Random Thoughts Week 3: Spotlight on the SEC

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While the Big Ten was still playing cupcakes, the SEC dominated the airwaves and the hearts of college football fans across the country (world?).

Ole Miss 32 LSU 24 – Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford and gets whupped by his old team. Do you think he might have a little twinge of regret? The Bayou Bengals came back from a 24-7 halftime deficit to tie it up in the 4th quarter. That was followed by a 13 play, 75 yards drive from the Rebel Black Shark Bears and a ballsy two-point conversion. LSU answered by driving 69 yards to the Ole Miss 6 before Sam Leavitt missed an open receiver on 3rd down and had a deflected pass intercepted on 4th down to clinch the win for OM.

LFK’s old QB Trinidad Chambliss completed 33 of 48 pass attempts for 363 yards with two TDs and a pick. He also ran for a tiebreaking score in the fourth quarter.

** Say what you will about Ole Miss fans but after the game ended, they did NOT rush the field. They just partied in the stands like big boy football fans do.

Jim Dunaway made an astute observation on x.com: “I deep down believe, Ole Miss Fans NOT rushing the field after the win last night will sting Lane Kiffin’s ego more than the loss. He saw Saban get the field rushed on him after every loss…last night…just another big win for Ole Miss”

Alabama 50 Florida State 36 – Once again, the Crimson Tide struggled out of the gate. Alabama had two 3-and-outs to start the game, but really it was highly conservative play-calling. It wasn’t until Keelon Russell was unleashed that the Tide offense really took charge. The redshirt freshman turned in an excellent effort completing 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and three scores. Bama scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions across the second and third quarters to erase a 21-6 deficit.

After Alabama had just 27 rushing yards before the break, the Bama backs kept grinding and eventually wore down the Seminoles. Trae’shawn Brown led the Tide with 86 rushing yards. Daniel Hill added 59 and EJ Crowell totaled 51. Russell had 56.

Ashton Daniels burned the Alabama secondary with 377 passing yards and two TDs, which is a disturbing trend. Daniels also threw three interceptions (Red Morgan, Ivan Taylor, Bray Hubbard). It seems like the problem is bad schemes and missed assignments.

ESS-EE-SEE

Florida 44 Auburn 39 – Jadan Baugh rumbled for 162 yards and three touchdowns in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams and two new coaches. The Gators finished with a balanced 245 yards on the ground and 252 through the air. Aubie’s Byrum Brown threw an interception on the third play from scrimmage that UF converted into a TD. Beyond that, he completed 20 of 35 passes for 271 yards, with three touchdowns and also ran for 65 yards and a score. However, the rest of the War Tigers ran for 37 yards. One of Brown’s three passing scores was a Hail Mary with 24 seconds to play that made the score look a little tighter.

Kentucky 31 Texas A&M 21 – Kenny Minchey threw two touchdown passes and CJ Baxter added two scoring runs as the Wildcats used a big third quarter to stun the Aggies in College Station. With the score even at seven at the half, UK scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions to take a 28-7 advantage. TAMU would comeback with two 4th quarter TDs but it was not enough. A&M’s Marcel Reed added two more picks to his spotty resume.

Mississippi State 41 South Carolina 34 – Kamario Taylor led the Bullies back from down 16-0 in the first half outscoring the Gamecocks 27 to 11 in the second half. The MSU quarterback totaled 251 through the air and 33 on the ground. Fluff Bothwell added 115 rushing yards. In the third quarter, SC’s LaNorris Sellers threw two interceptions on Carolina’s side of the field that led to 10 MSU points.

Vanderbilt 35 NC State 31 – The Wolfpack had this game won. With six seconds left, deep in their own end on a 4th and 3, NCSU quarterback CJ Bailey was tasked with running out the clock. He backed his way into his own end zone as the Commodores defense came closer. But he held the ball too long and too loose and it was knocked out of his hands. A ‘Dores defender pounced on the ball for the winning TD. Leading 31-28, a safety would have been just fine for the ‘Pack. The odds of Vandy running a free kick back for a score is mighty slim. It was a astonishing move by Bailey who is in his third season as State’s starter with 28 games under his belt.

