Judge will become part of the Rebels program less than three years removed from his most recent head coaching position in the NFL. He coached the Giants from 2020-21.

READ: Warren Sapp joins Deion Sanders, Colorado as grad assistant

“We are excited about the addition of Joe Judge to our staff,” Kiffin stated in a release. “Joe brings a tremendous amount of experience that will provide a significant impact to both our coaching staff and our players. We are excited about the contributions he will make to our team.”

Judge “officially joined the staff this week” in Oxford, Mississippi, according to a release.

Judge is no stranger to college football. He had some of the earliest work in his career come at the college level at both Alabama and Mississippi State.

READ: American Athletic Conference tabs Tim Pernetti as new commissioner

From 2005-07, Judge began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Bulldogs.

Two years later, Judge moved on and joined Nick Saban and Alabama where they’d win national championships in both 2009 and 2011.

Judge most recently served as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach with the New England Patriots the past two years before earning a promotion to assistant head coach in 2023.

Judge’s arrival comes during an offseason in which Ole Miss has revamped its administrative and coaching staffs. It hired Billy Glasscock to be the new Rebels general manager in February.

The post Joe Judge joins Ole Miss coaching staff appeared first on Saturday Glory.

According to Chris Low of ESPN, Glasscock joins head coach Lane Kiffin’s staff after coaching in the Big 12 Conference.

READ: Reports: Green Bay Packers hire Jeff Hafley as defensive coordinator

He’ll make the jump to the Southeastern Conference where Ole Miss went 11-2 with a Peach Bowl victory.

According to John Leuzzi of Yahoo! Sports, Glasscock will replace Austin Thomas, who served as Football Chief of Staff.

READ: NCAA investigates Tennessee over NIL; Lawsuit filed in Tennessee, Virginia against NCAA

Glasscock spent the past three years at Texas. Prior to the Longhorns, he held roles at NC State and Minnesota.

According to Low, Glasscock “has a strong rep as a keen talent evaluator.”

The post Reports: Ole Miss hires Billy Glasscock as next GM appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Georgia reclaimed the No. 1 spot and is now atop both the CFP and Associated Press Top 25 rankings. 

PODCAST: Week 11 Recap: Are things getting any clearer?

The Bulldogs won their 27^th-consecutive game in dominant fashion over No. 13 Ole Miss, holding the Rebels to three points in the second half while quarterback Carson Beck threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. 

Here are several players and notes to keep a tab on in this week’s Big Board. 

Taking a look at the Atlantic Coast Conference title picture 

The conference title picture is shaping up, and this week the ACC is under observation. 

No. 4 Florida State sits atop the ACC standings at 10-0 and 8-0 in conference play. The Seminoles have a firm grip on heading to the conference championship game under head coach Mike Norvell and quarterback Jordan Travis. 

Hot on the heels are the No. 10 Louisville Cardinals, who received their highest College Football Playoff ranking since 2016 last week when they checked in inside the top 10. 

While Florida State and Louisville won’t face one another in the regular season, it very likely could happen that the two face off in the ACC championship on Dec. 2. The Seminoles already have their spot sealed up. 

Louisville will have Miami and Kentucky to close out the regular season. Both of the Cardinals’ future opponents have been ranked this season, and it won’t come easy for them. 

READ: Georgia climbs to No. 1 in third CFP rankings

Awaiting a chance to be opportunistic are North Carolina and NC State, which are both tied for third in the conference at 4-2. 

The Tar Heels have Clemson and NC State to finish the year, and the Wolfpack will play at Virginia Tech this week. 

The ACC title picture is becoming clearer. Now it just remains to be seen who the Seminoles will face. 

Blake Corum, Jayden Daniels and Marvin Harrison Jr. 

Nine hundred nineteen yards, 10 touchdowns and three victories. 

That’s what Michigan’s Blake Corum, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. did last weekend by themselves combined. 

It’s time to start considering this trio as viable contenders for the Heisman Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in college football. 

Corum currently leads the NCAA with 18 rushing touchdowns. Daniels leads the country in passing efficiency at 202.12, and Harrison is second with 12 receiving touchdowns. 

