Third-year coach Alex Golesh left to take the Auburn job in late November, while star quarterback Byrum Brown opted out of the game and acted as an extra assistant coach on the sideline.

But without Golesh’s expertise and Brown’s dual-threat abilities, USF’s normally prolific offense stalled. The Bulls turned the ball over 5 times (4 of which came through the air), only mustered 52 rushing yards, and converted just 5 of their 16 third down attempts.

Those statistics, as well as the 10-point total, were all unheard of numbers for the AAC’s top offense during the regular season. With Brown at the helm and Golesh still contributing to the offense, South Florida ranked second in the nation by scoring 43 points per game and ranked in the top 10 in both passing and rushing yards per outing.

Of course, former Ohio State wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline is set to take over in Tampa, and he hopes to maintain the trend of strong recruiting and offensive efficiency within the Bulls’ program.

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Ahead of the game — which is set for a noon ET kickoff — A&M released its first availability report Wednesday night, and the Aggie faithful were likely encouraged by what they saw.

Linebacker Scooby Anderson and safety Bryce Anderson, two key pieces of Mike Elko‘s defense, were both listed as ‘probable.’ But what may have had Texas A&M fans even more excited was the fact that running back Le’Veon Moss was listed as ‘questionable.’

The senior out of Walker, Louisiana, ranks third on the team in rushing despite not having played since A&M’s 34-17 win over Florida back on Oct. 11. Moss has missed the last 5 games after he averaged 5.6 yards per carry and found the endzone 6 times in as many contests to start the season.

In 2024, Moss ran for 765 yards and 10 touchdowns on 6.3 yards per touch as one of the featured backs within the Aggies’ offense.

If Moss is able to suit up, he will join sophomore Rueben Owens (team-high 618 yards) in taking on a vaunted Hurricanes defensive front.

A&M is a 3-point favorite, per bet365.

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Former Georgia defensive lineman/linebacker David Pollack took to Yahoo Sports Daily to reveal his selection for the field, and he notably did not have his alma mater coming out on top.

Instead, Pollack sees the Bulldogs losing to Ohio State in the semifinals, and he believes that the Buckeyes are the best bet to win it all.

“If you ask me to pick, I would take Ohio State with their combination of weapons at receiver,” Pollack said. “The thing about Georgia is, they got into a shootout with Ohio State a couple years ago and won, but can they get into a shootout this year? They did it against Tennessee, but against a really good Ohio State defense, I think it would be harder to do.”

Pollack went on to add that there are 4 teams in the field that he believes can win it all, listing off Ohio State, Georgia, Indiana, and Oregon. He also emphasized that 3 of those schools hail from the Big Ten, keying in on one reason why that is the case.

“The quarterback play is really elite. Fernando Mendoza, No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Dante Moore will be a top-10 pick when he decides to come out to the draft. Julian Sayin, first-round pick.” Pollack said. “Gunner Stockton has an elite defense and supporting cast, so he’s not even remotely in that conversation. So the talent and way they can win is different than everyone else.”

The latest national championship odds back up Pollack’s claim, showing Ohio State as the favorite to win it all. Grab this BetMGM bonus code to bet on the postseason.

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The CFP’s availability reports were revealed Wednesday evening, and both sides have plenty of players featured on the list.

For the visiting Crimson Tide, defensive backs Kameron Howard and Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., defensive linemen LT Overton and Jeremiah Beaman, linebacker Jah-Marien Latham, and running back Kevin Riley were all listed as ‘out.’ Tight ends Josh Cuevas and Danny Lewis Jr. were both under the ‘questionable’ tab.

Overton has missed time this season and continues to be a major loss for the Alabama pass rush, while Cuevas’ status will be worth monitoring over the coming days. The senior tight end has hauled in 30 passes for 341 yards and 4 touchdowns this season.

And for the Sooners, defensive backs Gentry Williams, Kendel Dolby, and Jeremiah Newcombe joined offensive lineman Troy Everett as ‘out.’ Offensive lineman Jake Maikkula was shown as ‘questionable’ heading into the game.

Alabama and Oklahoma will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday night, with the game being broadcast by ESPN in a megacast across the network’s various channels. Fans in both states can wager on the game using one of several promos from the best DFS apps.

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Tennessee will meet the Fighting Illini in the Music City Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 30, but while Aguilar has plenty to think about when it comes to Bret Bielema’s team, he also has his future to ponder.

As the Knoxville News Sentinel reported, Aguilar joined the ongoing lawsuit that was filed by Diego Pavia in late November. That legal action aims to eliminate junior college seasons from counting towards the NCAA’s 4-year eligibility rule.

With Aguilar awaiting a potential injunction that would grant him the ability to spend another season with coach Josh Heupel and the Vols, he was asked during a post-practice interview about any news he had heard.

He emphasized that he’s just focusing on the Music City Bowl.

“Not much,” Aguilar said of recent news regarding the lawsuit. “I’m focused on the season, and I’ll pursue what I want to pursue afterwards.”

Reporters also inquired as to whether Aguilar would consider turning pro as opposed to returning for another year of college ball, and he responded in similar fashion.

“I guess I’ll figure that out after the bowl game,” Aguilar said.

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Some blame the offensive line’s lack of perceived push, others look at the injuries and inconsistencies of the tailbacks, while the rest have their sights set on offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.

The former Washington Huskies and Seattle Seahawks play-caller was asked about the schemes he’s employed to get the Crimson Tide’s stagnant ground game going, and he explained that he’s truly emptied the playbook.

“I’ve used ’em all,” Grubb said of the strategies he’s used.

Ty Simpson and the Alabama aerial attack have done well to bail the offense out in many scenarios because the running game has been lackluster in many ways. The Tide average just 116.2 rushing yards per game, which comes on 3.6 yards per carry.

No current tailback has topped 500 yards on the ground yet this season, as veteran Jam Miller leads the way with 493 yards despite having missed multiple games due to injury.

The Alabama running game enjoyed great success to end the regular season, as the offense racked up 507 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in its final three outings. But the SEC Championship Game brought with it a different reality, as Grubb’s group accounted for -3 yards on the ground.

The Crimson Tide’s opponent in the opening round of the College Football Playoff is Oklahoma, which happens to rank fifth in the nation in allowing 81.4 yards per game on the ground. The Sooners gave up just 80 during their upset win in Tuscaloosa earlier this season.

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On Sunday morning, ESPN released its way-too-early look at next year’s Heisman race, and a notable SEC signal-caller cracked the list of 15.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach included Texas A&M‘s Marcel Reed on his watchlist, applauding the sophomore’s dual-threat ability.

