After the Texas defensive star appeared to urinate on the field during his celebration, Steve Sarkisian brushed it off as a “bad football play,” essentially suggesting there was little he could do about it after the fact. But the hosts of The Triple Option podcast, including Urban Meyer, were far less forgiving and put the responsibility directly on the Texas head coach.

“Colin Simmons… marking his spot at Neyland Stadium. Grow the f— up,” Rob Stone said on the Triple Option podcast.

The studio hosts quickly shifted the focus away from Simmons and toward Sarkisian’s handling of the situation. Three-time national champion Urban Meyer has a history of taking a hard line on player discipline. During his time at Ohio State, he suspended star running back Carlos Hyde for the first three games of the 2013 season after an off-field incident and also suspended star cornerback Bradley Roby for the season opener that year.

That history helps explain why Meyer was so direct about Simmons.

“If I’m the head coach and I see that kid do that, he’s out. I’m suspending him,” Meyer said.

For Meyer, the issue was bigger than one celebration. He believes allowing a player to remain on the field without immediate consequences sends a message about the standards being enforced within the program.

Stone then turned his attention directly toward the Texas sideline.

“That’s on you too, Sark. Like, get your business in order,” Stone said. “We talked about it. You guys are kind of running around right now, and you are not displaying yourself as a No. 1-ranked team in the nation.”

Former Heisman winner Mark Ingram II also backed up that sentiment, calling the explicit display a direct “reflection of your coach.” The crew’s argument was that moments like this ultimately become part of the identity surrounding a program.

That puts Sarkisian in an interesting position. He has spent years building Texas into one of the biggest programs in the country, and the Longhorns entered this season with the expectations that come with being ranked No. 1.

At the same time, punishing Simmons heavily would come with an obvious on-field consequence. The defensive star was a major reason Texas escaped Knoxville with the victory, putting together what was arguably the best performance of his college career with a Texas-record five sacks. However, he also put the team in a difficult position with a costly penalty during a crucial third down.

A suspension or significant reduction in playing time would directly affect the Longhorns’ defense during a crucial stretch of the season, especially with Texas facing one of the toughest schedules in the country.

Sarkisian therefore has to decide how to address the incident without allowing it to become a bigger distraction around the team.

Simmons did not try to avoid the controversy after the game. He apologized for the celebration and admitted that he got caught up in the moment.

“I also do want to say I apologize for the celebration,” Simmons said. “I was definitely in that mode, feeling myself, but you know it happens.”

That apology, combined with Sarkisian’s initial response, gives Texas a chance to put the incident behind it. However, Meyer and the Triple Option crew clearly believe Sarkisian should have made it a lesson for the rest of the team.

Meyer has spent years coaching at the highest level of college football, including leading the 2007 Florida team that dealt with several off-field disciplinary issues. His argument is that when a player crosses the line, the head coach has to decide where that line is and how it will be enforced, regardless of how good the player is.

The post Urban Meyer and FOX Colleagues Call Out Steve Sarkisian for Texas Athlete’s Vulgar Celebration: “Reflection of Your Coach” appeared first on EssentiallySports.

In an announcement on its website, the Big Ten explained that the conference has unanimously adopted a new rule prohibiting pro basketball players from returning to college basketball after professional experience. The rule targets only players with professional experience in the NBA, G League, or WNBA, not all professional leagues.

“The Big Ten Conference announced Monday the unanimous adoption of a conference rule to prohibit men’s and women’s basketball players who have signed a professional contract with the NBA, G-League or WNBA or any team that is a member of any such league, were on a roster for an NBA, G-League or WNBA team at any point or declared for the NBA or WNBA Draft but did not withdraw or declare an intent to return to college within the required timeframe, from maintaining eligibility for athletic competition at a conference institution,” the post read.

“The conference continues to evaluate potential rules restricting professional athletes in other sports from conference competition.”

This basketball ban follows a similar August ruling that barred pro football players from returning to the Big Ten. According to ESPN, on August 25, the conference had ruled that any player who had declared for the NFL draft, appeared on an NFL roster, or signed a contract with a pro league would not be able to play for any program in the conference.

