Spenser Davis, Author at Saturday Down South

Texas A&M announces new offensive coordinator for 2026 season

Spenser Davis — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:29:03 +0000

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has decided to promote Holmon Wiggins to offensive coordinator for the 2026 campaign.

That decision was announced on Monday afternoon. Wiggins is set to replace Collin Klein, who will leave College Station to become the next head coach at Kansas State after the Aggies’ College Football Playoff run.

Here’s the official announcement:

A new play caller on the offensive side of the ball.

Holmon Wiggins has been elevated to Offensive Coordinator. pic.twitter.com/Rp2pekqJQW
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) December 15, 2025

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This is a bold move for Elko, as Wiggins has not called played at the collegiate level before. He’s mostly coached running backs and wide receivers at his various stops during his coaching career. Wiggins was also the assistant head coach at Alabama under Nick Saban from 2021-23.

Texas A&M is expected to have Marcel Reed back for next season. Reed took big strides as a passer this year, which was a big reason why the Aggies were able to complete an 11-1 regular season.

Overall, the Aggies averaged 6.56 yards per carry in 2025. That ranked 5th in the SEC, so it makes sense that Elko would want to keep as much staff continuity as possible for the 2026 season.

The post Texas A&M announces new offensive coordinator for 2026 season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

SEC lands 6 players on AP All-America team for 2025 season

Spenser Davis — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 19:55:12 +0000

The SEC is well-represented on this year’s Associated Press All-America team.

The AP released its first, second and third teams for the 2025 season on Monday. The SEC had 6 players who earned first-team honors, which was second-most of any conference (the Big Ten had 10).

The SEC players to earn first-team recognition are Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers, Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy, Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion (all-purpose), Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell, Georgia linebacker CJ Allen and LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.

AP All-America first-team

Here’s the AP’s All-America first team for 2025:

First-team offense

WR: Makai Lemon, Southern California

WR: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

WR: Skyler Bell, UConn

OT: Francis Mauigoa, Miami

OT: Spencer Fano, Utah

OG: Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

OG: Beau Stephens, Iowa

C: Logan Jones, Iowa

TE: Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

QB: Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

RB: Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

RB: Ahmad Hardy, Missouri

K: Kansei Matsuzawa, Hawaii

All-purpose: KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

First-team defense

Edge: David Bailey, Texas Tech

Edge: Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

Interior lineman: Kayden McDonald

Interior lineman: Landon Robinson, Navy

LB: Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

LB: Arvell Reese, Ohio State

LB: CJ Allen, Georgia

CB: Leonard Moore, Notre Dame

CB: Mansoor Delane, LSU

S: Caleb Downs, Ohio State

S: Bishop Fitzgerald, Southern California

DB: Jakari Foster, Louisiana Tech

P: Cole Maynard, Western Kentucky

Other All-Americans

Other SEC players honored with second-or-third-team selections include Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, Florida center Jake Slaughter, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy, Texas linebacker Anthony Hill, Tennessee receiver Chris Brazzell II, Texas safety Michael Taaffe and Alabama defensive back Bray Hubbard.

The post SEC lands 6 players on AP All-America team for 2025 season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola plans to enter transfer portal, per report

Spenser Davis — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 18:53:18 +0000

After 2 seasons at Nebraska, former 5-star quarterback Dylan Raiola is set to enter the transfer portal this offseason.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that news on Monday afternoon, noting that Raiola completed about 72% of his passes during his sophomore season. Raiola’s year was cut short after he suffered a season-ending leg injury against USC back in Week 10.

Sources: Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal. He’s a true sophomore who has two years of eligibility remaining. He threw for 18 touchdowns, 2000 yards and completed 72.4% of his passes this year. pic.twitter.com/Frt7QgFN57
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 15, 2025

Raiola was committed to Georgia as a high school senior until flipping to Nebraska just before signing day in the class of 2024. His uncle, Donovan Raiola, served as Nebraska’s offensive line coach until last week when he was fired by head coach Matt Rhule.

Raiola will be among the most highly-recruited transfer quarterbacks this offseason. Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles and Cincinnati quarterback Brennan Sorsby also reportedly have plans to enter the portal when it opens on Jan. 2.

As for the Huskers, Nebraska will likely look to add a quarterback via the portal this offseason. TJ Lateef finished the season as Nebraska’s starting quarterback after Raiola went down, but the Huskers went just 1-3 against Big Ten opposition down the stretch.

The post Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola plans to enter transfer portal, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

DJ Lagway makes decision on future at Florida

Spenser Davis — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:13:40 +0000

Florida quarterback DJ Lagway will enter the transfer portal when it opens next month.

He announced the news on social media on Monday morning. In a lengthy message, Lagway thanked his family, friends, teammates and coaches before announcing his departure.

“After much prayer, reflection, and thoughtful consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal,” Lagway wrote in-part.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LAG (@djlagway)

Lagway is a former top prospect who will certainly be highly sought-after by other teams from across the country. Lagway spent 2 seasons in Gainesville but will now be looking for a new home in 2026.

Lagway was a 5-star recruit in the class of 2024. He emerged as a potential star during his true freshman season in 2024, helping the Gators to an 8-win season that year. However, he battled injury issues all offseason and had an underwhelming campaign in 2025.

This season, Lagway threw for just 2,264 yards and 16 touchdowns while throwing an SEC-worst 14 interceptions.

New Florida coach Jon Sumrall will now be tasked with adding a starting quarterback via the transfer portal this offseason.

The transfer portal will officially open on Jan. 2.

The post DJ Lagway makes decision on future at Florida appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Ole Miss announces WR coach hire for Pete Golding’s 2026 staff

Spenser Davis — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 02:52:09 +0000

Ole Miss has its wide receivers coach for the 2026 season.

The Rebels are hiring L’Damian Washington for that role. The program announced the news on Sunday evening. Washington is a significant hire for Pete Golding as he continues to build out his first coaching staff in Oxford.

Welcome to Oxford @DrWashington_

Ole Miss officially hires L'Damian Washington as Wide Receivers Coach.#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/feBkVjWElN
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 15, 2025

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Washington played wide receiver at Mizzou before moving on to a pro career. He spent time on numerous NFL practice squads and also had stints in other pro leagues.

As a coach, Washington has SEC experience. He was the wide receivers coach at Kentucky in 2025. Washington also held that role at Oklahoma in 2022. Washington’s coaching career has also included stints at Southern and South Florida.

Ole Miss has had a strong wide receiver room for the past few seasons, but it’s possible the Rebels will lose players to the transfer portal after the 2025 campaign comes to an end. Washington will be a big part of building the Ole Miss offense for the 2026 season.

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Diego Pavia apologizes for ‘disrespectful’ comment toward Heisman Trophy voters

Spenser Davis — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 02:05:54 +0000

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has issued an apology for what he acknowledged was a “disrespectful” remark aimed at Heisman Trophy voters on Sunday.

Pavia wrote “F-all the voters” in an Instagram post early Sunday morning, hours after finishing in 2nd place in Heisman voting behind Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

In addition to his apology, Pavia also confirmed he will play for the Commodores one last time as they battle Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Here’s his statement in-full:

Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor. As a competitor, just like in everything I do I wanted to win. To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to. I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake, and I am sorry.

Fernando Mendoza is an elite competitor and a deserving winner of the award. I have nothing but respect for his accomplishments as well as the success that Jeremiyah and Julian had this season.

I’ve been doubted my whole life. Every step of my journey I’ve had to break down doors and fight for myself, because Ive learned that nothing would be handed to me. My family has always been in my corner, and my teammates, coaches and staff have my six. I love them — I am grateful for them. — and I wouldn’t want anything to distract from that. I look forward to competing in front of my family and with my team one more time in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor. As a competitor, just like in everything I do I wanted to win. To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the…
— Diego Pavia (@diegopavia02) December 15, 2025

Although Pavia came up short of winning the Heisman Trophy, he did become the first player in Vanderbilt history to be a finalist for the prestigious award.

Vanderbilt and Iowa will kickoff at 12 p.m. ET on Dec. 31.

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Patrick Mahomes suffers serious knee injury in season-ending loss

Spenser Davis — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 01:27:55 +0000

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn left ACL in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The injury happened in the final minute of Kansas City’s comeback effort against LA. Mahomes was unable to continue and the Chiefs turned the ball over a few plays later to give the Chargers the win.

Hours after the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Chiefs announced that Mahomes suffered a torn ACL. The Chiefs said both Mahomes and the teams are exploring surgical options.

Injury Update on QB Patrick Mahomes:

An MRI has confirmed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in today’s game. Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options.
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 15, 2025

The Chiefs had little to play for in 2025 following this loss as they’ve now been eliminated from postseason contention. This will be Kansas City’s first time outside of the playoff since 2014.

Mahomes is likely to miss key offseason workouts and perhaps even games at the start of the 2026 season as he recovers from this ACL injury. Mahomes has rarely been hurt during his NFL career — he’s played at least 14 games in every season since his rookie year.

Mahomes also had this to say on social media:

Don’t know why this had to happen. And not going to lie it’s hurts. But all we can do now is Trust in God and attack every single day over and over again. Thank you Chiefs kingdom for always supporting me and for everyone who has reached out and sent prayers. I Will be back…
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) December 14, 2025

According to most sports betting apps, the Los Angeles Rams are the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl this season.

The Chiefs will go on the road to face the Tennessee Titans next weekend.

The post Patrick Mahomes suffers serious knee injury in season-ending loss appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Arizona vs. Alabama basketball preview

Spenser Davis — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Alabama basketball will battle No. 1 Arizona in Birmingham on Saturday night in a high-profile nonconference game.

The Crimson Tide are once again expected to contend for a Final Four appearance this season, as they often have under Nate Oats. Getting to play a No. 1-ranked team during the regular season is a rare opportunity that Alabama will hope to take advantage of on Saturday night.

Arizona vs. Alabama 2025

First, let’s take a look at the betting odds for this game. This includes the best price for each market according to a variety of real money betting apps:

Arizona vs. Alabama stats

Here’s how these teams match up in a variety of key areas. Stats via KenPom:

Metric	Arizona	Alabama
Adjusted offensive rating	123.5	126.5
Adjusted defensive rating	93.3	99.5
3-point attempt rate (offense)	26.20%	52.30%
Offensive turnover rate	17.80%	13.00%
Defensive turnover rate	19.10%	14.30%
Offensive rebounding rate	40.70%	32.70%
Defensive rebounding rate	72.40%	69.40%
Offensive pace (National ranking)	41st	9th

There are a few takeaways from this side-by-side comparison. The biggest is the extremely-large discrepancy in 3-point attempt rate. Alabama takes as many 3-pointers as any team in the country while Arizona is 363rd out of 365 Division I teams in 3-point attempt rate.

Pace will certainly be something that’s worth watching in this game. Both of these offenses like to play fast, but Arizona’s lack of 3-point attempts suggests it may need to be a bit more methodical in order to find good shots. Shoring up the interior will be a major key for Alabama in this matchup.

