SEC Power Rankings Before Rivalry Week

The SEC played numerous cupcakes this past week. Now, the SEC Championship is officially set: the LSU Tigers will face the Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta. SEC Mike released his week 14 SEC Power Rankings after last week’s action. Is the criteria of …

The SEC played numerous cupcakes this past week. Now, the SEC Championship is officially set: the LSU Tigers will face the Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta.

SEC Mike released his week 14 SEC Power Rankings after last week’s action. Is the criteria of these rankings the best team now? Or the best bodies of work?

Florida over Alabama is an interesting choice, especially since the Crimson Tide only have one loss. Even without Tua, Alabama would beat Florida on a neutral field. Both schools are playing excellent football with their back-up quarterbacks, but haven’t done enough to make the SEC Championship.

If Georgia loses to LSU, then the Crimson Tide may make the playoff despite SEC Mike’s low power ranking. Alabama will need to defeat Auburn and look impressive to make the playoff. It’d be the Crimson Tide’s only ranked win of the season. If the favored teams win out, then Alabama’s resume would be compared with the Utah Utes and the Oklahoma Sooners, who would boast conference championships.

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Jags land CB CJ Henderson, WR CeeDee Lamb and help for both lines in Draft Wire mock

Depending on how the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Week 12 game against the Tennessee Titans goes, fans of the team could be looking towards the draft by Sunday night. Then again, even if the Jags can defeat the Tennessee Titans we’re nearing that time …

Depending on how the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Week 12 game against the Tennessee Titans goes, fans of the team could be looking towards the draft by Sunday night. Then again, even if the Jags can defeat the Tennessee Titans we’re nearing that time where the NFL Draft is starting to become very important.

Our comrade Luke Easterling of Draft Wire released another mock draft a few days ago, and for Jags fans, it might be the most impressive one yet. The team was able to land playmakers while addressing needs, too, starting with their two first-round selections of Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb and Florida Gators corner CJ Henderson.

12. Jacksonville Jaguars
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

Lamb is no stranger to Jags fans as he’s been mocked to Jacksonville several times before by Draft Wire. Our thoughts on that pick can be seen here.

Henderson is a player Jags fans are unquestionably familiar with, too, due to a majority of their fans being Gators fans. With Jalen Ramsey no longer on the roster, targeting a cornerback early wouldn’t be shocking for the Jags — and landing Henderson, who is a super lanky prospect with great athleticism would be a welcomed addition to the Jags’ questionable defense.

After the first-round, Easterling slotted the Jags two more players who addressed needs in Oregon offensive lineman Shane Lemieux and Auburn defensive lineman Nick Coe.

46. Jacksonville Jaguars
Shane Lemieux, OL, Oregon

77. Jacksonville Jaguars
Nick Coe, DL, Auburn

Lemieux fits the trend we mentioned with Henderson in terms of athleticism. He’d be a great fit with the Jags needing interior line help as Andrew Norwell has been a very underwhelming free agent addition and Brandon Linder hasn’t played to his hefty contract either. He’d especially give the Jags an option to replace Norwell, who lacks the athleticism and movement skills of Lemieux.

Coe is another player Draft Wire has mocked to the Jags previously. At 6-foot-5, 291-pounds, he’s a versatile player who could play in the interior or outside similar to Calais Campbell. With the veteran getting up there in age, Coe is another player who could be brought in to learn from Campbell like Taven Bryan and eventually could be a starter at some point. It’s also worth noting that Coe makes sense for the Jags because Marcell Dareus could be a cap casualty next season, too.

Florida basketball fans erupt after falling to unranked UConn

The Florida men’s basketball team began the season ranked No. 6 in the country just a few weeks ago. However, the good times would not last long, as the Gators already have 2 losses on the season to unranked opponents. Though basketball is a …

The Florida men’s basketball team began the season ranked No. 6 in the country just a few weeks ago. However, the good times would not last long, as the Gators already have 2 losses on the season to unranked opponents.

Though basketball is a marathon and not a sprint, dropping 2 of your first 4 games to unranked teams isn’t exactly the great either.

Following the road loss to UConn on Sunday, Florida fans took to Twitter to express their frustrations with coach Mike White.

Is it safe to say Florida fans don’t like Mike White?

