SEC Championship

Mississippi moved into the top five with its win over LSU, the Tigers stayed in the top 10, and Florida and Mississippi State cracked the rankings to give the Southeastern Conference 10 teams in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll released Sunday. Alabama also moved up following its 50-36 come-from-behind win over FSU.

Florida State left last season’s opener against Alabama with a statement victory. The Crimson Tide left with questions about where their season was headed. The months that followed changed the outlook for both programs.

Keelon Russell threw for 188 yards and a touchdown to help No. 12 Alabama beat Kentucky 45-17 on Saturday in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. Russell overcame two interceptions in the first half as the Crimson Tide (2-0) overcame a 17-13 halftime deficit, outscoring the Wildcats (1-1) 32-0 in the second half

Alabama handled life on the road far better in Kalen DeBoer’s second season than his first. After going 2-3 in true road games in 2024, the Crimson Tide improved to 5-1 last season. Now, Kentucky awaits as 12th-ranked Alabama’s first road test of 2026.

Blame Alabama and Georgia. Point fingers at Auburn, Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, too. The Southeastern Conference, once the most dominant league in the land, lost its stranglehold on college football over the last three years.

The Crimson Tide look to make back-to-back appearances in the College Football Playoff under third-year coach Kalen DeBoer and potentially end the Southeastern Conference’s three-year national championship drought. The powerhouse league hasn’t even made the title game since Georgia won consecutive championships in 2022-23.

Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey stood firm behind a 16-team College Football Playoff expansion, indicating that a disagreement with the Big Ten — which backs doubling the current bracket to 24 teams — is lingering deep into the offseason.

Three months after Alabama narrowly squeaked into the College Football Playoff despite a Southeastern Conference title game loss, athletic director Greg Byrne is calling for an end to the 34-year tradition.

That “pins and needles” feeling for fans of the Crimson Tide may not end with today’s SEC Championship against Georgia at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. On Sunday, the teams who will compete in the playoff games for a shot at the championship will be announced. The world of college football is also remembering the man who that system going.

After number three ranked Georgia closed an 11-1 regular season with its eighth straight win over Georgia Tech last week, coach Kirby Smart was asked about his senior class dominating its top rivals through four seasons. Smart replied with a reminder that Georgia Tech, Florida, Auburn and Tennessee do not form a complete list of the Bulldogs' biggest rivals. Tuscaloosa, for instance.