Thanks to help from opposing adversaries, Georgia got what at least appeared by the final score to be a 41-13 win against Oklahoma on Saturday.

here are 10 thoughts from an afternoon of handling business.

If there is a legacy game for Roquan Smith at Georgia, it’s the 2018 Rose Bowl. Ironically, Chris Cole’s version may have also been on Saturday against the Sooners.

Speaking of Cole….his scoop and score does not happen if not for the immaculate condition of the Sanford Stadium Turf.

Georgia was better than Oklahoma, but how much? Total yards were mostly even, but Georgia did what good teams do – take full advantage of a short field. The offense may have misfired in the second half, but the second quarter nulled that out.

Between the White Out and Stripe Out, can we please get back to simplifying things? Red or Black? Just wear what you desire.

There was no begging for it this week, but the crowd rattled Oklahoma on offense. See the multiple delay of game penalties and two burned timeouts barely into the second quarter.

There was concern at this time a week ago about how a possible absence of Nate Frazier would impact the offense. The answer? Not much. With what Chauncey Bowen was able to do and Dwight Phillips stepping up, Saturday showed how deep this position is for Georgia.

maybe in retrospect, it was a bad idea to reference Shane Falco in the Sugar Bowl to John Mateer.

The biggest break so far for Georgia? It’ll avoid Mississippi State and Kamario Taylor.

Hopefully, Georgia Tech being bad makes that game in November at 7 pm SEC Network kickoff.

Florida could be the toughest opponent on the schedul…so naturally this could be in a year with the game not in Jacksonville.

Go Dawgs!

.

You know the scene. You’ve seen it a thousand times. A college football coach stands alone on the sidelines, his players and assistants looking to him for answers that he doesn’t have. They’ve lost this football game, and lost it badly.

“Charley Pell’s off-the-books slush fund!” you think, “what must that guy be thinking in this moment?!?!”

As usual we have some ideas. Friends, this is Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables in the waning moments of Saturday’s 41-13 loss to your Georgia Bulldogs:

What was Brent Venables thinking?

A) “‘Defense wins championships’ my butt.”

B) “Thank goodness Lincoln Riley’s stinking it up at USC, that should buy me a little time.”

C) “Let me just set this Google news alert for ‘Dabo Swinney fired.‘ Just in case.“

D) “????There’s Mateer, I need beer, ‘cause to the playoffs we ain’t near…..????

As always, your speculation on what was going on in Coach Venables’ head are welcome in the comments.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Good morning, Dawg Nation. We’re a third of the way through college football’s regular season (boo!) and your Georgia Bulldogs remain undefeated (yeah!). The journey continues this Saturday with the Bulldogs taking on the Vanderbilt Commodores.

The Red and Black open as a 24.5 point favorite over the “Dores, roughly the same margin by which they were favored over Arkansas. A weird thing that has occurred this season? The Bulldogs have covered the Vegas thread in each of the first four weeks of the season. I’m not sure the last time that happened, I just know that I haven’t seen it I. Awhile. It’s symptomatic of a Bulldog team that just hasn’t had a misstep all season. That’s a really rare thing in college football.

Vanderbilt will of course be quarterbacked by freshman Jared Curtis, last seen flipping his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt the day before Signing Day. Coaches who have faced Curtis have confirmed that he is a special talent.

I suspect an inordinate amount of attention is going to be focused on Curtis’s decision this week, and that if asked about Kirby Smart will call it an non-issue. And perhaps he’s right. But it will be the subplot of this game much to Kirby’s consternation.

Personally, I’m not too broken up about Curtis’s decision. Everyone has a right to make their own life decisions based on their own priorities. Some want to be developed, compete against the best every day, and be in the running for national championships. Others want to be told they could start as a true freshman and get a cameo in a Nate Bargatze movie. Life’s all about priorities, you know?

Dean Legge at SI has a good summation of the good, bad, and ugly from Georgia’s win over Oklahoma. Personally I’d like to focus on the third quarter slumber that the Dawgs fell into, playing probably their worst football of the season. As Kirby said postgame, great teams just don’t have those performance gaps. Because if you let up against another great team you can see the entire momentum of the football game change just like that. Ask Ole Miss during the LSU game or Ohio State after their loss to Texas. College football is truly a four quarter game. Kirby Smart’s challenge with his team remains getting them to play all four quarters against opponents they can beat to a pulp in two. Until later…

Go Dawgs!!!

AP Poll

1. Texas
2. Georgia
3. Notre Dame
4. Miami
5. Ohio State
6. Indiana
7. Alabama
8. Florida
9. Ole Miss
10. BYU
11. LSU
12. Texas Tech
13. Utah
14. Iowa
15. Oregon
16. Mississippi State
17. Tennessee
18. USC
19. Oklahoma State
20. Houston
21. SMU
22. Boise State
23. UCLA
24. Kentucky
25. Missouri

Georgia Update

Georgia welcomed Oklahoma to Athens and immediately took a 28-0 lead before beating the Sooners by a final score of 41-13.

The Bulldogs maintained their #2 ranking in the AP Poll ahead of their clash with Vanderbilt at Sanford Stadium

Newcomers

#19 Oklahoma State, #22 Boise State, #23 UCLA, #24 Kentucky

Dropped Out

#13 Penn State, #16 Louisville, #18 Michigan, #23 Texas A&M

Ranked Matchups

#7 Alabama at #16 Mississippi State

#5 Ohio State at #14 Iowa

#8 Florida at #25 Missouri

Upset Alert

Everything is telling me that Alabama will soundly beat Mississippi State… everything but one. Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor is maybe the most entertaining and electrifying player in college football. If anyone is going to repeat Johnny Manziel’s performance against the Tide, it will be him. Give me the Bulldogs at home against the Tide as 6.5 point underdogs.

Mateer has led Georgia to a 28-0 halftime lead over the Sooners. Oops. My bad…..forgot where I was for a moment.

Yesterday was a perfect day for football. You may remember that DS (Dear Son) applied to UGA back in the day, and was accepted. Because UGA’s Engineering program was new back then, he opted to go to Death Valley by the lake. When he was there, we attended a couple of days during Parent’s Weekend, but this is the first time since he was in school that we’ve been able to attend any game together. He was supposed to come for the season opener in 2024 (UGA vs. Clemson in Atlanta), but ended up being unable to come. When this year’s schedule was announced, he insisted that he wanted to come for the Oklahoma game, since he’s now living on Tulsa Time.

He arrived Friday while I was still at work, having flown TUL-ATL wearing his Etienne jersey (Clemson, not UGA), since they drew the Pac12 After Dark game Friday night. We all took naps (since none of us are spring chickens anymore), and watched the Clemson game (full disclosure: Mr. Squillian & DS watched the whole game, I had to opt out when the score was tied 10-10). 

We planned to leave by 9:30, but ended up leaving just after 10AM. A quick stop by the local CFA, and a stop for gas, and we were on our way to the Classic City. We arrived at the deck before the busses started running, so we walked to the Dawg Walk. I hadn’t realized DS had never been to the Dawg Walk, so this was a new experience for him (*he had friends who went to UGA so if Clemson was away, he spent the weekend in Athens*). We entered there so I could show him where the UGAs are buried and get pom poms. I was very excited that they had put out black pom poms on the home side (part of the stripe Sanford initiative – there were black poms on the home side, red poms on the visitor side, but the end zones only had white poms in certain seats – they weren’t in our seats (but I had white poms from last week’s whiteout)). So now I have many, many red poms, but now I have black poms AND white poms!

I told DS he could have as much beer as he wanted, and he took full advantage. We got our souvenir cups, our CFA sandwiches from the same place I get them every game, and then I showed him:

This marker is directly across from the tunnel that leads to our seats. Podunkdawg chose these seats in May, before we lost her in August. She didn’t know this marker was there. She couldn’t have known. It was an emotional moment for us both, because the only people that could possibly miss her more than the two of us would be her husband and sons.

However, it is our intention to celebrate Georgia Bulldog Football Wins whenever and wherever they occur. The ugliness or beauty of any particular win is irrelevant for the purposes of the Winning Smart Victory Post. It is therefore my deepest honor and privilege to bring to you this week’s edition of: The Winning Smart Victory Post.

Coach Kirby Smart coached his 142nd game this week for the Red & Black. He currently boasts a 121-21 record and a 0.8521 winning percentage, having carded his one hundred twenty-first win overall in the fourth game of the 2026 season against the Boomer Sooners of Oklahoma.

At the identical juncture in their careers:

Vince Dooley’s 142nd game as head coach resulted in a Georgia Bulldogs win over Cincinnati in the eighth game of the 1976 season, giving Coach Dooley a record of 95-42-5 and a 0.6866 percentage.

Coach Mark Richt was 106-36 (0.7465) after a win over Yech in the final regular season game of the 2011 season.

One hundred and forty two games into his head coaching career Kirby Smart is fifteen games ahead of Coach Mark Richt and ahead of Coach Vince Dooley by 26 games. As of now, he is holding his own versus the two winningest coaches in Georgia Football History.

As always . . .

Go ‘Dawgs !!!!

If the Georgia Bulldogs played a football game last weekend then Nathan and Yara are here this week to review it. That’s just how the world works, Dawgs. Topics covered in this review include:

• Casting our gaze around the SEC: is it possible that Florida is actually good? And how is Ole Miss this bad?

• Nathan goes all “Memento Mori” in regard to Kirby Smart’s tenure at Georgia, and provides perhaps the most impressively specific sandwich order I’ve ever heard.

• Chris Cole, bestriding the narrow football field like a Colossus.

• Statistical truth: Two football teams in Athens got to very similar numbers on the stat sheet in very, very different ways.

• Like you and me, Demelo Jones and the rest of the UGA defense are apparently vulnerable to good Beers.

• Wait, has Yara now been officially converted to the Church of Bobo?

• Ask CBC: White out, black out, stripe out, all good as long as the Dawgs are playing all out.

As always we kindly ask that you like, rate, subscribe, and patreonize the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Welcome to Wednesday, also known as halfway to the Dawgs getting ready to face a fairly-common Homecoming opponent in Vanderbilt.

That’s not to discount the Commodores…its truthfully how the schedule has fallen. Vandy is not to be taken lightly, even if the late, great Lewis Grizzard did quip that “Spain couldn’t beat Vanderbilt!” When talking about the darkness of the Ray Goff era, it was perhaps at its darkest in that infamous Homecoming loss…but that’s enough of that trauma.

Thanks to the power of social media, ESPN’s SkyCast angle of Chris Cole’s fumble return is making the rounds. Simply put – its a masterpiece. In terms of crowd pops, it might be the biggest since the start of the Arkansas noon kickoff in 2021.

Speaking of the interwebs, here’s the reminder that there is wrong, and then there is Colin Cowherd wrong. Pro tip: Don’t let any of your Georgia Southern friends see the below…

I guess imitation is the most sincere form of flattery? A trademark of Jon Sumrall’s weekly regimen in Gainesville is “Bloody Tuesday.” If that sounds familiar – it is – as its a phrase that Kirby Smart made famous at some point after coming to Athens. Look, coaching is a lot of monkey-see, monkey-do. There are NO secrets. So you really think play designs are all devised on some secret cave? It happens through someone seeing something and saying, ‘hey, we should implement that.“ These coaches text back and forth and are going to know what one another does.

The always dialed in updates of UGA covered from The Red & Black include some NFL Dawgs updates

In terms of defensive players, one of the more famous European Bulldogs is Richard Tardits, aka Le Sack. He held the school’s sack record until David Pollack shattered it. The next one may be defensive lineman JJ Hanne of Germany orginally (Insert a Buford T Justice reference here if you wish). Hanne had to actually beg his mother to let him play football…that has ended up being a win for Georgia.

Go Dawgs!

Welcome to Tuesday, Bulldog Fans! Your Bulldogs are 4-0, and undefeated in conference play. 40+ points in each win, each by 4 touchdowns, ranked #2 in the land, and yet (we know, we know). These are the first world problems UGA fans face in this golden era of Georgia football. A wise man once told me, “in the absence of results, you’d better show effort”. And it seems to applicable to Bulldog football.

In the regular Monday press conference headlined by the UGA Head Football Coach, Kirby Smart stayed the course, giving the assembled personages such insight as how hard a player has worked in the offseason, that several players continue to grow and get better, that he likes tough, physical play, and that “effort counts twice” (See: Humphreys, Landon). Since I’m merely a grey-shirted preferred walk-on scout team member with no hope of scholarship in the world of college football bloggers, I’ll give this my best effort.

And if you want to know if a particular Bulldog is injured, practicing, rehabbing, questionable, or any other possible status ahead of this Saturday’s tilt, I have 3 words for you: check the availability report that comes out Tuesday at 8:10. Okay, that’s more than 3 words, but Kirby Smart will give you nothing else. That seems to be our M.O. going forward – wait until the conference mandated availability report. On brand, to be sure.

Not only did Chris Cole win the coveted and much sought-after defensive MVD award for his play against Oklahoma, he also received the slightly less coveted and minutely less sought-after SEC Defensive Player of the Week. Quite a 48 hours for the Junior Linebacker from Salem, VA.

They’ve finally decided that a 24+ point underdog visiting Athens is commonplace, so this weekend’s Vanderbilt game will be broadcast Saturday at 12:45 pm ET on the SEC Network.

But they also decided that current #2 Georgia visiting current #7 Alabama is worthy of a few more eyeballs. And that yes, Georgia football under the lights is truly electric and merits a night game. But not in Athens anytime soon. Thus we will see our Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa at 7:30 pm on ABC.

The good news is that no less than Pat Forde already has UGA beating the Tide in their house October 10. The bad news is that we lose in the Benz to the resurgent Gators. No matter your feeling of his prognostications, he makes a good point that the November 3rd initial CFP ranking show will be preferred watching to the mid-term election coverage.

We’re Number 1! We’re Number 1! According to the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) is concerned. Frankly I hadn’t paid this much attention. So as I ponder, do I think UGA is the best college football team? I guess. We have our flaws, and I tend to find them in Athens a little quicker than at other programs. #JustBeatVandy.

No internal handling of player punishment, no conference mandated suspensions, no ACCPD reports (that we know of), no disappointing news to report here. Only positive vibes on this Tuesday of the second third of the Georgia Bulldog football regular season. Have a day friends, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

We did get good news rather quickly. The Braves announced during the game that X-rays were negative, and another report from after the game said that the CT scan was also negative. But sitting just a week away from the start of the postseason, there was still some level of concern.

That looks to be put to bed with this latest report from Mark Bowman, who says Acuña was ready to play tonight but the Braves wanted to give him the day off. He’ll likely be back in the lineup tomorrow.

It’s been another roller-coaster season for Ronald Acuña Jr. He’s spent two different stints on the Injured List, costing him more than 50 games, and even when he’s been in the lineup, he hasn’t looked quite like himself for most of the season.

That changed around a month ago. Over his last 23 games, he’s hitting .368 with seven home runs, easily the best of anybody in the Braves’ lineup. Acuña is looking like the guy who won the NL MVP back in 2023 again, and for as much as Atlanta’s offense has struggled for long stretches this season, they could ill afford to lose that kind of production heading into October.

—

(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

Coming off their first missed postseason since 2017, there were plenty of concerns about how this team would bounce back with a new manager after Brian Snitker decided to hang it up. Those concerns were only exacerbated by injuries to Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, and Spencer Strider during Spring Training.

Inside the clubhouse, however, there was never a sign of panic. The Braves claimed the NL East lead on April 10th and burst out to the best record in baseball through the first two months. Up until June, everything was clicking, but chinks in the armor eventually began to show.

Injuries continued to take their toll on the rotation, and then the bullpen lost one of its top guys in Robert Suarez, who didn’t make his return to the mound until last night. But surprisingly, it was the offense that was primarily responsible for the Braves’ lulls over the final four months.

Austin Riley never could quite find his footing — something he’s still trying to figure out in a hurry before postseason baseball begins next week. Ronald Acuña Jr. missed more than 50 games, Drake Baldwin missed a month, Sean Murphy missed damn near the entire season, and Ozzie Albies fell off a cliff following a hot start.

It wasn’t exactly a formula for an NL East title. Yet every time it felt like the wheels were about to come off, they’d pull it together and go on a run, keeping the Phillies at arm’s length the entire way before clinching the division with a week to play.

The Braves haven’t been an elite baseball team from a record or statistical standpoint for quite some time. On paper, their rotation should be one of the worst in the league, and basically everybody has already written off their chances come October — most didn’t even think they’d make it there. The fact that they are is a testament to the resolve of the entire group.

They never stopped finding ways to grind out wins, and when the dust settles, they’ll likely have 95 under their belt — the fourth-best record in Major League Baseball.

For that reason, ESPN gave Atlanta an A-grade for its regular season performance.

“More steady than dominant, the Braves built an early lead in the NL East but appeared vulnerable at times to the Phillies catching them — a lead that was as large as 10½ games on May 22 got as low as two games — but Atlanta beat Philadelphia four out of seven games in September to essentially wrap up the division,” David Schoenfield writes.

“Huge shoutout to Chris Sale, who carried a rotation that received just eight starts from Spencer Strider and none from Spencer Schwellenbach. Grant Holmes and Martin Perez also stepped up, while trade addition Tyler Mahle has been the best pickup of the deadline. Alongside Sale, the bullpen has been the team’s MVP, with the highest win probability added in the majors.”

The Braves’ ragtag bunch of arms rarely wavered the entire season. The bullpen was among the best in baseball from start to finish, featuring an incredible breakout campaign from rookie Didier Fuentes — possibly the most underrated reliever in the sport right now.

But not enough can be said about the likes of Grant Holmes, Martin Perez, and Bryce Elder. These were fringe roster guys who stepped up and are the only reason the Braves are thinking about October. Without them, it’s another long offseason of reviewing what went wrong.

Some grief can be thrown Alex Anthopoulos’ way for his lack of aggressiveness last winter and at the trade deadline. It’s fair to say this team has holes he could have addressed, but this regular season grade isn’t about him. It’s about the 26 guys in the clubhouse and the 20 more who made an appearance throughout the season. This roster had no business winning the division with the injuries taken into account, and they did so rather easily — a huge testament to Walt Weiss, who should receive strong consideration for NL Manager of the Year honors.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

The All-Star reliever hadn’t pitched in a major-league game since the middle of June, and had only pitched in one game, period, since then — a one-inning relief appearance for the Gwinnett Stripers last weekend. It wasn’t a clean outing on Wednesday night. In fact, Suarez actually gave up the go-ahead run after surrendering a triple to the first batter he faced. But he was able to limit the damage to just the one run, setting down the next three batters in order.

And most encouraging? Suarez was lighting up the radar gun at 99 MPH.

There’s obviously still some rust the veteran must overcome, and unfortunately, he doesn’t have much time to do so before the damage really starts to count. Walt Weiss said before the game that Suarez will make one more appearance on Saturday prior to the Wild Card Series, but from the eye test his first time out, the stuff is difficult to differentiate from what we saw earlier in the season. It looks like the Braves got back an incredible weapon at just the right time.

On the offensive side of things, Austin Riley and Matt Olson both hit solo shots, leading to a 2-2 game going into extras. Brent Suter was able to set down the Reds in order in the top half of the inning, continuing his stellar work since the Braves acquired him at the trade deadline, and then Mauricio Dubon finished the job with a high-bouncing chopper that never even passed the mound but was enough to bring in the speedy DaShawn Keirsey Jr.

But the most impressive thing about Wednesday night — shockingly — was Chris Sale putting the cherry on top of his incredible 2026 campaign. The 37-year-old was making his final start of the season — a tune-up before he takes the mound in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series. Expectations were that he would go through the motions for four or five innings to stay loose, but there’s no such thing as 90% when Chris Sale has the ball in his hand.

He wound up throwing 97 pitches, finishing 5.2 innings of one-run ball, and his last pitch was a strikeout, giving him a clean 200 punchouts on the campaign.

Sale’s final numbers for the season are simply absurd, finishing with a 2.16 ERA and leading the league in BB/9, HR/9, and K/BB ratio. He had 200 strikeouts compared to just 31 walks — nonsensical numbers for a third season in a row, all of which came after the rest of the league had deemed him finished due to a wide array of injuries. There was no better way for him to finish things off, but the real fun begins next week, when Sale takes the mound in a playoff game for the first time as a member of the Braves.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

However, the first two weeks came with third-string quarterback Cooper Rush under center. Michael Penix Jr. is set to make his season debut against the Packers, which should jolt some life into the entire team. There are also several stats that suggest this could be a much more interesting matchup than people might expect.

Atlanta Falcons — The Kings Of Primetime

I discussed it earlier in the week, but even though the Falcons have missed out on postseason play in each of the last two seasons, one area where they have thrived is in these primetime matchups. They went 4-1 on the national stage a year ago and are 7-3 over the last two seasons.

Of course, whether that stat means anything heading into this matchup could be picked apart, but this one is much more interesting. Kevin Stefanski is 5-0 on Thursday Night Football, with four of those victories coming after he lost the previous game.

That’s not just a random number. Kevin Stefanski wasn’t coaching a powerhouse out in Cleveland. He was an underdog in most every matchup, so the fact that his teams are undefeated when dealing with short weeks is a strong indication that he’s figured out how to approach things when there’s not as much time to game plan. We’ll see if the trends continue tomorrow.

A Mismatch In The Trenches

The Falcons’ embarrassing performances have allowed a lot of other teams that have underperformed through the first two weeks to fly under the radar. The Packers are one of those teams. They were embarrassed by the Vikings in Week 1, who were playing with backup quarterback Carson Wentz, and then narrowly escaped with a three-point victory in overtime against the Jets.

Green Bay has been a surprisingly terrible team to start the season, and a lot of the problems stem from the offensive line. They rank dead last in rush yards per game and are also last in pass block win rate (18%). That’s a massive matchup advantage for the Falcons, who have been very good across the defensive front even without James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker.

A primary reason for that has been a much more stout interior presence. The additions of guys like Maason Smith and Gervon Dexter Sr. have proven to be massive upgrades, as the group leads the NFL in pressures with 23. This matchup could prove to be the difference in the game, even if all the focus is on the quarterback position.

Tired Teams On Short Weeks

This isn’t gambling advice, but take it how you will. Teams that exhausted a lot of energy the week prior typically do not perform well on short weeks. Last week, the Packers went into overtime on the road and squeaked out a win over the Jets. Over the last 20 matchups on Thursday Night Football where a team went into overtime the previous week, those teams are 2-18 ATS.

And you don’t have to look far to find a previous example. One occurred just last week with the Lions, who beat the Saints in overtime in Week 1 and followed it up with a blowout loss to the Bills. The Packers are listed as 4.5-point favorites in this game, so they could still win and not cover, but this trend suggests it will at least be a very close game.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

The good news is that the best bet came through again, with South Alabama (barely) covering as a four-point home favorite against Ohio. Week 4 now brings what looks to be the most exciting Saturday slate we’ve had so far this season. There are a lot of games I like, so I’ll try to narrow the board down to my favorites. Here’s what I’ve got.

2026 record: 7-4

Wake Forest +14 at Louisville

I’ve had this spot circled since June. For starters, there is a legitimate matchup case for Wake being able to hang around. Louisville’s pass defense has been leaky early in the season, giving up 41 to Ole Miss and 31 to SMU, but if Kevin Jennings hadn’t fumbled going into the end zone late, the Mustangs very well could have scored 38.

Wake Forest has enough juice offensively to take advantage. The Demon Deacons can push the ball down the field with Gio Lopez and one of the ACC’s more underrated receivers, Carlos Hernandez. Louisville does have an excellent pass rush led by Clev Lubin and A.J. Green, but its run defense hasn’t been impressive, particularly when it comes to stuffing runs at the line of scrimmage. Wake doesn’t need to dominate on the ground; it just needs a few yards to keep the passing downs manageable.

Don’t get me wrong, Louisville is going to move the football too. The Cardinals’ rushing attack behind the Brown brothers has taken this offense to another level, and I expect plenty of points in this game. But catching two touchdowns with two offenses capable of scoring quickly means the backdoor is always open for Wake Forest.

The biggest reason I’ve wanted Wake in this spot is because of how horrible Jeff Brohm’s Louisville teams have looked in spots like this in years prior. Everybody knows how dangerous Brohm is as an underdog, but Louisville has repeatedly turned into a pumpkin in the favorite role, particularly after big wins.

Louisville went just 1-7 ATS as a home favorite last season! After an important road win at Pitt, the Cardinals returned home and lost outright as a seven-point favorite against Virginia. A few weeks later, after upsetting Miami, Louisville came out extremely flat as 24-point favorites against 1-7 Boston College, and was still in a seven-point game with roughly two minutes left.

The best example is when Louisville won on the road at Virginia Tech, and with Clemson waiting on deck, the Cards lost 29-26 to Cal as an 18.5-point favorite.

Now the Cardinals are coming off a major win against SMU and walk right into a sleepy noon kickoff at home against what I expect to be a hungry Demon Deacons team. It is exactly the kind of spot where Louisville has struggled to bring the same energy it shows in its biggest games.

Wake also played Friday night last week, giving the Demon Deacons one additional day to prepare. Under Brohm, Louisville is 5-7 ATS when playing with a rest disadvantage. It’s just another small factor pointing in Wake’s favor.

My power ratings make this Louisville -11.5, so I see a couple of points of value on top of a golden opportunity to fade Jeff Brohm in a spot where his teams have consistently struggled and come out flat. The backdoor will always be open in this game, but I think Wake is capable of making Louisville sweat for four quarters.

Oklahoma State +2.5 at West Virginia

This line has moved around all week, but I’ll take what’s available at the time of writing. I make Oklahoma St -2 in this matchup, so that’s enough value for me to grab the Pokes as a short road dog.

I was spot-on with my West Virginia rating last week against Virginia, and even after upgrading the Mountaineers following that upset win, I still can’t get all the way to making them favored here. I was impressed with West Virginia. Michael Hawkins has been electric, Cam Cook gives them a legitimate bellcow in the backfield, and the passing game made more plays than I expected against a Virginia secondary I liked coming into the season.

But this is also a tricky spot for West Virginia. The Mountaineers are riding high after a big rivalry win, while Oklahoma State practically had a bye last week. The Pokes rested starters throughout the second half of their 59-0 win over Murray State, and I’m sure Eric Morris and staff spent most of the week prepping for this matchup instead of their FCS foe.

After preparing for Virginia’s run-heavy offense last week, West Virginia now has to completely flip the script against an Oklahoma State team that wants to attack through the air. The Mountaineers ranked 129th nationally in pass defense last season, and while there has been slight improvement, they still sit near the bottom of the country in pass defense and defending explosive passes.

That’s dangerous against Drew Mestemaker, who has really found his groove over the last two weeks. Oklahoma State already proved this offense can move the ball against high-level competition in the upset of Oregon, and Caleb Hawkins gives the Cowboys a real threat in the running game to keep West Virginia from simply selling out against the pass. Getting starting guard Joseph Hanson and receiver Chris Barnes back from injuries should only help this offense.

My biggest concern comes with Mestemaker himself, who has only faced one Power 4 opponent in his college career (Oregon), and now heads into Morgantown for his first Power 4 road start. He has already thrown four interceptions, and turnovers are probably the clearest path to Oklahoma State losing this game. If Mestemaker and the Cowboys can simply play West Virginia even in the turnover battle, I think Oklahoma State wins outright.

I upgraded West Virginia after last week, but I still don’t agree with what looks like a touchdown-sized move in their power rating. In what looks like a high-scoring game, I’ll take the points with Oklahoma St and bet on the Pokes pulling the outright upset in Morgantown.

Miami-Ohio -3.5 vs UConn

I make Miami-Ohio -6.5 here, so getting the RedHawks at -3.5 gives me three points of value, although I’d love to get -3 if it showed up somewhere.

These records are a little misleading. Miami is just 1-2, but has already gone on the road to face Pitt and Cincinnati. UConn’s two wins have come against Lafayette and a Southern Miss team I have rated more than 12 points worse than Miami.

I came away impressed with the RedHawks last week despite blowing a second-half lead in the loss to Cincinnati. Miami led by 21 before falling 35-31, but more importantly, QB David McComb continues to look better every week. He was thrust into the starting role with no college experience after projected starter Thomas Gotkowski suffered a season-ending injury before Week 1. McComb threw for 334 yards against Cincinnati after going 13-for-13 with three touchdowns against Holy Cross, and Miami has quietly developed a very explosive passing attack.

UConn’s pass-defense numbers look good, but this defense was just shredded for 347 yards against Maryland. Now they face a Miami offense that has been consistently generating explosive plays through the air with McComb and receivers Maleek Huggins and Damarion Witten.

I think Miami’s ugly defensive numbers are somewhat schedule-driven. UConn is a significant step down in competition from Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. The situational spot also favors Miami, with UConn playing its second straight road game after a long trip to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, last weekend. Meanwhile, the RedHawks have Homecoming this weekend and return home, where Chuck Martin’s teams are 12-6 ATS since 2023.

I’m not a fan of new UConn coach Jason Candle, who underperformed year after year at Toledo. With three points of value in my projected line, I’ll gladly take the chance to fade Candle and a UConn team that may be slightly overrated after playing an easy schedule. I trust McComb to keep making plays through the air, and I like Chuck Martin’s team to bounce back at home.

Auburn -9 vs. Vanderbilt

This spread may look a little big, but my power ratings are right in line with it, and I’m willing to lay the points with Auburn. This should be a desperate Tigers team after a close win over Baylor and a bad home loss to Florida. Auburn and Alex Golesh need a strong response here, because another loss–or even another uninspiring performance–will have the fan base getting restless in a hurry.

I’m not ready to call Vanderbilt a fraud, but I do think the Dores are a little overrated right now. They were completely uninspiring in Week 1 against Austin Peay, struggled to pull away from Delaware in Week 2, and now they’re coming off an emotional, fortunate comeback win over NC State. All the attention this week has been on that dramatic finish, and this feels like a spot where Vanderbilt could have trouble matching that same energy.

Freshman QB Jared Curtis is clearly the better option over Blaze Berlowitz, and Clark Lea made the right call going to him last week. But Curtis also showed some freshman mistakes, throwing three interceptions in his first start, including one late that probably should have ended the game if not for the last-second chaos from NC State.

Now there’s no time to settle in. Curtis heads straight into only his second career start, and it comes at one of the nation’s most hostile environments, Jordan-Hare Stadium, against an Auburn team and crowd desperate for a win.

Look for the Tigers to have a big day on the ground, as Vanderbilt’s run defense has struggled to create pressure and negative plays. That sets up nicely for RB Jeremiah Cobb and QB Byrum Brown. If Auburn can stay ahead of the chains on the ground, Brown should spend most of the afternoon working in manageable second- and third-down situations instead of constantly facing obvious passing downs.

Curtis has definitely flashed, but he’s still a freshman quarterback making his first road start in one of the toughest environments in the country. In what feels like a desperation spot for Auburn and Golesh, I’ll lay the points and trust the Tigers to finally put together a complete performance.

Other Thoughts/Leans

Michigan -4 vs Iowa — I seriously considered making this my Best Bet of the week. My power ratings make Michigan -9.5 because I’m much lower on Iowa than the market; I just don’t see how the Hawkeyes score enough against one of the best defenses in the country. Michigan wins 17-9.

NIU @ Georgia State, Over 55 — Georgia State profiles as a great “over” team with an explosive offense and a defense that has plenty of holes. They should score plenty against one of the worst defenses in the country, and I think NIU can do enough offensively to help push this game over 55.

South Florida -17 @ Bowling Green — I make this around -19, so not a ton of value. But I have BGSU as one of the worst teams in the country, and the Falcons are bottom 15 in the nation in every defensive and offensive category.

Mississippi St -3 vs Missouri — I grabbed this when it opened, but I don’t like making something my Best Bet after the line has moved so far from the number I got. Still, I project Mississippi State -6.5 and would lay anything below that. Missouri was thoroughly outplayed by Troy last weekend, and since 2024 the Tigers are just 1-8 SU and 2-7 ATS against Top 25 teams. Drinkwitz can’t win when stepping up in competition, and I don’t expect that to change in what should be a juiced-up Starkville atmosphere.

Oregon -3 @ USC — I hate to go with the crowd, but it would have to be Oregon or pass for me in this game. I’m not sold on USC or their defense yet. Have not bet this one yet, but definitely leaning towards the Ducks.

Arkansas -6.5 vs Tulsa — This is disgusting, but if there was ever a time to bet Arkansas, it’s right now. I project this Hogs -8, so I see a tiny bit of value above a key number. Tulsa QB Baylor Hayes missed last week with injury and is out again for this game as they make sure he’s ready for conference play. This is a desperation spot in Fayetteville.

Minnesota +10 @ Washington — Another good data point for my ratings…I make this Washington -4.5. What in the world has Washington done to be favored double digits against a team with a pulse? I know the Minnesota travel spot is brutal, but this is a lot of points for a Husky offense that has looked all out of sorts. Also should be low scoring with a total of 45.5. I lean heavily to the Gophers.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

Rightfully so, those fans were booing early and often last Sunday during Atlanta’s 34-3 loss to the Panthers. It was sheer embarrassment for the entire organization — one that was lambasted by every media outlet in the country heading into Thursday Night Football, a game everybody predicted they would lose.

Here’s what was funny about nearly every one of these football savants from the national media, though: they had no problem calling the Falcons the worst team in the league, but almost none of them acknowledged that all of Atlanta’s struggles stemmed from one simple fact — Cooper Rush was starting at quarterback.

If any of them had taken five minutes out of their day to actually watch what the Falcons were dealing with under center instead of skimming the box score, they might have talked a little differently once it was announced that Michael Penix Jr. was set to make his season debut after tearing his ACL.

Instead, all those talking heads cracking jokes without watching a single snap got a firsthand glimpse of just how “talentless” the Falcons are — on primetime television, no less — as Atlanta swarmed the Packers in all three phases.

For the Falcons, it always starts with the ground game, and nobody was happier to see Michael Penix Jr. back in the lineup than Bijan Robinson. The mere threat of Penix’s arm — something Cooper Rush simply couldn’t provide — forces defenses to play honest, and it let Robinson get going early and often, racking up 194 yards on 29 carries with a couple of touchdowns.

In total, the Falcons piled up 242 yards on the ground, running it a whopping 41 times. The Packers? Nine carries for 17 yards.

That’s a storyline nobody wanted to touch coming into the game. Atlanta’s defensive front — despite losing big names in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. — had been quietly impressive through the first two weeks, while the Packers’ offensive line has been a disastrous work in progress. It was a massive advantage in Atlanta’s favor, and it played out exactly that way. Green Bay couldn’t run it, and Jordan Love spent the night running around like a chicken with his head cut off, doing most of his damage in garbage time with the game well out of reach.

But this blowout didn’t start with a dream script. Atlanta got the ball to open the game, and after a couple of first downs, Penix tossed a dangerous ball into traffic for his first interception of the season. The jokes came flying on social media, and the Packers turned it into an early touchdown lead.

Then, around the second quarter, Penix found his rhythm — and never lost it. He went 16-for-18 the rest of the way for 234 yards and a touchdown, with Drake London hauling in 194 of those yards.

It may have been the best three-quarter stretch of Penix’s entire career. And to do it in his first game back from his third ACL injury, in front of a national audience, with nobody in his corner? As Drake London put it after the game, “He’s the definition of resiliency.”

This was among the most complete performance we’ve seen from the Falcons in nearly a decade. Even special teams — a glaring problem area a year ago — was flawless. Zach Harrison blocked a field goal. They shut down the Packers’ return game. Nick Folk bounced back from a shaky start to the season, going 2-for-2 on field goals. And Jake Bailey dropped both of his punts inside the 20.

It gets said all the time, but the NFL is the definition of a week-to-week league. What happened Thursday night won’t help the Falcons next week, just as last week’s blowout loss didn’t carry over to Green Bay. Every team is liable to get beaten badly if it doesn’t bring its A-game — something that was impossible with Cooper Rush under center. But with Michael Penix Jr. back, the Falcons announced to the world that they’re not dead yet.

—

(Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire)

Walt Weiss added that Perez felt the pain during his last start in Houston, and the veteran hopes he can return at some point in October if the Braves make a deep playoff run.

This is exactly the type of news no team wants to hear less than a week before the postseason begins. Martin Perez has been a steady force in the Braves’ rotation all season. Everybody expected him to slip at some point, but he answered the bell at every call, recording a 3.04 ERA over 142 innings.

I had Perez as the Braves’ #3 starter going into the postseason, likely getting the ball in a winner-take-all Game 3 next week if the series made it to that point — the primary reason being his success at home. Perez owns a 1.80 ERA this season at Truist Park, and over his last six starts, that number is down to 0.28. He wasn’t expected to be the catalyst that was going to carry the Braves, but those numbers are hard to ignore. Losing him unexpectedly for at least the first two rounds is far from ideal.

With this news, Grant Holmes instantly becomes the Braves’ #3 starter in the postseason following Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle. Outside of those three, expect to see bullpen games until Perez returns. AJ Smith-Shawver is likely the only other starting pitcher who will make the playoff roster for the Wild Card Series. JR Ritchie is another option the Braves might consider, but those would indeed be desperate times.

Hopefully, Perez’s injury isn’t a blow that deters the Braves too much. This is a team that’s overcome so much, starting at the very beginning of the season, when Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Hurston Waldrep all went down with significant injuries during Spring Training. The Braves should have just enough starting pitching to withstand another loss, but they better hope this is the last time the injury bug takes a bite out of the club. Depth across the board is razor-thin.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

That much we know for certain, but their opponent still remains very much in the air — with the Padres, Phillies, Cubs, and Diamondbacks all jockeying for the final three spots in the National League.

Arizona Diamondbacks (84-74)

Remaining Games: (1) @Colorado, (3) @San Diego

The Diamondbacks are alive in the Wild Card race, but barely. They sit three games behind the Phillies for the sixth seed with just four games to play, making them the least likely of the Braves’ opponents next week.

Philadelphia Phillies (87-71)

Remaining Games: (1) vs. Milwaukee, (3) vs. Tampa Bay

If the season ended today, the Braves would face the Philadelphia Phillies, and what a familiar sight that would be. These two teams met in the postseason in 2022 and 2023, with the Phillies winning in four games both times. An opportunity for some sweet revenge is attractive, but that pitching staff would be hell to face in a three-game series where there is absolutely no margin for error.

Given the Phillies’ remaining four games are against two of the best teams in the league, there’s a very high likelihood they finish sixth in the standings.

Chicago Cubs (87-71)

Remaining Games: (1) vs. Miami, (3) @Boston

The Cubs own the tiebreaker over the Phillies, but the teams are tied in the standings, so Chicago could be the Braves’ opponent, with that three-game set in Boston determining a lot.

San Diego Padres (88-70)

Remaining Games: (1) @Los Angeles Dodgers, (3) vs. Diamondbacks

The Padres currently hold a one-game edge over the Cubs and Phillies, which sets them up for a home Wild Card Series. That’s what all these teams are fighting for over the final week, but their remaining schedule is on the more difficult side, featuring a matchup with the two-time defending champions and a Diamondbacks team that could be fighting for its postseason life.

