10 things I'm absolutely overreacting to after Week 11 in the SEC
And you thought Tuesday was interesting …
Speaking of winners (Alabama, Ole Miss, Indiana) and losers (No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Miami, No. 15 LSU) and questionable leaders (more in a minute), how about Saturday, huh?
Those are among the 10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after a bonkers Week 11 in and around the SEC.
10. There’s no way Todd Golden coaches Monday, right?
First, let’s be fair to Florida basketball coach Todd Golden, who stands accused of sexual harassment and stalking, according to a blockbuster report in The Alligator.
True, the allegations against him are far more egregious than merely meeting the lowest imaginable standard for “fireable with cause.” But as of Sunday morning, they remain unproven accusations. Nothing more. And Saturday night, Golden released a statement, in part, saying he is cooperating with an active Title IX investigation and exploring whether to pursue a defamation lawsuit.
Good on him.
Florida administrators have essentially hid behind the ongoing investigation as a means to excuse their lack of action.
Both sides considered: There’s legality … and common sense.
It’s time Florida leaned on the latter until the matter is resolved.
If — and thus far, it remains only if — Golden did what he accused of doing and sent unwanted, illicit photos to women, that very action violates every detrimental conduct clause in any modern college coaching contract.
My question is: Why is it taking this long to prove/disprove that accusation?
According to The Alligator, Florida received the complaint Sept. 27.
The Title IX aspects of this saga are far more complex than proving/disproving whether a college basketball coach sent unwanted, unsolicited, illicit photos to women who never requested them.
The situations aren’t exactly the same, but Texas suspended former coach Chris Beard following his arrest on a charge of family violence. Three weeks after the initial arrest, Texas fired Beard. A month later, prosecutors decided to drop all charges.
In the summer of 2023, former West Virginia coach Bob Huggins resigned 1 day after his arrest on a drunken driving charge. Huggins already had been suspended the 3 games of the upcoming season for uttering homophobic slurs.
Ole Miss fired Hugh Freeze after his very public scandal. Arkansas did the same with Bobby Petrino, just as Louisville did with Rick Pitino.
Texas didn’t overreact. Neither did West Virginia, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Louisville nor any of the many, many other college programs forced to terminate partnerships with misbehaving coaches. In fact, years later, Pitino told WFAN radio that he deserved to be fired. “Was I innocent of any wrongdoing? Yes I was. But I was the leader and I deserved to be fired.”
If — again, with emphasis, only if — even the most basic of these multiple accusations against Golden are true, it’s time for Florida to act.
Before the Gators take the court Monday against Grambling.
9. And we thought Billy Napier’s future was the hottest topic at UF …
Florida AD Scott Stricklin has had a month. Clearly.
Can you imagine waking up on Oct. 1, knowing what he likely knew in light of the Golden timing, wondering whether you soon would have to fire your head football coach and head basketball coach — both men you hired?
Golden’s situation will play itself out, but the day before news of the investigation broke, Stricklin informed Gator Nation that embattled football coach Billy Napier was returning in 2025 for a 4th season.
Knowing what we know now, the timing of Stricklin’s announcement seems … let’s go with convenient.
But on Thursday, the day before the Golden allegations broke, Stricklin’s announcement to retain Napier seemed to be an understandable last-ditch attempt to keep DJ Lagway, maintain some semblance of stability and bolster a recruiting class that was falling apart.
It wasn’t necessarily a commitment to Napier. It was a commitment to 2025 and 2025 only, to fully understanding the increasing likelihood that it wouldn’t include Lagway unless it also included Napier.
Florida has raised the funds necessary to buy out Napier’s contract.
According to colleague Neil Blackmon’s Florida sources, the Gators now will spend that a large portion of that money — between $10M and $13M, the amount that would have been due immediately had they fired Napier this season as part of an eventual $26M buyout — on procuring the best available roster for 2025.
Retaining Napier doesn’t and won’t change the facts. He’s still going to have a losing record after this season ends, and Florida is going to have its 3rd consecutive losing season under him.
