MIKE LEACH

The Southeastern Conference was perhaps one blocked kick away from perfection on opening weekend, with a few impressive nonconference wins and some no-brainers.

Nick Saban has been vocal about his issues with the status quo in name, image and likeness deals and their use in recruiting.

Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach said it's selfish for players to opt out of bowl games and calls for them to finish what they started.

Snoop Conner ran for two touchdowns and No. 8 Mississippi scored 21 straight points to beat Mississippi State 31-21 on Thursday night in a windy, rainy and cold Egg Bowl.

It's rivalry week across the Southeastern Conference, with plenty of stakes beyond bragging rights.

Alabama coach Nick Saban and Georgia’s Kirby Smart continue to make their ability to field elite defenses a big part of their formula for maintaining consistently elite programs in the Southeastern Conference.

If you’re an AD waffling on a coaching change, the work of Lane Kiffin, Mike Leach and Sam Pittman is an argument for testing the coaching carousel.

An attorney says former Washington State University football coach Nick Rolovich’s termination for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccination was unlawful and an attack on his Catholic faith.

Washington State has fired football coach Nick Rolovich and four of his assistants for refusing a state mandate that all employees get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Bryce Young threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns and No. 5 Alabama rebounded from a loss to rout Mississippi State 49-9 on Saturday night.

Will Rogers threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns and Nathan Pickering sacked Zach Calzada in the end zone late for a safety to lead Mississippi State to a 26-22 win over No. 15 Texas A&M Saturday night.

The Southeastern Conference still has its usual array of potential national title contenders, even if the quarterbacks have changed.

Legendary college football coach Bobby Bowden says he has been diagnosed with a terminal medical condition.

Florida coach Dan Mullen puts a positive spin on losing his three best offensive playmakers.

The commissioner of the American Athletic Conference promised to "conduct a thorough review" after a wild brawl broke out between Tulsa and Mississippi State players Thursday shortly after the Armed Forces Bowl ended. A massive brawl broke out at the end of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl between Tulsa and Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/Ft90Ld3avu — John E. Hoover (@johnehoover) December 31, 2020"I'm not sure what exactly caused that," said Mississippi State coach Mike Leach, who referred to the altercation as a "mosh pit." Mississippi State answered with Rogers' 13-yard throw to Griffin to go ahead 28-19. During the brawl, Mississippi State's De'Monte Russell, in street clothes beneath his jersey, ripped the helmet off Tulsa's TieNeal Martin and appeared to land a punch to Martin's head.

Members of Tulsa and Mississippi State fight after time runs out in the Armed Forces Bowl NCAA college football game Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Jim Cowsert)FORT WORTH, Texas – A bowl victory that increased Mississippi State’s win total this season to four and No. Mississippi State answered with Rogers’ 13-yard throw to Griffin to go ahead 28-19. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs played in their school-record 11th consecutive bowl thanks to pandemic qualification exemptions. Mississippi State: For all of Leach’s Air Raid offenses at various stops, Rogers was his first true freshman quarterback.

When that bowl game was called off because there was not another team available, it suddenly left Army looking for a postseason opponent. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)At a time when team after team had opted out of bowl games, Army found itself in a different sort of situation — left out. “It was a difficult day for all of college football,” said Nick Carparelli, the executive director of Bowl Season, the renamed Football Bowl Association. For the Hokies, the decision ended a 27 straight bowl game run. Some of the canceled bowl games — 15 in all, including three on Sunday alone — included the Bahamas Bowl, Celebration Bowl, Hawaii Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, LA Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, Quick Lane Bowl, Redbox Bowl and Sun Bowl.

2 Alabama heading into a huge ACC matchup at fourth-ranked Notre Dame this week. The rest of the top five remained the same, with Ohio State at No. 1 on their ballots had Clemson third behind Ohio State. Penn State had the fourth-longest active streak behind Alabama (205), Ohio State (138) and Clemson (94). 4 Notre Dame: Another “biggest game of the year” — until the next one.