The new rule comes at a notable time for college sports. Back in June, the NCAA changed its eligibility criteria to allow athletes to play for five seasons within five years, and subsequently faced multiple lawsuits from athletes who were unable to compete for a fifth season.

In response to the NCAA’s June eligibility change and subsequent lawsuits, several conferences, including the SEC, ACC, and Big 12, began issuing their own pro-player bans, focusing mainly on football players.

The ACC’s announcement prohibiting pros also included the NBA, the G League, and the WNBA, something the Big 10 are now following.

On August 28, Dallas District Court Judge Martin Hoffman ruled that the SEC could not block 41 athletes, including two former WNBA players, from returning to college. It was ruled by Dallas District Court Judge Martin Hoffman.

This included Bailey Maupin, who was with the Golden State Valkyries during training camp in April, and Christeen Iwuala, who was signed by the Washington Mystics on a rookie-scale contract. Neither of them ever played in a WNBA game.

“As long as they would have been eligible to continue playing college sports in the following semester if they had a fifth year of eligibility, they are eligible today,” Hoffman’s judgment read.

These cases illustrate the type of athlete the Big Ten’s new rule is designed to exclude, while giving the conference a cautionary example to keep in mind.

NCAA Pushes Congress to Close the Door on Pro Athletes Returning to College

The Big Ten’s decision comes as the NCAA itself has pushed back against the series of court rulings that allow athletes with pro experience to have another try at college sports. In a statement released in August, the NCAA argued that these rulings can destabilize the system of college sports.

“The lawyers bringing these cases seemingly won’t be satisfied until every professional athlete can treat college sports as a fallback option, regardless of the opportunities it strips from both those who will never have a chance to begin their collegiate sports experience and those who are currently on campus working out with the team and attending classes,” the statement read.

“Thankfully, Congress can right this wrong by passing the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act and ensure student-athletes can have a level playing field with rules that apply fairly to everyone.”

The Protect College Sports Act, introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, looks to establish a set of rules and regulations to help bring uniformity to college sports. Among its provisions, which govern NIL deals, the transfer portal, and antitrust regulations, is also a clause that prevents former pros from coming back to college.

Under Section 113, “Eligibility to Participate in Intercollegiate Sports,” one of the criteria to be able to participate at the collegiate level is that they are not a professional athlete.

Only time will tell if the bill will pass House approval and the impact it will have on college basketball.

The post Big Ten Announces Conference Rule Banning Professional Athletes From Returning to NCAA Basketball appeared first on EssentiallySports.

The UConn Women’s Basketball X handle recently posted a video of a practice session, showing Auriemma running intense plays and providing critical in-game tactical suggestions to the team. In particular, he is seen focusing on getting the best out of junior forward Sarah Strong. 

“She’s going to be three times as good as she was when she was a freshman,” said Geno Auriemma in the clip. 

Last season, the Huskies were knocked out of title contention in the Final Four round, in a 62-48 loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Strong led the pack with a team-high double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds. She was backed by guards Azzi Fudd and Blanca Quinonez, who scored eight and seven points each, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the consistent offensive pressure from Dawn Staley’s team. The Gamecocks simply outscored the Huskies off stellar performances by Joyce Edwards, Ta’Niya Latson, and Agot Makeer. 

Geno Auriemma is not allowing this to happen again. The legendary coach saw the level of defense Strong faced in the last season and has decided to make some changes. In the video posted by UConn, Auriemma can be seen pushing Strong to shoot more often, knowing the guards she will be facing. 

“Because the minute you caught it, you took a shot from out here; the minute you caught it. That was harder than the one you passed up. You’ve got to think, as soon as you catch it, because of the way they’re going to guard you, the minute you catch it, you’ve got to think, I’m shooting it,” he is heard telling Strong. 

Strong has already improved massively since her freshman season at UConn. Her first year saw Strong average 16.4 across 40 regular-season games. This was the same season the Huskies won the NCAA championship, with Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers at the helm. The very next year, Strong improved her scoring, averaging 18.4 PPG across 38 games, while her average assists per game moved up from 3.6 to 3.8.

