SEC fans in Alabama got handed a brutal viewing conflict for Week 7, and there’s no sugarcoating it: Auburn-Georgia and Alabama-Tennessee were placed in the same afternoon window, leaving one of the sport’s best Saturdays already mangled before kickoff.
The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry will air on ABC, ESPN, or the SEC Network at 3:30 pm ET/2:30 pm CT, right alongside the Third Saturday in October game between Alabama and Tennessee. For fans in the state of Alabama, that overlap is the kind of scheduling decision that makes no sense at all.
The irritation only grows when you look at what got shoved into the night slots. Arkansas-Vanderbilt and Kentucky-Oklahoma were chosen for the late windows, a pairing that means three of the conference’s bottom-rung teams are taking up prime real estate. Kentucky, meanwhile, had just gone from ranked to unranked after beating South Carolina on the road in Week 5.
“Putting AUB-UGA and UA-TENN at the same time is… dumb. Throwing those in with a top-25 matchup in MIZZ-OM is even dumber. It was a bad call when they revealed the time windows months ago. https://t.co/t6CAT3KC7W”
There’s also the separate frustration of the ABC night slot, which went to Notre Dame-BYU instead of Alabama-Tennessee. Because that game is in Provo and not South Bend, ESPN owns the rights to the Big 12-hosted matchup and flexed it into primetime. NBC only controls Notre Dame’s home games, which helps explain why the Fighting Irish keep getting featured.
And, well, they get featured because people watch. Notre Dame’s opener against Wisconsin drew more than seven million viewers in Week 1, which makes the TV logic easy to follow even if it leaves Alabama fans fuming.
Still, it’s hard not to see how little consideration was given to one of the country’s most reliable college football audiences. Birmingham, after all, ranked as the No. 1 highest-rated college football market in the United States for 11 of the last 12 seasons.
Add in the fact that the UFL already left Protective Stadium behind, and it’s fair to say the Yellowhammer State isn’t exactly feeling the love from the people making these calls.
In Other News...
Braylin Presley Is Back But Oklahoma State Still Has One Big UCF Question
Braylin Presley is back on Oklahoma States electronic roster, giving the Cowboys another familiar name to sort through as they turn their attention to UCF. Presley had already spent a season in Stillwater before transferring to Tulsa, where he split time between wide receiver and running back, and his return adds a layer of intrigue to a depth chart that is still taking shape. Head coach Eric Morris is expected to address how Presley fits in, which should help clarify where the Cowboys see him in the offense.
For now, the bigger question is less about the paperwork and more about the role. Presleys next step will be figuring out how quickly he can get up to speed and whether he can carve out a real workload right away, especially in a backfield that could use another versatile option. Oklahoma State knows what he was before, but what he looks like now and how much of him the staff can use against UCF remains the part still waiting to be answered. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State May Finally Have Relief At A Troubled Spot
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Nelson has not played this season, but his return would give Oklahoma State a needed option at a position group that has been under pressure. He is listed on the depth chart at both tackle spots, while Shaun Torgeson and Ashton Lepo are slated to start, leaving the Cowboys with a little more flexibility as they try to stabilize the edge of the offensive line. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma States Secondary Rebuild Suddenly Hinges On A Key Recruiting Push
Oklahoma States efforts to shore up its future in the secondary have turned into a notable recruiting battle, with the Cowboys making a push for a cornerback they view as a fit for their 2027 class. The program has identified the position as a clear area of need down the road, and an offer has already gone out as part of that pursuit.
The target is committed elsewhere for now, which only raises the stakes for Oklahoma State as it tries to stay in the mix. A campus visit is expected soon, and the Cowboys will be hoping the atmosphere around their upcoming game gives them a chance to make a stronger impression as they work to pull the talented defensive back into their plans. [Read more 🡒]