SEC
TOP 25

Gridiron Gumbo

Tag: Florida Gators

  • 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/
  • 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.

  • Bluegrass Bayou Ambush: How Will Stein’s Kentucky Got Outgained, Out-Possessed and Still Walked Out of Norman Tied for First

    Bluegrass Bayou Ambush: How Will Stein’s Kentucky Got Outgained, Out-Possessed and Still Walked Out of Norman Tied for First

    Oklahoma racked up 346 yards to Kentucky’s 230, and the Wildcats won anyway. Four takeaways and a late pick-six later, the first-year coach has a 6-1 team, a five-game win streak and a share of the SEC lead.

    CONFIRMED: result and records per AP/ESPN. REPORTED: details credited to single outlets in text.

    Every swamp-raised kid learns one thing early: the gator that looks asleep is the one that eats your dog. Kentucky played Saturday night in Norman like that gator, half-submerged for three quarters. Then it bit.

    In fairness to Oklahoma, nobody in Norman was expecting a gator from Lexington. Kentucky’s fan base wasn’t either. Half of them were still checking basketball recruiting rankings.

    No. 15 Kentucky beat Oklahoma 21-13 on Oct. 17 and moved into a tie for the Southeastern Conference lead, according to the Associated Press. The Wildcats (6-1, 4-1 SEC) have won five straight and pulled even with Georgia after the Bulldogs fell to Auburn. On Sunday they climbed to No. 12 in the AP poll, per WUKY.

    Tied for first in the SEC in football, in October. Lexington authorities have advised residents not to make any sudden movements.

    Plenty of folks will tell you Kentucky is “for real.” We’re more interested in how they’re doing it, because the box score from Norman reads like a losing team’s. Kentucky won that game the way a Cajun wins at bourré: patience, a little nerve, and taking the pot at the very end.

    Bourré, for the uninitiated, is the card game where you can lose the pot, your truck, and your dignity before the gumbo’s done. Kentucky took the pot.

    The Yardage Lie

    Per ESPN’s box score, Oklahoma outgained Kentucky 346 yards to 230, had 19 first downs to Kentucky’s 14, and held the ball 31:24 to 28:36. UK Wildcats Wire’s Lee Ann Herring Olvedo wrote that the Sooners kept the ball in Kentucky’s half for long stretches. Most weeks, that’s a loss with a long bus ride home.

    Oklahoma basically rented Kentucky’s half of the field, put up curtains, and still got evicted at the end of the lease.

    Not this time. Asked about the stat sheet, Will Stein said up front in his postgame remarks that stats are for losers, Wildcats Wire reported. Hard to argue when the scoreboard backs you up.

    The ESPN line score shows the shape of it: Kentucky 7-0-0-14, Oklahoma 3-7-3-0. The Wildcats went more than two quarters without scoring and then put up 14 in the fourth while the defense pitched a shutout over the final 15 minutes.

    Two scoreless quarters in the middle. Kentucky’s offense took the longest halftime in the history of the sport and nobody told the television people.

    The Defense Ran a Trap Line

    The AP said, and ESPN’s box score backs up the count of four Oklahoma turnovers, that Kentucky intercepted Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer three times and holder Jacob Ulrich once. That fourth one deserves its own paragraph.

    In the second quarter, Oklahoma lined up for a 28-yard field goal and tried a fake, with Ulrich throwing. Jordan Castell was waiting and picked it off, wiping out three points the Sooners all but had in hand and keeping Kentucky ahead 7-3, per Wildcats Wire. Down here we call that stealing the shrimp right off your plate.

    A fake field goal in the SEC: the football equivalent of telling your mama you already cleaned your room. It works great until somebody opens the door.

    Oklahoma answered with a 90-yard, 12-play drive capped by Mateer’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Rocky Beers for a 10-7 halftime lead, then added a 26-yard field goal in the third quarter for 13-7. Then came the turn. Late in the third quarter, with 3:10 to go, Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace hit Mateer’s arm mid-throw. The pass fluttered, and Ty Bryant intercepted it and brought it back deep into Oklahoma territory, according to Wildcats Wire.

    Sooner fans, at this point, were already looking up how much a field storm costs in their new conference. Patience, y’all. The rate card is flat.

    Kentucky’s offense finally woke up. A seven-play, 44-yard drive ended with Willie Rodriguez catching a 12-yard touchdown from Kenny Minchey for a 14-13 lead with 12:53 left, per ESPN. On Oklahoma’s next series, the Kentucky defense forced a punt without a first down.

    Like a Lexington alarm clock: it doesn’t go off for a while, then it goes off all at once and you’ve got 14 points and a crick in your neck.

    The finisher came with 1:17 left. On third-and-6 at the Oklahoma 32, Castell jumped a Mateer throw and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown, according to the AP and Wildcats Wire. Wildcats Wire noted it was the first pick-six of Stein’s tenure. Bryant grabbed his second interception with 21 seconds left to close it out. That’s four takeaways on the night, and zero Kentucky turnovers, per ESPN.

    Somewhere in Kentucky a fan base that usually spends November arguing about point guards had to sit down on the porch steps.

    ESPN credits Castell with the pick-six, and Wildcats Wire credits him with the fake-field-goal interception too. That would give him two of the four takeaways, and both of the game-changing ones. Somebody get that young man a plate of étouffée.

    The Coach Who Admits It

    Here’s what we like about this one. Stein didn’t pretend his own call was perfect.

    Up 14-13 with a fourth down just outside the Oklahoma goal line, Stein went for it. Minchey was sacked. Afterward, per Wildcats Wire and 247Sports, Stein said: “Part of me wishes we would have kicked the field goal at that point, just because it would have put us up four.”

    A head coach in the SEC owning a decision out loud, in his first season? Mon ami, that’s rarer than a quiet Saturday night on Bourbon Street. His defense covered for it with another three-and-out, then the pick-six made it a moot point.

    Most SEC decisions get explained the way a Louisiana mechanic explains a bill: lots of words, no admissions, and somehow it’s the weather’s fault.

    Minchey finished 21 of 28 for 158 yards and two touchdowns, both to Rodriguez, per ESPN. It wasn’t flashy. It was efficient, and that was enough.

    The Road Is Where Kentucky Lives Now

    This is the part that sets Kentucky apart. CBS Sports’ Austin Nivison, who moved the Wildcats from sixth to third in his SEC Power Rankings, noted Norman was Kentucky’s third conference road win. He listed the road wins as Texas A&M, South Carolina and Oklahoma, and called the win over LSU the marquee result. Nivison wrote that “all of those wins came on the road in extremely hostile environments.”

    Kentucky’s road schedule this year reads like a bus driver’s revenge tour. The program has seen more hostile stadiums than a traveling tuba section.

    Nivison, writing for CBS Sports, also pointed to the analytics: Kentucky is 20th in adjusted EPA per play and second in strength of record, citing ESPN FPI. He also wrote, “At some point, we have to throw out preseason expectations and accept that Kentucky might just be a really good football team.”

    Gators Wire’s power rankings had Kentucky third as well and noted the only loss came against Alabama. That puts Kentucky in a firm position to make the SEC title game in its first season under Stein.

    Think about where the rest of the league is. In the same weekend, No. 1 Georgia lost at home to Auburn, No. 6 Alabama lost at Tennessee, and No. 7 Texas lost to Florida. Ranked teams were dropping like overcooked crawfish. Meanwhile Kentucky went into a hostile building, got outgained by more than 100 yards, and still came home with the W. In a season this messy, a team that does that has something worth more than a pretty stat line.

    The AP Top 10 last weekend was less a poll and more a casualty list from a bayou-side tailgate that ran out of ice.

    Next Up: Vanderbilt

    Kentucky’s next game is against Vanderbilt. Nivison already has a forecast: “just brace yourselves for Will Stein leading 7-1 Kentucky into November.”

    Vanderbilt fans, a famously calm people who mostly storm the library, are said to be ready either way.

    Is Kentucky a true SEC heavyweight? The yardage says “show me.” The scoreboard, the turnover margin and the standings say “already did.” T-Rohn’s take: in a league where everybody’s grandmama is losing at home, the team that keeps winning on the road gets a seat at the head of the table.

    Pass the hot sauce. The Wildcats are cooking.

    Sources

  • Bowl Gumbo, Second Stir: Ole Miss Jumps in the Playoff Pot, Texas Falls Out, and Where Every SEC Team Is Headed

    Bowl Gumbo, Second Stir: Ole Miss Jumps in the Playoff Pot, Texas Falls Out, and Where Every SEC Team Is Headed

    Gridiron Gumbo original projections — Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, after the Oct. 17 games (Week 7). Second stir of the pot; last week’s Early Bowl Gumbo is here. Disclosure: your humble cook still bleeds maroon and rings a cowbell (Mississippi State). State got graded like everybody else, and after Saturday in Baton Rouge, that is not a favor.

    Last week we had four SEC teams in the Playoff Pot. Then the No. 1 team in the country lost at home to an unranked Auburn, Tennessee sat on Alabama for four quarters, and Florida walked into Austin and walked out with a win. The AP’s top team has now lost in back-to-back weeks to unranked opponents, which NCAA.com says has happened only five times ever. (CONFIRMED) So we dumped the whole pot out on the newspaper and started over.

    How we cooked it

    These are our picks, not a copy or an average of anybody else’s bowl projections. Ingredients, all pulled Oct. 20:

    • Records and results through the Oct. 17 games (ESPN standings, cross-checked against the CollegeFootballData.com game log).
    • Ratings: ESPN FPI (updated Oct. 20) and SP+ (via CollegeFootballData.com). Both measure points above an average team.
    • The Gumbo Model: we average each SEC team’s FPI and SP+ rating, give the home team 2.5 points, turn every remaining game into a win probability and simulate the rest of the season 20,000 times. Projected records below are those simulated wins rounded, not a game-by-game “favorite always wins” list (that would have LSU going 10-2, which happens in only 14% of our sims).
    • The AP poll (Oct. 18). The CFP committee’s first rankings don’t come out until Tuesday, Nov. 3, so the AP poll and the ratings stand in for now. (CONFIRMED)

    The rules of the pot (re-checked this week):

    • CFP: Still 12 teams for 2026-27. The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions get in, plus the highest-ranked champion from the other conferences, plus the next seven highest-ranked teams. The top four ranked teams get first-round byes. (CONFIRMED)
    • SEC ladder: The Citrus Bowl takes the best SEC team left after the Playoff. Next is the “pool of six” (ReliaQuest, Gator, Music City, Texas, Las Vegas, Liberty), which the SEC slots with the schools and bowls while avoiding repeat trips. Birmingham and Gasparilla pick after that. Bowl tie-ins were carried over from 2025 for this one season, and 2026 is the SEC’s turn in Las Vegas in its rotation with the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. (CONFIRMED)
    Cartoon critters fighting over a gold trophy in a giant gumbo pot under the words Playoff Pot

    The Playoff Pot (CFP summary)

    • Georgia — SEC champion, top-four seed with a first-round bye. We have Georgia beating Tennessee in Atlanta.
    • Tennessee — at-large after losing the SEC title game. Projected 9-3 in the regular season.
    • Ole Miss — at-large. Projected 9-3. New this week.
    • Alabama — at-large, the last SEC team in. Projected 9-3, and the bubble is right under its feet.
    • First team out: Texas. FPI and SP+ still rate the Longhorns as a top-eight team, but they’re 1-2 in the league. Saturday’s Ole Miss at Texas game is basically a trade: the winner probably takes the spot.

    TAKE: Four SEC teams is our call, same number as last week, with two new names. The SEC has nine teams in the AP Top 25, but the highest is Georgia at No. 5, behind Miami, BYU, Ohio State and Notre Dame. That’s a lot of competition for seven at-large spots, so a fifth SEC team would need chaos somewhere else.

    Who Moved

    • ▲ Ole Miss: Citrus → CFP at-large. Beat Missouri 31-3 and jumped to No. 7 in the AP poll. 63% of our sims end with 9 or more wins.
    • ▼ Texas: CFP at-large → Texas Bowl. Lost to Oklahoma, then 27-24 at home to Florida. Two league losses in a nine-game SEC schedule leaves no room for error.
    • ▲ Tennessee: last team in → SEC title game plus a safe at-large spot. Beat Alabama 26-10 and has the league’s second-best path to Atlanta in our sims (34%).
    • ▼ Alabama: 10-2 with a home playoff game → 9-3 and the last SEC team in. Lost back-to-back games, and our model makes the Tide an underdog at LSU on Nov. 7.
    • ▲ LSU: Gator → Citrus. Shut out Mississippi State 31-0. SP+ rates LSU No. 6 in the country, and our model makes the Tigers favorites in all five remaining games.
    • ▲ Auburn: Birmingham → Liberty. Won 27-24 at No. 1 Georgia and now projects to 7-5.
    • ▲ Florida: Liberty → ReliaQuest. The 27-24 win at Texas gives the Gators wins over Ole Miss, Texas and Auburn.
    • ▼ Oklahoma: Texas Bowl → Birmingham. Lost 21-13 at home to Kentucky and is 3-3, with six wins a 62% proposition in our sims.

    The Pot, Team by Team

    Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC; AP No. 5)

    Projection: 10-2, SEC champion, top-four CFP seed (bye). ■ STEADY on the destination, down from last week’s 12-0/11-1 on the record.
    The data: Lost 27-24 at home to Auburn. Still the SEC’s highest-rated team in both systems (FPI No. 3, SP+ No. 2). Our sims put Georgia in Atlanta 85% of the time, and it wins out 41% of the time. The toughest remaining game is Nov. 7 at Ole Miss (Georgia 67% in our model). FPI gives them a 78.1% playoff chance.
    TAKE: Kirby Smart’s sideline face Saturday could’ve curdled a pot of milk from across the stadium. Calm down, Athens. Y’all lost one game, not the deed to the house.

    Tennessee (6-1, 3-1; AP No. 11)

    Projection: 9-3, loses the SEC title game to Georgia, CFP at-large. ▲ UP from last week’s last-team-in.
    The data: Beat Alabama 26-10. The only loss is 20-17 to Texas. FPI No. 12, SP+ No. 13. Remaining games, with Tennessee’s chance in our model: at South Carolina (63%), Kentucky (76%), at Texas A&M (60%), LSU (43%, its only game as an underdog) and at Vanderbilt (86%). 79% of our sims end with nine or more wins.
    TAKE: Knoxville’s already printing “SEC Champs” shirts in that traffic-cone orange that makes Mawmaw’s eyes water. Josh Heupel, unplug the printer, cher. Atlanta’s still a month off.

    Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1; AP No. 7)

    Projection: 9-3, CFP at-large. ▲ UP from the Citrus Bowl.
    The data: Beat Missouri 31-3. The only loss is 52-28 at Florida. FPI No. 11, SP+ No. 14, FPI playoff odds 43.6%. The back half is no picnic: at Texas (31%), Auburn (75%), Georgia (33%), at Oklahoma (61%), Wofford and the Egg Bowl vs. Mississippi State (81%). Our projected losses are the Texas and Georgia games. Win either one and this goes from bubble to comfortable.
    TAKE: Grove folks are already pricing December hotel rooms in their Sunday seersucker. Pete Golding, keep ’em off the balcony until the committee actually says something.

    Alabama (5-2, 3-2; AP No. 13)

    Projection: 9-3, CFP at-large (last SEC team in). ▼ DOWN from 10-2 and a home playoff game.
    The data: Lost 20-17 to Georgia and 26-10 at Tennessee. Wins include 45-17 at Kentucky and 56-23 at Mississippi State. The ratings still love the Tide (FPI No. 6, 49.5% playoff odds; SP+ No. 12). Remaining: Texas A&M (81%), at LSU (39%), at Vanderbilt (91%), Chattanooga and Auburn (82%). A loss in Baton Rouge puts them at 9-3, with the committee doing the math.
    TAKE: Tuscaloosa’s call-in shows are running hotter than a crawfish pot with the lid clamped down. Kalen DeBoer’s gonna need a bigger net for all them complaints.

    LSU (5-2, 2-2; AP No. 18)

    Projection: 8-4, Citrus Bowl. ▲ UP from the Gator Bowl.
    The data: Beat Mississippi State 31-0. The losses are 32-24 at Ole Miss and 35-34 at Kentucky. SP+ No. 6 (second in the SEC only to Georgia) and FPI No. 8. Our model makes LSU the favorite in every remaining game (at Auburn 74%, Alabama 61%, Texas 58%, at Tennessee 57%, at Arkansas 92%), but stacking up that many 60-40 games still averages out to about 8.4 wins. Two SEC losses already make the Playoff a long shot (FPI: 28.5%). The highest-rated team left after the Playoff is the obvious Citrus pick.
    TAKE: Ten days ago Death Valley wanted Lane Kiffin’s head on a boudin platter. Now the same callers are booking Orlando condos. Fair-weather fans on the bayou? Never heard of ’em, cher.

    Kentucky (6-1, 4-1; AP No. 12)

    Projection: 8-4, Gator Bowl. ■ STEADY: still a pool-of-six team, but the bowl changes from ReliaQuest to Gator.
    The data: Tied for first, with five straight wins capped by 21-13 at Oklahoma. The only loss was 45-17 to Alabama. But the ratings aren’t buying it: FPI No. 26 and SP+ No. 45, the lowest of the top seven teams in the standings. Remaining: Vanderbilt (81%), at Tennessee (24%), Florida (53%), at Missouri (36%) and Louisville (50%). FPI gives them 39.4% playoff odds. Our blend is more skeptical because SP+ rates them so much lower.
    TAKE: Lexington’s tied for first in the SEC in late October, so every bourbon shop in town is down to the bottom shelf. Will Stein, the raccoon’s still on the bricks, but somebody just turned on the porch light.

    Texas (4-2, 1-2; AP No. 19)

    Projection: 8-4, Texas Bowl. ▼ DOWN from a CFP at-large.
    The data: Lost 27-24 to Oklahoma and 27-24 at home to Florida, after September wins over Ohio State (24-23) and at Tennessee (20-17). FPI No. 7 (41.0% playoff odds) and SP+ No. 8, so the talent is real. Our model favors Texas in five of six remaining games: Ole Miss (69%), Mississippi State (88%), at Missouri (69%), at LSU (42%), Arkansas (96%) and at Texas A&M (72%). Still, only 47% of our sims reach nine wins. Along with LSU, they’re the best-rated team we have outside the Playoff. Beat Ole Miss Saturday and the two programs likely swap spots.
    TAKE: Steve Sarkisian says everything in Austin is getting evaluated. Mawmaw says start with the seasoning, cher. That budget buys a lot of cayenne.