While Strong is one of the primary playmakers and scorers on the team, she is not the only weapon Geno Auriemma has in his arsenal for the upcoming season. 

Geno Auriemma and The Huskies Sign Serbian Powerhouse Before Season Begins

In the 2025-26 season, Sarah Strong led the Huskies in points (18.4 PPG), rebounds (7.7 RPG), steals (3.4 SPG), and even blocks (1.6 BPG). There was a massive amount of pressure on the young forward’s shoulders. She was named the 2026 AP Player of the Year, won the Wooden Award, and was named the Naismith College Player of the Year. 

While all of this is exciting news, there was no one else to take on responsibility apart from Azzi Fudd, who was the second-highest scorer on the team that season.

But with Fudd being drafted by the Dallas Wings to join her former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers in the big leagues, the Huskies needed someone to take some of the scoring pressure off of Sarah Strong. And Geno Auriemma decided to sign Jovana Popovic from Vrbas, Serbia. Auriemma is confident in Popovic’s ability to positively impact the team, as he mentioned in a November 2025 statement.

“Jovana is a high-level guard with a lot of experience. She can handle the ball, she’s a playmaker, she can score. Jovana is a really nice kid who will fit in great with our team,” said Auriemma. 

Popovic has previously played for ZKK Art Basket in Belgrade, putting up an average of 27.1 points and 4.7 assists per game in the 2024-25 season. That season also saw her earn First League MVP and Best Shooter honors for her performance. Popovic also brings international experience, having made her debut for the Serbian National Team at the 2025 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket, where she played three games, averaging 5.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game.

In the video posted by the Huskies, Geno Auriemma can be heard praising Popovic to his fellow coach.

 “Jovana’s good. She’s good, man… And she’s smart.”

Now, with Sarah Strong and Popovic on the team, the Huskies and Geno Auriemma will hope to reach the NCAA finals this year. They are facing tough competition, with teams like the Gamecocks, the LSU Tigers, and the Texas Longhorns all coming for them. Auriemma will hope his strong scoring duo gets the job done. 

The post “Three Times as Good”: Geno Auriemma Delivers Verdict on Sarah Strong as Huskies Gear Up for Upcoming NCAA Season appeared first on EssentiallySports.

That makes UNC’s coaching search look even more uncomfortable in hindsight. The Tar Heels had younger college coaches on their radar before choosing the biggest name available. One has already taken his new SEC program into the top 10, while another inherited a three-win team and started 4-0. UNC chose Belichick instead.

Rising coaching stars Jon Sumrall and Bob Chesney were both seriously considered for the Tar Heels job before UNC ultimately went all-in on the NFL legend. Sumrall had emerged as a major target during the search, while Chesney was also firmly in the mix. But the Board of Trustees reportedly pushed the program toward Belichick instead, a decision CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford later summed up in four brutal words: “Epic bag fumble in Chapel Hill.”

The hindsight is brutal. Sumrall is 4-0 at Florida with wins over Auburn and No. 4 Ole Miss, while Chesney has UCLA at 4-0 after beating Purdue and Maryland. Ross Martin put it plainly: UNC “could have had either Jon Sumrall or Bob Chesney in 2025.” Instead, both are unbeaten elsewhere while Belichick is still trying to prove UNC made the right call.

Neither coach was some random name who suddenly looks good in hindsight.

Sumrall had already built one of the stronger rising résumés in college football before taking over at Florida. ESPN’s Pete Thamel pointed to his sustained success at Tulane, where he had stacked winning seasons and remained in the conference-title mix. That track record helped explain why athletic director Bubba Cunningham reportedly viewed him as one of UNC’s strongest younger options. Sumrall went deep into the process, meeting with UNC leadership in New Orleans before withdrawing as the push for Belichick intensified.

Chesney was not as far along in the search, but his name had already forced its way into the conversation. He built a reputation as a program builder at Holy Cross, carried that momentum to James Madison, and then gave UNC a firsthand look when JMU hung 70 points on the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. Thamel specifically pointed to that performance as a reason Chesney belonged on the list.

