ATHENS — Georgia football has another Top 10 tussle on its hands this week with red-hot Ole Miss headed toward Athens.
The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs out-fought No. 12 Missouri in a 30-21 battle that saw the lead change five times before UGA secured the win with two fourth-quarter turnovers.
The 8-1 Rebels pose many of the same sort of challenges as the Tigers with their mobile quarterback, elite tailback.
Ole Miss has won five straight after turning back Texas A&M by a 38-35 count on Saturday.
There’s sure to be a week of hype and build-up with colorful Rebels coach Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart having their first head coaching matchup after working together on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama in 2014-15.
ESPN’s College GameDay show will be in Athens for the first time this season, adding to what’s sure to be an electric football venue.
Ole Miss is the only SEC team Smart hasn’t beaten in his eight-year tenure as the Bulldogs head coach, losing his only game against the Rebels back in 2016 by a 45-14 count.
It’s a Georgia program that will be playing its third game without its best offensive player, tight end Brock Bowers, and might also be missing defensive team captain Jamon Dumas-Johnson, who suffered a fractured forearm in the win over Missouri.
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Here’s a look at what’s going on around college football after another exciting weekend:
Hot
Georgia football has won 26 consecutive games and looks to stay No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for a 21st-straight poll, which will tie 2001-02 Miami for second-longest streak ever (USC 2003-05 has the longest at 33 weeks).
Ole Miss tailback Quinshon Judkins, whose 1,567 yards led the SEC last season and ranked as the second-best by any freshman in league history behind Herschel Walker (1,616), posted his third consecutive 100-yard rushing performance in the win over Texas A&M.
Oregon football is on fire under former Georgia DC Dan Lanning, beating Cal 63-19 as former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix passed for four TDs and ran for two others. If the Ducks (8-1) win out they’ll likely get a rematch with Washington in the Pac-12 title game. The Huskies remained unbeaten by topping USC 52-42 in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
Warm
Tennessee football rolled UConn by a 59-3 margin, gaining steam for its showdown at Missouri next Saturday. The Vols (7-2) need to beat the Tigers and hope Ole Miss can upset Georgia, which would essentially set up Tennessee’s Nov. 18 home game with the Bulldogs as the East Division championship game.
Clemson football showed signs of life by beating Notre Dame 31-23 after Coach Dabo Swinney went on a talk show rant after now infamous Tigers’ fan “Tyler from Spartanburg took him to task for his salary and underachieving. “If Clemson’s a stock, you better buy all you freaking can,” Swinney said, per ESPN.com. “Buy right now.
Georgia Tech plays at Clemson next Saturday carrying the momentum of back-to-back wins for the first time this season after following up their big 46-42 home upset of then-No. 17 North Carolina with a 45-17 road win at Virginia. Georgia Tech will finish with home games against Syracuse and Georgia.
Cold
Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Wiliams has lost three of the past four games and was seen sobbing with his mother in the stands after USC’s 52-42 loss to Washington. Social media reaction was split on Williams’ emotional outburst. A super talent once pursued by Georgia, Williams became known for painting messages on his fingernails last season.
Deion Sanders and Colorado football were the early season rage, threatening to re-write protocol by running off players and taking in more than 50 transfers as they got off to a 3-0 start. The Buffaloes have since lost five of six and need two of their last three — vs. Arizona, at Washington State and at Utah — to qualify for a bowl game.
Mike Griffith NFF-FWAA Super 16 ballot
1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Florida State
4. Washington
5. Ohio State
6. Oregon
7. Texas
8. Alabama
9. Ole Miss
10. Penn State
11. Missouri
12. Tennessee
13. Oklahoma
14. Tulane
15. Louisville
16 Oregon State