    Florida (5-2, 3-2; AP No. 20)

    Projection: 8-4, ReliaQuest Bowl. ▲ UP from 7-5 and the Liberty Bowl.
    The data: Won 27-24 at Texas. That gives the Gators three résumé wins (Ole Miss 52-28, at Auburn 44-39, at Texas) to go with losses at Missouri (45-17) and vs. South Carolina (38-19). FPI No. 19, SP+ No. 38. Remaining: at Georgia (14%), Oklahoma (58%), at Kentucky (47%), Vanderbilt (84%) and at Florida State (62%).
    TAKE: Gator Nation went from “fire somebody” to “book the bowl trip” in two Saturdays. That’s the fastest mood swing in Florida since the Publix deli ran out of sub rolls. Jon Sumrall’s roux is finally browning.

    Missouri (5-2, 2-2; AP No. 22)

    Projection: 7-5, Music City Bowl. ▼ DOWN a win (8-4 → 7-5), same bowl.
    The data: Lost 31-3 at Ole Miss. Still 4-0 at home. FPI No. 27, SP+ No. 20. Remaining: at Arkansas (77%), Texas (31%), at Georgia (12%), Kentucky (64%) and Oklahoma (61%). Nashville stays an easy drive.
    TAKE: The Show-Me State finally has a demand for Eli Drinkwitz: show us a touchdown from the 2-yard line. Bring a covered dish to Nashville anyway, y’all.

    Mississippi State (4-2, 2-2; receiving votes) (the cook’s team, graded fair)

    Projection: 7-5, Las Vegas Bowl. ■ STEADY on record and bowl, even though the computers now like State less.
    The data: Lost 31-0 at LSU and fell out of the AP Top 25 (was No. 16). FPI dropped to No. 38, the lowest of any SEC team we project to a bowl; SP+ has them No. 47. The early wins still count: at South Carolina 41-34, Missouri 31-24, at Minnesota 38-13. The path to 7-5: Tennessee Tech and Vanderbilt (77%) at home, plus one of two home coin flips, Oklahoma (48%) and Auburn (49%). FPI gives them a 92.2% shot at bowl eligibility.
    TAKE: Starkville’s cowbells went so quiet in Baton Rouge you could hear a crawfish sneeze. Jeff Lebby, when you’re inside the 40, Mawmaw says take the three points and say thank you. (Disclosure: the cook rang his into a pillow all weekend.)

    Auburn (4-2, 2-2; receiving votes)

    Projection: 7-5, Liberty Bowl. ▲ UP from 6-6 and the Birmingham Bowl.
    The data: Won 27-24 at No. 1 Georgia with a field goal as time expired. Losses are 44-39 to Florida and 24-14 at Tennessee. FPI No. 21 (96.2% for six wins), SP+ No. 40. The back half is brutal: LSU (26%), at Ole Miss (25%), Arkansas (83%), at Mississippi State (51%), Samford and at Alabama (18%).
    TAKE: Auburn folks rolled Toomer’s so hard after Athens that Lee County is rationing toilet paper like it’s hurricane season. Alex Golesh won’t buy his own supper till Easter.

    Oklahoma (3-3, 1-2)

    Projection: 6-6, Birmingham Bowl. ▼ DOWN from 7-5 and the Texas Bowl.
    The data: Lost 21-13 at home to Kentucky. The other losses are at Michigan (17-10) and at Georgia (41-13), and the big win is 27-24 over Texas. FPI No. 22, SP+ No. 34. FPI puts six wins at 65.0%, and we have it at 62%. Remaining: at Mississippi State (52%), South Carolina (59%), at Florida (42%), Ole Miss (39%), Texas A&M (57%) and at Missouri (39%).
    TAKE: Last week Sooner Nation was planning a parade. Now Brent Venables’ parade route runs straight to Birmingham, and the band’s down to one kazoo.

    South Carolina (3-3, 1-3)

    Projection: 6-6, Gasparilla Bowl. ■ STEADY.
    The data: Had a week off. The SEC losses are 41-34 to Mississippi State, 49-18 at Alabama and 35-34 to Kentucky, and the win is 38-19 at Florida. FPI No. 29, SP+ No. 32. FPI puts bowl eligibility at 56.9%, and we have it at 62%. Remaining: Tennessee (37%), at Oklahoma (41%), Texas A&M (55%), at Arkansas (72%), Georgia (17%) and at Clemson (62%).
    TAKE: Columbia’s bowl hopes are a 6-6 coin flip, and somehow Gamecock fans already know which ref is gonna blow it. Shane Beamer, keep the visor on and the antacids close.

    Texas A&M (4-3, 1-3)

    Projection: 6-6, bowl TBD (SEC backup slot). ■ STEADY.
    The data: Beat The Citadel 41-0. The SEC losses are to Kentucky (31-21), at LSU (35-6) and at Missouri (27-6). FPI rates them better than their record (No. 20, 61.1% for six wins), and SP+ has them No. 33. They need two wins from at Alabama (19%), at South Carolina (45%), Tennessee (40%), at Oklahoma (43%) and Texas (28%), and they’re the underdog in all five. If all 14 teams get to six wins, the SEC’s tie-ins run out of seats, so A&M lands in a leftover bowl.
    TAKE: College Station’s got the budget of a Houston oil company and the October of a church-league softball team. Mike Elko’s kitchen still smells like burnt roux.

    Vanderbilt (3-4, 0-4)

    Projection: 4-8, no bowl. ■ STEADY.
    The data: Four straight losses, the latest 31-21 at home to Arkansas. FPI No. 66 (2.8% bowl odds), SP+ No. 71. They’d need three wins from at Kentucky, at Mississippi State, Alabama, at Florida and Tennessee, and our model doesn’t favor them in any of the five.
    TAKE: Vandy fans ran the bowl math, double-checked it, showed their work, and quietly bought basketball tickets. Clark Lea, at least the library’s open late.

    Arkansas (3-4, 1-3)

    Projection: 4-8, no bowl. ■ STEADY on the destination, up a win from last week’s 3-9.
    The data: Won 31-21 at Vanderbilt for their first SEC win of the year. FPI No. 58 (4.4% bowl odds), SP+ No. 82. They’re the underdog in all five remaining games: Missouri, at Auburn, South Carolina, at Texas and LSU.
    TAKE: Ryan Silverfield got his first SEC win and Fayetteville called the Hogs so loud the cows in Missouri stopped giving milk. In the Ozarks, cher, 4-8 counts as a rebuilding plan with a tailgate.

    The Tally

    4 CFP teams (Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama), plus Citrus (LSU), plus the pool of six (Florida–ReliaQuest, Kentucky–Gator, Texas–Texas Bowl, Missouri–Music City, Mississippi State–Las Vegas, Auburn–Liberty), plus Birmingham (Oklahoma) and Gasparilla (South Carolina), plus Texas A&M in a backup slot. That’s 14 bowl-eligible teams, the same as last week. Vanderbilt and Arkansas stay home.

    Where the computers argue with us: FPI gives Texas (41.0%) and Kentucky (39.4%) playoff odds right next to Ole Miss (43.6%) and Tennessee (44.7%). We went with Ole Miss because of its schedule and SP+. If Texas wins Saturday, we’ll eat the crow, cher. It goes great with rice.

    Games that move the pot this week (Oct. 24): Ole Miss at Texas (a playoff spot is basically on the line), Tennessee at South Carolina, LSU at Auburn, Oklahoma at Mississippi State (a 52-48 coin flip in our model), and Texas A&M at Alabama.

    More from the pot: our Week 7 recap and why Georgia still deserves the SEC crown.

    Sources (data)

    Gridiron Gumbo: SEC football, seasoned in Southwest Louisiana. Projections are our own TAKE built on the data above. Records and ratings are CONFIRMED as of Oct. 20, 2026.

  • Long Live the Dented King: Why Georgia Still Deserves the 2026 SEC Crown

    Long Live the Dented King: Why Georgia Still Deserves the 2026 SEC Crown

    Two No. 1s have been dunked in the roux in two weeks, Kentucky is tied for first, and Mama has opinions. T-Rohn crowns the team with the best résumé in the pot, scratch marks and all.

    By T-Rohn | Gridiron Gumbo | Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, after Week 7

    First, a Confession From the Maroon Pew

    Before I hand out a crown, y’all deserve to know where my bias sleeps at night: I’m a Mississippi State man. I lean maroon. I own a cowbell that has been rung so hard it now only plays one note, and that note is “anguish.” CONFIRMED (by my neighbors).

    So you know I’m not crowning my own team. State is 4-2, 2-2 in the SEC, and just got shut out 31-0 in Baton Rouge after five trips inside the LSU 40 ended in five failed fourth downs. CONFIRMED. Five! That’s not an offense, cher, that’s a man knocking on a door, getting told nobody’s home, knocking again, and then leaving a casserole on the porch with no note. I love my Dawgs. My Dawgs are not getting a crown. My Dawgs are getting a hug and a field goal unit.

    Now let’s cook.

    The State of the Pot: A Throne Made of Folding Chairs

    Here’s the situation after Week 7, and every word of it is CONFIRMED by ESPN’s standings and the AP poll:

    • Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC) and Kentucky (6-1, 4-1) are tied for first.
    • Tennessee (6-1, 3-1) and Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1) are one loss back with a game in hand.
    • Florida, Alabama (both 5-2, 3-2) lurk behind them, with LSU, Auburn, Missouri and State at 2-2.
    • The AP’s No. 1 team has lost in back-to-back weeks for the first time since October 1990, per Sportradar. Texas fell to Oklahoma, then Georgia fell to Auburn 27-24 on a field goal as time expired.
    • The SEC still has nine teams in the AP Top 25, and the highest one is Georgia, way down at No. 5.

    The SEC throne right now is less “throne” and more one of those plastic folding chairs at a church fish fry. Everybody sits in it for a minute. Everybody gets up with a red mark on the back of their legs. And there’s always one uncle who leans back too far and goes straight into the coleslaw.

    I called Mama for guidance. Mama is four-foot-ten, ninety-one pounds, and has been stirring the same gumbo since the Carter administration. I told her the SEC had no king.

    She sipped her coffee and said, “Bébé, the SEC never has a king. It has a man holding the spoon until somebody hits him with the pot.”

    Then she hung up, because Wheel of Fortune was on.

    The Pick: Georgia, and Yes, I Saw Saturday Too

    TAKE: The Georgia Bulldogs deserve the 2026 SEC crown.

    I know. Georgia was a 19.5-point favorite at home against an unranked Auburn team and lost. (That’s DraftKings’ closing line at the 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff on Oct. 17, per VegasInsider. Picks disclaimer.) Georgia had 53 straight wins over unranked teams, and No. 1 teams had won 93 straight home games against unranked foes going back to 2007, per the AP. CONFIRMED. Saturday, both streaks went into the trash bag with the crawfish heads.

    But “deserve” is about the whole meal, not the one time you dropped the potato salad on the driveway. Here’s the résumé, all CONFIRMED:

    • Won at Alabama, 20-17 (Oct. 10). Nobody else in the league has a road win in Tuscaloosa this year.
    • Beat Oklahoma 41-13. That’s the same Oklahoma that beat then-No. 1 Texas a week later.
    • Won at Arkansas 45-17 and beat Vanderbilt 38-14.
    • Four SEC wins, tied for the most in the league.
    • Points: 301 scored, 111 allowed in seven games. Do the math and that’s an average margin of about 27 points a game, which in gumbo terms is a roux so dark it has its own zip code.
    • Even in the loss, Georgia outgained Auburn 440-366, and Gunner Stockton threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns.

    What sank them was self-inflicted: three turnovers and, in Kirby Smart’s own words, “some really, really untimely, undisciplined, uncharacteristic penalties” (via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). CONFIRMED. That’s fixable. You can’t coach “slow,” but you can absolutely coach “please stop handing the ball to the other team like it’s a plate of boudin at a wake.”

    Why not Tennessee, my own Power Pot No. 1? Because “who’s playing best this week” and “who deserves the crown” are two different questions, the same way “who’s the best dancer at the wedding” and “who should be married” are two different questions. Tennessee is the hottest team. Georgia is still the best résumé in the room. That’s exactly what the Power Pot said Sunday night, too.

    The Road Ahead (It’s a Gauntlet With Spanish Moss on It)

    Georgia’s bye comes this week, and then CONFIRMED by ESPN’s schedule:

    • Oct. 31: Florida. The Gators just went into Austin and won as a 13.5-point dog behind a quarterback making his first career start. Spooky date, spooky opponent.
    • Nov. 7: at Ole Miss. The Rebels are 25-1 at home since 2023, per the AP. This is the de facto SEC semifinal, and I’ll need a defibrillator and a second bowl.
    • Nov. 14: Missouri.
    • Nov. 21: at South Carolina.

    That’s the hardest remaining path of any contender. TAKE: Good. A crown you earn through Florida, Oxford and Columbia is a crown nobody can argue about at Thanksgiving. Lose one of those and Georgia can kiss the throne goodbye. Win them all, and the conversation ends.

    The Crown Ceremony

    I held the official Gridiron Gumbo Crown Ceremony in my backyard on Sunday night. It went exactly as planned, if the plan was a disaster.

    The crown is a crawfish-boil pot lid with a cayenne-red bow tied on it. The scepter is a boudin link, which I’m told is not regulation. The throne is the same folding chair from earlier, now with a Georgia towel on it, and it is still wobbly, because this is the SEC and every chair in this league has one short leg.

    I called Georgia’s name. I lifted the lid. Steam came off it like a hot tub in a cold snap.

    And then Mama walked out of the kitchen, took the lid, put it right back on the pot, and said, “That’s my lid. Get your own crown. Also, they lost at home.”

    So the crown is now provisional. Georgia gets to look at the lid. Georgia may touch the lid on Nov. 7 if it wins in Oxford. Georgia may wear the lid only after the SEC Championship, and must return it clean.

    The Contenders: Folks With a Spoon in the Pot

    Tennessee (6-1, 3-1). CONFIRMED: The Vols handed Alabama a 26-10 beating in which Bama had 201 total yards, went 2 of 13 on third down and turned it over four times. DeSean Bishop ran 32 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns, and Tennessee closed it with a 9:32 fourth-quarter drive, the longest of the Josh Heupel era. Their only loss was 20-17 to Texas. TAKE: Tennessee runs the ball like a freight train, then a second freight train, and then, just when you think you’re safe, a third freight train shows up driven by Mama, who doesn’t have a license and doesn’t need one. Kicking four first-half field goals and still winning by 16 is the football version of going to a crawfish boil, eating only the corn, and still having to unbutton your pants. Catch: Tennessee doesn’t play Georgia, so tiebreakers could get messier than a seafood platter in a convertible. They go to South Carolina this week (South Carolina -2.5 at DraftKings, total 50.5, as of 8:12 p.m. CT Thursday, Oct. 22, via VegasInsider; lines move. Picks disclaimer), then get Kentucky Nov. 7.

    Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1). CONFIRMED: The Rebels held Missouri, a team with a back coming off two straight 200-yard games, to 39 rushing yards on 26 carries in a 31-3 win. Trinidad Chambliss accounted for four touchdowns, and Kewan Lacy (122) and Makhi Frazier (101) both cleared 100. The lone loss was 52-28 at Florida. TAKE: Ole Miss is playing the best football in October, and it controls the biggest game left on the board. The bad news is the schedule: at Texas Saturday, Auburn, Georgia, at Oklahoma, then my State boys in the Egg Bowl. That’s not a schedule, that’s an obstacle course designed by somebody who hates you personally. REPORTED: It may get a little easier Saturday. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, the national sacks leader with 10.5, has a high-ankle sprain and is expected to miss the Ole Miss game. Orangebloods reported a three-to-four-week timeline (single outlet). Texas has not announced a diagnosis. Wishing Colin a quick and full mend. Update (Oct. 22): CONFIRMED: Simmons is listed OUT for the Ole Miss game on Thursday’s SEC availability report (via On3).

    Kentucky (6-1, 4-1). CONFIRMED: Tied for first, five straight wins, including 35-34 over South Carolina and 35-34 over LSU, then a 21-13 win at Oklahoma with 230 total yards and four interceptions, capped by a 41-yard pick-six with 1:17 left. TAKE: Kentucky wins like a raccoon gets into your garbage. You don’t know how. You locked it. You put a brick on it. You put a second brick on it. And in the morning the raccoon is sitting on the bricks eating your leftover jambalaya, and he’s tied for first in the SEC. I respect it. But the lone loss was a 45-17 home beating from Alabama, and Tennessee, Florida and Missouri are still on the menu. Kentucky is a contender with one foot on a banana peel.

    The Pretenders: Folks Who Brought an Empty Pot

    Texas (4-2, 1-2). CONFIRMED: No. 1 two weeks ago. Now 1-2 in the league after losses to Oklahoma and Florida, with 272 total yards and 2 of 10 on third down against the Gators. TAKE: Texas has the budget of a mid-size oil company and an offense that keeps running out of gas. It’s like buying a bass boat with a $40,000 motor, three fish finders and a built-in cooler, and then paddling it with a ping-pong paddle. And now the best pass rusher in America is out (per Thursday’s SEC availability report, via On3) the week Ole Miss shows up. It’s math: two league losses and Ole Miss in town means the crown is gone.

    Alabama (5-2, 3-2). CONFIRMED: First back-to-back regular-season losses since 2007. TAKE: The Tide has gone out so far that people in Tuscaloosa are walking out on the sand looking for shells. Then they found a parking spot out there. Then a guy opened a snowball stand where the tide used to be. The defense deserves better, and Bama still has wins over Kentucky and South Carolina, but “we beat the team tied for first in September” is not a coronation speech. Texas A&M visits Saturday.

    Missouri (5-2, 2-2). CONFIRMED: Unbeaten at home, but had first-and-goal at the Ole Miss 2, ran backward twice, threw incomplete and missed a 23-yard field goal. TAKE: You could have rolled a sack of Zatarain’s into the end zone from the 2. Mama has. In her driveway. On a Tuesday. For fun. Three of Mizzou’s last four are at home, so they’ll spoil somebody’s party, but they’re the uncle who shows up at the reunion with a cooler full of ice and no drinks.

    Honorable Mentions in the Chaos Stew: Florida (5-2, 3-2) owns wins over Ole Miss, Texas and Auburn and could absolutely ruin Georgia’s crown fitting on Oct. 31. TAKE: They’re too far back to win it, and just dangerous enough to decide it. LSU (5-2) just pitched its first shutout of an SEC opponent since 2007 (CONFIRMED), and I’ll say it through gritted maroon teeth: Death Valley was a buzzsaw Saturday. Auburn (4-2) is the most dangerous unranked team in America and can tell its grandchildren about Athens.