Another thing that jumps out: Arizona’s defense has been excellent this season. The Wildcats’ adjusted defensive rating ranks 10th nationally. Here’s how Arizona’s high-profile opponents have fared this season vs. the Wildcats:

Florida: 1.06 points per possession
UCLA: 0.97 points per possession
UConn: 1.06 points per possession
Auburn: 0.92 points per possession

All of those teams are currently ranked in KenPom’s top-35. It’s been an extremely-impressive start to the season for Arizona’s defense.

One last edge for Arizona in this game: Offensive rebounding. The Wildcats are top-10 nationally in offensive rebounding rate entering the weekend. They have a history of prioritizing the offensive glass under Tommy Lloyd. Meanwhile, Alabama is just mediocre on the boards. The rebounding gap is big enough to reasonably expect Arizona will have a few extra shot attempts in this game.

Arizona vs. Alabama pick

I think the best play for this game is the under. Arizona’s defense has been absolutely elite this season, holding all 4 power-conference opponents it has faced to under 1.1 points per possession. For context, there are 130 teams who are averaging at least 1.1 points per possession so far this season — that’s not a particularly high bar and yet Arizona is consistently keeping teams under that threshold. I also think Arizona may play try to slow the game down against a fast-paced Alabama team and limit the number of possessions.

Pick: Under 178 points (-110 on Caesars)

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • December 13, 2025 at 6:15am

Pick

Odds

Under +178.5

Over/Under

NCAAB • Arizona Wildcats @ Alabama Crimson Tide

-110 on Caesars

CLOSED • 12/14/2025

Betslip #1765606537230-16bd-751

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Army-Navy football preview: Picks, predictions

Spenser Davis — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000

The 2025 Army-Navy game will be played on Saturday afternoon in Baltimore.

This game always carries plenty of meaning and this year is no different. These storied programs have split each of the last 6 meeting in this series, but it’s the Midshipmen who will be looking for their 2nd consecutive win.

Army-Navy game

Here’s what the odds look like for this game from a variety of the top sports betting apps:

Army football news

Army’s offense followed a really unusual statistical pattern this year. Per Game on Paper, the Black Knights offense ranks 56th nationally in EPA-per-play but just 106th in success rate.
The implication there is that Army is heavily reliant on explosive plays. The Black Knights are in the 88th percentile in explosive play rate this season, so they’ve been able to consistently create those opportunities.
Army’s passing game has not been particularly effective. Starting quarterback Cale Hellums has 504 yards on 69 pass attempts. Seven of his 35 completions this year have gone for 30+ yards.
However, Heullums did rush for over 1,000 yards this season and scored 15 touchdowns on the ground. He also led the AAC in rushing attempts this season.
Army’s secondary was quite poor this season. It ranks 96th in EPA-per-pass allowed, per Game on Paper.
Overall, Army’s defense is 128th in success rate.
Army was a bit better against the run this season — at least when it comes to limiting explosive plays. When Army played Air Force this season, the Falcons managed just 4.9 yards per play.

Navy football news

Navy’s rushing offense is absolutely elite. Per CFB-Graphs, the Midshipmen posted a positive EPA-per-rush in 10 of 11 games this season (Air Force was the lone exception).
Navy’s rushing success rate is also excellent — it ranks No. 7 nationally in that category, per Game on Paper.
Blake Horvath is back at quarterback for Navy. He’s more of a passing threat than service academies typically have at QB. He averaged over 10 yards per attempt this season and has 22 touchdown passes over his last 2 years as Navy’s starting quarterback.
If Horvath throws for 1 more touchdown, he’d become just the 2nd Navy QB since the turn of the century to have 25+ passing touchdowns and 30+ rushing touchdowns in a career (Keenan Reynolds is the other).
Navy is very vulnerable to the pass (131st in EPA-per-pass allowed) but that may not be a big factor against this Army team.
Navy allowed Air Force to gain 7.1 yards per play in a 34-31 win over the Falcons earlier this season. Horvath had a staggering 339 passing yards in that victory.

Army vs. Navy predictions

I like Navy to beat the number. I considered a Navy team total over as well, but it’s just hard to make a bet like that considering the number of possessions is likely to be low in Army-Navy. But the bottom line is I think Navy’s offense has a pretty significant advantage in this game. The Midshipmen have a great quarterback — arguably their best in at least a decade — and they can really, really run the ball. Army’s defense has been mediocre this season. Give me Navy to win by at least a touchdown.

Pick: Navy -6.5 (-105 on Fanatics)

I think Horvath will throw a touchdown pass in this game. Since the start of last season, Horvath has a TD pass in 14 of 22 games. He has 5 touchdown passes in his last 2 games against service academies (Air Force in 2025 and Army in 2024). Given challenges Army’s defense has had in the secondary this season and that Navy does tend to throw the ball more than you’d expect, I think there’s a strong chance we’ll see a Horvath TD pass.

Pick: Blake Horvath over 0.5 passing touchdowns (+105 on BetMGM)

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • December 10, 2025 at 8:51pm

Pick

Odds

HomePointSpread -6.5

Spread

CFB • Army Black Knights @ Navy Midshipmen

-105 on Consensus

CLOSED • 12/13/2025

Betslip #1765399884533-16bd-810

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Mizzou offensive coordinator Kirby Moore lands head coaching job, per report

Spenser Davis — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 21:54:01 +0000

Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore will be the next head coach at Washington State, according to a report.

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman was first to break that news on Friday afternoon. Moore grew up in the state of Washington before having a college career as a wide receiver at Boise State.

SOURCES: Mizzou OC Kirby Moore will be the new head coach at Washington State. The former Boise State WR, the younger brother of Kellen Moore, grew up about 160 miles from Pullman. His offense was No. 1 in rushing in the SEC and ranked 4th in 3rd down offense.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 12, 2025

This is a significant loss for the Mizzou offense. Moore has been Mizzou’s offensive coordinator for the last 3 seasons. Over that time, Missouri has averaged 5.96 yards per play. That ranks 45th nationally over that time frame.

Mizzou’s offense under Moore peaked in 2023 when the Tigers averaged 6.46 yards per play, which was tied for 4th among SEC programs that season.

Eli Drinkwitz will now be tasked with finding a replacement offensive coordinator for 2026. This will be the second time in the last 3 seasons where Drinkwitz has to make a coordinator hire. He previously hired Corey Batoon to replace Blake Baker after the latter left for the defensive coordinator position at LSU after the 2023 season.

Missouri has one of the toughest schedules in the SEC in 2026, so making a good hire will be pivotal for its success next season.

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Big 12 head coach announces plans to step down after bowl game

Spenser Davis — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 21:33:43 +0000

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham will step down from his position after the end of the 2025 season, he announced Friday.

Whittingham will coach his final game in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31. He’s the all-time winningest head coach in program history.

Here’s Whittingham’s statement:

The time is right to step down from my position as the head coach at the University of Utah.

It’s been an honor and a privilege to lead this program for the past 21 years and I’m very grateful for the relationships forged with all the players and assistant coaches that have worked so hard and proudly worn the drum and feather during our time here.

The opportunity to guide so many talented young men as they pursued their goals — both on and off the field, has truly been a blessing. Thank you to the University, the Salt Lake community, all of Ute Nation and most of all my wife and family for your unwavering support that has helped make Utah Football what it is today.

𝗞𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗨𝘁𝗮𝗵 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵.

𝘼𝙡𝙡-𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 head coach in Utah Football history will coach his last game for the Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31. #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/ii706lcGXW
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 12, 2025

Whittingham was hired to replace Urban Meyer after the 2024 season. He was one of the longest-tenured head coaches in all of college football before deciding to step down on Friday.

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley is the Utes’ head coach in waiting.

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Ryan Williams comments on Kalen DeBoer’s reported link to Michigan job

Spenser Davis — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 21:06:03 +0000

Alabama is getting set to face Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff next weekend, but its preparation hasn’t come without distractions.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer has been linked to the Michigan coaching vacancy. He was previously linked to the Penn State job before he shot down those rumors and the Nittany Lions hired Matt Campbell for the role.

During a media availability on Friday, star receiver Ryan Williams downplayed the impact of rumors surrounding DeBoer’s future.

“Of course we see it on TV but he’s given his best effort here,” Williams said. “The focus is on playing against Oklahoma. And we’re not really worried about it.

“At the end of the day, he serves us 100%. That’s our coach so we’re going to play for him. External noise is external noise. We just focus on the internal.”

Here’s a clip from Williams speaking with local beat writers in Tuscaloosa:

Alabama WR Ryan Williams on how the Crimson Tide has handled the Kalen DeBoer Michigan rumors. @tuscaloosanews @TideSports pic.twitter.com/6lDt6mI7OB
— Colin Gay (@_ColinGay) December 12, 2025

When asked about the Penn State job earlier this month, DeBoer noted that he and his family are “extremely happy” at Alabama and haven’t had interest in other jobs.

DeBoer is 0-2 against Oklahoma as Alabama’s head coach, including a loss in Tuscaloosa earlier this season. That game is slated for Friday, Dec. 19.

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Rece Davis makes suggestion for next Michigan head coach

Spenser Davis — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 20:15:05 +0000

As Michigan embarks on a search for its next head coach, ESPN’s Rece Davis has a suggestion.

Davis says that former Stanford head coach David Shaw would be “likely atop” his list for the role if he were in Michigan AD Warde Manuel’s position.

If I were in Warde Manuel and Michigan’s position, I’d have David Shaw very high on my list. Given the circumstances, likely atop the list.
— Rece Davis (@ReceDavis) December 12, 2025

That suggestion from Davis comes as Michigan is now embroiled in controversy after former head coach Sherrone Moore was fired earlier this week for having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Moore was later detained by police and charged with multiple criminal offenses for an incident that allegedly took place after he was fired.

Although Shaw hasn’t been in a college head coach in several years, he does have a sterling reputation. Shaw was the head coach at Stanford from 2011-22 and currently serves as the passing game coordinator for the Detroit Lions.

As of now, the lead candidates for the Michigan job are Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, Washington coach Jedd Fisch and Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham. That’s according to prediction markets such as Kalshi.

Here’s a live look at Kalshi’s market for the next Michigan coach:

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Former Mizzou QB Brady Cook to get first NFL start in Week 15

Spenser Davis — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 19:12:41 +0000

Former Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook will get his first NFL start this weekend.

New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn announced that news on Friday. Cook will be going against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Jets HC Aaron Glenn announced that QB Brady Cook will start Sunday vs. the Jaguars. pic.twitter.com/wpPIf2J9qN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 12, 2025

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The Jets have battled inconsistency and injury issues at quarterback all season. Justin Field began the year as the starter but was benched for Tyrod Taylor earlier this season. Both Fields and Taylor have been ruled out for Sunday’s game due to injury, clearing the way for Cook to get his first NFL start.