Whether you saw silver linings amongst the ominous clouds and think Napier has turned the corner or, like me, believe he’ll never seriously contend at UF (he turtled again on another 4th-and-short decision against Texas) — the rationale behind keeping him for 2025 makes some sense.
Even if it merely delays the inevitable 1 more year.
8. At least Florida scored …
Nobody shuts out a Billy Napier offense, a’ight?
Oregon State couldn’t do it in 2022. Texas couldn’t do it in 2024. Sure, Napier’s Gators needed 2nd-half field goals both times, including 1 in the final minute of the prestigious Las Vegas Bowl. Whatever. Gotta play all 60, Paaaawwwlll!
The Gators’ NCAA-record scoring streak is at 457 consecutive games and counting. They haven’t been shut out since losing 16-0 to Auburn on Oct. 29, 1988.
7. Oh, Miami …
So much tease. So, so much tease.
Losing 28-23 at Georgia Tech didn’t single-handedly remove Miami from the Playoff picture, but if you’ve paid any attention to Miami football this season or at any point since the Canes joined the ACC, you know how mightily The U struggles with adversity.
Nobody in the country turns 1 loss into 2 faster or more frequently than the Canes.
The good news is, everything is still in front of them. They can still finish 11-1, still play in the ACC title game, still earn a Playoff bid.
The problem is, their wiggle room closed for good Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
For Miami, the Playoff starts now, earlier than expected but with the same dramatic reminder:
The Canes can’t lose again.
6. Dear Indiana …
Big Ten mouthpiece Joel Klatt was bothered by Indiana’s initial ranking in the College Football Playoff. He went to the oft-used brand-bias card to explain how and why the selection committee hosed IU with a ranking of No. 8.
I’m bothered by Indiana’s ranking, too, mostly because there are 15 teams in America that would be 10-0 if they had Indiana’s harmless schedule.
Saturday did nothing to sway my opinion, either.
Sorry, barely surviving the worst Michigan team since the Brady Hoke Error isn’t impressive. Though it certainly is better than not barely surviving the worst Michigan team since the Brady Hoke Error.
It’s perfectly fine to enjoy and celebrate Indiana’s historic start — the Hoosiers had never been 10-0 before because, until Saturday, they’d never even won 10 games in a season before — while acknowledging the truth: They have the easiest schedule in the country.
That matters.
You know, just like it mattered to Georgia last year, when the No. 1-ranked Dawgs lost the SEC Championship by 3 points — and only the SEC Championship — and sat home with a 13-1 record. And those Dawgs actually beat 4 SEC teams ranked at kickoff.
Last time I checked, Georgia’s football brand was about as good as it gets.
The only ranked team Indiana will play in the regular season is Ohio State in Week 13.
Entering Week 11, the combined record of the Hoosiers’ opponents was 47-57. Remove Ohio State, and the total drops to 40-56.
Narratives gonna narrative, but let’s be real, a’ight?
Indiana is solidly in the Playoff mix, but hold off on crowning anybody until the Hoosiers play Ohio State.
And then get rid of them when they lose.
5. Get ready for Playoff Prime …
Somebody will make the Playoff with 2 losses. Several teams might, in fact.
Nobody in the mix will draw more attention than Colorado, which was kicked to the curb after a 4-2 start but has fought its way back into Big 12 title game contention by reeling off 3 consecutive league wins.
The Big 12 is down. Nobody is challenging or denying that. It’s very likely a 1-bid league.
But Colorado and BYU are the only teams left with fewer than 2 league losses. They don’t play each other, either.
Coach Prime’s Buffs need only to beat Utah, Kansas and Oklahoma State to secure a spot in the Big 12 title game — knowing a win will secure an automatic bid to the Playoff.
Prepare yourself, America. Hate-watch all you want. But it’s happening.
4. Predicting the SEC’s 4 Playoff teams
1. Texas, 2. Alabama, 3. Tennessee, 4. Ole Miss
No Georgia? The Dawgs already have 2 losses and still have to play Tennessee, next week, with Carson Beck. That’ll be game over for the Dawgs.
Kirby, it’s time to see what Jaden Rashada can do … because we know what Beck can’t.
What is Jaden Rashada saying to Carson Beck?
