during any 5-year stretch in program history. Kiffin is also the first Ole Miss coach ever to win double-digit games in 3 consecutive seasons.

He’ll join the Tigers looking to do what neither he could at Ole Miss or his predecessor could with LSU — win a national championship. Despite his successes, Ole Miss has not yet made the College Football Playoff under Kiffin.

Of course, that will likely soon change, with Ole Miss sitting sixth in the latest CFP Top 25. Kiffin’s departure could reportedly impact the Rebels’ seeding in the field.

But LSU couldn’t wait forever. The Early Signing Period opens on Dec. 3 and runs through Dec. 5. The winter transfer portal window opens on Jan. 2. Landing Kiffin before the calendar flips away from November ensures he’ll have time to put together a staff and chart a course for putting together his first LSU roster.

Kiffin has employed a portal-heavy approach at Ole Miss, where recruiting high-end blue-chippers from the high school level has proven difficult. At LSU, landing elite high school talent shouldn’t be an issue. LSU has signed a top-10 high school class in 3 straight seasons. It has signed at least 1 Composite 5-star recruit every year since 2013.

However, that steady stream of talent hasn’t led to commensurate results of late.

The Tigers took a 7-4 record into the final week of the regular season, and lost their final game at Oklahoma, 17-13. They peaked at No. 3 in the AP poll earlier this season after winning a high-profile season-opener at Clemson. The Tigers lost to Kiffin and his Rebels on Sept. 27, a result that kicked off a string of 4 losses in 5 games for LSU.

After a noncompetitive home loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 25, Brian Kelly was fired by the school. He went 34-14 across his 4 seasons with the program. While he went 3-0 in bowl games and helped Jayden Daniels capture the Heisman Trophy in 2023, Kelly failed to get LSU to the Playoff.

When he left Notre Dame after the 2021 season, he did so hoping to chase a national title. Before Kelly, each of LSU’s 3 previous head coaches captured national championships at some point throughout their tenure.

Kelly’s failure to do so has been attributed to several factors, perhaps the most polarizing of which were the hires he made to his assistant coaching staff.

A report last week suggested that Kiffin could bring Ed Orgeron back to Baton Rouge to coach on his staff as an assistant. It’s unclear what kind of role Orgeron would have, if that move materialized. Orgeron previously worked for Kiffin for 1 season at Tennessee, serving as the Vols’ associate head coach, recruiting coordinator, and defensive line coach.

Kiffin has handled the offense throughout his career. The defensive coordinator he hires now becomes the center of attention for LSU.

Current LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker was the highest-paid assistant in the FBS last season, at $2.5 million. Kiffin’s defensive coordinator at Ole Miss, Pete Golding, inked an extension this past August that upped his salary to $2.55 million. There was some wonder of whether he would follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge, but that question was answered swiftly by Ole Miss; Golding was officially named Kiffin’s successor at Ole Miss late Sunday evening. It’s not immediately clear if Kiffin will retain Baker or look elsewhere.

The post Lane Kiffin officially announces exit from Ole Miss, takes shot at AD Keith Carter appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Jadan Baugh goes berserk to lead Florida over Florida State

Derek Peterson — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 01:52:38 +0000

Behind a 266-yard rushing performance from Jadan Baugh, Florida snapped a 4-game losing streak to end the 2025 season on a high note, beating in-state rival Florida State 40-21.

Baugh carried the ball 38 times on what was the second-best rushing day by a Florida player in school history. He also finished with the most rushing yards by a Gator since Emmitt Smith ran for 316 against New Mexico in 1989.

His last run of the day was a 12-yard touchdown on fourth-and-3 with a little less than a minute remaining. Florida had a slim, 3-point lead at the halftime break, but Florida State could do nothing to slow the Gators in the second half.

Quarterback DJ Lagway also threw 3 touchdowns, though he needed just 168 yards through the air to keep the defense honest.

Florida State cracked 400 yards of offense as well, but 2 turnovers and spotty efficiency in the red zone limited the damage. Florida scored 17 straight after halftime to put the game out of reach.

Baugh’s big day pushed him over 1,000 yards for the season. He became Florida’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2015, when Kelvin Taylor ran for 1,035 yards. That snapped the SEC’s longest active drought.

It also helped the Gators win their second straight over FSU and their third in 3 years.

With the season over and the attention completely shifting to the next head coach of the program, job No. 1 for the new leading man is clear: Keep Baugh in Gainesville.

Florida 40, FSU 21

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

The post Rapid Reaction: Jadan Baugh goes berserk to lead Florida over Florida State appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Vanderbilt thumps Tennessee for first-ever 10-win season

Derek Peterson — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:53:41 +0000

Vanderbilt made history on Saturday with a 45-24 victory over Tennessee in Knoxville.

The 14th-ranked Commodores ended their 6-game losing streak in the series and earned their first win at Tennessee since 2017. The 21-point margin was the largest Vanderbilt win over Tennessee since 2012. But, maybe more importantly, the ‘Dores secured their 10th win of the season.

In doing so, newly-extended head coach Clark Lea officially set a program record for wins in a single season. And he pushed Vandy to the doorstep of the College Football Playoff.

Tennessee had no answers for the Vandy offense. The ‘Dores totaled 582 yards, with 314 on the ground. Tailback Sedrick Alexander ran for 115 yards and 3 scores on 10 carries. Quarterback Diego Pavia ran for a career-best 165 yards and a score on 20 carries.

Pavia, a Heisman Trophy candidate, also threw for 268 yards and a score. In the process, Pavia set a single-season record for passing yards by a Vandy quarterback (3,192), breaking Kurt Page’s record set in 1983. Pavia is the fourth player in Vandy history to pass for 3,000 yards in a single season.

On the other side, Tennessee put up 382 yards of offense behind a fine effort from quarterback Joey Aguilar. The Vols’ passer threw for 299 yards and a touchdown, passing Peyton Manning to move up to fourth on the Vols’ all-time single-season passing list.

Tailback DeSean Bishop also ran for 97 yards and 2 scores.

Tennessee got 2 takeaways that led to 14 points. The Vols moved the ball. They just couldn’t slow the Vandy attack. The Commodores had 19 explosive plays in the game, and a 29% explosive play rate.

The Vols end the regular season at 8-4. Vandy moves to 10-2 and will await Selection Sunday to find out if it has done enough to land a spot in the 12-team CFP field.

Vanderbilt 45, Tennessee 24

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

The post Rapid Reaction: Vanderbilt thumps Tennessee for first-ever 10-win season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Oklahoma overcomes turnovers to stave off upset, beat LSU

Derek Peterson — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:25:48 +0000

Norman, get ready to host a Playoff game.

It wasn’t pretty. It sure wasn’t fun for anyone inside Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, at least not in the third quarter as quarterback John Mateer was turning it over and giving LSU life. But college football isn’t a beauty contest, as Brent Venables likes to say, and Oklahoma is now a 10-win team.

The Sooners knocked off LSU 17-13 on Saturday, presumably locking up a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Mateer threw 3 interceptions in the game, 2 of them in the third quarter. The second led to LSU’s only touchdown of the day and gave the Tigers a 10-3 lead. But Mateer bounced back after the turnovers, finding Deion Burks for a 45-yard touchdown to tie the game and, then in the fourth, hitting Isaiah Sategna III for a 58-yard score to win the game.

MATEER TO SATEGNA TO SAVE THE SEASON pic.twitter.com/muMqztqaod
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) November 29, 2025

LSU had a chance on its final possession after Barion Brown returned a kickoff 47 yards to the LSU 49. Quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. then completed a third-and-6 pass for 10 yards to push inside scoring position.

But the Sooners stiffened up, forcing LSU into a fourth-and-2 play from the OU 29. Pressure from his blind side flushed Van Buren from the pocket. Peyton Bowen batted a pass near the line of scrimmage to kill the drive and ice the win.

As it has done all season, OU’s defense won the day. The Sooners gave up just 198 yards of offense at 3.6 per play. They held LSU to 2-for-14 on third downs and gave up just 2.9 sack-adjusted rushing yards per carry.

LSU will be in the postseason despite its disappointing year, finishing the regular season at 7-5. Now, the attention turns to the school’s head coaching search, which is expected to gain some clarity soon.

OU will await Selection Sunday to see if it will, in fact, host a home game. Based on the CFP Top 25 rankings entering the week, the Sooners were slated to host Notre Dame in the opening round.

Oklahoma 17, LSU 13

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

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Rapid Reaction: Mizzou runs all over Arkansas for eighth win

Derek Peterson — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:04:28 +0000

Mizzou won a football game in which it threw for just 25 yards.

Quarterback Beau Pribula completed 4 passes all game. He only threw 7 times. Instead, the Tigers leaned on their punishing ground game to run all over Arkansas and win their eighth game of the season. A punt return for a touchdown from Kevin Coleman Jr. midway through the fourth clinched a 31-17 win.

