In The News

The CFB season is finally HERE. Okay, technically, it was here last week for week zero, but we had just a smattering of games last week, like having just potato salad at the buffet. Potato salad is GREAT but we need the FULL buffet. That happens this week. Let’s dive in.

 

Lone Star Player of the Week Candidates

SMU TE R.J. Maryland - eight second half catches for 162 yards and the game winning TD in the fourth quarter for SMU in a week zero win over Nevada in Reno.

 

2024 Season Predictions Sure to Go Wrong in a Hurry

The transfer portal, NIL and 12 team playoff will combine to make this the WILDEST season in a long time.

 

The Heisman Trophy winner will come from out of nowhere, somewhat like LSU’s Jayden Daniels did last year. A few names that could surprise will come from a name program, perhaps a transfer that has just flown under the radar based on his previous stops. Keep an eye on Miami QB Cam Ward (West Columbia, TX represent, yo!!), but don’t sleep on former Texas transfer Utah QB Cam Rising, Oregon’s much traveled starter Dillon Gabriel or talented Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty. Talk about sleepers, I just gave the Rip Van Winkle of all sleepers right there in that trio.

 

Games will finish 10-15 minutes EARLIER, on average, with the new rules on timing after first downs and the “two minute timeout”. Trust me, it’s NOT the two minute warning; we broadcasters have already been given the “what for” to make sure it remains the two minute TIMEOUT not WARNING.

 

Even with all the shake up in conference alignment, NIL, portal and the sort, Ohio State will win the national championship.

 

Georgia will be undefeated until it’s upset in the semifinal round of the playoff.

 

The winner of the Michigan-Oregon game on November 2nd will make the playoff as an at-large.

 

The SEC will get four teams into the playoff, at a minimum. The B1G will get two or more.

 

Boise State will be the Group of 5 (or 6) that gets the #12 seed.

 

Alabama may take a step back this year, but head coach Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama staff are recruiting like gangbusters. Get Alabama this year, because in the near future, the Tide will be a BEAST…again.

 

Texas A&M, with Mike Elko in charge, will make a statement right out of the chute against Notre Dame on Saturday.

 

There will be a 2,000 yard rusher this year in college football. This is an outstanding class of running backs in 2024 and one of them, at a minimum, will get to 2,000 yards on the ground.

 

My guy, longtime head coach K.C Keeler will lead the Sam Houston Bearkats to a bowl game in year two in FCS.

 

I like Oklahoma State, led by seventh year QB Alan Bowman and RB Ollie Gordon, to win the Big 12 and host a first round playoff game.

 

The SEC will be a bloodbath as usual. Keep an eye on Tennessee as a dark horse to get to ten wins. A&M will be in the mix as well with one of the more underrated coaches in college football Mike Elko. But, in the end, Georgia is one of the two most talented teams in the nation and that’ll have the Dawgs back in Atlanta raising the championship trophy in December.

 

Quick Kudos from Week 0

…to Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech’s star RB, who had 13 touches for 91 yards and two rushing TD in the Yellow Jackets’ upset of #10 Florida State in Dublin, Ireland.

 

…to WWE legend Seamus. As the guest picker on College Gameday, he was the ONLY expert to pick the Georgia Tech upset over Florida State

 

…to the Montana State Bobcats. Down 31-14 as a double digit favorite over FCS New Mexico heading into the fourth quarter, QB “Touchdown” Tommy Mellott and crew roared back to beat the Lobos in Albuquerque.

 

…to SMU TE R.J. Maryland. The son of former #1 overall pick Russell Maryland is carving out his own name and made a statement in week zero. After not catching a pass in the first half, Maryland led a wild fourth quarter SMU comeback with eight catches for 162 and the game winning TD against Nevada on the road.

 

…to Delaware State for making it to Hawai’i and then competing after an arduous road trip to the island. The Hornets missed their flight initially to Hawai’i, but eventually made it to Hawai’i to play the Warriors.