Vandy trailed the entire game until the shocking ending. The ’Dores came back from down 24-7.

NOTHING TO ESS-EE-SEE HERE

Oklahoma 14 New Mexico 6 – John Mateer again looked rather shaky as the Sooners escaped an embarrassing loss. Much like the Michigan game, the Okie defense was solid, holding New Mexico to 185 total yards and 12 first downs. The Sooners offense only managed 14 first downs and 299 yards, 61 on the ground. Metter had two touchdown passes but also threw two passes into the loving arms of the opponent. Okie missed a 41 yard field goal and muffed a punt.

Missouri 27 Troy 17 – The Trojans scored a 76-yd touchdown pass on the second play of the game and led 10-0 after one frame. In the second quarter, Troy fumbled and threw an interception inside their own 20. Both of those gaffes led to Mizzou touchdowns and a 24-17 halftime lead for UM. Mizz quarterback Austin Simmons struggled most of the way, completing 10 of 19 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown as the Ozark Tigers had to rally to defeat the Trojans.

Texas 30 UTSA 6 – Maybe it was a bit of a hangover from last week’s celebration that made Arch Manning complete only 17 of 33 passes (51.5%) for 164 yards. Had this been an SEC opponent, we could have seen a trap game.

Georgia 45 Arkansas 17 – Despite the final score, this was a lopsided game. Gunner Stockton really wasn’t asked to do much (10-of-13 passing for 147 yards with a touchdown) as the Bulldogs pounded the ball for 254 rushing yards. For Arky’s part, the netted only 17 yards on the ground. The Hogs used two quarterbacks who were equally ineffective.

Tennessee 42 Kennesaw 9 – The only real story here is that star RB DeSean Bishop was slowed with an injury in the second quarter. With the All-SEC back on the sidelines, Daune Morris stepped up and amassed 116 yards on 14 carries. The sophomore also had 98 yards against Georgia Tech.

OTHER STUFF

Miami-FL 33 Wake Forest 20 – Normally I wouldn’t bother with a game like this, but the three-touchdown underdog Demon Deacons made it an interesting game. If not for a ridiculous 13 flags thrown against Wake for 122 yards, the final outcome might have been a little closer. Six of those penalties were in the fourth quarter with WF trying to mount a comeback. The Deacs had a 27-yard punt return called back for holding that put them all the way back at their own 10-yard line. A few plays later, Wake was called for holding in the end zone that gave Miami a safety. After holding Miami to three and out on consecutive possessions, the DDs had another big punt return, this time for 59-yards, but again a holding penalty pushed Wake back to their own 35-yard line.

Over their final six possessions, the Hurricanes gained 26 yards. The results of those drives were four punts, a blocked field goal, and the end of the game.

Southern Cal 42 Rutgers 35- Another one that doesn’t deserve the attention, but seeing how the Trojans barely beat one of the worst Power teams in football, it is worth bringing it to everyone’s attention.

West Virginia 38 Virginia 27 – UVa was looking like an ACC contender until they met the Mountaineers (3-0) in the Carolina Panthers’ Stadium in Charlotte. With a 21-21 score in the 3rd quarter, WVU scored 17 straight points and cruised to the win. Michael Hawkins accounted for two passing scores and three on the ground. I’ll bet Oklahoma wishes they had retained him instead of rolling with John Mateer.

Rich Rodriguez may have something cooking in Morgantown. We we’ll probably find out this weekend as WVU hosts Oklahoma State.

Texas Tech 28 Houston 26 – This one was a back-and-forth affair that ended at the half yard line when the Cougars could not convert a two-point attempt.

