CFW Preseason 2025 – The past seven months were curious and busy
Belichick offers up pizza, spring games lose
their appeal, FSU and Clemson make up with
the ACC (maybe), while NIL and direct
payments downsize some football programs
There is rarely a dull moment during the offseason. However, the past seven months had its share. Still, it was an interesting and revealing offseason.
The 2024 season had no sooner ended when Illinois coach Bret Bielema continued his high-spirited, hot rhetoric that began at the Citrus Bowl. This time Bielema verbally attacked former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh for talking about integrity after running off to the NFL at the end of the 2023 season. Michigan and Harbaugh were still pushing back at the NCAA over Michigan’s alleged sign-stealing from the 2023 season.
Harbaugh said, “Always tell the truth. If you lie, it’s over,” To which Bielema responded in a Tweet, “Really, then why did you leave? If you cheat to win, you’ve already lost.” It seems Bielema was still fired up, following his verbal shenanigans with South Carolina coach Shane Beamer at the Citrus Bowl on January 1.
While Ohio State was still celebrating its national championship, college football analysts were already looking ahead to the 2025 season, listing Texas quarterback Arch Manning as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.
“It is the evening of the day. I sit and watch the children play. Smiling faces I can see, but not for me. I sit and watch as tears go by…” I think every guy from the 60s generation was in love with her at one time or another. English singer and actress Marianne Faithful died on January 30. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her single “As Tears Go By.” The song was a Top 5 hit in the UK and reached No. 22 in the U.S. on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. It was on the Billboard chart during the winter of 1964-65. From 1966 to 1970, Faithful had a highly publicized relationship with Mick Jagger. “As Tears Go By” was written for her by Jaeger and Keith Richards. Her other Top 40 hits in the U.S. were “Come and Stay with Me,” “This Little Bird” and “Summer Nights.” A native of Hampstead, London, England, Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithful was 78. “….My riches can’t buy everything. I want to hear the children sing. All I hear is the sound of rain falling on the ground. I sit and watch as tears go by.”
Pizza, anyone? As fraternities at the University of North Carolina tuned into the North Carolina-Duke basketball game on February 1, they were eating pizza purchased by their new football coach. North Carolina coach Bill Belichick had pizza delivered to the fraternity houses at UNC prior to the Tar Heels basketball game at Duke. I hope the pizza tasted good because North Carolina lost to Duke, 87-70. And do sorority girls not like pizza? Or was Belichick being sexist?
Ohio State rewarded its coach Ryan Day with a contract extension and pay raise. Day’s contract was extended through the 2031 season at a salary of $12.5 million per season. That makes Day the country’s second highest paid college football coach. Georgia’s Kirby Smart is the highest paid coach at $13.3 million per year.
The SEC announced it made $808.4 million in revenue for the 2023-24 academic year. As a result, the league distributed $52.6 million to its 14 legacy members. Newcomers Oklahoma and Texas received $27.5 million in transition payment. The $808.4 million is a $67.4 million increase over the $741 million generated by the SEC during the 2022-23 academic year.
I remember this guy so well when I was in high school and college. Former AFL/NFL and college football player Howard Twilley died on February 5. In college, Twilley was a receiver for Tulsa from 1963 to 1965. At Tulsa, Twilley was a unanimous first-team All-American in 1965. He was the runner up for the Heisman Trophy that year. Twilley finished his three-season college career with 261 receptions for 3,334 yards and 32 touchdowns. In the pros, he played wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins for 11 seasons from 1966 to 1976. When Miami finished the 1972 season undefeated and Super Bowl champions, Twilley was one of only two members of the team who played on the original Dolphins squad in 1966. A native of Houston, Texas, Howard James Twilley was 81.
If it’s Super Bowl time, then it’s time for some of my Navy buddies and their wives to visit. For three years now Joe and Lynn Gannon from Connecticut, Randy and Sonja Rollman from Pennsylvania and Pat and Ginny Bianco from Ohio have been gathering with Swamp Mama and me on the coast of east-central Florida to watch the Super Bowl.
This year was no different, as the crew began gathering a few days before the February 9 game. Actually, it was different. Usually, John Ross from Ohio makes the trip down as well, however, John was unable to join us this year.
The night after the Super Bowl, the eight of us, along with Ron and Susie Hoke from Lakeland, Florida, enjoyed a group dinner at Villa Palma Ristorante in Indialantic. Then on February 12, Joe, Randy and I enjoyed some large-mouth bass fishing on Headwaters Lake, west of Fellsmere, Florida. The fishing excursion has become a tradition as well.
