Tag: SEC football

Georgia Tech WR Eric Singleton scheduled to visit Auburn this week

After being the Yellow Jackets’ leading receiver the past two seasons, Singleton is ready to find a new home.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Auburn coaching staff are looking to make a splash in the transfer portal this season by welcoming several key entrants to campus for visits.

One of the early headliners in the transfer portal is Georgia Tech wide receiver [autotag]Eric Singleton[/autotag], and Auburn is wasting no time in showing interest. According to 247Sports, Singleton is scheduled to visit Auburn on Wednesday.

Singleton made an impact at Georgia Tech by being the team’s leading receiver in both seasons. He hauled in 104 catches for 1,408 yards and nine touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Last season, he logged 56 catches for 754 yards and three scores. He recorded a season-high eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in Georgia Tech’s eight-overtime loss to Georgia on Nov. 29. Singleton made at least two catches in every game this season and went over the 100-yard mark twice.

According to Pro Football Focus data, Singleton reeled in 56 of 91 targets this season with four drops. He added 311 yards to his receiving total after catch, forced nine missed tackles, and led the Yellow Jackets to 32 first downs.

Following [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag]’s departure, the Tigers will have an experienced yet youthful wide receiver room. Bringing Singleton into the unit will add another reliable target to the Auburn offense and could become a strong selling point to a transfer quarterback.

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Seven SEC teams are ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll after championships

Seven teams from the SEC are ranked in the new US LBM Coaches Poll.

The Georgia Bulldogs knocked off the Texas Longhorns in an overtime thriller on Saturday, making them the 2024 SEC champions. Kentucky football nearly beat them in an early season matchup, which would have drastically altered things, but instead Georgia finishes the year ranked number two overall in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Seven teams from the SEC are ranked overall in the coaches poll. Texas still came in ranked fourth, and the Tennessee Volunteers are sixth. Those three SEC teams all made the College Football Playoff as well.

Related: Deone Walker enters NFL Draft

The Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, and Ole Miss Rebels all just missed the playoff, but are ranked 11th, 14th, and 15th respectively. Missouri was the other ranked SEC team, at 20th.

The regular season is finished now, and teams will prepare for bowl season. It was a wild year overall, though a disappointing one for Kentucky.

Here are the full rankings for the US LBM Coaches Poll after the conference championship games on Saturday.

 

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon Ducks 12-0 1,350 (54)
2 Georgia Bulldogs 11-2 1,281
3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 11-1 1,214
4 Texas Longhorns 11-2 1,178
5 Penn State Nittany Lions 11-2 1,080
6 Tennessee Volunteers 10-2 1,069
7 Ohio State Buckeyes 10-2 1,037
8 Boise State Broncos 12-1 929
9 Indiana Hoosiers 11-1 925
10 Arizona State Sun Devils 11-2 856
11 Alabama Crimson Tide 9-3 749
12 SMU Mustangs 11-2 741
13 Clemson Tigers 10-3 707
14 South Carolina Gamecocks 9-3 668
15 Ole Miss Rebels 9-3 631
16 Miami Hurricanes 10-2 611
17 BYU Cougars 10-2 423
18 Army Black Knights 11-1 361
19 Iowa State Cyclones 10-3 355
20 Missouri Tigers 9-3 282
21 Illinois Fighting Illini 9-3 275
22 Colorado Buffaloes 9-3 228
23 Memphis Tigers 10-2 166
24 UNLV Rebels 10-3 140
25 Syracuse Orange 9-3 129

Auburn wide receiver Caleb Burton to enter transfer portal

Burton departs Auburn after playing in eight games over two seasons.

This week begins the winter transfer portal window, and a former Auburn wide receiver will use this opportunity to find a new home.

[autotag]Caleb Burton[/autotag], a wide receiver who transferred to Auburn from Ohio State before the 2023 season, will put his name into the transfer portal after spending two seasons on the Plains.

Burton played a small role in Auburn’s offense in 2023 by recording 16 catches for 226 yards before appearing in just one game for the Tigers in 2024, catching two passes for 49 yards in Auburn’s 73-7 win over Alabama A&M on Aug. 31.

Burton was expected to be a part of Auburn’s receiver rotation following a strong 2023 season. However, Auburn Undercover reported that Burton had missed time due to concussion protocol this season, which played a role in his limited field time.

Auburn also signed three wide receivers as part of its 2025 recruiting haul last week. Mixing the new receivers in with key targets including [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], would mean even more restricted playtime for Burton in the future.

Burton is the second wide receiver to declare his intention to enter the transfer portal, joining junior [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag]. The winter transfer portal window opens Monday, Dec. 9 and will close on Dec. 28.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

US LBM Coaches Poll features six SEC teams following conference championship week

Where are Georgia, Texas, and Alabama in the final US LBM Coaches Poll of the regular season?