What has happened since only makes the what-if louder. Sumrall now has Florida ranked No. 8 after a 52-28 win over No. 4 Ole Miss in which the Gators piled up 302 rushing yards. Chesney, meanwhile, inherited a UCLA team that went 3-9 in 2025 and has already pushed the Bruins into the AP Poll at No. 23, highlighted by a 54-3 rout of Maryland.

Nobody can know whether either coach would have produced the same results at UNC. But the contrast is hard to ignore. North Carolina had legitimate college coaching options in front of it, chose the legendary NFL name instead, and is still waiting for that gamble to deliver the kind of immediate payoff Sumrall and Chesney are already producing elsewhere.

The post Two Head Coaches UNC Passed on for Bill Belichick Start Unbeaten SEC and Big Ten Seasons appeared first on EssentiallySports.

During his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Nick Saban compared Jeremiah Smith to Julio Jones. That comparison came while discussing the Heisman Trophy race and the growing case for the Ohio State WR. While he stopped short of saying Smith should win the award, calling the Heisman a complicated debate, his description shows how highly he views the junior receiver.

“The Heisman is a tough one, but I will say this, he’s one of the most dominant players in college football,” he told Rich Eisen. “That guy is big and strong. I thought Julio Jones was kind of one of a kind back in the day when we had him, but this guy reminds me of him in a lot of ways.”

The comparison makes sense beyond the hype. Smith is listed at 6’4 and 222 pounds, giving him the kind of size and physicality that made Julio Jones such a nightmare for defenders. Jones showed that early at Alabama, earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors in 2008 and helping Nick Saban’s Tide win the 2009 national title.

Julio Jones was not just another star Nick Saban coached. Saban has previously named him among his favorite Alabama players, alongside Derrick Henry, Tua Tagovailoa, Rolando McClain, and Reuben Foster. That makes the Jeremiah Smith comparison hit harder. Smith already has the same intimidating physical presence, and his 2026 production is making Saban’s comparison look less dramatic by the week.

Through four games, Jeremiah Smith has 33 catches for 617 yards and seven touchdowns. Those numbers sit on top of what he had already built during his first two seasons. Entering 2026, he had 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdown catches, both among the best marks nationally over that span. 

His latest explosion came against Illinois in Week 4. Jeremiah Smith caught 12 passes for 217 yards and four touchdowns in Ohio State’s 42-19 victory, tying the school record for receiving touchdowns in a game. He also became the first Buckeye receiver to cross 3,000 career receiving yards. That performance changed the Heisman conversation around him almost overnight.

Jeremiah Smith entered the week at roughly 10-1 in BetMGM’s market. After the Illinois game, he moved to +250 and became the sportsbook’s favorite, while DraftKings had him at +260. He was also responsible for 9.2% of BetMGM’s Heisman bets and 18.2% of the money wagered on the race. 

And there is more than one huge Saturday behind the argument. Jeremiah Smith has already shown he can produce against serious competition. In Ohio State’s 24-23 loss at Texas, he caught eight passes for 164 yards and a touchdown as the Buckeyes blew a 20-point lead after going up 23-3 in the third quarter. The loss hurt Ohio State, but it did little to quiet the noise surrounding Smith.

The Heisman history makes Nick Saban’s hesitation understandable. Only four players whose primary college position was WR have won the award. Johnny Rodgers, Tim Brown, Desmond Howard, and DeVonta Smith. Travis Hunter won in 2024 while playing both WR and CB. So the question is not whether Jeremiah Smith is producing like a Heisman candidate. The harder question is whether voters will put a WR above the QB who traditionally dominates the award.

Nick Saban left that part open. But he did not leave much ambiguity about Jeremiah Smith himself. For a coach who once called Julio Jones one of a kind, saying the Ohio State star reminds him of Jones in “a lot of ways” is about as loud an endorsement as he could get. 

