Each week, Matt Hayes uses his sources around the country to bring you insider knowledge about what’s going on in and around the SEC ahead of this week’s games.

This is what he’s hearing from coaches and NFL scouts in Week 10 …

To bowl or not to bowl

This is the moment college football purists have dreaded. The first time the game’s biggest player decides to skip the bowl season to protect his future.

This is where we could be if Alabama loses to LSU on Nov. 9, and the Tide are left out of the College Football Playoff. It could be the first time the game’s best player and potential No.1 pick in the NFL Draft, skips the bowl season. Welcome to Tua Tagovailoa’s world – one that could impact the game for years.

“Even if Alabama loses (to LSU), which I don’t think they will, it doesn’t mean they’re out of the Playoff race,” an SEC coach told me this week. “But yeah, if they are, that changes everything. If a guy as big as Tua says no thanks, that’s a big deal. Others players will follow. That’s not good for our game.”

Tagovailoa hasn’t even discussed the possibility of not participating in an Alabama non-Playoff bowl game because there’s no reason to address it at this point. The Tide are 9-point favorites to beat LSU – even with Tagovailoa’s ankle injury. But it doesn’t stop the one thing Alabama coach Nick Saban despises: speculation.

“He’d be foolish to play in any bowl game if they’re not in the Playoff,” an NFL scout told me. “And frankly, I think Nick (Saban) would tell him that. If you’re months away from earning millions of dollars as the No. 1 pick, why risk it?”

It wouldn’t be the first time an elite player sat out. In previous years, numerous players have sat out bowl games, including 1st-round picks Nick Bosa, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey.

None, however, would be as big a name as Tagovailoa – at the most important position on the field.

The future of Joey Gatewood

Former 5-star QB Joey Gatewood has left Auburn and will try to become immediately eligible for the 2020 season. The question: Where will he land?

Gatewood chose Auburn over Florida 2 years ago, but the Gators’ quarterback room includes junior starter Kyle Trask, injured junior starter Feleipe Franks and talented redshirt freshman Emory Jones.

Florida also has a commitment from 4-star QB Anthony Richardson (6-4, 225 pounds), who has a similar body and game as Gatewood.

“I will tell you this, wherever Joey goes, he’s not going to be afraid of competition,” says Denny Thompson, Gatewood’s QB coach and owner of 6 Points QB Training. “He will go where he feels is the best fit – and then compete his tail off.”

The Vandy decision

There have been numerous reports about the imminent firing of Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason. The idea that former NFL coach Jeff Fisher is the top candidate, according to one agent I spoke with, is “laughable” for numerous reasons.

“Jeff isn’t getting back into coaching to work at a place that has inherent obstacles to winning,” the agent told me. “He’d like to work in the NFL, but that ship most likely has passed. If Jeff is interested in the college game, I’d bet it’s with his alma mater (USC), which doesn’t currently have an opening. Those rumors, I mean, come on. That’s just somebody saying, ‘well, Jeff’s out of a job and he coached in Nashville for years with the Titans and he knows the community, he’s a perfect fit.’ No, he’s not.”

Stingley’s impact

How good is LSU freshman CB Derek Stingley Jr.? One NFL scout told me this week that if Stingley were draft-eligible (he won’t be for 2 more seasons), he’d be the first cornerback taken in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Here’s how impressive that statement is: There could be as many as 5 cornerbacks taken in the 1st round. Many scouts believe it has been more than a decade since the position was this deep, with potential 1st-rounders including Jeff Okudah (Ohio State), Trevon Diggs (Alabama), CJ Henderson (Florida), Cameron Dantzler (Mississippi State) and Paulson Adebo (Stanford). One scout told me Stingley, “high-points the ball like he’s a receiver. He’s the most physically active corner I’ve seen at that age in a long, long time. Guys that young typically try to use their athletic ability to make up for any flaws. Stingley is so technically sound already.”

Expect Fromm to bounce back

Georgia QB Jake Fromm has a history of bouncing back from poor games with strong performances. One SEC coach told me he’d be “shocked” if Fromm did not only play well – but be the reason Georgia wins the game. “You’re talking about a talented alpha dog, a guy who doesn’t like to lose and doesn’t like to be the reason you’re losing,” an SEC coach said.

The follow-up game from Fromm’s poor performance in a loss to South Carolina was the home game against Kentucky – but that game was played in a torrential downpour and Georgia only attempted 12 passes. Fromm struggled as a freshman in a blowout loss to Auburn, then followed up 3 weeks later with a big game against the Tigers to win the SEC Championship. He struggled last year in a loss to LSU, then came back 2 weeks later with a big game in a victory over Florida.

In 2 two bounce-back games, Fromm completed 72 percent of his passes with 5 TDs and 0 INT.