SEC loses few annual rivalries, but coaches ‘get it’
The last time LSU and Alabama went an entire season without playing each other, Tigers coach Brian Kelly was a toddler and Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer wouldn’t be born for another 11 years.
During six-plus decades, that annual matchup has had some intense, dramatic moments, such as Kelly’s gamble on a do-or-die, 2-point conversion to end overtime in 2022. Jayden Daniels connected with Mason Taylor, and rapturous fans spilled onto the field in Tiger Stadium.
Under a new scheduling format released by the Southeastern Conference this week, LSU and Alabama won’t play in 2027 — the first time that has happened since 1963. And next season will be the first time since 1970 that the Tigers won’t play the Florida Gators.
“I get it,” Kelly said Wednesday when asked about how unsettling it could be for some to see longstanding annual rivalries end under the conference’s four-year schedule that was released Tuesday.
But the LSU coach added that he also appreciates the SEC’s goal of having all 16 teams play one another at least once every two years, and how that might mean sacrificing some popular annual fixtures.
“You’re going to pull some of those natural rivalries, but you’re not losing them for a long period,” Kelly said. “They managed this and put this in a spot that allows you to play everybody home and away [within a four-year span], and I think that’s pretty exciting.”
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was less enthusiastic about at least one aspect of the new schedule.
While he agreed with keeping LSU and Mississippi State on the Rebels’ schedule each year, he said the inclusion of Oklahoma as an annual opponent was “disappointing” and “doesn’t make any sense — at all.”
“We don’t have anything in common with them or our fans,” said Kiffin, whose program will lose Vanderbilt as an annual fixture on its schedule. “That’s unfortunate with so many great teams that we’ve played for a long time here.”
Each team got three “annual opponents” during the next four seasons, and those could potentially change after 2029.
“Our league has made a business decision,” said Florida coach Billy Napier, who wasn’t yet born the last time the Gators did not play LSU.
Going forward, tailgate parties serving alligator around Death Valley will occur once every four years instead of every other year. Then again, whether that’s good or bad is arguably a matter of taste.
“Obviously, there’s pros and cons,” Napier said. “Some of those things are part of the evolution of the game, part of the evolution of our conference as we add teams to the mix.”
The SEC had the same 12 teams from 1991 until 2012, when Texas A&M and Missouri were added. In 2024, east and west divisions were done away with, and the league increased to 16 teams with the additions of Oklahoma and Texas.
Next year, the conference schedule increases from eight games to nine.
“I love the LSU rivalry game, and certainly that’s been one fun one to play in,” Napier said. “We’ve got great history there, but there’s going to be change that comes with nine games, and I think our league has done a good job formatting that in a way where we’ll get exposure to each team.”
Some yearly fixtures might never go away: Alabama vs. Auburn in the Iron Bowl; Mississippi and Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl; Georgia vs. Florida in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party; and the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry between Georgia and Auburn are some examples.
The Red River Rivalry also will remain an annual game, as will the renewed Lone Star Showdown between the Longhorns and Aggies.
“Rivalries matter. It’s a part of the tradition of this game — fan bases pointing to those football games,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “It’s been important for [the league] to try and protect some of those special games for universities and their fan bases.”
But Tennessee will be losing a popular annual matchup against neighboring Georgia that has gone uninterrupted since 1992.
“There’s probably some people that are upset” about that, Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “It’s a border rivalry. It’s hard to keep all the traditional rivalries. You can only do so many.”
In information distributed among media this week, the SEC stated that while it factored in geography and sought to maintain traditional rivalry games, other aims included increasing the frequency with which teams play all other league schools and promoting competitive balance in a way that might maximize all SEC teams’ chances to qualify for the 12-team College Football Playoff.
“They looked at every possible scenario,” Kelly said, “to come up with equity and fairness.”
Virginia Tech hired James Franklin to be its next head football coach, the school announced Monday.
He will be formally introduced at a news conference Wednesday morning.
“I’m honored and humbled to join the Hokie family,” Franklin said in a statement. “My vision is simple: to restore unmatched excellence, to build something that lasts, and to serve this University, the Commonwealth of Virginia and our amazing fan base with honor, integrity, and passion. I look forward to getting to work with our players, our staff, and the entire Virginia Tech community.”
