Things are looking up at UF with these three, but not so much the bowls (UAA Photo)

Xavian Lee had his best game as a Gator against UConn (Photo by Chris Spears) NEW YORK – That elusive complete game that Todd Golden knows the Florida Gators (5-4) are capable of playing will have to wait. Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden was another one of those nights when the Gators flashed No. 18 Florida #Gators fall to 5-4 after 77-73 loss to No. 5 UConn in MSG. UF is playing the same game every time out vs. quality competition.   Florida’s chance to win this game or at least tie it up and send it to overtime rested on a proper 5-count on a sideline out of bounds with 9.4 seconds showing on the clock and the Gators trailing, 76-73. Now, it was a longshot considering only Tommy Haugh had shown any propensity for nailing a 3-pointer – he was 3-5, the rest of the team 1-10 – and UConn intended to foul before any Gator could launch a 3-pointer, but the quick whistle didn’t help matters.   It happened like this. A driving layup by Boogie Fland with 13 seconds left brought the Gators within three at 76-73. Against a full court press, the Gators trapped Jayden Stewart against the sideline in front of the Florida bench, forcing him to lose control of the ball out of bounds. Florida basketball, more than adequate time to get off a good shot.   “We obviously gave them a chance by turning it over there on the sideline and we were preparing to foul them, you know, to prevent the three to tie it,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said.   The Huskies didn’t have to foul. Marquis Pettigrew of the zebra crew signaled five seconds turning the ball over, but was it five? Golden disagreed and watching replays in the locker room post game confirmed to him that it was a quick whistle. “To be honest, I challenge everybody to time it and see what they come up,” Golden said. “We timed it in the locker room, and we got 4.6 and 4.7. In a moment like that – I’ve been around the game for a long time – to get a call like that where it doesn't even get to 5 seconds … usually they give you an extra second, to be honest. Just a really, really tough pill to swallow. At the same time, we've got to do a better job getting available earlier. I just thought that was banged a little early.” In so many ways, this was like the losses to No. 1 Arizona, TCU and No. 3 Duke in that the Gators weren’t exactly short on chances to make game-winning plays. Once again there was a shooting issue. Haugh gave the Gators an outside presence, but the other Gators couldn’t find the range. UConn made it a priority to take sharpshooter Urban Klavzar completely out of the perimeter game. He couldn’t find the room to squeeze off even one shot from the 3-point line.   Xaivian Lee, who hit an early three missed on six others, marring what was an otherwise brilliant game in which was good for 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. But it wasn’t simply the shots falling from long distance. Minus the 4-15 3-point shooting and the Gators still missed more than half of their 2-point shots (Florida shot 21-44 inside the 3-point arc). Making matters worse, despite a decisive edge rebounding (40-28), the Gators were unable to make UConn pay. Florida grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and converted them into just six points. That made Golden extremely unhappy. “We had 16 offensive rebounds to their seven, and we had less second chance points than they did,” Golden said. “That's something we've got to be able to capitalize on when given the opportunity. I thought we did a great job on the glass but didn't capitalize.” Defensively the Gators were up and down. In the first half they couldn’t get stops as UConn hit 16-27 overall and 5-10 from the 3-point line. Things improved somewhat in the second half, but too often there were lapses that allowed the Huskies to spurt into a modest lead that had the Gators playing comeback. UConn shot 13-31 overall from the field in the second half and just 3-8 from the 3-point line, but the threes were daggers. There was a three by Alex Karaban with 7:12 remaining when he was the trailer on a fast break and another by Solo Ball with 5:51 left. Those were part of a 12-3 run by the Huskies that saw them go from a 1-point deficit to a 66-58 lead. To the Gators’ credit, they fought back and made it close but you can’t trade baskets and make up deficits and you can’t keep wishing the other team will miss free throws. In the final 1:13 UConn went 9-12 from the foul line and while the misses were critical the Gators couldn’t whittle away enough points to pull out a win. It was the same old