    Fine Print, Rumors and the Pot Still Boiling

    • CONFIRMED: Standings, scores, stats and schedules come from ESPN, AP recaps and our Week 7 recap.
    • REPORTED: Colin Simmons’ high-ankle sprain (ESPN, On3, Orangebloods); the three-to-four-week timeline (Orangebloods only). Texas’ official SEC availability report drops Wednesday night, around 7 p.m. CT. Update (Oct. 22): CONFIRMED: Thursday’s SEC availability report lists Simmons OUT for Ole Miss (via On3).
    • RUMOR: Mama claims she can predict the SEC champion by which way the bay leaf floats. Last year it floated toward the stove and the stove caught fire. Unverified.
    • TAKE: Everything with the words “cher,” “Mama” or “freight train” in it.

    The Last Bite

    So here’s my answer. Georgia deserves the 2026 SEC crown because it has the best road win in the league, the fattest point margin, a share of first place, and the hardest path left to prove it. Tennessee is the hottest team, Ole Miss controls the biggest game, and Kentucky has a raccoon sitting on its bricks. Georgia is the one holding the spoon.

    But the lid stays in Mama’s kitchen until Nov. 7.

    As Mama put it when I asked her who she thinks wins the SEC: “Baby, the crown don’t go to the best team. It goes to the last one still standing when the gumbo’s gone.” Then she pointed at my bowl. “And you’re not standing. Sit down and eat.”

    Gridiron Gumbo: SEC football, seasoned in Southwest Louisiana. Laissez les bons temps rouler, and kick the field goal from the 6, Starkville.

    Correction (Oct. 22, 2026): An earlier version quoted Kirby Smart as calling the penalties “untimely, uncharacteristic and undisciplined”; his exact words, per the AJC, are now quoted above. Updated (Oct. 22, 2026): Georgia’s 19.5-point line now names its sportsbook (DraftKings’ close). The Tennessee-South Carolina line, previously ESPN’s Sunday number (South Carolina -1.5), now shows DraftKings’ current line. Texas EDGE Colin Simmons is now listed OUT on Thursday’s SEC availability report.

  • SEC Week 7 Recap: Auburn Upsets No. 1 Georgia, Tennessee Beats Alabama, Florida Wins at Texas and LSU Shuts Out Mississippi State

    SEC Week 7 Recap: Auburn Upsets No. 1 Georgia, Tennessee Beats Alabama, Florida Wins at Texas and LSU Shuts Out Mississippi State

    Gridiron Gumbo | SEC Week 7 Recap: games of Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 | Posted Sunday night, Oct. 18, 2026

    By Rohn Dixon, reporting from Southwest Louisiana, where the roux is dark, the mosquitoes are organized, and the takes are hotter than a boiling pot at a church crawfish fundraiser

    Before We Stir the Pot: A Disclosure

    Full transparency, cher: I bleed maroon. Mississippi State is my team, and I’ve been a Bulldog ever since a few LSU road trips to Starkville made me fall for the place. That means two things. One, I know heartbreak like a Cajun knows humidity. Two, in this kitchen State goes in the same pot as everybody else, and this week I turned the burner all the way up on my own boys. You’ll see.

    Now, what a Saturday. For the second straight week, the No. 1 team in the country got dunked in the roux by an unranked SEC team. Last week it was Texas falling to Oklahoma. This week Auburn walked into Athens and walked out with Georgia’s crown on a field goal as time expired. Per Sportradar, it’s the first time the AP’s No. 1 team has lost in back-to-back weeks since October 1990. Alabama lost its second straight game, too. Texas lost its second straight. Florida, left for dead two weeks ago, rose up like a gator out of a drainage ditch in Austin. Arkansas finally won an SEC game. And Kentucky, the team that keeps winning games it has no business winning, is now tied with Georgia for first place in the SEC. Mawmaw dropped her rosary twice.

    Cajun Commentary: The throne in this league has a revolving door and a squeaky hinge. Nobody’s safe, nobody’s clean, and everybody’s got gumbo on their good shirt.

    There were seven SEC-vs-SEC games plus one nonconference game, no SEC games Thursday or Friday, and one team on a bye (South Carolina). By Sunday the SEC still had nine teams in the AP Top 25, but the highest one is Georgia, down at No. 5.

    Grab a bowl, a sleeve of saltines, and a can of bug spray. Here’s the whole league.

    The Weekend at a Glance

    • Auburn 27, No. 1 Georgia 24 (Athens)
    • No. 14 Tennessee 26, No. 6 Alabama 10 (Knoxville)
    • Florida 27, No. 7 Texas 24 (Austin)
    • No. 9 Ole Miss 31, No. 13 Missouri 3 (Oxford)
    • No. 15 Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 13 (Norman)
    • No. 22 LSU 31, No. 16 Mississippi State 0 (Baton Rouge)
    • Arkansas 31, Vanderbilt 21 (Nashville)
    • Texas A&M 41, The Citadel 0 (College Station)
    • Bye: South Carolina

    Rankings shown are the AP rankings going into the game. Week 7 lines quoted below are DraftKings closing lines.

    Auburn 27, No. 1 Georgia 24: Two weeks, two No. 1s dunked in the roux. That throne's got a revolving door, cher.
    Auburn 27, No. 1 Georgia 24: Two weeks, two No. 1s dunked in the roux. That throne’s got a revolving door, cher.

    AUBURN TIGERS: The Upset Boil of the Year (So Far)

    Auburn 27, No. 1 Georgia 24 | Auburn now 4-2 (2-2 SEC) | Unranked

    Cajun roast: Auburn came into Athens as a 19.5-point underdog (DraftKings closing line). Georgia fans had the victory boudin warming in the slow cooker by kickoff. Auburn ate it, licked the plate, and asked where the cracklins were.

    Down 14-0 in the first quarter, Auburn could’ve folded like a cheap lawn chair at a crawfish boil. Instead the Tigers scored 24 straight points, starting with a trick play: Byrum Brown pitched to receiver Christian Neptune, who threw a touchdown pass to Keshaun Singleton. Brown ran it like a 235-pound bulldozer with a learner’s permit: 26 carries, 115 yards and a touchdown, plus 15 of 26 passing for 150 yards and a TD to Chas Nimrod (6 catches, 60 yards). Per Auburn, Brown joins Cam Newton as the only Auburn quarterbacks in 40 years to run for 100 yards against Georgia.

    Georgia tied it 24-24 with 2:58 left. Then Cody Sigler forced a fumble in the final minute, Sylvester Smith-Reed jumped on it at the Auburn 44, and Alex McPherson drilled a 34-yarder as time expired. Elijah Melendez was everywhere: 9 tackles, a sack and an interception. Auburn outrushed Georgia 192-113 and committed zero turnovers. First-year coach Alex Golesh now owns Auburn’s first road win over a No. 1 team since 1994.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Auburn is the most dangerous unranked team in the SEC, and nobody wants to see that quarterback coming downhill in November. Eleven penalties for 85 yards, though? Baby, you won in spite of the flags.

    Gumbo Grade: A+. Road win, No. 1 opponent, walk-off kick, zero turnovers. Ça c’est bon, and then some.

    GEORGIA BULLDOGS: One Week on the Throne, Then Into the Pot

    Auburn 27, No. 1 Georgia 24 | Georgia now 6-1 (4-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 5

    Cajun roast: Georgia’s stay at No. 1 lasted exactly one week, which is shorter than my cousin’s last diet and only slightly longer than a Mardi Gras parade bead stays on a balcony railing.

    It started like a coronation. Georgia went up 14-0 in the first quarter on a 15-yard Dwight Phillips Jr. run and a 24-yard Gunner Stockton touchdown pass to tight end Lawson Luckie. Then the Dawgs stopped cooking and started burning the rice. Auburn scored 24 straight. Georgia rallied with a 42-yard Peyton Woodring field goal and a gutsy 13-play, 94-yard drive that ended on Stockton’s 4-yard TD pass to London Humphreys to tie it with 2:58 left.

    Then came the self-inflicted stuff. Georgia turned it over three times, and Kirby Smart was blunt about the penalties: “untimely, uncharacteristic and undisciplined.” A late roughing-the-passer flag helped set up the winning kick. Georgia actually outgained Auburn 440-366, with Stockton throwing for 272 yards and two TDs and Craig Dandridge catching 4 balls for 88 yards. Raylen Wilson had 10 tackles and a sack.

    The streaks that died in Athens: nine straight wins over Auburn, and 53 straight wins over unranked teams. Per the AP, No. 1 teams had won 93 straight home games against unranked opponents, going back to 2007. Not anymore.

    Cajun Commentary: Ruthless truth: Georgia is still tied for first in the SEC, and most of the league would trade résumés with them in a heartbeat. But you don’t get to lose at home as a 19.5-point favorite (DraftKings closing line) and still call yourself the best team in the country with a straight face.

    Gumbo Grade: D+. Outgained the opponent, lost the game. That’s a gumbo with all the right ingredients that somebody left on high heat and walked off to watch the LSU game.

    TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS: Third Saturday in October, and Neyland Keeps Its Streak

    No. 14 Tennessee 26, No. 6 Alabama 10 | Tennessee now 6-1 (3-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 11

    Cajun roast: Tennessee kicked four field goals in the first half and still won by 16. That’s like going to the crawfish boil, only eating the corn, and still leaving fuller than everybody else.

    This was a beatdown dressed up in a modest final score. DeSean Bishop ran 32 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns, his third straight 100-yard game. George MacIntyre was steady: 21 of 31 for 197 yards, with Mike Matthews catching a career-high 7 passes for 85 yards. Kicker Cooper Ranvier made four first-half field goals (29, 33, 41 and 34 yards).

    But the defense was the whole roux. Alabama had 201 total yards, 54 rushing, went 2 of 13 on third down, and turned it over four times. Kayin Lee and Dejuan Lane each picked off a pass. Then Tennessee closed it with a 9-minute, 32-second fourth-quarter drive, the longest of the Josh Heupel era, ending on Bishop’s second 5-yard TD. Tennessee has now won three of its last five against Alabama after losing 15 straight. All three wins came at Neyland.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Tennessee is the most complete team in the SEC right now. The quarterback play is “fine,” the running game is a freight train, and that defense is meaner than a cottonmouth in a crawfish trap.

    Gumbo Grade: A. The only thing keeping it from an A+ is settling for field goals four times. Finish those drives, and they’d have needed a mercy rule.

    ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE: The Tide Has Officially Gone Out

    No. 14 Tennessee 26, No. 6 Alabama 10 | Alabama now 5-2 (3-2 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 13

    Cajun roast: Two weeks ago Bama was scoring like a slot machine at the Coushatta. Saturday the offense had the energy of a swamp-tour boat with a dead battery and a gator chewing on the propeller.

    This is the first time Alabama has lost back-to-back regular-season games since 2007. Let that soak in like red beans on a Monday. The Tide managed 201 total yards, went 0 for 7 on third down in the first half and 2 for 13 for the game, lost two fumbles, threw two interceptions, and drew 10 penalties for 68 yards. Keelon Russell’s 19-yard touchdown run and a 42-yard Conor Talty field goal right before halftime were the only points. Then the scoreboard went to camp for the weekend.

    The defense deserved better. Caleb Woodson made 11 tackles, Bray Hubbard 10, and Ivan Taylor got an interception. They held Tennessee to field goals four times in the first half. But you can’t ask a defense to hold the line all day when the offense keeps handing the other team the ball like it’s passing out king cake at the office.

    Cajun Commentary: Ruthless take: Alabama’s two losses came to two very good teams, and they’re still alive for the playoff. But “alive” and “scary” are two different words, and right now nobody in the SEC is scared of this offense. Texas A&M comes to Tuscaloosa next. That’s the ballgame for the season’s mood.

    Gumbo Grade: D. The defense keeps it out of F territory. The offense served a bowl of hot water and called it gumbo.

    Tennessee 26, Alabama 10: Bama had 4 turnovers, 201 yards, 2-of-13 on third down. First back-to-back regular-season losses since 2007. Somebody back the pirogue up to Knoxville, Bama's sinkin'.
    Tennessee 26, Alabama 10: Bama had 4 turnovers, 201 yards, 2-of-13 on third down. First back-to-back regular-season losses since 2007. Somebody back the pirogue up to Knoxville, Bama’s sinkin’.

    FLORIDA GATORS: Rose Up Out of the Swamp and Bit Somebody

    Florida 27, No. 7 Texas 24 | Florida now 5-2 (3-2 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 20

    Cajun roast: Last week Florida got booed at its own homecoming. This week the Gators went into Austin as a 13.5-point dog (DraftKings closing line) and flashed the upside-down horns on the way off the field. That’s a bigger mood swing than my uncle at an LSU-Alabama watch party.

    Quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. made the first start of his college career, in a road game, at a top-10 team, and played like a grown man. He went 22 of 35 for 155 yards and two touchdowns, both to Lacota Dippre, and ran for 41 more. Florida trailed 17-3 in the second quarter, then took over. Dippre’s 7-yard TD made it 17-10 at the half, his 8-yarder capped a 15-play, eight-minute drive in the third, Patrick Durkin kicked a 28-yarder for the lead, and Jadan Baugh (25 carries, 91 yards) punched in an 11-yard touchdown.

    Then the defense, ranked last in the SEC coming in, did something wild: it sacked Arch Manning five times (per the AP), held Texas to 272 total yards and 2 of 10 on third down, and Myles Graham’s strip-sack ended Texas’ last possession. Florida won time of possession 38:11 to 21:49 and didn’t turn it over once. It’s the program’s first road win over a top-10 team since 2012.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: first-year coach Jon Sumrall may have just saved Florida’s season. The Gators get a bye, then go to Georgia on Oct. 31. If they bring this defense, the Dawgs had better check under the porch.

    Gumbo Grade: A. Comeback, road upset, first-time starter, no turnovers. Ça c’est bon, cher.

    TEXAS LONGHORNS: Most Expensive Pot on the Stove, Nothing Inside It

    Florida 27, No. 7 Texas 24 | Texas now 4-2 (1-2 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 19

    Cajun roast: Texas has the budget of a small oil company and an offense that’s run out of gas two weeks in a row. Somebody check the dipstick in Austin, because something’s leaking.

    Texas led 17-3 in the second quarter, thanks to a 32-yard Raleek Brown touchdown run, a Gianni Spetic field goal and a 63-yard punt-return touchdown by Ryan Niblett. Then the Longhorns went into a crawfish hole and didn’t come out. Texas finished with 13 first downs, 272 total yards, 2 of 10 on third down, and held the ball for under 22 minutes. The one bright spot late was a 62-yard completion to Emmett Mosley V that set up a 9-yard TD pass to Cam Coleman, which only made it a three-point game.

    On defense, Colin Simmons had four tackles for loss and a sack and Justin Cryer made 11 tackles, but Florida’s 15-play and 14-play scoring drives in the second half wore them down. Steve Sarkisian summed it up himself: “We didn’t play good football today. Kind of bled out.”

    Cajun Commentary: Ruthless truth: Texas was No. 1 in the country two weeks ago, and now it’s 1-2 in the SEC and ranked behind Kentucky. That’s not a slump, that’s a whole sinkhole under the camp. Ole Miss comes to Austin next. If that goes sideways, the panic in Austin will be louder than a brass band in a phone booth.

    Gumbo Grade: D. A punt-return touchdown and a fast start were all they had. The rest was a cold roux.

    OLE MISS REBELS: Homecoming Dinner, and Missouri Was the Main Course

    No. 9 Ole Miss 31, No. 13 Missouri 3 | Ole Miss now 5-1 (3-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 7

    Cajun roast: Missouri brought over a bunch of former Rebels to make it personal. Ole Miss sent ’em home with a to-go plate and a “thanks for coming, y’all.”

    This one was over by halftime. Trinidad Chambliss accounted for four touchdowns: three passes (10 yards to Caleb Odom, 21 to Horatio Fields, 17 to Caleb Cunningham) and a 5-yard run. He went 20 of 36 for 241 yards. The ground game ran over Missouri like a pickup truck over a fire-ant mound: Kewan Lacy had 122 yards on 16 carries, Makhi Frazier added 101 on 15, and Ole Miss piled up 498 total yards, 257 rushing.

    The defense might’ve been even better. Missouri came in with a back fresh off two straight 200-yard games, and Ole Miss held the whole Tiger offense to 39 rushing yards on 26 carries. Defensive tackle Will Echoles had a sack, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry. Landon Barnes snagged an interception. Per the AP, the Rebels are now 25-1 at home since 2023.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Ole Miss is the SEC team playing the best football in October, period. They lost one game, at Florida, and that Florida team just won in Austin. Pete Golding’s bunch is cooking with a cast-iron pot now.

    Gumbo Grade: A. Dominant on both lines against a top-15 team. That’s a dark roux, slow-cooked, served hot.

    MISSOURI TIGERS: First-and-Goal at the 2, Zero Points, Long Drive Home

    No. 9 Ole Miss 31, No. 13 Missouri 3 | Missouri now 5-2 (2-2 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 22

    Cajun roast: Missouri had first-and-goal at the 2-yard line and came away with nothing. I’ve seen drunk tourists on Bourbon Street find the end zone faster, and they didn’t even have a map.

    Here’s the moment the game turned. Trailing 7-3 in the second quarter, Missouri had first-and-goal at the Ole Miss 2. Two runs went backward, a pass fell incomplete, and a 23-yard field goal missed. Ole Miss then scored two touchdowns in a row and led 21-3 at halftime. Missouri didn’t reach the red zone again until the final two minutes. The run game, the heart of this team, produced 39 yards on 26 carries.

    There were bright spots. Austin Simmons threw for 339 yards, Donovan Olugbode caught 9 passes for 127 yards, linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez made 13 tackles, and punter Bruno Reus averaged 42.5 yards on seven punts. But an offense that can’t run the ball and can’t score from the 2 is a gumbo pot with a hole in the bottom.

    Cajun Commentary: Ruthless truth: Missouri’s only real problem is that it can’t win away from home against good teams. The Tigers are unbeaten at home, and three of their final four games are in Columbia. Eli Drinkwitz said he won’t wallow. Good, because the swamp doesn’t care about your feelings either.

    Gumbo Grade: D-. Three points against a top-10 team, and no points from the 2. The pot never got to a boil.

    KENTUCKY WILDCATS: The Luckiest Cats in the Bayou, and Now They’re Tied for First

    No. 15 Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 13 | Kentucky now 6-1 (4-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 12

    Cajun roast: Kentucky wins games like my Uncle T-Boy wins at bourré: nobody at the table can explain how, everybody’s mad about it, and he’s still holding the pot at the end of the night.

