Random Thoughts Week 6: Chaos, Upsets, and Swallowed Whistles

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Week 6 saw No. 1 go down in the Red River Shootout. Kentucky had a overtime win over LSU and UCLA stunned Oregon. It also had bad officiating stealing the spotlight from Alabama-Georgia. We are halfway through the regular season but still have a long way to go.

Georgia 20 Alabama 17 – It was a heavyweight fight with two bruisers slugging it out. Unfortunately, inept officiating marred the outcome with their poor choices. More on that below.

Oklahoma 27 Texas 24 – Arch Manning completed 19 of 31 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns but had two back-breaking interceptions in the fourth quarter that allowed Oklahoma to take the lead with a pick six and eventually set up the game-winning 47 yard field goal.

Manning’s performance echoes what we at RBR have been saying for awhile now. And that is that he is a good quarterback, but he is not elite. This scenario is reminiscent of another Texas quarterback, Chris Simms. Simms is the son of Super Bowl-winning QB Phil Simms, who came to the Longhorns amid a clamor of hype and fanfare. He was showered with accolades but mostly because of who his daddy was. Then coach Mack Brown seemed eager to get him on the field over Major Applewhite to a fault. In his third season in the Red River Shooutout, Texas faced #3 Oklahoma and Simms’ tossed four interceptions in the loss. He went on to a very mediocre NFL career as a back-up.

Kentucky 35 LSU 34 – This slugfest went back-and-forth when UK kicked a game-tying 33 yard field goal with 12 ticks remaining in regulation play. For a second straight week, Kentucky was tied at 27-all after four quarters. LSU scored first and kicked the extra point just as South Carolina did the week before. Again like last week, the Wildcats got a touchdown and then converted a two-pointer for the win. It happened on what looked like a pass play with ‘Cats quarterback Kenneth Minchey running untouched up the middle through a hole so wide that you could have drove a Yukon through it.

For those of you keeping score at home, yes, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt threw another pick. He has at least one in every game this season and 8 overall. He is the sole leader in FBS in that department. Leavitt also lost a fumble vs UK.

South Carolina 38 Florida 19 – After this little tete a tete, LaNorris Sellers would lead the Gamecocks down the field on their next possession and connect with Mayfield Bennett to go up 17-10. Following that, SC was on fire and outscored the Gators in their dumb little uniforms (see below) 28 to 10. UF has lost two straight after topping Auburn and Ole Miss in back-to-back games.

Missouri 27 Texas A&M 6 – Everyone was laughing recently that the Aggs will have yet another 8-5 season. At this point, it is doubtful that they will even get that. TAMU quarterback Marcel Reed had two deflected interceptions in the first half and finished a dreadful 19 of 39 for 187 yards and no scores. Austin Simmons was not too much better (14/28-147-1-1), but his Mizzou teammate RB Jamal Roberts rumbled for 222 yards and 2 TDs on 34 carries.

Tennessee 24 Arkansas 17 – Arky led this one entering the 4th quarter and it was later tied up at 17. That is when UT threw an interception near midfield. The Hogs could do absolutely nothing with the ball and punted after three plays. On the very next play, DeSean Bishop ran for 59 yards to help set up the go-ahead score with under two minutes to play. Once again, the Razorbacks could not get a first down and coach Ryan Silverfield made a controversial call to punt from his own 25 on 4th down with 1:36 to go. Bishop got one first down on two runs and that is all the Vols needed to run out the clock.

George MacIntyre got his first college start for the orange and was kinda meh. He finished the game completing 18 of 29 passes for 247 yards, one TD and two interceptions.

NOTHING TO ESS EE SEE HERE

Ole Miss 52 Vanderbilt 17 – This one was 42-3 at halftime.

* Mississippi State and Auburn were off.

OTHER STUFF

UCLA 17 Oregon 15 – So… Dylan Raiola kinda sucks. The former Nebraska, current Ducks QB completed 6 of 19 passes for 43 yards with no TDs, two interceptions, and a lost fumble in his first start of the year until being yanked in favor of Brock Thomas. Thomas was better (11/15-156-1-0, lost fum) but his team had issues holding onto the ball. The Quack Attack lost five fumbles to go with the Raiola’s two picks. Wayne “The Mailman” Knight ran for 103 yards and a score for the Bruins. The big play was UCLA stopping Oregon on a two point conversion with 2:16 remaining.

