Alabama vs. Mississippi State headlines a massive College Football Week 5 as The Next Round goes LIVE with SEC football reaction, College Football Playoff analysis, predictions and the biggest games across the country.

🔥 ALABAMA vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE — BEST QB MATCHUP IN CFB?

Alabama football heads to Starkville for an undefeated SEC showdown with Mississippi State. Keelon Russell vs. Kamario Taylor gives us one of the most exciting quarterback matchups in college football.

Is Alabama-Mississippi State the biggest game of the weekend? And which young QB makes the bigger statement?

Sport & State

The Next Round is LIVE with a complete breakdown of one of the biggest games of the 2026 college football season: No. 2 Georgia at No. 6 Alabama from Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa!

Both SEC powers enter Saturday night 5-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play, setting up a massive showdown between Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama Crimson Tide and Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs. Kickoff is Saturday, October 10 at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC.

We go deep on every angle of Alabama vs. Georgia, including the quarterback matchup between Keelon Russell and Gunner Stockton, Alabama’s explosive offense against an elite Georgia defense, the battle for physicality at the line of scrimmage, Georgia’s running game, Alabama’s defensive pressure packages and the biggest keys that could decide this Top-10 SEC clash.

Alabama enters the game averaging 49.6 points per game, while Georgia is scoring an SEC-leading 51.4 points per game. The Bulldogs have yet to trail this season, while Alabama is the only FBS team to score at least 45 points in every game. Something has to give in Tuscaloosa.

We’ll also hear directly from the coaches during Georgia week

The Next Round 

The Next Round #2 Georgia vs #6 Alabama FULL PREVIEW | Who Wins the SEC Showdown? | October 6th, 2026

Is Alabama Football becoming the best team in college football? After another wild Saturday, the College Football Playoff picture and conference championship races are starting to take shape — and several contenders made massive statements while others suffered crushing losses.

🐘 ALABAMA MAKES ANOTHER STATEMENT

The Alabama Crimson Tide went into Starkville and hammered previously unbeaten Mississippi State 56-23, improving to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in SEC play. Keelon Russell threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns as Alabama picked up its second SEC road victory of the season.

Now the conversation gets even bigger: Is Alabama actually the best team in college football? The Crimson Tide returns to Tuscaloosa for a massive showdown with No. 2 Georgia.

🙌 MIAMI DESTROYS CLEMSON

Miami walked into Death Valley and dominated Clemson 41-13. The Hurricanes are now 5-0 and 3-0 in ACC play, taking sole possession of first place in the conference.

For Clemson, the loss drops Dabo Swinney’s Tigers to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC. Is Clemson’s College Football Playoff dream already finished? Meanwhile, Miami continues building toward a huge November showdown with Notre Dame.

The Next Round |  Is Alabama the BEST Team in College Football? Miami DESTROYS Clemson | October 5th, 2026

The Next Round | FOOTBALL FRIDAY: Alabama at Mississippi State, Ohio State at Iowa, Miami at Clemson

College football has officially turned the calendar to October, and we’re LIVE breaking down the biggest stories from around the sport — plus Aaron Rodgers’ final NFL season and a winner-take-all night for the Atlanta Braves!

🔥 CAN THESE COACHES WIN THEIR WAY OUT OF THE DOG HOUSE?
Which college football coaches currently under pressure have a chance to completely change the conversation this weekend? One big Saturday can alter the trajectory of a season, and we’ll look at the coaches facing some of the most important games on the Week 5 schedule.

🏆 THE BEST OF SEPTEMBER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
September gave us huge games, unforgettable finishes, breakout stars, surprise contenders and plenty of chaos. We’re looking back at the very best moments, performances and storylines from the opening month of the 2026 college football season.

🔴⚪ HOW LONG CAN INDIANA’S WINNING STREAK LAST?
Curt Cignetti and the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers have now won 20 consecutive games, the longest active winning streak in the FBS. No. 6 Indiana takes that streak on the road to Rutgers this weekend. Just how far can the Hoosiers push this remarkable run?

