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USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Where does Auburn-Alabama rank among the best rivalries in the SEC?
Where does Auburn-Alabama rank among the best rivalries in the SEC? Does USA TODAY Sports feel that the Iron Bowl is the best rivalry in the SEC? College football fans from the state of Alabama would agree that the annual Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama is the best rivalry not only in the SEC, but in all of college football. Does one expert from USA TODAY Sports agree? With the discussion of the SEC's possible move from eight conference games to nine, USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer shared his ranking of the SEC's top rivalries and how likely they are to continue should the SEC change its scheduling format. Toppmeyer places the Iron Bowl in a category with the Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State and the Red River Showdown between Oklahoma and Texas as "non-negotioables" and feels that those three rivalries are safe from elimination. Not only does Toppmeyer feel strongly that the Iron Bowl should not be touched with possible expansion, but he feels that it is the conference's best rivalry. He puts the Iron Bowl at No. 1 ahead of Red River, the Egg Bowl, and the World's Largest Cocktail Party, citing implications that are usually at stake when the Tigers and Tide meet on the field. Instate rivalries hit differently, especially when that state is football-crazed Alabama. As an Auburn fan once said, the Iron Bowl isn't life or death. It's much bigger than that. There been national title implications and memorable moments that serve to add to the lore. There are only four SEC rivalries that feature instate teams. Auburn-Alabama and Ole Miss-Mississippi State have been the most intense over the years, with Texas-Texas A&M becoming prominent with the Longhorns joining the conference last year. However, the Iron Bowl takes the cake as far as the magnitude of games it has produced in past years. The 2010 game was special as Auburn stormed back from 24-point deficit to knock off Alabama and keep its national title hopes alive, Auburn won the 2013 game thanks to the infamous "kick six" return, and the Tigers knocked off their second No. 1 team in three weeks when it beat Alabama in 2017. On the opposite end, Alabama snuck away from Auburn in 2009 to stay alive in the SEC title hunt, and used the "grave digger" play to beat Auburn in 2023 with a hail mary on 4th and 31. The game has produced several special memories such as the four-overtime game in 2022 and the 2014 game that saw both teams combine to post 1,169 total yards in Alabama's 55-44 win over Auburn. The Crimson Tide has won five games in a row over Auburn during the Tigers' rebuilding phase. However, Hugh Freeze hopes to begin closing the gap this season when the two teams meet at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 29. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida football's rivalry games with these two long-time foes are among the SEC's top 10
Florida football's rivalry games with these two long-time foes are among the SEC's top 10 One of the things that makes college football — and collegiate sports as a whole — so special is the rivalry games played between schools with long histories of hating each other. The Southeastern is home to some of the best of the best when it comes to historical rivalries. With the question of whether the league will stick to its current eight-game SEC schedule or add a ninth looming overhead, USA TODAY Sports writer Blake Toppmeyer took a moment to rank the top 10 rivalry games down in the deep south. Keep in mind, the SEC has been around since 1932 and many rivalries go back before its founding as members of the erstwhile Southern Conference. Among the current members whose history dates back over a century are the Florida Gators, as well as the Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers. These three cornerstone programs earned four of the 10 spots in Toppmeyer's rankings, with two of the Gators' rivalry games against the aforementioned schools represented. Ranked fourth is the Florida-Georgia game — which is among the best in the nation even in off years — and the more recently minted rivalry between the Gators and Volunteers, which ranks 10th. Here's how Toppmeyer rates the SEC's 10 best rivalries — some of which could land on the chopping block if the eight-game schedule persists in perpetuity. Florida-Georgia rivalry game "This rivalry touts its own hall of fame dedicated to the series," he notes. "The longtime designation of this rivalry as 'The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party' sums up the vibe for this game