Cook made his NFL debut last week in relief of Taylor. He struggled coming in off the bench as he threw for 163 yards and 2 interceptions on 30 pass attempts.

Cook went undrafted in 2025 but was picked up by the Jets as a free agent back in May.

Cook had a prolific career at Missouri before turning pro. He was the Tigers’ starter for 3 seasons, amassing 9,251 passing yards and 50 passing touchdowns while in Columbia.

The Jets and Jaguars will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.

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Sherrone Moore facing charges of home invasion, stalking

Spenser Davis — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 18:21:50 +0000

Former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore was officially charged with multiple offenses on Friday.

According to court records, Moore is facing charges of third-degree home invasion, stalking and breaking and entering. The third-degree home invasion charge is a felony while the other 2 offenses are misdemeanors.

The felony charge carries a prison sentence up to 5 years if convicted. The stalking charge (domestic relationship) is punishable by up to 1 year in prison.

The alleged incident happened after Moore was fired as head coach at Michigan on Wednesday. In a statement, Michigan said Moore was being fired for cause after he had an “inappropriate relationship” with a staff member.

According to the prosecutor on the case, Moore then went to the alleged victim’s apartment and threatened his own life. According to the prosecutor, Moore left the apartment after the alleged victim said she would call the police. He was later detained and has been in police custody since Wednesday.

“The totality of the behavior is highly-threatening and highly-intimidating,” the prosecutor said. “She was terrorized, your honor.”

Here’s a clip of allegations being made against Moore:

Allegations laid out by prosecutor against Sherrone Moore

Says Moore barged into house, grabbed multiple knives and threatened to kill himself in front of alleged victim pic.twitter.com/bDzyKBqNTj
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) December 12, 2025

Moore was granted release on a $25,000 bond and must wear a GPS tether prior to release. Moore is also required to continue mental health treatment. His next court date has been set for Jan. 22.

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Texas A&M officially announces defensive coordinator for 2026

Spenser Davis — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:27:02 +0000

Texas A&M has promoted Lyle Hemphill to defensive coordinator for the 2026 season.

The program confirmed that news on Friday morning. Hemphill replaces Jay Bateman, who recently left Texas A&M to call plays for Kentucky next year.

Lyle Hemphill has been promoted to Defensive Coordinator.#GigEm | https://t.co/dQ9eOeJ1fJ pic.twitter.com/UqI9PyOTy8
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) December 12, 2025

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Hemphill previously worked for Elko at both Hofstra and Duke. Hemphill was the defensive coordinator for James Madison in 2024 before joining Texas A&M as associate head coach for defense in the summer of 2025.

Elko and his staff have made significant progress with Texas A&M’s defense in just 2 years on the job. This season, the Aggies allowed just 5.04 yards per play which ranked 34th nationally and 8th in the SEC.

Texas A&M also achieved an 11-1 record this season thanks in-part to its success on the defensive side of the ball. The Aggies are now preparing to take on Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff next weekend.

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SEC Network analysts debate toughest 2026 SEC football schedules

Spenser Davis — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 16:59:38 +0000

The SEC announced its full conference slate for the 2026 season on Thursday evening.

Opponents and locations have long been known for each program’s 9 conference games, but now dates have been finalized as well. With those details set, the SEC Network desk discussed which SEC teams have the hardest schedules next fall.

The panel of Gene Chizik, Roman Harper, Cole Cublic and Dari Nowkhah all came up with different answers.

Chizik chose Mizzou, citing that 4 teams from this year’s CFP are on the Tigers’ schedule for next season. The Tigers also have a road game against Kansas in a rivalry game and they will also host Texas in November.

Harper made the case for Auburn. Alex Golesh will have a gauntlet of road games to get through in Year 1 as Auburn will make trips to Tennessee, Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Alabama. The Tigers also play Baylor in a neutral-site game that will be played in Atlanta.

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Cubelic selected Texas for his pick. The Longhorns will play Ohio State in nonconference action before taking on Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri, LSU and Texas A&M away from home. Texas also hosts difficult opponents like Florida and Ole Miss.

Nowkhah went with Mississippi State. The Bulldogs will see Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas and Ole Miss next season, among other challenges.

Here’s a clip of the discussion on SEC Network:

Who has the toughest schedule in 2026?

@CoachGeneChizik: Missouri
@Harp41: Auburn
@colecubelic: Texas
@ESPNDari: Mississippi State pic.twitter.com/mRgEAdQwkR
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 12, 2025

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Who will be Michigan’s next head coach? Kalen DeBoer among favorites, per prediction markets

Spenser Davis — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 18:55:16 +0000

Although Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer shot down links to Penn State earlier this month, his name has once again been associated with a Big Ten coaching search.

DeBoer, who has deep ties to the Midwest, is an early favorite to be the next head coach at Michigan following Sherrone Moore’s firing on Wednesday.

Michigan coaching candidates

Thanks to prediction markets like Kalshi, we can get an up-to-date look at who is most likely to be the next head coach at Michigan.

This chart below shows live prices for the top coaching candidates at Michigan on Kalshi:

Kalshi is live in all 50 US states. Contracts are paid out at $1 per correct prediction. So if DeBoer to be Michigan’s next head coach is priced at 20 cents, that means it’s roughly +400 odds in traditional sports betting terms.

DeBoer has plenty of roots in the Midwest, although he doesn’t have much experience in the state of Michigan itself. His lone spell in the state came more than a decade ago when he was the offensive coordinator at Eastern Michigan from 2014-16.

Of course, DeBoer and Alabama are currently preparing to take on Oklahoma in a College Football Playoff game on Dec. 19. The timing of that game could make it difficult for Michigan to pull DeBoer away from Tuscaloosa. Although, as we saw with Lane Kiffin earlier this year, a coach leaving prior to a CFP game isn’t unprecedented.

Washington coach Jedd Fisch is also a top contender alongside DeBoer to get the Michigan job as of this writing. Fisch has worked in Ann Arbor before. He was a key assistant for the Wolverines from 2015-16 before taking over as offensive coordinator at UCLA in 2017. Fisch has also worked for a number of NFL franchises during his coaching career.

No other candidate on Kalshi is priced higher than 10 cents per contract as of publication. However, other names could emerge throughout this process. Former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, former Giants coach and ex-Alabama assistant Brian Daboll and Louisville coach Jeff Brohm are all potential candidates for the Michigan vacancy, per Kalshi’s marketplace.

There’s also a number of coaches who have either signed extensions or publicly committed to their current schools for 2026. That list includes Eli Drinkwitz, Clark Lea, Rhett Lashlee, Kenny Dillingham and Matt Rhule, among others. Each of those coaches are included in Kalshi’s marketplace for the Michigan job at varying price points.

There is no known timetable for Michigan to make an official hire.

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Here’s what prediction markets are saying about the top Super Bowl contenders

Spenser Davis — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

The NFL regular season is winding down, so it’s a good time to take a look at the prediction market space in an effort to evaluate the top Super Bowl contenders.

This story will look at current Super Bowl market prices on Kalshi — a predictions market that’s live in all 50 US states.

While the Broncos and Patriots currently have the best records in the NFL (both teams are 11-2), Kalshi’s market doesn’t show either of those franchises among the top Super Bowl contenders.

Super Bowl odds

While prices expressed in this story are subject to change at any time, this chart showing the top contenders will update automatically based on game results, injuries and other market factors:

Let’s break down why Los Angeles, Seattle and Buffalo are currently the top Super Bowl contenders on Kalshi.

Los Angeles Rams

As of this writing, the Rams are far and away the favorite on Kalshi to win the Super Bowl in 2026. They’re currently trading at 19 cents per contract (correct predictions are paid out at $1 per contract, so this is roughly 5-to-1 odds in traditional sports betting terms).

The Rams have a QB-head coach combo that has won the Super Bowl before in Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford. Their offense has also been elite during the regular season. The Rams rank No. 2 in the NFL in EPA-per-play entering Week 15. By EPA, the Rams are the No. 4 drop-back offense in the NFL and have the No. 1 rushing attack.

Defensively, the Rams rank 3rd in the NFL in EPA-per-play allowed and No. 6 in success rate. Per ESPN’s NFL Football Power Index, the Rams have faced the 12th most-difficult strength of schedule so far this season.

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Seattle Seahawks

As of publication, the Seahawks are the No. 2 Super Bowl contender on Kalshi with a price of 12 cents per contract.

While Seattle has advanced metrics that rival the Rams on both sides of the ball, there’s not quite as much confidence in the market in the Seahawks’ leadership. Seattle brought in quarterback Sam Darnold this offseason and he’s had a very strong campaign so far this year. However, Kalshi traders no doubt remember Darnold’s regular-season success fading with the Vikings in 2024. Seattle also has an inexperienced head coach in Mike Macdonald. He’s very well-respected but is in just his second year as a head coach.

Still, the Seahawks are a force to be reckoned with and could end up securing a first-round bye in the NFC. Since Week 6, the Seahawks have the No. 1 EPA-per-play defense in the NFL.

Buffalo Bills

While the Bills are unlikely to even win their own division, they’re still the AFC’s most likely Super Bowl winner according to Kalshi. They are currently priced at 10 cents per contract to win the Super Bowl.

The Bills have arguably the best regular-season quarterback in the NFL in Josh Allen. While he’s been unable to get past Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs, that may not be an issue this year as the Chiefs are currently expected to miss the playoffs (19% on Kalshi).

The Bills are closing in on their 7th straight season of 10+ wins in the regular season. Statistically, the Bills have a borderline-elite offense (5th in EPA-per-play) and a mediocre defense (16th in EPA-per-play).

Buffalo’s main culprit this season has been rushing defense. It ranks 28th in the NFL in EPA-per-rush allowed. Fortunately for the Bills, pass defense is regarded as more important than rushing defense and they rank 7th in that category entering this weekend.

The post Here’s what prediction markets are saying about the top Super Bowl contenders appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Tennessee reportedly makes decision on Tim Banks for 2026

Spenser Davis — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 17:31:11 +0000

Tennessee is expected to part ways with defensive coordinator Tim Banks, according to multiple reports.

Austin Price of Volquest was first to report that news on Monday, noting that Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has decided to go in a different direction for next season.

BREAKING: Tim Banks will not return as the Tennessee Defensive Coordinator as Josh Heupel goes in a different direction for 2026. pic.twitter.com/oe5QQxgt90
— Austin Price (@AustinPriceless) December 8, 2025

Tennessee was expected to have one of the best defenses in the country in 2025, but the Vols struggled mightily on that side of the ball. Tennessee finished the year ranked outside the top-60 nationally in yards per play allowed.

Tennessee didn’t have its top 2 cornerbacks for virtually the entire season, but the Vols didn’t only struggle against the pass. They also regressed against the run as the Vols conceded 3.92 yards per carry in 2025. That ranked 11th in the SEC.