story that it has been since the season began. The Gators are more than capable of playing with anyone in the country, but they haven’t discovered what it takes to play a complete game and finish off a quality opponent. Golden knows Florida is close to being that team nobody wants to play and he thinks he will see that happen once January arrives when the schedule shifts to the Southeastern Conference. “I'm a pretty positive guy,” Golden said. “We're close. We're right there. If we can get five percent better over the next couple weeks, we're going to be pretty good in SEC play.” This isn’t last year’s SEC, which experts like Jay Bilas say might have been the most dominant year by a conference in college basketball history. The power seems to have shifted to the Big 12 and the Big Ten. That doesn’t mean the SEC portion of the schedule is going to be a cakewalk, but Florida does have all the pieces of the puzzle. It is simply a matter of putting them all together and playing with consistency. It’s a matter of starting strong and finishing stronger. “The challenge that we put in front of ourselves playing Arizona in Vegas, going to Duke, playing UConn here at MSG – Storrs South or whatever they call it – we put ourselves in some really tough spots to prepare ourselves for the rest of the year. Obviously we wanted to win one of these.  “The great thing for us is we're through the toughest part of our schedule. That's not a knock to anybody we're playing moving forward, but we don't have a top five team left on our schedule right now moving forward. So I think the combination of us improving in the areas that we know we need to be better … I thought we did a better job taking care of the ball tonight … We've got to shoot it a little bit better, and we've got to capitalize on our second chances. I thought that was a big part of why we weren't able to become victorious tonight.” One coach who knows how good the Gators can be when they finally get their act together is Hurley, who won the two NCAA titles prior to Florida’s championship run last season. “They’re as good as anyone we’ve played or anyone I’ve watched on film,” Hurley said. Yes, the Gators are as good as anyone in the country. It is a matter of when they put it all together not if. The Gators have George Washington to play Saturday in Sunrise, Florida, and then there are a couple of games that should be easy wins. Then SEC play begins in January. Can they find the shooting? Can they continue to eliminate the turnovers (only 12 against UConn)? Can they defend with enough intensity to stop opponents cold when it matters the most? These are questions that will have to be answered, but Florida has the components to do it. Lee and Fland (8 points despite quick early fouls that limited him to just six first half minutes) have shown they are capable but they have to find consistency. Up front Chinyelu can be a dominant rebounder (11 rebounds to go with 8 points, 2 blocks and a steal) but he has to understand that he’s more powerful than most every big man in the country. He needs to exert more brute force on the offensive end and spend less time trying to finesse. Condon (14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocked shots) hasn’t found anything close to an outside shot that he needs to stretch the defense. Haugh has been Florida’s only consistent player all season. He scored 18 against UConn, hitting 7-12 of his shots from the field including his 3-5 from the 3-point line. Someone has to start hitting threes to open up Haugh’s game even more. Hurley thinks Haugh is playing at an elite level. “I think he’s one of my favorite players in recent memory, just that guy is just an incredible player,” Hurley said. “… That guys like first team All-American. I mean that guy should be a lottery pick. That guy’s tremendous.” Haugh is. Now the rest of the Florida team has to catch up to play with his same level of consistency and intensity. The Gators are close to being outstanding. Close, but they’re not there yet.