Next Round Live | October 1st, 2026 | CFB Best of September, How Long Can Indiana’s Streak Last? Aaron Rodgers Ending 

The college football season is heating up, and we’ve got a LOADED show breaking down some of the biggest stories, debates and controversies across the sport!

🏈 DO AP POLL RANKINGS EVEN MATTER?
Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson has strong opinions about early-season college football rankings. Dawson questioned the value of preseason polls and argued that teams should have to prove themselves on the field before rankings carry so much weight. Are early AP Poll rankings useful — or do they create narratives that follow teams all season?

📊 GRADING THE NEW POWER FOUR HEAD COACHES
September is in the books, so it’s time for an early report card on the first-year Power Four head coaches. Which new coaching hires have made an immediate impact? Which programs are already showing signs of progress, and which coaches still have plenty to prove as conference play ramps up?

🤘 STEVE SARKISIAN OR ARCH MANNING: WHAT’S WRONG WITH TEXAS?
Texas remains one of college football’s biggest stories, but the Longhorns offense has faced questions about its consistency. How much falls on quarterback Arch Manning, and how much belongs to Steve Sarkisian and his offensive approach?

TNR-9-30-2026 | AP Top 25: Do You Care? Sark or Arch: Texas Offensive Issues, NFL Power Rankings

🔥 COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 5 IS HERE — and after another chaotic weekend, the target is getting bigger for some of the hottest teams in America.

We’re going LIVE with our Week 5 UPSET ALERT, identifying the teams and matchups that could be headed for trouble as conference play heats up and the College Football Playoff picture begins to take shape.
👍 LIKE the stream, SUBSCRIBE and join us in the live chat as we break down the biggest stories in college football, the SEC, Big Ten, Heisman Trophy race and NFL!


Florida Gators Now the HUNTED? Big Ten and SEC Parity is REAL, Week 5 UPSET ALERT!| TNR 9/29/26

College Football Week 4 is here, and Saturday brings one of the biggest slates of the young 2026 season, loaded with massive SEC showdowns, ranked matchups and games that could reshape the College Football Playoff race.

We’re LIVE breaking down everything you need to know before kickoff!

FOOTBALL FRIDAY: Texas at Tennessee, Ole Miss at Florida, Oregon at USC | TNR 9/25/26

College football’s biggest weekend of the young season is here, and The Next Round is LIVE breaking down a loaded SEC slate, major College Football Playoff implications, the battle between Mississippi’s top quarterbacks, our latest NFL Power Rankings and the greatest NFL players to never win a Super Bowl.

🏈 MISSISSIPPI QB SHOWDOWN: TRINIDAD CHAMBLISS VS. KAMARIO TAYLOR

Who is the best quarterback in Mississippi right now?

Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss and Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor have both emerged as major stories this season, and we debate which quarterback is playing better right now.

We also ask a bigger historical question: could Chambliss and Taylor eventually become the best Ole Miss-Mississippi State quarterback combination ever to play in the same season?

Better QB: Kamario Taylor or Trinidad Chambliss? History Making Saturday in the SEC | TNR 9/24/26

College Football Week 4 is here, and The Next Round Live is breaking down the biggest storylines, pressure games and early-season trends from across the sport.

🔄 WHO ARE COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S BIGGEST BOUNCE-BACK CANDIDATES?

Which teams desperately need a win this Saturday? Several programs have already suffered damaging early-season losses, but one big victory could completely change the conversation.

We look at the teams with the best opportunity to get their seasons back on track — and the programs that could see their College Football Playoff hopes take another major hit with a loss.

Oregon Ducks Facing Elimination? Best QBs in State and Ole Miss History? | TNR 9/23/26

COLLEGE FOOTBALL UPSET ALERT! 🚨 We’re LIVE with a loaded show as we head into Week 4 of the 2026 college football season, breaking down potential upsets, the latest SEC hierarchy, Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s comments about Crimson Tide fans, the remarkable rise of Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor and which Power Four teams have actually been tested through three weeks.

