Alex Condon dunks in two of his 25 points against Bama (Photo courtesy of UAA Communications) The play that defined Florida’s 100-77 blowout win over 23 rd -ranked Alabama (14-7, 4-4 SEC) came in the final 23 seconds of the first half. It was still a competitive game at the time – 19 th -ranked Florida (16-6, 7-2 SEC) held a 44-36 lead – when Labaron Philon Jr., the SEC’s leading scorer, got the ball on the left wing beyond the 3-point line. Due to a defensive switch, Philon sized up Rueben Chinyelu, figuring either to blow by on the dribble or a stepback three.   What Philon didn’t count on was Chinyelu was every bit as quick. When he tried to drive, Chinyelu cut him off and played him so tightly that he couldn’t launch a shot. Frustrated, he passed off to Latrell Wrightsell, another lithe, very quick guard. Chinyelu switched to Wrightsell, guarding him tightly as he dribbled across the paint. Sensing the shot clock about to expire, Wrightsell tried to cross over and draw a foul. He rolled snake eyes.   First off, Chinyelu went straight up, no contact. Second, Wrightsell shuffled his feet. Traveling violation with 6.9 seconds remaining in the half. The O-Dome crowd of 10,627 nearly blew the roof off the building.   “That was crazy,” Tommy Haugh said. “ That was the best play of the game in my opinion. He was out there locking him up."   Perhaps it was the adrenaline rush of Chinyelu’s stop that turned this game into a feeding frenzy. The Gators went into the halftime locker ahead 46-36. Four-and-a-half minutes into the second half, it was 58-36.   During that stretch, all 12 of the Gators points came on free throws, dunks or layups. Defensively, the Gators blocked three of the four shots Alabama managed to squeeze off. The Gators forced four turnovers that were converted into six points. There was still 15:30 left to play, yet this game was all but over. The closest Alabama could get to the Gators was 16 with 3:24 to go when the score was 87-71.   This is the BDA (battle damage assessment) for the game:   Alabama was helpless against Florida’s starting front line of Alex Condon, Haugh and Chinyelu, who combined for 61 points, 29 rebounds, 10 assists, five blocked shots and four steals. Condon had 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two blocked shots and two steals. Haugh had 21 points, five rebounds, one assist, one blocked shot and a steal. Chinyelu had 14 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots and a steal.   The bigs weren’t the only ones who imposed their will on Alabama. Boogie Fland scored 15 points with eight assists and eight steals. He turned the ball over only once. Xaivian Lee played without turning the ball over, scored six to go with three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Coming off the bench Urban Klavzar scored 11 to go with four rebounds and four assists.   This was complete domination against a quality team, yet Fland insists the Gators still have more in the tank.   “We still haven't played our best basketball,” Fland said. “That is the crazy part. We're scoring 100 and not playing our best basketball yet. So that is crazy. We still have more to grow, more room for improvement."   As pleased as he was with Florida’s effort, particularly on the defensive end and taking care of the basketball, Todd Golden agreed the Gators haven’t hit their peak yet.   “Until we start shooting the ball better in a game like this, I think that's accurate because I think we got some good looks and we shot 23 percent from the three,” Golden said. “Like, if we would have gone, 6-for-13 in this game, yeah, maybe that's probably what we got. But I think we're going to look back on this tape and feel like we missed some opportunities to score in transition and we didn't make some open threes. So I agree with that statement.”   This was the second straight game in which the Gators have not only ratcheted up the defensive intensity, but made themselves so difficult to defend by sharing the basketball. Against South Carolina, the Gators held the Gamecocks to 48 points on the defensive end while racking up 28 assists. Against Alabama, the Gators held Alabama to 15 points below their season average and they had an assist on 24 of 40 made shots. Among Florida’s 24 made shots were 11 dunks.   Oats sounded like a shell-shocked coach in his post game remarks.   “ We had a lot of turnovers in our backcourt,” Oats said. “So, it’s hard to win a game when you’re -16 in the turnovers, -6 on the O-boards. Talk about trying to win a possession game; they destroyed us in a possession game. I mean, they scored 100 points and only made three threes. You don’t take many threes when you’re getting dunks and layups off turnovers. So, 25-0 on points off turnovers; not sure I’ve ever been associated with a game like that.”   The strength of Alabama is the backcourt. Oats’ philosophy is 3-pointers and layups. When Philon, Aden Holloway and Wrightsell are neutralized the Bama offense slows way down. Up front, the Crimson Tide has no counter for Florida’s size and versatility on the inside.   Philon, Aden Holloway and Wrightsell combined to score 44 points, but they also turned the ball over 10 times. Up front Aden Sherrell and Charles Bediako were embarrassingly ineffective. Before fouling out, Bediako had six points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Sherrell scored 13 but he only had five rebounds.   “ Everybody’s afraid of Florida’s frontcourt, and rightfully so,” Oats said. “I mean, they’re tough, they’re good, they’re skilled. Chinyelu is one of my favorite players in the league, and he ends up with 14 and 17, which is a ridiculous number, 17 rebounds. But the guards really kind of controlled this game here. ”   The Gators have reached the midway point of the Southeastern Conference schedule. A week ago after the disappointing loss to Auburn, fans and pundits alike were questioning if the Gators had it in them to play up to their potential. The way they have ratcheted up the intensity on both ends of the court in the last two games, certainly has turned heads.   