Georgia Bulldogs Playoff Run?
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For the 16th time in program history, the phrase “The Georgia Bulldogs are SEC Champs” rings true in 2025.
After a dominant 28-7 victory for the Dawgs over the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia moved to 12-1 on the season and earned the #3 seed in the College Football Playoff.
The lone blemish on the schedule for the silver britches coming in September to Alabama, but the Georgia team that avenged that loss in the SEC Title game against the Tide is night and day different from the one in late September.
Georgia has won 9 consecutive games including 3 of those against teams in the top 25 rankings and look to be playing as impressively as anyone in the country entering the College Football Playoff.
While there are numerous factors that contribute to the success down the back stretch of 2025, to me one of the most overlooked is the consistency at offensive line for the Dawgs.
In the first 6 games of the season, Georgia had to utilize 6 different offensive line combinations and left guard Micah Morris is the only O-Lineman to start all 13 games for UGA.
Since then, there has been more consistency up front. While there have still been injuries, most notably center Drew Bobo going down in the regular season finale against Georgia Tech and not playing in the SEC Championship, the other four positions have virtually found their homes and has provided the stability the offense needed.
Injuries and resiliency have been a theme for this Georgia team, especially on offense.
With injuries throughout the past few weeks to Chauncey Bowens, Colbie Young, and others, it has forced some unsung heroes to step up into big roles.
With running back Chauncey Bowens out for the past two weeks, Nate Frazier has obviously taken even more of the load, but the bruising back of Josh McCray has elevated his role for the Illinois transfer.
The wide receiving core has been touch and go the past few weeks with Colbie Young dealing with a lower body injury. Noah Thomas took an enormous step forward, especially with a couple touchdown catches against Texas. That said, Thomas missed most of the SEC Championship game with illness so it fell on the shoulders of Zachariah Branch to lead the wide outs.
Hard to believe that we’ve gotten this far without mentioning Gunner Stockton. The first-year Georgia starter at quarterback has arguably been the most consistent high-producing quarterback in the SEC.
After setting a career high 304 yards in his first true road test of the season against Tennessee, Stockton has been rock-solid steady for the Dawgs both through the air and on the ground.
While the rushing numbers aren’t Heisman-style eye-popping, it feels like every time the Dawgs need a yard or two or a pocket is collapsing, Stockton is able to get exactly what the red and black need to keep the drive alive (oh and usually taking a big hit in the process).
The offense gets a ton of praise, and rightfully so, but while it may not be littered with 1st round NFL draft picks this year, the Georgia Defense has been efficient and effective all season long.
CJ Allen and KJ Bolden have grown into enormous leadership roles and names like Daylen Everette and Jonel Aguero have been as productive as anyone in the SEC in the secondary.
Georgia will have a couple of much-needed weeks off before their Sugar Bowl appearance in New Orleans to face the winner of the first-round match-up between Ole Miss and Tulane.
It gives the #3 Dawgs a chance to lick their wounds and be as healthy as they potentially have been in a month or two going into the playoff run and try to get back to the National Championship
Honor The Deal
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia’s pass rush clearly struggled for most of this season. Georgia has the fewest sacks in the SEC in 2025, with 17 total.
The Bulldog’s defense improved as the season went on, including the pass rush. Georgia (12-1) is safely in the College Football Playoff.
Georgia’s athletic department announced they are seeking $390,000 from former defensive end Damon Wilson II, claiming his transfer to Missouri terminated his existing name, image and likeness agreement with the Bulldogs’ collective. Wilson had nine sacks for Missouri and tied for third most in the SEC.
The Bulldogs already lost their best pass rushers, Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker to the NFL Draft. That was expected, but Damon Wilson II was penciled in for a bigger role after notching three sacks last season, the most of any returning Georgia player.
Georgia’s push for damages may hinge as much on the timing of Wilson’s departure. While nine other Georgia players entered the transfer portal between the end of the regular season and the Sugar Bowl in January, Wilson stayed with the team through the bowl game.
The team expected Wilson to be a key contributor, if not a starter, but then he entered the portal Jan. 7. That made it too late in the process to find an adequate replacement, according to the team.
The dispute is spelled out in an application to compel arbitration filed by the University of Georgia Athletic Association in October.