Clemson 28 North Carolina 20 – The Orange Tigers rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit to hand Bill Belichick a gut-punch defeat. CU trailed 17-15 with 8:11 left in the game and UNC appeared to have the momentum with a second and goal at the Tigers 7 yard line when officials sent both teams to the locker room for lightning in the area. When play was resumed nearly 2 1/2-hours later, Clemson stuffed two Tar Heels runs, forcing a field goal. On the ensuing possession, Clemmy marched down the field and scored a go-ahead touchdown. UNC would turn the ball over on downs at their own 45, giving the O-Tigers a short field. That gift was converted into another score.

Boise 38 South Dakota 24 – It took a late touchdown for the Smurfs to put the Coyotes away. This performance backs up the thought that Oregon is not so great.

Louisville 41 SMU 31 – The Cardinals are making noise in the ACC.

THE MOST EXPLOSIVE PLAY OKIE HAD ALL DAY

RUTGERS DID THE SOUTHERN CAL BAND DIRTY

NOT SO FAST, MY FRIEND

Nice try, “Boys”.

DERP OF THE WEEK

MOST EGREGIOUS NON-CALL OF THE WEEK

That yellow “FLAG” Miami indicator you see on the score bug was roughing the passer. Yet, no penalty for targeting on this 24-year old thug. Mohamed Toure is in his EIGHTH season of college football. He redshirted his freshman year at Rutgers in 2019, took the Mark Emmert free year in 2020, and sat out two entire seasons (2022 and 2024) due to tearing his ACL twice. To re-emphasize, 24 years olds should not be playing against teenagers.

MOST HATED MAN OF THE WEEK

At some point, doesn’t being the villain get exhausting?

MOMENT OF BLISS

SURRENDER COBRA OF THE WEEK

Aggies fans can’t believe their eyes. What is the TAMU equivalent of Clemsoning?

RYAN WILLIAMS’ WIFE

HE MIGHT BE ON THE INJURY LIST FOR REAL IF HE KEEPS THIS UP

YOUR MARCEL REED MOMENT OF THE WEEK

Sad.

YOUR LANORRIS SELLERS MOMENT OF THE WEEK

My gawrsh. Is he on the take?

SLIDE OF THE WEEK

WACKY BOUNCE OF THE WEEK

DABO ON HIS WAY TO THE POST-GAME PRESSER

CATCH OF THE WEEK

DON’T GET CUTE

I hope Ryan Grubb saw this play and realizes it doesn’t work.

SEMINOTS

WHAT THE WHAT?

So… John Mateer can’t find an open receiver unless the crowd yells at him?

DESPERATE PROGRAM OF THE WEEK

Following two pathetic efforts to begin the season, Dan Lanning thought he would impress everyone by running up the score on this winless FCS team. The Vikings (0-4) have won one game in their last 17 outings.

FUMBLE OF THE WEEK

RESPECT YOUR OPPONENT

The Buffaloes were demolished in Northwestern’s little temp stadium by the lake, 41-7. It is the Wildcats’ final game at this “stadium”. They move into their new arena on Oct 2 vs Penn State.

LARGEST CAJONES OF THE WEEK

I suppose when a team is staring 0-3 in the face, they will do crazy things.

SECOND LARGEST CAJONES OF THE WEEK

The Dookies went on to chop down the Trees 35-7.

ANIMAL CRUELTY OF THE WEEK

“Go Birds”? But I thought Auburn wasn’t the “War Eagles”!

PUNT OF THE WEEK

FORMER BAMA COACH OF THE WEEK

Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard had the fans hyped for the Beavers’ first win of the season. THE OSU (1-2) topped FCS power Montana 52-17. The two losses came against Top 25 Texas Tech and Houston.

FORGOTTEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Remember former Nebraska starting QB Dylan Raiola who thinks he is Patrick Mahomes 2.0? The idiot transferred to Oregon and is stuck backing-up Dante Moore. He finally got his first playing time as a Duck in garbage time against Portland State. I have to ask both Raiola and Oregon: Was it worth the money? Oregon is probably dishing out a big chunk of change to pay for a back-up QB. For Raiola, you’re not playing, bro! #LifeChoices

NAME OF THE WEEK

Future 49er?