Although he doesn’t think the Gators have hit their ceiling yet, Golden thinks the Alabama game was the closest the Gators have come to a truly complete game all season.   “ I think we played really well against Tennessee here also, but today was more of what it looks like for us,” Golden said. “We shot the ball well, if I remember correctly, in that game. Today, we only made three threes. Only took 13 of them. It was an Arizona-like box score. When I say that, Arizona doesn't shoot a lot of threes, but they score a lot of points. Again, focusing on taking care of the basketball, winning the rebounding battle and defending. We had eight kills in this game, which is three stops in a row against Alabama. That's really, really hard to do. That was huge accomplishment for us. And 13 for 28 from two, held them under 50 percent from the two-point range, which, again, is fantastic.”   Game notes: On his final day as the world’s tallest teenager, Olivier Rioux scored points 99 and 100 for the Gators when he rebounded his own miss and stuck it back in. As of today, Rioux is a 20-year-old … Fland’s eight steals tied the program record held by Clifford Lett … Golden has won 22 games against top 25 opponents, second only to Billy Donovan (64). Of course, Donovan was Florida’s coach for 19 years and Golden is in year four.   SEC This Week Tuesday Ole Miss (11-10, 3-6 SEC) at Tennessee (15-6, 6-3 SEC) South Carolina (11-11, 3-6 SEC) at Texas (13-9, 4-5 SEC)   Wednesday Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SEC) at No. 23 Alabama (14-7, 4-4 SEC) Oklahoma (11-11, 1-8 SEC) at Kentucky (15-7, 6-3 SEC)   Saturday No. 19 FLORIDA (16-6, 7-2 SEC) at Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SEC) No. 15 Arkansas (16-6, 6-3 SEC) at Mississippi State (11-11, 3-6 SEC) Oklahoma (11-11, 1-8 SEC) at No. 18 Vanderbilt (19-3, 6-3 SEC) No. 23 Alabama (14-7, 4-4 SEC) at Auburn (14-8, 5-4 SEC) Tennessee (15-6, 5-3 SEC) at Kentucky (15-7, 6-3 SEC) Georgia (16-6, 4-5 SEC) at LSU (14-8, 2-7 SEC) Missouri (15-7, 5-4 SEC) at South Carolina (11-11, 2-7 SEC) Ole Miss (11-10, 2-7 SEC) at Texas (13-9, ,4-5 SEC)   WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC 16. Oklahoma (11-11, 1-8 SEC): The natives are restless. The buyout for Porter Moser is only $5.1 million. 15. South Carolina (11-11, 2-7 SEC): Lamont Paris is headed for a third losing season in four years. He’s on the hot seat. 14. LSU (14-8, 2-7 SEC): Can the Tigers break even the rest of the way? That might get them to the NIT. 13. Mississippi State (11-11, 3-6 SEC): The Bulldogs don’t play again until Saturday against Arkansas. 12. Ole Miss (11-10, 3-6 SEC): The NIT would be an accomplishment for Chris Beard. 11. Missouri (15-7, 5-4 SEC): The Tigers don’t play until Saturday against South Carolina. They need to start stringing some wins together. 10. Texas (13-9, 4-5 SEC): The next four games are very winnable and will go a long way toward determining if Texas makes the NCAA tournament. 9. Georgia (16-6, 4-5 SEC): The Bulldogs have lost three in a row and are starting to look like an NIT team. 8. Auburn (14-8, 5-4 SEC): Tennessee broke Auburn’s 5-game winning streak. The Tigers have all week to get ready for Alabama on Saturday. 7. Alabama (14-7, 4-4 SEC): Bama needs a bounce back win over the Aggies this week. They go to Auburn Saturday. 6. Tennessee (15-6, 6-3 SEC): The Vols have won three in a row and are starting to look like a legitimate contender. 5. Kentucky (15-7, 6-3 SEC): The Wildcats had an interesting week, getting their doors blown off by Vandy then winning on the road at Arkansas. It’s going to be that kind of a season for UK. 4. Arkansas (16-6, 6-3 SEC): The Razorbacks look unbeatable one night and then they lay an egg like they did against Kentucky. 3. Vanderbilt (19-3, 6-3 SEC): The Commodores don’t have a weekday game and don’t have a game until Saturday at home against Oklahoma. They need Duke Miles to get healthy in a hurry. 2. Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SEC): The Aggies won at Georgia. Can they win in Tuscaloosa? 1. FLORIDA (16-6, 7-2 SEC): The Gators are the best team in the SEC. Any questions?

Golden/Sumrall: It was hard to keep your eyes off the sideshow of this dynamic young coaching duo. (UAA Photo)

With apologies to Roberta Flack and her 1973 mega hit "KILLING ME SOFTLY"

Todd Golden talks it over with referee Olandis Poole (Photo by Chris Spears) Although there is no such thing as a perfectly played game, Florida’s effort against South Carolina was so good at both ends of the court that even Todd Golden was surprised.   “Yeah, it was pretty close,” Golden said on Gator Talk with Sean Kelly. “I think we did a really good job from start to finish, you know, defending, rebounding, taking the ball, making shots. And, you know, I thought the first half was reminiscent to our effort on the road at Oklahoma, where we got off to a great start and got up by as many as 24 in the first half, up by 22 at halftime, I believe. But in that game, we did not play with the same mentality in the second half. We allowed them to make threes. They scored over 50 points in the second half, still a very comfortable victory. But we weren't satisfied with the complete picture of that game. Whereas, you know, when we played South Carolina, I thought that was a great 40-minute effort.”   In beating South Carolina, the Gators shot 62.3 percent overall from the field and 42.9 percent (9-21) from the 3-point line. The Gators held South Carolina to 25.9 percent from the field overall and just 15 percent from the 3-point line. The Gators outrebounded South Carolina 45-24. Florida leads the nation in rebounding (46.1 per game), offensive rebounds (16.71) and rebounding margin (+15 per game).   Sunday opponent Alabama (14-6, 4-3 SEC) is certainly a step up in competition compared to South Carolina, but Golden wants the same kind of intensity out of the Gators (15-6, 6-2 SEC) for this 1 p.m. Sunday showdown at the O-Dome. This will be a contrast in styles as Alabama wants to turn the game into a 3-point shooting contest while the Gators prefer to pound away in the paint.   