SEC
TOP 25

Gridiron Gumbo

Category: SEC Football

SEC football columns, previews, recaps and picks.

  • The 200 Club Meets the Midway: Tennessee’s 31-Game Ground Streak Walks Into a Run Defense Nobody Has Cracked

    The 200 Club Meets the Midway: Tennessee’s 31-Game Ground Streak Walks Into a Run Defense Nobody Has Cracked

    Under Josh Heupel, Tennessee is 37-2 when it runs for 200 yards and has won 31 straight of those games. South Carolina hasn’t let anybody run for even 136 this season. Add a 2-6 Vols record in Columbia since 2008, a point spread that flipped, and the State Fair across the street.

    By T-Rohn, Gridiron Gumbo · Posted Oct. 24, 2026

    CONFIRMED: No. 11 Tennessee (6-1, 3-1 SEC) at South Carolina (3-3, 1-3), 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN; both teams’ rushing and run-defense numbers; Tennessee’s No. 11 ranking and SEC-best scoring defense; the DraftKings spread, total and moneylines in “The Line Flipped,” as of 1:25 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, with the spread also matching VegasInsider’s DraftKings column; Tennessee as the opening favorite at -2.5 (DraftKings favorite at open). Official school facts, each credited to the school’s own notes, release or site: Tennessee’s 37-2 record and 31 straight wins when it runs for 200, its Columbia record, series history and 2022 details (Tennessee’s game notes); the Gamecocks’ record under Beamer when they rush for 200 or more yards (13-3), their four rushing touchdowns allowed, the Sellers and Fuller yards per carry, and the 2022 yardage (South Carolina’s release); and the State Fair dates, game-day parking, Elvis listing, Pegasus ride and new food (the fair’s own announcement). Game-by-game rushing totals are Gridiron Gumbo math from ESPN box scores. REPORTED: Sports Illustrated’s Vols site carrying the same 37-2 and 31-straight numbers; the Army, Air Force and Navy comparison (Tennessee’s notes only); Heupel’s quote (Sports Illustrated); and Beamer’s quotes (247Sports, with the Knowles quote also carried by On3), each a media report credited by outlet in the text. Sources are listed at the end.

    TAKE (joke):Down in Cajun country, a man who makes a good roux all his life doesn’t change it for nobody. You stir it till it’s the color of an old penny and you don’t apologize. Josh Heupel’s Tennessee has a roux like that. It’s 200 rushing yards.

    Tennessee has had 39 games of 200 or more rushing yards under Heupel and is 37-2 in them, and the Vols have won the last 31 in a row.1 Sports Illustrated’s Vols site reported the same numbers this week.2 REPORTED (Tennessee’s notes only): Army, Air Force and Navy are the only teams to reach 200 rushing yards in more games since 2021.1

    TAKE (joke):The Vols don’t just run the ball. They run it like a service academy with an SEC recruiting budget.

    Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Central, that recipe goes into a kitchen where nobody has been able to cook so far. No opponent has run for more than 135 yards on South Carolina this season.

    TAKE (joke):Knoxville to Columbia is one mountain range, one road crew and about nine gas stations that each swear they’ve got the best boiled peanuts. The Vols have made the drive plenty of times. The 200-yard streak is the only thing that has ever shown up on schedule.

    The Wall in Columbia

    South Carolina’s run defense allows 103.7 yards a game, third-best in the SEC and 25th in FBS.3, 4 That’s the season average. The game-by-game numbers are wilder.

    Gridiron Gumbo went through ESPN’s box scores for all six Gamecock games.5 Here’s what opponents ran for:

    | Opponent | Rushing yards vs. South Carolina |

    | — | — |

    | Kent State | 100 |

    | Towson | 21 |

    | Mississippi State | 135 |

    | at Alabama | 124 |

    | Kentucky | 122 |

    | at Florida | 120 |

    Nobody has reached 136. The closest was Mississippi State at 135, and in four SEC games South Carolina has allowed 125.3 rushing yards a game. Tennessee’s magic number is 200.

    TAKE (joke):That’s not a run defense. That’s a crawfish trap. Plenty of things swim in. Nothing swims out with 200.

    The Gamecocks have allowed just four rushing touchdowns all season, all in SEC play, tied with Texas for second-fewest in the SEC.4 Heupel noticed. “They’ve done a really good job against the run game this year,” he said on the Mike Keith Show, crediting the Gamecocks’ safeties for playing close to the box and tackling well.2

    TAKE (joke):Mississippi State got to 135 and missed the line by one yard. That’s the football version of pulling into the fais do-do just as the band plays the last song.

    Tennessee’s Roux Has Been Thinner in SEC Play

    Tennessee averages 217.1 rushing yards a game, second in the SEC behind South Carolina’s 232.3.3, 1, 4 The split looks different in league play: Furman, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State account for 896 of Tennessee’s 1,520 rushing yards this season, by Gridiron Gumbo’s count from ESPN box scores.5

    | Tennessee game | Rushing yards |

    | — | — |

    | Furman | 329 |

    | at Georgia Tech | 299 |

    | Kennesaw State | 268 |

    | Texas | 70 |

    | Auburn | 237 |

    | at Arkansas | 167 |

    | Alabama | 150 |

    Source: ESPN box scores (Gridiron Gumbo tally).

    In four SEC games, Tennessee has hit 200 exactly once, against Auburn. The Vols are averaging 156.0 rushing yards a game in league play. They are 3-0 in SEC games when they hit 150 or better and lost the only one when they didn’t, a 20-17 loss to then-No. 1 Texas when they ran for 70.

    TAKE (joke):Furman, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State were the buffet. SEC play is a plate lunch: one scoop, no seconds, and somebody’s already eyeing your roll.

    That lines up with the bigger history. Tennessee’s notes say Heupel’s Vols are 44-7 when they run for 150-plus and 1-7 when they’re held under 100.1 So the streak is about 200, but 150 has been the dividing line in Tennessee’s results.

    TAKE (joke):Mawmaw always said if you can’t find andouille, smoked sausage will do. If Tennessee can’t find 200 in Columbia, 150 and a whole lot of defense is the substitute.

    The Vols’ leading rusher is senior DeSean Bishop. He has 837 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, and Tennessee’s notes say 517 of those yards came in the second half, the most in the country.1 He ran 32 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns against Alabama last week.1 Bishop is also 23 yards from passing Montario Hardesty (2,391) for 10th on Tennessee’s career rushing list.1 Those yards would come against a defense that has allowed no opponent more than 135 rushing yards this season.

    TAKE (joke):Twenty-three yards is two first downs and one long argument with the fella holding the chains. Somewhere in Knoxville, a man has already done that math on a napkin.

    The Other Half of the Gumbo

    The flip side matters just as much. South Carolina has the SEC’s top rushing offense at 232.3 yards a game.3, 1, 4 LaNorris Sellers leads the SEC at 6.1 yards a carry and Matt Fuller ranks third at 6.0.4 And Tennessee’s run defense allows about 121 yards a game, 42nd in FBS.3, 1 The Vols’ defense also leads FBS with 30 sacks and has allowed the fewest points in the SEC (14.7 a game).6, 1

    TAKE (joke):Two kitchens, one stove. Somebody’s about to get a spoon across the knuckles, and Mawmaw’s not taking sides.

    But South Carolina’s own 200-yard magic has been a little less magic this year. The Gamecocks are 13-3 under Shane Beamer when they run for 200.4 They’ve done it four times this season.4 By Gridiron Gumbo’s count from ESPN box scores, those four were 278 yards against Kent State and more than 400 against Towson, both wins, then 216 in a 49-18 loss at Alabama and 232 in a 35-34 overtime loss to Kentucky.5 If that 13-3 includes this season, two of the three losses came on Sept. 26 and Oct. 3.

    TAKE (joke):South Carolina’s ground game is like a great Cajun two-step. Beautiful to watch, and it’ll still get you stepped on if the other fella’s got better shoes.

    Tennessee’s Columbia Problem

    Tennessee has won four of the last five meetings, though the NCAA vacated the 2019 and 2020 wins.1, 7 Columbia is a different story.

    TAKE (joke):Winning four of five meetings and still dreading one address is like winning every card game at the family reunion and still getting the folding chair by the bathroom door.

    Tennessee has gone 2-6 on its last eight visits to Williams-Brice Stadium,1 and South Carolina’s release says the same thing from the other side: the Gamecocks have won six of eight at home in the series, starting with a 27-6 win on Nov. 1, 2008.4 UT’s series list shows three of those six losses came by exactly three points: 38-35 in 2012, 24-21 in 2016 and 27-24 in 2018.1 One of Tennessee’s two wins in that stretch, 31-27 in 2020, is among the wins the NCAA later vacated.1

    TAKE (joke):Three losses by exactly three points. At some point that’s not bad luck, that’s a standing reservation.

    Then there’s the last visit. On Nov. 19, 2022, unranked South Carolina beat No. 5 Tennessee 63-38.1, 4 South Carolina’s release says the Gamecocks piled up 606 yards, and Spencer Rattler went 30-of-37 for 438 yards and six touchdowns.4 Tennessee’s notes call it the highest-scoring game in series history, at 101 points.1

    TAKE (joke):A hundred and one points in one night. Somewhere a scoreboard operator is still asking about overtime pay.

    Beamer said he barely brought it up this week. He told reporters Tuesday that Peyton Williams was the only one he thought was still around from that night, which he called “magical.”8 The more useful lesson, he said, is how well South Carolina played in all three phases, and he stressed that this week’s opponent is a completely different Tennessee team.

    Here’s one more wrinkle from UT’s notes. The last five Tennessee games in Columbia all kicked off at night. Saturday’s game is the first daytime kickoff between these two at Williams-Brice since Oct. 27, 2012. Under Heupel, Tennessee is 6-3 in road games played during the day and 7-8 in road games at night.1

    TAKE (joke):So Tennessee finally gets to see Williams-Brice in daylight. Whether that’s good news depends on whether you think the ghosts only come out after dark.

    The Line Flipped

    ESPN’s odds board flags Tennessee as DraftKings’ favorite at the open, and ESPN’s preview and VegasInsider’s opening-line column both list Tennessee -2.5.3, 9, 10 As of 1:25 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, DraftKings listed South Carolina -2.5 (-110) and Tennessee +2.5 (-110) on the spread, a game total of 50.5 (over -110, under -110), and moneylines of South Carolina -135 and Tennessee +114, per ESPN’s odds board.9 VegasInsider’s DraftKings column shows the same spread.10

    Lines can change before kickoff. These figures are a snapshot for context, not advice, and Gridiron Gumbo is not recommending a side or a bet. How Gridiron Gumbo handles betting content: https://gridirongumbo.com/picks-disclaimer/

    21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

    That is a five-point swing from the open, toward a 3-3 team over a ranked 6-1 team. We don’t know what moved the number. South Carolina had an open date after its 38-19 win at Florida on Oct. 10, and Saturday is Tennessee’s eighth straight week with a game.1 The Vols are off on Halloween.

    Beamer was asked about that grind and didn’t oversell it. “Maybe you don’t want to stop,” he said of a team playing well, adding that he thinks the effect of a bye week gets blown out of proportion.8

    TAKE (joke):Rested team versus hot team. In my family, that’s the same fight as the cousin who slept in versus the cousin who’s been up since 4 a.m. stirring the pot. The one who slept in looks better. The one who’s been stirring knows where the spoon is.

    The Coach He Can’t Shake

    Tennessee’s new defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, has been a recurring problem for Beamer, and Beamer said so himself at his Tuesday press conference. “I can’t get away from him,” he said.8, 11

    As Beamer told it, Knowles was Duke’s defensive coordinator while Beamer was an assistant at Virginia Tech, then Oklahoma State’s while Beamer was at Oklahoma, so they faced each other every year at both stops. He called Knowles “a nightmare” to prepare for. Now Beamer is at South Carolina, Knowles is at Tennessee, and they meet again.

    And Then There’s the Fair

    None of this happens in a quiet parking lot. The South Carolina State Fair runs Oct. 15-25 right across the street from Williams-Brice.12, 13 The fair’s own schedule lists Saturday as game day. It also lists “Matt Stone as Elvis” for Oct. 24 on the new Pepsi Plaza stage.12

    TAKE (joke):Elvis on the fair bill the same day as the game means plenty of folks in Columbia are going to be all shook up, and half of them will be holding something deep-fried.

    Fair parking jumps from $10 to $20 a car on game day only.12 South Carolina’s fan guide says tailgating isn’t allowed in the fair lots, and all of the athletics department’s parking is sold out.13 It’s the 21st straight sellout at Williams-Brice.4

    Beamer told fans to “get here early” because traffic with the fair across the street is going to be a challenge.8

    TAKE (joke):Columbia traffic on a fair-and-football Saturday works like a roux. Nothing moves fast, everybody’s stirring, and one wrong turn makes the whole thing stick.

    One of the fair’s new rides is called Pegasus, and new fair food this year includes a Reese’s Donut Burger.12

    TAKE (joke):Pegasus: spins, flips and no idea where you’ll land. Cher, that’s not a carnival ride. That’s a Tennessee trip to Columbia since 2008.

    TAKE (joke):The Reese’s Donut Burger is the only thing near Williams-Brice with no trouble getting past the line of scrimmage, and neither defense is going to stop it.

    The Bottom Line

    The SEC’s top two rushing offenses meet on a day the fairgrounds next door will be serving a donut burger. One team needs 200 rushing yards to keep a 31-game streak alive, and it plays a defense that hasn’t let anybody get to 136. The other team wants 200 too, and it hasn’t always worked out lately.

    TAKE (joke):Two of the SEC’s best running teams, one fairground and zero patience. Back home in Cajun country we call that a family reunion.

    Both teams know the number they want. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.