STATS OF THE WEEK

• Kentucky’s Kenny Minchey averaged 14 yards per pass attempt and 18 per completion, as he went 14-of-18 (including a perfect 9-of-9 in the second half).
• Kansas running back Dylan Edwards appears to be the first documented FBS player in college football history to fumble in three different countries: the United States, Ireland and England.
• Wisconsin WR Tyrell Henry caught 14 passes for 160 yards in a win over Eastern Michigan.
• North Texas QB Tayven Jackson completed 43 of 57 passes for 483 yards, 3 TD and a pick and his team still lost to Texas State 49-35.
• Pitt QB Mason Heintschel had a rough go of it against Syracuse, completing only 10 of 23 pass attempts for 123 yards, 0 TD and one interception yet the Panthers still topped Syracuse 27-13.

THE WACKY WORLD OF CORSO SABAN

College GameDay was in Oxford for the big Ole Miss-LSU kerfuffle with Morgan Freeman as the guest picker. Yes, Morgan Frickin’ Freeman. The greatest college football program of all time gets dirtbag Theo Vonn and Vanderbilt fan Nate Bertgatze. But Ole Miss got a Shawshank inmate, Miss Daisy’s driver, the real first black US President, Brad Pitt’s partner, Mr. Clark, Clint Eastwood’s BFF, God, and much more.

Ol’ Red went 7-3 on his picks. Of note, Lainey Wilson went 5-0 in her picks as this year’s first picker. Glen Powell was 7-2.

[FUN FACT: Freeman did not get his first movie credit until he appeared in the Robert Redford prison movie “Brubaker” at age 43.]

Nick Saban didn’t name Lane Kiffin, but pretty sure he was talking about him when he said “why can’t you win at where you are now?”

Pat McAfee again had another ringer for his field goal kicking thing. Zzzz. College GameDay is headed to Knoxville this weekend for Tennessee vs. Texas

Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff was in Wembley Stadium in London, England for … yawn … Arizona State-Kansas. I’m not sure why they play these international games. The thing that makes college football so unique is that the games are played on college campuses and all the vibes that comes with that makes it what it is.

This BNK broadcast was much more tolerable because the midwest meatheads did not make the trip. Next up is snoozefest of Illinoise at anOhio State.

SEC Nation was in West Georgia for Florida-Aubie. German Twitter star Freddy is back in the States. You may recall he was a sensation this summer as he followed the World Cup around America. He is back for some college football. After taking in Iowa-Iowa State last week, for some reason he chose this game as well. Probably because AU let him and his buddies be a part of the Tiger Walk as well as run on the field with the team. The university stocked the hotel room – which I get the feeling was comped – with some swag and also included some extra rolls of toilet paper. Aw, too bad. They will have to use the TP in the normal way like sane people do.

SECN will cover Ole Miss-Florida

ADOPT-A-TEAM

• Western Michigan (2-1*) traveled to Rice and struggled to put away the Owls, 28-21. Boise comes in town for a big match-up.
• Memphis (3-1) beat up on Ty Simpson’s dad’s team, UT-Martin, 45-21. Bye week awaits.
• Tulsa King (3-0) blanked something called East Texas A&M, 42-0. Next is a roadie to Arkansas. Can they pull off an upset win?

COUSINS

• Jacksonville State (2-2) – The Gamecocks were down to Georgia Southern 24-10 at the half and came back to win 31-27. Jax awaits the arrival of MTSU.
• South Alabama (2-1) – The Jags led Ohio 41-29 but gave up a TD as time expired to make it look closer. USA heads to Kentucky.
• Troy (2-1) – The Trojans gave Mizzou a hard time but fell 27-17. A trip to Utah State is next on the slate.
• West Alabama (3-1) – Scott Cochran’s Tigers suffered their first loss falling to North Greenville 24-14.

