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SEC Football Unfiltered features hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams of the USA TODAY Network serving opinion, debate and analysis on trending college football topics within the Southeastern Conference. No subject is off limits, and no one is above rebuke. Take off the filter and revel in the banter.
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Greg Sankey once mused about the SEC staging its own College Football Playoff. He didn’t follow through, but his conference has an outside shot of claiming half the spots in a 12-team playoff. Not bad, eh? The bubble’s getting awfully crowded, so what’s the most realistic outcome for the SEC? On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams consider the playoff fortunes of the SEC’s seven teams still in the hunt for a bid. They identify five SEC teams that will make the field, and the two playoff contenders that won’t. Later in the episode, Toppmeyer declares Texas’ season a flop and questions whether Steve Sarkisian should be under more scrutiny. The hosts also sound off on the latest in the Lane Kiffin saga, and they grade Virginia Tech’s hire of James Franklin. Finally, Week 13 picks against the spread!
The buyout gods rested. The money cannon ran out of gunpowder. The firing squad took a weekend off. Folks, we just got through a Sunday with no college football coaches fired. Do you believe in miracles? Are the firings finished for this season? Well, about that ... On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams discuss a few SEC coaches who might not be out of the woods yet. Kentucky's Mark Stoops and Oklahoma's Brent Venables are OK for now. There's work left to do. Also, with South Carolina imploding, should Shane Beamer consider an exit for Virginia Tech? And, what to make of Toppmeyer's idea that Tennessee's Josh Heupel turn his eye toward Penn State? Adams weighs in. Later in the episode, the hosts disagree on how many SEC teams are national championship contenders. Is it two, or three? Finally, Week 12 picks against the spread!
The firings will continue until morale improves. Auburn became the latest SEC school to succumb to misery, firing Hugh Freeze on Sunday to put an end to his awful tenure. This becomes Auburn’s third firing in six seasons at a program that once punched at the highest level. As the Tigers limp toward what would be a fifth consecutive losing season, it begs the question: Is this still a good job? On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate the merits of the Auburn job. They consider the candidacy of 10 potential targets, taking a particular shine to one coach who’s thriving at a nearby school in the ACC. Later in the episode, a discussion of whether the SEC can qualify five teams for the College Football Playoff, and whether one of those five might be Texas. Finally, Week 11 picks against the spread!
Brian Kelly came to LSU talking like Nic Cage from "Con Air" and promising national championships. He left a fired coach, with no national titles but plenty of buyout money on the way. LSU is hiring, adding an injection of rocket fuel into the coaching carousel. Of course Lane Kiffin will be attached to this search, but he's not the only brand name worthy of consideration. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate Kiffin's candidacy and that of nine other potential options. Adams loves the idea of Kiffin to LSU, but Toppmeyer's still hung up on Kiffin to Florida. That's if he leaves at all. He's got a playoff team on his hands at Ole Miss. Later in the episode, Week 10 picks against the spread!
All Florida Gators fans want is the second coming of Steve Spurrier. Is that too much to ask? Not if Lane Kiffin wants the job. Kiffin is a slam dunk choice for Florida, but it's not a slam dunk he'll say yes. He's found success and stability at Ole Miss, where his Rebels are a playoff contender. What if Kiffin says no? On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams consider nine candidates for the Florida job with a round of love it, like it or no thanks. They also take the temperature of the hot seats at Auburn and LSU. Finally, Week 9 picks against the spread!
James Franklin is on the market, kicked to the curb by Penn State. He's a proven program builder, and, within the SEC, there are programs that need rebuilt. He's shown he can win in the SEC, too, having succeeded at Vanderbilt. True, he's got a history of flopping in big games, but he's a steady performer. Would any SEC programs be up for such steadiness? On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams consider a few SEC jobs where Franklin might be an upgrade on current or past coaches. Adams says he likes Franklin for Arkansas' opening, plus two other SEC jobs that aren't yet open but might come open soon. Toppmeyer isn't quite as sold on the idea of Franklin reviving his career in the SEC. How do you sell the hire of a guy who just lost to UCLA and Northwestern? Also in this episode, the hosts update their 12-team playoff projection, choosing five SEC teams for the field. Finally, Week 8 picks against the spread!
College football’s 2025 season has become a fraud fest, and Texas auditioned for a starring role during a loss to Florida at The Swamp.Was that enough to get Billy Napier off the hot seat? (No.)But, the result pushed Texas closer to the brink of elimination from College Football Playoff contention, and it raised more questions about Arch Manning.On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate who’s taken up the mantle as the SEC’s top national championship contender, with Texas underwater.That’s difficult to answer. The SEC remains loaded with playoff contenders, but are any of them elite? One host points to Ole Miss as the SEC’s top national championship contender, while the other gives the nod to Alabama.Also, a hot seat temperature reading, and Week 7 picks against the spread!