The post Nick Saban Makes Strong Heisman Case for Jeremiah Smith, Compares OSU Star to His Favorite Player He Coached appeared first on EssentiallySports.

The Ducks left Los Angeles with a 41-27 win, dropping the No. 12 Trojans to No. 18 and raising more questions about whether Riley can actually take the program where USC expected the progtam to be when it hired him from Oklahoma. FOX’s Colin Cowherd believes the problem has reached a point where simply deciding to move on is far more complicated than it sounds.

“They had no pros up front. They were small. So, and he won 11 games the first year. But I think we are at a point where it’s not as easy,” Cowherd said on his podcast, explaining Riley’s past with the Oklahoma Sooners to the current situation. “As everybody said, ‘Oh, you’ve got to buy them out.’ Well, that’s $70 million. The next coach is $100 million.”

That is the uncomfortable part of USC’s situation. Riley’s results have created a legitimate reason to question his future, but the financial commitment required to change coaches could make the decision much harder.

Riley is in his fifth season at USC, and the Trojans still have not reached the College Football Playoff that was expected with a $110 million contract.

They have also continued to struggle defensively, which was once again obvious against Oregon. USC allowed 504 total yards, while Oregon backup quarterback Dylan Raiola threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

The defense is not a new problem, and it has followed Riley since his arrival, even after USC made changes around him.

Gary Patterson was brought in as an experienced defensive mind. Trumain Carroll took over as strength coach, while Mike Ekeler joined the staff after Rob Ryan’s disappointing 2025 season. Yet the overall product has not changed enough.

The Trojans committed costly penalties against Oregon, including two roughing-the-passer calls and a targeting penalty.

That combination makes Riley’s position increasingly difficult to defend. But Cowherd pointed to another problem: USC has already spent heavily trying to build the program around him.

“They just asked donors for $300 million for a new facility, which they built, and it’s beautiful. They also need $35 million a year in NIL money,” Cowherd added on September 28. “You can only tap donors.”

USC spent nearly $40 million on its roster this season and opened the $225 million Bloom Football Performance Center. Moving on from Riley and hiring a new coach and staff could push the total cost of a change beyond $100 million.

That does not mean USC cannot make the move. It means athletic director Jennifer Cohen has to consider what comes next before making it. Cowherd’s point is that the Trojans cannot simply assume money will solve every problem.

“It’s really easy to say NIL helps coaches, because, I mean, like, Clemson just can’t afford the money,” he added. “Wisconsin can’t afford the money. USC can, but this is a market.”

For now, USC can still let the season play out. The Trojans have seven games remaining, including trips to Penn State and Indiana, plus a home game against Ohio State. A third loss could effectively end their playoff hopes.

But another season without meaningful progress would leave USC facing the same question it has been avoiding.

Riley has been given the facility, the resources, the staff changes and the roster investment. What remains unclear is whether USC is willing to spend even more to start over. That $70 million buyout is the reason the answer is not nearly as simple as saying it is time to move on.

The post FOX’s Colin Cowherd Gives Up on Lincoln Riley’s USC Over Concerning $70M Factor: “It’s Not Easy” appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Matt Dowell, the sports director at WACH FOX in Columbia, posted a video of Dawn Staley’s media interaction after the exhibition game on X. She elaborated on her clever scheme for the Gamecocks squad before the 2026–27 NCAA Division I women’s basketball season begins in November.

“Obviously, we shrunk our playbook and didn’t want to insert a lot of what we’ve been working on because it was streamed, and we don’t want to help our first opponents prepare for our team,” said Staley according to the X post.  

Dawn Staley simplified the offense for the game at TheLinkU Invitational Tournament. But despite not playing some of her seniors, the Gamecocks came away with the win. Forward Joyce Edwards, who is in her junior season, led the charge for the Gamecocks. She logged 28 points and 16 rebounds, while adding two blocks and two assists. She was joined by junior guard Jordan Lee, who logged 15 points, going 100% from three-point range. This was her first game for the Gamecocks since she transferred after two seasons with the Texas Longhorns. 

