JOHN ZENOR

AP Sports Writer
Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) reacts after rushing for a first down near the Tulane goal line in the second half of an NCAA college football game in New Orleans, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. Mississippi won 37-20. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
No. 17 Ole Miss hosts King and Georgia Tech, eager to reverse SEC troubles against ACC teams
The Ole Miss Rebels are hoping they won’t become the latest ranked Southeastern Conference team to drop a nonconference game. The 17th-ranked Rebels are set to host Georgia Tech, who they beat 42-0 last season.
 
Alabama head coach Nick Saban paces the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Texas, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Alabama’s Saban says ‘the future is now’ for getting issues fixed after loss
Nick Saban says “the future is now” for Alabama to fix the issues that reared their heads in a loss to Texas. The 10th-ranked Crimson Tide tumbled seven spots in the rankings after that 34-24 loss.
 
Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) and Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (5) celebrate a touchdown by Worthy against Alabama during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
No. 4 Texas Longhorns try to stay grounded even as hype level soars after beating Alabama
The hype is coming for the Texas Longhorns like it hasn’t in years. That’s what happens when you knock off Alabama on the road and get your first win over a top-five team in 15 years.
 
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) celebrates the team's win over Alabama in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Hook ‘em Horns! No. 11 Texas, Ewers pull off 34-24 victory at No. 3 Alabama
Quinn Ewers finished what he started last season, passing for 349 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 11 Texas to a 34-24 victory over third-ranked Alabama on Saturday night in a huge win for a program trying to climb back into national championship contention.
 
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) jogs off the field after the team's win against Middle Tennessee in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
The spotlight in the Alabama-Texas game will be squarely on the 2 QBs, Quinn Ewers and Jalen Milroe
Quarterbacks Jalen Milroe and Quinn Ewers will take center stage in the Texas-Alabama showdown. Milroe is set to make his third start for the third-ranked Crimson Tide against No. 11 Texas. But it will be his biggest game yet.
 
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, center, celebrates with his team as they sing the school song after an NCAA college football game against Rice in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
No. 11 Texas and No. 3 Alabama meet again to battle for national stakes, not SEC supremacy. For now
Texas and Alabama aren’t Southeastern Conference rivals just yet. But the 11th-ranked Longhorns and No. 3 Crimson Tide are set for a big showdown as a prelude to those days, Texas is in its last Big 12 Conference season before joining Alabama in the SEC.
 
Alabama coach Nick Saban argues a call during the second half the team's NCAA college football game against Middle Tennessee, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 11 Texas highlights Week 2 of Southeastern Conference games
Southeastern Conference teams have two Top 25 matchups this weekend. No. 3 Alabama is hosting 11th-ranked Texas while 20th-ranked Mississippi is at Tulane, which is ranked 24th.
 
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, center, celebrates with his team as they sing the school song after an NCAA college football game against Rice in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
No. 4 Alabama, No. 11 Texas meet in rematch of last year’s down-to-wire game
No. 11 Texas and No. 4 Alabama are set to meet again a year after going down to the wire. The two tradition-rich programs and future Southeastern Conference opponents are set to face off in a potential Top-10 showdown in Tuscaloosa.
 
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) high-fives a fan after scoring a touchdown against Middle Tennessee during the first half an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Milroe has 5 TDs -- 3 passing, 2 rushing -- to lead No. 4 Alabama past Middle Tennessee, 56-7
Jalen Milroe passed for three long touchdowns and ran for a pair of scores to lead No. 4 Alabama to a 56-7 season-opening win over Middle Tennessee State.
 
FILE - Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (2) smiles as he walks off the field with a win after an NCAA college football game against Southern Mississippi, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Alabama opens their season at home against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 2. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)
No. 4 Alabama keeps starting QB under wraps as the opener against Middle Tennessee arrives
Alabama coach Nick Saban didn’t reveal his No. 1 quarterback this week _ or any other starter for that matter.
 