^{No flag on DL Bear Alexander on this play. I suppose the SEC officials are not the only blind idiots.}

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava went 10/17 for 162 with no scores and two interceptions in the first half and did not return for the second half after having a reported lower leg injury (above). Backup Ty Dieffenbach took over for Iamaleava and threw for 43 yards and a touchdown.

Southern Cal 31 Penn State 23 – The misery continues in Unhappy Valley as the Brittany Lions lose their third straight game. A PSU fumble on their final possession allowed So Cal to run out the clock and become bowl eligible.

Indiana 20 Nebraska 17 – The stupid Cornhuskers had the Hoosiers on the hook and let them wriggle off. Nebraska led 17-6 in the 4th quarter when Indy scored two touchdowns on the next six offensive plays.

North Carolina 21 Pitt 17 – With Panthers star quarterback Mason Heintschel out for the season, Pitt turned to former Auburn back-up Holden Geriner and the offense struggled. Although, Pitt still had 100 more yards of offense and 10 more first downs than UNC. The Tar Heels had 20 yards of rushing and 249 yards of passing with 75 coming on one play. On paper, Carolina had no business winning this game. Despite the dominant overall box score statistics, Pitt’s offense stalled when it mattered most. Most glaring was failing on all four of their fourth-down attempts.

Wake Forest 38 NC State 14 – It might be time to talk about the Demon Deacons (5-1). You may recall, the Madison, Alabama native and current Wake QB Gio Lopez started his career at South Alabama (2023–2024).

Louisville 44 Florida State 20 – Mike Norvell is so fired. The Seminoles were looking pretty great early on with a 14-0 lead and knocking on the door for a third touchdown when they turned the ball over on downs at the Louisville 2 yard line. On the very next play, Isaac Brown went 97 yards the other way. The combination of those two plays flipped the switch and the Cardinals scored 35 straight points to blow this game wide open. Brown finished with 235 yards and Da ‘Ville had 397 as a team. All of this happened despite the Cardinals’ top rusher this season, Keyjuan Brown, being sidelined with an injury.

Duke 28 Georgia Tech 25 – The Dookies undefeated run ended when a true freshman back-up kicker was forced into action and shanked a 33 yard field goal with 4 seconds to play. Shades of Papa Nasty (too soon?).

bAMmER gEtS alL ThE caLLs

So, Crowell. How did your helmet just magically pop off like that? Hmm.

Officials overturned an interception by Alabama linebacker QB Reese in the third quarter. ABC analyst Kirk Herbstreit criticized the call, saying there was no definitive proof the ball bounced off the turf instead of Reese’s wrist.

How in 2026 is this move not called targeting? It is a perfect example as to why the penalty was created.

And the big one. The SEC officials missed a pretty obvious defensive pass interference penalty against Georgia – perhaps the biggest miss of the night – on Alabama’s last drive. Chris Fowler in his play-by-play has seen plenty of ball and expected a yellow hanky to come out. So too did the ESPN graphics department as they flashed a yellow “penalty” graphic on the score bug for a few seconds. Bewildered Fowler and Herbstreit ruminated on what the official might have seen.

It was not just Bama fans and the ESPN crew that voiced their displeasure with the SEC officiating. People of all types on social media were calling out the zebras. Some of them were random fans of other schools who would basically say they don’t like Alabama but they got screwed. There were also unaffiliated beat writers from places such as UNC, Virginia Tech, South Florida, and general CFB sites (and here) who agreed. National writers like Ari Meirov, Clay Travis, and even notorious Bama-hater Brandon Walker spoke the truth. Even the Bulldog who committed the PI admitted a flag should have been thrown.

Some Dwags fans came back with ‘wELl BaMmeR WAs hOldINg’ and would include some blurry obscure video that really does not prove anything. I am sure you could go through any FBS game and find borderline holding. And if you want to talk about borderline non-calls, look at Luke Metz get pushed in the back by an UGA OL on this huge play.

Now all this said, it doesn’t mean Alabama would have won the game. But these officiating gaffes denied the Crimson Tide the opportunity to do so of their own accord.

Moving on…

THIS TEAM HAS NO BUSINESS PLAYING IN FBS

UGMO

UGMO 2

WILDLIFE OF THE WEEK

MATH IS HARD

HUCKLEBERRY OF THE WEEK

SHOULD THIS HAVE BEEN A PENALTY?