Hello darkness, my old friend. Let the 'Grumors' begin again. Where will they end? Very likely, in the same place they always do: With Jon Gruden not coaching college football. Arkansas does need a coach, though, after firing Sam Pittman, so who if not Gruden? Bobby Petrino? No thanks. That’s another bad idea. On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams consider potential candidates for the Arkansas job with a round of love it, like it or no thanks. Adams likes a certain ACC coach for the job, while Toppmeyer floats the possibility of a former SEC coach getting back in the conference. Later in the episode … is Alabama back? We’re not yet sure. The Crimson Tide showed more big-game potential in a takedown of Georgia, but this next game against Vanderbilt is a chance to prove consistency required to pursue a national championship. Also, LSU’s problems go beyond the Ole Miss loss. Finally, Week 6 picks against the spread!
The SEC’s rivalries are set, at least for the next four years. The nine-game conference schedule will preserve most premier rivalries, but there are some notable omissions. Alabama-LSU will not be kept annually. Neither will Florida-Tennessee.On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams sound off on the SEC’s assignment of annual opponents. They highlight the teams that received the stiffest rivals draw and the few teams that got off easy. They also identify the rivalries that will be left off the annual schedule that they’ll miss most.Later in the episode, a discussion of LSU-Ole Miss and Alabama-Georgia, and Week 5 picks against the spread!
Oklahoma is back! OK, so that’s a bit premature, but programs have been declared resurrected based on less evidence. Seriously, though, when evaluating SEC teams after three weeks, who’s playing better than Oklahoma? Combine the Sooners’ stout defense with cool-handed transfer quarterback John Mateer, and they’re playing like the SEC's most balanced team. Speaking of good defenses, the way LSU’s is playing has Brian Kelly fired up – especially at reporters looking to throw stones at his team’s 3-0 start. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams each rank their five-best teams in the SEC. It’s a difficult exercise. More than half the conference remains undefeated, and Tennessee showed a punch despite losing in overtime to Georgia. Later in the episode, an examination of just how dire the quarterback situation is at Texas with Arch Manning. Finally, Week 4 picks against the spread!
It’s Billy Napier vs. The Field in the race within the SEC to claim the season’s first buyout check. Florida’s embattled fourth-year coach coughed up the goodwill he built at the end of last season by losing at home to South Florida in Week 2. Gators fans exited The Swamp chanting for Napier’s firing. On this edition of “SEC Football Unfiltered,” hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams reset the hot seat sweepstakes. Napier climbs to No. 1 on their SEC hot seat list. Later in the episode, the hosts debate Oklahoma's playoff stock after a win against Michigan, and they weigh in on Arch Manning's latest performance and Steve Sarkisian's comments about media members on the toilet. Also, Week 3 picks against the spread!
The Kalen DeBoer bandwagon has emptied out. It’s been left to rust. The Script A translated to awful in Alabama’s season opener, and if you're left holding stock in DeBoer, it's trading at a 52-week low. Alabama has about 60 million reasons (aka DeBoer’s buyout) to stay the course with its beleaguered coach. Talk of the hot seat probably remains a wee premature, but there’s no denying this much: There’s trouble in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer is swimming upstream against a strong current after Alabama got whipped by Florida State. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams discuss whether this result puts DeBoer on the hot seat. They’re dumping the idea of Alabama making the playoff, while increasing their stock in two SEC teams that showed promise for a higher-than-expected ceiling. Also, the hosts react to Arch Manning’s lackluster performance in Texas’ loss to Ohio State, and Adams stumps for a certain SEC team to be ranked No. 1 in the polls. Toppmeyer offers an underrated SEC road trip destination. Finally, Week 2 picks against the spread!
Everyone’s cooking up their final College Football Playoff predictions before the season kicks off, but here on “SEC Football Unfiltered,” we’re serving something unique. Why not put two heads together to create the ultimate playoff projection? On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams team up to create a single bracket. Each host gets to select six teams to create the 12-team field, while adhering to the playoff parameters that five conferences must be represented. The selections begin in a chalky manner, before Toppmeyer surprises Adams with one of his ACC selections. Then, Adams leaves Toppmeyer speechless with his sleeper pick from the Big Ten. Later in the episode, they make their Week 1 picks against the spread. For more from Toppmeyer and Adams, sign up for the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered free to your email inbox.
College football is back. And its Week 1 lineup of games is as good as ever. Arch Manning will try to deliver a road victory for No. 1 Texas at No. 2 Ohio State, and No. 9 LSU will aim to assert itself as a contender against No. 6 Clemson, in what will be a pivotal game for Brian Kelly. LSU has never won a season opener under Kelly, who’s entering a pressure-packed season. Hype and pressure surround Manning, too. On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate whether Manning or Kelly faces more pressure in Week 1. The alarmists will be ready to pounce. In reality, either Manning or Kelly can recover from an opening loss, but Manning struggling or LSU losing would lay groundwork ripe for hot takes and overreaction. Later in the episode, the hosts react to the SEC’s decision to add a ninth conference game beginning in 2026 and discuss why this decision helps the SEC in more ways than one, and why it might spur a scheduling change inside the Big Ten, too. For more from Toppmeyer and Adams, sign up for the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered free to your email inbox.