    Sources

    1. Tennessee Athletics, Game 8 notes at South Carolina (39 200-yard games, 37-2, 31 straight; service-academy note; 150+/under-100 splits; day/night road splits; eighth straight week; series list and Columbia record; 2022 game and 101 points; 2019 and 2020 wins vacated by the NCAA (the 2020 win at Columbia is one of them); first day kickoff since Oct. 27, 2012; Bishop second-half yards and career list; 30 sacks; MacIntyre starts): https://utsports.com/documents/download/2026/10/19/G8_UT_Notes_SC.pdf ↩ Back to story
    2. Charles Mays, Sports Illustrated (Vols), “Josh Heupel previews No. 11 Tennessee at South Carolina on the Mike Keith Show,” Oct. 2026 (Heupel quote; 37-2 and 31 straight; 30 sacks): https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/football/josh-heupel-previews-no-11-tennessee-at-south-carolina-on-the-mike-keith-show-01m5k86sry3t ↩ Back to story
    3. ESPN (Data Skrive), “No. 11 Tennessee squares off against South Carolina in SEC play,” game preview (records, kickoff, ESPN, opening line Tennessee by 2.5, team rushing/defense stats and FBS ranks): https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856731/tennessee-south-carolina and https://www.espn.com/college-football/preview//gameId/401856731 ↩ Back to story
    4. South Carolina Athletics, “South Carolina Welcomes No. 11/11 Tennessee Saturday Afternoon,” Oct. 23, 2026 (6-of-8 at home since 2008; 2022 63-38 details; 21st straight sellout; State Fair across the street; SEC-leading 232.3 rush offense; No. 3 SEC rush defense; four rushing TDs allowed; Sellers and Fuller yards per carry; 13-3 under Beamer with 200+; four 200-yard games this season; Kent State/Towson/Alabama/Kentucky rushing totals): https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2026/10/23/south-carolina-welcomes-no-11-11-tennessee-saturday-afternoon/ ↩ Back to story
    5. ESPN box scores used for the Gridiron Gumbo rushing tally — South Carolina: Kent State https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856665 ; Towson https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856680 ; Mississippi State https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856691 ; at Alabama https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856696 ; Kentucky https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856709 ; at Florida https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856714 . Tennessee: Furman https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856666 ; at Georgia Tech https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856681 ; Kennesaw State https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856692 ; Texas https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856704 ; Auburn https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856710 ; at Arkansas https://www.espn.com/college-football/game//gameId/401856713 ; Alabama https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401856723 ↩ Back to story
    6. Maura Carey, Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports), “SEC Week 8: No. 7 Ole Miss heads to No. 19 Texas…,” Oct. 23, 2026 (No. 11 Tennessee; Tennessee fewest points allowed, 14.7): https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sec-week-8-no-7-003338959.html ↩ Back to story
    7. Tennessee Athletics, “FB PREVIEW: Streaking #11/11 Vols Visit South Carolina…,” Oct. 23, 2026 (2-6 in last eight trips to Williams-Brice; four of last five meetings; Bishop vs. Alabama; 23 yards from top 10): https://utsports.com/news/2026/10/23/football-fb-preview-streaking-11-11-vols-visit-south-carolina-for-challenging-road-tilt-against-gamecocks ↩ Back to story
    8. Patrick Brown, 247Sports, “What South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said about playing Tennessee,” Oct. 2026 (Beamer comments on 2022, the bye week, Knowles and the fair): https://247sports.com/college/tennessee/longformarticle/shane-beamer-south-carolina-gamecocks-head-coach-tennessee-vols-game-preview-josh-heupel-jim-knowles-291578542/ ↩ Back to story
    9. ESPN odds board (DraftKings), Tennessee at South Carolina, checked about 1:05 p.m. CT and rechecked 1:25 p.m. CT Oct. 24, 2026 (SC -2.5 (-110), total 50.5 (-110/-110), SC -135 / TENN +114; Tennessee flagged as DraftKings favorite at open): https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401856731/tennessee-south-carolina ↩ Back to story
    10. VegasInsider, college football odds, DraftKings column (Tennessee +2.5 -110 / South Carolina -2.5 -110) and opening-line column (Tennessee -2.5), DraftKings column rechecked about 1:26 p.m. CT Oct. 24, 2026 (spread unchanged), opening-line column fetched about 1:15 p.m. CT: https://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/las-vegas/ ↩ Back to story
    11. On3, “Shane Beamer says he can’t escape ‘nightmare’ in Jim Knowles,” Oct. 2026 (Knowles comments, second source): https://www.on3.com/teams/tennessee-volunteers/news/shane-beamer-jim-knowles-nightmare-cant-escape-tennessee-defense-south-carolina/ ↩ Back to story
    12. South Carolina State Fair, “South Carolina State Fair Announces 2026 Lineup, New Foods, Rides and More,” Oct. 7, 2026 (Oct. 15-25 dates; Oct. 24 game day; Matt Stone as Elvis Oct. 24; $20 game-day parking; Pegasus ride; new foods): https://www.scstatefair.org/media/south-carolina-state-fair-announces-2026-lineup-new-foods-rides-and-more/ and https://www.scstatefair.org/ ↩ Back to story
    13. South Carolina Athletics, “Know Before You Go: Tennessee 2026,” Oct. 19, 2026 (fair lots, no tailgating in fair lots, athletics lots sold out): https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2026/10/19/know-before-you-go-tennessee-2026/ ↩ Back to story
    14. Gridiron Gumbo, picks and betting disclaimer: https://gridirongumbo.com/picks-disclaimer/
  • Sooner or Later: Oklahoma Meets Its Last SEC Stranger

    Sooner or Later: Oklahoma Meets Its Last SEC Stranger

    Oklahoma has met 14 of the SEC’s other 15 teams. Mississippi State is the last, and Saturday’s first-ever meeting comes with a Bulldogs head coach, athletic director, three assistants, an analyst and three players who all have Oklahoma ties.

    By T-Rohn, Gridiron Gumbo · Posted Oct. 24, 2026

    CONFIRMED: Oklahoma (3-3, 1-2 SEC) at Mississippi State (4-2, 2-2), 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday on SEC Network; this being the first-ever meeting and Mississippi State being the only SEC program OU has never played; the availability statuses below, including Kamario Taylor, Fluff Bothwell and Zakari Tillman not appearing on the list, per the SEC’s official game-day availability report (posted 1:00 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24; read on the SEC’s site at 1:05 p.m. CT); Mississippi State dropping out of the AP Top 25 after its 31-0 loss at LSU; the Texas series results and Texas’s Oct. 31 game against Mississippi State; the Oklahoma ties of the coaches, athletic director and players; the DraftKings numbers in the odds snapshot. REPORTED: that quarterback Kamario Taylor and running back Fluff Bothwell will be available (unnamed sources, via ESPN’s Pete Thamel, in a story last updated 10:48 a.m. CT Saturday); On3’s report from Chris Low and Pete Nakos on Friday that Taylor was expected to play; Taylor missing the LSU game and Lebby’s “day-to-day” comment (Field Level Media, via CBS Sports); Lebby’s quotes (On3 and The Commercial Dispatch); Stoops’s quotes (Clarion Ledger, via USA TODAY Network); Bates’s quote and the tempo numbers (247Sports, citing TruMedia); and Tanner Schafer’s walk-on background (USA TODAY Network), each a single-outlet item. Sources are listed at the end.

    Midway through its third SEC season, Oklahoma has one blank page left in the passport.

    TAKE (joke):Getting from Norman to Starkville is easy. Head east until the wheat turns into pine trees, keep going until your phone stops pretending it knows where you are, then ask the first man at a gas station. He’ll say it’s “just up the road,” which in Mississippi is a unit of measurement.

    “Mississippi State is the lone SEC program Oklahoma has never played in football,” OU’s official game notes say.1 Mississippi State’s notes put it the same way: Saturday’s meeting “will be the first on a football field between Mississippi State and Oklahoma.”2 Field Level Media, in a preview carried by CBS Sports, calls it the “first-ever meeting.”3

    Fourteen of 15 checked off. One left.

    TAKE (joke):OU joined the league in 2024 and is just now meeting Mississippi State. That’s like marrying into a Cajun family and not meeting Nonc Boo until the third Thanksgiving. He’s been out back frying turkeys the whole time, cher. You just never walked that far.

    Here’s the kicker. Texas, which joined the SEC the same day as OU (July 1, 2024),1 has already played Mississippi State twice: a 35-13 Longhorns win in Austin on Sept. 28, 2024, and a 45-38 overtime win in Starkville on Oct. 25, 2025.4 The Bulldogs visit Austin again next Saturday, Oct. 31, at 6:30 p.m. CT.5, 6 Next weekend, then, Texas will have faced State three seasons in a row. Oklahoma will have faced them once.

    TAKE (joke):Texas and Mississippi State are practically cousins at this point. OU and Mississippi State are two folks at the same crawfish boil who keep nodding at each other across the table but never actually got introduced.

    The Strangers Aren’t Really Strangers

    The two programs have never shared a field. But walk the Mississippi State sideline Saturday and an OU fan might feel right at home.

    TAKE (joke):Starkville on game day has exactly one traffic plan: everybody goes to the same place, slowly, and nobody gets mad until somebody takes the shortcut everybody else already took.

    The head coach. Jeff Lebby signed with Oklahoma as an offensive lineman in the 2002 class.1, 7 An injury ended his playing career, and he stayed on for four years as a student assistant.1, 2 He is a 2007 OU graduate.2 He returned in 2022 and 2023 as offensive coordinator under Brent Venables, and OU’s notes credit his 2023 offense with the No. 3 spot nationally in total offense (507.0 yards a game) and No. 4 in scoring (41.7 points a game); USA TODAY Network lists the same two ranks.1, 8 Mississippi State named him head coach on Nov. 26, 2023.2

    Lebby said Monday that Stoops “was kind enough” to keep him on scholarship as a student assistant after the injury, and that’s “what got me into (coaching).”9 Asked whether Saturday carries extra personal weight, Lebby said no. He told reporters the game “means a ton” because it’s another chance at an SEC win and a 5-2 record, The Commercial Dispatch of Columbus, Miss., reported.7

    Stoops, the coach who signed him, told the Clarion Ledger he “loved watching him here at OU” and that Lebby’s success is “not surprising to me,” as quoted by USA TODAY Network.8, 10

    The athletic director. Zac Selmon, Mississippi State’s AD, is a Norman native who worked in OU’s athletic department as senior associate AD and later deputy AD.1, 7 His family name has deep roots in Norman: his father is Dewey Selmon, a College Football Hall of Famer, and his uncles are Lucious Selmon, a unanimous All-American in 1973, and Lee Roy Selmon, who is enshrined in both the college and pro halls.1

    TAKE (joke):Hiring a Selmon to run your athletic department, then having the SEC send Oklahoma to your stadium, is like moving to Breaux Bridge, getting a Boudreaux to run your kitchen, then watching the whole Boudreaux family show up for supper. Somebody’s gonna get emotional and somebody’s gonna check the roux.

    The offensive line coach. Phil Loadholt played tackle at OU in 2007 and 2008, when the Sooners went 23-5 and took the Big 12 title both years.1 He earned first-team all-league honors as a senior and came back to Norman as an offensive analyst in 2022 and 2023.

    The tight ends coach. Jon Cooper, Mississippi State’s tight ends coach and run game coordinator, played center for OU from 2005 to 2008.1 He made second-team All-Big 12 in 2008, was part of three league title teams under Stoops and served as an OU offensive analyst in 2022.

    The quarterbacks coach. Kevin Johns arrived at OU in 2024 as an offensive analyst and was elevated to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in October 2024, per OU’s announcement on Oct. 20, 2024.11 He coached quarterbacks at Oklahoma State in 2025, and Mississippi State announced his hire on Dec. 28, 2025.12 MSU’s notes list him as the Bulldogs’ quarterbacks coach.2

    The analyst. Tanner Schafer is a quarterback analyst on Mississippi State’s staff.2 USA TODAY Network describes him as a former walk-on quarterback for the Sooners.8

    The players. OU’s notes count three former Sooners on Mississippi State’s roster, and Mississippi State’s notes mark Dolby and Ragins as Oklahoma transfers.1, 2 Wide receiver Zion Ragins, a redshirt sophomore from Macon, Ga., has started all six games and has 12 catches for 188 yards and four touchdowns.2 Safety Kendel Dolby, a sixth-year player from Springfield, Ohio, has 27 tackles and made his first start of the season at LSU.2 Offensive lineman Isaiah Dent, a redshirt sophomore from Fulton, Miss., was at OU in 2024 and 2025,1 and has appeared in five games with no starts.2

    Count them up: a head coach, an AD, three assistant coaches, an analyst and three players. That’s at least nine people with documented OU ties on one side of a game between two schools that have never met, by our count of the schools’ notes, releases and news reports.

    TAKE (joke):Nine people with Oklahoma roots on one sideline means the pregame hugs need a seating chart, a sign-up sheet and somebody’s aunt to explain how everybody is related.

    TAKE (joke):Somebody check the visitors’ locker room. If Mississippi State’s equipment staff left a “Welcome Home” sign up by accident, that’s not a mind game. That’s just Southern manners.

    Familiarity Cuts Both Ways

    Lebby sees the connection running in both directions. “There’s a ton of familiarity both ways,” he said of facing Venables.9 He also ranked Venables among the best defensive play-callers in college football over the past 12 to 15 years.

    Oklahoma associate head coach Todd Bates saw Lebby’s offense up close for two seasons. He described it Tuesday as “almost warp speed at times.”13, 14 Bates stood in for Venables at the weekly press conference.13

    The tempo numbers fit that description. Citing TruMedia, 247Sports reports that Mississippi State snaps the ball every 23.5 seconds, seventh-fastest in FBS and trailing only Auburn and Ole Miss in the SEC. Oklahoma sits at 28.7 seconds, 102nd nationally.13

    TAKE (joke):Lebby’s offense snaps the ball faster than my Mawmaw snaps a green bean. OU’s offense prefers a more relaxed schedule, like a Sunday drive down Highway 90 behind a cane truck.

    Mississippi State’s notes describe the matchup as the SEC’s fourth-best total offense against the league’s second-best total defense.2 OU’s notes show the Sooners allowing 260.7 yards a game (fifth in FBS) and holding opponents to a 25.6 percent third-down conversion rate (second in FBS).1 Mississippi State averages 454.3 yards a game (22nd in FBS).2

    The Availability Report and the Quarterback Question

    The SEC’s official game-day availability report for this game was posted at 1:00 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, and we read it on the SEC’s site at 1:05 p.m. CT.15 The game-day report replaces Friday’s list (posted 7:10 p.m. CT Oct. 23) and can list only Available, Game Time Decision or Out. The SEC’s policy says Out can cover reasons other than injury.

    • Oklahoma: Out are linebacker Taylor Heim, wide receivers Trell Harris and Elijah Thomas, running back Xavier Robinson, tight end Trynae Washington, defensive backs Eli Bowen and Jacobe Johnson, and offensive linemen Eddy Pierre-Louis and Ryan Fodje. Thomas was doubtful and Bowen was questionable on Friday’s report. Offensive linemen Michael Fasusi and Heath Ozaeta, both questionable on Friday, are not on the game-day list.
    • Mississippi State: Out are safety Isaac Smith, linebacker Jalen Smith, wide receiver Ayden Williams and defensive linemen Trevion Williams and Diesel Moye. No Bulldog is listed as a game-time decision.
    • Not listed: Quarterback Kamario Taylor, who was questionable on Friday’s report, does not appear on the game-day report. Neither do running back Fluff Bothwell (questionable earlier in the week)16 or linebacker Zakari Tillman. Under the SEC’s availability policy, as published by Sports Illustrated, a player who isn’t on the report is regarded as available.17

    Taylor’s status matters because of what he has done when on the field. Mississippi State’s notes say the sophomore from Macon, Miss., leads all SEC quarterbacks at 290.0 passing yards a game and leads the league with 17 touchdown passes, in five games played.2 ESPN says he also leads the SEC in total offense at 321.8 yards a game.18 Field Level Media reported that he missed last week’s 31-0 loss at LSU, and Lebby called his status “day-to-day” on Monday.3

    REPORTED: Sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that Taylor and Bothwell will both be available Saturday, in a story ESPN last updated at 10:48 a.m. CT.18 ESPN says Taylor took significantly more practice snaps this week. It lists Bothwell, who has 403 rushing yards, as the team’s leading rusher. On3’s Chris Low and Pete Nakos reported Friday that Taylor was expected to play.16 The SEC’s game-day report, posted at 1:00 p.m. CT, now matches those reports: neither player is on it, which under SEC policy means available.

