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Gridiron Gumbo

Tag: Oklahoma Sooners

  • Sooner or Later: Oklahoma Meets Its Last SEC Stranger

    Sooner or Later: Oklahoma Meets Its Last SEC Stranger

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Fourteen of 15 checked off. One left.

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

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

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

    The Strangers Aren’t Really Strangers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Familiarity Cuts Both Ways

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

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

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

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

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

    The Availability Report and the Quarterback Question

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

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

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

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

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

    The Cowbells and the Blackout

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

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

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

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

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

    The Odds Snapshot

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

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

    The Bottom Line

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

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

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

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

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

    Sources

    1. Oklahoma Athletics, Game 7 notes, OU at Mississippi State (records, first meeting, “lone SEC program,” Lebby, Selmon, Loadholt, Cooper bios, former OU players on MSU’s roster, second trip to Mississippi, road record, July 1, 2024 SEC entry, defensive rankings): https://soonersports.com/documents/download/2026/10/21/07_OUatMississippi_State.pdf ↩ Back to story
    2. Mississippi State Athletics, game notes vs. Oklahoma (first meeting, 2028 return game, blackout, Lebby bio, staff list incl. Johns and Schafer, roster, Ragins, Dolby and Dent, Taylor stats, offensive rankings, cowbell history): https://static.hailstate.com/custompages/pdf/fb/2026/26FB_1024_OU_Notes.pdf ↩ Back to story
    3. Field Level Media (via CBS Sports), “Oklahoma, Mississippi State face QB questions in first-ever meeting,” Oct. 21, 2026 (Lebby “day-to-day” quote; Taylor missed LSU; first-ever meeting): https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/oklahoma-mississippi-state-face-qb-questions-in-first-ever-meeting/ ↩ Back to story
    4. Mississippi State Athletics, football history vs. Texas (Sept. 28, 2024, and Oct. 25, 2025, meetings): https://hailstate.com/sports/football/opponent-history/texas/145 ↩ Back to story
    5. Texas Athletics, 2026 football schedule (Mississippi State at Texas, Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m. CT): https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/schedule/2026 ↩ Back to story
    6. Mississippi State Athletics, 2026 football schedule (at Texas, Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m.): https://hailstate.com/sports/football/schedule/2026 ↩ Back to story
    7. Jake McMahon, The Commercial Dispatch (Columbus, Miss.), “‘A ton of familiarity’: Lebby, MSU football have strong ties to Oklahoma,” Oct. 21, 2026: https://cdispatch.com/sports/a-ton-of-familiarity-lebby-msu-football-have-strong-ties-to-oklahoma/ ↩ Back to story
    8. Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Network, “Oklahoma hasn’t figured out offense since Jeff Lebby left. Now, they face off,” Oct. 24, 2026 (Stoops quotes via the Clarion Ledger; Schafer walk-on detail; OU’s 2023 offensive ranks; readable syndicated copy at Yahoo Sports): https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/oklahoma-hasnt-figured-offense-since-100200727.html (original: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2026/10/24/oklahoma-mississippi-state-jeff-lebby-offensive-coordinator/92363696007/) ↩ Back to story