Freshman Nyadieng Yiech notches first career double-double. By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Host of the Lowdown with Loren Meadows Nyadieng "Nidi" Yiech (UAA photo) If Liv McGill is Kobe Bryant, and Laila Reynolds is Lamar Odom, then freshman Nyadieng “Nidi” Yiech is starting to look like the Ron Artest of the triangle that is the Gator women’s basketball team. The Gators got all they wanted from a physical South Alabama team Sunday but were able to put away the Jaguars in the second half en route to a convincing 75-61 victory. While Liv McGill continued her scoring punch with 32 points and 4 assists it was the play of freshman Yiech that had the Gator fans and South Alabama on notice. South Alabama came to Gainesville to scrap and claw their way to an upset of the Gators and early it looked as if they might do just that. The Gators trailed by five after the first period and it looked as if South Alabama was the more aggressive more athletic team. To Coach Kelly Rae Finley’s credit, her team weathered the onslaught and in the second quarter inserted Yiech into the lineup to match the scrappiness of South Alabama and then some. The freshman from Calgary, Alberta made an instant impact on the defensive and offensive end defending at a high level with a block and four steals.  She also extended key possesions with three offensive rebounds. Yiech added 14 points to record her first career double-double. It is no secret the Gators go as McGill, the steady Reynolds, and the versatile Me’Arah O’Neal go, but Yiech is starting to define her role as a Gator willing to do whatever it takes to help her team and take the physicality of the game head on. When talking about the Yiech Liv McGill stated, “Nidi is a very good glue player and she can do a lot of things on our team. She can play two through five, and whatever coach ask her to do she does it”. McGill continued, “and she rises to the moment, she rises to the occasion whether its rebounding, finishing, giving energy, guarding the five, guarding the one, she can do a lot of things on the floor.” Yiech is the product of a solid basketball program at Fort Erie Secondary School and under well-known coach Handel Kipp who has sent several players to top tier collegiate programs. The teaching of Kipp and her passion for the game are beginning to show as she becomes more comfortable at the collegiate level. When asked about the increased role for Yiech over the past two weeks Coach Finley stated, "She's getting closer and closer to how she plays. You can see her becoming more and more comfortable on the floor. She's a competitor, she's versatile. She's a defensive utility player, an offensive utility player, she can play three-four-five. She understands competition. She was coached by a very talented high school coach, Coach Kip. Like he would say, outside dogs only. And that's what you're starting to see from her on the floor. We can count on her for that rebound, we can count on her for an extra possession. She shoots the three very well, she can go inside and outside and her versatility helps us be better." Yiech won’t run up into the stands but it sounds like the championship winning forward with the Lakers to me.  While comparisons are all fun and games and you look for an opportunity to as a fan to compare what you see to what you like. I have always compared Finley’s free flowing style of offense to the Lakers teams of the past. Finley has told her team there is “not a bad shot in this program,” not to say let it fly at random, but also don’t be afraid to be yourself and let your game shine. McGill and Reynolds are mastering it and Yiech is learning it. With her first double-double in the books Yiech will tuck it away and look for more with a sense of purpose rarely seen in a young player. "Even before the game, Coach Dan (Boice) harped on urgency and so that was kind of going through my brain the whole time. Just not stopping and going for every rebound."

Tommy Haugh could be SEC Player of the Year (Photo by Chris Spears) The best basketball team in the Southeastern Conference already has three losses and will have the perilous assignment of taking on a really good UConn team in Madison Square Garden tomorrow. Should we be worried?   Nope.   The Florida Gators (5-3) may have slipped in the rankings (No. 18 in both polls), but that’s because of the three losses. Closer look shows the Gators have lost the three by a combined 11 points and that includes a 6-point loss to No. 1 Arizona in Las Vegas and a 1-point loss to No. 3 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Both of those were winnable games.     In two of the three losses (Arizona and TCU) the Gators turned the ball over way too many times. In all three losses, the Gators shot the ball poorly from the 3-point line. Critics believe these are problems that will haunt the Gators throughout the season. If you take a look at what happened in the second half of the win over Providence and the loss to Duke, then you realize that when the Gators put it all together they are a force to be reckoned with.   Playing a full game, bell-to-bell of focused, intense basketball. That is what separated last season’s national championship Gators from everybody else. Focused and intense, the Gators were the best team in the country. When this team puts it all together with any measure of consistency they’re going to be as good or better than every other team in the country.   