THAT ANNOYING GUY WHO SAYS “HUH?” EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU ASK HIM ANYTHING

• UAB (1-2) – The Dragons fell to ULL 21-14. Navy invades.

SALUTE TO OUR TROOPS

All three military academies had the week off.

• Army (1-1) – The Black Knights are at Temple.
• Air Force (1-1) – The Falcons travel to Nevada.
• Navy (1-1) – I The Midshipmen head to UAB.

ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION

Eliminated: Rutgers, Syracuse, Stanford, Kansas, Purdue, Arkansas

In Danger: Boston College, Clemson, Cal, FSU, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, NC State, SMU, Virginia, Wake Forest, Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Center Florida, Colorado, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Wisconsin, Auburn, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas A&M

Still Alive: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, Notre Dame, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas State, Texa$ Tech, Utah, West Virginia, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, UCLA, Washington, Southern Cal, Duke, Louisville, Pitt, Virginia Tech

Clinched Playoff Birth: Miami-FL (due to lame-ass schedule)

A way WAY WAY too early look at the College Football Playoff (CFP) picture

POWER 2

• SEC – Ole Miss moves up to No. 4 and LSU slides to 10th as ten SEC teams find themselves ranked this week. Half of the Top 10 slots are occupied by teams from this conference. Texas and UGA remain 1-2. Alabama ascends two spots to No. 8.
• Big Ten – Indiana is No. 5 though they have not played anyone worth a hill of beans. anOhio State is 7th. Southern Cal and Penn State are hanging around for now.

SECOND 2

• Big 12 – BYU and Texa$ Tech are vying for a spot in the CFP. Utah is a dark horse.
• ACC – Miami-FL is a big favorite. Louisville, SMU follow. Virginny was upset by West Virginny.

AT LARGE

• Indies – Notre Dame continues to run roughshod over their slate of tomato cans. @ BYU (10/17), vs MIA (11/7), and vs SMU (11/21) are our only hope.

PARTICIPATION TROPHY

• Boise (PAC) and Western Michigan (MAC) have a big showdown on Saturday.
• South Florida and Tulsa are the surprise leaders of the AAC with both being 3-0. The Golden Hurricane can make a big statement at Arkansas this weekend.
• Memphis (AAC) has some easy games coming up in Charlotte and UAB. A trip to Tulane might be slippery but the Green Wave is not as strong as recent teams they have had.
• UTSA (AAC) didn’t exactly get blown out by Texas.
• North Dakota State (MWC) is 4-0. What a story that would be.
• The Sun Belt’s James Madison could run the table on their weak schedule. As we have seen, having a weak schedule doesn’t matter all that much to the CFP Committee.

RANK ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM

DUMBEST TIGERS

1. Auburn
2. LSU
3. Clemson
4. Missouri
5. Detroit
6. Memphis
7. Cincinnati (NFL)
8. Tony

LET’S GO BOWLING!

• Sadly, two of the more entertaining sponsors will no longer be attached to a bowl game. Tony the Tiger will no longer be title sponsor for the Sun Bowl and Cheez-It is taking a pass on the Citrus Bowl. Old El Paso, producer of Mexican food products, is taking over the Sun Bowl – which plays in El Paso, TX.
• Hilariously, UMass (3-0) is the only undefeated team left in the MAC. Other members of the conference scorned the idea of adding the Minutemen because they didn’t think they fit the league’s profile.

LET’S GO BLOWING!

• Rutgers is behind the 8-ball at 0-3. The Scarlet Knights should snap the cold streak against Howard on Saturday.
• Charlotte, Western Kentucky, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, Utah State, and UL Monroe are also winless after three games.
• WKU has been outscored 34-157 thuis far in 2026.