    9. Colin Damms, On3 / Maroon and White Football, “Points of Focus: Mississippi State HC Jeff Lebby speaks on Oklahoma matchup,” Oct. 19, 2026 (Lebby quotes): https://www.on3.com/teams/mississippi-state-bulldogs/news/points-of-focus-mississippi-state-hc-jeff-lebby/ ↩ Back to story
    10. Clarion Ledger (USA TODAY Network), “How Bob Stoops knew Jeff Lebby could coach, even as an Oklahoma freshman,” Oct. 21, 2026 (Stoops quotes; carried by the Hattiesburg American): https://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/sports/college/mississippi-state/2026/10/21/jeff-lebby-mississippi-state-oklahoma-bob-stoops/92281866007/ ↩ Back to story
    11. Oklahoma Athletics, “Venables Announces Offensive Coordinator Change,” Oct. 20, 2024 (Johns elevation): https://soonersports.com/news/2024/10/20/football-venables-announces-offensive-coordinator-change ↩ Back to story
    12. Mississippi State Athletics, “Mississippi State Strengthens Offensive Staff With Addition Of Kevin Johns,” Dec. 28, 2025: https://hailstate.com/news/2025/12/28/football-mississippi-state-strengthens-offensive-staff-with-addition-of-kevin-johns ↩ Back to story
    13. Tom Green, 247Sports, “What Oklahoma expects from Jeff Lebby’s Mississippi State offense…,” Oct. 2026 (Bates quote; TruMedia tempo figures): https://247sports.com/college/mississippi-state/article/what-oklahoma-expects-from-jeff-lebby-miss-state-offense-291567601/ ↩ Back to story
    14. Ryan Chapman, Sports Illustrated (OU), “Oklahoma ‘Ready’ for Showdown With Former Offensive Coordinator Jeff Lebby,” Oct. 2026 (Bates quote): https://www.si.com/college/oklahoma/football/oklahoma-ready-for-showdown-with-former-offensive-coordinator-jeff-lebby-01m5gspktgfq ↩ Back to story
    15. SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report, football, “Game Day Report” posted 1:00 p.m. CT Oct. 24, 2026, read 1:05 p.m. CT Oct. 24, 2026 (Friday report posted 7:10 p.m. CT Oct. 23, 2026): https://www.secsports.com/fbreports ↩ Back to story
    16. On3 (Chris Low and Pete Nakos), “Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor expected to play against Oklahoma,” Oct. 23, 2026 (REPORTED): https://www.on3.com/news/mississippi-state-qb-kamario-taylor-expected-to-play-against-oklahoma/ ↩ Back to story
    17. Sports Illustrated, “SEC Announces Policies and Procedures for New Availability Report” (SEC policy text: players not on a report are regarded as available): https://www.si.com/college/oklahoma/football/sec-announces-policies-and-procedures-for-new-availability-report-01j6ytq381jt ↩ Back to story
    18. ESPN (Pete Thamel; Max Olson contributed), “Sources: Mississippi State eyes return for QB Taylor, RB Bothwell,” first posted 8:25 a.m. ET (7:25 a.m. CT) Oct. 24, 2026, last updated 11:48 a.m. ET (10:48 a.m. CT) (Taylor and Bothwell, REPORTED; Taylor’s 321.8 total-offense figure; Bothwell’s 403 rushing yards): https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/50265129/sources-mississippi-state-eyes-return-taylor-bothwell ↩ Back to story
    19. Mississippi State Athletics, “State Hosts Sooners On Saturday At Davis Wade Stadium,” Oct. 23, 2026 (kickoff, SEC Network, blackout, first meeting): https://hailstate.com/news/2026/10/23/football-state-hosts-sooners-on-saturday-at-davis-wade-stadium ↩ Back to story
    20. ESPN odds feed (DraftKings), Oklahoma at Mississippi State, checked 1:06 p.m. CT Oct. 24, 2026 (cross-checked against VegasInsider’s DraftKings column): https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401856730 ↩ Back to story
    21. Gridiron Gumbo, picks and betting disclaimer: https://gridirongumbo.com/picks-disclaimer/
    22. Maura Carey, Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports), “SEC Week 8: No. 7 Ole Miss heads to No. 19 Texas…,” Oct. 23, 2026 (Mississippi State dropped out of the rankings after its loss to LSU): https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sec-week-8-no-7-003338959.html
  • Empty Since 1950: One Win Puts Kentucky Alone Atop the SEC This Late

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

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

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

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

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

    Saturday night, somebody might finally get the key.