Alabama takes more threes per game (35.6) than anyone in the country and the Tide is second in makes (12.4). Guards Labaron Philo (22 points per game, 37 percent on 3-pointers) and Aden Holloway (16.9 points, 45.4 percent on threes) are extremely difficult to defend but now Nate Oats has added 7-footer Charles Bediako to the mix. Bediako has played two games for Alabama since getting a court order that allows him to go straight from the G-League where he was on a 2-way NBA contract to college basketball. He makes Alabama bigger and tougher to handle.   When Bediako first made the move, Golden told Gator Talk, “The reality is, I don’t agree with it and I don’t think he should be playing. I also don’t fault Nate Oats because this is a very competitive space, and it’s our job to win games and do everything we can to be the best program in our specific league … We are going to beat them anyway. If he plays we’ll beat them anyways.”   Golden didn’t spend much time talking about Bediako with Kelly Thursday night.   “Honestly, we won't talk about it a whole lot,” Golden said. “We won't change a whole lot. We'll include him on personnel. We've got to make sure we do a good job preventing his rim rolls and do a good job keeping him off the glass and then making sure we take care of him when we're on offense, not allowing him to just sit there in the paint and clean up uh the rim so as you said it makes them a better team we're mindful of that and we're going to go compete.”   SEC teams in Joe Lunardi (ESPN bracketology) WEST: 1. Arizona; 2. Michigan State; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Texas Tech (SEC team: 7. Auburn) EAST: 1. Duke; 2. Illinois; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Kansas (Other SEC teams: 5. Arkansas; 8. Kentucky) SOUTH: 1. UConn; 2. Nebraska; 3. Houston; 4. BYU (SEC teams: 5. Alabama; 9. Georgia; 11. Texas (play-in game) MIDWEST: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. Purdue; 4. Vanderbilt (Other SEC teams: Tennessee 6; Texas A&M 8)   SEC teams in CBS Sports bracketology WEST: 1. Arizona; 2. UConn; 3. Michigan State; 4. FLORIDA (Other SEC teams:  5. Arkansas; 7. Auburn; 9. Georgia EAST: 1. Duke; 2. Iowa State; 3. Purdue; 4. Texas Tech (SEC teams: 6. Tennessee; 8. Texas A&M) SOUTH: 1. Nebraska; 2. Illinois; 3. Vanderbilt; 4. BYU (Other SEC teams: 5. Alabama) MIDWEST: 1. Michigan; 2. Houston; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Virginia (SEC teams: 7. Kentucky)   SEC teams in kenpom.com analytical rankings: 8. FLORIDA 15-6; 12. Vanderbilt 18-3; 17. Alabama 14-6; 21. Tennessee 14-6; 22. Arkansas 16-5; 26. Auburn 14-7; 32. Kentucky 14-7; 33. Texas A&M 16-4; 34. Georgia 16-5; 35. Texas 12-9; 51. LSU 13-8; 61. Oklahoma 11-10; 62. Missouri 14-7; 73. Ole Miss 11-9; 82. Mississippi State 11-10; 87. South Carolina 11-10   Saturday’s games Texas A&M (16-4, 6-1 SEC) at Georgia (16-5, 4-4 SEC) Texas (12-9, 3-5 SEC) at Oklahoma (11-10, 1-7 SEC) Mississippi State (11-10, 3-5 SEC) at Missouri (14-7, 4-4 SEC) LSU (13-8, 1-7 SEC) at South Carolina (11-10, 2-6 SEC) Kentucky (14-7, 5-3 SEC) at No. 15 Arkansas (16-5, 6-2 SEC) No. 18 Vanderbilt (18-3, 5-3 SEC) at Ole Miss (11-9, 3-4 SEC) Tennessee (14-6, 4-3 SEC) at Auburn (14-7, 5-3 SEC)   Sunday’s game No. 23 Alabama (14-6, 4-3 SEC) at No. 19 FLORIDA (15-6, 6-2 SEC)   WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC 16. Oklahoma (11-10, 1-7 SEC): There is a new AD at Oklahoma, one that didn’t hire Porter Moser. If Moser doesn’t turn things around and win this year there is a very good chance he will walk the plank.    15. South Carolina (11-10, 2-6 SEC): The coaching seat of Lamont Paris is blowtorch hot right now. Imagine how hot it will be if he loses to LSU Saturday. 14. LSU (13-8, 1-7 SEC): The natives are getting restless for a winning season. If LSU hadn’t paid so much money to fire football coach Brian Kelly and then hire Lane Kiffin, they would probably fire Matt McMahon. In all likelihood he gets another year due to the football economics. 13. Mississippi State (11-10, 3-5 SEC): If Chris Jans can muster up enough wins to make the NIT, the folks in Starkville won’t be too upset. 12. Ole Miss (11-9, 3-4 SEC): Chris Beard isn’t in trouble, but wins are going to be hard to come by. The NIT would be a raging success all things considered. 11. Missouri (14-7, 4-4 SEC): If the Tigers can get to 20 regular season wins, they will have a very good chance to make the NCAA Tournament. 10. Texas (12-9, 3-5 SEC): The next five games are winnable. Sean Miller needs to win them all and then go 2-3 in the last five to make the NCAA Tournament. 9. Kentucky (14-7, 5-3 SEC): The Wildcats are in deepest and darkest. Two point guards done for the year. Jayden Quaintance battling a knee injury that won’t go away. Injuries will keep Mark Pope around one more year, but if things aren’t immensely better next year we’ll be looking for a conclave and puffs of smoke to name a successor. 8. Georgia (16-5, 4-4 SEC): Break even in the last 10 games and the Bulldogs are in the NCAA Tournament. Get to 22 in the regular season and they could be a top six seed. 7. Alabama (14-6, 4-3 SEC): The Tide will find out just how much help Charles Bediako will be Sunday in Gainesville. 6. Tennessee (14-6, 4-3 SEC): It is anybody’s guess which Tennessee team will show up, the one the Gators blew out or the one that toughed out a win in overtime at Georgia? 5. Auburn (14-7, 5-3 SEC): The next four games will make or break the Tigers – at Tennessee, home with Bama and Vandy, on the road to Arkansas. 4. Vanderbilt (18-3, 5-3 SEC): The Commodores handled Kentucky without Duke Miles, but how will they handle the next few games without him? 3. Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SEC): The next five games – four ranked teams among them – will go a long way toward determining the Aggies and the NCAA fare. It starts today at Georgia and Wednesday at Alabama. 2. Arkansas (16-5, 6-2 SEC): The Hogs are almost unbeatable at home. Kentucky comes to Fayette Nam and it should be a feeding frenzy. 1. FLORIDA (15-6, 6-2 SEC): If the win at South Carolina is how the Gators are going to play the rest of the season, there isn’t anyone in the SEC that can touch Florida.