 

Week 1’s National game of Note

(0-0) Boston College at (0-1) #10 Florida State - there’s no more difficult way Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien could start his BC coaching career. At Florida State…after the Seminoles lost their opener in Ireland. Ouch. That said, BC QB Thomas Castellanos can throw and run his Eagles into good offense but the Seminoles are angry. This could be fun.

 

Week 1’s Big 12/SEC Games of Note

(0-0) #1 Georgia v (0-0) #14 Clemson - Atlanta - This must just be the most anticipated matchup in week one. Clemson needs retribution from a couple of average seasons and is looking to find its way back into the Bluebloods Club. A win over QB Carson Beck’s Georgia Bulldogs would have people’s attention in a big way.

 

(0-0) #8 Penn State at (0-0) West Virginia - This rivalry should be played every year, but conference realignment blah, blah, blah. Either way, Penn State QB Drew Allar had one of his best games in 2023 v. West Virginia, but Morgantown will be turned all the way up for the arrival of one of their most despised rivals.

 

(0-0) #19 Miami, FL at (0-0) Florida - The Hurricanes ruled the offseason and its prized transfer acquisition is Texan QB Cam Ward, who shined at Washington State and Incarnate Word, before heading to Coral Gables. However, Gainesville’s Swamp is not welcoming to visitors in openers. Ask Utah. So, Ward will have to be on his game to win big on the road.

 

(0-0) #7 Notre Dame at (0-0) #20 Texas A&M - The finale of the ABC/ESPN tripleheader is going to be a bloodbath in College Station. These two teams will physically wear each other out throughout the game in 90 degree temperatures at Kyle Field. It’s the opener for head coach Mike Elko at A&M and a statement game needed for Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman.

 

 

(0-0) #23 USC v. (0-0) #13 LSU - Las Vegas - Last year, this one would’ve been a matchup of the top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft and the last two Heisman Trophy winners (USC QB Caleb Williams and LSU QB Jayden Daniels). But, don’t think that their absence takes away from the juice and star power in this gargantuan matchup on Sunday night in Vegas. USC’s Miller Moss and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier have massive shoes to fill, but they are BOTH ready for this opportunity.

If Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy had his way, the game of college football would be a massive interconnected communication experience for both sides of the ball.

“They didn’t go with my plan. I said they should put five coach comm systems in helmets on offense and five coach comm systems on defense” the Oklahoma State coach quipped during Big 12 Media Days.

It was at that point that I turned to Gundy’s Director of Football Business Kenyatta Wright, who I spent a ton of time with that day…and a former New York Jet.

“Man, can you imagine Belichick with five defensive players with coach comms in their helmets?”

So, yeah, college football has changed off the field in 2024. There’s a 12 team playoff now. There’s now two universities in California that are in the ACC. There are two California universities and two in the Pac Northwest that are in the midwestern-dominated Big Ten. Finally, the Big 12 added four former Pac-12 schools, which is why the ever growing Big 12 had its Media Days in Vegas.

But, on the field, there are going to be changes as well, and two major changes were on display here in Vegas, that will bring the college game closer to the NFL game. First, though, we have to discuss a funeral. This funeral will be for the five GA (graduate assistant) coaches wearing different colored coaching outfits madly signaling plays to its offense. This funeral also includes the death of the four square, uniquely labeled picture cards that college offenses used. Also, included in this funeral is the death of the big drapery that covered the coaches signaling plays to its quarterback/offense.

RIP to all. I mean, there won’t be any more signal controversies like the one that emerged in Ann Arbor last year, correct? So, I guess we can have a funeral for the young GA’s traveling to other games and filming an opponent’s signals too. Years ago, when I was at the Bear Bryant Award ceremony, talking to the great coaches of the game, I remember one saying to me “Well, (team redacted) got all the way to the championship game by stealing signs all year.” So, it was time to send those aspects of college football to their timely death.

Those things are no longer seen at the NFL level because of the coach comm system utilized by the 32 teams in the NFL. Now, finally, college football is going to use the same equipment. An offense’s play caller can now talk to his QB as all NFL teams can do. No more changing signals. Shoot, no more signals, period. Just talk in the helmet and let’s rock.