Franklin was originally owed a $49 million buyout after being fired by Penn State on Oct. 12, but part of his deal with the Hokies, sources confirmed to ESPN, includes a $9 million settlement from the Nittany Lions.
Franklin went 128-60 over 12 seasons at Penn State and three at Vanderbilt. He brings a résumé that includes winning more than 68% of his games, an appearance in the 2024 College Football Playoff semifinals and a Big Ten championship in 2016.
He’ll replace his former defensive coordinator Brent Pry, who was fired in September after an 0-3 start and a 16-24 record with the Hokies through four seasons.
Franklin’s arrival in Blacksburg will give the Hokies their most accomplished coach since Hall of Famer Frank Beamer, who retired in 2015 after 29 seasons at the school. Since that time, Tech has endured the underwhelming tenures of Justin Fuente and Pry as the school struggled to assimilate to modern college football.
After firing Pry, Tech’s board of visitors passed a plan to add $229 million to the athletics budget over the next four years. The move was to help make Tech a more attractive job and attract a candidate who could revive the school’s lagging football fortunes.
“James Franklin embodies the spirit, vision, and relentless pursuit of excellence that will elevate Virginia Tech Football back on the national stage where it belongs,” athletic director Whit Babcock said in a statement. “This is a landmark moment for our program. … James is a dynamic leader, a relentless recruiter, and a coach who has proven he can build and sustain elite, championship-caliber programs. We are thrilled to welcome him and his family to Blacksburg and to entrust him with the future of VT Football.”
In Franklin, the Hokies get an established coach whose availability wasn’t considered a possibility at the start of the 2025 season. Penn State began the season ranked No. 2 in the country and started 3-0 before enduring three straight losses, including a double-overtime loss to No. 6 Oregon when the Nittany Lions were ranked No. 3 in September.
After losses to UCLA and Northwestern, Penn State fired Franklin.
Franklin came to Penn State in 2014 in the throes of NCAA sanctions from the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal. Franklin led the Nittany Lions to the Rose Bowl and Big Ten title in 2016.
Franklin’s tenure was ultimately defined by general success that never manifested at the very highest levels of winning, as he finished 4-21 at Penn State against AP top-10 opponents. Over his 12 seasons there, he led Penn State to six seasons of double-digit victories, including three straight from 2022 to 2024.
The Centre Daily Times was first to report about Penn State’s settlement with Franklin.
Virginia Tech hasn’t won double-digit games since Fuente’s first season in 2016. From 2004 to 2011, Tech won double-digit games each season under Beamer.
Franklin brings strong ties to the I-95 corridor, including the talent-rich DMV area. Along with recruiting that area heavily at Penn State, Franklin coached two stints at Maryland as an assistant and one year at James Madison.
Ohio State and Indiana both won big to keep their undefeated seasons alive, but the rest of the top 5 made things exciting. Texas A&M, after trailing South Carolina 30-3 at the half, stormed back to win by a point. Alabama lost its first conference game of the season to Oklahoma. And Georgia, after battling Texas for three quarters, scored three touchdowns in the final period to win 35-10.
What does it all mean for the AP Top 25? Let’s break down the rankings.
Stats courtesy of ESPN Research.
All times Eastern.
Previous ranking: 1
2025 record: 10-0
Week 12 result: Defeated UCLA 48-10
Stat to know: This is Ohio State’s fourth 10-0 start under Ryan Day.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Rutgers
Previous ranking: 2
2025 record: 11-0
Week 12 result: Defeated Wisconsin 31-7
Stat to know: This is Indiana’s first-ever 11-game win streak.
What’s next: Nov. 28 at Purdue, 7:30 p.m., NBC
Previous ranking: 3
2025 record: 10-0
Week 12 result: Defeated South Carolina 31-30
Stat to know: Texas A&M’s 27-point comeback against South Carolina is the largest in school history.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Samford, noon, SEC Network+
Previous ranking: 5
2025 record: 9-1
Week 12 result: Defeated Texas 35-10
Stat to know: Georgia has won 12 straight home games against AP top 10 teams.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Charlotte, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
Previous ranking: 6
2025 record: 10-1
Week 12 result: Defeated Florida 34-24
Stat to know: Ole Miss is 2-0 when trailing entering the fourth quarter this season.
What’s next: Nov. 28 at Mississippi State, noon
Previous ranking: 8
2025 record: 10-1
Week 12 result: Defeated UCF 48-9
Stat to know: All of Texas Tech’s wins this season have been decided by 20 or more points.
