I just finished watching the Hugh Freeze press conference at Auburn.

I was impressed. He didn’t dodge anything about his past, he has made many amends with his wife, Jill, and his three daughters, and has been humbled and is sincerely contrite for his past mistakes. But, he made it clear that he’s going to take Auburn Football into the future playing for championships and doing it the right way. I believe him. He’s a sincere guy. I think he’s always been a man of faith and just was overcome with the pressure at Ole Miss. He made egregious mistakes there, but he’s learned from them and become a better human being from them.

With Coach Freeze and Coach Saban in this state the next several years there is going to be some terrific football being played with teams competing for SEC and National Championships at both places. Coach Freeze has learned from his mistakes. He referenced Carnell and Pearly a good bit on how to run a football program. He called Carnell “invaluable” to Auburn Football and Carnell is now the Associate Head Coach and remains running backs coach, which is highly deserved and highly needed for Freeze and his program. Freeze said he’s going to lead like Pearly, who has had and is having major success with the Tigers basketball program.

I must admit, I was skeptical about this hire due to the lack of character on Freeze’s part when he was head coach at Ole Miss. The escort service calls were reprehensible, and the NCAA violations were unacceptable as well.

But, people deserve second chances. I believe Hugh Freeze deserves a second chance. He’s one heckuva football coach, there is no doubt about that. I see him as a changed man. He’s still intensely competitive, but also a man of reformed character, who has reconciled with his family for his past personal failings and he will never make mistakes like that again. I see him as sincere in that area of his life, which is critical to his personal future as well as his future as a head coach at Auburn. This is a controversial hire, but I was impressed with his genuine approach to all of it.

He’s going to compete hard, he’s an intensely competitive guy, you can tell by the way he talks. He thinks he can turn Auburn Football around quickly with recruiting and the transfer portal. Look what Lincoln Riley has done at USC for a blueprint of that immediate resurgence of a program. Auburn has a new $100+ million football facility, there’s a commitment from the boosters, AD John Cohen seems to be a home run hire, according to Freeze, who said Cohen left no stone unturned when interviewing him. The fan base and student body are as passionate as you’ll find anywhere in football, college or professional. Auburn is unquestionably a place where you can win and win big. SEC and National Championships should be attainable many years with the right coach and it looks like John Cohen has hired the right guy to lead them into the SEC and national arena.

Freeze said he is good friends with Coach Saban and Terry Saban, but that he hoped they were “a little scared this morning.” That’s just competition. Coach Saban doesn’t back down from anybody and neither will Coach Freeze, so this should make for some major excitement on the football fields in Tuscaloosa and Auburn respectively for the next several years.

If he can act right, Hugh Freeze can make Auburn football a consistent powerhouse in college football. I believe he will act right.

The Iron Bowl and college football in this state got even more electric with the hiring of Hugh Freeze at Auburn.

The only thing that I noticed that could be concerning is his intense competitiveness, almost to the point of being maniacal. I know you need that as a coach, but he doesn’t need to let it overwhelm him and cause him to make another major mistake in his life and for Auburn.

With several teams in hot pursuit of a playoff spot and others in pursuit of a New Year’s Six Bowl, a quality bowl or just competing in a bowl, rivalry week in College Football, as Playoff Committee Chair Boo Corrigan stated on the College Football Playoff Show on ESPN, “Always delivers.”

There is no doubt about that. There are weather issues this weekend in the southeast that could impact several games. In Tuscaloosa, the chances of rain all day Saturday are high. I always believe that rain helps the underdog or the team that runs the football better. Here’s a look at the Iron Bowl and the other key rivalry games along with predictions on this stellar Thanksgiving Day weekend in College Football.

Last Week, 11-7, overall, 141-51, 73%, ATS, 6-12, overall, 98-92, 52%

Auburn (5-6, 2-5) @ No.7 Alabama (9-2, 5-2)

Bryant-Denny Stadium

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jenny

Crimson Tide by 22

With rain in the forecast, Auburn’s running game, with the superb tandem of Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter, gives them an advantage in that area, which is huge. Ball security will be at a premium in the conditions. This is a forecast that is two days out, so it could change by game time, but I’m going to go with Weather.com and see a lower scoring contest with Bryce Young and company surviving a strong effort by Carnell and the Tigers. Carnell’s impact on the Tigers and his coaching job the last 3 games of this season have been nothing short of remarkable The question is, will Auburn have a new coach by then and will it be Lane Kiffin. Should be interesting conversation after the Thursday Night Egg Bowl in Oxford, as one report by a TV station in Mississippi earlier this week had Kiffin heading to Auburn on Friday. He’s denying of course, but we’ve heard that rope a dope several times before a coach leaves.

Alabama 21, Auburn 14

Georgia Tech (5-6) @ No.1 Georgia (11-0)

Sanford Stadium, Athens

11 AM CT

ESPN

Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, Kris Budden

Dawgs by 35 1/2

The Dawgs have been dominant at times this season and not as swift at other times. I guess they’re the best team in the country right now, but not positive about that. Georgia Tech upset North Carolina last Saturday at Chapel Hill, when Carolina was the No.13 team in the country and with a shot of at least a New Year’s Six bid. Quite an effort by the Ramblin’ Wreck. I’ll take Georgia in Clean Old-Fashioned Hate, but I’m not coronating them national champions yet. They’ve got several challenges ahead and it’s tough to repeat.

Georgia 34, Georgia Tech 10

Thursday

No. 20 Ole Miss 24, Mississippi State 21

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford

6 PM CT

ESPN

Matt Barrie, Louis Riddick, Harry Lyles Jr.

Rebels by 2

Kiffin and the Rebels survive this and the state of Mississippi holds their collective breath after that hoping they can keep their coach.

Saturday

No. 5 LSU 24, Texas A&M 13

Kyle Field, College Station

6 PM CT

ESPN

Tess, Gregory, Katie

LSU by 10

The Bengal Tigers take care of business again and keep their hopes for a playoff spot alive. They’ll have to also get by Georgia to have a shot and that’s no Saturday afternoon stroll in the park.

South Carolina 17, No. 8 Clemson 14

Memorial Stadium, Clemson

11 AM CT

ABC

Sean, Todd, Molly

Clemson by 14 1/2

I’m going to throw a Hail Mary and pick the Gamecocks, which hammered Tennessee last Saturday Night in Columbia, 63-38. I like them to pull off an improbable upset on what I consider an overrated Clemson team. Shane Beamer is the man.

Vanderbilt 17, Tennessee 13

FirstBank Stadium, Nashville

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Tom, JRodg, Cole

Vols by 14

I’m going to throw another Aaron Rodgers’ Hail Mary, haymaker here. Kirk Herbstreit predicted my Dores to knock off the Vols last night on the Playoff Show. I had already decided to go with the Dores, but I’m happy Kirk is on board. The Dores are hot, and the Vols have locker room dissension along with the fact that Hendon Hooker tore his ACL last Saturday Night in the disaster at Columbia. It was reported that Hooker and defensive back Jeremy Banks got into a fight last week after Banks had stomped on the Tennessee logo and didn’t do push-ups after it as is customary if you disrespect the team’s logo. Hooker is reported to have broken Banks’ jaw. Banks did not play last Saturday Night and the Vols secondary got torched. I like a lower scoring game here with rain forecasted at game time. I’ll Anchor Down for this one as VU becomes bowl eligible with the victory. What a job Clark Lea has done in reinventing the culture for this football program. I was getting a little frustrated earlier this season, but Coach Lea has changed my opinion dramatically. Totally on board with what Clark Lea is building in Nashville. He has one good football team right now.

Friday

No. 16 Florida State 31, Florida 28

Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Anish Schroff, Brock Osweiler, Taylor McGregor

FSU by 9 1/2

I’m seeing this game a lot closer than Vegas sees it. Florida will be up for this one.

Friday

Arkansas 21, Missouri 19

Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field, Columbia, MO.

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Tom McCarthy, Rick Neuheisel, Sherree Burruss

Ark by 3

This will be a tight contest with Arkansas standout quarterback KJ Jefferson, and stellar running back Raheim Sanders doing enough to emerge victorious on the road. Sam Pittman puts together another solid season.