The victory was Missouri’s fourth straight in the border series, extending its series lead and dropping Bobby Petrino to 0-7 in his final game as interim coach.

Mizzou tailback Ahmad Hardy ran for 157 yards and a touchdown to wrap up the SEC’s regular-season rushing title. Hardy moved up to fourth on Mizzou’s all-time single-season list, passing Brad Smith. He sits 67 yards away from tying Cody Schrader’s single-season school record.

Hardy’s backfield running mate, Jamal Roberts, also cleared the century mark. He ran for 100 yards on 11 carries and scored a touchdown of his own. Pribula also had 78 yards and a score on the ground.

Mizzou dominated the line of scrimmage, holding Arkansas to 4.5 yards per play and just 61 rushing yards. The Tigers generated 8 tackles for loss and 4 sacks.

The win officially ensures Mizzou will win 8 games in 3 consecutive seasons for the first time since joining the SEC back in 2012. With a victory in the Bowl game, Mizzou will make it 3 straight seasons with 9 wins for the first time in program history.

Arkansas ends the year 2-10 overall and 0-8 in SEC play for the third time in the last 8 years.

Mizzou 31, Arkansas 17

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

The post Rapid Reaction: Mizzou runs all over Arkansas for eighth win appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Oklahoma fans unload on John Mateer over 3-INT performance

Derek Peterson — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 23:27:20 +0000

Entering Week 14, the Sooners needed only beat LSU to punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff. Given the Tigers’ struggles this season, Oklahoma was a healthy favorite.

And yet, late in the third quarter, OU found itself trailing. Shaky play from quarterback John Mateer was a huge reason why.

Mateer was picked off on his second pass attempt of the game. He responded to hit 4 straight and 8 of his next 11 after that giveaway. But, in the third quarter, Mateer threw 2 more picks in the span of 5 pass attempts.

The second interception led to LSU’s only touchdown of the day and gave the Tigers a 10-3 lead. The third ended a 47-yard drive that was knocking on the door of the red zone. And the Sooners followed up that giveaway with a quick 3-and-out that led to some angst from the home crowd in Norman.

Mateer would come back on OU’s next possession to hit Deion Burks, who took a tunnel screen 45 yards for a game-tying touchdown.

Through the first 3 quarters of the game, OU had a 298-118 edge in total offense. LSU had just 35 yards through the air at the end of the third. But the Tigers entered the fourth very much live to upset the eighth-ranked Sooners.

Fans sounded off on social media over the game and the performance from Mateer. Some of that is below.

You have to sit John Mateer at this point.
— Travis J Davidson (@TravisSkol) November 29, 2025

Nothing to do with injury, John Mateer looks really bad and could literally throw away Oklahoma's playoff chances pic.twitter.com/Z5yhP9NUdW https://t.co/6z0EiufflV
— Anthony Russo (@Anthony_Russo97) November 29, 2025

Mateer throws a THIRD interception, this one inside the LSU 10-yard line.

Oklahoma is in TROUBLE
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) November 29, 2025

The haters said John Mateer was ass and they were correct. My apologies to the haters.
— PAWL (@Boomer_Pawl) November 29, 2025

Mateer has put in in harms way all year.

Today, LSU is catching them.
— Sooner Recruiting (@OU_RecruitingHQ) November 29, 2025

Mateer has been atrocious.

No other way to say it.
— Sooner Recruiting (@OU_RecruitingHQ) November 29, 2025

We're never getting early season Mateer back
pic.twitter.com/0oUoDLxSRy
— Solby (@CantCatchIsiah) November 29, 2025

OU fans watching John Mateer today… pic.twitter.com/9r7fkGaeny
— Reagan Harris (OSU Mart) (@OKSTMart) November 29, 2025

I used to shit talk Landry Jones so much back in the day

I would cut off my leg to have Landry Jones over Mateer
— Sooner Focus (@SoonerFocus) November 29, 2025

At some point you have to wonder how much worse it could actually be with Michael Hawkins.
— Matt Blackwell (@Cap_405) November 29, 2025

I think Arbuckle needs to be in a booth so he can see what we see.
— Wallis Marsh (@WallisMarsh) November 29, 2025

https://twitter.com/abhawkinss/status/1994895387254296750?s=20

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Rapid Reaction: Louisville hammers Kentucky in largest Governor’s Cup win ever

Derek Peterson — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 20:42:26 +0000

Entering Rivalry Week, Kentucky hadn’t played a competitive game since the start of the month when it ground out a 7-point win over Auburn.

Kentucky still has not played a competitive game.

After back-to-back runaway wins to climb within a single victory of bowl eligibility, Kentucky closed out the 2025 season with consecutive blowout losses. The final nail in the coffin of this season and, perhaps, the Mark Stoops era, was hammered vociferously into place by rival Louisville on Saturday with a 41-0 shutout.

The 41-point margin represents the largest win for Louisville over Kentucky in program history. The shutout is the first in the series since 2004, and Kentucky’s first in any game since the Music City Bowl on Dec. 31, 2022.

Kentucky was outgained 440-147.

Kentucky ran 26 times and gained 40 yards.

Quarterback Cutter Boley was sacked 6 times. He was picked off twice. He completed just 14 of his 27 passes for 107 yards, frequently missing open receivers underneath in favor of incompletions down the field.

Kentucky went 2-for-14 on third down.

It was a brutal day for the offense, but it wasn’t much better on the other side. Louisville had 2 different plays clear the century mark on the ground. Cardinals running back Braxton Jennings ran 20 times for 113 yards. Shaun Boykins Jr. ran 22 times for 101 yards and a touchdown. Louisville was without its top 3 rushers and its top 2 receivers on the season, though that didn’t matter in the slightest.

The Cards produced 10 explosive plays on the ground and another 5 through the air. Kentucky had just 1 play all game that gained more than 15 yards, and it never reached the red zone.

Though the record will show a 1-win improvement over last year’s faceplanting, none in Lexington will feel good about a second consecutive season without a bowl appearance.

Louisville has now won back-to-back games in the series for the first time since winning 5 straight from 2011-15.

Louisville 41, Kentucky 0

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

The post Rapid Reaction: Louisville hammers Kentucky in largest Governor’s Cup win ever appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Ole Miss blows by Mississippi State for Egg Bowl win

Derek Peterson — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 20:44:52 +0000

Forget the Lane Kiffin storylines for a moment. Ole Miss wrestled the narrative back on Friday afternoon, reminding the country that the reason Kiffin is such a sought-after coach is because his team is pretty darn good.

Led by a near-flawless performance from quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, the seventh-ranked Rebels rolled past Mississippi State for a 38-19 victory. The result secured Ole Miss its 11th regular-season win of the season and set a new program record.

When Kiffin won the Peach Bowl to close out the 2023 season, it was the first time the program had ever won 11 games in a single season. Now, 2 years later, with a different cast of characters but the same dynamite offense, Ole Miss has won more regular-season games than it ever has before.

The Rebels will play for the SEC Championship if both Texas A&M and Alabama lose. Absent a title appearance, they still feel like locks to earn their first-ever College Football Playoff bid. And that’s true regardless of what happens with Kiffin in the coming days.

The Ole Miss head coach was interviewed by ESPN multiple times throughout the game. His future was talked about ad nauseam during the broadcast and on social media. All that did was distract from Chambliss’s day.

A Heisman darkhorse, Chambliss threw for 359 yards, pushing his way past the 3,000-yard mark for the season. He got help from Kewan Lacy, who ran 27 times for 143 yards and moved into third on the Ole Miss all-time single-season rushing list.

Mississippi State’s inability to stop Lacy early pulled safeties closer to the line of scrimmage throughout the day, and Chambliss took advantage. Chambliss had touchdown passes of 24, 23, and 88 yards. The latter came with 9:50 to play in the fourth after Mississippi State had cut into the lead and effectively iced the win.

Ole Miss won its third consecutive Egg Bowl, matching its longest winning streak in the series since 2002-04. Kiffin improved to 5-1 against the Bulldogs.

Ole Miss 38, Mississippi State 19

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

The post Rapid Reaction: Ole Miss blows by Mississippi State for Egg Bowl win appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Friday Forecast 2025: SDS staff picks against the spread for Week 14

Derek Peterson — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 16:03:33 +0000

It all comes down to this. Conference championship matchups will be set. The College Football Playoff bracket will be shaped. But, maybe most importantly, bitter rivalry feuds will be fought.

It’s Week 14, otherwise known as Rivalry Week across college football, and the Saturday Down South staff is back to give their ATS picks for the top games.

Let’s dive in.

(Editor’s note: All odds for this piece might not necessarily reflect current odds.)