—

A lot of times, there’s a rooting interest for a team sitting in the Braves’ position, but I’m not quite sure it matters who they end up facing out of these four. All of them have really good aspects that are going to make them extremely difficult to beat. The Padres have been red-hot and have had the Braves’ number. The Phillies are a seasoned team with incredible starting pitching, and the Cubs feature a lineup that can absolutely mash the baseball. If the Braves are going to make it to the NLDS, they’re going to have to do it the hard way no matter who they face.

—

(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)

So, who will replace him on the postseason roster? First, let’s take a look at what that would look like.

Potential Braves 2026 Playoff Roster

Starting Pitchers

1. Chris Sale
2. Tyler Mahle
3. Martin Perez (???)
4. Grant Holmes

Bullpen

1. Raisel Iglesias
2. Robert Suarez
3. Dylan Lee
4. Didier Fuentes
5. Brent Suter
6. Victor Mederos
7. Ray Kerr
8. Dylan Dodd
9. AJ Smith-Shawver

Catchers

1. Sean Murphy
2. Drake Baldwin
3. Chuckie Robinson

Infielders

1. Ozzie Albies
2. Matt Olson
3. Mauricio Dubon
4. Austin Riley
5. Ha-Seong Kim

Outfielders

1. Ronald Acuña Jr.
2. Michael Harris II
3. Mike Yastrzemski
4. Brewer Hicklen
5. DaShawn Keirsey Jr.

—

The Braves right now only have three starting pitchers with any experience. Losing even more depth with this injury to Martin Perez hurts, but it’s not something that should be catastrophic. This was always going to be a team that relied a lot more heavily on its bullpen than its starting pitchers. The plan for a while now has been Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle, and then figure out some way to piece together 27 outs.

As far as potential replacements for Perez on the Braves’ playoff roster, there isn’t really a clear-cut option. They could go the bullpen route, with Elieser Hernandez being a likely candidate. He’s proven over a small sample size that he can be effective, boasting a 2.43 ERA in 11 innings this season, and his ability to go multiple innings in a given outing is attractive.

But it feels like the most likely replacement is JR Ritchie. Sure, he’s taken plenty of lumps throughout his rookie season, but from a stuff perspective, there’s still a lot to like, and he showed that a couple of nights ago when he went five innings and allowed just one run with eight strikeouts against the Reds.

In truth, whoever the Braves call up will likely be last in line to see the mound. They’ll have a completely rested pitching staff heading into the Wild Card Series that shouldn’t require everybody to pitch. However, where things really start to get interesting is if the Braves get deeper into the postseason. Then they might be relying on JR Ritchie to make a start, something we’ve seen in the past with guys like Kyle Wright, Bryse Wilson, and Tucker Davidson.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

Tyler Mahle has been the best starting pitcher that was moved. There’s not a close second, as he’s posted a 1.99 ERA over nine starts and was acquired for a journeyman reliever. All the Braves had to do was pick up the remaining $2 million left on his contract.

Brent Suter has also been a really quality addition. He’s not someone the Braves are going to throw out there in high-leverage situations often, but he’s done a terrific job eating the middle innings when the starters haven’t been able to go deep into games, boasting a 1.92 ERA over 24.2 innings. His ability to go multiple innings out of the bullpen is also something that could prove beneficial when the Braves hopefully begin a deep postseason run next week.

However, there has always been the question of whether the Braves did enough. Their offense has struggled mightily over the last four months, yet the only bat they acquired was Lane Thomas, who is currently on the IL and questionable for the postseason. They could have used more, but the real concerns surround the rotation. It’s been a paper-thin group all year, and the healthy options are dropping like flies.

Bryce Elder went to the IL earlier this month with a knee injury. He’s not going to be available for the first couple of rounds of the postseason, and now Martin Perez is on the IL as well with back inflammation, keeping him out for at least the next couple of weeks.

That leaves the Braves with three — yes, three — healthy starting pitchers who have any experience at the major-league level: Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle, and Grant Holmes.

Sale and Mahle were always going to be the two horses the Braves relied on, but having that little depth going into a postseason that’s going to require four series wins if they want to reach the top of the mountain isn’t just less than ideal; it almost feels like a hill that could be too difficult to climb.

This is the exact scenario fans have been clamoring about for years. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued the Braves’ rotation for a long time, yet Alex Anthopoulos has essentially refused to bring in any new blood. It’s a situation everybody could have seen coming from a mile away; unfortunately, the one whose opinion matters never saw it that way.

Now Walt Weiss is tasked with the near-impossible job of navigating a gauntlet of the best teams in baseball with just three starting pitchers. If he can somehow piece this thing together, it will go down as one of the best managerial jobs in MLB history — a tough ask for a guy in his first year on the job.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

Welcome to the SEC in a sentence, in which we attempt to distill yet another wild and crazy weekend of SEC football into, but a single sentence for each of the leagues 16 combatants. It was another wild one, perhaps wilder that some teams (lookin’ at you, Aggieland) would have preferred. But that’s why we say it just means more, right?

Alabama: Continue to play with their food in the first half, which as a few Kirby Smart teams will confirm is a lot of fun until the food refuses to lay down on the plate after halftime.

Arkansas: Rutgers football fans love hanging out with Arkansas fans because it makes them feel smart and optimistic.

Auburn: Found out that the outer limits of the Alex Golesh rebuild may not extend as far as a win over Baylor would lead one to believe, as we’ve been saying for the past two weeks.

Florida: I don’t mean to alarm anyone, but the winner of Florida/Ole Miss this weekend may have a solid two game cushion in the race for a playoff spot and you better be on your knees praying that isn’t the Gators, because they’ll be insufferable for five weeks until we teach them better.

Georgia: Mike Bobo’s hobbies as he slides gracefully into middle age have become wood working, fishing, and spending an entire game diligently setting up a garbage time play action touchdown pass against a 24 point underdog.

Kentucky: Hey Coach Stein, how was your weekend?

LSU: Lane Kiffin is now the opposite of that old Bum Phillips quote about Bear Bryant: he take take his and lose to yours or take yours and lose to his.

Ole Miss: That win was more satisfying than slipping on a well-worn pair of Martin Donnan bit loafers, which any Ole Miss fan will tell you is just like Heaven.

Oklahoma: I sort of wish the Sooners hadn’t won a rock fight against the New Mexico Lobos because the last thing I want to face is a Brent Venables defense that’s been brushing up on its rock fighting.

Mississippi State: I would appreciate it if one of you would show me where the glass is that I’m supposed to break in case of “playoff contender Mississippi State” because to be honest that’s information I never thought I’d need to use.

Missouri: Took a week off before traveling to Starkville, which alarmingly no longer looks like a week off in its own right.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks haven’t fired Shane Beamer but that doesn’t mean he won’t keep trying.

Tennessee: Built on their 45-24 win over Georgia Tech by polishing off the Jackets’’ larger, more successful Atlanta area rival Kennesaw State, and yes as a matter of fact when I say “successful” I am referring strictly to the field of CBD/Kratom marketing.

Texas: Survived the chance to let Ohio State beat them a week later, but don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time for Arch to do some Arch things against a team with a real pass rush.

Texas A&M: Did precisely the thing they hired Mike Elko to stop them from doing.

Vanderbilt: Got the highest grade in remedial basketball weaving because unlike NC State they remembered to write their names on the paper, even if they did misspell it.

Have your own one sentence summation of an SEC team’s current situation? We’d love to see those in the comments.
Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Congrats, Dawg fans. It’s no halfway through Oklahoma game week.

First of all, in case you missed it…plans for a future series between Georgia and Clemson are officially waved off. It’s shameful and disappointing to see the current college football landscape render one of college football’s greatest rivalries as useless, but it’s simply something that fans will have to accept, not matter how much its disliked.

But as to the present…there is the allure of Oklahoma in Athens for the first time this weekend. The Banner-Herald has a video visit with the Bulldogs tight end, touching on a mix of topics.

A common theme for this Georgia team is that it is not really known how good it is. It’s easy to look very good against WKU, Tennessee State, and Arkansas. And Georgia’s offensive line has simply pushed the opposing side around so far. But Oklahoma should test that majorly. The Sooners may be sputtering on offense, but this team rode defense and special teams to the CFP last year, and that’s why as far as the trenches go, Saturday could be a fight in a phone booth.

Without question, this Saturday, in some respects will the closest thing to a challenge for this team to have faced so far. Does the game lose some buzz due to Oklahoma being upset already? Sure. But that does not take away from the fact that the Bulldogs get their first ‘show me’ game of the season.

Clearly, there will be lots of throwbacks to the only other Georgia-Oklahoma matchup, in the 2018 Rose Bowl. One of many is this:

Go Dawgs!

The intrepid Marc Weiszer of the Banner Herald has the news that Georgia and Clemson have scrapped the four game home-and-home football series that had been scheduled for 2029 through 2032.

Weiszer obtained a copy of the agreement which the schools actually signed back in March in which they mutually agreed not to play the series of interconference matchups, which had been rumored later to still be an option in a neutral site format that made one Georgia writer really mad. Turns out he didn’t have anything to worry about, other than whether those games will be replaced with Charleston Southern, the Citadel, or the Monck’s Corner School for Kids Who Don’t Read Good.

This series is just the latest victim of the SEC’s push to nine conference games. Given that Georgia already has an I state ACC rival in Georgia Tech the Dawgs are now guaranteed ten Power 4 games per year. Add in the specter of an ever-expanding playoff, which could force a team to play as many as six playoff games to win a national title, and there’s every reason to treat the regular season as a necessary annoyance rather than the main event.

While that ninth SEC game every year is likely to be a quality football game, it certainly won’t always be against a team with which Georgia has a long and rich history like the Country Gentlemen. I have nothing against the University of Missouri, but the fact is there’s still nothing particularly special about a matchup between the Dawgs and those Tigers, unlike the ones from Lake Hartwell.

Don’t worry through, the tickets you’ll be purchasing for the makeup game against Tennessee Tech will cost you just as much as the Clemson vouchers would have.
Go ‘‘Dawgs!!!

Welcome to Tuesday, Bulldog fans! We’ve entered that limbo period where certain fanbases are still basking in the glow of Saturdays victory, and others are still steaming from a frustrating loss that exposed expectations like telephone poles in winter when the kudzu dies off.

Clemson has had as many lightning delays as rushing touchdowns this season (that’s “3” if you’re tracking it). If Dabo Swinney is looking for divine intervention, he doesn’t have to look very far for signs of what he should do. Unfortunately, the “storming” back and getting a win after last Saturday’s delay might cause the Clemson coach to misconstrue what everyone else plainly sees.

NC State is back doing NC State s***, uh, “stuff” (you only have to read the comments to get the gist). The bad news is that Saturday’s game-ending debacle in Nashville only pumps up the Commodore pluckiness so we’ll have to hear more about them instead of swatting them away like so many mayflies. The good news is that it only helps Georgia’s resume’, since we face Vandy after a 2 year hiatus of the matchup.

Before we turn our attention to a suddenly vulnerable Oklahoma, let’s break down the Arkansas game one more time. The Red & Black graded each position group (It’s Baaaaack!!!) on their performance in Fayetteville, and the grades look pretty fair to me. Then again, if you’re up 38-3 in a road SEC game in the 4th quarter, how can you not pass out good grades?

This week the Bulldogs will welcome the Oklahoma Sooners to Athens for the first time ever. With such a storied matchup against brands, and two CFP participants returning their starting QB, you’d think the stadium would sell out. Of course it did. Yet the secondary market has softened a little for tickets… I wonder why? Maybe this is the reason:

Yikes. It doesn’t appear the Sooner fanbase is satisfied with the early results, especially compared to expectations. Well, I’m sure I can still conjure up a thing or 3 to worry about, but that’s for another day.

Head football coach Kirby Smart held his weekly press conference Monday afternoon. You might be surprised to learn he is impressed with Oklahoma’s defensive intensity, technique, and fundamentals. And that John Mateer is dangerous with his legs, and that SEC conference games are tough. When asked about water, Coach Smart responded postively that it is wet.

On the injury front, Nate Frazier is day to day, but looks promising to be available Saturday. Tyriq Green, Chase Linton, and Isaiah Canion were all categorized as to “be back soon”. And word is that center Drew Bobo will have the elephant q-tip removed from his left hand.

There is a call to “Stripe Sanford” this Saturday. As someone who doesn’t make many games in person, I’m asking if this is a real thing? And do we like it?

Next week’s Georgia/Vandy tilt is now scheduled for 12:00 pm. Or 12:45 pm. Who knows? And nobody knows which network will carry it. It might be SEC Network. Or ESPN. Or ABC again. I’m sure the Mousey executives love having this flexibility, I’m not sure the fanbases do.

I hope that gets your day off to a great start. Let us know in the comments of any nuggets, strips, or dino-shaped chunks of news you hear about, and have yourself a Tuesday. As always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

First, here’s why I’m NOT worried about the fightin’ Chuckwagons:

1.    Oklahoma thrived on turnovers last season. They won 1 score games on the road at Tennessee and Alabama in 2025 picking up 3 turnovers in each contest. Without those, does Oklahoma win those close away games? And if they don’t, they don’t make the playoffs. Maybe OU was blessed by Lady Luck more than they were a top 12 team.

So far in 2026, they’ve lost 3 fumbles and thrown 3 interceptions. And they’ve picked off no passes and only recovered 2 fumbles for a -4 turnover margin. Does the law of averages mean Georgia gifts them free possessions? Or more likely does it mean they aren’t quite as good as one would believe?

2.  You can’t say Georgia is one-dimensional. In just a quarter of the season, the Bulldogs have scored via the run, the pass, the defense, and returning a kickoff. There’s also a blocked punt (by a starting wideout, no less). What else is there?

I guess we need to block a field goal, return a punt to the house, and get a safety. Any of those 3 would be nice this weekend to keep the momentum.

3. You have to be able to run the ball to win in the SEC. Not necessarily all the time, but unless you have Dan Marino or Matt Stafford under center, you’d better have a semblance of a ground game to keep the defense honest. Oklahoma really doesn’t.

The Sooners rank 123^rd (of 138) in rushing offense a quarter of the way through the season. They were 112^th in 2025 with a mobile quarterback who likes to scramble. OU OC Ben Arbuckle hasn’t really gotten the rushing attack going, averaging only 118 yards a game thus far. By contrast, the Georgia defense is allowing a paltry 45.7 yards on the ground this season, thanks to opponents having to play catchup after establishing early leads. If we can continue that, I like our chances of seeing if they can beat us through the air.

Now forgive me, as I was weaned at the nipple of Larry Munson’s scratch so here’s what does worry me about hosting a historical powerhouse looking for a bounceback on national televsion:

1.  The Bulldog Offensive Line have got to clean up the blocking assignments, especially in pass protection. Arkansas has some dudes, and the busts and 1v1 wins by the Hogs up front were evident. Six different Razorbacks logged a stat in the UGA backfield last week. And one of the sacks was 3 of them converging on Stockton at the exact same time.  That is troubling.

Oklahoma has some dudes too, and will apply even more pressure and give Stockton even less time to scan the field. Even without standout DT David Stone, they have 10 other players with at least a full TFL, and 6 other guys with a full sack through 3 games. This isn’t one guy you need to doubleteam – it is scheme, fundamentals, and a lot of players on that Sooner defensive front 7 who know how to get off blocks. If the OU secondary does a serviceable job, the big guys up front will have a field day at our expense.

2 .  #10 to #1. Individually they’re not big, but together they can be huge. The 6’1” John Mateer may not have gaudy numbers compared to the Jayden Maiava’s of the world, but he can throw, and he can buy time to find receivers who get separation.

And the 5’10” Isaiah Satenga is him. He’s again leading the Sooner wideouts in both receptions and yards, where he averaged over 5 catches a game last year and a hair shy of 1,000 yards. Most of his career was also spent returning punts, so you can imagine his speed and shiftiness. Satenga can hit the homerun on the post, and break one from a short-medium cross.

After watching Arkansas stud receiver Chris Marshall torch the Bulldog secondary just a few days ago for over 100 yards from an offense that can’t even decide on a quarterback, this has me worried.

3 . Oklahoma has been underwhelming in the early season after a typical beatdown of UTEP, then a loss 17-10 at Michigan, and squeaked by New Mexico 14-6 at home. So will they come into Athens and roll over? HA!!! Hardly.

Not only is head coach Brent Venables a pretty good motivator, but he has a top notch staff and the team is loaded with elite athletes and football players. Then there is the UGA effect: this game has been circled on calendars in Norman for months now, as Sooners and their faithful wish to knock off the 2 time reigning SEC champ. And the added factor that Georgia can bring out the best in any opponent, sometimes to our collective detriment. Our boys better be ready for a battle into the fading light Saturday.  

Call me crazy, just don’t call me late for dinner. Let us know in the comments what you’re feeling about hosting the Oklahoma Sooners for a historic first visit to Sanford Stadium.  And as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

Welcome to another edition of Around the SEC, where everything is made up and the points don’t matter. That’s right, the points are like blue bloods throwing the bag at Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor. The kid is a baller and from just outside of Starkville. By all accounts, he loves Mississippi State and has a great relationship with head coach Jeff Lebby. In a day where most jump at the brightest, shiniest thing, it seems Taylor wants to stay in Starkville and become a campus legend, which I absolutely love.

Bama OC vs. Fans

Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb made waves at his press conference this week when he applauded his players for not giving up after getting down early against Florida State; however, this praise came at the expense of Alabama fans, who Grubb said did give up on his team. The fans in Tuscaloosa are known to be chill and practical and won’t take offense to this sort of comment whatsoever. Grubb has since apologized for this remarks.

Lacy a Game Time Decision

It was feared that when Ole Miss star running back Kewan Lacy exited the Rebels’ game against LSU that he would miss a significant amount of time. Luckily, that does not seems to be the case, as head coach Pete Golding said that Lacy’s injury was not long-term and that he is a game time decision for their clash with Florida this weekend.

Revisiting the Music City Miracle II

Ya, this one was so crazy, I want to bring it up even though it isn’t news. Vanderbilt’s last second win against NC State, where the caused a fumble during an attempted intentional safety to run out the clock saw the Commodores go to 3-0 in this generation’s version of the Music City Miracle. This was maybe the wildest, most improbable win since Michigan State took a Michigan punter’s mishandled snap to the house back in 2015.

Welcome to the Morning Five, five numbers you need to know to be ready for this weekend’s matchup between the Georgia Bulldogs and and Oklahoma Sooners. Let’s jump right in:

1. 3,187. That’s how many days have passed since Georgia and Oklahoma played what remains, for my money, the best college football game in history. At least the best one that I have ever seen. The fortunes of the two programs have diverged somewhat since that evening in Pasadena, with Georgia playing for three national titles and winning two, while Oklahoma has remained competitive, even playoff worthy in 2025, but not a serious threat to win a national title in anyone’s estimation. That being said, I still think this is a pretty dangerous team.A Brent Venables defense is generally capable of keeping his team in the game even when the offense isn’t pulling its weight. Which brings us to…
2. 16. That’s Oklahoma’s current SEC rank in total offense. Unfortunately for the Sooners, there are only 16 teams in the league. The Sooners have only topped the 300 yard mark in total offense once, in their opener against UTEP. It’s still early in the year, but three games in is far enough to establish an identity. The Sooners’’ identity on offense this year may be that they don’t have one.
3. 84.4. That’s the percentage of his passes that Gunner Stockton has completed so far this season. It’s the highest percentage among SEC quarterbacks by a pretty significant margin. But the Oklahoma defense, with a wealth of disguised coverages and bait-and-switch blitz packages will be a whole different animal from the units he’s faced so far.
4. 0. That is the number of interceptions Stockton has thrown this season, against 9 touchdowns. It may be the most important of the numbers this week. If there’s a path for Oklahoma to pull the upset in this one it almost certainly involves stealing some possessions and being gifted a short field or two via turnovers. If Georgia takes care of the ball and forces John Mateer to drive the Sooners offense 70+ yards on every possession, it should be a good day for the home team.
5. –4. The flipside to that number above is Oklahoma’s current -4 turnover margin, dead last in the SEC. The Land Thieves have 6 turnovers so far on the season, 3 interceptions and 3 lost fumbles fumbles. If the Bulldogs can get the Sooners to their 2.0 turnover per game average it should be a good day for the home team. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The minor-league season ends this week, which means if Suarez is going to get some work in before the postseason, it’s going to come with the major-league club — something Braves beat reporter Mark Bowman confirmed on Tuesday.

This is actually something I’ve mentioned over the last month since Suarez ramped up his activities. Unlike position players and especially starting pitchers, relievers don’t really need rehab assignments. It’s typically nice to get them a few appearances against lesser competition before throwing them back into the fire, but in this case, the Braves would probably like to see him against major-league competition immediately before he pitches in a high-leverage situation come the playoffs.

Hopefully, Atlanta has an opportunity to ease him into things in low-pressure situations. The Braves currently have a 4.5-game lead in the NL East, which is really a 5.5-game lead because they own the tiebreaker over the Phillies. If they can essentially wrap things up in the coming days, the final week of the season could feel like an enhanced rehab assignment for Robert Suarez, giving the Braves a good idea of what they have in him before all the chips are on the table.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

Typically, there’s not a ton of movement from week to week, but a couple of significant injuries to Reynaldo Lopez and Lane Thomas have really opened the door for several players who would have never been considered for October baseball just a few weeks ago.

Braves 2026 Playoff Roster

Starting Pitchers

1. Chris Sale
2. Tyler Mahle
3. Martin Perez
4. Grant Holmes

—

In a three-game Wild Card series, only three starters are needed, so one of these guys will be pitching out of the bullpen. At this very moment, I believe that player will be Grant Holmes.

Sale and Mahle will pitch Games 1 and 2 — and because the Wild Card series will likely take place at Truist Park, Martin Perez feels like the most likely option for a winner-take-all Game 3. His numbers at home recently have been downright absurd, posting a 0.28 ERA in Atlanta over his last six starts. However, I still wouldn’t write that in stone just yet, because Holmes has been more than solid in his own right over the past couple of months.

Bullpen

1. Raisel Iglesias
2. Robert Suarez
3. Dylan Lee
4. Didier Fuentes
5. Brent Suter
6. Victor Mederos
7. Ray Kerr
8. Dylan Dodd
9. AJ Smith-Shawver

—

For now, I’m continuing to hold onto the hope that Robert Suarez will return for the playoffs. However, I’m admittedly becoming more concerned by the day.

I also have AJ Smith-Shawver sneaking onto the roster as a potential bullpen option because of his upside, but a name to watch over the final couple of weeks of the season is JR Ritchie. He’s going to start tomorrow in Chicago and will likely get another look before the season ends. If he pitches well, he could find his way onto the Braves’ playoff  roster.

Catchers

1. Sean Murphy
2. Drake Baldwin

Infielders

1. Ozzie Albies
2. Matt Olson
3. Mauricio Dubon
4. Austin Riley
5. Ha-Seong Kim

—

Any questions about Ha-Seong Kim’s inclusion on the postseason roster have been put to bed for two reasons. Lane Thomas’ injury opens up another spot, and Kim has proven to be really clutch in big moments down the stretch. He’s become someone Walt Weiss can turn to off the bench with the game on the line. That could prove huge come October.

Designated Hitter

1. Dominic Smith

Outfielders

1. Ronald Acuña Jr.
2. Michael Harris
3. Mike Yastrzemski
4. Brewer Hicklen
5. DaShawn Keirsey Jr.

—

This group without Lane Thomas has become tough to look at. Brewer Hicklen’s spot on the roster now feels 100% secure, and the final player I included is DaShawn Keirsey Jr. — strictly because he can offer the Braves a lot of speed off the bench, which is valuable during the postseason.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

The calls for Jack Strand are at an all-time high, and understandably so.

Cooper Rush just turned in one of the worst showings in NFL history. His 2.6 QBR was by far the worst mark of any signal caller in Week 1, but somehow, that number really doesn’t do his performance justice. He couldn’t even throw the ball past the line of scrimmage, and on the rare occasion the Falcons attempted to do so, disaster was usually around the corner.

There’s no right-minded individual who’s been around the game for very long that watched that performance and believes Cooper Rush should be on the field come Sunday. It’s also not like this is a new development. Rush started two games last year for the Ravens, and he averaged just 150 yards passing per game with no touchdowns and four interceptions.

The sample size is large enough that we know Rush is not a competent starting quarterback. At least with Strand there’s the possibility of untapped potential. The Falcons are going to lose anyway with Rush under center, so why not see what the new blood can provide? Strand at least has the tools from a physical standpoint to be successful.

Of course, all of this is a moot point if either Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa is cleared to play. We know Penix is healthy, but he decided to sit out Week 1, claiming he wasn’t mentally ready. We don’t know yet if that will be the case again, but Stefanski once again reiterated that Penix is cleared to play.

Hopefully that means Penix will be on the field Sunday. Not a lot of teams have dug themselves out of an 0-2 hole and made the postseason — and the task doesn’t get any easier in Week 3, with the Falcons traveling to Green Bay for a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Packers.

—

(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire)

On the one hand, there are a lot of positives to discuss surrounding the defense, and even Bijan Robinson continued tearing teams to shreds on the other side of the ball. However, the offense overall looked no better than what you’d find at your local high school here in Georgia, and the issues ran much deeper than just the quarterback.

Falcons Offensive Line

The Falcons have invested a ton of money into their offensive line, most recently making Matthew Bergeron the highest-paid guard in the league. Chris Lindstrom on the other side is up there as well, and Jake Matthews is also being paid handsomely at left tackle.

It didn’t look like it on Sunday. The Falcons were called for holding six times, with four of those penalties being accepted — both rank dead last in the league through one week. They also surrendered four sacks, which is pretty impressive considering Cooper Rush only dropped back 26 times, and more often than not, he was targeting a quick option in the flat.

The Steelers have a menacing defensive line, led by T.J. Watt — one of the best defensive players over the last decade. But several members of the Falcons offensive line are getting paid like the best at their respective positions, and all of them underwhelmed on Sunday. For now, we can chalk it up to a small sample size against a good defense with a quarterback who wasn’t doing them any favors, but they have to be way better moving forward, or this team is going to struggle to get to six wins.

Falcons Kicking Woes

Kicking woes doomed the Falcons on several occasions last year as they cycled through three different field goal kickers before finally landing on Zane Gonzalez, who brought some stability to the position, making 19 of 22 attempts over the final nine games.

But for whatever reason, that wasn’t good enough to keep him around. Instead, the new regime preferred 41-year-old Nick Folk, who looked every bit of his age in his first game with the Falcons, missing two of his four attempts. That ultimately was the difference in the game, because Atlanta found themselves looking for touchdowns in the fourth quarter instead of a go-ahead field goal.

Folk has been arguably the most reliable kicker in the league over the last three seasons. He entered Sunday’s game having missed only three field goals since the start of the 2023 campaign, so he’s earned a little bit of grace. That said, he’s coming up on 42 years old, and the cliff when kickers get to that age tends to be pretty steep once things start heading in the wrong direction.

Falcons Injuries

The offense has stayed mostly healthy up to this point. Chris Lindstrom did suffer a concussion in the loss and his status is up in the air for Week 2, but most of the concerns lie across the defensive front. James Pearce Jr. has seven more games to serve of his suspension. Jalon Walker is out for the season with a torn ACL, and now Da’Shawn Hand will also miss the remainder of the campaign after suffering a torn quad. The Falcons defensive front was spectacular against the Steelers, but they are running out of depth fast, which could rear its ugly head later in the season.

—

(Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire)

Martin Perez got the ball on Tuesday night for Atlanta at Wrigley Field, and the game didn’t exactly get off to the most encouraging start. The Cubs began the scoring in the second and then added two more in the fourth, thanks to some shoddy defense from Mauricio Dubon. But Perez settled in after that and finished six innings without allowing any more damage — another strong outing for the veteran, who even shaved his ERA down a smidge to 3.07 on the season.

Offensively, there weren’t many signs of life for much of the evening, but everything changed in the sixth when Ronald Acuña Jr. lifted one over the left-field wall to put two runs on the board. His best friend, Ozzie Albies, then played a little game of copycat with a go-ahead two-run moonshot in the seventh. And for insurance, Drake Baldwin blasted a two-run homer in the ninth to make life much easier on Raisel Iglesias, who shut the door for his 33rd save of the season.

Meanwhile, the pesky Nationals topped the Phillies in Washington thanks to a couple of late home runs of their own, giving the Braves a 5.5-game lead in the NL East with 10 games the rest of the way. Which, if you’re counting at home, means Atlanta’s magic number to win the division is down to five.

Even more good news? With the Diamondbacks losing in extras to the Marlins late last night, the Braves’ magic number to clinch a spot in the postseason is now down to just two. The Braves will be back in the playoffs after a one-year hiatus, and as long as they avoid an epic collapse within the division, postseason baseball is returning to Truist Park.

—

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire)

This is nothing short of brain-dead from the Atlanta Falcons, and while everybody wants to give the new regime the benefit of the doubt, decisions like this will lead to the fan base turning on them quickly.

Cooper Rush was historically bad in the Falcons’ season opener. He finished with a 2.6 QBR, yet somehow, that number really doesn’t do justice to the type of horrific quarterback play that was on display in Pittsburgh. Rush quite literally was incapable of throwing the ball past the line of scrimmage. By the end of the first quarter, the Falcons had pretty much put themselves in a box of running the football and tossing a pass out to Bijan Robinson in the flat.

That’s straight-up unacceptable, yet somehow Rush is not only still on the roster, but the Falcons are actually considering starting him again?

Everybody should be concerned with that kind of decision-making from the coaching staff, and they should also be quite pissed off that Michael Penix Jr. isn’t taking a bit more initiative to start under center against the Panthers. He’s a miles better option than Cooper Rush, someone who actually gives the Falcons a chance to win the game, and he’s healthy — yet he’s going to sit out again because he’s not quite ready mentally.

That doesn’t sound like a football player, and it certainly doesn’t sound like someone Atlanta should make the face of their franchise. If he’s not on the field against the Panthers, he might as well have one foot out the door.

Then there’s the Jack Strand aspect to all of this. He starred in the preseason, enough that the Falcons placed him on the 53-man roster, yet they don’t want to start him over Cooper Rush?

I’m not saying Strand is going to lead the Falcons to the playoffs. It’s a lot to ask of an undrafted rookie to come in and start immediately. But what I do know is Strand can at least throw the football further than five yards and also offers a ton with his legs that could help the Falcons offense at least keep defenses honest. He could play one of the worst games in the history of football this Sunday, and it still would be marginally better than what we saw out of Cooper Rush.

We’ll see what happens the rest of the week, but this is quickly becoming a stain for everyone involved — a terrible look for a new regime that sparked some confidence when they were hired, mainly because of Matt Ryan rejoining the organization in an executive role. Unfortunately, that’s only going to buy the organization so much grace from a restless fan base.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

After two full weeks of meaningful data points, we’re starting to learn which preseason assumptions were right, which teams were badly mispriced, and where the market still hasn’t fully caught up. Here’s what jumps out to me heading into Week 3, including a couple of point totals.

2026 record: 6-2

South Alabama -6 vs. Ohio

I’m rolling with South Alabama again this week. The Jaguars were one of my best bets last Saturday, and I came away impressed. South Alabama played well enough to beat Tulane outright, carrying the game deep into the fourth quarter before Tulane scored in the final 90 seconds to take the lead. More importantly, QB Bishop Davenport has looked steady through two games, taking care of the football and giving this offense a much higher floor than we saw in 2025.

Ohio, meanwhile, is coming off one of the more fortunate wins of this early season. The Bobcats survived Jacksonville State 29-27 in four overtimes, but the box score was dominated by the Gamecocks, and nearly every high-variance play seemed to break Ohio’s way. The Bobcats won the turnover battle, benefited from a failed Jax State fourth-down conversion, returned a kickoff for a touchdown, and then watched Garrison Rippa (one of the best G6 kickers) miss a 38-yard field goal that would have won the game. Ohio deserves credit for surviving, but there was heavy luck involved along the way.

Something to note is that Ohio just played four overtimes and now immediately has to travel to hot and steamy Mobile, and the Bobcats came out of last week pretty banged up. Starting QB Nick Poulos left in the second quarter after taking the hit that resulted in a targeting call, backup Matt Vezza also exited, and true freshman Levi Davis had to finish the game. Starting RB Duncan Brune was injured as well, while the secondary is dealing with issues involving key players DJ Walker, KJ Sejour and Eli Thompson. There’s no definitive update yet on several of those players, but that is a lot of uncertainty at important positions for a team making a road trip after an exhausting game.

Ohio has also been a very different team away from Athens. Peden Stadium has become one of the strongest home-field environments in the G6, with Ohio having an incredible 24-1 record at home since the start of 2022. Strange games have had a way of breaking in the Bobcats’ direction there, and last week certainly fit the pattern. But on the road over that same span, Ohio is only 12-13 straight up, including a 3-11 record as a road underdog. Simply put, there’s been a night-and-day difference between the Ohio we see at home versus on the road.

I like what I’ve seen from the Jags through two weeks, but this bet is just as much about fading an Ohio team that may be running on fumes. The Bobcats were outplayed last week, survived because of a string of favorable variance, and may now be missing key pieces on both sides of the ball. South Alabama has been competitive, and Davenport looks good alongside weapons RB Keenan Phillips and WR Brendan Jenkins. After watching Ohio squeak out that fortunate home win, I’m jumping at the chance to fade them, especially on the road.

West Virginia vs. Virginia — under 54.5 & 1H under 28

I’m staying away from the side in this one and instead backing a lower-scoring game between two offenses that are built to run the football. West Virginia has been one of the most run-heavy teams in the country under Rich Rodriguez, with roughly a 78% run rate through the early part of the season. Cam Cook, who was one of the best backs in the country last year at Jacksonville State, is the bellcow, while Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins gives the Mountaineers another major rushing threat at quarterback. Virginia wants to play a similar style. Tony Elliott has a deep stable of backs he is comfortable rotating, and QB Beau Pribula is a major part of the running game himself. In the Week 0 win over NC State, Pribula attempted only 11 passes but ran for 110 yards.

I also like what Virginia’s defense has shown so far. I was skeptical coming into the year after the Cavaliers lost a lot of talent from last season, but Elliott appears to have hit on several portal additions, particularly in the secondary. Michigan transfer Brandyn Hillman has fit in nicely alongside stars Ethan Minter and Corey Costner, and the defense should get even better with LB Kam Robinson returning from injury. NC State’s offense was completely overwhelmed in the opener, and through two games Virginia has allowed just one offensive play of 25-plus yards. John Rudzinski’s defense is making opponents earn everything slowly instead of giving up cheap explosives, and that is exactly what I want to see when betting an under.

The tempo also works in our favor. West Virginia does play fairly fast, which is not ideal for an under, but most of that pace comes through the running game and keeps the clock moving. Virginia is on the opposite end of the spectrum, averaging roughly 33 seconds per play, which is among the slowest offenses in the country. They are in no hurry to snap the football, and when Virginia is playing from ahead, Elliott is perfectly comfortable leaning on the run and shortening the game. Since the start of the 2024 season, Virginia games are 11-5-1 to the under when the Cavaliers are favored. With UVA laying around ten points here, the expected game script fits that trend well: establish the run, build a lead and make West Virginia drive the field against a defense that has done an excellent job limiting explosive plays.

I also like the first-half under for many of the same reasons. Both teams are making a small step up in competition. Virginia is coming off a bye week and then a blowout of FCS Norfolk State, meaning this is its first legitimate test since seeing NC State. West Virginia has opened with Coastal Carolina and FCS Tennessee-Martin. I expect some feeling-out early as both teams try to establish the run, and that could make the first half move very slowly. I see some long possessions, limited explosives and enough defensive resistance to keep this from turning into a track meet.

Ball State @ Liberty — under 52

Don’t expect a ton of points here, mainly because of the offensive tempo. Ball State is around 91st nationally in seconds per play, while Liberty is down around 130th, putting the Flames among the ten slowest offenses in the country. Ball State is extremely run-heavy and almost service-academy-like in its approach, while Liberty also wants to establish the ground game, so the basic setup points toward long possessions, a running clock and fewer total drives. The market has already moved in that direction, with the total opening around 53.5 before getting bet down toward 49.5. I would still play the under at any number above 49, and I was happy to grab it at 52.

Liberty’s offense simply has not looked good through two games. The Flames scored only 13 points against James Madison and struggled to sustain drives, then barely escaped FCS Gardner-Webb 24-23 as a massive favorite. That performance included 11 penalties, two turnovers and a 2-for-12 mark on third down. Liberty scored touchdowns on plays of 65 and 54 yards, while another touchdown came after a turnover gave the offense the ball at the Gardner-Webb 20. Outside of those explosive plays and short fields, the Flames had a difficult time putting together consistent offense. QB Deshawn Purdie has not looked comfortable, and Liberty even turned to backup Jaylen Henderson late, which adds another layer of uncertainty to an offense already struggling to stay on schedule.

I have Ball State power rated as the second-worst team in FBS (ahead of Sacramento State), which is the main reason I’m not simply taking the points with the Cardinals. Their offense did look much cleaner against Stony Brook, and an offensive line that allowed a MAC-worst 49 sacks last season finally looked functional, but I still don’t trust Ball State to play from behind — and that actually helps the under. Liberty will hunt explosive passes and has been successful so far this season, while Ball State is vulnerable to give them up. The Cardinals are not built to suddenly abandon the run and start chasing points through the air. Should Ball State fall behind quickly, they will likely struggle to claw back into the game instead of turning this into a shootout.

Explosive passes are the biggest threat to the under, and Liberty may be able to create easy points over the top. But the flip side is that the Flames have needed those explosives to score efficiently because they have been so poor at sustaining drives. If Ball State can prevent two or three huge plays, this has all the ingredients of an ugly, slow game filled with runs and long possessions. Liberty travels to Coastal Carolina on a short week the following Thursday, and if the Flames get control of this game, there is little incentive to keep pushing offensively when they can lean on the run, drain the clock and get out healthy. I considered Ball State +14.5, but I don’t trust the Cardinals’ offense enough if they fall behind. The cleaner way to play this matchup is the total.

Other Bets/Thoughts

EMU @ Wisconsin, Under 49 — I’m taking the under in Madison, where wind and rain are expected. This EMU offense has been dreadful to start the season and could only muster seven points in East Lansing last weekend. Expect the same here.

Kentucky +10 1H @ Texas A&M — I think A&M is slightly overrated after benefiting from four touchdowns off special teams or turnovers last week vs Arizona State. Kentucky hung around for a while with Alabama and can do the same here. The key is UK DC Jay Bateman, who comes from A&M and knows the Marcel Reed offense well.

North Carolina @ Clemson, Under 43.5 — Not sure who to trust here, but I think it’ll be low-scoring. From a side perspective, I like Bobby Petrino much more than Chad Morris. I can’t believe how far Clemson has fallen.