Saturday

Kentucky 21, Louisville 17

Kroger Field, Lexington

2 PM CT

SEC Network

Dave, Deuce, Andraya

Wildcats by 3

Mark Stoops was rewarded an extension and a $6+ million annual salary. They want to keep him in Lexington. He’s done a heckuva job, though this year it’s been a little uglier. I like the Cats to barely outlast the Cardinals.

National Games

Saturday

No. 2 Ohio State 28, No. 3 Michigan 24

Ohio Stadium, Columbus

11 AM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Tom Rinaldi

Buckeyes by 7 1/2

Expecting quite a contest in a playoff clinching game for the winner. Michigan’s defense will keep them in it and give them a shot. The Buckeyes survive, but both teams may make the playoff if some other teams fall by the wayside in the upcoming 2 Saturdays.

No. 4 TCU 30, Iowa State 27

Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth

3 PM CT

FOX

Jason Bennetti, Brock, Alliston

Horned Frogs by 10

TCU has lost 3 in a row to the Cyclones and 4 out of the last 5, so this is definitely a trap game for them. If they can survive, they can head into the Big 12 Championship Game with the Playoff clearly in their grasp. If they lose, I’m not seeing them making it. So, they HAVE to take care of business at home. It’s not going to be easy.

No. 15 Notre Dame 31, No. 6 USC 28

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Holly

USC by 5 1/2

If Notre Dame can blast Clemson, 35-14, at home, and play Ohio State tough on the road the first game this season and put together a pretty solid season in Marcus Freeman’s first year to go along with the No.3 recruiting class in the country in 2023 behind just Bama and Georgia, I like them to go out to the Left Coast and pull off the upset.

Friday

No.19 Tulane 31, No. 24 Cincinnati 30

Nippert Stadium, Cincy

11 AM CT

ABC

Roy Philpott, Andre, Carc

Bearcats by 2

I like the Green Wave to pull off the slight upset in the Queen City and gallop into the American Conference Championship Game next Saturday versus UCF.

Saturday

No. 21 Oregon State 33, No. 9 Oregon 31

Reser Stadium, Corvallis, OR.

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Dave Flemming, Rod, Tiffany Blackmon

Ducks by 3

Give me the slight upset in Corvallis. The PAC-12 will have some upheaval this Saturday as far as the Playoff goes and who plays in the PAC-12 Championship. USC will go and Oregon will still probably play them. But they’ll take a couple of L’s with them on the way to Allegiant Stadium in Vegas.

Friday

No. 17 North Carolina 35, NC State 28

Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Dave, Dusty, Lugues

UNC by 6 1/2

The Heels had me believing heading into last Saturday, but a bad loss to Georgia Tech, which has played much better lately, has drained my faith in them as far as them being a major player in a New Year’s Six Bowl. But you never know. A victory at home over their arch-rival and an improbable victory over Clemson in the ACC Championship Game next Saturday would vault them right back into contention for a New Year’s Six Bowl. Then it would be up to the committee to decide their fate. The loss to Georgia Tech might still keep them out.

Saturday

No. 11 Penn State 35, Michigan State 14

Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA.

3 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Noah Eagle, Mark Helfrich

Nittany Lions by 18 1/2

Penn State finishes off a 10-2 campaign, but James Franklin has still not figured out a way to beat Michigan or Ohio State. That’s not a good legacy to have in Happy Valley though they do have a possible shot at a New Year’s Six.

Love what Rory and Jon Rahm said about Greg Norman. They both want to see him go. Both said he’s an albatross to the game, and Rory said, “I think Greg needs to go. He needs to exit stage left.” Rahm said, “I do believe that, for conversations to take place, Greg might need to be gone. It doesn’t seem like he and Jay (Monahan, PGA Tour Commissioner) will want to be in the same room together.”

I love it. Rory’s candor the last couple of years and his sticking up for the PGA Tour this year while there are so many defectors to the LIV Tour has been nothing short of spectacular. Norman is a liability to the game. I bet we’ll see both of these guys winning a major next year. Not only because of their courage to speak up for the tour, but also because they are elite players who are mentally strong. I like Rory to possibly knock down the door at the Masters and capture another of the 3 majors. See Rahm winning at the U.S. Open or the Open Championship. The 87th Masters is April 6th-9th, 2023 at Augusta National. The defending champion is Scottie Scheffler. The 105th PGA Championship will be played at Oak Hill Country Club, the East Course, May 18-21, 2023. The defending champion is Justin “JT” Thomas. JT won the 2022 Wanamaker Trophy at Southern Hills in Tulsa, OK. The 123rd U.S, Open will be played at The Los Angeles Country Club North Course, June 15th-18th, Father’s Day Weekend. It’s always a treat to watch the final round on Father’s Day. The defending champion is Matt Fitzpatrick. The Englishman won the championship at the Country Club at Brookline just outside of Boston this past June. And the 151st Open Championship will be played at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England, July 20-23rd. The defending champion is Cameron Smith, who won the 150th Open at famed St Andrews. Smith is now on the LIV Tour. The R&A has announced that the LIV players will be allowed to play at the Open. We’ll see what the other 3 Majors decide. There may be some hard feelings for the Masters after LIV presented an anti-trust lawsuit against them. I would not allow them to play. They made their choice and they knew the consequences. They can stay on their LIV Tour and play on Trump courses among others in their joke of a competitive format with 54 holes, no cut, team competition. It’s not even competitive. Laughable tour.

College Football Week 12

Getting interesting on the national landscape with teams like TCU, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee competing for the coveted playoff spots along with Georgia, which looks like a shoe in. Another challenge this week for those teams. If Tennessee takes care of business, I like them to get in. The Ohio State-Michigan winner will go, and depending on how competitive the game is, both could make it in. TCU is going to have to go undefeated to make it in, but they are certainly capable. Fun team to watch. There are others with a shot. USC, if they can make it through the UCLA, Notre Dame games and the PAC-12 Championship Game without an L, has a shot. A wild card for me is North Carolina. They just keep winning. They’re No.13, but if they keep winning AND show they can play defense and defeat Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, they will have a pretty strong case. Should sort itself out in the next 3 weeks. There usually is one team that has an argument at the end. Georgia will be clearly in, even if they lose to LSU in the SEC Championship Game, which seems unlikely right now. The Ohio State-Michigan winner is in. TCU is in if they win out. And I like the Vols, if they win out, to be the 4th team. It’s a fluid situation though, that can quickly change this Saturday.

Here’s a look at this week’s action.

Last Week, 12-6, Overall, 130-44, 75%

ATS, 8-9, 92-81, 53%

Austin Peay (7-3) @No.8 Alabama (8-2)

Bryant-Denny Stadium

11 AM CT

SECN+, ESPN+

Bama by 44 1/2

The Crimson Tide played an excellent game last Saturday Night in Oxford. The receivers stepped up led by Ja’Corey Brooks, who has become a weapon in the passing game. Bryce played well and the defense did a good job with the high flying Ole Miss offense in the 30-24 victory. Brian Branch made a superb pass breakup in the end zone to clinch the victory. This should be good practice for the Tide as they prepare for next Saturday’s 87th Iron Bowl at Bryant-Denny at 2:30 PM CT on CBS.

Bama 45, Austin Peay 7

Western Kentucky (7-4) @Auburn (4-6)

Jordan-Hare Stadium

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Dave, Deuce, Andraya

Auburn by 5 1/2

I like the Tigers to survive this one. The Hilltoppers are good. Carnell leads the Tigers to victory. More like Tank and Jarquez Hunter do, and the defense does its part.

Auburn 20, Western Ky. 17

UAB (5-5) @ No.6 LSU (8-2)

Tiguh Stadium, Baton Rouge

8 PM CT

ESPN2

Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman, Dawn Davenport

Bengal Tigers by 14 1/2

Brian Kelly said earlier this week that UAB is the best and most underrated team he’s faced this season. I agree with that. But can UAB handle a Saturday Night in Baton Rouge? They’ll be competitive for a while, but don’t see them pulling off an improbable upset. LSU has to keep winning to keep its outside playoff hopes alive.

LSU 35, UAB 14

No.1 Georgia (10-0, 7-0) @ Kentucky (6-4, 3-4)

Kroger Field, Lexington

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jenny

Dawgs by 22 1/2

The Dawgs are on another mission this season. They look pretty focused on going back to back. Not a done deal though, for sure. The Wildcats were humbled by my Vanderbilt Commodores. Always happy to take the L for my Dores. I like the Cats to be a little more competitive with Georgia this Saturday.

