Here is the latest SEC sports news from The Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida has lost six consecutive games away from the friendly confines of the Swamp. It’s a skid the Gators hope to end when they open SEC play at Auburn on Saturday night. It’s a pivotal, early season game for both programs, with Florida’s Jon Sumrall and Auburn’s Alex Golesh looking for a signature win. Florida is a 2 ½-point favorite in a matchup filled with subplots. Sumrall is 0-4 against Auburn, including 0-2 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. He was on the wrong side of lopsided road losses as a Kentucky linebacker in 2004 and as a Kentucky assistant in 2020.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Lane Kiffin says he expects a lot of attention and “hatred” this week as his No. 7 LSU Tigers prepare to visit No. 8 Mississippi on Saturday night. Kiffin says he’s heard about safety concerns and that security personnel are planning for that. But Kiffin also says “both sides won” when he left Ole Miss for LSU last year because this week’s meeting will be the first since 1962 to kickoff with both teams ranked in the top 10 in the AP poll. Kiffin says he understands the game is unusual because it features a program he spent five years building against a team he’s trying to rebuild now.
UNDATED (AP) — Proponents of the Protect College Sports Act are pushing to pass the legislation through the Senate before the chamber breaks in the coming weeks. The bill aims to regulate escalating spending in college sports as schools can now pay players. Major conferences, Senate leadership and President Donald Trump support the bipartisan bill, but it faces opposition that could derail it. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy opposes the bill, arguing it protects industry profits over athlete compensation. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, a co-sponsor, has been actively promoting it.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has seen the view from No. 1 and knows the fall from the college football summit can be hard. The goal now is to make sure they get more than a fleeting glimpse. Texas moved to No. 1 after a wild 24-23 comeback victory over Ohio State on Saturday. The Longhorns started last season No. 1 but lost their season opener and missed the playoffs. Texas plays UTSA this week before starting Southeastern Conference play Sept. 26 at No. 15 Tennessee.
UNDATED (AP) — After knocking off top-ranked Ohio State, Texas is the new No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll. Ohio State dropped out of the top five for the first time in two seasons. Oregon dropped 15 spots to No. 21 after losing at Oklahoma State. Michigan has returned to the poll at No. 19 following a win over Oklahoma, which fell to No. 24. Georgia and Notre Dame held their places at No. 2 and No. 3. Indiana and Miami moved up to No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
UNDATED (AP) — The Big Ten faced a tough Week 2 in college football, with Ohio State losing a 20-point lead to Texas and Oregon getting upset by Oklahoma State. The conference lost six of eight games against Power Four opponents. Meanwhile, the SEC won five of seven nonconference games, including two against the Big Ten. Texas’s comeback over Ohio State and Oregon’s struggles were major talking points. Oregon’s loss dropped the Ducks from No. 6 to No. 21 in the AP poll. Michigan and Iowa managed wins, but the Big Ten’s overall performance raised concerns about its strength this season.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee coach Josh Heupel says that senior tight end Ethan Davis will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury for the 15th-ranked Volunteers. Davis opened the scoring for a second straight game for Tennessee (2-0) with a 25-yard touchdown catch on the Volunteers’ first possession in a 45-24 win at Georgia Tech. The 6-foot-5, 247-pound tight end has played 26 games with 39 career receptions for 433 yards and six touchdowns. He joins a growing list of Volunteers with season-ending injuries, including wide receiver Joakim Dodson and starting safety Edrees Farooq.
UNDATED (AP) — Six of the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff would be from the Southeastern Conference and two of the four first-round games would be all-SEC matchups based on The Associated Press Top 25 poll. Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame and Indiana would be the top four seeds. First-round games would be No. 9 seed Texas A&M at No. 8 Mississippi, No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Miami, No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 LSU and No. 11 BYU at No. 6 Ohio State.