Reed announced this week that he plans to stay at Texas A&M next season, which is great news for the No. 7 Aggies. He was a threat with the ball in his hands, throwing for 2,932 yards with 25 touchdowns and running for 466 yards with six scores.

But Schlabach did mention that if Reed is to take home the Heisman in 2026, he will need to address the turnover woes that plagued him for much of this season.

His decision-making needs to continue to improve, so he can cut down on his 10 interceptions.

Reed completed 61.8% of his passes for 2,932 yards while also rushing for 466 and accounting for 31 total touchdowns this fall. Of course, the Aggies’ signal-caller figures to only build on those numbers during the team’s upcoming College Football Playoff run.

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On Sunday morning, ESPN released its way-too-early look at next year’s Heisman race, and a notable SEC signal-caller cracked the list of 15.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach included Georgia‘s Gunner Stockton on his watchlist, citing the gutsy quarterback’s dual-threat abilities as a major reason why the team was able to overcome plenty of shuffling along the offensive line. Here’s Schlabach’s analysis:

In his first full season as Georgia’s starting quarterback, Stockton helped guide the Bulldogs to a 12-1 record and SEC title. His legs and right arm were a big reason the Bulldogs averaged 31.9 points, despite enduring myriad injuries on the offensive line. Stockton was at his best when the game was on the line — he completed 86% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and one interception in the fourth quarter against ranked opponents.

Stockton completed 70.7% of his passes for 2,691 yards, ran for another 442 and accounted for 31 total touchdowns in leading Georgia to the SEC Championship this fall. He figures to only add to those impressive numbers as the Bulldogs make their upcoming College Football Playoff run.

Stockton and the Bulldogs will face either Tulane or Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.

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With Los Angeles facing a third down from inside the red zone, rookie wide receiver Keandre Lambert-Smith came up with one of most timely touchdowns he’ll ever score, and it just so happened to also be the first of his professional career.

On the play, Justin Herbert dropped back into the pocket before stepping into the rush. He placed a ball in the end zone between two defenders, right where Lambert-Smith could haul it in and then protect himself from those aforementioned defensive backs.

The clutch snag was the first touchdown of Lambert-Smith’s career and was also just the second reception for the rookie. He hauled in a pass for a single yard during the Chargers’ win over Miami on Oct. 12, and the former Auburn and Penn State receiver has only been targeted four times total. Thus, there is a chance this could serve as a springboard for Lambert-Smith to build a connection with Herbert and begin to make a consistent impact in the NFL.

Spending four years at Penn State before finishing his career with Auburn in 2024, Lambert-Smith was productive with the Nittany Lions but posted career highs in yards (981) and touchdowns (8) with the Tigers.

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But while the annual clash is always a spectacle to behold, this year’s matchup carried with it another major headline.

CBS Sports’ Gary Danielson is wrapping up his legendary career as a broadcaster, and the former Purdue quarterback called his 17th Army-Navy Game on Saturday.

Following the hard-fought battle, Danielson was asked to sum up his thoughts on what covering this rivalry has meant to him over the years.

“It’s opportunity, it’s gratitude, it’s looking around at people that I respect–even the people that just watch the game–and how much it means to them,” Danielson said. “There’s a bit of nervousness when you’re doing the game, cause you want to make sure you do it justice.”

The color analyst also wanted to make sure that the behind-the-scenes crew was properly shouted out for its efforts, as some of the veterans within CBS Sports have actually eclipsed the number of Army-Navy games that Danielson has called.

“Being able to last this long in the business, I had great people around me. Verne [Lundquist] when I came to CBS and now my old partner in Brad [Nessler] back at ABC for the last nine or 10 years. But also the people in the background: the cameramen that showed up here for the march on, our produce Craig Silver, our director Steve Milton, they’ve actually done more games than I have,” Danielson said. “Everybody on this crew takes this game seriously and knows much much it means, so I’m glad to have been part of this team.”

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And while the former Missouri quarterback’s debut against Miami was less than encouraging, Cook got out to a hot start Sunday against Jacksonville.

Trailing 14-0 late in the first quarter, Cook and the Jets’ much-maligned offense mounted a scoring drive that resulted in the quarterback’s first-career touchdown pass. The rookie dropped back and fired a ball up the seam, and third-year receiver Adonai Mitchell rose up for the scoring snag.

The first touchdown of any player’s professional career deserves plenty of celebration, and Brady’s parents Amy and Jim filled that role while in attendance for their son’s second NFL start.

Cook started 9-for-12 on the afternoon, having thrown for 73 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars. He has also carried the ball twice for 13 yards.

SEC fans likely remember Cook from his days at Missouri, where the St. Louis native eventually earned a starting spot at his home-state school and became a program legend from 2022-2024. The dual-threat quarterback accounted for 9,251 passing yards, 1,262 rushing yards and 71 total touchdowns during his career, all while leading the Tigers to back-to-back 10-win seasons in ’23 and ’24.

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The disappointing defeat has left a bitter taste in the mouth of Nate Oats, who knows that his side missed a golden opportunity to pick up another statement non-conference win.

And to add insult to injury, Oats provided an update on freshman center Collins Onyejiaka, who has been recently sidelined due to an irregular heartbeat that the team knew about prior to signing him.

The Nigeria native who moved to Massachusetts for his prep career logged four minutes during Alabama‘s win over St. John’s on Nov. 8, and Onyejiaka has yet to play since.

The 6-foot-11, 265 lb. center has already undergone surgery to address the ailment, but Oats hinted at the possibility that Onyejiaka will need to undergo more treatment. As a result, Crimson Tide fans likely shouldn’t expect Onyejiaka back on the floor any time soon.

“I think he’s [Onyejiaka] gonna have to have another procedure done,” Oats said. “He’s not gonna be back playing anytime soon.”

Onyejiaka was rated a 4-star recruit by 247Sports’ Composite coming out of high school, and he chose to join Oats’ program over offers from the likes of Illinois, Indiana and West Virginia.

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As two of the most well-known personalities within the sport, Vitale and Barkley had long wanted to team up for a broadcast, and with the former’s health now allowing him to return and call games consistently, an opportunity presented itself.

The Wildcats rallied for a much-needed 72-60 win over the Hoosiers, and following the pivotal matchup, Vitale took to X/Twitter to share his thoughts on what the experience was like.

The legendary analyst thanked fans for complimenting the broadcast, although he did want to give play-by-play commentator Dave O’Brien his flowers for keeping the up-beat duo of him and Barkley in line. Vitale added that Barkley treated him like a king, and he also emphasized how important of a result this was for a previously reeling Kentucky squad.