Alabama quarterback Mac Jones (10) hands off to running back Najee Harris (22) during the second half of the team's NCAA college football game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. Alabama won 63-48. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Alabama won 63-48. 2 Alabama in a game that could very well be first of three meetings between the SEC superpowers. A conference title rematch in Atlanta would surprise no one and another meeting in the College Football Playoff would hardly be shocking. UCF (minus 3 1/2) at Memphis — @alanwooten19Knights have won 13 straight against the Tigers; average score in the last three: 50-42 ... UCF 45-44. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Costello three times as the Razorbacks broke a 20-game SEC losing streak by upsetting No. 16 Mississippi State 21-14 on Saturday night. The Razorbacks allowed plenty of yards but made Mississippi State settle for small chunks. Mississippi State: The loud voices of praise Leach will be quiet this week. Mississippi State will head to Kentucky.

4 Georgia: Two of the SEC’s four top-10 teams meet in an interdivisional matchup in prime time. Both overcame challenges to win their openers, with Georgia rallying for 32 unanswered points with two passing touchdowns by backup quarterback Stetson Bennett to beat Arkansas 37-10. 23 Kentucky for three quarters before pulling away in the fourth for a 29-13 win behind two of Bo Nix's three passing touchdowns. 13 Aggies held Vanderbilt to just 150 yards passing and registered two interceptions, including one in the fourth quarter, to preserve a narrow win. The Wildcats outgained Auburn and played the Tigers tough for three quarters before the game slipped away in the fourth.

14 Oregon returned to The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday, weeks before they start playing, creating a Top 25 as unusual as this season. Further complicating voters' task this week: Two top-10 teams lost to unranked teams at home Saturday. POLL POINTSWhere did the rest of the Big Ten and Pac-12 come back in the poll compared with where they were in the preseason? The only big move up for the previously ranked teams was Miami, which jumped four spots to No. That helped clear some space for re-entering Big Ten and Pac-12 teams.

Mississippi State quarterback K.J. Costello (3) passes in the first half an NCAA college football game against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Mississippi State quarterback K.J. Costello (3) passes in the first half an NCAA college football game against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. Costello passed for an SEC record 623 yards and five touchdowns and the Bulldogs knocked off sixth-ranked LSU 44-34 on Saturday. If we can’t, we are going to have to play more zone.”Four of Costello's touchdown passes covered between 24 and 75 yards. Mississippi State, meanwhile, has made its case to crack the AP Top 25.

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, file photo, Lane Kiffin speaks to Mississippi fans after being announced as the new head football coach during a introductory press conference in Oxford, Miss. In attendance were his children, daughters Presley Kiffin, 13, left, Landry Kiffin, 15, second from left, and son Knox Kiffin, 10. Mississippi State's Mike Leach and Mississippi's Lane Kiffin brought big names and offensive pedigrees to the Magnolia State. But they drew huge challenges for their debuts, with the Bulldogs visiting defending national champion and No. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Mississippi State's Mike Leach and Mississippi's Lane Kiffin brought big names and offensive pedigrees to the Magnolia State. Mike Leach expected to start his first season at Mississippi State versus New Mexico. Instead, both coaches — and their respective offenses — will encounter stiffer challenges in their Magnolia State debuts. 5 Florida and ex-Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen as two-touchdown underdogs. Before Deion Sanders made a prime-time splash when he was hired by Jackson State on Monday; Leach and Kiffin were splashy hires in the state.

In a precarious season when almost nothing feels normal, the SEC does feel like, well, the SEC even without its most prominent passers. And the league opted to continue working toward a season that will include just 10 SEC games with a Sept. 26 start. Alabama coach Nick Saban said that schedule under the circumstances will be good for the fans and players alike. NEW FACESLane Kiffin, head coach, Mississippi; Mike Leach, head coach, Mississippi State: The hiring of these two big-name coaches with impressive offensive pedigrees brought some excitement to the Magnolia State. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: Mason has had his successes with the Commodores, but has also won just 10 SEC games in six seasons.

Texas Tech's Mad Genius Scott Pelley profiles Mike Leach, head coach of Texas Tech's Red Raiders. Leach made up for a lack of money and talent by creating an offense that's changing the way college football is played.