Week 14 college football picks

Here’s how the crew picked 10 of the biggest games in Week 14. 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.

Ole Miss at Mississippi State

Spenser Davis: People have been talking about fading Ole Miss because of the Lane Kiffin situation for 2 weeks now. The effects of this are way overblown, in my opinion. This line should be closer to double digits. I’ll happily take the value on the Rebels. PICK: Ole Miss -7

Andy Olson: I get that crazy things happen in the Egg Bowl and Lane Kiffin might be a bit distracted, but I’m not sure there’s much to worry about for Ole Miss here. Mississippi State has the worst rushing defense in the SEC. The Rebels have Kewan Lacy. This shouldn’t be close. PICK: Ole Miss -7

Derek Peterson: I’m all over Mississippi State here. Yes, the Rebels have had 2 weeks to prepare. Maybe the Kiffin stuff is overblown, but usually the obvious here is what plays out. I’ve seen enough of these situations to know it’s just hard for a team to block out the noise and lock in. Plus, I project this to be closer in part because I think Mississippi State is pretty decent. If the Bulldogs take the plunge and make the change at quarterback, they’re live to win outright. PICK: Mississippi State +7.5

Adam Spencer: Even if Lane Kiffin is distracted, the Rebels have too much talent. All they have to do is give the ball to Kewan Lacy 30 times and let him run for 300 yards against this Mississippi State defense like Ahmad Hardy did. PICK: Ole Miss -7

Ethan Stone: I agree with my colleagues. The Rebels should be able to score pretty much whenever they want, and while the Bulldogs have no doubt been waiting for this one, I don’t think this will ever be close. PICK: Ole Miss -7

Iowa at Nebraska

SD: Nebraska does not want to throw it much with Dylan Raiola out for the year. It’s usually hard to win games that way in 2025, but you can do it against Iowa if you play good defense. The Hawkeyes have had 4 of their last 5 games decided by less than a touchdown. With the Huskers at home, I think they’ll keep it close. PICK: Nebraska +6

AO: Nebraska will surely play better than it did against Penn State, but I feel like I’ve been burned whenever I doubt Iowa. PICK: Iowa -5.5

DP: I don’t think this will be 2016/2017-era Iowa domination, but I do think the trend of 1-score games between these 2 teams can break this year. Nebraska cannot stop the run to save its life and without quarterback Dylan Raiola, the offense has become extremely one-dimensional. TJ Lateef threw 7 times for 7 yards against USC when he came in for Raiola initially, and he averaged 5.1 yards per pass attempt with a 57% completion rate against Penn State a week ago. Hawkeyes control the line, control the game. PICK: Iowa -6

AS: Nebraska has a backup quarterback and Iowa looks really good lately. Give me the Hawkeyes to cover. PICK: Iowa -5.5

ES: Nebraska may be a little banged up, but I think this has all the makings of an ugly game. I’ll take the points. PICK: Nebraska +6

Georgia at Georgia Tech

SD: Georgia Tech gets up for this game every year. UGA is a bit overrated and will be looking ahead to the Playoff win or lose. PICK: Georgia Tech +14

AO: I’m not crazy about laying 13.5 in a rivalry game, but I expect Gunner Stockton to carve up this Georgia Tech defense. PICK: Georgia -13.5

DP: Georgia should put up a dizzying amount of points on this crumbling Georgia Tech defense. So, given the Haynes King factor, I’m taking Tech to sneak in the back door. PICK: Georgia Tech +13.5

AS: Georgia Tech’s defense is bad. Georgia’s defense hasn’t been elite this year, but the Dawgs are peaking at the right time. I’ll take Georgia to cover. PICK: Georgia -13.5

ES: I think Georgia wins this one, but Haynes King is still Haynes King and this Georgia Tech offense is really good when he’s on. I don’t think this will be a one-sided affair. PICK: Georgia Tech +14

Texas A&M at Texas

SD: I sort of expected to be on Texas this week. The Aggies will be headed into a hostile environment, and Texas is still very talented. But with the price under a field goal, I think Texas A&M will be the right side. PICK: Texas A&M -2.5

AO: Texas is a real tempting Rivalry Week home underdog, but that’s not enough to overlook the run struggles. The Longhorns just can’t get a ground attack going, and that won’t get it done against this A&M team. PICK: Texas A&M -2.5

DP: I think Mike Elko is the real deal, so I’m fairly confident A&M won’t no-show in this game, which is arguably one of the biggest games a Texas A&M ball club has played in a long, long time. A&M doesn’t need to beat Texas to get into the CFP, but A&M can send a statement by beating Texas and I think Elko will want to do that. Expect lots of points here, and I like getting the better team under a key number. I trust the Aggies more. PICK: Texas A&M -2.5

AS: This week, I’m just going with the strategy of picking the top-tier teams to separate. Texas A&M is on a different level than Texas this year. Even in Austin, winning by a field goal should be doable for the Aggies. PICK: Texas A&M -2.5

ES: I really struggled with this one, which makes me lean Texas A&M. The Aggies have just found ways to win this season, and this is a favorable line. I wouldn’t feel great about this pick either way. PICK: Texas A&M -2.5

Arizona at Arizona State

SD: Arizona State smoked a really bad Colorado team last week, which might be why the price on Arizona is so good here. I’m happy to fade Jeff Sims in this spot. PICK: Arizona –1.5

AO: Arizona State with the points at home in a rivalry game? Dilly dilly. PICK: Arizona State +1.5

DP: The Territorial Cup is one of the best rivalries in the sport. Just in the last 5 meetings, we’ve had a 70-7 win, a 59-23 win the other way, and then a 49-7 return beatdown. The Sun Devils have been doleing out batterings of the Wildcats in recent years, which has amped up the animosity factor to another level. This Arizona team is legit, and I think the defense could carry the day. The turnover issues in Jeff Sims’s game persist; he has 2 picks and 3 lost fumbles in his last 3 games for ASU. Only 5 FBS defenses have gotten their hands on more pass attempts this season than Arizona. PICK: Arizona -1.5

AS: Yeah, I think the wrong team is favored. Arizona State at home. This is going to be a close game, but I’ll take the 2 points happily. PICK: Arizona State +2

ES: Arizona State gets the points at home here? Uhhhhh. PICK: Arizona State +2

Ohio State at Michigan

SD: I fully expect Ohio State to win outright, but I think the Wolverines will keep this within double digits. Michigan is a good team and Bryce Underwood is entering this game with a ton of confidence. Plus, Ohio State might not have Jeremiah Smith or Carnell Tate available for this matchup. I don’t see an Ohio State blowout on the road. PICK: Michigan +10.5

AO: This really should be the year Ohio State snaps the streak in The Game. OSU’s defense is so strong, the offense shouldn’t have to do too much, though it’s obviously plenty capable. Granted last year’s result really didn’t make sense, I’m rolling with the Buckeyes. PICK: Ohio State -10

DP: Perfect storm spot for Michigan. The Wolverines already know they have a psychological edge in this matchup, and they’re entering the game riding a 5-game winning streak. Ohio State hasn’t played a serious team since Illinois, and the Ryan Day factor is a thing that just has to be considered. PICK: Michigan +10.5

AS: This Ohio State team is different. Last year’s team won the national title, yes, but this year’s Buckeyes are even better. I think they finally get over the hump and take down Michigan in convincing fashion. PICK: Ohio State -9.5

ES: Before I looked at this spread, I told myself I would be picking Michigan no matter what if the spread was double digits. Given that Michigan has been a thorn in Ryan Day’s side, I’m confident in this one. PICK: Michigan +10.5

Miami at Pitt

SD: Miami punched in a touchdown late against Virginia Tech last week in an effort to gain some style points. With a line under 7, that might not be as impactful this week, but it tells me everything I need to know about where Miami’s mindset is going into this week. I think the Hurricanes take care of business against a true freshman QB and make a loud statement for the committee to consider. PICK: Miami -6.5

AO: The Pitt defense is second in the ACC in interceptions with 14 and has taken a conference-leading 4 of those back for touchdowns. Enter Carson Beck. We might not be talking about Notre Dame vs. Miami after this weekend. PICK: Pitt +7

DP: No clue what to make of Pitt right now, but I know I don’t trust Carson Beck. PICK: Pitt +7

AS: I’ll just take Pitt with the hook. Miami should probably win this, but we all know what happens to the Hurricanes when they’re supposed to win. PICK: Pitt +7.5

ES: Pitt has demolished good defenses with its passing game, but the Hurricanes boast the best secondary the Panthers have seen all year. This feels like it’ll be a close game, but I think the Hurricanes will barely cover the spread. PICK: Miami -6.5

Clemson at South Carolina

SD: I’ll still take them, but I don’t think I need these 3 points. Clemson wins outright on Saturday. PICK: Clemson +3