“Fare thee well, I know you’re leaving. For the new love that you’ve found. The handsome guy that you’ve been dating. Whoa, I got a feeling he’s gonna put you down….” Soul singer, songwriter, musician, producer and politician Jerry Butler died on February 20. From 1958 to 1972, Butler charted with 38 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100, 16 of which were Top 40 hits. His biggest hit was “Only the Strong Survive,” which peaked at No. 4 in the spring of 1969. Some of his other hits included “For Your Precious Love (1958), “He Will Break Your Heart” (1960) and “Make It Easy on Yourself” (1962). A native of Sunflower, Mississippi, Jerry Butler was 85. “...And when the final act is over. And you’re left standing all alone. When he makes his bow and makes his exit. Whoa, I’ll be there to take you home. Because he don’t love you like I love you. If he did, he wouldn’t break your heart. He don’t love you like I love you. He’s trying to tear us apart.”
As spring practice was underway at some schools and approaching at others, it was looking more and more like the traditional spring game, held at the end of spring practice, was becoming a dinosaur. For years, the traditional end of college football’s spring practice was the annual spring game. Spring games are popular drawls at several schools around the country. Many of them are big money raisers, often for charity. But college football is changing and along with the changes spring games may disappear from the scene.
Florida State, Nebraska, NC State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas, USC, UTSA and West Virginia were just some of the schools that canceled their spring games. Florida State coach Mike Norvell said, “You’re going to see less and less of spring games.”
Why is that you ask? Well, Norvell and Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said the spring game only exposes yourself to your opponents and showcases your players to other teams. With the spring transfer portal window opening on the heels of spring practice, the spring game makes good players vulnerable to being lured away by other teams.
So, several schools, including those listed above, canceled their spring games. Instead of a game, the schools held special events, contests, competitions, etc. The events were focused on getting the fans involved with the players to create some fun and excitement at the end of spring practice.
Not all coaches, however, agreed with Norvell and Rhule. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel continued to champion the traditional spring game. Heupel said, “Creating the big stage for the players this time of the year benefits their development. It’s important for our young players to get a taste of what it’s going to be like. I do love the spring game.”
Colorado coach Deion Sanders not only wants to keep the spring game, but he also wants to take it one step further. “I would actually like to play the spring game against another team,” Sanders said. Syracuse agreed to play Colorado in a spring game. However, the NCAA wouldn’t approve it, citing academic concerns and recruiting advantages.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy suggested that Oklahoma State and Oklahoma could reestablish “Bedlam” by playing each other annually in the spring game. Gundy suggested the game could alternate each year between Stillwater and Norman, or the two schools could play each other twice in the spring – one weekend in Norman and the next weekend in Stillwater.
So, it remains to be seen what will ultimately become of the spring game. Tradition doesn’t die easily. But it’s certainly possible that the spring game will go the way of the dinosaurs.
Bowling Green football coach Scott Loeffler announced he was leaving BG to become the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. In six seasons with the Falcons, Loeffler was 27-41. Bowling Green became the 28th FBS school that will have a new head football coach in 2025.
“I heard he sang a good song. I heard he had a style. And so, I came to see him. To listen for a while. And there he was this young boy – a stranger to my eyes….” She burst onto the scene in the spring and summer of 1972 with the smash hit “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” She followed that up in the winter and spring of 1973 with another smash hit “Killing Me Softly with His Song.” Both songs reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Singer and pianist Roberta Flack died on February 24. The lyrics for “Killing Me Softly with His Song” were written by Lori Lieberman after she was inspired by a Don McLean performance in late 1971. Flack was one of the defining voices of the 1970s. She also had two big duet-hits with Donny Hathaway – “Feel Like Making Love” and “The Closer I Get to You.” Those songs peaked at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively on the Hot 100 chart. From 1971 to 1983, Flack had 17 songs on the Hot 100 chart, nine of which were Top 40 hits, including “Where Is the Love.” A native of Black Mountain, North Carolina, Roberta Cleopatra Flack was 88. “Strumming my pain with his fingers. Singing my life with his words. Killing me softly with his song. Telling my whole life with his words. Killing me softly with his song….”
Texas became the latest school to raise its ticket prices. Tickets prices are going up around the country to help schools pay the athletes’ salaries, which began on July 1. In Austin, ticket prices went up $13 per game.
