10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after Week 8 in the SEC
By Chris Wright
Published:
Gator Nation, I’ve seen your wish list. That’s why everybody needs an editor. Let me help: You’re not getting Marcus Freeman or Brent Key. You’re probably not getting Lane Kiffin, either.
Celebrate the inevitable end of the whole Billy Napier saga, whenever that is, but when the search lingers and the rejections start piling up, remember that the Magic Kingdom is in Orlando, not Gainesville.
Speaking of magic, Diego Pavia and Gunner Stockton made some Saturday, while LSU, Miami, Ole Miss and common sense disappeared, again.
Those are just some of the 10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after Week 8 in and around the SEC.
10. Does Florida even care about football anymore?
That was my immediate reaction after Penn State fired James Franklin last Sunday. No, I wasn’t surprised. I wrote in Week 6 that Franklin would be 1 of the next 5 Power conference coaches to go, his $50 million buyout be damned.
That buyout, by the way, is $30 million more than what Florida will pay Billy Napier, whenever they decide to get back in the game. Matt Hayes reported this week that Florida could fire Napier as soon as today. Others disputed that timing. So, we wait.
At this point, Florida’s willingness to wallow in sub-mediocrity has called into question its desire to compete. Napier is 22-23 after Saturday’s dramatic win over Mississippi State — which was secured only because 375-pound big-man Michai Boireau’s interception eliminated MSU’s chance to kick a walk-off, game-winning field goal. You know, just like they drew it up.
Do the Gators even care anymore? I mean, even Sam Pittman won 9 games once as Arkansas’ coach. Napier hasn’t done that yet — and he won’t this year, either.
Nine wins. Think about that: That’s not even a Playoff ceiling. That’s an invite to the Gasparilla Bowl, maybe.
You have to go all the way back to Ron Zook to find a Gators coach who didn’t win 9 games in a season at least 1 time — and even Zook won 8 games in 2 of his 3 seasons. Scan back farther: Since 1960, Zook and Napier are the only Gators coaches who didn’t win 9 games at least 1 time in their tenure.
Florida fans already have turned the page. Wish lists have been created and tweeted, as if it’s a certainty that Florida will walk in and poach Marcus Freeman from Notre Dame, Brent Key from Georgia Tech or Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss.
Of that trio, Kiffin is the most gettable, but he has every possible thing he could want at Ole Miss — including peace of mind after losing a game he shouldn’t.
Freeman? Thanks to the revamped Playoff format that no longer guarantees conference champions the top 4 seeds, he has the best, most repeatable Playoff path in the country. Notre Dame has unlimited financial support. It has the ability to shape its schedule. In the current landscape, it’s difficult to excuse Notre Dame not finishing a season ranked in the top 10.
In the past 10 seasons, Notre Dame has won 10 or more games 8 times. The Irish, who beat USC on Saturday, are headed for another 10+ win season in 2025, too. Florida has 3 10-win seasons in that span — and fired both coaches shortly after.
How do I put this kindly? As current programs, Florida is closer to Missouri than it is to Notre Dame.
Freeman already has a better job. I firmly believe he remains at Notre Dame until the Dallas Cowboys or Ohio State come calling.
Key? He’s a Georgia Tech alum who has just now begun to tap into all that Atlanta recruiting offers. Last year, Key signed 6 4-star recruits — all from Georgia. Tech’s class ranked No. 21 nationally — its highest since 2007. With Clemson slipping, FSU still recovering and Miami a perpetual threat to Miami at any moment, Key has Georgia Tech in prime position to take over the ACC. Sunday, Tech should climb into the top 10 for the first time since 2014. Why would he leave one of the easier annual opportunities to reach the Playoff to jump into the meat-grinder at Florida?
Me? I’d lock in on Option D … as in Dabo, Drinkwitz or Deion.
All I know is, the Gators would have been much better off just keeping the OG D — Dan Mullen — than they are now, stuck solving the expensive mess they created by firing him.
P.S.: South Carolina, I’m seriously wondering about your care level, too.
9. Vols fans, I feel your pain …
Joey Aguilar, welcome to Tennessee football.
Then. Now. Probably forever.
Vols Nation, I’m not going to rub it in. But the circumstances and results are painfully familiar.
8. Brian Kelly and James Franklin are the same coach
Last week, I picked LSU as 1 of the 3 teams ranked in the top 11 that wouldn’t make the Playoff.
Saturday, Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt unofficially (but really officially) ended any lingering hope the Tigers had — while simultaneously announcing themselves as legitimate Playoff contenders.
LSU is now 5-2, and its next 2 games are against Texas A&M and at Alabama. This team isn’t anywhere near good enough to sweep both. It’s challenging to understand why, though.
Metrics insist LSU has everything it needs to make the Playoff — ranked No. 6 in overall team talent, NFL Draft prospects on both sides and a veteran QB who threw for 4,000+ yards last season — but the Tigers are coming up short yet again.