Daniels had a more than impressive game against Florida last weekend. He passed for 372 yards and three touchdowns, then added 234 yards on the ground along with two rushing touchdowns, totaling five scores against the Gators. 

Harrison had a season-high three touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ win over Michigan State. He ran in the first rushing score of his career from 19 yards out. 

Corum had a season-high 145 rushing yards in Michigan’s win at Penn State without head coach Jim Harbaugh. He also had two rushing touchdowns. 

Corum’s current Heisman odds are north of +25000, Daniels’ are +370 and Harrison’s are +600, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. With the regular season dwindling down, this trio could be waiting for their Heisman moments. 

The head coaching carousel is beginning to spin 

Every year in college football there is coaching turnover. 

That’s no different this season. 

READ: San Diego State head coach Hoke to retire at end of season

Texas A&M made the decision to fire head coach Jimbo Fisher despite more than $76 million remaining in his contractual buyout. It was the first head coaching move of the season. 

Boise State also fired head coach Andy Avalos on Sunday, and Penn State relieved offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich of his duties as well. 

Also, a head coaching job opened up in the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State moved on from head coach Zach Arnett on Sunday afternoon. 

There will be more moves to come, but for now, these openings are available. Indiana and Iowa are also looking for new offensive coordinators in the Big Ten Conference as the Hoosiers moved on from Walt Bell and the Hawkeyes will replace Brian Ferentz. 

Among the names of potential head coaching replacements thus far include Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, Duke’s Mike Elko and Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN. 

The post Big Board: Week 12  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Florida State, No. 5 Washington and Liberty are all 10-0 this season.  

PODCAST: Week 11 Recap: Are things getting any clearer?

The Flames have won each of their past three games by double figures. Quarterback Kaidon Salter has 2,184 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and just four interceptions. 

Here are some noteworthy quotes as focus turns from Week 11 to Week 12. 

Ross Bjork, Texas A&M 

Texas A&M made the decision to fire head coach Jimbo Fisher on Sunday, announcing the change in leadership. 

Athletics director Ross Bjork spoke about the process and reasons behind the decision in a press conference. As the Aggies are 6-4 and 4-3 in Southeastern Conference play, Bjork said the program has been “stuck in neutral.” 

“In my analysis I determined at this point, and for lots of reasons, our program is stuck in neutral,” Bjork said. “We should be relevant on the national scene. Something is not clicking, something is not working and therefore, something had to give in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential. As leaders every decision we make, or every decision we don’t make, has consequences. Consistency in how the program operates on a daily basis impacts the confidence level of every single person in the program and thus influences performance. Based on my experience, the best programs have confidence. The program has an established identity. The program maximizes the talent. The leadership is fully integrated in the university, the athletics program and its culture. I did not feel like we were meeting those standards of excellence and leadership.” 

James Franklin, Penn State 

James Franklin and Penn State suffered a 24-15 loss to the Wolverines, and it effectively dropped the Nittany Lions in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll to No. 12. 

Franklin hasn’t performed well in top-10 matchups. He’s 3-18 in those games, and he’s 12-26 in ranked matchups during his 10-year tenure as head coach. 

READ: Stat Pack: Week 11

The Nittany Lions tried a pair of two-point conversions at Michigan, one in the second quarter and another in the fourth. Quarterback Drew Allar failed both pass attempts, keeping it a 14-9 game with less than a minute to go in the first half and maintaining a 24-15 deficit with less than two minutes left in the game. 

“We felt like points were going to be hard to come by,” Franklin said. “We were down by four. We wanted to put ourselves in a position to get it back to a field goal game. Again, those were all the numbers we work through from an analytic standpoint as a staff. Everybody was comfortable with that it was the right thing to do. Obviously, we didn’t pick it up.” 

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss 

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss suffered a top-10 defeat themselves at the hands of Georgia, dropping the game 52-17. 

The Rebels were in the game 14-14 early in the second quarter, but then gave up four touchdowns and a field goal as the Bulldogs ballooned the score to 45-14. They were held to just three points in the second half. 

Ole Miss’ record is 8-2 and good enough to be tied for second place in the SEC West Division at 5-2, right there with LSU. 

