Kiffin set to stay on with the Rebels

Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin says he has informed school officials he will be staying at Ole Miss, putting an end to speculation that he was the leading candidate to fill the head coaching vacancy at Auburn.

“Same as I said last week: I’m staying here and we have a lot of work left to do,” Kiffin told The Associated Press on Saturday in a voice message.

Kiffin added he has not signed a contract extension with the school.

With Kiffin off the market, Auburn is now eyeing a former Mississippi coach: Liberty’s Hugh Freeze.

The 47-year-old Kiffin is 23-12 in three seasons as Rebels coach. Mississippi , ranked No. 20 in the College Football Playoff rankings, finished its regular season 8-4, losing four of its last five, including Thursday’s 24-22 loss to Mississippi State.

Auburn played Saturday at No. 7 Alabama in the Iron Bowl, and its coaching search figured to heat up soon after its season concluded.

Auburn fired coach Bryan Harsin earlier this month and has gone 2-1 since under interim coach Carnell Williams, the former star running back for the Tigers. After Liberty lost 49-14 at home to New Mexico State on Saturday, Freeze did not hide his interest in a possible return to the Southeastern Conference.

“I’ve communicated with (Liberty athletic director) Ian (McCaw) that if someone ever wanted to talk to us that interests us, I would always tell him. Is the job that everyone’s talking about one that I would have an interest in of talking with? Sure,” Freeze told reporters after the game. “That doesn’t mean they have offered me a job. Who knows where that’s headed.”

Freeze coached at Ole Miss for five seasons before leaving in disgrace in 2017 after the school discovered he used a university cellphone to call an escort service.

He has gone 34-14 in four seasons with the Flames.

“I’ve always said I love being here on the Mountain, I’m happy here, but I’m not going to sit and say to our kids or somebody that’s just absolutely false, there’s no interest in it,” Freeze said. “The part that’s false is there’s been no offer made to me, nor have I accepted anything. I think that’s what our kids came in the locker room kind of feeling.”

Georgia overcomes slow start, routs Georgia Tech:

A perfect regular season isn’t good enough for Stetson Bennett and No. 1 Georgia.

Bennett threw two touchdown passes and Georgia completed back-to-back undefeated regular seasons for the first time in school history by overcoming a slow start to beat Georgia Tech 37-14 on Saturday.

“It is special,” said Bennett of the undefeated regular season, “but we didn’t enter this season trying to go 12-0. We want to go 15-0.”

Georgia was down 7-0 early and led only 10-7 at halftime. Then the Bulldogs overpowered the Yellow Jackets (5-7) with their running game to score 37 unanswered points and notch their fifth consecutive win in the state rivalry.

Purdue earns title game bid with win at Indiana:

Aidan O’Connell threw two touchdown passes and Devin Mockobee ran for another to help the Purdue Boilermakers clinch their first Big Ten West Division title with a 30-16 victory Saturday at Indiana.

The Boilermakers (8-4, 6-3) face No. 3 Michigan next weekend in Indianapolis with a chance to win their first conference title since 2000.

Purdue also won its fourth Old Oaken Bucket in five games and produced its first back-to-back eight-win seasons since 1997-98.

Indiana (4-8, 2-7) lost eight of its last nine — and starting quarterback Dexter Williams II with what appeared to be a serious right leg, non-contact injury late in the first quarter Saturday.

Young, Alabama roll past Auburn in Iron Bowl:

Bryce Young passed for 343 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score in perhaps his final home game for No. 7 Alabama, leading the Crimson Tide past Auburn 49-27 in Saturday’s Iron Bowl.

Alabama (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) reached double digits in wins for a 15th consecutive season despite being unable to fulfill those ever-present national title aspirations.

The Tigers (5-7, 2-6) were trying to ensure bowl eligibility and salvage a disappointing campaign that included the Oct. 31 firing of coach Bryan Harsin.

Levis, Ruffolo carry Kentucky past rival Louisville:

Will Levis passed for two touchdowns, including a 3-yarder to Barion Brown in the third quarter, Matt Ruffolo kicked a career-best four field goals and Kentucky topped archrival Louisville 26-13 on Saturday for its fourth consecutive Governor’s Cup victory.

The Wildcats (7-5) limped in with five losses in seven games but regrouped to overwhelm the Cardinals in all phases.