Georgia

Georgia, Tennessee riding high at top of conference: SEC vibes rankings

Published

1 month ago

October 21, 2024

Georgia, Tennessee riding high at top of conference: SEC vibes rankings

There’s a scene from a “Simpsons” episode when an elephant is bearing down on a peanut factory, and inside the factory, a manager is feeling suddenly validated: “This is the moment we’ve feared, people. Many of you thought it would never happen. But I insisted we spend two hours every morning training for it. Many of you thought I was mad; many of you requested to be transferred to another peanut factory. But now …”

Then the elephant crashes through the door.

This is how those who kept wondering about the SEC tiebreaker procedures might feel this morning as they survey the conference’s landscape. In a world of mega-conferences, without divisions and with half the teams not playing each other, there was always a chance for a confusing muddle at the top of the standings, with an aeronautics degree required to explain who would make it to the championship game.

And right now, the elephant might indeed be heading toward the peanut factory.

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Only two teams remain unbeaten in conference play: Texas A&M and LSU, and they play each other Saturday, so that’s good. But five other teams have only one conference loss, and among those seven teams, most won’t have played each other. Georgia, LSU and Texas, play only two of the other six teams with one loss or fewer. Texas A&M and Tennessee play only three of the other six.

And in the event — not unlikely — that a two-loss team factors in, Alabama and Ole Miss are sitting there, capable of running the table the rest of the way.

Georgia’s Trevor Etienne had three rushing touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ win over Texas on Saturday. (Tim Warner / Getty Images)

So, yeah, brush back up on those tiebreaking procedures, which probably won’t come down to a random draw but could involve “capped relative scoring margin,” a stat given to the SEC by SportsSourceAnalytics.

That’s not a huge deal, you might say, thanks to the expanded College Football Playoff. Perhaps. But the SEC champion getting a bye is a big deal, and the bigger the muddle at the top of the standings, the better the chance for chaos: a Playoff bubble team squeezing into the championship game and stealing a bid, for instance.

Perhaps a better tiebreaker: If your student section throws debris on the field to get a call changed, you’re eliminated. If your coach shoves the other team’s quarterback, even if he didn’t mean to, you’re out. Easy fixes and surprising the SEC didn’t have the foresight.

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So the vibes in the SEC office — getting ready for tiebreaking headaches, dealing with unprecedented officiating decisions — are stressed. As for the teams, we have another week of wildly fluctuating vibes, with a new basement dweller — hello, Oklahoma — another top program going in the very wrong direction, and a couple of others rocketing up after feel-good wins.

This a reminder that this is not a pure ranking of how good teams are but the feelings around the programs, both within the team and the fan base, and the perception outside, taking into account records, expectations, momentum and just the general mood:

1. Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC)

Won at Texas, 30-15

Last week: 8

For once, the vibes match the real rankings. Everything changed in a night, as the program whose fans were ready to pack this season in now can see the national title back on the table.

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2. Tennessee (6-1, 3-1)

Beat Alabama, 24-17

Last week: 6

Last week: Well, Nico Iamaleava isn’t that good, it looks like other teams have figured out Josh Heupel’s offense, and Heupel peaked too early at Tennessee. This week: Hey, we’re back baby! Maybe that’s a bit overexuberant, but other than a trip to Georgia — which is winnable — the Vols’ only other game against a team with a winning record is the season finale at Vanderbilt. There’s a good path to 10-2 and a probable Playoff bid.

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Tennessee proved against Alabama it’s not a one-hit wonder under Josh Heupel

3. LSU (6-1, 3-0)

Won at Arkansas, 34-10

Last week: 4

Ever since Brian Kelly’s table-pounding after the team’s opening loss, this team has gradually gotten better. That includes the defense, which still ranks second to last in the SEC but just held Arkansas to a season-low 10 points. The big test for the Bayou Bengals comes during the next two weeks: at Texas A&M and vs. Alabama at home.

4. Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0)

Won at Mississippi State, 34-24

Last week: 3

It was a pretty nice Saturday for the Aggies: They got an SEC road win — not a blowout, but whatever — then got home in time to see their rival have their welcome-to-the-SEC humbling. The schadenfreude was oozing out of College Station.

5. Vanderbilt (5-2, 2-1)

Beat Ball State, 24-14

Last week: 2

Save the points for SEC games, such as this week when Texas visits. It’s a smart move for a smart school, whose program is now one win away from bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018, but that’s almost an afterthought at this point.

Won at Oklahoma, 35-9

Last week: 11

The offense, and the overall team results, are bizarro, but South Carolina’s defense is legitimate: The Gamecocks held Alabama, Ole Miss and LSU below their season yards-per-play averages, including Alabama more than 2 points below its average.

7. Texas (6-1, 2-1)

Lost to Georgia, 30-15

Last week: 1

The one concern about the Longhorns had been that their dominance was a product of their schedule, and now that’s a big, Stetson-hat-sized concern. The next four games — at Vanderbilt, Florida, at Arkansas and Kentucky — all have the potential to be interesting. Then, of course, there’s the trip to College Station, which sets up to be well beyond interesting. Could this team still win the national championship? Sure. But national title teams don’t usually get beat at home like Texas did Saturday.

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Beat Kentucky, 48-20

Last week: 15

(Looking around.) So we’re doing this? Yeah, we’re doing this. The vibes basement dweller early in the season, the team with the dead coach walking, is still hanging around and improving. By lasting this long, Billy Napier now gets an awkward reunion with Jaden Rashada before or after the team’s game against Georgia in Jacksonville. Hug it out, fellas.

GO DEEPER

Billy Napier and Florida won a game they couldn’t lose, but a rugged path is still ahead

Beat Auburn, 21-17

Last week: 9

Per Adeen Rao of Rock M Nation, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz spotted a bowl rep after Saturday’s game and blurted out: “Uh, oh, Cheez-It Bowl.” By record, Drinkwitz should have nothing to worry about. By look, however, this is the worst 6-1 team in the country, by far: barely skating by in home games against Boston College, Vanderbilt and now Auburn, getting clobbered at Texas A&M. Still alive for the Playoff? Sure. Looking like it will stay that way much longer. Ehhhh …

10. Ole Miss (5-2, 1-2)

Bye

Last week: 10

The Rebels had to be happy with how their bye week went because their faint Playoff hopes reside in beating Georgia and that being a resume-building win. First up, Oklahoma and Arkansas, which should be no problem, but when a team can’t beat Kentucky at home, a lot could be a problem.

11. Mississippi State (1-6, 0-4)

Lost to Texas A&M, 34-24

Last week: 16

Is this too high? Maybe, but the vibes keep steadily improving in Starkville, even in defeat. There have been three straight weeks during which Jeff Lebby’s team acquitted itself well as a heavy underdog, to the point when it’s probably time to stop making the Bulldogs heavy underdogs every week. Arkansas, which goes to Starkville this week, needs to be wary.

12. Arkansas (4-3, 2-2)

Lost to LSU, 34-10

Last week: 5

Oof. Saturday was the worst loss of the season, and it came at home, a big hit to what had been such positive vibes. This week in Starkville needs to be a win, and that along with a later game against UTEP would at least mean bowl eligibility, with games against Texas, Ole Miss and Missouri offering more upset chances. But if the Razorbacks mess around and lose to that improving Bulldogs team, things will get dicey again.

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13. Alabama (5-2, 2-2)

Lost at Tennessee, 24-17

Last week: 7

Let’s not overreact too much. Kalen DeBoer’s two losses each have come by one possession, and the team’s win over Georgia looks good. But … yeah, there are two losses, and the win over Georgia was almost a catastrophic loss. DeBoer went to Tuscaloosa and embraced the pressure. Well, here it is.