But that’s not where Kiffin and the Rebels want to be. They want to be on the other side of the top-10 bouts and coming out victorious, but they have to figure out how. 

“That’s a good question. I mean, we got to recruit at a higher level,” Kiffin said. “And I’m not blaming people, we got to coach better. But, you know, at some point whatever those stats are — we’ve signed one five-star, they’ve signed 24 or something. Those kind of do show up at some point. So we’d have to recruit it at a better level, do a better job on recruiting.” 

The post Quotables: Week 11  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

That rule is that the Rebels refrain from talking about the College Football Playoff throughout the year. It’s something that makes Kiffin unique to his players even though they’re well within striking distance of the Playoff. 

“We don’t ever talk about that because I think that’s out of our control,” Kiffin said. “I think people get up and start lobbying about that and focus on that and you see a lot of people do that and then lose.” 

PODCAST: November crowns champions and who will step up in week 11?

But maybe Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has a rule of his own — he doesn’t respond to text messages during game week. 

That’s what Kiffin said he’s gotten in the days leading up to Saturday’s top-10 bout between No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 2 Georgia. Kiffin said there’s a group text chat among Southeastern Conference coaches, and Smart has yet to give him a ring. 

“Maybe he has a rule during the week of the game he doesn’t respond to you,” Kiffin said. “Obviously it goes without saying like he’s done an unbelievable job and they’re in the midst of a run. I think I read where No. 1 in the country for so many weeks and the next one to catch is the USC run when I happened to be an assistant there so that just tells you how hard it is to do what they’re doing to stay No. 1 that long to be close to a three-peat is really phenomenal at anytime let alone nowadays with scholarship limitations, portal and everything.”  

The Rebels will get a crack at the nation’s two-time defending national champion Saturday night at 7 p.m. on ESPN. It will be the first meeting between the two teams since Ole Miss won 45-14 in 2016. 

Georgia will enter on a 26-game winning streak having not lost a regular season game since 2020. The Bulldogs will have a chance to set a new program record as they ride a 24-game home winning streak, something Kiffin and the Rebels are tasked with stopping. 

“There’s not a lot of answers out there how to beat these guys at home,” Kiffin said. “A lot of people have tried, and so we got to have a really good week of practice. This is a very challenging combination now of having elite phenomenal players and elite phenomenal coaches combined and on the road so there’s a trifecta of what’s the hardest thing to pull off and this would be it.” 

READ: Preview Thursday: Week 11

Kiffin has experience being a part of winning streaks. He was an assistant coach at USC when the Trojans won 34-consecutive games from 2003-05, and he was also offensive coordinator at Alabama when the Crimson Tide went 40-4 from 2014-16 including a 26-game winning streak. 

“I think those two examples there of being fortunate to be at USC when we won 34-straight I think before we couldn’t tackle Vince Young and when I left Alabama I think we were at 26 straight or something,” Kiffin said. “To be a part of that is the only way that happens is a phenomenal head coach that has like Pete Carroll and Nick Saban and now Kirby Smart to be able to hold that together to be able to manage when you’re going to have down games, things aren’t going to go well, it’s football, and to overcome those poor games to me is what being a super elite program and super elite head coach is about.” 

The current Ole Miss team under Kiffin is currently on a five-game winning streak. The only slip up for the Rebels this season is a 24-10 loss to the Crimson Tide in Week 4. 

Ole Miss boasts the No. 3 total offense in the SEC averaging 478.9 yards per game. Quarterback Jaxson Dart is fifth among passers in the conference with 2,467 yards. 

The Rebels have won three of their past five games by one possession. Last week, the Rebels fought off a comeback bid by Texas A&M and thwarted the Aggies 38-35 as running back Quinshon Judkins ran in the go-ahead score in the final two minutes, and Kiffin had a new nickname for his team. 

“I joked with them they’re kind of like the cardiac kids,” Kiffin said. “To have so many like games that go to the wire, got to come back from being behind in fourth quarters. So I don’t know that I really remember this many within a season, especially not a full season yet but it says a lot about them. This is a really cool group of kids to coach. And you guys know, I’m very honest, that for every year it isn’t like that. It just is what it is. And this is a really, really neat group that overcomes things.” 