TIP DRILL TO YOURSELF OF THE WEEK

TUSH PUSH OF THE WEEK

FAT GUY TD OF THE WEEK

Way to waste that play on Vandy.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAY OF THE WEEK

THESE UNIS ARE NOW IN LANDFILL!

Were they trying to be Boise?

NEVER GET CUTE WITH THE GAME ON THE LINE

WTF IS THIS?

This is not AI, Northwestern really ran plays out of these formation versus Ball State.

RIDICULOUS PENALTY OF THE WEEK

TOO BAD BAMA WASN’T PLAYING A BIG BAD BIG TEN OPPONENT LIKE MARYLAND

KICKOFF RETURN OF THE WEEK

I am sure Lane Kiffin is already tampering.

PUNT OF THE WEEK

The offense sucks but at least they can punt.

STADIUM SNACK OF THE WEEK

OWIE OF THE WEEK

WAS THIS ONE OF THOSE -MAKE-A-WISH THINGS?

WORST ATTEMPT AT RUNNING THE OPTION OF THE WEEK

LAMEST FANS OF THE WEEK

Jeez, man. Pitt was 5-0 and ranked No. 25 coming into this game.

DOINK OF THE WEEK

ALABAMA STAFFER OF THE WEEK

The Crimson Tide needs more guys like HaHa Clinton Dix. And it is good to see some fire from Kalen DeBoer.

NAME OF THE WEEK

King Large’s legal and real name is King David Large and, yes, he is quite large.

STATS OF THE WEEK

• WR Jesse Legree has topped 100 yards in all six of Oregon State’s sand ranks first nationally with 932 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Lane Kiffin on line one.
• The South Alabama vs Arkansas State game had the most combined first half points of any FBS game this season with 62. It also had the most combined total points of any FBS game this season at 105.
• Louisville RB Isaac Brown finished with 235 yards in their win over FSU.
• Nebraska ran 83 plays, had the ball for two-thirds of the game and scored 17 points. Aaaand lost.
• According to ESPN, Kentucky is the first team in FBS history to win consecutive games by one point in overtime. Okay…
• Arkansas has lost 14 straight SEC games.

THE WACKY WORLD OF CORSO ISAIAS

It figures. College GameDay returns to Tuscaloosa, we finally get a worthy guest picker, and an act of God has to put a damper on it. At least the basketball team got some props.

Due to the weather, GameDay was moved indoors to Coleman Coliseum. It was a total lovefest for Nick Saban. FINALLY, they got Alabama a proper guest picked in former Bama and current Carolina QB Bryce Young. (The Panthers were on a bye week.)

Being the troll he is, Pat McAfee picked Georgia.

Next up is to Provo for the Notre Dame-BYU showdown. GO LDS!

FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff was in Lincoln for Nebraska and Indiana. The Barstool meatheads were gone but Nebraska native Larry the Cable Guy was there. I guess he is the most famous Nebraskan FOX could think of.

SEC Nation will be in Knoxville this week. Be sure to give Roman Harper a big “Roll Tide!”

GAMEDAY SIGN

ADOPT-A-TEAM

• Memphis (5-1, 2-0 AAC) topped UAB 38-13.
• Western Michigan (4-2, 2-0 MAC) mauled Kent State 38-7.
• East Carolina (3-2) topped Rice 28-12 and have won three straight.
• RELEGATED: Tulsa (3-3, 0-2)
• PROMOTION? New Mexico is 4-1 and fifth in the nation in scoring (43.4 ppg). This despite a close loss to Oklahoma by the score of 14-6. Coach Jason Eck might be one to watch. He took a woeful Idaho program and had three straight winning seasons of 7-5, 9-4, and 10-4 with FCS playoff appearances in each year. Last season, he led the Lobos to their first winning record (9-4) and bowl game since 2016.

COUSINS

• Troy (3-2) – The Trojans bamboozled Southern Miss 55-34. Next, TU is at ULL on Saturday.
• South Alabama (3-2) – The Jags had a shootout with Arkansas State but held on to win 56-49. USA is off this weekend.

• Jacksonville State (4-2) – The Gamecocks connected on a 33 yard field goal with 52 ticks to go to escape with a 27-26 win over Kennesaw. Two more wins to bowl eligibility.