    (Gridiron Gumbo note: no jokes here. We wish both teams a healthy afternoon.)

    The Cowbells and the Blackout

    Mississippi State’s game notes trace the cowbell’s rocky legal history. In 1974 the SEC banned artificial noisemakers, which put a cowbell out of bounds at games. The conference reached a compromise in spring 2010, and cowbells returned to Davis Wade Stadium that fall on a one-year trial with restrictions, the first time in 36 years. The notes say they have been allowed at home games since, with similar restrictions.2 Saturday is also a blackout, with the Bulldogs in black helmets, jerseys and pants.19

    TAKE (joke):The SEC spent 36 years deciding a cowbell was too loud, and then one compromise and a list of restrictions made it legal again. That’s the most Southern part of this story: nobody won the argument, they just got tired and wrote a rule.

    This is only Oklahoma’s second football trip to Mississippi; the first was a loss at Ole Miss in 2024.1 The Sooners have been solid on the road for years, though: OU’s notes say they’ve won 38 of their last 52 true road games going back to 2014.1

    TAKE (joke):Welcome to Starkville, Sooners. Bring earplugs and an open mind. The cowbell has a 36-year grudge and a lot of free time.

    TAKE (joke):Helmets, jerseys and pants all in one color, with cowbells in the stands. That’s not a uniform. That’s a weather advisory.

    The Odds Snapshot

    As of 1:06 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, DraftKings listed Oklahoma -1.5 (-112) and Mississippi State +1.5 (-108) on the spread, a game total of 49.5 (over -105, under -115), and moneylines of Oklahoma -122 and Mississippi State +102, per ESPN’s odds feed, matching VegasInsider’s DraftKings column.20 Lines can change before kickoff, and these figures are a snapshot for context, not advice. How Gridiron Gumbo handles betting content: https://gridirongumbo.com/picks-disclaimer/

    21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

    The Bottom Line

    One game doesn’t make a rivalry, and we won’t call this one that. It does start a series, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, with a head coach who learned the business in Norman, an athletic director from a family with deep Sooner roots, and three former Sooners on the Bulldogs’ roster.

    TAKE (joke):Most rivalries start with a grudge. This one starts with a family reunion, which in the South is where most grudges come from.

    The return trip is already booked. Mississippi State’s notes say the Bulldogs’ first trip to Norman is set for 2028.2

    Oklahoma finally meets the last relative at the table, and both sides already know plenty about each other.

    TAKE (joke):Last stamp in the passport, last cousin at the table and last plate of gumbo in the pot. In Louisiana we call that a good Saturday. In Oklahoma they call it “finally.”

    Sources

    1. Oklahoma Athletics, Game 7 notes, OU at Mississippi State (records, first meeting, “lone SEC program,” Lebby, Selmon, Loadholt, Cooper bios, former OU players on MSU’s roster, second trip to Mississippi, road record, July 1, 2024 SEC entry, defensive rankings): https://soonersports.com/documents/download/2026/10/21/07_OUatMississippi_State.pdf ↩ Back to story
    2. Mississippi State Athletics, game notes vs. Oklahoma (first meeting, 2028 return game, blackout, Lebby bio, staff list incl. Johns and Schafer, roster, Ragins, Dolby and Dent, Taylor stats, offensive rankings, cowbell history): https://static.hailstate.com/custompages/pdf/fb/2026/26FB_1024_OU_Notes.pdf ↩ Back to story
    3. Field Level Media (via CBS Sports), “Oklahoma, Mississippi State face QB questions in first-ever meeting,” Oct. 21, 2026 (Lebby “day-to-day” quote; Taylor missed LSU; first-ever meeting): https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/oklahoma-mississippi-state-face-qb-questions-in-first-ever-meeting/ ↩ Back to story
    4. Mississippi State Athletics, football history vs. Texas (Sept. 28, 2024, and Oct. 25, 2025, meetings): https://hailstate.com/sports/football/opponent-history/texas/145 ↩ Back to story
    5. Texas Athletics, 2026 football schedule (Mississippi State at Texas, Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m. CT): https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/schedule/2026 ↩ Back to story
    6. Mississippi State Athletics, 2026 football schedule (at Texas, Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m.): https://hailstate.com/sports/football/schedule/2026 ↩ Back to story
    7. Jake McMahon, The Commercial Dispatch (Columbus, Miss.), “‘A ton of familiarity’: Lebby, MSU football have strong ties to Oklahoma,” Oct. 21, 2026: https://cdispatch.com/sports/a-ton-of-familiarity-lebby-msu-football-have-strong-ties-to-oklahoma/ ↩ Back to story
    8. Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Network, “Oklahoma hasn’t figured out offense since Jeff Lebby left. Now, they face off,” Oct. 24, 2026 (Stoops quotes via the Clarion Ledger; Schafer walk-on detail; OU’s 2023 offensive ranks; readable syndicated copy at Yahoo Sports): https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/oklahoma-hasnt-figured-offense-since-100200727.html (original: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2026/10/24/oklahoma-mississippi-state-jeff-lebby-offensive-coordinator/92363696007/) ↩ Back to story
    9. Colin Damms, On3 / Maroon and White Football, “Points of Focus: Mississippi State HC Jeff Lebby speaks on Oklahoma matchup,” Oct. 19, 2026 (Lebby quotes): https://www.on3.com/teams/mississippi-state-bulldogs/news/points-of-focus-mississippi-state-hc-jeff-lebby/ ↩ Back to story
    10. Clarion Ledger (USA TODAY Network), “How Bob Stoops knew Jeff Lebby could coach, even as an Oklahoma freshman,” Oct. 21, 2026 (Stoops quotes; carried by the Hattiesburg American): https://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/sports/college/mississippi-state/2026/10/21/jeff-lebby-mississippi-state-oklahoma-bob-stoops/92281866007/ ↩ Back to story
    11. Oklahoma Athletics, “Venables Announces Offensive Coordinator Change,” Oct. 20, 2024 (Johns elevation): https://soonersports.com/news/2024/10/20/football-venables-announces-offensive-coordinator-change ↩ Back to story
    12. Mississippi State Athletics, “Mississippi State Strengthens Offensive Staff With Addition Of Kevin Johns,” Dec. 28, 2025: https://hailstate.com/news/2025/12/28/football-mississippi-state-strengthens-offensive-staff-with-addition-of-kevin-johns ↩ Back to story
    13. Tom Green, 247Sports, “What Oklahoma expects from Jeff Lebby’s Mississippi State offense…,” Oct. 2026 (Bates quote; TruMedia tempo figures): https://247sports.com/college/mississippi-state/article/what-oklahoma-expects-from-jeff-lebby-miss-state-offense-291567601/ ↩ Back to story
    14. Ryan Chapman, Sports Illustrated (OU), “Oklahoma ‘Ready’ for Showdown With Former Offensive Coordinator Jeff Lebby,” Oct. 2026 (Bates quote): https://www.si.com/college/oklahoma/football/oklahoma-ready-for-showdown-with-former-offensive-coordinator-jeff-lebby-01m5gspktgfq ↩ Back to story
    15. SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report, football, “Game Day Report” posted 1:00 p.m. CT Oct. 24, 2026, read 1:05 p.m. CT Oct. 24, 2026 (Friday report posted 7:10 p.m. CT Oct. 23, 2026): https://www.secsports.com/fbreports ↩ Back to story
    16. On3 (Chris Low and Pete Nakos), “Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor expected to play against Oklahoma,” Oct. 23, 2026 (REPORTED): https://www.on3.com/news/mississippi-state-qb-kamario-taylor-expected-to-play-against-oklahoma/ ↩ Back to story
    17. Sports Illustrated, “SEC Announces Policies and Procedures for New Availability Report” (SEC policy text: players not on a report are regarded as available): https://www.si.com/college/oklahoma/football/sec-announces-policies-and-procedures-for-new-availability-report-01j6ytq381jt ↩ Back to story
    18. ESPN (Pete Thamel; Max Olson contributed), “Sources: Mississippi State eyes return for QB Taylor, RB Bothwell,” first posted 8:25 a.m. ET (7:25 a.m. CT) Oct. 24, 2026, last updated 11:48 a.m. ET (10:48 a.m. CT) (Taylor and Bothwell, REPORTED; Taylor’s 321.8 total-offense figure; Bothwell’s 403 rushing yards): https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/50265129/sources-mississippi-state-eyes-return-taylor-bothwell ↩ Back to story
    19. Mississippi State Athletics, “State Hosts Sooners On Saturday At Davis Wade Stadium,” Oct. 23, 2026 (kickoff, SEC Network, blackout, first meeting): https://hailstate.com/news/2026/10/23/football-state-hosts-sooners-on-saturday-at-davis-wade-stadium ↩ Back to story
    20. ESPN odds feed (DraftKings), Oklahoma at Mississippi State, checked 1:06 p.m. CT Oct. 24, 2026 (cross-checked against VegasInsider’s DraftKings column): https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401856730 ↩ Back to story
    21. Gridiron Gumbo, picks and betting disclaimer: https://gridirongumbo.com/picks-disclaimer/
    22. Maura Carey, Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports), “SEC Week 8: No. 7 Ole Miss heads to No. 19 Texas…,” Oct. 23, 2026 (Mississippi State dropped out of the rankings after its loss to LSU): https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sec-week-8-no-7-003338959.html
  • No. 7 Ole Miss at No. 19 Texas: Rebels Bring the Offense, Horns Bring the Defense and a Short Edge Room

    No. 7 Ole Miss at No. 19 Texas: Rebels Bring the Offense, Horns Bring the Defense and a Short Edge Room

    Ole Miss scores 37.5 a game. Texas allows 17.8. Something has to give Saturday night in Austin.

    By T-Rohn, Gridiron Gumbo · Posted Oct. 23, 2026

    CONFIRMED: kickoff, TV, records, rankings (official game notes and schedules), stats (ESPN, pulled Oct. 22, 2026), Wesley, Simmons, Smothers, Lockett and Chatman out for Texas, and both availability lists (official SEC game-day availability report, posted 5:00 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24). REPORTED: Wesley’s injury type and timeline (OrangeBloods via Saturday Down South); Simmons’ ankle sprain (247Sports); betting line (DraftKings, as of 5:11 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, per ESPN’s DraftKings odds feed, matched against VegasInsider’s DraftKings column).

    Updated Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 8:12 a.m. CT: injury lists now follow the SEC’s Friday report, and the line is DraftKings as of 8:12 a.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.

    Updated Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 11:11 a.m. CT: the DraftKings total moved from 53.5 to 54.5 and Texas -3 is now priced -115 (was -112); see the line in the body below.

    Updated Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 5:11 p.m. CT: availability now follows the SEC’s game-day report (posted 5:00 p.m. CT). Ole Miss OL Terez Davis is a game-time decision, Texas DB Kobe Black is newly listed as a game-time decision, and Texas OL Jackson Christian, Texas RB Derrek Cooper and Ole Miss OL Brycen Sanders are not on the report, which means they are available. DraftKings re-checked at 5:11 p.m. CT: Texas -3 (-112), total 54.5 (Over -110 / Under -110), moneylines Texas -148 / Ole Miss +124.

    The short version: Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1 SEC, through Week 7) comes to Austin averaging 37.5 points a game. Texas (4-2, 1-2 SEC) has the stingier defense but has dropped two straight.

    A win keeps Ole Miss near the top of the SEC race. For Texas, it’s the best chance to steady a wobbling season.

    When and where to watch

    • Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 6:30 p.m. CT (7:30 p.m. ET) on ABC
    • Expected kick: about 6:49 p.m. CT, per Texas’ game notes
    • Site: DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin

    Getting to DKR on a Saturday night takes three things: patience, a full tank and a working knowledge of every MoPac exit since 2009.

    Sources: Texas Athletics schedule, Ole Miss Athletics, ESPN Press Room. Expected 6:49 kick: Texas’ game notes.

    ABC’s 6:30 window and an expected 6:49 kick give Austin 19 bonus minutes to argue about which brisket line is shortest.

    Records and rankings (through Week 7)

    Ole MissTexas
    Overall5-14-2
    SEC3-11-2
    AP / CoachesNo. 7 / No. 7No. 19 / No. 18

    Oxford brings the seersucker, Austin brings the breakfast tacos, and both towns bring a lawn chair to a parking spot they’ve held since Thursday.

    Source: Texas game notes. Texas’ 4-2 record (six games played) was rechecked Oct. 23 against Texas’ official schedule and cumulative stats.

    By the numbers

    Stat, through Week 7 (per game unless noted)Ole MissTexas
    Total offense (yards)444.5362.3
    Total defense (yards allowed)390.0272.5
    Points scored37.530.2
    Points allowed23.817.8
    Turnover margin (season)-1+1

    Source: ESPN team statistics for Ole Miss and Texas, 2026 regular season through Week 7 (six games each). Pulled Oct. 22, 2026.

    The quick read: Ole Miss gains about 80 more yards a game. Texas gives up about 120 fewer. Both are close to even in turnovers.

    Ole Miss treats yardage like a buffet. Texas treats it like a reservation-only tasting menu with a dress code.

    It’s the classic gumbo debate: one cook swears by more spice, the other swears by a slower simmer. Somebody’s grandmother is going to be right.

    Who’s out (official, plus reports)

    CONFIRMED by the SEC’s official game-day availability report, posted at 5:00 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 90 minutes before kickoff. The game-day report lists only Available, Game Time Decision or Out, and the SEC says a player not on the report is regarded as available. Out can also cover non-injury reasons.

    • Texas, out: EDGE Colin Simmons, RB Hollywood Smothers, WR Kaliq Lockett, OL Jaydon Chatman and EDGE Richard Wesley. All five were also out on Friday’s report (posted 7:10 p.m. CT Oct. 23).
    • Texas, game-time decision: DB Kobe Black, who is new on the report.
    • Ole Miss, out (eight): WR Izaiah Hartrup, S Edwin Joseph, S MJ Preston, LB Ant Davis Jr., CB Pat Broomfield, WR Kervin Johnson Jr., S Nascar McCoy and OL Emanuel Faulkner, the same eight as Friday.
    • Ole Miss, game-time decision: OL Terez Davis, the starting left tackle, who was questionable on Friday’s report.
    • Available (not on the game-day report): Texas OL Jackson Christian (questionable Friday) and RB Derrek Cooper (probable Friday); Ole Miss OL Brycen Sanders, the starting center (probable Friday).

    Wednesday’s first report, via 247Sports and Yahoo Sports, listed Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy as probable. Lacy is not listed on Thursday’s or Friday’s official report or on Saturday’s game-day report, which means he is available.

    REPORTED: Simmons sprained an ankle in last week’s 27-24 loss to Florida, per 247Sports.

    REPORTED: Wesley has a high ankle sprain, and there are concerns he could miss the rest of the regular season, per OrangeBloods’ Anwar Richardson, as relayed by Saturday Down South. Texas has not confirmed the injury or a timeline.

    Under SEC policy, updates are due Thursday and Friday evenings and a final report no later than 90 minutes before kickoff. For this game, the SEC posted it at 5:00 p.m. CT.

