Hugh Freeze returns to the Southeastern Conference with enough baggage to fill a jumbo jet.
He turned his last SEC job into “Freeze Gone Wild," using a university-issued cell phone to call an escort service while presiding over enough scandalous behavior to land Ole Miss on NCAA probation.
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Hugh Freeze's checkered past in the Southeastern Conference means he'll have to win more than just games.
Auburn is bringing Hugh Freeze back to the Southeastern Conference as head coach of the Tigers, more than five years after his resignation from SEC West rival Mississippi amid both personal and NCAA scandals.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — J.J. McCarthy threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score, Donovan Edwards busted the game open with two long fourth-quarter TD runs and No. 3 Michigan beat No. 2 Ohio State 45-23 on Saturday, taking down the Buckeyes with stunning ease for the second straight season.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Bryce Young and Alabama got to win No. 10, even if title No. 7 isn't in the cards.
Young passed for 343 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score in perhaps his final home game for No.
Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin says he has informed school officials he will be staying at Ole Miss, putting an end to speculation that he was the leading candidate to fill the head coaching vacancy at Auburn.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — It’s rivalry week for most of the Southeastern Conference. The Egg Bowl. The Iron Bowl. The Palmetto Bowl. The Sunshine Showdown. Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. The Battle Line Rivalry.
Auburn (5-6, 2-5 SEC) at No. 8 Alabama (9-2, 5-2, No. 7 CFP) Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK COLLEGE LINE: Alabama by 21 1/2.
Alabama can lock up another 10-win season. Auburn is targeting bowl eligibility and a happy ending to a trying season.
A look at Week 13 in the Southeastern Conference:
GAME OF THE WEEK
Auburn (5-6, 2-5) at No. 8 Alabama (9-2, 5-2, No. 8 CFP) .
Conference title and playoff hopes are just part of what's on the line during college football's rivalry weekend.
There's the Golden Egg in Mississippi. The Territorial Cup in Arizona. The Old Oaken Bucket in Indiana.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The situation could not seem simpler for Missouri heading into Friday's rivalry game with Arkansas: Win and the Tigers qualify for a bowl game, lose and they're sitting home for the holidays.
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter combined for 229 rushing yards and four total touchdowns as Auburn defeated Western Kentucky 41-17 on Saturday.
After Western Kentucky generated 290 yards and 17 points in the first half, Auburn’s defense held the pass-happy Hilltoppers to 105 yards and allowed zero points after halftime.
Western Kentucky (7-4) at Auburn (4-6), Saturday, 4 p.m. EST (SEC Network)
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK COLLEGE LINE: Auburn by 6 1/2
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Carnell Williams entered the postgame interview room shoeless and clutching a game ball.
Jarquez Hunter and Tank Bigsby each rushed for 121 yards and Williams' Auburn team held on for a 13-10 victory over Texas A&M Saturday night, in a battle of teams tied for last in their division.
Texas A&M (3-6, 1-5 SEC) at Auburn (3-6, 1-5), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EST (SEC Network)
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK COLLEGE LINE: Auburn by 1 1/2
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — John Cohen carries around a sheet of paper with a list 58 items long mostly comprised of qualities he wants in an Auburn football coach and things to ask them.
STARKVILLE, Miss (AP) — A year ago, Auburn had a 28-3 lead in the first half against Mississippi State only to see the Bulldogs make a stunning comeback. Saturday’s rematch was playing out the same way in reverse.
Auburn (3-5, 1-4 SEC) at Mississippi State (5-3, 2-3), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN2)
Line: Mississippi State by 12 1/2 according to FanDuel.com Sportsbook.
Carnell Williams, an All-American running back on Auburn's undefeated 2004 team, is now running the show instead of the ball.
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Former Auburn coach Bryan Harsin released a statement a day after getting fired amid his second season expressing disappointment while praising the team for staying together “in the face of considerable challenges and outside noise.”
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn fired coach Bryan Harsin on Monday after less than two seasons, ending a rocky tenure in which the proud program struggled to compete in the Southeastern Conference.