🏈 COLLEGE FOOTBALL UPSET ALERT
Which ranked teams need to be on high alert this weekend? We identify the matchups with legitimate upset potential and debate which favorites could be walking into trouble as another massive college football Saturday approaches.

🔥 SEC POWER RATINGS THROUGH WEEK 3
Three weeks are in the books, and it’s time to update our SEC Power Ratings. Ole Miss is coming off a huge win over LSU, Florida and Mississippi State have entered the AP Top 25, Alabama climbed to No. 8, and the conference has 10 ranked teams. Who has earned our respect, who has questions to answer and where does every SEC contender belong right now?

Alabama OC Ryan Grubb Apologizes, Are We Being Fair to Kamario Taylor? UPSET ALERT! | TNR 9/22/26

Is LSU vs. Ole Miss the most anticipated SEC regular-season game since LSU-Alabama in 2019 — and is there any way the actual game can possibly live up to the hype?

We’re LIVE breaking down a massive college football weekend, led by No. 7 LSU traveling to No. 8 Ole Miss for Lane Kiffin’s highly anticipated return to Oxford. LSU and Ole Miss meet as Top-10 teams for the first time since 1962, College GameDay is in The Grove, and two undefeated SEC contenders enter a game that has been circled since Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU. Has any SEC regular-season game generated this much conversation in years, and what would it take for Saturday night to actually match the buildup?


LSU vs Ole Miss: Can It Match the Hype? | Alabama-FSU, Florida-Auburn & CFB Week 3 | TNR 9/18/26

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt is officially listed as DOUBTFUL for a massive Top-10 showdown with Ole Miss — but does anyone really believe we’re getting the full story from Lane Kiffin and LSU? Plus, just how close was Florida head coach Jon Sumrall to coaching Auburn instead, our Hard Rock Bet Survivor Pool picks for NFL Week 2, and which red-hot NFL offenses are actually built to keep scoring?
Subscribe to The Next Round for daily LIVE coverage of SEC football, college football, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, Florida, the College Football Playoff, NFL news, betting discussion and more.

Sam Leavitt DOUBTFUL vs Ole Miss?! Do We Believe Lane Kiffin? Auburn v. Florida Preview | TNR 9/17

🚨 LIVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL TALK: LSU vs. Ole Miss is already turning into a chess match, college football roster spending is exploding, the Big Ten has some explaining to do with this week’s schedule, and are we judging Texas QB Arch Manning by a completely different standard than every other quarterback in the country?

🔥 OLE MISS vs. LSU — ARE THE REBELS PLAYING MIND GAMES?

Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford with LSU was already one of the biggest storylines of the college football season, but now the familiarity between these two programs adds another fascinating layer.

Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding acknowledged this week that the Rebels have to disguise signals, change terminology and use multiple methods of communication against an LSU staff that knows so much about how Ole Miss operates.

Is this simply normal game preparation — or are Ole Miss and LSU already engaged in a full-blown football chess match before kickoff?

Ole Miss Playing Mind Games With LSU, Big Ten Trying Mind Games With SEC? | TNR 9/16/26

  Week 3 of the 2026 college football season is here, and we’re breaking down the teams that need to be on serious UPSET ALERT, plus some of the biggest storylines in college football and the NFL.

🔥 NO. 7 LSU AT NO. 8 OLE MISS — LANE KIFFIN RETURNS TO OXFORD

One of the biggest games of the college football weekend takes place in Oxford as the No. 7 LSU Tigers visit the No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels in a massive SEC showdown.

It also marks Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford after leaving Ole Miss for LSU. Rebels head coach Pete Golding is calling for an electric home-field advantage while also asking Ole Miss fans not to lose the respectful, welcoming reputation that he believes makes Oxford special.

College GameDay will be in town, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium should be rocking, and the stakes go far beyond the off-field drama. Who has the advantage in LSU vs. Ole Miss, and could one of these Top-10 teams be headed for an upset?