    Sarkisian on Manning

    Asked about Arch Manning after back-to-back losses, Steve Sarkisian called his quarterback “edgy” and said Manning “has to fight back,” per Saturday Down South, citing reporter CJ Vogel.

    Austin heard “edgy” and immediately opened a food truck called that.

    3 keys to the game

    1. Who chases the quarterback? With Wesley and Simmons both out, Texas has to generate pressure from other edge rushers. Saturday Down South says Zina Umeozulu, Lance Jackson and Colton Vasek will handle most of the edge work.
    2. Yards vs. points. Ole Miss gains 444.5 yards and scores 37.5 points a game. Texas allows 272.5 yards and 17.8 points. Something gives. Our take: whoever turns drives into touchdowns, not field goals, wins the night.
    3. Close-game finishes. Texas lost to Florida by three last week. Clean late-game execution matters more than usual.

    The SEC’s game-day report posted at 5:00 p.m. CT, and the lists above follow it.

    What’s at stake in the SEC race

    Ole Miss is 3-1 in the league, and a win in Austin keeps it in the thick of the race.

    Texas is 1-2 and not out of it, but a third SEC loss would make the title path much harder. A home win over a top-10 team is the Horns’ best way to get the season back on track.

    Rebels fans already have the Grove tent folded, the trip planned and the Atlanta hotel bookmarked in a tab they swear they’ll close.

    For one fan base, Saturday is a statement. For the other, it’s a fire drill with a marching band.

    The line

    REPORTED: As of 5:11 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, DraftKings listed Texas -3 (-112), total 54.5 (Over -110 / Under -110), moneylines Texas -148 / Ole Miss +124 (ESPN’s DraftKings odds feed; the VegasInsider odds board showed the same DraftKings numbers when both were checked at 5:11 p.m. CT; at 11:11 a.m. CT DraftKings had Texas -3 (-115), total 54.5 (Over -105 / Under -115) and moneylines Texas -155 / Ole Miss +130, and at 8:12 a.m. CT it had Texas -3 (-112) and the total at 53.5, Over -115 / Under -105). Lines move. Check your book. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

    A field goal, a total in the 50s and a late-October Austin forecast that still says “patio weather, probably.”

    Bottom line: A 37.5-point offense meets a 17.8-point defense, and Texas may have to slow it down without Wesley, Simmons or Smothers. Bring a spoon. This one’s going to simmer.

    Picks and lines are for entertainment. Read our picks disclaimer.

  • Texas A&M at No. 13 Alabama: Two Teams Need a Fix Before November

    Texas A&M at No. 13 Alabama: Two Teams Need a Fix Before November

    Alabama has lost two straight. A&M has three SEC losses. Here’s what you need for Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff on ABC.

    By T-Rohn, Gridiron Gumbo · Posted Oct. 23, 2026

    CONFIRMED: kickoff, TV, records, AP ranking, stats (ESPN, pulled Oct. 22, 2026), and the official SEC game-day availability report (posted 1:00 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24). REPORTED: betting line (DraftKings, as of 1:11 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, per ESPN’s DraftKings odds feed, matched against VegasInsider’s DraftKings column).

    Updated Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 8:09 a.m. CT: injury lists now follow the SEC’s Friday report, and the line is DraftKings as of 8:09 a.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.

    Updated Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 11:11 a.m. CT: DraftKings line re-checked. DraftKings’ spread (Alabama -13.5) and total (49.5) are unchanged; Alabama’s side is priced -112 at DraftKings (the -108 shown at 8:09 a.m. CT DraftKings was the price on Texas A&M’s side).

    Updated Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 1:11 p.m. CT: availability now follows the SEC’s game-day report (posted 1:00 p.m. CT). Alabama’s Zabien Brown, EJ Crowell and Racin Delgatty are out, DB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. was added as out, and Texas A&M’s Anto Saka is a game-time decision. DraftKings line re-checked at 1:11 p.m. CT and unchanged.

    The short version: Alabama (5-2, 3-2 SEC) has lost two straight. Texas A&M (4-3, 1-3 SEC) has dropped three SEC games. Somebody leaves Tuscaloosa on Saturday feeling a whole lot better.

    For the Crimson Tide, a two-game skid is a crisis. In Aggieland, three SEC losses is a crisis. Both towns agree the real emergency is the drive-thru line at Saturday lunch.

    When and where to watch

    • Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 2:30 p.m. CT (3:30 p.m. ET)
    • TV: ABC
    • Site: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Ala. It’s Alabama’s homecoming game.

    A 2:30 kickoff gives fans time to tailgate, find parking, and lose that parking spot to a motor home older than the press box.

    Sources: Alabama’s official schedule, Texas A&M’s official schedule, and KBTX, which reports the SEC announced the time on Oct. 12. Homecoming per Alabama On SI.

    Records and rankings

    Texas A&MAlabama
    Overall4-35-2
    SEC1-33-2
    AP Top 25 (Oct. 18)UnrankedNo. 13
    Last gameW 41-0 vs. The CitadelL 26-10 at Tennessee

    Sources: 12thman.com, RollTide.com, NCAA.com AP poll.

    Alabama stayed at No. 6 in the AP poll after its 20-17 home loss to Georgia on Oct. 10. The 26-10 loss at Tennessee on Oct. 17 is what dropped it to No. 13 (AP poll of Oct. 11 via ESPN, NCAA.com Oct. 11, NCAA.com Oct. 18). Per Texas A&M’s official schedule, the Aggies beat Missouri State, Arizona State, Arkansas and The Citadel. They lost to Kentucky (31-21), at LSU (35-6) and at Missouri (27-6).

    The Aggie road offense has run like I-10 through Houston at 5 p.m.: big engine, lots of noise, almost no distance.

    By the numbers

    Stat (per game unless noted)Texas A&MAlabama
    Total offense (yards)356.9416.6
    Total defense (yards allowed)305.9337.9
    Points scored29.439.3
    Points allowed17.121.4
    Turnover margin (season)+5-1

    Source: ESPN team statistics for Alabama and Texas A&M, 2026 regular season through seven games. Pulled Oct. 22, 2026. We checked the scoring numbers against both schools’ game results.

    The quick read: Alabama has the better offense on paper. Texas A&M has the stingier defense and a big edge in turnovers. The Aggies’ defense gives up yards the way a grandma hands out candy: only after you’ve earned it, and only one butterscotch.

    Who’s out (official)

    CONFIRMED: These come from the SEC’s official game-day availability report, posted at 1:00 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24. The game-day report lists only Available, Game Time Decision or Out, and a player not on it is regarded as available. Out can also cover non-injury reasons. Compared with Friday’s report (posted 7:10 p.m. CT Oct. 23), Alabama DB Zabien Brown, RB EJ Crowell and OL Racin Delgatty went from doubtful to out, and DB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. is newly listed out. Texas A&M DE Anto Saka went from questionable to game-time decision. A&M’s WR Mario Craver, DT DJ Hicks, LB Daymion Sanford and OL Trovon Baugh, probable Friday, are not on the game-day report, which means they are available, as is Alabama DL Fatutoa Henry.

    • Alabama, out: WR Ryan Coleman-Williams, DB Zabien Brown, LB Desmond Umeozulu, RB EJ Crowell, DB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., LB Cayden Jones, DB Nick Sherman, OL Racin Delgatty, DL Jeremiah Beaman, DL Terrance Green.
    • Texas A&M, out: WR Terry Bussey, WR Kelshaun Johnson, OL Blake Ivy.
    • Texas A&M, game-time decision: DE Anto Saka.
    • Available (not on the game-day report): Texas A&M WR Mario Craver, DT DJ Hicks, LB Daymion Sanford, OL Trovon Baugh; Alabama DL Fatutoa Henry.

    3 keys to the game

    1. Protect the football, Alabama. The Tide are -1 in turnovers this season. Tennessee had four takeaways to Alabama’s two last week, per RollTide.com. Texas A&M is +5 on the year. Our take: win the turnover battle and you’re likely holding the better hand late.
    2. Can the Aggies score on the road? A&M scored 6 points at LSU and 6 at Missouri. The Aggies need points away from Kyle Field against an Alabama team averaging 39.3 per game.
    3. Who fills in on the depth chart? Both teams have receivers ruled out, and Alabama is thin in the front seven. The SEC’s game-day report (1:00 p.m. CT) lists Alabama’s Brown, Crowell and Delgatty as out, along with DB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., so Alabama’s depth gets tested.

    What’s at stake in the SEC race

    Alabama already has two conference losses. Per Alabama’s official schedule, it has no game Oct. 31, then plays at LSU on Nov. 7 and at Vanderbilt on Nov. 14. A third SEC loss would make the conference race much harder, and so would falling further in the poll before those trips.

    Texas A&M is 1-3 in league play. A road win over a ranked Alabama would be its best result of the season and could get its year back on track. A loss would mean four SEC defeats before November. Like Alabama, the Aggies are off Oct. 31, per Texas A&M’s official schedule.

    In Tuscaloosa, No. 13 feels like a rebuilding year. In College Station, beating No. 13 feels like a parade route.

    The loser of this one gets an off-week of watching film. That’s like a cooking show where you have to eat your own burnt casserole.

    The line

    REPORTED: As of 1:11 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, DraftKings listed Alabama -13.5 (-112), total 49.5 (Over -115 / Under -105), moneylines Alabama -575 / Texas A&M +425 (ESPN’s DraftKings odds feed; the VegasInsider odds board showed the same DraftKings numbers when both were checked at 1:11 p.m. CT). Lines move, so check your book. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

    Bottom line: Bama needs to stop the slide, and A&M needs to prove it can travel. One of them gets a much happier bus ride home.

    A 13.5-point SEC spread is a suggestion, like a speed limit on I-20, a “short” yell practice, or “just a pinch” of cayenne.

    Picks and lines are for entertainment. Read our picks disclaimer.

  • Empty Since 1950: One Win Puts Kentucky Alone Atop the SEC This Late

    Empty Since 1950: One Win Puts Kentucky Alone Atop the SEC This Late

    Beat Vanderbilt on Saturday night and Will Stein’s Wildcats sit alone atop the SEC this late in a season (Week 8 or later) for the first time since Bear Bryant’s 1950 team, per the Courier Journal.1 The last Kentucky team up there finished the job in New Orleans by snapping Oklahoma’s 31-game win streak. This year’s team already took care of Oklahoma. In October.

    By T-Rohn, Gridiron Gumbo · Posted Oct. 23, 2026

    CONFIRMED: Kentucky (6-1, 4-1 SEC) and Vanderbilt (3-4, 0-4) records, this week’s SEC schedule, kickoff and TV; Kentucky’s No. 12 ranking (Oct. 18); the Oklahoma game; the 1950 season and 1951 Sugar Bowl; 1976-77 history; availability-report timing; odds as of 8:15 a.m. CT Friday. REPORTED: the “first since 1950” finding and scouting notes, from the Courier Journal; Clark Lea’s comments, from On3; other single-outlet details credited in text. Sources are listed at the end.

    Down on the bayou we’ve got a saying about a house that sits empty too long: either somebody’s fixing to move in, or the raccoons already did. Kentucky football’s penthouse, the one marked “Alone in First Place, SEC, Week 8 or Later,” has been locked up since Harry Truman was in the White House.

    Saturday night, somebody might finally get the key.

    If No. 12 Kentucky beats Vanderbilt at Kroger Field (6:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network), the Wildcats will be alone in first place in the SEC this deep into a season (Week 8 or later) for the first time since 1950, the Louisville Courier Journal’s Ryan Black reported Friday. Black wrote that a win puts Kentucky at 5-1 in league play, a half-game ahead of Georgia (6-1, 4-1), which is off this week.1 No other team can reach five league wins this weekend.2

    Seventy-six years. In Kentucky football time, that’s long enough for the program to go from “basketball school” to “basketball school that also has a football team” and back again about four times.

    There have been near-misses. The 1976 Wildcats got a share of the SEC title only in May 1978, when an NCAA ruling forced Mississippi State to forfeit its win over Kentucky.3 The 1977 team went 6-0 in league play but was on NCAA probation and ineligible for the title; Alabama went 7-0 and won it.4, 5

    The Last Tenant: Bear Bryant

    The man who last held that lease was Paul “Bear” Bryant, in his fifth season in Lexington. The 1950 Wildcats went 11-1 and won the program’s first SEC championship.6, 7 Quarterback Babe Parilli was a consensus first-team All-American that year.8

    The only loss that year came at Tennessee.9 Some things in the SEC, cher, never change. Only the address on the bill.

    Then came the part Kentucky fans still tell their grandkids about. On Jan. 1, 1951, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, No. 7 Kentucky beat No. 1 Oklahoma 13-7 in the Sugar Bowl and ended the Sooners’ 31-game winning streak, the longest in the nation at the time.10, 9, 11

    Bryant didn’t beat Oklahoma with a pep talk. The Sugar Bowl’s history says he threw a multi-look defense at the Sooners’ fast split-T offense that sometimes ballooned to a nine-man line, and moved a tackle named Walt Yowarsky to defense, a position the Sugar Bowl says he had played exactly once before in his life. Oklahoma fumbled on its first play. Yowarsky recovered.9

    A nine-man line in New Orleans. That’s not a defense, that’s a second line at Café Du Monde on a Sunday morning, and nobody’s getting through either one.

    Pause on the venue for a second, because it’s a Louisiana story too. The Wildcats’ finest hour happened in Tulane Stadium, back when Tulane was still an SEC member (it left the league in 1966).12 More than 13,000 Kentucky fans made the trip.10

    Thirteen thousand fans, and every one of them went home with the same souvenir: a hoarse voice and a new appreciation for chicory coffee.

    Sagarin’s computer ratings name Kentucky the 1950 national champion,6 and the NCAA’s list of past champions credits Kentucky as Sagarin’s 1950 pick.13 Kentucky fans have been bringing that up at Thanksgiving ever since. The rest of the family has been passing the potatoes and pretending not to hear.

    The Oklahoma Rhyme

    Here’s where it gets eerie, like a cypress swamp at dusk.

    Bryant’s team built its legend by beating Oklahoma. Stein’s team got itself into this position by beating Oklahoma: Kentucky won 21-13 in Norman on Oct. 17 to pull into a tie for the SEC lead.14 The Sooners outgained the Wildcats 346 yards to 230 and still lost, because Kentucky forced four turnovers and committed none.15

    Bryant needed to get to New Year’s Day to take down the Sooners. Stein did it before Halloween. The Sooners must feel like the guy at the crawfish boil who keeps getting pinched by the same bucket.

    UK Athletics says Stein is the first Kentucky coach to start 6-1 in his first season since Alpha Brumage in 1913, and, in the school’s words, “the first coach ever to begin 4-1 in SEC play in his first season.”6 The SEC was founded in December 1932 and played its first football season in 1933. Stein is also on the watch list for the Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year Award.6

    So yes, the award is named after the last man to sit in the penthouse. You can’t write this stuff. Well, we can, but only because the facts did it first.

    The Doorman Is Vanderbilt, and He Has a Grudge

    Now for the bad news if you’re wearing blue in Lexington. The team standing between Kentucky and that empty penthouse has made a habit of walking into Kroger Field and leaving with the silverware.