According to a contract attached to the court filing, Georgia’s Classic City Collective agreed to pay Wilson $30,000 per month from December 2024 through January 2026. That’s $420,000 total, not including $40,000 bonus payments in February and June.
Wilson received his first payment and entered the transfer portal weeks later. According to the filing, the contract allowed the UGA collective to terminate the deal if Wilson unenrolled, left the team, or entered the portal.
The deal also spells out liquidated damages if it’s terminated. Wilson would owe whatever’s remaining on the contract in a lump-sum payment. A termination letter sent by the collective said the $390,000 payment could come from Wilson or another individual/entity on his behalf (presumably, the collective of another school).
“When the University of Georgia Athletic Association enters binding agreements with student-athletes we honor our commitments and expect student-athletes to do the same,” Georgia athletics spokesperson Steven Drummond said in a statement.
Because the collective assigned its deals to Georgia’s athletic department in July, the Bulldogs have taken the issue to court to demand arbitration.
Authorities in Missouri served Wilson with the legal summons Nov. 24. Wilson does not currently have an attorney listed in the court system.
This case is and will be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to lawsuits being filed against players with substantial NIL deals who enter the transfer portal.
The SEC Gets Deeper
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If the recent reporting is accurate, the SEC has quietly made one of its most important decisions in years.
By voting to raise the football scholarship limit from 85 to 105, the league is finally acknowledging what people around the sport have known for a while. College football has changed, and there is no going back.
This is not just about adding 20 more scholarships. It is about keeping pace in a sport that demands more from players and programs than it ever has before.
Earlier this year, the NCAA eliminated sport specific scholarship limits following the House v. NCAA antitrust settlement. That decision pushed much of the responsibility to the conferences.
The SEC initially chose a conservative approach by keeping the 85-player limit for the 2025 season, aiming to provide stability during an uncertain period. At the time, that made sense. In practice, it also put the league behind.
Missouri Head Coach Eli Drinkwitz said it plainly earlier this week. The SEC, he argued, was putting itself at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the country. For a conference that proudly calls itself the best in college football, limiting scholarships while others expand never felt sustainable.
If the limit increases to 105, as many as 320 additional players across the conference could receive scholarships.
That matters now more than ever as the SEC prepares for a nine-game conference schedule. More conference games mean more physical play, more injuries, and fewer opportunities to rest.
Depth is no longer a luxury. It is essential.
Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart highlighted that reality after his team beat Alabama in the SEC Championship Game last Saturday.
Even after a convincing win, Smart focused on how worn down both teams were by the end of the night. Several key contributors were unavailable, while others tried to play through injuries.
Add another conference game to that grind, and the toll becomes even heavier.
The playoff picture also complicates matters. With 16 teams in the conference, a nine-game schedule guarantees eight additional SEC losses each season. Those losses don’t exist in a vacuum, especially when playoff resumes are compared across leagues.
Alabama found itself on the bubble entering championship weekend, and while the Crimson Tide remained in the mix, the concern is a real one.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has framed the schedule expansion as a commitment to elite competition. That argument holds weight.
Between the added conference game and the requirement to play a major non-conference opponent each season, SEC teams will face some of the toughest schedules in college football.
Tougher schedules, however, require deeper rosters, and deeper rosters require more scholarships.
The fact that this information is surfacing on the final day of the early signing period is definitely telling.
Rosters are in constant flux due to transfers, injuries, and early departures. The traditional 85 scholarship model no longer reflects the realities of the modern game.
The SEC dominated the first 12 team College Football Playoff, and this season it sent five teams into the field. That success will not maintain itself automatically.
Expanding scholarships is not about hoarding talent. It is about aligning resources with expectations.
If the SEC wants to remain the standard in college football, it has to match what it asks of its players. Bigger schedules require bigger rosters, and this move finally recognizes that reality.
Garrett Grady Leaving The Ship
By: Teddy Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Brunswick High School Head Football Coach Garrett Grady recently announced his resignation from that position, after four years at the Pirate helm.
“After much thought and reflection,” he said in a press release, “I am announcing my resignation as head football coach at Brunswick High School.”
Grady also thanked his wife for “sharing the journey every step of the way;” his players for their “hard work and pride they brought to the field every day;” and Pirate Nation “for all its’ support.”
Grady came to BHS in 2017 as offensive coordinator under Head Coach Sean Pender. When Pender departed following the 2021 season, Grady was elevated to Head Coach.