Given the struggles and a disappointing 8-4 campaign, Heupel has decided to part ways with Banks and look for a new defensive coordinator for 2026. Banks has been Tennessee’s defensive coordinator since the 2021 season and had multiple successful years in Knoxville before falling off in 2025.

Tennessee has not yet announced this move.

The post Tennessee reportedly makes decision on Tim Banks for 2026 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Here’s what prediction markets are saying about the Heisman Trophy race

Spenser Davis — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:23:42 +0000

The race for the 2025 Heisman Trophy is almost over.

The Heisman winner will be announced on Saturday evening during a ceremony in New York City. The top contenders following conference championship weekend are Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia.

Other contenders such as Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love appear to be out of the running as of Monday morning.

Heisman Trophy race

Thanks to prediction markets like Kalshi, we can make a highly-educated guess at who will ultimately take home the hardware this week.

Per the current Kalshi marketplace, Mendoza is a huge favorite to win the Heisman Trophy but Pavia still retains some hope of earning college football’s top individual prize.

Here’s a live look at Kalshi’s Heisman Trophy marketplace:

Interested in making predictions of your own on Kalshi? Here’s a Kalshi promo code to help you get started!

Heisman Trophy breakdown

Mendoza was neck-and-neck with Pavia and Sayin for much of Saturday, but pulled ahead after he led the Hoosiers to an upset win over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.

For the season, Mendoza has a passer efficiency rating of 181.4, which is 2nd nationally behind Sayin. Mendoza is also top 3 among qualified quarterbacks in yards per attempt and has a 33-to-6 TD-to-INT ratio.

Pavia also has a strong statistical case. He’s 4th nationally in passer efficiency rating and helped lead Vanderbilt to its best-ever regular season despite facing a loaded SEC schedule. Vandy’s strength-of-schedule ranks 25th this season, per ESPN’s Football Power Index (IU’s SOS ranks just a few spots lower at No. 29).

Regardless of who wins, either Indiana or Vanderbilt will be taking home the first Heisman Trophy in program history. Indiana’s last top-3 finisher in Heisman voting was Anthony Thompson in 1989. Vandy has never produced a top-3 vote-getter in the Heisman.

Heisman Trophy finalists will be announced on Monday evening.

The post Here’s what prediction markets are saying about the Heisman Trophy race appeared first on Saturday Down South.

College Football Playoff announces kickoff times, TV info for all 1st-round matchups

Spenser Davis — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 18:04:51 +0000

The College Football Playoff announced details for all 4 first-round matchups on Sunday afternoon.

Kickoff times and TV designations for each of those games have been finalized. Three of the 4 first-round matchups will take place on SEC campuses.

College Football Playoff schedule | First round

Here are the details for each of those contests:

Dec. 19 | No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma | 8 p.m. ET | ABC and ESPN
Dec. 20 | No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M | 12 p.m. ET | ABC and ESPN
Dec. 20 | No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss | 3:30 p.m. ET | TNT and HBO Max
Dec. 20 | No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon | 7:30 p.m. ET | TNT and HBO Max

Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Ole Miss all earned the right to host first-round Playoff games. Georgia will have a first-round bye and will face the winner of Tulane and Ole Miss in the quarterfinal round in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Alabama also made it into the field, earning the No. 9 seed. The Crimson Tide lost to the Sooners in Tuscaloosa earlier this year, but will get an opportunity to exact some revenge in Norman on an even greater stage in less than 2 weeks.

The SEC led all conferences with 5 College Football Playoff teams this year.

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College Football Playoff rankings: Final bracket revealed

Spenser Davis — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 17:38:25 +0000

The final College Football Playoff have been revealed.

The selection committee finalized the bracket for the 12-team Playoff on Sunday afternoon. It was a dramatic reveal for numerous teams who didn’t know their fate coming into the selection show. Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami, Duke and James Madison were all hopeful to be included, but there was only so much room left in the bracket.

College Football Playoff teams

Here’s the final seed list for the 2025 College Football Playoff

Indiana
Ohio State
Georgia
Texas Tech
Oregon
Ole Miss
Texas A&M
Oklahoma
Alabama
Miami
Tulane
James Madison

College Football Playoff bracket

Here’s the bracket:

THE 12-TEAM CFP BRACKET IS SET

Did your team make the cut? @CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/tkdTkChBrg
— ESPN (@espn) December 7, 2025

The SEC led all conference with 5 teams who qualified for the College Football Playoff this year. Georgia won the SEC and received a first-round bye. Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Alabama all received at-large berths.

The Big Ten put 3 teams into the CFP this season: Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon. Both the Buckeyes and Hoosiers earned first-round byes.

The Big 12’s champion, Texas Tech, comfortably made the field and will also get a bye in the first round of the CFP. The ACC also got one team in — Miami — as an at-large selection. The Hurricanes flipped places with Notre Dame in the final rankings despite both teams being idle during conference championship weekend.

National Championship odds

Now that the bracket is set, here’s a look at the most-likely teams to win the National Championship according to the latest market prices on Kalshi:

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Rapid Reaction: Georgia dominates Alabama to win 2nd straight SEC title

Spenser Davis — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 05:59:00 +0000

Georgia has won the 2025 SEC Championship.

After a slow start on offense, the Bulldogs cruised to a 28-7 win over Alabama in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon. Georgia blocked a punt in the first quarter and later picked off Ty Simpson, setting up 2 short fields that turned into 14 quick points for the Bulldogs.

Alabama’s offense sputtered all night long and only found the end zone once. By then, it was too little, too late.

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton led the way with 3 touchdown passes, although he threw for only 156 yards overall.

On offense for Alabama, the Crimson Tide averaged just 3.8 yards per play. They ended the game with -3 rushing yards. It’s the second straight week that Alabama has totaled under 4 yards per play — something the Tide didn’t do in any of their previous 11 games.

Georgia became the first team to win back-to-back SEC Championships since Alabama in 2020-2021. Georgia now has won the SEC Championship Game 6 times, including 4 under Kirby Smart. The Dawgs also beat Alabama for the first time in the SEC title game after losing the previous 4 while ending Alabama’s 3-game winning streak in the series.

Georgia 28, Alabama 7

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

The post Rapid Reaction: Georgia dominates Alabama to win 2nd straight SEC title appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rapid Reaction: Duke wins ACC Championship Game in thrilling fashion

Spenser Davis — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 05:12:56 +0000

Despite a 7-5 record in the regular season, Duke won the ACC Championship Game on Saturday night in dramatic fashion.

The Blue Devils won 27-20 in overtime thanks to a big defensive play. Duke picked off Virginia‘s Chandler Morris on the Cavaliers’ first play of the overtime period. Here’s a clip of that play:

https://twitter.com/Vtsportschannel/status/1997532327640019047

On the prior possession, Duke quarterback Darian Mensah threw a touchdown pass on 4th down to give the Blue Devils the lead. With that pass, Mensah became the first Duke quarterback ever to pass for 30 touchdowns in a single season.

Duke led for much of this game, but Virginia rallied late to force overtime thanks to a few Blue Devils miscues late in regulation. Duke committed multiple penalties with under 3 minutes remaining to stop the clock, allowing for Virginia to keep timeouts in its back pocket. Duke also ran out of bounds to stop the clock on its final play of regulation, further saving the Cavaliers a timeout.

Then, Duke’s defense allowed Virginia to go on a 10-play 96-yard drive to tie the game late in the 4th quarter. Virginia’s Eli Wood made the big play, securing a touchdown to make it 20-20 with just 19 seconds remaining.

However, it wasn’t enough. Duke was able to secure its first ACC Championship since 1962 and just its 5th outright title overall.

The result of this game was always going to have serious College Football Playoff implications. As a conference champion, Duke will receive CFP consideration but may be on the outside looking in due to a poor nonconference résumé.

Duke will learn its CFP fate on Sunday afternoon when the full bracket is announced by the selection committee.

Duke 27, Virginia 20 (OT)

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

The post Rapid Reaction: Duke wins ACC Championship Game in thrilling fashion appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Indiana upsets Ohio State in Big Ten Championship Game

Spenser Davis — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 04:25:23 +0000

Indiana defeated Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday in a thrilling Big Ten Championship Game.

The Hoosiers trailed at the half, but they took a 13-10 lead in the second half to put Ohio State on the ropes. The Buckeyes got into the red zone two more times after IU pulled ahead, but both trips came up empty.

First, Ohio State was stopped on a 4th down attempt inside the 5-yard line. Then, late in the 4th quarter, Ohio State attempted a 31-yard field goal on 4th-and-1 — but the try was pulled wide left.

That miss gave Indiana the ball, with a 3-point lead, and less than 3 minutes to go. From there, Fernando Mendoza and the offense was able to churn off enough clock to secure the win.

This result will have significant College Football Playoff ramifications. Indiana is now almost certainly going to be the No. 1 overall seed while Ohio State will be in contention for the No. 2 seed alongside Georgia. The Bulldogs won the SEC Championship on Saturday to improve to 12-1.

This is the first time Indiana has won an outright Big Ten Championship since 1945. The Hoosiers also won a share of the league title in 1967.

The post Indiana upsets Ohio State in Big Ten Championship Game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Alabama fans furious with Ryan Grubb, offensive performance in 1st half vs. Georgia

Spenser Davis — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 22:37:37 +0000

Alabama fans are not happy with the Crimson Tide’s offense in the SEC Championship Game.

Georgia shut down Alabama in the first half, holding Ty Simpson to 5-of-12 passing for just 53 yards. The result: a 14-0 lead at halftime for the Bulldogs.

Simpson also threw an interception in the first half — a mistake Georgia cashed in on for its second touchdown of the game. Georgia scored 14 points in total off of Alabama miscues before the break.

Third down was a major issue for the Crimson Tide in the first half. They went just 1-for-5 on third down before the break — a stark contrast from their 13-of-19 performance on third down in Athens earlier this season.

Overall, Alabama averaged just 3.3 yards per play in the first half. Alabama has only averaged under 4 yards per play for a full game all season and that came last week in its win over Auburn.

Alabama fans are, of course, not happy with Simpson or offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb after the first half. Alabama needs to win this game in order to ensure a place in the College Football Playoff.