    Vanderbilt has won the last two meetings and three of the last four, including its last two trips to Lexington, 20-13 in 2024 and 24-21 in 2022.16 Kentucky leads the all-time series 48-45-4.2

    Ninety-nine meetings since 1896. These two have been playing each other since before anybody in Louisiana had a car to tailgate out of.

    Last year in Nashville it was 45-17 Vanderbilt.17 This year the shoe is on the other foot. Kentucky is 6-1 and Vanderbilt is still looking for its first SEC win. Commodores coach Clark Lea said this week his team can win if it limits penalties and protects the ball, and he praised Kentucky’s “energy and momentum,” calling it “real.”17

    Food-wise it’s an even fight: Nashville brings hot chicken, Lexington brings burgoo, and the Cajun brings a sack of boudin and the quiet belief that both of y’all are under-seasoned.

    Vandy also brings a receiver who doesn’t do off-nights. Wide receiver Junior Sherrill has caught at least one pass in 44 straight games, the longest active streak in FBS and the longest by a Commodore since at least 1996.16 He has 628 receiving yards this season, third among SEC players.16

    Forty-four straight games with a catch. T-Rohn can’t go 44 straight minutes without dropping a boudin ball.

    The books like Kentucky. As of 8:15 a.m. CT Friday, Oct. 23, DraftKings and FanDuel both had the Wildcats as 10.5-point favorites.18 Lines move, cher. Bet with your head, not your heart, and never with your mama’s gumbo money. Read our picks disclaimer: https://gridirongumbo.com/picks-disclaimer/

    21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

    The Matchup That Probably Decides It

    The Courier Journal’s scouting notes point to one big gap: Kentucky’s defense has 11 interceptions, the most in the SEC, and quarterback Kenny Minchey has thrown just one interception in seven games.1 Kentucky also won back-to-back overtime games 35-34 by converting two-pointers, against South Carolina on Oct. 3 and LSU on Oct. 10, per the AP and UK Athletics. Lea called those decisions to go for two “gutsy.”17 When the other coach is complimenting your nerve, the gumbo’s already got some heat in it.

    Vandy’s best counterpunches, according to the same Courier Journal piece, are history and special teams. Punter Tyler Ebel leads the SEC in yards per punt, and Josiah Broxton and Austin Howard have each returned a punt for a touchdown this season.1

    Check the SEC availability report before kickoff. Under league policy, Friday’s update is due by 7 p.m. CT, and a game-day update posts no later than 90 minutes before kickoff.19

    The T-Rohn Take

    Here’s what makes this one worth a bowl of gumbo. Every Kentucky season has a “this is the year” moment, and it usually lasts about as long as a snowball on a Lafayette sidewalk in August. This one is different because it comes with a receipt dated 1950.

    Most fans keep receipts in a shoebox. Kentucky keeps this one framed in the den, next to the basketball banners, which needed a bigger den.

    Win Saturday and Kentucky doesn’t just keep winning. It walks into a room no Wildcat team has stood in alone this late in a season (Week 8 or later, by the Courier Journal’s count) since Babe Parilli was slinging it, Bear Bryant was stacking nine guys on the line, and the Sugar Bowl was still played in Tulane’s yard.

    Lose, and Vanderbilt does to Kentucky what Vanderbilt has done in Lexington the last two times it showed up: eats the gumbo, compliments the roux and leaves the dishes.

    Either way, somebody turn the lights on in that penthouse, cher. Seventy-six years of dust is a lot of dust.

    And if the place is still on the market Sunday, the listing doesn’t change a word: original 1950 fixtures, panoramic league views, motivated seller.

    Sources

    1. Ryan Black, Louisville Courier Journal, “Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt football prediction, odds for Week 8 SEC game,” Oct. 23, 2026 (solo first place since 1950; standings scenario; interception and special-teams notes): https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2026/10/23/kentucky-vanderbilt-football-predictions-uk-vandy-picks-betting-odds/92149653007/ ↩ Back to story
    2. Southeastern Conference, Week 8 media release, Oct. 19, 2026 (standings, schedule, TV, series record): https://rolltide.com/documents/download/2026/10/19/SEC_Week_8_Release__2026_.pdf ↩ Back to story
    3. Lexington Herald-Leader, “How Kentucky’s 1976 football team became SEC champions in 1978”: https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-football/article109488107.html ↩ Back to story
    4. NCAA infractions report, “University of Kentucky placed on probation” (1976): https://web3.ncaa.org/lsdbi/search/miCaseView/report?id=102004 ↩ Back to story
    5. SECFOOTBALL.CO, “SEC 1977 Season: Standings & Champion” (Alabama 7-0, Kentucky 6-0): https://secfootball.co/history/season/1977 ↩ Back to story
    6. UK Athletics, “Will Stein Selected to Bear Bryant National Coach of the Year Award Watch List,” Oct. 21, 2026 (Stein’s 6-1 and 4-1 firsts; 1950 season; Sagarin; overtime wins): https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/10/21/will-stein-selected-to-bear-bryant-national-coach-of-the-year-award-watch-list/ ↩ Back to story
    7. Allstate Sugar Bowl, “17th Annual Sugar Bowl Classic ~ January 1, 1951”: https://allstatesugarbowl.org/sports/2022/4/15/17th-annual-sugar-bowl-classic-january-1-1951.aspx ↩ Back to story
    8. National Football Foundation, College Football Hall of Fame, Babe Parilli: https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1783 ↩ Back to story
    9. Allstate Sugar Bowl, “How Kentucky and Oklahoma Met in the 1951 Sugar Bowl”: https://allstatesugarbowl.org/sports/2022/4/15/how-kentucky-and-oklahoma-met-in-the-1951-sugar-bowl.aspx ↩ Back to story
    10. UK Athletics, “1951 Sugar Bowl”: https://ukathletics.com/news/2002/07/18/55ae9c83e4b02cd67304f046-131468125892300672/ ↩ Back to story
    11. Ed Ashford, Lexington Herald, 1951 Sugar Bowl game story, republished with light editing by the Lexington Herald-Leader as “Kentucky time machine: Cats took down a juggernaut in 1951 Sugar Bowl” (May 24, 2020): https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-football/article241951656.html ↩ Back to story
    12. Tennessee State Museum, “SEC: The Creation and Expansion of the Southeastern Conference,” Aug. 23, 2021 (founding December 1932; Tulane left in 1966): https://tnmuseum.org/Stories/posts/sec-the-creation-and-expansion-of-the-southeastern-conference ↩ Back to story
    13. NCAA, “Past Division I-A Football National Champions” (archived; 1950 Kentucky: Sagarin): https://web.archive.org/web/20080112203239/http://www.ncaa.org/champadmin/ia_football_past_champs.html ↩ Back to story
    14. Associated Press, “No. 15 Kentucky rallies to beat Oklahoma 21-13 and move into a tie for the SEC lead,” Oct. 17, 2026 (as carried by ESPN): https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401856722/kentucky-oklahoma ↩ Back to story
    15. ESPN, Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 13 team stats (Oct. 17, 2026): https://www.espn.com/college-football/matchup/_/gameId/401856722 ↩ Back to story
    16. Vanderbilt Athletics, “VUFB Game Week – Kentucky,” Oct. 20, 2026 (recent series results, kickoff, Sherrill streak): https://vucommodores.com/news/2026/10/20/vufb-game-week-kentucky-2026 ↩ Back to story
    17. Tyler Thompson, On3 (KSR), “Clark Lea believes Vanderbilt can beat Kentucky if the Commodores stop beating themselves,” Oct. 22, 2026: https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/news/clark-lea-kentucky-vanderbilt-turnovers-penalties/ ↩ Back to story
    18. SharpData OS, VAN @ UK odds board (DraftKings and FanDuel lines, checked 8:15 a.m. CT Oct. 23, 2026): https://www.sharpdataos.com/cfb/games/2026-w8-vanderbilt-commodores-at-kentucky-wildcats ↩ Back to story
    19. SEC, student-athlete availability report policy (football updates Wednesday-Friday by 7 p.m. CT; game-day update 90 minutes before kickoff), https://www.secsports.com/news/2024/08/sec-to-provide-public-availability-reports-for-football-basketball-and-baseball; reports: https://www.secsports.com/fbreports ↩ Back to story
    20. Lexington Herald-Leader, “Where Kentucky is ranked in Oct. 18 Associated Press top 25,” Oct. 18, 2026: https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-football/article317673338.html
  • The Kid From Missouri City Wants Missouri’s Halloween: Arkansas Gets Chris Marshall Back and Hands the Punt Job to an Aussie

    The Kid From Missouri City Wants Missouri’s Halloween: Arkansas Gets Chris Marshall Back and Hands the Punt Job to an Aussie

    The SEC’s top two receivers in yards meet Oct. 31 in Fayetteville. One of them grew up in Missouri City, Texas. The other plays for Missouri. And Arkansas just changed punters to help settle it.

    By T-Rohn, Gridiron Gumbo · Posted Oct. 22, 2026

    CONFIRMED: Arkansas 31, Vanderbilt 21, records (Arkansas 3-4, 1-3 SEC) and the Vanderbilt box score per AP/ESPN; Oct. 31 kickoff, series history and Marshall’s background per Arkansas Athletics; Missouri’s record and Ole Miss result per Missouri Athletics; Silverfield’s Marshall update and the punter change per the Southwest Times Record and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with the Marshall update also reported by On3 and SI. REPORTED: details credited to single outlets (Southwest Times Record, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, On3, SI, cfbstats.com) in text.

    Down on the bayou, we’ve got a rule about Halloween: Nobody shows up in costume to somebody else’s party unless they plan on taking the candy.

    Arkansas plans to take the candy.

    TAKE (joke): Missouri, for its part, plans to leave with the bowl and the porch light.

    TAKE (joke): The Hogs have a week off, a receiver on the way back, a new punter and a costume party at home. Mais, that’s the most optimism Fayetteville has had since somebody found an extra bag of ice under the tailgate.

    Arkansas expects Chris Marshall back for Missouri. We looked at who he’ll be lining up across from, where he grew up and what Arkansas looks like with and without him. Halloween night comes with a twist.

    The Update

    Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield gave a short, upbeat update on Wednesday during the open week. “(Marshall’s) doing well,” he said. “Yeah, we have every thought and faith that he’ll be ready to go for the Missouri game,” per the Southwest Times Record. On3’s HawgBeat and SI’s All Hogs reported the same quote.

    Here’s the injury news, straight: Marshall hurt his right leg in the first quarter at Vanderbilt and was seen with a trainer during breaks, the Times Record reported. He left for good after a 28-yard catch on a screen late in the second quarter, according to the Times Record and On3. On3 reported he watched the second half from the sideline in street clothes.

    That 28-yard grab was his only catch of the night. He still sits second in the SEC with 633 receiving yards, per Sports-Reference and On3. The Times Record ranks those yards 11th nationally.

    TAKE (joke): Eleventh in the nation. That’s higher than any Fayetteville hill a 2009 Pontiac Aztek has ever made it up in January.

    The Twist: Who’s No. 1?

    The only SEC receiver with more yards than Marshall? Missouri’s Cayden Lee, with 678 on 47 catches and five touchdowns, per Sports-Reference and cfbstats.com.

    So Halloween night in Fayetteville puts the SEC’s No. 1 and No. 2 receivers on the same field. Then it gets better.

    Marshall is from Missouri City, Texas, per Arkansas Athletics. He played his high school ball at Fort Bend Marshall. Yes: Marshall from Marshall, out of Missouri City, trying to beat Missouri.

    TAKE (joke): Cher, that’s not a matchup. That’s a riddle my Mawmaw would tell at the boucherie, then refuse to explain until you took a second plate of boudin.

    One more crossover: Lee played at Ole Miss from 2023 to 2025, per Missouri Athletics and Sports-Reference. Marshall spent the spring 2023 semester in Oxford too, per Arkansas’ official bio. Small SEC.

    TAKE (joke): Oxford, Fayetteville, Columbia. The SEC isn’t a conference anymore. It’s a group text with a roster.

    The Long Road to 633

    Marshall’s résumé reads like a Cajun road trip: lots of stops, all of them worth it. According to his official Arkansas bio, he started at Texas A&M in 2022, spent the spring 2023 semester at Ole Miss, caught 21 passes for 449 yards and five touchdowns at Kilgore College in 2023, then went to Boise State. The same bio credits him with 574 yards on 30 catches for the Broncos in 2025.

    Seven games into 2026 he already has 633, per cfbstats.com. His biggest nights came at home: 136 yards against Georgia and 195 against Tulsa.

    TAKE (joke): Those two games drew the kind of home crowd you usually only see at a Fayetteville stoplight on Dickson Street: loud, proud and not moving for anybody.

    One more number: Arkansas has 1,620 passing yards as a team, per cfbstats.com. Marshall has 633 of them. That’s about 39% of the Hogs’ passing offense coming from one man.

    TAKE (joke): That’s not a No. 1 receiver. That’s the roux. Everything else in the pot is just waiting on him.

    What Happened Without Him

    Arkansas found out at Vanderbilt. With Marshall gone since late in the second quarter, the Hogs outscored Vanderbilt 17-7 in the second half and won 31-21, snapping a 14-game SEC losing streak, per the AP recap on ESPN. It was Arkansas’ first SEC win since 2024 and the first in the league for Silverfield.

    KJ Jackson went 21-of-31 for 251 yards with no interceptions, per AP. The ESPN box score shows 12 different Razorbacks catching passes. Sophomore Antonio Jordan led the way with career highs of five catches for 74 yards, per the Times Record, On3 and the box score.

    The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette noted Jackson’s 67.7% completion rate was well above the 59.8% he carried into the game.

    TAKE (joke): A jump from 59.8% to 67.7% in one night. Somewhere a Missouri defensive coordinator just set his coffee down, picked up his clipboard and moved his Halloween plans to Tuesday.

    Silverfield said it’s “hard to blame” Jackson for looking Marshall’s way, but said the quarterback has to “trust the full reads,” per SI’s All Hogs.

    TAKE (joke): Translation: When your best friend has the truck, you call him first. But it’s nice to learn your cousin has a truck too.

    The Punter Switch

    Now the leg. Silverfield named Cal Poly transfer Jesse Ehrlich the starting punter, with Gavin Rush backing him up, according to the Times Record and the Democrat-Gazette.

    “Right now, Jesse’s the starting punter, and Gavin’s going to back him up,” Silverfield said, per the Democrat-Gazette.

    The numbers explain why. At Vanderbilt, Ehrlich came in at halftime and punted twice for 51 and 42 yards, the Democrat-Gazette reported. The ESPN box score backs that up: two punts, 46.5-yard average, one touchback and one inside the 20. On the season he has three punts for 147 yards in two games, a 49.0 average, per cfbstats.com (through Oct. 21). That means his other punt, in an earlier game, went 54 yards.

    As a team, Arkansas averages 40.45 yards per punt, compared with 43.90 for its opponents, per cfbstats.com. Missouri’s punters average 44.76, per cfbstats.com. In a game where the Hogs need every blade of grass, a few yards a kick adds up.

    Ehrlich is a fifth-year left-footer from Cal Poly, per the Democrat-Gazette. ESPN lists Melbourne, Australia, as his birthplace, and the Times Record also reported he’s from Australia.

