SEC Football

The Florida Gators fell to the Oregon State Beavers 30-3 on Saturday in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl, finishing the year with a 6-7 record in Billy Napier's first season as head coach.

Florida kicked a field goal with just seconds remaining on the clock to record its only points of the game.

The Gators were short-handed Saturday, with the biggest loss being quarterback Anthony Richardson, who opted out and declared for the 2023 NFL draft. However, the team's performance as a whole was still unacceptable.

Quarterback Jack Miller III completed just 13 of 22 passes for 180 yards. Running backs Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr. each rushed for just 14 yards, and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall caught four passes for 65 yards.

The offense was hideous, but the defense wasn't much better, allowing Oregon State to total 353 yards.

With Napier's squad putting together a disappointing performance Saturday, and for much of the season, Twitter questioned whether the Gators made the right decision in hiring him to replace Dan Mullen.

Before joining Florida, Napier spent four seasons at Louisiana, going 40-12 and 2-1 in bowl games.

Saturday's loss is frustrating for Florida and its fans, but Napier will likely be sticking around for longer than one season, and the Gators will be hoping the 2023 campaign goes far better.

The Alabama Crimson Tide will have two of their best players available for their Dec. 31 matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats after all.

Quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. plan to play in the Sugar Bowl, head coach Nick Saban told ESPN's Chris Low on Friday. Saban added the Crimson Tide aren't expecting any players will opt out of the game.

Young and Anderson are both expected to declare for the 2023 NFL draft. Their decision to play in Alabama's non-playoff bowl game is a surprise as many top draft picks over the years have opted out of their respective bowl games to avoid injury ahead of the draft.

With both Young and Anderson in the lineup, Alabama should undoubtedly have the edge over Kansas State.

The Crimson Tide finished the season 10-2 and just missed out on a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Young, who won the Heisman Trophy last season as the best player in college football, is in the midst of another strong season despite missing time with an injury to his throwing shoulder.

The junior quarterback has completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 3,007 yards and 27 touchdowns against five interceptions in 11 games, in addition to rushing for 195 yards and four scores.

Anderson, meanwhile, won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for the second straight season as the best defender in college football after posting 10 sacks, 51 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, one interception and one pass breakup in 12 games.

The 2022 campaign has been a disappointing one for Alabama. In addition to dropping two games and missing out on the CFP, the Crimson Tide also didn't appear in the SEC Championship Game.

Regardless, they still have the opportunity to close out the season on a high note with a win.

Kansas State finished second in the Big 12 this season with a 10-3 record, sitting behind 12-1 TCU, which is set to play in the College Football Playoff.

Mississippi State will reportedly announce defensive coordinator Zach Arnett as its next head football coach following the death of Mike Leach, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.

It will reportedly be a four-year deal, though Thamel added that terms of the contract have not been finalized.

Leach died on Monday night after he was hospitalized for complications related to a heart condition, per ESPN. He was 61.

"We are supported and uplifted by the outpouring of love and prayers from family, friends, Mississippi State University, the hospital staff, and football fans around the world," his family said in a statement. "Thank you for sharing in the joy of our beloved husband and father's life."

Leach was in his third season at Mississippi State after prior stints at Texas Tech (2000-09) and Washington State (2012-19). He was 19-17 with the Bulldogs and 158-107 overall in his coaching career.

"I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Mike over the last several years," Alabama head coach Nick Saban said after learning of Leach's death. "I never knew quite where our conversations were going, but they always made me smile. He was an offensive innovator who always did things his way and was admired for it. His teams were well-coached and extremely challenging to defend. They played with poise and toughness, which is a credit to his leadership."

Arnett's first game as Mississippi State's head coach will be in the upcoming ReliaQuest Bowl against Illinois on Jan. 2.

Arnett has served as Leach's defensive coordinator for the past three seasons with the Bulldogs. Prior to that, he held multiple positions for San Diego State between 2011-19, which included a promotion to defensive coordinator in 2018.

He also played college football at New Mexico as a linebacker.

Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt declared for the 2023 NFL draft Wednesday and announced he will not play in the Volunteers' Orange Bowl matchup against Clemson.

Hyatt recorded 67 receptions for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns during the 2022 season on his way to winning the Biletnikoff Award.