“I’m curious how this is going to go,” Gundy said during his media session. The Cowboys head coach was FOR the new system, but wonders how it will all transpire given the differences in offensive systems to the NFL.

The other change is one that the NFL made years ago. As I walked near the radio row, I just happened to see a Microsoft Surface station with some media members picking up the Surfaces and staring at them longingly. When I saw it, I didn’t react because I’m so used to seeing that blue box in our offices on a daily basis as they’re used for all Texans games. Then, it hit me, oh man, Surface sideline usage is all new for these Big 12 universities (and all schools, honestly). One advantage the college coaches are going to have over the NFL, though, is that the schools can use video on the sideline. I spoke to the DV Sports rep on site and we had a great discussion on that aspect and how and why that’s different from the NFL, a league that does NOT use video on their Surfaces during the game.

2024 is going to be a weird, feeling out process for many, for many reasons, but, without question, the big winners are the IT departments everywhere. Technology has exploded in the game of football but it took college football a while to figure it all out. They seemingly got there just in time for The Year of Change in college ball.

 The CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™ will be held in 14 cities in the United States from June 20 to July 14, 2024, with 2 to 3 matches per venue.

●        The 14 stadiums distributed in 10 states on the East Coast, Central Zone and West Coast will be dressed in the colors and image of this new edition of the oldest and most exciting national team tournament in the world.

●        On this occasion, the CONMEBOL Copa América™ will feature 32 matches to be played over the 25 days of competition and 16 participating teams, 10 from CONMEBOL and six from Concacaf, as guests.

●        NRG Stadium to host 3 matches including the Mexican National Team's opener on June 22, a Group match on June 24 and the tournament's 1st Quarterfinal on July 4 featuring the winner of Argentina's group.

CONMEBOL announced the 14 host cities, the stadiums and the match schedule that will be part of the 48th edition of the CONMEBOL Copa América™, which will be held in the United States from June 20 to July 14, 2024.

This announcement comes after CONMEBOL confirmed that the opening match of the tournament will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) and the final at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL).

This competition, which promises to be an unforgettable spectacle for football lovers from around the world, will feature 32 matches to be played by the 16 participating teams (10 from CONMEBOL and 6 from CONCACAF) at 14 emblematic stadiums in the United States.

 

"We will experience an unforgettable Copa America, enjoying the best football in the world in 14 magnificent stadiums. The passion of football will run through this great country from east to west and from north to south, bringing excitement and fun to hundreds of thousands of fans at the venues and millions of spectators around the world," said Alejandro Dominguez, President of CONMEBOL and FIFA Vice President.

 

"I congratulate all of the host cities and their sports commissions. These venues are world-class and have passionate fans who are renowned for getting behind major events,” said Victor Montagliani, Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President. “The exciting prospect of co-organizing the Copa America 2024 with our partners at CONMEBOL, in addition to the range of Concacaf competitions we will deliver in the next three years, will cement our region as a global hub for football as we head towards the FIFA World Cup 2026”, added Montagliani.

 

The 14 stadiums that will host the CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™, in alphabetical order are:

Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kansas

Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Florida

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida

Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Q2 Stadium, Austin, Texas

SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 

 

The group stage will be held from June 20 to July 2, quarterfinals from July 4 to 6, semifinals on July 9 and 10, third-place match on July 13, and lastly the final on July 14.

According to the dynamics of the competition, two groups will play in the west and center of the country, and two groups in the east and center. The competition will move in an easterly direction, the quarterfinals will be played in the west and center, while the semifinal and final will take place in the east.

 

CONMEBOL America's Cup 2024 

The CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™️ will be played in the United States and includes 10 CONMEBOL teams and 6 CONCACAF guest teams. In this edition, this traditional tournament will be organized by both confederations. 

The 6 Concacaf teams qualify through the Concacaf Nations League 2023/24. The already known representative teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean are the United States, Jamaica, Mexico and Panama. The other two Concacaf participants will be confirmed after a Play-In between Canada vs Trinidad and Tobago, and Costa Rica vs Honduras. This Play-In will take place on Saturday, March 23, 2024. 