“No matter what you are. I will always be with you. Doesn’t matter what you do, girl. Ooh girl, with you….” Joey Molland died on March 1. Who was Joey Molland, you ask? Molland was the last surviving member of Badfinger. Who was Badfinger you ask? Badfinger was a popular four-member rock band of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They had big hits with “Come and Get It,” “No Matter What,” “Day After Day” and “Baby Blue.” A native of Edge Hill, Lancashire, England, guitarist and singer-songwriter Joseph Charles Molland was 77. “….No matter what you do. I will always be around. Won’t you tell me what you found, girl. Ooh girl, with you. No matter where you go. There will always be a place. Can’t you see it in my face, girl. Ooh girl, with you.”
Together again. Florida State and Clemson made up with the ACC. Well, at least temporarily. Last year, the two schools filed suits against the ACC in an attempt to get out of the conference without losing their TV rights and without paying an outrageous exit fee. But when the Big Ten and the SEC showed no interest in Florida State or Clemson, the two schools cooled their heels, softened their rhetoric and started getting chummy again with the ACC. Ultimately, the ACC softened up a bit and made conditions – mainly financial – more palatable to Florida State and Clemson.
The exit fee will be reduced during the next five years. From 2025 to 2030, the fee will be lowered annually from the current $165 million to $75 million. Then, beginning in 2030, schools leaving the ACC will retain their TV rights. Currently, the conference has control of the TV rights until 2036. The biggest change came in the ACC’s handling of revenue distribution to the member schools. Currently, the conference revenue is distributed equally to the member schools. Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, the conference distribution of revenue will be primarily based on television viewership. Schools, whose games draw higher TV ratings, will receive a higher amount of the revenue. ACC schools whose games draw the lowest TV viewership will receive a smaller amount of the conference revenue. That should keep Florida State and Clemson content for a while. However, it could make schools like Boston College and Wake Forest angry. Come 2030, a lot of schools may want out of the ACC. Stay tuned!
Former Ohio State running back and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George was named the new head football coach at Bowling Green. He replaced Scott Loeffler who resigned two weeks earlier to become the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. For the past four seasons, George was the head football coach at Tennessee State, where he was 24-22 – 9-3 in 2024.
On March 8, SIUE (Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville) became the first team to punch its ticket for March Madness. The Panthers won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. Shortly thereafter, High Point, Lipscomb, Drake and Omaha punched their tickets to the Big Dance. And so, it began.
Speaking of dance, new West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez announced he was banning his players from dancing on TikTok. “They’re going to be on it, so I’m not banning them from it. I’m just banning them from dancing on it,” Rodriguez said. Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola and others have posted dance videos on TikTok.
I read a few of his books, including “Hard Courts” and “The Last Amateurs.” In all, he wrote 44 books, mostly nonfiction. Sportswriter, author and commentator John Feinstein died on March 13. His books covered football, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, etc. Feinstein was a sports columnist for The Washington Post. His last column appeared in The Washington Post on the day of his death. A native of New York City and a graduate of Duke, John Feinstein was 69.
“Love is but a song we sing. Fear’s the way we die. You can make the mountains ring. Or make the angels cry. Though the bird is on the wing, and you may not know why…” Singer-songwriter Jesse Colin Young died on March 16. Young was the lead singer and founding member of the 1960s band the Youngbloods. The song “Get Together” was the Youngbloods one and only hit. And it had to be released a second time to become a hit. But what a hit it was. Originally released in September 1967, “Get Together” only made it to 62 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart before falling off. About two years later, portions of the song were used in a public service commercial, and the jingle became popular with radio listeners – so popular that listeners were inquiring about the song. As a result, RCA Records re-released “Get Together” in 1969. The song climbed to No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. It remained on the chart for 17 weeks during the summer and fall of 1969. It became an anthem for the young – for the San Francisco and Haight-Ashbury generation. A native of New York City, Perry Miller was 83. Jesse Colin Young was his stage name. “….Come on, people now, smile on your brother. Everybody get together try to love one another right now.”
Through the first two rounds of March Madness there were no bracket busters. There were four surprises in the first round – McNeese upset Clemson, Drake knocked off Missouri, Colorado State took down Memphis and New Mexico beat Marquette. However, all four of those first-round winners lost in the second round. Colorado State should have been a winner over Maryland in the second round, but the refs blew it when they failed to call traveling on the Terps Derik Queen when he made a buzzer-beating fadeaway basket.