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

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

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

    The Last Tenant: Bear Bryant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The Oklahoma Rhyme

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

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

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

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

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

    The Doorman Is Vanderbilt, and He Has a Grudge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The Matchup That Probably Decides It

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

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

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

    The T-Rohn Take

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Sources

    1. Ryan Black, Louisville Courier Journal, “Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt football prediction, odds for Week 8 SEC game,” Oct. 23, 2026 (solo first place since 1950; standings scenario; interception and special-teams notes): https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2026/10/23/kentucky-vanderbilt-football-predictions-uk-vandy-picks-betting-odds/92149653007/ ↩ Back to story
    2. Southeastern Conference, Week 8 media release, Oct. 19, 2026 (standings, schedule, TV, series record): https://rolltide.com/documents/download/2026/10/19/SEC_Week_8_Release__2026_.pdf ↩ Back to story
    3. Lexington Herald-Leader, “How Kentucky’s 1976 football team became SEC champions in 1978”: https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-football/article109488107.html ↩ Back to story
    4. NCAA infractions report, “University of Kentucky placed on probation” (1976): https://web3.ncaa.org/lsdbi/search/miCaseView/report?id=102004 ↩ Back to story
    5. SECFOOTBALL.CO, “SEC 1977 Season: Standings & Champion” (Alabama 7-0, Kentucky 6-0): https://secfootball.co/history/season/1977 ↩ Back to story
    6. UK Athletics, “Will Stein Selected to Bear Bryant National Coach of the Year Award Watch List,” Oct. 21, 2026 (Stein’s 6-1 and 4-1 firsts; 1950 season; Sagarin; overtime wins): https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/10/21/will-stein-selected-to-bear-bryant-national-coach-of-the-year-award-watch-list/ ↩ Back to story
    7. Allstate Sugar Bowl, “17th Annual Sugar Bowl Classic ~ January 1, 1951”: https://allstatesugarbowl.org/sports/2022/4/15/17th-annual-sugar-bowl-classic-january-1-1951.aspx ↩ Back to story
    8. National Football Foundation, College Football Hall of Fame, Babe Parilli: https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1783 ↩ Back to story
    9. Allstate Sugar Bowl, “How Kentucky and Oklahoma Met in the 1951 Sugar Bowl”: https://allstatesugarbowl.org/sports/2022/4/15/how-kentucky-and-oklahoma-met-in-the-1951-sugar-bowl.aspx ↩ Back to story
    10. UK Athletics, “1951 Sugar Bowl”: https://ukathletics.com/news/2002/07/18/55ae9c83e4b02cd67304f046-131468125892300672/ ↩ Back to story
    11. Ed Ashford, Lexington Herald, 1951 Sugar Bowl game story, republished with light editing by the Lexington Herald-Leader as “Kentucky time machine: Cats took down a juggernaut in 1951 Sugar Bowl” (May 24, 2020): https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-football/article241951656.html ↩ Back to story
    12. Tennessee State Museum, “SEC: The Creation and Expansion of the Southeastern Conference,” Aug. 23, 2021 (founding December 1932; Tulane left in 1966): https://tnmuseum.org/Stories/posts/sec-the-creation-and-expansion-of-the-southeastern-conference ↩ Back to story
    13. NCAA, “Past Division I-A Football National Champions” (archived; 1950 Kentucky: Sagarin): https://web.archive.org/web/20080112203239/http://www.ncaa.org/champadmin/ia_football_past_champs.html ↩ Back to story
    14. Associated Press, “No. 15 Kentucky rallies to beat Oklahoma 21-13 and move into a tie for the SEC lead,” Oct. 17, 2026 (as carried by ESPN): https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401856722/kentucky-oklahoma ↩ Back to story
    15. ESPN, Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 13 team stats (Oct. 17, 2026): https://www.espn.com/college-football/matchup/_/gameId/401856722 ↩ Back to story
    16. Vanderbilt Athletics, “VUFB Game Week – Kentucky,” Oct. 20, 2026 (recent series results, kickoff, Sherrill streak): https://vucommodores.com/news/2026/10/20/vufb-game-week-kentucky-2026 ↩ Back to story
    17. Tyler Thompson, On3 (KSR), “Clark Lea believes Vanderbilt can beat Kentucky if the Commodores stop beating themselves,” Oct. 22, 2026: https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/news/clark-lea-kentucky-vanderbilt-turnovers-penalties/ ↩ Back to story
    18. SharpData OS, VAN @ UK odds board (DraftKings and FanDuel lines, checked 8:15 a.m. CT Oct. 23, 2026): https://www.sharpdataos.com/cfb/games/2026-w8-vanderbilt-commodores-at-kentucky-wildcats ↩ Back to story
    19. SEC, student-athlete availability report policy (football updates Wednesday-Friday by 7 p.m. CT; game-day update 90 minutes before kickoff), https://www.secsports.com/news/2024/08/sec-to-provide-public-availability-reports-for-football-basketball-and-baseball; reports: https://www.secsports.com/fbreports ↩ Back to story
    20. Lexington Herald-Leader, “Where Kentucky is ranked in Oct. 18 Associated Press top 25,” Oct. 18, 2026: https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-football/article317673338.html
  • The Reunion Nobody Scheduled a Family Dinner For: Oklahoma Comes to Starkville for the First Time Ever

