Saturday Down South Podcast

Matt Hayes sits down with his friend and former SEC commissioner Mike Slive to discuss the league, as well as The Mike Slive Foundation. A survivor of prostate cancer himself, Slive has dedicated his life to helping spread awareness and find a cure for the deadly disease. Then, Matt shares his thoughts on the SEC in a world where Auburn and Georgia are establishing themselves and seats across the conference are heating up.

After Week 5, the smoke has cleared and the contenders are a bit more clear in the SEC . John Crist and Connor O'Gara discuss the teams that made statements, including the rolling Georgia Bulldogs, as well as the league's best unranked team. Also, there's trouble brewing on the bayou, and Coach O is instantly on the hot seat after an embarrassing loss to Troy. Can he recover? All this, and much more.

Ainsley Earhardt of Fox News fame joins John Crist to talk about growing up in the great state of South Carolina and how attending USC shaped her as a person. They discuss the modern world of the Clemson/South Carolina rivalry, on which Earhardt is an expert. She may live in the most divided house in America, as she married former Clemson QB Will Proctor. As the SEC and ACC battle for fans in The Palmetto State, this rivalrty is more intense than ever.

Former Georgia All-American and current SEC Network analyst Matt Stinchcomb joins host Connor O'Gara to discuss the latest hot topics around the league, including whether the Bulldogs are for real. They also discuss some SEC second-half predictions and Matt shares his identical Steve Spurrier imitation. Matt joins the SDS podcast on behalf of the 2017 AFCA Good Works Team.

National college football reporter Brett McMurphy joins Matt Hayes to discuss the possibility of the SEC getting two teams in the College Football Playoff, and the league’s bowl outlook, as well as some creative solutions to the yearly issues with college football's final four. Also, Butch Jones' seat gets hotter, Matt's picks against the spread, and much more.

Kentucky legend Andre Woodson, who could be the Wildcats' best signal-caller of all time, joins the pod to talk about the Wildcats' current team, as well as issues beyond football. What does a former UK great like Woodson think about Mark Stoop, and how does the team unpack last week's collapse against Florida? Woodson has the answers. Also, as a quarterback born into a military family, Woodson has a unique perspective on the recent national anthem protests. Woodson and host John Crist discuss this, as well as the moments when sports and politics intersect.

With 1/3 of the schedule already decided, the college football season is flying by. So what have we learned? Connor and JC discuss the surprising quarterback battle between Jake Fromm and Jacob Eason for the undefeated Bulldogs, which is a pretty good problem to have. On the flip side – has Butch Jones reached his ceiling at Tennessee? Last week's nail-biter against UMass certainly didn't do him any favors with the uneasy fan base. Also, JC and Connor look back at their preseason predictions to see how they have turned out so far.

Kentucky kicker Austin MacGinnis joins the show to talk about the Wildcats' rise and the finer points of kicking in big-time moments on the biggest stage of college football.

Former All-SEC wide receiver Chris Doering joins John Crist to talk about his alma mater, the Florida Gators. Topics include everything from Doering's playing days alongside Danny Wuerffel to diagnosing the Gators' modern offensive struggles, and just who is most qualified to play QB in Gainesville.

Kentucky QB Stephen Johnson joins Matt Hayes to talk about the Wildcats' surprising start to the season, and to preview their upcoming game against Florida. Matt then shares his thoughts from around college football, including Florida's anemic offense, his picks for the week, and the real story behind why Chip Kelly isn't back in college football.

After a hurricane-induced bye week, JC and Connor talk about the biggest news in the SEC including the breakout performances by Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. The pair discusses which players and teams have proven themselves through three weeks, and how Saturday could be a must-win for both Bret Bielema and Kevin Sumlin.

In the wake of Hurricane Irma, Matt Hayes sits down with his friend Chris Low of ESPN to discuss recent events in college football. Topics include Florida's offense, Auburn's dud against Clemson, how to properly handle being berated by a coach as a media member, and much more.

Georgia tailback Sony Michel joins Matt Hayes to talk about a historic trip to Notre Dame, how he almost picked the Irish during his recruitment and his rap career. Matt then talks about the biggest news in the SEC including the Curious Case of the Garbage Can, this week's picks and much more.

LSU great Jacob Hester joins the SDS pod to talk about the current Tigers squad and the state of the SEC. The pair discusses recent changes in Baton Rouge – everything from Orgeron and Les Miles to Matt Canada and the new-look offense. And as a former LSU running back, Hester gives his opinion on two others: Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice, and which one will have a better college career when its all said and done.

JC and Connor talk about the wild Week 1 in the SEC, which included some heavy hitters, and some sneaky matchups that turned out to be better than advertised. Where does A&M stand after another collapse – the worst so far under Kevin Sumlin? Alabama looked as dominant as ever on Saturday, should the rest of the SEC be worried? Also, Georgia QB Jacob Eason went down against App State and freshman Jake Fromm was impressive, could there be a QB controversy brewing in Athens?