“Wow I’m overwhelmed by the many kind comments about working with SIR CHARLES BARKLEY-the MVP was Dave O’Brien in setting us up,” Vitale wrote. “A W needed by @KentuckyMBB with strong 2nd half 72-60 vs Indiana. Charles treated me like royalty-he was a blast-Love him!”

Barkely notably promised to donate $100,000 to Vitale’s Gala for cancer research during the game, with Shaquille O’Neal proclaiming the same thing.

The duo of Vitale and Barkley will return for a second time when they call a First Four matchup during the NCAA Tournament in March.

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CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello reported from the Intercollegiate Athletics Forum and relayed Phillips’ take on how the ACC Championship Game should be settled in the future.

“Who knew that we would get to the seventh tiebreaker with five teams that were 6-2? It’s just the stars aligned in a way that nobody predicted, but no one should throw shade on Duke,” Phillips said, per CBS Sports. “They earned the right. Everybody had a chance to be part of that tiebreaker, and they played great. They won the league. They held the trophy. So I was super happy for Duke.”

Others weren’t. Duke’s 27-20 upset win over Virginia in the ACC title game was the catalyst to send both Tulane and James Madison to the CFP this season. Despite missing the league’s title game for the second consecutive year and spending several weeks behind Notre Dame in the selection committee’s rankings, Miami squeaked into the field as the ACC’s only team.

Miami was long viewed as the ACC’s best squad. But, just like last season, tiebreakers kept the Hurricanes from playing for the conference title.

Phillips suggested the league could use the CFP selection committee’s Top 25 as a tiebreaker in the future.

“It worked out the way it was supposed to work out relative to the tiebreaker we put in place, but we’ll come back together,” Phillips said, per CBS Sports. “It would be smart of us to now also have a CFP component maybe in there, in the tiebreaker.”

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The latest movement surrounding LSU occurred on Wednesday, when sophomore running back Ju’Juan Johnson announced his decision to enter the transfer portal.

The 6-foot, 210-pound tailback sparingly saw the field as a freshman in 2024 before making an impact in some mop-up duty this fall. Johnson racked up 151 yards and 2 touchdowns on 38 carries in 2025, highlighted by a 66-yard performance against South Carolina on Oct. 11. He also hauled in 17 passes for 72 yards.

Rated a 4-star prospect in the Class of 2024 by 247Sports, Johnson still holds the record for career all-purpose yards (14,451) and total touchdowns (171) in Louisiana High School Football history, which all came while leading his team to 4 straight state title appearances.

The Lafayette Christian Academy product was a high school quarterback but began his LSU career as a defensive back before ultimately transitioning to tailback. His lone passing attempt was a 14-yard completion against Arkansas this past year.

Johnson also held offers from the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M coming out of high school.

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Following a team practice, the rookie signal-caller fielded questions about Kiffin’s departure from Oxford to Baton Rouge and explained that his former coach can just be a bit spontaneous from time to time.

“With Kiff, he kinda does some things that are unexpected. I’m looking forward to his next opportunity,” Dart said. “Me and him have such a great relationship…I’m excited for him.”

On the other side of the coin, Dart also positively acknowledged the return of the Ole Miss offensive coaching staff to help lead the Rebels during their impending College Football Playoff run, which begins Saturday, Dec. 20, against Tulane.

And on top of that, Dart even laid down a bold claim about what the ensuing month will look like for his former team.

“I’m also really happy for Ole Miss, keeping Coach Golding at the helm there. I’m happy that they were able to keep their offensive staff, being able to coach the rest of the Playoff…it would’ve been a sign of disrespect a little bit not letting those guys finish it out,” Dart said. “I’m excited to see their run to a National Championship this year.”

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The 6-foot prospect missed the 2025 campaign due to an ACL tear he suffered while training back in January, and despite returning to limited versions of practice throughout the Volunteers’ season, McCoy was never able to make it back to the field.

Not having suited up in a year has only marginally dropped McCoy’s draft stock, however, primarily because his film from that aforementioned season was of such high quality. After transferring from Oregon State, McCoy picked off 4 passes, broke up 9 more, and tacked on 44 total tackles as a lockdown corner within one of the nation’s best defenses.

But without the services of its star defensive back, Tennessee’s unit struggled mightily in 2025. The defense allowed roughly 29 points per game, which ranked 92nd in the nation, while also yielding just under 400 yards per outing.

And in their 4 losses this season, the Vols gave up point totals of 44, 37, 33, and 45.

While with the Beavers in 2023, McCoy tallied a pair of interceptions, 7 pass breakups, and 31 total tackles.

McCoy figures to be one of the top defensive backs in the draft class of 2026, although many will be intrigued to watch him test through the combine and pro days as scouts judge whether or not he’s the same player post-injury.

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Reports throughout the day had suggested that former blue-chip running back Marquise Davis was set to hit the portal, and Davis confirmed that news later in the afternoon by quoting a post from On3Sports’ Hayes Fawcett and typing a purple cross emoji above the news.

Davis was rated a 4-star prospect by 247Sports’ Composite in the Class of 2025, as the Cleveland native chose the Tigers over the likes of Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, Michigan, and Ohio State.

Appearing in just 3 non-conference games this season, Davis carried the ball 34 times for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His breakout performance came during Mizzou’s Week 2 win over Louisiana, when he racked up 113 yards and a score on 20 touches.

With both Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts set to return as juniors in 2026, Davis likely didn’t see an immediate path to playing time during his sophomore year and thus opted to try his luck elsewhere.

Davis figures to be highly pursued in the portal, given he still has 3 years of eligibility and has already shown flashes of his potential in moments.

RELATED: Sports betting is live in the Show Me State. Bet on the Tigers’ bowl game against Virginia with this bet365 Missouri bonus code.

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And of little surprise to many, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea was named the SEC’s Coach of the Year after guiding the Commodores to their first 10-win season in program history, multiple victories over ranked foes, and a No. 14 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings.

A fullback at the school from 2002-2004, Lea returned to his alma mater prior to the 2021 campaign. He’s led Vanderbilt to a 26-35 overall record through five seasons at the helm, although well over half of those wins have come within the past two years.

A rocky first season in charge resulted in a 2-10 record for the Commodores, and even after improving to 5-7 the following year, Vandy slumped back down to just two wins in 2023.

But with Diego Pavia and other key transfers joining the fray in 2024, the ‘Dores pulled off a stunning upset of then-No. 1 Alabama and took down Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl on their way to winning 7 games.

