Nick Saban is not around to save SEC football anymore. But, would Saban coming out of retirement rally the SEC? Probably not much.
As the SEC descends, the Big Ten grows in strength.
Saban saw writing on the wall: NIL and transfer free agency would strip away at Alabama and SEC chokehold on power.

In any case, he’s not around to save SEC football anymore. The once-mighty conference is knee-deep in a postseason flop, while the GOAT who helped propel the SEC as Alabama’s coach breaks it all down on a television set.

As the SEC descends, the Big Ten grows in strength.

Is the SEC’s loss on its grip of power as simple as Saban retiring? No. That barely scratches the surface.

On this edition of ‘SEC Football Unfiltered,’ a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate why the SEC has fallen off its throne as college football’s overlord and why not even Saban could have prevented this.

Toppmeyer says Alabama’s whimpering finish under Indiana’s fist at the Rose Bowl shows just how far the SEC has fallen. He compares the Tide to a Big Ten team that finished 9-4.

Even Paul Finebaum, generally a staunch supporter of the SEC, says this postseason has been a “terrible” showing for the conference where it “Just Means More.”  

The SEC’s humbling outcomes include Tennessee losing to Illinois and Vanderbilt falling to Iowa, a pair of Big Ten flexes in bowl games. Indiana didn’t just flex on Alabama. It annihilated the Tide.

Here’s the upshot:

Did the SEC relinquish its perch because Nick Saban retired?

Toppmeyer: No. It’s the other way around. Saban had the foresight to realize the SEC and Alabama would have a tougher time maintaining its edge in a landscape where donors could openly pay players and athletes could transfer without penalty. He saw the writing on the wall and got out.

Give Saban his flowers. From the 2006 through 2022 seasons, a 17-year span, the SEC produced 13 national champions. Saban delivered six of those titles. His last came in the 2020 season. Notably, that was the final season before NIL and transfer free agency began.

Saban perfected the blueprint for the landscape before NIL and transfer free agency. Kirby Smart learned Saban’s blueprint and used it to win back-to-back national titles at Georgia.

College football’s evolutions since 2021 made it so that Saban’s sign, stockpile and develop blueprint isn’t the only way to pursue greatness.

Adams: No. The SEC didn’t stumble because Saban retired. Saban retired, because he knew the SEC (and Alabama) would stumble. Once it became harder for coaches to control the athletes, Saban wanted no part of this.

Why has the SEC slipped?

Toppmeyer: You can’t point to just one thing. A number of factors contributed to this. The SEC’s gleaming facilities, competitive recruiting budgets, unbridled fan and donor passion, and prime location in a portion of the country that pumps out premier recruits gave it a leg up in the era before NIL and transfer free agency.

Plus, the SEC sort of mastered the art of recruiting in a time before above-board pay-for-play, if you catch my drift. Even beyond the SEC’s footprint, before NIL, why wouldn’t a top prospect from California or Texas want to play for a blue blood like Alabama and compete inside the SEC’s cathedrals, while prepping for the NFL?

SEC schools, by and large, acquired the most high school talent, and retaining talent was easier within the old rules structure. Plus, the SEC generally attracted the nation’s best coaches.

Now that anyone can buy players, booster bucks are spreading out the talent to places like Texas Tech, Miami and lands in between. Schools that don’t sit in fertile high school recruiting terrain (see Indiana) can pack a punch by nabbing instant-impact transfers who come with experience.

The SEC still holds good cards, but it doesn’t horde them like before the 2021 rules changes.

Adams: Well said. I’ll add one more item for consideration. Used to be, players aimed to use college ball to set them up for NFL value. The best players were in the SEC, so that’s where the top recruits wanted to be, too.

It’s like Frank Sinatra sang about New York: If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.

If you could make it in the SEC, you could make it in the NFL.

Now, players don’t have to wait for the NFL to cash in on their value. They can cash checks from a West Texas billionaire just as easily as they can cash checks in Alabama. Oregon’s got money, too. And Indiana. And Miami.

The talent’s getting spread out, because players are cashing in on their value now, and striking deals across the land, instead of everyone gravitating to one conference that served as the NFL’s minor leagues.

So, is the SEC still the top football conference?

Toppmeyer: No. The Big Ten has that claim right now.

You can’t argue the facts. The Big Ten has produced the past two national champions and is well positioned to produce another, with Indiana and Oregon in the semifinals. The B1G’s crème de la crème has become sweeter than the SEC’s. The SEC’s down-ballot depth advantage eroded, too. Iowa showed us that by handling Vanderbilt. The SEC remains a top-two conference, but it’s staring up at the Big Ten.

Adams: No. Advantage, Big Ten.

The SEC’s best argument at the moment might amount to: “Our last-place team is better than the Big Ten’s last-place team.” What a meek argument that is. That’s a loser’s battle cry.

Later in the episode

∎ Toppmeyer fesses up: He wishes he could make one change to his Heisman ballot, involving an SEC quarterback.

