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LEAD STORY: Connelly Flags Georgia and Ole Miss Ahead of a Loaded Week 9 Saturday
ESPN's Bill Connelly has two SEC heavyweights on upset alert heading into Week 9. In his weekly preview, Connelly asks whether Georgia and Ole Miss can "avoid disaster" this weekend — a warning shot aimed at two of the conference's biggest brands on a Saturday when both face league opponents with everything to play for.
The Ole Miss alarm rings loudest in Oxford, where No. 12 Ole Miss hosts Auburn at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. CT. The Rebels are promising another "Party in the Sip" for the home crowd, but an early kick against an SEC foe is exactly the kind of spot Connelly's preview warns about. Georgia, meanwhile, draws Florida in the annual rivalry matchup — a game that has derailed seasons before and gives the Bulldogs no margin for a flat performance.
Connelly's full preview casts a wider net, also putting Utah on alert and questioning whether Ohio State's backup plan will hold up. But for SEC fans, the takeaway is simple: two ranked conference contenders enter Saturday with ESPN's numbers guru openly wondering if this is the week one of them goes down.
QUICK HITS
Missouri drops exhibition finale at UNLV, 90-81. The Tigers got outworked on the glass — UNLV grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and scored 20 second-chance points. Freshman guard Jason Crowe Jr. logged 36 minutes but committed 5 turnovers, and transfer big Bryson Tiller struggled again, now 4-of-16 from the floor with 10 turnovers across two exhibitions. Jamier Jones, CJ Gunn, and Jaylen Carey all sat out. The games start counting next week.
Texas newcomers carry No. 6 Longhorns past Baylor, 85-64. The sixth-ranked Texas women got 52 points from their newcomers in a double-digit exhibition win — an encouraging sign for a reloaded roster with the season opener approaching.
Auburn closes exhibition slate with an 80-68 win over Samford. Overton and Pettiford paced the Tigers in the finale, giving Auburn a clean sweep of its preseason tune-ups heading into the regular season.
Florida's Skye Blakely makes gymnastics history in Rotterdam. The Gators junior — unsure she'd even compete in the all-around until the night before qualification — left the World Championships with four medals and a place in the sport's history books. An unforgettable turn from one of the SEC's brightest stars.
SEC Cross Country Championships set for Columbia. The conference's distance runners converge on Columbia for the SEC XC Championships, with league titles and NCAA positioning on the line.
PORTAL WATCH
Quiet morning on the transfer front — no new SEC portal entries or commitments reported in the last 12 hours. With football's stretch run underway and basketball rosters locked in for opening week, expect movement to stay minimal until the season's first portal window approaches.
RECRUITING BUZZ
No new commitments to report this morning. The recruiting trail typically heats up around big official-visit weekends, and with marquee matchups like Auburn–Ole Miss and Florida–Georgia on Saturday's slate, plenty of top targets will be in SEC stadiums this weekend. We'll track any dominoes that fall.
GAMES TO WATCH
Football — Saturday's SEC slate:
- Auburn at No. 12 Ole Miss (11:45 a.m. CT, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium) — The Rebels are on Connelly's upset-alert list. Auburn gets an early kick in a hostile environment.
- Florida at Georgia — The annual rivalry showdown, with Georgia also flagged as an upset candidate this week.
- Missouri at Arkansas — Border-adjacent SEC matchup with bowl positioning implications.
- South Carolina at Oklahoma — The Gamecocks hit the road for a cross-division test in Norman.
- Mississippi State at Texas — The Bulldogs face a tough trip to Austin.
Also this weekend: Ole Miss volleyball opens a homestand against Mississippi State on Friday at 6 p.m. CT at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center, and Vanderbilt faces South Carolina in a Friday night matchup. Texas softball hosts Texas State as the fall slate winds down.
It's Halloween weekend in the SEC — and if Connelly's right, somebody's season is about to get spooky. Check back tonight for full coverage.
