Tag: SEC football

Five-star DL Malik Autry shuts down recruitment

Malik Autry is one of Auburn’s top commits for the 2025 cycle. How strong is his commitment to Hugh Freeze and the Tigers?

The drama surrounding college football recruiting is about to heat up ahead of the early signing period, which begins next week.

How many of Auburn’s 27 commits will fulfill their pledges? How many more will join? Those questions will fill every Auburn fan’s mind until the period ends on Friday, Dec. 6. However, one of Auburn’s top commits has chosen to ease the minds of Auburn fans and coaches by shutting down his recruitment and will with [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s program next week.

[autotag]Malik Autry[/autotag], a five-star defensive lineman from nearby Opelika High School, announced Monday that he is shutting down his recruitment and will sign with Auburn next Wednesday. When asked about his decision to focus solely on Auburn, he reflected on his time as an Opelika Bulldog and compared it to the progression of Auburn’s current state.

“Going to all the other schools made me realize what I really wanted,” Autry said in an interview with Auburn Undercover ($). “My high school, my sophomore year we went 5-5, my junior year we went 4-6 and this past year we went 9-3 with a second round exit but just to see our team turnaround really shows me that — I had opportunities to go play for Central-Phenix City and IMG and all those big-time programs — but to stick it out and fight with your brothers and fight for a place you really love does mean more than just joining something that’s already established. That’s kind of been my mindset and helped me narrow down my decision and let me know that Auburn was home.”

Autry’s shutdown is a great sign for what’s to come for Auburn ahead of early signing day. Several 247Sports recruiting analysts recently forecasted a flip to Ole Miss by top commits [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag]. However, forecasts from several sites including Steve Wiltfong of On3 suggest that Alabama’s top recruit for the 2025 cycle, [autotag]Na’eem Offord[/autotag], could flip to Auburn from Ohio State.

Recruiting will be a hot topic over the next week, so having Autry’s firm commitment is a sigh of relief for Auburn fans everywhere.

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Auburn freshman Demarcus Riddick confident ahead of Iron Bowl

The freshman linebacker exuberated plenty of confidence when speaking with the media on Monday ahead of this week’s Iron Bowl game.

Auburn freshman linebacker Demarcus Riddick has enjoyed a late-season breakout after starting the year playing limited snaps for DJ Durkin’s defense. The Clanton, Alabama native has registered at least one tackle for loss in his past three games, including sacks in each of the last two games, which have both been Auburn victories.

That late-season breakout has turned the freshman into one of the key cogs in Auburn’s vastly improving front seven, in turn giving Riddick the confidence to become an elite pass rusher in the SEC. That belief in himself was on full display in the freshman’s recent session with the media.

After being asked how important it would be to contain Alabama Jalen Milroe’s dual-threat ability next Saturday, the linebacker relayed “It’s going to be real[ly] important this Saturday, he is a good quarterback… he’s fast, but he’s not faster than me”. Riddick continued, “he will not get out [of] that box this week, and that’s something I’m going to have to work on all week at practice, and some of the guys are going to have to help me with”.

He was also asked to compare himself to fellow Crimson Tide freshman, and at one time Auburn flip candidate, receiver Ryan Williams. Riddick was succinct, explaining “He ain’t really nobody to me… Ryan Williams is himself, he ain’t no big time player to me”.

The comments from the Auburn freshman may be viewed by some as “cocky,” but Riddick seemingly feels fully comfortable in his ability to become a great player in the conference. Now entering the final chapter of his best month as a collegiate athlete, Riddick seems completely ready to help the Tigers attempt to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa for the first time since Cam Newton’s National Championship team accomplished the feat in 2010.

Auburn has failed to lose by less than two possessions in every road Iron Bowl since 2014. The No. 16 ranked Tigers lost by 11, 55-44, to No. 2 ranked Alabama that season.

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R Mason Thomas named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week

After another productive day, R Mason Thomas earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week.

The Oklahoma Sooners defense put together a dominant performance in their 24-3 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide.