Georgia 34, Kentucky 20

No. 14 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2) @ Arkansas (5-5, 2-4)

Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Tom, Jordan, Cole

Ole Miss by 2 1/2

It’s going to be 27 at kickoff and keep dropping in a raucous, hostile environment for the Rebels to try and emerge from. Great duck hunting weather that Saturday morning in Stuttgart with temperatures in the low 20’s and cloudy. And, as the late John Madden said, it’ll be “good hittin weather,” on Saturday Night.

Ole Miss 21, Arkansas 17

No.5 Tennessee (9-1, 6-1) @ South Carolina (6-4, 3-4)

Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia

6 PM CT

ESPN

Chris, Kirk, Holly

Vols by 21 1/2

Josh Huepel didn’t make any friends in Missouri last Saturday by running up the score against the Tigers, particularly in the last 2 minutes scoring 2 touchdowns in a 66-24 triumph. Nice job, Josh. The Vols are locked in on getting a spot in the playoff however, so this might keep happening in the final 2 weeks.

Tennessee 45, South Carolina 17

Florida (6-4, 3-4) @ Vanderbilt (4-6, 1-5)

FirstBank Stadium, Nashville

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Taylor, Matt, Alyssa

Gators by 14

Proud of my Commodores for playing a complete game on both sides of the ball and earning the upset at Kentucky, 24-21. I like the Dores to be competitive again, but Anthony Richardson and the Gators are a hot team. I like it close and for my Commodores to have a shot at the end.

Florida 28, Vanderbilt 21

Other SEC scores

Texas A&M 38, UMass 3

Kyle Field, College Station

11 AM CT

ESPN+/SECN+

Aggies by 33 1/2

Surely Jimbo won’t mess this one up?

Mississippi State 44, East Tennessee State 7

Davis Wade Stadium, Starkvegas

11 AM CT

ESPN+/SECN+

Miss State by 39 1/2

A lot of options at 11 AM Saturday. Some interesting national games at that time as well. Oh well, big screen, computer, an Ipad and phone will lead to multi-tasking on Saturday at 11. My wife does NOT multi-task at all. She gets locked in on one thing and stays locked in. I’m a pretty big multi-tasker at times. Theo is a big multi-tasker.

Missouri 38, New Mexico State 7

Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field, Columbia, MO.

6:30 PM CT

ESPNU

Drew Carter, Forrest Conoly, good announcer names

Tigers by 29

Tigers should be f here.

National predictions

No. 16 UCLA 38, No. 7 USC 35

Rose Bowl, Pasadena

7 PM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Allison

USC by 2 1/2

Give me stud Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, DTR, and his team to pull off the upset.

No. 4 TCU 34, Baylor 31

McLane Stadium, Waco

11 AM CT

FOX

Jason Benetti, Brock

Frogs by 2 1/2

Give me my Frogs to keep their electric season cookin.

No. 10 Utah 28, No.12 Oregon 24

Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR.

9:30 PM CT

ESPN

Dave, Rod, Tiffany Blackmon

Utah by 2

Give me Kyle Whittingham and his Utes. They have a real shot to make the PAC-12 Championship Game with help from UCLA. If they win out, they’ll be in the Rose Bowl for the second straight year. He’s quite a coach.

No.2 Ohio State 45, Maryland 14

SECU Stadium, College Park, MD.

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Tess, Gregory, Katie

Buckeyes by 27 1/2

Like the Buckeyes to keep it rolling into the Big Game next Saturday versus the Wolverines at 11 AM CT on FOX.

No. 3 Michigan 31, Illinois 7

Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor

11 AM CT

ABC

Sean, Todd, Molly

Mich by 18

Same as above. The Wolverines take care of business in the Big House and lock in on Columbus next Saturday, 11/26.

No.9 Clemson 35, Miami 10

Memorial Stadium, Clemson

2:30 PM CT

ESPN

Bob, Dan, Kris

Tigers by 19

Like the Tigers to keep advancing towards the ACC Championship Game. They aren’t totally out of it yet, but they’ll have to win out Saturday, at home against South Carolina next Saturday, 11/26, at 11 AM CT on ABC, and then in the ACC Championship Game over UNC, and get some major help. That 35-14 loss @ Notre Dame looms large with the Committee I would suspect.

No. 22 Oklahoma State 35, Oklahoma 31

Memorial Stadium, Norman

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Dave, Dusty, Lugues

OU by 7 1/2

Don’t understand why the Sooners are favored by this much or at all. Like the Pokes to pull off the upset.

No. 13 North Carolina 42, Georgia Tech 20

Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill

4:30 PM CT

ESPN2

Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison, Stormy Buonantony

UNC by 21

Life is good in Chapel Hill. The football team is 9-1 and 6-0 in the ACC and the basketball team is No.1 in the country. Mack Brown and his Heels keep it up this Saturday.

Myles Stute went 7 for 10 from trifecta, scored 21 points and pulled down 6 boards, Liam Robbins added 20, 3 boards and 3 blocks including a major one at the end of OT, and Jordan Wright added 18, 6 boards and 7 assists as our Vanderbilt Commodores Men’s Basketball team defeated Temple 89-87 in overtime to earn their first victory of the season.

We are now 1-2 and Temple fell to 1-2, though they are an excellent team that upset then No.16 Villanova last Friday Night, 68-64 at The Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.

What a tremendous road victory for the team and our upperclassmen really stepped up. It was beautiful watching Myles drain three after three. He was in a zone. Our senior point guard and UC Davis transfer Ezra Manjon was awesome running the show for us with 11 points and 9 assists including a huge floater in the last minute in overtime to give us a 4 point lead.

Damian Dunn of Temple was superb with 38 points. He was 13 of 18 from the field and 7 of 9 from triple. Zach Hicks added 20 and was 6 of 13 from three.

It was just an excellent college basketball game that we really had to have. Proud of the guys for hanging tough. We had an 8 point lead with 3 minutes left in regulation, but Temple tied it to send it into overtime. But we were down by as many as 15 in the first half and fought our way back.

With us leading 89-87 in overtime after Tyrin Lawrence sank 1 of 2 free throws, Temple took a 3 as time expired, but Liam swatted it away and that clinched it.

So, huge for Stack and the guys. We were 38 of 70 from the field for the game, 54%, and 9 of 18 from 3. We were only 4 of 11 from the line, so we have to do better than that. We out-rebounded them 37-36. Emmanuel Ansong, our 6’4″, fifth year senior from Green Bay, pulled down 5 boards for us as well.

They shot 14 of 29 from three, 48%, but they’re a very good shooting team. Need to pick up our perimeter D.

It was good to see our veterans step up. Jordan played an awesome game, Myles and Liam were terrific, and Ezra was phenomenal running the point.

Next up is Morehead State at Memorial Friday at 6 PM on SEC Network+. Then on Wednesday, Nov. 23rd, we play in the Wooden Legacy versus Saint Mary’s in Anaheim, California at 11 PM CT on ESPN 2. Will have to watch that the next day for the report. If we win, we’ll play the winner of the Fresno State/Washington game on ESPN 2 or the U with game time to be determined. Saint Mary’s is a perennial top 25 team, and Washington and Fresno State are solid.

For the immediate future, Friday Night, Morehead State is typically a very good team that makes the tournament quite frequently. They are 2-2 with their victories over CU-Harrodsburg out of Kentucky, 99-58, and Bellarmine, 62-55, and their two losses coming to No. 12 Indiana, 88-53, and West Virginia, 75-57. Both of their losses were on the road.

So, another test for our talented, developing team. Stack was pleased with the effort by the guys last night. Just need to keep it up going forward. Anchor Down.

Our football team posted a performance for the ages with our 24-21 victory over then No. 24 Kentucky at Kroger Field in Lexington this past Saturday afternoon.

Junior quarterback Mike Wright, the SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, was superb in leading our offense to success in our terrific victory.

Mike went 12 for 23 for 184 yards and a 6, that one going to our awesome junior receiver Will Sheppard with 31 seconds left in the game, a beautiful 8 yard slant. On that game winning drive, Mike also connected with sophomore Quincy Skinner for 40 yards on 4th and 13, which saved the game for us. It was a super throw by Mike and a terrific come back to the ball catch by Quincy. A friend of mine in my office asked me how big Mike is, and he is actually 6’4”, 195, so he’s got perfect size for the position. Mike ran for 126 yards and a 59 yard take it to the house scamper in the first quarter that put us up 7-3. Amazing performance by our great junior who is filling in for our emerging star freshman AJ Swann. That’ll be an interesting competition when AJ returns from his concussion suffered a week and a half ago against South Carolina. Two superb talents. Mike has answered the bell every time his number has been called.