 

 

 

WATCH: Florida coach Dan Mullen celebrates with ‘War Eagle’ before Dawgs clinch SEC East

Florida Gators coach Dan Mullen celebrates win over Missouri with ‘War Eagle’ before Georgia clinches East

The Georgia Bulldogs clinched the SEC East after a win over rival Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday. Unfortunately for Florida, this meant the end of season-long division title aspirations.

Before the Dawgs took care of business on the Plains of Auburn, Coach Dan Mullen had a few words for the Tigers in his postgame interview at Missouri.

We all know what happened next….

Georgia will likely play LSU at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a few weeks, unless the Tigers Ā lose to Arkansas and Texas A&M in their next two games.

(Which will not happen)

So… it’s the Dawgs and the Tigers for the SEC Championship. Better luck next year, Gators.

Week 12 CFP Eliminator: Still a lot of scenarios

We break down the 12 teams remaining in the College Football Playoff race, as our Eliminator took out three more teams in Week 12.

Welcome back to the Eliminator. I explain the process behind eliminating teams in my Week 1 post. In short, I ask myself a simple question: “If this team wins out, will they have a chance at the Playoff?” I don’t assume that teams will lose–there’s no need to. The losses will come when they come; and when they do, I’ll eliminate those teams. Until then, they’re not eliminated. It’s that simple. I also track every eliminated team on this Twitter thread.

This week didn’t involve any real eliminations. The three teams we knocked out were all long shots. Florida and Michigan needed miraculous conference titles to boost the resumes, and they were eliminated from their division races this week. Auburn, meanwhile, picked up its third loss.

Instead, we have 12 teams. All 12 can win Power 5 conferences, and 11 of them have one or zero losses. If we get chaos, most of these teams can still get in with even two losses. It’s too early this year to present specific scenarios, because there are so many possibilities.

One thing is very clear, though. We probably won’t see very many eliminations next week, either. These are our 12 teams, and unless we see a surprising upset next week, all 12 will still be alive heading into Thanksgiving weekend. What happens after that, though, is anyone’s guess.

Next … What teams are still alive?

Watch: Dan Mullen makes it clear who he’s cheering for between Georgia and Auburn

When Florida Gators HC Dan Mullen was asked about Georgia football’s game vs Auburn, he made it clear who he was cheering for.

Following Florida’s win over Missouri on Saturday, the Gators will have their eyes glued to CBS to watch Georgia take on Auburn.

If Georgia wins, it secures a spot in the SEC Championship. A loss and Georgia will have to beat Texas A&M to make it in.

Florida’s game today was its final SEC matchup of the season. So if Georgia happens to lose to the Tigers and Aggies, the Gators are headed to Atlanta.

When Mullen was asked by CBS for his thoughts on the Georgia vs Auburn game, he made it clear who he was cheering for.

“War Eagle,” Mullen said.

Watch it here.

 

Chargers in attendance to scout Florida vs. Missouri

The Los Angeles Chargers were one of several teams in attendance for the matchup between the Florida Gators and Missouri Tigers.

The Los Angeles Chargers were one of several teams in attendance for the matchup between the Florida Gators and Missouri Tigers.

There are a few players worthy of scouting attention in this game.

Florida

WR Van Jefferson

Jefferson, the 6-foot-1 and 215 pound wideout, isn’t the fastest player but he is a technician at route running, he has strong hands and takes a physical approach to win 50/50 situations.

Other notables:

RB Lamical Perine

DE Jabari Zuniga

DE Jonathan Greenard

LB David Reese

CB CJ Henderson

Missouri

CB DeMarkus Acy

The 6-foot-2 and 195 pounder is a long and well-built cornerback who flashes ball skills, reactive athleticism and zone cover ability to be a solid option in defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s system.

Other notables:

QB Kelly Bryant

TE Albert Okwuegbunam

DT Jordan Elliott

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How to Watch Florida vs. Missouri, NCAA Football Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch Florida vs. Missouri Live Online.

No. 11 Florida plays its final conference game on Saturday at Missouri, who have lost three straight games. Florida (8-2, 5-2) is currently second in the SEC East, while Missouri (5-4, 2-3) is fifth.Ā 

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Florida vs. Missouri

  • When: Saturday, November 16
  • Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
  • TV: CBS
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Florida trounced Vanderbilt 56-0 last weekend, showing that the team had moved on from its loss to Georgia on Nov. 2. In the win vs. Commodores, Kyle Trask threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns. 11 different wide receivers caught a pass. The Gators need to make sure they focus on Missouri before their rivalry game against Florida State to finish out the season.

