The continually “matriculating” No.4 Crimson Tide heads to Columbia, South Carolina for a 2:30 P.M. showdown with the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks Saturday on ABC. The Tide goes for 5 straight, what would be impressive resume victories in a row and is getting more awe-inspiring by the week. Ty Simpson had a solid outing last Saturday Night in Bryant-Denny versus Tennessee going 19-of-29 for 253 yards, with 2 TDs and no ints. On the season, Ty is 153-of-219, 70.2%, for 1,931 yards, 18 TDs against just 1 int. If those aren’t Heisman numbers, I want someone to show me who has played a more difficult schedule and excelled like this anywhere else in the country. You can’t find anybody. Ty has become a superbly electric playmaker and leader for this Crimson Tide squad. Always good to be a coach’s son, as Ty’s dad, Jason, is the head coach for the UT Martin Skyhawks in Martin, Tennessee. Love the UT Martin nickname. Good to be a Skyhawk and a Crimson Tide. Ryan Williams came out of hibernation last Saturday Night and stepped it up with five receptions for 87 yards. The great Germie Bernard is always thrilling as he finished with 5 catches for 80 yards. I like running back Daniel Hill. He put together some nice runs against Tennessee. Great size at 6’1″, 244. Excedrin loves that. Hill runs aggressively and downhill. Looks like a Sherman Tank carrying the rock. Hill, Jam Miller, once he’s 100%, he’s still getting healthy from his collarbone injury sustained before the season, but he’s playing, and Kevin Riley give the Tide an emerging excellent rushing attack. The O line, led by center Parker Brailsford (6’2″, 290), and the massive Kadyn Proctor (6’7″, 366), are paving the way both in the run and throw games. Kadyn is a weapon with the football as well. What an athlete. Kalen and Ryan Grubb have been using him effectively in running and passing plays in the redzone, and I like what I’m seeing there. Please give us more of that, Coach DeBoar and Coach Grubb. I’m also loving what I’m seeing from sophomore outside”Rush,” linebacker Yhonzae Pierre (6’3″, 248). Mr. Pierre finished Saturday Night with 6 tackles and 3 sacks against the Vols. He’s a dominating player He’s much like a Dont’a Hightower-type player going back to the S years. Cornerback Zabien Brown had the play of the night last Saturday with a 99 yard pick six off Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar right before halftime for a 14 point swing in the Tide’s favor. I’m high on the Bama defense. A lot to like about it. Like the offense very much, too. Excedrin and I were talking about the team a couple of days ago and he has concerns about right tackle Wilkin Formby (6’7″, 324). Formby has had some issues protecting the quarterback this season along with some penalties, but looked to have a pretty good game last Saturday Night. And you gotta love his size. Will keep an eye on Formby. Freshman Michael Carroll (6’6″,321) has come in, in relief of Formby at times. So we’ll see how that develops.

Hugh and his struggling Tigers go to Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville Saturday at 11:45 A.M. to take on Bobby Petrino and his Arkansas Razorbacks. Couple of coaches with a lot of personal baggage. We’ll see who survives. The weather forecast is for rain throughout the game, and that usually favors the defense, if the rain comes to fruition. No.3 Texas A&M heads to Baton Rouge, against a rowdy Tiguh Stadium crowd and a desperate team, to take on the No.20 L-S-U Tigers, which have to win if they want to stay in playoff contention. Should be a dynamite game. Weather could be a factor in Baaton Rouge as well. Lane takes his No.8 Rebels into Memorial Stadium in Norman to face the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners. Weather might be a factor there as well, as there are decent chances for rain in Norman. The now No.10 Vanderbilt Commodores play host to the No. 15 Missouri Tigers in a massive contest. The winner of this game becomes a factor in the playoff discussion, though there will be a lot of tough tests for both teams forthcoming after this game. Still, a heavyweight bout in Nashville. Here are Previews and Predictions for Week 9 of College Football along with my updated Playoff Predictions.

And, one more thing: how about the UAB Blazers and 39 year old interim coach Alex Mortensen taking down Memphis, 31-24, at Protective Stadium last Saturday afternoon! Backup quarterback Ryder Burton was 20-of-27 for 251 yards, 3 TDs against 1 int. Running back Solomon Beebe rushed for 106 yards and 1, six, and WR Iverson Hooks caught 11 passes for 172 yards and 3, 6’s. What an effort. I’m sure The Fennec was rockin’. The Blazers are now 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the American Conference, and are off this Saturday before heading to East Hartford, Connecticut next Saturday, 11/1, to take on the UConn Huskies. UConn is an independent in football and is 5-2 at present. UConn plays @ Rice tomorrow. The Blazers have a shot at making a bowl game now. Their remaining schedule after UConn is: @ Rice (3-4, 1-3 AAC), vs. North Texas (6-1, 2-1) at Protective, vs. South Florida (6-1, 3-0) at Protective, and @Tulsa (0-4, 2-5). If the Blazers can steal three on the road and manage to knock off one or two of their home games versus North Texas and South Florida, that would be terrific. Will be fun to keep up with Coach Mortensen and his progress as he just abundantly increased his stock in getting the full time head job after last Saturday’s gem.