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14. Auburn (2-5, 0-4)

Lost at Missouri, 21-17

Last week: 13

At this point, you almost wonder whether Hugh Freeze is throwing games so Auburn doesn’t have to play a meaningless bowl game and can spend December concentrating on the transfer portal. In fact, the perfect scenario might be going 5-7, but the fifth win being in the Iron Bowl, and that’s very much on the table.

15. Kentucky (3-4, 1-4)

Lost at Florida, 48-20

Last week: 12

Your obligatory, “Well it’s almost basketball season” reference, this time with Mark Pope offering new coach excitement. As for the other Mark, the Stoops one coaching football, this has gotten back to the early-season, post-South Carolina feeling. It’s not good, but it’s hard to tell whether it’s leading to anything.

Speaking of which …

16. Oklahoma (4-3, 1-3)

Lost to South Carolina, 35-9

Last week: 14

As a general rule, when people are looking up a coach’s buyout number, things aren’t great. A further general rule, when the reaction to seeing that buyout could involve profanity, things really aren’t great.

This summer, for reasons that weren’t entirely clear, Oklahoma gave coach Brent Venables a two-year contract extension, with a buyout that would cost the school about $44.8 million.

The contract extension might have been a stroke of genius by longtime athletic director Joe Castiglione, who is one of the most respected ADs in the country, and he might have looked at the 2024 schedule and decided to stave off any hot-seat talk. But did Castiglione foresee it would be this bad?

Yes, Oklahoma is down its top five receivers. And yes, the hope is that Venables can fix the quarterback situation during the offseason and that can turn things around. But the way this team is losing, falling behind 21-0 to South Carolina a few minutes into the game and looking overmatched, doesn’t inspire confidence. Venables is trying to stop the bleeding by firing offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, whom he just hired this year.

It’s one thing to be struggling, which Oklahoma is. It’s another to feel stuck. That’s called purgatory.

(Top photo of Kirby Smart: Tim Warner / Getty Images)

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Georgia

NC State football vs Georgia Tech score: Live updates, highlights from ACC game

Published

15 mins ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

NC State football vs Georgia Tech score: Live updates, highlights from ACC game

The N.C. State Wolfpack and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets play in primetime on Thursday (7:30 p.m., ESPN) at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Week 13 of the college football season.

Coming off an idle week, the Wolfpack (5-5, 2-4 ACC) needs to win one of its final two games to become bowl eligible for the fifth straight season. But it won’t be an easy task taking on the Yellow Jackets (6-4, 4-3) in Atlanta, where N.C. State has lost 11 of 15 games in the series.

The Wolfpack hasn’t won at Georgia Tech since 2010.

NC State vs GT preview, prediction

Keep this page refreshed and bookmarked for live updates for N.C. State vs. Georgia Tech.

NC State vs Georgia Tech score

Live scoreboard:

What channel is NC State vs Georgia Tech today?

TV Channel: ESPN

Livestream: Fubo (free trial), ESPN+

Watch NCSU vs. GT on Fubo

N.C. State vs. Georgia Tech will be broadcast nationally on ESPN in Week 13 of the 2024 college football season. Matt Barrie and Dan Mullen will call the game from the booth at Bobby Dodd Stadium, with Harry Lyles Jr. reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers. Matt Chazanow, Johnny Evans and Tony Haynes will have the radio call on the Wolfpack Sports Network.

NC State vs Georgia Tech start time

Date: Thursday, Nov. 21

Start time: 7:30 p.m.

Buy NCSU vs GT tickets here

The N.C. State vs. Georgia Tech game starts at 7:30 p.m. from Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

NC State vs Georgia Tech history

Series record: Georgia Tech 20-11

NC State’s last win: 2020 (23-13)

Georgia Tech’s last win: 2019 (28-26)

NC State vs Georgia Tech prediction

Georgia Tech 30, N.C. State 23: The Yellow Jackets will remain undefeated at home behind a big effort from quarterback Haynes King. The Wolfpack will head to Chapel Hill for the regular-season finale, needing a win to play in the postseason.