CFP semifinal picks against the spread!

Toppmeyer’s CFP picks (picks in bold):

∎ Oregon vs. Indiana (-4)

∎ Miami (-3.5) vs. Mississippi

Season record: 42-41 (3-1 last week)

—Adams’ CFP picks (picks in bold):

∎ Oregon vs. Indiana (-4)

∎ Miami (-3.5) vs. Mississippi

Season record: 44-39 (2-2 last week)

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios’ ‘state-of-the-union’ speech to local reporters last week raised eyebrows as his club tries to stay in contention for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Staios attempted to temper fan expectations, citing the club’s struggles, the parity around the league and their goaltending situation.

Meanwhile, reports from Postmedia say Staios continues to shop aggressively in the trade market seeking a right-shot defenseman and a depth forward, with the defense being the priority.

The Senators revisited their interest in Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, per a report. They’re not the only club interested in the 29-year-old blueliner, as the Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings are believed to be among the suitors.

Some teams have asked Staios about prospect defensemen Carter Yakemchuk and Logan Hensler, but he doesn’t want to part with those promising youngsters. That’s understandable, as the Senators’ prospect pipeline is not as well-stocked as it once was.

Meanwhile, speculation persists over Kiefer Sherwood’s future with the Vancouver Canucks.

On Saturday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Canucks made another contract offer to the30-year-old right winger. However, he said that a significant gap remains between the two sides, adding that there’s no timetable for a trade or an agreement on a contract.

According to Ben Kuzma and Patrick Johnston of The Province, the possibility of the Canucks retaining Sherwood is “highly unlikely.” There’s not much interest in tripling his $1.5-million cap hit, and his style of play could fetch a good return from contenders such as the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins.

Friedman also provided an update on Edmonton Oilers winger Andrew Mangiapane after he was a healthy scratch on Saturday for the second time in three games.

The Oilers signed Mangiapane to a two-year contract last July, but the 29-year-old left winger struggled to produce despite seeing top-six minutes during the first two months of this season. Being scratched from a Dec. 29 game against the Winnipeg Jets stoked speculation that he could be traded.

Friedman believes there are some clubs interested in Mangiapane, mentioning the Anaheim Ducks had been poking around. Meanwhile, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal indicated that NHL insider Frank Seravalli suggested the Winnipeg Jets and New Jersey Devils as potential trade partners.

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There’s an old saying about what NFL means for players and coaches who fail to meet expectations – Not For Long.

While there’s a short list of coaches with real staying power, the ranks of longest-tenured NFL head coaches is being rearranged this week, most notably after the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 6 fired John Harbaugh, ending the Super Bowl-winning coach’s 18-year run with the franchise.

Harbaugh’s tenure was second-longest among active NFL coaches, behind only Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tomlin is preparing the Steelers for an AFC wild-card showdown against the Houston Texans on Jan. 12 after Ravens kicker Tyler Loop missed the potential game-winning kick in the Steelers’ 26-24 win over the Ravens that clinched the AFC North title on Jan. 4.

Tomlin hasn’t been immune to calls for the Steelers to part ways with their longtime coach this season, but that conversation will be shelved as long as the Steelers remain Super Bowl contenders.

For now, here’s a look at the longest-tenured NFL coaches, which aside from Harbaugh was also changed by the Cleveland Browns’ firing of Kevin Stefanski (six years in Cleveland) on Jan. 5, this year’s ‘Black Monday.’

For those wondering, Curly Lambeau in Green Bay (1921-49) and Tom Landry in Dallas (1960-88) are tied for the longest tenure leading one team at 29 seasons.

1. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

Age: 53
Number of seasons: 19
Record with Steelers (through 2025 regular season): 193-114-2 (.628)
Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 13 (2; won Super Bowl 43, lost Super Bowl 45)

2. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs

Age: 67
Number of seasons: 13
Record with Chiefs: 149-64 (.700)
Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 10 (4; won Super Bowl 54, lost Super Bowl 55, won Super Bowl 57, won Super Bowl 58, lost Super Bowl 59)

T3. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills

Age: 51
Number of seasons: 9
Record with Bills: 98-50 (.662)
Playoff berths: 8

T3. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

Age: 39
Number of seasons: 9
Record with Rams: 92-57 (.617)
Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 7 (2; lost Super Bowl 53, won Super Bowl 56)

T3. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers

Age: 46
Number of seasons: 9
Record with 49ers: 82-67 (.550)
Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 5 (1; lost Super Bowl 54, lost Super Bowl 58)

T6. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers

Age: 46
Number of seasons: 7
Record with Packers: 76-40-1 (.654)
Playoff berths: 6

T6. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

Age: 42
Number of seasons: 7
Record with Bengals: 52-63-1 (.453
Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 2 (1; lost Super Bowl 56)

T8. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions

Age: 49
Number of seasons: 5
Record with Lions: 48-36-1 (.571)
Playoff berths: 2

T8. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles

Age: 44
Number of seasons: 5
Record with Eagles: 59-26 (.694)
Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 5 (2; lost Super Bowl 57, won Super Bowl 59)

T10. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins

Age: 42
Number of seasons: 4
Record with Dolphins: 35-33 (.515)
Playoff berths: 2

T10. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Age: 62
Number of seasons: 4
Record with Buccaneers: 35-33 (.515)
Playoff berths: 3

Former Texas football star Jordan Shipley has been hospitalized after he suffered ‘severe burns’ in an accident on his ranch on Tuesday afternoon.