THAT ANNOYING GUY WHO LICKS HIS FINGERS AND THEN DRIES THEM OFF ON THE COUCH

• UAB (3-3) – The Dragons were thumped by Memphis 38-13. East Carolina returns to the state of Alabama.

SALUTE TO OUR TROOPS

Three-and-oh for the military academies.

• Army (3-2) – The Black Knights kicked a 25 yard field goal as time expired to defeat Tulane 20-17. FAU invades.

• Air Force (4-1) – The Falcons did not complete a pass in their 28-7 win over Northern Illinois. A tough UNLV team comes in next.
• Navy (2-3) – The Midshipmen took down Tulsa 34-26. A deployment to UTSA is next.

ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION

Eliminated: Boston College, Cal, FSU, Georgia Tech, Louisville, NC State, Syracuse, Stanford, Center Florida, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, TCU, West Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Rutgers, Purdue, Washington, Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt

In Danger: Clemson, North Carolina, Pitt, SMU, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Northwestern, Oregon, Southern Cal, Wisconsin, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Oklahoma

Still Alive: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Texa$ Tech, Utah, Indiana, Ohio State, UCLA, Duke, Wake Forest

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

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

POWER 1 & 2

1. SEC – Despite the loss to the refs, Alabama is still very much in the hunt for the SECCG and a CFP spot. UGA, of course, is in the catbird seat. Texas too is not out of it yet, but they better be careful with Fla, OM, MSU, Miz, and LSU up next. Surprising Missouri is looking good. Ole Miss is in the CFP chase. Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Tennessee are hanging around. LSU and Florida are scuffling and might be out.
2. Big Ten – Nebraska had a shot at a program-changing win over Indiana but blew it. Surprising UCLA is 5-0, 3-0. Oregon is in big trouble.

NEXT 2

• Big 12 – BYU has Notre Dame on Saturday. Texa$ Tech still has road games at Cincy and Okie State in the future. Utah has three straight with Houston, Cincy, and BYU.
• ACC – With Pitt (5-1) and Duke (4-1) getting upset, only the Hurricanes remain among the unbeaten. Despite being 2-3 overall, the Yeller Jackets are 1-1 in the conference. Might we see a similar repeat of Duke winning the ACC as they did in 2025 after going 7-5 in the regular season? Tech doesn’t play Miami-FL and will surely lose to Georgia at the end of the season. How funny would that be?

AT LARGE

• Indies – Notre Dame. Finally, the Irish face a team with a pulse at BYU. Although IMHO, the Coogs are not all that. They have yet to dominate any FBS opponent they have faced.

PARTICIPATION TROPHY

• UNLV ruined North Dakota State’s perfect season with a 13-7 win.
• Memphis (AAC) is 5-1 but their one defeat was to Boise (PAC-12).
• The Smurfs lost a close one at Oregon, which is not looking as impressive anymore. My money is on them right now.
• UTSA (AAC) is also 5-1 losing to Texas by 24 in Week 3.
• FAU (AAC) is 4-1 falling badly to Florida in the opening weekend.

• The Sun Belt’s James Madison (6-0) continues their run on their weak-ass schedule. As we have seen, having a weak schedule doesn’t matter all that much to the CFP Committee.
• Of note, James Madison has been accepted to the American Conference and will join the league ‘“no later than July 1, 2028”. Reportedly, the Dukes are paying $20 million to the AAC and around $5 million to leave the Sun Belt.
• Liberty has an excellent shot at finishing the regular season 11-1, but they lost at JMU by a touchdown in the season opener.

RANK ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM

It seemed almost certain that the winner of Alabama-Georgia would move up to No. 1 and that is just what happened. Perhaps justifiably, the Crimson Tide stayed right where they were at 6 but got leapfrogged by Indiana who struggled all day against impostor Nebraska. Texas dropped all the way to 7 with their defeat to Okie. Meanwhile, the softest schedules in the nation sit at 2 and 3 – Notre Dame and Miami-FL.

