SEC Football

Peyton Manning is heading back to Knoxville.

The Tennessee legend and NFL Hall of Famer will serve as a celebrity guest picker for College GameDay on Saturday ahead of the Volunteers hosting Alabama in a crucial SEC showdown at 3:30 p.m. ET, per ESPN's Field Yates.

Both teams have started the season undefeated, with Alabama (6-0) ranked No. 3 overall by the Associated Press and Tennessee ranked No. 6. They are two of six ranked teams from the SEC, joining No. 1 Georgia (6-0), No. 9 Ole Miss (6-0), No. 16 Mississippi State (5-1) and No. 22 Kentucky (4-2).

Tennessee hasn't won an SEC title since 1998, one year after Manning left for the NFL. The Volunteers won the national title that season. They also won the SEC in 1997, Manning's final year.

Now, he'll be back in Knoxville for a crucial game as Tennessee looks to move one step closer to ending that drought.

Texas A&M legend Johnny Manziel thought Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher should've turned to another page of the playbook for the final play of Saturday's game against Alabama.

Haynes King's pass to Evan Stewart fell incomplete as time expired, helping the Crimson Tide stave off the upset bid and win 24-20. Manziel was among those calling out Fisher after the game:

The coach defended the call, telling reporters it had worked earlier in the game:

If King released the ball earlier, he might have had Stewart for a game-winning score. By the time he got rid of the ball, it would've taken something special to find the freshman wideout. And it's not as if one or more other Aggies receivers were running free in the end zone, either.

King hasn't played well this season, with Fisher turning to Max Johnson after two games, and he only started Saturday because Johnson suffered a hand injury. Knowing that, it might have been better to call a play that didn't require the sophomore signal-caller to make the kind of throw that was needed on the last play.

Fisher's response will also do little to quell the growing narrative that he's too stubborn to recognize his own limitations and bring a new voice to play-calling duties.

Alabama may not know if quarterback Bryce Young will be under center for Saturday's game against Texas A&M until right before kickoff.

Head coach Nick Saban said the reigning Heisman Trophy winner did not suffer any structural damage to his right shoulder during the victory over Arkansas and threw during Wednesday's practice, but a decision on his status could come during pregame warmups.

"Bryce has been practicing, and all week, he's been saying that he could play," Saban told Chris Low of ESPN. "But that's going to be a medical decision. We've still got some time, and I want to talk more to Bryce. He's the only one who knows how he feels because it's going to be a pain tolerance thing."

Young suffered the injury in the second quarter of the 49-26 win when he was tackled on the scramble. He remained in for one more series before eventually going to the locker room and never returned to the game.

"There's nothing wrong with his rotator cuff or anything like that, nothing that's going to keep him out long term," Saban said. "We hope we get him back this week, but it's still too early to make that call."

It seemed like the Crimson Tide were going to cruise even without their star quarterback when they built a 28-0 advantage in the second quarter, but the Razorbacks came flying back with 23 unanswered points.

Just when it seemed like Alabama's undefeated season and inside track to the College Football Playoff may disappear with arguably the top player in college football on the sidelines, it scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored two of them, with the first coming on a 72-yard run and the second coming on a 76-yard run. He finished with 206 yards on 18 carries and put the team on his back when it needed it the most.

Backup quarterback Jalen Milroe went 4-of-9 passing for 65 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions while adding 91 yards and a score on the ground in place of Young. It wasn't a Heisman-worthy showing, but he did more than enough to keep the offense afloat in the win.

The game between Alabama and Texas A&M was one of the most anticipated ones of the season at one time after Saban and Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher had a verbal spat this offseason.

However, the contest has lost some luster, and not because of Young's injury.

Rather, Texas A&M has struggled out of the gates at 3-2 with losses to Appalachian State and Mississippi State to go with narrow and, at times, ugly wins over Arkansas and Miami.

The Crimson Tide may not even need Young to win this game, but his status will be closely monitored before kickoff.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is considered "day-to-day" after leaving Saturday's game with a shoulder injury.

"He's got a little bit of a shoulder injury," head coach Nick Saban told reporters Monday. "It's not a long-term injury."

Young suffered the injury in the first half of the SEC battle against Arkansas, but backup Jalen Milroe was able to keep the Crimson Tide afloat in the 49-26 victory.

Alabama is scheduled to host Texas A&M on Saturday.

Losing Young for any amount of time would represent a major setback for Alabama. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner tallied 4,872 passing yards with 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions last year while leading the squad to the national championship game.