Prior to arriving in Nashville, Lea began his career in various assistant roles at UCLA and South Dakota State before ultimately working his way eastward. The 44-year-old was linebackers coach at Bowling Green in 2012, then held the same position at Syracuse for three seasons before working as Wake Forest’s linebackers coach in 2016.

That gig led Lea to land at Notre Dame, and he eventually took over as defensive coordinator under Brian Kelly from 2018-2020 before returning to his alma mater.

Lea and Vanderbilt will look to put the cherry on top of a magical season when they face Iowa in the Reliaquest Bowl on Dec. 31.

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And this postseason will see Mizzou venture to Jacksonville to take part in the Gator Bowl at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 27. After a delay, Tigers learned they will face Virginia, which played for an ACC championship on Saturday.

RELATED: Looking for a DraftKings Missouri promo code? SDS is your go-to source for Missouri sportsbook promos!

Missouri landed in the Gator Bowl following an up-and-down 2025 campaign. The Tigers started the promising season red-hot, ripping off five straight wins to start the year with victories over Kansas and South Carolina highlighting the slate.

But a crushing 27-24 home defeat at the hands of Alabama took some wind out of Drinkwitz & Co.’s sails, and even a gutsy double-overtime win over Auburn in response wasn’t enough to keep the ship afloat. Mizzou dropped 3 of its last 5 games to work out of the CFP picture and into the middle of the pack in the SEC.

With quarterback Beau Pribula set to return alongside a host of other promising young players, the Tigers could certainly use a quality win over an ACC foe as a needed boost heading into winter training.

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The Sooners are set to welcome the Crimson Tide for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Friday, Dec. 19, with that being the first game of the CFP overall.

While pleased with being included in the field, head coach Brent Venables likely wishes his program had more time to rest and prepare, because it is dealing with some injuries at key spots.

In talking to the media Sunday, Venables revealed that star cornerback Gentry Williams recently underwent shoulder surgery and will not be available for the game. Meanwhile, likely all-league defensive lineman R Mason Thomas’ status is uncertain at the moment.

Thomas has not seen the field since he suffered an injury during a scoop-and-score touchdown against Tennessee on Nov. 1. The dynamic pass rusher has recorded 23 total tackles this season and paces the Sooner defense with 6.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.

Meanwhile, Williams has not played since OU’s win over South Carolina in mid October. The junior had tallied 10 total tackles and a pair of pass breakups up to that point.

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Despite not achieving its stated preseason goal of reaching the College Football Playoff, LSU will still have a chance to add another postseason victory to its already robust football history when it takes on Houston in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl.

This will be only the 4th time these schools have ever met on the field, with the last matchup having occurred in 2000. LSU owns a 2-1 all-time advantage in the series, and it is also worth noting that this will be the first time these programs have met in a place other than Baton Rouge.

The Bayou Bengals will obviously be looking to carry some positive momentum into next season while Kiffin evaluates the talent currently on the roster, but the Cougars also have plenty at stake.

The Kinder’s Texas Bowl is set for a 9:15 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday, Dec. 27, from Houston, with the game being broadcast by ESPN. This will also be the second straight year the Tigers have competed in this game, as they claimed a 44-31 win over Baylor last season.

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Arch Manning & Co. will venture to Tampa to face another blue blood in Michigan for the 80th edition of the Citrus Bowl.

This matchup between prestigious programs gives two teams that are both building towards greater 2026 campaigns an opportunity to take a statement victory into the offseason. Both sides enter this game at 9-3, meaning that the winner will also claim a 10-win campaign for its school.

The Wolverines and Longhorns have only met twice in history despite each being historic and nationally relevant programs. Both games have resulted in Texas victories, with UT winning the 2004 Rose Bowl by a score of 38-37 while Quinn Ewers led his 2024 squad into Ann Arbor and emerged with a convincing 31-12 result.

The young quarterback matchup of Arch Manning vs. Bryce Underwood will certainly draw headlines, as both signal-callers showed flashes of great potential in their first seasons as starters.

The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl is set for a 3 p.m. ET kickoff on New Year’s Eve, with the game being broadcast by ABC.

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And to further the narrative of controversy surrounding the inclusion of Miami and Alabama over Notre Dame, the final Coaches Poll of the season has the Fighting Irish placed above both the Crimson Tide and Hurricanes.

Alabama dropped to No. 11, prompting Notre Dame and Miami to move up to No. 9 and No. 10 respectively.

1. Indiana

2. Georgia

3. Ohio State

4. Texas Tech

5. Oregon

6. Ole Miss

7. Texas A&M

8. Oklahoma

9. Notre Dame

10. Miami

11. Alabama

12. Vanderbilt

13. BYU

14. Texas

15. Utah

16. USC

17. Michigan

18. Tulane

19. James Madison

20. Arizona

21. Virginia

22. Georgia Tech

23. Tennessee

24. Houston

25. Navy

Of course, the final CFP rankings placed the Crimson Tide at No. 9, the Hurricanes at No. 10 and the Fighting Irish at No. 11, essentially flipping what the coaches chose.

In a hypothetical world, these rankings would see Alabama ousted from the bracket, with Miami and Notre Dame both qualifying for the field.

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With matchups, dates, times and locations now set, opening betting lines for Round One’s slate of games have been released.

And when Alabama visits Oklahoma in Norman for a clash between the No. 9 and No. 8 seeds respectively, it is the Crimson Tide that will potentially be the favorites.

Despite the Sooners’ statement 23-21 win in Tuscaloosa back on Nov. 15, DraftKings set the opening line at Alabama -1.5.

The betting total for the game has been placed at 41.5 as well, fitting for what figures to be another defensive grudge match between two sides that have struggled on the other side of the ball in recent weeks.

Alabama is fresh off perhaps its worth offensive performance of the season. Ty Simpson & Co. struggled to manufacture much of a rhythm against Georgia‘s revitalized defense on Saturday, leading to a season-low in points and a tough loss to swallow entering the postseason.

And for Oklahoma, explosive plays have saved the Sooners from dropping even more than 2 games this season. Brent Venables‘ defense ranks among the best in the nation in most categories, but John Mateer and the offense will need to find a groove if this team is to advance.

Oklahoma and Alabama will open the 2025-2026 CFP when they clash on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the game being broadcast by ABC.

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The ND faithful were predictably upset with their program being left out of the field, but ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit had an explanation ready for why fans may have been perplexed.

The longtime college football analyst emphasized that the committee re-evaluates the teams in its rankings each week, and thus the Tuesday night rankings show really only serves as a one-week snapshot. That reality prompted him to call for the elimination of that weekly program during Saturday’s College GameDay in Atlanta.