The final US LBM Coaches Poll of the regular season is out, and the SEC is well represented.

Six SEC teams earned a place within the final US LBM Coaches Poll top 25 ahead of postseason play, with Georgia and Texas leading the way. The Bulldogs edged the Longhorns Saturday in overtime to win the SEC Championship, 22-19. The win was strong enough for Georgia to advance three spots to No. 2 while Texas fell two places to No. 4.

Tennessee joins Georgia and Texas in the top 10 at No. 6 while Alabama is on the outside at No. 11. A trio of teams follow Alabama in the top 20: South Carolina (No. 14), Ole Miss (No. 15), and Missouri (No. 20). Texas A&M and LSU received votes this week, but were ultimately left out of this week’s ranking.

In all, Auburn faced three teams that earned a place within the final regular season coaches poll and one team, Texas A&M, that received consideration. They finish the season 1-3 against said teams.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

TJ Finley enters transfer portal, seeking fifth collegiate home

The former Auburn quarterback played in three games for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in 2024.

One former Auburn quarterback is on the market yet again.

[autotag]TJ Finley[/autotag], who played in 13 games for Auburn during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, has entered the transfer portal after spending the 2024 season at Western Kentucky. According to his announcement via his Instagram page, Finley will apply for a medical redshirt due to a season-ending ankle injury, which could give him two more seasons of eligibility.

Finley transferred to Western Kentucky ahead of the 2024 season after a successful stint at Texas State, where he passes for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns. However, he elected to find a new home after the transfer of Jordan McLeod into the program. After an injury limited his action to just three games this season for the Hilltoppers, Finley will look for his fifth collegiate home for the 2025 season after spending time at LSU, Auburn, Texas State, and Western Kentucky.

Finley passed for 490 yards and a touchdown this season for Western Kentucky. His best game came against Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 7, where he passed for 351 yards and a score. He was held to under 100 yards passing in the Hilltoppers’ season-opening loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

In five collegiate seasons, Finley has passed for 6,128 yards and 37 touchdowns with 20 interceptions and a completion percentage of 63%.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Kirby Smart trolled Greg Sankey to his face during Georgia’s SEC championship celebration

Cue the Curb Your Enthusiasm music.

Georgia won the 2024 SEC championship game on Saturday in Atlanta over Texas in overtime, which is pretty sweet for Bulldogs fans.

However, what happened afterward might have been even sweeter for the pettiest of fans.

Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart used his victory speech to rip into the SEC and its commissioner, Greg Sankey, while the latter was standing right by him.

While Smart was basking in the celebration of another Georgia SEC championship, ESPN’s Laura Rutledge asked him about the team getting a first-round bye ahead of the College Football Playoff.

Smart took the opportunity to throw some very clear shade at Sankey and the SEC for what he felt were disadvantages with Georgia’s schedule.

“Well, it means rest for a team that Greg Sankey and his staff sent on the road all year long,” a fired-up Smart told Rutledge… all while Sankey was literally standing right there.

One of the game’s camera operators hysterically panned over to Sankey after Smart’s sharp jab, and he looked kind of done with the whole ordeal.

Seriously, this was like something from The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm. How awkward!

To be fair to the SEC, Georgia only had four road games in the regular season, and one of those games was at Kentucky.

Sure, games at Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss aren’t necessarily easy, but great teams find a way win those and not complain, y’know?

It’s football in the SEC; you’re going to have tough road games. You got to have your conference championship game in your home state! Relax, dude!

As for Sankey, he may want to talk to Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti about his fracas with former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh last year.

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Chris Fowler and Georgia radio delivered electric calls of Trevor Etienne’s SEC title-winning TD

Georgia won the SEC title after beating Texas in overtime.

No. 2 Texas and No. 5 Georgia took the thrilling (and sometimes sloppy) SEC championship game on Saturday into overtime — a first for the conference’s title matchup — and the Bulldogs rallied to come out on top, 22-19.

With the victory, Georgia will get a first-round bye in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, and while the CFP selection committee will reveal the whole field Sunday, Texas is almost certainly in the playoff as well.

Georgia won the overtime coin toss, and Texas started with the ball but had to settle for a field goal and a 19-16 overtime lead with the Bulldogs getting the ball next.

After Georgia quarterback Carson Beck was injured on the last play of the first half, backup Gunner Stockton replaced him for the majority of the second half. But after a hard hit in overtime, Stockton lost his helmet and was forced to sit out the next play.