What we saw of Boogie Fland in the second half of the Duke game is the reason he was such a high priority for the Gators in the free agent market of the portal. Yes, he had a crucial turnover at the end of the game, but he’s not exactly one to repeat his mistakes. Next time he’ll split the double team and take it down the middle rather than allow himself to be forced to the wing where the out of bounds line becomes the equivalent of a third defender. Boogie can drive, can make shots and he can get the ball to teammates.   Xaivian Lee has been somewhat of an enigma, but if you watch him handle the ball in traffic and show up first at loose balls on the floor, you know that he has instinctive skills. The shooting has been a real issue, but this is a career 37 percent 3-point shooter. He’s in a slump and maybe one or two good games away from regaining the confidence in his shot. Todd Golden says he makes the shots in practice so it’s probably a matter of when not if he breaks out.   Golden may have found something at Duke that will work very well the rest of the year. He went to full court pressure that wasn’t necessarily designed to turn Duke over, but to slow their offense to a crawl. Once Duke got the ball across midcourt, it took another few seconds to organize the offense, particularly when the Gators dropped into a 2-3 zone. Florida’s three big guys across the back line removed the corners and the quickness of the guards as well as Tommy Haugh made it tough to find open shots from the wing.   Haugh is playing his way into SEC Player of the Year contention even though the SEC portion of the schedule is more than three weeks away. He is the ultimate hybrid, capable of playing on the perimeter, handling matters at the high post or running the baseline. He’s averaging 18.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.   If the Gators can keep Alex Condon (15.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists) and Rueben Chinyelu (10.2 points, 11.2 rebounds) out of foul trouble that front line is going to be formidable. If Condon’s outside shot comes around and Chinyelu continues to be forceful going straight back up after securing an offensive rebound, the Florida offense will take off.   Golden’s first guys off the bench are 7-1 Micah Handlogten on the front line with Urban Klavzar on the perimeter. Handlogten (4.6 points, 6.3 rebounds) needs to get back into a groove, but he’s an extremely good offensive rebounder. Klavzar has become Florida’s lethal weapon 3-point shooter. He can go into a shooter’s coma and whatever he throws up will go in. Isaiah Brown has become the third guy off the bench while CJ Ingram is more of a defensive stopper.   All the ingredients are there for the Gators to become dominant. Once they put two halves of good basketball together, they should start trending to consistency. Forget what the rankings say. This is the best team in the SEC and it will begin proving out very, very soon.     POLLITIKS (SEC teams in bold face) Associated Press top 25: 1. Arizona 8-0; 2. Michigan 8-0; 3. Duke 10-0; 4. Iowa State 9-0; 5. UConn 8-1; 6. Purdue 8-1; 7. Houston 8-1; 8. Gonzaga 9-1; 9. Michigan State 8-1; 10. BYU 7-1; 11. Louisville 8-1; 12. Alabama 7-2; 13. Illinois 7-2; 14. North Carolina 8-1; 15. Vanderbilt 9-0; 16. Texas. Tech 7-2; 17. Arkansas 7-2; 18. FLORIDA 5-3; 19. Kansas 7-3; 20. Tennessee 7-3; 21. Auburn 7-3; 22. St. John’s 5-3; 23. Nebraska 9-0; 24. Virginia 8-1; 25. UCLA 7-2   Coaches top 25: 1. Michigan 8-0; 2. Arizona 8-0; 3. Duke 10-0; 4. Iowa State 9-0; 5. UConn 8-1; 6. Purdue 8-1; 7. Gonzaga 9-1; 8. Houston 8-1; 9. Michigan State; 10. BYU 7-1; 11. Louisville 8-1; 12. Alabama 7-2; 13. Illinois 7-2; 14. Vanderbilt 9-0; 15. North Carolina 8-1; 16. Texas Tech 7-2; 17. Arkansas 7-2; 18. FLORIDA 5-3; 19. Kansas 7-3; 20. Tennessee 7-3; 21. St. John’s 5-3; 22. Nebraska 9-0; 23. Iowa 8-1; 24. Auburn 7-3; 25. Virginia 8-1   SEC BASKETBAL (Associated Press rankings) No. 12 Alabama (7-2): Alabama launched 57 3-pointers (made 16) against UT-San Antonio and still won 97-55. Labaron Philon Jr. had 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals for Alabama. Saturday: No. 2 Arizona (8-0) in Birmingham   No. 17 Arkansas (7-2): Darius Acuff Jr. had 18 points, five rebounds, eight assists and one steal to lead the Razorbacks past Fresno State, 82-58. Arkansas held the Bulldogs to 4-26 shooting from the 3-point line. Saturday: No. 19 Texas Tech (7-2) in Dallas   No. 21 Auburn (7-3): Auburn suffered a miserable shooting night in losing 97-68 to Arizona. The Tigers shot 21-63 from the field overall and just 6-25 from the 3-point line. Saturday: Chattanooga (4-5)   Georgia (8-1): Georgia’s only loss is by three points to Clemson. The Bulldogs are the top scoring team in the country at 99.9 points per game. California transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson is the Bulldogs’ leader at 17.