Krazy Kristi’s “SHUT UP!” of the Week goes to Lane Kiffin’s lame gamesmanship. My gawrsh. How many times is this guy going to win the “SHUT UP!” award this year? Last Wednesday, LSU released their initial injury report with starting quarterback Sam Leavitt listed at “doubtful”. A day after the entire nation rolled their collective eyeballs, Leavitt made a miraculous recovery to “questionable” status. On Friday, Leavitt’s name was completely gone from the injury list. LFK really thought Ole Miss and the rest of us are stupid. Shoulda kicked them out when we had the chance.

KRAZY KRISTI BONUS: LIGHTNING LUNACY

On September 19, 2026, four major college football games experienced weather delays due to lightning in the area:

• Florida State at Alabama: This game faced multiple delays, first during pregame warmups which pushed kickoff back by nearly two hours, and again late in the second quarter. Fans at Bryant-Denny were somewhat confused when the second delay began since the sun was out.
• North Carolina at Clemson: Play was suspended late in the fourth quarter with 8:11 remaining while North Carolina was driving deep into Clemson territory. The delay lasted for 2 hours and 28 minutes.
• Mississippi State at South Carolina: Kickoff was delayed by one hour and twenty minutes due to the weather.
• BYU at Colorado State: This evening matchup was also affected, resulting in a delay of one hour and fifteen minutes.

The NCAA enforces an “8-30 Rule” enacted in 1998. Play must be suspended immediately if a lightning strike is detected within an 8-mile radius of the stadium. Make note that the lightning does not need to be seen, just detected by special weather gizmos. Once play is halted, teams and spectators must clear the field and stadiums seats. The game cannot resume until a continuous 30 minutes have passed without a single lightning strike inside that 8-mile boundary. If the clock gets up to 29:45 for example and another bolt is detected, the 30 minute clock restarts.

While there have been incidents of lightning striking people at soccer games in lesser developed countries, no spectator or player has ever been recorded dying from a direct lightning strike during an official college or NFL football game in the United States. At least that is what the interwebz told me.

HEISMAN HYPE

The 24-year old sixth year senior at Ole Miss is getting al the fluff this week. However, the better quarterback might be downstate in Starkville.

Odds per FanDuel:

1. QB Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) +300 – A big win over LSU catapulted him to the top spot from No. 6.
2. QB Darian Mensah (Miami-FL) +400
3. QB Kamario Taylor (Miss. State) +1100 – A big leap from 9.
4. (tie) WR Jeremiah Smith (anOhio State) +1200 – He is a great receiver but 5 recs and 85 yards and no score against Kent State? Ugh.
4. (tie) QB Arch Manning (Texas) +1200 – A meh effort drops him from 3.
4. (tie) WR Malachi Toney (Mia) +1200
4. (tie) QB CJ Carr (Notre Dame) +1200
8. QB Keelon Russell (Alabama) +2200
9. QB Josh Hoover (Indiana) +2500
10. (tie) QB Jayden Maiava (Southern Cal) +3000
10 (tie) QB Julian Sayin (anOhio State) +3000

THE SICK REPORT

• Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy‘s health has continued to be a storyline after he battled a nagging injury during the College Football Playoff. He didn’t finish Ole Miss’ opener against Louisville, and he exited again during the game against LSU on Saturday night. Lacy hurt a shoulder after a hard landing while being tackled. He is a game-time decision at Florida.
• LSU took some serious lumps on Saturday. On top of losing, starting STAR defensive back Dashawn Spears suffered a season-ending ACL injury during the Ole Miss game. LSU WR Phillip Wright is out for the rest of the season as well. All-SEC TE Trey’Dez Green had an injury scare but did not suffer any torn ligaments on Saturday against Ole Miss after leaving the game in the fourth quarter. No surgery is required. His status against Texas A&M is TBA.
• Texas A&M wide receiver and punt/kickoff returner Terry Bussey is out for the season with a lower-body injury. He is the Aggies’ third-leading receiver.
• Early reports have it that Oklahoma starting DL David Stone dislocated his left knee while playing fullback on a goal line package in practice. The initial fear is that he will be lost for the rest of the 2026 season. The preseason All-American will undergo more tests, including an MRI, later today (Tuesday).
• On the opening drive of Georgia’s win over Arkansas, Bulldogs RB Isiah Canion exited the game with an apparent leg injury and did not return. To start the second half, Georgia saw star running back Nate Frazier go to the injury tent. He was also out the remainder of the game. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Frazier had a “ding” and could have returned. Georgia was up 24-3 when he departed the game.
• Miami lost running back CharMar Brown and wide receiver Joshua Moore for the rest of the season because of injuries. Brown was Miami’s second-leading rusher last season. Moore is the team’s second-leading receiver behind Malachi Toney.
• Oregon WR Jeremiah McClellan is out indefinitely with a broken foot. He is the Ducks’ third-leading receiver.