Shipley’s family released the following statement via John Bianco, Texas’ senior associate athletics director/communications:

‘Jordan was involved in an accident this afternoon near his hometown of Burnet (Texas). The machine he was operating on his ranch caught fire, and although he managed to get out, it was not before sustaining severe burns on his body in the process.

‘He was able to get to one of his workers on the ranch who drove him to a local hospital. He was then care-flighted to Austin, where he remains in critical but stable condition.’

Shipley, 40, played for Texas from 2006-2009. Teaming up with QB Colt McCoy, he became one of college football’s top receivers his junior and senior year.

A third-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Shipley appeared in 24 NFL games between the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Haydn Fleury was stretchered off the ice and taken to a hospital via ambulance following a scary crash into the boards during Tuesday night’s home game against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Fleury was injured in the latter half of the first period, when he fell awkwardly after he was shoved by Vegas’ Keegan Kolesar and slid hard into the boards, his back taking the brunt of the impact. He was seen on the broadcast moving on the ice while being attended to by a trainer, but he was removed from the playing surface on a backboard and stretcher.

Kolesar was not penalized for his check, but immediately fought Jets captain Adam Lowry when play resumed.

The Golden Knights eventually won the game in overtime, 4-3.

Haydn Fleury injury update

Jets coach Scott Arniel said after the game that Fleury was ‘at the hospital, (he’ll) be staying overnight.’

‘Obviously he’s got a lot of tests to go through,’ Arniel said. ‘(Fleury) does have a broken nose, so there’s a few different things that kind of happened off it. Little bit of everything. Obviously slammed his back, hit his neck, hit his head, and obviously his nose.’

Another Power Four program is losing its starting quarterback, and it’s reportedly pursuing legal avenues in the aftermath.

Demond Williams announced Jan. 6 he’s entering the transfer portal despite re-signing with the school on Jan. 2, according to ESPN. With numerous high-level quarterbacks already committed, the Huskies are likely to search for a replacement despite being late to the punch.

The first-year full-time starter was one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the Big Ten in 2025, passing for 3,065 yards with 25 touchdowns to eight interceptions while rushing for 611 yards and six scores. He’s entering the transfer portal with a do-not-contact tag, according to ESPN.

A do-not-contact tag means teams can’t reach out to Williams first and can only communicate if the player initiates the conversation.

Williams spent a week at Arizona in early 2024 before following Washington coach Jedd Fisch to Seattle as a transfer. Williams was also initially committed to now-LSU coach Lane Kiffin at Mississippi before flipping to Arizona. He was the No. 12-ranked quarterback out of high school and will be one of the best available quarterbacks in the transfer portal two seasons later.

Demond Williams contract

Williams agreed to a new deal with Washington on Jan. 2 to return to the school next season, according to ESPN. However, four days after the transfer portal opened, Williams announced his decision to enter the transfer portal.

Washington is reportedly pursuing legal avenues to enforce his signed contract, according to ESPN. It’s an interesting turn of events, and a likely disappointing one for Washington. In addition, the Big Ten is reportedly taking interest in Williams’ transfer, after a similar situation occurred last season between Wisconsin and Miami.

Demond Williams stats

2024 (Washington): 82-of-105 passing (78.1%) for 944 yards with eight touchdowns to an interception; 83 carries for 282 yards with two touchdowns
2025 (Washington): 246-of-354 passing (69.5%) for 3,065 yards with 25 touchdowns to eight interceptions; 143 carries for 611 yards with six touchdowns

The San Francisco 49ers look to add depth to their injury-riddled linebacker core ahead of their wild-card playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 11.

The 49ers have signed eight-year veteran linebacker Kyzir White for the NFL postseason, according to Yahoo Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

White, 29, played in one game during the 2025 NFL season, suiting up for the Tennessee Titans, for whom he recorded three tackles in a 41-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3.

For his career, White has tallied 618 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and six interceptions. White was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with 119th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

He played four seasons for the Chargers before signing a one-year deal with the Eagles in 2022. White was a part of the Philadelphia team that reached Super Bowl 57 but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. He recorded four tackles in that game, a 38-35 Chiefs win.

White signed a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals in 2023. He led the Cardinals with 90 tackles that season and finished second in tackles in 2024 with 137.

White signed with the Titans’ practice squad in September 2025. He was later released in December.

White took to social media, posting on X, ‘let’s boogie’ in light of his recent signing with the 49ers.

Kyzir White highlights

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