Wrong answers only.. pic.twitter.com/hX8uV1Ee12
— ᴄᴏᴅʏ ᴄᴀʀᴘᴇɴᴛɪᴇʀ (@CodyCarpentier) November 9, 2024
3. Yes, Lane Kiffin can win the big one — at Ole Miss
It’s worth repeating, but Lane Kiffin has everything he needs — and nothing he doesn’t — to win a national championship at Ole Miss.
Saturday night, Kiffin’s Rebels all but ended Georgia’s Playoff hopes with a decisive 28-10 victory — the type of signature statement many thought Kiffin was incapable of writing.
Ole Miss improved to 8-2 (4-2 in the SEC with 2 gimmes remaining — Florida and Egg Bowl rival Mississippi State). It’s looking more and more likely that at 1 least 2-loss team will play in the SEC Championship. It’s quite possible that both teams show up in Atlanta with 2 conference losses.
Brush up your SEC tiebreaking procedures.
In the meantime, recognize that Ole Miss is very much back in the Playoff picture and should be part of the top 12 when the 2nd version is released Tuesday.
2. Give Jalen Milroe 10+ rushes … and hang the banner
Why do football coaches insist on trying to out-scheme everybody?
Basketball coaches don’t. They give it to their GOAT and let him eat.
Keep It Simple, Saban-wannabes.
Jalen Milroe is the most dynamic dual-threat in college football. Feed him. Especially this year, when there isn’t a Joe Burrow-led offense that’s going to throw 6 TD passes a game.
The more you ask Milroe to throw, the more the opponent thanks you.
The more you ask him to run, the more the opponent fears you.
Keep it simple because it really is that simple.
Alabama, at its best — which, by the way, is good enough to win it all — looks like it looked Saturday night in a dominant win at LSU. Milroe threw it 18 times and ran it 12 times — for 185 yards and 4 TDs.
Milroe will never match Tua’s fancy passing numbers, but he’s the most dangerous dual-threat the Tide have had since Jalen Hurts. Dynamic with his legs, dangerous enough with his arm.
As memory recalls, that was plenty good enough to add to the T in Title Town.
Milroe is, too. As long as you game-plan accordingly.
2b. P.S: Anybody know Brian Kelly’s buyout?
Asking for friends who are so interested in firing coaches who don’t win titles every year …
1. ‘A dog’s only flaw is they don’t live long enough.’ RIP, Ben …
Thank you again for all the outpouring of love for our Ben. I can’t tell you how much it means to me and my family.
He wasn’t just my best friend – he was America’s best friend ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WtpR2fHjjq
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 9, 2024
I’m surprised there’s been no talk of UGA letting Raiola walk for Beck. Maybe it’s not that black and white but it sure did appear that way. Oh well- hindsight.
Well, you’re clearly starting some talk.
railoa and his family wanted….were looking for a genuine opportunity that their son would compete for a starting job in 2024 and essentially be handed the reins in 2025, as they wanted at least 2 yrs of tape. you think cks should have conceded to the raiola family? that’s what you were saying last dec….when beck was 12-1 as a starter and raiola flipped his commitment? is that what you were saying last spring when beck was being pushed as a top up and coming qb prospect for the 2025 draft? how about this summer when beck was receiving all of the preseason accolades? you were the one of one who had this intuition?
beck has regressed. beck has no confidence. the uga wrs have dropped an alarming # of balls. there’s clearly little chemistry. etc, etc. that’s all true. but, there were no obvious or even faint signs that such was on the horizon.
cks made the right call in going with beck and letting raiola walk. everything supported that decision. to suggest a notion of hindsight now is foolish
There was one hint: Kirby has a history of mismanaging his QB room.
It shouldn’t have been inconceivable that it could happen again.
I know you-all think TrueGrit is crazy…
but just like I was an advocate for an expanded playoff before the expanded playoff was cool…
True grit was way ahead of the curve on Beck(y) too…
although, IF Georgia gets a bunch of home games in the Playoff, Beck could power the Georgia train to Atlanta for a CFP Final showdown.
Georgia will beat Tennessee at home this week.