FILE - Then-Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders (3) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Texas Tech in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday Oct. 8, 2022. Sanders now plays for Ole Miss. Ole Miss opens their season at home against Mercer on Sept. 2. (AP Photo/Mitch Alcala, File)
Dart or Sanders? No. 22 Ole Miss opens season against Mercer with a quarterback quandary
Coach Lane Kiffin is back for Mississippi and so is quarterback Jaxson Dart. But Dart has faced a big challenge for the starting job from Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders.
 
FILE - Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher speaks during NCAA college football Southeastern Conference Media Days, Monday, July 17, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Texas A&M opens their season at home against New Mexico on Sept. 2. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
From Texas A&M to Auburn, the SEC is loaded with new offensive playcallers. There are 10 in all
A whopping 10 Southeastern Conference teams will have new offensive playcallers this season. That group includes Bobby Petrino at Texas A&M, where Jimbo Fisher’s Aggies have been stagnant offensively.
 
Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne talks to a reporter Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. Thorne is adapting well to life in the South, and to the Auburn offense. The graduate transfer from Michigan State has quickly settled in as Hugh Freeze’s starting quarterback in a region his family formerly passed through only on the way to the Florida beaches. “I love it down here,” Thorne said. (AP Photo/John Zenor)
So far, Auburn QB Payton Thorne a good fit for the Tigers after leaving Michigan State
Payton Thorne is adapting well to life in the South, and to the Auburn offense. The graduate transfer from Michigan State has quickly settled in as Hugh Freeze’s starting quarterback.
 
FILE - LSU head coach Brian Kelly disputes a call during the first half an NCAA college football game against Mississippi in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. LSU faces Alabama on Nov. 4, 2023. Kelly has brought the Tigers back to relevance, but Alabama's Nick Saban hasn't won seven national championships — the first at LSU in 2003 and the last six at Alabama — by failing to have his team ready for its biggest challenges. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton, File)
Chasing Georgia: Alabama, LSU now trying to catch up to 2-time defending champs
The Southeastern Conference opens the season with three Top-5 teams. There’s no question who’s at the top these days.
 
FILE - Florida A&M quarterback Jeremy Moussa (8) stands back to pass during the first half of the Orange Blossom Classic NCAA college football game against Florida A&M, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The heir apparent to ex-Jackson State star Shedeur Sanders as the league's top passer. Moussa passed for 2,732 yards and 21 touchdowns with 10 interceptions last season. He's the preseason first-team All-SWAC QB. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
FAMU, Southern favored as Jackson State and the SWAC move on to a season without Deion Sanders
It’s no longer Prime time in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. And maybe that’s not an entirely bad thing for the HBCU league, with the departure of Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders for Colorado and some of his best players from Jackson State creating a more level playing field.
 
FILE - Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford rolls out to pass against Texas A&M during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. Auburn opens their season at home against UMass on Sept. 2. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File)
Hugh Freeze trying to revitalize Auburn program, quarterback play in his latest SEC stop
Hugh Freeze is already bringing hope to an Auburn fan base that has endured tough times. The Tigers new coach has had some much-needed success in recruiting and transfer portal finds.
 
FILE - Mississippi running back Quinshon Judkins responds to questions during NCAA college football Southeastern Conference Media Days, Thursday, July 20, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Ole Miss opens their season at home against Mercer on Sept. 2. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Led by RB Quinshon Judkins, No. 22 Ole Miss tries to forget season-ending skid
Lane Kiffin wants his Mississippi teams “to be hard to beat,” and knows the Rebels were anything but when a promising season was derailed by a string of losses.
 
FILE - Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (2) smiles as he walks off the field with a win after an NCAA college football game against Southern Mississippi, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Alabama opens their season at home against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 2. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)
No. 4 Alabama reloads, strives for bounce-back season and a return to championship form
Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham thinks it’s “disrespectful” that the powerhouse program isn’t regarded as the Southeastern Conference favorite. That status belongs to two-time defending national champion Georgia.
 