“From serving as offensive coordinator . . . to leading this program as head coach,” the press release continued, “. . . we have built something to be proud of and created opportunities for many of our student-athletes to continue their football careers at the next level.”
Indeed, during the nine years that Grady served as OC and then Head Coach, 65 Brunswick High Pirates have gone on to play college football.
Grady took Pirate Pride in helping to shape his student-athletes “into strong, resilient, and dedicated young adults.”
During his four seasons as Head Pirate, Grady compiled a won-loss record of 36-10, including three region titles (2022; 2024; 2025) and three City Championships over Glynn Academy. Grady was also selected Region Coach of the Year three times, including the recently completed 2025 campaign.
Grady’s winning percentage of.782 is the highest in school history.
BHS also made the playoffs four consecutive times under Grady, including three second-round appearances.
Grady’s 2025 squad set a school record for scoring, averaging 43.7 points per game.
Glynn County Schools Assistant Superintendent Steve Waters had high praise for the departing Grady.
“Our football program is undeniably better because of Garrett Grady,” Waters said. “I want to personally thank him and his wife Erica. You will not find two better people, and we wish them all the best as they transition into the next chapter of their lives.”
Waters lauded Grady as a coach, teacher, mentor, role model, and leader in the community.
Waters also announced the search for Grady’s successor will begin immediately, but a comprehensive search will be conducted to make sure the “tradition of excellence” continues for the Pirate Program.
“Serving as the Head Football Coach at Brunswick High School has truly been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Grady’s press release concluded. “Brunswick High School and Pirate Nation will forever hold a special place in my heart.”
Crazy Signing Day
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For the first time in his career as a head coach, Lincoln Riley and USC are projected to finish with the nation’s top recruiting class, signifying that they are serious about competing for national championships in today’s era of college football.
The early signing period recently kicked off and the Trojans signed 35 prospects.
Oregon currently ranks second, followed by Alabama, Notre Dame and Georgia.
Once again, the SEC is dominating, with five of the top 10 classes (Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee and Texas A&M), compared to three from the Big Ten (USC, Oregon and Ohio State), one from the ACC (Miami) and none from the Big 12.
Here’s everything you need to know:
USC has not finished with the No. 1 class since 2006.
Five-star tight end Mark Bowman headlines a class that includes four other top 50 prospects: wide receiver Boobie Feaster, edge rusher Luke Wafle, cornerback Elbert Hill and defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield.
USC focused on California prospects (signing 20) while strategically dipping into other states as needed. Four signees are the top recruits in their home states: Wafle (New Jersey), Hill (Ohio), four-star quarterback Jonas Williams (Illinois) and four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili (Hawaii).
In case you missed it, the biggest news of the week — and of the entire recruiting cycle — dropped Tuesday evening when five-star quarterback Jared Curtis announced his flip from Georgia to Vanderbilt.
The Nashville native is the nation’s top prospect and had committed to Georgia twice, once in March 2024 and again in May after he decommitted for the first time in October 2024.
This decision had been expected this week, but Curtis pumped the brakes when news leaked Tuesday afternoon that his flip was official. He made his announcement Tuesday night and is now Vanderbilt’s first five-star signee of the modern era.
LSU coach Lane Kiffin is the self-proclaimed “Portal King,” but he’s got an important task at hand with high school recruiting next two months.
The nation’s No. 2 prospect, Lamar Brown, has been committed to LSU since July. Even after the Tigers fired Brian Kelly, Brown- a Baton Rouge native- has been one of LSU’s most loyal supporters, and he was expected to sign with the program on Wednesday.
However, Brown is now waiting until the February signing period to file his paperwork, meaning it’s now Kiffin’s job to convince the state’s best player that LSU is still the right place for him.
Five-star Ohio State receiver commit Chris Henry Jr. has not yet signed with the Buckeyes and said Wednesday afternoon that he is “still trying to weigh my options” on the heels of receivers coach Brian Hartline taking the head coaching job at USF.
Henry, who plays at powerhouse Mater Dei in Southern California, is the nation’s No. 10 prospect and No. 1 receiver. He committed to Ohio State in July 2023.
Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby and his staff scored a couple of significant wins on the recruiting trail this week. The Bulldogs flipped five-star safety Bralan Womack (the nation’s top safety) from Auburn. Followed by four-star edge Micah Nickerson from Missouri. Both signed on Wednesday.