So, the only outsiders in the Sweet 16 were fifth-seeded Michigan, sixth-seeded BYU and Ole Miss and 10th-seeded Arkansas. But no real Cinderella’s. The Sweet 16 consisted of 7 SEC teams, 4 Big 12, 4 Big Ten and one ACC team. It was the first time since the Sweet 16 format began in 1975 that only four conferences were represented. The previous low was seven conferences.
Stanford fired football coach Troy Taylor. Taylor was reported to have bullied and belittled female athletic staff members, threatened an NCAA compliance officer and made inappropriate comments to another woman about her appearance. “It is evident to me that our program needs a reset,” said Stanford football general manger and former quarterback Andrew Luck. “I no longer believe that coach Taylor is the right coach to lead our football program.” Taylor was 6-18 in two seasons coaching Stanford.
A week after its first-four round loss in the NCAA basketball tournament, St. Francis (PA) announced it was downgrading its athletic programs to Division III. With NIL and direct pay, St. Francis can no longer afford to compete as a Division I team. Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships.
Just last year, Richmond, a Division I FCS school, announced that its football program would become a non-scholarship program. Beginning this fall, Richmond’s football team will compete in the Patriot League. Previously, the Spiders competed in the Coastal Athletic Association. Richmond made this move because it cannot afford to pay NIL money and direct salaries to the football players. Richmond will continue to offer athletic scholarships in all other sports.
Kent State put head football coach Kenni Burns on administrative paid leave. No reason was given for the action. Offensive coordinator Mark Carney was named the interim coach while Burns is on leave. Burns has a 1-23 record in two seasons coaching the Golden Flashes. They were 0-12 last season.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders received a five-year extension to his contract, paying him $54 million from 2025 through 2029. That’s $10.8 million a year for the next five years. His buyout starts at $12 million this year and reduces to $3 million in 2029.
Meanwhile, in the Sweet 16, all four of the outsiders – Michigan, Ole Miss, BYU and Arkansas – lost. The Elite 8 consisted of eight teams seeded fourth or higher. And it was the first time in history that four teams from the same conference – Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Tennessee – were in the Elite 8.
Stanford football general manager Andrew Luck named former NFL coach Frank Reich as the team’s interim head coach for the 2025 season. Reich’s agreement to coach for one season gives Luck more time to find a long-term head coach for Stanford. Reich is a former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and the Carolina Panthers.
The four number one seeds in the NCAA tournament – Auburn, Duke, Florida and Houston – made it to the Final Four in March Madness. It was only the second time in tournament history that has happened. The first time was 2008 when Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina and UCLA, all number one seeds, made it to the final four. Kansas beat Memphis in overtime to win that championship.
“Poetry in motion, walkin’ by my side. Her lovely locomotion, keeps my eyes open wide….” Singer-songwriter Johnny Tillotson died on April 1. Tillotson enjoyed his greatest success in the early and mid-1960s when he scored nine Top 10 hits, including “Poetry in Motion,” “Without You,” “It Keeps Right on A Hurtin’” and “Talk Back Trembling Lips.” His biggest hit was “Poetry in Motion” which peaked at No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 1 in the UK. Tillotson was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew up in Palatka, Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications. Johnny Tillotson was 86. “….Poetry in motion, see her gentle sway. A wave out on the ocean could never move that way.”
Connecticut won the women’s March Madness, beating South Carolina in the championship game. It was UConn’s 12th national championship in women’s basketball – all under coach Geno Auriemma.
Back in the men’s tournament, Florida won its third national championship, beating Houston in the final game.
After placing football coach Kenni Burns on administrative leave in March, Kent State fired Burns in mid-April. No reason was given for why Burns was put on administrative leave or why he was fired. However, a 1-23 record the past two seasons had to be a contribution to Burns’ firing. Kent State’s offensive coordinator Mike Carney was named the Golden Flashes’ interim coach for the 2025 season.
With spring practice underway at Tennessee, third year Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava failed to show up for a practice session and a team meeting. Word soon surfaced that Iamaleava wanted more NIL money or else he would enter the transfer portal and leave for another school. Iamaleava was making $2.4 million in NIL income at Tennessee. He wanted it increased to $4 million.
Tennessee stood its ground and basically told Iamaleava to take his football and shove it. After looking around, Iamaleava ultimately signed with UCLA for an NIL deal of $1 million. So, the former Tennessee quarterback, seeking a $1.6 million increase in pay at Tennessee, took a $1.4 million drop in pay at UCLA.