But everybody contributed in this game. The great Sheppard caught 5 passes for 88 yards and a 6. Our defense was tremendous led by rising superstar linebacker CJ Taylor. Our sophomore, who plays a mix of linebacker and safety, called the Star position, posted 6 tackles with a sack for -9 yards, a tackle for loss of 10 yards and an int. Have a day, young man. Middle linebacker Anfernee Orji has been superb all season. Anfernee finished with 4 tackles. Our super safety Jaylen Mahoney posted 4 tackles. Safety Max Worship and linebacker Ethan Barr compiled 5 tackles apiece. I’m looking at some NFL talent on this defense. Orji and Mahoney for sure.

And you can’t forget the amazing effort by our offensive line. Mike rushed for 126 yards and our great running back, Ray Davis, added a buck 29. Sophomore left tackle Gunnar Hansen, 6’5”, 330, sophomore left guard Jake Ketschek, 6’4”, 330, senior center Julian Hernandez, 6’4”, 315, fifth year senior right guard Jacob Brammer, 6’4”, 301, and senior right tackle Junior Uzebu, 6’6”, 310, were phenomenal. Mike had plenty of time to throw and the running game was terrific as we rushed for 264 yards. Wow. Offensive line Coach AJ Blazek has been dealing with injuries all year on the offensive front and is still producing superior results. Says a lot for the guys’ efforts this season and Coach Blazek. What a group.

Just an overall complete effort by our football team. Clark deserves so much credit for sticking with it and never stopping believing. He’s always had the Steve Perry mantra, “Don’t Stop Believing.” I have to admit, I was losing some faith on my all sports blog. I was excited and predicted us to defeat South Carolina 2 weeks ago, and though we had our good moments in that game, it didn’t finish off that well. But Clark has kept the players focused and positive all season long. He’s going to do great things at Vanderbilt University. I don’t like what Clark is doing, I love what Clark is doing. He’s building a highly successful program brick by brick. It’s taking time, but we’re going to get there. We’re going to be a major player in the SEC East and the entire conference in the not too distant future. Just need to keep developing and recrui like gangbusters. Clark’s the man.

Got Florida this Saturday at FirstBank Stadium in Vegas. Kickoff is set for 11 AM CT on the SEC Network. Florida is a hot team and quarterback Anthony Richardson is a hoss, but we definitely have a shot. We’ll need to keep Richardson and that explosive offense in check. He’s dynamic, but we need to keep Anfernee, CJ and Jaylen on him. Need some turnovers, and Mike and the gang will need to move the sticks and get us in the end zone 4 times at least. We can get this done. I know we’ll be locked in. I hope FirstBank is packed out and people will cheer this gutsy team on. Our guys need the support. If we’re going to win out this season and become an elite program, we need our people out there pulling for our guys. Proud of’em. Will keep you posted on the team. We have 15 commits right now, but we turned some heads with the victory at Kentucky. We need to put together another stellar performance Saturday and really get these other recruits interested. Like a lot the commits we have in the fold, just need to keep them committed for signing day, Wednesday, December 21st. We got a lot of momentum from last Saturday. Need to keep up the super work by Clark and this football team.

Former VU wide receiver Trent Sherfield is making his mark in the National Football League as he caught a 14 yard TD pass from Tue Tagovailoa on Sunday in a 39-17 Miami Dolphins victory over the Cleveland Browns. Our former Commodore great, now 26 years old and in his fifth season, has pulled in 22 passes for 247 yards and a 6 this season, the one on Sunday. He’s on a very good Miami Dolphins team as well. Like what the man is doing. Trent’s a superb receiver. Zach Cunningham and Oren Burks among others are also playing well for the Tennessee Titans and SF 49ers respectively,. Zach’s been hurt a little bit, but will be back soon. Oren getting some reps. Will look into our NFL guys more closely coming up and have a report in the near future.

Men’s Basketball

We’ve gotten off to a slow start losing to a very good Memphis team 76-67 last Monday Night, and then losing last Friday Night to Southern Miss, 60-48. Gotta get it going. We’re @ Temple tonight at 6 on ESPN+. No need to panic yet. We’ve got some young players who are trying to figure out the college game. We need our older guys, Jordan Wright, Q, Quentin Millora-Brown, Myles Stute, Tyrin Lawrence and the talented Liam Robbins, to take over leadership and get our team some momentum. Transfer point guard Ezra Manjon, from Cal Davis, looks to have good talent. Just need our older guys to help our talented youngsters in Colin Smith, who shows great potential, Lee Dort and Noah Shelby, all 3 highly rated players, among others.

Stack added a nice class this fall, ranked 24 in the country by ESPN. They are 6’2”, 190 guard Isaiah West from Goodpasture High School in Springfield, Texas, Isaiah is rated a 4 star by ESPN. As a sophomore, Isaiah avereged 15.8 pig and 5.7 rebounds leading his Goodpasture team to its first state championship. Isaiah scored 19 points in the 2021 state championship game. His junior year he battled some injuries, but he’s ready to go for his senior season. He’s a highly ranked 3 star by Rivals and 247 sports.

Four Star center Carter Lang also came into the fold. Carter was ranked a 4 star by ESPN and a high 3 star by Rivals and 247. Carter is 6’9”, 245 from Charlottesville, VA. As a junior, Carter averaged 18.4 points and 14 rebounds for St. Anne’s-Belfield School

We also added ESPN 4 star JaQualon “JQ” Roberts, a 6’8”, 210 power forward from Bloomington North High School in Bloomington, Indiana. As a junior, “JQ” averaged 14.4 points and 9.1 rebounds.

So, 3 awesome additions to the team. We’ll get it going with this current roster. They’re a great, hard working, tightly knit group of talented players. A victory tonight will get things started. Believe in Stack and the team. We’re just getting started.

Our great alumnus, Darius Garland, went for 51 Sunday Night for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite a 128-124 setback to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Darius finished 16 of 31 from the field, including 10 of 15 from trifecta. I watched highlights from the game and DG was draining triples from all over the court. It was a spectacular performance from the great Garland. Wow, if we could have had Darius in 2018, that would have been something else that season. But very happy he’s shining in the NBA.

Baseball

Coach Corbin held our David Williams Fall Classic this past Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Field, to honor our late, great athletic director, and the Gold won over the Black, 2-0. It is a yearly completion for our team and just was named the David Williams Fall Classic last year. Through five innings of action, the two sides were scoreless, but highly promising infielder Matthew Polk, who can really hit, led off the top of the sixth with a double down the left field line. In the next at bat, another very promising player and hitter for us, senior T.J. McKenzie, hit a 2 run shot over the Green Monster in left. Those were the only runs scored on the day. Three players had multi-hit games in McKenzie, catcher Alan Espinol and Ivan Arias. I’ll talk to Corbs at a later date and get more of a rundown on the team. Sophomore Ryan Ginther struck out 7 in 3 innings of action. I’m really excited about sophomores Carter Holton and Devin Futrell. Both leftys. Carter became a dominant starter for us last season and Devin really did some good things for us starting last season. Really excited about those two guys and Nick Maldonado is back for his senior season which is a huge boost to our pitching staff and our team. Sam Hliboki, who missed the entire 2021-22 campaign due to an arm injury, is back and pitched in the Williams Classic and looked sharp. Sam was so outstanding when he pitched in 2021, so I’m real excited to see him pitch. We’ve got a shot to really excel this season. Let me talk to Coach Corbin in the near future and I’ll give you more of an educated rundown. We’ve got the pieces for great SEC success and Omaha ability, so I’ll stay on top of the guys for you. Our team opens the season Feb. 17-19, 2023 in the College Baseball Showdown at Arlington, Texas, Globe Life Field, where hopefully Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter will be starting for the Texas Rangers next season. Should be an awesome year for Dansby, Kyle and all our major leaguers next season. Can’t wait to give you that intel as well. There will be 6 teams in the Showdown. TCU, Texas, OK. State, Missouri, Arkansas and Us. So should be a heckuva classic. Will give you more intelligence from Corbs in the near future. Should be another spectacular season of Vanderbilt Baseball. I’m very excited about our talent and potential. We had some seniors return, which Coach Corbin says is always his best recruiting job, and we’ve got some young studs and the prolific Enrique Bradfield back,. Can’t wait to see what the man does his junior year. I love many of these bats and arms. Defense looks exceptional, too.

