Alabama
Miss State
Ole Miss
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
LEAD STORY: Georgia and Alabama Brace for a Wet, Physical Saturday
Georgia and Alabama have plenty to sort out on the field Saturday, and the weather may make it harder. A tropical system in the Gulf, Invest 92L, is heading toward the central Gulf Coast. Forecasters expect heavy rain for the matchup in Alabama, and stronger conditions are possible. Birmingham meteorologist James Spann posted Tuesday that most intensity guidance now shows the system reaching hurricane strength by the time it hits the central Gulf Coast on Saturday.
As of now, there are no plans to postpone. That decision belongs to Tuscaloosa-area emergency management officials. The outlook still raises questions about how the game will be played and how it will be judged. Torrential rain usually favors the run game and the line of scrimmage over a wide-open passing attack. If field conditions turn borderline, the result could get extra scrutiny if either team ends up on the College Football Playoff bubble. This would not be the first rain-soaked meeting in the series. The 2015 game in Athens was played in cold, wet and miserable conditions.
The Bulldogs don't seem to mind. Georgia's 310-pound defensive lineman Elijah Griffin talked this week about welcoming a physical challenge, and the game is shaping up as an old-fashioned slugfest. Special teams could also matter more than usual. Placekicker Peyton Woodring spoke with the Athens Banner-Herald about kicking in bad weather. On a slick field, one field goal or one mishandled snap could decide the game.
QUICK HITS
Tennessee men's golf rolls in Lexington: The No. 7 Vols won the Cullan Brown Collegiate by 22 strokes on Tuesday. They closed with the third round at Lexington Country Club for their second victory of the fall.
Ole Miss women's golf in contention: The No. 20 Rebels shot a 7-over 295 on Tuesday at Old Waverly Golf Club and enter the final round of The Ally in second place. In a separate event, Vanderbilt recovered from a sluggish start and sits ninth.
Alabama swimming sweeps freshman honors: Crimson Tide swimmers Iman Avdic and Bogdan Zverev were named SEC Freshman Athletes of the Week. Alabama has now won an SEC weekly honor in back-to-back weeks.
Cross country honors pile up: Bennett won his first career SEC Runner of the Week award. Teammate McCullough took SEC Freshman of the Week for the third time this season.
Mississippi State women's basketball sets a unique exhibition: The Bulldogs will face Louisiana Tech on Sunday, Oct. 18, at Choctaw County High School. The game is being held in conjunction with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
Georgia gymnastics opens 2027 ticket process: The Georgia Bulldog Club launched the 2027 Suzanne Yoculan Gymnastics Fund campaign and season ticket requests for Stegeman Coliseum. Contributions and ticket applications are due Nov. 12.
PORTAL WATCH
The transfer portal was quiet across the SEC overnight, with no new entries or commitments involving conference programs. With the regular season in full swing, rosters are mostly set, and attention stays on what happens on the field.
RECRUITING BUZZ
No SEC programs landed new commitments in the last 12 hours. Elsewhere in college basketball recruiting, five-star center Darius Wabbington committed to Indiana. Wabbington is a 6-foot-10 prospect ranked No. 9 in the SC Next 100 for the class of 2027, and he chose the Hoosiers over Arizona and Illinois.
GAMES TO WATCH
No games involving SEC programs are scheduled for today. Saturday's slate already has two notable matchups:
Georgia vs. Alabama: The headliner of the weekend, now with a forecast that could turn it into a ground-and-pound battle. Watch the official game-status updates as Invest 92L moves through the Gulf.
Ole Miss at Vanderbilt: The Commodores host the Rebels in an SEC matchup in Nashville.
Away from football, the Ole Miss women's golf team will try to finish strong in Wednesday's final round at The Ally. It starts the day in second place at Old Waverly.