If by chance Georgia does lose to Tennessee, it’s then we’ll know that Vandagriff could have done no worse than Beck has and it will be a major fail, for both Kirby and Beck, that has taken nearly two years to let us know Kirby let the right QB get away.
For you-all that want to laugh at the above…
Vandagriff isn’t Kentucky’s problem, Stoops is Kentucky’s problem…
Vandagriff wanted to play, he made a mistake when he chose Stoops to be the one who was going to be the one who was going to play him.
You guys sound like d emocrats trying to figure out how they could lose and over half of everyone knows why. It is your reputation for choking and your coach who does less with more. There, I just saved you millions.
Lots of assumptions on how the Beck NIL went down. This team should have been good enough to roll granny out there at QB and win enough games to make the 12 team playoff. No one expected the Oline to fall off like this, or record drops by the WRs, or the most porous defense in 20 years. Etc etc.
Most incongruous stretch of prose I’ve seen in awhile, re Golden. What’s your point?
Kiffin’s challenge at Ole Miss will be year-to-year consistency. His 2024 defensive line replicates the 2023 FSU defensive line. The transfer portal is a hit or miss lottery.
Beck. I guess Brock Bowers really was the difference.
Milroe reminds me of Anthony Richardson. Only more rugged.
I don’t think UGa lost because of Beck, they got beat in every phase of the game. But you did hit the nail on the head, old boy. Pressure Beck and watch the offense struggle. Struggle they did…
Interesting look ahead with that huge word “IF”
UGa beats UTV, both are 6-2 with UGa holding tiebreaker over UTA and UTV but loses out to Bama and OM
UTV holds tiebreaker over Bama but loses out to UGa
Bama wins out, 6-2 holding tiebreaker over UGa LSU but loses out to UTV who loses out to UGa who loses out to Bama but beats out UTV …
MIZ wins out tiebreaker loss to Bama and aTm, no path forward unless aTm is the solo 1 loss SEC team and LSU loses 3
LSU wins out holds tiebreaker over OM Miz but loses to Bama aTm
OM wins out holds edge over UGa but loses to LSU
UTA and aTm play each other so at least one of these teams will have at least 2 losses as well. UGa has to hope aTm beats UTA, LSU has to hope UTA wins over aTm, OM has to hope LSU loses a 3rd SEC game, UTV has to beat UGa to control their path, Bama has to hope UTV beats UGa and is the only 1 SEC loss team in order to win multiple tiebreakers and get a SECCG rematch, which means if UTA beats aTm they will need to lose Ky or Ark.
Wow, talk about carnage…make sense of it all Nash.
The conference has a bunch of good teams, there isn’t a clear cut above the rest team or two like most years. I don’t think 2007 has anything on the amount of chaos we’ve seen this season and we still have three weeks to further muddy the waters.
Leg, all that gave me a headache. Beck is not a championship QB, I said that a few weeks ago, but it is tough to be a championship QB when you are running for your life or getting sacked. The O-line has been an issue.
Sorry 8×5, having suffered as many losses this year as we have the previous 3 years and coming to the realization a few games back regarding your words about Beck…seems I have more time to let the mind wonder this year, my compadre. By gosh, if we are going to have to deal with carnage, so should the entire conference!
I think you hit a few relevant points re QB and OLine, but seems everyone is missing the major issue, loss of two primary receivers to idiocy, two other WRs who can’t separate or run routes worth a toot, 3 RBs down to injury and experienced TEs that can’t hold on to the ball. It has been a collective effort, plus throw in a QB that can’t win games as an elusive dual threat and presto. I have no doubt that if not for Milroe, Bama would be trying to be bowl eligible this year. Beck doesn’t give us that option and Kirby is too stubborn to shake it up. Oh well, on with the carnage!
100% disagree about Milroe. Love the guy and his energy, but Simpson would be slinging the ball all over the place to receivers and Bama would be crushing. It has taken ALL SEASON for Sheridan to stop playing with all the toys BoB left behind and figure out that Jalen is good for 1 or MAXIMUM 2 reads, then dump/throw away/take off.