    Kentucky gained 230 total yards, trailed 13-7 late in the third quarter, and won by eight. The defense did it. The Wildcats intercepted Oklahoma four times: Ty Bryant had two, and Jordan Castell had two, including a 41-yard pick-six with 1:17 left that sealed it. Bryant’s first interception set up the go-ahead drive, which ended on Kenny Minchey’s second touchdown pass of the night. Minchey went 21 of 28 for 158 yards and two TDs, and Grant Godfrey made 15 tackles.

    That’s five straight wins, including back-to-back overtime wins over ranked teams before this one. Kentucky’s only loss was to Alabama, and now the Wildcats are tied with Georgia atop the SEC. Read that sentence again slowly. Yes, Kentucky football.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Kentucky is the best “how in the world” team in America, and that’s a compliment. Zero turnovers, opportunistic defense, and nerves of steel. But 230 yards won’t beat Tennessee or Georgia. Enjoy the view from the top, Cats. Bring a lawn chair, because it might be a short visit.

    Gumbo Grade: A-. A road SEC win built on four takeaways and zero giveaways. The offense brought store-bought potato salad, but the defense cooked the whole meal.

    OKLAHOMA SOONERS: From Beating No. 1 to Handing Out Free Samples

    No. 15 Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 13 | Oklahoma now 3-3 (1-2 SEC) | Unranked

    Cajun roast: One week after knocking off No. 1 Texas, Oklahoma threw four interceptions at home. That’s like winning the Mardi Gras king cake baby and choking on it at the parade.

    The Sooners outgained Kentucky 346-230, had more first downs (19-14), held the ball longer, and lost by eight because they gave the ball away four times through the air, including the pick-six that ended it. Manny Choice caught 5 passes for 98 yards, Isaiah Sategna III added 8 for 83, and Rocky Beers caught a 20-yard touchdown pass right before halftime. Tate Sandell made field goals from 44 and 26 yards.

    The defense was good enough to win. Kentucky had 76 yards and four punts on five straight drives after its opening touchdown, and Jake Kreul had 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss. But the AP put it plainly: turnovers once again did in the offense. The run game didn’t help, with 76 rushing yards on the night.

    Cajun Commentary: Ruthless truth: the Texas win was a party, and this was the hangover. A 3-3 team with a top-notch defense and an offense that keeps tossing the ball to the other side is a coin flip every week. Oklahoma goes to Starkville next as a 3-point favorite (DraftKings, as of 8:03 PM CT Oct. 22), and yes, I’ll be sweating that one.

    Gumbo Grade: D+. The defense earned a B. The four interceptions dragged the whole pot down.

    LSU TIGERS: Death Valley Served a Full Plate, and Nobody Else Got a Bite

    No. 22 LSU 31, No. 16 Mississippi State 0 | LSU now 5-2 (2-2 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 18

    Cajun roast: LSU fans have spent all season complaining louder than a fais do-do band with a blown speaker. Saturday the Tigers finally gave ’em something else to yell about.

    Credit where it’s due, even from a maroon man. Sam Leavitt played his cleanest game of the season: 31 of 38 for 289 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, his first turnover-free game this year, spreading the ball to nine receivers. Jackson Harris caught 6 passes for 85 yards and two TDs (27 and 17 yards), Eugene Wilson III and Malik Elzy caught the others, and Dilin Jones had 84 rushing yards plus 8 catches for 58. LSU led 21-0 at halftime and converted 8 of 13 third downs.

    The defense pitched LSU’s first shutout of an SEC opponent since 2007. TJ Dottery made 12 tackles, Jordan Ross had a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss, and Ty Benefield picked off a pass. State got inside the LSU 40 five times and came away with zero, all five ending on failed fourth downs.

    Fair is fair, though, so here’s the balance. LSU was outrushed 170-90, and the opponent was missing its starting quarterback and top running back. A week ago this team lost in overtime at Kentucky. Lane Kiffin said it himself: no pity for injuries, and he’s right, but nobody should engrave a trophy off one Saturday.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: if Leavitt keeps throwing it like this and stops giving the ball away, LSU is the most dangerous two-loss team in the league. If not, they’re the most dangerous two-loss team to their own fans’ blood pressure.

    Gumbo Grade: A. A clean, convincing shutout of a ranked rival. Not an A+, because the run game was a mosquito bite, not a gator bite.

    MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS: My Team, My Pot, My Goose Egg

    No. 22 LSU 31, No. 16 Mississippi State 0 | Mississippi State now 4-2 (2-2 SEC) | Dropped out of the AP Top 25

    Cajun roast: State got inside the LSU 40 five times and came home with zero points. I’ve seen Mawmaw walk out of a casino with more to show for it, and she plays the penny slots with a coupon.

    I promised I’d boil my own team hotter than anybody, so here’s the boil. Mississippi State has now lost two straight, each by more than 30 points, and this one was a shutout. Five drives got inside the LSU 40. All five ended on failed fourth-down tries, including one from the LSU 6-yard line. Not one field goal attempt. State went 0 for 5 on fourth down. Jeff Lebby went for it all afternoon and came home broke. The offense drove inside the 20 just once, went 7 of 15 on third down, and committed 7 penalties for 75 yards.

    To be fair, State was missing its starting quarterback, Kamario Taylor, and its top running back, Fluff Bothwell. Second-year quarterback Parker Puckett made his first career start in Death Valley, of all places, and went 16 of 26 for 121 yards, with a 33-yard run as his best play. Kolin Wilson ran for 70-plus yards, and State actually outrushed LSU 170-90 and held the ball for more than 30 minutes. On defense, Jett Jefferson made 8 tackles and Marcus Williams had a sack and two tackles for loss. But the defense also gave up 31 of 38 passing to Leavitt.

    Cajun Commentary: Ruthless take from the guy who owns the maroon: the injuries are real, but five empty trips inside the 40 is a coaching problem, not a roster problem. Take the points, Coach. Oklahoma comes to Starkville on Saturday, and this team needs a win like a crawfish needs water.

    Gumbo Grade: F. I love y’all, but a shutout is a shutout. Mawmaw made me say it.

    LSU 31, Mississippi State 0: Five trips inside the LSU 40. Five failed fourth downs. Zero points. Mawmaw would've kicked the field goal from the 6, cher.
    LSU 31, Mississippi State 0: Five trips inside the LSU 40. Five failed fourth downs. Zero points. Mawmaw would’ve kicked the field goal from the 6, cher.

    ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS: The Drought Is Over. Somebody Light the Grill.

    Arkansas 31, Vanderbilt 21 | Arkansas now 3-4 (1-3 SEC) | Unranked

    Cajun roast: Arkansas hadn’t won an SEC game since 2024. That’s 14 straight conference losses, which is longer than some marriages in my family.

    Finally. The Hogs went to Nashville as 5.5-point underdogs (DraftKings closing line) and snapped a 14-game SEC losing streak. Joker Johnson started it with a 25-yard pick-six, Cam Settles ran for two touchdowns, and quarterback KJ Jackson went 21 of 31 for 251 yards and ran for 58 yards and a TD, including an 8-yarder that gave Arkansas a 21-14 lead early in the third quarter. Settles’ 3-yard score with nine seconds left in the third broke a 21-21 tie for good. Arkansas ran for 187 yards, gained 438 overall, and didn’t turn it over.

    When Vanderbilt drove to the Arkansas 29 with 3:46 left, Miguel Mitchell picked it off, and Max Gilbert’s 39-yard field goal iced it. Coach Ryan Silverfield said the win “was for the players,” and after two years of this, they earned every bite.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Arkansas just found its identity, and it’s “run the ball and don’t do anything dumb.” Revolutionary, I know. The Hogs get a bye, then host Missouri on Oct. 31. Bring that run game and they might steal another one.

    Gumbo Grade: A-. Road SEC win, zero turnovers, a defensive touchdown and a closing interception. The only thing missing is a passing touchdown. Pass the boudin, Fayetteville.

    VANDERBILT COMMODORES: Favored at Home and Still Got Peeled

    Arkansas 31, Vanderbilt 21 | Vanderbilt now 3-4 (0-4 SEC) | Unranked

    Cajun roast: Vanderbilt was a 5.5-point favorite (DraftKings closing line) at home against a team on a 14-game SEC losing streak, and lost. That’s like losing a staring contest to a crawfish that’s already been boiled.

    Vandy now has four straight losses and is 0-4 in the SEC. Jared Curtis threw for 274 yards and a touchdown, a 24-yarder to Junior Sherrill, who had a big night with 8 catches for 99 yards. Sedrick Alexander and Makhilyn Young each ran for a score, and Bryan Longwell made 13 tackles. But two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown and one on the final real drive, sank the ship.

    The bigger problem is a defense that was supposed to be the strength of this team. Arkansas ran for 187 yards, one week after Ole Miss ran for 196. Clark Lea said, “We’re actively in pursuit of a better performance.” Coach, the whole fan base is in pursuit of that, plus a cold drink.

    Cajun Commentary: Ruthless truth: Vandy’s 3-0 start is a memory now, as faded as last year’s Mardi Gras beads in a pickup truck’s rearview mirror. Next up is a trip to Kentucky. Bring a life jacket.

    Gumbo Grade: D-. You were the favorite. At home. Against the team with the longest losing streak in the league. Yikes, cher.

    TEXAS A&M AGGIES: Scrimmage Saturday at Kyle Field

    Texas A&M 41, The Citadel 0 | Texas A&M now 4-3 (1-3 SEC) | Unranked

    Cajun roast: After scoring six points at Missouri, A&M scheduled a get-well casserole from the FCS. It was delicious. It was also The Citadel. Don’t post the recipe yet.

    A&M did exactly what it was supposed to do. The Aggies scored touchdowns on all four first-half drives, led 28-0 at halftime, and gained 501 total yards. Jamarion Morrow ran for three first-half touchdowns (all short ones, six yards combined), KJ Edwards led all rushers with 116 yards, and Aaron Gregory caught 6 passes for 94 yards and two TDs. Starter Marcel Reed went 8 of 13 for 130 yards and a TD before the backups took over. The defense allowed 183 yards and pitched its second shutout of the season, the first time A&M has had two in the same year since 1993.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: this tells us nothing, and that’s fine. A&M is 1-3 in the SEC and heads to Tuscaloosa as a 13.5-point underdog (DraftKings, as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23). That’s when we find out if the offense is fixed or just took a nice nap.

    Gumbo Grade: B. You can’t grade higher than a B against an FCS team, but they did everything right. A clean plate is a clean plate.

    SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS: On a Bye, Somewhere Fishing

    Bye week | South Carolina is 3-3 (1-3 SEC) | Unranked

    Cajun roast: South Carolina had the best week in the SEC, because it’s the only team that couldn’t lose. Somebody check on Columbia, they might be at the camp with a cooler and a cane pole.

    The Gamecocks rested up after a 38-19 win at Florida on Oct. 10, and that win looks a whole lot better now that Florida just won in Austin. Next comes the big one: No. 11 Tennessee in Columbia on Saturday, with South Carolina a 2.5-point favorite (DraftKings, as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23).

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: South Carolina at home against Tennessee is the most underrated game of the week. If the Gamecocks bring the Gainesville version, the Vols’ playoff talk gets a whole lot quieter.

    Gumbo Grade: B (for Bye). Undefeated this week. Nobody fumbled, nobody got flagged, nobody got embarrassed. Lucky them.

    The Power Pot: SEC Power Rankings After Week 7

    Ranked by how good each team looks right now, not by brand name or by what the helmets cost. And yes, the maroon team is where it is on merit.

    1. Tennessee (6-1, 3-1) – Three straight wins, a punishing run game, and a defense that just suffocated Alabama. The only loss was by three to Texas. Hottest pot on the stove.
    2. Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1) – Held a top-15 team to three points and 39 rushing yards. Playing the best football in the league this month.
    3. Georgia (6-1, 4-1) – Still tied for first with wins at Alabama and over Oklahoma. The Auburn loss was a home-cooked disaster, but the résumé is still the best in the room.
    4. Kentucky (6-1, 4-1) – Tied for first, five straight wins, and more lucky charms than a Lafayette pawn shop. The 45-17 home loss to Bama keeps them from the top three.
    5. Florida (5-2, 3-2) – Wins over Ole Miss, Texas and Auburn. A week ago they looked like roadkill. Now they’re the scariest gator in the ditch.
    6. LSU (5-2, 2-2) – Lost by eight at Ole Miss and by one at Kentucky, then shut out a ranked rival. If the turnovers stay gone, look out.
    7. Alabama (5-2, 3-2) – Two straight losses, but they still have wins over Kentucky and South Carolina. The talent’s there. The offense isn’t.
    8. Auburn (4-2, 2-2) – Toppled No. 1 on the road. Losses to Florida and Tennessee are respectable. Nobody wants this quarterback in November.
    9. Missouri (5-2, 2-2) – Unbeaten at home, beaten up on the road. First-and-goal at the 2 for zero points is going to haunt their film room.
    10. Texas (4-2, 1-2) – No. 1 two weeks ago, now has two straight losses and a 1-2 SEC record. The talent says higher. The tape says “get in line.”
    11. Mississippi State (4-2, 2-2) – Yes, they beat Missouri head-to-head. They also lost the last two by a combined 64 points. I put ’em here myself, and it hurts like stepping on a crawfish claw barefoot.
    12. Oklahoma (3-3, 1-2) – A win over Texas and a defense that travels, but an offense that keeps giving the ball away.
    13. South Carolina (3-3, 1-3) – That 38-19 win at Florida keeps aging well. Tennessee at home will tell us the truth.
    14. Texas A&M (4-3, 1-3) – Beat up an FCS team. Next up is Tuscaloosa, which is not an FCS team.
    15. Arkansas (3-4, 1-3) – The streak is dead, the run game is alive, and the Hogs are finally out of the basement.
    16. Vanderbilt (3-4, 0-4) – Four straight losses and a home loss as the favorite. They’ve got the basement all to themselves now.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Nos. 1 through 4 are so close you couldn’t slide a crawfish tail between them. Tennessee gets the top spot because it’s the one team that looks better every single week. Ask me again after Saturday in Columbia.

    Next Week on the Menu (Saturday, Oct. 24; all times CT)

    Kickoff times and TV from ESPN’s schedule; lines are DraftKings numbers as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23 unless noted, and will move.

    • No. 18 LSU at Auburn, 11 a.m. (ABC). Tiger vs. Tiger at Jordan-Hare. LSU is favored by 7 (DraftKings, as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23), but Auburn just took down No. 1 in Athens. This is the most dangerous early game on the board, and somebody’s mawmaw is going to need her heart pills.
    • No. 11 Tennessee at South Carolina, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN). South Carolina is a 2.5-point favorite at home (DraftKings, as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23), coming off a bye. The Vols’ playoff dreams walk into Williams-Brice. Our sleeper game of the week.
    • Texas A&M at No. 13 Alabama, 2:30 p.m. (ABC). Bama is favored by 13.5 (DraftKings, as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23) and desperate. A&M is fresh off a scrimmage. If the Tide lose three straight, folks in Tuscaloosa will start burning sage.
    • Oklahoma at Mississippi State, 2:30 p.m. (SEC Network). OU is a 3-point favorite in Starkville (DraftKings, as of 8:03 PM CT Oct. 22). Both teams need this like a fish needs a bayou. I’m not picking it. I’ll be on my porch, chewing my fingernails.
    • No. 7 Ole Miss at No. 19 Texas, 6:30 p.m. (ABC). Game of the week. Texas is a 3.5-point home favorite, which tells you how much respect Austin still gets with the oddsmakers. Lose this, and the Longhorns’ season goes in the trash with the crawfish shells.
    • Vanderbilt at No. 12 Kentucky, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network). Kentucky is favored by 10.5 (DraftKings, as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23) and has a share of first place to protect. Vandy needs a win like a Cajun needs hot sauce.
    • Bye: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri. (Florida at Georgia and Missouri at Arkansas are both Oct. 31.)

    Cajun Commentary: Ole Miss-Texas is the marquee game, but LSU-Auburn and Tennessee-South Carolina are the two most likely to blow up the Power Pot. Set the DVR, cher, and hide the remote from your in-laws.

    That’s the gumbo for this week, y’all. Laissez les bons temps rouler, take the points when they’re on the table, and don’t forget the bug spray.

    Gridiron Gumbo: SEC football, seasoned in Southwest Louisiana.

    Sources

    Final scores, box scores, standings, AP rankings (Week 8 poll released Oct. 18), next week’s schedule, and betting lines come from ESPN’s scoreboard, game summaries and standings. Scores were cross-checked with CollegeFootballData and with game recaps from the AP and the schools’ official athletics sites (Auburn, LSU, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas A&M), plus CBS Sports and SECSports.com, all accessed Oct. 18, 2026.

  • Midseason Gumbo Showdown: Grading All 16 SEC Teams at the Halfway Pot

    Midseason Gumbo Showdown: Grading All 16 SEC Teams at the Halfway Pot

    By T-Rohn. Disclosure: Gridiron Gumbo’s owner leans Mississippi State and owns more cowbells than any grown man should. He was not allowed to grade the Bulldogs without a second opinion and a cold drink.

    Six weeks in, the roux is dark, the pot is bubbling, and somebody already burned the rice. With Week 7 on deck, it’s time for the Midseason Gumbo Showdown: every SEC team graded, ranked and seasoned. Records and results below are through Saturday, Oct. 10, per the SEC’s Week 7 release and the Oct. 11 AP poll. Opinions are ours. Facts are not negotiable.

    The Standings, Straight From the Pot

    TeamSECOverall
    Georgia4-06-0
    Alabama3-15-1
    Kentucky3-15-1
    Ole Miss2-14-1
    Mississippi State2-14-1
    Missouri2-15-1
    Tennessee2-15-1
    Florida2-24-2
    Oklahoma1-13-2
    Texas1-14-1
    Auburn1-23-2
    LSU1-24-2
    South Carolina1-33-3
    Texas A&M1-33-3
    Arkansas0-32-4
    Vanderbilt0-33-3
    Source: SEC Week 7 football release (games through Oct. 10, 2026).

