SEC Football Unfiltered

Don’t go to Auburn for a taste of fruit punch. “We don’t even have red Gatorade," Auburn center Cole Best told USA TODAY Sports. That's the Iron Bowl rivalry for you. No red Gatorade (or red ink pens), as Auburn emphasizes its rivalry with Alabama. Whatever it takes to reverse Auburn's fortunes. The last five seasons were pretty miserable on the Plains. Auburn hasn't beaten either Alabama or Georgia, its top rivals, since Gus Malzahn was its coach. On today's episode, host Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY is joined by the Montgomery Advertiser's Adam Cole as they examine the start of Alex Golesh's tenure and whether this new hire can spark an Auburn upswing. Toppmeyer shares some details of his offseason visit to Auburn, and Cole explains why quarterback Byrum Brown's ability couldn't be judged properly from Auburn's spring game. They finish by weighing in on whether they're buying, selling or holding stock in Auburn under Golesh.

Alabama's Nate Oats and Florida's Todd Golden established themselves as top-tier SEC basketball coaches. Oats has Alabama in the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight season. Golden's stock remains red hot despite Florida's surprising second-round loss to Iowa. So, what happens if the North Carolina job opens? UNC's Hubert Davis is on the hot seat. Golden and Oats have proven they can win at the highest level. They enjoy ultimate job security and high favorability ratings at their current school. Would they trade that in for the chance to coach a blue blood, where basketball reigns supreme? On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate the merits of leaving a stable SEC job for a premier opportunity like North Carolina, where the pressure is high but so is the ceiling. Adams thinks a coach with Golden's swagger or Oats' appetite for a national championship might trade in a secure situation for the ego stroke of a blue blood, but both hosts outline multiple reasons to stay put. If Golden is open to leaving Florida, Adams thinks he'd be better off waiting for another SEC job to open. Think Kentucky could use some of Golden's swagger if Mark Pope flames out in 2027? Also in this episode, the hosts examine the four SEC teams remaining in March Madness and highlight one team they think could advance to the Elite Eight via an upset.

If Indiana can be a football school, then why can’t Florida be a basketball school? Todd Golden is looking to emulate Billy Donovan and coach the Gators to back-to-back national championships. As the SEC Tournament arrives, Florida has won 11 straight and is making a beeline for a No. 1 seed in March Madness. In the meantime, can anyone stop Florida in Nashville? On today’s basketball-themed episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams discuss top threats to Florida in the SEC Tournament and debate whether it’s hyperbolic to claim Florida is a basketball school, for the moment. Later in the episode, they weigh in on Bruce Pearl’s vendetta against Miami (Ohio). To wrap up the upside, the hosts discuss the latest on March Madness expansion talk, and Adams explains why he likes the idea of a 76-team NCAA Tournament even less than he likes the idea of a 24-team playoff.

The last round of SEC expansion re-established the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry, but conference realignment has taken more than it's given on the rivalry front. Not only that, but the SEC's elimination of divisions also will stop some rivalries from occurring annually. Both inside and outside of the SEC, games that were once part of the fabric of college football are no longer played every year. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams highlight eight rivalry games that they'd wish to save on an annual basis. These are games that have either already gone away or series that will be interrupted in the near future. Several of the rivalries have SEC ties, but they also dip into Big Ten and Big 12 terrain to restore some lost rivalries. Also on this episode, Toppmeyer and Adams react to Joey Aguilar losing his bid for another season as Tennessee's quarterback. One host takes up for the NCAA's quest to enforce its eligibility rules, while the other host has less sympathy for the NCAA.  

Can the SEC put an end to the Big Ten's national championship streak? That quest begins with four SEC teams, although one ACC team might be the most dangerous threat to the Big Ten's string of dominance in 2026. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams go head-to-head drafting their top six national championship contenders. Adams, with the first pick in the draft, plucks a frontrunner from the SEC, but Toppmeyer ventures outside the SEC for his first two picks. Adams stealthily steals one team that Toppmeyer badly wanted on his lineup of national championship contenders. In the end, they each select two SEC teams among their six-pack of national championship contenders.

Dabo Swinney named names. The Clemson coach is blowing the whistle with allegations of tampering by an SEC school. Swinney says he's decided to sic the feeble NCAA on Mississippi coach Pete Golding, after Swinney accused the Rebels coach of tampering to plunder a player off Clemson's roster. Oh, boy. On the one hand, kudos to Swinney for actually naming names. Many coaches bellyache of tampering, but few come with any evidence or firm accusations. Swinney broke the mold. On the other hand, big whoop. Someone might need to inform Swinney that he'd have better luck getting justice from the Keystone Cops than NCAA enforcement. While it's hard to fault Swinney for being frustrated, especially if it all went down like he claims, he better not get his hopes up. In case Swinney hadn't noticed, the NCAA hasn't effectively enforced its rules for many years now. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams react to Swinney blowing the whistle on Ole Miss and what they expect to come of it. (Hint: Not much.) Before they get to Swinney, the hosts weigh in on USA TODAY's "too early" top 25 rankings for the 2026 season. They highlight some SEC teams that are overrated and a couple that might be underrated. Adams gets sucked into the hype machine for one SEC team, in particular. Toppmeyer is tempted to buy stock in an unranked SEC team with a new coach that's making noise in the transfer portal.