Uga has the worst group of starting receivers I’ve ever seen. Can’t get open, can’t catch, can’t block, can’t run routes…but sure Beck is the problem.
You can’t be serious. Milroe is the reason Bama doesn’t have 4 losses already.
Umm, Kiffin is about to have 3x 10+ win seasons over just a 4 year span… that’s pretty consistent if you ask me.
Most of our SEC brothers can’t handle the truth.
Enjoy, winning consistently certainly makes for the best of times. Not sure how Ole Miss can keep Kiff from moving on to richer pastures in today’s no limit stakes poker environment so appreciate the now. Dat boi can certainly coach…
This is spot on Rebel. That’s why they call it the brutal truth, it’s just too hard for some people to handle. I’m not saying everyone who can’t handle the truth is an SEC fan, but a vast majority of SEC fans are those who can’t handle the brutal truth, that’s for sure.
And the truth is this is Mizzou’s OOC schedule:
BC, UMass, Murray St and Buffalo
You also avoided UGA, Ole Miss, LSU, and Texas while getting Auburn, OU, Arky, and Miss St during the in conference slate. Mizzou in the only team in the SEC who had a schedule against teams with a combined losing record heading into the 2024 season based on 2023 records.
Leave basketball out of these football articles. Also, if you’re going to continue to include non-SEC schools herein then change the title.
I understand Stricklin trying to use some Elmer’s Glue to hold what’s left of Florida athletics in place, but Golden should be a man and bench himself. And speaking of Scott, he should be called before the board of trustees and given 5 days to clean out his office. I have called Napier dead man walking and still believe he is not SEC caliber. Sorry, Gators fans, just my $.02.
A lot of Gator fans agree with you.
I still am going with my guarantee pick. Florida will beat LSU.
Biggest quack writer on SDS. This might as well be a UF website page. No mention of Nico going out? No mention of really any team other than the dumpster fire at UF.
I understand Stricklin trying to use some Elmer’s Glue to hold what’s left of Florida athletics in place, but Golden should be a man and bench himself. And speaking of Scott, he should be called before the board of trustees and given 5 days to clean out his office. I have called Napier dead man walking and still believe he is not SEC caliber. Sorry, Gators fans, just my $.02.
And I want UF to get back competitive. I don’t like seeing any fanbase go through what we did at UT. Trust me I know a dumpster fire when I see one. UF needs a strong AD, plain and simple.
I agree braves, true fans of the game want good competition, throughout the conference regardless of rival or not, and most realize the wind could blow the flames of the dumpster fire in their program’s direction at a moment’s notice, so probably best to not cast stones. Hope Nico makes a full recovery, kid is going to be a really good one.
Re: Strickland’s letter, is a vote of confidence from the Lord of Freaks good or bad?
This administration at our University is dead set on destroying the athletic department. I understand that education is the key goal for any and all universities however the athletic departments bring in serious cash and if you don’t support the athletic departments then that cash is going to go away. There are sins of commission and sins of omission and right now Florida is wading neck deep in both of them. Stricklin should have been fired 2 years ago and yet he’s still employed. Napier should have been fired last year and yet here we are keeping him again simply because of one (1) football player. That in and of itself is cause to fire him. The Rashada issue is cause 2. Napier claiming Mertz was the best quarterback in the portal should have told everyone something about his portal use. Mertz was good at throwing swing passes to running backs at best and with Napier’s offense that is exactly why his completion rate was high. Hiring a defensive coordinator to babysit another defensive coordinator? How about that one? Which one is actually coaching the defense right now? He’s the one that needs to be kept and quit spending money on the wasted one. I will give credit to the offensive line staff as it seems someone has finally got their heads out of their nether regions.
I understand this team is young. I understand Napier put this team together but you know what it also shows? It show Napier is a recruiter and it shows he could be a general manager BUT he isn’t a head coach and he isn’t an offensive coordinator.
Stricklin……..just looking at photos of his stupid grin makes you want to throw up. His hiring of questionable characters is unmatched. I’m not to judge Golden but Golden realizes the situation he has Florida in right now guilty or not there’s public perception and the perception of Florida right now is dismal and yet this administration continues to set the low bar for handling that perception.