Bill Belichick had a disastrous first year as North Carolina’s head coach, but it didn’t come back to haunt him on the recruiting trail. The Tar Heels had 39 signees, including 13 blue-chippers.
Among Belichick’s most impressive pickups: four-star athlete Jakob Weatherspoon, a former Ohio State commit, four-star wide receiver Keeyun Chapman and four-star quarterback Travis Burgess. And last minute, the Tar Heels flipped four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland from Texas and four-star tight end Dream Rashad from Purdue.
Hats off to Franklin, who, despite being at Virginia Tech for two-ish weeks, is already on pace to finish with a top 25 class.
The Hokies signed seven blue-chippers and put the icing on the cake Wednesday when they flipped four-star linebacker Terry Wiggins from Penn State.
This, after they picked up a commitment from former Penn State quarterback commit Troy Huhn as well. So far, so good for Franklin, who might already have the Hokies ahead of schedule.
Signing day always brings a few fun surprises. With the transfer portal and NIL players who signed today with one team could be on another team by May.
South Georgia Commits
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
One of the most important days on any football program’s calendar…National Signing Day.
Once again, the state of Georgia and more specifically South Georgia had some of the most coveted high school talent in the country.
According to 247, the #2 player coming out of the state of Georgia is Benedictine’s LaDamion Guyton. The 5-star edge player signed to continue his career with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Guyton began his career with Savannah Christian before transferring to Benedictine for the 2025 season.
Jae Lamar, a running back from Colquitt County signed to play for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs. The 4-star speedster racked up over 1,000 yards rushing and scored 17 rushing touchdowns in 2025 while adding 2 receiving scores.
One player that is heading off the beaten path is Lee County’s Lesiah Jackson that signed with the Stanford Cardinal. Jackson was rated as the 23rd best safety in the nation and the 22nd best overall player in the state of Georgia.
The Leesburg native is a bigger-bodied defensive back that began his first two years as a two-way player before transitioning full-time to the defensive side for the final two years of his prep career.
One of the more interesting recruitments comes in Brunswick as the Pirates’ Heze Kent is listed on the recruiting sites as an Athlete at 6-6 and 310 pounds.
Kent was primarily a tight end for the Pirates, but likely projects as either an offensive tackle or defensive tackle as he signs with the Florida Gators just three days after the Gators announced the hiring of new head coach Jon Sumrall.
It wouldn’t be right to talk about National Signing Day without bringing up Benedictine in Savannah. Yet again, the Cadets have a top recruit as 4-star wide receiver Bubba Frazier signed his NLI to play at Notre Dame.
Frazier was one of the most dominant offensive weapons in the country over the past three years for Benedictine. While mainly looked at as a slot receiver, Frazier has also rushed for over 1,100 yards in his 3 years. For a grand total of 3,300 total yards, Frazier scored 33 offensive touchdowns in his 3-year career.
Traeviss Stevenson anchored the defensive secondary for Brooks County and looks to head to the ATL to bolster the Georgia Tech safety room.
The consensus 4-star recruit that goes by “stick” had offers from Georgia, Texas, Michigan, and Florida, but chooses the Ramblin Wreck (who just signed Head Coach Brent Key to a big-time extension).
That gets us through the top 30 prospects in the state from the area, but the talent pool goes much deeper than that. That’s a trend that has carried throughout the state to keep the in-state talent within the Georgia borders.
In addition to Jae Lamar, the Georgia Bulldogs also bring in Jordan Smith. Smith is a 4-star safety from Houston County.
Head Coach Clay Helton and Georgia Southern tap into the local talent too. The Eagles early on signing day reported the signing of a pair of teammates from West Laurens as O-Lineman Grady Howell and Running Back Ty Cummings. In addition, Camden County’s 3-star linebacker Xavier Brown.
Not surprisingly to those in the College Football world but the state of Georgia high school talent shines again and plants the next wave of stars to the next level from South Georgia…Just how it should be.
Let Me Introduce You To John Lindsey
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Camden County officially ushered in a new chapter of Wildcat football recently as longtime coach and familiar face Jon Lindsey was formally introduced as the program’s new head coach.
The jubilant introduction was in front of a packed auditorium at Camden County High School in Kingsland.