But the second-highest scorer on the team was Tessa Johnson, who has been with the team since 2023. She logged 23 points to help push the Gamecocks to victory. But South Carolina did not get the smooth victory Dawn Staley or the squad would have hoped for. 

The Charleston Cougars took an early lead in the first quarter, leading by one point as the score reached 20-19. But the veteran presence of Johnson and Edwards stopped their momentum, as the pair shot efficiently, making 10 of 12 shots. Rallying behind the two, the Gamecocks were able to get a 44-28 lead going into halftime. South Carolina was able to hold on to that momentum, as they overwhelmed the Cougars in the second half, clinching victory in this unofficial start to their season.

Dawn Staley expressed her appreciation for the veteran pairing after the game, per the post by Dowell.

“I thought they just did a good job of being disciplined. And if we can apply discipline to any part of our game plan, we’re going to be better because of it. So I like that part of it. I mean, I like the fact that Tessa’s aggressive. We like Jordy [Jordan Lee] to be, probably even, she’s made four threes, even a little bit more aggressive,” Dawn Staley added.

While the young core of the Gamecocks performed well, the best-known faces on the team- Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins – were not seen on court. 

Why Did Dawn Staley Not Play Senior Veterans Against Charleston?

The Gamecocks’ outdoor debut took place at TheLinkU Invitational, an event held at the Credit One Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina.

While this did provide an opportunity to test the waters of what the NCAA regular season would look like, Dawn Staley did not play Chloe Kitts or Ashlyn Watkins. Both the seniors are still dealing with injuries that require adequate rest if they are to join the team when the regular season begins.

Kitts tore her ACL during a practice session in October last year, causing her to miss the entire 2025-26 season. While she is expected to rejoin the team this season, Dawn Staley did not want to risk her playing this early. The same goes for Watkins, who ruptured her ACL in January 2025, during a win over Mississippi State. She missed the remainder of the season as well. 

Dawn Staley addressed the Gamecocks’ lineup against Charleston according to a report by Greenville News.

“We probably played some funky lineups that we wouldn’t play,” Staley said. “We don’t harp on who we don’t have. We play who we have to play and worry about getting them healthy on another day … I think the next time we take the floor, hopefully we’ll have a little bit more healthy bodies to see who we can be.” 

The South Carolina Gamecocks and Dawn Staley will now look forward to the NCAA Division I women’s basketball season beginning in November, as they are still one of the top-seeded teams going into the season. They are joined near the top by the UConn Huskies, the Texas Longhorns, and the LSU Tigers, all of whom will be hoping to clinch another NCAA title this season.

The post “Shrunk Our Playbook”: Dawn Staley Voices Opinion After South Carolina Makes Historic Outdoor Debut Against Charleston appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Jon Sumrall’s Gators absolutely crushed No. 4 Ole Miss 52-28 at The Swamp, moving to 4-0 and sending a message across college football. And while Gator Nation was celebrating, Zipperer took the opportunity to call out his former coach for how badly he handled the talent in Gainesville.

“Billy Napier you should be ashamed of yourself brah. All that talent you had at Florida and wasted,” Zipperer posted on his Instagram story.

Zipperer spoke for plenty of Gators fans. He played through that transition and experienced the struggles firsthand, which makes his reaction after seeing Florida suddenly thriving under Sumrall even more interesting.

Napier had four years to make it work. Instead, Florida went 22-23 and never finished with a winning record, despite routinely bringing in top-10 to top-15 recruiting classes and having enough talent to expect far more.

The problem was getting that talent to translate on the field.

Florida often looked unprepared and undisciplined, especially when the pressure was on. Napier also remained heavily involved in the offense and play-calling instead of handing those responsibilities completely to an elite offensive coordinator. Eventually, the results caught up with him.

By his final season, Florida’s offense ranked just 111th nationally in scoring.

The struggles were even more obvious against Florida’s biggest opponents. The Gators went 0-14 away from home against ranked teams during Napier’s tenure and just 3-12 against Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami and Tennessee.

Then came Sumrall.