What’s next: Nov. 29 at West Virginia
Previous ranking: 7
2025 record: 9-1
Week 12 result: Defeated Minnesota 42-13
Stat to know: Oregon has won 38 straight games against unranked opponents. That’s the second-longest streak in FBS behind Georgia.
What’s next: Saturday vs. USC, 3:30 p.m., CBS
Previous ranking: 11
2025 record: 8-2
Week 12 result: Defeated Alabama 23-21
Stat to know: Oklahoma had 212 yards of total offense, its fewest in a win since 2001.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Missouri, noon, ABC
Previous ranking: 9
2025 record: 8-2
Week 12 result: Defeated Pittsburgh 37-15
Stat to know: This is Notre Dame’s eighth straight win following its 0-2 start.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Syracuse, 3:30 p.m., NBC
Previous ranking: 4
2025 record: 8-2
Week 12 result: Lost to Oklahoma 23-21
Stat to know: The loss to Oklahoma snapped Alabama’s eight-game win streak.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Eastern Illinois, 2 p.m., SEC Network+
Previous ranking: 12
2025 record: 8-1
Week 12 result: Defeated TCU 44-13
Stat to know: BYU scored on each of its first seven drives against TCU.
What’s next: Saturday at Cincinnati, 8:00 p.m., Fox
Previous ranking: 13
2025 record: 8-2
Week 12 result: Idle
What’s next: Saturday vs. Kentucky, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 15
2025 record: 8-2
Week 12 result: Defeated Baylor 55-28
Stat to know: Utah has scored 45 points or more in its past three games.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Kansas State, 4:00 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 16
2025 record: 8-2
Week 12 result: Defeated NC State 41-7
Stat to know: Miami’s 581 yards against NC State were its most in a conference game since 2020.
What’s next: Saturday at Virginia Tech, noon, ESPN
Previous ranking: 14
2025 record: 9-1
Week 12 result: Defeated Boston College 36-34
Stat to know: Georgia Tech would secure a spot in the ACC title game with a win next week against Pitt.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 17
2025 record: 8-2
Week 12 result: Defeated Iowa 26-21
Stat to know: USC has lost six straight games against top 10 opponents, a streak going back to 2019.
What’s next: Saturday at Oregon, 3:30 p.m., CBS
Previous ranking: 10
2025 record: 7-3
Week 12 result: Lost to Georgia 35-10
Stat to know: The loss to Georgia was the fifth consecutive loss against an AP top-five team for Texas.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Arkansas, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Previous ranking: 18
2025 record: 8-2
Week 12 result: Defeated Northwestern 24-22
Stat to know: Michigan has won nine consecutive games against Northwestern.
What’s next: Saturday at Maryland, 4:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
Previous ranking: 20
2025 record: 9-2
Week 12 result: Defeated Duke 34-17
Stat to know: Virginia is 9-1 in its past 10 games against Duke.
What’s next: Nov. 29 vs. Virginia Tech
Previous ranking: 21
2025 record: 7-3
Week 12 result: Defeated New Mexico State 42-9
Stat to know: Tennessee has 434 points this season, its second-most through ten games in school history.
What’s next: Saturday at Florida, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Previous ranking: 24
2025 record: 9-1
Week 12 result: Defeated App State 58-10
Stat to know: JMU has won eight straight since losing to Louisville in Week 2.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Washington State, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+
Previous ranking: NR
2025 record: 9-1
Week 12 result: Defeated UAB 53-24
Stat to know: This is the first time North Texas has been ranked in the AP poll.
What’s next: Saturday at Rice, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU
Previous ranking: NR
2025 record: 7-3
Week 12 result: Defeated Mississippi State 49-27
Stat to know: Missouri’s 49 points against Mississippi State was its sixth-best mark against an SEC opponent since joining the conference in 2012.
What’s next: Saturday at Oklahoma, noon, ABC
Previous ranking: NR
2025 record: 8-2
Week 12 result: Defeated Florida Atlantic 35-24
Stat to know: Tulane is now 2-1 all time against FAU.
What’s next: Saturday at Temple, 3:45 p.m., ESPNU
Previous ranking: NR
2025 record: 8-2
Week 12 result: Idle
What’s next: Saturday vs. TCU, 4:00 p.m., Fox
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