Men’s Golf

We always have superbly talented teams under Coach Scott Limbaugh, but this group may be our best yet under the amazing Coach Limbaugh. We defeated defending national champion Texas 3-2 and final four team Arizona State 3-2 to win the East Lake Cup at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta October 25-26th. In the semifinal match against Texas, Matthew Reidel, William Moll and Cole Sherwood were victorious. In the championship match, Reid Davenport, Reifel and Moll all won with Moll sinking a birdie putt on 18 to clinch it. With those guys and the great Gordon Sargent, who is the returning individual defending NCAA Champion, we’ve got a stellar group. We’ll begin the spring season at the John Hayt Intercollegiate at Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Feb. 5th-6th, 2023. Can’t wait to see the guys compete in the spring. The SEC Championships will be held at St. Simons Island, Georgia the Sea Island Golf Club, April 19th-23rd, a Wednesday-Sunday. Then the NCAA Regionals are May 15th-17th at a location to be determined, hopefully at the Vanderbilt Legends Club. That’ll be a Monday-Wednesday. And the NCAA Championships will be held May 26th-31st at Grayhawk Golf Club, once again, in Scottsdale, AZ. That will be a Friday-Wednesday competition. Coach Limbaugh has taken us to 4 Final Fours, and is ready, like Corbs was in 2014 and is every year, to knock down that door and win it all. We’ve got the talent to do it without a doubt.

We added 2 players to the team for 2023 in Chase Nevins and Rowan Sullivan. Nevins, from Great Falls Virginia, is a four time American Junior Association Champion At Langley High School, Nevins has helped the Saxons to six straight state championships.

Sullivan, from Charleston, S.C., was the 2021 South Carolina Junior Amateur Champion. Earlier this year, Sullivan won the Class 3A Championship as an individual.

Coach Limbaugh and Coach Gator Todd keep on cookin. Love the golf program.

Women’s Soccer advances in NCAA’s

Our Women’s Soccer team, always a staple of success in Vanderbilt Athletics, won its first round matchup against No.25 Clemson on the road, 1-0. Abi Brighton hit a corner kick that Peyton Cutshall headed in for the winning goal. Awesome job by the ladies. The women are now 12-4-4 and head to Los Angeles to play No. 12 Northwestern at 6 PM CT on Friday. vucommodores.com will have the game on its site. Can’t wait.

Women’s Basketball on a Roll

Our women’s basketball team moved to 4-0 today with an 84-48 victory over Tarleton State in Nashville. We had four players score in double figures led by Marnelle Garraud, who finished with 16. Sacha Washington added 15 and Amauri Williams and Ryanne Allen posted 13. We now have victories over Western Kentucky, 82-71, Samford, 81-51, and Columbia, 74-63, to go along with today’s victory. Like the trajectory of the program under second year coach Shea Ralph. So great stuff going on with the program. Our next game is Thursday at 6:30 PM CT versus Austin Peay at Memorial. SEC Network+ will broadcast. This team could be a hidden gem in the SEC this season and make noise nationally.

And we Dominate Academically

We finished with an overall graduation success rate of 97 during the 2021-22 year. It was the highest of any SEC school for the seventh straight year. Ten Vanderbilt programs earned a perfect score, as those programs led the nation and the SEC. Men’s Cross Country, Men’s Tennis, Men’s Basketball, Men’s Golf, Women’s Basketball, Bowling, Women’s Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer and Women’s Tennis all had perfect scores. That’s sensational. The Football program scored a 96 and ranked second nationally among programs affiliated with a Power 5 conference. Our student-athletes and coaches have always valued education and we proved it once again last year. It’s an exceptionalt University with spectacular student athletes and coaches. Couldn’t imagine a recruit wanting to go anywhere else. Well done Student-Athletes and Coaches.

I was having a little fun with Deion last Wednesday. He can certainly be a good FBS coach. Don’t see him ready for “Prime Time” at Auburn just yet. An FBS job for sure, maybe along the lines of an ACC school, besides Clemson, though Dabo Swinney ain’t looking too swift right now. Or a PAC-12 school. Then he can work his way up to an SEC program if there is one that needs a coach. Carnell is a better choice than Deion for Auburn right now. I don’t think Carnell is ready yet, but he should be one day in the not too distant future. He’s a better fit at Auburn than Deion would be. I like his humility. He’s sincerely grateful to be in this position and very much appreciates Auburn for believing in him. He won’t be the new permanent coach, but the Tigers sure played hard in the second half last Saturday Night against Mississippi State on the road and almost pulled off the upset. He’s got a bright future. The running backs are superb. Give me Tank and Jarquez Hunter all day. They’re as good a tandem of running backs as you’ll find anywhere in the country, and Cadillac coaches them. So, he’s for real as a coach. Not a head coach at Auburn yet, but I like his future.

Give me Hugh Freeze all day AD John Cohen, Raymond Harbert and Jimmy Rane. I like the Cohen hire. Seems solid. He was an outstanding baseball coach at Mississippi State and did a nice job running the athletics department. He’ll do well at Auburn.

I know about the Freeze baggage, not naive about that. But Kiffin has it too. Just ask the Alabama co-eds when he was there. Freeze and the call girls are a really bad look and being married and doing that is deplorable. But he’s learned his lesson. He has cleaned up his act. After the Arkansas victory last Saturday, all his daughters were there and he looked like a changed man. He’s remorseful and humbled by it. He look to have turned his life around. He’s only 52. That’s pretty young.

And there is no doubt the guy is a heckuva football coach. He goes into Fayetteville with his Liberty team, Liberty!, and defeats Arkansas, and there was no doubt which team was better last Saturday. Liberty is 8-1. Their only loss is 37-36 to Wake Forest at Wake when Wake was playing extremely well. Freeze went for 2 and the win as the game was winding down and didn’t get it. But I like the gutsy call. Worked out for Brian Kelly and LSU last Saturday Night. Wake is still a good football team despite its recent struggles, and they were on a roll at the time. They were 3-0 after the Liberty game and lost at home to Clemson in double overtime the next Saturday, 51-45. Clemson is still a good football team despite the debacle in South Bend last Saturday Night. But to take your team into an extremely hostile SEC venue against a solid SEC team with a dynamic quarterback and running back and come out victorious, 21-19, is not just good coaching, it’s elite coaching. The Liberty players are super, but Liberty just joined FBS football in 2018. That’s terrific. Hugh Freeze has been humbled and will respect Auburn and his marriage and not make hideous mistakes again. And he will make Auburn a powerhouse. Lane Kiffin could defeat the Crimson Tide this Saturday and that could really convince the Tiger faithful that he’s the man. But his recruiting classes are top 20, but not top 10. Hereloads with transfers. Nothing wrong with that, but that doesn’t seem sustainable. Freeze defeated Nick Saban twice. The guy is a sensational coach. Hire Hugh Freeze as quickly as possible John, Raymond and Yeller, and call’er a day.

This week features some nice matchups headlined by a collision course in Oxford at 2:30 PM CT Saturday on CBS with the No. 9 Crimson Tide squaring off with the No.11 Rebels of Ole Miss. Should be fun. The No.4 ranked TCU Horned Frogs invade Austin to take on the No.18 Longhorns in what is expected to be a classic. Everybody is predicting TCU to lose one or maybe two of their last three games left as they’re @Baylor next Saturday. They have the hardest strength of schedule in the country according to ESPN Football Power Index, FPI. So it’s a challenge for the Frogs, but they’re embracing it. Sonny Dykes is a phenomenal football coach and an awesome guy. He will have his team ready in Austin on Saturday at 6:30 PM CT on ABC.

Auburn is hosting A&M Saturday Night at 6;30 CT on the SEC Network. Should be a very good contest. Robbie Ashford and Tank Bigsby were tremendous last Saturday in the 2nd half at Starkville.

So, here’s a look at this week’s competition along with predictions on which teams White’s World likes to come out on top this weekend and “matriculate” towards the postseason.