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

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

    Saturday Injury Update (Oct. 24)

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

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

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

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

    First, Last Week’s Receipts

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

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

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

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

    Wednesday Night Update (Oct. 21)

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The Setup

    Now comes a game that has literally never happened.

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

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

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

    Oklahoma’s Case — Give the Devil His Due

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

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

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

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

    State’s Case — And the Elephant in the Infirmary

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

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

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

    Two things State does have going for it:

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

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

    The Matchup That Decides It

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

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

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

    The Straight Prediction

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

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

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

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

    Lagniappe

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

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

    — T-Rohn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The recipe is 27-24.

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

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

    The Recipe Card

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Then Auburn scored 24 straight points.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Same Saturday. Same score. Same poor Longhorns.

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

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

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

    Then Florida scored 24 unanswered points.

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

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

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

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

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

    The Secret Ingredient: Nobody Flinched

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

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

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

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

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

    Dear Longhorns: We Need to Talk About 27-24

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Lagniappe: The Recipe Doesn’t Travel

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

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

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

    Who’s Next to Get Served

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

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

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

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

    Laissez les bons temps rouler, y’all.

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

    Sources

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

  • Oklahoma: Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year | Semifinalist » David Stone

    Oklahoma: Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year | Semifinalist » David Stone

    CONFIRMEDTip of the cap: Oklahoma Football (official) posted: “Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year | Semifinalist » David Stone”

    Source: Oklahoma Football (official) · 10/21 12:54 PM CT

  • 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.

  • Gumbo’s Picks: SEC Week 8 (Sat. Oct. 24)

    Gumbo’s Picks: SEC Week 8 (Sat. Oct. 24)

    Updated Sat Oct 24, 2026, 6:16 a.m. CT: Agreed by The Gambler and JR Handicapper (Rohn approved via Chief of Staff, Sat Oct 24, 6:11 a.m. CT); posted here Sat Oct 24, 6:16 a.m. CT. Tennessee/South Carolina: our straight-up pick is now South Carolina 26-25 (was Tennessee 28-25); still no play on the spread or the total. Everything else in this post is unchanged by this note.

    Updated Sat Oct 24, 2026, 5:52 a.m. CT: Agreed by The Gambler and JR Handicapper Fri Oct 23 evening; posted here Sat Oct 24, 5:52 a.m. CT. Oklahoma/Mississippi State score moved to Oklahoma 25-22 (still a pass on the side and total); Ole Miss/Texas is now a pass on both the side and the total (Texas 29-25 unchanged); LSU/Auburn stays LSU 29-21, lean Under 51.5 (DraftKings); Texas A&M/Alabama stays Alabama 32-19, pass. Details in each game below. Older updates follow.