The polls are somewhat irrelevant right now. So instead, here are the TOP 17 (in honor of Trae’shawn Brown) CREEPY SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS BASED ON REAL PEOPLE

1. Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos, (1986) Chuck Norris works for the U.S. government with his team: tech expert Pepper, Samurai Kimo, apprentice Reed, Sumo warrior Tabe, and young ward Too Much. They stop The Claw and his Super Ninja.
2. Mister T (1983–1985) Mr. T and his young gymnastics team fight crime whenever they encounter it on their tour.
3. Hammerman (1991–1992) The adventures of a musical superhero armed with magical living shoes. Starring M.C. Hammer.
4. Camp Candy (1989–1992) John Candy runs a summer camp
5. Life with Louie (1994–1998) Louie Anderson’s adventures as a child, growing up with his sweet-hearted mother, his loud and war-crazed father, his 10 siblings, and classmates who love to tease him.
6. The Beatles (1965–1969) The musical adventures of the rock band.
7. Abbott & Costello (1967–1968) The animated further misadventures of the comedy duo.
8. The Gary Coleman Show (1982) A rebel angel returns to Earth to help troubled children.
9. Harlem Globe Trotters (1970–1973) The adventures of a basketball comedy team.
10. Jackie Chan Adventures 2000–2005) Chan teams up with his 11-year-old niece, Jade, traveling the globe to locate a dozen magical talismans before the sinister Dark Hand does. Helping Jackie and Jade is Uncle, a cantankerous but wise antiquities expert.
11. I Am the Greatest!: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali (1977)
12. Kid ‘n’ Play (1990) Centers on hip-hop duo Kid ‘n Play. Stresses positive role models, teaching children cooperation and staying out of trouble.
13. Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action! (2001–2002)
14. New Kids on the Block (1990) yorg.
15. The Osmonds (1972) The Osmonds travel around the world with their talking pet dog, Fuji, and young Jimmy is always getting into antics.
16. Jackson 5ive (1971–1973) The animated musical adventures of the Jackson brothers.
17. Partridge Family 2200 AD (1974–1975) The adventures of a futuristic version of the Partridge Family.

LET’S GO BOWLING!

• Indiana, Notre Dame, Georgia, James Madison, and Southern Cal are all bowl eligible with 6 wins. All are 6-0 except So Cal who is 6-1.
• Only nine teams remain undefeated. With the four mentioned above, BYU, Miami-FL, Utah, Texa$ Tech, UCLA are each 5-0.
• 21 teams are a win away from being bowl eligible.

LET’S GO BLOWING!

• Three teams remain winless and in line for the Triple Golden Sombrero (12 whiffs). They are Charlotte, NIU, and ULM.
• Charlotte is the only 0-6 team. Unless they go on an incredible run, they will be sitting at home in December. With @Temple, vs Tulane, @UAB, vs ECU, @Tulsa, and vs Navy remaining, they have an excellent shot at the TGS.

Krazy Kristi’s “SHUT UP!” of the Week goes to the weenies on social media who chastised Kalen DeBoer for yelling at highly-paid professional grown man Dijon Lee for his late game penalty. These people likely never played sports beyond YMCA soccer.

HEISMAN HYPE

anOhio State WR Jeremiah Smith was the favorite entering October. He is putting up some insane highlight reels but it is going to be tough for him to win the Heisman unless he does something really special. Consider every wide receiver who won the trophy and what they did to distinguish themselves:

• 1972 Johnny Rodgers (Nebraska) also had several rushes and returned punts.
• 1987 Tim Brown (Notre Dame) returned punts and kickoffs. He ran three punts back for scores in his Heisman season.
• 1991 Desmond Howard (Michigan) famously returned a punt for a touchdown in the Ohio State-Michigan game.
• 2020 DeVonta Smith (Alabama) had a dynamic punt return for TD against Arkansas.
• 2024 Travis Hunter (Colorado) was a two-way player.

Odds per FanDuel:

1. WR Jeremiah Smith (anOhio State) -210
2. QB Darian Mensah (Miami-FL) +1000
3. QB CJ Carr (Notre Dame) +1200
4. QB Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) +1300
5. QB Gunner Stockton (Georgia) +1400 – “I don’t reckon I got any reason to kill anybody.”
6. QB Keelon Russell (Alabama) +2000
7. (tie) JulianSayin+4000
7. (tie) Drew Mestemaker+4000
9. (tie) KamarioTaylor+5500
9. (tie) Josh Hoover+5500

QB Arch Manning (Texas) +10000

THE SICK REPORT

• UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava is expected to miss a significant amount of the season with an injured knee. Rumors have it, he has a torn ACL.
• Reigning Big 12 Player of the Year BYU RB LJ Martin will miss a month due to an injury. Of course, that includes the showdown vs. Notre Dame. Luck of the Irish.
• Somebody pulled some serious strings to get Mizzou freshman offensive lineman DJ Jones a heart transplant so soon after his diagnosis. The Tigers’ top 2026 recruit was hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic in Florida.