Skye Blakely scores a career high on Beam 9.950 (Photo by Chris Spears)

Alberta & Albert don't have much to cheer for. (UAA)

Micah Handlogten dunks on South Carolina (UAA Photo) There was newfound intensity at practice Monday and again on Tuesday. Perhaps embarrassed by their performance against Auburn last Saturday, the Florida Gators went at it both days like a team with something to prove.   “We practiced really hard on Monday, which we usually don’t do,” Florida coach Todd Golden said Wednesday night after the 19 th -ranked Gators spent two hours making a hell fire and brimstone statement to the rest of the Southeastern Conference. “That’s usually a really light day for us, but none of us were satisfied with how we played and we wanted to get back out there and compete and practiced hard again yesterday.   “We spent a lot of time talking about making sure we were mentally and physically ready to compete tonight and understand that it’s going to be a really tough challenge.  Our guys were clearly ready to play.”   Yes, they were, and in their wake, was carnage. Finally, after 20 games of inconsistency in which something was always missing on the court, Florida (15-6, 6-2 SEC) put a complete game together.   The final score – Florida 95, South Carolina 48 – didn’t do justice to Florida’s beast mode effort that left the Colonial Life Arena crowd of 12,686 wondering what the Gamecocks did to deserve such punishment. For the first time all season we saw what happens when an angry Florida team shows up intent on pillaging and plundering an opponent.   At both ends of the court, the Gators played like the team that was expected when the season began back in November. For the 20 games prior to Wednesday night in Columbia, the Gators played like a team incapable of matching the expectations of a reigning national champion. Wednesday night, they showed that they are capable of meeting and even exceeding the expectations.   Offensively, the Gators were in rare form, which had plenty to do with the way the basketball moved. The ball moved unselfishly and with purpose, open shots given up for someone with something easier. Florida’s 28 assists were the most in an SEC game in 30 years and second only to the 29 the Gators had against North Carolina Central back in 2007. South Carolina defenders couldn’t keep pace with the swift ball movement that led to the Gators shooting 62.3 percent from the field (38-61) overall and 42.3 percent from the 3-point line (9-21).   It was quite the contrast to the effort against Auburn, viewed by Tommy Haugh as a bump in the road and a valuable learning experience.   “It was a speed bump, but every speed bump in the SEC is about learning,” Haugh said. “We lost to Georgia last year and learned from that one and won a national championship. We’re going to keep learning from that Auburn game and keep pushing forward.”   Midway through the first half, this one still had the feel of a close game. Of the Gamecocks’ 11 wins, 10 have come at Colonial Life Arena so when Mike Sharavjamts hit a pair of free throws with 9:50 left to cut Florida’s margin to 18-10, the feeling in the building was the Gamecocks were still in it.   Nothing could have been further from the truth. It was as if a switch was flipped because the Gators outscored South Carolina 30-10 the rest of the half including a 5-minute, 15-0 run that left the Gamecocks gasping for breath.   This was a feeding frenzy. Defensively, four blocked shots were converted into dunks and layups. Offensively, the Gators put the ball in the basket on seven of the eight shots they took. There was an assist on five of the seven makes.   By the time the first half came to a merciful end, the Gators held a 48-20 lead. Matters only got worse in the second half when the Gators came out of the locker with the same relentless effort at both ends of the court. The lead ballooned to 37 (68-31) after a pair of Micah Handlogten dunks.   Everything the Gators did turned out right. Everything the Gamecocks tried to do failed. Defensively, the Gators added a serious degree of difficulty to every shot South Carolina took. The Gators dominated the rebounding – final margin 45-24 – and that led to 32 fast break points. By contrast, South Carolina scored only three on the break.   Florida’s size advantage made for a 54-20 scoring margin in the paint and a 13-0 margin on second chance points.   Tommy Haugh scored 15 of his game-high 18 in the first half. He finished the game with three rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal. Rueben Chinyelu hit all seven of his shots, finishing the night with 14 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and two blocked shots. Alex Condon put the Auburn game behind him, flirting with a triple-double – 10 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to go with a couple of blocked shots. Handlogten had eight points, five rebounds, one assist and two blocked shots.   The backcourt duo of Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee, who struggled against Auburn, played exceptionally well on both ends. Fland had 10 points, four rebounds, six assists and a steal while Lee had six points, four rebounds, nine assists and two steals. Coming off the bench Urban Klavzar hit 3-6 from the 3-point line as he finished the night with 11 points, one rebound, two assists and a blocked shot. Isaiah Brown contributed seven off the bench with one rebound and a steal.   “One of our best defensive and rebounding efforts combined all year,” Golden said. “We just did a really good job valuing the basketball and finding our teammates – 28 assists, 11 turnovers is obviously really good, but really, really proud of our performance. This is a really tough place to play. They played Georgia great in here, played some other really good teams tough in here, and so for us to get this type of victory, it says a lot.”   ELSEWHERE IN THE SEC Tennessee (14-6, 4-3 SEC) 86, Georgia (16-5, 4-4 SEC) 85, OT: Georgia sent the game into overtime on a Smurf Millender layup that tied the score at 74-74 with three seconds to go, but the Vols built a 5-point lead in overtime and held on for the win. Ja’Kobi Gillespie with 21 and Nate Ament with 19 led Tennessee. Kanon Catchings scored 22 to lead Georgia.   