played in Jacksonville, Florida." Florida-Tennessee rivalry game "This rivalry lacks the tradition of others, but at its crescendo in the 1990s and early 2000s, this September clash charted the course for SEC supremacy," Toppmeyer offers. "The game peaked when it pitted Steve Spurrier against Phillip Fulmer, but, even now, animosity lingers between these fan bases." Ranking SEC football's top 10 rivalry games Alabama-Auburn (Iron Bowl) Oklahoma-Texas (Red River) Mississippi-Mississippi State (Egg Bowl) Florida-Georgia Texas-Texas A&M Alabama-LSU Auburn-Georgia Alabama-Tennessee LSU-Mississippi (Magnolia Bowl) Florida-Tennessee Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Big Ten provides an answer to SEC's scheduling question
The SEC's scheduling debate will renew when the conference's spring meetings begin later this month. It's that age-old question of whether to stick with eight conference games or bump up to nine. Advertisement Maybe, that's the wrong question, though, and the SEC should be asking: Would a Big Ten-SEC challenge be better than a ninth conference game? On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate the merit of adding a ninth SEC game versus sticking with the status quo. Retaining the eight-game format would sacrifice the annual nature of some secondary rivalries. But, could containing the SEC schedule to eight games encourage the conference to pursue more bold non-conference scheduling? Subscribe to SEC Football Unfiltered iTunes | Google Play | Spotify Advertisement Is that worth it? Well, that depends. TOPPMEYER: College football fans, donors drove the clown car in NIL era, but was that so bad? ADAMS: Kentucky and Vanderbilt should stop wasting money on football SEC football schedule format Toppmeyer and Adams are intrigued by the idea of an SEC-Big Ten football challenge – so intrigued, that they like the concept of an interconference clash better than a ninth SEC game. Toppmeyer: I've long supported the idea of the SEC increasing to nine conference games, which would put it in line with the Big Ten and Big 12. Also, a ninth conference game would work in tandem of my other wish-list item: that every SEC team would play a minimum of 10 games against power-conference opponents. Advertisement Nine SEC games + one non-conference games = 10 real games and only two cupcakes. But, if the SEC collectively would consider eight SEC games + one challenge game against a Big Ten opponent + one additional non-conference game for a total of 10 real games, I might go for that idea. In fact, I'm picturing four of these SEC-B1G challenge games unfolding on each of the first four Saturdays of the season, spicying up the September schedule. Adams: If the SEC wants to prove its supremacy, what better way than to put it on the line throughout 16 non-conference games against the Big Ten? Consider what happened in basketball. The SEC skunked the ACC in the SEC-ACC challenge. That sent a loud signal that the SEC was legit, and it charted the course for the SEC to qualify 14 teams for the NCAA Tournament. Advertisement For football, I usually tend to think the more conference games, the better. But, the more I think about this blue-sky idea of an SEC-B1G challenge, the more I think I'd rather see Vanderbilt put it on the line against Northwestern than play Missouri in a ninth SEC game. Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered Apple Spotify iHeart Google Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Big Ten provides an answer to SEC's scheduling question
USA Today
03-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Who win win NCAA championship? Men's Final Four predictions, national title picks
Who win win NCAA championship? Men's Final Four predictions, national title picks Show Caption Hide Caption Duke, Florida, Auburn, Houston punch their ticket to the Final Four The madness continues as Mackenzie Salmon previews the Men's Final Four matchups, which will feature all No. 1 seeds for the first time since 2008. Sports Seriously The men's NCAA Tournament Final Four matchups are set, showcasing a showdown among the top seeds at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The first Final Four game will feature the Florida Gators against the Auburn Tigers. The Gators – after a series of impressive performances in the NCAA Tournament that included a thrilling second-round 77-75 victory over the defending champion UConn Huskies – are aiming for their first title since 2007. The Tigers are led by standout players such as Miles Kelly, Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford, making them a formidable force as they strive to win their first national championship. The second Final Four matchup is a highly anticipated showdown between the Houston Cougars