Missouri came away dissatisfied after a 27-0 loss to Georgia last weekend, but the Tigers will do their best to keep their heads held high and play spoiler vs. Florida. Quarterbacks Taylor Powell and Connor Bazelak split time last Saturday and combined to go just 18-for-34 with 144 yards passing. However, eight different receivers caught at least one pass. Missouri beat then-No. 7 Florida, 38-17, on the road last season in one of the biggest upsets of the year. The team will try to do the same thing this year.

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Florida-Missouri odds: Underdog Tigers look to stay perfect at home

Previewing Saturday’s Florida at Missouri college football matchup, with NCAA football betting odds, picks and best bets

The Florida Gators (8-2, 5-2 SEC) travel to play the Missouri Tigers (5-4, 2-3) at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo., at noon ET Saturday.

We analyze the Florida-Missouri odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Florida at Missouri: Three things you need to know

1. Missouri quarterback Kelly Bryant missed last week’s 27-0 loss to Georgia with a hamstring injury, but is expected to return this week. Even with Bryant behind center, the Tigers had scored a total of just 21 points in the previous two games, losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

2. Missouri is 5-0 straight up at home on the year, and 4-1 against the spread, but this will be by far their toughest test of the season in Columbia. Meanwhile, Florida is 2-1 on the road (SU and ATS), with their only misstep a 42-28 loss at LSU.

3. Both teams may have trouble moving the ball through the air. The Gators rank 25th out of 130 FBS teams with 288.5 passing yards per game, but Missouri ranks fourth in the category defensively (147.7). On the other side of the ball, the Tigers are 68th in passing yards per game (233.4), while the Florida defense ranks 23rd (191.9).


Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!


Florida at Missouri: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 11 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Florida 27, Missouri 14

Moneyline (ML)

Florida (-271) is likely to win this game, but the price is fairly steep — especially considering the Gators will be playing in colder weather than they are accustomed to.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Florida to win outright returns a profit of $3.69. A $10 wager on Missouri (+215) would net a profit of $21.50 if the Tigers win the game.

Against the Spread (ATS)

FLORIDA (-6.5, -129) looks like a pretty strong play, as the Gators are facing an offense that has really struggled in recent weeks, and Florida only needs to win by a touchdown to cover the spread.

While Missouri has been on the road every game during their current three-game skid, their success at home this season has come against lesser teams. The only team they have beaten this year that currently boasts a winning record is Southeast Missouri State.

Over/Under (O/U)

The UNDER 50.5 (-110) is the side to take in this one. Missouri’s first game of the season went over the total, but the under has hit once since. The Tigers’ implied total of 22 points is more than they have scored in the last three games combined.

All three of Florida’s road games this season have gone over the total, but the over has hit in just four of their 10 games overall. The Gators can put some points on the board, having scored 28 or more points in all but three games, but their defense should do enough to keep this game under 50.5 points.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @RuddHQ and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.Ā  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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College golf: Alabama, Ohio State, Stanford impress on National Signing Day

Junior golfers signed their National Letters of Intent earlier this week and there were some clear winners across the country.

The pens have been put to paper and college golf’s Class of 2020 is officially starting to take shape.

Junior golfers around the country were finally able to sign and send their National Letters of Intent to the school of their choice on Wednesday, taking the next step in their careers as student-athletes.

After taking some time to break down and analyze both the menā€™s and womenā€™s signings, there was a clear winner to the day and plenty of other storylines to follow before the players get to campus next fall.

Hereā€™s whatĀ Golfweekā€™sĀ Julie WilliamsĀ andĀ Adam WoodardĀ learned from National Signing Day.

National Signing Day:Ā WomenĀ |Ā MenĀ |Ā Best Photos
More:Ā Skoler finds maturity through journey to Virginia

Stanford men win the day

Youā€™ll be hard-pressed to find a better class in 2020 than the group Cardinal coach Conrad Ray recruited to The Farm. Stanford signed three of the top 10 players in theĀ Golfweek/Sagarin rankings for 2020: No. 2 Karl Vilips, No. 6 Jake Beber-Frankel and No. 9 Michael Thorbjornsen.