Record

Last Saturday, Week 8: SU: 9-5, Overall, 92-30, 75%; ATS: 5-9, 57-65, 47%; O/U: 7-7, 66-56, 54%.

Worked hard this week to try and right the ship on the spread record.

All times Central. All games Saturday.

No. 4 Alabama (6-1, 4-0 SEC) @South Carolina (3-4, 1-4)

Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C.77,559

2:30 P.M.

ABC

Tess, Jess, Katie

Crimson Tide by 11 1/2, 47 1/2

South Carolina is led by their electric quarterback, LaNorris Sellers. However, Sellers’ ability to create dynamic plays has been hampered extremely by his horrendous offensive line. He was scrambling for his life last Saturday against a relentless Oklahoma defense, and was sacked four times. It’s not good upfront on offense for Shane Beamer, and the natives are getting a little more restless, and Beamer’s starting to blow a gasket in each successive postgame interview. A lot of frustration. I like the Tide to emerge with the W in this one, but for South Carolina to keep it a little closer than anticipated at Williams-Brice. Mike Shula is the offensive coordinator at South Carolina. That may very well be part of the problem too.

Alabama 28, South Carolina 17

Auburn (3-4, 0-4) @ Arkansas (0-3, 2-5)

Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, 76,000

11:45 A.M.

SEC Network

Dave, Fozzy, Morgan

Hogs by 3 1/2, 56 1/2

The over/under looks a little high to me. The rain chances are 45% at 11 A.M., 67% at 12 P.M., 86% at 1 P.M., and 86 % at 2 P.M. The forecast has stayed pretty steady the last couple of days on Weather.com, so I’m going to trust the weather people this time and look for a lower scoring game. You never know with the weather, but I’ll take a lower scoring game with the home team prevailing.

Arkansas 20, Auburn 16

No.3 Texas A&M (7-0, 4-0) @ No.20 LSU (5-2, 2-2)

Tiger Stadium, Baaton Rouge, 102, 321

6:30 P.M.

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Holly

A&M by 2 1/2, 48 1/2

I’m going to take the upset as LSU keeps its playoff hopes alive, while A&M is still very much alive in the playoff picture, but falls victim to a Saturday Night in Baton Rouge.

LSU 23, Texas A&M 21

No. 8 Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1) @ No. 13 Oklahoma (6-1, 2-1)

Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK., 83,489

11 A.M.

ABC

Sean, Gregory, Molly

OU by 5 1/2, 52 1/2

I like the home field and the OU defense here. The Texas game was a one off for the Sooners as they played with a banged up John Mateer, who courageously tried to give it a go in the Red River Rivalry, but wasn’t himself. This Sooners team is outstanding. They demolished South Carolina on the road last Saturday, 26-7. I like Lane and his team a lot, still, and I see this as a very close game with Lane and the Rebels still alive in the playoff hunt even if it doesn’t work out in Norman.

Oklahoma 28, Ole Miss 27

No.15 Missouri (6-1, 2-1) @ No.10 (!) Vanderbilt (6-1, 2-1)

FirstBank Stadium, Nashville

2:30 P.M.

ESPN

Bob, Louis, Kris

Dores by 2 1/2, 52 1/2

Give me the cerebral, yet terrific motivator, Clark Lea, and Diego Pavia, who, hopefully, learned a lesson in humility from the Alabama game, to get over the top in a hard fought contest over the fiery, emotional Eli Drinkwitz and his excellent Mizzou Tigers.

Vanderbilt 31, Missouri 28

No.22 Texas (5-2, 2-1) @ Mississippi State (4-3, 0-3)

Davis Wade Stadium, Starkvegas, 61,337

3:15 P.M.

SEC Network

Taylor, Matt, Alyssa

Longhorns by 7 1/2, 44 1/2

This is what I said about Arch Manning last Thursday, 10/16:

“I admit, I’ve been hard on Arch all season, but last Saturday he played one heckuva game in Texas’ 23-6 Red River Rivalry victory over Oklahoma. He played like the No.1 player in the country, which he was in 2023 coming out of Isidore Newman School in N’Awlins. Arch was sensational against the Sooners.”

College Football is so unpredictable now, and Arch Manning’s performances are erratic and mostly, except for the Oklahoma game, substandard. He played an outstanding game against OU in the Red River Rivalry two weeks ago, but then he reverted back to the not too swift Arch last Saturday Night in Texas’ 16-13 road victory over Kentucky. He is so inconsistent, as is the entire team, except for the defense, which is pretty stout. I just don’t think the Longhorns have enough to make it to the playoff this year. As always, college football is so fluid these days that that could very well change Saturday afternoon in Starkville; though I’m not counting on it.

Texas 24, Mississippi State 21

No. 17 Tennessee (5-2, 2-2) @ Kentucky (2-4, 0-4)

Kroger Field, Lexington, KY.

6:45 P.M.

SEC Network

Tom, Jordan, Cole

Vols by 8 1/2, 54 1/2

The Wildcats played hard against Texas last Saturday Night, and the Vols got it handed to’em by the Crimson Tide. I like Kentucky to make this interesting.