There were a number of standout performances on the evening, including what Febechi Nwaiwu and Xavier Robinson did in the run game to earn SEC Weekly Honors.

On the defensive side of the ball it was R Mason Thomas making his presence felt, holding one of the best offenses in the nation to three points. For his efforts, Thomas earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week.

Thomas earned his eighth sack of the season in the win and had Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe under pressure for a lot of the night. He recorded two quarterback hurries, one of which came on fourth down where he hit Milroe’s arm leading to Woodi Washington’s interception.

Thomas has experienced a breakout season after injuries kept him from seeing the field much in his two years in Norman. Now, he has a chance to finish the year with double-digit sacks.

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Oklahoma Duo earns SEC Weekly Honors after win over Alabama

Oklahoma Football’s Xavier Robinson and Febechi Nwaiwu earned SEC Weekly Awards for their performances against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Oklahoma Sooners put together an effective run-first, run-second, run-third offense on Saturday night in their win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Jackson Arnold and Xavier Robinson both ran for over 100 yards behind an offensive line that dominated the Alabama defensive front.

The Sooners ran for 257 yards on 50 attempts, good for 5.1 yards per carry. Due to their fantastic outing up front, Febechi Nwaiwu earned SEC Offensive lineman of the Week. Nwaiwu has been the one constant along the offensive line all season, starting every game while injuries kept a revolving door everywhere else on the line.

However, over the last few weeks, there’s been a bit more stability with Logan Howland at left tackle, Heath Ozaeta at left guard, Troy Everett at center and Spencer Brown at right tackle. It’s not surprising that as Oklahoma has settled into this combination up front, the production from the offensive one has been better. Continuity matters along the offensive line.

In addition to the offensive line improving along with more continuity, Xavier Robinson’s rise to lead the running back room has helped the run game a lot as well. And against the Crimson Tide, Robinson had a breakout performance, running for 107 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. He also had four receptions for 20 yards in the win, showing off his ability to be a bell cowback for the Oklahoma Sooners. Robinson earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his performance against Alabama.

Since the Maine game, Robinson’s carried the ball 33 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns. He also has six receptions for 73 yards. He’s averaging 5.8 yards per carry and 6.79 yards per touch this season.

Ahead of their regular season finale against the LSU Tigers, the Oklahoma Sooners will need their offensive line and Xavier Robinson to put together another strong performance down in the Bayou.

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ESPN’s College GameDay will return to Kyle Field for No. 19 Texas A&M versus No. 3 Texas

College GameDay kicked off the 2024 regular season at Texas A&M and the ESPN staple will be returning to Kyle Field to wrap up the campaign.

College GameDay kicked off the 2024 regular season at Texas A&M and the ESPN staple will be returning to Kyle Field to wrap up the campaign before postseason play begins.

The No. 19 Aggies (8-3, 5-2 SEC) will host the No. 3 Longhorns (10-1, 6-1) on Saturday evening with a shot in the conference championship game on the line. The winner of the Lone Star Showdown will play No. 6 Georgia for the SEC crown.

Texas A&M was upset this weekend in quadruple overtime at Auburn. College GameDay panelist and legendary coach Nick Saban alluded to the fate the Aggies were about to face on the Tigers’ home turf.

“I would be alerting Texas A&M because in my opinion, in 17 years going to Auburn, playing in Jordan Hare, that place is haunted,” Saban proclaimed Saturday morning. “The way we lost games and won games there is unbelievable.”

College GameDay was on campus prior to Texas A&M’s matchup against Notre Dame in August. The Aggies play Texas on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on ABC.

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Oklahoma Sooners fined for field storming in upset win over Alabama

The University of Oklahoma was fined by the SEC for the premature and post game field storming by the fans in attendance.

The University of Oklahoma has been fined $200,000 by the Southeastern Conference for violating the league’s current access to competition area policy.

It was Oklahoma’s first offense under the policy, resulting in a $100,000 fine. However, because fans entered the field prior to the conclusion of the game, the University of Oklahoma incurred an additional $100,000 fine.