Fellow Vols receiver Cedric Tillman previously announced his intention to enter the draft. Tillman is currently ESPN's sixth-ranked receiver and No. 40 overall prospect, while Hyatt is the seventh-ranked receiver and comes in at No. 44 overall. It's likely both players will find themselves hearing their names called on the second day of April's draft.

Hyatt, Tillman and quarterback Hendon Hooker helped spearhead Tennessee's explosive offense, leading the Vols to a 10-2 regular-season record. It's likely the only thing that prevented Tennessee from making the College Football Playoff was a shocking blowout loss to South Carolina last month.

Hooker suffered a torn ACL in the loss to the Gamecocks. He turns 25 in January and is currently the fifth-ranked quarterback in ESPN's draft rankings behind Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson.

The Vols led FBS in yards per game (538.1) and were third behind only Washington and Western Kentucky among the sport's most prolific passing offenses.

The Mississippi State football team will go forward with its ReliaQuest Bowl game appearance against Illinois on Jan. 2.

Interim athletic director Bracky Brett revealed the news to ESPN's Chris Low on Tuesday, one day after head coach Mike Leach died from complications of a heart condition.

The 61-year-old Leach coached at Mississippi State for three seasons after stints with Texas Tech (2000-09) and Washington State (2012-19). He led the Bulldogs to an 8-4 record this season capped by a 24-22 victory over Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl.

The Bulldogs ended the season winning three of four games, including victories over Auburn (39-33 in overtime) and East Tennessee State (56-7).

Thanks to that stretch, Mississippi State earned its best season under Leach, who led six of his teams to top-25 finishes in the Associated Press poll. This year's Bulldogs team is currently No. 24.

Leach went 158-107 during his career. Seventeen of his 21 teams finished with winning records.

The ReliaQuest Bowl will take place in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET between the Bulldogs and Illinois, who also finished with an 8-4 record.

Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett will lead the team in the bowl game as its interim head coach.

Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach has died at the age of 61.

The school announced on Tuesday that Leach died due to complications from a heart condition.

"Mike was a giving and attentive husband, father and grandfather," the Leach family said in a statement. "He was able to participate in organ donation at UMMC as a final act of charity. We are supported and uplifted by the outpouring of love and prayers from family, friends, Mississippi State University, the hospital staff, and football fans around the world. Thank you for sharing in the joy of our beloved husband and father's life."

The university announced on Sunday that Leach had a "personal health issue" at his home and was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center by ambulance.

In a follow-up statement on Monday, Leach was said to be in critical condition.

USC head coach Lincoln Riley and Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who both played for Leach at Texas Tech, paid tribute to their former coach:

The University of Alabama issued a statement from Nick Saban about Leach:

Leach just finished his third regular season as Bulldogs head coach. He was hired in January 2020 to replace Joe Moorhead. The California native improved his win total in each of his three seasons at Mississippi State, including an 8-4 mark in 2022.

A graduate of BYU in 1983, Leach moved into coaching four years later when he was hired as the offensive line coach at Cal Poly. He went on to spend 11 seasons from 1989 to 1999 as an assistant and offensive coordinator at Iowa Wesleyan, Valdosta State, Kentucky and Oklahoma.

Texas Tech gave Leach his first head-coaching opportunity in 2000. He led the program to an 84-43 record in 10 seasons, including tying the school record with 11 wins in 2008.

Leach was hired to rebuild the Washington State football team in November 2011. He took over a program coming off five consecutive losing seasons. After a 3-9 record in his first season, the Cougars made bowl appearances in six of the next seven years.

Washington State won a school record 11 games during the 2018 season.

Leach went 158-107 with eight bowl wins in 21 seasons as a head coach. Current successful college coaches such as Riley, Sonny Dykes, Dave Aranda and Dana Holgorsen all worked under Leach during his career.

Highly touted edge-rusher Keon Keeley committed to Alabama on Monday.

Keeley is the No. 10 overall player and top-ranked talent at his position in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2023 recruiting class. He originally committed to Notre Dame before walking back his decision in August.

The Crimson Tide are on track to finish first in 247Sports' composite team rankings for next year. Keeley is their third 5-star commit, joining safety Caleb Downs and running back Justice Haynes. Head coach Nick Saban already got a commitment from 4-star edge-rusher Yhonzae Pierre as well.