    Gumbo Grades: All 16, No Curve

    • Georgia (6-0) — A: Went to Tuscaloosa, won 20-17, and climbed to No. 1 with 66 first-place votes. Kirby’s pot doesn’t boil over; it just keeps simmering until you’re full.
    • Alabama (5-1) — A-: Hung 56 in Starkville and 49 on South Carolina, then lost a 20-17 coin flip to Georgia. Voters kept them at No. 6, which is the poll equivalent of ‘you’re still welcome at the cookout.’
    • Kentucky (5-1) — A: Two 35-34 overtime wins, a road win at Texas A&M, a +7 turnover margin and the highest ranking (No. 15) since 2022. Will Stein goes for it on fourth down like the gas bill is somebody else’s problem.
    • Missouri (5-1) — B+: Allowed 23 total points to Florida and Texas A&M combined. That defense is tighter than a Sunday-school collar.
    • Tennessee (5-1) — B+: Only loss is 20-17 to Texas. The quarterback room is a weekly game of ‘guess who,’ and Heupel’s still winning.
    • Mississippi State (4-1) — B+: Bias alert, cher. Road wins at Minnesota and South Carolina, beat then-No. 19 Missouri 31-24, then got cooked 56-23 by Alabama at home. My cowbells are still muted out of shame.
    • Ole Miss (4-1) — B: Beat LSU 32-24 and dropped 52 on Vandy, but gave up 52 in Gainesville and ranks last in the SEC in run defense. A pass rush with a screen door behind it.
    • Texas (4-1) — B: Beat Ohio State, then lost 27-24 to Oklahoma in Dallas. Preseason hype was a five-alarm pot; it’s currently a solid three.
    • Oklahoma (3-2) — B-: Losses at Michigan and Georgia, then knocked off No. 1 Texas. Venables’ bunch is the cousin who’s broke all year but buys the first round at the wedding.
    • Florida (4-2) — C+: Started 4-0 with a 52-28 beatdown of then-No. 4 Ole Miss, then lost 45-17 at Missouri and 38-19 at home to South Carolina. Sumrall’s gumbo started hot and somebody turned off the burner.
    • LSU (4-2) — C: 0-2 on the road, a 35-34 OT loss at Kentucky, and a 12-spot plunge to No. 22. Kiffin’s trick plays are fun until the red zone turns into a field-goal buffet.
    • Auburn (3-2) — C: Lost 44-39 to Florida and 24-14 at Tennessee, beat Vandy 21-15. Golesh’s offense keeps forgetting the first quarter exists.
    • South Carolina (3-3) — C-: Blew a 17-point lead to Kentucky and a 16-point lead to Mississippi State, then finally closed one out, 38-19 in Gainesville. Shane Beamer has found the brakes; now try using them early.
    • Texas A&M (3-3) — D+: Scored six points in each of its last two road games (35-6 at LSU, 27-6 at Missouri). Kyle Field deserves more than a pair of field goals per trip.
    • Vanderbilt (3-3) — D+: 3-0 in non-conference, 0-3 in the SEC, and on a three-game skid. Somebody check the pantry, the magic seasoning ran out.
    • Arkansas (2-4) — D: 0-3 in the league, scoring 7 at A&M and 17 against Tennessee. The Hogs’ offense has been slow-cooked into mush.

    The Midseason Power Pot

    1. Georgia — The only unbeaten SEC team, and they got there through Bryant-Denny.
    2. Alabama — One three-point loss to the No. 1 team. Still the deepest roster in the pot.
    3. Kentucky — Earned it. Five wins, two OT escapes, one loss to Alabama.
    4. Missouri — The best defense in the league right now, full stop.
    5. Tennessee — 5-1 with a QB question. Third Saturday in October decides a lot.
    6. Texas — The Ohio State win still counts. The OU loss still stings.
    7. Ole Miss — Explosive passing game, leaky run defense. Mizzou is coming to test it.
    8. Mississippi State — Ranked No. 16 and earned it, but the Alabama tape and a QB health question keep them here. (Yes, I wanted them higher. No, I didn’t.)
    9. Oklahoma — Beat Texas, but zero true road wins.
    10. Florida — Two straight losses, still has Baugh.
    11. LSU — Talent says higher. Results say this.
    12. Auburn — Competitive, not dangerous yet.
    13. South Carolina — Finally closed a game. Bye week came at the right time.
    14. Texas A&M — Must find an offense on the road.
    15. Vanderbilt — Saturday against Arkansas is a must-win.
    16. Arkansas — See above, from the other sideline.

    Who’s For Real, Who’s a Fraud

    For real:

    • Kentucky. Two coin-flip OT wins can be luck. A +7 turnover margin and a road win at A&M says it’s a habit.
    • Missouri’s defense. Held Florida’s Jadan Baugh, the SEC’s rushing-TD leader, to 13 yards. That’s not a fluke, that’s a lockdown.
    • Georgia. Thin at running back with injuries and still No. 1. That’s what depth looks like.

    Fraud watch (prove us wrong, please):

    • Ole Miss’s run defense. Roughly 176 rush yards allowed per game, last in the SEC. Missouri’s Jamal Roberts is coming off back-to-back 200-yard games. Gulp.
    • Florida’s 4-0 start. The Ole Miss win was real; the last two weeks were too.
    • LSU’s ranking. No. 22 with zero road wins. Death Valley can’t play every game.

    Midseason Awards

    • MVP: Missouri RB Jamal Roberts. Back-to-back 200-yard rushing games for a 5-1 team. Honorable mention, with full bias disclosure: Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor (1,450 pass yards, 17 TD, 4 INT) — wishing him a quick recovery from the foot injury he suffered against Alabama.
    • Biggest surprise: Kentucky. First-year coach Will Stein has the Wildcats 5-1 and at their highest AP ranking since 2022.
    • Biggest letdown: Texas A&M. 3-3, 1-3 in the SEC, 12 total points in two road league games.
    • Best game: Georgia 20, Alabama 17. A No. 1-ranking game in Tuscaloosa decided by three. Runner-up: Kentucky 35, LSU 34 (OT), in which Lexington’s fourth-down nerve outlasted Kiffin’s gadget bag.

    Second-Half Bold Predictions

    These are predictions, not facts. Bookmark this and laugh at us in December.

    • Georgia reaches the SEC title game unbeaten in league play — and it’s closer than anyone in Athens wants to admit.
    • Kentucky gets to eight regular-season wins. Will Stein keeps going for it on fourth down, and we keep sweating.
    • Missouri wins in Oxford this Saturday, and the Death Row defense becomes the SEC’s most-quoted nickname by November.
    • Texas A&M finishes .500 or better, because a coaching staff that talented can’t keep scoring six on the road.
    • At least one of Vanderbilt or Arkansas wins two SEC games the rest of the way. (It starts Saturday night in Nashville.)
    • Mississippi State is bowl eligible by Halloween (Oklahoma visits Starkville Oct. 24, then it’s a trip to Texas) — and yes, I’ll be ringing every one of those cowbells. Mostly the dented ones.

    Gumbo’s Picks Record: The Honest Ledger

    We promised to keep the receipts public. Our pick tracker currently holds our eight Week 7 official picks (Texas, LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri as the upset special, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma). None have been graded yet, so the official Gridiron Gumbo record is 0-0 straight up, 0-0 against the spread, 0-0 on totals. Not hiding anything, cher: the tracker starts this week, and you’ll see every win and every faceplant right here.

    Note, from one Mississippi State man to the rest of you: we picked LSU over the Bulldogs this week. Neutrality hurts. The cowbells have been informed.

    Sources: SEC Week 7 football release, AP Top 25 (Oct. 11, 2026), Sports-Reference, team and press reports. Injury statuses can change; check Thursday’s SEC availability report.

  • Early Bowl Gumbo: Where Every SEC Team Is Headed (If the Roux Don’t Burn)

    Early Bowl Gumbo: Where Every SEC Team Is Headed (If the Roux Don’t Burn)

    Gridiron Gumbo original projections — Oct. 13, 2026, after the Oct. 10 games (ESPN calls it Week 6). Disclosure: your humble cook bleeds maroon and rings a cowbell (Mississippi State). We graded State like everybody else. Mawmaw checked.

    How we cooked it

    These are our picks, not a copy of anybody’s. Ingredients: current overall/SEC records (ESPN standings), ESPN FPI ratings and projected final records/playoff odds, the AP poll, and the actual 2026-27 SEC bowl rules. Note: the CFP committee’s first rankings don’t drop until November, so the AP poll + FPI stand in for now.

    • CFP: 12 teams. Power 4 champs get auto bids, plus the top Group of 6 team; seven at-larges; top four ranked teams get byes.
    • SEC ladder: Citrus Bowl takes the best SEC team left after the CFP. Then the “pool of six” (ReliaQuest, Gator, Music City, Texas, Las Vegas, Liberty) is slotted by the SEC with schools and bowls, avoiding repeat trips. Birmingham and Gasparilla pick after that. 2026 is the SEC’s Las Vegas year in the rotation with Duke’s Mayo. Bowl tie-ins carried over from 2025 for this season.
    Playoff Pot

    The Pot, Team by Team

    Georgia (6-0, 4-0 SEC; AP No. 1)

    Projection: 12-0 / 11-1, SEC champion, top-4 CFP seed (bye). FPI has them No. 2 nationally, projecting 11.8 wins and a 95.8% playoff chance. They already won 20-17 in Tuscaloosa.
    Take: Kirby’s roux is so dark and steady it should come with a warning label. Every other fanbase is just stirring and praying, cher.

    Alabama (5-1, 3-1; AP No. 6)

    Projection: 10-2, CFP at-large, first-round home game. FPI No. 5, 81.8% playoff odds. Losing at home to Georgia doesn’t knock you out of a 12-team field.
    Take: Tide fans are treating one loss like Mawmaw found store-bought boudin in her fridge. Relax, y’all are still eating in December.

    Texas (4-1, 1-1; AP No. 7)

    Projection: 10-2, CFP at-large. FPI No. 6, 74.6% playoff odds. The Red River loss stings, but the early win over Ohio State keeps the résumé strong.
    Take: Austin lost to Oklahoma and acted like somebody put beans in their gumbo. It’s a Texas thing. We’ll allow it.

    Tennessee (5-1, 2-1; AP No. 14)

    Projection: 9-3, CFP at-large (last one in, ~No. 11-12 seed). The SEC’s best playoff odds outside the big three (FPI: 24.4%, 8.4 projected wins). This is our boldest call. They still have to play Alabama and LSU.
    Take: Rocky Top’s offense looks like a crawfish boil with no seasoning. Still gets eaten, but nobody’s bragging about it.

    Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1; AP No. 9)

    Projection: 8-4, Citrus Bowl. Highest AP rank of the non-CFP group, but FPI projects only 7.8 wins because of the back half: Missouri, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and the Egg Bowl.
    Take: Oxford’s tailgate is fancier than a Garden District wedding, but that schedule is a pot of boiling water and the Rebels are the crawfish.

    Kentucky (5-1, 3-1; AP No. 15)

    Projection: 8-4, ReliaQuest Bowl. They have two straight 35-34 overtime wins, including over LSU. FPI still rates them No. 30 and projects 7.9 wins, so we expect some regression. Next up: at Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, at Tennessee, Florida, at Missouri, Louisville.
    Take: Lexington’s living on overtime like a man living on gas-station boudin. Delicious, reckless, and the bill comes due eventually.

    LSU (4-2, 1-2; AP No. 22)

    Projection: 8-4, Gator Bowl. FPI’s No. 8 team in the country is the most talented team in this tier, with 7.7 projected wins and 15.4% playoff odds. Two SEC losses already pretty much end any CFP hopes.
    Take: Lane Kiffin’s Year 1 in Baton Rouge is a jambalaya with every expensive ingredient and nobody minding the burner. Death Valley’s already sharpening its call-in-show voice, cher.

    Missouri (5-1, 2-1; AP No. 13)

    Projection: 8-4, Music City Bowl. FPI projects 7.9 wins, and Texas, Georgia, Ole Miss and Oklahoma are still ahead. Nashville is an easy drive for the fan base.
    Take: Mizzou fans still call the SEC “the new neighbors.” Fifteen seasons in, cher. Bring a covered dish already.

    Mississippi State (4-1, 2-1; AP No. 16) (the cook’s team, graded fair)

    Projection: 7-5, Las Vegas Bowl. FPI projects 7.6 wins and rates them No. 27, behind several SEC teams with worse records. We went with the computer and not our hearts. The 56-23 home loss to Alabama is the stain. The trip to LSU on Oct. 17 is the swing game for Jeff Lebby.
    Take: Starkville’s in Vegas with cowbells. The casinos will take every dollar but they’ll never get the ringing out of their ears. (Yes, Mawmaw is biased. She also ranked them seventh, so hush.)

    Oklahoma (3-2, 1-1)

    Projection: 7-5, Texas Bowl. The Red River win is a top-shelf ingredient, but FPI projects 7.0 wins and the back half is rough. A trip to Houston puts the Sooners in a bowl in Texas, which they’ll pretend not to enjoy.
    Take: Sooner Nation’s beat Texas and is already planning the parade. Mawmaw says don’t salt the pot before the water boils.

    Florida (4-2, 2-2)

    Projection: 7-5, Liberty Bowl. They started 4-0 (including 52-28 over Ole Miss), then lost 45-17 at Missouri and 38-19 at home to South Carolina. FPI still projects 6.6 wins with an 84.6% chance at bowl eligibility.
    Take: The Swamp went from top-10 to “check on Gator fans” faster than a pot of rice burns when you walk off. Jon Sumrall’s Year 1 roux needs a whole lotta stirring.

    Auburn (3-2, 1-2)

    Projection: 6-6, Birmingham Bowl. FPI: 6.1 projected wins, 69.4% to reach six. That’s a coin-flip-plus, and Birmingham is right up the road.
    Take: The Plains fanbase would roll Toomer’s for a bowl-eligibility clinch at this point. Low bar, cher, but it’s a bar.

    South Carolina (3-3, 1-3)

    Projection: 6-6, Gasparilla Bowl. The 38-19 win in Gainesville bought Shane Beamer some breathing room. FPI gives them a 57.3% chance at six wins. Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Georgia and Clemson are still on the schedule.
    Take: Columbia’s hot seat cooled down quicker than leftover gumbo in Mawmaw’s deep freeze. Don’t get comfortable. It thaws.

    Texas A&M (3-3, 1-3)

    Projection: 6-6, Bowl TBD (SEC backup slot). They were ranked No. 9 as recently as mid-September, but FPI now projects 5.7 wins (56.8% for six). Once the SEC tie-ins are filled, a sixth win only gets them a leftover spot.
    Take: College Station spent like a Houston oil man and is cooking like a dorm microwave. Mike Elko’s kitchen needs a health inspection.

    Vanderbilt (3-3, 0-3)

    Projection: 4-8, no bowl. FPI projects 4.4 wins with a 12.6% chance at bowl eligibility.
    Take: The smartest fanbase in the league has done the math and moved on to basketball. Mawmaw respects a family that knows when the pot’s empty.

    Arkansas (2-4, 0-3)

    Projection: 3-9, no bowl. FPI projects 3.3 wins with a 1.9% chance at bowl eligibility.
    Take: Hog fans are calling the Hogs like they’re calling the coach’s buyout number. Only thing roasting in Fayetteville this fall is the boudin at the tailgate.

    The Tally

    4 CFP teams (Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee) plus 9 tie-in bowls plus Texas A&M in a TBD backup slot = 14 bowl-eligible. Vandy and Arkansas stay home.

    Where we differ from the national guys: most outlets have Ole Miss (and some Kentucky) as the SEC’s fourth playoff team. We picked Tennessee because of FPI’s projected record and playoff odds. Argue with us in the comments, cher.

    Sources (data)

  • Roux the Day: Gridiron Gumbo’s SEC Week 7 Preview

    Roux the Day: Gridiron Gumbo’s SEC Week 7 Preview

    Gridiron Gumbo | SEC Week 7 Preview: games of Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 | Posted Monday, Oct. 12, 2026

    By T-Rohn. All times Central. Lines updated Friday night, Oct. 16 and subject to move faster than a cousin at a free buffet.

    Picks can change with news. Everything below is the Gumbo’s official Week 7 set, refreshed Thursday night, Oct. 15 (and Friday night, Oct. 16, for Mississippi State at LSU after the Kamario Taylor downgrade) with new ratings, current lines and the SEC availability reports, and picks lock at kickoff, but you can still enter right up until game time. If a starter’s status changes, so might the pick.

    Eight games, fifteen SEC teams, and South Carolina sitting this one out on a bye, probably icing everything that hurts. Georgia is the last team clean in league play, Alabama is mad, Texas wants respect, and my Bulldogs walk into Death Valley before most of Baton Rouge has finished breakfast. Get your pot on, cher.

    Cajun Commentary: Disclosure stands from last week. I bleed maroon. That’s exactly why State gets boiled hottest in this kitchen. Every pick below is straight from the numbers and the tape, not the cowbell.

    Lock of the Week: Texas -11.5 vs. Florida

    Texas comes home mad after Red River with the #2 defense in our ratings, while Florida’s defense just gave up 45 and 38 and QB Aaron Philo (shoulder), WR Vernell Brown III and WR Bailey Stockton are all questionable. Texas 34, Florida 17.

    Upset Special: Missouri over Ole Miss (safer play is Missouri +5.5)

    Ole Miss owns the SEC’s last-ranked run defense (about 176 rushing yards a game), Mizzou comes in with Jamal Roberts off back-to-back 200-yard games and a top-10 defense in our ratings, and the Rebels just lost S Edwin Joseph. It’s the Gumbo’s only straight-up pick of an underdog this week, and it is genuine but thin, so the safer play is Missouri +5.5. Missouri 29, Ole Miss 27.

    The Games

    Florida (4-2, 2-2) at Texas (4-1, 1-1)

    11 a.m. CT, ABC | Texas -11.5, O/U 51.5 (DraftKings and other books, Oct 15)

    Florida got booed at its own homecoming last week, and now it gets to walk into Austin, where they boo you in a nicer accent. Texas has the #2 defense in our ratings, and a Florida defense that just gave up 45 and 38 is traveling with a banged-up QB, WR1 and RB2. Throw in a Longhorn crowd still mad about Red River and Texas pulls away. One caveat, cher: Texas is 1-4 against the spread and the offense has been uneven, so respect the number.

    Pick: Texas | ATS: Texas -11.5 | O/U: No lean | Projected Score: Texas 34, Florida 17 | Gumbo Confidence: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 (4/5)

    Roster check: No injuries reported for either team (TeamRankings, Oct 12). Florida WR Vernell Brown III (knee) likely questionable; he has missed two games (Palm Beach Post/Gainesville Sun). QBs: Aaron Philo (FLA) and Arch Manning (TEX). No pick change. Wednesday night update (Oct 14): Florida QB Aaron Philo (shoulder) is questionable on the first SEC availability report and has been limited; Tramell Jones Jr. has taken first-team reps and would make his first career start if Philo can’t go (Gators Online/On3, ESPN, Oct 14). Vernell Brown III practiced Wednesday, and Texas DT Justus Terry practiced and is expected back (Burnt Orange Nation, Oct 14). The total dropped from 52.5 to 51.5, and the line has since climbed to Texas -11.5 (-11 at some books; DraftKings, scoresandodds.com, Oct 15). Thursday update (Oct 15): Philo is still questionable, WR Bailey Stockton is questionable and RB Duke Clark is out; if Philo can’t go, Tramell Jones Jr. makes his first start (On3). Texas WR Kaliq Lockett is doubtful and OL Jaydon Chatman is out. Official pick: Texas 34, Florida 17, with a lean on Texas -11.5 and no lean on the total (51 projected vs 51.5). Friday night update (Oct 16): Philo is still questionable on the Friday report, and On3’s Pete Nakos reports Florida is expected to start Tramell Jones Jr., with a final call Saturday morning (On3, CBS Sports, Oct 16). Vernell Brown III and Bailey Stockton remain questionable and Duke Clark is out; Texas DT Justus Terry and OL Jordan Coleman are probable (On3). DraftKings still has Texas -11.5, total 51.5. No pick change: the Lock of the Week stays Texas -11.5.