“Oklahoma was in violation of the policy following its game against the University of Alabama and will incur a fine of $100,000 for a first offense under the policy,” the SEC’s release said. “In addition, Oklahoma will incur an additional fine of $100,000 due to fans entering the field prior to the end of the Alabama game, which caused a delay in the contest.

Fans began storming the field with 28 seconds left in the game, but head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] called timeout to allow senior and Oklahoma legacy Casey Thompson to enter the ball game and take the final snap of the win, which turned out to be his only time to take the field for the Sooners offense this season.

“It’s more about the players and just having a really cool moment,” Venables said of the field storming. “It’s not a normal thing here, the standards are really high. It was cool, it was pretty magical, and I’m thinking about the players. They’re the ones who were in the middle of that, paying this incredible price for victory… To be able to go toe to toe with Alabama, one of the most tradition rich programs in the history of college football, and then have two giants going at it. For that to happen, in really an epic way, in a dominant way. I’m careful to try and use those words or those phrases, but that was a dominant performance. Really cool moment for these guys.”

The coaches and the players earned a significant win over the Crimson Tide, providing a bright spot to what has been a frustrating season.

Field storming aren’t something that happens often at the University of Oklahoma. So it’s not surprising that OU fans entered the playing area early. But that’s a game and celebration that will be remembered for a long, long time.

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Oklahoma upset put Alabama among USA TODAY Sports losers of the week

The Oklahoma Sooners upset of Alabama put the Crimson Tide among USA TODAY Sports losers of Week 13.

The Oklahoma Sooners shocked the college football world with their 24-3 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. It was spurred by a dominant defensive effort and a performance in the run game that would have made Bud Wilkinson and Barry Switzer proud.

The Sooners’ upset was one of a number that came in Week 13 as Auburn beat Texas A&M and Florida beat Ole Miss.

Like he does every week, Paul Myerburg of USA TODAY Sports revealed his winners and losers of week 13. The Sooners weren’t included among the winners, but when the team you beat shows up as a loser of the week, you can claim winner status by extension.

Move over, Indiana. Make room, Ole Miss. Here’s the most stunning score of Saturday: Oklahoma 24, No. 7 Alabama 3. Playing as more than two-touchdown favorites, the Crimson Tide were completely shut down by an opponent scuffling in a major way as new members of the SEC. Jalen Milroe was the poster child for these struggles, completing just 11 of 26 throws with three interceptions while gaining just 7 yards on 15 carries. While not productive through the air, the Sooners ran for 257 yards, led by a pair of 100-yard performances by quarterback Jackson Arnold (131 yards) and freshman back Xavier Robinson (107 yards, two touchdowns). Alabama was expected to stroll into the SEC championship game and the playoff with wins against Oklahoma and Auburn but will instead have a very hard time earning an at-large bid with three losses, none worse than Saturday night. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports

The Sooners may have pulled the plug on Alabama’s College Football Playoff hopes on Saturday night. At this point the Crimson Tide will need a lot of help to make it into the 12-team field with losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and now Oklahoma.

Oklahoma has aspirations of being a contender. And to be one, they have to be able to win games like the one last night. It was evidence that when the Sooners take care of the football on offense, they can play with some of the best in college football.

Can they play another clean game against the LSU Tigers next Saturday in Baton Rouge? On Saturday night, the Sooners showed they’ve got it in them.

Multiple SEC teams fall in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll after a wild weekend

After 13 weeks, SEC football has eight teams ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Week thirteen was an interesting one for all of college football. There were a number of upsets of top ten teams, including a couple of SEC football teams. Kentucky football lost to the top SEC team, the Texas Longhorns, who maintained their spot at number three in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.

Overall, the SEC has eight teams ranked in the top 25. Three of them remain inside the top ten. The Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers, at number six and eight respectively, join Texas with that distinction.

Related: Should Cutter Boley start Kentucky’s final game?

The Alabama Crimson Tide and Ole Miss Rebels both suffered losses on Saturday and dropped in the rankings. Bama fell six spots to number 13 while Ole Miss fell seven spots to number 16. Both likely saw their playoff hopes end as well.