READ: Big Board: Week 11

Kiffin said he thinks Ole Miss runs “a pretty unique offense” and added the caveat “when it’s working.” It’s a high-powered offense with a good balance between passing and running, as Dart and Judkins both rank in the top-five in passing and rushing yards in the conference, respectively. 

What Kiffin wants to do is limit the “super elite defensive talent” that Georgia has, as the Bulldogs secondary is loaded with All-Americans in safeties Javon Bullard and Malaki Starks. 

And what else Kiffin wants to do is lead the Ole Miss team into doing something not many people expect. 

“I kind of feel like this one’s different whether it’s right or wrong,” Kiffin said. “It’s kind of more like playing with house’s money meaning no one expects us to win. We’re double-digit underdogs and feel like those big games over the years, the places and stuff, those were more like they were the big game or the national game and the teams were considered close. I think that no one’s expecting us to win or probably even play them close so just go in there and see what happens.” 

The post With streaks abound, Kiffin says ‘cardiac kids’ at No. 9 Ole Miss could surprise No. 2 Georgia  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

None bigger than a pair of top-10 matchups taking place around the college football world than No. 3 Michigan-No. 10 Penn State and No. 9 Ole Miss-No. 2 Georgia. 

PODCAST: Week 10 did not disappoint

Those games will be previewed later. There are also eight ranked programs playing on the road this week including No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Alabama. 

Here are several games to watch this week. 

Miami at No. 4 Florida State 

A battle for the state of Florida will take place on Saturday. 

The No. 4 Seminoles will put their 15-game winning streak on the line against Miami, which is looking to get back in the win column after a loss at NC State. 

The rivalry game between the Seminoles and Hurricanes is set for 3:30 p.m. on ABC, and quarterbacks Jordan Travis of Florida State and Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke will square off. Both teams are top-five in the Atlantic Coast Conference in total offense putting up more than 437 yards per game. 

READ: Top-four unchanged, Ole Miss rises to No. 9 in second CFP rankings

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell said his team looks forward to playing Miami every season, and it’s a game that is talked about with the likes of any game on the biggest stage. 

“There’s only two games that I talk about before the season and I talked about them before our offseason because every day matters when it comes to that,” Norvell said. “If that’s not important to you then you’re not going to play in this game because you will get exposed. This game takes everything that you have. I’m grateful that I get the chance to coach in this game, I mean, it’s special and you respect the past, you respect every game that has been played before, you respect the people that have played in this game and I mean because these guys have to give it all and because if not, you can take all records, all things that have happened before, it won’t matter. But you prepare for this one every single day.” 

No. 3 Michigan at No. 10 Penn State 

There is a chance for a three-way tie in the Big Ten East Division. 

If Penn State can upend Michigan at home on Saturday and if the Buckeyes were to lose to Michigan on Nov. 25, then all three of Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State would be in a tie atop the division. 

First, though, the Wolverines must take on the Nittany Lions. 

This will be a matchup between the top two total defenses in the country. Michigan leads by allowing 231.4 yards per game while the Nittany Lions are close behind at 234.2. 

Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy will look to vault himself higher into the Heisman Trophy conversation, while Penn State’s Drew Allar will get an extended look against the Wolverines defense. 

Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh said Allar, who is fourth in the Big Ten with 1,895 passing yards, will present a challenge to Michigan. 

“He’s been good. You can see all the improvement,” Harbaugh said. “Just prototypical guy, tall, smart, got great stature in the pocket, very athletic, strong. He’s hard to get down on the ground. Courage, stands in there and throws it now. He’s an excellent quarterback.” 

No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 2 Georgia 

The second top-10 showdown of the week is set to be a good one in SEC country. 

The No. 2 Bulldogs will welcome their third ranked opponent of the season in No. 9 Ole Miss, which is riding a five-game winning streak. 

While the top-10 matchup in the Big Ten will be a battle among defenses, this SEC matchup will be one for the offenses. 

READ: Big Board: Week 11

Georgia has the No. 2 offense in the SEC with an average of 493 yards per game, while the Rebels are right behind at 478.89 yards. 