NC State vs Georgia Tech spread, betting odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM will be posted as they become available.

Spread: Georgia Tech is an 8.5-point favorite

Over/under: 52.5 points

Moneyline: N.C. State (+270), Georgia Tech (-350)

NC State vs Georgia Tech weather

Temperatures for kickoff will be around 44 degrees under clear skies in Atlanta, Georgia. Winds will be between 8-16 mph, with gusts up to 38 mph.

NC State vs Georgia Tech injury updates

This section will updated in the pregame.

NC State schedule 2024

Aug. 29: Western Carolina (W, 38-21)
Sept. 7: Tennessee (L, 51-10)
Sept. 14: Louisiana Tech (W, 30-20)
Sept. 21: at Clemson (L, 59-35)
Sept. 28: Northern Illinois (W, 24-17)
Oct. 5: Wake Forest (L, 34-30)
Oct. 12: Syracuse (L, 24-17)
Oct. 19: at Cal (W, 24-23)
Oct. 26: OPEN
Nov. 2: Stanford (W, 59-28)
Nov. 9: Duke (L, 29-19)
Nov. 16: OPEN
Nov. 21: at Georgia Tech (Thursday)
Nov. 30: at UNC

Georgia Tech schedule 2024

Aug. 24: Florida State (W, 24-21)
Aug. 31: Georgia State (W, 35-12)
Sept. 7: at Syracuse (L, 31-28)
Sept. 14: VMI (W, 59-7)
Sept. 21: at Louisville (L, 31-19)
Sept. 28: OFF
Oct. 5: Duke (W, 24-14)
Oct. 12: at UNC (W, 41-34)
Oct. 19: Notre Dame (L, 31-13)
Oct. 26: at Virginia Tech (L, 21-6)
Nov. 2: OFF
Nov. 9: Miami (W, 28-23)
Nov. 16: OFF
Nov. 21: NC State (Thursday)
Nov. 29: at Georgia

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

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Georgia

Critics accuse Georgia sheriff of silencing them on social media in lawsuit

Published

8 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Critics accuse Georgia sheriff of silencing them on social media in lawsuit

Three Georgia residents are accusing Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens of violating their free speech rights, alleging in a lawsuit that he silenced their critical opinions on Facebook following a viral incident in which he called deputies to a Burger King over a botched order.

The legal filing in U.S. District Court lists David Cavender – a Republican who unsuccessfully ran against Owens for the sheriff position this election season – as one of the plaintiffs.

“Defendant Craig Owens was displeased that certain persons, including the Plaintiffs, were publicly criticizing his performance as the Sheriff of Cobb County, Georgia,” the lawsuit says. “Instead of upholding the First Amendment and stomaching speech he found personally distasteful, Owens decided instead to utilize the powers of his office to censor the speech of Plaintiffs, and others, based on viewpoint.”

An attorney wrote that in October, in the weeks leading up to Election Day, a video that emerged of “Owens utilizing Cobb County Sheriff deputies to intercede in a personal dispute with Burger King employees became viral” and that the plaintiffs “had been leveling harsh criticism against Owens” over it and other matters.

GEORGIA SHERIFF CALLS DEPUTIES FOR HELP AFTER BECOMING UPSET THAT BURGER KING GOT HIS ORDER WRONG

READ THE FILING BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE

In that March 2023 incident, three deputies were dispatched to the fast-food restaurant in Mableton with sirens blaring.

“Hey, do me a favor. I need to get, all I need is the owner name of whoever owns this damn facility or the manager,” Owens is heard telling one deputy who showed up on scene.

“I wanted her [to get his female passenger] a Whopper, no mayo, cut in half, right?” he continued.

The sheriff added: “I don’t need no damn money back no more. I just need to find out who owns this place so I can do an official complaint.”

The lawsuit says on Oct. 29 of this year, Owens put in place “sweeping restrictions” over who can post comments on the Cobb County Sheriff Office’s Facebook page.