“This is, to me, a mistake and misleading. Because of having these Tuesday night shows and having Miami so far away from Notre Dame, it’s easy to say ‘guys, they should have had Miami ahead of Notre Dame all along,'” Herbstreit said. “Well, Miami had 2 tough losses in games they controlled against SMU and Louisville, and gave them both away. There had to be some kind of reaction and a punishment from the committee. But Miami did what they needed to do … and eventually, even though they didn’t play, Notre Dame didn’t play, the committee felt that with BYU’s second loss to Texas Tech in convincing fashion, they should go beneath Miami. And again, that’s where the head-to-head mattered and that’s why they ended up flipping Miami and Notre Dame.”

Herbstreit’s main point is what while many will point at Notre Dame being ranked ahead of Miami for much of the season, the committee’s obligation to re-rank these teams each week is supposed to create a brand-new ranking each time, free of previous bias. Thus, this final ranking represented the entire body of work from this year.

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The Rebels were in the headlines for all the wrong reasons when Lane Kiffin left the program for LSU last Sunday. But this weekend comparatively ranks among the best in the school’s history, as Pete Golding & Co. are set to welcome regional foe Tulane for the first round of the CFP in what is being billed as the biggest game in program history.

The Green Wave have already paid one visit to Oxford this season, falling 45-10 in a Week 4 battle of unbeatens.

Tulane’s star quarterback Jake Retzlaff struggled mightily in that game, completing just 5-of-17 passes for 56 yards to go along with 51 rushing yards. Still, the visitors were able to produce 178 rushing yards on 4.6 yards per carry, a sign that better success in the air could lead to an efficient, balanced attack.

But on the flip side of that, the Green Wave defense will have to figure out how to better contain Ole Miss’s dynamic offense. The Rebels racked up 548 yards of offense (307 passing, 241 rushing) and scored 3 times in the fourth quarter to secure a dominant win that has remained a shining part of their résumé.

The good news for Tulane is that its defense is coming off a game in which it limited an explosive North Texas offense to its season-low in points, in large part thanks to 5 forced turnovers.

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And so naturally, reporters in Cincinnati asked the recently-returned signal caller about his thoughts on Kiffin being hired by the Tigers program this past weekend.

Following a long pause of mulling over his thoughts — with a shrug thrown in for good measure — Burrow kept his answer simple.

“I think he’s a good coach,” Burrow said with another shrug. “I guess we’ll just see how it goes. And those are my thoughts.”

Reporters asked if the Bengals’ star was ever recruited by Kiffin–to which he replied in the negative–before the subject matter shifted to Ole Miss’ impending College Football Playoff run. Burrow first asked if the Rebels were indeed going to quality for the CFP, and then also if the entire coaching staff was leaving Oxford.

Upon receiving answers to both inquires, Burrow expressed his brief thoughts.

“Certainly not an ideal situation for a playoff run, that’s for sure,” Burrow said.

Burrow and the Bengals are currently gearing up for a matchup with the Bills on Sunday, with that game set for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff from Buffalo.

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Ahead of the matchup, the SEC’s first availability report was revealed Wednesday, and both the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide had plenty of names featured on it.

In total, Georgia listed 6 players in its report, while Alabama had a whopping 12 athletes included.

Out of the Bulldogs’ six players that are listed as ‘out’, starting center Drew Bobo is the most notable absence. He sustained a foot injury during the team’s win over Georgia Tech last week, and there are now concerns that he may not even be available for the Dawgs’ looming College Football Playoff run.

Meanwhile, Alabama tailback Jam Miller is listed as questionable after having battled injuries throughout the season, and he joins a pair of tight ends in Josh Cuevas and Danny Lewis Jr. along with offensive lineman Kam Dewberry in that category.

Star pass rusher LT Overton was listed as out for the Crimson Tide, and he is one of 5 defenders that will miss this game for Kalen DeBoer‘s team.

Georgia and Alabama will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET from Atlanta, with the game being broadcast by ABC.

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Upon Kiffin landing the job at LSU and making his way down to Baton Rouge, many began to wonder if his faithful companion would be joining him after becoming such an icon in Oxford.

Rumors began to swirl that Juice wasn’t even Kiffin’s dog, and that he was instead managed by a handler in Oxford.

These kinds of things do not fall through the cracks at SEC Shorts, and the popular YouTube channel had a clip ready for the Juice situation, mocking how Kiffin ‘left’ his dog at his old gig.

And as he tends to do, Kiffin was scrolling social media and came across the clip. The much-embattled head coach posted two laughing emojis in reply to the viral video, leaning into the bit while also not openly denying any of the aforementioned rumors.

However, Juice’s official X account put an end to those rumors on Wednesday afternoon, confirming that he will be moving to Baton Rouge with Kiffin:

Juice will now trade his powder blue and red collars for that of the purple and gold, and it remains to be seen if he can become as much of a folk legend in Baton Rouge.

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Per Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett’s report, defensive lineman JJ Finch flipped his commitment from Alabama to join the Volunteers’ program on Wednesday.

Rated a 4-star prospect by 247Sports, Finch had been committed to Kalen DeBoer since late June but visited Knoxville in early November.

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The Indianapolis product held offers from a laundry list of Power 4 programs and stands at 6-foot-3, 260 lbs.

Finch becomes the 28th member of Tennessee‘s 2026 class to sign Wednesday. He also becomes the 10th defensive lineman in the group.

The Volunteers’ current class ranks 7th in the nation according to 247Sports, with the 5-star trio of quarterback Faizon Brandon, wide receiver Tristen Keys and offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda leading the way. At its current pace, this would be the strongest recruiting class of the Heupel era.

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And on top of that, this is the ninth matchup between these two sides since 2018, with the Crimson Tide claiming a 7-1 record in the recent series entering Saturday’s clash.

Ahead of this weekend’s slate of title games, ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his SP+ predictions for the weekend.

The metric projects that Kirby Smart & Co. will finally score another win over Alabama, as SP+ sees the Bulldogs exacting revenge for the last time these sides met in Atlanta, which saw the Tide claim a 27-24 victory. This time around, the analytical projection foresees Georgia taking home a win by the same scoreline.

SP+’s prediction also follows a recent trend in this budding rivalry, as the past three meetings were all single-score results. Each of those games went in the favor of Alabama, however.

The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide will kick off at 3:30 ET from Atlanta, with the game being broadcast by ABC.