The quarterback battle will be between Georgia’s Carson Beck, who is in his first season as starter, and Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart, who is in his second year with the program after transferring from USC. 

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has scouted what Dart has done this season, as the Kaysville, Utah, native is third in the SEC with a 168.87 quarterback rating. Smart said Dart encapsulates what Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss look for in quarterbacks. 

“I think Lane’s quarterbacks take home a personality from him, and they have a lot of moxie,” Smart said. “They have a lot of talent. They play really hard. They play with reckless abandon for their body, and he runs like a running back. He’s taking some hits this year and shown his toughness so he’s not going to shy away from contact and toughness, and he’s the extra element of run that gives them a competitive advantage over a lot of teams you play because they have great backs, but he runs the ball like a back and he throws the ball really well too, which that’s what makes them really hard to defend when you got a guy that can make all the throws but can also take off and run, and he’s proven the ability to do that.” 

The post Preview Thursday: Week 11  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Last week, 26 teams remained undefeated, and after another host of ballgames last weekend, five suffered their first losses of the season.

PODCAST: 5 Questions Florida Needs to Answer After Loss to Kentucky

There are 14 teams that are 5-0 and can clinch bowl eligibility with their next win. Air Force, Liberty and Marshall are all programs unbeaten but unranked. 

Among the next battles of the unbeatens will take place in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday when the No. 4 Buckeyes take on a 5-0 Maryland team hot off a 44-17 win over Indiana. 

Here are some noteworthy quotes as focus turns from Week 5 to Week 6. 

Tom Allen, Indiana 

Allen and Indiana are reeling. 

The Hoosiers have lost two of their past three games, and they’re in the bottom-three of the Big Ten Conference in scoring and total offense. 

Allen announced Sunday that quality control coach Rod Carey will take over offensive coordinator duties after Walt Bell. That was one of a number of steps Allen and Indiana will seemingly take during their bye week this week. 

“We obviously will use this bye week to make a lot of valuations on things and find ways to get better without question,” Allen said. “So every position has got to be evaluated. We got to be productive. We got to look at the guys that are making plays and those that are not in every single position, and we got to do a great job getting our guys refreshed and ready from these last few weeks and get ready for a final push. So obviously not devaluate everything and find a way to score points but we also got to play better defense. That was started with the game defensively was very poor and very frustrating, so, giving up too many explosive plays.” 

PODCAST: What we learned coming out of week five

During the Maryland game last weekend, Allen lifted starting quarterback Tayven Jackson for Brendan Sorsby and Broc Lowry. Jackson had gone 17-for-29 for 113 yards and an interception while Sorsby and Lowry combined to go 8-for-12 for 92 yards and two touchdowns. 

Indiana went 5-of-17 on third down against the Terrapins and 3-for-6 on fourth down. The Hoosiers even ran a fake punt attempt that went unsuccessful early in the third quarter, and all Allen and Indiana are seeking is a spark. 

“I think the fourth downs where they occur, you’re just trying to find a way to stay on the field,” Allen said. “The fake punt, obviously, we knew we needed to score touchdowns. We’re not going to beat them kicking field goals. We only scored three points up to that time so it felt like the call was there. Obviously didn’t. It came up short so not a good decision, but at the same time we need to find a way to get some momentum going for our football team. So just trying to be aggressive with that, and obviously it’s a very aggressive call in that situation. It didn’t work out. But yeah, I mean, that game when we were down the way we were, we need to get something going right away to give us a chance to win the game. So that was the objective there and try and be aggressive.” 

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss 

No. 16 Ole Miss picked up a quality win in a shootout with No. 22 LSU. 

The Rebels outlasted the Tigers while Jaxson Dart was responsible for two touchdowns in the final five minutes. Ole Miss claimed the 55-49 win, though head coach Lane Kiffin wasn’t particularly impressed and wants to see continued improvement. 

“I think talking about like everything happens for a reason,” Kiffin said. “I think that we didn’t play well in a lot of areas — special teams, penalties, defensive disaster — allows us to really make sure that, ‘Hey, we got a lot of work to do.’ And offensive penalties in the game and some missed reads and some runs that would have even been bigger. So the good part is that we didn’t play great as a team so sometimes you play a great game, and then it’s kind of hard to get their attention. So I think we got a lot of attention this morning on the tape.” 