Last week, 9-9, Overall, 118-38, 76%

ATS, 6-12, 84-71, 54%

No.9 Alabama (7-2, 4-2) @ No. 11 Ole Miss (8-1, 4-1)

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jenny

Tide by 12

I’m looking at a close game. Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss is another mobile quarterback that can cause the Crimson Tide defense problems. Freshman running back Quinshon Judkins has rushed for 1,036 yards and 13 TDs. Zach Evans, a TCU transfer and a former 5 star, has rushed for 680 yards and 7 TDs. Wide receiver Jonathan Mingo has caught 30 passes for 664 yards and 4 TDs. This offense is electric and will cause Will Anderson and company some problems. But I like Bryce Young and the Crimson Tide offense to get the team over the top. I see the wide receivers stepping up this week. Ja’Corey Brooks, Jo Jo Earle, Jermaine Burton, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Cameron Latu play well this Saturday against not a very prolific Ole Miss defense. The Crimson Tide prevails against the Rebels. It’s going to be almost impossible for Alabama to get to the playoff, but chaos can certainly happen. LSU is going to have to lose, twice most likely. And teams like Tennessee, TCU, Michigan or Ohio State will have to lose. A couple of those more than once. Oregon, USC and UCLA as well. Several of them are playing each other. That still might not be enough. But Nick Saban and his team have heard so much negativity this week, that maybe they’re finally upset about it. Gregory McElroy laid the hammer on Alabama earlier this week saying the program has lost its way, so I like Saban and his team to come out of Oxford with a victory. The NIL’s could be a problem at Alabama, but maybe they put that aside and finish the season strongly.

Alabama 42, Ole Miss 38

Texas A&M (3-6, 1-5) @ Auburn (3-6, 1-5)

Jordan-Hare Stadium

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Tom, JRodg, Cole

Auburn by 1 1/2

Give me Cadillac, Tank and the Tigers to capture a victory here and get some momentum for the rest of the season and on into next season.

Auburn 31, A&M 28

Other SEC Games

No. 1 Georgia 31, Mississippi State 21

Davis Wade Stadium, Starkvegas

6 PM CT

ESPN

Sean, Todd, Molly

Dawgs by 16

Georgia was superb in annihilating Tennessee last Saturday, 27-13, at home before the most electric crowd this season in the entire country . I see a little bit of a letdown in Starkville, but I ike the Dawgs to move to 10-0 and 7-0 in the SEC. Georgia is the prohibitive favorite to win the national championship at -120. Ohio State is next at +225. Michigan is after that at +650. Tennessee is next at +900. Oregon is +1200. LSU is +3300. USC is +4000. Clemson is +8000. TCU is +8000. Alabama is +8000. And Washington is +8000. But there is plenty of football to be played. it’s tough to repeat in any sport and an injury to Stetson Bennett could change things altogether. I’m not hoping for that, want Stetson to stay healthy, he’s an awesome kid who has overcome the odds stacked against him and has excelled. He’s my leader for the Heisman right now. He just keeps delivering. But if Bennett were to get hurt, hopefully not, or Georgia has an off day, which is possible, that could change things dramatically. You never know in sports. They look playoff bound for sure. I don’t see anybody stopping them in the regular season, but it’s not lock, stock and barrel. You have to prove yourself every Saturday. So, there is no guarantee that Georgia will win it all. They are the overwhelming favorite at this point, but that can change in the SEC Championship Game or in the playoff. But they are a terrific football team. There is no doubt about that. They’ll be tough to beat. I like them to be challenged Saturday Night however.

No. 7 LSU 33, Arkansas 31

Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville

11 AM CT

ESPN

Tess, Gregory, Katie

Bengal Tigers by 4

This is a dangerous game for Bran Kelly and his team. Sam Pittman will have his team ready and KJ Jefferson and Reheim Sanders are stellar football players for the Hogs at quarterback and running back respectively . I like the Bengal Tigers to just survive a tough, physical contest in Fayetteville.

No.5 Tennessee 42, Missouri 21

Neyland Stadium, Knoxville

11 AM CT

CBS

Tom McCarthy, Rick Neuheisel, Sherree Burruss

UT by 20 1/2

I like the Vols to get it back together. Still see them as a very good football team. They’ve got a shot at the playoff without a doubt.

Florida 31, South Carolina 27

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Taylor, Stinch, Alyssa

Gators by 8

I like the Gamecocks to give the Gators everything they want. Florida going into A&M last Saturday and taking names, 41-24, was impressive. But I like Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks to do well and almost pull it off. Both of these coaches, Beamer and Billy Napier, will have their programs in the upper echelon of the SEC in the near future. Fantastic young coaches.

No.24 Kentucky 42, Vanderbilt 10

Kroger Field, Lexington

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Dave, Deuce, Morgan Uber?

Wildcats by 18

Kentucky flexes its muscle against a struggling Commodores program under Clark Lea. Lea inherited a mess, but he hasn’t even come close to turning it around. So there is definitely some responsibility with him. His defensive backs coach, Dan Jackson, is under investigation and suspended by the University for his comments on Facebook in support of Kanye West, or Ye, as he’s known now. Ye has made a lot of Anti-Semitic statements in his various social media posts. Jackson should be gone and West should be disbarred from the entertainment business. There should be no deliberation, Vanderbilt. Get your act together. Mark Stoops and a solid Kentucky team dominate.

National Slate

No. 4 TCU 41, No.18 Texas 38

DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Holly

Horns by 7

Give me quarterback Max Duggan, running back Kendre Miller, 1009 yards, 12 TDs, and big, 6’4”, 215 wide receiver Quentin Johnston, 42 receptions, 650 yards and 4 TDs, and the Frogs to get the job done on Saturday Night in hostile territory. Believe in Sonny Dykes and his terrific team.

No.2 Ohio State 44, Indiana 10

Ohio Stadium, Columbus

11 AM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, JT

Buckeyes by 40

The Buckeyes survived Northwestern last Saturday on the road, 21-7, in 30 MPH wind conditions with gusts up to 50. I like them to win handily, but not beat the spread.

Michigan 42, Nebraska 7

Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Mark, RGIII, Quint

Michigan by 31

Give me the Wolverines to win handily. Running back Blake Corum has rushed for 1,187 yards and is tied for the national lead with Pitt’s Israel Abanikanda for rushing TDs with 16. Setting up for a colossal matchup at Columbus against the Buckeyes on Saturday, Nov. 26th at 11 AM CT on FOX.

No.6 Oregon 28, No. 25 Washington 21

Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR.

6 PM CT

FOX

Ducks by 13 1/2

Jason Benetti, Brock, Allison

Ducks by 13 1/2

Bo Nix is experiencing a Renaissance at Oregon under Coach Dan Lanning, who is in his first year and doing a stellar job in Eugene. But i do like Washington to give them a tussle. Oregon’s got a shot to make the playoff, but that 49-3 shellacking by Georgia in game 1 still looms large in my mind as far as them making the Playoff.

Wake Forest 42, No.15 North Carolina 41

Truist Field, Winston-Salem, N.C.

6:30 PM CT

ESPN2

Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman, Dawn Davenport

Wake by 3 1/2

This was a tough one. UNC quarterback Drake Maye leads the nation in touchdown passes with 31. He’s a leading Heisman candidate along with Stetson Bennett and a couple others. It’s tough to go against UNC in this one, but I’ll take the home team. The Tar Heels have a prolific offense, but I’ll take quarterback Sam Hartman and the Demon Deacons to to barely get by in an outstanding game.

Friday

No. 8 USC 42, Colorado 14

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

8:30 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Alex Faust, Petros Papadakis

USC by 34

USC is still hanging in there, but it’s not pretty on defense. A matchup in the Rose Bowl against the UCLA Bruins Saturday, Nov. 19th at 7 or 9:30 PM CT on FOX or ESPN is looming. That’ll be one to stay up for. They play Notre Dame the following Saturday. So, USC has a lot of work to do.

Saturday

Louisville 35, No. 10 Clemson 31

Memorial Stadium, Clemson

2:30 PM CT

ESPN

Wes Durham, Rod Gilmore, Tiffany Blackmon

Clemson by 7

Malik Cunningham is the next Lamar Jackson. He’s rushed for 536 yards and 11 TDs, and he’s thrown for 8 more. Clemson is, as the late great Tom Petty said, “Free Fallin.” Give me the upset.