DRAMARAMA

• Alex Golesh announced that Auburn star LB Xavier Atkins will not play against Georgia on Saturday for an undisclosed reason.

^{You hate to see it.}

• With Nebraska’s Stadium set to undergo a $600 million renovation this coming offseason, the Cornhuskers announced that they’d be selling off all sorts of soon-to-be removed items from their century-old home, including stadium seats, signs, suite items and… urinals. According to reports, several of the troughs already have been purchased. Gross.
• The SEC is considering restoring a transfer policy that would require intraconference athletes to sit out a year before playing for another conference school. The SEC presidents were supposed to vote on it on Monday but it has been tabled. The SEC voted in 2021 to allow players who transfer within the conference to have immediate eligibility.

KOACHES KORNER

• There are some reports that say there appears to be mutual interest between Rutgers and Brian Kelly. I can’t wait to hear him talk about his family in New Jersey-ese.
• Last November, Vanderbilt made the blunder of giving head coach Clark Lea a ridiculous six-year contract extension. Lea is 29–39 overall and 11–32 in the SEC in his six seasons. Without Diego Pavia in the lineup, Lea is 12-30 and 2-25.
• After early offensive struggles this season, Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham announced last week that he would be stepping away from play-calling. Previous to this weekend, the Sun Devils were 1-2 vs FBS opponents, having scored 20, 24, and 19 points in those games. Without him at the helm, ASU scored 30 in a win over Hawaii.
• In his second go-round with West Virgina, Rich Rodriguez is not having quite the same success as the first time. Last season, the Mountaineers went 4-8 (2-7 B12). This far this year, WVU is 3-3 (0-3)
• When Urban Meyer went out to a bar, he told anyone who would listen that his wife is just like Google. She doesn’t let him finish a sentence before making a suggestion.
• When some people go for seconds, Fat F*** Phil Fulmer goes for twenty-thirds (nod to W.A.Y.).

TEEVEE

Despite being a noon kickoff, Alabama-Mississippi State finished second in TV ratings with 5.08M viewers. They were topped by only anOhio State-Iowa (5.97M).

THIS WEEK

Below is just a sampling highlight of games of interest this week. If you REALLY MUST know about the BIG Charlotte-Temple conflict, click here.

Tuesday, October 13

Delaware at Middle Tennessee 6pm/7pm CBSSN
FIU at Jacksonville State 7pm/8pm ESPNU

Wednesday, October 14

Kennesaw at Missouri State 6:30/7:30 CBSSN
Western Kentucky at Sam Houston 7pm/8pm ESPN2

Thursday, October 15

East Carolina at UAB 6:30/7:30 ESPN
Georgia Southern at Old Dominion 6:30/7:30 ESPN2
Colorado State at Texas State 7pm/8pm CBSSN

Friday, October 16

Memphis at Tulane 6:30/7:30 ESPN
Washington at Purdue 7pm/8pm FOX
App State at Coastal Carolina 7pm/8pm ESPN2

Saturday, October 17

SEC

Florida at Texas 11:30/12:30 ABC – Once upon a time, this game was looking like a Saturday prime time game.
Mississippi State at LSU 11:30/12:30 ESPN – The Bayou Bengals should be really worried about this one.
The Citadel at Texas A&M noon/1pm SECN+
Auburn at Georgia 2:30/3:30 ESPN – Aubie always seems to play Uggz close.
Missouri at Ole Miss 2:30/3:30 SECN – Loser is behind the CFP eight ball.
Arkansas at Vanderbilt 6pm/7pm ESPN2 – Two 0-3 teams.
Kentucky at Oklahoma 6:30/7:30 SECN

* South Carolina is off.

OTHERS

Ohio State at Indiana 11am/noon Fox
Notre Dame at BYU 6:30/7:30 ABC – Catholics vs Mormons. GO LDS!