Deion Sanders, Colorado 

Colorado is on a bit of a slide. 

But head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes don’t appear too shaken. They understand the game of football and the goal to win, and Sanders wants to reenforce the belief that powered Colorado to a 3-0 start. 

READ: Stat Pack: Week 5

Sanders also wanted to reemphasize belief in quarterback and son Shedeur Sanders. Shedeur Sanders is second in the NCAA in passing yards per game, averaging 356.2. 

“It’s tremendous belief-wise, but we got to believe no matter what,” Sanders said. “It can’t be just because it’s a quarter or the second half. We do believe in (Shedeur Sanders), like, we do. I don’t give a darn what down it is or what quarter it is, what time of day it is. We do truly believe in what he’s capable of doing with this offense. We just got to make sure we keep him in the right situations and protect him because, shoot, he’s a baller. He’s a now player. He’s a today player that young men want to play with. Receivers are calling from all around the country wanting to play with him as well. So they’re encouraging him not to look down the street too far.” 

Sanders also offered strong encouragement for the direction of the Colorado program. 

“We all are encouraging him because we understand what’s coming,” Sanders said. “If you can’t see what’s coming with CU football you’ve lost your mind. You’re just a flat-out hater if you can’t see what’s going on and what’s going to transpire over the next several months. Something’s wrong with you.” 

The post Quotables: Week 5 appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Each member of the Associated Press Top 25 Poll top-four didn’t exactly run away with their outings, as No. 1 Georgia battled a 14-3 halftime deficit, No. 2 Michigan held a 7-6 second-quarter lead over Bowling Green, No. 3 Texas was tied at 10 with Wyoming in the fourth quarter and No. 4 Florida State allowed 19 unanswered points to end its 31-29 win over Boston College. 

PODCAST: College Football Needs Coaches Like Lane Kiffin and Deion Sanders

The tight competition led to the Longhorns and Seminoles flip-flopping in the rankings, and No. 10 Oregon entered the top-10 by steamrolling ahead past Hawaii 55-10. 

Here are some noteworthy quotes as focus turns from Week 3 to Week 4.    

Tim Albin, Ohio 

The Bobcats hosted Iowa State and came out with their first Power 5 win since 2017. 

Albin and Ohio saw a scoreless first half turn into a defensive showdown between the two teams. Ohio was edged in total yards 271 to 247. 

Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke found receiver Sam Wiglusz on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 11:18 left in the third quarter, and kicker Gianni Spetic booted a 27-yard field goal to claim a 10-0 lead. 

It was enough for the win as Iowa State’s comeback bid fell short. Ohio intercepted the Cyclones after their missed game-tying field goal, staking a big claim in the win. 

“I could not be more jubilant for our fans, this university and Athens,” Albin said. “It was electric out there, unbelievable showing, noon kickoff against a really a great opponent. Both teams, I thought, defensively going in it was going to be like that. I really did. Nobody was panicked at halftime with the score and just the defensive effort kept us in it at halftime, a few adjustments. We were able to get enough things done offense to to get some points on the board, and I could not be happier with the team and how they won.” 

Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame 

This week’s big top-10 showdown will take place in South Bend, Indiana. 

No. 6 Ohio State will complete its home-and-home series with No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday night when the two teams meet for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

READ: SMU raises $100 million in 1 week to support transition to ACC

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has the chance to get back at his alma mater one year after the Buckeyes spoiled his head coaching debut, and Freeman had kind words for Ohio State’s program. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing Ryan Day again,” Freeman said. “He’s done an unbelievable job leading that program. I’ve told him every time I talk to him that he’s just done a tremendous job of really leading that program. So we know it’s going to be a really good opponent with a great coaching staff, and we’re looking forward to that.”

READ: Reports: Hunter to miss Colorado’s next three games due to injury

Freeman said “a lot of different factors” go into the differences between last year’s matchup and this season’s, but experience is the biggest key of them all. 

