Transfer Portal
Some (NFL fans) call it Black Monday. But in the crazed college football world, yesterday was Transfer Portal Monday.
As our routines resume in early January – daily rhythms, work schedules, and shaking off the holiday haze – the college football transfer portal has shown no interest in slowing down.
Five days into the 15-day portal window, more than 4,000 college football players have gone portaling, and many have already signed to their next destination. The most lucrative deal reported belongs to former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who reportedly agreed to a one-year pact worth $5 million to become the signal caller at Texas Tech (can’t wait to see how much money the Red Raiders are going to throw around this cycle).
Over in the SEC, Auburn’s roster will look much different come January 17. The Tigers hosted a multitude of visits, detailed in our Auburn Week in Review, and have already landed nine transfers from South Florida as of Monday Morning. And yes, quarterback Byrum Brown is one of them.
Will Auburn be as talented as last year? On paper, probably not. That roster finished 5-7 for the second straight season, and Auburn has not posted a winning campaign since 2020.
For those skeptical of Auburn’s growing USF pipeline, look no further than Curt Cignetti’s transition from James Madison to Indiana. He brought 13 players with him during the transition, and now in Year 2, the Hoosiers are undefeated and are competing for a national championship as one of the final four teams remaining in the College Football Playoff.
Speaking of the CFP
What a weekend of games we witnessed in the second round of the playoffs. Ohio State, the favorite to win it all throughout the season, suffered its second consecutive loss and was sent packing by Carson Beck and the Miami Hurricanes, a team peaking when it matters most.
Oregon cruised past Texas Tech partly because the Red Raiders were turnover-plagued and could not punch the ball in the end zone.
Alabama was stunned by Indiana and suffered its worst loss since 1998. The Crimson Tide really did not look competitive for much of the contest, prompting much of the fan base to grow restless with Kalen DeBoer after a second consecutive season resulting in four losses.
And then there’s Ole Miss – “America’s team” if that’s what you want to call them — who knocked off Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs in an instant classic that came down to the wire. The Rebels were led by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who turned in an all-time performance: 30-for-46 passing, 362 yards, and two touchdowns.
Ole Miss will now take on Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, as Oregon seeks revenge against Indiana in the Peach Bowl on Friday.
Hardwood Musings: Auburn basketball lacks defensive prowess
In Auburn’s loss to No. 23 Georgia over the weekend, one thing was apparent: the Tigers did not play winning defense.
Stifling defensive play has long been a foundation of the Tigers’ program and is a key reason the Tigers just one of four teams nationally to reach multiple Final Fours in the past six tournaments.
Head coach Steven Pearl said that Auburn committed 127 defensive mistakes against the Bulldogs, “if we’re going to nitpick things.”
The Tigers allowed two Georgia scorers to score more than 24 points, with one going for 31. Auburn’s perimeter defense struggled, and Georgia took advantage down low with 23 2-pointers on 36 attempts.
With Texas A&M on deck and Arkansas set to visit the Plains this weekend, Auburn will have its hands full. Improvement on the defensive end of the floor isn’t optional as the Tigers seek their first conference win. TG