For Lindsey, who has spent much of his career connected to Camden County, the moment felt both unreal and deeply right.
“Three weeks ago, I would have told you there was no way I would be standing here,” Lindsey told a room full of parents, players, alumni, and community members. “This happened extremely fast, but I am so grateful for the chance to live out a dream, to be a Camden County Wildcat again.”
Lindsey first arrived in Camden in 2005 and later served as offensive coordinator during some of the most successful seasons in program history, including the state championship run in 2009.
He left to become a head coach and athletic director at other programs in Georgia, but the lessons he learned in Kingsland always stayed with him.
In recent years he returned as an assistant, then stepped away from coaching, though he never really left the game.
“My wife would see me watching football clinics on a Saturday night and say, ‘You do not even coach anymore,’” Lindsey said with a smile. “But it was still in my heart. I missed it.”
When the Camden County administration approached him about taking over the program, their energy and commitment made the decision clear.
“This is a job you dream about,” he said. “What sold me was the passion of our administration and how much they love the Wildcats. You do not take on something like this unless the people leading it are completely invested.”
Lindsey also made it clear that this move is a family and community decision.
He introduced his wife, Dr. Melissa Lindsey, an assistant principal at Camden County High School, and he also spoke proudly of their three children, all of whom have Camden ties as students and athletes.
He shared how, when the family had a chance to return a few years ago, his son simply said, “Dad, I have always wanted to be a Wildcat.” That, Lindsey said, told him everything he needed to know.
Throughout his remarks, Lindsey laid out a clear vision for the future of Wildcat football. He promised a program that honors God, demands effort, and develops players mentally, physically, and spiritually.
He stressed the importance of building a complete football system from recreation ball and middle school, all the way through junior varsity and varsity so that young athletes grow up learning Camden County football from the beginning.
“Why can’t a kindergartner wear a Camden jersey and be doing the same things we do,” he asked. “We are built for that. We just have to bring it all together.”
On the field, Lindsey wants a return to the physical, gritty style that once defined the Wildcats. He talked about past teams that may not have had the biggest players but played harder and tougher than anyone they faced.
“Our kids played above their level,” he said. “That is how you beat great teams. You take an average player and help him perform like a great one. That is the standard.”
Lindsey also challenged parents and fans to be part of the process through the booster club, support in the stands, and patience as the schedule toughens and expectations rise.
“Trust the process,” he said. “It will not happen overnight. But if we come together as coaches, players, administration, parents, and community, we can get this program back to where we all know it can be.”
As the introduction wrapped up, Lindsey’s final message was simple and direct.
“Camden County football is the pride of this community,” he said. “I am honored to lead these young men. Let’s come together and get back to that championship level we all remember.”
Swimming In The Swamp
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Lane Kiffin accepted the head coach position at LSU. He was the top choice for the Florida Gators so they had to pivot.
They hired Tulane coach Jon Sumrall. Sumrall is 43 and he has compiled a 42-11 record as a head football coach with two conference championships and four league title game appearances in as many seasons.
This season he has led the Green Wave to a 10-2 record.
“The University of Florida is one of the premier programs in college football, and it’s an incredible honor to serve as the head football coach,” Sumrall said in a press release. “I believe in building a team rooted in toughness, accountability and a relentless competitive spirit. Florida has everything necessary to compete at the highest level — the resources, the support, the tradition and the passion of Gator Nation. My family and I are excited to get to work.”
“One of my first priorities will be to assemble an incredible staff, including an offensive coordinator who understands that, at Florida, having an explosive offense isn’t optional — it’s mandatory!” Sumrall added.
UF is also finalizing a deal to make David Caldwell the program’s general manager.
Caldwell served in the same role with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013-20. The team only won 30% of its games under his leadership.
He was hired as a personnel executive by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. His roles were senior personnel director and advisor to the general manager. The Eagles won Super Bowl LIX last season.
“Jon Sumrall is a proven winner and an exceptional leader who has built successful programs at every stop,” athletic director Scott Stricklin said.
“He brings tremendous energy, strong recruiting relationships across our footprint, and a philosophy rooted in toughness, discipline and player development. He will cultivate a daily culture of competitiveness, accountability and winning that drives success on the field and throughout our program. Jon fully understands the expectations at the University of Florida, including our expectations to produce championship teams that feature a dynamic offense. … Jon’s track record of rapid turnarounds speaks directly to his leadership and the culture he establishes.”