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Class of 2026 4-star Brian Williams, as rated by the 247Sports Composite, had been committed to Alabama since the first day of July.

But according to Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett, the Orlando native flipped his pledge to join rivals Auburn on Wednesday, representing the first major victory Golesh has earned over the Crimson Tide.

Williams’ 6-foot-4 frame makes him comparable to current Tigers receiver Cam Coleman, who stands at just one inch shorter and led the team with 725 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns this past season.

A product of The First Academy, Williams becomes the 14th player to sign his letter of intent and join Golesh & Co. on Wednesday, with three other prospects being verbally committed as well. He’s also the second receiver to have signed in the class alongside 3-star DeShawn Spencer, while fellow 4-star recruit Jase Matthews is among the trio of verbal commits.

Auburn’s 2026 Class, which has seen plenty of turnover in recent weeks, currently ranks 35th in the nation according to 247Sports.

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Of course, that time period brings with it a flurry of movement in the transfer portal, and with the Bulldogs looking to make a jump in Year 3 under Lebby, there figures to be plenty of change in Starkville.

The first domino of that reality fell Sunday, as veteran Mississippi State wide receiver Jordan Mosley announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal.

A Mobile, Alabama native, Mosley originally transferred to Starkville after spending the 2021 season at Northwestern, where he only registered a single catch.

After playing sparingly for the Bulldogs in 2022 and 2023, the 6-foot target broke out with 23 catches, 405 yards and three touchdowns in 2024.

But with the likes of Brenen Thompson and Anthony Evans III transferring into the program to replace some departed receivers, Mosley took a back seat in 2025. He hauled in just 8 passes for 168 yards and a score, and he did not record a catch following the team’s loss to Florida on Oct. 18.

Mosley was originally rated a 4-star prospect by 247Sports.

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The Tigers filled their head-coaching vacancy by hiring South Florida’s Alex Golesh on Sunday morning, with the Bulls’ head coach agreeing to lead the program following three seasons in Tampa.

And with the college football calendar forcing many new coaches to hit the ground running when it comes to recruiting, player retention and fundraising, the Auburn program has already gotten the ball rolling on introducing Golesh to the public.

The program will host a ‘Welcome to the Plains’ event Monday, with a live show set to begin at 11 a.m. CT from Tiger Walk. The show will become open to the public at 11:45 a.m., with a pep rally scheduled for five minutes after.

The event will wrap up with Golesh’s introductory press conference at noon, with everything also being live-streamed by the school.

Golesh arrives in Auburn after posing a 23-15 overall record with South Florida. The former Tennessee offensive coordinator did well to revitalize a program that had won just four games in the previous three years before he took over.

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After various reports, statements and rumors were thrown around throughout Sunday, Kiffin publicly stated that he is accepting the position and has already moved on to focus on his next role.

Among many initial responsibilities Kiffin will have is determining who to maintain on the Tigers’ staff, and one name stands out among the rest in that category.

According to reports by FootballScoop.com, defensive coordinator Blake Baker is at the top of Kiffin’s list to retain and will be a focal point of his early efforts.

Hired prior to the 2024 campaign, Baker spearheaded LSU‘s efforts in having the 16th ranked scoring defense in the nation this past season, despite receiving little help from a struggling offense.

Prior to his time in Baton Rouge, Baker held coordinator positions at Louisiana Tech, Miami and Missouri.

The main contention to Baker remaining in Baton Rouge appears to be the recently opened Tulane head-coaching job. A Texas native who is a a Green Wave alum, Baker may want to take his first stab at being a head coach with his alma mater after Jon Sumrall left the program to take over at Florida.

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The only issue is that Sumrall’s former role still requires his services, at least for a bit longer.

The head coach has guided Tulane to a 10-2 campaign that landed the Green Wave in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game, which is slated for at 8 p.m. ET kickoff on Friday in New Orleans. A win in that matchup would likely award Sumrall & Co. a College Football Playoff bid, thus extending their season further into December.

That could create issues with Sumrall needing to get started with recruiting and other responsibilities in Gainesville, but the school has already come out and revealed that it is content to wait on Sumrall to finish his current campaign.

Per a released statement from Florida:

... Sumrall will officially take over the Gators program following the conclusion of Tulane’s season.

Tulane will compete in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game on December 5, and a win would likely propel the Green Wave into the College Football Playoff.

Of course, a loss in the AAC title game would allow Sumrall to start work with the Gators sooner, as it is unlikely he’d coach in a non-CFP bowl game.

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Sunday morning’s Coaches Poll provided one of the first glimpses at an updated ranking, with 8 SEC teams cracking the Top 25 and the league making up half of the top 10.

1. Ohio State

2. Indiana

3. Georgia

4. Oregon

5. Ole Miss

6. Texas Tech

7. Texas A&M

8. Oklahoma

9. Notre Dame

10. Alabama

11. BYU

12. Vanderbilt

13. Miami

14. Texas

15. Utah

16. Virginia

17. USC

18. Michigan

19. James Madison

20. North Texas

21. Tulane

22. Arizona

23. Georgia Tech

24. Tennessee

25. Navy

Notably, Georgia is now the highest ranked SEC squad at No. 3, with Texas A&M having dropped from that spot to No. 7 following its defeat at the hands of Texas.

And while this poll will have no impact on the CFP rankings, it is worth noting how the coaches ranked the proverbial ‘bubble’ teams. Utah slides in at No. 15 after being jumped by Texas, but BYU, Vanderbilt and Miami all remained ahead of the Longhorns.

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The Gators announced the hiring of former Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall in the morning, and just hours later, On3’s Pete Nakos reported the program revealed that former Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager David Caldwell will take on the same role in Gainesville.

Caldwell currently works as an executive in the Philadelphia Eagles front office, which has ironically seen him work alongside Florida graduate Howie Roseman, the club’s General Manager.

Caldwell joins Sumrall in ushering in a new era of Florida football.

The 51-year-old has spent his entire career in the NFL, first working as a scouting assistant with the Carolina Panthers from 1996-1997. Caldwell then took on various scouting/personnel roles with the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons before beginning an eight-year run as Jacksonville’s GM in 2013.

The Buffalo native was hired as a personnel executive for Philadelphia in 2021 and has been there since.

Caldwell does also have playing experience, as he suited up as a linebacker for John Carroll University. He also owns a pair of Super Bowl Rings, one from Super Bowl XLI with the Colts and the other from Super Bowl LIX with the Eagles.

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With the Ole Miss head coach reportedly having already made his decision to move to Baton Rouge, the Rebels’ program has had to begin making plans for the future.