and the Duke Blue Devils. The Cougars boast a powerful offense, featuring talents such as L.J. Cryer, Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan. On the other hand, Duke has captured headlines throughout the tournament as one of the most talented teams, led by standout freshman Cooper Flagg. Here are the current predictions as we eagerly head into the men's March Madness Final Four: When is the Final Four? Schedule, time, how to watch men's NCAA Tournament semifinals Men's Final Four predictions Blake Toppmeyer, USA Today Network: Houston to the national championship game Blake Toppmeyer writes, "I predicted this outcome on Selection Sunday, and I'm not fading it now, not after how strong Houston looked while smashing Tennessee. I could make compelling cases for Duke, Auburn or Florida winning the crown, so why am I picking Houston? I gravitate to experience in the NCAA Tournament, and I'm further pulled toward playmaking guards. Houston and Florida are filled with experience and shot-making guards. Florida's Walton Clayton Jr. is a clutch bucket waiting to happen. Nobody defends better than Houston, and the Cougars go five-deep with players who can score in double figures. I'm tempted to flip my pick to Florida because of how well Clayton is playing, but I'm riding with Houston's defense, its experience and Sampson's coaching." ESPN: Duke to defeat Houston in semifinal, Florida over Auburn Both of ESPN's experts believe the Blue Devils' Final Four matchup against the Houston Cougars is theirs to lose. They write, "This is going to be an incredible contrast of elite offense versus elite defense, featuring one of the youngest teams in the country versus one of the oldest teams. The problem for the Cougars is that the Blue Devils also have an elite defense to go with their historically good offense." Regarding Florida vs. Auburn, Jeff Borzello writes: "Florida hasn't slowed down since then, and neither has (Walter) Clayton, who has put on one of the all-time late-game shot-making performances in this NCAA Tournament. Can Denver Jones limit Clayton's clean looks? The Gators have the size and depth inside to make life difficult for Johni Broome and can win in more ways than the Tigers can." Bleacher Report: Florida and Duke to win In regards to the Florida-Auburn game, Bleacher Report writes, "While this one could go either way, (Walter) Clayton Jr. and the nation's best backcourt should be able to do just enough to fuel the Gators into the national championship game." Watch men's Final Four games on Fubo (free trial) When is the Final Four? Both Final Four games will take place on Saturday, April 5, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. All times Eastern.
USA Today
31-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USA TODAY picks Houston over Florida in national championship ahead of Final Four
USA TODAY picks Houston over Florida in national championship ahead of Final Four USA TODAY columnist Blake Toppmeyer picked Houston over Florida in the national championship game before a single game of the NCAA Tournament was played. With the Final Four now set and both teams still in play, Toppmeyer isn't changing his prediction. Picking against Duke is not for the faint of heart, especially if there's money on the line, but Toppmeyer knows what he likes and isn't backing away from what he thinks makes a national champion. It's less bold to pick Florida over Auburn, considering the matchup has already been played and the Gators won while the Tigers held a homecourt advantage. "I gravitate to experience in the NCAA Tournament," Toppmeyer said, "and I'm further pulled toward playmaking guards. Houston and Florida are filled with experience and shot-making guards. Florida's Walton Clayton Jr. is a clutch bucket waiting to happen. Nobody defends better than Houston, and the Cougars go five-deep with players who can score in double figures." Toppmeyer said he was tempted to flip his pick to Florida because of how well Clayton has played in March Madness, but defense wins championships and Houston is a juggernaut on the side of the ball. Still, one of Florida's greatest strengths is the ability to adapt to its opponent's play style and beat them at their own game. The UConn win might be the best example of that ability. The Huskies play at one of the slowest tempos in the country, and the Gators found themselves trailing, 55-51, inside seven minutes. A Walter Clayton-led comeback pushed Florida into the next round and Connecticut was left stunned after executing its gameplan to near perfection. "It's no secret how to make a Final Four: Build a team that can win in multiple ways, that's comfortable winning in the 60s or the 80s," he said. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