In the 48th edition of one of the most important competitions of the continent, this will be the second time in the tournament's history that it will host 16 teams - having hosted the same number of teams in its 2016 edition, also held in the United States.

Teams that have won 10 FIFA World Cup™ titles and the biggest stars of world football will take the field for 32 matches in this edition of the tournament in June and July 2024.

Rocking the Continent

The CONMEBOL Copa América has incredible power, it can make everything move, emotions vibrate and hearts soar.

 It makes the flags fly, the nets shake, the stands tremble, the stadiums rock. Its history makes the entire continent proud, causing our football to palpitate as a single force.

This competition has the power to bring out the best version of us to define who we are: as South Americans: football, history, joy and passion.

 

#VibraElContinente

 

Facebook: /copaamerica

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Twitter: @copaamerica

Tik Tok: @copaamerica

YouTube: /copaamerica

The CFB season is really just starting to hit its stride, so let’s take a look at what happened last week, project some TaxAct Texas Bowl teams and look ahead to another tremendous weekend in CFB for week 12.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Missouri - The Tigers got lambasted last year in Knoxville when the Tennessee Volunteers poured it on late in a 66-24 win. This year, though, was a different story. The Tigers, riding the wave of former DII transfer RB Cody Schrader trampled Tennessee 36-7, making a significant statement that the Tigers are a force in 2023. The Tigers have only lost to LSU by ten and to Georgia by nine last week. That’s it. So, they needed this one at home for a bit of revenge and a bit of redemption. A ten win season is certainly in range with games against Florida and Arkansas coming up.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - UCF - Gus Malzahn’s squad did not have a Big 12 win after grueling gut punch losses to Baylor, Oklahoma and West Virginia, in particular. But, in week ten, the Knights beat Cincinnati on the road. But, they still hadn’t beaten a legacy Big 12 team until Saturday. Not only did they beat a legacy team, they dismantled the HOT Oklahoma State Cowboys. Fresh off an upset over Oklahoma and five Big 12 wins in a row, Mike Gundy’s Cowboys got shellacked by Malzahn’s squad 45-3. That’s not a misprint. Oklahoma State was in some kind of driver’s seat after Kansas lost to Texas Tech, but the Cowboys couldn’t handle UCF at all. UCF RB R.J. Harvey looked more like Ollie Gordon than the real Ollie Gordon looked like Ollie Gordon. Harvey ran for 206 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Player of the Week - LSU QB Jayden Daniels - I fell asleep well before the Florida-LSU game concluded, so I got on my phone first thing in the morning and I saw Daniels’ numbers. I got confused. I thought those have to be a misprint. Nope. Daniels did something that’s never been done in the history of college football. He’s the first QB to throw for 350+ yards and rush for 200+ yards. Check these #s out - 17 of 26 for 372 yards and three touchdowns through the air with 12 rushes for 234 yards and two touchdowns. 606 total yards, accounting for five touchdowns. He was the only player that could make Missouri RB Cody Schrader the honorable mention selection this week.

TaxAct Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week  - Missouri RB Cody Schrader - This was such a tough decision but when Daniels set records that no QB in FBS history had ever reached, Schrader moved down a notch from his high perch. But, that doesn't take away in the slightest from one of the greatest RB performances in SEC and Missouri history. He was the first player in SEC history to have 200 yards rushing (205) and 100 yards receiving (116) in the same game. There are only ten players that have done it in the history of college football. No player has generated as many all-purpose yards (321) in a game in FBS this season as Schrader.

National Team of the Week - Oregon State - The Beavers are one of the least talked about GREAT teams in the country. Stifling defense. Outstanding QB play. One of the nation’s best OL. The Beavers piled up 62 points on Stanford on Saturday, including 55 in the first three quarters. Circle the next two Saturdays - Oregon State gets Washington at home in Corvallis and then it’s Civil War time in Eugene against the Ducks. Those games will be AWESOME!