“You have a year under your belt. It’s not the first game of the year,” Freeman said. “You’ve been able to develop an identity as a program with these first four games and so it’s a lot different than what it was last year being the first game of that season for me and the first game of the year.” 

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss 

Lane Kiffin appears to be readying for someone else. 

Someone else as in Alabama and its defensive coordinator, who are next for No. 15 Ole Miss on Saturday. Kevin Steele is Alabama’s defensive coordinator, and he’s in his first season in the role. 

The Rebels climbed to No. 15 in the latest AP Poll after defeating Georgia Tech 48-23 behind Jaxson Dart’s 251 passing yards and the team’s 299 rushing yards also led by 136 from Dart. 

According to Ben Garrett of On3 Sports, Kiffin and the Rebels seem to be preparing to play an Alabama defense led by Crimson Tide cornerbacks coach Travaris Robinson rather than Steele. 

“We’ve been against Kevin a number of times,” Kiffin said. “Worked with him at Alabama and against him at Auburn and LSU. There seems like there’s been a change there. I don’t know what happened after the Texas game, but our guys watching the TV copy and schematically in this last game, certainly seems like T-Rob’s now calling the defense. We played him before at South Carolina, so we’re preparing accordingly for him calling the defense. He’s done a good job, too, and they’ve got really good players.” 

Harrison Mevis, Missouri 

Mevis broke the Southeastern Conference record with a 61-yard field goal as time expired on Saturday. 

Missouri needed a big fourth quarter in order to upset then-No. 15 Kansas State. It trailed 24-17 with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, and it came down to special teams for the win.

READ: Missouri uses walk-off field goal to beat No. 15 Kansas State

Mevis’ 12-point day completed with two additional field goals, an average of 64.3 yards across six kickoffs and three converted extra points. But his final field goal sealed the win and the upset. 

“I kind of forgot everything, but I was locked in,” Mevis said. “I knew what I had to do. I knew that, give the defense credit, they went, made them go three and out two times. (It) gave me a chance for the kick. So, really, it’s just doing the little things right. It comes down to the little things, it comes down to snap-hold operation, it comes down to me hitting a clean ball, it comes down to me getting through the ball, and you know, all those things clicked, and we made the kick.”

The post Quotables: Week 3 appeared first on Saturday Glory.

That’s the subject of today’s The Daily Huddle.

We broke our coaches down into three groups:
-Coaches who have fallen on hard times
-Coaches who can change the narrative
-Coaches who can prove their worth

Find out who got put in what category by watching today’s show here:

The post These 8 Coaches Can Change How They’re Viewed This Weekend appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Also, Garrett examines just exactly what a Group of 5 school has to do to get ranked.

The post College Football Needs Coaches Like Lane Kiffin and Deion Sanders appeared first on Saturday Glory.

A pair of Associated Press Top 25 programs fell in Week 1 action when then-No. 5 LSU dropped a 45-24 contest to then-No. 8 Florida State and when then-No. 9 Clemson lost on the road to unranked Duke. 

Shedeur Sanders and Colorado entered the poll this week at No. 22. Sanders and his father Deion Sanders, who is in his first year as head coach of the Buffaloes, prevailed over then-No. 17 TCU on the road last Saturday, and the quarterback threw for a program record 510 yards. 

More competition is on the docket this week in the form of early season rivalries. The Sanders’ and Colorado will take on Nebraska, while No. 3 Alabama and No. 11 Texas will meet one more time before the two share conference battles in the Southeastern Conference beginning next season. 

Here are several games to watch this week. 

No. 10 Notre Dame at NC State 

The Fighting Irish are off to a 2-0 start to the season, starting on the right note after beginning 0-2 a year ago. 

Head coach Marcus Freeman has the offense churning under Sam Hartman at quarterback. Hartman tossed two more touchdown passes last week against Tennessee State and matched his 82% completion. 

Notre Dame will face stiff conference competition with the Wolfpack this week, and the Fighting Irish will do so on the road. NC State won 24-14 over UConn in its season-opener Aug. 31, featuring quarterback Brennan Armstrong throwing for 155 yards and leading the Wolfpack with 96 rushing yards. 