Minnesota -23.5 vs Akron — The Gophers looked awful last week, but I think Mississippi St could be really good. Akron can’t stop this Darius Taylor rushing attack for four quarters, and Minnesota will respond in a big way. PJ Fleck is 8-2 ATS at Minnesota when laying 21 points or more.

Purdue +15 @ UCLA — Has anyone seen the Bruins offense recently? It’s not been great. Purdue looks competent and has an offense that can score enough to cover here. My ratings have UCLA -10, so I’ll take the points.

NC State +3.5 @ Vanderbilt — This is a season-defining spot for the Wolfpack, and I expect a desperate team. Vanderbilt is much worse than I originally thought, although Jared Curtis at QB does add some pop to the offense. I lean Wolfpack.

Ole Miss +3 vs LSU — LSU has looked great, but doesn’t that say more about who they’ve played? This line has moved around five points since it posted in the summer, and that feels like a little too much for me. Should be back and forth, so I’ll lean to the home team and the better quarterback who could have the ball last.

—

(Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire)

There’s been a lot of understandable commotion surrounding the Falcons quarterback situation. Kevin Stefanski said earlier in the week that all four quarterbacks could potentially get the nod, but it’s always felt like things were trending towards Rush starting for the second consecutive week despite his woeful performance against the Steelers.

Michael Penix Jr. isn’t quite comfortable enough with his knee yet to play, even though he’s been cleared to do so by the doctors. Tua Tagovailoa is dealing with an oblique injury, which is always a difficult injury to come back from. And while the fan base would love to see undrafted rookie Jack Strand, it never appeared the coaching staff seriously considered him as an option.

That’s discouraging, because the entire world knows what Cooper Rush is, and that’s not a competent starting quarterback. He’s made three starts over the last two seasons, throwing for just one touchdown compared to six interceptions. Rush couldn’t even complete a pass past the line of scrimmage last week, severely handicapping what the Falcons could do offensively.

Perhaps he’s better in Week 2, and for the coaching staff’s sake, he better be. This is the first major test for the new regime — one they are failing miserably through one week.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

Entering the season, Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, AJ Smith-Shawver, JR Ritchie, and Owen Murphy were all on the radar as potential significant pieces to the rotation. Schwellenbach entered Spring Training expected to be the #2, and Waldrep showed some real promise down the stretch last season. Both were injured about a month before the start of the season and combined to make just three appearances.

AJ Smith-Shawver finally made his return from Tommy John surgery in August but has been mostly erratic since rejoining the Braves, which is to be expected for someone who did not pitch for 14 months. There remains a lot of promise for his future, but as far as this season is concerned, he’s probably not someone the Braves are going to trust in big moments in October, even if he’s still in the conversation for the playoff roster.

JR Ritchie and Owen Murphy are two more pitchers who both look like they are a year away. Ritchie got the start last night for the Braves against the Cubs. It was his first appearance with the major-league club since August 2nd, and Chicago thrashed him for six earned runs over 4.2 innings. He’ll likely get another look before the season ends because he cannot be optioned anymore this year without having to clear waivers, but the Braves have seen enough to know he’s not quite ready for the big stage.

The only young arm that’s experienced success has been Didier Fuentes, blossoming into one of the best setup men in all of baseball. It’s impossible to say anything negative about the rookie campaign he’s put together. He’ll be an integral piece to the Braves next month, but it’s hard not to wonder what he might have been able to provide if the club had elected to stretch him out. A three-headed monster of Chris Sale, Didier Fuentes, and Tyler Mahle really doesn’t sound too shabby with the way they’ve performed of late.

When looking at the last five or six seasons, few organizations have been better at developing starting pitching than the Atlanta Braves. Seemingly every year at least one of their young arms flashes frontline potential. Unfortunately, keeping them healthy has been an entirely different story. Didier Fuentes is no consolation prize. In fact, he could be the best of the bunch when it’s all said and done, but given how the Braves operated in free agency — failing to acquire a single starting pitcher — it’s fair to assume they expected a ton more from their young starting pitching.

They essentially got nothing, and it’s left them with more questions than answers entering October.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

That will make a lot of the fan base more hopeful after what happened this past weekend against Pittsburgh, but the best possible scenario remains Michael Penix Jr. returning to the field. He’s been cleared to play, but in response to those questioning his decision not to suit up, he reminded everybody on Wednesday that it’s ultimately his decision.

Penix is right, and there must be some level of understanding when it comes to his injury history. This is a player who has suffered five season-ending injuries dating back to his college days, including three different ACL surgeries. It’s natural for a mental barrier to exist.

However, that’s not going to go over well with a restless fan base that has watched the Falcons miss the playoffs every season since 2017, and it’s also more than fair to question how sitting out is going to help him get over this mental barrier. It’s not as if he’s getting hit in practice. Penix isn’t going to really feel comfortable with the knee until bullets are flying and he takes that first hit, which is only going to happen in a game setting.

The fan base seems to be split in two on this issue. Some are okay with Penix taking as much time as possible to feel 100% comfortable until he plays. Others wonder how he can continue to sit on the sidelines while cleared after watching the disaster class the Falcons offense put on live television against the Steelers.

Both can make valid points in their respective arguments, but ultimately, Penix has made it very clear he has no intention of playing until he feels ready, even if the team continues to suffer because of it.

—

(Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Welcome to the Morning Five, a brief rundown of a few of the numbers that will shape the outcome of Georgia’s upcoming SEC opener against the Arkansas Razorbacks. We’re still at the point in the season at which the sample size is too small to draw any real conclusions. These are less reliable statistics and more discussion points. Nevertheless, there are a few data points that may prove instructive, like…

1. Zero. That’s the number of Razorbacks fans who will be in attendance if some Arkansas folks have their way. Ryan Silverfield was not an overwhelmingly popular hire in Fayetteville, and it appears a closer-than-expected win over North Alabama and a beating at the hands of the Utah Utes haven’t endeared he or athletic director Hunter Yurasek to some Hawgs.
2. 12.70. That’s how many yards per carry Nate Frazier is currently averaging on the ground. Clearly this weekend brings a step up in competition, but this also feels like one of those games where Kirby could build a 24-0 lead on somebody and then just decide to slowly suffocate them by running it left, right, and up the middle 12 plays in a row. I could see an 18 carry, 120 yard day from Nate the Great.
3. 90.0 That’s the number of rushing yards per game given up through two contests by the Hawgs, 40 to North Alabama and 140 to Utah. Again, small sample size, but those are not awful numbers. And the 3.33 yards per carry they’re currently surrendering is grossly respectable, if not necessarily outstanding.
4. 37. That’s the number of points the Bulldogs have scored in each of their last two meetings with the Arkansans, a 37-0 win by the ‘‘Dawgs in Athens in 2021 and. a 37-10 victory over the ‘Hawgs in Fayetteville in 2020. I expect the Bulldogs to score about the same number this time out. My score prediction remains 34-20 Georgia, with the Razorbacks scoring in the 4th quarter to make it look closer than it really will be.
6. 
   
   5. 900. That’s the number of miles per hour Ryan Silverfield quipped last year that a Georgia wide receiver was arrested for driving. He says he’s apologized, Kirby says it’s all forgotten. I tend to think that Kirby doesn’t want to be seen to be publicly sticking up for players pinched for reckless driving. Because reckless driving is dangerous and bad and neither you nor a blue chip football player should ever do it. But privately I’m not certain there won’t be a little extra juice from the Bulldogs, because Kirby also loves mining every available avenue motivation.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Comparisons to greatness can be dangerous.

Georgia fans have gotten a degree of ridicule…or a segment have…for comparing multiple unproven highly-rated running back to Herschel Walker. Now, as the Brock Bowers era has passed in Athens, any generational tight end stands to be compared, fair or not, to Bowers.

Enter Jaden Reddell…as in his breaking of six tackles against Tennessee State.

For his part, Reddell seems intent to write his own tale..not that of Bowers. DawgNation takes a closer look.

Meanwhile, how are Razorback fans handling things these days?

Not well…

But as Steve Jobs said…“and one more thing…”

The true test of Saturday’s White Out repeating? How well it resonates with recruits. It’s a known fact – to coach under Kirby Smart, you have to be a relentless recruiter. And if that wardrobe from last weekend generates enough buzz…yes, prep for another White Out.

What excites Kirby Smart about SEC play after two straight walkover wins? The Red & Black takes a deeper dive at what the Top Dawg has had to say this week.

Here’s what recruits thought of it…

Go Dawgs!

Brilliant investor and all-around wise man Warren Buffett once remarked that “Investing is simple , but it isn’t easy.”

it is a sentiment which finds validity in a variety of walks of life. Losing weight is also simple: you just need to burn more calories than you take in. The math is simple, the behavioral adjustment is not easy. One can also build a nice nest egg by simply earning more money than they spend and socking away the difference. Again, simple but not easy.

Bulldog and NFL legend Benjamin Watson today noted a similar phenomenon with relation to football defenses. Many commentators and fans have noted over the past few years that with an increased concentration on player safety and welfare the game has changed and defenses simply aren’t as tight as they once were., with a few notable exceptions.

Watson has the simple reason.

You can’t tackle if you don’t do a lot of tackling. Seems fairly self-explanatory. But again, the solution isn’t easy. Kirby Smart is well-known for his “Bloody Tuesday” full contact practices, and his former players have credited them as a difference maker.

Those Tuesday practices are simple, but they aren’t easy. Coaches worry about player fatigue. They worry about injury. Can you imagine the hew and cry if an All-American defender broke his collarbone in a full pads scrimmage at most schools during a game week?

But ultimately the game of football isn’y about looking good coming off the bus before the game. It’s about performance during the contest. And as the old adage goes, you play like you practice. unshakable faith in the methods he’s built over the past eleven seasons in Athens, and he’sgotten good at identifying and recruiting players who buy into doing the simple things that are nonetheless hard, like Bloody Tuesday. That’s a big deal. So on this Tuesday, be thankful that you’re fan of a college football team whose coach is a super-intense perfectionist who’s willing to make everyone around him more uncomfortable today so that they can celebrate on Saturday.

Go ‘‘Dawgs!!!

Are your Georgia Bulldogs going on the road to open SEC play in the central time zone against a team with its back up against the wall two games into the season? That sounds worrisome, and you could probably use a drink to steady your nerves. I can help with that.

A lot has been made this week of the general malaise that appears to have permeated the Arkansas football program. Yes, the Razorbacks lost last week by four touchdowns to Utah. Yes, Ryan Silverfield is talking about people trying to write his obituary two weeks into the job. And yes, fans are seriously talking about boycotting the game to show their displeasure with the athletic director. It’s as if a black cloud has settled over Fayetteville and looks like it plans to hang around awhile.

But here’s the thing: I seriously doubt that the players in the Razorback locker room care about any of that. That sort of outside noise sometimes can galvanize a locker room.I’m not saying that the criticism and negotiate going to turn this team into the 1985 Chicago Bears. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the Hawgs come out snorting at home. And I’m pretty sure the home crowd will get behind them loudly if there’s a whiff of good news to rally around. To paraphrase Charlie Daniels, the Uneasy Rider himself, the last thing you want is to get in a fight in Fayetteville, Arkansas on a Saturday at lunch.

So what the Bulldogs need is to come out with the same ruthless polish we’ve witnessed against two inferior opponents so far. But then they’re going to need to do that for more than four or five series. To really put the home crowd back in its cage and send them back to throwing overripe fruit at AD Hunter Yurachek’s house. The Red and Black are going to have their hands full next week against a stout Oklahoma team. And I’d rather we not have to watch them claw their way out of Fayetteville with bloody knuckles before hand. Let’s crush those Hawgs and move on.

So what’s the ideal cocktail for ginning up a crushing defeat of the Hawgs and getting the heck out of the Natural State?

A gin and jam.

• 2 oz. of dry gin

• 1 tablespoon of fruit jam, blackberry is my favorite, but raspberry or strawberry work as well. I’ve even used cinnamon pear, which was a pleasant surprise.

• 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• a splash of club soda
• a lemon wheel and mint leaves for garnish if that sort of adornment is your thing.

Place the gin, jam, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker, along with an handful of ice cubes. Seal and shake vigorously until outside is frosted,(maybe 20 seconds). Fill a glass with crushed ice; strain cocktail into the glass. Top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with mint lea and lemon if desired. Enjoy responsibly, and…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

There’s college football on all weekend, and we expect you to watch the bejeebers out of it. And we’re once again willing to help you figure out the best of your viewing options. As always, the full (and we mean full, because you might want to find out what time the Pacific Lutheran game kicks off) schedule is below. It first here are the highlights in each viewing window.

Thursday night: Back in my day we watched mid-tier ACC football and dadgummit we LOVED it!

In these modern times college football fans have become a little spoiled in terms of viewing options. Even a midseason Thursday usually brings some choices for how to invest your viewing time. Not this Thursday, buddy. If you’re watching college football while you wait for Grey’s Anatomy to come back from its summer hiatus then you’ll be watching Syracuse at Pitt on ESPN. Thrill to a Fran Brown coached team doing something freaky deaky on special teams to extend a drive then punting from the 45. Enjoy the spectacle of 5,300 fans enjoying the crisp mugginess of Pittsburgh in mid-September (it’s a particular thing, trust me). Yinz are in for a treat.

Friday night: Old rivalry, new juice.

Houston and Texas Tech have played 36 times going back to 1951, with the Cougars holding a slim 18-17-1 margin over the Red Raiders. But this matchup between #22 ranked Houston and #13 Texas Tech is only the third time they’ve met as ranked opponents. The last was in 1989 when the Houstonians were quarterbacked by Andre Ware. For low key hate and offensive hijinx, this game is your best bet. The game kicks at 8:00 Athens time on FOX.

Saturday early: There is, for the third week running, but one correct answer. But query me this: now that we know the Oklahoma game next week is a 3:30 start, is it possible Georgia won’t play a night time kickoff before Georgia Tech in November? I believe it is.

Also, for reasons I don’t fully understand, Arizona State and Kansas will be playing at noon eastern/5:00 pm local time in London, England. Again, I don’t understand. And I don’t know that anyone affiliated with Arizona State football owns any clothing appropriate for a drizzly London fall evening. But I guess we’ll see?

Saturday afternoon: Don’t get cocky, unless you’re Kamario Taylor, then it’s fine.

You could watch Florida State play Alabama at Tuscaloosa on ABC at 3:30, but Mike Norvell probably wishes you wouldn’t. You’ll learn little or nothing from this one other than that Keelon Russell has the potential to be Kalen DeBoer’s savior or his downfall. And that Mike Norvell probably shouldn’t bother making reservations for the New Years brunch at the Tallahassee Country Club.

You could also catch Kentucky traveling to College Station to play Texas A&M, a thing which is apparently possible. Who knew? But again, not sure there’s much to be gleaned from this one. Instead after watching the Dawgs make pulled pork of the Arkansas Razorbacks I’m turning over to SEC Network at 4:15 to catch Mississippi State at South Carolina. Normally this wouldn’t be a compelling matchup. But the Gamecocks are back on the Bulldogs’ schedule and Mississippi State features the SEC’s leading passer (290.0 yards per game, 7 TDs, 0 interceptions) in Kamario Taylor.

Saturday night: Ole Miss fans dream of rearranging Lane’s chakras.

Again, I think there’s only one answer here.

Lane returns to the Grove as #7 LSU visits #8 Ole Miss. I think the Lane hype has gotten a little over its skis in Baton Rouge, but paradoxically I also think this is the high water mark of the Pete Golding era, as the talent Lane found and brought to Oxford (but don’t take with him to Baton Rouge) may be enough to beat the Bayou Bengals.

FULL COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Thursday, Sept. 17

Syracuse at Pitt | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

Friday, Sept. 18

No. 5 Miami (Fla.) at Wake Forest | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
No. 22 Houston at No. 13 Texas Tech | 8 p.m. | FOX
Portland State at No. 21 Oregon | 10:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network

Saturday, Sept. 19

Coastal Carolina at Delaware | 11:30 a.m. | CBSSN
No. 2 Georgia at Arkansas | 12 p.m. | ABC
Kent State at No. 6 Ohio State | 12 p.m. | FOX
Buffalo at No. 14 Penn State | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Tulane at Kansas State | 12 p.m. | ESPN2
Bowling Green at Iowa State | 12 p.m. | ESPNU
Arizona State at Kansas | 12 p.m. | FS1
Mercer at Georgia Tech | 12 p.m. | ACC Network
North Carolina at Clemson | 12 p.m. | ESPN/Disney+
Akron at Minnesota | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
North Texas at Texas State | 12 p.m. | USA Network
Lafayette at Columbia | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Dartmouth at Lehigh | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
West Georgia at East Tennessee State | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin | 12:30 p.m. | Peacock
NC State at Vanderbilt | 12:45 p.m. | SEC Network
Wyoming at Central Michigan | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Chicago State at Butler | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Cornell at Colgate | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Valparaiso at Indiana State | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
VMI at Davidson | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Benedict College at Fort Valley State | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Adrian at Mount St. Joseph | 1 p.m. | YouTube
Maine at Boston College | 2 p.m. | ACCNX
Southern Illinois at Illinois | 2 p.m. | Peacock
Yale at Holy Cross | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Rockford at Concordia Chicago | 2 p.m. | YouTube
Lakeland at Wisconsin Lutheran | 2 p.m. | YouTube
Presbyterian at Western Carolina | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Temple at Toledo | 3 p.m. | CBSSN
Eastern Illinois at Illinois State | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Central Connecticut at Montana State | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Penn at Bucknell | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Kentucky at No. 9 Texas A&M | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Florida State at No. 10 Alabama | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
No. 12 USC at Rutgers | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
No. 16 SMU at No. 23 Louisville | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Utah State at No. 17 Utah | 3:30 p.m. | FOX
UTEP at No. 19 Michigan | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Miami (Ohio) at Cincinnati | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Wagner at Cal | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Duquesne at Washington State | 3:30 p.m. | USA Network
Stonehill at UMass | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Georgetown at Richmond | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Western Kentucky at No. 4 Indiana | 4 p.m. | Peacock
UNI at No. 18 Iowa | 4 p.m. | FS1
Stanford at Duke | 4 p.m. | CW
Ball State at Liberty | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Louisiana Tech at Baylor | 4 p.m. | ESPNU
Abilene Christian at Idaho | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Mississippi State at South Carolina | 4:15 p.m. | SEC Network
SE Louisiana at UL Monroe | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN+
East Carolina at Old Dominion | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Florida International at Florida Atlantic | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Charlotte at Appalachian State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
North Carolina Central at Gardner-Webb | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Fordham at William & Mary | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Dayton at Eastern Kentucky | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Point University at Charleston Southern | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Wofford at Chattanooga | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Marshall at Missouri State | 6:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Troy at No. 20 Missouri | 7 p.m. | SECN+
Florida at Auburn | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Georgia State at UCF | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Murray State at Oklahoma State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
UConn at Southern Miss | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
UT Martin at Memphis | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Western Michigan at Rice | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Delaware State at South Florida | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Nevada at Middle Tennessee | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Ohio at South Alabama | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Georgia Southern at Jacksonville State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Nicholls at Sam Houston | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Youngstown State at South Dakota State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
South Carolina State at Furman | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Austin Peay at West Florida | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Central Arkansas at SE Missouri State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Alcorn State at North Alabama | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Morehead State at Western Illinois | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Merrimack at Tarleton State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Houston Christian at UIW | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
North Dakota at Nebraska | 7:15 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Eastern Washington at Washington | 7:15 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Michigan State at No. 3 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. | NBC
No. 7 LSU at No. 8 Ole Miss | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
No. 11 BYU at Colorado State | 7:30 p.m. | CBS
New Mexico at No. 24 Oklahoma | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2
West Virginia vs. No. 25 Virginia (in Charlotte, N.C.) | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Colorado at Northwestern | 7:30 p.m. | FOX
Virginia Tech at Maryland | 7:30 p.m. | FS1
Kennesaw State at No. 15 Tennessee | 7:45 p.m. | SEC Network
UTSA at No. 1 Texas | 8 p.m. | SECN+
Arkansas State at TCU | 8 p.m. | ESPNU
East Texas A&M at Tulsa | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
UAB at Louisiana | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
San Diego at Cal Poly | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Northern Arizona at Utah Tech | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Northeastern State at Northern Colorado | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Northwestern State at Weber State | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
McNeese at UT Rio Grande Valley | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Pacific Lutheran at Trinity (TX) | 8 p.m. | YouTube
South Dakota at Boise State | 10 p.m. | CBSSN
James Madison at San Diego State | 10 p.m. | CW
Stetson at UC Davis | 10 p.m. | ESPN+
Northern Illinois at Arizona | 10:30 p.m. | TNT
North Dakota State at Sacramento State | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
Purdue at UCLA | 11 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Montana at Oregon State | 11 p.m. | USA Network
Fresno State at San Jose State | 11 p.m. | FS1

First, here’s why I’m NOT worried about the fightin’ Whoo Piggies:

1.   Arkansas has a rich history of running backs, and is usually potent toting the rock. But Darren McFadden and Felix Jones aren’t suiting up this season. UA has only totaled 209 yards on the ground (including sacks) for a pitiful 2.7 yards a carry.

The Bulldog defense has only allowed 173 yards rushing in 2 games, and that doesn’t include sack yardage.

2.  The Razorbacks are 3^rd in time of possession. Yet they rank 114^th in scoring offense and 111^th in scoring defense. So while they apparently march up and down the field, they’re not putting the ball in the endzone.

And it’s debatable if the true Georgia defensive starters have surrendered a single score this season. Both opponents have avoided the shutout in the first half, but both times UGA was up by at least 4 touchdowns and substitutions were already liberally utilized.

3. Gunner Stockton has thrown twice as many touchdowns as incompletions. He leads the country in most touchdown passes without an interception. The Terrible Tiger is also almost perfect when facing pressure, though I will allow two caveats: 1) some of that pressure is because we don’t chip the end on a rollout, choosing to release the TE or back to get open in the flat and 2) he hasn’t had to go through many progressions, instead able to hit the primary target because the defense can’t cover them. Whatever the nuance or context, our QB1 is playing like the #1 QB in the country.

Now forgive me, as I was weaned at the nipple of Larry Munson’s scratch so here’s what does worry me about playing an SEC game on national television with a UGA squad playing their first Power 4 competition:

1.  60 minutes. The Georgia defensive starters have only played around 60 snaps apiece. And that has been spread over 2 games and 7 days. How will they fare when they will likely have a significant increase? There has been good energy and high effort so far, but how will they respond when they’re sweating and sucking eggs in the 3^rd and 4^th quarter – something they haven’t had to do this season?

Meanwhile, the Razorbacks were holding onto a 2 score lead in the 4^th quarter against North Alabama, and trying to keep the score less embarrassing last week in Utah, so they’re used to playing their 1’s the entire game.  A game at high noon in mid-September in Fayetteville is due to be warm, and conditioning could be a big factor.

2 .  Even getting stymied by the Utes, Arkansas did have 5 different pass catchers average in double digit yards per reception. And 9 different Razorbacks have that same qualification on the season. Only 4 receiving touchdowns (Gunner Stockton guffaws at this), but they are getting some chunk plays from the passing game.

Hog OC Tim Cramsey brings the fast-paced no-huddle tempo from Memphis, and QB KJ Jackson is getting it out of his hands quickly. He hasn’t been overly accurate (55.1% completion), and the offensive line has given up 7 sacks, yet somehow they are moving the ball.

 3 . Arkansas has been dwelling in the bottom of the SEC the last few seasons, sharing a special handshake with Mississippi State and pining as Vanderbilt climbed the stairs to the kitchen. With a head coach in his first season in the Power 4 and in rebuild mode, and not so impressive results the first 2 weeks, you might expect the Hogs to have no chance against the Bulldogs where the exact opposition situation exists.

Oregon probably thought the exact same thing last Saturday when they traveled to Stillwater, Oklahoma. But lo and behold, the underdog coach got his message across, the players trusted the process, the Ducks were lackluster, and proverbial lightning struck. That is the exact scenario Georgia is facing when they get off the bus at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Georgia has a history of providing new coaches and programs a signature victory. Let’s not give them that chance, shall we?

Call me crazy, just don’t call me late for dinner. Let us know in the comments what you’re feeling about opening SEC play on the road and starting a string of 5 straight conference games.  And as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

Welcome to another edition of Around the SEC, where everything is made up and the points don’t matter. That’s right, the points are just like a second half lead when Arthur Smith is your offensive coordinator and you need any sort of offensive momentum to stem the tide of a comeback.

You Just Got Served

In the ongoing legal and pettiness battle between Ole Miss and LSU, Ole Miss has landed the latest punch. Former Rebel and current Tiger DE Princewill Umanmielan was served court papers outside of the LSU practice facility on Wednesday regarding the ongoing lawsuit where Ole Miss alleges that he broke revenue sharing agreements by transferring to LSU. The real battle takes place Saturday night when LSU visits Oxford in must-watch television.

Texas AI Slop

Texas quarterback Arch Manning has issued a public apology for stating that he thought an AI-generated video of Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and ESPN reporter Holly Rowe was funny. The video in question shows Sarkisian slapping Rowe, which is an exaggeration of him spurning her postgame interview. As with everything, Rowe handled it with class, accepting Manning’s apology.

Jared Curtis time in Nashville

Vanderbilt has named true freshman quarterback Jared Curtis their starter for their upcoming game against NC State. Curtis played the entire second half last week against Delaware, taking over for an ineffective Blaze Berlowitz. He’ll have two games to get ready for the Commodores’ trip to Athens.

Georgia went back to the College World Series for the first time in 18 years in 2026, now head coach Wes Johnson has been rewarded for it.

The top Diamond Dawg received a contract extension through 2032. He’ll also get a rise that hasn’t been disclosed yet (he was earning &1.35 million per year previously).

In three seasons in Athens Johnson has turned around a once proud program that was struggling to build momentum. He’s led the Bulldogs to 139 overall wins, three NCAA Tournaments as a national top eight seed, played host to three NCAA Regionals and two NCAA Super Regionals and advanced to the 2026 College World Series.

The 2026 Dawgs secured a school record 53 victories,  made their seventh all-time appearance at the College World Series in Omaha, and had a final national ranking of #3. And for the second time in three seasons Georgia had a player win the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award, the top awards in college baseball and for an amateur player nationwide. In 2024, third baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon swept these major awards while last year, it was catcher Daniel Jackson.Both would go on to be first round MLB draft picks.

Johnson has also secured one of the top transfer portal hauls in the nation for 2027, as well as several prominent high school recruits. The new deal is a nod to the trajectory of the program, which appears set to compete in the SEC and nationally at an elite level on a yearly basis.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

It was one of the most satisfying moments of victory Georgia fans had soaked in for quite some time.

But was jubilant as the feeling was, the 2002 SEC Championship win against Arkansas didn’t need any dramatics. That tone was set in the opening minutes by Decory Bryant’s punt, which may have been the loudest the Georgia Dome ever got up until Alec Ogletree’s field-goal block in the 2012 SEC Title Game.

This game didn’t have a nail-biting, blood-pressure spiking finish like Auburn in November of that year, the Hobnail Boot Game or the 1996 win at Auburn, but it was every bit of a coronation, that after sitting and watching the Bulldogs’ rivals raise SEC trophies since the championship game began in 1992, Georgia didn’t just get to Atlanta…but it did so in a large way.

You almost had to pity the Arkansas fans for this one. Remember, this was back when the SEC West winner usually got handled in the SEC Championship game. Arkansas in this era was pretty good…good enough to get to Atlanta but not above the Floridas, Tennessees and in 2002…Georgias of the league.

To say that the demand for tickets for this game was high is an understatement. Obviously, the Georgia allotment didn’t last long. And since this was back pre-Stubhub, myself and a few roommates and friends had the next best plan – call the Arkansas ticket office when they put their tickets on sale. The game may have been a rout, but for Georgia fans who were there, it was definitely a “I was there” game.

The game was basically over as it began. After Bryant’s punt block was recovered at the two-yard line, Musa Smith needed just one play to score, and the next Razorback resulted in a three and out..followed by a 62-yard drive capped by a 17-yard score by Smith. In short, that was the game in a nutshell – Georgia ran right over Arkansas, and Brian VanGorder’s defense shut down anything that the Razorbacks tried to do on offense.

It was a case where Georgia was the superior team, even if it could have been a wider margin of victory, with the Bulldogs added a field-goal on their next three drives to lead 23-0 at halftime before adding a fourth-quarter touchdown from David Greene to Ben Watson.

If you were around the age of UGA students in 2002 and had family who lived through the early 1980s, it was hard not to feel like it was your generation’s moment of glory. You would hear of stories about the 1980-82 era and of Herschel, Erk, the Sugar Bowl and camping out for tickets like I was a story in an old dusty book (some of us had parents with the 1980! book).

On that December night in downtown Atlanta, Bulldog fans felt like they had reached the mountaintop.

Go Dawgs!

Atlanta fell behind early with Chris Sale on the bump — a rare occurrence this season, as the former Cy Young award winner surrendered three runs in the second inning, thanks to a Derek Hill bases-clearing double. And for most of the evening, it felt like the Braves’ offensive woes were going to carry into the weekend.

But an Austin Riley laser over the left-field wall gave the club some life in the seventh, and the tying run came across in the ninth when Sean Murphy singled to center. A late night got even later with extra innings. Both teams brought across a run in the tenth, and the Phillies did the same in the eleventh to take back a one-run lead.

The bottom half of the inning began with two quick outs, setting the table for probably the most unexpected hero in Major League Baseball this season. Ha-Seong Kim came up with a walk-off hit a few weeks ago against the Dodgers; he then had another massive hit in the Braves’ win on Thursday against the Rays, and he did it again against the Phillies — roping a ball into left field to tie the game.

That gave way to Drake Baldwin, and the All-Star catcher did not disappoint.

The win gives the Braves a 5.0-game lead in the NL East, which is really a 6.0-game lead because the Braves own the tiebreaker after taking the season series between the two clubs. With about two weeks left to play, as the infamous Sal Licata would say, “The NL East is OVER.”

The Phillies seem to see the writing on the wall. After the game, they announced Jesus Luzardo, who threw a complete-game shutout against the Braves last week, will not make his scheduled start on Saturday for extra rest. That’s probably not something that would have happened had the Phillies found a way to win last night.

Additionally, we got another update on the injury to Lane Thomas from Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Thomas suffered an intercostal strain and was placed on the IL. Typically, that requires at least a month of downtime, but the veteran outfielder is going to try to push the envelope to return for the Braves’ postseason run.

“There’s a range for obliques and intercostals — four to six weeks, I feel like — but some injections can speed that up potentially,” Thomas said. “So that’s the information I’m going to get from the doctor on Sunday.”

Walt Weiss said before the game that Thomas’ injury will lead to more playing time for Ha-Seong Kim, with Mauricio Dubon spending more time in the outfield. Given the number of clutch hits Kim has provided since returning from the Injured List, it may end up working out just fine, but more depth is never a bad thing. Hopefully Thomas can make it back at some point in October.

—

Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire

Stefanski would add that Tagovailoa is week-to-week, but oblique injuries are always tricky and can oftentimes take north of a month to heal. After all the hoopla leading up to this moment, it’s possible Tagovailoa never takes a snap under center in Atlanta.

For Cooper Rush, this will be his 17th NFL start. The most he’s ever made in a season was back in 2024, when he started eight games for the Dallas Cowboys, leading them to a respectable 4-4 record with 1,844 passing yards and 12 touchdowns to five interceptions. Last season, Rush made two starts for the Ravens, going 0-2 with just 303 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and four interceptions.

Let’s hope the Falcons see the Dallas version of Rush on Sunday, or things might get really interesting. Undrafted rookie Jack Strand has already cemented his status as a folk hero for his tremendous work during the preseason. If Rush struggles mightily in Week 1, the calls to see Strand are only going to grow louder, and I’m not sure the Falcons should be so against the idea.

At least with Strand, there is the unknown possibility of something special. He has physical attributes few quarterbacks in the league can match. With Rush, the Falcons know exactly what they are getting, and it’s not exactly high-level quarterback play.

Outside of the quarterback room, Atlanta is entering the season rather unscathed in terms of injuries. Billy Bowman Jr. will not play as he nurses his way back from an Achilles injury. That was always likely given he just returned to practice; however, Za’Darius Smith, Brandon Dorlus, Kendal Daniels, Zachariah Branch, and Jawaan Taylor were all full participants on Friday. They will be on the field come Sunday.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

AJ Smith-Shawver was seen in the bullpen over the weekend as Atlanta squared off with Philadelphia. Given the struggles he’s had as a starter since returning from Tommy John surgery, this feels like a natural transition. His stuff can still play over one inning, and the numbers back that up. Opponents are hitting just .111 with a .586 OPS against Smith-Shawver in the first inning of his five starts this season.

Reynaldo Lopez will get the start tonight in the series opener against the Chicago Cubs, and this might be his last opportunity to start a game if he doesn’t look a lot better than he did against the Tampa Bay Rays his last time out, allowing six earned runs over 4.2 innings.

Martin Perez will go Tuesday, and for now, the Braves have yet to announce a starting pitcher for Wednesday’s game.

Chris Sale would be on regular rest, so he is an option, but Atlanta has preferred to give him extra rest between starts as we come down the stretch, which could open up an opportunity for JR Ritchie, who really seems to have found his footing in Gwinnett recently. Over his last six starts, he’s allowed two runs or fewer in five of them, and he’s coming off a performance in which he tossed six innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts. The Braves very well might want to see him against major-league competition before the season ends to gauge whether he could play some type of role for them come October.

The good news is the Braves have four guys who continue to throw the hell out of the ball every time they toe the rubber. Chris Sale has been the second-best pitcher in baseball this season. Martin Perez has been a godsend, particularly at home, where he owns a 0.28 ERA over his last six starts — the best mark by a Braves starting pitcher since 1912. Tyler Mahle has been the acquisition of the entire trade deadline, and Grant Holmes has five shutout outings in his last eight starts.

The fifth spot remains a revolving door, but that’s the case for a lot of teams across Major League Baseball this time of year.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

The rookie Murphy showed some promise earlier in the season with the major-league club over a small sample size, posting a 4.05 ERA over 6.2 innings. However, he really seems to have found his footing down in Gwinnett, giving up just four combined runs over his last five starts.

According to Mark Bowman, Murphy will be utilized out of the bullpen over the next couple of days, suggesting he’s more of a placeholder with the Braves being short on relief arms.

Falter getting designated for assignment is a bit of poor luck. The Braves acquired him in a trade with the Royals at the deadline and immediately optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett, where he did not give up a run over 10.2 innings. That earned him a call to the major-league club, where he also didn’t give up a run over 3.1 innings. He’s tossed 14 scoreless innings in the Braves organization, but unfortunately that was not enough to keep him around with the team needing fresh arms against a potent offensive club like the Cubs.

It’s possible Falter clears waivers and remains with the organization. At the very least, he’s solid organizational depth the Braves could use as the season wanes to keep some of their better arms fresh for the postseason.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

Atlanta’s 20-13 loss on Sunday was an embarrassment to the game. Third-string quarterback Cooper Rush was thrust into a starting role due to the injuries to Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, and he didn’t look like someone who belongs within 20 feet of an NFL sideline.

The stat line wasn’t horrendous. Rush finished 12/22 for 143 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, but those numbers don’t really capture just how unreliable he was under center. The Falcons could not call a pass beyond the line of scrimmage. It looked like Rush was throwing a medicine ball out there, and the Steelers defense quickly realized they didn’t even have to play defense on the back end, focusing exclusively on Bijan Robinson in the backfield.

Which is what makes Robinson’s performance even more impressive. The entire world knew where the ball was going, and he still finished with over 170 yards from scrimmage — split evenly between rushing and receiving — with the Falcons’ lone touchdown on the afternoon, a swing pass that he took 23 yards to the end zone towards the end of the first quarter.

That same pass from Rush actually led to another touchdown later in the game. Unfortunately, it involved TJ Watt going the other way on a throw that was just a dismal effort — tossed with the same velocity you’d find at a youth football game, and that might be disrespecting some of the kids out there.

Which begs the question: were the Falcons ever considering a debut for undrafted rookie Jack Strand? It undoubtedly would have been a tough spot to throw him in there, but it was very obvious early on that Cooper Rush gave Atlanta zero chance of winning unless Pittsburgh completely pissed down their leg. At least with Strand, the threat of a pass past the line of scrimmage would have existed, and he also offers a lot with his legs that would have taken some attention off of Bijan Robinson.

According to head coach Kevin Stefanski, however, that was never something they considered. Instead, they were willing to punt the entire game, because as I will continue to reiterate, Cooper Rush had no business playing in an NFL game yesterday, and if we’re being real, he has no business staying on the Falcons’ roster past this week. It was hands down the worst quarterback performance I’ve seen with my two eyes in my 30 years on this earth, and I had to watch Desmond Ridder start an entire season not long ago.

But that leads us to the much bigger issue at hand: why was Michael Penix Jr. not playing?

Penix was cleared for 11-on-11 work a few weeks ago after suffering a torn ACL last season. He said he’s not quite feeling 100% yet, which is why he opted against playing, but whatever he’s feeling has nothing to do with him being healthy. There is not a world where the Falcons would clear him to play if he wasn’t healthy. This isn’t a hamstring strain; it’s a surgically repaired knee — the third of Penix’s career. If he wasn’t 100%, he wouldn’t be cleared to play.

The issue, as Penix has said several times leading up to the season, is the mental hurdle of getting back on the field and taking hits. It’s a completely reasonable concern given all he’s undergone in the injury department, but that’s something he needs to get over, and fast. A hesitant Michael Penix Jr. is still better than whatever the hell we were forced to watch on Sunday, and he’s not going to get any more mentally ready by sitting on the sideline while this team looks more inept than Buford High School would offensively.

There’s no reason Penix shouldn’t be the starting quarterback for the Falcons’ Week 2 matchup with the Panthers, and if he isn’t, it’s fair to say we have our answer on whether he can be a franchise cornerstone moving forward.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

Atlanta did enough good things to win, but they were ultimately let down by abysmal quarterback play, a gaudy number of penalties, and multiple missed kicks. It’s almost impossible to win with one of those three things occurring, let alone all three. Yet somehow the Falcons found themselves in possession of the ball and an opportunity to tie the game. The only way for that to happen is if there were some positive aspects, and a few things stood out.

The Bijan Robinson Show

When Cooper Rush was named the starting quarterback, we knew it was going to be a heavy dose of Bijan Robinson from the jump. But so did the Steelers, and they really couldn’t do anything to stop him as he racked up north of 170 yards from scrimmage and scored the team’s only touchdown. This is the best running back in football, and Robinson could put up video game numbers this season if Penix can return and at least keep defenses honest with his arm.

Za’Darius Smith Masterclass

The Falcons defense as a whole played about as well as it possibly could have given the circumstances. They only gave up 13 points, and seven of them came off a turnover that gave Pittsburgh an extraordinarily short field. This game would have been ten times worse without them, and veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith was arguably the unit’s top performer, racking up two sacks and three tackles for loss. That’s already more sacks than he had in five games with the Eagles last year before he retired.