    Updated Oct 22, 2026 (Thu.), 8:39 p.m. CT: DraftKings lines refreshed for every game (as of 8:12 p.m. CT Oct. 22); Oklahoma/Mississippi State is now a pass on both the spread and the total, Vanderbilt/Kentucky stays No Play, and Ole Miss/Texas is back to a slight lean Over 53.5 (DraftKings, 8:12 p.m. CT Oct. 22). Earlier (Oct 21): both of our Plays got knocked down to NO PLAY after new SP+ ratings came in, and Texas A&M/Alabama became a Pass. Details below.

    Ça c’est bon, y’all. T-Rohn done stirred the pot, tasted the roux, and here’s what’s simmerin’ for SEC Week 8, Saturday Oct. 24. Six SEC games, four teams on bye (Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri), and the weather looks dry and mild everywhere, so no weather adjustments. We posted two Plays, three Leans and one Pass; as of the Oct. 21 update, both Plays are downgraded to No Play and the A&M/Alabama lean is now a Pass, so as of the Oct. 24 update we’re at one Lean (LSU/Auburn) and three Passes (Ole Miss/Texas, Texas A&M/Alabama, Oklahoma/Mississippi State). Every fan base gets the same spoon here.

    The Plays (Downgraded: No Play)

    Tennessee @ South Carolina (2:30 p.m. CT): Over 50.5 — DOWNGRADED / NO PLAY (line as of Oct 20: 50.5 at DraftKings and FanDuel, 50-51 across books)
    Both offenses grade out above average, Carolina plays fast (about 74 snaps a game), and the Gamecock defense has been giving up points this year. Our number lands near 53. Fair warning, cher: Tennessee’s games have gone Under 6 of 7, so this one’s got a little cayenne in it.
    Update Oct 21: The roux thinned out. Fresh SP+ numbers rate Tennessee’s defense better, and our raw model total dropped from 59.4 to 55.8. That’s 5.05 points over the market’s 50.75 (best number 50.5 at DraftKings), but we only trust our model for 25% of the number and the market for 75%, so our projected total is 52.0 and the edge is down to 1.25 points. That’s a small tier-2 lean now, not a Play.
    Line update (Oct. 22): DraftKings has the total at 50.5 (South Carolina -2.5) as of 8:12 p.m. CT Oct. 22, via VegasInsider. Pick unchanged. Picks disclaimer.
    Updated Sat Oct 24, 6:16 a.m. CT: switched our straight-up pick to South Carolina 26-25 (was Tennessee 28-25). The model and the market (South Carolina -2.5, DraftKings, 4:02 AM CT Sat run) both favor South Carolina. Still no play on the spread or the total.

    Vanderbilt @ Kentucky (6:30 p.m. CT): Over 51.25 — DOWNGRADED / NO PLAY (line as of Oct 20: 51.5 at DraftKings, 50.5-51 at most other books; consensus around 51.25)
    Both defenses rate below average, and both teams have gone Over in 5 of 7. Our number sits about 52 (number updated 11:22 AM CT Oct. 24). Shop for the 51 if you can find it.
    Update Oct 21: Kentucky’s defense got a better grade in the new SP+, and the total ticked up to 51.5 at both books we track, DraftKings and Bovada (as of 4:02 a.m. CT Oct. 21). Our edge shrank to 1.5 points. Call it a tier-3 lean, not a Play.
    Line update (Oct. 22): DraftKings has the total at 52.5 (Kentucky -10.5) as of 8:12 p.m. CT Oct. 22, via VegasInsider.
    Update Oct. 22 (8:12 p.m. CT): Kentucky 31-21. Pass on the side and No Play on the total at DraftKings UK -10.5 / 52.5 (8:12 PM CT Oct. 22). Picks disclaimer.

