It's Only SEC (but I like it....)
GEORGE SOMERVILLE – THE TOUCHDOWN SEC CORRESPONDENT
week 14
We have sauntered, sprinted and battled through 13 weeks of SEC football to get to the final weekend of the regular season.
To be honest, it’s a bittersweet moment for us SEC football fans, as while there is the postseason to look forward to, it also means the end of watching our favourite conference play each Saturday.
But do not fear, friends, because the greatest conference in football serves us up one final delicious serving of amazing games. Yup, it’s Thanksgiving week, and this brings us the Egg Bowl, Iron Bowl, the Palmetto Bowl, and if that wasn’t enough, the Aggies travel into Austin in a must-win game for both teams – but for very different reasons!
So enough yapping, let’s get to the action!
It’s time to catch up on what’s been happening in and around the conference! Yup, it’s time for some “It’s Only SEC”….
Here’s what’s going on in SEC country!
this weeks sec Stories
Ghosts of Jordan Hare
Auburn, AL
Thanksgiving football
It’s Thanksgiving week, which guarantees us three things: we give thanks for SEC football, we get to eat as much turkey as we want, and it’s the Iron Bowl. And with the annual match-up between Alabama and Auburn, there is one more thing guaranteed – chaos.
Most rivalry games are unpredictable, but over the long history of this great college football rivalry, it has been almost impossible to predict who will win, especially when form suggests a clear winner.
the unpredicatibility of the iron bowl
Who can forget the “Kick 6”? And only a few years ago, Alabama won the game on a 4th-and-31 play called the “Gravedigger”.
In 2010. Auburn, who were on course to win a National Championship, found themselves 24-0 down after the 2nd Quarter. In the game now called the “Cam Back”, Cam Newton orchestrated the greatest comeback in Iron Bowl history to win 28-27. Newton won the Heisman, and the Tigers won a National Championship.
In 1972, in an Iron Bowl that Auburn trailed the entire game, the Tigers blocked two punts in the 4th quarter to score twice and win in the most dramatic of ways, 17-16.
The common denominator in these games (except for 1972) is that they were played at Jordan-Hare.
spooky goings on at Jordan hare
Yes, spooky things happen inside the walls of Auburn’s stadium, leading former Alabama Head coach Nick Saban to say the stadium is haunted.
“in 17 years going to Auburn, playing Jordan Hare, that place is haunted . I guarantee you” said Saban during a College Gameday show.
“The way we lost games and the way we won games there, it’s unbelievable. The kick six and then The Gravedigger last year. I mean I’m telling you the place is haunted”.
Despite this rivalry having been played for 132 years, the game has been played at Jordan-Hare Stadium for only a fraction of those years. Previously, the Auburn home games were played at Legion Field in Birmingham, a “neutral site,” for the vast majority of its history. That Alabama has such a poor record in games played at Jordan-Hare (7-10) only adds to the mystique of this game.
The first time that the game was played at Jordan-Hare was in 1989 when #2-ranked Alabama was upset by the #11 Tigers. This started a run of 4 undefeated Iron Bowl games in Jordan-Hare for War Eagle.
a lot at stake in 2025
The fact that there is so much at stake for the Crimson Tide this season only adds to the nervousness of travelling East across the state. A win seals the Crimson Tide’s place in the SEC Championship game. However, a loss eliminates Alabama from that game and almost certainly from the College Football Playoff. Which would be a disaster,
Given the difficult season Auburn fans have endured, they would love nothing more than to wreck their bitter rivals’ season at the final hurdle.
In the UK & Ireland you can watch the Iron Bowl live on DAZN, starting 12.30am Sunday.
Kiffin saga rolls on & on & on
Let’s lock in and focus on keeping the Golden Egg! pic.twitter.com/5xPfDozhl2
— Keith Carter (@KeithCarterOM) November 21, 2025
Oxford, MS
No sooner had I written last week’s column about the Lane Kiffin saga than the story changed again. Late on Friday night, Ole Miss Athletic Director Keith Carter issued a statement providing us with an update on the situation. The Rebels AD issued a statement via “X” which read,
“Coach Kiffin and I have had many pointed and positive
conversations regarding his future at Ole Miss, including
meeting today with Chancellor Boyce. While we discuss
next steps, we know we cannot lose sight of what is most
important – our sixth-ranked team that is poised to finish
the regular season in historic fashion. Despite the outside
noise, Coach Kiffin is focused on preparing our team for the
Egg Bowl, and together, we want to ensure that our players
and coaches can concentrate fully on next Friday’s game.
This team is on the cusp of an unprecedented season, and
it’s imperative they feel the support of the Ole Miss family
in the week ahead. An announcement on Coach Kiffin’s
future is expected the Saturday following the game”.
Clearly, this sheds little light on the situation, save for telling everyone to wait until Saturday for the next instalment. Which leaves us where, exactly?
Ole Miss fans unhappy
Ole Miss fans are incensed at this point. The football team has just secured an 11-win season for the first time in its history. This is the third straight year of securing 10-win seasons. The Rebels are on the cusp of their first appearance in the College Football Playoffs. Which means there is a huge amount on the line for the Rebels at this point in the season.