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - UNLV - The Rebels finished 2022 with six losses in their last seven games. In 2021, they won just two games. In 2020, they lost all six games. After Friday night’s win over Wyoming in Vegas, the Rebels are now 8-2. That’s eight wins, one more than the Rebels had in the last three years COMBINED. Head coach Barry Odom’s squad jumped all over the Cowboys in the second half, shutting out the Cowboys and putting up 13 points over the last 30 minutes in a 34-14 win. 

National Player of the Week - Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. - Three touchdowns against Michigan State. Went over 1000 yards receiving for the second consecutive season. Heisman love. Seven catches for 149 yards, two TD. One carry for a nineteen yard touchdown. Yeah, he’s the absolute Truth.

Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Cal LB David Reese - You wouldn’t think that a defensive star emerged in a 42-39 game on the west coast, but Reese should get all kinds of honors for his performance. Three sacks. Six tackles. Two forced fumbles, one of which was returned for a 52 yard TD for the Golden Bears.

 

Quick Kudos

…to Sam Houston for its second win, and first ever against a CUSA as a FBS program, on the road at Louisiana Tech.

…to Georgia for a resounding win over a top ten team at home. TE Brock Bowers returned to the lineup and scored a TD in a 52-17 win over formerly #9 Ole Miss.

…to Washington for remaining undefeated in a hard fought win over Utah in Seattle 35-28

…to Oregon QB Bo Nix for throwing four TD passes against USC in a 36-27 win.

…to the Red Raiders of Texas Tech for wrecking Kansas’ magical season with a last second field goal in Lawrence, KS.

…to Jedd Fisch and the Arizona Wildcats for their seventh win of the season, this time over Colorado on the road in Boulder.

…to Iowa for a shutout over Rutgers.

…to James Madison for its tenth win in a row this season. All that stands between JMU and a perfect 12-0 season is a game with Appalachian State and a trip to Coastal Carolina.

 …to Hugh Freeze and Auburn for finding their offensive attack at the right time in the season. 48-10 over Arkansas in Fayetteville.

 

Week 12’s Big games

#2 (10-0) Georgia at #13 (7-3) Tennessee - the Volunteers are coming off of an embarrassing showing in Columbia, MO, so ruining the season of the #2 Bulldogs would be an amazing finish to the year.

 #5 (10-0) Washington at #12 (8-2) Oregon State - This is the BEST game of the weekend, in my estimation. Oregon State is actually a slight favorite at home, so it’s clear this could be Washington’s last biggest test.

 #24 (8-2) North Carolina at (6-4) Clemson - The Tigers are starting to play some good football finally, but facing, and shutting down, North Carolina QB Drake Maye might be a more difficult exercise on Saturday afternoon.

 

TaxAct Texas Bowl Potential teams

Big 12 candidates

(7-3) Oklahoma State - The Cowboys have overachieved a bit this year, but I didn’t expect them to get it handed to them this past weekend. Still in the Tax Act Texas Bowl hunt.

(7-3) Kansas - The Jayhawks lost to Texas Tech and have Kansas State this week…and potentially a banged up QB.

(5-5) Texas Tech - If the Red Raiders finish out the year with a win over UCF and an upset of Texas…I wouldn’t mind a HOT Tech team coming back to Houston.

SEC candidates

(7-3) LSU - If LSU finishes out with two more wins, the Tigers will get snapped up by a New Year’s Bowl

(6-4) Texas A&M - With the change at the head coaching position, A&M is an intriguing team to watch this offseason for many reasons.

(6-4) Auburn - The Tigers stayed hot with a MASSIVE blowout win on the road last weekend.

 

Tax Act Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Oklahoma State - Before the season started, I was convinced that this was the year, finally, that Oklahoma State was not going to be in this Big 12 race. But, head coach Mike Gundy has done a whale of a job keeping his Cowboys right in the mix. Oklahoma State knocked Oklahoma off its potential playoff perch with a scintillating 27-24 win in Stillwater…Bedlam will be decked in orange and black for the foreseeable future. RB Ollie Gordon II put on a show for the third straight week, rushing for 137 yards and two TD, while junior WR Rashod Owens took over the game with his receptions and runs after the catch. Oklahoma State moved to 7-2 on the season and 5-1 in the conference. What a win.