He took over the program less than a year ago and immediately pushed for a major cultural change. He challenged his players to become tougher, more physical and less comfortable, making it clear that Florida couldn’t afford to carry the same mentality into another season.

So far, that approach is paying off.

The Gators are 4-0 after their dominant win over Ole Miss, already matching their entire win total from last season. They also jumped to No. 8 in the latest AP Poll, giving Florida its highest ranking in years.

And that’s where Sumrall has already achieved something Napier never could.

In four seasons, Napier never had Florida ranked inside the AP Top 10 for even a single week. The Gators briefly reached No. 12 in 2022 and No. 13 in 2025, but never cracked the top 10. Sumrall needed exactly four games to get Florida there, with the Gators now sitting at No. 8.

But the ranking only tells part of the story.

Florida has scored at least 40 points in each of its first four games, becoming the first Gators team to accomplish that since 2001. The offense has looked completely different, while Buster Faulkner’s defense has been flying around the field and creating the kind of pressure that was often missing in recent years.

Against Ole Miss, Florida forced two crucial turnovers from Trinidad Chambliss and held off the Rebels whenever they tried to make a comeback. On the other side of the ball, the Gators ran for more than 300 yards, with Jadan Baugh rushing for 142 yards and three touchdowns.

That is a long way from the Florida team that struggled to find an identity last season, and it helps explain why Zipperer’s message has resonated so much.

Sumrall famously said he didn’t come to Florida for a long-term rebuilding project. He came with a quick-turnaround plan to win trophies right now.

That is what makes Zipperer’s message hit so hard. Florida did not suddenly discover talent after Napier left. Much of the frustration surrounding his tenure was about what the Gators were doing with the talent already in Gainesville.

Four games into the Sumrall era, that question is only getting louder. Florida is unbeaten, sitting inside the top 10 and coming off a demolition of No. 4 Ole Miss. Napier had four years to get Florida there. Sumrall has already changed the conversation in four games.

The post “You Should Be Ashamed”: Former Billy Napier-Coached Player Calls Him Out Publicly as Jon Sumrall Achieves What He Couldn’t appeared first on EssentiallySports.

According to the official statements shared by reporter Jeremy Werner on X, the split came almost immediately. Hauck asked to move up his Sunday meeting with head coach Bret Bielema (who had signed a $46 million contract with the program), and by the end of it, both sides had agreed things were not working.

Bielema said in the statement: “We met and mutually agreed that a change in leadership was in the best interests of our defense. Coach Hauck and I agreed this is the best path forward for our staff, and most importantly, our student-athletes, at this time. I would like to thank Bobby for his work with our program.”

Hauck left without any public bitterness, saying, “I enjoyed being a part of the staff here at Illinois and working alongside Coach Bielema every day. I am very appreciative of the opportunity to be here and thankful for all of the hard work from the players, coaches, and staff. I wish Illinois the best of luck.”

Hauck’s initial arrival had created real excitement in Champaign. After Aaron Henry left for Notre Dame, Illinois brought in Hauck in February to reshape the defense. The longtime Montana head coach had gone 151-43 across 14 seasons with the Grizzlies before coming out of a brief retirement for his first major FBS defensive coordinator job.

The plan was aggressive. Hauck wanted to lean on a 3-3-5 system, disguise pressure, create chaos at the line of scrimmage, and force quarterbacks into mistakes.

There is a strange sense of deja vu in Champaign… Illinois’ current situation echoes Nebraska’s from a year ago, when first-year defensive coordinator John Butler faced mounting criticism while installing his own version of a 3-3-5 scheme.

However, the difference is that Nebraska’s defense did quite well during the opening weeks of the 2025 season. But for Illinois, the results went the other way. Numbers support this theory.

Through four games, Illinois ranked 100th nationally in scoring defense at 26.5 points allowed per game and 111th in passing efficiency defense. The pass rush was nearly nonexistent, with the Illini sitting 128th out of 138 FBS teams in sacks at just 0.75 per game, while also ranking 108th in tackles for loss and 122nd in takeaways.