    TAKE (joke): Melbourne to Fayetteville is a fair hike. He’s swapped beaches for the Ozarks, the ocean for Beaver Lake and the Southern Hemisphere for Waffle House hash browns that come smothered, covered and, somehow, in a hurry.

    Silverfield made a point of saying specialists have their ups and downs week to week. Rush, who has handled 27 of Arkansas’ 31 punts this season per cfbstats.com, is still right there as the backup. (The 31st is a 14-yard punt credited to “Team.”)

    TAKE (joke): Arkansas went to Australia for a punter. Down here we’d have just asked the guy at the crawfish boil who can throw a cooler the farthest, but sure, Melbourne works too.

    TAKE (joke): Welcome to Arkansas, Jesse. Learn the Hog call, learn the back roads and learn that in October the weather here changes faster than the punt depth chart.

    What’s at Stake

    Missouri (5-2, 2-2 SEC) is coming off a 31-3 loss at Ole Miss, per Missouri Athletics. It dropped from No. 13 to No. 22 in the AP poll, SI reported. The Tigers are 4-0 at home and 1-2 away from Columbia, per cfbstats.com, with both losses coming in SEC road games.

    SI’s All Hogs reported Missouri is allowing 263.8 passing yards per game against SEC opponents. That’s a door Marshall would love to walk through.

    But Missouri brings plenty of firepower of its own. Lee and Donovan Olugbode (534 yards) give the Tigers two of the SEC’s top five receivers by yards, per cfbstats.com (through Oct. 21).

    The history isn’t in Arkansas’ favor. Missouri leads the Battle Line Rivalry 13-4, per Arkansas Athletics. The Hogs haven’t beaten the Tigers since a 34-17 win on Nov. 26, 2021. This will be the 18th meeting, the sixth in Fayetteville and the first night game between the two ever played in Arkansas.

    Note: Records differ by source. Arkansas Athletics lists Missouri up 13-4 with this as the 18th meeting, while 247Sports lists 12-4 and the 17th meeting. We go with the school’s official count.

    TAKE (joke): Missouri fans will remind you of that 13-4 record at the gas station, the grocery store and the dentist’s chair, mid-cleaning.

    The math is simple. At 3-4 with five games left, Arkansas needs three more wins to reach bowl eligibility. Missouri’s next four after this one are Texas, at Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma.

    TAKE (joke): Meanwhile, Columbia traffic on a game day is the only thing in mid-Missouri slower than a Kansas City barbecue argument ending.

    TAKE (joke): For Arkansas, Halloween is a must-win. For Missouri, it’s the only weekend on the rest of the calendar that isn’t a haunted house.

    Up Next

    Missouri at Arkansas, Saturday, Oct. 31, 6:45 p.m. Central on SEC Network, at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, per Arkansas Athletics.

    The SEC’s top two receivers. A hometown riddle. A punter from Melbourne. Laissez les bons temps rouler, y’all. Just don’t eat all the candy before kickoff.

  • Plugged In on the Plains: Auburn Hands Its 380-Piece Band a Microphone Just in Time for LSU

    Plugged In on the Plains: Auburn Hands Its 380-Piece Band a Microphone Just in Time for LSU

    Auburn’s marching band gets its own field-level speakers Saturday against No. 18 LSU. The volume goes up. The SEC rulebook still decides when the music stops.

    CONFIRMED: records and schedule per the official Auburn and LSU athletics schedules; the band announcement per Rhett Hobart’s public X posts; rule wording per the SEC bylaws as reported by AL.com and USA Today; Tennessee’s fine per the SEC and AP. REPORTED: kickoff time per AL.com; details credited to single outlets (AL.com, Sports Illustrated, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Tennessee Athletics) in text.

    Down here we’ve got a saying: If the music’s too loud, you’re too old.

    Auburn heard that and decided LSU is about to feel ancient.

    TAKE (joke): Auburn’s plan for LSU has three parts: a bigger sound system, a 380-piece band and a long nap for everybody in purple.

    Everybody’s writing about Auburn turning up the volume. We read the fine print on how loud it’s allowed to get, and when it has to hush.

    The Announcement

    On Tuesday night, Auburn deputy athletic director and chief revenue officer Rhett Hobart posted on X: “The band is being mic’d, beginning this weekend.”

    In a follow-up post Wednesday, Hobart clarified that the band will play through “new dedicated field level band speakers.” The main “house” system, he wrote, runs on roughly a 1-2 second delay, so it’s “not ideal” for a live band.

    AL.com also quoted Hobart saying his team “did a deep dive into music the last few weeks and has a great plan going in – created in direct partnership with our band.”

    There’s a throwback, too. Auburn plans to bring back an old crowd anthem, Maino’s “All the Above,” per Sports Illustrated’s Auburn site. SI reported Saturday will be the first time the band has been put in front of a microphone.

    Smart call, cher. Run a live band through a system with a 1-2 second delay and it turns into its own echo.

    My Uncle Boudreaux has been his own echo at family reunions for 40 years, and nobody ever gave him a speaker either.

    Who’s Getting the Mic

    This isn’t a garage band getting its first amp. Per Auburn University Bands, the marching band has 380 members, the largest in school history. Almost 85% of them aren’t music majors.

    The band won the 2004 Sudler Trophy, which its own site calls the nation’s highest award for college marching bands. It played two BCS title games, in 2011 and 2014. And, per the band’s site, it won the national Metallica Marching Band Competition.

    TAKE (joke): Almost 85% of them aren’t music majors, which means somewhere on that field an engineering student is carrying a sousaphone, a full course load and the loudest one-hour elective in Alabama.

    Read that again. Auburn’s band beat the country at Metallica, and until this week nobody had plugged it in. That’s like owning a Ferrari and keeping it in first gear because you’re scared of the neighbors.

    TAKE (joke): Now they get fifth gear, and the neighbors are LSU.

    What the Rulebook Says

    Here’s the part nobody else is serving: A microphone makes the band louder. It doesn’t buy one extra second of playing time.

    The SEC’s artificial-noise rule says bands, music and noisemakers must stop when the offensive center puts a hand on the football.

    The league adopted that trigger in 2018 because the old wording, noise had to stop when the center “take[s] his place over” the ball, was hard to enforce, AL.com reported at the time. The Advocate also reported the change, and USA Today reported the bylaws still use “puts a hand on the football.”

    TAKE (joke): The SEC spent years debating where a center “takes his place.” Cher, I’ve seen shorter arguments over whose mawmaw makes the darker roux.

    So the band can rattle Jordan-Hare’s fillings between plays. The second LSU’s center touches the ball, the trumpets go quiet and it’s all on the fans.

    That’s the sneaky-smart part: Get the crowd to a boil with the band, then let the crowd keep it boiling when the music stops.

    TAKE (joke): Think crawfish boil. The band brings the seasoning, the propane and the pot. The crowd just has to remember not to turn the burner off.

    The league takes the rule seriously. The SEC’s 2016 football regulations listed fines of $5,000 for a first offense, up to $25,000 for a second and up to $50,000 for a third or later one. That was a decade ago, and we couldn’t confirm today’s amounts.

    Either way, next to the $500,000 bill Tennessee just got for its fans storming the field after beating Alabama (per AP and the SEC), a band fine is sofa-cushion money.

    Just ask my Mississippi State Bulldogs. The SEC banned cowbells from 1974 to 2010, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, before Commissioner Mike Slive let Starkville ring them again, as long as they hush before the snap.

    Thirty-six years of contraband cowbells. We were smuggling noise before smuggling noise was cool.

    The Speakers Already Had Muscle

    Jordan-Hare was no library before this. Auburn’s 2015 sound-system rebuild cost around $1 million and put 28 JBL loudspeakers in four vertical arrays behind the “AU” atop the videoboard, plus eight 18-inch subwoofers, AL.com reported. Fast and Wide reported the same 28-speaker, eight-subwoofer setup.

    The Daktronics engineer who designed it wouldn’t give AL.com a decibel number. “As far as output … it’s loud,” he said.

    TAKE (joke): An engineer who won’t give you a decibel number is like a Cajun who won’t tell you how much cayenne went in. You don’t ask. You just reach for the sweet tea.

    That same 2015 AL.com story listed “All the Above” among the songs getting heavy play at Jordan-Hare that season. Some songs, like some gumbo, taste better the second time around.

    TAKE (joke): A 2015 sound system, a 2015 anthem and a 2026 band plugged into both. Auburn isn’t rebuilding. It’s reheating.

    Auburn isn’t alone. Tennessee installed a new Neyland Stadium system this season with 15 subwoofers, where there had been none, and more than half a million watts of power, per Tennessee Athletics.

    The SEC arms race isn’t just in the weight room anymore. It’s in the speaker cabinets.

    Why Now

    The timing is no accident. Auburn (4-2, 2-2 SEC) is coming off a 27-24 win at No. 1 Georgia. Saturday is its first home game since beating Vanderbilt 21-15 in late September, per SI and Auburn’s official schedule.

    LSU (5-2, 2-2) hasn’t won a road game this season. Both losses came away from home, at Kentucky in overtime and at Ole Miss, and both were one-score games, according to SI and LSU’s official schedule.

    Lane Kiffin saw this coming. At SEC Media Days in July, the LSU coach called Jordan-Hare “a really hard place to play” and “a magical stadium that magical things happen in,” per the ASAP Sports transcript.

    He’s not wrong. LSU is 2-3 in its last five trips to the Plains, and six of the last eight meetings were decided by five points or fewer, AL.com reported.

    By AL.com’s count, LSU leads the overall series 33-24-1 and Auburn leads 13-9 at home. Other record books, like College Football Digest, count it differently because the NCAA vacated three LSU wins.

    TAKE (joke): Death Valley is famous for being loud at night. Getting outshouted on the Plains at 11 a.m. would be like a Baton Rouge crawfish boil getting outseasoned by a dentist’s office breakroom.

    Mais, when a man calls your house magical in July, the polite thing to do is turn the music up for him in October.

    The Fine Print, in Gumbo Terms

    Here’s how I’d explain it at the boucherie: Auburn got a bigger pot, not a longer cooking time. The band can make the place louder between snaps, but it stops when the center’s hand hits the ball, same as every SEC band.

    If LSU’s quarterback can’t hear himself think on third down, it won’t be the tubas. It’ll be the crowd they just whipped into a frenzy.

    TAKE (joke): The tubas light the roux, the fans stir it, and the center’s hand on the ball is the only lid in the kitchen.

    Up Next

    No. 18 LSU at Auburn, Saturday, Oct. 24, at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is 11 a.m. Central, AL.com reported when the SEC set the Oct. 24 times. SI reported a win would likely put Auburn in the AP Top 25 before its Halloween trip to Ole Miss.

    TAKE (joke): An 11 a.m. kickoff? Cher, at 11 a.m. a Cajun is still choosing between boudin, cracklins and the boudin he forgot he already ate.

    Laissez les bons temps rouler, y’all. And LSU, bring earplugs. Just take them out when your center touches the ball. That’s when it’s all crowd.

    Sources

    • AL.com, “Lane Kiffin called Jordan-Hare Stadium magical, and Auburn just made it more intimidating,” Oct. 21, 2026: https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/10/lane-kiffin-called-jordan-hare-stadium-magical-and-auburn-just-made-it-more-intimidating.html
    • Sports Illustrated Auburn (Griffin Barfield), “Auburn Football Adding This Home Advantage Ahead of No. 18 LSU,” Oct. 21, 2026: https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/auburn-football-adding-this-home-advantage-ahead-of-no-18-lsu-marching-band
    • Rhett Hobart (@RhettHobart) on X, Oct. 20, 2026 (9:03 p.m. Central): https://x.com/RhettHobart/status/2112726450617147745 and follow-up, Oct. 21, 2026: https://x.com/RhettHobart/status/2112892258831814851
    • Auburn University Bands, Auburn University Marching Band home and general information pages: https://band.auburn.edu/aumb/index.php and https://band.auburn.edu/aumb/general-info.php
    • AL.com, “More cowbell? SEC amends rule pertaining to artificial noise,” June 2018: https://www.al.com/sports/2018/06/more_cowbell_sec_amends_rule_p.html
    • SEC Commissioner’s Regulations, Football, 2016 (noise-violation fines): http://assets.espn.go.com/SEC/media/2016/Football.pdf
    • Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Kirby Smart not caught up on Mississippi State cowbells: ‘Noise is noise,’” Nov. 2025: https://www.ajc.com/sports/2025/11/kirby-smart-not-caught-up-on-mississippi-state-cowbells-noise-is-noise/
    • AL.com (Matt Wake), “The music of the Iron Bowl: What to expect in Jordan-Hare,” Nov. 25, 2015: https://www.al.com/entertainment/2015/11/the_music_of_the_iron_bowl_wha.html
    • Tennessee Athletics, “New Sound System Highlights Neyland Stadium Preserved by Pilot Fan Experience Enhancements,” Aug. 28, 2026: https://utsports.com/news/2026/8/28/football-new-sound-system-highlights-neyland-stadium-preserved-by-pilot-fan-experience-enhancements
    • Associated Press, “SEC fines Tennessee $500,000 for allowing fans to storm the field after beating Alabama,” Oct. 2026: https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-fined-500000-storm-field-72b768f566bda5e45e3c6bd69f6d0d8b
    • SEC, “Tennessee fined for violation of access to competition area policy,” Oct. 18, 2026: https://www.secsports.com/news/2026/10/tennessee-fined-for-violation-of-access-to-competition-area-policy-101826
    • Auburn Athletics, 2026 football schedule: https://auburntigers.com/sports/football/schedule
    • LSU Athletics, 2026 football schedule: https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/schedule
    • AL.com, “Kickoff times set for Texas A&M-Alabama, LSU-Auburn, other Oct. 24 SEC games,” Oct. 2026: https://www.al.com/sports/2026/10/kickoff-times-set-for-texas-am-alabama-lsu-auburn-other-oct-24-sec-games.html
    • USA Today, “Why do Mississippi State fans ring cowbells? Explaining SEC tradition,” Sept. 27, 2025 (current SEC rule wording): https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2025/09/27/mississippi-state-bulldogs-football-cowbells-tradition/86319308007/
    • Gridiron Gumbo, “Half a Million Dollars of Joy: Tennessee’s Field-Storm Bill Lands in Tuscaloosa’s Mailbox,” Oct. 20, 2026: https://gridirongumbo.com/tennessee-500k-field-storm-fine-alabama/
    • ASAP Sports, SEC Football Media Days transcript, Lane Kiffin, July 23, 2026: https://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=220739
    • College Football Digest, Auburn vs. LSU series history: https://collegefootballdigest.com/rivalries/auburn-vs-lsu
    • The Advocate, SEC spring meetings notebook, June 2018: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_9c06f9d6-65f6-11e8-a6f4-031473a8f97f.html
    • Fast and Wide, “Dante in control at Jordan-Hare Stadium”: https://www.fast-and-wide.com/faw-news/fast-news/8636-jordan-hare-stadium
  • REPORTED: Ex-Bama WR Isaiah Horton Heads Back to Tuscaloosa, and His Daddy Wants an Answer

    REPORTED: Ex-Bama WR Isaiah Horton Heads Back to Tuscaloosa, and His Daddy Wants an Answer

    REPORTED | Source: Aggies Wire / USA Today, Cameron Ohnysty, Oct. 22, 2026

    Some homecomings come with a casserole. Isaiah Horton’s comes with a scouting report from his own father.