Tennessee moved into a tie with Ohio State for No. 2 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday to set up a 1 vs. 2 matchup next week with top-ranked Georgia.
Georgia-Tennessee will be the 25th regular-season game matching the top two teams in the AP poll, and the third straight involving Southeastern Conference teams.
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — KJ Jefferson ran for two touchdowns and passed for a third and Raheim Sanders rushed for 171 yards to lead Arkansas to a 41-27 victory over Auburn on Saturday in a battle to escape the bottom of the Southeastern Conference Western Division.
Auburn is finalizing a deal to hire Mississippi State athletic John Cohen to the same position for the SEC West rival school.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday that the school and Cohen were close to an agreement.
Arkansas (4-3, 1-3 SEC) at Auburn (3-4, 1-3), Saturday, noon ET (SEC Network)
Line: Arkansas by 3 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
A look at Week 9 in the Southeastern Conference:
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 Tennessee (7-0, 3-0 SEC) hosts No. 19 Kentucky (5-2, 2-2)
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez and Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell were among 15 players named finalists Wednesday for the William V. Campbell Trophy, given to college football's top scholar-athlete.
As the number of unbeaten teams in major college football was whittled to six, Clemson emerged as the best bet to reach the playoff — even though the Tigers don't appear to be a serious threat to win a national championship.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Usually when UCLA plays Oregon a lot of attention falls on Chip Kelly, the current Bruins coach and former Ducks coach.
This year, not as much. When No. 9 UCLA visits No. 10 Oregon on Saturday, there are more compelling storylines — like two quarterbacks who are among the Pac-12's best this season.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin offered a blunt assessment of the challenge facing the unbeaten and seventh-ranked Rebels when they visit LSU on Saturday.
“This is the most talented opponent by far,” Kiffin said.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Chase McGrath made a 40-yard field goal as time expired to give No. 6 Tennessee a 52-49 victory over No. 3 Alabama on Saturday.
As soon as the kick knuckle-balled through the uprights, some of the more than 100,000 fans stormed the field to celebrate the Volunteers (6-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) ending a 15-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide (6-1, 3-1).
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) —
Jaxson Dart is warming up to the idea of being a running quarterback.
Dart ran for 115 yards, one of three Mississippi 100-yard rushers, and the ninth-ranked Rebels rolled up 448 on the ground in a 48-34 victory over Auburn Saturday.
As far as Jeremy Ellis is concerned, Republican Tommy Tuberville should know or learn more about the long history and struggles of the Black Alabama residents he represents in the U.S. Senate.
Tuberville told people Saturday at an election rally in Nevada that Democrats support reparations for the descendants of enslaved people because “they think the people that do the crime are owed that.”
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — The Georgia Bulldogs are back atop the rankings, even though their style points are a bit lacking.
Auburn (3-3, 1-2 SEC) at No. 9 Mississippi (6-0, 2-0), Saturday, noon ET (ESPN)
Line: Ole Miss by 14 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Halfway through the season, it might be time for some College Football Playoff elimination games.
Ranked showdowns between undefeated teams in the Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern conferences all have huge CFP implications this weekend.
Maybe making a coaching change less than halfway through the season isn't such a terrible idea.
After an unprecedented spate of early season firings, teams with interim head coaches went 4-0 this weekend in major college football.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Jalen Milroe threw for three touchdowns in his first start and No. 1 Alabama made a final goal-line stand to escape with a 24-20 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday night in a battle of backup quarterbacks.
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia gets held to an almost impossible standard these days. That goes with being the defending national champions.
“I think we just got to play football,” quarterback Stetson Bennett said.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — First-year LSU coach Brian Kelly isn't about to celebrate the Tigers' return this week to the national rankings for the first time in more than a year.
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Don't expect Auburn players to empathize with concerns expressed this week about No. 2 Georgia's sudden dip from championship form.
The Bulldogs, who play Auburn on Saturday, fell from the top spot in The Associated Press Top 25 this week after having to rally for a 26-22 win at Missouri last week.
Auburn (3-2, 1-1 SEC) at No. 2 Georgia (5-0, 2-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
Line: Georgia by 29 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.