At least we have Scully, he’s the showcase for a head coach.
Once again a post full of negativity and stupidity sprinkled among some half truths.
Stricklin should be fired now, not two years ago, Golden should voluntarily sit at home until these allegations are either thrown out or confirmed, in the latter case he should be fired.
You mentioned the O line has woken up and are playing better, so has the D in spite of last night’s score, that is more a function of the number of injuries at specific positions such as DB and the lack of offense again due to injuries at specific positions such as QB. Speaking if QB you again bad mouth Mertz. It turns out he was indeed one of the best QBs in the portal that year just like Napier said. And who cares if most of his completions were short passes, he would move the chains and he was very accurate and efficient , we sure as heck could use him right now
Great points RealC. Also, gaga gives props to Scully, but not too long ago he was bad mouthing him as well.
FSU set more school/ ncaa records last night..the bad kind. Novel looks absolutely lost when on camera.
FSU suxx, their fans are delusional idiots and did I mention they all suxx
Not much to be upbeat about this morning, except maybe at least I am not a gator fan, but there is hope. Contrary to the writer’s opinion, the UGA/TN game does have to be played. If UGA lucks up and wins, they are in the playoffs and most likely will avoid the SECCG. Either way, this is not a team that can win it all anyway.
Where’d Brian Kelly’s southern accent go?
I feel sorry for sportswriters that think every week they have to tell us what they see in their crystal ball. ! And most of them really think they have one in a deep corner of their journalism doctor brain.
Sorry all you dumbasses! The truth is football teams can get better every week, or they can get worse every week, and no single game tells even Houdini what their overall football value is! If you think you were born to libel and slander with impunity, I hope you get called on it every year till you are too embarrassed to write anymore and this comment is not aimed at any single one of you.
The only good thing about the stupid 12 team playoff idea is the controversy I hope it journalizes. What a cloudy sky future the NCAA division I has to watch coming to slam them in the face and every journalist who tries to write honestly about it will probably be the target of NCAA henchmen.
It is CRAZY-bias to give ANY 4 teams a free pass. Anybody that supports that is part of the wink and nod club!
If you think journalist are ethical, or even care about appearing ethical, then you have not been paying attention.
Tired of reading what a basketball geek writes about football. Football isn’t basketball: the two games have distinctly different paradigms, patterns, rhythms and truths. Why can’t they find someone who has the slightest clue about the game of football to write it instead?
Because it took a full century, but the SEC is slowly becoming a basketball conference.
To all the UGA fans that called me nutz for the past two years. You still think I’m nutz. I told you the issues. “oh no no no, blah blah blah blah”. This is why stats matter. None of this is a shock to anyone that can read a stat. It’s just like not listening to the v o t e r issues and expecting a blue win lol. Same principle. They are warning signs of what your doing right and wrong. And Bobo brought his 90’s offense to Ole Miss this weekend and got a 90’s UGA result.
The issue for Georgia is the coaches have lost confidence in Beck and have been forced to change up the play calling due to his deficiencies. Teams are seeing that and loading up the box, knowing nobody, including Beck himself and the Coaches, believe Beck has what it tales. Bowers and McConkey wall-papered over a lot of issues.
Then how come a super team like UGA with the best coach in football doesn’t have anyone behind Beck that can play QB?
It’s starting to look like Kirby might just have been proce$$ing
Yes, that Tide from last night can win the natty. But let’s not get carried away; Milroe did this to LSU last year because the Tigers have no idea how to handle a dual-threat QB. That may not apply to what’s remaining on the schedule. Oklahoma and Auburn may not have the offenses to win a shootout, but they do have pretty good defenses and it would only take a couple big plays on that side of the ball to give each of them a chance at an upset in a low-scoring game. (And let’s not overlook Mercer which, while FCS, is a pretty good team.) That’s been the big question for Alabama all season: consistency. Will the Tide team we saw last night be the one for the rest of the year, showing things have finally gelled; or will the one that we saw from the second half against Georgia through the Tennessee game rear its ugly head? ‘Bama’s Playoff and SEC title hopes depend on the answer.