Sleep, Pretty Darling, Do Not Cry, And I Will Sing A Lullaby-ee

New Mexico at Hawaii 9:30/10:30 FS1

#ALABAMA

• Keelon Russell is a class act.
• Alabama did not come out of the Georgia as clean as they had other games. Kalen DeBoer stated that WR Ryan Williams is dealing with a head injury. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams still played 50 of 60 offensive plays.
• According to KDB, center Racin Delgatty has a “lower-leg injury”. Ryan Grubb said on Monday that Mal Waldrep is the next man up at center if Delgatty can’t go at Tennessee. Waldrep was preparing to replace him in the UGA game but Alabama did not have another offensive snap after the third down when he was seen holding his right leg.
• DL Terrance Green (did not play in the second half) re-aggravated a previous injury. Of note in the first half when Green was available, Alabama held Georgia to 49 rushing yards. In the second half, when Green was unavailable, the Bulldogs had 157 rushing yards. Do with that info what you will.
• Daniel Hill led the Alabama running backs with 29 snaps, but according to PFF, 25 of his reps came on passing plays. Hill only carried the ball four times (for 15 yards), but it was obvious that the coaching staff trusts him as a pass protector – though he did give up two pressures (1 sack).
• Thank the good lord for the day an Alabama assistant spotted Trae’shawn Brown during the recruitment process. On a day when the Tide was struggling to run the ball, the true freshman had 9 carries for 90 yards. He was in on 21 snaps – 11 pass plays, 10 run plays.
•  EJ Crowell (5 rush, 11 yards) played nine snaps (3 pass, 6 run) but scored the lone rushing TD.
• Josh Ford played the second-most snaps (24) among tight ends, not including his reps on special teams.
• Note that the offensive line was not flagged. I suppose the sacks came against running backs and tight ends:
  • Jackson Lloyd, LT: 0 pressures
  • William Sanders, LG: 0 pressures
  • Racin Delgatty, C: 1 pressure (1 hurry)
  • Michael Carroll, RG: 0 pressures
  • Jayvin James, RT: 0 pressures
• The Crimson Tide is still third in the nation in scoring offense at 44.2 ppg. They trail only Miami-FL (49.6) and UGA (46.2).
• LB Caleb Woodson led the defense with 5 solo tackles, 4 assists, and a TFL.
• Alabama did not get enough pressure on Sling Blade. Jah-Marien Latham led the Tide with 2 pressures (2 hurries). Yhonzae Pierre recorded the Tide’s only sack.
• LB QB Reese had an interception.
• According to Charlie_Potter, Alabama leads the SEC with 39 scrimmage plays of 20+ yards. But the Crimson Tide defense is tied for last in the SEC, giving up 28 scrimmage plays of 20+ yards.
• NOT LOOKING AHEAD but the Alabama vs. Texas A&M game will be a 2:30/3:30 kickoff on ABC. It’s also Homecoming.

GAME 7: Saturday, October 17, 2026

TSIO: Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-1) vs Tennessee Volunteers (5-1, 2-1)

Obnoknoxiousville, TN ~ 2:30/3:30 ABC

• Coach: Josh Heupel (50–21, 26–17 SEC, in his 6th UT season as a head coach)
• 2026 UT: The Vols whupped up on two cupcakes and Georgia Tech to start the season. Then came a tight low-scoring loss to Texas. Midway through the Auburn game, freshman UT quarterback Faizon Brandon was replaced by sophomore George MacIntyre who closed out the game with a win. MacIntyre started the game with Arkansas, but it was a struggle to the very end.
• Series: It’s the Third Saturday in October, one of the most storied rivalries in all of sports. Alabama leads the series 61-39-8. The Tide is 27-22-1 in Knoxville. Bama won every meeting from 2007 to 2021. The last four years, the home team has taken the game.
• Editorial: The loss to UGA was disappointing but not a deal breaker. The Crimson Tide are still a top team and will have much to say about the CFP. The Vols are scuffling at the quarterback position and Tide needs to exploit that, but also contain star RB DeSean Bishop. It will be loud at the garbage truck worker convention. Anything can happen in a rivalry.
• Weather: It should be a nice crisp fall day with the forecast calling for a high of 63° and partly cloudy skies and maybe some blustery winds.
• TV Announcers: Once again, it’s Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, and Katie George.
• Radio: Chris Stewart & Tyler Watts on Alabama Radio.
• Vegas: The FanDuel opening point spread had Alabama as a 6.5 point favorite with an Over/Under of 55.5. But now it is Bama by 8.5 and 51.5 O/U.

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