Auburn (14-7, 5-3 SEC) 88, Texas (12-9, 3-5 SEC) 82: Keyshawn Hall scored 25 of his 31 points in the second half as Auburn came back from a 14-point deficit in the first half to win its fifth straight SEC game. Kevin Overton hit 5-7 of his threes while scoring 25 for the Tigers. Dailyn Swain led Texas with 30 points.   Mississippi State (11-10, 3-5 SEC) 80, LSU (13-8, 1-7 SEC) 66: Mississippi State jumped out to a 30-10 lead in the first half and cruised past LSU. Josh Hubbard scored 15 points to lead Mississippi State, while Max Mackinnon had 15 for LSU.   Saturday’s games Texas A&M (16-4, 6-1 SEC) at Georgia (16-4, 4-3 SEC) Texas (12-8, 3-4 SEC) at Oklahoma (11-10, 1-7 SEC) Mississippi State (10-10, 2-5 SEC) at Missouri (14-7, 4-4 SEC) LSU (13-7, 1-6 SEC) at South Carolina (11-9, 2-5 SEC) Kentucky (14-7, 5-3 SEC) at No. 15 Arkansas (16-5, 6-2 SEC) No. 18 Vanderbilt (18-3, 5-3 SEC) at Ole Miss (11-9, 3-4 SEC) Tennessee (13-6, 3-3 SEC) at Auburn (13-7, 4-3 SEC)   Sunday’s game No. 23 Alabama (14-6, 4-3 SEC) at No. 19 FLORIDA (14-6, 5-2 SEC)   SEC in kenpom.com analytics rankings: 8. FLORIDA 15-6; 12. Vanderbilt 18-3; 17. Alabama 14-6; 20. Tennessee 14-6; 22. Arkansas 16-5; 26. Auburn 14-7; 32. Kentucky 14-7; 33. Texas A&M 16-4; 34. Georgia 16-5; 35. Texas 12-9; 51. LSU 13-8; 59. Missouri 14-7; 61. Oklahoma 11-10; 73. Ole Miss 11-9; 83. Mississippi State 11-10; 87. South Carolina 11-10   WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC 16. Oklahoma (11-10, 1-7 SEC): Fans can be heard chanting “Fire Porter Moser!” The situation is grim. 15. South Carolina (11-10, 2-6 SEC): Buzzards are circling the athletic facilities. Lamont Paris is on life support. 14. LSU (13-8, 1-7 SEC): Dedan Thomas is back, but the Tigers aren’t playing any better. 13. Mississippi State (11-10, 3-5 SEC): Road kill away from The Hump and if Josh Hubbard isn’t making shots, the Bulldogs get lit up at home, too. 12. Ole Miss (11-9, 3-4 SEC): Too many holes in the Rebels’ roster but the main problem is a lack of size and inside scoring. 11. Missouri (14-7, 4-4 SEC): Tough at home, toast on the road. 10. Texas (12-9, 3-5 SEC): The Longhorns have plenty of firepower. They can’t play a lick of defense. 9. Kentucky (14-7, 5-3 SEC): Denzel Aberdeen is the only point guard and Jayden Quaintance’s bad knees may keep him out for awhile. Translation: Kentucky is in deepest and darkest. 8. Georgia (16-5, 4-4 SEC): The Bulldogs are tough to beat at Stegman, but they can get their doors blown off on the road. 7. Alabama (14-7, 5-3 SEC): The Charles Bediako saga will continue Sunday, but a new judge has been assigned to take over the case. If the NCAA wins this one in court will Bama have to forfeit any games Bediako has played? 6.  Tennessee (14-6, 4-3 SEC): To follow up their road win at Georgia, the Vols go to Auburn Saturday. They desperately need a win if they’re going to stay within shouting distance of the league leaders.   5. Auburn (14-7, 5-3 SEC): The Tigers get Tennessee Saturday, which will be a rather good measuring stick for how far they’ve come. Keyshawn 4. Vanderbilt (18-3, 5-3 SEC): Duke Miles will miss significant time with a knee injury. Does Vandy have the players to compensate? 3. Texas A&M (16-4, 6-1 SEC): The Aggies are at Georgia Saturday and Alabama next Wednesday. The schedule is about to get considerably tougher. It’s sink or swim time for Bucky Ball.   2. Arkansas (16-5, 6-2 SEC): John Calipari gets Kentucky in Fayette Nam Saturday. The place is going to be a zoo. Cal has the Razorbacks playing like a top four seed in the NCAA brackets. 1. FLORIDA (15-6, 6-2 SEC): If the Gators performance against South Carolina is an indicator of things to come, then the rest of the Southeastern Conference is in a heap of trouble. The Gators played like a team capable of winning championships. The trick will be to replicate the effort night after night in the final 10 SEC games before tournament time kicks in.

Jon Sumrall likes the direction in which the Gators are going (Photo by Chris Spears) but admits there are holes that have to be filled on a roster that totals 87 – 67 veterans and 20 newbies (high school/juco signees).   “There's still some major areas of concern that we have on this roster, but we have to develop everybody we’ve got to do their best and try to get this football team ready,” Sumrall said Saturday at an impromptu meeting with the media at halftime of Florida’s basketball game with Auburn.   The Gators need to add a fourth scholarship quarterback, at least two more linebackers and they’re thin at defensive tackle. Prior to the new transfer rules which have compressed the portal window to a couple of weeks in January, a coach could get through spring, re-evaluate his roster and then find fill holes in the second window of opportunity.   No such luck anymore.   “We don't have the luxury of that second window now, so that’s a little bit more daunting because you don’t get a chance,” Sumrall said, pointing out that in his first year as the head coach at Tulane he used the spring portal to add a pair of corners who are now playing in the NFL. “I'm not going to have any opportunity to watch this team practice and go correct in the second portal. We just have to watch and practice it and try to fix it, if it's going to make somebody better or maybe move guys around.   “That's a little bit more unnerving. I wouldn't be upset as a first-year head coach if we had the second portal window. I used it to my benefit the last job I was at. I would be okay if they gave us an emergency second portal window in May to make sure after spring ball that we had.”   Something definitely has to be done. Sumrall isn’t the only coach with issues about how the NCAA has figured out how to once again complicate matters. But, until someone comes up with a solution, Sumrall and every other Division I coach will have to adjust to a calendar that is way out of whack.   