This isn’t an anomaly, either.
LSU has lost at least 3 games every year after 2019, when Joe Burrow authored the greatest season in college football history.
Brian Kelly is responsible for the past 3 seasons — and nothing short of other teams just not showing up on game day will prevent his streak from reaching 4 seasons.
They’re the biggest tease in the SEC, a title that Auburn held forever.
Kelly doesn’t have a catchy, unflattering nickname like “Little Game” James, but that’s about the only thing he doesn’t have in common with James Franklin.
8b. Oh, no, not the Heisman pose …
Diego Pavia gets credit for delivering the overreaction of the week:
Great run, great game, but Diego, please, put this in the closet, right beside the pregame victory formation.
7. Georgia just refuses to go away
Ole Miss’ drive chart looked like a Madden script for 3 quarters at Georgia:
- 14 plays, 65 yards, Touchdown
- 10 plays, 65 yards, Touchdown
- 11 plays, 75 yards, Touchdown
- 2 plays, 75 yards, Touchdown
- 12 plays, 75 yards, Touchdown
Five drives, 5 TDs, 355 total yards … and a 35-26 lead at No. 9 Georgia.
Then, the 4th quarter arrived, and Kirby Smart and Georgia reminded everybody that the best conference in all the land still runs through Athens.
Ole Miss’ lead disappeared faster than the 467 perfectly selected words I’d written about Kirby’s demise.
The Dawgs promptly ripped off 17 unanswered points and held Ole Miss 13 yards on its final 3 possessions to rally for a 43-35 thriller that flipped the script on Georgia’s Playoff hopes.
Doomed to dominant, just like that. All thanks to … Gunner Stockton?
Stockton had a career-day, throwing for 289 yards with 4 TDs and 0 interceptions. Who saw that coming? Not I.
Who saw Georgia outgaining Lane Kiffin’s offense by a staggering margin of 510-351 yards. Not I.
Who saw Georgia hitting the express lane to Atlanta (an oxymoron, I know) … for a likely rematch with Alabama? Not I.
Georgia answered, Ole Miss wilted.
Now comes the biggest test of the Kiffin era: A trip to No. 14 Oklahoma, a game the Rebels absolutely must win to have any chance to make the Playoff. This league isn’t for the faint of heart.
6. Would I fire Hugh Freeze? No
I get it. Just about everything I have written for 2+ years about Napier could be applied to Auburn coach Hugh Freeze. Saturday’s double-overtime loss to Mizzou was typically brutal. The final 2 play-calls were puzzling. Auburn dropped to 3-4 overall, 0-4 (again) in the SEC. Freeze is staring at the prospect of a 3rd consecutive losing season on The Plains
For perspective: Earl Brown is the the only Auburn coach who suffered 3 consecutive losing seasons — and that was from 1948-1950. Since Brown, Doug Barfield is the only Auburn coach to suffer back-to-back losing seasons — and he did it in 1976-1977. (Auburn fired Bryan Harsin, who was in the middle of his second consecutive losing season.)
Obviously, no coach wants his name mentioned in those conversations. And, in fairness and transparency, I also included Freeze as 1 of the next 5 coaches to get fired, but only because I believe Auburn will fire him, not because I would fire him.
Unlike Napier’s situation at Florida, I’d argue Auburn is better with Freeze than it was before him. The record doesn’t reflect an uptick. And I’m not going to excuse it by pointing to the brutal schedule because Napier hasn’t gotten a break there, either. Playing 18-on-11 (against the refs) hasn’t helped matters, either. Auburn has been hosed at least twice in close SEC losses, with receipts and flowers from the SEC to prove it.
Finally, there’s just this: I firmly believe Freeze is a better head coach than Napier. He’s certainly more proven in the SEC.
If Auburn wants to move on — and it probably will — I get it: There’s no denying Freeze’s ceiling is 10 wins — and in 8 seasons as an SEC coach, he’s only hit that once.
But ask yourself this, WDE Nation: Who are you going to get that’s better?
Auburn will never escape Alabama’s shadow for more than a minute. That alone makes it the most difficult job in the SEC, which makes it the most difficult in America.
5. Miami Miami-ed …
Turns out, Carson Beck isn’t Cam Ward … or is he?
Beck entered Week 8 as a Heisman favorite. He then threw 4 interceptions as No. 2 and undefeated Miami piled up miscue after miscue in a strange-but-predictable loss to unranked Louisville. One bad game won’t entirely entirely wreck his Heisman campaign, but it certainly called into question his ability to carry the Canes moving forward.
The bigger problem? Six of Mario Cristobal’s past 10 losses now have come against unranked teams — and his Canes were ranked in 5 of them.
Last season, Ward and the Canes were 9-0 when disaster struck. He was on his way to winning the Heisman, and the Canes were on their way to winning their first ACC title and making their first Playoff appearance. None of that happened. Miami lost 2 of 3 to unranked teams to close the regular season, missed out on the ACC title game and the Playoff.