    The Leans

    Ole Miss @ Texas (6:30 p.m. CT): UPDATED Oct 24: PASS on the side and the total (was: lean Over 53.) (line as of Oct 20, 4:20 a.m. CT: 53.5 at DraftKings, 52.5 at Bovada; the 53 we posted was the midpoint of those two books, not a single book line. Shop for the 52.5.) The Rebel offense is one of the best in the country, and Texas EDGE Colin Simmons is OUT, per Thursday’s SEC availability report (via On3/Inside Texas). We like it, but not enough to call it a Play.
    Update Oct 21: Lean Over 53.5, tier 1. The total climbed to 53.5 at both DraftKings and Bovada (as of 4:02 a.m. CT Oct. 21), and Ole Miss’s defense graded out better in the new SP+, so our edge is down to a thin 0.8 points. Still on the Over, just with a lighter hand on the pepper.
    Update Oct 22: No Play at DraftKings 54.5 (as of 1:07 p.m. CT Oct. 22, via VegasInsider). Pick was made at 53.5; the thin lean Over returns at 53.5 or lower.
    Line update (Oct. 22): DraftKings has the total at 53.5 (Texas -3.5) as of 8:12 p.m. CT Oct. 22, via VegasInsider.
    Update Oct. 22 (8:12 p.m. CT): Texas 29-25. Pass on the side; slight lean Over 53.5 (DraftKings, 8:12 PM CT Oct. 22). Thin edge, and it’s No Play again if the total climbs back to 54.5. Picks disclaimer.
    Update (agreed Fri Oct 23 evening; posted Sat Oct 24, 5:52 a.m. CT): After the SEC’s Friday availability report (posted 7:10 PM CT), Texas is without RB Hollywood Smothers, WR Kaliq Lockett, OL Jaydon Chatman and edge rushers Colin Simmons and Richard Wesley; Ole Miss C Brycen Sanders is probable (OL Jackson Christian is newly questionable for Texas). Keeping Texas 29-25, now passing on both the side (-3, DraftKings) and the total (53.5, DraftKings), lines per VegasInsider 7:29 PM CT Fri Oct 23.
    Line update (Sat. Oct. 24, 11:11 a.m. CT): DraftKings has Texas -3 (-115), total 54.5 (Over -105 / Under -115), moneylines Texas -155 / Ole Miss +130, per ESPN’s DraftKings odds feed (VegasInsider’s DraftKings column matched), pulled 11:11 a.m. CT. Pick unchanged. Picks disclaimer.

    LSU @ Auburn (11 a.m. CT): lean Under 50.5 — UPDATED Oct 24: lean Under 51.5 (DraftKings). (line as of Oct 20, 4:20 a.m. CT: 50.5 at DraftKings and Bovada) The ratings line up with the spread almost exactly, and the totals model sits about a point low. Auburn’s coming off a huge win over Georgia, and the game after one of those can come out a little flat. Small lean only. Injury note (Oct 20, 7:15 PM CT): LSU WR Jackson Harris, who left the Mississippi State game with an ankle injury and was later seen in a walking boot, said Tuesday, "we'll be all good for this week." He expects to play; that is CONFIRMED as his on-record quote, not an official status (SEC availability report comes Wednesday). Sources: Tiger Rag, 247Sports.
    Update Oct 21: Lean Under 51.25, tier 2. The total went up to 51.25 (51.5 at DraftKings), which hands us a better number on the Under. Auburn also dismissed All-SEC LB Xavier Atkins Monday night (AP), and we docked the Tigers a half-point for it. Edge is 1.05 points.
    Line update (Oct. 22): DraftKings has the total at 51.5 (LSU -7) as of 8:12 p.m. CT Oct. 22, via VegasInsider. Pick unchanged. Picks disclaimer.
    Update (agreed Fri Oct 23 evening; posted Sat Oct 24, 5:52 a.m. CT): After the SEC’s Friday availability report (7:10 PM CT Fri Oct 23), Auburn DL Saint Farrior is out. Keeping LSU 29-21, lean Under 51.5 (DraftKings, LSU -7, VegasInsider 7:29 PM CT Fri Oct 23).
    Line update (Sat. Oct. 24, 11:11 a.m. CT): DraftKings has LSU -7 (-115), total 52.5 (Over -105 / Under -115), moneylines LSU -285 / Auburn +230, per ESPN’s DraftKings odds feed (VegasInsider’s DraftKings column matched the total and moneylines and showed LSU -7 at -118), pulled 11:11 a.m. CT; kickoff was 11 a.m. CT. Pick and lean unchanged as posted above. Picks disclaimer.