Next Wednesday, Sumrall can add high school kids who didn’t sign in December and add jucos. He already has a commitment from one junior college transfer – safety Elijah Owens from Mississippi Gulf Coast – and he could find others from the juco ranks in Mississippi, Texas, Kansas and California. Those guys won’t have the benefit of spring practice, however.   Sumrall has already passed one recruiting test in flying colors by getting commitments from five key players to come back to Florida for one more year. In running back Jayden Baugh, EDGE rusher Jayden Woods, linebacker Myles Graham and receivers Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson, Sumrall has five players with star power around which to build for the future. Graham and Brown are legacy players so getting them to return was probably easier. Wilson only played in four games due to injuries, but he also was convinced to come back another year, but Sumrall says it was “a little trickier.”   The toughest were Baugh and Woods. Baugh gained 1,170 yards in 2025. His ability to run through tacklers and find a second gear once into the clear made him perhaps the most sought after running back in the nation. Woods had 28 tackles, 3.5 sacks and an interception as a true freshman. He went into the portal but changed his mind after Sumrall made the trip to his home in Kansas City.    Sumrall got Baugh to agree to stay after an in-home visit in Atlanta on Christmas Eve, one that the coach says involved his wife, kids, mom and “my mom’s dog.” He went to Kansas City for an in-home with Jayden Woods’ family, which he called “complete rock stars.”   He went 2-for-2 on those visits, but that’s not to say they weren’t without anxious moments. He was the new coach, not the one who recruited Baugh and Woods out of high school. He isn’t the coach who already had the relationship with both players and their families so it made for a brand new experience.   “For me being new, those visits while they were maybe a little bit anxiety-filled because you don't know what's going to happen on the other side,” Sumrall said. “I really felt fortunate to be able to go sit in their houses because a lot of these guys I didn't recruit out of high school, right? And so for me to be able to get in their homes and eat a dinner with them or eat a breakfast with them or do whatever, it kind of felt like recruiting a high school guy all over … I'm grateful those guys stayed and grateful a lot of guys stayed. There's a lot of guys that stayed that I think give us a shot to have an opportunity to have success.” WIDE RECEIVER ADDED The Gators added a wide receiver from the portal, redshirt freshman Ace Ciongoli (5-11, 190), who prepped at St. Sebastian's School in Needham, Massachusetts.   A LOOK AT THE FLORIDA ROSTER AS OF JANUARY 27   VETERANS (67) QUARTERBACK (2): Tramell Jones Jr. (6-0, 203, FR); QB Aaron Philo (6-2, 220, RFR, from Georgia Tech)   RUNNING BACKS (5): Duke Clark (6-1, 211, FR); Byron Louis (6-0, 211, FR); Jadan Baugh (6-1, 231, SO); Evan Pryor (5-9, 195, RSR, from Cincinnati); London Montgomery (5-11, 197, SO, from East Carolina)   WIDE RECEIVERS (8): Vernell Brown III (5-11, 178, FR); Dallas Wilson (6-3, 213, FR); TJ Abrams (5-10, 196, RFR); Bailey Stockton (5-11, 185, SO, from Georgia Tech); Micah Mays Jr. (6-2, 196, SO, from Wake Forest); WR Eric Singleton Jr. (5-10, 180, JR, from Auburn); Jaylen Lloyd (5-10, 180, JR, from Oklahoma State); Ace Ciongoli (5-11, 190, RFR, from Indiana)   TIGHT END: (5) Amir Jackson (6-5, 235, RFR); Micah Jones (6-4, 257, FR); Lacota Dippre (6-4, 253, SO, from James Madison); Luke Harpring (6-3, 240, FR, from Georgia Tech); Evan Chieca (6-5, 250, RSO, from New Haven)   O-LINE (13): OT Fletcher Westphal (6-8, 342, RFR); OT Caden Jones (6-8, 333, RSO); OT/OG Bryce Lovett (6-5, 321, RSO); OG Knijeah Harris (6-3, 313, JR); OG/C Roderick Kearney (6-4, 310, RSO); OG Jason Zandamela (6-3, 308, RFR); OT Jahari Medlock (6-5, 321, FR); OG TJ Dice Jr. (6-4, 304, FR); OG Daniel Pierre Louis (6-4, 332, FR); C Harrison Moore (6-5, 300, SO, from Georgia Tech); OG TJ Shanahan (6-4, 315, RSO, from Penn State); OT Eagan Boyer (6-8, 302, RFR, from Penn State); Emeka Ugorji (6-5, 300, FR, from Stanford)   D-LINE/EDGE (11): EDGE LJ McCray (6-6, 268, SO); EDGE Kamran James (6-6, 270, JR); EDGE Jayden Woods (6-3, 248, FR); DL Joseph Mbatchou (6-5, 300, FR); EDGE Kofi Asare (6-5, 251, RJR); EDGE Jaylen Wiggins (6-5, 268, FR); Brendan Bett (6-5, 308, RSO); DL Jeramiah McCloud (6-3, 294, FR); DT DK Kalu (6-4, 309, SO, from Baylor); DE Emmanuel Oyebadejo (6-7, 295, JR, from Jacksonville State); Mason Clinton (6-5, 300, SO, from Southern Miss)   LINEBACKERS (6): Jaden Robinson (6-1, 226, JR); Myles Graham (6-1, 228, SO); Aaron Chiles (6-3, 244, SO); Ty Jackson (6-2, 221, FR); Myles Johnson (6-1, 224, FR); TJ Bullard (6-1, 220, RSO, from UCF)   SECONDARY (12): S Drake Stubbs (6-1, 207, FR); CB Cormani McClain (6-2, 189, RSO); S Bryce Thornton (5-10, 211, JR); S Lagonza Hayward (6-1, 206, FR); CB J’Vari Flowers (5-10, 187, FR); CB Dijon Johnson (6-1, 204, JR); CB Onis Konanbanny (6-0, 184, FR);  CB Ben Hanks III (6-1, 192, FR); S DJ Coleman (6-1, 210, JR, from Baylor); S Cam Dooley (6-2, 208, SO, from Kentucky); S Kanye Clark (6-0, 190, RFR, from UCLA); CB Jordy Lowery (5-11, 189, JR, from East Carolina)   SPECIAL TEAMS (5): PK Patrick Durkin (5-10, 175, SO, from Tulane); P Alec Clark (6-1, 185, RSO, from Tulane); LS Carter Milliron (6-0, 257, SR, from Louisiana); P Miller Fealy (6-2, 210, FR, from Southwest Oklahoma State); LS Hunter Suwold (6-3, 240, FR, from Washington)   SIGNED FRESHMEN/JUCOS (20) QUARTERBACK (1): Will Griffin (6-3, 230)   WIDE RECEIVERS (3): Davian Groce (6-2, 191); Justin Williams (5-11, 187); Marquez Daniel (6-5, 205)   TIGHT END (1): Heze Kent (6-6, 305)   O-LINE (6): Tyler Chukuyem (6-6, 285); Chancellor Campbell (6-8, 307); G’nivre Carr (6-4, 309); Desmond Green (6-5, 343); Javarii Luckas (6-6, 318); Corey Brown (6-1, 280)   D-LINE/EDGE (3): DL Kendall Guervil (6-2, 323); DL JaReylan McCoy (6-7, 260); EDGE KJ Ford (6-4, 246)   LINEBACKER (1): Malik Morris (6-0, 250)   SECONDARY (3): CJ Hester (6-0, 186); Kaiden Hall (6-2, 192); CJ Bronaugh (6-0, 172); Dylan Purter (6-0, 185); Elijah Owens (6-3, 210, FR, from Mississippi Gulf Coast)   GONERS (32) QB (1): DJ Lagway (to Baylor) RB (4): KD