Auburn, Oklahoma and Mercer. And you are worried about the rest of your schedule?
If this season hasn’t taught you anything else, the number one lesson should be that anyone can beat anyone else on any given weekend.
True but Auburn, Oklahoma and Metcer?
Yeah, and everyone thought the same about Vandy.
Truth
My take on the Golden situation is that there are several claims of similar nature and they are working through each one and they are false which is why it is taking time, why Golden has not volunteered to sit, why Golden is discussing defamation counter actions, and why UF has not yet terminated his employment. I mean UF did terminate the employment of the WBB coach in a similar instance so it’s not like they won’t pull the trigger. I know the media loves speculating and being high and mighty when they know 10% of the facts. But reading between the lines, that is what I feel is happening based on what we know.
Question for Georgia fan. Do you agree with the writer that next QB up would be Rashada?
What happened to Gunnar? And why doesn’t Kirby play his back up QB in games you are way ahead?
Good question, part 1, no I don’t agree with the writer but I am not privy to se how the two backups are performing in practice. Gunner is still #2 on the depth chart.
As to your second well thought out question, we have had very few games where we were way ahead, hard to get way ahead when your QB is giving opponents 4 or5 extra possessions a game.
Then don’t you think it would behove the coach to find a QB who won’t give the opponent all those extra possessions?
Been saying that ever since the Ky and Bama games, palley. With all the attrition we had in our receiver room, we desperately need a true dual threat at the wheel, but yet, there they sit. For some reason, Kirby won’t take my calls. Can’t figure out why.
It’s because choo choo vol has been bad mouthing you to him ;)
I need this writer and every other writer to stop anointing TN as the winner of next week’s game with UGA. We saw how that worked out in 2022. Plus, let’s be honest, TN isn’t great. Yes they’re 8-1 but they’ve not had to play anyone with a pulse outside of Bama so far. Next week will say a lot but if Nico and Sampson are hurt then forget it.
I hope it happens, but I’ll believe it when I see it with UT-UGa. Then they have to beat Vandy, which won’t be easy.
Did you not see how Sampson finished the game? He is fine.
Agree. UGAs issues have occurred mostly, if not always, on the road. We know crowd noise can make a big difference. I expect this to be the case in Sanford.
The SEC isn’t done being wild for this year. The top 8 teams have a lot to play for and I think we will still see some teams get another loss in conference play. No way in the world I would buy any SECCG tickets until after that last weekend. It’s been frustrating at times, but still fun to watch. I have seen some national people acknowledge the overall strength of the SEC this year while others point to it as proof of decline of the conference. I’m sorry but what teams have they been watching outside of the SEC? Oregon and OSU are strong but have flaws. Penn St. and Indiana are really good but have flaws. BYU had yet another victory handed to them by the refs. Miami finally ran out of miracle comebacks. Clemson is up and down week to week. Colorado isn’t a top 20 team that I have seen. My point is the SEC top 8 have flaws, but so do the rest of the top teams at this point. I see no degradation in the SEC, only greater parity and to me that is maddening yet fun to watch.
Buckle up for another wild 3 weeks in the best conference in America!
Agree with you and that’s why we need a 12 team playoff and not just the chosen four
Hmmm not a single post from tdow or dawgs2021. Someone better check on them.
An obnoxious narcissist and a juvenile dumbass have no place in a discussion among intelligent fans
That never stopped them before
Indiana’s schedule stinks but it’s all good for ranked Mizzou and a ranked LSU team that lost to USC – West.
Texas’ Best Win? Michigan? Oklahoma? Vandy?
A modicum of objectivity would be nice.
I keep on yelling this to my Texas friends. Their none UGA SEC opponents are 6-18 in conference play. Even with UGA it’s 11-20. Not really something to write home about. Yes, they’re blowing some teams out, but that loss to UGA is looking worse and worse since UGA is not looking like the old UGA. They also struggled with Vandy.
Now I will give credit were it’s due. Texas does have a solid team but nothing about them seems like their locked for an SEC champ or CFP run. Especially the way this year is playing out. Anyone can win or lose.