The Falcons signed Smith out of necessity about a month before the start of the season because of the injury to Jalon Walker. It was about as good as they could have possibly done that late in the offseason, and though it’s just one week, it looks like Smith should be able to fill the void pretty competently.

2026 Rookie Class

I wrote last week how the 2026 rookie class — despite the Falcons not having a pick until the second round — could play a massive role immediately, and that was on full display on Sunday. Avieon Terrell looks like he’s going to be a fixture in Atlanta’s secondary for a long time. The preseason hype surrounding Kendal Daniels proved warranted as he got the start next to Divine Deablo and was the team’s best middle linebacker. And while Zachariah Branch wasn’t really involved offensively because of the quarterback situation, he looked very dangerous as a punt returner. Hopefully we’ll get to see a lot more from him as a receiver whenever Penix or Tua is deemed healthy enough to return to the field.

—

(Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire)

Saying Tyler Mahle is better than Tarik Skubal might be a bit of a stretch, but Francoeur’s statement does carry some weight when evaluating the context.

There’s no arguing who has been better up to this point. Mahle owns a 1.25 ERA in his seven starts since being traded, while Skubal has experienced a bump or two since moving to Los Angeles, boasting a 2.93 ERA over the same number of appearances.

Then, when you take into account the price, the question of who was the better trade deadline acquisition really becomes a no-brainer. The Braves got Mahle in what was essentially a salary dump. All they had to do was give up a journeyman reliever and pick up the remaining $2 million left on his salary for this season. Meanwhile, Skubal cost multiple top-100 prospects, and the Dodgers are on the hook for nearly $10 million.

Of course, if Skubal ends up being an integral piece to another Dodgers World Series run, the tune of this debate would change pretty quickly. But right now, Tyler Mahle has been the addition of the entire trade deadline, and if he pitches like he has over the last six weeks come October, he could go down as one of the better midseason acquisitions of all time. Alex Anthopoulos may not be perfect, but this was incredible work by the Braves front office to find a really talented starting pitcher for basically nothing.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

According to Ian Rapoport, Da’Shawn Hand is believed to have suffered a torn quad that could require surgery.

Hand played sparingly on Sunday before going down with the injury, seeing the field for just seven snaps. Despite that, the Falcons defense — particularly when it comes to stopping the run — was among the bright spots against the Steelers, who managed just 58 yards on the ground on 21 attempts.

That was a problem area for the Falcons a year ago, and they spent a lot of their resources this offseason focusing on getting bigger along the interior defensive front. Still, this is a pretty thin group that really couldn’t afford to lose a significant piece like Hand so early in the year, especially after already losing Jalon Walker for the season to a torn ACL.

With this news, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich‘s job just got that much more difficult. The Falcons defense played about as well as it possibly could have on Sunday, and they still lost by seven points to a team that’s far from a legitimate contender. The offense must be miles better moving forward, because expecting that kind of result every week from a defense that’s already down three starters is not realistic.

Breach Inlet Capital is urging Atlanta Braves Holdings to pursue a sale of the Braves, citing the skyrocketing value of franchises across sports and a potential MLB lockout looming in the winter.

“Breach Inlet Capital Management, LLC (“Breach Inlet Capital” or “we”) is a top 20 institutional shareholder of Atlanta Braves Holdings (“BATRK” or the “Company”),” a public letter from Breach Inlet Capital to the Board of Directors read, via Business Wire. “We have been patient, long-term investors in the Company for nearly a decade. However, we believe the timing is optimal to pursue a sale of BATRK for the reasons outlined below. While we appreciate that John Malone has effective voting control of the Company, the Board’s fiduciary duties obligate it to act in the best interest of all shareholders. We hope and trust that Mr. Malone and most shareholders would be aligned with our recommendation. We urge the Board to diligently consider all options, including our recommendation for a sale process.”

Breach Inlet Capital specifically mentions the Seattle Seahawks’ recent sale at $9.6 billion as an example of the surging sale prices of sports franchises. The Lakers also recently sold for a record $12.5 billion, and while no MLB franchise is likely to challenge those two, the Padres recently sold for $3.9 billion and the Angels sold for $4 billion — figures the Braves could certainly target to eclipse given their stronghold on the entire market in the Southeast and The Battery, which has become a case study for new arena ventures across all sports.

The letter continues by addressing a potential lockout in the winter. Major League Baseball has done a tremendous job in recent years of increasing popularity, headlined by new rules like the pitch clock, which have helped speed up the time of games. The momentum around the sport has moved forward like a freight train as a result, but a lengthy lockout — like most expect is on the horizon — would bring that positive charge to a screeching halt and then some.

“But this momentum could face a near-term headwind,” the letter continued. “The MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement expires December 1, 2026. Many team owners want a salary cap like other leagues, while players appear adamantly opposed. The consensus view seems to be that this will lead to a lockout. That will be the case if history is a guide. When owners and players last fought over a salary cap in 1994, the players went on strike for 239 days, causing the World Series to be canceled for the first time since 1904. MLB attendance did not exceed its 1993 peak until 13 years later in 2006.

“BATRK’s Board (and John Malone) should not hope that history does not repeat itself and should instead capitalize on the MLB’s current momentum ahead of a potential extended lockout.”

For most fans who follow the Braves closely, a sale of the team would be welcome news. This team generates gobs of cash year after year, and yet the commitment to winning from a payroll perspective doesn’t always seem to be there — at least not in regard to the way the team spends in free agency.

However, while I do feel like a sale of the Braves is probable at some point down the line, I would urge disgruntled fans to be careful what they wish for. This is a club that currently sits sixth in the league in payroll at $260 million. That’s nearly triple where they were a decade ago, so the idea that the Braves are among the cheaper teams in the sport is only for those who refuse to look at the facts.

Could the Braves stand to spend a little more? Of course, but there are a lot more abysmal owners across the four major sports than there are quality ones. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

ESPN recently polled 16 executives and scouts about a number of topics regarding the postseason, including the National League’s team to beat, with the Braves not receiving a single vote. Now, given how strong the NL is, that’s not totally surprising, but it is when considering the Brewers led the way with six votes, the Phillies also received four, and even the Cubs got a vote. It wasn’t all Dodgers, who received the second-most votes behind Milwaukee.

The Braves did receive a couple of votes for “sleeper team” in the National League, but even in that area they were outpaced by the Padres by five votes, with the Cubs also receiving two more votes.

If you went solely by this article, it’d almost be hard to tell that the Braves are even set to compete in the playoffs. They were barely mentioned, but are the executives and scouts included in this poll all that wrong?

October is often defined by pitching and timely hitting. This is a group that’s battle-tested, but it’s not as if they’ve performed their best when the lights have shined on them. The Braves haven’t won a playoff series since 2021 despite making it three times, and nobody is going to buy into this pitching staff on paper. Tyler Mahle, Martin Perez, and Grant Holmes have all been unbelievable for Atlanta this season, but the outside world is right to question whether that can continue against the best offenses in the playoffs.

Perhaps the best case for the Braves to surprise people next month is that baseball is an unpredictable, weird sport, and postseason heroes often come from unsuspecting places. Nothing exemplifies that better than Atlanta’s run back in 2021. That was arguably the worst playoff roster the Braves have had since 2018, yet that happened to be the team that climbed to the top of the mountain, thanks to unforgettable performances from Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, Tyler Matzek, and Ian Anderson.

None of those players have been relevant in the league since, but for one month five years ago you would have thought they were destined for the Hall of Fame. The Braves have enough talent to beat anybody. They’ve held up well against the best teams in the National League all season, and you don’t win 90+ games without some special players. But the doubt from the outside world is understandable and, dare I say, warranted given how inconsistently this team has performed over the past four months.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

It’s game day, ‘Dawgs! Who could possibly sleep when we have the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers coming to town? Here’s some tailgate music to get you grooving:

We next move, in the customary fashion, into this week’s UGA hype video::

Anyone else a little disappointed that there wasn’t a creepy girl crawling out of a well in there anywhere? Yeah, me too.

In other Bulldogs news, the week two injury report is out and is pretty benign. Outside linebacker Chase Linton remains questionable with a leg injury of indeterminate severity, and defensive back Jontae Gilbert apparently has a finger that’s giving him the finger. Drew Bobo remains a go-go with his hand in a club, but his knowledge of his dad’s offense fully intact.

Jeff Sentell and Kaylee Mansell at DawgNation have the lowdown on expected visitors for the game, including Bulldog QB commit Jayden Wade.

That should get you started on your Saturday. We’ll be back shortly with the game thread, and all your other Bulldog coverage as the day in college football unfolds. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

There’s no rest for the best, as Yara and Nathan take a stab at previewing Georgia’s upcoming contest against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. This one has real statistics baked right in, then lovingly drizzled with a luscious glaze of vibes. Among the topics:

• A few months ago Western Kentucky was giving LSU all they could handle. A few days ago they got boat-raced by the Nevada Wolfpack. How did we get from one outcome to the other?
• Will Kirby Smart-coached football teams cover two gargantuan spreads in two weeks? Are you asking that because you’re new here?
• How excited is appropriately excited about the Georgia Bulldog defense? Will that question become more answerable after this Saturday?
• Will you ever get the image of WKU’s amorphous blob of a mascot lounging on sumptuous carpets while being fed grapes by Roman servants out of your head? No. No you will not.

All that, and so much more. And remember like a Big Ten replay crew to take an extra second to like, rate, recommend, subscribe, and patreonize the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The Georgia Bulldogs may be done for the day, but the college football action elsewhere is just heating up.

Your full college football schedule can be found here for ready reference. Among your viewing options are Alabama at Kentucky on ABC, Mississippi State at Minnesota on CBS, and Arizona at #15 BYU on Fox.

Tonight’s Prime time matchup between Texas and Ohio State will also be coming up, and this thread will be the hub for discussions and updates on all the action throughout the day.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

I’m not saying he’s Knownshon Moreno. But Chauncey Bowens hurdling a defender without breaking stride to casually stroll into the endzone at 225 pounds is a thing that doesn’t look like it should be possible.

So far, so good in Athens with the Red and Black (and White) up by three touchdowns halfway through the first quarter.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

It’s almost time for kickoff in a slightly soggy Athens, Georgia. There’s rain all around Athens, but fans are already in fine form, waiting to see the Bulldogs come out in their new, all-white look, and hopefully look just as dominant as they did last week against Tennessee State.

My guess is that this won’t be quite as dominant a performance, as Western Kentucky is a solid Conference USA opponent, and I expect them to redeem themselves somewhat from a poor loss to Nevada last Saturday.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

You don’t put up 60+ points in back-to-back games for the first time since 1915 without a total team effort. But even then some Bulldogs are bound to distinguish themselves. Those valiant warriors in Red and Black are your MVDs, the Most Valuable Dawgs from Georgia’s 70-20 victory over Western Kentucky.

Offense: Gunner Stockton. There’s no point in overthinking this one. Gunner finished 13 of 16 for 234 yards passing and 5 touchdowns in a shade under two quarters of work. That’s downright surgical in its efficiency. If he can continue to carve up defenses that way in the SEC schedule, the Bulldog offense is heading for a big year.

Defense:Chris Cole. Like most of the Bulldog starters Cole took limited snaps, but while he was in he was all over the Hilltopper offense. Cole finished with 3 tackles, 2 of them solo stops, and got consistent pass rush pressure both inside and outside. It was a really solid, consistent effort for the physically gifted linebacker.

Special teams: AJ Kruah. Kruah also led the team in tackles, by the way, but his forced fumble on the game’s opening play set the tone for the day. On a day when Kirby Smart specifically called out his second and third teamers for not being prepared to play, Kruah absolutely came ready to work.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Tyson Helton’s Western Kentucky Hilltoppers were always going to need to play flawless football if they were going to keep things close this afternoon against the Georgia Bulldogs. The problem is that they played pretty much the opposite of that, and as a result what was always likely to be a Bulldog win turned into an absolute beatdown. Georgia tied a program record with 49 first half points to cruise to a 76 beating in front of a white clad and soaking wet crowd in Sanford Stadium.

Once again Gunner Stockton played an efficient little bit of football and called it a day early. Stockton was 13 of 16 passing for 234 yards and a career high 5 touchdowns. Gunner hit five different Bulldogs for those scores, and while he did have a couple of balls underthrown or tipped, it was an all-around good performance.

Nate Frazier picked up where he left off as well, looking crisp on 6 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown. Interestingly Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips each only had one carry, each for 4 yards. That’s not too concerning, as at this point coaches are pretty confident with what their veteran tailbacks can do.

Second string quarterback Ryan Puglisi was actually the Dawgs’ leading rusher with 72 yards on 2 carries. However 70 of them came on a single touchdown run. But his other run resulted in a fumble that helped the Hilltoppers log their first scoring drive of the day. It was a troubling trend, as the Bulldogs turned the ball over twice and had a handful of other fumbles that they managed to recover. And while the first string defense played lights out, and the Bulldogs ultimately surrendered only 225 yards of total offense, it felt as if the reserves weren’t as dialed in as one would prefer.

As Kirby Smart said on the field after the game “we’ve got a lot of guys who want to play but aren’t ready to play.” Indeed, the gap between the dominance of Georgia’s first stringers and the lapses once those players called it a day is a little concerning if injuries and tougher competition require some of those reserves to be thrust into meaningful action.

Still, it feels a little odd to say that a 70-20 game wasn’t as close as the score indicates. The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on offense, defense, and in the kicking game. And those reserves were in for over a half of football precisely because the first stringers could have scored a hundred if Kirby had wanted them to. They’ll get better with more reps, and the staff got a ton of coaching tape today. That’s not a bad thing, and a lot of those youngsters will be better football players by the end of the season for it.

Now the Dawgs prepare to start the real season, going on the road next week to open SEC play against Ryan Silverfield’s Arkansas Razorbacks. I for one am looking forward to seeing what a full game from this Georgia team looks like. Until later…

Go ‘‘Dawgs!!!

Y’all. I have been with Mr. Squillian since 1984. If your math is a little rusty, that is 42 years and counting. We married in 1987, so we’re still a few months shy of 40 years married, but as we both like to say, it just seems like forever.

If you’ve been married/with someone longer than about 6 months, you know that there are things your significant other (SO) does that are both endearing and infuriating. Mr. Squillian’s view on my Dawg fandom/attending home games is one of those things. Mr. Squillian is a Dawg fan, and has been since before he met me, but he’s quite happy to sit at home on his couch, where he is in air-conditioned/heated comfort, with whatever he desires for food & drink a short walk away. He’s perfectly happy for me to attend games without him, right up to the point where I don’t have a sidekick/partner-in-crime/companion. Every week, he asks who will be accompanying me. This week, when I posted on Facebook asking if there was anyone who wanted to go with me, he reminded me that he is always happy to go with me (which is a bold-faced lie, but whatever).

If you didn’t already know it, marriage is all about compromise. And I use marriage in the definition used by Robert Fulghum: a marriage doesn’t actually begin at the altar, but rather in all the quiet, ordinary moments a couple shares beforehand. That way, it can encompass every marriage, even ones where the couple hasn’t chosen to register it with the local government. My compromise yesterday was that we didn’t leave the house in time to make the Dawg Walk, and I told Mr. Squillian that he was allowed to have as much beer as he wanted (he wanted 2). I packed sunscreen and ponchos. We needed both. We spent a good amount of time putting on and taking off the ponchos. We spent more time happily cheering on the Dawgs in their 70-20 rout of the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers. (What is a Hilltopper?)

However, it is our intention to celebrate Georgia Bulldog Football Wins whenever and wherever they occur. The ugliness or beauty of any particular win is irrelevant for the purposes of the Winning Smart Victory Post. It is therefore my deepest honor and privilege to bring to you this week’s edition of: The Winning Smart Victory Post.

Coach Kirby Smart coached his 140th game this week for the Red & Black. He currently boasts a 119-21 record and a 0.8500 winning percentage, having carded his one hundred nineteenth win overall in the second game of the 2026 season against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

At the identical juncture in their careers:

Vince Dooley’s 139th game as head coach resulted in a Georgia Bulldogs win over Vandy in the sixth game of the 1976 season, giving Coach Dooley a record of 93-42-5 and a 0.6821 percentage.

Coach Mark Richt was 104-36 (0.7429) after a win over Kentucky in the 10th game of the 2011 season.

One hundred and forty games into his head coaching career Kirby Smart is fifteen games ahead of Coach Mark Richt and ahead of Coach Vince Dooley by 26 games. As of now, he is holding his own versus the two winningest coaches in Georgia Football History.

As always . . .

Go ‘Dawgs !!!!

Another week, another overwhelming win for Georgia. This time, the roadkill was Western Kentucky in a 70-20 win in a day mixed with rain and sunshine Between The Hedges.

Here are 10 thoughts from all that shook out on Saturday in Athens.

1. Even when Georgia has had some very good teams, there have been times where it has slopped around the not started games very crisp, to say the least. If there is one thing that stands out from these first two games against very underwhelming opponents, its that the Bulldogs – at least their first-team level of the depth chart, have been ready to play. The latest? A 14-0 lead Saturday after only four offensive plays. Yes, both Tennessee State and Western Kentucky are putrid. But the way that the focus has been sharp early on the past two games says a lot about the upper-end of the roster.

2. But…lot was also on display about the lower end of the roster. When you give up two second-half touchdowns, even if they are backups, that’s not good. Was Kirby Smart trying to send a message when he said that some players were ‘not ready to play’ after Saturday’s win? Perhaps. But it also says that at some point, these reserves will be needed to step up. Injuries and adversity? Those things happen during a season. It may seem a long way off for these reserves to step in…but that plan goes out the window when injuries happen. To quote Jerry Reed, these young players “have a long way to go, and short time to get there.”

3. All of that said, we still don’t know how well this team can handle the fire of adversity. Arkansas will be toughest game so far next week, and there is a worry of sleepwalking for a midway game in the CST, but the Razorbacks are not very good. Oklahoma? It could not beat a Michigan team that needed creative timekeeping to beat Western Michigan. If you want a true test for this team, it may not be until a trip to Tuscaloosa. 

4. SEC play starts next week, so at some point Georgia will need to loosen up opposing run defenses with the deep ball. After limiting the pass game to short and mid-range last week, it was good to see Mike Bobo go anti-vanilla and stretch the pass game deep early on. 

5. Was the opponent inferior? Yes. But Gunner Stockton setting a career high for touchdowns is a career high. And five touchdowns in one half? That’s a thing of significance. If players in other conferences can get Heisman numbers gassed up by beating up on lesser teams, there is no reason that Stockton cannot. 

6. Oh yes, the uniforms. Even if you are a stubborner to change, even if you dislike the NIL premise of them, the white uniforms looked great. The next step? Break those things out for a night game. 

7. Georgia fans take it for granted, but despite all of Saturday’s rain, you would have hardly known it based on how well the Sanford Stadium turf played. If you believe that Georgia’s team that keeps this playing surface in top shape is among the best of the best, then Saturday proved it. 

8. In the world of ‘where did that come from,” Ryan Puglisi showed off some sneaky speed on his 70-yard touchdown run. It was the first time seeing that Between The Hedges since…Stetson Bennett drained Auburn’s soul in 2022. 

9. Prather Hudson became a cult-like hero a few years ago, because when he lined up a running back, it meant a big walkover Georgia win. Now, that role may belong to Dwight “Peanut” Phillips, Bo Walker, and Nick Peal. All three showed an aggressive style of running Saturday, combining to rush for 59 yards. 

10. After the Orange Bowl and now Saturday, Brock Gleen is liable to be having nightmares about Georgia’s defense for the rest of his living days.

Go Dawgs!

Here we are again, looking to lift the curtain on one man’s madness. To investigate the thoughts of a college football coach brought low by fate, and also a roster crammed to the gills with angry five star recruits who spend their days being yelled at by Kirby Smart. This is Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton during the waning moments of Saturday’s 70-20 loss to Georgia.

I ask you, what was Tyson Helton thinking?

a) “There have to be better ways to earn a living. I used to be a pretty fair checkers player. Is there a pro checkers circuit? Could I start one?”

b) “Clay’s going to be beating up on Dabo Swinney and I have to be here getting barbecued like a pork loin.”

c) “I feel like an armadillo on the highway of life. Turns out the light at the end of the tunnel was a set of Buick headlights.”

d) “I thought the SEC was kicking schools out of the league for playing NFL players.“

As always, your suggestions are encouraged in the comments. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Elder deserves a lot of credit for what he’s done this year. The Braves desperately needed someone to step up in the wake of several major injuries to the rotation, and he’s gone out and delivered every five nights more often than not. Without him, the Braves might not be sitting here in first place today.

That said, acting as if Elder will return in a month and make an impact in the playoffs is probably not a realistic scenario. He was already a fringe guy for the roster — not somebody who was likely to start a postseason game, and unlikely to contribute out of the bullpen as well, given he has zero experience as a reliever.

Elder’s season is almost certainly over unless some unexpected injuries arise down the line.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

Falcons Week 1 Depth Chart

Quarterbacks 

• Tua Tagovailoa — QB1
• Cooper Rush — QB2
• Jack Strand — QB3
• Michael Penix Jr. — QB4 (Will Be Inactive)

Running Backs

• Bijan Robinson — RB1
• Brian Robinson Jr. — RB2

Wide Receivers

• Drake London — WR1 (Starter)
• Jahan Dotson — WR2 (Starter)
• Olamide Zaccheaus — WR3 (Starter)
• Zachariah Branch — WR4
• Chris Blair — WR5

Tight Ends

• Kyle Pitts — TE1 (Starter)
• Charlie Woerner — TE2 (Starter)
• Austin Hooper — TE3

Left Tackle 

• Jake Matthews — LT1
• Michael Jerrell — LT2
• Cameron Williams — LT3

Left Guard 

• Matthew Bergeron — LG1
• Kyle Hinton — LG2

Center 

• Ryan Neuzil — C1
• Corey Levin — C2

Right Guard 

• Chris Lindstrom — RG1

Right Tackle 

• Jawaan Taylor — RT1
• Michael Jerrell — RT2
• Ethan Onianwa — RT3

Defensive End

• Cameron Thomas — Starter
• Brandon Dorlus — Starter
• Za’Darius Smith — Backup
• Samson Ebukam — Backup
• Yasir Abdullah — Reserve
• Jared Ivey — Reserve

Defensive Tackle

• Maason Smith — Starter
• LaCale London — Starter
• Gervon Dexter Sr. — Backup
• Da’Shawn Hand — Backup

Linebacker

• Divine Deablo — Starter
• Kendal Daniels — Starter
• Harold Perkins Jr. — Backup
• Christian Harris — Backup
• Josh Woods — Reserve

Cornerback

• A.J. Terrell — CB1
• Mike Hughes — CB2
• Avieon Terrell — Nickel (Starter)
• C.J. Henderson — Backup
• Billy Bowman Jr. — Backup
• Mike Ford Jr. — Backup
• Malcom Dewalt IV — Reserve

Safety 

• Jessie Bates III — Starter
• Xavier Watts — Starter
• DeMarcco Hellams — Backup
• Sydney Brown — Backup

Special Teams 

• Nick Folk — K
• Jake Bailey — P
• Liam McCullough — LS

—

The Falcons didn’t reinvent the wheel here. Almost all of these were expected, but the one pleasant surprise is the decision to name rookie Kendal Daniels a starter immediately out of the gate. He’ll get the bulk of the reps next to Divine Deablo at inside linebacker, and if the preseason is any indication, Daniels could end up being the best story of the entire season.

Another Falcons rookie, second-round selection Avieon Terrell, is also in line to get the nod for Week 1, which means he will be sharing the secondary with his brother A.J. Terrell.

Much like the pass rush was a beaming bright light of positivity for the Falcons a year ago, the secondary could be the same for the team this season. It’s a really quality mix of elite talent, veteran experience, and high draft picks with immense upside. If the Falcons defense turns out being much better than the rest of the league might expect, the secondary is going to have a big hand in that development.

One rookie who is a bit further down the depth chart than some might have expected is Zachariah Branch. He’s listed as the backup to Olamide Zaccheaus, but given the Falcons are only carrying five receivers, I expect him to get some touches early on in the season. The explosive aspect he can bring to this offense should earn him a lot of playing time.

Back to the defensive side, you might notice Gervon Dexter Sr. and Za’Darius Smith are both listed as backups at their respective positions. However, I would expect them to get a lot of run this Sunday. The defensive line is always a highly rotational group that will see a lot of different faces in and out of the game. I wouldn’t put a lot of weight into where they are on the Week 1 depth chart.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

I am not going to say I disagree with any of those points. Most of them are true, but this is the NFL, and the Falcons still have a ton of talent on the roster with an opportunity to start 1-0 against a team that has plenty of flaws of its own.

The Falcons’ Rushing Attack

Could I really start listing off positives without focusing on arguably the best player in all of football, Bijan Robinson? He’s the star of the show, and with the Falcons limited at the quarterback position, Kevin Stefanski isn’t going to try and hide who they want to get the ball to. This is a head coach who had no problem handing the ball off 300 times per season to Nick Chubb while he was in Cleveland, but unlike Chubb, Robinson can also be a weapon in the passing game. He should get 25+ touches in this one as long as the Falcons manage to keep it close.

A Potentially Elite Secondary?

I’ve said it a couple of times leading up to the season, but the Falcons’ secondary is going to be last year’s version of the pass rush. Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates III make up one of the most intimidating safety duos in the league. Both have a nose for the football and could potentially change this Week 1 matchup in favor of the Falcons. But for the first time in a while, the cornerback room also adds some intrigue.

A.J. Terrell leads the group as one of the premier talents at the position. Mike Hughes has proven to be a serviceable veteran. Avieon Terrell joins the room as a rookie — he’ll get the nod as the team’s starting nickel corner. And while we don’t know if Billy Bowman Jr. will play in Week 1, he’ll certainly have a say as the season progresses, giving the Falcons some enticing depth at a spot they haven’t had it in a long time.

There are obviously still some unknowns with this group, but it’s the one area I feel comfortable buying into on the defensive side of the ball.

The Start of a New Regime

The first game of a new era is always exciting, especially when it’s led by a Falcons legend in Matt Ryan. Everybody wants this to work out, and while the previous regime made it nearly impossible for Atlanta to put together a roster worthy of legitimate contention, we can still learn a lot about this regime in year one — particularly head coach Kevin Stefanski. This is a former two-time Coach of the Year who led the Browns to the playoffs not once but twice. So why can’t he keep the Falcons competitive in a weak NFC South? We’ll get our first glimpse of it all this Sunday.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

Robert Suarez began his throwing program over a month ago. The Braves have taken things very cautiously with him, but he’s now firing bullpens pain-free. The next step is to face live batting practice before beginning a rehab assignment.

Let’s say Suarez threw a couple of sessions to live hitters this week. That would put him on track to begin a rehab assignment with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. That’s still enough time for him to return during the regular season and get his feet wet against major-league hitting before the temperature heats up exponentially during the postseason.

Because he’s a reliever, and he’s already throwing bullpen sessions, his rehab assignment really shouldn’t be a lengthy one. I would actually argue he doesn’t even need one.

Regardless, the more pressing questions surround how Robert Suarez might look after such a lengthy layoff. He hasn’t pitched since mid-June and was shut down completely for about two months. Before the injury, he was arguably the most dominant reliever in all of baseball, pitching to a 0.56 ERA over 31 appearances. If the Braves are getting that guy back, their bullpen is going to be a weapon that Walt Weiss can wield early and often throughout a playoff series.

But expecting Suarez to jump back in like nothing happened might be wishful thinking.

—

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire)

The offense — as has been the case more often than not for a long time — couldn’t get anything going. They mustered just one run, and when that happens, there’s basically no chance of winning. I will say they hit the ball hard everywhere, but it was one of those nights where nothing could find a hole or green grass.

Still, they have to find a way to be better down the stretch. They are performing nowhere near their potential, and if things don’t take a turn for the better quickly, they’ll be headed for another first-round exit come October.

The story of the night, though, was AJ Smith-Shawver — and not in a good way. The 23-year-old was making his fifth start for the Braves since returning from Tommy John surgery, and just about every outing has looked like a mirror image of the last. He’s still throwing way too many uncompetitive pitches, giving up too many free passes, and can’t miss bats consistently.

Junior Caminero and Liam Hicks provided most of the damage against Smith-Shawver with two home runs. He would only allow four runs in total but needed 81 pitches to get through just 3.1 innings.

Smith-Shawver now owns a 7.71 ERA this season. He’s averaging just over 4.0 innings per start, giving up nearly 11 hits per nine innings, 5.6 walks, and 1.7 home runs. Those numbers are gaudy in any scenario, and they are especially discouraging when you’re unable to strike guys out — he’s averaging 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Braves understandably would like to give AJ Smith-Shawver as much runway as possible leading up to the postseason. There’s a world where his talented arm could give them something, especially over an extended seven-game series. And everybody should be reminded it’s his fifth start since spending 14 months on the shelf. It should be expected that he’s not anywhere close to the top of his game.

But continuing to trot him out as a starting pitcher doesn’t make a lot of sense right now. The Braves did lose Bryce Elder to knee surgery, which takes away an option in the rotation, but they are gaining one in Reynaldo Lopez. That gives them five quality starters who can take the team the rest of the way as they try to finish off the division.

Smith-Shawver could still have a role for this club out of the bullpen. Opponents are hitting just .111 against him with a .576 OPS in the first inning. But as a starting pitcher this year, it’s probably best for the Braves to continue with their other options.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

They say the biggest improvement a college football team makes comes between Week 1 and Week 2, and now we finally have a meaningful data point on every team to go along with what we thought entering the season.

For what it’s worth, there has already been some wild line movement heading into Week 2. Back in July, I bet Oklahoma +3 at Michigan as a look-ahead line, and after Michigan basically lost to Western Michigan, that number has completely flipped to Oklahoma -6.5. I also grabbed Air Force +6 at home against North Dakota St when that line opened Sunday–and that would probably be my favorite bet of the weekend if the number were still available. Instead, the Falcons have been hammered by the market, with NDSU now sitting around -2.5.

I love both bets at the numbers I got, but with the market having moved so drastically, I can’t include them on this week’s article, so I have fewer favorites than usual. With that in mind, here are the two bets I like most for Week 2.

2026 record: 4-2

FAU +6 vs Navy

I took a 25-1 flier on FAU to win the American before the season because I believe this offense can be electric again in Year 2 under Zach Kittley, and I liked what the Owls did in the transfer portal to address a defense that was dreadful a year ago. FAU retooled the front seven with productive additions such as Ohio edge Jay Crable, SMU defensive tackle Blake Burris and Kansas linebacker Joseph Sipp, while returning established players like Leon Hart and CJ Doggette. I’m not putting much stock into Florida hanging 66 on the Owls last week. That was a superior SEC opponent playing its first game under new coach Jon Sumrall, and the Gators were in a perfect spot to come out trying to make a statement.

This matchup should look very different from Navy’s 42-32 win over FAU last season. Navy lost a ton of offensive production, including three of the program’s best skill players in recent memory: QB Blake Horvath, RB Alex Tecza, and RB/WR Eli Heidenreich. Navy should still have one of the better offensive lines in the G6, but there are questions almost everywhere else.

New QB Braxton Woodson has experience in the system and is an explosive runner, but he has not shown himself to be anywhere near the passer Horvath was. That matters because Horvath’s ability to punish defenses over the top was part of what made Navy’s option attack so difficult to defend. Without him, Tecza and Heidenreich, I expect this offense to be considerably less explosive.

Navy also has important pieces to replace defensively, particularly up front. All-American defensive tackle Landon Robinson was the AAC Defensive Player of the Year last season, and replacing his production is no small task. The pass rush is a legitimate concern, which is exactly where FAU should be capable of taking advantage.

The Owls are built to test this Navy defense. Zach Kittley’s up-tempo, pass-heavy offense has one of the best QBs in the AAC in Caden Veltkamp and two of the best receivers in all of G6 with Easton Messer and Dominique Henry. If Navy cannot consistently pressure Veltkamp, those receivers should have opportunities to make plays against a secondary that had issues throughout much of last season.

There’s already been evidence of that problem in Navy’s opener. In Week 1, FCS Towson hit for several explosive passes against the Navy secondary, and these were not meaningless garbage-time plays. Towson connected on a 48-yard touchdown early in the second quarter and then hit a 30-yard touchdown later in the quarter. If Navy is surrendering multiple explosive passes to an FCS offense while the game is still competitive, then Veltkamp, Messer and Henry should be capable of stressing this secondary considerably more.

FAU also moved the ball against Navy last season, scoring 32 points and finishing with 450 yards despite turning the ball over three times. FAU finished with an abysmal -21 turnover margin on the season, one of the worst marks in the country. There should be some positive turnover regression coming, and if the Owls simply take better care of the football this season, this offense is talented enough to score plenty of points against a Navy defense that I believe has taken a step backward.

There is also a situational advantage for FAU, with Navy having to make the long trip from Maryland to Boca Raton for its first FBS test of the season after opening at home against Towson. September heat and humidity in South Florida can become a factor, particularly for a defense whose depth along the line is already a question. FAU also appears to have an edge on special teams after adding SMU transfer Collin Rogers, the Mustangs’ all-time leading scorer and a Lou Groza Award watch-list kicker. If this game is close–and being at home–it gives FAU all the more of an advantage.

My power ratings make this Navy -2.5, so I love getting nearly a touchdown with FAU at home. I’ll call my shot and say FAU wins outright, but I’ll gladly take the six points with the home dog.

South Alabama +10 @ Tulane

I make Tulane -7 here, so getting South Alabama +10 gives me enough value to take the points, especially in a game with a low total.

Tulane’s offense looked completely out of sorts in Will Hall’s debut against Duke. The Green Wave managed just 258 total yards, 10 first downs and 54 rushing yards, went 3-for-14 on third down, and allowed three sacks in a 17-3 loss. Starting quarterback Zeon Chriss-Gremillion was pulled at halftime for Kadin Semonza, who will now get the start this week, while standout running back Jamauri McClure’s injury adds further questions to an already struggling offense.

More broadly, I think this Tulane team has taken a sizable step backward in both roster talent and coaching. Jon Sumrall is gone, and I’m not convinced Hall — whose last head-coaching stop ended poorly at Southern Miss — can immediately maintain the standard Tulane has set in recent years. The Green Wave were also an unsustainable 5-0 in one-score games last season, the kind of record that typically regresses toward even over time. With a weaker roster and what I view as a downgrade on the sideline, I expect some of that close-game fortune to swing the other way this season.

I’m not particularly high on South Alabama, but there were encouraging signs in its 39-14 win over Southeastern Louisiana, most notably 241 rushing yards. If the Jaguars can establish the run again, they should be able to sustain drives, shorten the game and attack a Tulane defense that just allowed Duke roughly 250 yards on the ground.

I considered the under at around 49.5, but I’d rather take the points with the Jags, who I think can run the ball successfully against a Tulane offense that hasn’t shown it can create much separation. And for what it’s worth, Mobile to New Orleans is a very manageable road trip.

My number is Tulane -7, and I think the market is still giving the Green Wave too much credit for what this program has been in previous years rather than what this current roster looks like. In what I expect to be a lower-scoring game, South Alabama +10 is too many points.

Other Thoughts

Ohio St +1.5 @ Texas — No strong opinion here, but I do trust Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes offense more than the Horns. I’m not really a Sark guy, either. No bet from me, but I’d take whatever points I can get.

USF +4 @ Army — I was slightly concerned with USF’s lackluster offense last weekend, but I think the Bulls can turn it around in Week 2, plus I’m lower on Army, who replace a ton from last year’s defense. In a lower-scoring game, USF can hang around.

Rutgers +4 @ Boston College — The loser will be crowned the worst team in Power 4 (by my ratings). I expect Rutgers’ best effort off the embarrassing UMass loss, and I think the QB change to AJ Surace could be a positive. The Scarlet Knights also have a big rest advantage here. This is a coin flip, so I’ll take the points.

North Texas +4 vs UNLV — I’ve been very vocal that I’m down on UNLV, and I was impressed by North Texas, who actually outgained Indiana last week. I missed the best number here, but I would fade UNLV on a second straight road trip after going to Hawaii.

Boise St -7.5 vs Memphis — I’m slightly worried about a letdown spot for Boise after nearly stealing one in Eugene. But I hate this more for Memphis, who take a second long road trip this early in the season. Boise looked great in the trenches, which is where you have to counter the Tigers’ strength. I trust the Smurf Turf and the Broncos’ supporting cast a little more.

Georgia Tech +13.5 vs Tennessee — This screams overreaction to me. Georgia Tech looked bad in lots of areas, but laying two touchdowns with Tennessee and a freshman QB in his first big road test? I’ll pass. Since becoming head coach, Brent Key is 13-6 ATS as an underdog and 4-0 ATS as a home underdog. I’d lean to grabbing the points.

—

(Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire)

Bailey Falter has been selected to the major-league roster. In a corresponding move, Elieser Hernandez has been designated for assignment. Additionally, Reynaldo Lopez returns from his rehabilitation assignment. He will start tonight, and Bryce Elder has been placed on the IL after undergoing knee surgery.

With Elder’s season likely over, Lopez has a chance to earn a spot on the postseason roster, whether that’s as a starter or out of the bullpen. In 71.2 innings so far this season, he boasts a respectable 3.64 ERA.

Falter takes Hernandez’s spot on the roster, and it will be the first time we see him in a Braves uniform after he was acquired from the Royals at the trade deadline. In limited appearances for Kansas City, the numbers were an eyesore — a 13.97 ERA over 9.2 innings.

However, Falter has been lights out for Gwinnett, allowing zero runs over 10.2 innings. I wouldn’t expect to see him very often in high-leverage situations, but the Braves have made Tyler Mahle look like a Cy Young candidate since he made the move to Atlanta. Perhaps they’ve similarly helped Falter with his repertoire, and he can show why he’s deserving of a spot on the postseason roster.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

In that time, there have been several significant developments that have really cleared things up with just three weeks remaining until the postseason.

Removed From Rankings: Bryce Elder

It was always pretty unlikely Bryce Elder started a playoff game for the Braves, but now that he’s undergone minor surgery on his knee that will keep him out for 3-4 weeks, that closes the door on any ideas.

5. AJ Smith-Shawver (Previous Ranking: 2)

Smith-Shawver might have the most upside of anybody on this list, and I took that into account early on in these rankings. But it’s now been five starts, and his lack of control coupled with his inability to miss bats consistently is beyond concerning. He can’t be trusted to start a playoff game right now, and time is running out for him to change that narrative. However, I could see him contributing out of the bullpen come October.

4. Reynaldo Lopez (Previous Ranking: N/A)

I didn’t have Lopez ranked in my previous editions because he was dealing with an injury, but he’s returning tonight to face the Rays. It’s probably unlikely that he shows enough over his final couple of outings to earn a start come the playoffs, but I wouldn’t rule anything out with this group.