Here’s the best of the reaction from Alabama fans and college football media:

Ty Simpson is averaging 3.7 yards per pass attempt over his last six quarters of football.
— Clint Lamb (@ClintRLamb) December 6, 2025

Ryan grubb today pic.twitter.com/TWdghMhmJ9
— BeYourself StayFocused (@1lilmikey_) December 6, 2025

Ryan Grubb in his bag (derogatory)
— BamaHammer (@Bama_Hammer) December 6, 2025

Ryan Grubb bout to sell it all this drive pic.twitter.com/EsWp6zeKdZ
— Tune, MBA, CISSP (@CartuneNetwerk) December 6, 2025

Ty Simpson is more likely to be playing at Troy next year than the NFL
— Theo Ash (@TheoAshNFL) December 6, 2025

Arch Manning and Ty Simpson when they got on that phone call pic.twitter.com/ZJLZJlDU1l
— aaron (@theragebaitking) December 6, 2025

Horrible play call by Ryan Grubb smh #ROLLTIDE pic.twitter.com/zamnMMHNKN
— MOOREHOUSE423 (@MOOREHOUSE423) December 6, 2025

Ryan Grubb is a terrible play caller
— GØATEGAARD (@AFC_Domingo) December 6, 2025

I want to see Ryan Williams in the playoff, but not the rest of Alabama's offense.
— Ben Krimmel (@BenKrimmel) December 6, 2025

Ty Simpson not been the same since this pic.twitter.com/2WYPwoY8xM
— Nick Perkins (@NickyPerkss) December 6, 2025

There is a reason Saban started Jalen Milroe over Ty Simpson.

Not to say Ty Simpson isn’t a much better passer now or diminish how much he’s grown and accomplished over the season.

But I think a lot of people liked to pretend Saban was clueless with that move.
— Austin Killough (@KilloughAustin) December 6, 2025

Alabama’s offense is gonna need to come alive at some point here.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 6, 2025

Been talking about how Ty Simpson's performance has dropped on the pod for a few weeks now. Not dodging the allegations so far today.
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) December 6, 2025

Ty Simpson every time a pass play is called pic.twitter.com/dg0AddcP5E
— betr (@betr) December 6, 2025

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Georgia takes lead over Alabama in SEC Championship Game after blocked punt

Spenser Davis — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 21:53:14 +0000

Georgia made a massive special teams play on Saturday afternoon to draw first blood against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

As Alabama was set to punt following another dead-end drive, Georgia‘s Cole Speer was able to block the punt and give the Bulldogs excellent field position. Georgia’s offense, which struggled to begin the game, was able to cash in a few plays later to take a 7-0 lead over the Crimson Tide.

Here’s a look at Speer’s big special teams play:

chris fowler; georgia blocked punt; georgia vs alabama pic.twitter.com/moZisffieC
— ◇ (@F0RGIAT0) December 6, 2025

Speer is a senior receiver from Calhoun, Georgia. Most of his production during his college career has come on special teams.

On Georgia’s ensuing offensive possession, the Bulldogs found the end zone in just 4 plays. Gunner Stockton found running back Roderick Robinson wide open in the flat to give the Bulldogs an early lead.

Here’s a look at that play:

Georgia strikes first

Gunner Stockton hits Roderick Robinson II for the touchdown.

Amazing play call
pic.twitter.com/20ngrIZieS
— Cory Wargo CFB (@CFBUpdate_) December 6, 2025

Georgia is looking to win its 3rd SEC Championship in the last 4 years. The Bulldogs also won the conference title in 2024 in comeback fashion against a Quinn Ewers-led Texas team.

Here’s what the live Kalshi marketplace looks like for this game:

The post Georgia takes lead over Alabama in SEC Championship Game after blocked punt appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Georgia vs. Alabama: Picks, predictions for SEC Championship

Spenser Davis — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000

The 2025 SEC Championship Game is finally here.

For the 11th time in the last 12 seasons, the SEC’s champion will be either Alabama or Georgia. Those 2 powerhouses will meet once again in Atlanta with conference superiority on the line.

Alabama vs. Georgia odds

Alabama is a slight underdog to UGA in this contest. Here’s a look at the up-to-date college football betting odds for this game:

Here’s what you need to know about both teams before betting this game:

Georgia football notes

Georgia enters this game with an 11-1 record. Its only loss of the season came against Alabama in Athens earlier this year.
The Bulldogs played their best football in the month of November. After an up-and-down start to the season, Georgia posted a +56 point differential against 4 power-conference opponents in November.
Georgia does have some injury issues to consider in this game. Starting center Drew Bobo is out for this game after picking up an injury against Georgia Tech.
Bobo’s absence could have a big impact on UGA’s offense, particularly in the run game. Bobo has been Georgia’s highest-graded offensive lineman this season, per Pro Football Focus.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton has been up-and-down all season, but is coming off of a very underwhelming game against Georgia Tech. He’s also thrown an interception in 4 of his last 5 contests.
Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens are a formidable tandem in the backfield. Both are averaging over 5 yards per carry this season.
Georgia has been vulnerable to opposing passing games this season. The Bulldogs are 83rd nationally in EPA-per-dropback allowed, according to Game on Paper.
Georgia’s secondary has been better in recent weeks, however. The Bulldogs held both Texas and Georgia Tech to under 6 passing yards per attempt. That’s impressive given that both the Longhorns and Yellow Jackets rank in the top 50 nationally in passer efficiency rating.

Alabama football notes

Alabama is 10-2 on the season but only suffered one conference loss this year. The Crimson Tide could potentially host a first-round Playoff game if they win but would perhaps be on the bubble to make the 12-team field at all if they lose by a significant margin.
Ty Simpson had a strong start to the season, but has dealt with issues regarding pocket presence and accuracy during SEC play. Simpson lost 5 fumbles this season, which is tied for the most of any player in FBS.
Simpson’s passer efficiency rating for the season is over 150, but it’s just 125.5 over his last 5 contests. He’s averaged 6.6 yards per attempt and has a 7-to-3 TD-to-INT ratio over that span.
Alabama also has a number of key injuries worth considering ahead of this game. Running back Jam Miller and tight end Josh Cuevas are 2 offensive starters who are questionable as of Friday night’s availability report.
Alabama’s defense has been quite good this season, particularly since its season-opening loss to Florida State. The Crimson Tide finished 2nd in the SEC in pass efficiency defense during conference play.
Alabama’s defense may be a bit more vulnerable than usual due to injury, however. LT Overton and Kelby Collins are among the players expected to miss this game. That could have a big impact on Alabama’s rushing defense.

SEC Championship Game predictions

I like the under in this game. I don’t trust Alabama’s offense to create much given Simpson’s struggles in recent weeks. Stockton isn’t exactly coming into this game on a high, either. I think the Bulldogs will be able to move the ball on the ground, but I think both defenses will be able to get enough stops to keep this total well under the number. These teams combined for 45 points when they met earlier this season and that was with Alabama going a remarkable 13-of-19 on third down. We should see more 3-and-outs in this matchup.

Pick: Under 48.5 points (-115 on DraftKings)

I think Zachariah Branch goes under his receiving yardage total. Branch is a very explosive player, but I think we’ll see Georgia run the ball a lot in this game. Stockton has not been good lately and only threw for 70 yards last week against a pretty lackluster Georgia Tech secondary. I wouldn’t be surprised if Branch ends up with only around 20 pass attempts, which would of course have an impact on Branch’s usage.

Pick: Zachariah Branch under 54.5 receiving yards (-115 on BetMGM)

Spenser Davis

Saturday Down South • December 6, 2025 at 5:52am

Pick

Odds

Under +48.5

Over/Under

CFB • Georgia Bulldogs @ Alabama Crimson Tide

-115 on DraftKings

CLOSED • 12/06/2025

Betslip #1765000371060-16bd-651

Not in a legal betting state? You can still get in on the action with Kalshi, a legal predictions market! Kalshi has posted a market for the SEC Championship Game. Here’s a look at the current market prices for both teams:

The post Georgia vs. Alabama: Picks, predictions for SEC Championship appeared first on Saturday Down South.

What are the best SEC coach hiring cycles of the modern era?

Spenser Davis — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000

The SEC had perhaps its wildest-ever coaching carousel this season as (at least) 6 teams will have new head coaches in 2026.

That’s an all-time record for the league both in terms of number of new hires as well as turnover percentage. The previous highest turnover mark was set in 2018, when 5 of the SEC’s 14 schools changed coaches.

All the movement from this year’s cycle got me curious — what are the best coach hiring cycles in SEC history?

Before we can answer that, let me establish some ground rules. First, I’m only considering cycles since 1990. That’s somewhat of an arbitrary cut off for the modern era of SEC football, but it does give us 35 years of coaching cycles to analyze.

You’ll notice a couple of big names like Nick Saban and Kirby Smart are missing below. That’s because neither were a part of a great “class” of coach hires. Saban was the only SEC hire in 2007. Smart was 1 of 3 SEC coaches hired in 2016, but his counterparts (Will Muschamp and Barry Odom) both had regrettable tenures. For a “class” to make it on to this list, I’m requiring at least 2 successful coach tenures.

Best SEC head coach hiring classes (modern era)

With that in mind, let’s dive in. In chronological order, here are the 5 best SEC head coach hiring cycles since 1990:

1990

The 1990 class includes 3 names: Steve Spurrier (Florida), Gene Stallings (Alabama) and Bill Curry (Kentucky).

Spurrier makes this class notable all on his own. He led Florida to its first-ever national championship in 1996. Spurrier is also the only coach in program history to ever eclipse 75 total wins (he finished with 122).

Stallings was also one of the best coaches of the 1990s. He led Alabama to a national championship and a perfect 13-0 season in 1992. Stallings also won about 81% of his SEC games while in Tuscaloosa, which was a significant bump over what Alabama achieved in the prior decade.

Curry left Alabama for Kentucky, which is why the Tide hired Stallings. Curry was at Kentucky for 7 years and never posted a winning record in SEC play. However, his performance was average relative to what Kentucky had been accustomed to over the previous decade.

1993

It didn’t take long for another SEC hiring cycle to produce multiple national champions. In 1993, Tennessee hired Phillip Fulmer and Auburn hired Terry Bowden. Fulmer’s tenure in Knoxville was historic. He led the Vols to the 1998 national championship and a couple of SEC titles. Fulmer is the second-winningest coach in Tennessee football history behind the guy for whom its stadium is named (Robert Neyland).

I’ll also note here that Fulmer’s inclusion in the 1993 class is perhaps debatable. He was Tennessee’s interim head coach to start the 1992 season as head coach Johnny Majors dealt with significant health issues just weeks before the start of that campaign. Fulmer was named Tennessee’s next permanent head coach after the 1992 season, thus I’m classifying him as a 1993 hire.

Bowden’s Auburn tenure is also worth acknowledging. The Tigers went 11-0 in his first season in 1993 and claim a national championship from that season (although they finished No. 4 in the AP Poll and were ineligible for the postseason due to NCAA sanctions). Bowden’s first 2 seasons were excellent, but the Tigers fell off quickly after a hot start and he resigned midway through the 1998 season.

Danny Ford was the last member of the 1993 SEC hiring cycle as he was tapped by Arkansas to replace Jack Crowe. Ford’s tenure was highlighted by an 8-win season in 1995, but was otherwise unremarkable.

1999

The 1999 class was just solid. Tommy Tuberville (Auburn), Lou Holtz (South Carolina) and David Cutcliffe (Ole Miss) all exceeded expectations in one way or another.

