SEC Football Unfiltered

SEC Football Unfiltered
  • 4.2 (32)
  • SPORTS NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

SEC Football Unfiltered features hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams of the USA TODAY Network serving opinion, debate and analysis on trending college football topics within the Southeastern Conference. No subject is off limits, and no one is above rebuke. Take off the filter and revel in the banter.

  1. 3D AGO

    Dabo Swinney tattles on Ole Miss football. Big whoop.

    Dabo Swinney named names. The Clemson coach is blowing the whistle with allegations of tampering by an SEC school.  Swinney says he's decided to sic the feeble NCAA on Mississippi coach Pete Golding, after Swinney accused the Rebels coach of tampering to plunder a player off Clemson's roster. Oh, boy. On the one hand, kudos to Swinney for actually naming names. Many coaches bellyache of tampering, but few come with any evidence or firm accusations. Swinney broke the mold. On the other hand, big whoop. Someone might need to inform Swinney that he'd have better luck getting justice from the Keystone Cops than NCAA enforcement. While it's hard to fault Swinney for being frustrated, especially if it all went down like he claims, he better not get his hopes up. In case Swinney hadn't noticed, the NCAA hasn't effectively enforced its rules for many years now. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams react to Swinney blowing the whistle on Ole Miss and what they expect to come of it. (Hint: Not much.) Before they get to Swinney, the hosts weigh in on USA TODAY's "too early" top 25 rankings for the 2026 season. They highlight some SEC teams that are overrated and a couple that might be underrated. Adams gets sucked into the hype machine for one SEC team, in particular. Toppmeyer is tempted to buy stock in an unranked SEC team with a new coach that's making noise in the transfer portal.

    41 min

  2. JAN 22

    To find 'next Indiana' look inside the SEC. You're up, Kentucky

    When Indiana won its first national championship in program history, the Hoosiers shattered college football's permission structure. Fans could always hope. Now, Indiana gave fans of lovable losers permission to believe. Who cares about history? That matters less than ever. That should be good news for a few programs inside the SEC. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate whether the "next Indiana" could be located inside the SEC. They highlight a few contenders, but perhaps none fits the profile better than Kentucky. The Wildcats have a doormat's history, but they're cooking in the transfer portal behind new coach Will Stein. You don't get to where Indiana got on a wish and a prayer, though. Programs like Kentucky, Arkansas and South Carolina must study how Curt Cignetti built this undefeated squad. Later in the episode, the hosts discuss why no SEC schools made a hire from the Cignetti mold. Would a program like Auburn or Florida have been better off hiring an older coach with a longer track record?

    43 min

  3. JAN 13

    Why Texas, Arch Manning are SEC's best hope to steal glory back from Big Ten

    The mighty SEC has fallen off its perch. It no longer rules college football. For the third straight season, the SEC has been shut out of the national championship game. If Indiana beats Miami, that will mark three straight national titles for the Big Ten. How does the SEC get the crown back? Start in Texas. The Longhorns failed to live up to the hype in Arch Manning's first season as starter, but they finished the year in strong fashion. The conversation for 2026 SEC frontrunners starts in Austin. Just consider what Steve Sarkisian is doing in the transfer portal, where he secured a premier wide receiver to pair with Manning. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate whether they're ready to buy in on more Texas hype after the Longhorns wilted in the spotlight this season. They also discuss why they're a bit hesitant to go all-in on LSU in Lane Kiffin's first season, even after the Tigers nabbed quarterback Sam Leavitt in the transfer portal. Then, they pivot to Alabama. The Tide have a problem, but it's not Kalen DeBoer. Finally, they issue their picks for the national championship game.

    45 min

  4. JAN 6

    SEC smells of being overrated. Can Ole Miss stop the conference's postseason flop?

    The SEC's hopes rest on the shoulders of Trinidad Chambliss and Ole Miss. While most of the SEC flopped in the postseason, the Rebels have become the toast of college football, as they continue to win even after Lane Kiffin's exit. Can the Rebels reach the finish line? If so, can the Heisman Trophy redirect its way into Chambliss' hands? The latter won't happen. The former? Maybe. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate why the SEC has fallen off its throne as college football's almighty overlord. 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. The hosts discuss how much better, if at all, Alabama would be right now if Nick Saban still coached the Tide. Adams assesses where he'd rank Ole Miss in the pecking order of playoff semifinalists, and the hosts make their Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl picks against the spread. Also, Toppmeyer fesses up: He wishes he could make one change to his Heisman ballot, involving an SEC quarterback.