Of course, the immediate weeks will see Trinidad Chambliss & Co. take part in the College Football Playoff, likely hosting the first-ever CFP game held in Oxford.

But according to reports by CBSSports’ Matt Zenitz, it is unlikely that Kiffin will be on the sidelines for Ole Miss’ playoff run, with him set to move on to LSU. Instead, the current belief is that defensive coordinator Pete Golding will not follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge and will instead take over the interim head-coach role.

Early speculation has also led some to believe that Golding will have a strong chance at securing the permanent head-coaching gig, with his team’s performance in the CFP likely serving as an audition for the role.

Just 41 years of age, Golding began his coaching career at Delta State, Tusculum and Southeastern Louisiana before landing jobs with Southern Miss and UTSA. The Hammond, La. native then served as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Alabama from 2018-2022 before he took on the same role in Oxford.

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After early reports confirmed the move, Tigers’ Athletic Director John Cohen released a statement that confirmed the news:

“We are thrilled to announce Alex Golesh as the 33rd head coach of Auburn Football,” Cohen said. “He has produced wins and record-setting results throughout his entire career, including over the last three seasons at USF. Alex is known nationally for his player development prowess, ability to shape creative and explosive offenses, and his relentless approach to building winning programs. I was also struck by his coaching experience on both sides of the ball. In our conversations, he showed the determination and edge that this program demands of its head coach. I want to welcome Alex, his wife Alexis and children Corbin and Barrett to the Auburn Family.”

Golesh arrives in Auburn after spending three years in Tampa, posting a 23-15 overall record while guiding the Bulls program out of a dark age in the early 2020s. USF had won just four games over its previous three seasons prior to Golesh’s arrival.

“I want to thank President Roberts and John Cohen for the opportunity to lead the Auburn program,” Golesh said. “Auburn Football is one of the proudest, most tradition-rich programs in all of college football and my family and I could not be more excited to join the Auburn Family. This will be a player-driven program, and no one will outwork our staff. Auburn has won, can win and will win championships. Let’s get to work.”

A Dublin, Ohio native who was originally born in Moscow, Golesh boasts an extensive coaching background at just 41 years of age. After beginning his career primarily in the Midwest, Golesh eventually joined Josh Heupel’s staff at Central Florida in 2020 before following the head coach to Tennessee.

After helping produce some of the nation’s most prolific offensive attacks from 2021-2022 with the Vols, Golesh took on his first head-coaching role at South Florida.

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Both of these teams will likely enter this clash as ranked teams in the latest College Football Playoff poll, and the Commodores are looking to remain in the hunt for a CFP spot with a victory.

Ahead of the marquee matchup, Circa Sports released its opening betting lines for Rivalry Week’s action. The initial college football betting lines from Circa have Tennessee as a 3.5-point favorite in Knoxville. The total has been set 64.5 points.

As mentioned, Vanderbilt’s margin for error is razor thin. Diego Pavia & Co. figure to benefit from Georgia Tech’s loss to Pitt over the weekend, but they will still likely need a win in this game and some more help to crack the 12-team field.

Vandy is fresh off a dominant 45-17 victory over Kentucky and appears to be playing its best ball at the right time. Pavia himself threw for 484 yards, ran for 48 more and accounted for 6 touchdowns in the win.

Meanwhile, Tennessee is similarly peaking at the right time, as the Vols just tied their largest win ever over Florida with a 31-11 victory on Saturday night. Joey Aguilar’s offense jumped out to a fast start by scoring all 31 of its points in the first half, while the defense largely shut down the Gators.

Vanderbilt and Tennessee will kick off at 3:30 ET, with the game being broadcast by ESPN.

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But on Saturday night, the Bayou Bengals experienced a positive piece of history during the team’s 13-10 win over Western Kentucky.

For the first time in Tiger history, a trio of brothers played on the field at the same time, as Whit, West and Zach Weeks all lined up at linebacker.

West has been one of the stars of a stingy LSU defense this year, ranking third on the team with 68 total tackles while pacing the squad with 7.5 tackles for loss.

Meanwhile, Whit entered the season as one of the faces of the unit, but a bone bruise in his ankle he suffered in late September caused him to miss four games. Still, Whit has managed to rack up 29 total tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in limited time.

And to round out the trio, Zach is a true freshman who reclassified to be able to be on the same team as his brothers for the first time ever.

In the win over the Hilltoppers, West was the only one to register in the stat sheet. He finished third on the team with 7 total tackles, and he also picked up a sack and pass breakup.

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Résumé-boosting wins by the likes of Oregon and Oklahoma held off any form of chaos, and even Utah avoided a disastrous loss to Kansas State in order to stay in the CFP picture.

Rivalry week and its many twists and turns lies ahead, and before this week’s festivities kicks off, ESPN’s Heather Dinich released her latest CFP projections.

From the SEC, Dinich has Texas A&M holding serve at No. 3, although she notes that the Aggies are in danger of dropping drastically if they fall to Texas.

“It’s unlikely anything will change in the third ranking, but if Texas A&M loses to Texas — and doesn’t win the SEC — it will be interesting to see where the Aggies fall on Selection Day. They didn’t face Alabama or Georgia during the regular season, playing just the 12th-most difficult schedule in the SEC, according to ESPN Analytics — ahead of only Vandy, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Missouri. The Aggies rank just outside the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.“

A TAMU loss to the Longhorns would be a welcomed sight for Georgia, who Dinich slides in at No. 4. The Bulldogs’ lone loss appears to be the only thing separating it from TAMU, as the metrics for both programs are similar.

“It would be surprising to see the committee move Georgia this week — especially since everyone played weaker opponents and Texas Tech was on a bye — but if Texas A&M loses to Texas this Friday, it will open the door for debate between the Bulldogs and Aggies. The committee would compare Texas as a common opponent, and Georgia beat the Longhorns soundly. Georgia also has more wins against ranked opponents (a win against Georgia Tech could add another) and a slightly tougher schedule. Some committee members might also think Georgia has a slightly better loss (Alabama) than A&M (Texas).“

A major debate for Dinich resided in how to rank Oregon following the Ducks’ strong win over USC, as the Big Ten squad could make an argument to jump ahead of Ole Miss in some regards.

“The committee members could consider bumping Oregon ahead of Ole Miss, as they’ve been waiting for a performance like Saturday’s against another CFP contender and the Ducks delivered against USC. Oregon and Ole Miss are extremely close in both strength of record and strength of schedule, and they both lost to a top-four team. Ole Miss also has a win against Tulane, which is now the leader for a Group of 5 playoff spot, and the win against the Sooners was on the road, whereas Oregon beat USC at home. With everything else so comparable, those are some small details that might continue to lean in the Rebels’ favor — if maybe for only another week.”