EX-GEORGIA POLL WORKER INDICTED FOR MAILING BOMB THREAT TO POLLING PLACE: FBI

Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens called his deputies to the Burger King on Veterans Memorial Highway in Mableton on March 4, 2023. (Cobb County Sheriff’s Office)

“On information and belief, these restrictions were put in place because of the viewpoint of commenters’ posts grew increasingly critical of Owens and his performance as Sheriff; in other words Owens put the restrictions in place to prevent the expression of a viewpoint,” the lawsuit says, adding that some of the posts made by the plaintiffs were deleted or hidden by the Sheriff’s Office Facebook account.

The Sheriff’s Office then wrote on Nov. 1 that it is “committed to providing a safe and respectful space on our social media channels.

“To keep our posts focused on community safety updates and educational info, we’ve turned off the comments feature,” it added.

The lawsuit is asking a judge to “declare the actions of Defendant Owens… to be view-point based restrictions in violation of the First Amendment”, prohibit his “unlawful practice of retaliatory censorship” and to prevent him “from deleting comments, blocking posters, or restricting commenters to those who are friends or referenced within posts,” among other damages.

The lawsuit against Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens states the plaintiffs posted critical comments of him online following an incident involving the sheriff at a Burger King in Georgia last year. (Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Both the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office and the law firm that filed the lawsuit did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

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Georgia

Lefty Georgia DA in Laken Riley case faces outrage after killer migrant avoids death penalty

Published

16 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Lefty Georgia DA in Laken Riley case faces outrage after killer migrant avoids death penalty

The progressive Georgia district attorney who was prosecuting nursing student Laken Riley’s illegal immigrant killer refused to seek the death penalty even after removing herself from the case – drawing outrage when the defendant was sentenced to life without parole.

Athens-Clarke District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez, who appointed a special prosecutor to take over the prosecution of Jose Ibarra at the end of February amid criticism over her own prosecutorial record, laid out her soft-on-crime reforms when she assumed office in January 2021.

Gonzalez said her office would “no longer seek the death penalty” and when considering charging defendants, she would “take into account collateral consequences to undocumented defendants,” according to a copy of the district attorney’s policies shared by Georgia State Rep. Houston Gaines.

Ibarra, a 26-year-old Tren de Arangua gang member, was sentenced Wednesday to life without parole after being convicted of murdering the 22-year-old college student. His sentence angered many Republicans, including Gaines, who felt the killer should get the death penalty.

Gonzalez announced this spring would not seek the death penalty against Ibarra, stating, “our utmost duty is to ensure that justice is served and that the victim’s family is an integral part of the deliberation process.”

She also acknowledged critics will seek to “exploit this case for political gain,” but legal decisions must “always transcend political considerations,” according to WRDW.

The decision appears in line with what Gonzalez told staff in 2021.

“Cases which are legally eligible for the death penalty are eligible for sentences of life without parole and life with parole eligibility after serving thirty years,” she wrote.

“Both of these sentences constitute very substantial punishment. Decisions to seek the sentence of life without parole are a sentence of death in prison.”

She also reportedly said the office would take into account “collateral consequences to undocumented defendants,” when making charging decisions.

GOP lawmakers were incensed that Ibarra would not face the death penalty.

“If there was ever a case where the death penalty was appropriate, this is it,” Gaines tweeted Wednesday.

Meanwhile state Sen. Colton Moore called on the state attorney general to intervene.

“I am officially calling on Attorney General Chris Carr to file an emergency motion to intervene and demand the death penalty for the murderer of Laken Riley,” he tweeted.

“District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez let her radical political agenda stand in the way of justice. By refusing to seek the death penalty, she denied Laken’s family, friends, and community the full measure of justice they deserve.”

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene also weighed in.

“Jose Ibarra deserves the death penalty,” she tweeted. “Just as Laken’s mother Allyson asked the judge, Laken’s evil (murderer) deserves exactly what he gave to Laken.”

Gonzalez lost her reelection bid this month by a 20-percentage point margin.

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