Tuberville had a great run at Auburn that included a 13-0 season in 2004. The Tigers weren’t afforded a chance to play for the BCS Championship that season, but have since retroactively claimed a national title for their undefeated campaign. Auburn finished ranked in the top-25 in 6 of 10 seasons under Tuberville.

South Carolina was Holtz’s final head coaching job. Things didn’t get off to a great start as the Gamecocks went 0-11 in 1999. But Holtz turned things around and led South Carolina to a pair of postseason appearances in 2000 and 2001. By the time he turned the program over to Steve Spurrier, Holtz had won about 40% of his SEC games — a modest uptick over what the program accomplished over the prior decade.

David Cutcliffe took over for Tommy Tuberville at Ole Miss and had a solid tenure in Oxford. He led the Rebels to 5 consecutive bowl-eligible seasons and a 10-win campaign in 2003. That was Ole Miss’s first double-digit win season since 1971.

2005

The 2005 class has perhaps the most famous group of coaches to join the SEC in one cycle. Urban Meyer (Florida), Les Miles (LSU), Ed Orgeron (Ole Miss) and Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) were all hired during this cycle. All 4 of those coaches won a national championship at some point during their respective careers.

Meyer is one of the best coaches in college football history. He won 2 national championships at Florida and likely would have made a run at Steve Spurrier’s all-time program wins record, but he only spent 6 years in Gainesville before stepping down. Still, Meyer delivered 3 13-1 seasons during his abbreviated run with the Gators.

Miles succeeded Nick Saban at LSU and had a very successful tenure that was highlighted with a BCS National Championship in 2007. Miles registered 7 double-digit win seasons during his time in Baton Rouge, although a couple of those campaigns were later vacated by the NCAA.

While Orgeron would go on to have success at LSU later in his career, his first head coaching job at Ole Miss didn’t go very well. He was in Oxford for 3 seasons and didn’t qualify for a bowl in any of them. Orgeron won just 12.5% of his SEC games while at Ole Miss.

Spurrier had a successful stint as South Carolina’s head coach. He inherited a program that had only won 35.4% of its SEC games over the decade before he was hired. Spurrier led South Carolina to an above .500 record in conference play over his 10+ seasons in charge. Most notably, South Carolina won 11 games in 3 consecutive seasons (2011-13) under Spurrier. As of 2025, South Carolina still only has 4 double-digit win campaigns in program history (with the other coming in 1984). With 86 wins, Spurrier is the winningest South Carolina coach of all time.

2020

The 2020 class is the best recent SEC coach hiring cycle by a good margin. It includes Mike Leach (Mississippi State), Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri) and Sam Pittman (Arkansas).

Leach is one of the most influential coaches in college football history. His only SEC job was at Mississippi State — a post he held from 2020 until his tragic passing in late 2022. Leach won 8 games in his final season in Starkville and had the Bulldogs at No. 22 in the final CFP rankings that year.

Kiffin’s departure from Ole Miss has undone much of the goodwill he built up over 6 years in Oxford, but his tenure with the Rebels was undeniably successful. Kiffin won 10+ games in 4 of his final 5 seasons at the helm. That stretch included the program’s first-ever 11-win regular season in 2025.

Drinkwitz has turned Mizzou into a program that’s capable of competing for a spot in the 12-team Playoff each season. Mizzou won 10+ games in 2023 and 2024 before injuries caused an 8-4 campaign in 2025. Still, Mizzou seems to be in excellent shape moving forward thanks to Drinkwitz’s efforts.

Pittman was fired by Arkansas midway through 2025, but his tenure wasn’t a complete failure. He won 9 games with the Razorbacks in 2021 and helped guide Arkansas to 3 bowl games while he was at the helm.

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Kansas State officially announces hiring of Texas A&M OC Collin Klein

Spenser Davis — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 02:26:33 +0000

Kansas State has officially hired Collin Klein as its next head coach.

Klein was a star quarterback for the Wildcats under Bill Snyder during his playing career and now heads back to Manhattan to replace Chris Klieman as head coach. Klein spent the past 2 seasons as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M.

Here’s the official announcement from Kansas State:

Got our guy. pic.twitter.com/noyv4A8z7B
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) December 5, 2025

Klein was a finalist for the 2012 Heisman Trophy and is a member of K-State’s Ring of Honor. He also worked in Kansas State as an assistant coach from 2017 through 2023.

Kansas State’s press release confirms Klein will continue on as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator through the Aggies’ run in the College Football Playoff.

“My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home,” Klein said in a statement. “Thank you to President Linton and Gene Taylor for believing in us to lead the Cats into a new era. The position of Head Coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination, and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward. This is Family business, and we cannot wait to get to work!”

Texas A&M’s offense ranked 5th in the SEC in yards per play during the regular season.

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Zion Branch added to injury report ahead of SEC Championship Game

Spenser Davis — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 01:53:20 +0000

Georgia defensive back Zion Branch is considered questionable for Saturday’s SEC Championship Game matchup against Alabama.

Branch was added to the availability report on Thursday evening. He is the only Georgia player who is “questionable.” Colbie Young, Ethan Barbour, Bo Walker, Kyron Jones, Jordan Hall and Drew Bobo have all been ruled out.

Updated availability report…Zion Branch now listed as questionable. pic.twitter.com/ObI8vdHK1B
— Anthony Dasher (@AnthonyDasher1) December 5, 2025

If Branch isn’t able to play on Saturday against the Crimson Tide, it would be a significant loss for Georgia. He’s played 119 snaps in 7 games this season for the Bulldogs, according to Pro Football Focus. He played sparingly over the first half of the season, but has been a consistent presence in UGA’s secondary during SEC play.

On the season, Branch has 22 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 pass deflection.

Both Alabama and Georgia appear to be banged up going into this matchup, but the Tide’s injury report is lengthier in terms of the total number of players expected to miss this game. Alabama has 8 players listed as ‘out’ and another 4 who are questionable.

Kickoff from Atlanta is set for 4 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.

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Florida reportedly finalizing deal with highly-respected offensive coordinator

Spenser Davis — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 22:18:49 +0000

Florida is set to hire Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, according to multiple reports.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel was first to break that news on Thursday afternoon. Faulkner has been a big part of Georgia Tech’s success under Brent Key and has been highly-sought after for multiple other jobs over the past 2 offseasons.

Faulkner also has previous experience in the SEC as he was the quarterbacks coach at Georgia from 2020-22.

Sources: Florida is expected to hire Buster Faulkner as the school's next offensive coordinator. He's the successful OC at Georgia Tech, who brings SEC experience from to stints at Georgia.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 4, 2025

According to Thamel, Georgia Tech was willing to match Florida‘s salary offer to Faulkner in order to keep him in Atlanta. Instead, Faulkner is headed to Gainesville to be the offensive coordinator on Jon Sumrall‘s first Florida staff.

Georgia Tech averaged over 7 yards per play this season, ranking in the top-10 nationally in that category. The Yellow Jackets accomplished that despite dealing with injury issues with quarterback Haynes King throughout the season.

It’s unclear at this time what this hire will mean for Florida’s chances at keeping key offensive players like DJ Lagway and Dallas Wilson in 2026.

Florida has not yet officially announced this hire.

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Lane Kiffin to appear on College GameDay ahead of conference championship games

Spenser Davis — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:21:12 +0000

Lane Kiffin will be interviewed on Saturday’s edition of College GameDay.

ESPN announced that news on Thursday afternoon, just a couple of days before the pregame show will originate in Atlanta ahead of the SEC Championship Game.

New LSU head coach Lane Kiffin will be joining the show this Saturday. pic.twitter.com/TmFSmiJuYJ
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) December 4, 2025

Kiffin will presumably be asked about his decision to depart Ole Miss for LSU despite having a Playoff-bound team in Oxford. The controversial moved has sparked a wide variety of reactions from the college football world since his departure on Sunday.

Ole Miss players and administrators have disputed some of what Lane Kiffin has already said about his exit. Kiffin claimed he didn’t know he wouldn’t be able to coach Ole Miss in the Playoff until Sunday morning — an assertion athletic director Keith Carter disputed this week. Kiffin also said Ole Miss players asked for him to be permitted to coach the team in the Playoffs — a claim multiple players have since refuted.

It’s not yet known what time Kiffin will be appearing on College GameDay on Saturday morning.

The 2025 SEC Championship Game between Alabama and Georgia is slated to begin at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.

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College Football Playoff rankings, Dec. 2: Alabama moves ahead of Notre Dame

Spenser Davis — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:12:07 +0000

The penultimate College Football Playoff rankings of the 2025 season are here.

The selection committee updated their top-25 on Tuesday evening — the final rankings release before the official bracket is announced on Sunday after conference championship games.

There’s much to discuss and debate this week. Texas A&M suffered its first loss of the season while bubble teams like Texas, Miami and Notre Dame all strengthened their CFP cases. Additionally, Ole Miss moved to 11-1 but lost head coach Lane Kiffin to LSU.

College Football Playoff rankings after Week 14

Here’s what the committee decided on for this week:

Ohio State
Indiana
Georgia
Texas Tech
Oregon
Ole Miss
Texas A&M
Oklahoma
Alabama
Notre Dame
BYU
Miami
Texas
Vanderbilt
Utah
USC
Virginia
Arizona
Michigan
Tulane
Houston
Georgia Tech
Iowa
North Texas
James Madison

The final College Football Playoff rankings will be revealed on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN.

National Championship odds

Top-ranked Ohio State and Indiana are now the only defeated teams going into the postseason. The Buckeyes and Hoosiers will meet in this week’s Big Ten Championship Game.

Unsurprisingly, Ohio State and Indiana remain the favorites to win the national title on Kalshi. Georgia isn’t far behind. Here’s a look at the live National Championship market on Kalshi:

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Auburn announces decision on DJ Durkin as Alex Golesh builds out 2026 staff

Spenser Davis — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 22:35:49 +0000

Auburn will retain DJ Durkin as defensive coordinator for the 2026 season.

The program made that announcement on Tuesday afternoon, confirming that Durkin will be a part of Alex Golesh‘s first staff on the Plains. Golesh previously was non-committal when asked about Durkin’s future, so this is a positive development for both Durkin and the Tigers.

“Coach Golesh and I have known each other a long time and I’ve got a lot of respect for him, his teams and the way they work,” Durkin wrote in a statement. “I’m excited about what he’s going to bring to Auburn and grateful for the chance to work alongside him. I love this group of players, and it mattered to me to keep pushing forward with what they have already started.”

Golesh added that choosing to retain Durkin was an “easy call” and said he’s known the former interim head coach for more than 20 years.

“He’s an elite leader, incredible father and husband and will be a phenomenal leader on the defensive side of the ball,” Golesh said in the release. “We have great respect for each other. Time to go to work.”

https://twitter.com/AuburnFootball/status/1995973715088343521

Golesh is an offensive-minded head coach, so hiring an excellent defensive staff was always going to be key for Auburn’s success during this era. Durkin produced solid results in 2025 as Auburn finished 5th in the SEC in yards per play allowed (4.95).