What is not needed at this point are any distractions from their focus of trying to win a National Championship. And nothing distracts a team more than their Head coach being wooed by three teams, one of which is the team that you are playing for.
Each press conference is becoming a circus with more questions about Kiffin’s future than the most important game in Ole Miss history. So if Keth Carter thought his statement would silence the white noise around his Head coach, he was wrong.
quarterback says “no problem”
But one other statement issued on “X” did help appease the fans’ wrath. QB1 Trinidad Chambliss wrote on X
“To our fans, this team is completely locked in, living in the moment, and staying true to our 1-0 mindset for the Egg Bowl and future games. We are unbothered by anything about next year and fully trusting Coach Kiffin’s leadership to keep us moving toward our goals!”
We will find out soon enough if all this hoopla has been a distraction. A loss to Mississippi State, while not catastrophic in a Playoff sense, would not go down well in terms of the Egg Bowl.
Kiffin would very much be on the back foot after that. And then what? If he chooses to leave, will Ole Miss allow him to coach through the Playoffs? That wouldn’t make any sense at all.
So, as you can see, there is much to be decided this week.
Despite the hoo-ha, there's still an egg bowl to play
Starkville, mS
Sadly, because of all of the circus around Lane Kiffin’s will-he-won’t-he situation, the Egg Bowl has become the subplot to all of this.
But make no bones about it, the Egg Bowl is one of the great rivalry games in all of football. So, even without the Kiffin situation & Playoff connotations, this is still a hotly contested game.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are a much different proposition this year, making for a must-watch game.
But for the uninitiated, here are a few things to watch out for.
as thanksgiving as turkey
Firstly, this is traditionally a Thanksgiving game. It has been played on Thanksgiving, but in recent years has been moved to Black Friday. Fans have clamoured for the game to be pushed back to Thursday.
This year, the game is being played at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi. You can watch the game live in the UK & Ireland on Friday from 5.00pm on DAZN.
The game has been played since 1901, with 121 meetings encountered so far. Mississippi A&M (now Mississippi State) won the first game 17-0. Ole Miss leads the series 66-46 with six ties.
why the egg bowl?
The game is known in-state as The Battle for the Golden Egg, which is shortened to The Egg Bowl. The presentation of a trophy was introduced after a series of games in which on- and off-field violence between both sets of supporters and players had overshadowed the game. The authorities from both Universities believed that playing for a trophy would focus the aggression in a different way. It is rumoured that the trophy is shaped like a football; however, when it was first presented, it was exclaimed that the trophy looked more like an egg, and so the Egg trophy was born.
what about 2025?
Like most rivalry games, it is difficult to predict a winner based on just form. Ole Miss are almost certainly a favourite for this game; however, this is a home game for the Bulldogs, and State is a much better team than last season. As already discussed, it is difficult to know how Kiffin’s situation will affect his team.
Throw all of this in the mix, and it is shaping up to be a cracking game. Currently, the Rebels are 7.5-point favourites, with the over/ under for total points scored being 62.5. That suggests a game for the ages. Let’s hope so!
Clean old fashioned hate
Atlanta, GA
While the Georgia v Georgia Tech matchup isn’t an SEC Conference game, it is no less passionate a football game. No Sir.
This time last year, none of us could predict that this game would go to 8 overtimes to find an eventual winner. In many ways, the rivalry game defined Georgia’s season, which would then go on to win the SEC Championship game and visit the CFB Playoff semi-final.
hatred from the very beginning
This rivalry game was first played in 1893 between The “Athens” and The “Techs”. The game was overshadowed by claims on both sides that each was fielding “ringers” to help them win. In an ill-tempered affair, Georgia fans threw rocks and mud at the officials, and a rivalry was born there and then.
The game has been cancelled or paused in the past because of the bad blood between the two schools, but that is not the case these days. Even though Tech is based in Atlanta, they gave away the right to home advantage by signing up to play the games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Clean old fashioned hate – 2025
This year, both teams have form. Georgia is 10-1 while Tech is 9-2.
Both quarterbacks are under the spotlight in a good way. Gunnar Stockton has emerged from the shadow of being called a “game manager” to become the Athens unsung hero. At Tech, Haynes King has had an exceptional season. One so good he may be in New York for the Heisman ceremony.
Which makes this game ever so intriguing. Georgia’s shellacking of the Texas Longhorns has made them many people’s favourites not just to win the SEC but the whole kit and caboodle. However, Tech, which looked like a shoo-in for the ACC title game and a place in the Playoffs, have fallen a little out of form.
its about right now
“we haven’t played up to anyone’s expectations” said Tech head coach, Brent Key speaking with the media in the run up to the game.
But Key, like Smart, knows this isn’t just about form. It’s who shows up at Mercedes-Benz and puts it all on the line.
“It’s about right now,” Key said. “Nothing from the past or the future matters this week.”
Smart acknowledged, to,o that it was about the here and now
“Somebody’s got to block, somebody’s got to tackle, and somebody’s got to do it better,” Smart said. “That’s what it comes down to.”