Auburn will retire Cam Newton's jersey number this season, an honor for a quarterback who delivered one of the greatest individual seasons in college football history, complete with a national championship. Newton's got company in the conversation for single-season greatness. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams reminisce about some of the most stellar individual seasons they've witnessed. Adams dials up the wayback machine with memories of Archie Manning, Herschel Walker and Barry Sanders. Toppmeyer highlights seasons supplied by Newton, Tim Tebow, Johnny Manziel and Joe Burrow. With hype for Texas quarterback Arch Manning at a crescendo, can he produce on par with some of those past greats? Adams knows this: He'd rather have Manning starting in Texas' season opener against Ohio State than Quinn Ewers. Later in the episode, the hosts weigh in on Joey Aguilar winning Tennessee's starting quarterback job and what that means for the Vols. For more from Toppmeyer and Adams, sign up for the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered free to your email inbox.
Jon Gruden says he'd "die to coach in the SEC." We must assume he's being hyperbolic, but the former NFL coach sounds serious about wanting to coach again – and wanting to coach in college. He's not the only former coach with an eye toward new opportunities. Former Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher says he's up for a return to the sideline, too. This projects as an active year for the hot seat, so would either Gruden or Fisher be a worthwhile consideration for an SEC athletic director? That debate takes center stage on today's episode, featuring hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams. Their verdict: Neither Gruden nor Fisher would seem particularly appealing within the SEC, although Toppmeyer offers one SEC school that might make some sense, depending on its level of desperation. Of the two possibilities, the hosts agree Gruden offers more intrigue than Fisher, who received everything a coach could want with the Aggies and couldn't make it work. Gruden would be the ultimate wild card. Later in the episode, the hosts weigh in on Alabama naming Ty Simpson its starting quarterback and what that means for Kalen DeBoer's second season. For more from Toppmeyer and Adams, sign up for the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered free to your email inbox.
The SEC buried the Big Ten in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Fire up the preseason chants of superiority, but that will mean squat come College Football Playoff selection time. In fact, the SEC's poll takeover could be a sign of a playoff path filled with landmines, while Big Ten frontrunners Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and Illinois enjoy cleaner routes to the postseason. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams react to the SEC's poll blitz and explain why this should be viewed cautiously for the conference's playoff contenders. They also point to two overrated SEC teams, plus an unranked team that they'd place in the top 25. And they explain why one Big Ten team faces just as much pressure to produce a championship as No. 1 Texas. For more from Toppmeyer and Adams, sign up for the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered free to your email inbox.
Since the College Football Playoff’s inception, Alabama has never gone consecutive seasons without making the field. By missing the playoff last season, the Crimson Tide missed the program’s standard in Kalen DeBoer’s debut. He knows it. Now, Alabama has retooled with effective offseason maneuvering, but is it enough to make the playoff in the face of a tough schedule, with a new starting quarterback? On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams engage in a fact-or-fiction debate regarding several possible scenarios this season, such as whether Alabama will make the playoff, and whether Arch Manning will win the Heisman Trophy. They also rate the top six games involving SEC teams in Week 1. And they weigh in on the fizzled bromance between the SEC and Big Ten. For more from Toppmeyer and Adams, sign up for the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered free to your email inbox.
No SEC football coaches were fired a year ago. What's the encore to that? Well, buckle up for a particularly spicy hot seat this season. Proud programs like Oklahoma, Auburn and Florida starve for success at a level their current coaches haven't proven they can supply. The hot seat doesn't stop there, either. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams identify their top five SEC coaches on the hot seat. Their lists each feature the same quintet of coaches, although they differ on the ordering. At the top of the list, though, they agree on the coach sitting on the SEC's hottest seat. That's Sam Pittman of Arkansas. And the firings realistically could begin as soon as October.
It was a matter of time before a media member introduced the rumor that Nick Saban wants to return to coaching. Greg McElroy did the honors this week, saying that someone "in the know" told him that Saban will coach again. McElroy later denounced the rumor he started. By then, it was too late. The rumor had gained oxygen and made the rounds at SEC media days. Never mind the veracity of this speculation. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams react to the rumor McElroy sparked – that Saban wants to coach again. Neither host gives much credence to the idea of Saban returning to college coaching. They suggest that, if he did return, Alabama would not be the likeliest landing spot. Adams also considers this hypothetical: If Saban and Urban Meyer returned to college coaching, which would fare better? Later in the episode, the hosts respond to Texas being named the overwhelming favorite in the USA TODAY Network's predicted order of finish for the SEC, and Toppmeyer points to a few teams that were underrated in the voting.
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