    Texas A&M @ Alabama (2:30 p.m. CT): lean Over 50.5 — UPDATED / PASS (line as of Oct 20, 4:20 a.m. CT: 50.5 at DraftKings and Bovada) Our side number is right on the market, and the total comes out about a point high. Mild lean, nothin’ spicier.
    Update Oct 21: Now a PASS. Alabama’s SP+ rating fell after the loss at Tennessee, and our total edge is gone (0.4 points). Nothin’ left in the pot here.
    Line update (Oct. 22): DraftKings has the total at 50.5 (Alabama -13.5) as of 8:12 p.m. CT Oct. 22, via VegasInsider. Pick unchanged. Picks disclaimer.
    Update (posted Sat Oct 24, 5:52 a.m. CT): After the SEC’s Friday availability report (7:10 PM CT Fri Oct 23), Alabama’s Zabien Brown, EJ Crowell and Racin Delgatty are doubtful; A&M’s Mario Craver, DJ Hicks, Daymion Sanford and Trovon Baugh are probable. Keeping Alabama 32-19, pass at -13.5 / 50.5 (FanDuel and DraftKings, VegasInsider 7:29 PM CT Fri Oct 23).
    Line update (Sat. Oct. 24, 11:11 a.m. CT): DraftKings has Alabama -13.5 (-112), total 49.5 (Over -115 / Under -105), moneylines Alabama -575 / Texas A&M +425, per ESPN’s DraftKings odds feed (VegasInsider’s DraftKings column matched), pulled 11:11 a.m. CT. Pick unchanged. Picks disclaimer.

    The Pass

    Oklahoma @ Mississippi State (2:30 p.m. CT): PASS, pending QB status (lean MSU +4) — UPDATED Oct 24: Oklahoma 25-22, pass spread/total (line as of Oct 20, 4:20 a.m. CT: MSU +4 at DraftKings and Bovada) This whole game depends on Bulldog QB Kamario Taylor, REPORTED day-to-day with turf toe. The line went from MSU +2 (midpoint of the DraftKings and Bovada openers) to +4 (DraftKings and Bovada, 4:21 a.m. CT Oct. 20), so the market’s pricing him out, but our ratings see a near coin flip. No Play until the official availability report. Disclosure: T-Rohn leans Mississippi State here, so take that lean with a grain of Tony’s.
    Update Oct 21: Our call is Oklahoma 23-20. We pass on the spread (OU -4.5 at DraftKings and Bovada, total 44.5 at DraftKings, as of 4:02 a.m. CT Oct. 21) and on the total, with a slight lean to the Under 44.5. OU’s elite defense against a better State offense, plus home field, makes this about a field goal, and Taylor’s questionable status (Wednesday report) is the whole edge. We re-decide after Thursday’s availability report.
    Update Oct. 22 (8:12 p.m. CT): Still Oklahoma 23-20. We pass on the spread at DraftKings OU -3, which lands right on our 3-point projection, and we pass on the total, dropping the slight Under 44.5 lean. Pick made Oct. 21 at OU -4.5 (DraftKings and Bovada), total 44.5 (DraftKings); DraftKings now OU -3 / 46.5 as of 8:03 PM CT Oct. 22 (via VegasInsider; DraftKings had moved to -5.5 Thursday afternoon). Picks disclaimer.
    Update (Sat. Oct. 24, 5:52 a.m. CT): Moved the score to Oklahoma 25-22 to match the 47.5 market total (DraftKings OU -2.5 / 47.5, seen at the 4:02 AM CT Sat run); still a pass on the side and total. Injury update (official SEC availability report, posted 1:00 p.m. CT Sat Oct. 24; added here Sat Oct. 24, 1:39 p.m. CT): Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor is available. Oklahoma DB Eli Bowen and WR Elijah Thomas are out; OL Heath Ozaeta and OL Michael Fasusi are available. Our pick and score are unchanged.
    Line update (Sat. Oct. 24, 11:11 a.m. CT): DraftKings has Oklahoma -1.5 (-112), total 48.5 (Over -108 / Under -112), moneylines Oklahoma -122 / Mississippi State +102, per ESPN’s DraftKings odds feed (VegasInsider’s DraftKings column matched), pulled 11:11 a.m. CT. Pick and score unchanged. Picks disclaimer.