ā€œDepth is the name of the game,ā€ Ray said of his team. ā€œThe lineup is wide open with those three guys, I think all three can come in and play right away based off what theyā€™ve done, but you never know until they get on campus.ā€

Jake Beber-Frankel shakes hands with a spectator after the second round of the 2019 Boys Junior PGA Championship. (Photo: Hailey Garrett/PGA of America)

Ray called Vilips an “alpha dog” and said Thorbjornsen has “those days where youā€™re just like ā€˜holy mackerel this guyā€™s a freak.ā€™” Beber-Frankel is “every bit as talented” as the others, but plays with panache and flair that pairs well with his impressive hair.

Ray didnā€™t want to make comparisons to other 2020 recruiting classes, but he did say 2020 is the best class the Cardinal have had in quite some time.

Florida men get better with youth

Head coach JC Deacon has something special cooking down in Gainesville. While starting an underclassmen-heavy lineup, his young Gators have instantly made an impact as the freshman trio of Ricky Castillo, Quentin Debove and John DuBois currently rank Nos. 2-4 on the team in scoring average.

Deacon tapped into the Florida’s rich junior golf market (and England’s), signing Ryan Hart, Jonah Leach, Tyler Wilkes and Joe Pagdin to further bolster his already-young and impressive squad. Expect the Gators to be national title contenders in the coming years.

More: No rest for Aidan Kramer, a scholar, golfer and philanthropist

Cardinal women reload after LPGA loss(es?)

It’s no surprise that the Stanford women also had a strong signing day, inking commitments from two players in Golfweek’s top 10 among the class of 2020: No. 6 Rachel Heck and No. 8 Sadie Englemann.

If only they could play this spring.

Senior Albane Valenzuela, ranked No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, opted to leave the program last week in order to live out her LPGA and Olympic dreams after earning status for the 2020 season at the recent Q-Series. Valenzuela tied for sixth, while teammate Andrea Lee, No. 3 in the WAGR, also earned status by finishing T-30. Lee has yet to announce her decision.

Ohio State men lock down a local

Thereā€™s something to be said for keeping your best in-state talent in state. A cold climate doesnā€™t make that an easy sell for Ohio State head coach Jay Moseley, and who could blame a kid for wanting to head south?

But Moseley, in his fourth season leading the Buckeye men, has not only been able to keep Ohioā€™s best talent, but cultivate it. That continues with recent signee Maxwell Moldovan.

When he arrives next year, Moldovan, of Uniontown, Ohio, will help fill a void left by recent graduates ā€“ and Ohio natives ā€“ Will Grimmer, a two-time U.S. Open qualifier, and Daniel Wetterich, runner-up at the Western Amateur and now a Korn Ferry Tour card holder. Grimmer arrived in Columbus the same year as Moseley and Wetterich transferred in from Xavier a year later. (This seasonā€™s roster, by the way, includes freshman Jackson Chandler, who shared the 2018 Ohio State High School title with Moldovan.)

Moldovan is No. 5 in the Golfweek Junior Rankings. Heā€™s the reigning Ohio Amateur champion, and Polo Golf Junior Classic champion. Days before signing his national letter of intent, Moldovan was named the AJGA Rolex Player of the Year and a Rolex First-Team All-American.

Not since 1993 has Ohio State signed one of those, but itā€™s not the kind of talent you can let slip away.

Alabama gets a double reload

No program experienced a professional exodus quite like Alabama did at the end of last fall. The women lost Kristen Gillman and Lauren Stephenson after the LPGA Q-Series in October and Davis Riley decided to turn professional after Thanksgiving.

Neither Alabama team advanced to the NCAA Championship in May, and the men failed to crack the top 50 in the rankings this fall. An infusion is coming with the class of 2020, though.

If it seems like Canon Claycomb was everywhere on Wednesday, itā€™s probably because he was. Claycomb, who checked in not just at the top of his class but at the top of Golfweekā€™s Junior Rankings, garnered nearly 700 Twitter ā€œlikesā€ for signing his NLI and later made a cameo on Golf Channel.

Claycomb, who lives in Orlando, Florida, brings every experience from practicing with PGA Tour players on the Lake Nona range to playing the Junior Ryder Cup to sharing an instructor with Justin Thomas (and sometimes texting JT with questions).

For the women, head coach Mic Potter kept things familiar, securing signatures from four-time Alabama Girlsā€™ Junior winner Michaela Morard as well as Italian Benedetta Moresco, whose older sister Angelica is currently a junior for the Tide.

Both women were chosen to represent their respective sides in the Junior Solheim Cup, and interestingly, walked into the opening ceremonies side-by-side.

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