FILE - Alabama defensive coordinator Kevin Steele works with his players as they warm up before Alabama's A-Day NCAA college football scrimmage on April 22, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Steele has been coaching for nearly a decade longer than Tommy Rees has been alive. Now, Steele is embarking on his second stint as Alabama’s defensive coordinator and Rees is approaching his first season as the Crimson Tide’s 31-year-old offensive coordinator. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)
Alabama’s new coordinators Steele and Rees join Saban’s staff
Kevin Steele has been coaching for nearly a decade longer than Tommy Rees has been alive. Now Steele is embarking on his second stint as Alabama’s defensive coordinator and Rees is approaching his first season as the Crimson Tide’s 31-year-old offensive coordinator.
 
FILE - Georgia quarterbacks Brock Vandagriff (12) and Carson Beck (15) warm up before the G - Day spring football game at Sanford Stadium, Saturday, April 15, 2023, in Athens, Ga. Beck has attempted 58 passes over the past three seasons. Third-year player Brock Vandagriff was a five-star recruit. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)
SEC teams banking on transfer QBs to help replace departed stars
The Southeastern Conference is leaning on help from high-profile transfers to replace some of the departed star power at quarterback. The league must replace a pair of top-5 draft picks and a two-time national champion.
 
Alabama’s Quinerly thriving after rocky start to career
Jahvon Quinerly used to lay awake at night wondering how things could have gone differently, though they’re going quite nicely these days. Now he is a point guard and second-leading scorer for No. 5 Alabama.
 
Coach Oats, No. 5 Alabama put pedal to metal in rapid rise
Nate Oats didn’t just speed up Alabama’s playing style by urging his players to put the pedal to the metal whenever they got the chance.
 
Alabama senior Herbert Jones named AP’s SEC player of year
 
From who’s No. 1 to who’s the next coach to be fired, AP college football writer Ralph Russo keeps on top of the all the news, trends and arguments fueling the most passionate fans in all of sports...
Saban expects to return to sidelines for Alabama-LSU game
Alabama coach Nick Saban expects to be back on the sidelines this weekend at LSU. Saban, who tested positive for COVID-19 last Wednesday, had to watch the top-ranked Crimson Tide’s 42-13 victory against rival Auburn over the weekend while offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian ran the show.
 
Ole Miss banking heavily on contributions from 3 transfers
Kermit Davis took Mississippi back to the NCAA Tournament in his first season two years ago. He’s banking heavily on transfers for any chance to make another run.
 
From who’s No. 1 to who’s the next coach to be fired, AP college football writer Ralph Russo keeps on top of the all the news, trends and arguments fueling the most passionate fans in all of sports...
No. 2 Bama striving to replace (some of) Waddle’s production
Alabama isn’t looking for Slade Bolden to be another Jaylen Waddle. Not even the second-ranked Crimson Tide has that kind of depth. Alabama (5-0) must find ways to be explosive without the threat of Waddle.
 
From who’s No. 1 to who’s the next coach to be fired, AP college football writer Ralph Russo keeps on top of the all the news, trends and arguments fueling the most passionate fans in all of sports...
No. 13 Auburn beats Arkansas 30-28 on Carlson’s field goal
Anders Carlson made the most of his second chance, hitting a 39-yard field goal with 7 seconds left to lift No. 13 Auburn to a 30-28 victory over Arkansas.
 
Ranked SEC teams cancel practice due to positive tests
Positive tests for COVID-19 has forced a pair of ranked Southeastern Conference teams to cancel at least a practice or two.
 
Blaney wins at Talladega after NASCAR unites behind Wallace
Ryan Blaney held onto the lead after a restart with two laps to go, earning his second straight win at Talladega Superspeedway on a day that began with NASCAR drivers throwing their support behind Bubba Wallace.
 
NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway postponed by rain
Thunderstorms washed out the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, an event further dampered Sunday night when news broke that a noose was found in Black driver Bubba Wallace’s garage stall.
 
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