DRAMARAMA

• It is ridiculous seeing all these corndog-lovers call these two guys “kids”. “These poor kids…” is the lament. Dae’Quan Wright, who measured 6’3-3/4″ and 246 lbs at the Combine just had a birthday yesterday. HAPPY 23RD, DAE!Zxavian Harris is just a baby. He doesn’t turn 23 until next month. This youngster was arrested in 2024, on charges of domestic violence and obstructing arrest. Poor, 6’7-3/4″ 330-pound kid.
• Last Wednesday prior to the LSU-Ole Miss showdown, Tigers defensive end and Name of the Week alum Princewill Umanmielen was served with court papers in the parking lot outside LSU’s football facility related to the Rebels’ lawsuit against him. The Rebels are seeking close to $1 million in penalties — $550,000 from Umanmielen and $400,000 from LSU offensive lineman Devin Harper, plus attorneys’ fees and court costs – in a breach of contract complaint.

IS BILL TRANSITIONING TO BELLA?

KOACHES KORNER

• There was a really good reason that Nick Saban did not let his assistants speak to the media. On Monday, Bama OC Ryan Grubb reminded us why. I know he is still relatively new to Alabama, but the fans would never boo the players. They were booing you and your lousy play-calling, Grubb. He later issued an apology via the Yea Alabama Twitter that was probably written by ChatGPT or maybe a professor from the UA Communications Department.
• On Wednesday night of last week, Texas co-DC Johnny Nansen was charged with DWI following a three-vehicle wreck in which he was one of the drivers.
• Northwestern coach David Braun received a new contract from the school that extends him three years through 2031. With the university being private, his salary is not public knowledge. However, his annual salary is estimated around $7.7 million. Now in his fourth season, Braun is 21-19 overall and 11-16 in the B1G. The next two Wildcats games are at Indiana and vs. Penn State. We’ll see how they feel about the extension after that.
• Steve Belichick has resigned as North Carolina’s defensive coordinator amid the conclusion of an internal investigation into the football program’s culture under his father, head coach Bill Belichick. “According to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the proceedings, the investigation was wide-ranging in scope and included questions about sex between staff and players as well as drug use within the program.” UNC general manager Michael Lombardi resigned earlier this month.

HOT SEAT

• Shane Beamer, South Carolina
• Greg Schiano, Rutgers
• Mike Norvell, Florida State
• Barry Odom, Purdue

• Fat F*** Phil Fulmer has lawyered up.
• Urban Meyer told his wife, “you are the sun in my life. Now if only I could get you to stay 93 million miles away from me…”

TEEVEE

In Week 2, Ohio State at Texas (13.99M viewers) and Oklahoma at Michigan (8.22) were the two most obvious ratings busters. In third was Alabama at Kentucky (7.28). In a distant fourth was Mizzou at Kansas (3.09M).

THIS WEEK

Below is just a sampling highlight of games of interest this week. If you REALLY MUST know about the BIG Robert Morris-Buffalo death match, click here.

Thursday, September 24 – 1 game

Liberty at Coastal Carolina 6:30/7:30 ESPN

Friday, September 25 – 5 games

Navy at UAB 6pm/7pm ESPN
Northwestern at Indiana 7pm/8pm FOX
Clemson at Cal 9:30/10:30 ESPN – How low can you go?