AO: I’m kind of surprised by this line based on what both teams have done this year. Shane Beamer is talking a lot about next year already. I’ll gladly take Clemson with the points. PICK: Clemson +3

DP: Ah, two of the most disappointing teams in all of college football this season. Clemson is 4-7 ATS this fall, though 2 of those ATS victories have come in the last 3 weeks with outright wins over Florida State and Louisville. South Carolina has 6-5 ATS on the year, covering 3 of its last 4. I think the South Carolina run of form is more real. Florida State and Louisville both stink. PICK: South Carolina -2.5

AS: I’m with Spenser on this one. I think the Tigers win in Columbia outright. PICK: Clemson +3

ES: The Gamecocks are at home and always bring it against Clemson. Admittedly, I’d feel better if USC had the points, but I’ll roll with the home team here. PICK: South Carolina -2.5

Vanderbilt at Tennessee

SD: I’ve been torn on what to do with this game all week. Vanderbilt is legit and I’ve had my issues with the Vols this year. But Neyland Stadium is a powerful homefield advantage and I think I trust Tennessee’s wide receivers to be the difference-making unit in this game. PICK: Tennessee -2.5

AO: In Diego Pavia, I trust. He was terrible in this game last year and has long had it circled. You don’t get to play Florida every week, Tennessee. Commodores keep this one close. PICK: Vanderbilt +3

DP: Dores as the dogs, one final time. PICK: Vanderbilt +3.5

AS: I think Diego Pavia does enough to at least earn himself an invite to the Heisman Trophy ceremony and the Commodores keep their Playoff hopes alive. PICK: Vanderbilt +3.5

ES: I’ve been calling for a Vanderbilt win here for a long time, and that’s not gonna change now. The Vols have yet to beat a competent team this season, and Pavia wants this one after whiffing against Alabama. PICK: Vanderbilt +3

Alabama at Auburn

SD: No one really noticed because Alabama turned the ball over 3 times, but the Crimson Tide moved the ball really well on Oklahoma a couple weeks ago. Frankly, I can’t believe this line is under a touchdown. PICK: Alabama -5.5

AO: It’s no secret that Alabama hasn’t been a dominant road team under Kalen DeBoer. I don’t know how much I buy into Auburn voodoo or Jordan-Hare being haunted, but AU will definitely get a boost being the home team. This feels like a dangerous spot to have concerns in the run game (against real teams, not Eastern Illinois). PICK: Auburn +6.5

DP: I’m on Auburn this week. The Crimson Tide can’t run the football and Ty Simpson has repeatedly made mistakes in late-game moments that tighten games. Not to say Simpson isn’t clutch. He has delivered in “need to have it” spots for the Tide, but they’ve been in those spots, in part, because of their own errors. Inside Jordan-Hare at night, Auburn should have enough juice. PICK: Auburn +6.5

AS: I think this game will be tight going into halftime. It’ll have Jordan-Hare in a frenzy and have Alabama fans everywhere sending mean tweets about Kalen DeBoer. Then the Tide will pull away in the second half. PICK: Alabama -5.5

ES: Anything can happen at the Iron Bowl, but there are too many eyeballs on this one for Alabama to lose. The Tide won big games against Georgia and Tennessee already this season. Kalen DeBoer does a good job getting his teams ready for games like this, and I like the Tide by a touchdown. PICK: Alabama -5.5

The post Friday Forecast 2025: SDS staff picks against the spread for Week 14 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Vanderbilt signs coach Clark Lea to contract extension

Derek Peterson — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 14:57:16 +0000

With other programs sniffing around the man who helped revive what was once a pushover in the SEC, Vanderbilt has locked down its head coach for the foreseeable future.

On Friday, the school announced it has signed coach Clark Lea to a contract extension. Terms of the deal were not disclosed and Vanderbilt, a private school, is not beholden to public records requests. A report from The Athletic stated that the extension is a 6-year deal.

The same report from The Athletic revealed that Lea recently interviewed with Florida for the Gators’ open head coaching position. He had also been mentioned for the Penn State job, among others.

Lea, a Vandy alum, is in his fifth season with the program and has ushered in a historic rise.

According to the USA Today salary database, it is estimated that Lea was paid $3.7 million this season by the school, a figure that would rank last among SEC coaches. Jeff Lebby made $4.35 million at Mississippi State. Every other coach in the league made more than $6.7 million.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Friday morning that Lea will get a “significant” salary increase in addition to financial commitments for his assistant coaching staff and Vanderbilt facilities. In a statement from the school, Lea hinted at those same commitments being key to continuing Vandy’s upward momentum.

“I am excited to be able to continue the work we started at Vanderbilt 5 years ago,” Lea said in a release from the school. “Throughout the process of working through this extension, I have been overwhelmed with 2 feelings. First, a sense of pride in the culture and environment we have established at Vanderbilt. Second, a sense of clarity that the work is not complete. This next phase of the program build will introduce many exciting things, including facility upgrades and needed resources for our staff and team. These investments will go a long way in ensuring our program can level up.

“I am grateful to have leadership from Chancellor (Daniel) Diermeier and (athletic director Candice Storey) Lee, who clear the way for our success. Our vision has never been about 1 or 2 seasons, rather, it has always been about sustained success at a championship level. I am thrilled to be able to continue the mission, and I appreciate all the support from Commodore Nation and our Nashville community.”

After a pair of 2-10 campaigns that bookended the first 3 years of his tenure, Lea has turned things around in a major way since the start of the 2024 season. Vandy went 7-6 last year, making the program’s first bowl appearance since 2018 and winning its first bowl game since 2013.

This year, the Commodores are 9-2. They face Tennessee on Saturday in pursuit of the program’s first-ever 10-win season. At No. 14 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, Vanderbilt also has an outside shot at reaching the CFP for the first time ever.

Lea was named the SEC Coach of the Year last season, when Vanderbilt stunned then-No. 1 Alabama for the program’s first-ever win over an AP top-5 team. This season, the Commodores have beaten 3 AP top-15 teams — a school record — and surged into the AP Top 10 for the first time since 1947.

“Clark Lea’s success is demonstrating what we believe is possible for Vanderbilt football and the entire university,” Diermeier said in a statement.

Lea is the second SEC head coach in as many days to land a contract extension from his respective school, joining Mizzou’s Eli Drinkwitz.

The post Vanderbilt signs coach Clark Lea to contract extension appeared first on Saturday Down South.

DFS Picks: Top plays from the SEC’s biggest Week 14 games

Derek Peterson — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000

It’s Rivalry Week across college football. Another name for Week 14? How about “Chaos Week?” Particularly in the SEC, there are several matchups in the final week of the regular season that could send the College Football Playoff bracket into chaos.

Let’s take a look at 3 of those and search for a few DFS angles to attack.

Week 14 DFS predictions

Below are 3 DFS picks from the Week 14 college football slate that can all be found across some of the best apps for daily fantasy sports on the market. New users can hit the banner below each player pick and our SDS sign-up bonus will be applied to your account.

Texas A&M WR Mario Craver higher than 56.5 receiving yards at Texas

The Mississippi State transfer exploded onto the scene this season with 8 catches for 122 yards in his first game with the Aggies. He followed that up with 114 yards against Utah State and then a 7-catch, 207-yard performance against Notre Dame on the road. Mario Craver hasn’t reached 100 yards in a game since.

He might do it against this Texas secondary in what is the biggest game of the Texas A&M season. Craver dressed for the Samford game, but he didn’t play, ultimately missing time because of a lower-body injury he suffered against Mizzou on Nov. 8 that limited him to 1 catch against South Carolina on Nov. 15. This week, he wasn’t listed on the injury report for Texas A&M at all, so he should presumably be ready to roll.

The Texas defense is a favorable matchup for fleet-footed receivers. Texas, for its reputation on defense, has been bad against the throw game all year. The Longhorns rank 84th nationally in passing success rate allowed and give up 10 yards on 27% of all attempts they face.

With KC Concepcion likely to draw a ton of attention from the Texas secondary, and Longhorn linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. questionable to play with an injury of his own, I like some of the potential matchups Craver can draw in this one. A big play or 2 from Craver is all we need.

Via Underdog Fantasy

Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia longest rush more than 18.5 yards at Tennessee

Vanderbilt has never won 10 games in a season before. That’s on the table for the Commodores in this game. So is (potentially) the College Football Playoff. Expect quarterback Diego Pavia to have even more fire than usual when the Commodores play rival Tennessee.

The Vols have decent rush numbers on defense this season. They give up 3.5 yards per carry (27th nationally) and face more volume (37.5 attempts per game) than the average defense. They stuff a fair amount of runs, but they are also susceptible to chunks on the ground, particularly from mobile quarterbacks.

