SEC Week 9 Round Up: Brian Kelly Fired, Alabama and Texas Survive, Oklahoma on the Brink, Tennessee Rolls

Week 9 of the College Football season did not disappoint in drama around the SEC. As the plot thickens in the hunt for the College Football Playoff, the best conference in college football remains must-watch television. Below are some takeaways from the weekend.

Nine Weeks in, Nine Ranked SEC teams 

After yesterday’s release of the latest AP Top 25 poll, nine SEC teams are in the Top 25. Still, more than any other conference. Notably, five of those teams are within the Top 10. Here’s the list of ranked SEC teams: 

Texas A&M (8-0), No. 3 

Alabama (7-1), No. 4

Georgia (6-1), No. 5

Ole Miss (7-1), No. 7

Vanderbilt (7-1), No. 9

Tennessee (6-2), No. 14

Oklahoma (6-2), No. 18

Missouri (6-2), No. 19

Texas (6-2), No. 20 

A&M Buzzsaws LSU, Brian Kelly fired 

Saturday night marked the end of the Brian Kelly era in Baton Rouge as Texas A&M beat the brakes off LSU 49-25. Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed sliced up the Tigers’ defense for 4 total touchdowns. Reed completed 12/21 for 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions and had 108 rushing yards on 13 carries for 2 touchdowns. The Aggies had 426 total yards of offense and were 7/10 on third-down attempts. When Reed can create in the running game, Texas A&M is one of the most dangerous teams in college football. 

Special teams were also a difference maker for A&M. The Aggies got a safety on a blocked punt in the second quarter, and KC Concepcion had a 79-yard punt return touchdown in the third quarter. Concepcion’s touchdown resulted in a mass exodus of LSU fans. 

Despite an early touchdown to dynamic tight end Trey’Dez Green to put the Tigers up 7-0, LSU struggled mightily at home. The Tigers went 2/12 on third down. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier completed 22/35 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown. LSU generated just 60 yards of offense on the ground. The Aggies’ defense generated 7 sacks and dominated LSU’s offensive line all game. 

On Sunday evening, LSU announced that it had fired head coach Brian Kelly. Kelly’s tenure at LSU was a failure. He could not get LSU to the College Football Playoff despite a roster loaded with talent. Kelly will receive 54 million dollars not to coach. 

Ole Miss wins, puts the Sooners’ College Football Playoff hopes on the brink

On Saturday, Ole Miss got another crucial win to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive and defeated Oklahoma 34-26. After blowing a second-half lead last week against Georgia, this week’s win showed some maturity and poise for a Rebel team looking to reach that next threshold. After trailing 26-25 at the end of three quarters, Ole Miss scored 9 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to seal the win. 

Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss continues to impress. On Saturday, Chambliss completed 24/44 passes for 315 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions. On the ground, Chambliss had 12 carries for 66 yards. Running back Kewan Lacy had a gritty lunchpail day carrying the ball and finished with 27 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Rebels receiver Winston Watkins had some explosive plays in the air for Ole Miss and had 111 yards on 4 receptions. 

The Rebels’ defense also came up big with 3 sacks and held Oklahoma to 4/14 on third down and 1/3 on fourth down. In the fourth quarter, Ole Miss forced a crucial fumble from Sooners receiver Isaiah Sategna and stunted any momentum that Oklahoma had remaining. Lane Kiffin has never been known as a great defensive coach, and an Ole Miss team shutting out an opponent in the fourth quarter is a welcome sign for Ole Miss fans. 

Saturday’s loss was a gigantic disappointment for Oklahoma, which now needs to win out to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive. Quarterback John Mateer completed 17/31 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown, but generated just 17 rushing yards. Since returning from hand surgery, Mateer has failed to return to his early-season form. And to make things worse, his production on the ground has plummeted in conference play. Sooners running back Xavier Robinson was a bright spot for Oklahoma and finished with 109 yards on 9 carries and 2 touchdowns. While receiver Isaiah Sategna had another productive day catching the ball for Oklahoma with 6 catches for 131 yards and a touchdown, his costly fumble in the fourth quarter killed Oklahoma’s chance of a comeback. 

Ole Miss takes on South Carolina at home this Saturday, and the Sooners face a must-win at Tennessee on Saturday night. 

Alabama survives scare against South Carolina 

The Crimson Tide escaped Columbia with an ugly 29-22 on Saturday and narrowly escaped what would have been a devastating upset. In the fourth quarter, South Carolina had a 22-14 lead after a 10-yard rushing touchdown by LaNorris Sellers. Alabama then rattled off 15 unanswered points with a Germie Bernard passing touchdown, a successful two-point conversion to tight end Josh Cuevas, and then a 25-yard Bernard rushing touchdown to secure the win. To end the game, Sellers was sacked at the South Carolina 12. 

Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson had some accuracy issues, but took care of the football and did enough to win. Simpson finished the game 24/43 passing with 253 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Offensively, Germie Bernard stole the show for Alabama with 5 catches for 54 yards and a touchdown and 3 carries for 23 yards and a touchdown. Alabama’s defense picked off LaNorris Sellers once, sacked him twice, and limited the Gamecocks to 6/17 on third-down attempts. 

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers completed 18/32 passes for 222 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Sellers had one of his better rushing days with 67 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Despite Sellers’ ability to run the ball at times, running backs Matt Fuller and Rahsul Faison struggled, with 19 and 17 total yards, respectively. And while the Gamecocks got a touchdown from receiver Nyck Harbor, Harbor was limited to just 1 catch for 54 yards. 

Alabama faces LSU at home on Saturday, and South Carolina travels to Oxford to play Ole Miss on Saturday night. 

Texas beats Mississippi State in a shootout, Manning’s status up in the air

Mississippi State had a 31-14 lead entering the fourth quarter and had Texas on the ropes. The Bulldogs only scored 7 points the remainder of the game, and the Longhorns caught fire with 24 fourth-quarter points. In overtime, backup quarterback Matthew Caldwell threw a touchdown to Emmett Mosley to cap off a 45-38 win. While Texas did escape with the win, it may have come at a cost. All eyes now for Longhorns fans turn to quarterback Arch Manning, who suffered a concussion after getting nailed on a 13-yard run in overtime. Manning’s status for Saturday remains up in the air. 

Before his concussion, Manning had his best performance of the season. He completed 29/48 passes for 346 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Ryan Wingo had 5 catches for 184 yards, and Emmett Mosley had 4 catches for 53 yards and 2 touchdowns. Parker Livingstone also had an efficient day with 4 catches for 22 yards and 2 touchdowns. Texas’ pass game was crucial, as the team had only 72 rushing yards. Special teams also proved huge for the Longhorns as Ryan Niblett returned a punt for a 79-yard touchdown with 1:47 remaining in the game. 

Defensively, Texas held Mississippi State to 6/19 on third down and 1/4 on fourth down conversions. The Longhorns finished the day with 7 sacks. To end the overtime period, the Longhorns shut out the Bulldogs, who failed to gain a single positive yard. 

Saturday’s loss has to hurt Mississippi State fans. Quarterback Blake Shapen completed 26/42 passes for 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Running back Davon Booth finished with 99 yards on 24 carries for the Bulldogs. The receiving corps of State had a big day with Davon Booth catching 3 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown, Brenene Thompson finishing with 6 catches for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Seydou Traore finishing with 6 catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. Ultimately, the Bulldogs’ defense could not close. 

Texas takes on Vanderbilt at home this weekend, and Mississippi takes on Arkansas on the road on Saturday. 

Tennessee rolls Kentucky 

Saturday was another reminder that basketball season can’t come soon enough for Kentucky after a 56-34 track meet loss to Tennessee. Despite Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley completing 26-35 passes for 330 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 1 interception, Kentucky could not keep things close against a high-flying Volunteers offense. Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar had his best showing yet in conference play and threw for 396 yards on 20/26 passing for 3 touchdowns. Receiver Chris Brazzell had 138 yards on 4 catches and one touchdown to lead Tennessee. SEC play has been a bit of a roller coaster for Aguilar, who has thrown 8 touchdowns to go along with 5 interceptions. While Saturday gave him a nice stat boost, Kentucky is not a good football team. One item of concern for Tennessee is the 34 points to a two-win team. Although Tennessee’s defense has proved opportunistic, 2025 has shown that opponents can score on the Vols. With losses already to Georgia and Alabama, the Volunteers will need to win out to make the College Football Playoff. 

Tennessee takes on Oklahoma at home Saturday night. Kentucky takes on Auburn on Saturday as November, and basketball season begins. 

Auburn beats Arkansas, Hugh Freeze safe…for now

Hugh Freeze is safe for now after Auburn, after the Tigers beat Arkansas 33-24 on Saturday. The Tigers rattled off 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter thanks to a pick-six from defensive back Rayshawn Pleasant, followed by a two-point conversion and three field goals. It was a field goal fest for Auburn as kicker Alex McPherson converted all six of his field goal attempts. Auburn’s lone offensive touchdown came from receiver Cam Coleman in the first quarter as quarterback Jackson Arnold was limited to just 73 passing yards. 

For Arkansas, Taylen Green completed 12/22 passes for 268 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. On the ground, Green was held to just 14 total yards. Despite the coaching change, Bobby Petrino does not appear to be the answer in Fayetteville. 

Auburn faces Kentucky on Saturday, while Arkansas takes on Mississippi State at home. 

Stay tuned for next week’s edition of SEC Round Up following Week 10!