Tennessee 31, Kentucky 27

****Off: No.5 Georgia and Florida.****The two teams play next Saturday, 11/1, at the Cocktail Function in Jax. Billy Napier won’t be there as he was teminated last Sunday, so Florida will go with interim coach Billy Gonzales, the wide receivers coach, who will still coach the receivers. Tough situation for Florida. Will we clandestinely see the Gators’ jet in Oxford at some point?

National Games

No.2 Indiana 42, UCLA 14

Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN., 52,626

11 A.M.

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny

Hoosiers by 26 1/2, 53 1/2

Curt Cignetti, with his new eight-year contract paying him $11.3 million till 2033, leads his team to a fairly easy victory over the Bruins, though UCLA is 3-1 in the Big Ten and greatly revived under Interim Coach Tim Skipper and interim offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel. The Bruins may find scoring points hard to come by on Saturday in Bloomington, however. The Hoosiers stay squarely in the Big Ten Championship lead along with Ohio State, and are alive and strong in the Playoff hunt.

No. 11 BYU 31, Iowa State 30

Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa, 61, 500

2:30 P.M.

FOX

Cyclones by 2 1/2, 49 1/2

I like Kalani Sitake and his Cougars to keep surviving and advancing. Very resilient team as you’d expect from BYU. They’ve got contests @ No. 14 Texas Tech (11/8), versus TCU (11/15) and @ No.21 Cincy on November 22nd, so a lot of work left. They’ve got to be locked in on Saturday. Tough to emerge victorious on the road in Ames.

No.7 Georgia Tech 34, Syracuse 17

Bobby Dodd Stadium, Hotlanta, 51,913

11 A.M.

ESPN

Dave, Dusty, Taylor

Tech by 16 1/2, 53 1/2

I like this impressive Ramblin’ Wreck squad to be heckuva’ engineers on Saturday.

No. 18 South Florida 35, Memphis 28

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, 58,325

11 A.M.

ESPN2

Matt Schumacher, Sam Acho, Taylor Davis

South Florida by 5 1/2, 60 /12

I believed in Memphis until they fell to UAB last Saturday as a three touchdown favorite, though a lot of that had to do with UAB and Memphis starting quarterback Brendon Lewis getting injured in the second half and not returning. Lewis is questionable for this game. I like the great Alex Gulesh and his spirited Bulls squad to come out on top in impressive fashion.

No.6 Oregon 35, Wisconsin 10

Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR.

6 P.M.

Fox Sports 1

Ducks by 31 1/2, 44 1/2

I’ve lost some of my enthusiasm for the Ducks after their loss to Indiana at home. I guess they’re still pretty good.

No. 16 Virginia 34, UNC 23

Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill

11 A.M.

ACC Network

Wes Durham, Steve Addazio, Dana Boyle

UVA by 10 1/2, 51 1/2

I’m cautiously bullish on the Boys from C’ville. I’m beginning to believe in’em. Boring Bill can’t get it done, again.

No. 24 Arizona State 24, Houston 21

Mountain America Stadium, Tempe, AZ.

7 P.M.

ESPN2

Lowell Galindo, Aaron Murray, Lauren Sisler

Zona State by 7 1/2, 45 1/2

“Dilly Willy,” after walking off from a FOX reporter last Saturday after his team’s victory over then No.7 Texas Tech, does something wacky again this Saturday as his team survives a scrappy Houston team. You gotta talk to the reporters, Dilly!

Playoff

My top 12 teams are, in this order: 1. Ohio State. Off this week. Haven’t played really anybody unless you think Texas is good, which is debatable. Probably won’t play anybody good until Michigan, maybe. Im not convinced Michigan is all that much either. But it’ll be at Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 29th at 11 A.M. CT on FOX. Michigan Has defeated Ohio State four times in a row, so Ryan Day Does have a Michigan problem. And, quite possibly, they’ll face No.2 Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game. Gotta be tested before you get to the playoff, in my opinion. Indiana will test them for sure, and, most likely, Michigan. 2. Alabama, 3. Georgia, 4. Indiana, 5. Oklahoma, 6. Texas A&M, 7. Ole Miss, 8. Oregon, 9. LSU, 10. Georgia Tech, 11. Arizona State, 12. South Florida.

Semifinals

Thursday, 1/8/26

No.5 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Ohio State

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ. 63, 400

6:30 P.M.

ESPN

Like OU’s defense as much as Ohio State’s, and John Mateer makes one more play than Julian “Just” Sayin and Ohio State.

Oklahoma 23, Ohio State 21

Friday, 1/9/26

No.2 Alabama vs. No.3 Georgia

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA., 71,000

6:30 P..M.

ESPN

I’ll take the Crimson Tide in a backyard brawl as both teams “hunker down,” and trade body blows till the clock strikes zero.

Alabama 24, Georgia 23

National Championship Game, Monday, 1/19/26

Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL., 65,326

6:30 P.M.

ESPN

Liking Kalen and the Tide to emerge over another relentless foe. The Tide’s relentless, too.

No.2 Alabama 21, No.5 Oklahoma 18

National Champion: Alabama