Keeley told On3's Chad Simmons he had narrowed his final candidates to Alabama and Ohio State and explained why the former was his ultimate choice:

I really liked the culture and the coaching staff. It's just a rare opportunity to go to the University of Alabama to play football for such a prestigious coach like Coach Saban. It's a great opportunity to go play, and you look at the track record of the outside linebacker position, they've had a bunch of guys drafted in the past five years. Alabama is Alabama, and I just felt like, 'Why not 'Bama?' It's a rare opportunity, and I'm blessed to be able to have it.

Coincidentally, 247Sports' Andrew Ivins scouted Keeley in May and compared him to former Buckeyes standout, Chase Young:

Has a bit of a natural up-right demeanor to him, but isn't exactly stiff, and has shown time and time again on Friday nights that he can bend and find some leverage. Does a variety of different things well at this stage in his development, but the most promising trait might be his motor and ability to make stops/plays in backside pursuit. Has experience working out of both a two and three-point stance in a 4-3 base defense. Superb snap anticipation allows him to quickly shoot into the backfield and get to work.

Ohio State has seen its fair share of elite pass-rushers cycle through the program in recent years. Young and Nick Bosa were the No. 2 overall picks in 2020 and 2019, respectively, and Joey Bosa was the third overall pick in 2016.

But it's not hard to see why Keeley thought Alabama presented him with a better opportunity.

Will Anderson Jr., who's the top player on Bleacher Report's 2023 big board, is poised to be a top-five selection this spring. He'll join the large list of former Crimson Tide stars along the front seven to come off the board in the first round.

Anderson's departure could potentially open the door for Keeley to carve out a meaningful role on the defense immediately. He'll have stiff competition from Jeremiah Alexander and Jihaad Campbell, who were both 5-star recruits in 2022.

As the cliche goes, pressure makes diamonds. Keeley might be counting on the talent Alabama already has at outside linebacker push him to realize his full potential in college.

Texas and Oklahoma may be leaving the Big 12 for the SEC sooner than expected.

Brett McMurphy of The Action Network reported the "climate is right" for the two powerhouses to get out of their SEC contracts ahead of the 2024 season. Texas and Oklahoma are currently slated to join the SEC in 2025.

While the Big 12 appeared to be in danger of dissolving in the immediate aftermath of Texas and Oklahoma announcing their departures, the league instead rebounded to add BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston. The addition of those four schools helped the Big 12 land a new television contract and arguably helped pave the way for the Red River Rivals to leave early.

The SEC may also be motivated to bring Texas and Oklahoma into the fold in 2024 ahead of the College Football Playoff's expansion to 12 teams. The Big Ten will add USC and UCLA in 2024, potentially getting a year headstart on the "superconference" trend.

Adding Texas and Oklahoma in 2024 would keep the SEC on equal footing with the Big Ten. The SEC's new television contract with ESPN also starts in 2024 and includes a clause that requires the network to increase the value of the deal for new members.

"The Big 12 would like it to happen a year early, the SEC would like OU and Texas a year early, but FOX could care less and I'm not sure what ESPN will do," a source told McMurphy.

ESPN's desire to start paying out the Texas-and-Oklahoma-sized pay checks may ultimately wind up deciding whether the two schools wind up in the SEC in 2024 or have to wait.

Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach was transported to the hospital by ambulance from his home Sunday with a "personal health issue," the school announced in a statement on Sunday.

The school announced Monday that Leach "remains in critical condition."

Mississippi State added it will provide more information on Leach's condition via social media once it becomes available.

Mississippi State defensive coordinator Zach Arnett has been placed in charge of the football team until Leach returns. The Bulldogs are preparing to face the Illinois Fighting Illini in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 2.

Leach is in his third season as head coach of Mississippi State, leading the team to a 19-17 record in that span, including 8-4 this season.

The Bulldogs have earned a bowl berth in each of Leach's three seasons, beating Tulsa in the 2020 Armed Forces Bowl and falling to Texas Tech in the 2021 Liberty Bowl.

Before joining Mississippi State, Leach served as head coach at Texas Tech for 10 seasons from 2000-09. He then served as head coach at Washington State for eight seasons from 2012-19.

The 61-year-old has an all-time record of 158-107 and 8-9 in bowl games.