The quarterback has been just as impressive this season with 1,202 passing yards and 14 touchdowns with only three picks, adding three rushing touchdowns in five games.

Milroe was inconsistent as a passer against Arkansas, finishing 4-of-9 for 65 yards and a touchdown, although he showcased his athleticism with 91 rushing yards and a touchdown.

The Texas native was a 4-star recruit in the 2021 class and the No. 13 quarterback in 247Sports' composite rankings.

If Young is unable to play Saturday, fans should expect a heavy rushing attack led by Jahmyr Gibbs.

The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs narrowly defeated the Missouri Tigers 26-22 on Saturday night at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium to remain undefeated on the season, but it was a far from perfect game from Kirby Smart's side.

The Bulldogs trailed 19-12 entering the fourth quarter as both the offense and defense struggled to get going. Luckily for the Bulldogs, the offense put up 14 points in the fourth quarter for the comeback victory.

Tight end Brock Bowers led the receiving group with five catches for 66 yards. Running backs Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards combined for 112 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

However, quarterback Stetson Bennett was average at best on Saturday night, completing 24 of 43 passes for 312 yards. He didn't toss a single touchdown.

"Well, he didn't play his best game. He'll be the first to tell you that," Smart said of Bennett on the SEC Network after the game. "But give Missouri some credit. These kids came out here and balled today."

Fans agreed with Smart's assessment of Bennett's performance, calling out the quarterback on Twitter following Georgia's narrow victory.

While Bennett's performance Saturday was undoubtedly average at best, there's no reason to believe his struggles will continue moving forward.

Bennett has completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 1,536 yards and five touchdowns against one interception this season, which is respectable. He has also rushed for 42 yards and four scores.

In addition, Bennett has stepped up when needed to power Georgia to victory. There's no reason to believe he can't continue doing so.

Georgia will take on unranked Auburn next weekend looking to extend its record to 6-0.

Alabama quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young left Saturday's game against Arkansas with a sprained shoulder, head coach Nick Saban told CBS Sports' Jenny Dell.

“Hopefully we’ll get some diagnosis on him and see how he goes," he added.

Young was on the sideline at the start of the second half with his helmet on after exiting in the second quarter, but he never returned to the field as the Crimson Tide rolled to a 49-26 win.

Young initially appeared to be in discomfort as he headed toward the injury tent during the second quarter of the game with the No. 2 Crimson Tide leading the No. 20 Razorbacks 14-0:

According to ESPN's Alex Scarborough, Young's parents went down to the field while he was in the tent, and he then went to the locker room.

Per AL.com's Mike Rodak, CBS sideline reporter Jenny Dell said she heard a "very extreme yell" as Young threw down his helmet and entered the tent.

Rodak noted Young appeared to suffer the injury when he landed hard on his right throwing arm while getting pushed out of bounds by Arkansas' Drew Sanders.

Young is arguably the biggest star in college football after he completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season in his first campaign as a starter.

The Tide fell short of a title, losing to Georgia in the national championship game, but due largely to Young's presence, they entered 2022 among the favorites to win it all.

Entering Saturday's contest, Young was off to a hot start and in the thick of the Heisman race again, throwing for 1,029 yards, 13 touchdowns and two picks for the 4-0 Crimson Tide.

Prior to exiting against Arkansas, Young had thrown for 173 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and he rushed for a touchdown.

The injured Young was replaced by redshirt freshman Jalen Milroe, who has seen limited action over the past season-plus.

In 2021, Milroe threw for 41 yards and one touchdown. Entering Saturday, he had thrown for 86 yards, one touchdown and one pick this season, while also rushing for 72 yards.

Despite Alabama's deep, talented roster, the looming matchup with No. 17 Texas A&M could prove tougher than expected if Young's injury keeps him out.

Kentucky quarterback Will Levis saw his Heisman Trophy chances take a serious hit Saturday as the seventh-ranked Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season, falling to No. 14 Ole Miss 22-19 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.

Levis' baseline numbers were solid—18-of-24 for 220 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions—but UK struggled to generate big plays and couldn't complete a second-half comeback. Each of the team's final two drives in the fourth quarter ended with fumbles by the senior signal-caller in the Rebels' red zone.

His inability to protect the football came after he suffered a gruesome finger injury in the first half, but he didn't come out of the contest.

