Alabama spent another first half toying with its food, a habit that’s entertaining right up until the food decides it is not going anywhere after the break.
Arkansas, meanwhile, has become the kind of team Rutgers fans love being around because it makes them feel smart and optimistic.
Auburn’s Alex Giles rebuild may have hit its outer edge, at least if a win over Baylor had anyone thinking otherwise, which is exactly what has been said for the last two weeks.
Florida has a real chance to create a two-game cushion in the playoff race if it beats Ole Miss this weekend, and if that happens, the Gators are going to be unbearable for five weeks until somebody straightens them out.
Georgia spent an entire game carefully building toward a garbage-time play action pass against a 24-point underdog, which now seems to be one of Mike Bobo’s hobbies as he eases into middle age alongside woodworking and fishing.
Kentucky’s weekend left one simple question hanging in the air: Hey Coach Stein, how was your weekend?
LSU and Lane Kiffin are living in the weirdest version of that old Bum Phillips-Bear Bryant line, because now he can take take his and lose to yours or take yours and lose to his.
Ole Miss got a win that felt as good as slipping into a worn pair of Martin Donnan bit loafers, and any Ole Miss fan will tell you that is basically Heaven.
Oklahoma won a rock fight against New Mexico, and there’s some regret attached to that because the last thing anyone wants is a Brent Venables defense that has been practicing rock fighting.
Mississippi State has suddenly reached the point where someone needs to point out the glass to break in case of “playoff contender Mississippi State,” because that was never supposed to be useful information.
Missouri took a week off before heading to Starkville, and that now looks alarmingly close to a week off in itself.
South Carolina has not fired Shane Beamer, but that has not stopped him from trying.
Tennessee followed up its 45-24 win over Georgia Tech by taking care of Kennesaw State, the Jackets’ bigger and more successful Atlanta-area rival, at least if “successful” means the field of CBD/Kratom marketing.
Texas survived the temptation to let Ohio State beat them a week later, though there is still plenty of time for Arch to do Arch things against a team with a real pass rush.
Vanderbilt earned the highest grade in remedial basketball weaving because, unlike NC State, it remembered to put its name on the paper, even if it still misspelled it.
In Other News...
Georgia's New O-Line Coach Deal Reveals One Long-Term Concern
Phil Rauschers first Georgia contract is already telling on the programs larger hopes for the offensive line room. The first-year offensive line coach is set to make $650,000 now, then jump to $925,000 annually beginning Feb. 1, 2027, a structure that points to a staff move Georgia clearly expects to keep intact for a while. The deal also includes the kind of protection that has become standard for coaches with NFL ties, another reminder that the Bulldogs are never really negotiating in a vacuum when they hire someone with that background.
Larry Knights new agreement adds to that picture on the defensive side, with the outside linebackers coach locked in at $400,000 a year through June 30, 2028. Taken together, the contracts show Georgia investing in continuity while also building in some caution around future movement, particularly if the NFL comes calling. For a program used to competing for elite staff talent as much as elite recruits, the real issue is not just what these deals pay now, but how much long-term stability they actually buy. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Just Added Intrigue To Georgias Oklahoma QB Matchup
Oklahomas trip to face No. 2 Georgia already had the feel of a measuring-stick game, and the attention has only sharpened around John Mateer. The Sooners are 2-1, and Mateer has drawn some criticism for how he has played early this season, even as his athleticism and toughness remain part of the conversation around what Oklahoma can be when the offense is clicking.
Kirby Smart added another layer to the matchup by publicly defending Mateer, a notable wrinkle with a quarterback under the microscope heading into one of the toughest environments on the schedule. For Georgia, the interest is obvious: how Mateer handles the pressure, and how Oklahoma responds if he can make enough plays, could go a long way toward deciding how competitive this one becomes. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Fans May Only Have One Real Shot At A Home Night Game
Georgias home slate this fall does not leave much room for the kind of atmosphere Bulldogs fans love most. With an early-afternoon kickoff already set against Vanderbilt in Week 5, the rest of the schedule at Sanford Stadium is a short list: Auburn, Missouri and Georgia Tech. In a season where kickoff windows are being shaped as much by television and conference planning as by tradition, the margin for a true home night game is thin.
Missouri looks like the best remaining candidate, and even that depends on the Tigers holding up their end of the bargain by staying ranked. Auburn and Georgia Tech can still create intrigue, but the SECs scheduling choices often come down to which matchup carries the most national pull at the right moment. For Georgia fans hoping for one long fall evening under the lights, the path is there, but it is not much of one. [Read more 🡒]