Ole Miss Coach Pete Golding Making Peace, Dan Lanning Under Pressure, UPSET ALERT | TNR 9/15/26

 Saturday was tabbed as a Big Ten v. SEC Saturday, was it a bad day for the Big Ten?

The Ohio State Buckeyes collapsed in the final quarter at the Texas Longhorns. Arch Manning led Texas as they stormed back from a 17 point deficit for the win.

Do you think Texas is the best team in the nation based on one quarter of play?

The Oregon Ducks seemingly had a layup game for the second week of the season but the Oklahoma State Cowboys didn’t participate. Oklahoma State stunned Oregon in Stillwater and the Ducks have defensive issues.

The one bright spot for the Big Ten was the 17-10 Michigan Wolverines win over the Oklahoma Sooners. Michigan bounced back from a controversy filled week and completely throttled the Oklahoma offense.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs got an under the radar win for the SEC over the Big Ten at Minnesota. The Bulldogs dominated the Golden Gophers from the kickoff to move to 2-0.

Also in the SEC:

The Alabama Crimson Tide dominated the Kentucky Wildcats in the second half to roll 45-17

The Texas A&M Aggies dominated the Arizona State Sun Devils 48-20.

The Tennessee Volunteers hammered the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 45-24 in Atlanta.


BAD DAY For Big Ten? Ohio State STUNNED, Oregon LAYS EGG, Texas No. 1? | TNR 9/14/26

The Ohio State Buckeyes visit the Texas Longhorns Saturday in a massive non-conference match-up. Who has more pressure, Texas Football or Ohio State Football?

The Michigan Wolverines have spent the week in the spotlight for the ending of their game against Western Michigan. Now the Oklahoma Sooners are coming to The Big House as a favorite, can Michigan Football find some offense against the stingy Oklahoma Football defense?

There are several other interesting SEC games:

The Missouri Tiger revive the Border War tonight at the Kansas Jayhawks.

Will the Tennessee Volunteers offense under Faizon Brandon travel? Tennessee Football is on the road at the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs look to move to 2-0 as they travel to Minnesota.

The Arizona State Sun Devils visit the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station.

Two big national games:

The Arizona Wildcats are at the BYU Cougars in an early Big 12 match-up.

The Memphis Tigers are at the Boise State Broncos in a game with College Football Playoff implications.

We also look back at the Los Angeles Rams loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia and all the upcoming games in Week One of the NFL.

Football Friday: Ohio State at Texas, Oklahoma at Michigan, SEC Weekend | TNR 9/11/26

How do The Next Round’s SEC Power Rankings compare to ESPN’s updated Football Power Index after Week 1 of the 2026 college football season?

We break down where every SEC contender stands after opening weekend, including Texas, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Auburn and more. ESPN FPI has Texas sitting atop the conference and the country, while Georgia, LSU, Alabama and Texas A&M are all firmly in the national championship conversation.

Which SEC teams are being overrated by the computers? Which teams are being underrated? And after six SEC programs topped 600 yards of offense in Week 1, just how deep is this conference?

Then we turn to one of the biggest quarterback stories in college football: Bryce Underwood’s job at Michigan may not be guaranteed.

After Michigan’s wild 13-12 win over Western Michigan, head coach Kyle Whittingham publicly said Underwood’s position is not “set in concrete” following a shaky performance that included multiple turnovers. Underwood appeared surprised when reporters told him about the comments. With No. 11 Oklahoma coming to Ann Arbor, is Michigan already approaching a crossroads at quarterback?


SEC Power Rankings, Bryce Underwood Reaction, SEC v. LSU De-Escalated? | TNR 9/10/26

“Ridiculous Threat?” SEC v. LSU expulsion

Dabo Swinney’s fall from grace. How does he need to handle the rest of the 2026 season and could this be his final one?

After week one:

Best team you saw
Worst team you saw
Most overrated team you saw
Surprise team
Best game

NFL Bold predictions and our weekend survivor picks.

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