UNDATED (AP) — Next week, Congress could begin debating a bill to overhaul college sports, amid uncertainty from recent Democratic election victories. The House, still Republican-led, will decide what to do with the Protect College Sports Act, which passed the Senate last month. The bill regulates athlete pay and protects Olympic sports but faces opposition. Supporters argue it prevents smaller sports from disappearing, while critics say it lacks sufficient protections. Major sports conferences like the SEC and Big Ten are considering their own governance if Congress doesn't act. They hope for federal guidance to manage spending wars for athletes.
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — No. 2 Georgia and 12th-ranked Mississippi are eschewing bulletin-board slights in favor of mutual admiration as they prepare to meet for the third time in two seasons. Ole Miss coach Pete Golding says Bulldogs counterpart Kirby Smart and his staff represent "the gold standard” in college football. Smart says Golding has done “a tremendous job” since taking over. Both teams boast productive, veteran quarterbacks in Georgia's Gunner Stockton and Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss. Ole Miss is 25-1 at home since 2023 with seven wins against ranked teams. The Bulldogs are an SEC-best 72-8 with four CFP berths and two national championships since 2021.
UNDATED (AP) — This week in the Southeastern Conference, No. 2 Georgia visits No. 12 Ole Miss. Both teams are coming off wins, with Ole Miss needing a victory to stay in the playoff picture. Georgia is a slight favorite. Another big game features No. 8 Kentucky against No. 16 Tennessee. Kentucky's quarterback, Kenny Minchey, has been impressive, while Tennessee has yet to name its starter. Alabama and LSU, both 6-2, face off in Death Valley. Both teams were idle in Week 9, giving time to recover from early-season injuries.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Jada Williams scored 16 of her 18 points in the second quarter and No. 9 LSU scored 40 unanswered points in the period on the way to a school-record margin of victory in a 131-22 win over Texas Southern. LSU (2-0) outscored Texas Southern 40-0 in the quarter, forcing nine turnovers and holding the visiting Tigers without a field goal in 13 attempts. LSU’s 109-point victory was a program record. It was the team’s second straight 100-plus point game to start the season and the Lady Tigers improved to 7-0 all-time against Texas Southern (0-2). Jayla Cornelius’ six points led Texas Southern which shot 13%
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Kentucky and Tennessee are set for a high-stakes showdown on Saturday. Kentucky, ranked eighth, is on a six-game winning streak and aims for the College Football Playoff. Tennessee, ranked sixteenth, has no room for error after a recent loss. Kentucky's discipline has been key, ranking high in fewest penalties and turnover margin. Tennessee struggles with penalties and turnovers. Kentucky coach Will Stein credits their success to minimizing mistakes. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel emphasizes the importance of fundamentals. Both teams have strong offensive lines, with Kentucky's Lance Heard and Tennessee's David Sanders Jr. playing pivotal roles.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Rueben Chinyelu scored a career-high 21 points, Alex Condon flirted with a triple-double and No. 1 Florida overwhelmed Jacksonville 88-57 to win their 36th consecutive home opener. Condon finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Gators (2-0), who had five players score in double figures. Thomas Haugh chipped in 14 points, and Denzel Aberdeen and Urban Klavzar added 12 apiece for the home team. Hayden Wood led the Dolphins with 11 points.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Midseason stumbles by No. 9 Alabama and 15th-ranked LSU briefly threatened to lower the gravity of what will be the last of 64 annual matchups on Saturday. The Crimson Tide and the Tigers have since rebounded with convincing victories to again set up another early November tilt. Both teams are 6-2 overall and still in the hunt for an SEC title and College Football Playoff berth, but with little margin for error. These teams won’t play during next year’s regular season because of new SEC scheduling that is designed to ensure all 16 teams play each other at least once every other season.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Texas and Missouri could be putting their College Football Playoff hopes on the line Saturday. The 10th-ranked Longhorns visit the No. 19 Tigers on Saturday in what amounts to an elimination. Both teams have two losses and are a game back in the SEC. The Longhorns were ranked seventh in the initial playoff rankings this week, while the Tigers came in at No. 18. Texas is facing a slew of injuries as it heads to Columbia for the first time since 2011, when both schools were still members of the Big 12.