The season is winding down, and there is just one game left in the regular season. It has been a wild season in the SEC, and the last week should be no exception.

Here are the full results of this week’s coaches poll:

 

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon Ducks 11-0 1,375 (55)
2 Ohio State Buckeyes 10-1 1,318
3 Texas Longhorns 10-1 1,267
4 Penn State Nittany Lions 10-1 1,175
5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10-1 1,150
6 Georgia Bulldogs 9-2 1,103
7 Miami Hurricanes 10-1 1,023
8 Tennessee Volunteers 9-2 972
9 SMU Mustangs 10-1 917
10 Indiana Hoosiers 10-1 867
11 Boise State Broncos 10-1 838
12 Clemson Tigers 9-2 780
13 Alabama Crimson Tide 8-3 621
14 South Carolina Gamecocks 8-3 596
15 Arizona State Sun Devils 9-2 592
16 Ole Miss Rebels 8-3 569
17 Iowa State Cyclones 9-2 473
18 Tulane Green Wave 9-2 434
19 Texas A&M Aggies 8-3 357
20 BYU Cougars 9-2 329
21 UNLV Rebels 9-2 205
22 Army Black Knights 9-1 165
23 Memphis Tigers 9-2 151
24 Missouri Tigers 8-3 148
25 Illinois Fighting Illini 8-3 132

Texas A&M suffers blow in US LBM Coaches Poll following loss to Auburn

The overtime loss on the Plains puts Texas A&M’s playoff hopes in jeopardy.

Auburn football pulled off the upset of then-No. 14 Texas A&M on Saturday. How much did the loss affect the Aggies’ place within the US LBM Coaches Poll.

In the poll released Sunday, the Aggies check in at No. 19, down five spots from the previous week’s ranking. Texas A&M is one of eight programs to lose ground in the rankings. Two of those teams, Colorado and Kansas State, were removed from this week’s rankings. The Buffaloes fell from their No. 18 ranking after losing to Kansas in neutral site action while Kansas State was bounced from the No. 25 slot despite blowing out Cincinnati.

Auburn’s next opponent, Alabama joins Texas A&M in slipping in this week’s poll. The Crimson Tide experienced a blowout loss to unranked Oklahoma on Saturday, which gives them their third loss of the season. The loss also costs them six spots in the coaches poll, falling from the No. 7 slot to No. 13 this week.

Here is a look at what has changed in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.

US LBM Coaches Poll

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon Ducks 11-0 1,375 (55)
2 Ohio State Buckeyes 10-1 1,318
3 Texas Longhorns 10-1 1,267
4 Penn State Nittany Lions 10-1 1,175
5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10-1 1,150
6 Georgia Bulldogs 9-2 1,103
7 Miami Hurricanes 10-1 1,023
8 Tennessee Volunteers 9-2 972
9 SMU Mustangs 10-1 917
10 Indiana Hoosiers 10-1 867
11 Boise State Broncos 10-1 838
12 Clemson Tigers 9-2 780
13 Alabama Crimson Tide 8-3 621
14 South Carolina Gamecocks 8-3 596
15 Arizona State Sun Devils 9-2 592
16 Ole Miss Rebels 8-3 569
17 Iowa State Cyclones 9-2 473
18 Tulane Green Wave 9-2 434
19 Texas A&M Aggies 8-3 357
20 BYU Cougars 9-2 329
21 UNLV Rebels 9-2 205
22 Army Black Knights 9-1 165
23 Memphis Tigers 9-2 151
24 Missouri Tigers 8-3 148
25 Illinois Fighting Illini 8-3 132

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Oklahoma knocks Alabama out of top 12 of US LBM Coaches Poll

The Oklahoma Sooners played spoiler knocking Alabama out of the top 12 of the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.

The Oklahoma Sooners played spoiler on Saturday night in their dominant 24-3 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Sooners used a ball control strategy, leaning heavily on the run game to move the ball into Alabama territory seemingly at will.

That includes two drives in the first quarter where the Sooners marched into Bama’s side of the 50 but were unable to come away with points after several self-inflicted wounds. But Oklahoma tightened up and played a clean game the rest of the way on offense and the defense gave quarterback Jalen Milroe fits for four quarters.