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Saturday: Cincinnati (6-3) in Atlanta   Kentucky (5-4): The Wildcats were blown out by Gonzaga Friday night (94-59), a game in which Gonzaga hit 57 percent of its shots including 9-18 from the 3-point line while holding UK to 16-60 shooting overall and 7-34 from the 3-point line. Tuesday: North Carolina Central (3-8)   LSU (8-1): The Tigers were an unbeaten scoring machine against the little sisters of the poor. They played a real team Sunday. Texas Tech 82, LSU 58. LSU was 4-24 from the 3-point line. Texas Tech was 13-24. Saturday: SMU (9-1) in New Orleans   Mississippi State (4-5): All-SEC Josh Hubbard sprained an ankle and played only two minutes as the Bulldogs fell to San Francisco 65-62. Saturday: at Utah (7-3)   Missouri (8-2): Missouri lost its second straight game, 80-60, to Kansas. Kansas held Missouri to 34 percent overall and 26 percent from the 3-point line. Thursday: Alabama State 3-6   Oklahoma (6-3): The Sooners dropped an 86-70 decision to Arizona State. Poor shooting (22-63) and bad 3-point defense (ASU hit 13-24) were the chief culprits. Saturday: Oklahoma State (9-0) in Oklahoma City   Ole Miss (5-4): The Rebels lost their fourth straight game to No. 23 St. John’s. Ole Miss hit only 2-16 from the 3-point line and turned the ball over 20 times. Saturday: Southern Miss (5-4)   South Carolina (6-3): The Gamecocks bounced back from their loss to Virginia Tech with an 82-51 thrashing of Stetson. Meechie Johnson led the Gamecocks with 17 points while Grant Polk hit all four of his 3-pointers. Saturday: The Citadel (2-7)   No. 20 Tennessee (7-3): In losing their third straight game, the Vols were outscored 43-28 in the second half by No. 14 Illinois. The Vols outrebounded Illinois 46-31 with 23 offensive rebounds, but they couldn’t put the ball in the basket.   Texas (6-3): Xavier transfer Dailyn Swain leads the Longhorns with 16.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Monday: Southern University (4-4)   Texas A&M (7-3): SMU ended the Aggies’ 5-game win streak in overtime, 93-80. The Aggies could have won the game in regulation if they could have made some free throws (22-34 for the might).   Sunday: Jacksonville (4-5)   No. 15 Vanderbilt (9-0): The Commodores are third in the nation in scoring at 96.8 points per game. Four Commodores average in double figures led by 6 th -year senior Duke Miles, who is averaging 17.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Saturday: Central Arkansas (4-6)

“If our lives were that simple we’d live in the past “If the phone don’t, ring it’s me” – Jimmy Buffett.   Notre Dame sat by the phone waiting but it never rang Sunday. That’s because the College Football Playoff Committee did what Domers think is the unthinkable and decided that 3-loss Alabama belongs in the tournament and Notre Dame needs to sit this one out. In other words, the CFP folks told Notre Dame that the college football universe doesn’t revolve around all that South Bend tradition.   Yes, if life were that simple we’d live in the past but we live in the here and now. Notre Dame hasn’t won a national championship since 1988. Since the Domers last won a national title we’ve gone from the BCS to the playoff and while all the conferences have championship games that more often than not make or break a season, Notre Dame has benefitted from weak schedules and independence. So, while Notre Dame does have a 10-2 record and the second longest winning streak (10) in the country, no one but no one should be shedding a tear that Alabama and Miami are in the College Football Playoff and Notre Dame isn’t.   Notre Dame’s response? A dandy Nancy Kerrigan impersonation. Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy me? Notre Dame which benefits financially from the playoff money even when it’s not in the playoff won’t go to a bowl game.   Oh snap!   Do Miami and Alabama belong? Well, Notre Dame did lose both its games against top ten teams (Miami and Texas A&M) and the closest thing it has to a signature win is over Southern Cal, which would find it difficult to break even in the SEC. Miami beat a lot of nobodies and lost to two unranked teams, but the Canes did beat Notre Dame head-to-head. Alabama may have three losses including one to a bad Florida State team, but the Crimson Tide did beat Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee on successive weekends. The other two losses are to Oklahoma and Georgia.   