3. Martin Perez (Previous Ranking: 4)

Perez has been a godsend for the Braves this season, pitching to a 3.25 ERA over 124.2 innings. It’s absolutely wild he was signed to a minor-league deal in the offseason and then designated for assignment by the Braves earlier in the season. Without him, this team probably isn’t in first place, and while he certainly could end up starting in the playoffs, I think Atlanta’s other two options provide a little more upside.

2. Grant Holmes (Previous Ranking: 3)

What a finish to the season Grant Holmes is experiencing. In four of his last seven starts, he has gone six innings without allowing a single run, pitching to a 2.27 ERA over that stretch with a 3.18 FIP. If he keeps pitching like that over the final three weeks, there shouldn’t be much of a question about who gets the ball in a hypothetical Game 3 for the Braves.

1. Tyler Mahle (Previous Ranking: 1)

There isn’t any guessing about who should be starting Game 2 anymore. Since being acquired at the trade deadline, Tyler Mahle has pitched to a 1.24 ERA and 2.82 FIP over his first six starts. Not only has he already done enough to earn the job, but most of Braves country is probably feeling pretty thrilled with the idea of him being paired with Chris Sale at the top of the rotation entering the postseason.

—

(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

If Atlanta can take care of business inside their own division, the lowest they can be seeded is third. There’s still an outside chance of them sneaking into the top two spots in the National League and earning a first-round bye, but the Dodgers and Brewers have a pretty firm stranglehold on those spots for now, with the Braves 4.5 games behind Milwaukee and 3.0 games behind Los Angeles.

With three weeks remaining before the postseason, it’s time for the first edition of predicting the Braves’ playoff roster, which I will do weekly leading up to October.

Predicting The Braves’ Playoff Roster

Starting Pitchers

1. Chris Sale
2. Tyler Mahle
3. Grant Holmes
4. Reynaldo Lopez
5. AJ Smith-Shawver

—

I’m doing this now with the assumption that the Braves will be in a three-game Wild Card series. So, there is obviously no need for five starting pitchers. Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle will pitch the first two games, and in the event of a winner-take-all Game 3, it will be an all-hands-on-deck approach. I imagine Grant Holmes would get the ball to start that game, but Lopez and Smith-Shawver have enough upside to make this roster as potential relief options.

Bullpen

1. Raisel Iglesias
2. Robert Suarez
3. Didier Fuentes
4. Dylan Lee
5. Brent Suter
6. Dylan Dodd
7. Victor Mederos
8. Ray Kerr

—

The big assumption here is that Robert Suarez returns from injury in time to be added to the playoff roster. Based on all of the reports, it looks like that is going to happen unless there is a setback.

After that, most of these decisions feel cut and dried. The Braves could go with Martin Perez over Ray Kerr, Lopez, or Smith-Shawver. They might prefer a veteran over any of those guys, but I omitted him for the time being. If this were a five-game series, Perez would have been included.

Catchers

1. Sean Murphy
2. Drake Baldwin

Infielders

1. Ozzie Albies
2. Matt Olson
3. Austin Riley
4. Mauricio Dubon
5. Ha-Seong Kim

—

The only question here is Ha-Seong Kim. He had a couple of moments over the last couple of weeks but has quickly come down to earth in a big way. I would have considered leaving him off, but I just don’t think there are any better options, and he’s already proven he can come up with big hits in a pinch.

Designated Hitter

1. Dominic Smith

—

This is another instance where Smith hasn’t really done much to make the roster. He’s appeared in just one game this month, going 0-for-2 with a walk against the Phillies. However, I would love to see someone show me a better option.

Outfielders

1. Ronald Acuña Jr.
2. Lane Thomas
3. Mike Yastrzemski
4. Michael Harris II
5. Brewer Hicklen

—

The top four here are obviously locks, and I think Brewer Hicklen is as well. He hasn’t played a ton this season, only 12 games. But in those 12 games, he’s hitting .364 with an OPS over 1.000. He also offers value as a pinch-runner, which is an underrated aspect of putting together a playoff roster.

—

(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)

Tua Tagovailoa does not look like the answer, and Michael Penix Jr.’s injury history is beyond worrisome. Given this new regime had nothing to do with drafting the former Washington standout, he’s going to have to show a lot for the team to commit to him beyond this year.

The good news? Next year’s quarterback class is absolutely loaded, with Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft having the Falcons take Notre Dame’s CJ Carr with the 8th overall pick.

“Concern continues to grow in Atlanta as the Falcons try to find out whether Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. can be their long-term answer at quarterback,” Brent Sobieski writes. “Clearly, neither proved themselves in this scenario. The position’s top tier of prospects has already been chosen, but Notre Dame’s CJ Carr has a skill set that should serve him well as part of Kevin Stefanski’s offensive scheme.”

Carr was my pick to win the Heisman entering the season, and while his performance in Week 1 against Wisconsin wasn’t anything to write home about, he still ended the game with 239 yards through the air, tossing two touchdowns and no interceptions.

He’s not the freak athlete who’s going to burn defenses with his legs like you see a lot at the top of the first round these days, but he’s a surgeon in the pocket who understands where defenses are vulnerable and gets the ball out on time. He’s also got a big arm that he trusts to push the ball downfield and into tight windows.

Carr looks like a quarterback prospect who’s going to be taken in the first round if he decides to leave Notre Dame. However, there is going to be a lot of shuffling with top prospects this year. It really feels like there are at least five quarterbacks who could be in the conversation for the #1 overall pick depending on how this season shakes out.

—

(Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire)

Yara and Nathan did a fantastic, thorough job previewing the SEC earlier this week.

So thorough they sort of ran out of time to actually preview one school in particular: the Georgia Bulldogs.

That’s an oversight the dynamic duo remedy with gusto in this episode, turning the Bulldog roster over this way and that, peeking into the cracks and crevices, and generally giving the Mean Machine in Red and Black the type of meticulous attention you expect from the Internet’s premier college football podcast focused on stats and feelings. Highlights include:

• Nathan being willing to wager that Gunner Stockton will come back for 2027, which I’m reasonably certain is verboten under the NCAA’s “five to play five” rule. But who knows? College football is now Thunderdome, redshirts are now called Schlarfuzzles, and are distributed solely by a leprechaun in Soperton named “Skeeter”, and if you find a sympathetic probate court judge in Wyoming you too could be on a college roster next season. Even tomorrow. So now that I think about it, Nathan is actually probably right on this one.
• The Bulldog tight ends are legion. Figuring out how to use them is a job that could only be managed by a crack tactician like….Mike Bobo.
• Is it possible that, just this once, Kirby Manball is actually the answer?
• Even without Xzavier McLeod, the Bulldog defensive line makes Yara’s heart sing.
• Does Georgia have the best secondary in the nation? Maybe. Does asking that question aloud feel a little like tempting the gods in a Greek tragedy? You bet your Homefield hoodie it does.

As always we ask that you like, rate, subscribe, and patreonize the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

There are few things better than watching a little college football after watching the Georgia Bulldogs take care of business. And this evening brings some compelling viewing for your considerations. The marquee matchup is of course Clemson traveling to Baton Rouge to take on Lane Kiffin and the team of guys he was actually able to sneak by the SEC (7:30 eastern, ABC). It takes a lot to make Dabo Swinney a sympathetic underdog character, but by golly the Laner has managed to do it.

The full schedule of television possibilities is here, and in case you son’t want to watch two of the least sympathetic coaches in college football square off, you might be interested in checking out Missouri State at #8 Texas A&M on ESPN. You could also check out the optimistic beginning of the Jon Sumrall era in Gainesville as the Gators host Florida Atlantic (7:45, SEC Network).

Whatever you choose to spend this evening watching, we’re glad you’re spending it phere.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

It’s finally time to let the big ‘Dawgs eat.

Your Bulldog captains for today’s opener are center Drew Bobo, linebacker Chris Cole, defensive tackle Jordan Hall, and kicker Peyton Woodring.

Bobo is snapping to Gunner Stockton in warmups, but doing so with a club on his hand. So it seems as if he will try to go. Edge rusher Gabe Harris is listed as probable on the final injury report, though like many of the starters I’d expect him to be on a bit of a short leash in terms of snaps today.

Crack open a beverage, crack open your programs, and let’s do this.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

You do t steamroll the mighty Tennessee State Tigers 63-3 without knitting together a total team effort. Even then, some Bulldogs are bound to distinguish themselves above and beyond the crowd. These dauntless Dawgs are your MVDs, the Most Valuable Dawgs from Georgia’s season-opening win.

Offense: the offensive line.Sure, Gunner Stockton had an almost flawless start to the season. And Nate Frazier scored touchdowns on 3 of the 4 times he touched the dang ball. But the offensive line was the common denominator in both those performances. Did you see the holes Frazier was running through? I don’t want to crown this group the Joe Moore Award front runner. But if they can stay collectively healthy and continue to gel, they could be very, very good.

Defense: PJ Dean. I’m not sure the true freshman outside linebacker was technically the most valuable player on a Bulldog defense which uniformly played well. But his 1.5 sacks were a pretty eye-opening debut. His name had been one of those quietly bandied about as opening a lot of eyes in fall camp (along with freshman defensive tackle Valdin Sone, who also saw a lot of action). I’ll be very curious to see where Dean slots in the rotation going forward.

Special teams: Drew Miller. Sure, the junior punter only had one kick, a booming 65 yarder that rolled harmlessly into the end zone for a touchback. But his major contribution to the day was actually botching a hold on Peyton Woodring’s only field goal attempt of the day, preventing the Bulldogs from coming away with points on their sixth drive. This was a very valuable contribution because it will give Kirby Smart something to rage about on what could have been in otherwise self-congratulatory day. Thanks for taking one for the team, Drew.

Feel free as always to shout out your own MVDs in the comments. And…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The Georgia Bulldogs were a physical mismatch for the Tennessee State Tigers, but played the officials to and their own clumsiness surprisingly close this afternoon to take a 63-3 victory.

The Red and Black came out of the gates humming. The Dawgs scored touchdowns on their first five possessions, with Nate Frazier opening the scoring by slicing through the Tennessee State defense for a 45 yard touchdown run on the opening drive. He would add a 14 yard untouched touchdown jaunt, while Gunner Stockton tossed touchdown passes to Talyn Taylor, Elyiss Williams, and Jaden Reddell. Stockton looked midseason polished, completing 15 of 16 passes for 202 yards and those 3 touchdowns before yielding to Ryan Puglisi.

Frazier would end the day with 3 touchdowns and 72 yards on only 4 carries, a tidy 18.0 yards per carry behind a massive Bulldog offensive line that looked every bit as promising as we have hoped they would be. Again, the competition will get tougher from here. But t

The defense likewise came out of the locker room with fire in its eyes. The hapless TSU Tigers didn’t manage a first down until just under the 7:00 minute mark until halftime, and were stuck at 0 total yards until that same juncture. Gabe Harris rocked quarterback Daylin Lee on the first possession, and looked great in his return from toe surgery.

Then things sort of went pear-shaped. Ryan Puglisi came in for Stockton and the offense stalled out. Peyton Woodring stroked a perfect 38 yard field goal but it was called back because the Bulldogs lined up with two players each wearing #51. That sort of thing is frowned upon by the folks wearing zebra striped shirts. After backing up five yards the Red and Black botched the snap and hold and came away empty handed.

The defense, then also beginning to substitute, allowed the Tigers to sustain their first scoring drive of the day. It began with a hands to the face penalty on Joseph Jonah-Ajonye that allowed the first of the Tigers first downs.

It would be only the first of a metric ton of penalties on the Bulldogs, 8 in total for 85 yards, some of them (a hands to the face penalty on Jaden Reddell for an exuberant stiff arm) a little questionable, but most just the result of basic boneheadedness. That’s something that will need to be fixed before the schedule gets real later this month.

That being said we saw the tantalizing whispers of what could be a very good football team. We also saw what could be a very bright future. Freshmen Kaiden Prothro and Jae Lamar scored the first touchdowns of their Bulldog careers, as did receiver Jeremy Bell, who caught a beautiful touchdown from third string QB Ryan Montgomery. To my eye Montgomery looked a little cleaner throwing the ball than Puglisi, but we’ll have to see how that rivalry plays out in the months to come.

What we learned is that Georgia does indeed have a roster deep with freakish athletes, and that the veterans at the vanguard of the lineup are as good as we remembered them being from their 2025 SEC Championship season. Ultimately it’s hard to find fault with a game in which you churn out 661 yards of offense, and surrender only 119. We didn’t learn much about how Georgia stacks up to Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas, but we did see signs that should give Bulldog fans some things to look forward to.

As Nate Frazier said on the field after the game “there’s always room for improvement.” But so far, so good for the 2026 Georgia Bulldogs. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Happy Labor Day, Dawgs. Here’s wishing you and yours a relaxing day on this, the holiday set apart to recognize the contributions of the steadfast American worker. Have yourself a day, you’ve earned it.

Speaking of earning it, Kirby Smart’s team has earned some praise for their 63-3 Thrashing of Tennessee State, with observers noting that the Red and Black may have more NFL tight ends on the roster than some current NFL teams.

Also I agree with the comments in the replies. Four is a low estimate when you consider that Kaiden Prothro is fifth on the depth chart, Colton Heinrich and Brayden Fogle are behind him, and that all of them are former blue chip recruits. I don’t know how Todd Hartley keeps getting away with this, but I’m glad he does.

Dawg Nation offers week one grades on the Bulldogs, which were uniformly good except for the special teams. I agree, it was a pretty underwhelming day from that unit, which is an aberration for the Dawgs under Coach Smart. I like the odds of some of those issues getting cleaned up before we get into SEC play.

But enough about last week. The competition perhaps gets a little tougher this Saturday as the Classic City Canines take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. If you haven’t already take a moment to review Lugnut Dawg’s excellent preseason preview of the Hilltoppers and their unsettling mascot.

In case you missed it, the Hilltoppers out of Conference USA started the season by losing 49-14 on the road at Nevada. It was a pretty inauspicious start, with the Wolfpack churning out 323 rushing yards. I wouldn’t mind watching the Bulldogs do something similar.Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The first game of the season……some people want to see it at a neutral site, against a top-tier opponent. Some want to have it at home, whether the opponent is top-tier or FCS. There are pros and cons to both, and personally, it doesn’t make much difference to me. The biggest difference is when the first game is at home, there are more (true) fans in the stands. Neutral sites seem to bring people with more money than fandom, and some of the home game traditions (Dawg walk, band pre-game performance, etc.) are lost for that day.

Chuck Leavell leading Sanford Stadium in the Star Spangled Banner (photo credit:squillian)

This year begins the sixth season since Podunk left us. Sometime in the 2022 season is when the number of games I attended without her surpassed the number of games I attended with her. I’d hand back every one of those without her games for one more with her.

Noon games are hard, because I always want to be on campus super early in order to get a good spot for the Dawg Walk. I don’t know why a 3PM game was hard for me yesterday but I left the house late, and Friday afternoon me didn’t care enough about Saturday me to put gas in the car, so I still had to get gas after picking up yesterday’s sidekick.

We still made it to campus in plenty of time to get to the Dawg Walk before it really began, and we were able to find a spot in the shade, which was essential. In the words of Wendy-lady: Peter, I’m ever so much more than twenty. And in the words of Randy Travis: They say time takes its toll on a body, makes the young girl’s brown hair turn gray. Thanks to my fabulous hairdresser, you’ll seldom see gray in my hair, but trust me, if not for her, you most definitely would. And the heat of early September in Georgia is much more difficult for me to take than it once was. 

Based on the weather forecasts (and my experience at the home opener last year, when I had to sit out the 3rd quarter due to heat issues), my goal was to make it through the game without sunburn or heat-related illness. I am happy to report that the goal was accomplished, but I did have to give up remaining in my seat for the entirety of the game in order to do so. 

Our score was still in the sub-50s when my sidekick and I decided that we needed to retreat to the air-conditioned comfort of the Tate Center. Neither of us wanted to leave campus, but we didn’t want to add to the number of fans making the EMTs and other officials work harder.

If you ever find yourself also needing to retreat to Tate, I highly recommend the theater for the coldest AC and comfy seats. And apparently, unless the game is ‘streaming only’, the game will be shown there on the big screen.

However, it is our intention to celebrate Georgia Bulldog Football Wins whenever and wherever they occur. The ugliness or beauty of any particular win is irrelevant for the purposes of the Winning Smart Victory Post. It is therefore my deepest honor and privilege to bring to you this week’s edition of: The Winning Smart Victory Post.

Coach Kirby Smart coached his 139th game this week for the Red & Black. He currently boasts a 118-21 record and a 0.8489 winning percentage, having carded his one hundred eighteenth win overall in the home season opener of the 2026 season against the Tennessee State Tigers.

At the identical juncture in their careers:

Vince Dooley’s 139th game as head coach resulted in a Georgia Bulldogs loss to Ole Miss in the fifth game of the 1976 season, giving Coach Dooley a record of 92-42-5 and a 0.6825 percentage.

Coach Mark Richt was 103-36 (0.7410) after a win over Auburn in the 9th game of the 2011 season.

One hundred and thirty nine games into his head coaching career Kirby Smart is fifteen games ahead of Coach Mark Richt and ahead of Coach Vince Dooley by 26 games. As of now, he is holding his own versus the two winningest coaches in Georgia Football History.

As always . . .

Go ‘Dawgs !!!!

On paper, Georgia was an overwhelming favorite before Saturday’s opener against Tennessee State. The Bulldogs handled their business like you’d expect, and the Tigers presented themselves like a lower-level FCS program trying to rebuild. It all added up to a rout of a victory for Georgia, 63-3.

Here are ten thoughts, observations and more for a very hot Saturday in Athens.

1. Firstly, it was tremendous to be in Athens. There’s just something about that drive into town on game day that seems to heal all that ails. For those of us from south Georgia and the middle part of the state, there’s some type of emotion that seems to make your mood better when you pull through Madison and see that first Golden Pantry just around Bogart. You feel like you are headed to somewhere special, like a city of gold just over the hill. College football may be a hellscape right now, but in moments like Saturday, all seemed right with the world. 

2. Compared to a week ago, how much more do we substantially know about this Georgia team? Sure, the execution on both sides was very good (mostly), but how different was what we saw Saturday than if there would have been a full-roster scrimmage with fans in the stands on Saturday? There are clearly places on a schedule for non-conference teams of a lesser variety, but the this may have very well been the worst team UGA has faced under Kirby Smart.

3. Let the record show that more than ten minutes remained until halftime when Gunner Stockton was subbed out for Ryan Puglisi and offense was basically Ryan Montgomery’s under center in the fourth…until Hezekiah Millender in the fourth. Yes, four QBs. That speaks to how one-sided this day was, and in an odd way, you hope that it stays a bit closer next week so that Stockton and the refreshed received room can get in-game work ahead of a going to Arkansas.

4. Many may have tuned out in this game’s ‘garbage time,“ when Jae Lamar powered into the end zone for a score with 3:57 to play. But its hard not to have a soft spot for Lamar given the adversity he has overcome – missed his first two years of football in high school due to a gunshot wound in his leg. That’s toughness, and it would not be the first hard-nosed running back Georgia has had from Moultrie…see Daijun Edwards.

5. On the topic of Tennessee State and its Aristocrats of Bands, a shame this game contract was not similar to Southern in that the marching band showed up. The fans could have been at least given than incentive to say until halftime. 

6. And given the heat…could it least be considered to PPV games like Saturday so this thing could have kicked off at 7 pm? Its a challenge across sports and ticketing the get fans to watch in-person vs. at home. Saturday’s weather made staying home easy. 

7. Speaking of fans…anyone who one, showed up in this heat and two, made one half is worthy of DGD status. 

8. Yes, Georgia won big. But it still had plenty of teachable moments on display. The first half alone had 55 penalty yards, mostly on defense. There was also the misadventerous field-goal try in the second quarter and mishandled snap on a fourth-quarter PAT. If Kirby Smart needed points on emphasis on game film, this coaching staff has them.

9. This game may have looked like a 7-on-7 tournament for Georgia on offense, but it was good to see the Bulldogs’ two prime running backs, Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens get to thee edge and find very good results. Obviously, consider the opponent, but the ways both had success, by the run and via the screen is a hopeful preview of what’s to come within Mike Bobo’s offense.  

Heaven help us if there’s heavy cloud cover when that pyro is set off from the west end zone in any future games Between The Hedges.

Go Dawgs!

We’ve all seen it. A college football game is coming to its inevitable end. And as is so often the case, there’s going to be a winner, there’s going to be a loser, and everyone watching knows who the latter will be. The cameras pan to the coach of the soon to be losing team. He stares into the middle distance, contemplating decisions made and actions taken, questioning his strategy, his tactics, and his very worth as a coach of football and a leader of young men.

“Lou Holtz’s chartreuse Maserati!” you exclaim. “What must that poor sap be thinking right now?”

As usual, we have a few ideas.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Tennessee State head coach Reggie Barlow gamely facing the media following his team’s 63-3 loss to Georgia.

I ask you: what was Reggie Barlow thinking?

a) “Look, they were going to beat the ever-loving stew out of somebody in week one. Might as well be us.”

b) “Wait, they really gained 611 yards of offense? I saw that on the stat sheet and just assumed I was hallucinating from the heat.”

c) “Hey, we decided to start the season against a truly elite national program. But only because Clemson was already spoken for.”

d) “I feel bad that I shrieked and jumped under the desk when the guy from the Bogart Biweekly called my name. But he looked a little like Raylen Wilson and I didn’t want to take any chances.”

Feel free to offer your own suggestions in the comments below. And… Feel free to offer your own suggestions in the comments below. And…

Go Dawgs!!!

No, I don’t imagine this post will lead to the breakup of Dawg Sports, and no, it isn’t filled with cover songs, but yes it does take advantage of the best sports fandom in the land (Steve Vai was done dirty by that album IMHO).

So just hold on a second while we reset. /Hand to earbud to hear the producer… I’m being told the second in question has been sequestered by the Big 10 conference and utilized Saturday night to prevent another generational embarrasment by a supposed azul-blood program.

It was hot Saturday in Sanford. It will again be hot this Saturday, as the Red & Black welcome Big Red. Not as hot as the warmest opening game temperature on record, but with kickoff at 12:45 pm, it ain’t gonna get cooler as the game progresses. How to combat warm September afternoon temperatures? Wear white.

Lane Kiffin might continue to make Jim Harbaugh look like an angelic viable option, but at least he left the controversial players off his roster. If you like nuance, there’s a Georgia Bulldog who was part of the same upheld injuction: JaCorey Thomas. The former Bulldog DB filed a lawsuit and was granted an extra year of eligibility, and immediately transferred to West Virginia. He missed the first game, and still has a targeting penalty to sit out. Or does he?

You’ll have to wait another day to get the latest AP Top 25 college football rankings, as the Week 1 schedule encompasses Monday’s Labor Day games, and a ranked SMU team to boot. Will Georgia leapfrog #2 Oregon after the Ducks struggled to stay ahead of a plucky Boise State team? I think you can count on Alabama moving up a slot or two, the a$$-Kiffing of the media for LSU will surely bump the Tigers up a few slots, and that school up north likely falls out of the top 20 (or farther).

Likewise, you’ll have to wait another day for Head Bulldog Kirby Smart’s weekly pre-game press conference. Where I’m sure we will learn absolutely nothing other than there were some good performances Saturday, but practice will determine the game reps, and the visiting Hilltoppers are a very good, well-coached team.

It’s always a great day to be a Georgia Bulldog, and conversely not to be a Michigan Wolverine fan having to explain game clock technology in conjuction with media broadcast latency. Enjoy your Tuesday, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

That’s a testament to what has been a marvelous pitching staff, and that was the case again yesterday, as the Braves shut out the Nationals with five different pitchers taking the mound due to a lengthy rain delay.

Offensively, it was once again Sean Murphy who helped Atlanta strike first with a three-run homer, and then Ronald Acuña Jr. added a three-run shot of his own — the 200th of what’s already an incredible career for the 28-year-old out of La Guaira, Venezuela.

Another promising sign for the offense? Ha-Seong Kim added another hit to his tally, a roped double down the left field line, giving him four hits in his last two games and six in his last 16 at-bats. To put that in perspective, Kim had just five hits in his first 86 at-bats of the season — and this looks like something that might actually be sustainable.

He’s rightfully gotten a lot of grief this year, but he missed the first couple of months with an injury and the Braves didn’t exactly give him much time on the farm to find a rhythm. When he returned to the majors, we all know about the struggles, but again, the opportunities were limited. With a little confidence and a touch of increased playing time, Kim looks like an entirely different player than the one we saw a couple of months ago.

The same can be said about Sean Murphy. Since the Braves started giving him regular at-bats a little over a week ago, he’s hitting .393 with three home runs and a 1.254 OPS. Murphy has always been a guy who needs to play every day to find success with the stick, so it was quite surprising the Braves kept starting guys like Jim Jarvis over him — when one has a track record as an All-Star, and the other is a rookie with a sub-.600 OPS.

Thankfully, whatever the hell that line of thinking was has fallen by the wayside. Now Murphy and Kim — two outcasts many would have liked to see designated for assignment — lead the Braves into the most pivotal stretch of their season, beginning with a four-game set in Philadelphia that could essentially put the NL East to bed if it goes the right way.

That’s a storyline I never expected to be typing in September.

—

(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)

As we sit here less than two weeks from the first snap of the season, the Falcons still aren’t ready to name a starting quarterback.

Falcons GM Ian Cunningham says the team has not identified it's Week 1 starting QB. "Not yet."

— Joe Patrick (@JoePatrick) September 2, 2026

Most assume it’ll be Tua or Penix under center in Week 1, and the decision really seems to come down to Penix’s health. Tua had every opportunity to take the job and run with it during the preseason, and he laid stinker after stinker.

If Penix were 100%, this probably wouldn’t be much of a decision. But he was only cleared for 11-on-11 work last week, and how comfortable he feels in a brand new offense is really unknown to the public. The Falcons know, however, and they’re probably pretty damn sure who’s starting Week 1. They just have no incentive to make the Steelers aware of their plans until the last possible second.

On Gervon Dexter, Cunningham said that when you can get a player of that caliber for that price, you pull the trigger.

Falcons GM Ian Cunningham on Gervon Dexter trade

"When you can get a player of Gervon's Caliber for the price we paid, we feel its in our best interest to do that."

— Darius Hayes (@dhayessports37) September 2, 2026

Cunningham also mentioned that Dexter is a late bloomer to the game of football, having spent his younger years more focused on basketball, and highlighted how big the combination of him and Maason Smith will be in the middle of the Falcons defensive front.

That will be a focal point come Week 1. The Falcons pass rush was the most promising storyline of the entire 2025 campaign. For two decades it was totally anemic, but they finally broke that stretch by finishing second in the league in sacks with a franchise-record 57.

So what does the new regime decide to do? Essentially blow the whole thing up. There are a ton of new faces across the defensive line who’ll be taking starting reps this season, and we should know pretty quickly whether this front office has an eye for talent at one of the most important position groups in the sport.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

Zach Harrison is back after clearing waivers. He’s been added to the practice squad along with Khalid Kareem and Jammie Robinson. In corresponding moves, Cameron Sample and Cobee Bryant have been released from the practice squad.

We have made the following roster moves:

– Signed Khalid Kareem, Zach Harrison and Jammie Robinson to PS

– Released Cam Sample and Cobee Bryant from PShttps://t.co/EMzAt5stq4 pic.twitter.com/fV0LaNXyAX

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 2, 2026

The most notable addition is Zach Harrison, who was shockingly placed on waivers earlier this week after recording 4.5 sacks in seven games last season. It’s even more shocking that no team wanted to take a flier on him, which tells me there’s probably more to the story that we normal folks aren’t privy to.

Khalid Kareem is back with the organization after spending the last two seasons in Atlanta, appearing in six games total. Cameron Sample is out after failing to make the initial 53-man roster, and so is cornerback Cobee Bryant, who appeared in seven games last season for the Falcons after making the squad as an undrafted free agent.

It’s important to remember that everything is still very fluid right now. There will be a lot more moves before the Falcons take the field against the Steelers next Sunday.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

“There’s still time for Michael Penix Jr. to show he can be the guy moving forward, and the fact that he was finally cleared for 11-on-11 team drills last week after an offseason of injury recovery is a good sign,” Graziano writes. “But this is a new front office and coaching staff, different from the one that drafted Penix. Throughout the offseason, the sense we got was that the Falcons were leaning toward starting Tua Tagovailoa over Penix, even if both are healthy. The problem was that Tagovailoa struggled, and now Atlanta isn’t sure he’s the guy for this season, let alone the future.”

I’m not sure there was a soul inside the Falcons building that truly believed Tagovailoa was going to start games past this season. He has a lengthy injury history with concussions and was horrendous last season for the Dolphins. The only reason the acquisition made sense is because the timeline of Penix’s recovery was unknown, and Tua was signed to a veteran minimum deal. It was wise business by the Falcons, but nobody expected him to be the guy.

Penix, on the other hand, flashed at times during his first full season as a starting quarterback. There’s no way of really knowing what he could be at this level. The only thing we do know is that his injury history is extremely concerning. He’s already suffered five season-ending injuries, including three different ACL injuries, dating back to his college days.

Because of that, the Falcons opted to carry four quarterbacks on the roster! That’s not a sign of an organization that believes they have their next franchise quarterback in the building. I just can’t believe Graziano put this on paper and dared to call this bold. This might be the least bold take in the history of takes.

The Falcons haven’t had a franchise quarterback since Matt Ryan was traded to the Colts. I’m not sure if Graziano heard, but that was more than a half-decade ago, and Ryan is now the team’s President of Football. Of course there’s a very good chance they are in the market for a quarterback next offseason — even if there’s still a glimmer of hope that Penix could be much better than many expect once he’s 100%.

—

(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)

Here’s how they’ll line up their pitching at Citizens Bank Park.

Braves-Phillies Probables

Friday: Chris Sale vs. Cristopher Sanchez
Saturday: Martin Perez vs. Zack Wheeler
Sunday: Tyler Mahle vs. Aaron Nola
Monday: Bryce Elder vs. Jesus Luzardo

—

The Braves won’t be catching any breaks against a Philadelphia team that gets to line up its four best starters over this series, and it begins with a battle between two guys right in the thick of the Cy Young race.

The last time we saw Chris Sale toe the rubber, he struck out 11 in a complete-game shutout against the Dodgers. The Braves could need a similar performance Friday if they’re going to start the series on the right foot.

Saturday night features two veterans who couldn’t be more polar opposite. Zack Wheeler has been one of the most consistently great starting pitchers of the last decade — a 36-year-old still striking out nearly 11 batters per nine innings.

Perez isn’t going to do that, but he’s actually the one with the better ERA this season, 3.05 compared to 3.31. That’s remarkable considering the Braves designated him for assignment earlier in the year and every team passed on him, which is the only reason he found himself back in Atlanta. Without that chain of events, it’s probably not the Braves entering this series with a 4.0-game lead.

Sunday’s matchup is between two guys who are mirror images of each other right now. Tyler Mahle really struggled in San Francisco, but since the move to Atlanta he owns a 1.48 ERA over five starts. Nola wasn’t traded, but he was abysmal this year until recently — he’s allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last five starts, recording a 2.25 ERA.

Monday’s showdown is the biggest mismatch of them all. Bryce Elder has done a nice job showing up every five days and giving the Braves a reasonable chance to win, but he can’t hold a candle to Jesus Luzardo, who’s among the filthiest left-handers in the sport and having a career year — a 3.02 ERA with 11.1 strikeouts per nine.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

I’ve already made some necessary changes to my power ratings after seeing teams like NC State and TCU perform well below where I had them entering the season. Last week’s Stanford -3.5 winner needed some late drama, but I felt the result was deserved. The Cardinal controlled Hawaii for most of the first three quarters, built a 23-7 lead, and ultimately showed why I had them rated higher than the market entering the game. A fun, early-season winner. Now we move into Week 1, where the schedule gets much deeper. Here are my favorite bets of the week.

2026 record: 2-1

Colorado +7 @ Georgia Tech

I’m trusting my numbers on this one. My power ratings make Georgia Tech only a 4.5-point favorite here, so I see these teams as much closer than the market does. Getting a full touchdown with Colorado is enough for me to take a shot on the Buffaloes.

There is some urgency here for Colorado. The schedule gets difficult quickly, with trips to Northwestern and Baylor and a home game against Texas Tech all coming before the bye week. That puts added emphasis on Deion Sanders and his staff getting off to a good start and building some momentum before that stretch arrives.

I’m expecting a fairly significant step back from Georgia Tech after losing so many important pieces from last year’s 9-4 team, including both coordinators, OC Buster Faulkner (Florida) and DC Blake Gideon (Texas). Gone is QB Haynes King, who was the engine of that offense, and backup quarterback Aaron Philo transferred to Florida. Receivers Malik Rutherford and Eric Rivers are off to the NFL, and arguably the two best offensive linemen are gone as well, with Harrison Moore transferring to Florida and Keylan Rutledge becoming a first-round NFL draft pick.

That leaves Indiana transfer Alberto Mendoza taking over at quarterback. Maybe he turns out to be great, but I’m skeptical–if he were really viewed as a future star, it’s fair to wonder why Curt Cignetti was willing to let him leave Bloomington. Mendoza will also be working with a receiving corps that has plenty of questions after losing so much production. Georgia Tech brought in transfers from Elon, Bowling Green and Cal, and that’s a lot of projection at a position that was already hit hard by departures.

The defense has some pieces I like, but the turnover is significant there too. The defensive line lost its top three players, including one to the NFL and another to Ohio State. The secondary also lost its top four contributors, with three of them heading to the NFL. That’s a lot of new faces to break in at once, and I don’t love the matchup against a Colorado offense that should play fast and force Georgia Tech to defend the entire width of the field.

For Colorado, this is Julian Lewis‘ opportunity to take over the offense. The former four-star recruit steps into the starting role under new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, who comes over from Sacramento State. Colorado lost some receivers, most notably Omarion Miller to Arizona State, but I really like what they added through the portal. DeAndre Moore comes over from Texas, Kam Perry arrives from Miami-Ohio, and Danny Scudero from San Jose State may be my favorite addition. Scudero feels like an ideal fit for this offense and should see plenty of targets out of the slot.

There are losses on the Colorado defense too, but I think some of the replacements could be upgrades. Ezra Christensen from New Mexico State and Santana Hopper, an All-AAC performer at Tulane, give them some interesting pieces along the defensive line. I also think the secondary has improved from a group that struggled badly last year. Boo Carter is a former four-star prospect from Tennessee with plenty of talent, and I really like the addition of Vanderbilt transfer Randon Fontenette at safety.

The travel is obviously a concern with Colorado heading east, but I think this line is being influenced too much by what these teams looked like a year ago. Colorado finished 3-9, while Georgia Tech went 9-4, and I think the market is carrying too much of that perception into this matchup. I expect Georgia Tech to take a step back after losing so many key contributors, while Colorado has upgraded in several important spots and should be much more competitive than it was a year ago. At a key number like +7, I’m willing to grab the points.

Arkansas State +11.5 @ Memphis

It’s pretty wild to already have a legitimate situational spot in Week 1, but I think we have one here fading Memphis. The Tigers are coming off a program-building 27-21 win at UNLV that gave the Charles Huff era an immediate jolt of energy. Memphis is suddenly one of the bigger Group of 6 stories in the country, with plenty of people already talking about a possible run to the College Football Playoff. And that’s exactly why I like Arkansas State in this spot.

Memphis has to come home after a long trip to Las Vegas, enjoy all the attention that came with last week’s win, and then somehow avoid looking ahead to a massive Week 2 trip to Boise State. A win on the blue turf would go a long way toward establishing Memphis as the top G6 playoff contender. That makes this feel like a classic sandwich spot, even this early in the season.

My power ratings make this Memphis -10.5, so I don’t show a massive numerical edge. This bet is more about the combination of matchup and situation. I’m also higher than the market on Arkansas State this season and think the Red Wolves are a legitimate longshot contender in the Sun Belt at 12-1 odds.

Butch Jones will hand the offense to Trey Owens, the former four-star recruit who began his career at Texas. For a first-time starter, he walks into a pretty favorable situation. Arkansas State returns a proven backfield, first-team All-Sun Belt receiver Chauncy Cobb, and an experienced offensive line.

That offensive line is especially important in this matchup. The Red Wolves return four starters up front and are anchored by first-team All-Sun Belt left guard Tristian Smith. Memphis’ defensive line was dominant last weekend and looks like one of the best units in the Group of 6, so Arkansas State having experience and continuity up front gives them a much better chance of staying on schedule offensively and keeping Owens comfortable since he’s not much of a running threat.

The bigger concern is on defense. Arkansas State is breaking in several new faces, particularly in the front seven, and there could be some early chemistry issues. But the secondary–which was a major weakness last season–looks more talented on paper after the portal additions, led by Kennesaw transfer Five Hamilton, who has a chance to be one of the better safeties in the Sun Belt. If even a few of those defensive additions hit (and I think they will), the ceiling for this team is much higher than it was a year ago.

Historically, teams making their season debut in Week 1 against an opponent that already played in Week 0 are 149-109 ATS (58%). Arkansas State has the fresher legs, while also getting the benefit of a full game of Memphis film before taking the field themselves.

This bet is ultimately built around a Memphis letdown. The Tigers are coming off an emotional road win, they’ve received a ton of praise all week, and they have one of the biggest Group of 6 games of the season waiting for them in Boise. Arkansas State has enough talent and experience on offense to keep this competitive, especially if Memphis comes out even a little flat. At +11.5, I will take the points.

Nevada +3 vs Western Kentucky

You’ve got to try to grab the full field goal with Nevada here, but I also think the Wolf Pack have a legitimate chance to win this game outright. I don’t hate a small moneyline sprinkle at all.

I’m lower on Western Kentucky than the market. The Hilltoppers lost five of their top six pass-catchers from last season, and the offensive line was hit even harder, losing eight of its top nine players. That unit was a major question throughout camp, and now it has to deal with what could be the strength of Nevada’s team.

The Wolf Pack defensive line has drawn a lot of praise this offseason, led by Dylan LaBarbera, who is the best player in this game. LaBarbera is up for Mountain West DPOY and has legitimate NFL upside. He could be a problem for a rebuilt WKU front. Nevada has also gotten positive reviews on its rebuilt secondary, with All-Mountain West corner Aiden Walker leading the way after what the staff has called a strong offseason.

Western Kentucky has questions at linebacker too after losing its top five players at the position, including Jaylen Wester and Koron Heyward. That gives Nevada a chance to find some success offensively even while it works through uncertainty at quarterback.

And I like the foundation around whoever wins that QB job, which could be returning sophomore Carter Jones. Nevada returns three starters on the offensive line, including all-conference tackles Jack Foster and Zach Cochnauer, while adding help on the interior through the portal. For an offense built around timing and rhythm, having a competent line is a huge difference from where this unit has been in recent years.