Daniels (to Wake Forest) ; Treyaun Webb (to Appalachian State); Chad Gaspar Jr.; Ja’Kobi Jackson (to Ohio State) WR (6): Eugene Wilson III (to LSU); Tank Hawkins (to Washington State); Aidan Mizell (to UCLA);Muizz Tounkara (to Houston); Naeushaun Montgomery (to Missouri); Jackson Wade (to Boston College) TE (4): Hayden Hansen (to Oklahoma); Cameron Kossman (to Boston College); TE Tony Livingston (to Baylor); Scott Isacks (to UAB) OL (4): OT Marcus Mascoll (to Georgia State); OT Enoch Wangoy (to Ole Miss); OT Devon Manuel (to Appalachian State); OT Noel Portnjagin (to James Madison) DL/EDGE (3): DL Tavorise Brown (to North Carolina); DL Michai Boireau (to Ole Miss) ; DT Brien Taylor Jr. LB (1): Grayson Howard (to South Florida) S/CB (6): S Jordan Castell (to Kentucky); S Josiah Davis; CB Jameer Grimsley (to Mississippi State); S Teddy Foster (to South Florida); CB Aaron Gates (to Kentucky); CB Shariff Denson (to Ole Miss) ST (3): P Hayden Craig (to LSU); PK Evan Noel (to Houston); LS Mack Mulhern (to LSU)

“What, me worry?” – Alfred E. Neuman   When he checks the career stats of his scholarship quarterbacks, Jon Sumrall sees 80 completions in 137 attempts (58.3 percent) for 1,129 yards (8.24 yards per attempt), four touchdowns and three interceptions. Those numbers are accumulated over 10 games in two seasons, eight at Georgia Tech for Aaron Philo, two at Florida for Trammel Jones Jr. There is one start in there by Philo against a D1AA team, although he did finish and win a game against North Carolina State in 2024 after Georgia Tech starter Haynes King was injured.   Then there is freshman Will Griffin, whose 12,000-plus passing yards rank among the best totals ever among high school quarterbacks in the state of Florida. He’s impressive and already enrolled for the spring semester at UF, but he still hasn’t thrown a single pass in a collegiate game.   Experience is in rather short supply when it comes to quarterback at the University of Florida. Yet, Jon Sumrall, the fifth and latest Gator football coach since Urban Meyer retired after the 2010 season isn’t fazed.   He is not panicking. There are no nervous shivers running up and down his leg. It’s just another day here in paradise for a coach who, upon opening a door to a room filled to the ceiling with horse poop is like a kid looking for a shovel because he sees the possibility of a pony.   “I like our quarterback room,” Sumrall said Saturday in an impromptu Q and A with the media at halftime of the Florida-Auburn basketball game.   There isn’t a proven starter in the bunch and in the fall the Gators will be facing teams with serious QB talent in Auburn (Byrum Brown), Ole Miss (Trinidad Chambliss), South Carolina (Lanorris Sellers), Texas (Arch Manning), Georgia (Gunner Stockton) and Oklahoma (John Mateer). When it comes to experience, Florida’s quarterback room doesn’t stack up to that.   It’s not like Sumrall hasn’t gone through a situation like this in the past. He knows the drill.   “You know, we started Darian Mensah my first year at Tulane,” Sumrall recalled. “He had never taken a collegiate snap.”   All Mensah did was throw for 2,723 yards (9.5 yards per attempt) and 22 touchdowns while leading Tulane to a 10-3 record that included the American Conference championship game.   “I get it, it’s the American Conference, not the SEC, right?” Sumrall asked rhetorically. “So a little bit different, but, man, if you get the right guy, sometimes I think experience can be oversold. There's a lot of guys who are experienced and aren't very good.”   When Sumrall took the job, Florida’s 2025 starter DJ Lagway took to the portal with his 18 career starts, 4,179 yards (7.9 yards per attempt) and 28 touchdown passes (23 interceptions), leaving behind Jones as the only scholarship quarterback on the roster. In two games of relief duty – Long Island and Kentucky – Jones was 21-35 for 191 yards and two touchdowns. First on Sumrall’s agenda was to ensure Griffin didn’t de-commit Florida and go somewhere else on the December signing date.   Once Griffin was secured, his attention turned to Philo on the insistence of Buster Faulkner, who departed Georgia Tech to become Sumrall’s offensive coordinator. Faulker recruited Philo to Georgia Tech out of Prince Avenue Christian Academy in Atlanta, where he set state passing records.   “I think Buster has extreme confidence in him,” Sumrall said. “You know, as I did my homework, I think the place he was at, they didn't want to leave. There's a lot of people there that felt like he was ready to be the starter there, and I trust our opportunity to make the call. And, I watched him in high school as well.”   At Georgia Tech Philo showed flashes of the potential he showed in high school where he was a dual threat quarterback. In leading Georgia Tech to the win over North Carolina State in 2024, Philo ran seven times for 57 yards and a TD while throwing for 265 yards. He also contributed13 rushing yards and 67 passing yards off the bench in Tech’s win over Miami.   There is less tape on Jones, who only played in two games as a true freshman last year. He does throw a very catchable ball and he’s quite accurate with great fundamentals. As a high school QB at Mandarin in Jacksonville, Jones threw for 7,197 yards (9.4 yards per attempt) and 75 touchdowns. He broke his ankle two games into his senior season, otherwise he probably would have thrown for 10,000-plus yards and more than 100 touchdowns.   “I think Trammell, I'm excited about,” Sumrall said.   With spring practice just weeks away, Sumrall is going to get a good look at all three of his scholarship quarterbacks. None of them are proven starters and their experience is truly limited, but there is no lack of talent.   Experience? That’s a totally different story, but for now at least, Sumrall seems unfazed.   “Is there guys that I think can help us win football games here? Yeah,” Sumrall said. “We've got a lot of work to do to figure out what that looks like. Who's the starter and all that stuff's a long way from making that decision, but they'll make it for us. The quarterback competition, they decide who starts for me by how they practice and how they play.”