    Update Oct 21: T-Rohn’s full preview made the call at Oklahoma 23-20, pass spread/total (our score moved to Oklahoma 25-22 on Sat Oct. 24, see the Oklahoma update above; Under 44.5 lean at DraftKings dropped Oct. 22; pick made Oct. 21 at OU -4.5 (DraftKings and Bovada), total 44.5 (DraftKings); DraftKings now OU -3 / 46.5 as of 8:03 PM CT Oct. 22) → https://gridirongumbo.com/oklahoma-at-mississippi-state-preview-2026/.

    Honest note from the kitchen: five of our six totals leans point Over, and our totals numbers have run a little high this year. Treat these as small edges, not locks.

    For entertainment only, not betting advice. Injury info is REPORTED unless marked official. These picks may be updated until each game’s kickoff.

    Correction (Oct. 22, 2026): Texas EDGE Colin Simmons’ status changed from doubtful (Wed.) to out (Thu.). Updated (Oct. 22, 2026): Ole Miss–Texas total moved to 54.5 at DraftKings (1:07 p.m. CT, via VegasInsider); pick changed to No Play. Updated (Oct. 22, 2026): DraftKings lines refreshed for every game as of 8:12 p.m. CT (via VegasInsider); Oklahoma-Mississippi State now a pass on both the spread and the total (Under 44.5 lean dropped; pick made Oct. 21 at OU -4.5 (DraftKings and Bovada), total 44.5 (DraftKings); DraftKings now OU -3 / 46.5 as of 8:03 PM CT Oct. 22). Updated (Oct. 22, 2026, 8:32 p.m. CT): The Gambler and JR re-decided two picks. Vanderbilt–Kentucky: Kentucky 31-21, pass on the side and No Play on the total at DraftKings UK -10.5 / 52.5 (8:12 PM CT Oct. 22). Ole Miss–Texas: Texas 29-25, pass on the side, slight lean Over 53.5 (DraftKings, 8:12 PM CT Oct. 22), replacing the No Play above. We also named the sportsbook and time for every line in this post. Picks disclaimer. Updated (Oct. 22, 2026, 8:39 p.m. CT): the Oklahoma–Mississippi State pick line now names the book for each number: the Oct. 21 spread (OU -4.5) was at DraftKings and Bovada, and the 44.5 total was at DraftKings. The pick is unchanged. Updated (Sat. Oct. 24, 2026, 5:52 a.m. CT): agreed by The Gambler and JR Handicapper Fri Oct. 23 evening, posted 5:52 a.m. CT Sat. Oklahoma–Mississippi State score moved to Oklahoma 25-22, still a pass on the side and total (DraftKings OU -2.5 / 47.5, 4:02 AM CT Sat run); Ole Miss–Texas total call changed from slight lean Over 53.5 to Pass, with the side still a pass (DraftKings -3 / 53.5, VegasInsider 7:29 PM CT Fri Oct. 23), Texas 29-25 unchanged; LSU–Auburn total corrected to 51.5 (DraftKings, VegasInsider 7:29 PM CT Fri Oct. 23), lean Under and LSU 29-21 unchanged; Alabama–Texas A&M availability note added, Alabama 32-19 and pass unchanged. Updated (Sat. Oct. 24, 2026, 11:11 a.m. CT): DraftKings lines refreshed for Oklahoma–Mississippi State, Ole Miss–Texas, LSU–Auburn and Texas A&M–Alabama (market numbers only, per ESPN’s DraftKings odds feed, cross-checked with VegasInsider); no pick, lean or score changed. Picks disclaimer.

  • 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.

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