There’s also a regression angle here. Nevada was one of the unluckier teams in the Mountain West last season and finished with a conference-worst -12 turnover margin. Those things tend to move back towards zero over time, and I think there’s a good chance Nevada is better than last year’s record suggests while getting some positive regression with turnovers and close-game luck.

These two teams met last year when Nevada went on the road and led Western Kentucky 13-10 in the third quarter before the game got away from them late. The final score was 31-16, but it was misleading. Nevada actually slightly outgained WKU, lost the turnover battle 3-2, and the final margin was padded by a late pick-six thrown by the Wolf Pack. I think Nevada may be the better version of itself this time around when WKU has to make a long return trip west to Reno, which sits at more than 4,400 feet of elevation.

We also just saw Conference USA foe Jacksonville State make a long road trip and get overwhelmed by Mountain West team North Dakota State. Conference USA is still the weakest Group of 6 league in my view, and I’m not eager to lay points on the road with one of its teams in this kind of spot. At Nevada +3, I’m taking the points. I think this is much closer to a coin-flip game than the market suggests, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Pack win outright late Saturday night.

Other Thoughts

Toledo +10.5 @ Michigan St –– Pat Fitzgerald is an uninspiring hire for Sparty–this team is bad. I like the coaching hire for Toledo, and the Rockets still have some good players. They can win in East Lansing.

West Virginia -20.5 vs Coastal Carolina — Rich Rodriguez has a roster he likes. They won’t contend for the Big 12 title or anything, but they’re much better than last year. Star RB transfer Cam Cook will run all over Coastal here. This could be very ugly.

Tennessee -46.5 vs Furman — Doesn’t this feel like 59-6, Vols? Heupel puts his foot down on these teams and wants to show off five-star QB Faizon Brandon.

Wyoming +3.5 @ Colorado St — One of my favorite offseason portal additions was new Wyoming QB Tyler Hughes from William & Mary. He should spark this offense that was dead last year. Jim Mora is a great hire in the long run for Colorado State, but I think they’re vulnerable in game one.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

That doesn’t appear to be the case based on the Falcons’ roster decisions, and even more so, he was spotted at practice for the first time on Thursday.

It would still be fairly shocking if we saw Bowman strap it up and play much during the Falcons’ Week 1 matchup against the Steelers, but he’s clearly not too far off, which is going to be a massive boost to a secondary that could be the story of the Falcons’ 2026 season — much like the pass rush was a year ago.

A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes, Avieon Terrell, and Billy Bowman Jr. are a really quality group of top cornerbacks with a nice blend of experience and youth. Then on the back end, there are Jessie Bates III and Xavier Watts, who have the potential to be the best safety duo in the league this season. Even DeMarcco Hellams is a quality third safety option, and Bowman Jr. also has experience at the position.

This group could surprise a lot of people across the league this season who aren’t in tune with the Falcons’ roster.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

“Under president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves eschewed the all-in move, instead upgrading around the margins by adding Tyler Mahle, Lane Thomas and Brent Suter,” Johnny Flores Jr. writes. “Consider the moves a massive success. Mahle, who arrived in Atlanta with a 5.13 ERA, has pitched to a 1.48 mark in five starts, going for at least six innings in four of them. Suter has a 1.26 mark as a multi-inning arm, and only Thomas has been middling, though he wasn’t anticipated to be a world-beater.”

Now it’s ESPN and MLB.com praising Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos, with ESPN ranking the Braves’ trade deadline the best of the bunch.

“The Braves’ deadline would stand out if the only move made by Alex Anthopoulos was to acquire starter Tyler Mahle from the Giants,” Bradford Doolittle writes. “That’s how good Mahle has been, posting a 1.48 ERA over five starts and rolling up 1.4 bWAR in his first month as a Brave. It’s not really out of nowhere. He has been a very good pitcher for a long time, including last season when he posted a 2.18 ERA in 16 starts for Texas. But he was just 3-9 with a 5.13 ERA for San Francisco before the trade. He allowed five runs in his last start for the Giants — the same number of runs he gave up over his first five starts for the Braves.”

Mahle’s the unquestioned prize of the trade deadline. The Braves saw something in him that nobody else in the league did and were able to acquire him for pennies on the dollar. They didn’t even have to give up a prospect to get him — all they had to do was pick up the remaining $2 million left on his contract for this season. Given how expensive high-quality starting pitching is to acquire at the trade deadline, this could go down as one of the best deadline deals in recent memory if Mahle goes on to pitch similarly come the postseason.

Unsurprisingly, the Mahle addition also received the top spot in MLB.com’s rankings of the most impactful trade deadline moves.

“The Braves were a Skubal suitor, but like every other club, they had to pivot after the jewel of the Deadline class was shipped to Los Angeles. Atlanta landed on the 31-year-old Mahle, who had a 5.13 ERA across 18 starts with the Giants and missed about a month of action earlier in the year due to a hamstring strain,” Brian Murphy writes. “Once the Deadline passed, he didn’t even make it onto our list of the top 25 trades, but he has been everything the Braves could have wanted for their injury-ravaged rotation.”

You really can’t argue about whether the Braves improved at the trade deadline. They are in a much better spot heading into October now than they were a month ago. Even the additions of Brent Suter and Lane Thomas have made an impact.

However, the question still remains whether the Braves did enough. Alex Anthopoulos had prospects at his disposal to do more, and there remain holes in the lineup, rotation, and bullpen that could have been patched up. If this team does come up just short in a series next month, it’s going to be a sickening what-if everybody is going to have to live with for a long time.

—

(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)

That’s something that should make the next few years incredibly exhilarating. Even when the Braves had one of the worst-ranked farm systems, they still produced the likes of Spencer Schwellenbach, Didier Fuentes, AJ Smith-Shawver, Drake Baldwin, and several others. Imagine what could come next now that their farm system is moving up towards the top half of the league.

Prospect rankings courtesy of MLB.com.

10. Owen Murphy (2026/2027)

Owen Murphy has already made his MLB debut, appearing in three games with one start, and for the most part, he looked like a competent option. He has a great chance of being a significant piece of the Braves’ staff in 2027.

9. John Gil (2028)

A lot of people expected John Gil to be the Braves’ breakout prospect of 2026. That didn’t exactly come to fruition, but he still put up a more than decent campaign that’s led him to Double-A Columbus at just 20 years old, where he’s currently hitting .320 with an .825 OPS. 2027 will be a massive year for Gil. With a strong start, there’s an outside chance he makes his MLB debut next year, but 2028 is probably more likely.

8. Briggs McKenzie (2029)

We are just getting our first look at Briggs McKenzie this season, and it might not be long before the 19-year-old is regarded as the organization’s best pitching prospect. The Braves have never been hesitant when promoting their most talented arms, but he’s still at least a few years away.

7. Kaiden McCarthy (2030)

McCarthy was the Braves’ second-round selection in this year’s draft. His really big arm is going to be fun to watch coming up the system, but at 18 years old, it’ll be at least three more seasons before we see him in the bigs.

6. Jensen Hirschkorn (2030)

Pretty much copy and paste what I said about McCarthy right here. He’s another bright high school arm that the Braves took in the third round, but we really won’t have an idea of his trajectory until we see him pitch next season.

5. Alex Lodise (2027)

I’m all aboard the Alex Lodise train and believe there’s an outside chance we see him make his MLB debut next season. After a slow start to the season, he’s been arguably the Braves’ best offensive prospect over the last few months. He hit .343 in Rome after being promoted and is now hitting .310 in Double-A Columbus. It’s unclear exactly where he might play at the major-league level, but if he keeps raking, the rest will sort itself out.

4. AJ Gracia (2029)

The Braves’ first-round pick in this year’s draft, Gracia won’t play until next season, but given he’s a college bat, he should be up the soonest of all this year’s draft selections.

3. Tate Southisene (2028)

Southisene was in the running for prospect of the year in the organization before suffering a hand injury after being hit by a pitch. He’s just 19 years old and in his first full season of professional baseball, yet the Braves had no issue quickly promoting him to Double-A after he dominated in Augusta and Rome. Given the uncertainty around the middle infield in Atlanta moving forward, he’s on track to get a look in 2028.

2. Cam Caminiti (2027)

The top-ranked pitching prospect in the system has now made five starts in Double-A and owns a 2.13 ERA. Given his talent and the Braves’ history with their young arms, an MLB debut at some point next season feels probable.

1. Eric Hartman (2028)

Hartman has had a historic 2026 campaign, becoming the first minor-league player since Andruw Jones to record 25+ homers and 50+ steals in a season. He has the tools to become an All-Star caliber player, but he’s still just 20 years old and has struggled a bit since his move to Columbus. If he hits like he did in the first half of this season to start next year, he’ll make his MLB debut in 2027, but I would say 2028 is the safer bet.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

Braves-Phillies Probables

Friday: Chris Sale vs. Cristopher Sanchez
Saturday: Martin Perez vs. Zack Wheeler
Sunday: Tyler Mahle vs. Aaron Nola
Monday: Bryce Elder vs. Jesus Luzardo

—

However, it has since been announced that Grant Holmes will replace Bryce Elder and pitch on Monday.

Because Holmes’ outing on Wednesday was cut short due to a rain delay, it should feel like he’s on extra rest come Monday.

But this decision also represents something a bit more. There has been nonstop talk about who the Braves will utilize to start games come the postseason. A lot of people have suggested Bryce Elder, but this should tell you everything you need to know. The Braves don’t seriously think Elder is capable of handling a playoff start. If they did, they wouldn’t have swapped him for Grant Holmes in the biggest series of the season to date.

That’s nothing against Elder. The Braves wouldn’t be in the position they are today without him, but the club has better options, and they clearly believe Grant Holmes is one of them.

—

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire)

There’s no surer sign that college football is back on the menu than Nathan and Yara putting their thoughts on the subject out into the world, now kicking off the tenth season of the show. Time flies when you’re hating Hugh Freeze, friends. And boy do the dynamic duo have some thoughts on this one, including:

• Exactly what would it take for Kalen DeBoer to get fired at Alabama?
• The mess that is college football, and hard things that would have to be done to fix it.
• Yara makes it much further than you would have expected before lighting into Mike Bobo.
• Life updates from your cohosts. Go get your health screenings, young people. It could be important.
• Oklahoma’s defense may not be enough, but it may also be too much for somebody.
• Tennessee is doing dangerous things, and that’s before Yara recommends they go into the rain forest to take psychedelics.

All that and so much more. And remember to like, rate, recommend, subscribe, adulate, and patreonize the show wherever you get your podcasts. If you don’t, we will find you and make you join Ryan Silverfield’s Arkansas staff. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

There are many things to look forward to about college football season. And the return of the team at SEC Shorts skewering the conference’s football elite has to be pretty high on the list. This week the team takes a stab at how LSU might help the former NFL rostered players who have decided to come back to campus adjust to college life in Baton Rouge.

As that wise sage Dr. Sheldon Cooper was known to say, “It’s funny because it’s true.”

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

One of the Bulldogs’ most experienced defensive linemen is no longer on the roster and has left the team according to multiple reports.

Georgia senior defensive tackle Xzavier McLeod is no longer with the team. McLeod is no longer listed on the team roster on Georgiadogs.com. According to a report from Jordan Hill at Dawgs247 McLeod posted on social media last week ithat he was “done with football” and “retired.”

McLeod appeared in all 14 games last season for Georgia, making six starts. The Camden, South Carolina native posted 17 tackles, 6 quarterback pressures and 2 pass break-ups. Georgia has a host of promising defenders including sophomore Elijah Griffin, juniors Nasir Johnson and Nnamde Ogboko, and freshman Valdin Sone. Seniors Jordan Hall and Josh Horton are also in line for significant snaps (especially Hall if he can stay healthy).

But McLeod , who’s spent the past two seasons in Athens after playing as a freshman at South Carolina in 2023, playing in 29 games, looked like he was going to be a major piece of the puzzle up front for the ‘Dawgs. At a minimum his departure forces Coach Tray Scott to rely a little more on some younger Bulldogs to grow up a little quicker.

In only five days and seven hours college by God football will be played in Sanford Stadium. I’m excited about it. You’re excited about. There’s just one small problem: between now and then you have to make some effort to be a productive member of society. Sure you have work, school, and family obligations to tend to. And we want you to be a productive member of society (it’s not like you’re a Tennessee fan, though as Judge Smails wisely remarked, the world does need Dutch diggers, too).

So the plan here is to get you caught up and read in on wjat’s truly needed-to-know in Bulldog Nation this a.m. Let’s get it going:

DawgNation has a look at the Red and Black’s offensive depth chart going into Tennessee State. A few things that jump out, though none of them is particularly news if you’ve been following along this spring and summer. First, the wide receiver room is arguably as unproven as it has been during the Kirby Smart era. Isaiah Canion was certainly productive last year at Georgia Tech, and we know what London Humphreys can do.

But past that it’s just waves of potential and optimism. I’m of the opinion that a couple of those youngsters step up as the season goes on. But the degree to which Georgia is able to cultivate playmakers at the receiver position is going to be a major determinant of whether this team is pretty good or truly great.

Olivia Sayor at Dawgs247 breaks down every game on the 2026 regular season schedule It’s a great catchup if you’ve been caddying for Scottie Scheffler or touring with AC/DC this summer rather than bunkered down preparing for the season with Dawg Sports preview coverage.

Obviously some teams have already begun their seasons, in this the final year in which wacky week zero games will be played before the NCAA puts everyone on a uniform schedule. Our friends at Rocky Top Talk have some initial thoughts on the weekend that was, and I don’t think I disagree with any of them.

I do think that we may be giving Virginia a tad too much credit for beating up on an NC State team that just doesn’t look physically imposing. But looking at the Cavaliers’ schedule I’m not sure anyone other than the SMU Mustangs will be more prepared to slow down the UVA rushing attack. The ACC looks a little soft to me this season outside of Miami and Georgia Tech, both of whom the Cavaliers dodge this season. All of which could mean Virginia could be the 10-2 team that either a) misses the playoffs after taking a beating in its conference championship game, or b) backs into a playoff spot and then gets run over, around, and through in the first round.

We’ll be back with more today, and all week, as the Classic City’s pulse quickens and game day approaches. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

We’ve made it to Week 1, Dawg Nation. We can now start focusing on the product on the field rather than the courtroom (maybe). Let’s check-in around the SEC ahead of the first slate of games.

LSU and NFL Players

As many of you might be aware, LSU and head coach Lane Kiffin are recruiting players that fell victim to NFL roster cuts to come back to college. This has been met with intense backlash, and many court injunctions and legal mumbo jumbo has occurred since they announced former pros would be returning.

Conflicting reports are out there about what the SEC may do in response. Some reports suggest the other 15 schools may boycott LSU games or even expelling them from the league. Other reports say some of the other SEC schools are looking to bring in former pros.

This is such a mess, and if you have been with an NFL team, you should not be allowed to come back to college. Unless Matthew Stafford wants one more year in Athens once he retires. He can come back.

Tennessee’s Sponsor

Tennessee’s jersey patch sponsorship is confirmed as being First Horizon. The deal is for 10 years and $120 million. It’s only a matter of time before all schools have one.

2026 Bowman Chrome Checklist Announced

For those of you who are avid card collectors, the checklist for this year’s Bowman Chrome has been released. The Georgia players that will be featured are Chauncey Bowens, Dwight Phillips Jr., London Humphreys, Isaiah Canion, and Lawson Luckie.

I cannot wait to discuss what happened on the field and looking ahead to Week 2 rather than discussing the law (which is MaconDawg’s forte, not mine). Go Dawgs!!!

Welcome to the Morning Five, a quick hit of Bulldog facts to get your day started right. This morning we’re looking at five statistically-adjacent nuggets about this weekend’s Bulldog opponent, the Tennessee State Tigers. Let’s dive in.

1. Two. That’s the number of victories the Tennessee State Tigers notched last year. There are good FCS teams. Teams you genuinely need to take seriously or they will make you regret it. I do. It think these Tigers are one of those.
2. One. That is the number of games Tennessee State has already lost this season after dropping their opener last weekend to Jackson State. That said the game was close (26-24), and the Tigers do have the benefit of having laced them up and played a live action game.
3. 265. That’s the number of passing yards Tiger QB Daylin Lee had in a pretty tidy outing in the opener. Lockhart was 23 of 41 passing and didn’t throw a pick. The Winston-Salem State transfer is a sturdy 6’2, 225 and while Coach Reggie Barlow likes a run-pass option heavy attack, Lee only ran for 85 yards last season. I’m not sure he’s a huge threat on the ground.
4. 12. That’s the number of scholarship defensive tackles on the Bulldog roster following the departure of Xzavier McLeod earlier this week. And Tray Scott very well may play every single one of them on Saturday because…
5. 96. That’s the forecast temperature in Athens at kickoff time Saturday. I don’t bet on college football precisely because I watch so much of it. But if you’ve got a degenerate streak you may be interested to know that the line on Saturday’s game is Georgia -47.5, which looks like free money to me precisely because Kirby may just kneel out the 4th quarter if they let him.
   
   
   

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Yours truly is not usually the one to quickly dispel any type of medical advice.

I’m no doctor, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

With all of that said…Saturday in Athens is going to be…rather hot.

There’s a common saying in you have plans to be outside when it comes to hydration. If you’re wondering if you are hydrated enough ahead of time, you probably aren’t.

Whatever you do to stay hydrated and get fluids – its highly advisable to do so. Liquid IV and Pedialyte will likely be in high consumption all across campus Saturday – and who knows? Maybe we can have another Georgia post-game coverage nugget about pickle juice?

Regardless – it’ll be a hot Saturday in Athens.

Say this about Elyiss Williams. If nothing else, he passes the eye test. But based on what is being trickled out of preseason camp, there may be more where that came from for the gargantuan tight end from down around Georgia’s coastal empire.

With 7 catches for 177 yards and a touchdown last year, there was flashes of what Williams could be, and one of the more intriguing things for Georgia on offense is how Williams is utilized even more.

DawgNation takes a closer look..

As Georgia fans, there is something ingrained within us to greatly dislike and mock anything having to do with Georgia Tech, Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, and Clemson. At the same time, big kudos to the folks over on The Plains for this, something that warms the heart if you have a child with special needs in your life or know of someone that does.

I don’t know if Alex Golesh will be successful at Auburn or not. But while Jon Sumrall is at Florida getting angry about a cell phone ringtone in press conferences, Golesh is winning the ‘being a good human being’ category among the new SEC coaches.

Oh, Penn State…

Serious question – what entails the “Paterno Family Football Experience?” I’ll hang up and listen.

In soccer, the Lady Dawgs now have four shutouts on the season. Clearly, much more about this team will be learned in SEC play, but four shutouts are still four shutouts.

Go Dawgs!

It’s a big day for Dawg Sports. Today, the SB Nation app is live, and it’s the best way to follow the Bulldogs. 

You can download it by searching SB Nation for iOS or Android.

A year ago we made some big changes to our community, including offering fewer ads and the addition of the Feed. Today, we want to give you even more community tools and fewer ads with this app. It will make starting and joining conversations here as simple as posting to your favorite social media platform.

You can check out the video below showing off some of the useful features of the app, and we’ll dig into them below. 

Why should I download the app?

The app will be the easiest way to interact with everybody else in the community: 

• All your favorite teams’ posts in one dedicated feed
• Notifications when someone replies or recs your post
• New game thread section, with an  experience that’s smoother and faster
• Fewer ads
• Easily navigating between your favorite communities with a swipe

It will be the fastest way to read every post from our community.

How do I download the app?

Head over to the Apple store or the Android store to download the app. Today, the app is only available for US users.

Welcome to Tuesday, Bulldog fans! And welcome to September! You know it’s game week, I know it’s game week, and the football team is likely vaguely aware as well. Things will get into a little bit of a routine, as you plan your week around attending or absorbing by Gawd Georgia Bulldog live football in just a few days.

If you’re like me, you don’t need a link to Football Head Coach Kirby Smart’s first game week press conference of the season… you watched it live because your thirst for Georgia Bulldogs football news and updated content has reached almost unquencable levels. In hopefully something that has zero relevance to on-field success, the audio production was pretty awful. Not elite. Not worthy of a CFP ranking.

AV department aside, this was a pretty predictable presser for Coach Smart. He liked the practices and scrimmages, but knows the guys are anxious to hit someone else; he thinks the team is conditioned to this weekend’s heat because they’ve had a hot fall camp, players are getting better and showing leadership, etc. etc.

I noticed he was especially effusive in his praise of tight ends Elyiss Williams and Ethan Barbour. Not really in making spectacular catches or outrunning DBs, but in blocking and toughness. Which is completely on brand for Kirby. And if you’re a fan of 13 personnel, and I know you are, you have to believe we’re going to see plenty of it this season.

There was “news” concerning players returning to college after participating in the NFL ranks. I am honestly tired of the subject, but “reporting” says “sources” are saying 15 of the 16 SEC schools are reviewing options to stop the madness. This is from the school level, not the conference level (think refusing to play an opponent who doesn’t comply with SEC rules). Yet Lane Kiffin doubles down his double-down and let’s everyone know he has the players’ blessing. Ladies & Gentlemen – I implore you.

In other fall sports news, the Georgia Women’s Soccer team got another shutout, this time against Mercer 2-0. They have one more square-off against ranked FSU before starting conference play.

Women’s Volleyball is also off to a good start, snagging 3 victories in the Classic City Clash over Furman, George Washington, and North Florida over the weekend. A big contributor is newly minted SEC Freshmen of the Week Gigi Artiles. They’ll need to continue the high level of play as they face a tough slate against top 30 teams in the SEC/Big 10 Challenge.

I don’t usually praise the Tennessee Volunteer program much, but when I do it’s for good reason. And this is the best of reasons, because she was the best of us.

Have a day, keep us up to date in the comments, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

Tua Tagovailoa will start, with Cooper Rush and Jack Strand coming in afterwards.

Michael Penix Jr. will not play in Friday's preseason game against the Miami Dolphins.

Tua Tagovailoa will start. Cooper Rush and Jack Strand to come in after.

— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) August 26, 2026

For fans hoping Penix will be the Falcons’ starting quarterback come Week 1 — which is pretty much everyone who cares about this team — it isn’t a great sign, even if it’s not all that surprising.

Penix was just cleared for 11-on-11 work, with his first full practice coming Monday. Expecting him to be game ready this soon was probably wishful thinking, but I wouldn’t count him out of the race to start against the Steelers just yet.

A lot will depend on how Tua looks Friday. He was dreadful in the Falcons’ first preseason game, and the reports coming out of practice have been equally discouraging. If he doesn’t show up with a little more pep in his step for the final preseason contest, Penix could win the job by default.

That’s not something you want to hear this close to the start of the season, but it’s the state of the Falcons quarterback competition right now.

—

Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire

However, there are also some really intriguing under-the-radar guys in the system having incredible 2026 campaigns — players who aren’t highly ranked but could become household names down the line.

David McCabe

A fourth-round pick in 2022, McCabe is an older prospect at 26 who’s dealt with a lot of injuries, specifically Tommy John surgery back in 2024 that essentially cost him an entire season of development.

Now two years removed from that injury, he’s having a season that’s put him back on the radar, hitting .282 with 16 home runs and a .962 OPS for the Double-A Columbus Clingstones over just 53 games. That earned him a promotion to Gwinnett, where he’s continued the nuclear stretch, recording a 1.190 OPS over his first four games.

The switch-hitting McCabe probably doesn’t have a long-term position in Atlanta. He’s a first baseman, and that spot is occupied for the foreseeable future. But the bat is all that matters here. He could carve out a role as a designated hitter if this offensive surge continues.

Daniel Brooks

Daniel Brooks is a graduate of Bishop England High School in Charleston, South Carolina — which just so happens to be the same high school I attended. He went on to play collegiately at College of Charleston and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Braves in July of last year.

Brooks didn’t make his debut until this season, beginning as a reliever, where he compiled a 0.65 ERA with 15.0 strikeouts per nine innings for the Low-A Augusta Green Jackets. He was good enough that the Braves promoted him to High-A Rome and decided to try him as a starter. So far, so good — Brooks tossed 4.1 innings of one-hit ball with six strikeouts in his first appearance for the Emperors.

Brooks recently made Baseball America’s list of the 20 hottest prospects.

“Brooks didn’t make his debut until May in the Florida Complex League after the Braves signed him as an undrafted free agent last July. He had a 6.17 ERA in the FCL, but the Braves still promoted him to Low-A Augusta at the start of June. Since then, he’s been one of the best pitchers in the minors, allowing two earned runs in 32 innings with 52 strikeouts and only eight walks. Before this week, Brooks was pitching in relief, but he moved into the rotation and made a pair of impressive starts. He struck out 10 in five scoreless innings with Augusta, allowing three hits and no walks. He was then promoted to High-A Rome, where he struck out six more in his debut, allowing only one hit and one walk. Brooks led all minor league pitchers in strikeouts this week, and evaluator feedback has been glowing. He’s got great size at 6-foot-7, 250 pounds, and he has a very high release. He relies on two pitches right now: a fastball that sits 92-94 mph and is very difficult to pick up and a mid-80s slider. Both pitches show considerable bat-missing ability, and his velocity and effectiveness have improved as the season has gone on. Even though Brooks is 23 and has only one outing above Low-A, he’s a very real prospect and should move into the Braves’ Top 30 in the offseason. (IC)”

Luke Sinnard

Luke Sinnard was someone we talked about a lot last season, as his big frame and swing-and-miss ability combined with his control made him a really unique prospect. Calling him under the radar might be underselling him — he’s around the top 10 according to most outlets. However, he’s missed most of this season with an abdominal injury, so it’s easy to forget about him.

Since returning, Sinnard been spectacular. He pitched to a 2.73 ERA for Rome, which earned him a promotion to Columbus, where he’s allowed just one run over 4.2 innings. Sinnard and Brooks are both names to keep a close eye on next season.

Blake Burkhalter

Relief pitchers never get the love they deserve when it comes to prospect rankings, but Blake Burkhalter looks like someone who’s going to have a long career in Atlanta. He’s currently in Triple-A Gwinnett, where he’s made 14 appearances and pitched to a 1.29 ERA with 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Burkhalter’s stuff has looked so much better this season, with a rising fastball in the high-90s serving as his go-to offering, paired with a cutter and slider. He’s the type of prospect who could get a look in September as rosters expand, and his stuff is good enough that he could end up being a valuable piece of the Braves bullpen.

—

(Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire)

UNC vs TCU, 1st Half Under 24.5

I like the first-half under here in Dublin with both offenses breaking in new quarterbacks and likely leaning on the run early.

UNC’s defense was actually solid last season — and was a huge reason for their success against the spread towards the end of the year. New offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino will likely try to establish the ground game with two solid rushers, Benjamin Hall and Demon June, before asking Wisconsin transfer QB Billy Edwards to push the ball downfield. I don’t trust Edwards against a TCU defense that should be a pretty solid unit. Quite frankly, I’ve just never been impressed by Edwards during his stops at Maryland and Wisconsin.

TCU is in a similar spot offensively, however. New offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis comes over from UConn, where his offenses played at a slower, more methodical pace. He’ll be breaking in Harvard transfer Jaden Craig — who I think will have a great year — at quarterback, and I expect TCU to lean on the run game and avoid putting too much on Craig early.

That combination — two new quarterbacks, two offenses likely emphasizing the run, and a neutral-site opener in Dublin — sets up well for a slower first half. The first-half angle also lets me avoid the possibility that these coaching staffs make adjustments at halftime and open things up in the second half.

Four of the last five games at Aviva Stadium have also finished with 45 total points or fewer. With all the new pieces on both offenses, two defenses I trust more than the offenses right now, and the added wrinkle of the overseas travel, I like the first 30 minutes to stay low scoring.

NC State +6 @ Virginia

This handicap starts off with the fact that Virginia was one of the luckiest teams in the country last year. The Cavaliers repeatedly benefited from turnover swings, special-teams breaks, and close-game variance en route to four extremely lucky wins where they were outplayed. I believe that close-game luck will turn around on them, and why not start in Week 0?

I see these teams as much closer to even than Vegas does — my ratings project Virginia -2.5. The Cavs are going through a lot of roster turnover, starting with quarterback, where Missouri transfer Beau Pribula takes over. Pribula was pretty up and down last season, with some rocky throws and some questionable decision making. I don’t see him as an upgrade over Chandler Morris.

Stud running back JaMari Taylor is gone, and they lose their best TE in Sage Ennis, who was a big factor in the pass game. Four of their top five receivers are gone and are replaced by three MAC transfers. While the transfers grade well, I’m skeptical of them jumping way up in competition and immediately producing like Trell Harris and Cam Ross did.

They’re also going through change on the defensive side, losing six of their top eight players from a good defensive line last season. I do like some of the adds in the secondary — mainly Brandyn Hillman from Michigan — but there is a lot of lost production from last year and I’m expecting a step back this season.

The Wolfpack return star QB CJ Bailey, who is destined to take a leap going into his junior season. This Wolfpack offense is catching this brand new UVA defense at the right time; I’d be a little more hesitant if they played later in the season when the defense has had time to build chemistry.

Jayden Scott is a solid running back, and Dave Doeren went down the road to add Davion Gause from UNC to create a good 1-2 combo. Harvey Dyson is a potential All-ACC player on the defensive line after transferring from Tulane. The linebacker room loses a lot, but I feel great about the secondary, which returns a lot of experience from last year. Adding cornerback King Mack from Penn State is a fantastic portal add, and he will contribute immediately.

NC State beat Virginia 35-31 last year in a back-and-forth affair, and I would expect something similar this time around. I have Virginia about the same as last year or taking a slight step back, with some negative turnover and close-game regression coming. Meanwhile, Dave Doeren has NC State in a prime position to take a step forward in 2026. Virginia is due for some close games to go against them, and this game could come down to who has the ball last. Catching six points is way too much for the Wolfpack, who have the better coach and quarterback. NC State can win it outright.

Stanford -3.5 vs Hawaii

I was a winner in this Week 0 matchup last year with a Hawaii +3 ticket as the Bows won outright 23-20. But if you take a deeper look, Stanford was the deserved winner in that game and played much better than Hawaii. I think this Hawaii team is worse than last year’s, and I know Stanford isn’t very good, but I do have the Cardinal improved from last year under first-year coach Tavita Pritchard.

Hawaii has been awful when leaving the islands and heading to play on the mainland under Timmy Chang — with a 4-18 record away from home! I like that Hawaii makes the long trip this year. And this is a matchup that favors Stanford well.

This Stanford offense may take some time to progress under new QB Davis Warren, and the Hawaii defense is just what the Cardinal want to see. The Rainbow Warriors lost a good chunk of key contributors in the secondary, but more importantly lose two All-Mountain West players on the defensive line. The two best linebackers are gone as well, and the best returner, Jamih Otis, has been dealing with complications from an ACL tear all offseason. This defense has a lot of new faces, and I expect a tougher, more physical Stanford offensive front to have success moving the ball with Micah Ford, one of the ACC’s more underrated running backs.

Hawaii will of course be showing off their run-and-shoot, up-tempo offense behind sophomore QB Micah Alejado. Alejado won Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2025 and is perfect for Timmy Chang’s offensive system. However, Alejado missed all spring practice with a lingering ankle injury he dealt with most of last year. That means less time to mesh with his brand new wide receiver room in a system that relies on a lot of chemistry between QB and wide receiver.

There is a lot of unknown in this room after losing key pieces like Jackson Harris, Nick Cenacle, and Brandon White. Star receiver Profile Ashlock does return, but has been sidelined with a knee injury for all of fall camp. Reports are that he will miss multiple weeks, and his absence really lowers the ceiling of this receiver corps.

Stanford’s defensive strength is their back seven, led by All-ACC linebacker Matt Rose, LB Josiah Galvan, and DBs Brandon Nicholson and Jay Green. I like some of the returning pieces on this defense, which should be improved from last year. Overall, it doesn’t bode well for Hawaii, given all the new pieces and injury concerns, to be trying to attack the strength of this Cardinal defense.

New head coach Tavita Pritchard will be motivated to start his tenure off with a home win. And with Hawaii traveling to the mainland, breaking in so many new pieces around Alejado, and facing a Stanford defense whose strength matches up well with what Hawaii wants to do offensively, I’m comfortable laying the short number with the Cardinal in a game I project Stanford -6.5.

Other Thoughts

Jacksonville St @ North Dakota St (-7) — This originally opened NDSU -10 and Jax State has taken some money. No bet from me, but at anything less than -7 I would lean to NDSU at home in their first ever FBS game. This line has moved a little too far.

Sacramento St @ Eastern Michigan (-10) — I really like EMU this season. I have over 5.5 wins and 14-1 to win the MAC. This is Sac State’s first FBS game and they’re flying cross country. I don’t have a feel for this one, so I’m sitting it out.

New Mexico St @ Florida St (-31.5) — I see and hear a lot of people betting FSU here. I don’t hate it, but I’m a tiny bit higher on New Mexico State than the market is, so it’s keeping me away from this spread. I’d lean to the over 53.5 because I think the Aggies can score enough points. Feels like 42-17 final score.

Memphis @ UNLV (-4.5) — These are two teams I thought were overrated last year and got a lot of lucky bounces. I’m much lower on UNLV than the market is, and the comments from Mullen about the QB battle were not encouraging. I project UNLV -3, so I’d lean towards Memphis and the points in a back-and-forth game.

—

(Photo by Ricky Bowden/Icon Sportswire)

The #Braves today claimed RHP Ricky Vanasco off waivers from the Detroit Tigers and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 26, 2026

Vanasco has appeared in five games this season for the Tigers, and the numbers are quite alarming, as he owns a 15.63 ERA, surrendering 11 earned runs over just 6.1 innings.

However, he’s had some decent numbers in Triple-A this season, posting a 2.53 ERA and striking out 11.5 batters per nine innings over 35 appearances.

It’s probably not likely we see much of Vanasco this year. If there’s one area the Braves have been solid all season, it’s the bullpen. Still, adding depth with major-league experience is always a plus to have in the organization in case of emergency.

—

(Photo by Allan Dranberg/Icon Sportswire)

We haven’t seen any of that this year. Perhaps that’s a result of how some of those deals have turned out, but there are a couple of veteran players the Braves should probably be interested in extending before they hit free agency at season’s end.

Mauricio Dubon

I’ve been pounding the table for a Mauricio Dubon extension since the first couple of months of the season. He’s the perfect fit for this team, and his performance as the starting shortstop has been more than adequate. He’s the best player they’ve had at the position since Dansby Swanson departed in free agency, and there’s nobody in the farm system anywhere close to major-league ready.

Tate Southisene, Alex Lodise, and John Gil are all intriguing prospects. It’s possible two of them end up being the middle infield of the future in Atlanta. But as of right now, they’ve each only played a handful of games at the Double-A level. Acting as if any of them will be ready at any point next season — let alone Opening Day — just isn’t realistic.

That’s another reason Dubon is the perfect fit. He’s not going to be looking for a mega-contract, probably something in the two-to-three-year range at around $10-15 million per season. And in the event one of those talented prospects does pop during his next deal, Dubon has enough versatility to slide in wherever else he’s needed.

Maybe the lockout is what’s preventing some of these extensions from happening. Perhaps Dubon believes he can get a much bigger bag on the open market. But it would be really disappointing to see him walk out the door after just one season given how valuable he’s been.

Tyler Mahle

Hand up — I did not expect to be typing this when the Braves acquired Tyler Mahle at the trade deadline. He was a 31-year-old journeyman who had just posted a 5.13 ERA with the Giants.

However, the Braves saw something in him nobody else did, and it’s evident guys like Sean Murphy and Jeremy Hefner have done wonders helping him reach his full potential. The sample size remains small — it’s only been four starts — but if the trends continue, there should be mutual interest in both sides finding a new deal that works. We’ve seen the Braves acquire a player and then hand him an extension soon after. Tyler Mahle could be next in line.

Lord knows the Braves should be looking to hold onto any healthy starting pitcher they can find.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

Quarterbacks (3)

• Michael Penix Jr.
• Tua Tagovailoa
• Jack Strand

—

The general consensus is that carrying three quarterbacks is a luxury, and the Falcons certainly don’t have the depth across the roster to afford it. That said, with the way Jack Strand has performed, he’s earned a longer look, and Atlanta really can’t afford another team poaching him off the practice squad.

If the Falcons believe there’s even a 1% chance Strand develops into a starting quarterback, he needs to be on the final 53. End of discussion. The last man on the roster isn’t going to make the Falcons Super Bowl contenders. There’s a much higher priority on finding the team’s next franchise signal caller.

Running Backs (3)

• Bijan Robinson
• Brian Robinson Jr.
• Tyler Goodson

—

The Falcons running back room is loaded. Bijan Robinson is the best running back in football. Brian Robinson Jr. is an outstanding backup, and Tyler Goodson has had a fantastic preseason. I’d love to include Cash Jones here. The Georgia product has been productive throughout the preseason and is a great receiving threat out of the backfield, but there’s just too much talent in this room for him to get any reps.

Wide Receivers (5)

• Drake London
• Jahan Dotson
• Olamide Zaccheaus
• Zachariah Branch
• Chris Blair

—

Of the wide receivers from a season ago, only Drake London and Chris Blair remain. It’s not a very inspiring group outside of London, but we could be talking about it a lot differently if Zachariah Branch establishes himself as the No. 2 in this room.

Tight Ends (3)

• Kyle Pitts
• Charlie Woerner
• Austin Hooper

—

Kevin Stefanski loves using multiple tight ends, and this is a really strong position group for the Falcons. Kyle Pitts is looking to build off his bounce-back campaign from a year ago and establish himself as one of the game’s premier players at the position. Charlie Woerner is a mauler in the run game, and Austin Hooper returns to Atlanta as a viable second receiving threat.

Offensive Linemen (9)

• Chris Lindstrom
• Jake Matthews
• Matthew Bergeron
• Ryan Neuzil
• Jawaan Taylor
• Michael Jerrell
• Kyle Hinton
• Wanya Morris
• Corey Levin

Defensive Linemen (7)

• Brandon Dorlus
• Zach Harrison
• Maason Smith
• Da’Shawn Hand
• LaCale London
• Carlos Allen Jr.
• Chris Williams

EDGE Rushers (6)

• Za’Darius Smith
• Samson Ebukam
• Azeez Ojulari
• Cameron Thomas
• Cameron Sample
• Bralen Trice

Linebackers (4)

• Divine Deablo
• Kendal Daniels
• Christian Harris
• Harold Perkins Jr.

—

All four of these guys could see a lot of the field on Sundays, and it looks as if rookie fourth-round pick Kendal Daniels might even start next to Divine Deablo. The one notable name missing is JD Bertrand, a fifth-round selection from the 2024 draft. Perhaps the Falcons give him one more look, but he’s been dreadful every time he’s touched the field over his short career, and this new regime isn’t the one that drafted him.

Cornerbacks (6)

• A.J. Terrell
• Avieon Terrell
• Darnay Holmes
• Mike Hughes
• C.J. Henderson
• Natrone Brooks

—

The first four on this list are safe bets to make the roster. It feels like C.J. Henderson has done enough throughout the preseason to earn a spot, and the Falcons should value his experience compared to some of the other candidates. For the final spot, I went with Natrone Brooks, who offers some versatility as both a corner and a safety.