Oklahoma’s win over the Crimson Tide put Bama’s College Football Playoff hopes on life support. Alabama slipped outside of the top 12 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll to No. 13 in the nation.

The top four stayed the same, with Oregon continuing to receive every first-place vote. Notre Dame is new to the top five after handing Army its first loss of the season in a 49-14 win for the Irish. With just USC remaining on the schedule, it looks like Notre Dame has secured its place in the playoff.

Georgia is now the highest-ranked two-loss team at No. 6 in the nation. They’ve clinched a spot in the SEC title game and await the winner of Texas vs. Texas A&M next Saturday in College Station. If Georgia can avoid a letdown against Georgia Tech, they’ll have a clear path to the playoff.

The final two weeks and conference championship weekend could create a lot of chaos for the playoff committee to parse through.

Full US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 13

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon Ducks 11-0 1,375 (55)
2 Ohio State Buckeyes 10-1 1,318
3 Texas Longhorns 10-1 1,267
4 Penn State Nittany Lions 10-1 1,175
5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10-1 1,150
6 Georgia Bulldogs 9-2 1,103
7 Miami Hurricanes 10-1 1,023
8 Tennessee Volunteers 9-2 972
9 SMU Mustangs 10-1 917
10 Indiana Hoosiers 10-1 867
11 Boise State Broncos 10-1 838
12 Clemson Tigers 9-2 780
13 Alabama Crimson Tide 8-3 621
14 South Carolina Gamecocks 8-3 596
15 Arizona State Sun Devils 9-2 592
16 Ole Miss Rebels 8-3 569
17 Iowa State Cyclones 9-2 473
18 Tulane Green Wave 9-2 434
19 Texas A&M Aggies 8-3 357
20 BYU Cougars 9-2 329
21 UNLV Rebels 9-2 205
22 Army Black Knights 9-1 165
23 Memphis Tigers 9-2 151
24 Missouri Tigers 8-3 148
25 Illinois Fighting Illini 8-3 132

Schools Dropped Out

No. 18 Colorado; No. 25 Kansas State;

Others Receiving Votes

Kansas State 124; Colorado 115; Duke 31; Syracuse 19; Louisville 8; Louisiana 7; Washington State 6; LSU 3; Miami (OH) 1; James Madison 1; Iowa 1; Georgia Tech 1; Baylor 1;

List Of Voters

The US LBM Board of Coaches for the 2024 season: Tim Albin, Ohio; Major Applewhite, South Alabama; Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina; Mike Bloomgren, Rice; David Braun, Northwestern; Jeff Brohm, Louisville; Fran Brown, Syracuse; Neal Brown, West Virginia; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Jamey Chadwell, Liberty; Bob Chesney, James Madison; Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan; Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech; Spencer Danielson, Boise State; Ryan Day, Ohio State; Kalen DeBoer, Alabama; Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State; Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri; Mike Elko, Texas A&M; Tony Elliott, Virginia; Jedd Fisch, Washington; James Franklin, Penn State; Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame; Willie Fritz, Houston; Alex Golesh, South Florida; Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky; Mike Houston, East Carolina; Butch Jones, Arkansas State; Brent Key, Georgia Tech; GJ Kinne, Texas State; Chris Klieman, Kansas State; Dan Lanning, Oregon; Rhett Lashlee, SMU; Clark Lea, Vanderbilt; Lance Leipold, Kansas; Pete Lembo, Buffalo; Sean Lewis, San Diego State; Mike Locksley, Maryland; Mike MacIntyre, Florida International; Gus Malzahn, Central Florida; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee; Joey McGuire, Texas Tech; Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico; Jeff Monken, Army; Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh; Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State; Barry Odom, UNLV; Gerad Parker, Troy; Brent Pry, Virginia Tech; Kirby Smart, Georgia; Mark Stoops, Kentucky; Jon Sumrall, Tulane; Lance Taylor, Western Michigan; Jeff Traylor, Texas-San Antonio.