    Mississippi State (4-1, 2-1) at LSU (4-2, 1-2)

    11 a.m. CT, ESPN | LSU -15.5, O/U 56.5 (DraftKings Friday night via LineTerminal, Oct 16; opened -10.5)

    Full disclosure, cher: this is my team, so I held the thermometer extra steady. LSU is the better, deeper team at home (our ratings have its defense around #10 and State’s around #65 after giving up 56 to Alabama), and Death Valley at 11 in the morning is still Death Valley, just with more Bloody Marys. But State’s offense is road-tested (38 at Minnesota, 41 at South Carolina) and LSU’s defense gave up 34 to Kentucky. Then Friday night’s SEC report downgraded QB Kamario Taylor (foot) and RB Fluff Bothwell to doubtful, and walk-on Billy Puckett is the expected starter, so State is likely without the SEC’s leading passer and its leading rusher. LSU wins by a little more than two scores, and it hurts me to type it.

    Pick: LSU | ATS: No lean now (pass; Taylor doubtful; Thursday’s MSU +14.5 is voided: Taylor was ruled out on the Saturday SEC report) | O/U: Under now (Thursday’s Over is voided: Taylor is out) | Projected Score: LSU 33, Mississippi State 17 (updated Friday night projection; Thursday’s was LSU 36, Mississippi State 22) | Gumbo Confidence: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 (4/5)

    Roster check: MSU QB Kamario Taylor (right foot/leg, left the Oct 3 Alabama loss in a boot) is unknown; first SEC availability report is Wednesday (Clarion Ledger, Daily Journal, Oct 12). At his Monday presser Jeff Lebby deferred all injury questions to Wednesday’s report and said the focus is getting Taylor ready (Starkville Daily News, 247Sports, Oct 12). Billy Puckett is the backup. Line steady at LSU -12.5, opened -10.5 (The Sharp Edition). Tuesday night update: Taylor is still limited in practice and his status is in flux, with a decision expected later in the week (ESPN/Pete Thamel, CBS Sports, Oct 13). The line moved again, from LSU -12.5 to -14 (consensus via VegasInsider; DraftKings -14 via ESPN odds feed). Wednesday night update (Oct 14): the first SEC availability report is out, and Kamario Taylor (foot) is listed QUESTIONABLE, not out; leading rusher Fluff Bothwell is questionable too (The Advocate/NOLA.com, TigerRag, Oct 14). LSU lists only LB Tylen Singleton as questionable beyond its long-term outs (LB Whit Weeks, TE Trey’Dez Green, S Dashawn Spears) (The Advocate). The line ticked from LSU -14 to -14.5 (opened -10.5). Thursday update (Oct 15): Taylor (turf toe/foot) and Bothwell are STILL QUESTIONABLE, LB Jalen Smith is out and Zakari Tillman is doubtful; the backups are Billy Puckett and AJ Swann, and Jeff Lebby hinted Taylor can play through it (On3). DraftKings has LSU -14.5 with a total of 56.5 (some books -15.5/-16). This game could shift after the Saturday ~9:30 AM CT SEC availability report. Official pick: LSU 36, Mississippi State 22; a thin Mississippi State +14.5 lean and a slight Over only if Taylor is confirmed to play, and no recommended play otherwise. Friday night update (Oct 16): the SEC’s third availability report downgraded Taylor (foot/turf toe) from questionable to DOUBTFUL, and Bothwell is doubtful too (247Sports, Louisiana Sports, Oct 16); ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports Taylor is not expected to play (via Sports Illustrated, Oct 16). Walk-on Billy Puckett (8-of-12 passing in two games) is the expected starter, with AJ Swann also on the depth chart (Louisiana Sports). LSU still lists LB Whit Weeks, LB Charles Ross II, WR Phillip Wright III, S Dashawn Spears and TE Trey’Dez Green out and LB Tylen Singleton doubtful (247Sports). The line climbed to LSU -15.5 at DraftKings, total 56.5 (LineTerminal). As promised Thursday, the Taylor-only plays are off: no lean on the spread (33-17 projected, right around the number) and the total flips to the Under (50 projected after the 2-point wind cut vs 56.5). Final word comes with the ~9:30 AM CT game-day report. Updated Friday night projection: LSU 33, Mississippi State 17. The straight-up pick stays LSU. The Thursday plays (Mississippi State +14.5 and the Over 56.5) counted only if Taylor played, so they are voided, since Taylor and Bothwell were officially ruled out on the Saturday SEC availability report: no action, not graded as losses. The Under is the updated Friday night total lean.

    The Citadel (FCS) at Texas A&M (3-3, 1-3)

    Noon CT, SEC Network+ | Texas A&M -45.5, O/U 56.5 (DraftKings via CFBD, Oct 15)

    A&M scored six points against Missouri last week, so Mike Elko ordered a get-well casserole from the FCS. The Citadel are fine military men, but at 2-4 and allowing about 33 a game this is like bringing a pirogue to a battleship fight. The catch is an Aggie offense that has been ugly (six points twice in the last three games), so A&M wins big but 45.5 is a whole lotta crawfish to lay, and the depth chart will rotate.

    Pick: Texas A&M | ATS: The Citadel +45.5 | O/U: Under | Projected Score: Texas A&M 44, The Citadel 9 | Gumbo Confidence: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 (4/5)

    Roster check: A&M OL Blake Ivy is out for the season; WR Terry Bussey, RB Tiger Riden Jr., WR Madden Williams and DL Chace Sims are also out for the year (SI/All Aggies, Oct 11). Tuesday update: books finally posted a line, Texas A&M -45.5 with a 56.5 total (cfb.app, Bleacher Report, Oct 13). Wednesday night update (Oct 14): non-conference game, so no SEC availability report is required. Thursday update (Oct 15): line unchanged at Texas A&M -45.5, O/U 56.5 (DraftKings via CFBD); QB Marcel Reed is expected to play, and the kickoff time should be confirmed day-of (noon CT on the report, 11 a.m. CT on SECN+ per the SEC release). Official pick: Texas A&M 44, The Citadel 9; lean The Citadel +45.5 and the Under 56.5 (53 projected after a 2-point wind cut).

    Alabama (5-1, 3-1) at Tennessee (5-1, 2-1)

    2:30 p.m. CT, ABC | Alabama -7.5, O/U 50.5 (consensus, Oct 16; total opened 56.5)

    The Third Saturday in October, with cigars on the line. Alabama just got curse-busted at home by Georgia and comes in mad as a nutria in a trap, with a defense that is top three nationally in takeaways. Tennessee has named George MacIntyre its starter for his second career start, and he has to avoid turnovers. Neyland keeps the Vols live, but the Tide is better on both lines and wins by about a touchdown.

    Pick: Alabama | ATS: Alabama -7.5 | O/U: Under | Projected Score: Alabama 27, Tennessee 19 | Gumbo Confidence: 🌶🌶🌶 (3/5)

    Roster check: Heupel again declined to name a starter Monday, saying the team will find out through the week (ESPN, Tennessean, Oct 12): Faizon Brandon (right shoulder, questionable) or George MacIntyre, who had 3 turnovers vs Arkansas (Knoxville News Sentinel, ESPN, Oct 12). Line moved from Bama -7 to -8.5; total from 56.5 to 53.5 (Gridiron & Wine, Legion Report). Tuesday update: Brandon practiced Tuesday and is still working through the shoulder injury, and Heupel still hasn’t named a starter (On3/Pete Nakos, Rocky Top Insider, Oct 13). The total dropped again, from 53.5 to 51.5 (DraftKings via ESPN odds feed, FanDuel Research). Wednesday night update (Oct 14): first SEC availability report lists Alabama WR Ryan Coleman-Williams and DL Terrance Green OUT, C Racin Delgatty questionable; Tennessee QB Faizon Brandon is QUESTIONABLE (Rocky Top Insider, Oct 14). DraftKings dropped Bama from -8.5 to -7.5 after the report. Thursday update (Oct 15): Tennessee named George MacIntyre the starter over Faizon Brandon (ESPN, CBS, Oct 15); he went 18-of-29 for 247 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT in his first start. Alabama WR Ryan Coleman-Williams and DT Terrance Green are out and C Racin Delgatty is questionable. Totals range from 50.5 to 53.5. Official pick: Alabama 27, Tennessee 19; thin lean on Alabama -7.5 and the Under (46 projected after a 2-point wind cut). Friday night update (Oct 16): Alabama ruled out starting C Racin Delgatty (knee), with Mal Waldrep expected at center, and TE Josh Ford is questionable (On3, Oct 16). Tennessee QB Faizon Brandon is off the report and available, but George MacIntyre is expected to make his second straight start (247Sports, Oct 16). Consensus is still Alabama -7.5, and the total dipped to 50.5 (PlaceBets.ai, LineSteam, Oct 16). No pick change: Alabama 27, Tennessee 19, thin lean Alabama -7.5 and the Under 50.5 (46 projected).

    Auburn (3-2, 1-2) at Georgia (6-0, 4-0)

    2:30 p.m. CT, ESPN | Georgia -19.5, O/U 49.5 (DraftKings and Bovada; some books -20.5 to -21, Oct 15)

    Georgia is the only SEC team still clean in conference play, and they just went to Tuscaloosa and broke a curse like it owed them money. The Dawgs bring the #3 defense in our ratings against an Auburn offense ranked around 62nd that is missing LB Xavier Atkins. Auburn has been competitive and Georgia just survived Alabama 20-17, so I stop short of a 40-point blowout: Georgia by about three touchdowns.

    Pick: Georgia | ATS: Auburn +19.5 or better | O/U: Under | Projected Score: Georgia 34, Auburn 13 | Gumbo Confidence: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 (4/5)

    Roster check: Georgia unofficial report: OLB Amaris Williams, OL Marcus Harrison, WR Thomas Blackshear out; RBs Nate Frazier (ribs) and Chauncey Bowens questionable; Smart says tailback is thin (AJC, Oct 12). Auburn is off a bye. Monday night update: line moved again, from Georgia -19.5 to -20.5 (opened -16.5; DraftKings via ESPN odds feed, sportsanalysis.info and The Sharp Edition). Wednesday night update (Oct 14): Georgia RB Chauncey Bowens will miss Auburn and his timetable is unclear, while Nate Frazier is eyeing a return (Red & Black, On3/Pete Nakos, Oct 14). Auburn LB Xavier Atkins is not with the team (Saturday Down South, Oct 14). Thursday update (Oct 15): DraftKings has Georgia -19.5 (other books -20.5 to -21; opened -16.5), total 49.5. Georgia RB Chauncey Bowens, WR Blackshear, WR Canion, LB Amaris Williams and S Tyriq Green are out; RB Nate Frazier is not on the report and is expected back, and QB Gunner Stockton is available. Auburn is without LB Xavier Atkins, TE Hunter Herring and OL Tai Buster. Official pick: Georgia 34, Auburn 13; lean Auburn +19.5 or better and the Under 49.5 (47 projected).

    Missouri (5-1, 2-1) at Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1)

    2:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network | Ole Miss -5.5, O/U 58.5 (DraftKings and consensus, Oct 15)

    Ole Miss hung 52 on Vanderbilt, but it also gives up rushing yards like a crawfish boil gives up corn: the Rebels are last in the SEC against the run, at roughly 176 a game. Missouri brings Jamal Roberts, off back-to-back 200-yard games, and a top-10 defense in our ratings, against an Ole Miss secondary that just lost S Edwin Joseph. The ratings see a coin flip at a neutral site, so this is the Gumbo’s Upset Special: Tigers by two. It is genuine but thin as a straight-up pick, and Missouri’s long questionable list and the Oxford atmosphere are real risks, so the safer play is Missouri +5.5.

    Pick: Missouri (Upset Special) | ATS: Missouri +5.5 | O/U: Under | Projected Score: Missouri 29, Ole Miss 27 | Gumbo Confidence: 🌶🌶 (2/5)

    Roster check: Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy returned vs Vandy; S Edwin Joseph (ankle sprain) is questionable; OL Tommy Kinsler IV is banged up (HottyToddy, Oct 12). Mizzou: no reported injuries (TeamRankings). Spread moved from -6.5 to -6, total from 58.5 to 59.5. Wednesday night update (Oct 14): first SEC availability report rules Ole Miss S Edwin Joseph OUT (ankle surgery; On3, Oct 14). Mizzou QB Austin Simmons is listed probable, WR Cayden Lee questionable, and RB Ahmad Hardy is still out (Mizzou Today/On3, Oct 14). The line moved from Ole Miss -6 to -5.5 (opened -7.5 at some books) and the total from 59.5 to 58.5. Thursday update (Oct 15): Ole Miss has 8 players out in total; Missouri’s midweek list has 24 questionable, including WR Cayden Lee, EDGE Darris Smith, LT Cayden Green and TE Norfleet, while RB Ahmad Hardy is out (On3). Official pick: Missouri 29, Ole Miss 27 (Upset Special); lean Missouri +5.5, the safer play, and the Under 58.5 (56 projected after a 2-point wind cut). Friday night update (Oct 16): Missouri trended up: QB Austin Simmons is off the report, LB Jeremiah Beasley and TE Brett Norfleet moved from doubtful to questionable, and LB Robert Woodyard Jr. and DT Sterling Webb are probable, while RB Ahmad Hardy is still out. Ole Miss S MJ Preston slipped back to questionable (The Rebel Walk, Oct 16). DraftKings still has Ole Miss -5.5, total 58.5 (NBC Sports, Oct 16). No pick change.

    Arkansas (2-4, 0-3) at Vanderbilt (3-3, 0-3)

    6 p.m. CT, ESPN2 | Vanderbilt -6, O/U 50.5 (consensus; totals 49.5 to 50.5, Oct 15)

    Two teams winless in the SEC, both looking at the schedule like a man looking at his credit card statement. Neither defense is any good (Arkansas ranks 95th and Vanderbilt 82nd in our ratings), but Vandy has the better offense, home field, and Junior Sherrill and Sedrick Alexander against an Arkansas team that has scored 7 and 17 in its last two. Commodores by about a touchdown, and it’s a cellar scrap, so keep the antacids handy.

    Pick: Vanderbilt | ATS: Vanderbilt -6 | O/U: No lean | Projected Score: Vanderbilt 28, Arkansas 20 | Gumbo Confidence: 🌶🌶 (2/5)

    Roster check: Arkansas depth chart unchanged; KJ Jackson starts; C Caden Kitler is playing through a foot injury (Hogs on SI, Oct 12). Vandy backup QB Blaze Berlowitz is out after surgery; Jared Curtis expected to play (SI). Spread moved from -6.5 to -6. Wednesday night update (Oct 14): first SEC availability report lists Vandy QB Blaze Berlowitz and six others OUT; Arkansas lists DB Braydon Lee and TE Maddox Lassiter OUT and OL Josiah Clemons doubtful (Hawg Beat/On3, Oct 14). Thursday update (Oct 15): consensus Vanderbilt -6 (FanDuel -5.5), total 49.5 to 50.5. Jared Curtis is back at QB for Vandy (second game since a knee bruise) with Blaze Berlowitz out for about a month; Arkansas C Caden Kitler is available, Antonio Jordan is probable, Gavin Garretson and Josiah Clemons are doubtful and Braydon Lee is out (KJ Jackson starts). Official pick: Vanderbilt 28, Arkansas 20; thin lean on Vanderbilt -6 and no lean on the total (48 projected vs 50).

    Kentucky (5-1, 3-1) at Oklahoma (3-2, 1-1)

    6:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network | Oklahoma -6.5, O/U 43.5 (DraftKings -6.5 via CFBD, Oct 15; -7 at DraftKings Oct 14)

    Kentucky keeps winning one-score games like a man who hit once at the Coushatta and now thinks he’s a genius, and that +7 turnover margin tends to regress. Oklahoma has the #8 defense in our ratings, comes off its biggest win of the year and gets a Norman crowd. The Sooner offense is the limiting factor, so expect a rock fight: Oklahoma by a touchdown, with the total staying low.

    Pick: Oklahoma | ATS: No lean | O/U: Under | Projected Score: Oklahoma 24, Kentucky 17 | Gumbo Confidence: 🌶🌶🌶 (3/5)

    Roster check: John Mateer starts for OU but the offense ranks last in the SEC in total offense (CBS Sports); no reported injuries for either team (TeamRankings). Monday night update: DraftKings moved from OU -6.5 to -7 (ESPN odds feed via sportsanalysis.info). Wednesday night update (Oct 14): first SEC availability report lists Kentucky RB CJ Baxter questionable and WR Nic Anderson probable; Oklahoma has WR Trell Harris out and OL Michael Fasusi, G Eddy Pierre-Louis and CB Eli Bowen questionable (KSR/On3, Oct 14). DraftKings has Oklahoma -7 (Oct 14) and -6.5 (Oct 15 CFBD pull); total 43.5, moneyline OU -258 / UK +210. Thursday update (Oct 15): Kentucky WR Nic Anderson is probable, RB CJ Baxter and LB Alex Afari are questionable, DE Tyler Thomas is doubtful and four are out; Oklahoma OL Michael Fasusi and CB Eli Bowen are questionable, and RB Xavier Robinson and WR Trell Harris are out. Official pick: Oklahoma 24, Kentucky 17; no spread lean (projected margin of 7 matches the line) and a lean Under 43.5 (41 projected). Friday night update (Oct 16): Oklahoma ruled out CB Eli Bowen and WR Trell Harris, and LT Michael Fasusi was downgraded to doubtful along with guards Eddy Pierre-Louis and Heath Ozaeta; Kentucky RB CJ Baxter is questionable (On3/KSR, Oct 16). The line is holding at Oklahoma -6.5, total 43.5 (LineSteam, Oct 16). No pick change; those Sooner injuries are a big reason we still have no lean on the spread.

    Cajun Commentary: If State covers in Baton Rouge, I’m buying the boudin. If they don’t, I never wrote this, and you can’t prove I own a cowbell.