    48 min

  5. 12/31/2025

    Big Ten dunks on the SEC in coaching carousel. That's the cold truth.

    The Big Ten is thriving so far this postseason. With a couple of exceptions, the SEC is wilting. And what of the coaching carousel? Did the Big Ten club the SEC there, too? You could make that case. LSU scored the big fish by securing Lane Kiffin. Mostly, though, SEC schools hired promising but largely unproven up and comers, while Big Ten schools like Michigan and Penn State landed veteran winners with solid resumes. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams evaluate which conference did it better in this hiring cycle. They also debate which conference has the more complete roster of coaches. And they discuss which SEC schools would have been well-served by hiring Kyle Whittingham, who wound up at Michigan. Later in the episode, the hosts unpack the College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchups, including what's at stake for Kalen DeBoer in Alabama-Indiana and whether Mississippi plays with house money in a rematch with Georgia.

    48 min

  6. 12/23/2025

    Does CFP bracket format stink? If so, how to fix it? Also, why Miami has better chance for big upset than Alabama

    The College Football Playoff’s first round served two competitive games and two blowouts. The reaction to that: Many fans and media types are demanding a change to the CFP bracket format. Is that an overreaction to two lopsided games, or a worthy response? Let’s remember, last year’s playoff served up four first-round duds. So, at least this year provided an upgrade. That doesn’t mean this system is perfect. On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and Matt Hayes weigh in on the big CFP debate — just how badly does this format require revision? Toppmeyer says we must face reality that there’s no escaping the possibility of blowouts. He’s unwilling to pin this squarely on the Group of Five. After all, no G5 teams were involved in playoff blowouts last season. Even so, he’s open-minded to Hayes' ideas for playoff revision: Get rid of the automatic bids. Have the committee select the full field. But, first, fire athletic directors from the committee. Later in the episode, the hosts preview the quarterfinals. They examine Miami’s potential to upset Ohio State and debate whether Alabama is for real or not.

    36 min

  7. 12/17/2025

    Sounding off on Diego Pavia's Heisman reaction; plus, Kalen DeBoer and Michigan

    Diego Pavia reacted to his second-place Heisman Trophy finish as only he would. "F all the voters," Vanderbilt's quarterback wrote on social media. Hey, he's talking about us! We're the voters. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams reveal their Heisman Trophy ballots and sound off on Pavia's response to not winning.  We take no significant offense to Pavia criticizing sportswriters and their votes. After all, sportswriters are critics. We can handle the blowback (even if we voted for Pavia). But, Pavia's reaction took some of the spotlight away from Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. That's where he erred. Also in this episode, a discussion of whether Kalen DeBoer is making the right move pledging allegiance to Alabamawhile the Michigan job sits open. Finally, College Football Playoff picks against the spread!

    1h 1m

  8. 12/09/2025

    Nobody got ‘snubbed’ from CFP bracket, but committee flubbed anyway

    Did the CFP committee get the playoff bracket right? Well, that depends on your perspective and your rooting interests. The bubble became awfully crowded, so not everyone was going to come away happy. Overall, Alabama and Miami seem like fair choices, but the course the committee charted to reach that destination became an exercise of the absurd. On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams offer their biggest grievances with this bracket – and with this committee – and propose a different way to approach the playoff. Is this season cause for playoff expansion? Not necessarily. There’s an argument for 16 teams, but there’s also a case for staying at 12 and dumping automatic bids in favor of a bracket filled exclusively through at-large bids. Let’s reconsider who gets to be on the CFP committee. Also in this episode, the hosts discuss potential playoff upsets, and they predict the national champion.

    40 min
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4.2
out of 5
32 Ratings

About

SEC Football Unfiltered features hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams of the USA TODAY Network serving opinion, debate and analysis on trending college football topics within the Southeastern Conference. No subject is off limits, and no one is above rebuke. Take off the filter and revel in the banter.

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