LANE KIFFIN

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.

Matt Corral threw for 324 yards and a touchdown to lead No. 15 Mississippi past Liberty and former Rebels coach Hugh Freeze 27-14.

Matt Corral threw for a touchdown and ran for another, directing No. 12 Mississippi to a 31-point outburst that spanned the second and third quarters to beat lame-duck coach Ed Orgeron and LSU 31-17.

Georgia and Alabama could be heading for another showdown in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

No. 13 Mississippi held off Tennessee 31-26 after Rebels coach Lane Kiffin avoided being by hit by golf balls as Volunteers fans pelted the field with objects in the chaotic final minutes.

No. 17 Mississippi stopped a 2-point conversion with no time left in regulation and the Rebels beat No. 13 Arkansas 52-51.

Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for career highs of 171 yards and four touchdowns and No. 1 Alabama mostly throttled the nation’s top offense in a 42-21 victory over No. 12 Mississippi.

Last year's game with Mississippi held scant resemblance to the traditional Alabama win.

Alabama and Georgia, the top-ranked teams in the country and the favorites to win their Southeastern Conference divisions, are preparing to face the league’s biggest early season surprises.

Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari says he contracted COVID-19 after being vaccinated, but points out that he is relieved the shot did its job in leaving him with mild symptoms.

Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin will miss the opener against Louisville with a breakthrough case of COVID-19.

Southeastern Conference officials are trying to get back to normal on football game days, with stadiums filled with fans and grills being fired up outside, even in a portion of the country where the states have among the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates.

FILE - In this Aug. 21, 2020, file photo, Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien watches during an NFL football training camp in Houston. Alabama has hired former Texans coach O'Brien as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – National champion Alabama has hired former Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. O'Brien also served as offensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions and won national coach of the year honors after going 8-4 in 2012. A 28-year coaching veteran and former Brown defensive player, O'Brien was also offensive coordinator at Duke.

(AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)Steve Sarkisian is the latest Alabama coordinator to be drawing up game plans for a national title showdown before leaving for a new head coaching job. The Longhorns fired Tom Herman and hired Sarkisian eight days before the national championship game Monday night against No. The difference this time is the accelerated time frame from Sarkisian’s hiring to the title game. Alabama beat Oklahoma in the semifinals before a 44-16 loss to Clemson in the national title game. Nearly a month passed from his hiring to the January 2012 title game rematch against LSU, which ’Bama won 21-0.

The Ole Miss defense, which allowed 535.7 yards and 40.3 points per game during the regular season, came through with one more stop to clinch the school's first bowl win since beating Oklahoma State in the 2016 Sugar Bowl. leaving Indiana with an opportunity to pull out its first bowl win in nearly 30 years. The Hoosiers, who don't have a postseason win since the 1991 Copper Bowl bowl, drove to the Rebels 33 before stalling and turning it over on downs. The Big Ten logo was replaced by an Outback Bowl logo on jerseys, and the letters “LEO” were added to helmets. POLL IMPLICATIONSThe loss could cost Indiana what likely would have been a Top 10 finish in the final AP Poll.

“We were definitely kind of bummed out about what happened with the New Year's Six bowl game, but we just kind of used that as fuel to the fire,” running back Stevie Scott III said. “It has been 29 years since we last won a bowl game,” quarterback Jack Tuttle said. The problem was a porous defense yielded 40.3 points and a nation’s-worst 535.7 yards per game in the team’s first season under Kiffin. In fact, it’s rare that Ole Miss is facing a Big Ten opponent at all. They haven’t faced a team from that league since beating Nebraska in the 2002 Independence Bowl.

Manuel spoke hours after Michigan's game against Maryland this weekend was canceled because of an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Wolverines' program. Ohio State had to cancel its game last week at Illinois because of a spike in COVID-19 cases in its program. Matchups against Ohio State and Michigan State were wiped out last month after the Terrapins had 23 positive tests for COVID-19, including coach Michael Locksley. ___AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo contributed. ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Auburn wide receivers Anthony Schwartz (1) and Ze'Vian Capers (80) both reach for an errant pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

10 Florida's game against defending national champion LSU was postponed Wednesday to tentatively Dec. 12 after the SEC postponed Missouri-Vanderbilt on Monday. More positive tests could derail other games after the league waited until the end of September to kick off the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason is going through a similar situation. Timing is critical depending on the day of the week a positive test or tracing result returns. “Every time you’re taking a test," Mason said, “you're crossing your fingers ... you don't have anybody in harm's way."

10 Florida's game against defending national champion LSU was postponed Wednesday to tentatively Dec. 12 after the SEC postponed Missouri-Vanderbilt on Monday. Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason is going through a similar situation. To play, the SEC requires at least 53 on game days. Timing is critical depending on the day of the week a positive test or tracing result returns. “Every time you’re taking a test," Mason said, “you're crossing your fingers ... you don't have anybody in harm's way."

Alabama running back Najee Harris (22) dances after breaking a Mississippi tackle and scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

2 Alabama beat Ole Miss 63-48 on Saturday night in the highest-scoring Southeastern Conference regulation game ever. Matt Corral passed for 365 yards for Ole Miss (1-2) and the Rebels put up 647 yards on the Tide. Obviously, we didn’t play well on defense.”After another Ole Miss field goal, Alabama recovered an onside kick and Harris busted a 39-yard touchdown run moments later to seal it. Ole Miss: The offensive unit is impressive. Ole Miss: The Rebels visit Arkansas on Saturday.

At the top of USA Today's most recent revenue rankings for college athletic departments are Texas and Texas A&M. The Longhorns and Aggies seemingly have it all, revenue, resources and location. Texas and Texas A&M have everything you need to put out national championship-level football program. The Aggies and Longhorns refuse to play each other, but combine to form an Axis of Underachievers in the Lone Star State. For now, though, Texas and Texas A&M continue to prove the old adage that money can't buy happiness.

Florida tight end Kyle Pitts (84) breaks away from Mississippi linebacker Jacquez Jones (32) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. 5 Florida won 51-35. (AP Photo/Thomas Graning)

– Kyle Pitts caught four of Kyle Trask's six touchdown passes and No. 5 Florida spoiled the head coaching debut of Mississippi’s Lane Kiffin with a 51-35 victory Saturday. Trask completed 30 of 42 passes for 416 yards including touchdown passes of 1, 16, 71 and 17 yards to Pitts. Ole Miss (0-1) tied it at 14 midway through the second quarter before yielding to the Trask-led Florida outburst. “As members of the Florida and Ole Miss football teams, we recognize the impact of our personal platforms and are choosing to amplify the issues that directly impact us.

Before Miami won easily last year, the ‘Canes and ’Noles played five straight games decided by five points or fewer. A pandemic-altered college football season has helped put FSU-Miami in the spotlight again this weekend. The Big Ten and Pac-12 are still at least a month away, but the college football menu is starting to fill up. 7-6 — Lane Kiffin's record in his one SEC season as coach at Tennessee. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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.

LSU coach Ed Orgeron is looking to add a transfer defensive back at a time when uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic could theoretically help the No. Were a little short at cornerback, Orgeron said during a video media conference Tuesday. We are currently researching if there is a cornerback or maybe a nickel cornerback out there who is available. The Eagles play in the ACC and remain on track to play its fall season. In addition, Fresno State standout linebacker Justin Rice also transferred after the Mountain West Conference postponed its fall season.