Now, talk about irony, after Iamaleava signed with UCLA, Bruins quarterback Joey Aguilar entered the transfer portal and signed with Tennessee. Was that a tit for tat?
The Iamaleava news prompted LSU coach Brian Kelly to predict, “This is just the beginning.” Kelly said, “We’ll see more and more players demanding an increase in NIL money or threatening to leave.”
If you have watched a lot of college football on television, especially on ESPN, then you are familiar with Mike Patrick. Patrick was a sportscaster on ESPN from 1982 to 2018. Patrick died on April 20. In addition to college football, Patrick covered NFL football, college basketball and the college baseball world series on ESPN. A native of Clarksburg, West Virginia, Mike Patrick was 80.
Earlier, I reported that St. Francis (PA) and Richmond were downsizing their football programs. You can add William & Mary to the list. In late April, William & Mary announced its football program would become a non-scholarship sport. Like Richmond, William & Mary football will remain an FCS Division I program but will leave the Coastal Athletic Association and join the Patriot League in football. Members of the Patriot League do not offer athletic scholarships. Like Richmond, William & Mary will continue to offer scholarships for its other sports. NIL and direct payment to players led William & Mary to take this action.
For those of us who are old enough to have watched “Laugh-In,” we will never forget her. Actress and comedienne Ruth Buzzi died on May 1. She is the only cast member to appear in every episode of “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,” a television comedy-variety show of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Her acting and performances on the show garnered her one Golden Globe Award and five Emmy nominations. One of her most popular sketches on “Laugh-In” was playing the role of spinster Gladys Ormphby. Using her pocketbook as a weapon she would fight off the advances of dirty-old-man Artie Johnson. She appeared on stage, in film and in several television shows. She was the voice of numerous characters in animated cartoons and series. A native of Westerly, Rhode Island, Ruth Ann Buzzi was 88.
And for those of us who are up there in age, do you remember “Sugarfoot.” Actor Will Hutchins died. Hutchins played Tom Brewster in the Western television series “Sugarfoot,” which aired on ABC from 1957 to 1961 for 69 episodes. There is a famous 1959 Warner Brothers publicity photo that features Will Hutchins (“Sugarfoot”), Peter Brown (“Lawman”), Jack Kelly (“Maverick”), Ty Hardin (“Bronco”), James Garner (“Maverick”), Wayde Preston (“Colt .45”) and John Russell (“Lawman”), standing in a row with their guns drawn. Hutchins was the last surviving member of that group. During the Korean War, Hutchins served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps as a cryptographer. He appeared in movies and other television shows. A native of Los Angeles, California, Marshall Lowell Hutchason (Will Hutchins was his stage name) was 94.
In early May, North Carolina coach Bill Belichick and his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordan Hudson were making the headlines of TV sports talk shows and sports blogs. It all began in a televised CBS TV interview with Belichick. First, the coach was wearing a ragged Navy tee shirt during the interview. That raised a few eyebrows. Then, when Belichick was asked how he and Hudson met, Hudson came out of nowhere saying, “We’re not going to talk about that.” Until Hudson spoke, no one watching the interview knew that she was even around.
Following the awkward interview, it was reported that North Carolina gave Hudson the boot. Hudson is not only Belichick’s girlfriend, but also, she is his handler and publicity agent. It was reported that the Tar Heels had banned Hudson from UNC’s football facility and football field. It was also reported that Belichick’s family was concerned that Hudson was detrimental to Belichick’s legacy and reputation. His family is concerned that Hudson is exploiting Belichick for fame.
Sports blogger Pablo Torre said, “Either this will all die down, or it will all get worse.” Well, it all died down quickly when North Carolina officials said that Hudson was not banned from the football facilities or the football field. However, Torre and NBC sportswriter and commentator Mike Florio stuck with their original story, saying North Carolina had initially banned Hudson. Stay tuned!
“Couldn’t stop movin’ when it first took hold. It was a warm spring night at the old town hall. There was a group called ‘The Jokers’ and they were laying it down. ’Cause ya know I’m never gonna lose that funky sound….” He first became famous with his band The McCoys when their song “Hang On Sloopy” became a number one hit in the fall of 1965. His fame continued in the winter of 1974 when, as a solo artist, his song “Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo” reached number 23 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Musician, producer and songwriter Rick Derringer died on August 5. Over the years, Derringer collaborated with such singers and bands as Edgar and Johnny Winter, Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, Todd Rundgren and Barbra Streisand, among others. A native of Celina, Ohio, Richard Dean Zehringer was 77. “….Rock and roll, hoochie koo. Lady mama light my fuse. Rock and roll hoochie koo. Truck on out and spread the news.”