The Ohio State loss only made the problems harder to ignore. Illinois gave up 518 total yards, with wide receiver Jeremiah Smith carving up the secondary for 217 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

The numbers exposed a glaring weakness in Hauck’s defense: stopping the run.

Then came the kind of mistake that made the defensive confusion impossible to ignore. On one live snap, Illinois had only nine defenders on the field.

Now sitting at 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten, Bielema has to reset the defense in the middle of conference play. He did not immediately name a new defensive play-caller on Sunday, instead using the day to meet with staff and players before deciding how Illinois moves forward.

Bielema’s taking his time to pick the DC

In his statement, Bielema noted, “As with any turnover, we have prepared for this moment, and we have a plan to move our program forward. We are communicating that plan internally to our staff and players today.”

A formal announcement about who will take over the defensive play-calling duties is expected to drop early this week.

That said, it is possible that Bielema could shoulder defensive play-calling duties. Or he may also consider outside linebackers coach Archie McDaniel and defensive backs coach Corey Parker for the job.

The Illini don’t have any time to sit around and feel sorry for themselves because they have a massive Homecoming game against Purdue coming up this Saturday, October 3.

The new interim defensive coordinator will have a monumental task ahead of them to fix the tackling issues, baseline communication errors, and secondary coverage blown assignments in just a few days of practice.

The post $46M Big Ten Head Coach Parts Ways With Defensive Coordinator After Just Four Games appeared first on EssentiallySports.

“I will tell you right now: Lincoln Riley is not an elite coach,” Finebaum said during The Matt Barrie Show on September 27. “He is not a coach capable of turning a program like Southern Cal around. I think he’s a good coach. He was a better coach at Oklahoma than the Oklahoma fans now believe. For the bottom feeders, I just think there’s nothing Lincoln Riley does that impresses me.”

Given how Brent Venables’ team has started the 2026 campaign, any Oklahoma fan would want to have the Riley years back. During his tenure at Norman, Riley won multiple Big 12 championships and had three CFP appearances. However, Venables is coaching in the SEC, a far tougher conference than the one Riley had.

But his success at Norman was what the USC administration wanted him to replicate in Southern California when they got him for a 10-year, $110 million contract in 2021. So far, it’s been a mixed bag. Forget winning the conference title; USC hasn’t even made it to the playoffs under Riley.

Riley’s position as a head coach was already on a hot seat when he entered the season. However, USC started on a high note with three impressive wins. But in their Week 3 outing against Rutgers, the defense gave up 465 yards in the 42-35 win. That should have been a red flag.

Unlike Rutgers, Oregon was always going to punish Riley’s team. Despite playing at home, USC lost 27-41, and once again, the defense allowed the Ducks to have 505 yards on offense. To make matters worse, Oregon didn’t even have its starting QB for a majority of the game.

Dante Moore was ruled out of the game after a late hit by a USC linebacker in the second quarter of the game. Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola came in and threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

For every fan, the game was like deja vu. It was similar to every Riley loss that they have seen. The offense keeps humming, but the defense fails to get stops. And when the offense eventually stalls, the other team takes a lead. It was like Lanning had a blueprint of how to take down a USC team.

Riley now has a 5-15 record against ranked teams. But more than the performance, the behavior of USC players after the Moore incident also reflected the discipline of the team. After his hit, Desman Stephens II was seen celebrating while Moore was left unconscious. He was even smiling after getting a penalty.

After the game, Dan Lanning did not hold back on his words and called out the Trojans. “Three wins against these guys,” he said, via Max Torres of Scoop Duck. “I guess if you’re interested in winning football games, you’re from this area; you should go to Oregon. You want to go to a Chris Brown concert; you should go here.”

Finebaum viewed Lanning’s comments as a clear indication that Riley is losing the respect he once had when he was with the Sooners.

“But that, in essence, almost ended Lincoln Riley’s season, by one of his peers and a guy that used to be trying to become Lincoln Riley,” Finebaum added on the podcast.

The post “Not an Elite Coach”: ESPN’s Paul Finebaum Officially Gives Up on $110M Head Coach After Week 4 Loss appeared first on EssentiallySports.