Enter Beck, who handed the ball off to running back Trevor Etienne for a four-yard touchdown run and the victory. And ESPN’s Chris Fowler delivered an electric call of the championship-winning moment:

“Etienne in the I-formation. They hand it to him. TOUCHDOWN! GEORGIA SEC CHAMPIONS! As ever dawg digs really deep.”

And then Fowler played it perfectly by letting the moment land.

The Georgia radio call was pretty fantastic too:

“Beck under center, hand it to Etienne, straight ahead! TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN! Dawgs are SEC champions!”

In Beck’s absence, Etienne stepped up and led the Bulldogs’ offense. He finished 94 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, along with five catches and 28 receiving yards.

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Steve Sarkisian ripped SEC title game refs in an extremely brief halftime interview

Sark didn’t have much to say, but he made his point clearly.

Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian apparently didn’t have too much to say at halftime during the SEC championship game, but in just 12 words, he still slammed the game’s officiating.

With a 6-3 lead over No. 5 Georgia, the No. 2 Longhorns collected eight first-half penalties for 80 yards, while the Bulldogs had two for 19 yards before the break. Obviously, eight first-half penalties is not great, and an extra sting was attached to some, like a pair of penalties forcing two Texas interceptions on Georgia quarterback Carson Beck to be called back.

ESPN’s Laura Rutledge led with a question about penalties during her halftime interview with Sarkisian, who kept his comments brief but definitely made his feelings known.

Rutledge: Coach, eight penalties in this first half. How do you get your team to clean some of that up?

Sarkisian: Well, hopefully they call them for holding one of these times too.

That’s it. That was the whole interview, which ended with a very awkward silence as Rutledge was clearly giving Sarkisian room to elaborate and the Longhorns coach obviously not being interested.

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What’s at stake for the College Football Playoff in the SEC championship game?

Georgia and Texas are set to meet for the second time this season with a first-round CFP bye on the line.

For the second time this season, Georgia and Texas are set to square off on Saturday. This time, the game will be in Atlanta with an SEC title and College Football Playoff first-round bye on the line.

The Bulldogs won the first matchup in Austin 30-15, and the Longhorns look for revenge as they seek an SEC championship in their first season as a member of the conference.

College Football Playoff: The new 12-team format, rankings and seeding, explained

The stakes aren’t quite as high in this game as they are in others this weekend. As Joe Tessitore so kindly and repeatedly reminded us, Georgia is likely a CFP lock regardless of the outcome after a 10-2 regular season. The same is also certainly true for Texas, which is 11-1.

This one is all about seeding.

The winner is almost certainly locked into the No. 2 seed as a first-round bye team in the CFP. The loser will be in the field, and if it’s Texas, could snag the No. 5 seed. If Georgia loses, the Bulldogs will likely be ranked a bit lower.

Texas probably can’t secure the top seed in the CFP, as that spot will definitely go to Oregon with a win in the Big Ten championship and will likely go to Penn State, instead, with a loss. Georgia would almost certainly still be fine sitting at 10-3, though it’s not unthinkable the Bulldogs — currently the projected No. 7 seed — could drop a seed line behind Ohio State.

No. 8 is probably the floor for Georgia, though, as it’s hard to imagine the committee would drop it below a Tennessee team it beat by two scores.

If the Bulldogs win, they are practically a lock to receive the No. 2 seed as well given that they rank above SMU as things currently stand. Texas could earn the No. 5 seed with a loss, but it’s not unthinkable that an 11-2 Longhorns team would fall behind the Big Ten runner-up, especially if it’s Oregon.

Texas could also fall behind an 11-1 Notre Dame team that currently sits fourth in the rankings but isn’t eligible to receive a first-round bye.

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Despite the loss versus No. 2 Texas, the Texas A&M football team’s entrance was legendary

According to Sports Media Watch, a total of 9.46M viewers tuned in on ABC to watch the Longhorns defeat the Aggies at Kyle Field last week.

While the Texas A&M football team’s loss last week versus the Longhorns was certainly a letdown, one thing every member of the 12th Man should take some joy from his how legendary the Aggies’ entrance was pregame.

Kyle Field was rocking, the atmosphere was electric and Texas A&M matched that energy, at least until the kickoff. The Aggies losing three of their last four regular season games, with the last being against their bitter rivals, was certainly a tough pill to swallow.

According to Sports Media Watch, 9.46 million viewers tuned in on ABC last week to watch Texas defeat Texas A&M in College Station. That total is the highest audience all-time for the Lone Star Showdown rivalry.

The Aggies have definitely found a great leader in head coach Mike Elko. Now it’s time for him to continue building upon the foundation he built in year one.

Elko‘s top three priorities each season should be to beat the Longhorns, win the SEC and qualify for the College Football Playoff, then go from there.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.