    The Texas A&M graduate student receiver, who transferred in from Alabama, goes back to face the Tide on Saturday when the Aggies visit No. 13 Alabama (2:30 p.m. CT, ABC). Alabama is a 13.5-point favorite at DraftKings as of Oct. 22, per VegasInsider, despite a two-game skid capped by a 26-10 loss at Tennessee.

    The family conversation started after A&M’s 41-0 win over The Citadel. Former Aggies safety Jordan Pugh flagged two Horton drops on his “Cover 2 with Jordan Pugh” podcast, and Horton’s father, Allen Horton, weighed in, per Aggies Wire. The key line: “Told him he needs to show resiliency real quick and help his QB and team over these next tough few weeks of the season.”

    Through seven games, Horton has 20 catches for 280 yards and three touchdowns on 46 targets, according to the report. That is 20 of 46 targets (43.5%).

    Here’s the thing, cher: the timing could hardly be better for a bounce-back. Alabama’s pass defense ranks 101st nationally, per Aggies Wire. That’s not a secondary, that’s an open-door policy. If there was ever a week for a receiver to get the roux right, it’s against his old team, in his old stadium, with Dad watching closer than a crawfish-boil timer.

    Down here we call that a pot ready to boil. Bama needs to stop a slide, A&M wants a statement road win, and one receiver gets a chance to answer every question at once in front of folks who used to cheer for him.

    Gumbo take: The best way to answer your daddy is with your hands. Catch the ball Saturday and this whole thing turns into a good family story.

    Correction (Oct. 22, 2026): An earlier version of this story called Isaiah Horton a senior. He is a graduate student. We also updated the Alabama line to the latest VegasInsider listing.

  • The Reunion Nobody Scheduled a Family Dinner For: Oklahoma Comes to Starkville for the First Time Ever

    The Reunion Nobody Scheduled a Family Dinner For: Oklahoma Comes to Starkville for the First Time Ever

    Week 8 preview — Oklahoma at Mississippi State, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2:30 p.m. CT, Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville (SEC Network). Picks lock at kickoff. | By T-Rohn

    Saturday Injury Update (Oct. 24)

    Updated Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 1:11 p.m. CT. CONFIRMED by the SEC’s official game-day availability report, posted 1:00 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24. The game-day report lists only Available, Game Time Decision or Out, and the SEC says a player not on the report is regarded as available. Out can also cover non-injury reasons.

    • Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor is not on the game-day report, which means he is available. He was questionable on Friday’s report (posted 7:10 p.m. CT Oct. 23).
    • RB Fluff Bothwell and LB Zakari Tillman are also not on the report, which means they are available.
    • Mississippi State, out: S Isaac Smith, LB Jalen Smith, WR Ayden Williams, DL Trevion Williams and DL Diesel Moye. No Bulldog is listed as a game-time decision.
    • Oklahoma, out: LB Taylor Heim, WR Trell Harris, WR Elijah Thomas, RB Xavier Robinson, TE Trynae Washington, DB Eli Bowen, DB Jacobe Johnson, OL Eddy Pierre-Louis and OL Ryan Fodje. Thomas (doubtful) and Bowen (questionable) moved to out from Friday’s report. OL Michael Fasusi and OL Heath Ozaeta, questionable Friday, are not on the game-day report, which means they are available.

    REPORTED: ESPN (Pete Thamel, citing sources, story updated 10:48 a.m. CT Saturday) reported that Taylor and Bothwell will both be available, and On3 reported Friday that Taylor was expected to play. The official game-day report now matches.

    REPORTED line: as of 1:11 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, DraftKings listed Oklahoma -1.5 (-112), total 49.5 (Over -105 / Under -115), moneylines Oklahoma -122 / Mississippi State +102 (ESPN’s DraftKings odds feed and the VegasInsider DraftKings column, both checked at 1:11 p.m. CT; DraftKings had Oklahoma -1.5 and a 48.5 total at 11:11 a.m. CT and Oklahoma -2.5 (-105) and a 47.5 total at 8:11 a.m. CT). Our pick is unchanged below. Lines move, so check your book. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Picks disclaimer.

    First, Last Week’s Receipts

    We grade our own picks around here like we grade a rookie cook’s first roux — honest, in public, and with love. Last week we picked LSU 33, Mississippi State 17, and the Under 56.5 (DraftKings, Friday night, Oct. 16, per the Week 7 preview). The actual final was LSU 31, Mississippi State 0.

    So the winner pick was right and the under was right — 31 total points sneaks under the number like a teenager sneaking past Mama’s porch light — but Lord have mercy, that score prediction was deader than a crawfish at a boil. State did not score. Not a touchdown, not a field goal, not a sympathy point for showing up pretty. Zero. We went 1–0 straight up and 1–0 on the total in this one, and the record book will tell you exactly how ugly that win looked. That’s how this page works.

    Correction (Oct. 22, 2026, 8:39 p.m. CT): an earlier version of this post said last week’s pick was LSU 34, Mississippi State 24, under 58.5. Under 58.5 was the Monday (Oct. 12) number in the Week 7 preview, and 34-24 was T-Rohn’s own Monday call in the game-day post. The last pick the Gumbo published before kickoff, and the one graded on the pick tracker, was LSU 33-17 and the Under 56.5. The total went under both numbers (31 points), so the result is unchanged.

    Correction (Oct. 22, 2026, 8:42 p.m. CT): an earlier version of this post said our season record starts 1–0 straight up and 1–0 on over/unders. That was this game’s result only, not the season record; see the pick tracker for the full record.

    Wednesday Night Update (Oct. 21)

    The first SEC availability report of the week lists Kamario Taylor as questionable (On3) — the exact same word he carried into LSU week. Back then, as the Clarion Ledger reported, he was questionable on the first two reports, slid to doubtful the night before the game, and was ruled out about 90 minutes before kickoff. Running back Fluff Bothwell, who missed the LSU game, is also listed as questionable. (He came off the report Friday and is available; see the Saturday update at the top.)

    Lebby is deferring to the report, and the report is deferring to the end of the week. “The injury report will continue to speak to that,” he told the Clarion Ledger on Monday. Translation: nobody outside that training room knows. We’ve since checked Thursday’s 7:10 PM CT availability report, and Taylor is still listed questionable, but the mood in Starkville has changed. On3 reported Thursday evening there’s “more optimism than a week ago” and that he’s doing more in practice, and Brent Venables joked on his Monday show that Taylor’s going to play. Our pick held at that point. Friday’s 7:10 PM CT report kept Taylor at questionable, and Saturday’s final report (about 1:00 PM CT) is the last word; picks can be updated until kickoff.

    Meanwhile, down the road: the team that shut State out may be getting healthier. LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green and edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen were not listed on Wednesday’s report, per LouisianaSports.net. Not our game, but misery does love a scoreboard.

    The pick: Oklahoma 25-22 (moved from 23-20 on Sat., Oct. 24). Pass on the spread and the total: DraftKings OU -2.5 / 47.5, seen at the 4:02 AM CT Sat run (pick first made Oct. 21 at OU -4.5 (DraftKings and Bovada), total 44.5 (DraftKings)). Update Oct 21: we first posted Oklahoma 24-17, under 46.5 (DraftKings’ opening total). Revisit after Thursday’s availability report on Kamario Taylor.

    Update (Sat, Oct. 24, 5:57 a.m. CT): Moved the score to Oklahoma 25-22 to match the 47.5 market total (DraftKings OU -2.5 / 47.5, seen at the 4:02 AM CT Sat run); still a pass on the side and total. Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor is still questionable; the final SEC report is due around 1 PM CT. The notes dated Oct. 22 and Oct. 23 on this page reflect the earlier 23-20 score.

    Update (Thu, Oct. 22, evening): Lines refreshed with the sportsbook named for each. Thursday’s SEC availability report still lists Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor as questionable, so the pick stood at 23-20 (superseded: now Oklahoma 25-22, see the Oct. 24 update), pass on the spread and total. Pick made Oct. 21 at OU -4.5 (DraftKings and Bovada), total 44.5 (DraftKings); DraftKings now OU -3 / 46.5 as of 8:03 PM CT Oct. 22. Picks can be updated until kickoff.

    The Setup

    Now comes a game that has literally never happened.

    Mississippi State (4–2, 2–2 SEC) hosts Oklahoma (3–3, 1–2 SEC) on Saturday afternoon in Starkville, and these two schools have never played each other in football. Not once. Not in a bowl, not in 1927, not back when the forward pass was considered witchcraft. The Sooners have never set foot in Davis Wade Stadium, which means Saturday is their first-ever hearing test — and cher, the cowbells do not care that Oklahoma has tradition. The cowbells have never met a tradition they wouldn’t clang directly in the ear of.

    And then there’s the family business. State head coach Jeff Lebby played at Oklahoma, started his coaching career there, and ran the Sooners’ offense as coordinator in 2022 and 2023 before Starkville hired him. Saturday is the first time he faces Brent Venables and his old employer as a head coach. This ain’t a revenge game so much as a family reunion where both sides brought a defense and nobody brought potato salad.

    Both teams walk in limping off a loss. Both teams are playing for bowl position and October relevance now, not playoff fairy tales. Loser of this one is in a world of hurt. Winner gets to breathe.

    Oklahoma’s Case — Give the Devil His Due

    Call it straight: the oddsmakers have Oklahoma favored on the road (opened around OU -1.5 to -2.5; DraftKings went to OU -5.5 Thursday afternoon and sat at OU -3 as of 8:03 PM CT Oct. 22 (DraftKings Saturday: OU -1.5 / 48.5 as of 11:11 a.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026; it was OU -2.5 / 47.5 as of 8:11 a.m. CT), via VegasInsider), with a low total that opened at 46.5, dipped to 44.5 Thursday afternoon and is back to 46.5 at DraftKings — and the desert ain’t in the business of charity.

    The Sooners own the single best win between these two teams: they beat then-No. 1 Texas 27–24 in Dallas on Oct. 10. When quarterback John Mateer is right, this offense can play with anybody in America.

    Problem is, Mateer was not right last Saturday. Kentucky beat Oklahoma 21–13 in Norman, and Mateer threw three second-half interceptions, two of them in the last two minutes. Oklahoma turned it over four times, Kentucky zero, and that was the whole ballgame boiled down to one sentence. The Sooners actually outgained Kentucky 346 yards to 230 and still lost, which is like cooking a whole pot of gumbo, tasting it, declaring it perfect — and then dropping the pot on the kitchen floor.

    Their offensive line has been shuffled all season and is thin again this week, and it tends to show up late in games like a relative who arrives after the dishes are done. But Venables’ defense is real: it held Kentucky to 230 total yards. If Oklahoma just stops handing the other team the football like it’s passing out church bulletins, they’re dangerous.

    State’s Case — And the Elephant in the Infirmary

    Now the home side of the pot, and we are not going to sugarcoat it, because sugarcoated is for beignets, not football previews.

    State’s shutout loss at LSU had a cause, and the cause was standing on the sideline in a boot. Star quarterback Kamario Taylor, who On3 reports has been dealing with turf toe from the Missouri game (State has not said what the injury is, per the Clarion Ledger), missed the LSU game and watched it with a boot on his right foot (Clarion Ledger). Running back Fluff Bothwell missed it too, but he is now off the report and available (Sports Illustrated). Lebby on Monday: “He didn’t wake up yesterday morning and was healed. It’s going to be day-to-day. He’s got a lot of work to do.” By Thursday night the tune had softened. He’s still questionable on the official report (Friday, 7:10 PM CT), but On3 reports “more optimism than a week ago” and more work in practice. So this week’s question isn’t whether he’s in a boot. It’s whether he’s in uniform, and how many steps he’s lost if he is.

    Without him, sophomore Billy Puckett, a former walk-on making his first career start, moved State between the 20s and then watched drive after drive die. Puckett finished 16-of-26 for 121 yards with an interception, and State got shut out for the first time since a 41-0 loss at Alabama in 2020. The effort was honest. The finishing was not there.

    Two things State does have going for it:

    • The ground game showed up even in a shutout. State out-rushed LSU, and Bothwell, its leading rusher, came off the injury report Friday and is available (Sports Illustrated).
    • Home. Davis Wade, afternoon kick, a stadium full of cowbells, and an Oklahoma team that has never heard that sound in person. Plenty of better teams have walked into Starkville ranked, rested, and reasoning — and walked out holding their ears and their L.

    State’s defense still has losses. Safety Isaac Smith, who left the LSU game with an injury, is out, along with linebacker Jalen Smith and linemen Trevion Williams and Diesel Moye, per the official SEC report (Friday, 7:10 PM CT) and On3. Linebacker Zakari Tillman, who missed the LSU game, is off the report and available. Oklahoma has its own list: running back Xavier Robinson is out and receiver Elijah Thomas is doubtful, along with six other Sooners who are out (Sooners Wire), including two offensive linemen.

    The Matchup That Decides It

    This game is a contest between two offenses currently trying to hurt themselves less than the other one.

    • If Taylor plays and can actually move, State’s offense is a different animal and the pick below gets shaky fast.
    • If Puckett starts again, State has to win ugly: run the ball like they did in Baton Rouge, shorten the game, let the cowbells do the pass rush, and pray Mateer keeps donating footballs.
    • Mateer, for his part, faces a simple test: protect the football. He knows exactly which quarterback he was last week.

    The low total — 46.5 at the open, and 46.5 at DraftKings as of 8:03 PM CT Thursday after a dip to 44.5 that afternoon, and 47.5 at DraftKings as of 8:11 a.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, then 48.5 as of 11:11 a.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026 — tells you the folks in the desert expect a fistfight in a phone booth, not a track meet. For once, the desert and I agree completely.

    The Straight Prediction

    Here at Gridiron Gumbo we don’t cook the books, even for our own team — especially not the week after our own team got shut out.

    Mississippi State at full strength might well win this game at home. Whether State gets to full strength is the whole question, cher. Taylor was questionable through Friday (reported turf toe) and is not on the 1:00 p.m. CT game-day report, which means he is available; leading rusher Fluff Bothwell is off the report and available, and the defense is without safety Isaac Smith. The optimism is real, but so is the fine print: a quarterback with a reported turf toe who sat out last week doesn’t get his burst back just because the bells are ringing. Against a Venables defense that just held Kentucky to 230 yards, a limited Taylor makes this a coin flip with a lean, and no Taylor makes it Baton Rouge with better scenery.

    Oklahoma is flawed, turnover-drunk, and eminently beatable. But the Sooners have the healthier quarterback, the better defense on paper, and a win over the No. 1 team in the country in their back pocket.