A win here for Georgia and losses for either Alabama or Texas A&M sees Georgia make the SEC championship game for its fifth straight appearance in the conference finale and their 8th appearance in the last 10 years. Which is quite an impressive record.
But if anyone can stop them, the Ramblin’ Wreck can.
In the UK & Ireland, you can watch the Georgia v Georgia Tech game on DAZN on Friday at 8.30pm UK time.
Week fourteen Schedule
Across the SEC
Unless you have skipped all of the other headlines, you know that this is rivalry week in the SEC. And not just any old rivalry week – it’s In State Rivalry Week. The Egg Bowl and Iron Bowl we’ve already touched upon. And we’ve already talked about Clean Old-fashioned Hate.
But what else is happening across the SEC?
the battle for Texas
Outside the Iron Bowl, A&M travelling to Austin to face the Longhorns has as much on the line for both teams as any game in football this weekend. Texas must win if they are to have any chance of making the Playoffs. A&M need to win to make it to their first-ever SEC Championship game.
Elsewhere, South Carolina faces Clemson in the Palmetto Bowl. Both teams have sorely underperformed, and incredibly, both Head coaches are feeling the heat from a disappointing season. It’s only pride on the line or Coaches’ jobs if this season is anything to go by.
volunteers v commodores
While all of the SEC teams are in action this weekend, the other intriguing game is the Tennessee rivalry matchup between the Vols and Vanderbilt.
This game is at Neyland, and the Vols have a point to prove after a disappointing season. Tennessee could move to a 9-3 season with a win here, but Vanderbilt is on a high from an exceptional season. Diego Pavia will be looking for his Heisman moment to get the Commodores to a 10 win season..
Here are this week’s games featuring SEC teams (all kick-off times are local time). Stats from SEC Media.
Week Fourteen
(2024 Record)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28
Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 SEC) at Mississippi State (5-6, 1-6 SEC)
Series: UM leads, 66-46-6
11 a.m. CT • ABC
Last: UM, 26-14 (2024 at Oxford)
Starkville, Miss. • Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (60,311)
Georgia (10-1, 7-1 SEC) vs. Georgia Tech (9-2)
Series: UGA leads, 72-41-5
3:30 p.m. ET • ABC
Last: UGA, 44-42 [8 OT] (2024 at Athens)
Atlanta, Ga. • Mercedes-Benz Stadium (75,000)
Texas A&M (11-0, 7-0 SEC) at Texas (8-3, 5-2 SEC)
Series: TEX leads, 77-37-5
6:30 p.m. CT • ABC
Last: TEX, 17-7 (2024 at College Station)
Austin, Texas • Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (100,119)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29
Kentucky (5-6, 2-6 SEC) at Louisville (7-4)
Series: UK leads, 19-16
Noon ET • ACC Network
Last: UL, 41-14 (2024 at Lexington)
Louisville, Ky. • L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium (60,800)
Clemson (6-5) at South Carolina (4-7, 1-7 SEC)
Series: CU leads, 73-44-4
Noon ET • SEC Network
Last: SC, 17-14 (2024 at Clemson)
Columbia, S.C. • Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559)
Missouri (7-4, 3-4 SEC) at Arkansas (2-9, 0-7 SEC)
Series: MIZ leads, 11-4
2:30 p.m. CT • SEC Network
MIZ, 28-21 (2024 at Columbia)
Fayetteville, Ark. • Reynolds Razorback Stadium (76,000)
LSU (7-4, 3-4 SEC) at Oklahoma (9-2, 5-2 SEC)
Series: LSU leads, 3-1
2:30 p.m. CT • ABC
Last: 37-17 (2024 at Baton Rouge)
Norman, Okla. • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (83,489)
Vanderbilt (9-2, 5-2 SEC) at Tennessee (8-3, 4-3 SEC)
Series: UT leads, 79-33-5
3:30 p.m. ET • ESPN
Last: UT, 36-23 (2024 at Nashville)
Knoxville, Tenn. • Neyland Stadium (101,915)
Florida State (5-6) at Florida (3-8, 2-6 SEC)
Series: UF leads, 38-28-2
4:30 p.m. ET • ESPN2
Last: UF, 31-11 (2024 at Tallahassee)
Gainesville, Fla. • Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Alabama (9-2, 6-1 SEC) at Auburn (5-6, 1-6 SEC)
Series: UA leads, 51-37-1
630 p.m. CT • ABC
Last: UA, 28-14 (2024 at Tuscaloosa)
Auburn, Ala. • Jordan-Hare Stadium (88,043)
GEORGE SOMERVILLE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRITER
GEORGE IS A LONG STANDING FANATIC OF LIFE AND FOOTBALL IN THE DEEP SOUTH AND WRITES HIS WEEKLY COLUMN CALLED “IT’S ONLY SEC” FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. HE IS ALSO CO-HOST AND ONE THIRD OF THE COLLEGE CHAPS PODCAST, THE UK’S FIRST PODCAST DEDICATED TO THE COLLEGE GAME.