No. 20 Notre Dame 35, Navy 10

M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

11 AM CT

ABC

Dave Flemming, Dan Orlovsky, Kris Budden

Irish by 15 1/2

Starting to love what first year Notre Dame Coach Marcus Freeman is doing. The Irish are on a roll after throttling Clemson last Saturday Night in South Bend, 35-14. Notre Dame has the third best recruiting class in the country in 2023 behind Alabama and Georgia.

No. 12 UCLA 48, Arizona 24

Rose Bowl, Pasadena

9:30 PM CT

FOX

Noah Eagle, Mark Helfrich

Bruins by 19 1/2

Like Chip Kelly and his team to roll. Getting primed for the epic versus SC.

No.17 Tulane 31, No. 22 UCF 28

Yulman Stadium, N’Awlins

2:30 PM CT

ESPN2

Anish Shroff, Brock Osweiler, Taylor McGregor

Green Wave by 1 1/2

Willie Fritz and his stellar Green Wave team get over the top of Gus and a very good Central Florida team and keep their New Year’s Six aspirations very much alive. They are the highest ranked Group of Five team at present and will be an automatic qualifier for a New Year Six Bowl if they can win out. They have to win Saturday, win over an explosive SMU team next Thursday Night @ home at 6:30 CT on ESPN, then go to Cincy and win on Friday. Nov. 25th

No. 13 Utah 42, Stanford 13

Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake

9 PM CT

ESPN

Dave, Dusty, Lugues

Utes by 24

Don’t count out the Utes in the PAC-12. After Stanford, they go to Oregon next Saturday, 11/19, for a 7 PM CT or 9:30 PM CT game on FOX or ESPN. The Utes are 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the PAC-12 and have defeated USC and lost to UCLA. They will need to win out and get some help from USC @UCLA to make it to the PAC-12 Championship Game. They should be good against a struggling Stanford team, which will set up a major collision next Saturday in Eugene.

I watched and listened to Coach Prime Sanders give a speech to his team yesterday on the loss of Rap Star Takeoff, who was shot and killed in Houston early Tuesday Morning. It was very impressive. He kept it “real” as the Millenials like to say. He can really relate to his players like no other coach I’ve seen. It was down to earth, positive and fatherly. He kept it on the players’ level, but he still showed a parental, approach in his talk to his players. I’m a believer in Coach Sanders, and I’ve changed my tune completely on him. Raymond Harbert and Jimmy Rane need to go “Prime Time” and offer Coach Sanders the job. He’ll recruit superbly, he can motivate and he’ll hire good coaches. I like his style. Paul Finebaum was saying Monday that Auburn should have hired Coach Prime yesterday. I didn’t know what I thought of Paulie’s comment, but now, after hearing his talk to his players yesterday, I’m a believer. Give me Coach Prime Time as Auburn’s next coach. He’s the man.

Surprisingly, but accurately, the committee selected Tennessee as the No.1 ranked team in the College Football Playoff Rankings in the first edition of it. There will be 5 more culminating on Sunday, December 4th, Selection Sunday, where the 4 teams in the Playoff will be selected along with the New Year’s Six teams. Other bowl selections will follow. Ready for the 12 team version of this.

Ohio State was No.2, Georgia was No.3 and Clemson was No.4 4. Michigan was No. 5, Alabama was No. 6 and TCU was No. 7. LSU was 10th. Interesting with the Tide and Bengal Tigers squaring off Saturday at 6 PM CT on ESPN. Tremendous contest in Baaton Rouge. And the Vols and Dawgs tee it up in Athens Saturday at 2:30 PM CT on CBS. What an epic Saturday in the SEC.

Here’s a look at this weekend’s games along with predictions. I’m turning 61 tomorrow, so I may not elaborate as much, but, as Eric Clapton always does, I’ll try and give you everything I’ve got.

Last time, SU, 14-2, Overall, 109-29, 79%, ATS, 12-4, 78-59, 57%.

No.6 Alabama (7-1, 4-1) @ No.10 LSU (6-2, 4-1)

Tiguh Stadium

6 PM CT

ESPN

Chris, Kirk, Holly

Tide by 13 1/2

This is major for SEC West and National implications. The rivalry between these two teams is on full display this Saturday Night on the Bayou. Tiguh Stadium on a Saturday Night, it doesn’t get any better than this.. I’m going to take Bryce Young and the Tide to barely get by the Bengal Tigers on the Bayou.

Alabama 35, LSU 31

No.1 Tennessee (8-0, 4-0) @ No.3 Georgia (8-0, 5-0)

Sanford Stadium, Athens

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jenny

Dawgs by 8 1/2

I’m taking the No.1 team in the country in the upset on the road.

Tennessee 41, Georgia 38

Other SEC games

Mississippi State 31, Auburn 28

Davis Wade Stadium, Starkvegas

6:30 PM CT

ESPN2

Tom, Jrodg, Cole

Miss State by 13

Carnell is going to have the Tigers inspired and give the Bulldogs everything they want.

Texas A&M 28, Florida 21

Kyle Field, College Station

11 AM CT

ESPN

Mark Jones, RGIII (pretty annoying guy), Quint Kessenich

A&M by 3 1/2

Starting 5 star freshman Conner Weigman last Saturday at quarterback almost paid off for the embattled Jimbo Fisher. as the freshman threw for 4 TDs. Still took the loss versus a very good Ole Miss team, but Weigman gives the Aggies hope.

Arkansas 28, Liberty 24

Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Taylor, Aaron, Alyssa

Ark by 13 1/2

I see Sam and his Hogs just getting by Hugh and his excellent Flames team.

Missouri 21, Kentucky 17

Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field, Columbia, MO.

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Jay Alter, Dustin Fox, Lauren Sisler

UK by 2

I’m going to take the Tigers, which went into the other Columbia last Saturday, and handled the South Carolina Gamecocks by 13. The Missouri Tigers pull off the slight upset at home.

Vanderbilt 24, South Carolina 20

FirstBank Stadium, Nashvegas

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Dave, Deuce, Andraya

SC by 7

Give me Clark Lea and the Dores to get their first victory in SEC play in 25 games. It’s been since October of 2019 when the Dores got their last SEC victory over Missouri, 21-14. As Steven Stills said, “It’s been a long time comin.”

National Games/Predictions

No.4 Clemson 31, Notre Dame 21

Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend

6:30 PM CT

NBC Peacock

Clemson by 3 1/2

Some people might take the upset here. I’m not one of’em.

No.2 Ohio State 52, Northwestern 10

Ryan Field, Evanston, Illinois

11 AM CT

ABC

Sean, Todd, Molly

Buckeyes by 38

This is tough for Northwestern. Buckeyes playing superb football offensively, and talk about having yourself a day young man. Last Saturday in Ohio State’s 44-31 fourth quarter blasting of Penn State, Ohio State defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau had two interceptions, one for a pick six, two sacks, 3 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery . Wow, Will Anderson has some company now as the best defensive player in football.

No.5 Michigan 34, Rutgers 14

SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey

6:30 PM CT

Big Ten Network

Michigan by 26

After the outrageous and criminal acts by the Michigan State players last Saturday in the Michigan tunnel where several Michigan State players assaulted and beat up 2 Michigan players, there should be major consequences for those Michigan State players involved. Michigan kicked their backsides on the field, 29-7. That’s what matters, though the incident was extremely serious and those guys could serve some time for their heinous and animalistic behavior.

No.7 TCU 38, Texas Tech 28

Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth

11 AM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, JT

Frogs by 9 1/2

Love what Sonny Dykes and quarterback Max Duggan are doing. Duggan has thrown for 22 TDs against only 2 ints. He’s also rushed for 4 more including an 85 yarder. He’s a hoss.

No. 13 Kansas State 34, No. 24 Texas 30

Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Little Apple

6 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Texas by 2 1/2

Why do people still believe in Texas? The Wildcats are fresh off a 48-0 drubbing of then No.9 OK. State, a team that I was thinking for a while had a potential shot at the Playoff. But K State is for real , particularly at home in Manhattan, Kansas. And Texas is not, as of yet. The question is, will they ever be again?

No. 17 North Carolina 42, Virgina 28

Scott Stadium, C’Ville

11 AM CT

ACC Network

UNC by 7

Really believe in UNC quarterback Drake May. He’s a total stud. Carolina moves to 8-1 overall and 5-0 in ACC. Have a real good shot to win the Coastal and face possibly Clemson in the ACC Championship.

