Breaking news:Billy Napie Replacement is today,Florida  hire Mark Stoops, not Lane Kiffin, and fired Billy Napier see..

Breaking news:Billy Napie Replacement is today,Florida  hire Mark Stoops, not Lane Kiffin, and fired Billy Napier

 

If Florida fires Billy Napier, it will have a decision to make: Pursue Lane Kiffin, or Mark Stoops?

 

Georgia’s loss to Alabama puts the Bulldogs in a bit of a pickle to make the playoff, considering the schedule.

Hugh Freeze, welcome to the hot seat. Billy Napier and Sam Pittman can show you around.

Georgia could get off the mat and win the national championship after losing to Alabama. The Bulldogs have that level of talent. Just one month ago, they were leveling Clemson.

 

Or, alternatively, Georgia could miss the College Football Playoff entirely, in what would be a stunning way to begin the 12-team playoff era.

Meanwhile, the hot seat burns, and Auburn’s Hugh Freeze has elbowed his way in to give Florida’s Billy Napier and Arkansas’ Sam Pittman company in the cooker.

 

On this edition of “SEC Football Unfiltered,” a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams apply a true-or-false verdict to a number of situations unfolding around the conference.

 

Let’s get to it.

 

Georgia will miss the College Football Playoff.

Adams: True. Are they one of the 12-best teams? Probably. That won’t matter, though, if Georgia finishes 9-3. And that’s possible. I’m circling games at Texas and vs. Tennessee as losses.

 

Toppmeyer: False. I’ve got the Bulldogs losing once more but slithering into the field at 10-2.

 

Kirby Smart’s 1-6 record vs. Alabama diminishes our perception of him.

Adams: False. He’s got two national championships and nearly has three. His reputation is secure.

 

Toppmeyer: False. Those two national championships provide the ultimate reputational shield.

 

Alabama and Texas are the SEC’s two best teams.

Adams: True. I’m tempted to submit Tennessee into this discussion, but I can only judge on what we’ve seen unfold, and Alabama and Texas secured the two most impressive September victories of any SEC teams.

 

Toppmeyer: True. They won’t play during the regular season, but I think they’ll meet in Atlanta.

 

Ole Miss will miss the playoff.

Adams: True. I don’t consider Ole Miss a total fraud, but after that loss to Kentucky, I see two more landmines nabbing the Rebels and halting their playoff bid at 9-3.

 

Toppmeyer: True. The Rebels better be on upset alert this week at South Carolina, because the Gamecocks’ defensive front is mean. Even if Ole Miss finishes 10-2, I don’t know if that will be enough for the Rebels to snag a bid. The loss to Kentucky will become an anchor.

 

If Ole Miss misses playoff, Lane Kiffin will be coaching Florida next season.

Adams: True. He’s a natural fit for the job, and if he doesn’t make the playoff with his best Ole Miss roster, he’ll pivot to something new.

 

Toppmeyer: True. How do you look yourself in the mirror after falling short of the playoff with this roster? You don’t. You smash the mirror and move to Florida, where Gators fans would celebrate Kiffin as a kindred spirit to Steve Spurrier.

 

Mark Stoops would be a better hire for Florida than Lane Kiffin.

Adams: False. I answer this one with no hesitation. Florida fans don’t just want to win, they want to be entertained. Stoops isn’t the answer to those desires.

 

Toppmeyer: False. Kiffin is tailormade for the Florida job. Plus, Florida needs a coach to flip the roster and inspire NIL giving. Kiffin has shown at Ole Miss he can do both.

 

Hugh Freeze will be fired this year.

Adams: False. His recruiting class will save him and get him to Year 3.

 

Toppmeyer: True. This is a tough one to answer. I could see that recruiting class saving Freeze, but look at the next three games: at Georgia, at Missouri, at Kentucky. If Auburn loses all three – certainly plausible – and sits at 2-6, fan frustrations will be at a fever pitch. Toss in a few decommitments, and what’s the argument for keeping Freeze then? There isn’t one.

 

Florida State; Adams: Texas Tech at Arizona (-5.5)

 

Season records

Toppmeyer: 18-8 (2-3 last week); Adams: 16-10 (4-1 last week).