Gunner Stockton had 38 rushing yards with a long of 14 in the Georgia win earlier this season. Taylen Green had 63 rushing yards with a long of 22 for Arkansas against the UT defense. Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer had runs of 22 and 21 yards to help propel the Sooners to a win in Knoxville. Even DJ Lagway broke a big gain last week in The Swamp, rushing for 38 yards on a carry in the second quarter.

The ball will be in Pavia’s hands a ton regardless of game flow on Saturday. He is Vandy’s leading rusher this season with 132 carries, and he has at least 12 rushing attempts in 5 of his last 6 games. Against Kentucky last week, Pavia broke a 21-yard run in the third quarter. That marked 3 straight games with a 20-yard gain on the ground for Pavia. He has a 20-yard gain on the ground in 5 of his last 6 games dating back to the meeting with Alabama. Mizzou has been the only defense to hold him in check over the back half of the season. I don’t expect Tennessee to join the Tigers in that regard.

Via Dabble

Alabama RB Jam Miller lower than 33.5 rushing yards at Auburn

The game script here could really shorten the game. Auburn can sit on the ball and drain the clock on offense, an approach that probably looks plenty intriguing with Ty Simpson on the other sideline. Volume just might not be there for Jam Miller, even with Alabama down one of its rotational backs for the game.

Beyond that, Auburn has one of the nation’s best run defenses and Alabama has one of the least efficient rushing attacks you’ll find at the major level. Don’t be confused by last week’s concerted ground-and-pound effort against Northern Illinois. In the 4 games prior, Miller averaged 20.3 yards on 9.8 carries a game. He has been largely ineffective against FBS defenses since running for 136 yards against Vandy on Oct. 4. AK Dear has been the best back on the team when he plays. Daniel Hill was the best back on the field when Alabama hosted Oklahoma.

Auburn has only given up 7 runs all season that gained 20 yards. The Tigers are second nationally in rushing success rate allowed, trailing only Oklahoma. Per Game on Paper, the Tigers rank in the 97th percentile or better in line yards allowed per carry, opportunity rate, and stuff rate. They don’t get moved off the line of scrimmage, they swallow lanes when an offense does manage to create some, and they stuff a ton of runs for no gain.

Georgia’s top back gained 24 yards against Auburn. Ahmad Hardy, the best back in the country, was limited to 58 yards on 24 carries. Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green had 14 yards on 7 carries. Kentucky’s best back gained 53 yards on 21 carries. Vandy’s top back gained 39 yards on 10 carries. Miller could be in for another rough day.

Via Chalkboard

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Eli Drinkwitz on Mizzou extension: ‘Believe deeply’ in vision

Derek Peterson — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 17:04:50 +0000

Missouri reached an agreement on a 6-year contract extension with head coach Eli Drinkwitz on Thursday that will bump his pay and keep him in Columbia through 2031.

The move comes amid rumored interest from schools like Auburn and Florida, which are both in the market for proven head coaches after firing underperforming figures earlier this season. Few are as proven as Drinkwitz, who has gone 28-9 since the start of the 2023 season.

In a release announcing the decision, Mizzou said the Board of Curators at the school unanimously approved the contract, which will pay Drinkwitz an average of $10.75 million a year. Athletic director Laird Veatch said in a statement that Drinkwitz has “transformed the standard” of the football program.

Drinkwitz said he hopes to keep elevating.

“My family and I believe deeply in the vision and leadership from our administration and are incredibly happy to continue calling Columbia our home,” Drinkwitz said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the unwavering support of President Mun Choi, the Board of Curators, led by Chair Todd Graves and incoming Vice Chair Bob Blitz, along with our athletics director Laird Veatch. We’re also incredibly thankful for the support of our generous donors and NIL partners. I’m committed to continuing our work to build Mizzou into a championship program.”

The Tigers are 45-28 under Drinkwitz. Entering the regular-season finale against Arkansas, Mizzou is 7-4. A win would ensure at least 8 regular-season victories in 3 consecutive seasons, something that has not been done at Mizzou since the school joined the SEC in 2012.

Drinkwitz led back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2023 and 2024. The Tigers entered the 2025 season hoping to make a College Football Playoff push, but injuries at quarterback and kicker have left the offense disjointed throughout the season.

Still, Drinkwitz’s winning percentage over the last 3 seasons is the 12th-best in the FBS.

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Coaching Carousel 2025: What the Eli Drinkwitz extension means for LSU, Florida, and Auburn

Derek Peterson — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 16:46:43 +0000

James Franklin is taking over Virginia Tech. Eric Morris is taking over at Oklahoma State. Arkansas is said to be closing in on a move to bring Alex Golesh aboard. Curt Cignetti quickly spurned the carousel with an extension at Indiana. Rhett Lashlee is staying at SMU after putting pen to paper on a contract extension earlier this month. And now Eli Drinkwitz is officially off the market after agreeing to a contract extension with Mizzou on Thursday.

LSU and Florida fans are not-so-patiently waiting for Lane Kiffin to make up his mind.

But, while they wait, Drinkwitz’s extension hints at an uncomfortable reality for the loser of the Kiffin sweepstakes.

If Kiffin leaves, where does Ole Miss turn? If LSU or Florida (or both) miss out on Kiffin, who is the backup plan? The market for top-notch coaches is crystallizing and the biggest jobs remain unfilled.

The Penn State job is still open after Franklin was dismissed in mid-October. Penn State was reportedly interested in Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, and that led to an extension for Rhule at his current school.

Drinkwitz had been mentioned for the Penn State job as well as the LSU and Florida ones. He was also a name tossed around for the Auburn job, which is still without a permanent head coach after the school fired Hugh Freeze on Nov. 2.

LSU is reportedly preparing to offer Kiffin a pay package worth nearly $100 million. If that offer (or something close to it) materializes and Kiffin turns the school down, is there another coach on the market worth that figure?

Some have mentioned Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman in the same breath as some of the top jobs, but Freeman has regularly stated his focus is squarely on the Irish, who are in prime position to make a return to the College Football Playoff.

So, what happens after Kiffin makes his decision? Let’s take a look at some of the top jobs:

Florida

Most believe the LSU and Florida jobs are the top jobs on the market. If Kiffin chooses LSU, which he has been heavily linked to, Florida would presumably get the right of first refusal from the rest of the pool of available coaches.

Jedd Fisch remains a potential option for the Gators. The Washington head coach is a Florida alum who spent time as a graduate assistant for Steve Spurrier in 1999 and 2000. He also worked in the state as an offensive coordinator for Miami (2011-12) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (2013-14).

Fisch led one of college football’s greatest modern turnarounds at Arizona from 2021-23, when he took a 1-win team to 10 wins in the span of 2 seasons. He was hired by Washington to replace Kalen DeBoer and has gone 14-10 across his 2 seasons.

On a podcast recently, Spurrier named Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and James Madison’s Bob Chesney as 2 coaches from outside the power-conference level who would make sense for Florida if it missed on Kiffin.

“There are a lot of good coaches out there who aren’t in the Power 4 right now,” Spurrier said. “The guy at James Madison, the guy at Tulane — they win consistently. Sometimes one of those coaches ends up being better than a big-name hire. You just never know.”

Chesney is 19-5 at James Madison since replacing Curt Cignetti. The Dukes are 10-1 this season.

Sumrall is 18-7 across 2 seasons at Tulane after going 23-4 in 2 seasons at Troy. The Green Wave are 9-2 this year.

Florida could also kick the tires on Louisville coach Jeff Brohm, who is in his third season with the Cardinals.

Here’s what Kalshi thinks of the Gators’ search:

LSU

Would LSU look to pull another coach from Notre Dame if it missed on Kiffin? Marcus Freeman succeeded Brian Kelly as the Notre Dame coach and he has arguably elevated the Irish brand. Notre Dame won 2 College Football Playoff games last season and advanced to the national championship game against Ohio State. The Irish won a program-record 14 games.

Freeman has been linked to LSU several times.

“This university, what it stands for and the people it impacts, I’m grateful for it,” Freeman said this week.

If Freeman is uninterested in a move, would LSU look to Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea or Georgia Tech coach Brent Key?

ESPN’s Greg McElroy recently said Lea was in a “really good position” to be in the mix at Penn State. Lea has transformed Vanderbilt from an SEC doormat to a legitimate threat to make the CFP. He went 7-6 last season and earned the program’s first bowl appearance in 6 years. This fall, the Commodores are 9-2 and seeking their first-ever 10-win season.

Key has done similarly transformative work at Georgia Tech, which went through a painful transition from the triple-option under Paul Johnson to a more modern offensive approach. The Yellow Jackets went 7-6 in each of Key’s first 2 full-time seasons. They are 9-2 this year.