Safeties (4)

• Jessie Bates III
• Xavier Watts
• DeMarcco Hellams
• Sydney Brown

—

Perhaps the Falcons’ strongest position group. Jessie Bates III and Xavier Watts combine to make one of the best starting duos in the league. DeMarcco Hellams is a solid third safety who’s received a lot of praise for his work in the preseason, and Sydney Brown has as well for his contributions on special teams, which should earn him one of the final roster spots.

Special Teams (3)

Nick Folk
Jake Bailey
Liam McCullough

—

(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Following a nail-biter on Tuesday, one that was primarily a pitcher’s duel for most of the evening, Wednesday’s affair had a little bit of everything.

Matt Olson started the scoring with a screaming line drive down the right field line that narrowly stayed fair by striking the foul pole, his 37th home run of the season. But the Dodgers tied it the following inning and then took a two-run lead in the third when Tommy Edman left the yard against AJ Smith-Shawver.

For Smith-Shawver, it was his third start in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery last May, and the stakes were a little higher in front of a packed Truist Park crowd that felt a lot like a playoff atmosphere. It would have been easy for him to let things spiral the way they have in his previous two outings, but he finished strong with two scoreless innings, marking his longest outing of the season.

Before he exited, the Braves retook the lead in the fourth with a crooked number, and Sean Murphy then doubled that lead in the sixth with his first home run of the year — one of his three hits on the evening as he started back-to-back games for the first time all season. If that’s a sign of things to come, this Braves offense might finally climb out of the rut it’s been in for most of August.

The game still had a lot more twists and turns remaining. Dylan Lee came on in the seventh and failed to record a single out, allowing one run to cross and leaving the bases loaded for Didier Fuentes, who proceeded to walk the first batter he faced. It was another moment where things felt like they were about to get out of hand, but the 21-year-old did what he’s done all season, getting a fly out and a double play to end the inning without any more damage.

Doing it once wasn’t enough for Fuentes. He found himself in another jam in the eighth — this time of his own doing, loading the bases with two outs and Max Muncy stepping up to the plate. The two went back and forth for eight pitches, with Fuentes exclusively sticking with his fastball until the ninth offering, when he tossed a filthy splitter that left Muncy flailing his bat at a pitch in the opposite batter’s box.

The Braves would waste a golden opportunity in the bottom half of the inning, stranding runners at second and third with no outs. But the Dodgers went quietly in order in the ninth, setting the stage for most unlikely hero imaginable.

Tanner Scott looked as if he were going to breeze through with no problems. He forced Michael Harris II to ground out to first and then struck out Ozzie Albies for the first two outs, but a Lane Thomas double made things interesting.

Because the Braves had pinch-run for Sean Murphy earlier in the game, it forced Walt Weiss to pinch hit for pitcher Victor Mederos. With no better options, he turned to Ha-Seong Kim — and the $20 million man with a .066 batting average delivered one of the best moments of the season.

Ha-Seong Kim walks it off for the @Braves! pic.twitter.com/IWTZ9L6XEM

— MLB (@MLB) August 27, 2026

I’m not sure some of Hollywood’s best writers could come up with a script like that. There are very few scenarios where Ha-Seong Kim even finds his way into that game, let alone into the box with a chance to walk it off against the two-time defending champions.

It was something out of a movie, and thankfully, the script writers favored the Braves on this particular night.

With the win, Atlanta has now won three in a row and four of its last six — all against teams currently sitting in first place. It’s a testament to how quickly things can change in this game. A week ago, it felt like the Braves might be headed for a historic collapse. Now they feel like the class of the National League. Finishing off a sweep of the Dodgers on Thursday night would only add to that confidence heading into the final month.

—

(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire

The decision came in the wake of the injury to Jalon Walker, who tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season, leaving the Falcons with a massive hole on the edge — especially with James Pearce Jr. set to miss the first eight games due to a suspension.

Expecting Smith to come in and carry the Falcons pass rush at this stage of his career probably isn’t realistic. He’s 33 and actually came out of retirement to join the team. However, that decision to leave the Eagles in the middle of last season had nothing to do with him having second thoughts about playing the game.

It had everything to do with his sick mother, which he explained in an extraordinarily vulnerable moment following Wednesday’s practice.

“I wasn’t supposed to retire,” Smith said, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “I wasn’t going to tell the story, but I’m going to tell it. I got a phone call from my mom’s doctor telling me that she don’t have much longer to be on this Earth. I let the team know. Obviously they wasn’t trying to let me leave, but that was the only thing I had left — to retire. So I retired.”

It’s a picture-perfect never-judge-a-book-by-its-cover moment. On the surface, Smith abruptly retired in the middle of the season while playing for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. In the sport of football, a lot of people would call that quitting.

So when the Falcons signed Smith, it was natural to question how much he still loved the game. In football, if you’re ever seriously thinking about retiring, it’s usually too late. There aren’t many successful players out there with one foot already out the door.

Then Smith tells his heartbreaking side of the story — one that’s going to make him a fan favorite around Atlanta very quickly. He said his mother always wanted him to play here, given the Falcons’ proximity to his hometown of Montgomery, Alabama.

“My mom — rest her soul, man — she always wanted me to be in Atlanta with the Falcons,” Smith said, via Marc Raimondi of ESPN.

Prior to retiring, Smith recorded 10 tackles, three quarterback hits, and 1.5 sacks in five games for the Eagles. In his last full season, half of which was spent under Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland, he had nine sacks — a total that would have ranked second on the Falcons last year.

—

(Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire)

The veteran catcher, who has spent most of the season on the IL, played in back-to-back games for the second time all year. A move that paid significant dividends, as Murphy recorded three hits, including a home run that ultimately proved to be the difference in Atlanta’s thrilling win over the Dodgers.

But was that a one-off, or should we expect to see more of Murphy moving forward? Walt Weiss addressed exactly that ahead of Wednesday’s game, via Mark Bowman of MLB.com.

Walt Weiss indicated Sean Murphy will be his catcher for at least half of the remaining regular season games.
Benefits:
1) Consistent playing time should improve Murphy's offensive production
2) Baldwin's legs can stay fresh when he spends time as the DH
3) Murphy is one of the… pic.twitter.com/6rnzi0qwZ5

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 27, 2026

Sometimes in this business, you have a take and it takes months to be proven right. Other times it happens a lot quicker.

I’ve written a few times over the last couple of weeks about how the Braves needed to give Sean Murphy more playing time, especially when the alternative was running out guys like Jim Jarvis, who were providing next to nothing.

Murphy isn’t the most beloved player in Braves country right now, and that’s understandable. The Braves traded a fan favorite in William Contreras to get him, paid him a bunch of money, and he hasn’t held up his end of the bargain — even if a lot of that comes down to injuries.

But he’s still a valuable piece who could end up playing a huge role down the stretch, both for what he does behind the plate and for the upside in his bat. He just needs the playing time.

When Murphy does get some runway, the results can come in a hurry. Even last year, when he hit below the Mendoza Line across 94 games, he had two separate months where he posted an OPS above .900.

—

April 2025: .990 OPS
July 2025: .925 OPS

—

Murphy isn’t going to rake like that consistently, but that version of him exists — and it isn’t even the best part of what he brings to the table. The difference between him and Drake Baldwin calling a game has been night and day. There’s a reason the Braves pitching staff has been even better since Murphy returned from the IL, and it’s exactly what made Atlanta’s front office fall in love with him in the first place.

If the Braves had a true mashing DH on his way to 30-plus homers, this would be an entirely different conversation. But they don’t, which allows Baldwin to slide into that role and Murphy to play where he’s most valuable.

It’s nice that Walt Weiss is finally seeing the light, because it could end up being a significant factor in how far this club goes come October.

—

(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)

The list is, admittedly, pretty lackluster outside of a few names, but most of them should be on the Braves’ radar, especially with so much money coming off the books.

Mark Feinsand’s Top 10 2027 MLB Free Agents

1. Tarik Skubal
2. Michael King
3. Randy Arozarena
4. Jazz Chisholm Jr.
5. Seiya Suzuki
6. Brandon Lowe
7. Clay Holmes
8. Casey Mize
9. Nick Martinez
10. Luis Arraez

—

Atlanta was in on Tarik Skubal before he was moved to the Dodgers at the trade deadline, but it would be pretty shocking to see the Braves meet his demands in free agency. Most expect he’ll push for a deal in the $400 million range.

The more realistic targets are guys like Michael King and Clay Holmes. Holmes, in particular, makes a lot of sense given the success he had under Jeremy Hefner when the two were together in Queens.

Casey Mize is an interesting name, but the Braves reportedly had very little interest in acquiring him at the deadline. If that’s true, it’s hard to believe he does anything down the stretch that makes them reconsider and hand him a healthy contract come the offseason.

Left field is another place where the Braves should be looking to upgrade this winter. It’s been a problem area in Atlanta for years, and there’s just no way they can enter another season relying on Jurickson Profar. The Braves would be wise to send a message by cutting him this offseason. Getting suspended twice in a two-year span is unacceptable.

Arozarena is having a monster year for the Mariners and has had some huge moments in the postseason over his career. He’d be a perfect fit in Atlanta, and Seiya Suzuki would be another home run signing. He’s done nothing but rake since signing with the Chicago Cubs, boasting an .823 OPS over his five-year career. If the Braves were able to land either one, their lineup would look like the best in baseball.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is another intriguing name because of his defensive versatility. Perhaps the Braves see him as an option who can play all over the diamond next season before settling in at second base when Ozzie Albies‘ contract is up. Chisholm has always spoken very fondly of Atlanta — though I’m not sure he’s much of an upgrade over Albies. Arozarena and Suzuki are much more clear fits.

—

Photo: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire

In one of the greatest Christmas cinemas ever produced, Cousin Eddie and Clark W. Griswold touch off an underrated exchange:

“College???”

“Carnival!”

It’s a bit ironic that this exchange comes to mind, because the ongoing ‘can pro players really go back to college?“ silliness belongs in a carnival.

It, like other factors in the current state of this sport, are a clown show.

The SEC, for its part is digging in, but who knows what court order could upend that.

Saturday’s Week 0 cannot come soon enough.

Speaking of bounce-back transfers, don’t look for Kirby Smart to have an interest.

Speaking of Kirby, there was plenty else to be said by Georgia’s head coach during Tuesday’s media session. Among the highlights:

Kirby On The Mic At Practice?

“I start thinking about that [the public can hear him talking on the microphone], but by about period three, I haven’t thought about that anymore. There was no inspiration for it. It came from my voice, and I couldn’t get across what I wanted to say without being hoarse every day or having a headache. It was a better solution to a communication problem that I couldn’t get to the other end of the field with my voice. That thing [microphone] would. Personally, I think it’s overrated because some of the players can’t even hear it. Some players have headphones in, and they listen to the dots. A lot of times it’s for organization purposes when we change drills and things like that.”

How has Quintavius Johnson adjusted?

There was probably an adjustment, but who is there not an adjustment for when you come into this place? You come in and there’s big, fast, strong people who are older than you. It’s an adjustment for everybody. We like the fact that he was a Wildcat quarterback, but probably the most intriguing thing is he played ‘MIKE’ linebacker. He came at seven-on-seven, and he was an inside linebacker that dropped and played coverage in space. Most kids that have the spatial awareness to play off the ball don’t struggle to move on the ball. They might struggle with the physicality, but they don’t struggle with the instincts, knowledge and ability to communicate to make plays and adjustments. That was the case with him. He was able to pick it up really well, and he’s got the size to go with it.”

How has Isaiah Canion meshed in?

“He’s come in and blended really well. I think he was comfortable in the room because of the players on the team and having guys he played high school with and played against all his life. Just the general Georgia consensus of being a Georgia player, he’s been around it. He’s worked really hard. He’s relatively quiet, but he plays physical. He plays hard. He plays tough. He’s not afraid to go down and make hard blocks and dig people out, but he’s also got speed and athleticism to be a weapon on the perimeter. He’s had a really good, quiet camp. I’m very pleased with what he’s brought to our team. Great kid.”

On Nick Chubb:

“He’s just an incredible person and leader. I think it was more respect than it was necessarily growth. I got two years with him. His demeanor and the way he went about things and bought into what we were demanding; it was two very tough years for him. One was a bounce back from a significant injury year where we made things really hard and tough in the program, and he never questioned any of those things. I don’t know that without he and Sony [Michel] that we would get the same buy-in that they had. Just when you talk about human beings and respect for where they come from, family, name on the back of your jersey; he has tremendous respect from this organization for what he stands for and what he’s done for his hometown and this university. He’s been an incredible ambassador. To look at what he’s gone through, with those two injuries, I don’t think you can find many people that come back from those two significant injuries.”

Go Dawgs!

SB Nation wants to know: who do you think will win the SEC in 2026? Vote now at SB Nation Reacts to make your voice heard.

During 2025 Gabe Harris grew from a rotational piece into one of the most trusted players on Georgia’s defense. He started 13 games, finishing with 26 tackles, 11 solo stops, and 6.5 tackles for loss. Even better, Harris’s production built as the season progressed. Georgia’s pass rush struggled through the first eight games, managing just eight sacks as a unit, but Harris became the engine behind a turnaround down the stretch. His signature performance came against Texas, where he recorded a sack for a 9 yard loss, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 4 quarterback hurries in one of the most complete games of his career.

He also added pressure in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama and posted 2 tackles for loss against Georgia Tech. Beyond the box score, Harris earned the respect of his teammates and coaches, serving as a game captain against both Texas and Alabama on one of the greener defenses Georgia has fielded in years. Unfortunately a toe injury and surgery kept Harris out of the Playoff Quarterfinals against Ole Miss, a game in which that young UGA defense could have used him to bottle up Trinidad Chambliss.

A lot of the players on that unit have grown some and are back in 2026. Gabe Harris remains one of the defensive leaders, and may be poised to break onto the national stage.

What makes Harris dangerous is the combination of skills he brings off the edge. He has always relied on an explosive first step, the kind that lets him anticipate snap counts and beat offensive tackles before they set their feet. His length and ankle flexibility allow him to bend the corner and shrink the pocket. He also brings positional versatility, having shown he can drop into coverage on occasion, which keeps offenses honest and gives Georgia’s defensive staff more flexibility in disguising pressure. Just as important is his motor. Harris seemed to find a new gear as the season wore on in 2025, and that relentlessness is part of why his production climbed as the season progressed.

The next step for Harris in 2026, like much of the UGA front seven, is turning pressure into finished plays. He generated hurries and disruption at a high level last year, but converting more of those opportunities into sacks and tackles for loss will separate a good season from a great one. He also needs to keep adding strength at the point of attack, since he has traditionally played with more finesse than power, and SEC tackles will test that against the run. Consistency from the opening kickoff matters too. Georgia’s front was sluggish for much of the first half of last season, and Harris cannot afford another slow start if the Bulldogs want their pass rush humming from the start.

Georgia’s pass-rush picture around Harris looks different heading into 2026. The Bulldogs finished last season with only 20 total sacks, a number the staff wants to see improve significantly. CJ Allen, was a serious pass rush presence from his inside linebacker spot, but was drafted away after an All-American season. Auburn transfer Amaris Williams was expected to add depth off the edge but is now expected to miss the season following a spring knee injury.

While Elijah Griffin looks set to take a big leap forward on the interior after a strong freshman year, it’s just not possible to mount an effective pass rush without consistent pressure off the edge. Quintavius Johnson is an imposing presence and second year players like Chase Linton, Isaiah Gibson and Darren Ikinnagbon will also be a factor. But Harris as the most proven and experienced returning presence in the pass-rush group, and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann will lean on him to set the tone for a unit that otherwise skews young.

What would a successful 2026 for Harris would look like? Staying healthy would be the first step. All indications from Kirby Smart are that Harris is ready to go after missing spring ball recovering from surgery. Past that, a jump into the 7-9 sack range, paired with double-digit tackles for loss and continued production as a run defender would do the job in my mind. Onhas already been named preseason All-SEC Third Team by both SEC media and Athlon, and building on that with a first or second-team All-SEC selection, along with All-American recognition would reflect the kind of breakout year Georgia needs from him to get its defense back among the nation’s best.

SB Nation wants to know: who do you think will win the SEC in 2026? Vote now at SB Nation Reacts to make your voice heard.

Welcome to Tuesday, Bulldog Fans! You’ve only got 11 more sleeps until it’s Game Day in Athens. And since no one will mind you using your corporate Claude or Copilot license to craft the most inricate and complete grocery and liquor store shopping list, you’ve got plenty of time. So let’s get warmed up with the news out of Athens and college football.

UGA defensemen Ellis Robinson IV, KJ Bolden, and Raylen Wilson have all been named to the 2026 Chuck Bednarik Award watch list.

Four Bulldogs were named to the Preseason Coaches All-Southeastern Conference First Team, and 11 Bulldogs overall – more than any other school. Drew Bobo, Earnest Greene, Robinson, and Bolden got the nod for the first team, while Nate Frazier, Lawson Luckie, Dontrell Glover, Wilson and Elijah Griffin placed on the 2nd team. Gunner Stockton and Gabe Harris rounded out the selections on the 3rd team.

If you thought that was a slight to Gunner Stockton, take solace in that Stockton was also named to the Manning Award Preseason Watch List.

As the season draws near, the remaining starting quarterback competitions are dwindling. On the heels of Alabama trying to placate a 5 star QB and prevent a transfer, the Volunteers have given the reins to 5 star frosh Faizon Brandon. This of course is totally depending on if Josh Heupel can get Hendon Hooker’s name on the latest TRO out of Seveir County.

Arkansas similarly named KJ Jackson as QB1. And Jon Sumrall at Florida now has his signal caller in Aaron Philo. I think it’s a great fit, personally. Philo spent time with new UF OC Buster Faulkner at Georgia Tech, and he has the mustache of a Florida Gator. There’s a special something about him… he looks like the kinda guy who would score a TD, then spike the ball into his own plums before getting blown up by a LB.

Speaking of TROs and favorable district court rulings, word out of Argyle Nation is that Chapel Bill Belichick is sniffing around the ranks of the NFL camps for possible new enrollments. Well, most camps except the NE Patriots. With his general manager Michael Lombardi on administrative leave, and the team likely leaving for their Week 0 game in Dublin, Ireland, we’re not sure who might be doing the sniffing.

While you’ve got a bad taste in your mouth, news comes out that the folks at Ole Miss don’t trust Lane Kiffin very much. Huh.

After setting a national record for attendance at a collegiate women’s soccer game, the Bulldogs continue their winning ways with a victory over Milwaukee. The Bulldogs notched their 3rd win, are ranked (#25), and celebrated Senior Day. There might be something to this “early in the season Senior Day” thing – I think we all can appreciate giving the seniors their due and spotlight, and maybe even a little more playing time.

I hope that gets your day going. Let us know what you’re hearing in the comments, or what you’ve got planned for the first college football in 270+ days. Yet as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

It’s college football’s week 0, and while we’ve still got some time before the Bulldogs kick off, the news from elsewhere is flowing free and fast. Let’s take a quick spin around and see what’s up.

Alabama has named sophomore Keelon Russell its starting quarterback over senior Austin Mack. It isn’t a surprising outcome, as the former five star would eventually take over. But Bama fans are super stoked nonetheless.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel on the other hand hasn’t named a starter, but appears to be leaning toward freshman Faizon Brandon.Heupel has been saying all the right things publicly about going with the QB who brings the right mix of maturity and leadership to the role. But deep down I think there’s something else at play: in the NIL era you can’t bring in a multi-million dollar blue chipper like Brandon and afford to sit them on the bench. It’s one reason I think Kirby Smart’s emphasis on rewarding proven upperclassmen may be the smartest strategy in the NIL era.

Lane Kiffin on the other hand isn’t so stoked about his tight end rotation, which is why he’s apparently beating the bushes of the NFL for players who are on pro rosters but could come back to college now that a judge in Colorado has decided players in the 2022 class should have a fifth year of eligibility.

Though the buried lede in this story has to be that Kiffin apparently called Todd Monken to talk about whether he could have Monken’s rookie tight end, and Monken didn’t return his call. That goes on the long list of reasons I like Todd Monken.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Ladies and gentledawgs, actual college football will be played tonight. It’s not particularly compelling football, but football nonetheless. The good news is that the offerings get better as the weekend progresses. The full (and I mean FULL) college football schedule for week zero is below. But here are each day’s high points, including as usual any SEC games of interest.

Thursday’s best matchup: You vs. Your remaining offseason honey-do list.

Truly, there is nothing of interest for most college football fans on Thursday night. The matchups are so niche that none of them are even on broadcast television , just streaming on ESPN+. But if you’re a college football degenerate like me, who stays up to watch games late into the night on ESPN+, then you probably already know which of these obscure Big South/Big Sky Conference games to watch and would sniff at my suggestions. But for real, Montana State Utah Tech might actually be, in the words of Jupiter Coyote describing Macon’s Rose Hill Cemetery, a beautiful thing in a strange way.

Friday’s best bet: Idaho vs. Cal Poly (10:00 eastern, ESPN)

“Best” may not be the appropriate word for your Friday night options. There aren’t many games, so a battle of teams that went 4-8 and finished near the bottom of the Big Sky last season is the best thing on offer. It is college football, however, and beggars can’t be choosers.

Saturday’s best bet: TCU vs North Carolina from Dublin, Ireland (noon eastern, ESPN)

The Horned Frogs are experienced on both sides of the ball and a 7.5 point favorite over Bill Belichick’s North Carolina team picked to finish near the bottom of the ACC. But the Tar Heel offense is now under the control of Bobby ““Hog Wild” Petrino, who generally does a good job of getting his offenses up and running early in the season. Add in the usual weirdness and unpredictably of an international game, and this one might actually be sort of fun. Like watching someone get bonked unexpectedly over the head with a shillelagh.

Honorable mention goes to North Carolina State versus Virginia, a matchup of teams both pegged to finish in the top third of the sprawling ACC, and both of which could actually be in the playoff discussion at midseason if the schedule breaks right. Tune in for this one and you’ll know just how overhyped that team is in five weeks.

In the evening slot you could watch Hawaii at Stanford on ACC Network if you’re a slave to convention. But trust me, you’ll have way more fun watching East Texas A&M at Mercer on ESPN. It’s the FCS spotlight kickoff game, and features a Mercer team that has made the FCS playoff two years running while doing what Mercer athletics has done reliably for two decades: periodically putting the fear of the Almighty in SEC and ACC fanbases. Looking at you, USC and Duke basketball. You as well, Auburn, Georgia, and Florida baseball.And you, Georgia Tech football.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Thursday, Aug. 27

Mercyhurst at Youngstown State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Ohio Dominican at Morehead State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Illinois at Murray State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Lafayette at Georgetown | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Gardner-Webb at Austin Peay | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Charleston Southern at Lindenwood | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Northwestern (IA) at Western Illinois | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Chattanooga at West Georgia | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
UVA Wise at Presbyterian | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Houston Christian at SE Louisiana | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Anderson (SC) at Furman | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Mississippi Valley State at Nicholls | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Southern Illinois at West Florida | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Concord at Davidson | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Central Arkansas at UT Martin | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
South Dakota Mines at Drake | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
LIU at North Dakota | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Louisiana Christian at Northwestern State | 8 p.m. | ESPN+

Friday, Aug. 28

Rhode Island at Merrimack | 6 pm. | ESPN+
Colgate at Fordham | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
William & Mary at Villanova | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Idaho at Cal Poly | 10 p.m. | ESPN

Saturday, Aug. 29

TCU vs. North Carolina (Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland) | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Robert Morris at Wagner | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Fairmont State at Dayton | 12 p.m. | YouTube
Georgetown (KY) at Butler | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Central Connecticut at South Dakota | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Lawrence Tech at Valparaiso | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
San Jose State at No. 14 USC | 3 p.m. | NBC
Alabama State vs. Southern (Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.) | 3 p.m. | ESPNU
UC Davis at Portland State | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
NC State at Virginia | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Lehigh at Holy Cross | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Washington at Northern Arizona | 5 p.m. | ESPN+
Jacksonville State at North Dakota State | 5:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Campbell at East Tennessee State | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Southeast Missouri State at Indiana State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Savannah State at South Carolina State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Bucknell at Richmond | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
VMI at Idaho State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
The Citadel at Wofford | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Hawai’i at Stanford | 7 p.m. | ACC Network
New Mexico State at Florida State | 7 p.m. | The CW Network
East Texas A&M at Mercer | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Monmouth at Tennessee Tech | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Abilene Christian at Lamar | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Kentucky at Western Carolina | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Samford at North Alabama | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Stephen F. Austin at McNeese | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
East Texas A&M at Mercer | 7 p.m. | ESPN
St. Francis (IL) at Illinois State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Howard vs. Alabama A&M (Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta) | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
UT Permian Basin at UT Rio Grande Valley | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Jackson State at Tennessee State | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Prairie View A&M at Tarleton State | 9 p.m. | ESPN2
Southern Utah at Montana | 9 p.m. | ESPN+
Memphis at UNLV | 10 p.m. | FOX
Montana State at Utah Tech | 10 p.m. | ESPN+

Missouri tailback Ahmad Hardy had one of the best rushing seasons in Mizzou history in 2025, setting a program single-season rushing record with 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns while recording seven 100-yard rushing games and a healthy 6.44 yards per carry. In the process he became just the sixth player in SEC history to rush for 300 yards in a single game in an 49-27 victory over Mississippi State.

Hardy also led the nation in yards after contact, and perhaps most jaw-dropping averaged 7.10 yards per carry in the second half of games, perennially getting stronger as the game wore on. His breakout season earned him consensus All-America honors, including First Team recognition from the AP, Walter Camp Foundation, AFCA, and Sporting News,. And he was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award.

Preseason expectations remain sky-high for the 5’10, 206 pound junior. Hardy was voted to the 2026 Preseason All-SEC First Team, cementing his status as the top running back in the conference, and probably the nation

In a perfect world Ahmad Hardy would probably be the top player on this list. Unfortunately we do not live in a perfect world. Hardy is recovering from an offseason gunshot wound sustained while attending a concert in his hometown, but the official line from Columbia remains that Hardy will be ready to suit up for Missouri in 2026. Tiger coach Eliah Drinkwitz conceded recently however that Hardy won’t be available for Mizzou’s opener, and he’s not 100% certain when this season Hardy will return.

I expect he will be back by the time Missouri comes to Sanford Stadium on November 14th. But will he be 100%? I’m not entirely certain. Even if he isn’t, Hardy is a big, tough back who sheds tacklers and keeps the Tiger offense out of bad situations by being hard to take down in the backfield. Without him the Black and Gold aren’t quite the same team. But if he’s back and rested up when the team comes to Athens Hardy may be one of the two best tailbacks Georgia faces all season.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Are you in favor of sustained touchdown drives that break the will of defenses and run clock like a late night filibuster?

Are you in favor of strict limits on the number of Florida Gators who can be imported north of Valdosta, and by “strict limits” do you mean “absolutely zero”?

And can Kirby Smart count on you to take part in any roll call votes on third down in Sanford Stadium this fall? Then have we got a midterm election ticket for you:

Our good friends at BreakingT’s have just come out with a new line of game day shirts showcasing the one political ticket that can count on all our votes.

Like all BreakingTs products this Stockton/Frazier shirt is officially licensed by Georgia’s NIL Player program, something not every teeshirt company out there on Ray Goff’s internet can say.

Your Georgia Bulldogs BreakingTs product is also designed and printed in the USA, and comes with free returns and exchanges. You can’t go wrong.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

This could be a very impactful Falcons rookie class

The Falcons didn’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft because of the James Pearce Jr. trade a year ago, so expectations should be tempered on just how impactful the 2026 rookie class can be in year one. However, they’ve largely been responsible for the most positive takeaways of the entire preseason.

Zachariah Branch is already a household name in Atlanta after his breakout season with the Georgia Bulldogs a year ago. He was taken in the third round, but he’s been raved about by his peers all summer.

“I’m just excited for him,” London said of Branch, via Josh Kendall of The Athletic. “The world is going to see.”

Branch is going to have every opportunity to play as a rookie. The Falcons wide receiver room is Drake London… and not much else, featuring Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus as the second and third options. Those are respected veterans who aren’t going to give away their jobs easily, but if Branch is as talented as he believes himself to be, he could easily be the second option very early in the season.

Linebackers Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. appear to be on their way to making an immediate impact as well. They were two of the few bright spots in the Falcons’ first preseason game against the Broncos, and both have been getting plenty of run with the ones throughout practice — with Daniels getting comfortable wearing the green dot.

“Kendal and Perk are way ahead of what I was expecting from rookies,” Divine Deablo said, via Josh Kendall of The Athletic. “Obviously they have to keep it up, but I’m excited. They don’t mess up a lot. They are on their P’s and Q’s, for sure.”

Deablo will be the key to the Falcons’ second level this season. When he went down a year ago, the entire defense took a step back. But with Kaden Elliss now back in New Orleans, everything else is up for grabs. The Falcons could be calling on both Daniels and Perkins a lot when the ball is snapped for real against the Steelers in Week 1.

Expect a lot of blitzing

The Falcons pass rush took two pretty much unrecoverable blows in the span of a week. Jalon Walker went down with a torn ACL, and the announcement of Pearce’s eight-game suspension followed soon after. Both first-round picks had a profound impact on a unit that went from the bottom of the league in sacks to second, setting a franchise record with 57.

There’s no replacing those two. The Falcons did add Za’Darius Smith, a veteran with 70.5 career sacks. That’s going to help, but if this team is going to avoid falling back into the cellar when it comes to getting after the quarterback, Jeff Ulbrich is going to have to blitz like crazy.

The good news is that’s something Ulbrich loves to do. The Falcons blitzed the second-most of any team last season at 33%, and I expect that number to climb closer to 50% this year. Without a creative scheme, this defense is going to be toast against quality quarterbacks.

Michael Penix Jr. is the starting quarterback for the Falcons

Michael Penix Jr. still hasn’t been cleared for 11-on-11 work, so expecting him to start Week 1 might be premature. However, simply by sitting out, he’s winning the quarterback competition. That’s how bad Tua Tagovailoa has been so far. He was horrendous in limited work against the Broncos, and the results from joint practice against the Colts sound very similar.

This was always going to be a case of: if it’s close, it goes to Penix. He’s the young quarterback on a rookie deal who could conceivably still be a franchise cornerstone. The Falcons are going to want to see what they have in him, and unless Tagovailoa takes massive strides over the next several weeks, that’s exactly what’s going to happen once Penix is cleared.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

A week later, that lead is down to just 4.5 games. FanGraphs still has Atlanta’s postseason odds at 99%, but the division is a lot more up in the air at 80.4%. And being honest about how this club has played over the last couple of weeks, along with the schedule ahead, I’m not sure the Braves should even be considered that big a favorite.

By now, you’ve probably heard about what the next week brings. Atlanta has a pit stop in Chicago for a one-game makeup against the first-place White Sox before back-to-back series against the top two seeds in the National League. They head to Milwaukee this weekend before welcoming the Dodgers to Truist Park at the beginning of next week.

That’s not a stretch any other club is jealous of, but it’s also an opportunity. The Braves remain in the mix for a first-round bye — 2.5 games behind the Dodgers and 4.0 behind the Brewers. With a couple of series wins, they’ll be back in the conversation for the No. 1 seed. With a couple of series losses, the NL East lead could be down to a game or two with an entire month left to play.

Nothing gets easier in September, either. They have matchups with the Cubs and Rays — two of baseball’s best teams — and another series with the Astros, who will be fighting for their playoff lives.

More important than all of that, though: the Braves play the Phillies seven times in the final month. No matter what happens the rest of the way, if they don’t take care of business against their division rival, they run the risk of the NL East crown staying in Philadelphia for one more year.

It all sets up for a wild ride down the stretch, something not many people expected to be saying a week ago. But just as easily as that lead shrunk to 4.5 games, it can grow back toward double digits. Baseball is a wonky game full of highs and lows — and contrary to popular belief, the Braves have been among the best in the sport against good teams.

Atlanta is 4-2 so far against the Brewers and Dodgers. They’re 5-1 against the Phillies, and overall, they’re 32-24 against teams over .500. The Braves aren’t going to shy away from anyone, even if the last couple of weeks have cast a lot of doubt on how far this team can go.

—

(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)

Michael Penix Jr. still hasn’t been cleared for 11-on-11 work after tearing his ACL last season. He says he can essentially do everything from a physical standpoint with the knee, but there’s a mental side that’s sometimes more difficult to overcome.

“I want to start,” Penix said. “I want to start the first game of the season. But at the end of the day, it’s about how I feel. So there’s not really a timeframe on it…

“A lot of it is mental. Physically, I got a good ACL. The doctors did what they needed to do. I can go out there and do anything. But mentally, you hesitate, and it’s like do I trust it?”

You’d think essentially missing all of training camp and most of the preseason would put him behind the eight ball, but this might be the first quarterback competition ever won simply on the basis of how horrendous the opposition has performed. Tua Tagovailoa really struggled in the Falcons’ initial preseason game, and the reports from practice haven’t been much more encouraging.

The sample size is small, so it’s fair to say Tagovailoa still has the edge. But it’s starting to feel like this is Penix’s job to lose whenever he’s fully cleared. This was always going to be a competition where if it’s close, Penix gets the nod. He’s the unproven guy on a rookie deal who could conceivably be the organization’s first franchise quarterback since Matt Ryan — who, ironically, is now the team’s President of Football. The number one goal should be finding out what they have in Penix, unless Tagovailoa very clearly gives the Falcons a better chance to win.

None of that can happen until Penix is fully cleared, though, and that could be right around the corner. The third-year quarterback said following joint practices on Thursday that he has a call scheduled with his doctor soon, where they’ll figure out the next steps.

“I know that call will be coming up soon,” Penix said, via the Falcons’ official website. “Talk to my doctor, see where he thinks I am, see how he feels about everything and then we will go from there.”

Some credit should be given to Penix for his honesty with the media throughout this process. He’s been extraordinarily vulnerable, but it’s also created some confusion about who’s actually making the decisions. Is he the one holding the timeline back because he’s not mentally ready to take hits on the surgically repaired knee? Or is it the doctor’s call?

None of this is how Atlanta drew it up. But the outcome might end up being the right one anyway. The Falcons need to know whether Michael Penix Jr. is a franchise quarterback, and they were never going to find that out from the sideline. That call with his doctor might be the most important thing that happens this entire preseason.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

That’s exactly what we’ve seen Kiley McDaniel do over at ESPN. He just updated his list of the top 100 prospects in all of baseball, and four Braves were included — roughly on par with what you’ll see anywhere else. However, where they ranked is what makes it intriguing.

#89 Cam Caminiti

Considered by many a top-three prospect in the Braves organization, Cam Caminiti is the lowest-ranked Brave in the top 100. The 20-year-old is in his second full professional season after being taken in the first round a couple of years ago, and he’s already reached Double-A, where he just turned in one of the best performances of his career. Over six innings against a loaded Montgomery Biscuits lineup, he allowed one run on three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. With a strong start to his 2027 campaign, the conversations about his MLB debut will begin.

#80 Conor Essenburg

This is the first time I’ve seen Conor Essenburg included on a top 100 list, and I love it. Because of all the success guys like Eric Hartman and Tate Southisene have had, Essenburg has flown quietly under the radar — but his performance for Augusta was anything but quiet. Over 59 games, he blasted 14 home runs with a .990 OPS, earning a promotion to High-A Rome. The power and the arm are very impressive, but the plate discipline is what really stands out. He’s walked 76 times in 79 games this season, leading to a .417 on-base percentage.

#33 Eric Hartman

Hartman has slowed down pretty considerably since a first half that saw him hit 20 home runs and steal 30 bases. However, the tools are still too incredible to ignore. He’s a legitimate five-tool athlete who could be at least a 20/20 guy at the major-league level down the line. The question is whether his offense will translate as he continues to move through the system. McDaniel clearly believes it will.

#30 Tate Southisene

To see two young Braves prospects inside the top 33 in all of baseball is a breath of fresh air. This is Southisene’s first full professional season since being taken in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft, and at the time, most “draft analysts” were calling it a reach.

It certainly doesn’t look that way anymore. In about half a season, Southisene has moved up two levels, all the way to Double-A Columbus. Unfortunately, he’s been sidelined for the last couple of weeks after taking a pitch off his hand. But even if that’s the end of his first campaign, what a wild success it’s been. As a 19-year-old, he’s hit 12 homers with 45 stolen bases and an .876 OPS over 90 games.

—

(Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire)

Nothing is guaranteed anymore, especially for a team showing off a ton of flaws with a schedule as difficult as anybody’s down the stretch — featuring meetings with the Phillies, Dodgers, Brewers, Cubs, Astros, and Rays.

A Regressing Bullpen

From the start of the season, the Braves bullpen was the one area they could rely on every night. It’s still the strongest aspect of the team, but some chinks in the armor are beginning to reveal themselves.

Dylan Lee has posted a 4.00 ERA over the last month. Raisel Iglesias has a 4.80 ERA dating back to May 26th. Didier Fuentes is inexperienced and pitching in a completely new role. And there have to be some pretty major concerns surrounding Robert Suarez — even if he’s still expected to return this season, he’ll have missed close to three months. There’s no telling what he’ll realistically provide, which forces the Braves to figure things out on the fly.

It’s still the least of Atlanta’s concerns, but the fact that Alex Anthopoulos didn’t add a reliever better than Brent Suter at the trade deadline is an abomination, especially considering the problems the club faces with the rotation.

A Slumping Lineup

If I had told you following the trade deadline that the Braves would go on to lose eight of twelve in the middle of August, you probably would have cursed out the pitching staff. Instead, the rotation and bullpen have been more than adequate over this stretch. It’s the offense costing them games.

The Braves are averaging a hair over three runs per game over the last two weeks, and the lineup is being shuffled daily in an attempt to find the right combination. It’s still not the club’s most glaring weakness, but again, this is an area that deserved more attention at the deadline.

There’s more than one way to skin a cat. All the focus was on Anthopoulos adding starting pitching, but if he didn’t like any of the options, he needed to add to his team’s strengths. One more bat would alleviate a lot of the concerns with this group — though at the end of the day, guys like Acuña, Riley, and Albies simply have to be better more consistently. If that doesn’t happen, the Braves never had much of a chance of going very far in October anyway.

A Confusing Rotation

I call the rotation confusing because on paper, this is by far the weakest link on the roster. And yet they don’t seem to be having many issues.

Bryce Elder and Martin Pérez have been mostly brilliant. Tyler Mahle has been the best addition of the entire trade deadline thus far, pitching to a 1.45 ERA over three starts. AJ Smith-Shawver looked really good in his first start back. And then of course there’s Chris Sale, who’s in the conversation for the best pitcher in baseball.