Here's a look at some social media reaction to Levis' performance:

Freshman running back Quinshon Judkins led the charge for Ole Miss with 106 rushing yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Malik Heath added six catches for 100 yards as the Rebels, who could crack next week's Top 10, improved to 5-0.

Kentucky's four-game winning streak to open the season included a road victory over No. 12 Florida to spark its surge up the rankings.

The Wildcats still have some high-profile games left, including clashes with No. 1 Georgia and No. 8 Tennessee, so their unexpected push toward the College Football Playoff isn't totally dead, but Saturday's loss is a setback.

Levis would also need a nearly flawless remainder of the campaign to put himself back in a crowded Heisman conversation being led by a trio of quarterbacks: Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Alabama's Bryce Young and Kansas' Jalon Daniels.

UK returns to action next Saturday when it heads home to Kroger Field to host South Carolina.

The University of Florida announced Tuesday that the football team's upcoming home game against Eastern Washington has been pushed from Saturday to Sunday as Hurricane Ian continues its path toward Florida.

Hurricane Ian is a Category 3 storm expected to make landfall in Florida late Wednesday or early Thursday, per Matthew Cappucci of the Washington Post.

A statewide emergency was declared last Saturday for 24 counties after the storm strengthened into a tropical depression. Some 2.5 million people are under evacuation orders.

Zach Rosenthal of the Washington Post provided more information on what may be next.

"Ian is expected to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane but will likely weaken when it makes landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast," Rosenthal wrote. "Forecasters are predicting landfall to the south of Tampa—a city highly vulnerable to storm surge."

Other sports teams in Florida have also been affected.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are practicing at the Miami Dolphins facility this week, but they are still expected to host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday evening.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have postponed a pair of preseason home games this week.

Other games remain status quo. Of note, Florida State football's home matchup with Wake Forest is still scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

South Carolina football will face South Carolina State two days earlier in an attempt to avoid Hurricane Ian, according to Alex Scarborough of ESPN.

The game was initially scheduled for Saturday at noon E.T., but it will now be played on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

"Due to the potential impact of the hurricane on Columbia and the surrounding area, it is in the best interest of safety to play the game on Thursday rather than Saturday afternoon," South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said in a statement.

Hurricane Ian is projected to make landfall in Tampa Bay, Florida, on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with 2.5 million people in Florida already under evacuation orders, per ABC News.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved from their practice facility on Tuesday and will spend time at the Miami Dolphins' facility in South Florida. The Buccaneers are set to host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, but the game could be moved if necessary.

The storm could travel up the coast after making landfall, with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division urging residents to monitor the situation.

The University of South Carolina is looking to avoid any complications later in the week by adjusting its schedule against the in-state opponent.

"Based on the current forecast and expected weather conditions as well as information from our campus, state and local law enforcement agencies, at this time, the University is confident in our ability to host the game on Thursday at Williams-Brice Stadium."

South Carolina is 2-2 so far this season, losing both of its SEC games but easily beating Georgia State and Charlotte in the nonconference slate. South Carolina State in 1-2 to begin the year, with the Bulldogs preparing to play their fourth straight road game to open 2022.

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Javon Bullard was arrested Sunday morning by the university's police department on seven misdemeanor charges, according to Jordan D. Hill of 247Sports.

Driving under the influence is among the charges, per Hill.

Bullard was booked into Athens-Clarke County Jail at 4:57 a.m. ET on Sunday after being arrested by UGA police. The arrest came just hours after Georgia's 39-22 win over Kent State. He was released at 8:30 a.m. on $4,250 worth of bonds.

The Athens-Clarke County online jail log (h/t 247Sports) lists "license to be carried and exhibited on demand; improper turning; furnishing, purchasing, and possession of alcoholic beverages as a person under 21 years old; failure to maintain lane/improper driving on road; not using lighted headlights and other lights when required; and physically holding or supporting—with any part of his body—a wireless device" as the other charges Bullard is facing.

Bullard committed to Georgia as a 3-star prospect in the 2021 class out of Baldwin High School in Milledgeville, Georgia. In six games as a freshman, he posted 12 tackles.

The 5'11", 180-pound sophomore earned Georgia's starting nickelback job entering Week 1 this season. Through four games, he has posted seven tackles and one pass breakup.

UGA officials have not commented on Bullard's arrest, and his status with the football program moving forward is unclear.

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 1 in the nation, are 4-0 on the season following wins over Kent State, Oregon, Samford and South Carolina. They are set to face unranked Missouri next weekend.