    Picks Summary

    GameLineO/UPick SUPick ATSPick O/UProjected Score
    Florida at TexasTexas -11.551.5TexasTexas -11.5No leanTexas 34, Florida 17
    Mississippi State at LSULSU -15.556.5LSUNo lean now (Thu MSU +14.5 voided; Taylor out)Under now (Thu Over voided; Taylor out)LSU 33, Mississippi State 17 (updated Fri night projection)
    The Citadel at Texas A&MTexas A&M -45.556.5Texas A&MThe Citadel +45.5UnderTexas A&M 44, The Citadel 9
    Alabama at TennesseeAlabama -7.550.5AlabamaAlabama -7.5UnderAlabama 27, Tennessee 19
    Auburn at GeorgiaGeorgia -19.549.5GeorgiaAuburn +19.5 or betterUnderGeorgia 34, Auburn 13
    Missouri at Ole MissOle Miss -5.558.5Missouri (Upset Special)Missouri +5.5UnderMissouri 29, Ole Miss 27
    Arkansas at VanderbiltVanderbilt -650.5VanderbiltVanderbilt -6No leanVanderbilt 28, Arkansas 20
    Kentucky at OklahomaOklahoma -6.543.5OklahomaNo leanUnderOklahoma 24, Kentucky 17

    Picks can change with news. Picks lock at kickoff, but you can still enter right up until game time. Lines are for entertainment. Gamble responsibly, and never bet the gumbo money.

  • Red River Roux-ined: Georgia Grabs the Crown, Texas Gets Boiled Alive, and Kentucky Bets the Whole Camp on Two

    Red River Roux-ined: Georgia Grabs the Crown, Texas Gets Boiled Alive, and Kentucky Bets the Whole Camp on Two

    Kentucky wildcat stands over a flattened LSU tiger after another overtime gamble pays off

    Gridiron Gumbo | SEC Week 6 Recap: games of Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026 | Posted Monday, Oct. 12, 2026

    By T-Rohn, reporting from Southwest Louisiana, where the roux is dark and the takes are darker

    Before We Stir the Pot: A Disclosure

    Full transparency, cher: I bleed maroon, and I own more cowbells than any grown man should. Mississippi State is my team. My mawmaw used to say, “Baby, don’t give your heart to a team that breaks it every October. Give it to a good pot of gumbo, it won’t go 6-6 on you.” I didn’t listen to her then, and I’m not listening now.

    But in this kitchen, every team goes in the same pot, and every team gets boiled at the same temperature. If anything, State gets the hottest water, because I’ve watched enough Starkville Octobers to know that hope is a seasoning you add one pinch at a time, and only after you taste.

    Now. What a Saturday. The No. 1 team in the country lost on the final play. The No. 2 team went into Tuscaloosa and broke a curse older than most of its roster. Kentucky won another overtime game with the same two-point bet, like a man who hit at the Coushatta casino and now thinks he’s a genius. LSU lost on the road again. And Florida got booed at its own homecoming, which is like getting heckled at your own crawfish boil.

    Cajun Commentary: This was the weekend the SEC tossed the whole sack of mudbugs on the table. Nine teams are still in the AP Top 25, so the league is deep, but only one team, Georgia, is still clean in conference play. Everybody else has seasoning on their shirt.

    There were seven SEC-vs-SEC games, no SEC games Thursday or Friday, and two teams on a bye (Auburn and Mississippi State). By Sunday the SEC had nine teams in the AP Top 25, with Georgia on the throne at No. 1.

    Grab a bowl and a sleeve of saltines. Here’s the whole league.

    The Weekend at a Glance

    • No. 2 Georgia 20, No. 6 Alabama 17 (Tuscaloosa)
    • Oklahoma 27, No. 1 Texas 24 (Dallas, Red River Rivalry)
    • No. 9 Ole Miss 52, Vanderbilt 17 (Nashville)
    • Kentucky 35, No. 10 LSU 34, OT (Lexington)
    • No. 14 Missouri 27, Texas A&M 6 (Columbia, Mo.)
    • No. 15 Tennessee 24, Arkansas 17 (Fayetteville)
    • South Carolina 38, No. 16 Florida 19 (Gainesville)
    • Bye: Auburn, Mississippi State

    Rankings shown are the AP rankings going into the game.

    GEORGIA BULLDOGS: The Curse Is Dead, Pass the Potato Salad

    No. 2 Georgia 20, No. 6 Alabama 17 | Georgia now 6-0 (4-0 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 1

    Cajun roast: Georgia hadn’t won in Tuscaloosa since 2007, which is the last time half of y’all’s uncles had a working flip phone and a full head of hair.

    Two offenses came in ranked No. 1 and No. 2 nationally in scoring: Georgia at 51.4 points per game, Alabama at 49.6. They combined for 37 points. Funny how a real defense will turn a fireworks show into a church potluck. Georgia outgained Alabama 455-346 and won it in the last 10 minutes. Starting at its own 11 with 10:44 to play, Georgia drove 84 yards and took the lead on Peyton Woodring’s 23-yard field goal with 5:25 left. The defense then sacked Keelon Russell to force a punt. The offense iced it with a 17-yard completion to tight end Elyiss Williams on third-and-7, plus a 15-yard Alabama personal foul that was basically a gift basket.

    Gunner Stockton was surgical: 18 of 22 for 249 yards and a touchdown, plus a 14-yard rushing TD to open the second half. His one blemish was an interception by Bray Hubbard that helped Alabama take a 14-10 halftime lead, the first time Georgia had trailed all season. Dwight Phillips Jr. ran 17 times for a career-high 120 yards. The defense set the tone on the very first drive when Joseph Jonah-Ajonye strip-sacked Russell. Turnovers ended one apiece.

    The big picture: Kirby Smart has now beaten Kalen DeBoer’s Tide twice in a row, counting last season’s SEC title game. Georgia took 66 of 70 first-place votes. Smart called it “a great college football game, great atmosphere,” which is easy to say when you win in that building for the first time in 19 years.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Georgia is the best team in America, and it isn’t especially close in the SEC. You beat Bama in Tuscaloosa in a slugfest, and you don’t get points for style, you get the crown. Everybody else is fighting over the leftover rice.

    Gumbo Grade: A. It wasn’t pretty, and Woodring missed a 39-yarder, his first miss of the year. But they won on the road over a top-six team with No. 1 on the line. That’s a dark roux, slow-cooked and done right, cher.

    Georgia bulldog lounges on the porch while the Alabama elephant ices its head

    ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE: Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

    No. 2 Georgia 20, No. 6 Alabama 17 | Alabama now 5-1 (3-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 6

    Cajun roast: Bama’s offense came in averaging almost 50 a game and scored 17 at home. That’s like bringing a 60-quart crawfish pot to the party and serving one sad shrimp.

    Keelon Russell came in riding high off a 56-23 beatdown of Mississippi State, and Georgia brought him back down to earth like a pirogue dropped off a trailer. Russell went 16 of 30 for 185 yards and a touchdown, a 22-yarder to tight end Marshall Pritchett. He also lost a fumble on the opening drive and took a late sack that ended Alabama’s last real threat. EJ Crowell’s 1-yard plunge on the final play of the first half put Bama up 14-10, and Conor Talty’s 39-yard field goal tied it in the third. After that, the scoreboard took a nap.

    Here’s the honest version. Alabama got outgained by more than 100 yards at home. Then, with the game on the line, it committed a 15-yard personal foul that handed Georgia the first down it needed to run out the clock. You don’t get to complain about the ending when you wrote the last chapter yourself.

    The good news is the voters barely moved them (still No. 6), and one loss to the No. 1 team won’t sink anyone in a 12-team playoff. The bad news is next week is a trip to Knoxville, where the checkerboard end zones are already sharpening their knives.

    Gumbo Grade: B-. They competed and kept it to one score, but they lost the fourth quarter at home. It was a good gumbo with too much salt at the end.

    OKLAHOMA SOONERS: Golden Hat, Golden Leg, Rusty Offense

    Oklahoma 27, No. 1 Texas 24 | Oklahoma now 3-2 (1-1 SEC) | Unranked

    Cajun roast: Oklahoma gained 238 yards and beat the No. 1 team in the country, which is the football version of winning the Mardi Gras costume contest wearing a trash bag and one feather boa.

    Let’s be honest about how this happened, because the offense was mostly a swamp-tour boat with a dead motor. The Sooners gained 238 total yards and converted 2 of 13 third downs. John Mateer finished 18 of 26 for 155 yards with no touchdowns and minus-6 rushing yards. So how do you beat No. 1 with that? You score in all three phases. D. Fields recovered a blocked punt in the end zone. Peyton Bowen took an Arch Manning interception 42 yards for a pick-six to make it 24-17. Then Courtland Guillory picked off Manning with 19 seconds left. Mateer threw tight-window strikes of 13 and 20 yards to Isaiah Sategna III, and Tate Sandell drilled a 47-yarder as time expired. Sandell had also made a 53-yarder earlier. The fifth-year kicker has a leg like a gator tail.

    Give OU credit for the guts. With the game tied, the Sooners could have played for overtime. Instead they turned Mateer loose, after a stretch with six turnovers in three games, and he delivered. It was Oklahoma’s first win over a No. 1 team since the 2007 Big 12 title game. Per the game recaps, it was also the first time Oklahoma had ever beaten a No. 1 opponent while unranked.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take, and somebody has to say it: this win is better for the T-shirt cannon than for the résumé. OU had zero turnovers and turned Texas’ two into 10 points. That formula travels. A 238-yard offense does not. Kentucky is coming to Norman to find out which one shows up.

    Gumbo Grade: A-. It’s the win of the season so far, but you can’t hand out an A+ to an offense that played like it was stuck in the mud at camp. Special teams and defense were the whole roux.

    Texas longhorn flat on his back as Oklahoma's walk-off field goal sails through the uprights

    TEXAS LONGHORNS: Most Expensive Roster in America, Cheapest Mistakes in Dallas

    Oklahoma 27, No. 1 Texas 24 | Texas now 4-1 (1-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 7

    Cajun roast: Texas outgained Oklahoma by 144 yards and still lost. That’s like catching the most crawfish at the boil and then dropping the whole tray in the bayou on the walk to the table.

    Arch Manning’s box score looks fine: 19 of 31, 260 yards, three touchdowns. They went to Cam Coleman (41 yards), Ryan Wingo (34), and freshman Jermaine Bishop Jr. (15, his first career TD). Coleman had 5 catches for 110 yards. The defense was legitimately good too. Colin Simmons had three tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble, and Rasheem Biles made a game-high 12 tackles.

    But this night was sunk by two fourth-quarter interceptions (one went for six, the other set up the walk-off), a blocked punt for a touchdown, and eight penalties for 61 yards, including defensive flags that helped Oklahoma’s sputtering offense score its only TD. Texas went 3 of 14 on third down. CBS Sports nailed it: what cost Texas were the things that “don’t require an ounce of talent.” Ouch. Accurate, but ouch.

    Cajun Commentary: Texas isn’t a fraud. The talent is real, and they’re still No. 7. But “No. 1 with uneven play,” which is how AP described the previous two weeks, was always a crawfish living on borrowed time. Somebody was going to boil it, and Oklahoma did.

    Texas dropped six spots, but one rivalry loss is survivable for a playoff team. Sloppiness on repeat is not. Next week we find out how they respond.

    Gumbo Grade: D+. There’s a ton of talent, but the discipline was a dumpster fire, and No. 1 teams don’t lose to 238-yard offenses. The “+” is for Coleman and the pass rush.

    KENTUCKY WILDCATS: Will Stein Has Two-Point Fever, and the Only Prescription Is More Two-Point Conversions

    Kentucky 35, No. 10 LSU 34 (OT) | Kentucky now 5-1 (3-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 15

    Cajun roast: Kentucky’s kicker missed from 26 yards in the fourth quarter, a distance my mawmaw could cover in house shoes while carrying a pot of jambalaya.

    It was the same score, the same overtime, and the same gamble as last week at South Carolina. LSU scored first in OT on Sam Leavitt’s 15-yard run, CJ Baxter answered with a 1-yard TD, and Kentucky went for the win again. They lined up five receivers to spread the field, then ran a Kenny Minchey QB draw for the game-winning two. NBC Sports called it exactly the right math, and we agree: if you’re going for two eventually anyway, use your best play to win it, not tie it.

    Minchey was 23 of 36 for 246 yards with no interceptions, and 206 of those yards came in the second half. Baxter ran 19 times for 123 yards and two TDs, including a 77-yard run on the very first snap. Brock Coffman returned a punt 55 yards for a score. Freshman Kenny Darby, who originally committed to LSU (somebody check on Baton Rouge), had 4 catches for 79 yards, including the 22-yard catch in overtime that set up the winner. Kentucky had zero turnovers, and Jamarrion Harkless forced a fumble with a late strip-sack.

    Now the roast, because nobody leaves this kitchen clean. Adam Zouagui missed from 42 and then from 26 in the final five minutes before making the 33-yarder with 12 seconds left to force OT. Kentucky was also outgained 410-401. Still, Kentucky has won four straight, jumped to No. 15, and at 3-1 is tied for second in the SEC. Stein afterward: “I’m in shock.” So are we, coach. So are we.

    Cajun Commentary: Is Kentucky good or lucky? Yes. Two one-point overtime wins in a row with zero turnovers isn’t a fluke, it’s a formula. But you can only live on the coin flip so long before it bites you, like leaving the screen door open in August.

    Gumbo Grade: A-. That’s two ranked wins in two weeks with a clean turnover sheet. Half a grade comes off for the kicking adventure that almost burned down the camp.

    LSU TIGERS: 407 Days and Counting

    Kentucky 35, No. 10 LSU 34 (OT) | LSU now 4-2 (1-2 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 22

    Cajun roast: LSU hasn’t won a road game in 407 days. I’ve seen mosquitoes with better travel records, and they only live about two weeks.

    Down here in Acadiana we love our Tigers, so this hurts like stepping on a crawfish shell barefoot. Per Sports Illustrated’s LSU site, the Tigers haven’t won a road game in 407 days and are 0-2 on the road this season. They had this one. Jackson Harris was the star. He caught a 10-yard TD from Leavitt, then threw a 41-yard TD pass to Roman Mothershed on a trick play to take a 27-24 lead with 9:42 left. Leavitt went 25 of 34 for 275 yards and two TDs, and LSU outgained Kentucky with 26 first downs to 19.

    Then the boudin wagon lost a wheel. Leavitt threw an interception on the first drive of the second half and lost a fumble on a strip-sack late. Kentucky’s kicker missed twice and LSU still couldn’t close it out: the Wildcats drove 67 yards from their own 19 with 1:37 left to force overtime. LSU also had seven accepted penalties, five of them before the snap: two false starts, an illegal formation, an illegal shift, and a delay of game. That’s not football, cher, that’s a Mardi Gras parade float stalling out on St. Charles.

    Lane Kiffin said he warned defensive coordinator Blake Baker that Kentucky would go for two “just like the week before,” and that Baker had better “have the best two-point call ready.” Minchey then walked in essentially untouched. Coach called the shot, and the defense forgot to show up.

    Cajun Commentary: LSU’s problem isn’t talent, it’s a team that keeps beating itself before the snap. Five pre-snap penalties in a one-point road loss is a coaching problem, plain and simple. The Tigers dropped from No. 10 to No. 22, and they don’t get any slack for being the home-state team in this kitchen.

    Gumbo Grade: D. They piled up yards and still lost to a team whose kicker missed from 26. They blew another fourth-quarter road lead, and the self-inflicted wounds keep coming. Mississippi State comes to Tiger Stadium next. (I have a horse in that race. Stay tuned.)

    MISSOURI TIGERS: Jamal Roberts Is Running Through the SEC Like Hot Sauce Through a Paper Plate

    No. 14 Missouri 27, Texas A&M 6 | Missouri now 5-1 (2-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 13

    Cajun roast: Missouri ran the ball so many times in a row that A&M’s defensive line should file for worker’s comp.

    This was a whoopin’. Jamal Roberts ran 34 times for a career-high 222 yards and two TDs, his second straight 200-yard game after putting 211 on then-No. 8 Florida the week before. He gained 157 of his yards after halftime, and his 54-yard touchdown with 2:49 left ended any hope. Missouri closed the third quarter with a 12-play drive, all runs, that took the final 6:51 off the clock. That’s old-school, smoke-the-boudin-low-and-slow football.

    The defense was just as nasty. Missouri held A&M to 216 total yards and just 29 rushing, sacked Marcel Reed three times, hurried him 13 times, and picked him off twice (Trajen Greco and Elijah Dotson). Blake Craig added a pair of 50-plus-yard field goals. The one knock is the passing game. Austin Simmons went 14 of 28 for 147 yards with a TD and an INT, and Cayden Lee (7 catches, 94 yards, TD) drew 13 of the team’s 27 targets. If somebody ever puts eight in the box and slows Roberts down, Mizzou needs a Plan B.

    Missouri climbed to No. 13 after back-to-back SEC wins, including then-No. 8 Florida, and takes its show to Oxford next.

    Gumbo Grade: A. They ran it, stopped the run, and won the turnover battle. The passing game is the only thing keeping it from an A+. It’s still a bowl you’d go back for seconds on.

    TEXAS A&M AGGIES: Six Points. Six. Somebody Check on the Offense, It Might Be Missing.

    No. 14 Missouri 27, Texas A&M 6 | Texas A&M now 3-3 (1-3 SEC) | Unranked

    Cajun roast: A&M’s offense couldn’t find the end zone with a swamp-tour guide, a GPS, and a flashlight.

    David Olano got a workout, at least. He made field goals of 53 and 27 yards, and that was the entire offense. Marcel Reed went 19 of 39 for 187 yards with two interceptions and lost 18 yards on seven carries. According to Missouri, 133 of those passing yards came in desperation mode in the fourth quarter. The team ran for 29 yards, which is roughly the length of a decent cast net throw. TK Norman (3 catches, a career-best 55 yards) was one of the few bright spots.

    To be fair, the A&M defense held up for a half, and it was only 10-3 at the break. Then Roberts ran the Aggies into the ground like a Sunday afternoon at camp. That’s three losses in four games, and per ESPN/AP it’s Mike Elko’s first loss in nine October games at A&M. Credit to Reed for not ducking: “We can’t give up on the season just because we have three losses.” Fair. But maybe score a touchdown first, then give the speech.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: A&M is the most disappointing team in the SEC right now. No touchdowns, 29 rushing yards, and 1-3 in the league. The Aggies get The Citadel next, and if that one is close, the Kyle Field crowd might start a second-line parade straight out of the stadium.

    Gumbo Grade: F. No touchdowns, two turnovers, and 29 rushing yards. There was nothing in this pot worth tasting, so we threw it out for the gators.