The performances of Mahle and Smith-Shawver in particular should inspire some confidence heading into the most important stretch of the season. That said, everybody should still be questioning whether the Braves’ starting pitching can hold up against the best competition. It just feels like this group is built to collapse at some point. It’s a matter of when.

—

Photo: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire

Reynaldo López will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday

— Chad Bishop (@MrChadBishop) August 21, 2026

Reynaldo Lopez has been out the last four weeks with knee inflammation. Prior to that, he made 24 appearances this season with 11 starts, pitching to a 3.64 ERA and 4.32 FIP over 71.2 innings.

The club has remained consistent on Lopez being a starting pitcher, but with so little time to ramp up and the arms already ahead of him on the roster, it would be pretty surprising if they chose to stretch him out fully. More than likely, he’ll join the Braves bullpen when he returns — a place where he’s had a lot of success over his career.

In 158 appearances as a reliever, Lopez owns a 3.03 ERA over 187.2 innings, and his ability to go multiple innings could prove valuable down the stretch.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

Today's starters #bravescountry pic.twitter.com/mhQMCrpSYN

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 20, 2026

Walt Weiss has been changing things up on a daily basis trying to find the right combination, but I question what’s so difficult to see here. The only switches should be coming in left field, with Lane Thomas starting against southpaws and Mike Yastrzemski starting against right-handed pitchers.

Outside of that, this is the best lineup in every single aspect.

The shortstop position has been a subject of conversation. The Braves seem to be forcing Jim Jarvis to be something he’s not, starting him when right-handed pitchers are on the mound. Jarvis brings some chops defensively — though I’m not sure he’s better than Mauricio Dubon. The issue is his offense. He offers next to no power and is hitting just .125 with a .353 OPS over his last 21 games. There’s no amount of defense that makes up for those numbers, especially when the Braves have a proven quality option in Dubon.

Using Dubon at shortstop also opens the DH spot for Drake Baldwin, allowing Sean Murphy to start behind the plate.

And I really don’t know what the Braves are trying to do with Murphy. If he’s healthy, he should be starting damn near every night. He’s by far the better defensive catcher. He’s also better at calling games than Baldwin. And if Murphy can ever find a rhythm with the stick, he gives the Braves offense so much more upside than any other option.

This is a guy who, even in a down season a year ago, accrued 2.5 WAR over just 94 games, hitting 16 home runs with a .704 OPS. In a good season? Murphy has recorded an OPS north of .803 three different times in his career. At this very moment, the Braves have exactly one player in their lineup — Matt Olson — with an OPS higher than that.

So, seriously, what the hell are we doing here? I know Murphy has had a rough go of it over the last three years, dealing with a plethora of injuries. But the Braves should be using these final six weeks as a runway to see if they can get him going offensively.

If Weiss were sitting Murphy to create opportunities for a young stud oozing with upside, it might make a lick of sense. But we’re talking about Jim Jarvis — a guy who was barely ranked as a prospect and has shown nothing to suggest he’s around the corner from a breakout offensive campaign.

This is the one decision I can’t wrap my head around. Unless he isn’t healthy enough to play most days, Sean Murphy should be behind the plate. He’s a player who could really change the outlook of the Braves going into the postseason.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

If you’re new to this series, this is all about attempting to figure out who could potentially start Game 2 of a playoff series behind Chris Sale — and after three weeks, it feels like we’re finally getting some separation at the top.

Removed From Rankings: Spencer Schwellenbach

We’re now three weeks into August, and there hasn’t been a single positive update on Spencer Schwellenbach. Even if he began a rehab assignment today, it would be almost impossible to start him in any kind of postseason setting. His season is likely finished — a disappointing thing to say about one of the Braves’ most talented arms.

5. Bryce Elder (Previous Ranking: 5)

Elder really hasn’t done a lot wrong this entire season. He’ll have a blowup start here and there, but it’s typically sandwiched between three or four quality outings. That was the case again this week. After giving up seven runs his last time out, he bounced back with six innings of one-run ball against the Diamondbacks.

However, we also learned that Elder has been battling a knee injury. He hasn’t pitched in five days and isn’t on the schedule over the next four. Given the Braves have yet to place him on the IL, it doesn’t appear to be anything serious, but it’s hard to move him up this list with that unknown.

4. Martin Pérez (Previous Ranking: 4)

Pérez’s scoreless inning streak ended this week, as he allowed four runs in the first inning against the Twins. However, he settled in and gave the Braves a chance to win, tossing his next four innings without allowing a run. There remains a very good chance we see him pitch come October in some capacity, but he’s highly unlikely to get the ball in Game 2.

3. Grant Holmes (Previous Ranking: 3)

It’s a good sign for the rest of the group when Holmes carries a no-hitter into the seventh inning and still doesn’t move up a spot on this list. Atlanta’s own Kenny Powers will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in the postseason — whether that’s as a starter or a reliever.

2. AJ Smith-Shawver (Previous Ranking: 1)

Box scores be damned — Smith-Shawver was mostly brilliant in his return to the majors this week. He had so much more command of his splitter and seemed a lot more confident in all of his offerings. The upside with Smith-Shawver remains head and shoulders above everyone else on this list. If he puts it all together coming down the stretch, there’s no doubt who should get the ball in Game 2. But because of the way the guy ahead of him has pitched, I need to see a little more before Smith-Shawver retakes the top spot.

1. Tyler Mahle (Previous Ranking: 2)

An argument could be made that Tyler Mahle has been the best trade deadline acquisition of anyone thus far. After 6.2 innings of two-run ball against the Twins this week, he now has a 1.45 ERA in a Braves uniform and is averaging more than a strikeout per inning. For now, I’m leaning into the narrative that the Braves saw something in Mahle they could fix, and the results are speaking for themselves. We’ve seen it time and time again with this organization. Regression is undoubtedly coming, but right now, Mahle would get the ball in Game 2.

—

Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire

Tyler Goodson Earns Roster Spot

The party really got going when Tyler Goodson busted one outside and took it 49 yards to the house for the first touchdown of the afternoon, giving the Falcons a 10-3 lead. He’d finish with 59 yards on six carries, adding one catch for four yards.

Running back is one place on the roster where it’s very difficult for fringe guys to make an impact. Bijan Robinson will likely touch the ball around 30 times a game, and Brian Robinson Jr. is a very competent backup who’ll handle the rest of the load. But depth is always important, and Goodson has proven throughout training camp and the preseason that he’s a football player who belongs on the Falcons’ final 53-man roster.

The Jack Strand Game

The Falcons brought in Cooper Rush for depth purposes due to Michael Penix Jr.’s injury, and Rush had a decent game, going 10-of-11 for 86 yards. But the star of the show was Jack Strand. The undrafted rookie completed 12 of his 17 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown. He also added another score on the ground, carrying the ball nine times for 22 yards.

The Falcons quarterback competition got real after the game, when it was announced Penix has been fully cleared for 11-on-11 work. With him and Tua in the fold, quarterback is another position where it’s tough for someone to crack the roster. But Strand has been a bright spot in both preseason games. I expect the Falcons try to keep him around, whether that means carrying three quarterbacks or stashing him on the practice squad.

Defensive Depth

A lot of the reports out of joint practices had good things to say about the Falcons defense, and that showed up in the game on Saturday.

C.J. Henderson had some really impressive plays at corner early on, as the former ninth overall pick looks like he’s cemented himself as quality depth at the position.

Undrafted free agent Carlos Allen Jr. had a huge week, impressing at joint practices and coming up with a couple of big run stuffs in the first half. That’ll go a long way as he makes his case for a roster spot on the interior defensive line — a weak spot for the Falcons a year ago.

But the most fun player to watch on defense over the first two preseason games has been rookie fourth-round linebacker Kendal Daniels. He just flies around the field, and with the way things are trending, there’s a chance he could start alongside Divine Deablo. At the very least, he’ll immediately have an impact on special teams. You’ll be seeing Daniels a lot come Sundays.

Fun Guy Kevin Stefanski?

Kevin Stefanski isn’t the kind of guy who’s going to win over the fan base with his press conferences — quite the opposite of his predecessor Raheem Morris, who could sell ice to an Eskimo with his three-piece suits and million-dollar smile. But he showed a little personality when he channeled his inner Mark Richt and encouraged the team to rush the field after the first touchdown of the game.

Kevin Stefanski channeling Mark Richt and Knowshon Moreno!
The coach told Falcons players he was good with an excessive celebration penalty when they found the end zone … but just the one pic.twitter.com/etS4aQhBWX

— Justin Felder (@Justin_FOX5) August 22, 2026

Of course, the stakes were a bit different when the Bulldogs did it a couple of decades ago in a highly contested rivalry game against the Gators. But the players loved it, and that’s the kind of small gesture that goes a long way in the locker room. Hopefully the vibes stay that high when the Falcons head to Pittsburgh in a few weeks.

—

(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire)

Michael Penix Jr. hadn’t been cleared for 11-on-11 work, and Tua Tagovailoa delivered some very uninspiring performances in the public eye — highlighted by a 3-for-5, 22-yard showing in the preseason opener against the Broncos that also featured multiple mishandled snaps. He doesn’t look like someone with much high-level quarterback play left in him, but without legitimate competition, he appeared to be the Falcons’ starter by default heading into a Week 1 matchup with the Steelers.

That changed this weekend. Following a really impressive win over the Colts in the Falcons second preseason game, Kevin Stefanski told reporters that Penix has been fully cleared.

Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski told reporters that QB Michael Penix Jr. now has been cleared to return to 11-on-11 work.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 22, 2026

A month ago, it felt like Tagovailoa was a shoo-in to begin the season as Atlanta’s starter. He had every opportunity to take the job and never look back. Instead, he may have just handed it to Penix while Penix was sitting on the sideline.

This was always going to be a situation where the Falcons leaned toward the younger quarterback if the competition was close. This isn’t a team that’s a serious Super Bowl contender. Their No. 1 priority is — and has been for the last decade — finding a franchise quarterback who can finally pull this organization out of the purgatory it’s been in since trading Matt Ryan.

Penix may or may not be that guy. He showed promising flashes last season before going down with the ACL injury, but the overall sample size remains far too small to say anything concrete. The Falcons want to see what they have in him, and the thought was that a veteran like Tagovailoa would provide legitimate competition. It hasn’t quite worked out that way to this point, but it’ll be interesting to see how the temperature changes now that both guys are a full go.

—

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

In a way, Georgia is playing up this whole “White Out” concept perfectly.

In encouraging fans to wear white against Western Kentucky, the Bulldogs may be in line to use the Western Kentucky game as a perfect tune up for the Oklahoma game.

But while Kirby and company focus on that, Georgia fans will be trying to defeat one of the longest odds of the tailgate scene across the American South.

BBQ vs. Clothing.

After all, Tim McGraw was not exaggerating it when he sang the line about ‘a BBQ stain on my white t-shirt.“

It’s almost a fact of life – if you have a light-colored shirt on during your tailgate, odds are very good that you may as well be wearing a magnet attracting anything with sauce on it to make its way to tarnish your game day attire. It’s a scientific fact. I can’t prove that, but just take our word for it.

Then again, when you are a purveyor of BBQ like many of us are, you just accept the loss of a handful of pulled pork as part of the experience…as long as your favorite game day shirt is not ruined.

It could be worse. Georgia could be dealing with another type of white out…

So, if you have hard Georgia baseball broadcasts, you have an idea of what Georgia’s football broadcasts will be with Jeff Dantzler on the call. And if you have heard his post-game call-in alongside Kevin Butler, you have an even better idea.

And though the GameDay broadcast likely won’t have an impromptu call-in by “Macho Man,” there is a tease of what to expect on Saturdays…

In this NIL era, Georgia’s approach still looks to be spending what it needs to do what it wants, and not gashing open Scrooge McDuck’s vault for the sake of doing so.

It’s obviously a thin line. At some point, a breaking line will arrive. And once fans are tapped out enough, it’s hard to get them to come back. And they don’t forget the reasons that they chose to leave – see NASCAR.

For now, UGA’s mindset appears to be spending what it needs and not doing so for the sake of outspending just to say it did it. That works well for now, but if another year or two comes and goes minus a CFP win for this program, the NIL well may be tapped again…as long as there’s enough kicked in time after time of asking.

Go Dawgs!

Welcome to Tuesday, Bulldog fans! We’re not in mid-season form yet, but we are in full pads and live hitting. There’s a few new wrinkles in the playbook we haven’t installed, but the vanilla packages are getting nailed down and ready for game action.

You’ve seen the Coaches Preseason poll, which is like when the El Sombrero waitstaff drop off chips and salsa at your table. Now you’ve got the AP Preseason poll, akin to the same waitstaff bringing out the queso: much better, but everyone is dipping into it and you won’t get enough. We have some months until the CFP rankings – sizzling fajitas alongside the 2nd pitcher of margs sauntering through the throngs of drooling cheapskates who ordered ACP.

Tex-Mex aside, there aren’t glaring differences between these canapés. The Bulldogs come in at #3 behind the loaded rosters at an Ohio State and Oregon. Notre Dame, Texas, Indiana, and Miami round out the top 7. So while UGA is the highest ranked SEC team, they and the Horns Downs are the only SEC teams ranked that high, and also the only two of those seven NOT to receive any first place votes. Even the Beckless Hurricanes received a vote for #1. Is that SEC fatigue? The blatant ESPN-led Big 10 bias? I don’t know, better ask Mr. Owl.

Who else might feel disrespected? The #6 Hoosiers, who (probably) have never been ranked this high before the autumnal equinox. Did they complete a perfect championship season a scant 7 months ago? Sure. Did they land a good high school recruiting class, and bring in transfers to replace key losses? Absolutely. So not being ranked in the top 3, much less #1 slot is anothe sign of disrespect, eh? Their angst, their perceived slight, their social media frustration for this meaningless ranking is misplaced. Remember that every team above them has a returning starter at quarterback, and they brought in a gunslinger who throws more picks than Carson Beck at a big away SEC game. And in terms of votes, Indiana is closer to the #2 ranking than current #2 Oregon is to #1. So just relax, will ya?

And if they’re still mad, maybe complain to the Athletic Department in Bloomington. Because all these other schools, plus a few more are spending over $40 million on their roster. The Bulldogs, according to #sources, were just under that mark.

Some of that money is Athens is no doubt directed to sophomore DB Ellis Robinson IV and senior signal caller Gunner Stockton. Both valuable returners to Kirby Smart’s 2026 squad, and now both on the Walter Camp Player of the Year Watchlist.

That should get your Tuesday going. Thanks for staying with us, or tuning back in, or picking us up for the first time. We’re glad you’re here and will enjoy the season alongside you. Enjoy your day, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

We’re less than three weeks from kickoff, and thoughts are turning to football more and more frequently. Last year, I tried to get ahead of some of the narratives we could expect to follow the team throughout the season. Here now is another batch of stories that we’re likely to hear a lot of this fall. 

Offense Intended? 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s nice to get a half week off in what would otherwise be a dreary time of year, football is reaching its peak, and you get to eat a 4,000 calorie meal in the middle of the day and nobody even politely clears their throat to suggest you shouldn’t be going back for seconds. 

The highlight of the holiday for me is cooking the turkey. A few years ago, I was gifted a Thanksgiving cooking class, at which I learned about spatchcocking. If you’ve never done this before, I can’t recommend it enough; you get a bird with perfectly crispy skin without drying out the meat. After I spatchcock the bird, I cover it in a mayo and spice rub to crisp up the outside and flavor it. Each year, I tinker with the spices a bit.

The point here, other than I wanted to say spatchcock, is that this is remarkably similar to another fall tradition: complaining about the Georgia offense. The specific flavor is different, but the overall idea is the same. Perhaps the issue will be Mike Bobo or Carson Beck, but the thrust is that Georgia’s offense isn’t working properly.

The 2024 team felt extremely inert on offense. That’s likely because the team had regressed more than a full touchdown from the previous year, dropping from 40.1 points per game to 32.6. I felt like last year’s offense was much better, so imagine my surprise when I was investigating the stats for this article. The 2025 team was a little worse in points per game (32.1) and passing yardage (Gunner Stockton had 2,894 to Beck’s 3,485). Perhaps I’m alone in feeling this way, but I thought last year’s offense was much more dynamic. I was even shocked to see Zachariah Branch ended the year with fewer yards than Arian Smith the year before.

So the good news is there’s definite room for improvement on what already feels like a solid base. The Dawgs have continuity at both quarterback and OC, and I will not worry about the run game until there’s a reason I have to. But it’s time once again to wonder who’s going to be catching the passes. I don’t think a Smart-led Georgia is ever going to employ a heavy vertical passing attack, but you do need that club in your bag, especially if you plan to win anything of note. Sometimes you have to stretch the field (see the 2023 Peach Bowl for evidence). 

Last year, Branch was Stockton’s favorite target, but he’s in Atlanta now. Who’s going to replace him? London Humphreys is the leading returning receiver. Talyn Taylor was a four-star and has a year of experience under his belt now. Transfer Isiah Canion has a ton of potential as well. But I’m most excited to see Elyiss Williams and Kaiden Prothro at tight end. If ever there were a tight-end pairing to rival Darnell Washington and Brock Bowers, this is it. With Stockton’s mobility, I expect to see a fair amount of 12 personnel. Throw Lawson Luckie in there for 13, and the red zone offense looks awfully hard to stop.

Beyond the receivers, the other big question mark is the offensive line. Phil Rauscher is taking over for Stacey Searels. Rauscher brings experience coaching o-line in the NFL (assuming you count Minnesota and Jacksonville), so he shouldn’t have to get up to speed. But between the new coach and new personnel, there’s bound to be an adjustment period. The schedule is favorable here, with two warmup games before a weaker SEC opponent to ease into things, but you’d hope to see the line gelling early.

All that is to say, I am not that worried about the offense. And I plan to use blackening spices this year. 

Cry Havoc, and Let Slip the Dawgs of War

It would be unfair to say the defense was bad last year. The 2025 edition of the Georgia Bulldogs gave up just a shade over 17.5 points per game. Only three teams managed to score three or more touchdowns against the Dawgs, and one of those (Mississippi State) did so in garbage time. The others were Tennessee and both Ole Miss games.

Despite the overall successes on defense, there was one notable weak point on that side of the ball: the pass rush. Last year’s defense ended the season with just 20 sacks for the year, the lowest total ever for a Kirby Smart-led Georgia team. (The next lowest was 2018 with 24.) It was one of just three times (along with ’18 and 2016) in which the defense failed to tally at least 30 sacks.

Nowhere was this deficiency more pronounced than in the Sugar Bowl. No matter how many guys got into the backfield, they couldn’t get Trinidad Chambliss on the ground. Georgia didn’t sack him once that night and only ended the game with three tackles for loss overall. Against an explosive offense, you absolutely have to generate negative plays to disrupt their momentum.

There aren’t that many quarterbacks at Chambliss’s level. But beating playoff-caliber teams is going to require a much more aggressive pass rush than we saw last year. The upside here is that I absolutely trust Smart to solve this problem, and I’m willing to bet the down year was a statistical aberration. But I’d love to see evidence of that early this season, even if it’s against lesser competition.

Postseason Homesick Blues

Speaking of the playoffs, are you aware that Georgia has won the SEC two years in a row, only to get bounced in its first playoff game? If you somehow aren’t, you’re about to be because that’s going to come up with blood-boiling frequency this year. The implication is that the Georgia dynasty is over, and the aura of invincibility has faded.

The back half of Mark Richt’s tenure — a run of success that most teams would love to have — was overshadowed by accusations of his inability to “win the big one.” Only the most deranged anti-Georgia partisan could possibly argue that Kirby Smart has a similar problem. Speaking personally, the worst of my football-induced agita permanently fled when Kelee Ringo broke the plane in Lucas Oil. But there is an easy narrative to reach for here, and sports shouters have a lot of hours to fill. 

Under Kirby Smart, Georgia is experiencing the best run of football in the school’s history. Imagine telling yourself in 2006 about this period. But that success is a double-edged sword. Especially in the big playoff era, just making the field isn’t going to be enough. And while I’m old enough to still care about the SEC Championship, even that doesn’t hold the luster it once did. 

For the record, I believe Smart has at least one more championship season in him. And I hope it’s this one.

Fall may not be in the air in Georgia, but I swear on Steve Spurrier’s five iron that college football is right around the corner. And that means there’s some genuine football news out on the wires. Let’s take a quick stroll through the high points before you hit the door to do lesser non-football things.

Kirby Smart talked yesterday about a wide variety of subjects including Saturday’s scrimmage (some good, some meh), Drew Bobo’s health (fantastic), the chances of Cole Speer returning for a fifth season to bolster a young receiving corps (potentially maybe?), Juan Gaston (trying to improve every day), Cortez Smith (trying to improve every day), and the nice lady who makes the pastries in the cafeteria (she’s trying to improve every day).

Actually I made that last one up, but I’m pretty sure Kirby was thinking it. The danishes are good, but not yet great.But I also think the thing Kirby isn’t saying but may be thinking is that this Bulldog defense could be very, very good. That may explain some of the offense

In preseason award news, the Red and Black placed eleven players on the Coaches’ Preseason All-SEC list, including four on the first team, and three offensive linemen overall. That and a dollar will get you a quarter of a cup of coffee (inflation, amirite?) but still, it’s a reminder that this squad is loaded with proven talent.

Finally, a hearty congratulations to legendary Bulldog Loran Smith, who’s being inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. It’s a long overdue honor for one of Wrightsville’s best and one of the most passionate Dawgs out there. I just hope that Charles Grant is able to make the induction ceremony and brings the peanuts. Now go attack the day.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

A sweltering week in Memphis didn’t shake up the PGA Tour playoff race much, but a few things did stand out.

Scottie Scheffler has a $100 million dollar swing. It looks like he’s drunk, but it is hard to think of someone in the last 60 years who produces more consistent results. And if he’s putting well, like he did last week, he’s pretty much untouchable.

TPC Southwind is a great track. Once it got firm and bouncy into the weekend, it was confounding the best players in the world. Almost no one figured out a good strategy off the tee, and the rough was truly penal.

Only a single player moved into the top 50 and advanced to this week. The bigger points available were supposed to provide volatility – not at the crazy levels of the first FedEx playoffs, but it really failed to provide much drama. The little drama was unfortunately by former UGA golfer Keith Mitchell. Speaking of which, here’s how the 5 Classic City Canines fared:

Brian Harman began the week in the 65 spot meaning he needed a top 5 finish to move up at least 15 spots in the playoffs. He was making noise with a Friday 64, yet his putter wouldn’t cooperate, he couldn’t convert when he game himself chances, and a Sunday 75 means he’s heading back home to SEGA.

Harris English was on the outside of the bubble and was doomed by a 75 Friday. His Sunday 67 was one of the better rounds of the day, but he was several shots short of slipping inside the top 50. So his season is over, but with a chance to improve his position during the Fall events.

Keith Mitchell started at 49th, and hung on the line all week. He needed birdie on the 72nd hole to secure his playoff berth, but his drive ran through the fairway and on the lip of the water. A shoeless, rolled up pants attempt to save his season was doomed when his approach came up short and the slope took it into the water. He’s in the same boat as English.

Sepp Straka was another former Bulldog who slipped a couple of places in the FedEx rankings, but since he started in 37th place, his T34 in Memphis means he’s still 39th in the playoffs and will tee it up this week. But he likely needs a top 10, or very close to it, in order to get inside the top 30 and continue his season next week.

Russell Henley was well positioned at 15th in the playoffs so he knew he was safe. Hopefully he used Memphis to work on a few things, stay hydrated, and crafting a strategy for East Lake. He is in 14th place this week – a virtual lock to advance to the Tour Championship next week. But there is still many millions to play for this week so we might as well preview it:

Tournament: BMW Championship, August 20-23, 2026

Course: Bellerive Country Club, par 70, 7,448 yards. On the western outskirts of St. Louis, MO.

Purse: $20 million in total for 50 players, with 3.6 million to the winner and $68k for finishing DFL.

Defending Champ: Scottie Scheffler. It was more of a close-run thing, but he birdied the 71st hole to give himself a cushion and grabbed his 5th title of the year.

TV Times: Only 50 players, but this gets more coverage than Brent Musberger on AJ McCarron’s special someone. Thursday and Friday 10 am – 12 pm ET on ESPN, then 3-6 pm ET on Golf Channel. GC will pick up the early broadcast Saturday and Sunday from 12 – 2 pm ET, then CBS carries you home both days.

‘Dawgs in the Field: Just two – Russell Henley (14) and Sepp Straka (39).

Enjoy, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

This evening I a heartfelt social media posting former Bulldog great Nick Chubb announced his retirement after eight NFL seasons.

The Ground Hound from Cedartown was of course one of the defining players of the Kirby Smart era at Georgia, helping lead the Bulldogs to their first national title game appearance in over 30 years in 2017. And his NFL career showed real promise, with four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances between 2019 and 2022.

But injuries from both his college and NFL careers eventually caught up with him. Truth be told eight seasons is actually a long career for an NFL tailback, and St. Nick was seriously productive when he was on the field as a pro, much as he had been in college. Chubb finishes his career with 7349 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns on the ground, numbers that are each third all-time in Browns history behind Cleveland greats Leroy Kelly and Jim Brown.Chubb’s rushing yardage total also places him 67th all-time on the NFL rushing yards list, not a bad achievement by any stretch.

Now at 30 Chubb moves on to life after football, which I expect him to excel at with the same mix of toughness and talent he exhibited so often between the chalk lines. Our sincere congratulations on a great career, and whatever comes next, for a Damn Good ‘Dawg.

When you think for a few moments, historic moments in the history of Sanford Stadium quickly come to mind.

The Herschel vs. George Rogers Show in 1980, Kevin Butler’s kick to beat Clemson, the goalposts coming down after Tennessee, the 2007 Blackout Game, the Notre Dame game…the Tech instant classic.

Those are all iconic, no doubt. But after Thursday night, the Georgia football program has company by way of UGA’s women’s soccer program.

Not only did soccer return to Sanford Stadium on Thursday with a 6-0 win against James Madison, but the number of people that saw it set a massive record. An NCAA record 25,433 fans that included 500 UGA student-athletes were on hand for the memorable night.

That last part is important. Games likes this don’t happen on accident. The fact that this had been talked up around Athens for a few months made it clear that this was a huge deal…and even in the weeks approaching, that energy was boosted by UGA President Jere Morehead and head football coach Kirby Smart.

It’s simple, folks. When Kirby talks, people around Athens listen. And the number of fans part of Thursday night showed many of them did indeed listen.

“This doesn’t happen simply because we had the idea. It happens because everybody involved jumps on two feet and makes it go. This was a major win for the University of Georgia, it was a major win for our program, it was a major win for collegiate soccer, and we had an opportunity to celebrate one of the best moments in women’s soccer ever that I think is the catalyst for us being here right now. So, I have to show gratitude to all of those people, including those women, that kind of set this thing rolling.” – Georgia head coach Keidane McAlpine

Clearly, this was a huge night for the soccer program, too. Odds are good many fans here, including UGA students were at their first Georgia soccer match. There’s an adage among sports marketing that if you get a fan to a sport in person once, they can become a life-long fan. For the Lady Dawgs’ sake, the hope is clearly that Thursday is a long-term win for this team ranked 25th in the country.

The next question of course, is what’s next at Sanford? Some “banana ball” enthusiasts would likely ask for that traveling circus, but how does that raise the profile of UGA student-athletes?

But why not moving the Tech-Georgia baseball series to Sanford Stadium? Can you imagine baseball on a chamber of commerce day Between The Hedges?

Go Dawgs!

Auburn underwent a coaching change, and as is usually the case these days lost a wave of talent to the transfer portal this offseason as a result. One Plainsman who chose to stay was Xavier Atkins, who announced his return before spring practice even began. His 2025 season was one of the best individual defensive performances in the SEC, finishing with 84 total tackles (good for fourth in the SEC) and leading the league in tackles for loss with 17. He also added 9 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception, the pick coming in the fourth quarter of a loss at Texas A&M.

Atkins enters 2026 as a First Team Preseason All-SEC selection from Athlon Sports and has been recognized as a Second Team All-America honoree, a Chuck Bednarik Award Semifinalist, and a Walter Camp Award watch list selection. He was also honored as a national defensive player of the week for his performance against Arkansas last season, a testament to how disruptive he can be even against physical offensive lines.

For Georgia, Atkins represents perhaps the single biggest problem on an otherwise rebuilding Auburn roster. A linebacker who led the SEC in tackles for loss has the ability to play in the opponent’s backfield, and Atkins also showcases the range to make plays sideline to sideline. His ability to both blitz off the edge and drop into coverage makes him difficult to scheme around. Georgia’s running backs and offensive line will need to identify him pre-snap on every play, because he has proven capable of blowing up a run before it starts or getting home on a delayed rush the protection didn’t account for.

When Kirby Smart was asked after the G-Day game how a true freshman had earned a starting spot on the offensive line, his answer was simple: Zykie Helton earned it over 14 spring practices. That kind of praise from a head coach known for making players prove themselves speaks volumes about what Zykie Helton means to the Bulldogs heading into the 2026 season.

Helton arrives in Athens with a story that goes well beyond football. He entered foster care at age nine before finding a permanent home with his fourth-grade teacher, Kimberly Perry, and her family. He would become a standout at powerhouse Carrollton High, growing into a four-year starter on both sides of the ball. Ahe also managed Crohn’s disease, and Crohn’s disease, and overcame two knee injuries as a junior before becoming one of the most sought after offensive line prospects in the nation.That he has since built himself into a 6-foot-3, 300-pound interior lineman says as much about his determination as it does about his talent.

His recruiting journey was just as winding. Helton originally committed to Alabama, only to back off that pledge after Nick Saban’s retirement. Georgia, led by offensive line coach Stacy Searels, never stopped recruiting him, and that persistence paid off when Helton signed with the Bulldogs over Florida State and Georgia Tech. He has spoken about the bond he built with Smart and Searels throughout the process. In this era of college football, a player focused on relationships is a throwback.

Now that relationship is translating directly to the field. Helton enrolled early and immediately turned heads in spring practice. Senior linebacker Raylen Wilson singled him out before the pads even went on, and once contact drills began, junior outside linebacker Quintavius Johnson compared Helton’s physicality to that of Dontrell Glover, the sophomore who started as a true freshman in 2025.

That comparison matters, because it points to exactly why Helton is so important this season.

Georgia has made a habit lately of trusting true freshmen up front, and last year’s gamble on Glover and Juan Gaston paid off in a big way. The Bulldogs ran for 182.1 yards per game and scored 32.1 points per contest with those two in the lineup. Smart and new offensive line coach Phil Rauscher are now betting that Helton, penciled in at right guard after spring practice, can provide a similar spark. Given the trust the coaching staff has already shown him, that bet looks like a reasonable one.

What makes Helton particularly valuable is his versatility. His high school tape showcases a player who can pull and lead on screens, fire off down blocks to open running lanes, and anchor in pass protection against edge pressure. That combination of athleticism and power is exactly what Georgia’s scheme demands from its interior linemen.

For a Georgia team that brings back a lot of talent and experience in the trenches and looks to keep its rushing attack humming, Helton represents continuity of a winning formula. He is looks like the next in a series of freshman linemen to step in and start immediately. If he plays anywhere close to the level his teammates are already praising, Helton will not just be a rotational piece. He will be a foundational part of an offensive line that Georgia is counting on to control the line of scrimmage in 2026 and beyond.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The 2026 PGA Tour regular season is now over and done, and the short post-season now begins. Let’s take a quick peek at how the former Bulldogs playing professional golf fared in Greensboro last week.

Sepp Straka started in 37th place in the FedEx Cup points race, missed the cut at the Wyndham, and starts the 70 man playoff field still in 37th.

Harris English started Wyndham in 49th place, also missed the cut, and fell to 51st… still eligible for the first playoff event.

Brian Harman was 63rd, missed the cut, and fell dangerously to 65th.

Chris Kirk started 127th, was well positioned going into the weekend, but closed 71-71 to T72, which means he actually fell to 128th in points and his season is over (until the Fall events).

Keith Mitchell began the Wyndham in the 47 spot, made the cut on the number, shot 4 under on the weekend, got a T38, but still fell to 51st in FedEx.

And Davis Thompson, the ‘Dawg most likely to jump into the top 70 and the playoffs, played according to plan. An opening 64 followed by a Friday 68 put him in prime position. Saturday’s 65 left him first page of the leaderboard and a projected 68-69 in points, but his closing 71 dropped him into a tie for 14th. Which equates to 77th in FedEx, and only about 6 strokes out of getting into the playoffs. But onward and upward for the Classic City boys who did qualify.

Tournament: FedEx St. Jude Championship, August 13-11, 2026

Course: TPC Southwind, par 70, 7,288 yards. On the southeastern outskirts of Memphis, just past Germantown.

Purse: $20 million in total for 70 players, with 3.6 million to the winner and $41k for finishing DFL.

Defending Champ: Justin Rose. The Englishman with the most prototypical English face ever matched JJ Spaun after 72 holes, and defeated Spaun on the 3rd playoff hole.

TV Times: Golf Channel has 2-6 pm ET Thursday and Friday, and 1-3 pm ET on the weekend. CBS is still broadcasting golf, and takes over Saturday and Sunday at 3 pm ET. And if you stream, the ESPN app has live coverage all day from 7:45 am – 6 pm ET each day during the playoffs.

“Dawgs in the Field: 5.

The goal is to survive and advance. Players are seeded based on their points ranking during the regular season. The points are juiced in the playoff events in order to create volatility. So while this week starts with the top 70, only the top 50 after this week get to play the BMW Championship next week. From there, only the top 30 move on to the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.

Brian Harman – 65th: The wee lefty likely needs at least a tie for 8th this week in order to move inside the top 50.

Harris English- 51st: While there are thousands upon thousands of scenarios, Harry probably needs top 30 to move up a couple of spots to advance.

Keith Mitchell – 49th: mathematically only has to get 68th in Memphis to keep his spot, but I would be looking for better.

Sepp Straka – 37th: already inside the top 30, but it is possible for the 13 guys behind him, and a dozen more, to jump him this week. So a top 50 or better to be safe.

Russelll Henley – 15th: again, he looks to be safe all the way to Atlanta. But with the increased points available, and a jammed up board between 15th and 30th, you best play good and scare a top 10 to ensure making it to the finals. Yet he is almost guaranteed to play next week even if he doesn’t finish this week.

So we’ve got some drama and intrigue on the course, even if you need to be a golf nerd to feel it. It’s real enough for these guys, as the ramifications for your status next year could be entry to majors, signature events, and a couple million dollars in your pocket. Enjoy the golf, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

Head-to-head, Gunner Stockton got the best of Arch Manning and Trinidad Chambliss last year in the regular season.

But you’d hardly know it from a lot of the preseason chatter. Thing is…that may suit Georgia just fine.

Granted, we’re in the final part of the offseason where you need stuff to talk about, such as the concept of how much should it even matter how NFL-ready a college quarterback is before the current season even begins.

That’s were this vignette via Dawgnation about Stockton comes into play from an anomymous SEC defensive coordinator to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.

“He’s tough, so he can get some bull yards and take some big hits and all that stuff. I really like him, he’s a really good player. I don’t know if he’s an NFL specimen, but he’s a great college player.”

Here’s a quick newsflash: How good of an NFL prospect someone is – that’s nice to “go on the ‘gram” as the kids say, but it pales in terms of helping you win football games. Georgia has played a handful of quarterbacks the last few years in Will Levis, Anthony Richardson and Mitch Trubisky, all of whom did little to impress…but NFL GMs disagreed, and that’s just fine. Do you think Gator fans care that Tim Tebow didn’t translate well to the NFL? The likely answer is no.

Gunner Stockton may be polarizing…his play toward the end of last year indeed draws concern…but his exactly perfect for that this Georgia team needs, on and off the field.

Not sure I saw it coming with Florida doing a callback to Bill Stanfill wrecking its hopes and dreams in 1966, but it is appreciated, for sure.

Go Dawgs!

As we gear up for another year of SEC football, let’s take a look around the conference and see what the field looks like. Below, I’ve broken all sixteen teams into four power tiers based on their returning production and likelihood of contending for a playoff spot. 

Tier 1: Playoff Contenders

Depending on the breaks, you can anticipate the SEC getting four or five teams into the playoff. The four teams in the top tier are the likeliest to compete for the league championship and make the playoff field. 

Georgia

The Dawgs emerged from SEC media days as the favorite to win the SEC. Even if you’re not a fan, the voters’ bullishness makes sense: Georgia is defending back-to-back conference titles, returns an experienced quarterback, and is one of only four teams in the NCAA whose coach has won a national championship. Few teams are as safe a bet for playoff contention as UGA. To wit, Georgia has lost 10 conference games in the last nine seasons. 

Still, there will be some questions at receiver and offensive line, and you’d hope to see more havoc on defense. The schedule is tough, with trips to Tuscaloosa and Oxford both looking risky. But the expectation in Athens is to be playing meaningful football in January, and anything less will be a letdown.

Texas

Year Two of the Arch Manning experience will get underway with expectations still sky-high despite a disappointing 2025 campaign. Is Arch massively overhyped, or did he suffer last year from a weak offensive line, unimpressive receivers, and a nonexistent running game? Prize transfer Cam Coleman is here in part to answer that question.

Of the teams in the top tier, Texas might have the widest range of possible outcomes. If Manning pops, he’s a Heisman contender and Texas should compete for the national championship. If he flops, it’s a bowl-season trip to Shreveport and Steve Sarkisian is probably getting a pink slip. Maybe the biggest reason for pessimism amongst Longhorn fans is the brutal. Regular season games against Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss, plus road tests in Knoxville, Baton Rouge, and College Station are all loseable. If Sark wants another season in Austin, he’s going to have to find a way to win most of those. 

Ole Miss

Somehow Ole Miss got good? I’m as surprised as you are! But they’re bringing back one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC in Trinidad Chambliss, alongside All-SEC running back Kewan Lacy. The personnel should ease the team’s transition to a defensive-minded head coach and new offensive coordinator.

Speaking of that head coach, we’ll have to see if Pete Golding’s playoff run was a fluke or a sign that Ole Miss can sustain this level of success under the new administration. The Rebs’ trip to play LSU in week three is preseason appointment viewing for narrative reasons alone, and it’s also one of four possible losses, along with games against Texas, Oklahoma, and UGA. If Oxford is really turning into a hot spot, Golding will need to split those four at a minimum.

Texas A&M

A&M’s playoff run last year suggests they finally made the right hire in Mike Elko. Then again, their late-season swoon makes me wonder if there’s something innate to the A&M ecosystem that refuses to allow the team’s fans joy. Curse or not, they’ve got explosive QB-WR combo Marcel Reed and Mario Craver coming back, and Elko’s teams always field a reliably stout defense. I’d say they’re primed for regression, but a slightly more favorable schedule (the road game against Bama will be tough, but they get the Horns at home) means they have a pretty good shot to get back to the playoffs. 

Tier 2: Tossups 

The teams in this tier have some questions to answer, but at least one of them will probably make the playoff field.