He played offensive guard for Georgia Tech, but he’s also an SEC country lifer. Key worked at UCF from 2005 through 2015. He worked at Alabama under Nick Saban from 2016-18 before moving to Georgia Tech. Key was born and raised near Birmingham.

LSU appears to have pushed all its chips in on Kiffin. With the resources that are reportedly available for the next head coach, a miss could mean any number of backup avenues are on the table.

Here’s what Kalshi makes of the LSU search:

Auburn

The Tigers have been operating on the periphery since firing Freeze. They did not get involved in the Kiffin sweepstakes. They had been linked to Drinkwitz, but that option is now firmly off the table.

Drinkwitz’s extension with Mizzou would presumably impact Auburn the greatest. If Kiffin were to pick LSU, Drinkwitz would have been a prime candidate for Florida. With that option unavailable, Florida could be picking from the same pool as Auburn.

Key is one option that has been tossed around, but would he give up his alma mater for another rebuild job? Lea is another option that Auburn could consider.

Sumrall, an Alabama native, is presumed to be the top candidate for the Auburn job, but The Athletic reported this week that Sumrall is expected to be atop the Ole Miss wish list should Kiffin leave.

Would Auburn consider removing the interim tag from DJ Durkin, who has gone 1-1 since taking over for Freeze? If Durkin were to lead an upset of Alabama on Saturday, support for him would grow louder.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg also named Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann as a potential candidate. Schumann has only ever worked as an assistant, first at Alabama and then at Georgia, climbing the ladder from inside linebackers coach to defensive coordinator. Schumann did not play college football and does not have prior head coaching experience.

Check out the Kalshi market involving the latest in the Auburn search:

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Eli Drinkwitz agrees to contract extension with Mizzou

Derek Peterson — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 15:39:39 +0000

Scratch one more name off the list of available coaches this cycle. Eli Drinkwitz isn’t going anywhere.

On Thursday morning, the Missouri head football coach announced he has officially agreed to a contract extension with Mizzou. The school’s Board of Curators met on Wednesday to authorize the athletic department to move forward with a proposed extension. Reports at the time stated no announcement was “imminent.” Unlike other situations around the country, Drinkwitz wasted no time debating whether to re-up with his school.

“My family and I are thankful to be (at) Mizzou,” Drinkwitz wrote in a post on social media. “Why Stop Now!!!”

My family and I are thankful to be ⁦@Mizzou⁩. The support from our President, the Board of Curators, AD, boosters and fans is special!
Why Stop Now!!! #STP pic.twitter.com/cpk31xwnBW
— Eliah Drinkwitz (@CoachDrinkwitz) November 27, 2025

Mizzou announced the extension shortly after, confirming it is a 6-year deal that will keep Drinkwitz in town through 2031.

Drink Inked @CoachDrinkwitz has signed a contract extension through the 2031 @MizzouFootball season!

: https://t.co/bfhpewykQw #MIZ | #WillToWin pic.twitter.com/JNXxIKdsMh
— Mizzou Athletics (@MizzouAthletics) November 27, 2025

According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the extension will bump Drinkwitz’s salary to an average of more than $10.7 million per year. He’ll make $10.25 million in 2026.

In December 2023, on the heels of an 11-win season, Mizzou awarded Drinkwitz a contract extension through the 2028 season that bumped his pay to $9 million per year.

According to the USA Today salary database, Drinkwitz’s new salary would firmly put him among the 10 highest-paid coaches in the sport. He ranked 11th among FBS coaches for pay this season.

Only 5 coaches in the country made more than $10.7 million this season, per the USA Today database — Steve Sarkisian at Texas, Dabo Swinney at Clemson, Lincoln Riley at USC, Ryan Day at Ohio State, and Kirby Smart at Georgia. Drinkwitz’s $10.25 million salary for 2026 would be on par with what Alabama paid Kalen DeBoer this year.

Drinkwitz’s new deal will also include an “increased commitment” to the salary pool for his assistant coaching staff.

Missouri is 45-28 across 6 seasons under Drinkwitz’s leadership. The Tigers have won 28 games over the last 3 seasons.

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Alex Golesh to Arkansas: CFB insider gives latest on Razorbacks’ pursuit

Derek Peterson — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 15:25:17 +0000

Arkansas is said to be closing in on its next head coach.

Conflicting reports emerged on Wednesday that Arkansas was nearing a deal to hire South Florida’s Alex Golesh to fill the head coaching vacancy. One report stated that Golesh had already accepted an offer to be the Razorbacks’ next head coach. Another stated that the 2 sides were “deep” in negotiations, leading Arkansas to inform other candidates they would not be getting the job.

CBS Sports’ John Talty reported late Wednesday night that Golesh had not yet officially accepted the Arkansas job. He is the program’s top target but, according to Talty, has told people around him that a final decision will not be made until the weekend.

There is “optimism” the two sides will reach a deal, according to Talty’s report, but Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack was identified as a “name to watch” should the deal fall apart.

South Florida’s CEO of athletics released a statement on Wednesday confirming that Golesh had been contacted with other job offers, though that statement did not specify which programs were interested in him and added that Golesh has remained in constant contact with the USF administration.

South Florida hosts Rice on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The Bulls are seeking their first 9-win season since 2017.

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Auburn uses second-half surge to upset No. 14 St. John’s

Derek Peterson — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 14:53:19 +0000

Led by a second-half takeover from guard Tahaad Pettiford, No. 21 Auburn outscored No. 14 St. John’s by 20 points in the second half to knock off the Red Storm at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

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).

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College football’s Top 25 résumé ranking entering Week 14

Derek Peterson — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Very little changed at the top of our ranking this week after a number of the sport’s best teams played pushovers in Week 13. The Week 14 schedule has some résumé-builders on it.

You can find last week’s rankings here.

Ranking the Top 25 résumés in college football

Let’s get to it.

Dropped from the ranking: 19 Georgia Tech, 24 Missouri

25. Arizona (8-3, 5-3 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 30-24 at Cincinnati
LAST WEEK: NR

The Wildcats don’t really have a signature win like their in-state rivals, but they have essentially only played 1 regrettable game all year. Iowa State blew Arizona out in Ames on Sept. 27. Since then, Arizona is 5-2 with a double-overtime loss to BYU and a 3-point road loss to Houston on the final play of the game. Pitt was the other team I considered for this spot, but that no-show against Notre Dame is still too fresh. Arizona is also ahead of Pitt in résumé SP+ and in ESPN’s strength of record.

24. North Texas (10-1, 6-1 AAC)

BEST WIN: 59-10 vs. Washington State
LAST WEEK: 25

The Mean Green are, indeed, mean. At least, to the opposition. Last weekend’s 56-24 win over Rice was North Texas’s sixth win this season by at least 29 points. I have a much larger gap between North Texas and James Madison here than exists in the current AP Poll. Why? Both have played 1 Sagarin-rated top-40 opponent this season. Both lost their respective game. But James Madison went to the fourth quarter tied with Louisville on the road. North Texas trailed South Florida 49-28 going into the fourth quarter at home. That’s the difference. Both these teams have strength of schedules that rate outside the top 100.

23. Virginia (9-2, 6-1 ACC)

BEST WIN: 30-27 at Louisville
LAST WEEK: 23

Virginia has played 11 football games this season. None of them were against Sagarin-rated top-30 teams. Nine wins is an achievement, but in an exercise that compares résumés, Virginia has some glaring holes.

22. Arizona State (8-3, 6-2 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 26-22 vs. Texas Tech
LAST WEEK: NR

The Big 12 has eaten itself up a bit, but Arizona State has stabilized since losing quarterback Sam Leavitt for the season and put together a solid stretch of play. The Sun Devils blasted Colorado in Boulder over the weekend, breaking out and putting an opponent away after each of the previous 4 games ended within a single possession.

21. USC (8-3, 6-2 B1G)

BEST WIN: 31-13 vs. Michigan
LAST WEEK: 13

Tough showing for USC. The Trojans were dominated on a per-play basis. They were within a single score twice in the second half, but couldn’t ever close the gap with the Ducks. USC has strong wins over Michigan and Iowa this year, but it has repeatedly come up short on the road.

20. SMU (8-3, 6-1 ACC)

BEST WIN: 26-20 vs. Miami
LAST WEEK: 22

SMU blasted Louisville at home, 38-6, to stay in the hunt for the ACC title game. The Mustangs have scored a pair of massive wins in their last 3 games.

19. James Madison (10-1, 7-0 Sun Belt)

BEST WIN: 24-20 vs. Washington State
LAST WEEK: 18

The Dukes really needed a win over Washington State and they had to sweat it out. The Cougs scored 14 in the second quarter to take a 17-10 lead into the break. James Madison rallied in the second half to win. Tailback Wayne Knight rumbled for 58 yards in the final 7 minutes to score the game-winning touchdown. It was just the second win over a Sagarin-rated top-70 team this season.