In late May, the College Football Playoff management committee (the 10 FBS conference commissioners plus Notre Dame’s athletic director) approved a straight-seeding model for this season’s and all future playoffs. All 12 teams in the playoff will be seeded as they are ranked in the final CFP rankings. Last year, the top four conference champions, regardless of where they were ranked in the final CFP rankings, received a first-round bye in the playoff. This year, the top four seeded teams, conference champion or not, will receive a first-round bye. The five highest-ranked conference champions will continue to get a spot in the playoff.
A few days later, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said he is feeling pressure from SEC member schools to move to a 16-team playoff in 2026. He has the feeling that most, if not all, commissioners want to move to a 16-team playoff in the 2026 season. Previously, most conference commissioners seemed to be in favor of a 14-team playoff in 2026. With a 16-team format, there will be no first round byes. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin wants a 16-team playoff in 2026 without any automatic bids. Most likely it will be the 5-11 format – the five highest ranked conference champions and the 11 highest ranked at large teams seeded as they are ranked at the end of the season. Stay tuned!
We knew her on television as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in the popular sitcom “M*A*S*H.” Stage and television actress Loretta Swit died on May 30. “M*A*S*H” ran for 11 seasons from 1972 to 1983. Swit was nominated for an Emmy Award each of the 11 seasons, winning it twice – Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. She was one of only four cast members to stay for all 11 seasons of the show. Swit appeared in many other television shows. A native of Passaic, New Jersey, Loretta Jane Szwed was 87.
The first week in June, Rockledge Gator and I had lunch with an old friend – Chris Eaton. Chris isn’t old, he’s 18 or so years younger than us. Rockledge Gator and I used to work with Chris at Harris and Atex. We hadn’t seen him in years. We met for lunch at where else – Long Doggers. It was great seeing and talking to Chris again. We also worked with his wife – Susan. Chris and Susan are big-time Georgia fans. That’s their only weakness. But we love them both. Always will. They are big-time soccer fans too, having traveled the world, with their son John, watching soccer matches.
Villanova joined Richmond and William & Mary as the third Division I FCS team to announce it was leaving the Coastal Athletic Association and downgrading its football program. Effective next year, Villanova will compete in the Patriot League as a non-scholarship football program. Like Richmond and William & Mary, Villanova will be a football only member of the Patriot League. The Wildcats will continue to compete in the Big East in all other sports and continue to make NIL and direct payments to athletes in those sports.
And speaking of direct payments, it’s official. Schools are now free to pay their athletes directly. The deal was approved by a U.S. District Judge on June 6. The judge’s long-awaited decision came with less than a month remaining before schools were planning to start cutting checks to athletes on July 1. The annual cap that each school can pay is $20.5 million annually. That amount will increase each year during the 10-year-long deal. These payments are in addition to scholarships and NIL money. Each school can distribute up to $20.5 million to all scholarship athletes in all sports. However, players competing in the revenue sports are expected to receive higher payments than those competing in the non-revenue sports. NIL contracts and payments will continue, but they will now face intense scrutiny from a new enforcement entity to ensure that players are properly endorsing the products/services that are compensating them. It is expected that most, if not all, schools in the Power Four conferences will fully utilize the $20.5 million cap. Most, if not all, schools in the Group of Five conferences and Division II schools will operate under a smaller cap. The up to $20.5 million cap will come from the school’s athletic department revenue.
The feeling is most schools will allot 75% of the money to the football players, 15% to the men’s basketball players, 5% to the women’s basketball players, while the remaining 5% will be spread out over the remaining sports – soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, softball, etc.
No more frequent trips to the Panhandle. Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe moved to the Jacksonville-St. Augustine area in June. Specifically, they live in Julington Creek Plantation (Fruit Cove, Florida) in St. Johns County. Princess Gator will be teaching at Pine Island Academy – a K-thru-8 public school near Ponte Vedra Beach in St. Johns County. Gator Gabe and Gator Babe are both students at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Go Ospreys!