Sumrall was raised in Huntsville, Alabama and graduated high school in 2001. He played college football at Kentucky as a linebacker. He led the Wildcats in tackles in 2004 as a junior. Prior to his senior season he was diagnosed with a spinal condition that ended his playing career.
He was a graduate assistant at Kentucky from 2005-06. He spent five years at San Diego (2007-11) before joining Tulane as co-defensive coordinator under Curtis Johnson (2012-14).
He then went to Troy (2015-17) prior to beginning his Power Four coaching career leading linebackers at Ole Miss (2018) and his alma mater (2019-21), adding a co-defensive coordinator title in his final season with the Wildcats.
At Troy, he was 23-4 in his two seasons there.
On paper this seems like a good hire. There are some parallels to Billy Napier.
Napier coached at Louisiana before being hired by the Gators. They are a Sun Belt Conference team though.
Sumrall is coming from Tulane, which is in New Orleans. They are in the American Athletic Conference so the competition is a little tougher. I do like the fact that Sumrall played and coached in the SEC so he knows the conference very well.
Greener Grass
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Some thought that it was a done deal on the Ole Miss bye week two weeks ago, some still think there’s a chance for Houdini-like turn, but wherever it actually was finalized on that timeline, the Lane Train is headed to Baton Rouge.
Lane Kiffin, in the midst of Ole Miss’ first appearance in the College Football Playoff, has agreed to terms with LSU to lead the Bayou Bengals as the next Head Football Coach.
Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding will take over as the Interim Head Coach for the Rebels.
The highly scrutinized exit from Oxford for the, now former, coach of the Ole Miss Rebels comes after leading Ole Miss to an 11-1 regular season mark with the only blemish coming at the hands of Georgia 43-35 in mid-October.
Many believe (at least before Kiffin’s departure) that the Rebels would be a lock for a first round home game at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium as the Rebels were ranked #7 in the CFP Committee rankings entering the final week of the regular season.
LSU decided to make a change and fired Brian Kelly following a loss against Texas A&M in late October after three and a half years and a 34-14 record in the Bayou.
While the firing had its fair share of controversy itself, it sparked the coaching search form LSU, that seemed to be focused on Kiffin from the word “go.”
It’s not so much of the fact that Kiffin is leaving Ole Miss to coach the LSU Tigers, but how the entire process came to fruition.
Ole Miss had an open date the week prior to the last regular season match-up, and rumors began floating then that members of the Kiffin family made trips to Baton Rouge and Gainesville (with rumors also he was interested in the Florida job).
Many within the LSU Athletics community felt that the decision was made during that week by both Kiffin and LSU.
However, much to ESPN’s Marty Smith’s dismay, it drug out much longer than that. Kiffin and Ole Miss AD, Keith Carter made the announcement leading into rivalry weekend that the decision of the future of Coach Kiffin would be made Saturday after the Friday Egg Bowl meeting with Mississippi State.
The Rebels handled the in-state rival Bulldogs with a 38-19 win, and then the waiting began across college football.
Saturday came and went with no announcement, but some loud rumors coming from the Magnolia state. Rumors that Kiffin was heading to LSU and had told coaching staff that if they wanted to come with him, they needed to decide immediately and leave prior to the anticipated College Football Playoff run.
Reports are that most of the offensive staff, including offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis Jr., will be following Kiffin to LSU. After delayed team meetings and many “expert” conspiracies, the announcement came down Sunday afternoon that indeed Lane Kiffin would be taking over as the head football coach at LSU.
Why did it take this long? While there are many berating Kiffin on social media on how he handled the situation (and not saying that it was perfect by any means), I truly believe that it would have been immensely smoother if Texas hadn’t beaten Texas A&M on Friday.
With the Longhorns victory, it signaled that Ole Miss had a chance to play for the SEC Championship if Auburn had beaten Alabama on Saturday evening.
At the end of the day, there’s not a whole lot of warm feelings between Lane Kiffin and the Oxford contingency, but it will make next year’s game in Oxford between LSU and Ole Miss one to watch!
Mediocrity Accepted
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After Florida State recently announced head coach Mike Norvell will return next season, and it’s worth revisiting what the Seminoles said last time they made an in-season announcement about an embattled head coach with an unimpressive record but enormous buyout.