18. Tulane (9-2, 5-1 AAC)

BEST WIN: 38-32 at Memphis
LAST WEEK: 17

Tulane won by 24 points on the road, but I dropped the Green Wave a spot to make room for the Vols after they jumped all over Florida in The Swamp.

17. Tennessee (8-3, 4-3 SEC)

BEST WIN: 31-11 at Florida
LAST WEEK: 21

Tennessee dominated the Gators for its first victory at The Swamp since 2003. Gainesville has been trouble for visitors this season, but Tennessee handled the challenge well.

16. Michigan (9-2, 7-1 B1G)

BEST WIN: 24-7 vs. Washington
LAST WEEK: 16

Michigan rolled Maryland 45-20 on the road for its fifth straight win. The Wolverines are surging into the regular-season finale against Ohio State.

15. Texas (8-3, 5-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 23-6 vs. Oklahoma
LAST WEEK: 20

Though both of Michigan’s losses are to Sagarin top-15 teams and Texas has the unsightly loss to Florida, I like Texas’s wins more than Michigan’s. The Longhorns are 2-2 against Sagarin top-30 teams. Michigan is 1-2.

14. Utah (9-2, 6-2 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 45-14 vs. Cincinnati
LAST WEEK: 10

Utah pulled out a win over Kansas State despite giving up 47 points and 472 rushing yards. K-State tailback Joe Jackson had 293 rushing yards by himself. Utah didn’t have its first lead of the game until the third quarter, and it needed 14 points in the final 3 minutes to pull out the win. A win is a win, but this one was ugly.

13. Vanderbilt (9-2, 5-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 17-10 vs. Mizzou
LAST WEEK: 15

Vanderbilt blasted Kentucky behind a record-setting day from quarterback Diego Pavia. Nice win for the Commodores, who now have one of the biggest games in program history on tap in Week 14. Something to note: Vandy hasn’t won a road game since Sept. 13.

12. BYU (10-1, 7-1 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 24-21 vs. Utah
LAST WEEK: 14

BYU running back LJ Martin was a beast, helping the Cougars to a 26-14 win at Cincinnati. Martin ran for 222 yards and 2 scores. He also had a 26-yard catch and finished with 44 receiving yards to lead the team. Martin scored the game-clinching run in the final minute on a 33-yard burst, giving the Cougars a massive boost in their quest for a Big 12 title berth and ensuring that last year’s late-season collapse wouldn’t happen again.

11. Notre Dame (9-2)

BEST WIN: 34-24 vs. USC
LAST WEEK: 12

Notre Dame had 21 points on the board before its offense took a snap in the game. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price each had touchdown runs longer than 45 yards in the opening quarter. The Irish led 49-0 at the halftime break, en route to another demolition of a bad opponent. The Irish are rolling, but they’re still in the same block with Miami, so head-to-head matters.

10. Miami (9-2, 5-2 ACC)

BEST WIN: 27-24 vs. Notre Dame
LAST WEEK: 11

Box score watchers, beware. Miami beat Virginia Tech 34-17, but it also threw a touchdown pass on fourth-and-2 with 20 seconds to go. The Hurricanes were clearly playing for style points, which is fine, but I expected more against a broken Hokie defense.

9. Alabama (9-2, 6-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 24-21 at Georgia
LAST WEEK: 9

Alabama rolled Eastern Illinois. It wasn’t Chattanooga State, but it still didn’t move the needle much.

8. Oregon (10-1, 7-1 B1G)

BEST WIN: 42-27 vs. USC
LAST WEEK: 8

Oregon had to have the Week 13 game against USC. And the Ducks got it, 42-27. It was just the third win so far this season over a Sagarin top-30 team. Oregon came out in the first half and dominated, opening up a 28-14 halftime lead while averaging more than 7 yards a play.

7. Oklahoma (9-2, 5-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 23-21 at Alabama
LAST WEEK: 7

Oklahoma took a giant step toward the CFP with its 17-6 win over Mizzou at home. The Tigers won’t be ranked in any polls this week or next, but that’s a good win all the same for Oklahoma. OU has 6 wins now this year over Sagarin top-30 teams. That’s tied with Alabama for the most of any team in the country.

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

BEST WIN: 34-26 at Oklahoma
LAST WEEK: 6

Lane Kiffin probably feels exhausted after Week 13, even though his Ole Miss squad didn’t touch the field. No movement for Kiffin; no movement here for the Rebels.

5. Texas Tech (10-1, 7-1 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 29-7 vs. BYU
LAST WEEK: 5

The Red Raiders don’t move after a bye week last weekend.

4. Georgia (10-1, 7-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 43-35 vs. Ole Miss
LAST WEEK: 4

No change for the Dawgs this week after handling Charlotte 35-3 at home.

3. Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 B1G)

BEST WIN: 14-7 vs. Texas
LAST WEEK: 3

Ohio State could have gotten caught looking ahead to The Game. Instead, the Buckeyes accelerated away from Rutgers with a 28-6 second half.

2. Texas A&M (11-0, 7-0 SEC)

BEST WIN: 41-40 at Notre Dame
LAST WEEK: 2

Texas A&M blanked Samford in a game no one outside of College Station really cared about. On to Texas.

1. Indiana (11-0, 8-0 B1G)

BEST WIN: 30-20 at Oregon
LAST WEEK: 1

The Hoosiers retain their top spot after a bye week. Texas A&M had, for all intents and purposes, a bye week of its own with a home game against an FCS opponent, so nothing directly changed the calculus in the debate at the top. Indiana’s win over Oregon looks a little better. Texas A&M’s win over Notre Dame looks a little better. Status quo heading into Chaos Week.

The post College football’s Top 25 résumé ranking entering Week 14 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Kansas knocks off Tennessee in third-place game at Players Era Tourney

Derek Peterson — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 02:24:18 +0000

Kansas didn’t make a shot from the field over the final 4 minutes and 16 seconds on Wednesday night, but the Jayhawks (6-2) still had enough to knock off No. 17 Tennessee (7-1) and hand the Vols their first loss of the new season.

In the third-place game at the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas, Tennessee lost 81-76.

Nate Ament led the Vols with 20 points and 9 rebounds. He shot 5-of-15 from the field and made all 8 of his attempts from the free throw line. Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 11 points, but struggled with his shot all night. Gillespie went 5-for-19 from the floor and 1-for-10 from beyond the arc.

Tennessee had a 7-point lead at the halftime break, but shaky shooting flipped the script in the second half.

After a pair of foul shots from Ament with 15:06 to play, Tennessee led 55-43. The Jayhawks then scored 8 unanswered to climb back into the game.

As a team, Tennessee shot just 28% on its 3-point attempts. The Vols went ice-cold in the second half, making 2 of their 12 attempts from deep and connecting on just 31% of their shots overall. Ament didn’t make a shot from the field in the second half while Gillespie was tagged for 4 personal fouls in 19 minutes.

The Jayhawks scored their final 10 points from the free throw line. After a 3-pointer from Kansas guard Jamari McDowell with 4:16 to play, the Jayhawks only took 1 more shot from the field.

Everything else came from the charity stripe. Tennessee missed, and Tennessee fouled.

The Vols have a little under a week off before they make a trip to Syracuse to face the Orange on Dec. 2. That game tips at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

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LSU reportedly settles contract dispute with Brian Kelly

Derek Peterson — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 02:07:13 +0000

LSU ended its weekslong squabble with former head coach Brian Kelly on Wednesday night.

According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the school sent Kelly a letter officially informing him it has fired him without cause and will pay him the $54 million remaining on his contract. New LSU president Wade Rousse said in the letter that Kelly is expected to make “good-faith, reasonable, and sustained efforts to obtain qualifying employment for as long as liquidated damages are due.”

Kelly was dismissed by the school on Oct. 26 after an embarrassing home loss to Texas A&M. But posturing by the school, and intervention by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, left some uncertainty as to whether LSU intended to pay Kelly his full buyout.

As a result, Kelly filed suit against the school. In a letter, his attorneys reportedly claimed the school had made it “nearly impossible” for Kelly to find another job while the school tried to publicly claim it had not “formally” fired him.

Some finality on the former LSU head coach comes just days before expected clarity on the next LSU head coach.

A decision from Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin on his future is expected following Friday night’s Egg Bowl game against Mississippi State. Kiffin is reportedly the primary target of the LSU coaching search.

The Tigers are reportedly preparing to offer a pay package worth close to $100 million.

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Alabama rules multiple players out ahead of Iron Bowl

Derek Peterson — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 01:48:46 +0000

Alabama ruled out running back Kevin Riley and tight end Josh Cuevas on the availability report submitted to the SEC Wednesday night.