“This will be our first true road test. We know as we get ready to go down to Raleigh, North Carolina, and play NC State and we expect to be a very hostile environment,” Freeman said. “I’ve only been there one time, and that was as a player in 2004. And I remember as a player, it was a hostile environment and a great environment for college football so we’re looking forward to that, and I think they’ve won the last 16 out of 17 games at home and so we know the challenge it will be to go down there and try to get a victory at NC State.” 

No. 20 Ole Miss at No. 24 Tulane 

It takes a lot for a quarterback to have a perfect outing, and Tulane’s Michael Pratt was nearly that in the season-opener last week. 

Pratt completed 14 of his 15 passes, and four of his throws went for touchdowns. It was a performance that caught the eye of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, who said this week his Ole Miss team must be ready for a hot Tulane program. 

“I’m not worried about evaluating them. I’m worried about trying to go beat a top-25 team so this is not an evaluation game,” Kiffin said. “Going on the road for the first time with our team into one of the hottest teams in the country and probably the hottest quarterback in the country off of almost being perfect last week, so I would actually like another evaluation game but that’s not what this is certainly.” 

The run that Tulane has been on is impressive. The Green Wave have won 10 of their last 11 contests, which includes a Cotton Bowl victory last season over Caleb Williams and USC. 

Ole Miss had itself a noteworthy first game of the season as well. The Rebels defeated Mercer 73-7 and quarterback Jaxson Dart went 18-of-23 for 334 passing yards along with four touchdowns to boot. 

Tulane head coach Willie Fritz recalled the 2021 meeting between the two programs, which saw Ole Miss beat the Green Wave 61-21 during a season that saw them go 2-10. 

Now, a year removed from a 12-2 season, Tulane appears ready to try and change its luck this time around. 

“I thought we had a tough time with just getting lined up the tempo and some things like that (in 2021),” Fritz said. “There’s a lot of differences. New playcaller on offense, it’s coaching, their head coaches’ scheme. I think they got a different playcaller defensively, a new coordinator, a new coordinator in special teams so a lot of different philosophies they’re doing right now. When you’re playing these games early in the season, and you got new people on the other side are calling things you got to look at where they were at last year and the year before that and then also game one.” 

No. 11 Texas at No. 3 Alabama 

The 2023 Allstate Crossbar Classic takes place in Tuscaloosa this year, and this season’s matchup between Texas and Alabama should play similar to their matchup in 2022. 

The Longhorns had Alabama on the ropes in the fourth quarter. They led 19-17 until soon-to-be No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and the Crimson Tide advanced the football to the Longhorns’ 14-yard line, kicking in the go-ahead score with 10 seconds left on the clock. 

“We knew the type of team that they have at Alabama. I know the players that they’ve recruited, I know the coaching that they have,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “For us to be able to go toe-to-toe with them a year ago, I think in the end I’m not big on moral victories but I do think for some of the guys on our team, it was like, ‘OK, continue to believe in what we’re doing. It’s going to work and we’re getting there and we’re getting closer.’” 

Quinn Ewers, who exited last year’s game against Alabama due to injury, and Texas played well in the season-opener against Rice. Ewers had 260 passing yards and three touchdowns while Jaydon Blue and Jonathon Brooks ran the Longhorns to 158 rushing yards. 

Texas forced Rice to go 4-for-13 on third down, and the Longhorns averaged 44.5 yards per punt on their two kicks away. Four times did Texas score in the red zone, and Bert Auburn went 3-for-4 in field goal tries. 

Alabama will trot out first-year starting quarterback Jalen Milroe against Texas. Milroe was all over the football field versus Middle Tennessee, accounting for five touchdowns — three through the air and two on the ground. 

Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said Texas is “physical” and play “really good up front,” something to keep a note of when the two teams battle in the trenches. They’ll also play in the regular season for just the second time since 1922. 

“They played extremely well in the first game, and they were excellent on special teams so this is a really good team all the way around,” Saban said. “This is going to be a good barometer for us to find out where are we as a team. And so we’re going to focus on doing a great job of trying to get our guys to prepare to play a great game and do a good job in terms of execution.” 

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