    OLE MISS REBELS: Four Touchdowns in Nine Minutes, and Vandy Never Saw the Rest

    No. 9 Ole Miss 52, Vanderbilt 17 | Ole Miss now 4-1 (2-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 9

    Cajun roast: Ole Miss led 42-3 at halftime. Vandy fans were already headed to the parking lot faster than tourists fleeing a Bourbon Street puddle.

    Trinidad Chambliss went 20 of 30 for 213 yards, three TDs, and one interception, ran for a 10-yard score, and spent the fourth quarter on the bench. Ole Miss scored four touchdowns in a nine-minute stretch of the second quarter. The defense forced four turnovers and turned them into 24 points, including a fumble returned for a touchdown. Makhi Frazier led the ground game with 73 yards, Deuce Alexander had 5 catches for 74 yards and a 39-yard TD, and Shekai Mills-Knight added a 35-yard TD run. Per 247Sports, one of Chambliss’ TD passes went to defensive tackle Jamarious Brown. A big man scoring a touchdown is the best thing in football, cher, and we won’t be taking questions on that.

    Any catch? Sure. This was Vanderbilt handing out turnovers like Mardi Gras beads, and Chambliss did throw a pick. But it’s six straight wins over Vandy, and Ole Miss took care of business on the road without a hint of a hangover.

    The Rebels stayed at No. 9 and host Missouri next week in the best “who’s for real?” game on the slate.

    Gumbo Grade: A. The opponent was a mess, but Ole Miss cashed every mistake for points. That’s what good teams do.

    VANDERBILT COMMODORES: The Turnover Buffet Was Open All Afternoon

    No. 9 Ole Miss 52, Vanderbilt 17 | Vanderbilt now 3-3 (0-3 SEC) | Unranked

    Cajun roast: Vandy turned the ball over so many times, Ole Miss started charging it rent.

    Freshman Jared Curtis, the former No. 2 overall recruit, came back from an undisclosed injury (some reports called it a knee issue) that cost him the Georgia game. He threw for 222 yards and a 13-yard TD to Ja’Cory Thomas. He also had three turnovers, two of which turned into Ole Miss touchdowns. Then Evan Hampton fumbled a kickoff, and Ole Miss scored off that one too. Earlier, with the ball at the Ole Miss 2, an offensive lineman threw a punch. The penalty pushed Vandy back, and they had to kick a field goal. The local 247Sports site called the team “careless” and “rudderless,” and that’s coming from the home folks.

    Curtis’ arm is real, and Vandy will be better when he’s healthy. But a 42-3 halftime hole at home doesn’t happen by accident. Arkansas comes to Nashville next in what is officially a must-win for both teams.

    Cajun Commentary: If you throw a punch at the 2-yard line, you’re the guy at the crawfish boil who knocks over the pot right before it’s ready. Discipline wins in this league, and Vandy had none of it.

    Gumbo Grade: F. A 42-3 halftime deficit at home, four turnovers, and a punch at the goal line. The grade writes itself.

    TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS: The Backup Gets the Bag, and DeSean Bishop Gets the Glory

    No. 15 Tennessee 24, Arkansas 17 | Tennessee now 5-1 (2-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 14

    Cajun roast: Tennessee turned it over three times and still beat Arkansas, which tells you everything about how tough it is to lose to the Hogs right now.

    With freshman Faizon Brandon available for “emergency use only” because of a shoulder injury, sophomore George MacIntyre got his first career start. He went 18 of 29 for 247 yards with a TD and two interceptions, and he also lost a fumble. Three turnovers isn’t great, cher. But he completed five passes of 20-plus yards and threw for 105 in the fourth quarter. That included a 68-yard catch-and-run to DaSaahn Brame, who then punched it in himself from a yard out. Josh Heupel called it “a winning performance.” Let’s agree on the “winning” part and keep debating the “performance” part.

    The real hero was DeSean Bishop: 19 carries, 138 yards. With the game tied at 17 and Tennessee pinned inside its own 10, Bishop broke a career-long 59-yard run. Then he finished the drive with the go-ahead 8-yard TD with 1:57 left. The defense forced a three-and-out, and Arkansas punted with 1:36 left, down seven.

    It was Tennessee’s first win in Fayetteville since 2001, and Heupel’s 50th victory at UT. Now the quarterback question is the hottest topic in Knoxville, with No. 6 Alabama coming to Neyland.

    Gumbo Grade: B. A road SEC win with a backup QB is worth something. Three turnovers against a team on a 14-game SEC losing streak keeps it from being more.

    ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS: Fourteen Straight, but at Least It Was Close?

    No. 15 Tennessee 24, Arkansas 17 | Arkansas now 2-4 (0-3 SEC) | Unranked

    Cajun roast: Arkansas has lost 14 straight SEC games. My truck has fewer dents than that streak, and I live on a gravel road.

    Credit where it’s due. Arkansas forced three turnovers. It led 14-7 in the third quarter on Braylen Russell’s 9-yard TD run and a 4-yard TD catch by Jaden Platt, and it tied it at 17 with a 55-yard field goal in the fourth. Per AP, the Hogs played noticeably better than in their first two SEC games under coach Ryan Silverfield. KJ Jackson went 15 of 27 for 155 yards and a TD, and Cam Settles led a balanced 133-yard rushing attack with 50.

    But “better” still added up to the 14th straight SEC loss. With the game tied and Tennessee backed up inside its own 10, the defense gave up a 59-yard run. Then, down seven with 1:36 left, the Hogs went three-and-out and punted. You don’t end a streak that way, cher. You end it by grabbing the ball and the game.

    Gumbo Grade: C-. It was their best SEC effort of the year, and they won the turnover battle 3-0. They still lost at home. Moral victories don’t come with a side of potato salad.

    SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS: LaNorris Sellers Remembered Who He Is

    South Carolina gamecock crows over a belly-up Florida gator

    South Carolina 38, No. 16 Florida 19 | South Carolina now 3-3 (1-3 SEC) | Unranked

    Cajun roast: A week after blowing a 17-point lead to Kentucky, South Carolina went to Gainesville and finally finished a meal, and it ate the Gators’ homecoming cake too.

    LaNorris Sellers went 23 of 35 for 279 yards and four TDs with no interceptions, and he plunged in for a fifth score after nearly throwing a defender into the next zip code on a 3-yard run. His school called it his best performance in nearly two years. The TDs went to Nyck Harbor (4 catches, 83 yards), Mazeo Bennett Jr., Donovan Murph, and Lex Cyrus. Carolina went 10 of 16 on third down, which is how you turn a homecoming crowd into a library. On defense, Vicari Swain and Justin Okoronkwo had interceptions, and Dylan Stewart forced two fumbles, with Shawn Murphy recovering one. That’s three takeaways, and South Carolina didn’t turn it over once.

    The win snapped a three-game losing streak and an eight-game SEC losing streak. Is South Carolina “back”? Not at 1-3 in the league. But this roster has talent, and it gets a bye week to enjoy this one before Tennessee comes to Columbia.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: South Carolina is the most dangerous below-.500-in-conference team in America. When Sellers plays like this, they can beat anybody. The question is which Sellers shows up, the one from Gainesville or the one from the Kentucky meltdown.

    Gumbo Grade: A. It was a road upset of a ranked team, with five TDs from the QB, zero interceptions, and three takeaways. That’s as complete as gumbo gets.

    FLORIDA GATORS: Booed at Homecoming, and the Sumrall Honeymoon Hits a Gator Hole

    South Carolina 38, No. 16 Florida 19 | Florida now 4-2 (2-2 SEC) | Unranked (dropped out of the AP Top 25)

    Cajun roast: Florida got booed at its own homecoming. It’s the football version of mawmaw walking out of her own birthday party.

    Florida lost to Missouri last week, then this happened in front of the home folks. Aaron Philo went 21 of 28 for 227 yards with a TD and an INT, and per the box score Florida turned it over three times (two interceptions, one lost fumble). Bailey Stockton (8 catches, 127 yards, TD, including a 59-yard score on the opening series) was the best Gator on the field. Jadan Baugh scored his NCAA-leading 12th rushing touchdown but managed only 59 yards on 15 carries. The defense couldn’t get off the field on third down and couldn’t cover Sellers’ receivers.

    Pro Football Network reported fans booing Sumrall’s clock management late in the first half. Sumrall took the blame afterward: “It starts with me.” CBS named Florida one of the week’s biggest losers and said the loss took “the luster off the Jon Sumrall era.” That’s two straight losses, and the Gators fell out of the poll. Next up is a trip to Austin to face a Texas team that’s mad at the world. Good luck with that, cher.

    Gumbo Grade: F. A homecoming blowout at the hands of a team that hadn’t won an SEC game in eight tries? That’s an F, and we’re being polite because their mamas might be reading.

    AUBURN TIGERS: Bye Week, Then the Trip Nobody Wants

    BYE | Auburn 3-2 (1-2 SEC)

    Cajun roast: Auburn’s bye week was the best its offense has looked all month: no turnovers, no punts, and nobody got hurt.

    Auburn sat out after losing 24-14 at Tennessee on Oct. 3. It’s Year 1 under coach Alex Golesh, and the offense has been about as consistent as a Louisiana weather forecast. Dual-threat QB Byrum Brown is the Tigers’ leading passer and leading rusher, which tells you how much is riding on his shoulders.

    Next up: at No. 1 Georgia, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2:30 p.m. CT (ESPN). Georgia has won nine straight in the series, and Auburn hasn’t won in Athens since 2005. The extra week of prep helps, and Georgia is coming off an emotional night in Tuscaloosa, so this is a classic letdown spot. Do we believe it? About as much as we believe the “no-see-um” spray actually works.

    Gumbo Grade: INC. No game, no grade.

    MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS: The Cowbells Got a Week Off (Thank Goodness)

    BYE | Mississippi State 4-1 (2-1 SEC) | AP rank: No. 16

    Cajun roast: The last time State took the field, Alabama hung 56 on them at home. Honestly, the bye week was the Bulldogs’ best defensive performance of October. (I can say that. I own the cowbell.)

    Time to put my maroon goggles in the junk drawer. State is 4-1 with wins over South Carolina and Missouri. But the last time we saw them, they got flattened 56-23 by Alabama at home, the Tide’s 17th straight win in the series. QB Kamario Taylor came into that game as the SEC’s top Heisman candidate. Playing on a bad right leg/ankle, he was sacked five times, threw two picks, and lost a fumble, and those three turnovers led to 21 Alabama points. He left in the fourth quarter. RB Fluff Bothwell also left that game after one carry. Coach Jeff Lebby said there’d be no updates on Taylor until the SEC availability report after the bye. Translation: Taylor’s status for Saturday is unknown. Lebby said the bye “came at a great time.” Coach, that’s the understatement of the year.

    Next up: at No. 22 LSU, Saturday, Oct. 17, 11 a.m. CT (ESPN). Both teams need this one in the worst way. LSU has two SEC losses and hasn’t won on the road in over a year, but this one’s in Baton Rouge, and Death Valley is Death Valley even at an 11 a.m. kickoff. If Taylor is close to 100%, State has a puncher’s chance. If he isn’t, cowbell folks should lower expectations. I’ve been doing that since I was in diapers.

    Cajun Commentary: Self-aware hot take from the resident cowbell guy: State is ranked No. 16, but the 56-23 loss to Bama is the most recent thing anybody has seen, and it wasn’t pretty. Until Taylor proves he’s healthy, the Bulldogs are a “show me” team. Yes, it hurts to type that, cher.

    Gumbo Grade: INC. I didn’t have to grade them this week, and my blood pressure is grateful.

    Weekly Awards

    The Boudin Award (best performer): LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina. He had five total touchdowns (four passing, one rushing), 279 yards, and zero interceptions in a 19-point road win over a ranked team. Like good boudin, he was hot, packed with everything, and gone before anybody else got a taste. Honorable mentions: Jamal Roberts (34 carries, 222 yards, 2 TDs), DeSean Bishop (138 yards and the game-winner), and Gunner Stockton (18 of 22 in Tuscaloosa).

    The Mosquito Award (the team that sucked the life out of its fans): Florida. When a homecoming crowd is booing clock management before halftime, the life has officially been drained from the building. Honorable mentions: Texas A&M (six points, 29 rushing yards) and Vanderbilt (down 42-3 at halftime at home).

    The Roux Burner (biggest blown moment): LSU’s final defensive possession of regulation, and the two-point try after it. Kentucky’s kicker had just missed from 26 yards, and LSU had a three-point lead with 1:37 to play. The Tigers let Kentucky drive 67 yards for the tying field goal, then gave up a nearly untouched game-winning two-point run after the head coach warned his DC it was coming. That’s a burnt roux, cher, and there’s no saving it. You throw it out and start over. Honorable mention: Arch Manning’s interception with 19 seconds left, which set up the walk-off instead of a Texas field-goal try.

    The Ça C’est Bon Award (most fun moment): Tate Sandell’s 47-yard walk-off to beat No. 1 Texas. It came with no time left, in the Cotton Bowl, to win the Golden Hat. Laissez les bons temps rouler. Honorable mentions: LSU receiver Jackson Harris’ 41-yard trick-play TD pass, and defensive tackle Jamarious Brown catching a touchdown for Ole Miss (per 247Sports), because every big man deserves his parade.

    The Power Pot: SEC Power Rankings After Week 6

    Ranked by how good each team actually looks right now, not by brand name. Yes, the cowbell team is where it is on merit.

    1. Georgia (6-0, 4-0) – No. 1 in the nation, and it went through Tuscaloosa to get there. It’s the only team still unbeaten in SEC play, and it’s the head of the table.
    2. Alabama (5-1, 3-1) – Lost by three to the best team in the country. Still elite, with a dangerous trip to Knoxville next.
    3. Texas (4-1, 1-1) – The talent says top five. The mistakes say “get it together.” This ranking is a loan, and they have to pay it back.
    4. Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1) – Efficient, opportunistic, and nobody’s punching bag. Missouri will tell us if they’re for real.
    5. Missouri (5-1, 2-1) – Jamal Roberts has 433 rushing yards in two games, and the defense is mean as a cottonmouth.
    6. Tennessee (5-1, 2-1) – A gritty road win, with a quarterback question mark bigger than a Mardi Gras float.
    7. Kentucky (5-1, 3-1) – Two straight one-point overtime wins. Skill or luck? Both, plus no turnovers.
    8. Mississippi State (4-1, 2-1) – A decent résumé, but the last performance was a 33-point home loss. It all depends on Taylor’s leg. (I put them here myself. Fair is fair, even when it stings.)
    9. Oklahoma (3-2, 1-1) – The win of the year came with a 238-yard offense. Now do it again.
    10. LSU (4-2, 1-2) – Talented enough to be higher, but 0-2 on the road and stuck repeating the same mistakes.
    11. South Carolina (3-3, 1-3) – The best single-game performance of the weekend. Now make it a pattern.
    12. Florida (4-2, 2-2) – Two straight losses, homecoming boos, and a trip to Austin. Pray for ’em.
    13. Auburn (3-2, 1-2) – Rested up, still searching for an offense.
    14. Texas A&M (3-3, 1-3) – Three losses in four games, and no touchdowns in Columbia.
    15. Vanderbilt (3-3, 0-3) – Curtis’ arm gives them hope. The turnovers wipe it out.
    16. Arkansas (2-4, 0-3) – Fourteen straight SEC losses. They were close, but close doesn’t count unless you’re tossing horseshoes at the camp.

    Cajun Commentary: The SEC’s middle class, from Ole Miss at No. 4 to Kentucky at No. 7, is so tight you couldn’t slide a crawfish tail between them. Next week’s Missouri-Ole Miss and Alabama-Tennessee games are going to reshuffle the whole deck.

    Cajun Commentary: Hot take: the gap between No. 1 and No. 2 is bigger than the gap between No. 2 and No. 7. Georgia is the only team in this league that’s been clean all six weeks.

    Next Week on the Menu (Saturday, Oct. 17; all times CT)

    • Florida at No. 7 Texas, 11 a.m. (ABC). A wounded Gator walks into an angry Longhorn’s house. Texas is a 10-point favorite (per TeamRankings). If the Longhorns don’t win comfortably, the panic in Austin will be louder than a zydeco band at a church fair.
    • No. 16 Mississippi State at No. 22 LSU, 11 a.m. (ESPN). The cowbell game, and Kamario Taylor’s leg is the whole story. Whoever loses has a lot of explaining to do. Mawmaw will be watching from her recliner with the rosary out.
    • The Citadel at Texas A&M, noon (SEC Network+). A chance for the Aggies to score a touchdown. Please, for everybody’s sake.
    • No. 6 Alabama at No. 14 Tennessee, 2:30 p.m. (ABC). Third Saturday in October. Will Tennessee go with MacIntyre or Brandon? Can Bama bounce back on the road? Game of the week. Light the cigars, Knoxville, but only if you earn it.
    • Auburn at No. 1 Georgia, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN). The letdown-trap game. Georgia has won nine straight in the series.
    • No. 13 Missouri at No. 9 Ole Miss, 2:30 p.m. (SEC Network). Jamal Roberts vs. the Rebels’ takeaway machine. Our sleeper game of the week, and the hottest pot on the stove.
    • Arkansas at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m. (ESPN2). Both teams are 0-3 in the SEC, and somebody has to win. It’s a battle for the last crawfish on the tray.
    • No. 15 Kentucky at Oklahoma, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network). Two teams riding upset wins. If it goes to overtime, you already know Stein is going for two.
    • Bye: South Carolina (hosts Tennessee Oct. 24).

    Cajun Commentary: Alabama-Tennessee is the marquee game, but Missouri-Ole Miss decides who sits at the grown-folks’ table behind Georgia. Set your DVR, cher, and hide the remote from your in-laws.

    Cajun Commentary: Lock of the week from the cowbell guy: I’m not picking the State-LSU game. I’ve been burned by that one more times than a cheap roux pot.

    That’s the gumbo for this week, y’all. Laissez les bons temps rouler, keep your two-point play ready, and don’t forget the bug spray.

    Gridiron Gumbo: SEC football, seasoned in Southwest Louisiana.

    Sources

    Game results, stats, and rankings come from official school athletics sites (including the Florida Gators’ official box score for the South Carolina-Florida final), the AP, ESPN, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, 247Sports, TigerRag, Pro Football Network, Field Level Media/Reuters, FBSchedules, and TeamRankings, all accessed Oct. 12, 2026.

    Get ‘Picks & Peppers’ Every Thursday

    Every Thursday, before the boys start lying about their tailgate, the Gumbo shows up in your inbox: all the SEC picks straight up, against the spread and on the total, plus a hot take or two and enough cayenne to clear your sinuses. Free. No spam. You can unsubscribe whenever you want, no hard feelings, cher.

    One email a week. We pick the games honest, even when it hurts our own team.

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.