Saturday, September 26

SEC

Texas at Tennessee 11am/noon ABC – College GameDay will be there.
South Alabama at Kentucky 11:45/12:45 ESPN
Oklahoma at Georgia 2:30/3:30 ESPN – UGA’s first “test” if you want to call it that.
Ole Miss at Florida 2:30/3:30 ABC – The Gators are actually a 2.5 favorite!! Jump on that!
Vanderbilt at Auburn 3:15/4:15 SECN
Texas A&M at LSU 6:30/7:30 ABC – Loser of this one is in deep doo-doo.
Missouri at Mississippi State 6:45/7:45 SECN
Tulsa at Arkansas 7pm/8pm SECN+

OTHERS

Iowa at Michigan 2:30/3:30 CBS – Take under 38.5.
Oregon at Southern Cal 6;30/7:30 NBC

I could fall asleep right now… but my brain just remembered every embarrassing thing I’ve ever done.

Georgia Tech at Stanford 9:30/10:30 ESPN – The Atlantic Coast on the Pacific Coast.

#ALABAMA

• Alabama freshman EJ Crowell exited Florida State game with 7:07 left to go and moved to the injury tent. There has been no mention of the incident which leads to believe he’ll be okay.
• Coach Kalen DeBoer told reporters Monday that WR Noah Rogers will be available for the SC game.
• Fellow running back AK Dear was listed as questionable for the FSU game. He and Rogers were in uniform for pregame warmups but neither played.
• DeBoer also announced that freshman offensive lineman Chris Booker is not with the team. No reason was given.
• Against FSU, Lotzeir Brooks had his first 100+ yard receiving game of his Alabama career.
• Kaleb Edwards caught the first non-cupcake touchdown of his college career.
• The Tide receivers had no dropped passes for the second straight week. Ryan Williams was targeted three times and caught all three for 62 yards and a score. He was in the game for a massive 64 snaps.
• Accoridng to ProFootballFocus (PFF), Alabama had 13 missed tackles Zabien Brown, Terrance Green, and Yhonzae Pierre had two each.
• As an interesting side note, in shots of Bama OC Ryan Grubb in the booth, Bradley Aoki was literally his right hand man. You may recall that the Crimson Tide added the Southern Cal offensive analyst as a pass game specialist. Aoki is believed to be an up and comer in the coaching world.
• No details about the network of the Alabama at Mississippi State game have been announced as of yet. The game will kickoff at either 11am/noon or 11:45/12:45pm. If both teams win on Saturday, the odds are good that it will be ABC.

GAME 4: Saturday, September 26, 2026

Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) vs South Carolina Gamecocks (2-1)

Tuscaloosa, AL ~ 6pm/7pm ESPN

• Coach: Shane Beamer (35-31, 16-25 SEC, now in his 6th season as SC head coach)
• SC 2026: The Gamecocks upended two cupcakes before Mississippi State upset them in their home stadium on Saturday.
• Series: The Crimson Tide leads the series 15-3. The last Bama loss was the infamous “Stephen Garcia” game of 2010.
• Editorial: Here again, the competition is getting tougher. The Gamecocks are coming off a heart-breaking loss. Beamer might be fighting for his job at this point. Will SC come in all sad and defeated? Or will they be angry? Bama has absolutely no reason to look past this team.
• Pre-game entertainment: Congress the Band (indie rock band ironically from Charleston, SC)
• Weather: It should feel more like fall in this one with a high around 86° during the day and then dropping down into the 60s as the sun disappears in the west.
• TV Announcers: TBA, It will likely be Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer and Kris Budden or Tom Hart, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessenich.
• Radio: Chris Stewart, Tyler Watts, Cory Reamer on Alabama Radio.
• Vegas: The FanDuel point spread has Alabama as a 12.5 point favorite. Over/Under is 54.5.

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