The mighty SEC has fallen off its perch. It no longer rules college football. For the third straight season, the SEC has been shut out of the national championship game. If Indiana beats Miami, that will mark three straight national titles for the Big Ten. How does the SEC get the crown back? Start in Texas. The Longhorns failed to live up to the hype in Arch Manning's first season as starter, but they finished the year in strong fashion. The conversation for 2026 SEC frontrunners starts in Austin. Just consider what Steve Sarkisian is doing in the transfer portal, where he secured a premier wide receiver to pair with Manning. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate whether they're ready to buy in on more Texas hype after the Longhorns wilted in the spotlight this season. They also discuss why they're a bit hesitant to go all-in on LSU in Lane Kiffin's first season, even after the Tigers nabbed quarterback Sam Leavitt in the transfer portal. Then, they pivot to Alabama. The Tide have a problem, but it's not Kalen DeBoer. Finally, they issue their picks for the national championship game.

The Big Ten is thriving so far this postseason. With a couple of exceptions, the SEC is wilting. And what of the coaching carousel? Did the Big Ten club the SEC there, too? You could make that case. LSU scored the big fish by securing Lane Kiffin. Mostly, though, SEC schools hired promising but largely unproven up and comers, while Big Ten schools like Michigan and Penn State landed veteran winners with solid resumes. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams evaluate which conference did it better in this hiring cycle. They also debate which conference has the more complete roster of coaches. And they discuss which SEC schools would have been well-served by hiring Kyle Whittingham, who wound up at Michigan. Later in the episode, the hosts unpack the College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchups, including what's at stake for Kalen DeBoer in Alabama-Indiana and whether Mississippi plays with house money in a rematch with Georgia.

Diego Pavia reacted to his second-place Heisman Trophy finish as only he would. "F all the voters," Vanderbilt's quarterback wrote on social media. Hey, he's talking about us! We're the voters. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams reveal their Heisman Trophy ballots and sound off on Pavia's response to not winning. We take no significant offense to Pavia criticizing sportswriters and their votes. After all, sportswriters are critics. We can handle the blowback (even if we voted for Pavia). But, Pavia's reaction took some of the spotlight away from Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. That's where he erred. Also in this episode, a discussion of whether Kalen DeBoer is making the right move pledging allegiance to Alabama while the Michigan job sits open. Finally, College Football Playoff picks against the spread!

If you’d formed a list of candidates LSU should pursue after it fired Brian Kelly, it might have looked like this: 1. Lane Kiffin 2. Revert to option 1 and get it done. LSU got it done. Lane has landed in Baton Rouge. Now, what does it all mean? For Kiffin, leaving Ole Miss on the doorstep of the playoff marks a sharp pivot in his redemption story and revives his renegade past. At LSU, he'll enjoy every advantage to win a national championship. Ole Miss opted for stability in a moment of turmoil and promoted coordinator Pete Golding to coach. How will the transition affect the Rebels in the playoff? On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams grade the hire for LSU and weigh in on whether Ole Miss made the right call in not allowing Kiffin to coach the playoff. Adams logs a prediction for whether Kiffin will win a national championship with LSU, while Toppmeyer shares thoughts on what Kiffin's career pivot will mean for his legacy. Later in the episode, the hosts react to the other hires in the SEC in what's become a coaching carousel unlike any other. Finally, they predict national championship games against the spread.

Greg Sankey once mused about the SEC staging its own College Football Playoff. He didn’t follow through, but his conference has an outside shot of claiming half the spots in a 12-team playoff. Not bad, eh? The bubble’s getting awfully crowded, so what’s the most realistic outcome for the SEC? On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams consider the playoff fortunes of the SEC’s seven teams still in the hunt for a bid. They identify five SEC teams that will make the field, and the two playoff contenders that won’t. Later in the episode, Toppmeyer declares Texas’ season a flop and questions whether Steve Sarkisian should be under more scrutiny. The hosts also sound off on the latest in the Lane Kiffin saga, and they grade Virginia Tech’s hire of James Franklin. Finally, Week 13 picks against the spread!

The firings will continue until morale improves. Auburn became the latest SEC school to succumb to misery, firing Hugh Freeze on Sunday to put an end to his awful tenure. This becomes Auburn’s third firing in six seasons at a program that once punched at the highest level. As the Tigers limp toward what would be a fifth consecutive losing season, it begs the question: Is this still a good job? On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate the merits of the Auburn job. They consider the candidacy of 10 potential targets, taking a particular shine to one coach who’s thriving at a nearby school in the ACC. Later in the episode, a discussion of whether the SEC can qualify five teams for the College Football Playoff, and whether one of those five might be Texas. Finally, Week 11 picks against the spread!

All Florida Gators fans want is the second coming of Steve Spurrier. Is that too much to ask? Not if Lane Kiffin wants the job. Kiffin is a slam dunk choice for Florida, but it's not a slam dunk he'll say yes. He's found success and stability at Ole Miss, where his Rebels are a playoff contender. What if Kiffin says no? On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams consider nine candidates for the Florida job with a round of love it, like it or no thanks. They also take the temperature of the hot seats at Auburn and LSU. Finally, Week 9 picks against the spread!