Golesh is expected to continue to making staff hires over the course of the next few weeks.

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Lane Kiffin releases statement on ‘allowing’ Charlie Weis Jr. to coach CFP at Ole Miss

Spenser Davis — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 21:32:40 +0000

Ole Miss confirmed on Tuesday that Charlie Weis Jr. will be returning to Oxford to coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoff.

Shortly after that announcement was made, Lane Kiffin released a statement on the matter. He said LSU has “allowed” Weis to return to Ole Miss for the College Football Playoff. Kiffin says this is in an effort to help Ole Miss receive the “highest ranking possible” from the CFP selection committee.

“I’ve already made the committee aware of this and I’m hopeful this decision will allow Ole Miss to receive the highest ranking possible because these great players are very deserving of that,” Kiffin said in-part. “I’m excited that Charlie will be back to help coach the greatest team in the history of Ole Miss.”

Here’s the full statement from Kiffin:

Lane Kiffin just made a statement regarding #LSU’s decision to allow Charlie Weis Jr. to call plays for Ole Miss during the CFP. pic.twitter.com/8gFjQbcU81
— Koki Riley (@KokiRiley) December 2, 2025

Weis is still expected to ultimately join Kiffin’s staff at LSU, but will first assist the Rebels in getting as far as possible in the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss is set to play in the CFP for the first time in program history later this month.

Weis will be the primary play-caller for Ole Miss during the postseason. Although Kiffin called plays for the Rebels during the regular season, Weis has been an offensive coordinator in college football for the better part of a decade.

Ole Miss will learn its seed in the 12-team Playoff on Sunday following the conclusion of conference championship games.

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Ole Miss announces return of key assistant coach for CFP run

Spenser Davis — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 20:57:55 +0000

Ole Miss announced some major coaching news on Tuesday afternoon.

Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. will return to Oxford to coach the Rebels as their primary play-caller through the College Football Playoff. Weis was previously set to join Lane Kiffin at LSU with immediate effect.

Weis was on Kiffin’s plane when he arrived in Baton Rouge on Sunday. However, he’ll now be heading back to Oxford to play a pivotal role in Ole Miss‘s first-ever CFP run.

Ole Miss announced its entire coaching staff for the Playoff on Tuesday as well, including head coach Pete Golding:

Locked in for the @CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/0WBe7fbYTF
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 2, 2025

Weis is still expected to join LSU after the conclusion of Ole Miss’s season.

Kiffin was the primary play-caller for Ole Miss, but having Weis for the Playoff run will certainly be a boost for the Rebels’ offense. Weis has been at Ole Miss since the start of the 2022 season and also previously worked under Kiffin at Florida Atlantic. He’s been an offensive coordinator at the collegiate level since 2018.

Ole Miss will learn its new College Football Playoff ranking on Tuesday evening. The Rebels just completed their first-ever 11-1 regular season.

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Here’s what prediction markets are saying about the College Football Playoff bubble

Spenser Davis — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 19:40:39 +0000

The penultimate College Football Playoff rankings of the 2025 season will be revealed on Tuesday night.

But hours before those rankings are released, prediction markets like Kalshi can give us a clue about which teams are in good standing ahead of the rankings release. Kalshi users are able to put money on predictions on everything from sporting events to politics, and the list of markets includes which teams will ultimately make this year’s College Football Playoff.

College Football Playoff predictions

A quick note on Kalshi for those who are unfamiliar. Kalshi is a predictions market that’s legal in all 50 US states. Users purchase contracts for a particular market and are paid out at a rate of $1 per contract for a correct prediction.

Let’s break down what Kalshi’s Playoff marketplace currently looks like as of Tuesday afternoon.

Locks

Per Kalshi’s market, there are 8 “locks” to make the field. Here’s how I’m defining a lock: a team that either has a 90% likelihood to make the Playoff (as of this writing) or doesn’t have a market at all.

Here are the teams who currently meet that criteria, in no particular order: Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana.

Strong likelihoods

There are only a couple of teams who fit into this category. One is Alabama, who missed the “lock” cut-off by a decent margin. The Crimson Tide are priced at 82 cents per contract on Kalshi as of publication, but that could rise to 90 cents at any point.

Another team in this category is Notre Dame, who is is priced at 80 cents per contract as of this writing. The Fighting Irish have consistently been ranked ahead of Alabama since the Tide’s loss to Oklahoma, but they have a head-to-head loss against Miami, who is currently outside the CFP picture. That loss to the Canes could end up as a sticking point for the committee before all is said and done.

The final conference champions spots

So far, 10 teams have been named as “locks” or “strong likelihoods” to make the CFP. Now let’s get into the bubble. There are 2 spots left, with both set to be awarded to conference champions.

Let’s start with the American Athletic Conference. The winner of the AAC title game is almost a lock to get into the 12-team field. North Texas and Tulane will play for that honor on Friday night. On Kalshi, North Texas is the favorite. The Mean Green to make the CFP is trading at 58 cents per contract while Tulane is 41 cents per contract. Those numbers nearly mirror the overall AAC Championship Game market, which is also available for Kalshi users:

It gets complicated when considering the final spot because Duke made the ACC Championship Game despite having a 7-5 record. Virginia is the favorite to beat Duke and make the Playoff. On Kalshi, Virginia is trading at 63 cents to make the CFP.

However, if Duke were to win the ACC title game, the Blue Devils are unlikely to be the next highest-ranked conference champion. Duke is priced at just 9 cents per contract to reach the CFP — regardless of the result against Virginia this weekend.

If Duke does win, James Madison is likely to be in position to reach the CFP as one of the 5 highest-ranked conference champs. The Dukes are priced at 41 cents to make the Playoff ahead of their Sun Belt title game against Troy on Saturday. If you go by point spread, JMU is by far the biggest favorite of conference championship weekend.

Longshots

While this year’s 12-team Playoff field is very likely to be made up of some combination of the teams mentioned above, hope remains for a few other programs. Texas closed the season strong at 9-3 with a win over Texas A&M. Vanderbilt blasted Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday to finish at 10-2. Miami also won over Pittsburgh in blowout fashion on Saturday, further strengthening its case.

But the odds don’t currently favor any of the teams. Of those programs, Miami has by far the best chance on Kalshi as the Canes are trading at 20 cents per contract to make the CFP. That still makes the Canes a significant underdog heading into Tuesday night’s CFP rankings.

Will there be a bid-stealer?

There’s one scenario we haven’t discussed yet. BYU will likely enter conference championship weekend ranked No. 11 in the CFP rankings. The Cougars will meet No. 5 Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game this weekend. If BYU wins that game, there are scenarios where 2 Big 12 teams make the CFP.

If that does happen, it would have a significant impact on the odds of a team like Alabama — especially if the Crimson Tide were to lose to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. It’s worth checking to see who is in the No. 10 spot for the selection committee on Tuesday night, because that team could be on the chopping block if BYU pulls off the upset against the Red Raiders. The No. 9 team — perhaps Notre Dame — could also be in trouble should Alabama beat the Bulldogs to capture the SEC title.

Here’s a live look at the Kalshi market for CFP qualifiers:

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How many games will LSU win in 2026? Early win total posted for Year 1 under Lane Kiffin

Spenser Davis — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 01:02:12 +0000

While most college football win totals aren’t posted until the summer, there’s been an exception made for LSU.

The Tigers officially introduced Lane Kiffin as their next head coach on Monday. With a new era beginning in Baton Rouge next year, FanDuel is already offering an LSU win total prop for 2026.

FanDuel has LSU’s preseason win total projection at 9.5 games. As of publication, the over is priced at +128 while the under is -172.

Of course, this number is subject to change as the offseason marches on. LSU will presumably be very active in the transfer portal this offseason as it builds its first roster under Kiffin. LSU also still has to make numerous key coaching hires for 2026.

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Next year’s schedule includes Clemson, Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, Auburn, Ole Miss and Tennessee, among other programs.

Dates haven’t been set yet, but LSU will make the trip to Oxford to face Kiffin’s old program next fall. Coincidentally, LSU will also play in Knoxville — another former Kiffin program — in 2026.

LSU is set to open the 2026 season with Clemson on Sept. 5 in Death Valley.

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Kentucky reportedly finalizing deal to hire new head coach

Spenser Davis — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:18:23 +0000

The Kentucky football coaching search has reportedly come to an end.

Less than 24 hours after UK parted ways with longtime coach Mark Stoops, the Wildcats are planning to hire Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein for the role. That’s according to a report from On3’s Chris Low and Pete Nakos.

Stein has deep ties to the area as he played quarterback for Louisville during his playing career.

BREAKING: Kentucky is hiring Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein, @PeteNakos & @clowfb reporthttps://t.co/NEjXV6SXc4 pic.twitter.com/REMU95GtBd
— On3 (@On3sports) December 2, 2025

Stein, 36, immediately becomes one of the youngest head coaches in college football. He’s been on Oregon’s staff under Dan Lanning since 2023. He’s had a rapid ascension up the coaching ranks, as Stein was the head coach at Lake Travis High School (Texas) as recently as 2019.

Over the past few years, Stein has been regarded as one of the top offensive minds in all of college football. The former Louisville player has led top offenses at both UTSA and Oregon. Now, he gets his first crack as a college head coach in 2026.

The timing is important for Kentucky, as the Early Signing Period for 2026 high school recruits begins on Wednesday.

Oregon is set to earn an at-large berth for this year’s College Football Playoff. It remains to be seen whether Stein will continue to call plays for the Ducks through their CFP run or if he will immediately head to Lexington to begin the next phase of his career.

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Josh Heupel comments on rumored interest in Penn State coaching job

Spenser Davis — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 21:12:43 +0000

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel confirmed Monday that he is not a candidate for the Penn State head coaching job.

Heupel’s name had been in the mix to replace James Franklin in recent days. Over the weekend, Heupel was among the favorites to land the gig on prediction markets like Kalshi.

However, Heupel told On3’s Chris Low on Monday that he will not be moving to Happy Valley. Instead, Heupel intends to embrace the high expectations that come with competing at Tennessee.

“I wouldn’t want low expectations,” Heupel said. “That’s part of why I want to be here. We’ll win big.”

NEW: Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel tells @clowfb that he's NOT a candidate for the Penn State job

“I wouldn’t want low expectations. That’s part of why I want to be here. We’ll win big.”https://t.co/cJupe7PBVT pic.twitter.com/3XKPxPRs9t
— On3 (@On3sports) December 1, 2025

Heupel has been at Tennessee since the start of the 2021 season. He’s consistently produced solid results in Knoxville, although the 2025 campaign was a slight step back as the Vols went just 8-4 during the regular season.

Under Heupel’s leadership, Tennessee has won 8 games in each of the last 4 seasons. The last coach in Knoxville to accomplish that feat was Phillip Fulmer.