No. 19 Tulane 31, Tulsa 23

Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, OK.

11 AM CT

ESPNU

Green Wave by 7 1/2

Another team I really believe in. Willie Fritz moves his team to 8-1 and 5-0 in the American. Wow.

No.9 USC 45, Cal 21

LA Coliseum

9:30 PM CT

ESPN

SC by 21

Still a believer in Lincoln Riley and his talented team.

No.12 UCLA 38, Zona State 35

Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe , AZ.

8:30 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Bruins by 10 1/2

Bruins get by a Sun Devils team that defeated Washington at home on Saturday, Oct. 8, 45-38, and went to Colorado last Saturday and won, 42-34. So, I like a battle in the desert, but also like what Chip Kelly is doing in LA/Pasadena.

No.14 Utah 38, Zona 10

Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake

6:30 PM CT

PAC-12 Network

Utes by 17 1/2

Always believe in Kyle Whittingham and his team. The PAC-12 race is very interesting, particularly in the South where UCLA has defeated Utah in Pasadena and Utah defeated SC at Salt Lake. Big games coming up. SC-UCLA will be huge if they take care of business, and Utah will be a major player if they can keep up their stellar play. SC-UCLA will be at UCLA, Pasadena, Saturday, Nov. 19th.

No. 21 Wake Forest 31, No. 22 NC State 24

Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, N.C.

7 PM CT

ACC Network

Wake by 4 1/2

Still believe in Sam Hartman and Wake despite the disaster at Louisville last Saturday. They’re still a very good team and N.C. State is hurting without their starting QB,, Devin Leary, who is hurt.

Auburn finally fired Bryan Harsin. It was a tough situation for Harsin, but he wasn’t the right man for the job. It just wasn’t a good fit.

As for the next coach, Lane Kiffin, Hugh Freeze and Matt Rhule are the major names being talked about for now. Lane, if he wants to leave Ole Miss and his $7 million a year salary, would be a very good hire. He’s done terrifically at Ole Miss and Auburn could offer him as much if not more and give him the recruiting hotbed of Georgia, Alabama and Florida with some Mississippi. He could very well take it. Not big on the Freeze idea. He wouldn’t be my first choice, and I hope Auburn still cares about the integrity factor. I know plenty still do. Some might not care and want to win hire him anyway, but I hope not. He’s got serious baggage and seems to be a pretty big thug at Liberty now that he’s gotten his redemption. However, he is an excellent football coach and may be too good to pass up. I like Rhule as a possibility. He’s a very good college coach. He’s not cut out for the pros. Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier weren’t either. The college game worked for them and still works for Saban. Rhule seems to flourish in the college ranks. He’s a possibility.

Deion Sanders, who knows? That’s a real wild card. He’s done well at Jackson State, no doubt, and he’s probably a superb recruiter, but can he coach against Coach Saban, Coach Smart, Josh Huepel, guys like that? That seems to be a reach. Kevin Steele is another name, but he seems a little past his prime.

Kiffin and Rhule would be my top choices for the Tigers. Will be interesting to see if other names emerge soon. Should be the case. Sonny Dykes at TCU would be an interesting choice. He’s a superb coach, and while my daughter and I like him in Fort Worth, and he can win big out there, Auburn could look at him. He may not take the job the way things are going out in Texas, but he could be a name that emerges. His offenses are prolific, and his defenses create a lot of turnovers, which is winning defense these days along with sacks, tackles for loss and red zone defense. His defensive coordinator is impressive looking on the sideline. So Dykes is another possibility.

Those are my candidates for today. If I think of more on Thursday, I’ll pass those along. The Tiger faithful needs a good coach. They always have the ability to win big at Auburn, so new Athletic Director John Cohen, who comes from Mississippi State where he was the baseball coach and then the athletic director, will make a critical hire. He hired Mike Leach, and that is still to be determined on whether that was a good hire, but it looks like a pretty solid hire for now. That could change any week though with how fluid people’s opinions of their coaches are. A lot of knee jerk reactions these days. I like Leach in the SEC and he’s doing a solid job in Starkville. He’s safe right now. Cohen hired Joe Moorhead before Leach, and that didn’t work out well. So, interesting times on the Plains. Will keep you apprised of developments in the search.

World Series

The Fall Classic has been excellent so far with the Phillies coming back from a 5-0 deficit against Justin Verlander no less to take game 1, 6-5,. Amazingly, Verlander is 0-6 all time in World Series performances. His ERA is over 5. Shocking that that’s the case. The Astros came back and tied it 1-1 in Minute Maid Park in Houston on Saturday, winning 5-2.

Now it’s 1-1 as the series moves to Philly for games 3,4 and 5. Game 3 was rained out last night, but the weather in Philly looks good the rest of the week. Here’s the schedule for the rest of the series.

Today, Game 3, at Citizens Ball Park, Philly, 7:03 PM CT, FOX

Game 4, Wednesday, Philly, 7:03 PM CT, FOX

Game 5 Thursday, Philly, 7:03 PM CT, FOX

Game 6, if necessary, Minute Maid Park, Houston, 7:03 PM CT, FOX

Game 7, if necessary, Sunday, Houston, 7:03 PM CT, FOX

Broadcasters, Joe Davis, doing an awesome job in place of Joe Buck, who’s now at ESPN calling Monday Night Football with Troy.

Smoltzie

Field Reporters, Ken Rosenthall and Tom Verducci

Pregame Show, Kevin Burkhardt, Big Papi, A Roid, the Big Hurt (all three may have been roiders, we know A Roid was), Dontrelle Willis. Matt Vasgersian, when Burkhardt is calling NFL games.

Prediction

I like the fact that the Phillies could play a red hot Braves team and win in 4, then defeat a hot Padres team in 5 to reach the Fall Classic. It’s hard to defeat Jose Altuve and that superb cast of players in Houston along with some stellar starting arms, but I like Bryce Harper and the Phillies to do just that. The starting pitching favors the Astros slightly and the bats are a wash. But I like the home field for the Phillies allowing them to take 2 of 3 at Citizens Ball Park. Philly has passionate fans and they’re going to do everything they can to help their team be successful. I like the Phils to win game 6 in Houston as well. My older daughter dates a guy from Philly as they both live in the Big Apple, but this is not a heart pick. Believe in this team.

Phillies in 6

MVP, Bryce Harper

Thursday

College Football Week 10 Previews/Predictions

The No.6 Crimson Tide travels to Baton Rouge to face a hot No.15 LSU team Saturday Night at 6 on ESPN. The Crimson Tide is not used to being No.6, and can prove a lot this Saturday in a very hostile environment. The Playoff Selection Show comes out today at 6 PM CT on ESPN and it will be very interesting to see where the Crimson Tide, among others, stacks up. I’m looking at 5 or 6 for the Tide. I’ll take No.1 Georgia, No.2 Ohio State, No.3 Tennessee, No.4 Michigan and No.5 Alabama. or Clemson. One or the other. I’d have to say Clemson at 5 right now and the Tide at 6 with TCU at No.7. But this is such a fluid situation that will change after every Saturday most likely. Still fun to get a gauge of where the teams stand in the first rankings.

And a huge contest in the SEC East as No.3 Tennessee goes to Athens to face No.1 Georgia at 2:30 PM CT on CBS. Will be a marquee Saturday in the SEC with some other excellent matchups and some solid national games. I’m interested in Arkansas hosting No. 23 Liberty at 3 PM CT on the SEC Network. The Hogs have had a couple of solid victories lately and stand at 5-3. Liberty is 7-1 with their only loss coming to Wake Forest @ Wake, 37-36. Hugh Freeze went for 2 to try and win the game at the end, but the Flames didn’t convert. But he’s an excellent coach despite the baggage and they’ve got a very good football team. So, should be a tremendous day of college football. Carnell Williams will be coaching Auburn for their game @Mississippi State at 6:30 PM CT Saturday on ESPN2. Maybe Carnell can do much better than Harsin did. He was a superb running back at Auburn on the 13-0 team in 2004 coached by Tommy Tubvervile, who did some good things on the Plains, and is an excellent recruiter and the running backs have been the best part of the team. Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter are stellar, so maybe Carnell can get the Tigers over the top in Starkville on Saturday.