    Prediction: Oklahoma 25, Mississippi State 22 (moved from 23-20 on Sat., Oct. 24) — Oklahoma wins, but we pass on the spread (pick made Oct. 21 at OU -4.5 (DraftKings and Bovada), total 44.5 (DraftKings); DraftKings now OU -3 / 46.5 as of 8:03 PM CT Oct. 22, which lands right on our 3-point projection; DraftKings had moved to -5.5 Thursday afternoon) and on the total, dropping our earlier slight lean to the Under 44.5. Oklahoma’s elite defense against a better State offense, plus that home crowd, makes this about a field goal, and Taylor’s questionable status is the whole edge. And if Taylor plays and looks like himself, State is live, and I’ll happily eat this pick in public next week. Crow is a Cajun delicacy when you season it right. But picks are made on evidence, and right now the evidence says “questionable, trending up,” not “cleared.” Lines as of Fri Oct 23, 8:23 AM CT (VegasInsider): DraftKings OU -3, total 46.5; FanDuel OU -3.5, total 46.5. That’s right on our 3-point number, so we still pass on both. Picks can be updated until kickoff. Update, Sat., Oct. 24, 5:57 a.m. CT: we moved the score from 23-20 to 25-22 to match the 47.5 market total (DraftKings OU -2.5 / 47.5, seen at the 4:02 AM CT Sat run), still a pass on both. Taylor is still questionable, and Saturday’s final SEC report (around 1 PM CT) is the last word.

    Lagniappe

    Win or lose, State’s season doesn’t end Saturday — but its story changes. Win, and the Bulldogs are 5–2 with a bowl trip in sight. Lose, and it’s three losses and a whole lot of soul-searching in Starkville. Either way you’ll get it told straight right here, same as that 31–0 we didn’t dress up and won’t run from.

    Hail State — and good luck to everybody in uniform today.

    — T-Rohn

    Sources: Clarion Ledger (Taylor status, Lebby quotes, LSU-week report history); On3 (Oct. 21 Mississippi State availability report); LouisianaSports.net (LSU report); Lines: DraftKings, FanDuel, Bovada and BetMGM via sportsanalysis.info, checked Thu Oct 22, 4:10 PM CT; current DraftKings line via VegasInsider, checked Thu Oct 22, 8:03 PM CT. Saturday injury and line update: official SEC availability report (secsports.com/fbreports, posted 7:10 PM CT Fri Oct. 23); Sports Illustrated (Bothwell); On3 (Mississippi State report); Sooners Wire (Oklahoma report); On3, ESPN and Clarion Ledger (Taylor); ESPN and VegasInsider DraftKings odds, both checked 8:11 a.m. CT and again 11:11 a.m. CT Sat Oct. 24. Picks disclaimer.

    Update (Oct. 22, 2026, 8:12 p.m. CT): DraftKings now OU -3 / 46.5 as of 8:03 PM CT Oct. 22 (VegasInsider). The score then was 23-20 (superseded Oct. 24: now Oklahoma 25-22); we pass on the spread, which lands on our 3-point projection, and on the total, dropping the slight Under 44.5 lean (pick made Oct. 21 at OU -4.5 (DraftKings and Bovada), total 44.5 (DraftKings)). Correction (Oct. 22, 2026): an earlier version listed DraftKings at OU -5.5 / 44.5 (as of 4:10 PM CT); those lines are now updated. Updated (Oct. 22, 2026, 8:32 p.m. CT): named the sportsbook and time for every line; the pick is unchanged. Updated (Oct. 22, 2026, 8:39 p.m. CT): the Oklahoma–Mississippi State pick line now names the book for each number: the Oct. 21 spread (OU -4.5) was at DraftKings and Bovada, and the 44.5 total was at DraftKings. The pick is unchanged. Picks disclaimer.

    Update (Fri, Oct. 23, 8:24 a.m. CT): Kamario Taylor remains questionable, with reports of growing optimism. Lines as of 8:23 AM CT Oct. 23 (VegasInsider): DraftKings OU -3 / 46.5, FanDuel OU -3.5 / 46.5, BetMGM OU -3.5 / 46.5. Pick unchanged at the time (score 23-20, superseded Oct. 24: now Oklahoma 25-22), pass on the spread and total. Clarified: State’s 31-0 loss at LSU was the first time it had been shut out since 2020.

    Update (Sat, Oct. 24, 5:57 a.m. CT): Oklahoma 25-22, moved from 23-20 to match the 47.5 market total (DraftKings OU -2.5 / 47.5, seen at the 4:02 AM CT Sat run); still a pass on the spread and total. Kamario Taylor is still questionable; final SEC report due around 1 PM CT. Picks disclaimer.

    Update (Sat, Oct. 24, 8:11 a.m. CT): injury text refreshed to the SEC’s Friday 7:10 p.m. CT report: Bothwell and Tillman are off the report and available, Isaac Smith is out, Oklahoma’s Xavier Robinson is out and Elijah Thomas is doubtful, and Taylor remains questionable. DraftKings OU -2.5 / 47.5 as of 8:11 a.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, then OU -1.5 / 48.5 as of 11:11 a.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. The pick and score are unchanged (Oklahoma 25-22, pass on the spread and total). Picks disclaimer.

  • 27-24, Three Times: The SEC Upset Recipe Nobody Wrote Down

    27-24, Three Times: The SEC Upset Recipe Nobody Wrote Down

    In eight days, three unranked SEC teams beat top-seven SEC teams by the exact same score. They all came from behind by double digits, and every one was sealed by a takeaway in the last two minutes.

    By T-Rohn, Gridiron Gumbo · Posted Oct. 21, 2026

    CONFIRMED: Oklahoma 27, No. 1 Texas 24 (Oct. 10); Auburn 27, No. 1 Georgia 24 and Florida 27, No. 7 Texas 24 (Oct. 17); the comebacks, the late takeaways and the back-to-back walk-off field goals, per AP/ESPN. REPORTED: details credited to single outlets in text.

    Every good Cajun cook has one recipe she never writes down. You just watch her make it until you can do it yourself.

    The SEC just made the same dish three times in eight days. I wrote it down.

    The recipe is 27-24.

    TAKE (joke): Mawmaw wrote hers on the back of a Piggly Wiggly receipt. The SEC wrote this one on a scoreboard. Same rule for both: nobody gets to see it until somebody’s already eating.

    Everybody covered the upsets one at a time. Put the three box scores side by side, though, and they look like the same game played three times.

    The Recipe Card

    Here’s what all three upsets had in common, checked against the AP, ESPN and the schools’ own game notes:

    • Same score. Oklahoma 27, Texas 24. Auburn 27, Georgia 24. Florida 27, Texas 24.
    • Same matchup. An unranked SEC team beat an SEC team ranked in the AP top seven, two of them No. 1.
    • Same hole. Every winner trailed by at least 10 points.
    • Same finish. Every winner’s defense took the ball away in the final two minutes.

    And two of the three ended on a field goal as time expired. ESPN Research says that’s the first time in AP poll history, going back to 1936, that the No. 1 team lost on the final play in back-to-back weeks.

    Three times is not a coincidence. Three times is a cookbook.

    Batch One: Oklahoma 27, No. 1 Texas 24 (Oct. 10)

    The Red River Rivalry, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, in front of 92,100.

    Texas led 17-7 at halftime, and Oklahoma’s offense had been sputtering. ESPN reported the Sooners had 69 yards of offense in the first half, and 1 of those came on the ground.

    That’s not an offense. That’s a man looking for his truck keys.

    But Oklahoma scored in all three phases. Dakoda Fields fell on a blocked punt in the end zone. Peyton Bowen returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown. Lloyd Avant ran one in from 2 yards.

    Texas tied it at 24 with 6:32 left. Then Courtland Guillory intercepted a pass at the Oklahoma 39 with 19 seconds to go. ESPN reported it was his first pick as a Sooner. John Mateer found Isaiah Sategna III for gains of 13 and 20, and replay let both stand.

    With no time left, Tate Sandell drilled a 47-yarder, per the AP. He’d already hit one from 53 earlier in the game.

    “I don’t know if I ever could have dreamed something like this,” Sandell told ESPN.

    Here’s the part I like. Sandell is from Port Neches, Texas, per Oklahoma Athletics. That’s Golden Triangle country, close enough to Louisiana to smell the boudin. He transferred from UTSA and won the 2025 Lou Groza Award as the nation’s best kicker, Oklahoma’s first ever.

    TAKE (joke): Norman has the trophy now. Port Neches has the bragging rights. Louisiana, as usual, has the boudin and will be taking partial credit.

    A Texas boy, raised a short drive from Cajun country, beat No. 1 Texas with one swing of his leg. Ça c’est bon.

    It was Oklahoma’s first win over a No. 1 team since 2007. ESPN noted that in 122 years of the rivalry, the Sooners had never beaten a No. 1 Texas team. The AP put their record against top-ranked Texas at 0-4-1.

    Batch Two: Auburn 27, No. 1 Georgia 24 (Oct. 17)

    Georgia moved up to No. 1 after Texas lost. It turned into what the AP called a “short one-week stay.”

    The Bulldogs led 14-0 in the first quarter in Athens. ESPN Research says that before this game, unranked teams trailing the AP No. 1 by 14 or more had lost 195 straight. Under Kirby Smart, Georgia was 65-0 against unranked teams when it led by at least 14.

    Then Auburn scored 24 straight points.

    TAKE (joke): Athens went quiet. Then it went very quiet. Then somebody in the upper deck asked if the hedges were still under warranty.

    Georgia came back to tie it at 24 with 2:58 left. With 58 seconds to go, Cody Sigler forced a fumble and Sylvester Smith-Reed recovered at the Auburn 44, per the AP and Auburn Athletics.

    Then Alex McPherson hit a 34-yarder as time expired.

    Auburn closed as a 19.5-point underdog at DraftKings for the Oct. 17 game (per LineGauge and GordStats). Auburn Athletics said it was the Tigers’ first win between the hedges since 2005.

    McPherson gave the credit to everybody but himself. “Hudson Powell and Hudson Kaak did a great job, great snap and hold,” he said, per Auburn Athletics. “Our entire line did a great job and made my job pretty easy.”

    Kicking runs in that family. McPherson’s older brother Evan kicks for the Cincinnati Bengals after starring at Florida. Their oldest brother, Logan, punted and held at Louisiana Tech, per Auburn Athletics.

    So a Louisiana Tech punter’s little brother knocked off No. 1. I’m counting that one for the state of Louisiana. Nobody can stop me.

    McPherson has never missed an extra point. He’s 106-for-106 for his career, per Auburn Athletics’ postgame notes.

    Batch Three: Florida 27, No. 7 Texas 24 (Oct. 17)

    Same Saturday. Same score. Same poor Longhorns.

    TAKE (joke): Austin has live music, breakfast tacos and, as of Oct. 17, a strong opinion about the number 24.

    Florida came into Austin off two straight blowout losses under first-year coach Jon Sumrall, per the AP. Quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. was making his first career start, in place of the injured Aaron Philo.

    Texas led 17-3 in the second quarter after Ryan Niblett took a punt back 63 yards for a touchdown, per Texas Athletics and the AP. It was his third career punt-return score, which ties a Texas program record, per Texas Athletics. Tip of the cap to the young man.

    Then Florida scored 24 unanswered points.

    Yes, 24 unanswered. Again. Auburn did the exact same thing in Athens that same day. Somebody’s passing notes.

    Jones threw two touchdowns, both to tight end Lacota Dippre, and didn’t turn it over. Patrick Durkin’s 28-yard field goal gave Florida its first lead, and Jadan Baugh’s fourth-quarter touchdown made it 27-17.

    Texas scored to make it 27-24 with 4:21 left. Then on Texas’ final possession, Myles Graham sacked the quarterback and forced a fumble, and Kanye Clark recovered with 1:58 left, per Florida Athletics.

    Florida Athletics said the Gators came in ranked 131st nationally in pass defense. Against Texas they had five sacks and held the Longhorns to 272 total yards.

    The AP said it was Florida’s first road win over a top-10 team since 2012.

    The Secret Ingredient: Nobody Flinched

    Listen to the two coaches who won on Oct. 17, and you’ll hear the same word.

    “The thing I’m most proud of is that nobody flinched,” Auburn’s Alex Golesh said, per Auburn Athletics.

    Florida’s Jon Sumrall, per the AP: “When things got tough, we flinched the last couple weeks.” Then: “Our team grew today … because we fought.”

    Two coaches, two stadiums, one word. If “flinch” were a spice, it’d be the one you leave out of the pot.

    TAKE (joke): Like raisins in a gumbo. Technically legal. Grounds for leaving the family reunion.

    Dear Longhorns: We Need to Talk About 27-24

    Texas has now lost by the same score in back-to-back weeks. It went from No. 1 to No. 19 in two polls.

    Sports Illustrated reported the Longhorns are the ninth team of the 25-team AP poll era (since 1989) to drop consecutive games to unranked opponents while ranked in the top 10.

    Somebody in Austin needs to check whether the scoreboard is stuck. Two weeks, same numbers. That’s not a losing streak. That’s a screensaver.

    TAKE (joke): Somebody unplug it, count to ten and plug it back in. That fixes the router, the TV and, we hope, the burnt orange.

    To be fair to Texas, it lost both games by a field goal to teams playing out of their minds, and one of those losses came on the final snap. That’s not a collapse. That’s a bad week at the casino.

    Speaking of the casino: ESPN’s David Purdum reported that a three-team moneyline parlay on Auburn, Florida and Tennessee on Oct. 17 paid about 156-1 at Hard Rock Bet. The book said it took at least two of them, the biggest for $10, which netted $1,565.

    Tennessee, by the way, ruined my whole theme by beating Alabama 26-10 that same Saturday, per the AP. Close enough, Vols. You get partial credit.

    Lagniappe: The Recipe Doesn’t Travel

    Before y’all start painting 27-24 on the side of your truck, here’s a warning.

    Oklahoma followed its 27-24 upset by losing 21-13 at home to Kentucky on Oct. 17, per the AP and Oklahoma Athletics. So the recipe works once. After that, you’re just a team that needs a new recipe.

    TAKE (joke): Kentucky brought the recipe for Kentucky. Turns out it’s mostly bourbon barrels and patience.

    Who’s Next to Get Served

    • Texas hosts No. 7 Ole Miss on Saturday, Oct. 24, per the AP.
    • Auburn hosts No. 18 LSU on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 11 a.m. CT on ABC, per Auburn Athletics.
    • Oklahoma visits my Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 2:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network, per Oklahoma Athletics.
    • Florida gets Georgia on Oct. 31, per Florida Athletics.

    About my Bulldogs. LSU just beat us 31-0 in Baton Rouge, per the AP, and we fell out of the poll. If Oklahoma wants to beat us 27-24, cher, I’ll take it. At least we’d have 24.

    TAKE (joke): Confession Booth: the Cowbell Counter is at “ringing it in the shower.” And LSU fans, quit grinning. Y’all kick off at Auburn at 11 a.m. CT, which in Baton Rouge is still breakfast.

    Every good cook knows: you don’t argue with a recipe that works. You just hope it’s not your turn in the pot.

    Laissez les bons temps rouler, y’all.

    Betting content is for entertainment only. See our picks disclaimer.

    Sources

    Correction (Oct. 22, 2026): An earlier version cited an opening line without naming a sportsbook.

Report an error

Tell us what we got wrong. An editor will check it.

We use your name and email only to follow up on this report. Leave them blank if you like.