Other reported candidates for the Penn State job include BYU head coach Kalani Sitake and former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll.

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Alex Golesh reportedly bringing multiple USF coaches to Auburn staff

Spenser Davis — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 03:24:01 +0000

New Auburn head coach Alex Golesh is off to a fast start on the Plains.

According to a report from CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Golesh has already identified a few key staff members who will be joining him at Auburn. The list includes offensive coordinator Joel Gordon, offensive line coach Tyler Hudanick, cornerbacks coach DeMarcus Van Dyke and strength and conditioning coach George Courides.

It was also previously reported by 247 Sports’ Nathan King that former Auburn player Kodi Burns is expected to have a role on Golesh’s staff. Burns was the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for USF in 2025.

Some of the other USF staffers who will be part of Alex Golesh’s staff at Auburn, per @CBSSports sources:

— Offensive coordinator Joel Gordon
— Offensive line coach Tyler Hudanick
— Cornerbacks coach DeMarcus Van Dyke
— Head strength and conditioning coach George Courides https://t.co/y9cIROSlj3 pic.twitter.com/eLQvBe2yVQ
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 1, 2025

Gordon has been at USF since the start of the 2023 season. He previously worked for Matt Campbell at Iowa State.

While those new additions are reportedly happening, it’s worth noting that they won’t necessarily have the same roles at Auburn as they did at USF. Golesh will presumably finalize other staff hires in the coming weeks.

Golesh was officially hired by Auburn earlier in the day on Sunday. He spent the last 3 seasons at South Florida before earning an opportunity to coach in the SEC as a head coach. He was previously the offensive coordinator at Tennessee.

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Kentucky reportedly makes final decision on Mark Stoops’ future

Spenser Davis — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 03:04:28 +0000

Kentucky is expected to fire head coach Mark Stoops on Monday, according to a report.

That’s per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, who reported the news late Sunday night. According to Thamel, the process is expected to “formally” play out on Monday.

Sources: Kentucky is expected fire coach Mark Stoops, with the process set to formally play out tomorrow.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 1, 2025

Pressure on Stoops has mounted over the past couple of weeks after a poor close to the season. The Wildcats lost to Vanderbilt and Louisville in blowout fashion to end the 2025 campaign, causing the program to miss the postseason once again.

However, it was believed that Stoops’ significant buyout would results in him getting another season in 2026. Per Thamel, Stoops is owed more than $37 million according to his contract. According to On3’s Chris Low, Stoops and Kentucky have come to an agreement to allow for that money to be paid out over a number of years.

Stoops is arguably the most successful coach in Kentucky football history, but results have waned in recent years. The Wildcats have a total of 9 SEC wins over the last 4 seasons. They went 2-6 in conference play this year.

Kentucky will presumably commence a national search to replace Stoops in the coming days. The Early Signing Period for high school recruits is set to begin on Wednesday.

Stoops departs Kentucky with a career record of 82-80 after 13 seasons in charge.

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Lane Kiffin’s family was ‘underwhelmed’ with visit to Gainesville, per report

Spenser Davis — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 02:37:22 +0000

More details about Florida‘s failed courtship of Lane Kiffin are beginning to come to light.

Florida was involved in the Kiffin sweepstakes until this past weekend when the Gators reportedly decided to move on to other targets. But earlier this month, before those efforts came up short, Florida reportedly hosted members of Kiffin’s family on a visit to Gainesville.

According to a report from the Orlando Sentinel’s Edgar Thompson, that visit didn’t go as planned. Per Thompson’s report, Kiffin’s ex-wife and brother were “underwhelmed by the Gainesville area athletic programs.”

That seemingly played a role in Kiffin’s decision. His son, Knox, is a sophomore quarterback prospect who is currently the starter at Oxford High School in Mississippi. Per Thompson’s report, finding a high school for Knox to transfer to was among the “key factors” in Kiffin’s decision.

Florida ultimately hired Tulane coach Jon Sumrall on Sunday hours before LSU officially announced Kiffin as its next head coach. Sumrall arrives at Florida with deep SEC ties — he’s a former Kentucky linebacker — and a strong track record of winning at programs like Troy and Tulane.

Florida will be hoping Sumrall can bring the Gators back to contender status in the near future.

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Lane Kiffin says his ‘heart’ was in Oxford before talking with mentors Nick Saban, Pete Carroll

Spenser Davis — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:24:35 +0000

Lane Kiffin cited conversations with legendary coaches Nick Saban and Pete Carroll when discussing his decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU this weekend.

Kiffin said Carroll and Saban had an impact on him when speaking with ESPN’s Marty Smith shortly before he boarded a plane for Baton Rouge on Sunday.

“My heart was here, but I talked to some mentors, coach Carroll, coach Saban,” Kiffin said.

Carroll, in-particular, seemed to have an impact.

“Coach Carroll said, ‘you known, your dad would tell you to go and take the shot … you accomplished a lot here,” Kiffin said.

Kiffin’s father, Monte Kiffin, passed away in July of 2024. The elder Kiffin worked for a number of college programs and NFL franchises during a career that spanned decades.

Here’s a clip of Kiffin’s full interview with Smith:

My interview with @Lane_Kiffin prior to his departure from Oxford to Baton Rouge.

•Why he chose LSU over Ole Miss
•Why he wasn’t in Sunday’s Ole Miss team meeting
•His response to not coaching Ole Miss in the playoff
•Why this took so long
•Peter Carroll’s important msg pic.twitter.com/GfBkE7fnHU
— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) December 1, 2025

Kiffin will now try to accomplish what Nick Saban did as LSU’s head coach: Win a National Championship. The Tigers last won the title in 2019 with Joe Burrow leading the way on offense. LSU will hope to have a national title contender once again in 2026 under Kiffin’s leadership.

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Lane Kiffin says he hopes there will soon be ‘appreciation’ for what he accomplished at Ole Miss

Spenser Davis — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 23:44:03 +0000

Lane Kiffin gave an exclusive interview to ESPN’s Marty Smith on Sunday just before he boarded a plane to Baton Rouge.

Kiffin spoke with Smith about his decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU. He acknowledged that emotions are currently running high, but said he hopes distance from his departure will create an “appreciation” for what the program has accomplished during his tenure.

“It was really difficult. This has been a really special place. Six years here. I know there’s a lot of feelings and emotions right now,” Kiffin said. “I hope when they settle down, there’s an appreciation about what we were able to do here. Having the best run that’s ever been done in the history of this school. We brought some exciting times. I’m so appreciative to the people of Oxford and the relationships that I developed here.”

Ole Miss just wrapped up its best-ever regular season with an 11-1 record. Kiffin also led the program to double-digit win seasons in 2021, 2023 and 2024.

The early indications suggest Kiffin may not get the forgiveness and admiration he’s seeking from the Ole Miss faithful. Numerous fans were at the airport on Sunday to see Kiffin off and had plenty of expletives and other gestures for him as he departed.

Lane Kiffin and LSU will head to Oxford in 2026 for an SEC contest. The date for that game has not yet been announced.

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Ole Miss fans give middle finger to Lane Kiffin’s plane as he departs Oxford

Spenser Davis — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:12:09 +0000

Lane Kiffin was beloved in Oxford as recently as 24 hours ago.

Now, after leaving his post at Ole Miss for the LSU job on Sunday, Kiffin won’t be welcomed back in Oxford any time soon. As his plane left for Baton Rouge on Sunday afternoon, dozens of Ole Miss fans turned up at the airport to see him off.

John Talty has video of the scene, which features fans flipping off Lane Kiffin and Co. on their way out of town:

The middle fingers are multiplying pic.twitter.com/8cgeUMF5OF
— John Talty (@JTalty) November 30, 2025

Ole Miss has been bracing for Kiffin’s departure for a few days now. The Rebels are 11-1 this season and will now prepare for a College Football Playoff game next month with new head coach Pete Golding leading the way. Golding has been at Ole Miss since the 2023 season. Kiffin hired him away from Alabama to be the program’s defensive coordinator in 2023.

The Ole Miss defense has been solid under Golding’s leadership. He’ll now be in charge of getting the program focused and ready to go before an eventual CFP matchup.

Ole Miss fans will get another opportunity to express their feelings toward Kiffin in 2026. The Rebels are set to host LSU in 2026, although a date for that game has not yet been announced.

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Josh Heupel linked to Penn State coaching vacancy, per prediction markets

Spenser Davis — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:48:58 +0000

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel could be a candidate for the Penn State head coaching job.

After the SEC’s flurry of hires on Sunday, Penn State has arguably the best remaining coaching vacancy of any team in the country. The Nittany Lions are looking for a full-time replacement after firing James Franklin earlier this season.

While there haven’t been any concrete reports linking Heupel to Happy Valley, prediction markets such as Kalshi have the Vols’ head coach as one of the top candidates for the job.

As of publication, Heupel is priced at 18 cents per contract to be the next head coach at Penn State. Contracts on correct predictions pay out at a rate of $1 per contract, meaning Heupel is roughly 5-to-1 to get the Penn State job according to the latest market prices on Kalshi.

Of course, those markets are volatile and subject to change. Former Alabama offensive coordinator and ex-New York Giants coach Brian Daboll is currently a leading candidate, as is BYU coach Kalani Sitake.

Here’s a live look at the top contenders on Kalshi for the Penn State job:

Interested in learning more about Kalshi? Here’s a Kalshi promo code to help you get started with one of the best legal prediction markets available!

Heupel has been at Tennessee since 2021 and has helped the Vols to their best extended period of success since the Phillip Fulmer era. Tennessee won just 8 games in 2025, but the Vols won an average of 10 games per year from 2022-24.

There is no known timetable for Penn State to make a final decision on its next head coach.

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LSU announces hiring of Lane Kiffin, Verge Ausberry releases statement

Spenser Davis — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:42:47 +0000

LSU officially has its next head football coach.

LSU announced the hiring of Lane Kiffin minutes after the now-former Ole Miss coach confirmed his exit from Oxford in a social media statement on Sunday.

The head coach of your Fighting Tigers. @Lane_Kiffin is Callin' Baton Rouge! pic.twitter.com/NpXTeTL0Vo
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) November 30, 2025

“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Kiffin as the next head coach of the LSU Football program,” LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry said in a statement. “We shared when we began this search that LSU would secure the best coach in the country and Lane Kiffin is just that. Lane is a proven winner who has thrived in an era of college athletics that requires coaches to adapt and innovate. His passion, creativity and authenticity make him the ideal leader to guide LSU into the future and consistently position us among the sport’s elite.

“I want to welcome Lane and his family to Baton Rouge, and I’d like to thank our search committee, as well as our university and state leadership, for their critical support and counsel throughout this process.”

Kiffin joins LSU after nearly 6 seasons at Ole Miss. He led the Rebels to unprecedented success before leaving the program as it was on the cusp of its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.

LSU will play in Oxford in 2026. A date for that game is still to be determined.

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