Boogie Fland finishes off a dunk against Auburn (Photo by Chris Spears) With 11 Southeastern Conference games remaining in the regular season and a Sunday showdown at the O-Dome with Alabama looming, it is time for 19 th -ranked Florida (14-6, 5-2 SEC) to start playing up to its potential. All six of Florida’s losses were winnable games, but the Gators failed to seal the deal by missing open shots, free throws and failure to come up with critical stops at crunch time.   That has to change if the Gators are going to prove the national analysts right, that they are the best team in the SEC. A good time to start would be tonight against South Carolina (11-9, 2-5 SEC) in Columbia (9 p.m., Colonial Life Arena, SEC Network).     The Gamecocks’ only wins in SEC play are against bottom feeders LSU and Oklahoma, but among their five losses in league play are white knucklers against Georgia and Auburn. Of South Carolina’s 11 wins, 10 are at Colonial Life Arena. Of Florida’s six losses, five are away from the friendly confines of the O-Dome. Counting tonight’s game, the Gators will play six of the remaining SEC games on the road.   So, now is a very good time for the Gators to start putting it all together. They’ve shown flashes of offensive brilliance such as the recent stretch of four SEC games in which they scored 90 or more points, but in games last week against LSU and Auburn the offense had its share of struggles.   Although the Gators are the 12 th best team in the country in defensive efficiency per the kenpom.com analytics, they played their worst defensive half of the season back on Saturday when they fell behind 43-28 to Auburn. In that game, the Tigers outrebounded Florida 19-13 in the first half and went on to outscore the Gators in the paint, 38-28.   The Gators know they’re capable of going toe-to-toe with the best teams in the country, but that was in the non-conference portion of the schedule. They won’t see another non-conference opponent until the NCAA Tournament in March so it is time to take care of business in the SEC.   This is perhaps the biggest game of the season for South Carolina, whose coach (Lamont Paris) is feeling the heat from boosters and fans who see a third losing season in the last four looming. Paris knows he’s coaching for his job, so beating the Gators would cool the tension somewhat.   That means the Gators have to anticipate South Carolina’s best effort of the season. It is a game Florida should win handily if everybody shows up ready to play. It is also a game the Gators could lose if they can’t make shots, turn the ball over and allow the smaller Gamecocks to hold their own on the boards and in the paint.   Anticipated starting lineups No. 19 FLORIDA (14-6, 5-2 SEC): Alex Condon (6-11, 236, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 265, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Xaivian Lee (6-4, 185, SR); Boogie Fland (6-3, 185, SO)   South Carolina (11-9, 2-5 SEC): Elijah Strong (6-8, 250, JR); Mike Sharavjamts (6-9, 195, SR); Myles Stute (6-7, 221, GR); Kobe Knox (6-5, 200, RSR); Meechie Johnson (6-2, 192, SR)   SEC in Joe Lunardi/ESPN Bracketology WEST: 1. Arizona; 2. Michigan State; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Vanderbilt (Other SEC teams: 8. Georgia; 11. Texas, play-in game)   SOUTH: 1. UConn; 2. Nebraska; 3. Houston; 4. BYU (SEC teams: 5. Alabama; 7. Auburn)   EAST: 1. Duke; 2. Illinois; 3. Texas Tech; 4. Kansas (SEC teams: 5. Arkansas; 6. Tennessee)   MIDWEST: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. Purdue; 4. FLORIDA (Other SEC teams: 7. Kentucky; 8. Texas A&M)   SEC in kenpom.com national rankings: 11. FLORIDA 14-6; 12. Vanderbilt 18-3; 18. Alabama 14-6; 20. Tennessee 13-6; 22. Arkansas 16-5; 26. Auburn 13-7; 31. Texas A&M 16-4; 32. Kentucky 14-7; 35. Georgia 16-4; 36. Texas 12-8; 43. LSU 13-7; 59. Missouri 14-7; 62. Oklahoma 11-10; 73. Ole Miss 11-9; 76. South Carolina 11-9; 94. Mississippi State 10-10   Tuesday’s scores No. 15 Arkansas (16-5, 6-2 SEC) 83, Oklahoma (11-10, 1-7 SEC) 79: Arkansas rallied from down 13 in the first half to hand Oklahoma its seventh straight loss. Darius Acuff Jr. led the Razorbacks with 21 points and nine assists without a turnover. Arkansas hit only 2-17 from the 3-point line. Nijel Pack led Oklahoma with 22.   No. 18 Vanderbilt (18-3,5-3 SEC) 80, Kentucky (14-7, 5-3 SEC) 55: Vanderbilt compensated for the loss of Duke Miles – out for awhile with a knee injury – with Devin McGlockton and Chandler Bing playing their best games of the season. McGlockton hit three 3-pointers, scored 11 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Bing came off the bench to score 11 while hitting a pair of twos and contributing two steals and two blocked shots. Meanwhile Vandy’s defensive pressure made it a miserable game for the Wildcats, who hit 19-59 overall from the field and just 6-24 on threes. Tyler Tanner had 19 points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals to lead the Commodores. Otega Oweh with 20 and Denzel Aberdeen with 15 led Kentucky, which got only eight points out of its front court.   No. 23 Alabama (14-6, 4-3 SEC) 90, Missouri (14-7, 4-4 SEC) 64: Missouri was its own worst enemy in Tuscaloosa. The Tigers hit only 4-21 from the 3-point line, 8-23 from the foul line and they turned the ball over 13 times. Alabama was led by Latrell Wrightsell with 21 and Labaron Philon Jr., who had 18 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals. Charles Bediako had 14 points and six rebounds for Alabama.    Wednesday’s games No. 19 FLORIDA (14-6, 5-2 SEC) at South Carolina (11-9, 2-5 SEC) Tennessee (13-6, 3-3 SEC) at Georgia (16-4, 4-3 SEC) Texas (12-8, 3-4 SEC) at Auburn (13-7, 4-3 SEC) Mississippi State (10-10, 2-5 SEC) at LSU (13-7, 1-6 SEC)   Saturday’s games Texas A&M (16-4, 6-1 SEC) at Georgia (16-4, 4-3 SEC) Texas (12-8, 3-4 SEC) at Oklahoma (11-10, 1-7 SEC) Mississippi State (10-10, 2-5 SEC) at Missouri (14-7, 4-4 SEC) LSU (13-7, 1-6 SEC) at South Carolina (11-9, 2-5 SEC) Kentucky (14-7, 5-3 SEC) at No. 15 Arkansas (16-5, 6-2 SEC) No. 18 Vanderbilt (18-3, 5-3 SEC) at Ole Miss (11-9, 3-4 SEC) Tennessee (13-6, 3-3 SEC) at Auburn (13-7, 4-3 SEC)   Sunday’s game No. 23 Alabama (14-6, 4-3 SEC) at No. 19 FLORIDA (14-6, 5-2 SEC)