The country is eagerly awaiting the next Canes Collapse.
That’s a bit of history Beck hopes he doesn’t repeat. But, you know, Miami …
4. The SEC’s 4 Playoff teams will be …
Week 8 brought more confusion than confirmation. I can convincingly make the case that 5 SEC teams should make the Playoff, but, again, that’s not happening in a 12-team format. So we’ll stick with 4 — these 4.
Alabama: Oh, no: The defense is scoring TDs again, and Ty Simpson just took another big step toward winning the Heisman/SEC/Natty Triple Crown. They won’t be No. 1 in the AP poll, but with 4 consecutive wins over ranked teams, they’re the most dangerous team in the country.
Georgia: It’s unrealistic to ask Gunner Stockton to play that well every weekend, but the closer he looks to the Week 8 version, the higher the Dawgs’ title chances rise.
Texas A&M: Everybody has close calls like the Aggies’ 45-42 escape at Arkansas. Contenders win them. This might actually be the team, and the coach, that doesn’t crash in November.
Vanderbilt: Forget Indiana. Vanderbilt making the Playoff would be the most shocking accomplishment in college football history. And it’s never been closer to happening. To think Tennessee vs. Vandy could decide a Playoff spot is everything that’s right with Playoff expansion.
First Out: Ole Miss (because now I think the Rebels also lose at Oklahoma); Tennessee (let’s revisit only if they beat Vandy to finish 10-2); Oklahoma (schedule), Missouri (schedule), LSU (schedule); Texas (check back when they expand to 32).
3. Why only 3 B1G teams deserve to make the Playoff
I’m not here to debate the B1G’s strength of schedule. We all know it’s beyond weak. That’s what happens when you expand a top-heavy league to 18 teams; already unbalanced schedules become ridiculously unbalanced.
The SOS won’t impact Ohio State or Indiana. Both are Playoff locks heading toward their only matchup of the year in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Beyond that? The B1G is so mediocre that it doesn’t deserve 4 Playoff teams. Nor does it deserve to have a 3-loss team in the Playoff mix. That means only 1 of these 3 teams will emerge as the 3rd Playoff participant — but only 1.
Oregon: Maybe only beating a bad Penn State team by a touchdown in double overtime should have raised more flags. Getting blasted at home by Indiana was a cause for concern, but the Ducks don’t face another quality team until they host USC in Week 13. Depending on what happens in the meantime, that game could eliminate the loser from the Playoff race. A 2-loss Oregon team has a Playoff case. No 3-loss B1G team does.
USC: The Trojans lost at Notre Dame on Saturday to fall to 5-2. They remain the B1G’s most intriguing Playoff prospect, but they also have the steepest hill to climb. The Trojans pounded Michigan, but still have to play at Nebraska and at Oregon. They cannot suffer a 3rd loss.
Michigan: The Wolverines already have 2 losses — to the only 2 Playoff-caliber teams (Oklahoma, USC) they’ll face until the annual finale against Ohio State. Even a 2-loss Michigan team that beats Ohio State for its only quality win of the season would be borderline Playoff-worthy.
2. Fact-check of the Week
OK, so credit the Big 12 for fact-checking Brent Venables into the boards this week.
It was the perfect putdown … zero curse words needed.
However, Big 12, we must also point out that Venables already has lost 7 SEC games in not even 2 full seasons in this league. You know, in case you want to continue keeping score.
1. Miss me with the ‘Poor James Franklin’ takes, a’ight?
I had to change the channel. That’s how over-the-top nauseating GameDay’s soliloquy/tribute to fired Penn State coach James Franklin was Saturday. The only element missing was Tom Rinaldi’s voiceover, recapping Penn State’s dramatic 2014 comeback at mighty Rutgers to win 13-10 and give Franklin his first Big Ten win.
“From that moment on, belief returned to Happy Valley …”
GameDay seriously tried to paint Franklin as a victim, suddenly unemployed with nowhere to turn, lives ruined and changed forever in the wake of the most unfair decision in the history of college sports. Franklin, who just picked up the 2nd-largest buyout in college sports history, played right along, too, even lamenting the impact on those left behind in the program.
Please, people.
Where was this level of concern when Franklin willingly left Vanderbilt after just 3 years — not even a full graduating class! — for Penn State? Do those poor Vandy kids not count? What about all the other players from all of the other programs Franklin left after short stays to chase bigger and better? (Bio don’t lie, folks.) Do those kids not count, either?
Instead of playing the victim, Franklin should have thanked every player, at every level, who helped him create multi-generational wealth and achieve his dreams of coaching 15+ years in the 2 best conferences in America.
Will he coach again? Of course. Maybe even in the SEC. Maybe as soon as next season. Arkansas and Florida could do much, much worse. South Carolina soon should be shopping. He’s a good coach with a proven track record.
What he is not is a victim. Stop it, already. It’s insulting to everybody who is experiencing true hardship.
Managing Editor
A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.