“Frankly, 6-6 isn’t good enough …” That’s what then-athletic director David Coburn said the day after he fired Willie Taggart and signed off on a buyout (up to $18 million) that still ranks among the largest ever.
Taggart was 4-5 in Year 2 after a double-digit loss to Miami. Norvell is 5-7 in Year 6 and coming off a double-digit loss to Miami and a blow out loss to rival Florida.
Florida State’s board of trustees chairperson, Peter Collins, said in a statement that the on-field results “have been far from acceptable to the FSU standard.” But by retaining Norvell, who replaced Taggart after the 2019 season, FSU has accepted that standard: 6-6 or even 5-7 is now, apparently, good enough to keep a job. Maybe the Seminoles moved their goalposts during their recent nine figure renovation to Doak Campell Stadium.
The argument would be different if this season looked like an aberration. It’s not. If 6-6 or 5-7 isn’t good enough, then Norvell has failed in four of his six years. Even if we blame his 3-6 inaugural season on the COVID-19 shutdown. He still went 5-7 the next year and 2-10 last year.
This season has been particularly baffling. Florida State beat mighty Alabama by 14 in the opener and recently lost to Stanford’s interim coach. At NC State, the Noles muffed a kick that bounced off an FSU player’s helmet and was recovered by the punter … then muffed another punt moments later.
It was a damning showing for a coach who promised on Day 1 that special teams would form the Seminoles’ backbone, especially six years in.
Norvell’s entire tenure has been similarly confounding: The same coach and staff that went 13-0 in 2023 suffered on one of the largest collapses in modern day college football the next season.
Take the broader view, though — the kind of “comprehensive assessment” current athletic director Michael Alford promises last month and you can find a logical explanation.
What if 13-0 and 2-10 were both flukes? Split the difference, and Norvell is a six-to-eight-win coach. That’s what his 38-33 record says he is.
And Norvell’s patterns are apparently good enough for Florida State, apparently.
The Seminoles had other factors to consider beyond the record. More than 55 million of them, depending on when his buyout would have taken effect and the mitigation that would have come from Norvell’s next job.
FSU administrators acknowledged this obvious caveat in the announcement. Alford cited the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars into football facilities and other upgrades while stressing their responsibility to put FSU in the best position possible “not just today, but for years to come.”
Collins brought up administrators’ “responsibilities as stewards of program revenues” and the need to figure out how to best allocate finite resources.
“We will address performance deficiencies in the program,” Collins said. “These deficiencies may include structural changes to the very large and complex program FSU football has become, and these areas are where we will focus and invest.”
Translation: $60 million can and should be spent on players or front-office changes instead of paying Norvell and his underperforming coaching staff.
Perhaps they’re right. This era of player compensation is too new to give us many historical precedents, but after Oklahoma went all in on Brent Venables last offseason, the Sooners are in the College Football Playoff.
Florida State might have better luck trying to find its own John Mateer with that approach compared to entering a crowded coaching market that already includes Penn State, LSU, Auburn and Florida.
What evidence does FSU have to show that Norvell is the right person? His recruiting classes have consistently ranked among the Seminoles’ worst in recent history. It has been more than two years since his last road win. He has lost 18 of his last 23 games against FBS opponents and 13 of his last 16 conference games in a pedestrian ACC. His overall conference record of 22-26 (.458 winning percentage) isn’t much better than Taggart’s (6-8 record, .429 winning percentage).
Despite the on-field improvements from last year’s rock bottom, Florida State still sits outside the top 25 nationally in advanced metrics. It’s possible coaching continuity and more roster turnover will lead to a leap forward next fall, or that additional investments could address other issues lurking under the hood.
It’s also possible that FSU will waste a year in limbo as the landscape hurdles toward the next round of conference realignment. The massive contract extension Florida State gave — and probably had to give — Norvell to keep Alabama from poaching him to replace Nick Saban left the Seminoles with no real options.
The one they chose is an about-face from where FSU was six years ago when Coburn fired Taggart.
The administration has changed since then, but the expectations of a three-time national championship program were supposed to remain the same. They haven’t, no matter what the press releases say.
While 6-6 wasn’t good enough for Taggart, the Seminoles just showed that mediocrity is acceptable for the man hired to replace him.