Should we cry foul about Notre Dame? Absolutely not. Should we question why Vanderbilt or BYU aren’t in? You betcha.   While a case can be made that Alabama and Miami belong in the tournament ahead of Notre Dame, an equally strong case can be made for Vandy and BYU. Vandy won 10 games, six of them against SEC teams. They’ll give the Heisman to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, but there isn’t a more impactful player in the country than Diego Pavia. BYU lost twice, both times to No. 4 seed Texas Tech.   Vandy and BYU didn’t get in, but both of them have a resume that is equal to or greater than that of Notre Dame. Are Vandy and BYU upset that they were overlooked? Yes, and they should be. Have they thrown a tantrum and refused to play in a bowl game? Nope.   And since we’re on the subject of who belongs and who doesn’t, do Tulane and James Madison belong? Well, according to the rules voted on and approved by all the commissioners of the Division I football conferences, yes they do. Will either of them win? Probably not, but what if one or both of them spring an upset? Impossible you say? Stranger things have happened. Lest we forget, the 2006 unbeaten Ohio State Buckeyes were thought by many to be prohibitive favorites to win the national championship. Florida blew the Buckeyes out by 27 points and it might have been 50 if Urban Meyer hadn’t felt bad about embarrassing old buddy Jim Tressell worse than he already did.   Just saying.   Is Alabama worthy? Is Miami worthy? Did Notre Dame get jilted at the altar?  Arguments can be made for positive or negative answers to each of those questions. What can’t be argued is this is the system that everyone agreed to play under.   It’s like politics. You don’t like the politics, you vote in people whose agendas you support and bring about change that way. It’s the same with football. You don’t like the system, then you support the people who will vote in a new one.   And if you’re Notre Dame, just remember Jimmy Buffett’s words: If the phone doesn’t ring, it’s me. In this particular case, it's the CFP committee who perhaps lost Notre Dame's phone number. You think?   College Football Playoff top 25: 1. Indiana 13-0; 2. Ohio State 12-1; 3. Georgia 12-1; 4. Texas Tech 12-1; 5. Oregon 11-1; 6. Ole Miss 11-1; 7. Texas A&M 11-1; 8. Oklahoma 10-2; 9. Alabama 9-3; 10. Miami 10-2; 11. Notre Dame 10-2; 12. BYU 11-2; 13. Texas 9-3; 14. Vanderbilt 10-2; 15. Utah 10-2; 16. Southern California 9-3; 17. Arizona 9-3; 18. Michigan 9-3; 19. Virginia 10-3; 20. Tulane 11-2; 21. Houston 9-3; 22. Georgia Tech 9-3; 23. Iowa 8-4; 24. James Madison 12-1; 25. North Texas 11-2   FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS Friday, December 19 No. 9 Alabama (9-3) at No. 8 Oklahoma 10-2   Saturday, December 20 No. 10 Miami (10-2) at No. 7 Texas A&M (11-1) No. 11 Tulane (11-2) at No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1) No. 12 James Madison (12-1) at No. 5 Oregon (11-1)   SECOND ROUND MATCHUPS Wednesday, December 31 Miami-Texas winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State (12-1); Cotton Bowl   Thursday, January 1  James Madison-Oregon winner vs. No. 4 Texas Tech (12-1); Orange Bowl Alabama-Oklahoma winner vs. No. 1 Indiana (13-0); Rose Bowl Tulane-Ole Miss winner vs. No. 3 Georgia (12-1); Sugar Bowl   Associated Press top 25: 1. Indiana 13-0; 2. Georgia 12-1; 3. Ohio State 12-1; 4. Texas Tech 12-1; 5. Oregon 11-1; 6. Ole Miss 11-1; 7. Texas A&M 11-1; 8. Oklahoma 10-2; 9. Notre Dame 10-2; 10. Miami 10-2; 11. Alabama 10-3; 12. BYU 11-2; 13. Vanderbilt 10-2; 14. Texas 9-3; 15. Utah 10-2; 16. Southern California 9-3; 17. Tulane 11-2; 18. Michigan 9-3; 19. James Madison 12-1; 20. Virginia 10-3; 21. Arizona 9-3; 22. Navy 9-2; 23. North Texas 11-2; 24. Georgia Tech 9-3; 25. Missouri 8-4   AFCA Coaches top 25: 1. Indiana 13-0; 2. Georgia 12-1; 3. Ohio State 12-1; 4. Texas Tech 12-1; 5. Oregon 11-1; 6. Ole Miss 11-1; 7. Texas A&M 11-1; 8. Oklahoma 10-2; 9. Notre Dame 10-2; 10. Miami 10-2; 11. Alabama 10-3; 12. Vanderbilt 10-2; 13. BYU 11-2; 14. Texas 9-3; 15. Utah 10-2; 16. Southern California 9-3; 17. Michigan 9-3; 18. Tulane 11-2; 19. James Madison 12-1; 20. Arizona 9-3; 21. Virginia 10-3; 22. Georgia Tech 9-3; 23. Tennessee 8-4; 24. Houston 9-3; 25. Navy 9-2   SEC FOOTBALL (Associated Press rankings) No. 11. Alabama (10-3): Despite three losses, Alabama is in the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide will travel to Oklahoma for a first round matchup. Oklahoma won the regular season matchup in Tuscaloosa, 23-21 … Alabama is an early 1.5-point favorite over Oklahoma. Arkansas (2-10): The Razorbacks signed former Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield to a 5-year, $33.5-million deal. In seven years as the head coach at Memphis, Silverfield went 50-25 … Chad Lunsford, formerly of Auburn, is the new special teams coordinator.   