Both were writers and entertainers. One wrote and entertained us with his songs and music. The other wrote and entertained us with his books. Singer, songwriter and musician Sly Stone and author Frederick Forsyth died on June 9. Sly & The Family Stone gave us such songs as “Dance To The Music” (1968), “Everyday People” (1968-69), “Hot Fun In The Summertime” (1969), “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin (1970) and “Family Affair” (1971). All were Top 10 hits. Three were No. 1 hits. A native of Denton, Texas, Sylvester Stewart was 82. Forsyth gave us such books as “The Day of the Jackal” (1971), ‘The Odessa File” (1972), “The Dogs of War” (1974), “The Fourth Protocol” (1984) and “The Kill List” (2013). All were bestsellers. More than a dozen of his books became movies. He sold more than 70 million books in more than 30 languages. A native of Ashford (Kent), England, Frederick McCarthy Forsyth was 86.
Rumors of conference realignment sprung up in June. Texas State was rumored to soon make a jump from the Sun Belt Conference to the revamped Pac-12. Louisiana Tech of Conference USA was mentioned as the most likely school to replace Texas State in the Sun Belt. If not Louisiana Tech, then Western Kentucky was rumored as a possibility to leave C-USA for the Sun Belt. And finally, rumors have Memphis leaving the AAC for the Pac-12, but not until 2027. Stay tuned!
He was an icon. He was a genius. He was a co-founder of the Beach Boys. Singer, songwriter, musician and record producer Brian Wilson died on June 11. In 1962, Wilson became the first pop musician to write, arrange, produce and perform his own material. By the mid-1960s, he had written or co-written more than 24 Top 40 hits, including three No. 1 songs – “I Get Around” (1964), “Help Me Rhonda” (1965) and “Good Vibrations (1966). A native of Inglewood, California, Brian Douglas Wilson was 82. “God only knows what I’d be without you.”
ESPN announced that the season’s first College GameDay Show would be in Columbus, Ohio, for the Texas-Ohio State game on August 30. The network also announced it will be Lee Corso’s farewell and final appearance on the show. The 89-year-old has been a key member of College GameDay since its inception in 1987. He will receive a celebratory sendoff.
“I’ll try every trick in the book. With every step that you take. Everywhere that you look….” Five of his songs made Billboard’s Top 25. Two were Top 10 hits and one, “Lightnin’ Strikes” reached the top of the charts at No. 1 in the winter of 1966. Lou Christie died on June 18. His other hits were “The Gypsy Cried” (1963), “Two Faces Have I” (1963), “Rhapsody In The Rain” (1966) and “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” (1969). Leslie Gore was a backing vocalist on the recording of “I’m gonna Make You Mine.” A native of Glenwillard, Pennsylvania, Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco was 82. “….Just look and you’ll find. I’ll try to get to your soul. I’ll try to get to your mind. I’m gonna make you mine. Baby, I’m gonna make you mine.”
In Omaha, the LSU Tigers claimed the program’s eighth baseball national championship, sweeping the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in this year’s College World Series – The Greatest Show on Dirt. LSU swept Coastal Carolina 2-games-to-0 in the final series. The other teams who made it to Omaha this year were Arzona, Arkansas, Louisville, Murray State, Oregon State and UCLA.
An outfit called College Football 26 listed what it called the 10 Toughest Places To Play in college football. They are 1. LSU (Tiger Stadium), 2. Penn State (Beaver Stadium), 3. Ohio State (Ohio Stadium), 4. Georgia (Sanford Stadium), 5. Alabama (Bryant-Denny Stadium), 6. Clemson (Memorial Stadium), 7. Florida (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium), 8. Oklahoma (Gaylord Family Stadium), 9. Oregon (Autzen Stadium), and 10. Michigan (Michigan Stadium).
“Television man is crazy, saying we’re juvenile delinquent wrecks. Oh, man, I need TV when I’ve got T Rex. Hey dudes!....” He co-wrote the song “All the Young Dudes.” Singer, songwriter and guitarist Mick Ralphs died on June 23. Ralphs was a founding member of the bands Mott the Hoople and Bad Company. He penned “All the Young Dudes” with David Bowie in 1972. I think that was the first song I heard when I arrived in Edzell, Scotland, in August of that year. A native of Stoke Lacy in Herefordshire, England, Michael Geoffrey Ralphs was 81. “….And my brother’s back at home with his Beatles and his Stones. We never got it off on that revolution stuff. What a drag. Too many snags. Hey dudes!”
Rockledge Gator and I had lunch with long-time friend Jamie Fuller in late June. We worked with Jamie for many years at Harris, Mactive and Atex. We also worked with Jamie’s wife Ann at Harris and Mactive. It was the first time we had seen Jamie in years. After living in Melbourne, Florida, for many years, Jamie and Ann moved to Lexington, Virginia, in July. Both are graduates of Washington & Lee University.
