College Football Unfiltered

The SEC’s quarterback lineup will feature a new look in 2023, raising the question of whether the conference will maintain its blistering production at the sport’s most important position.

Four of the SEC’s top five quarterbacks from last season departed. As many as half of the conference’s schools will feature legitimate QB1 competitions throughout the spring.

Don’t expect many of the coaches who are evaluating competitions to declare a starter by April. Doing so would only encourage backups to hit the transfer portal.

We’re not relying on coach-speak to provide the answers, though.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams handicap seven quarterback competitions across the SEC.

From Alabama to Ole Miss to Missouri, we preview the top QB battles and project who will win the starting jobs.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Nearly half of the SEC's teams signed a transfer quarterback this winter, and Ole Miss nabbed two. In at least a few of those instances, transfers are expected to be a strong contender or even the headliner for the starting job.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams review the SEC's quarterback transfer haul and point to a couple of programs that might hunt for a quarterback after spring practice.

Adams awards Kentucky top marks for adding Devin Leary, and he believes Spencer Sanders will unseat Jaxson Dart at Ole Miss. Toppmeyer is less enamored with Sanders but likes the upside of another Ole Miss transfer, Walker Howard.

Meanwhile, Adams is puzzled as to why Alabama hasn't added a transfer in its quest to replace Bryce Young, but Toppmeyer offers a theory on why Nick Saban might be slow-playing that move. Elsewhere, Hugh Freeze should make adding a transfer QB a priority for Auburn come May.

Later, the hosts debate why Kentucky should finally raise expectations for Mark Stoops.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Georgia reigns atop college football, but we're ready to turn the page to next season. And while we expect the Bulldogs to remain the SEC's fiercest bully, the competition gets spicy right behind them.

Will LSU repeat in the SEC West? Can Alabama turn a No. 1 recruiting class into a trip to the SEC Championship? Will Texas A&M bounce back behind its young talent?

On this episode of "SEC Football Unfiltered," hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams offer their first SEC football power rankings of 2023. 

Too soon, you say? Never.

While the No. 1 and No. 14 spots in our power rankings may seem obvious, multiple tiers in between offer a chance for a hearty debate between a few teams.

For instance, what separates Arkansas, Ole Miss and South Carolina? Not much.

And is Florida spinning its tires under Billy Napier? Sure seems like it.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Georgia’s Peach Bowl triumph over Ohio State became an instant classic. Now, how about a rematch in the national championship game next season?

After the Bulldogs crushed TCU to repeat as national champions, the focus shifts to the potential for a rare three-peat. They've got the returning stars to do it, too, but the Buckeyes profile as a top challenger if they adequately replace C.J. Stroud.

On this episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams examine the top candidates who could prevent a Georgia three-peat. 

Joining the Buckeyes on their list: LSU, Florida State, Alabama, Tennessee, Michigan and USC.

Later in the episode, they review some of their top surprise storylines from inside the SEC during the 2022 season.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Ohio State had multiple chances to land a knockout punch on Georgia in the Peach Bowl but couldn't connect. Kirby Smart outcoached Ryan Day in the fourth quarter, Stetson Bennett delivered in the clutch, and the Bulldogs rallied.

But was Georgia's epic escape against the Buckeyes a case of the nation's two best teams squaring off in a CFP semifinal, or did it indicate cause for concern in the national championship against TCU?

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams take a look at the national championship matchup and Georgia's opportunity to become college football's first repeat champion in a decade. 

They offer their game picks, with each predicting an outcome closer than the point spread indicates.

And they discuss their reaction to how the rest of the SEC fared in bowl games.

Bowl games don't mean what they used to, and there's no turning back now, especially with the College Football Playoff scheduled to expand to 12 teams in 2024.

Even players who aren't projected to be early-round NFL Draft picks are opting out, making it a surprise that Alabama stars Bryce Young and Will Anderson are playing in the Sugar Bowl.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams consider the opt-out trend and how we may need to rewire our view of bowl games that aren't part of the CFP.

Instead of viewing bowls as a postseason conclusion to the season that was, why not see them as an early exhibition for the year ahead? Don't sweat opt-outs, because they afford more developmental opportunities to returning players.

It's not that simple, though. Bowls still matter to many fans, who are unlikely to award a free pass for getting trounced amid a wave of opt-outs.

Later in the episode, we offer our bowl game picks against the spread.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

 Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee are among SEC teams that might covet a transfer quarterback, and a marquee name joined the portal party on Monday, when Coastal Carolina's Grayson McCall announced he will transfer. He joins a list of outbound quarterbacks headlined by North Carolina State's Devin Leary and Clemson's DJ Uiagalelei.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and Mike Wilson go head to head as they try to build the best four-deep lineup of quarterbacks by drafting from players in the transfer portal.

They construct their dueling quarterback depth charts with a mix of proven veterans, Group of Five standouts and former Power Five backups.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Auburn didn't have to roll the dice on a coach with no FBS experience. The Tigers tapped a proven winner when they plucked Hugh Freeze from Liberty as their next coach.

Freeze comes to AU with enough baggage to fill a church van, but no one questions his coaching acumen or his recruiting chops. He should quickly re-establish the Tigers as a player in the SEC.

Meanwhile, Colorado made a bold move to hire Jackson State's Deion Sanders. Coach Prime should upgrade Colorado's talent, but he'll have to prove he can win at the Power Five level.

On this episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams explain why they award Auburn and Colorado the highest grades for schools that have hired coaches in this coaching carousel.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Michigan and TCU join Georgia as remaining undefeated teams, but we're unconvinced either of those schools is the top threat to the Bulldogs' throne.

Beware of Southern Cal.

On this episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams unpack why the Trojans may be the top challenger in Georgia's path to a repeat, if USC wins the Pac-12 Championship to earn playoff qualification.

They also debate whether Ohio State, Alabama or Tennessee should be in the playoff if USC stumbles, discuss Lane Kiffin's staying at Ole Miss and offer conference championship picks against the spread.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Tennessee football is out of College Football Playoff contention after a blowout loss to South Carolina, and Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is no longer a Heisman Trophy frontrunner after he got outplayed by Spencer Rattler. Worse, Hooker suffered a season-ending ACL tear in the fourth quarter, ending his special season and his college career.

With Hooker falling out of the Heisman debate, does the SEC still have a chance to produce a Heisman winner for the fourth straight season?

On this episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams reflect on the Gamecocks' stunning upset of Tennessee, and they reset the Heisman field.

Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Southern Cal's Caleb Williams are Heisman frontrunners. That's subject to change based on the outcomes of rivalry week and conference championship games. TCU's Max Duggan is in the mix, too.

LSU's Jayden Daniels may be the SEC's best hope. He doesn't have the passing stats to match Stroud, Hooker or Williams, but if the Tigers upset Georgia in the SEC Championship, Daniels could make a mad dash to New York.

Later, we offer rivalry week picks against the spread.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.