The football gods still love me.

Those idiots on the Plains just can’t help themselves.

Auburn is finalizing a deal to hire Liberty coach Hugh Freeze, sources tell @SINow.

Freeze would return to the SEC, where in 2017 Ole Miss fired him amid NCAA and personal scandal. In 12 years as a college head coach, he’s had one losing season.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 28, 2022

They’re buying him because he notched two wins over Nick Saban.  (One less than Malzahn, by the way.)  His recruiting advantage then — paying players when that was against the rules — has vanished in the NIL era.  His overall record in the SEC in his five years with Ole Miss was 19-18, with winning records in 2014 (5-3) and in 2015 (6-2) and 8-11 overall in conference action in the others.

It’s quite the consolation prize for not getting Junior, that’s for sure.  Not that I’m complaining.

What’s the over/under on the number of times Auburn folks will reassure themselves that it’s worth it?

**********************************************************************

UPDATE:

The same Auburn boosters who yammered rumors about Bryan Harsin having an affair in an attempt to get him fired are now welcoming Hugh Freeze.

— Dayne Young (@dayneyoung) November 28, 2022

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Still in it

Todd Monken makes the final five for the Broyles Award.

Congratulations to the 2022 Broyles Award Finalists! The next stop is the Award Ceremony on 12/6 in Little Rock!

Todd Monken – @UGAAthletics
Ryan Walters – @IlliniFootball
Jesse Minter – @UMichFootball
Garrett Riley – @TCUFootball
Alex Golesh – @Vol_Football pic.twitter.com/FZOJlcKSzM

— BROYLES AWARD (@BroylesAward) November 28, 2022

That’s the good news.  The bad news is that the two I thought were the favorites, Golesh and Riley, are still in it, too.

3,000

Top 10 SEC Regular Season Passing Numbers

Mississippi State’s Will Rogers takes the passing crown for 2022 pic.twitter.com/CY9KaPZ875

— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) November 28, 2022

If you had Stetson Bennett surpassing Bryce Young in passing yardage on your bingo card this season, more power to you.

Chaos agent

8 of 24 new head coaches in 2020 have already been dismissed. 11 of 24 new head coaches in 2019 have already been dismissed. The process is totally flawed.

— Pete Roussel (@PeteRoussel) November 28, 2022

I dunno.  I suspect the process is working just like Jimmy Sexton expects it to.

Monday ticket exchange

It’s SECCG time, and I suspect if you’re looking for tickets, they won’t be too hard to find.

You know what to do in the comments.  Have at it!

TFW the money’s been deposited in the bank account

Well spent, Aggies.

Woof. pic.twitter.com/P4o0weqZG2

— Longhorn Republic (@LonghornPod) November 27, 2022

Mr. Money

This is hilarious.

Person who doesn’t know Clay Travis: “So what exactly is it that you do?”

Clay Travis: “I’m wrong.”

PWDKCT: “Excuse me?”

CT: “Yeah, they just put me on TV and I’m wrong.”

PWDKCT: “All the time?”

CT: “Yeah — literally every single time.” https://t.co/tcxG6pOE0W

— Scott Bell (@sbell021) November 27, 2022

Technically, Auburn covered the 22.5 points, barely (although most places had it at 21.5), but you get the point.

By the way, second in the amusement department is Erik Evans, who I presume is now missing both his testicles after his Michigan-Ohio State bet.

SEC Power Poll, Week 13

Rivalry Week managed to end with some whimpers and some bangs.

1. Georgia.  Back to back undefeated regular seasons?  Man, it doesn’t get any better than that.  Literally.
2. Alabama.  Iron Bowl win was nice, but the only team the Tide beat with fewer than four losses this season was… well, nobody.
3. Tennessee.  Shutout Vandy 56-0, which would be a message to the selection committee if they were taking the Vols’ phone calls, I suppose.
4. South Carolina.  Closed out the season with back to back wins over top ten teams, ruining both’s playoff chances.  Hells yeah they’re going here.
5. LSU.  They’ll be the first three-loss team in the SECCG since 2016 Florida.  (The Gators lost bigly to Alabama.)
6. Mississippi State.  Under Mike Leach, the Bulldogs won their seventh game over an AP-ranked opponent while unranked themselves.  (In the last three seasons, no other school has more than four wins under similar circumstances.)
7. Ole Miss.  Maybe Junior should have spent more time on game prep than trolling media about the Auburn job.  Just sayin’.
8. Kentucky.  +3 in turnover margin, four field goals… yep, another UK rock fight, but this one was good enough to win the Commonwealth Cup.
9. Arkansas.  Injuries really did the Hogs in this year.
10. Missouri.  The Tigers scratched their way into a bowl game this week.
11. Florida.  The Gators finished with the exact same regular season record they posted in ’21.
12. Auburn.  Once again, five-star talent trumps five-star hearts.
13. Texas A&M.  I don’t know what’s funnier, the Aggies turning in their best effort of the year when nothing was on the line, or pundits who are going to point to it as a sign that TAMU will be a contender in the West in 2023.
14. Vanderbilt.  Some days, you blow the Admiral, and some days, the Admiral blows you.

Just can’t stop

Tennessee beat Vandy by more points than Georgia or Alabama did. So.. there’s that

— Austin B (@Austin_Vols) November 27, 2022

Did they repeal the First Rule of Holes in Tennessee, or something?

Quick SECCG statistical sketch

If you’re looking for a pregame profile of Georgia vs. LSU, Josh has that for you.

Updated @SEC Championship Metrics, Stats, and Ranks from @DawgsCentral_ pic.twitter.com/4L2DSgMvAZ

— Dawg Stats (@DawgStats) November 27, 2022

It’s not lopsided, but it’s clear which team should be favored Saturday.