Auburn (5-7): Auburn signed new head coach Alex Golesh to a 6-year, $44.25 million deal. In three years at South Florida, Golesh went 23-15 including a 9-3 record in 2025.   No. 2 Georgia (13-1): Georgia will face the winner of Tulane (11-2) and Ole Miss (11-1) in the second round of the College Football Playoff.   Kentucky (5-7): Kentucky hired Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein as its new head coach. Stein is a former Louisville quarterback and the son of a former Kentucky football player. The Wildcats signed the 36-year-old Stein to a 5-year deal.   LSU (7-5): Lane Kiffin’s contract is seven years for $91 million plus incentives. Coming to LSU with Kiffin are offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., wide receivers coach George McDonald, strength coach Nick Savage, co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox, general manager Billy Glasscock and senior associate athletic director Thaddeus Rivers … Blake Baker has been retained as the defensive coordinator on a 3-year deal worth $9.3 million … LSU will play Houston (9-3) in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl.   Mississippi State (5-7): Jeff Lebby fired defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler and hired Zach Arnett as the new DC. Arnett was the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State under Mike Leach and was the head coach in 2023 where he compiled a 4-6 record … Despite their losing record, the Bulldogs will face Wake Forest (8-4) in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte.   No. 25 Missouri (8-4): Defensive end Damon Wilson, who transferred to Mizzou from Georgia, is being taken to court by Georgia, which is seeking $390,000 in liquidated damages for an unfulfilled NIL contract. At Mizzou this year, Wilson leads the team with 9.0 sacks … Missouri will play Virginia (10-3) in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.   No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2): The Sooners will host No. 9 Alabama (9-3) in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Oklahoma beat Alabama, 23-21, in Tuscaloosa earlier in the season … The Sooners tied with Texas A&M for the national lead in sacks with 41.   No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1): The Rebels, under new head coach Pete Golding, will play host to Tulane in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Earlier in the season, Ole Miss beat Tulane, 36-10, in Oxford … Charlie Weis Jr. will be joining Lane Kiffin at LSU, but he will remain at Ole Miss through the playoffs as the Rebels’ play caller.      South Carolina (4-8): Shane Beamer’s offensive coordinator search seems to have focused in on TCU offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. It is also possible that South Carolina will hire TCU running backs coach Jimmy Smith.   Tennessee (8-4): The Vols will face Illinois (8-4) in the Music City Bowl … Tennessee averaged 40.8 points during the regular season but gave up 28.8. In the Vols’ four losses, they gave up 165 points.   No. 14 Texas (9-3): The Longhorns will play Michigan (9-3) in the Citrus Bowl … Arch Manning needs 58 passing yards against Michigan to reach 3,000 for the season. Manning has thrown 24 touchdown passes while running for eight more TDs.   No. 7 Texas A&M (11-1): The Aggies will host a first round College Football Playoff game against Miami (10-2). Texas A&M has been established as a 4-point favorite.   No. 13 Vanderbilt (10-2): The Commodores will face Iowa (8-4) in the Reliaquest Bowl in Tampa.   AS THE PORTAL TURNS Alabama: WR Bubba Hampton Arkansas: CB: Keshaw Davita Auburn: WR Perry Eillis; CB Raion Strader; DL Antonio Coleman; LB Caleb Wheatland; RB Damari Alston Georgia: CB Daniel Harris Kentucky: EDGE Landyn Watson LSU: CB Ashton Stamps; WR Kylan Billiot Mississippi State: S Braylon Burnside Missouri: RB Brendon Haygood; WR James Madison II; S Caleg Flagg South Carolina: LB Jaron Willis; WR Emazon Littlejohn; DL Zavion Hardy; OG Nick Sharpe; TE Michael Smith Tennessee: S Marcus Greene; EDGE Kellen Lindstrom; DL Jamal Wallace; S Boo Carter Texas: RB Jerrick Gibson; RB CJ Baxter; QB Trey Owens Texas A&M: LB Tanyon Freibaum (from Oklahoma State) Vanderbilt: QB Drew Dickey; TE Maurice Veney (from Morehouse)