Dinich also believes that Oklahoma and Notre Dame are neck-and-neck at No. 8 and No. 9 respectively, which would prompt them to meet in Round One.

“If the playoff were today, the debate between Oklahoma and Notre Dame would be settled on the field — in Norman, where the Sooners would have home-field advantage in the first round. The No. 8 spot is the last team in the ranking to host a first-round game.”

Alabama slides behind Notre Dame at No. 10, and while Dinich doesn’t necessarily agree with the Crimson Tide being behind the Fighting Irish, she doesn’t see that changing this week.

“If Alabama’s résumé wasn’t enough to keep the Tide ahead of Notre Dame last week, it’s unlikely to change this week. Alabama entered Saturday No. 8 in strength of record and No. 2 in strength of schedule, both ahead of Notre Dame.”

Here is Dinich’s CFP field based on her latest top 12

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Georgia
5. Texas Tech
6. Ole Miss
7. Oregon
8. Oklahoma
9. Notre Dame
10. Alabama
11. Miami (ACC champion)
12. Tulane (American champion)
    
    

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Such was certainly the case in Clemson. The CW’s broadcast of Clemson vs. Furman caught the attention of Awful Announcing as Kiffin’s pending decision while calling the Tigers’ 45-10 win over Furman. Play-by-play commentator Thom Brennaman spoke at length about the news, with color commentator Will Blackmon chiming in as well.

“This whole Lane Kiffin thing is just,” Brennaman began. “A lot of people thought these days of Lane Kiffin were behind him… I mean, all the drama, going back to when he was a very young man, and everything that happened. Tennessee, where he’s there one year and picks up stakes. And goes to [USC]; he gets run out of there. He goes to Central Florida (Kiffin has never coached for UCF; Brennaman means Florida Atlantic). He comes to Ole Miss, where he has built a team that’s on its way to the College Football Playoff.”

“And now, you’re reading stories about his family visiting LSU and visiting Gainesville, Florida,” Brennaman continued. “Both of those jobs are, of course, open. And, I mean, look, historically speaking, of course, there’s no contest; Ole Miss compared to LSU and Florida. But in the last four or five years, Ole Miss has been a better team than Florida and LSU.”

Blackmon responded by saying that he would stay at Ole Miss if in Kiffin’s current position, but he did acknowledge that the head coach may want to go prove that he can win in a different situation.

Brennaman had a rebuttal ready for that notion:

“Well, he’s more than done that,” Brennaman said. “Except, truth be told, the only place he’s ever done it is at Ole Miss. Didn’t happen at [USC]. Certainly did not happen at Tennessee. Did very well down at Central Florida (Brennaman again means FAU), of course, but I’m talking about on the Power Four stage. But, he has done a phenomenal job at Ole Miss.”

“And I’m not so sure Florida and LSU are outspending Ole Miss in the portal and the NIL,” Brennaman added. “Matter of fact, I don’t think they are.”

Brennaman finished by claiming that the perception of Kiffin would be tainted if he made the move in this manner, especially given the current stakes surrounding Ole Miss’ season.

“The thing is you pray that doesn’t happen, to sort of tie a ribbon around this Kiffin thing, because if it did, his reputation would be tarnished, unfortunately, forever, no matter what he does,” Brennaman continued.

“Tarnished if he left?” Blackmon asked, looking for clarification.

“If he left as they’re going into the College Football Playoff,” Brennman explained. “There are a lot of people that would never let that go. And you know what, you can’t blame ’em. But, unfortunately, and look, he laid it out there in the SEC coaches call the other day. He said, ‘Look, this is a systemic problem.’ The way it’s laid out with commitments, intents, transfer portal, all this kind of thing.”

“But, the bottom line is, man, oh, man, if he were to win next week in the Egg Bowl, and then that’s a guarantee they’re in the College Football Playoff, and then leave?” Brennaman said. “Ooh.”

An announcement on Kiffin’s future is expected to come from the University following Friday’s Egg Bowl, with that game set for a noon ET kickoff in Starkville.

Thom Brennaman has a lot to say about Lane Kiffin on the Furman-Clemson broadcast.

"A lot of people thought these days of Lane Kiffin were behind him… All the drama… [If he left as Ole Miss is going into the CFP] His reputation would be tarnished, unfortunately, forever." pic.twitter.com/1ZavimBOvy

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 22, 2025

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The top 11 teams in this week’s Coaches Poll remain the same as they were last week, with the first instance of shakeup occurring at No. 12 where Georgia Tech has fallen, giving rise to the likes of Vanderbilt and Miami.

Elsewhere, Tennessee rose to No 18 following a dominant 20-point win over Florida, and Texas received a mirroring two-spot boost thanks to its strong showing against Arkansas.

Eight SEC squads are included in this week’s ranking, with the league making up half of the top 12.

1. Ohio State

2. Indiana

3. Texas A&M

4. Georgia

5. Oregon

6. Ole Miss

7. Texas Tech

8. Oklahoma

9. Notre Dame

10. Alabama

11. BYU

12. Vanderbilt

13. Miami

14. Utah

15. Michigan

16. Texas

17. Virginia

18. Tennessee

19. Georgia Tech

20. USC

21. James Madison

22. North Texas

23. Tulane

24. Pittsburgh

25. SMU

Notably, Missouri dropped from the rankings following its loss to Oklahoma. The Tigers received 32 votes overall.

New additions to the poll were Pittsburgh and SMU, two ACC teams that are still very much in contention for the conference’s crown.

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The 27-year-old Alabama product had been dealing with a knee injury leading into this game, and his status was in question all week.

Earlier Sunday, NFL Network reported that Jacobs will be deemed inactive for the Packers’ date with the Vikings. This will be the first game Jacobs has missed this season despite him battling multiple ailments already.

Jacobs has enjoyed a strong second year in Green Bay after being traded from the Las Vegas Raiders prior to the 2024 campaign. The former Bama back has racked up 648 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns to go along with 236 receiving yards, although he has yet to eclipse the 100-yard mark in a game this season.

With the Packers also visiting the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, the organization may have opted for caution in hopes that Jacobs will be ready for that contest.

Backup tailback Emmanuel Wilson, a 26-year-old out of Fort Valley College, is expected to take over the bulk of the carries in Green Bay’s backfield.

The Packers and Vikings kick off at 1 p.m. ET, with the game being broadcast by FOX.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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