Starting center Parker Brailsford and star wide receiver Germie Bernard were both listed as probable for Saturday’s Iron Bowl showdown against Auburn.

Cuevas is set to miss his second straight game after starting the first 10 of the season for Alabama. He was seen wearing a medical boot during the team’s win over Eastern Illinois last weekend, though coach Kalen DeBoer said on Monday of this week that the staff would “keep evaluating” him throughout the week.

Both Brailsford and Bernard were also held out of last week’s game. Brailsford was seen wearing a medical boot as well. Immediately after the game, DeBoer hinted that both could be back for the trip to Auburn.

Bernard leads the Tide in receptions (48), receiving yards (676), and receiving touchdowns (6). Cuevas is third on the team in receptions (30). He’s the only tight end with double-digit catches this season.

With both he and Danny Lewis Jr. unavailable on Saturday, freshman Kaleb Edwards could see an expanded role. Edwards had 6 receptions for 100 yards and a score in 11 appearances this season.

Riley is also set to miss time. He did not play in the Oklahoma game on Nov. 15 but returned against Eastern Illinois last week, rushing 8 times for 36 yards and 2 scores. The freshman running back is second on the Tide in rushing this season, with 222 yards on 56 carries.

Daniel Hill and AK Dear figure to fill in behind starting tailback Jam Miller with Riley out of the lineup. Dear has flashed in limited action this season. He had 76 rushing yards on 5 carries against Louisiana-Monroe in Week 2, and he ran 9 times for 45 yards with 2 touchdowns last week.

The Crimson Tide’s full availability report can be found below. Alabama will update the injury report on Thursday and Friday before finalizing it on Saturday. The game against Auburn is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

OUT:

DB Kam Howard
LB Jah-Marien Latham
DB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. (suspended)
RB Kevin Riley
LB Abduall Sanders Jr.
TE Josh Cuevas
TE Danny Lewis Jr.
DL Jeremiah Beaman

PROBABLE:

WR Germie Bernard
LB QB Reese
OL Parker Brailsford

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Joel Klatt says Alabama’s resume is ‘absolutely’ better than Notre Dame’s

Derek Peterson — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:37:27 +0000

In this week’s Top 25 ranking from the College Football Playoff selection committee, Alabama is sitting at No. 10. Notre Dame is one spot ahead at No. 9.

The placement of those 2 teams in particular — which didn’t change from the previous ranking — has angered Alabama fans, SEC supporters, and many third-party observers for weeks. Alabama’s resume is better, many argue. Notre Dame hasn’t played anywhere close to the caliber of schedule that Alabama has.

FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt said on his podcast this week that the resumes aren’t even all that close.

“Notre Dame’s resume is not in the same hemisphere as Alabama’s resume,” Klatt said this week on his show. “If you’re ranking on resumes, you are absolutely ranking Alabama ahead of Notre Dame.”

"If you are ranking on resumes, you are absolutely ranking Alabama ahead of Notre Dame."

More from @joelklatt on how these teams stack up. Do you agree with the committee? pic.twitter.com/yMZHqtg1Um
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) November 26, 2025

According to ESPN’s FPI, Alabama’s strength of schedule ranks ninth nationally. The Irish schedule ranks as the 34th-strongest.

In Jeff Sagarin’s model, Notre Dame is rated as the No. 2 team in the country while Alabama sits seventh, but the schedules aren’t close to comparable.

Notre Dame is 2-2 against Sagarin-rated top-30 teams. The Irish have a 0-2 mark against top-10 teams. Alabama is 6-1 against top-30 teams, including 1-0 against top-10 teams.

No other team in the country has more top-30 wins than Alabama. Oklahoma, which sits one spot ahead of Notre Dame, is the only other team with 6.

“The 2 best opponents that Notre Dame has seen, they’ve lost to,” Klatt said, referencing the Miami and Texas A&M games. “Alabama has a win over Georgia on the road.”

Klatt suggested he’d pick Notre Dame over Oklahoma if the two sides met on a neutral field tomorrow. He said he’d back the Irish against Alabama as well. And that seems to be the only justification for having Notre Dame ahead of Alabama but not Oklahoma. The Sooners’ offense has looked bleak for weeks.

If the eye test were all that mattered, one could argue Notre Dame is too low at No. 9.

“This committee wants to value Notre Dame,” Klatt said. “I’m not disagreeing with this because if you said to me, ‘Hey, Joel, neutral site, who wins next weekend? Alabama or Notre Dame?’ I would pick Notre Dame. So, the committee, I think, is using that as the last resort.”

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Nick Saban laments broken college football calendar, impact on coaches

Derek Peterson — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 23:40:45 +0000

Lane Kiffin has suitors. Those suitors probably want an answer sooner rather than later. Kiffin’s boss probably wants him to focus on the task at hand. But the Ole Miss head football coach, who happens to be the hottest commodity in the sport at the moment, also has to make a decision that sets up his family best long-term.

As Lane Kiffin tries to decide between Ole Miss, the vacant LSU job, or the vacant Florida job, his team is invariably harmed. They have incessant noise, and they could lose their coach before the season is done.

When former Alabama head coach Nick Saban joined the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, he lamented the state of the college football calendar.

“Every coach wants to coach their team. I mean, it is really, really hard to up and leave your team,” Saban said. “The calendar should be set up so every coach can finish the season with his team. That’s good for the players and it’s good for the team. And, the circumstances in college football right now don’t really allow that to happen.

“… Hopefully, maybe we’ll take some of these changes and put them on a calendar, where it’s better for the players, and you don’t have all these guys getting fired 5 games into the season.”

"Every coach wants to coach their team..

It should be setup so every coach can coach their team until the end of the season..

It's good for the players and it's good for the team..

The circumstances in College Football right now don't really allow that to happen" ~ Coach Saban… https://t.co/4UTCsAuycB pic.twitter.com/mL8bGtI1u4
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 26, 2025

Ole Miss has said it expects a decision from Kiffin following the Rebels’ Egg Bowl game against Mississippi State on Friday.

If Ole Miss wins, Alabama loses to Auburn, and Texas A&M loses to Texas, the Rebels will be in the SEC Championship Game. If Ole Miss is shut out from the SEC’s title fight, it will likely still be participating in the College Football Playoff.

Whether the Rebels have a shot at a league crown or simply a shot at a national title, they will be aiming to close out the best season in program history on a high note.

And their head coach might not get to be a part of that. If Kiffin decides to take another job, and Ole Miss decides to name an interim coach to replace him while it searches for his permanent successor, the man who helped build this machine won’t get to see the job out.

Of course, Kiffin can put all the talk to bed by re-upping with Ole Miss. He isn’t being forced to leave. But jobs like LSU don’t come around often. (Those like Florida, at least lately, do a little more frequently.)

Whatever his decision, someone is going to be harmed. Saban seems to hate that the players will be regardless.

The post Nick Saban laments broken college football calendar, impact on coaches appeared first on Saturday Down South.

South Florida CEO of athletics issues statement on Alex Golesh

Derek Peterson — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 22:43:52 +0000

In the face of reports linking coach Alex Golesh to the Arkansas vacancy, South Florida CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins issued a statement on Wednesday confirming that Golesh has been “presented with outside opportunities,” but said Golesh has been fully transparent and communicative with the USF administration.

A report from Football Scoop on Wednesday stated that Golesh and Arkansas were “finalizing negotiations” to make him the school’s next head coach. At the time of publication, no announcement had been made.

In his statement, Higgins did not directly refer to Arkansas, nor did he hint at Golesh’s future. He did, however, state that South Florida is “ultra-prepared for every scenario” moving forward.

His full statement is below:

Since Saturday’s game, Coach Golesh has been presented with outside opportunities that he has been transparent about with us. We are respectful and supportive of Coach and his family in their decision-making process. We’ll remain in constant communication. Bulls Nation, rest assured, we are ultra-prepared for every scenario that could unfold in the coming hours/days. Our commitment and investment has never been higher and we’re also laser-focused on being great stewards of our resources. Most importantly, the future of USF Football has never been more bright! Go Bulls!

Golesh, 41, is in his third year as the head coach of the Bulls. After a pair of 7-6 seasons to begin his tenure — both of which featured bowl victories — Golesh has the Bulls sitting at 8-3 this season. They won at Florida earlier this year, something Arkansas has only done once in 6 tries.

He’s a former assistant of Tennessee coach Josh Heupel.

He would replace Sam Pittman, who was fired on Sept. 28 after posting a 32-34 record across 6 seasons with the program. Arkansas closes out the 2025 season on Saturday against Mizzou, where it’ll look to avoid what would be the third winless season in SEC play in the last 8 years.

When Golesh took over the Bulls in 2023, the program was coming off a 3-year stretch where it went 1-22 in league play. They went 4-4 in league play his first year at the helm.

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