SEC Football Unfiltered

It’s not the “Game of the Century,” but it is the Game of September.

No. 1 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama.

This is Kirby Smart’s latest opportunity to prove he rules college football in the absence of Nick Saban.

It’s Kalen DeBoer’s chance to show that the Alabama job is not too big for him, that the Tide selected the proper heir to Saban.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams preview Saturday’s clash of titans in Tuscaloosa and debate which coach needs a win in this game more.

Later in the episode, a look at how Tennessee sizzles, and Hugh Freeze fizzles at Auburn. Finally, Week 5 picks against the spread!

It's not a college football coaching search if Urban Meyer's name doesn't appear atop a fan base's wish list.

'Hire Urb! Back up the Brinks truck. Make him say no!'

Great plan, but what's idea No. 2 when Urb's Audi doesn't come roaring down University Avenue?

Better yet, what's idea No. 3 if Lane Kiffin says no?

Where would Florida football turn then when the time comes to replace Billy Napier? (Don't say Nick Saban. Not happening.)

On today's episode, host Blake Toppmeyer serves up nine potential candidates whom the Gators might consider when they inevitably cut the check to move on from Napier. Co-host John Adams rejects most of Toppmeyer's ideas before offering a rebuttal candidate that might be the most intriguing option of all.

Plus, Week 4 picks against the spread!

Our preseason College Football Playoff projections missed the mark.
I mean, Iowa? Was that pick for real, or a bad dream?
In any case, we're making revisions. At least we don't have to eliminate Notre Dame from the field. We never had the Irish in our projections.
On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams admit their mistakes and revise their playoff projections.
Later in the episode, they examine Texas' frontrunner credentials after the Longhorns smashed Michigan, and the bill comes due for Hugh Freeze's miscalculation at Auburn.
Also, Week 3 picks against the spread!

If Dabo Swinney wants to stand on principle and refuse to take transfers at Clemson, then he should follow Nick Saban into retirement.

Also, Billy Napier's Florida tenure is toast after the Gators' flop against Miami.

Are those Week 1 overreactions, or smart takes?

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams unpack those ideas and more after a tumultuous opening week.

The SEC's chance at five playoff teams took a hit after LSU and Texas A&M lost Top 25 nonconference clashes in their openers. Georgia deserves its frontrunner status, but did UGA show any vulnerability? Also, should Texas roll with Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning?

Those are topics under debate in this overreaction-or-smart take edition of the pod. Also, Week 2 picks against the spread!

Week 1 is loaded with marquee matchups involving SEC teams, but do season openers mean what they used to in this era of a 12-team College Football Playoff?

Florida State lost its opener against Georgia Tech, but the Seminoles retain a clear path to the playoff if they win the ACC Championship. However, that result still carried weight. It decreased the chances of the ACC qualifying multiple teams.

For SEC teams, these nonconference games could be the difference between earning an at-large playoff bid or not.

On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams discuss how the expanded playoff affects their perception of the regular season.

They also weigh in on Billy Napier’s job security and debate whether Georgia has earned “Alabama status.” The Bulldogs are heavily favored against Clemson.

The hosts finish by making their Week 1 picks against the spread.

No more whimsical predictions. It's time to get serious and lock in our playoff picks before the season begins.

Yes, we made previous predictions in the winter, spring and earlier this summer, but those were fanciful ideas that come when the season is months away. But, let the record show: These are our final playoff predictions of the preseason.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams offer their 12 teams for the playoff. While they agree on some teams, they disagree on several. That includes multiple disagreements about SEC qualifiers.

Adams offers a sleeper from the SEC among his playoff picks, and he pulls a wild card for one of his final spots that leaves Toppmeyer speechless.

Meanwhile, Adams says one of Toppmeyer's playoff picks will be toast after Week 1.

Georgia is the runaway preseason No. 1 team, and it doesn't matter who's voting. The AP Poll matched the US LBM Coaches Poll in putting the Bulldogs atop the rankings, by a wide margin.

Georgia isn't the only loaded team, though. Ohio State bursts with All-America talent, too.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams examine Georgia's credentials as preseason No. 1, and they unpack the idea of the SEC pushing for more than five playoff bids. Yes, more than five.

So, why is Georgia No. 1 and not Ohio State?

Two words: Kirby Smart.

Georgia's coach is one of three active coaches who have won a national championship, and he's got two. That inspires confidence and expectations. Also, two more words: Carson Beck. Georgia returned its star quarterback, while Ohio State will rely on transfer Will Howard.

Later in the episode, the hosts highlight a couple of SEC teams that might leave themselves on the playoff bubble even if they finish 10-2.

The SEC crowded out the competition in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. Nine SEC teams are ranked. That’s three more ranked teams than even the Big Ten.

Who’s overrated? Who’s underrated? And does the SEC possess a playoff sleeper team lurking under the radar?

On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams unpack the preseason Top 25 and what it means for the College Football Playoff.

They consider only two teams to be threats to the SEC reclaiming the national championship: Ohio State and Oregon. They also discuss why the Big Ten might be closer in strength to the ACC or Big 12 than it is to the SEC.

And they examine the preseason top 12 and rate each team as “IN” or “OUT” of the College Football Playoff. Adams boots five preseason top-12 teams from his list of playoff qualifiers, while Toppmeyer nixes three top-12 teams from his playoff field.

Georgia football navigates another offseason marred by player disciplinary issues.

The latest: Wide receiver Rara Thomas faces a felony charge of child cruelty and multiple counts of family violence after his arrest last week. Thomas also got cited for three traffic incidents this offseason, adding to Georgia’s string of dangerous driving. Georgia suspended Thomas from the team indefinitely.

But, is Smart doing enough to slow Georgia's off-the-field incidents that keep piling up? And, could these disciplinary issues affect Georgia’s on-field performance?

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams weigh in on the situation at Georgia.

The hosts say Smart should levy more discipline. Start by dismissing Thomas from the program. In reality, Smart probably won't do much. Coaches have little incentive to be heavy-handed with player discipline. If a coach dismisses an athlete, he can transfer to a conference rival in no time. Plus, there’s no evidence that Georgia's off-field issues hamper the on-field product.

Maybe college football would be better served by conferences handling player discipline, rather than coaches and institutions.

Later in the episode, a look at Mark Stoops' blistering comments about Kentucky football’s NIL efforts. To hear Stoops tell it, UK is a shoestring operation run by an exhausted coach.

The mercury is rising on the SEC’s hot seat before the season even begins.

Multiple SEC coaches face potential make-or-break seasons. Sam Pittman (Arkansas) and Billy Napier (Florida) are battling the most heat prior to their openers, but Clark Lea (Vanderbilt) and Shane Beamer (South Carolina) also will encounter critical seasons.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams take the temperature of those four jobs.

Beamer is the only member of the quartet above .500 during his tenure, but the Gamecocks are coming off a season of regression. If Pittman’s record doesn’t rebound after last year’s tailspin, he could trigger a performance clause in his contract that would allow Arkansas to fire him for a discount. Napier’s Gators face one of the nation’s toughest schedules. Lea’s last SEC win came in 2022.

The hosts predict three of these four coaches will be fired, but they disagree on which three and debate the timing of the firings.