Tax Act Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - Houston - QB Donovan Smith ran in a QB Draw on a two point conversion to beat Baylor in Waco 25-24 to move within two games of bowl eligibility. That would be a MAJOR feather in head coach Dana Holgorsen’s cap - first year in the Big 12 and the Cougars find a bowl?? Wow.

Tax Act Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Alabama QB Jalen Milroe - The Katy, TX product just kept scoring touchdowns against LSU. He threw for 219 yards, but he ran for 20 times for 155 yards and FOUR touchdowns in a come from behind win over rival LSU in Tuscaloosa

Tax Act Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week  - Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II - as noted above, Gordon was instrumental in the 27-24 win over Oklahoma. He’s now run for 136, 168, 282, 271 and 138 in his last six games. In fact, he only ran the ball 19 times in his first three games for 109 yards.

National Team of the Week - Washington - Head coach Kalen DeBoer’s undefeated Huskies went to Los Angeles and dropped a 50-burger on the USC Trojans in a 52-42 win three weeks after beating Oregon in Seattle.

Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - Army - The Black Knights were decided underdogs heading to Denver to take on the undefeated Air Force Falcons. They left Denver with a win for the ages 23-3, knocking Air Force from its undefeated perch. With a win over Navy in the finale, Army will take home the Commander in Chief trophy after the massive upset in Air Force’s backyard. Congrats to Jeff Monken and his Army squad.

National Player of the Week - Washington RB Dillon Johnson - All the Greenville, MS native did was run for a career high 256 yards and four touchdowns in that 52-42 win over USC. He tacked on 11 more receiving yards for a total of 267 all-purpose yards and those four tuddies.

Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Penn State QB Drew Allar - 25-34 for 240 yards and FOUR touchdowns against Maryland in a 51-15 win.

Quick Kudos

…to Sam Houston for its first win as an FBS program - 24-21 win over Kennesaw State on a Colby Sessums game ending FG.

…to UCF for its first Big 12 win against Cincinnati 28-26

…to James Madison for continuing its dominant 9-0 run through CFB this year…even though James Madison can’t go to a bowl. It can STILL finish 12-0 with wins over UConn, Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina.

…to West Virginia for getting to bowl eligibility under head coach Neal Brown in a dominant 37-7 win over BYU.

…to Ole Miss for a hard fought win over Texas A&M in Oxford. Ole Miss hung on as Texas A&M kicker Randy Bond missed a game tying kick at the buzzer.

Week 11’s Big games

#3 (9-0) Michigan at #11(8-1) Penn State - Can Penn State finally win a BIG game against a top five team? Michigan is arguably the best team in the nation, so Penn State is in for a fight at home.

#18 (7-2) Utah at #5 (9-0) Washington - Utah can make a complete mess of the situation in the Pac-12 with an upset win in Seattle. Washington WR Rome Odunze is the absolute truth and Utah must stop him…and RB Dillon Johnson…and WR Ja’Lynn Polk…and QB Michael Penix Jr.

#17 (7-2) Tennessee at #12 (7-2) Missouri - The Tigers gave Georgia all it could handle in Athens, so returning home for Tennessee could make things tough on the Vols.

Tax Act Potential Bowl teams

Big 12 candidates

(6-3) Kansas State - the Wildcats have a great history with the bowl here in Houston

(6-3) West Virginia - without that late loss to Houston, Neal Brown’s Mountaineers would be 7-2

(4-5) Houston - the Cougars would be one heck of a story, but need two difficult wins to get to 6-6, at a minimum.

(5-4) BYU - The Cougars need a win to get to bowl eligibility, but if they do, they’ll bring fans in droves to H-Town.

 

SEC candidates

(6-3) LSU - If LSU finishes out with three wins, the Tigers will get snapped up by a New Year’s Bowl

(5-4) Texas A&M - the Aggies have had some gut punch losses this year, including last week’s 38-35 barnburner in Oxford.

(5-4) Auburn - In his first year at Auburn, Hugh Freeze has put Auburn in position to get into a bowl game, but must beat one of Arkansas, New Mexico State or Alabama to get to six wins.