The rumors of early June became reality on June 30. Texas State, of the Sun Belt Conference, announced it was joining the Pac-12 Conference, effective July 1, 2026. The addition of Texas State gives the revamped Pac-12 eight football-playing members. The other seven members are Oregon State, Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State. Gonzaga, a ninth member, will compete in the Pac-12 in all sports but football. The Zags don’t field a football team. Now, who will replace Texas State in the Sun Belt – Louisiana Tech?
At the Big 12 Media Days on July 8 and 9, Colorado coach Deion Sanders said that college football needs a salary cap to increase the sport’s competitiveness, and UCF coach Scott Frost said it was a mistake coaching at Nebraska.
“I wish there was a cap,” Sanders said. “The top-of-the-line player makes this, and if you’re not that type of guy, you know you’re not going to make that. That’s what the NFL does. The problem is, you got a guy that’s not that darn good, but he could go to another school, and they give him half a million dollars. You can’t compete with that. And it don’t make sense. You understand darn near why they are in the playoffs. It’s kind of hard to compete with somebody’s who’s giving $25 million to $30 million to a freshman class. It’s crazy.”
Meanwhile, Frost said he never wanted to take the Nebraska job in the first place. “I got tugged in a direction to try to help my alma mater and I didn’t really want to do it. It wasn’t a good move. I’m lucky to get back to a place where I was a lot happier.” When asked what he learned from coaching Nebraska, Frost said, “Don’t take the wrong job.”
He had a No. 1 hit in the late spring of 1959. Three years later, he followed it up with a No. 10 hit in the late summer of 1962. Not long after, he vanished from the scene and led a reclusive life. There were no known surviving family members at the time of his death on May 31, 2022. As a result, he was buried in Potters Field on Hart Island off the Bronx. The No.1 hit in 1959 was “The Happy Organ.” The No. 10 hit in 1962 was “Rinky Dink.” Eight of his songs made Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The death of Dave “Baby” Cortez was publicly announced on July 10. He had a daughter, Taryn Sheffield, but they were not in regular contact with each other – not because of estrangement, but because he was reclusive. She learned of his death in 2025 through Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). BMI handled his songwriting royalties. A native of Detroit, Michigan, David Cortez Clowney was 83 when he died in 2022.
The Sun Belt Conference announced that Louisiana Tech would join the conference, effective July 1, 2026. Louisiana Tech will be replacing Texas State who recently announced it would be joining the Pac-12 Conference on July 1, 2026.
The SEC Media Days – a four-day event – opened in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 14. It was a busy time to be in Atlanta. Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby took place in Atlanta on the same day. The home run event was followed the next day by MLB’s annual All-Star game. And if that’s not enough, Beyonce was in the midst of her four-day concert series in Atlanta.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey opened the conference’s Media Days. During his opening remarks, Sankey said the SEC and the Big Ten are not in agreement on the format of the expanded College Football Playoff. Both conferences want to expand the playoff to 16 teams. The SEC wants the 16 teams to consist of the five highest-ranked conference champions plus the 11 remaining highest-ranked teams. The Big Ten agrees with that format as long as four Big Ten teams, regardless of where they are ranked, get an automatic spot in the CFP.
Why do the conferences disagree? The SEC knows it will always get at least four, possibly more, teams in a 16-team playoff. The SEC doesn’t require any automatic spots. The Big Ten, on the other hand, is not comfortable it would have four teams ranked high enough to make the CFP. In the final 2024 CFP rankings, the SEC had six teams ranked in the Top 16. The Big Ten only had three teams ranked in the Top 16. Sankey said there would be no expansion to 16 teams until the two conferences come together on the format.
Is he, or isn’t he? Former Alabama quarterback and ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy says he is. Paul Finebaum says he isn’t. On the opening day of SEC Media Days, McElroy floated a rumor that Nick Saban wants to get back into coaching. McElroy says a man “in the know” in Alabama told him Saban will return to coaching. Finebaum says a man “in the know” in Florida told him Saban is enjoying his retirement and has no intentions of coaching again. Stay tuned!
By the way, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin agrees with McElroy, while Georgia coach Kirby Smart agrees with Finebaum.
“Lipstick on your collar, told a tale on you. Lipstick on your collar, said you were untrue.”…. From the late 1950s to the late 1960s, 56 of her songs made Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Of those 56 songs, 35 became Top 40 hits and 16 were Top 10 hits. Three of the songs became No. 1 hits – “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” (summer of 1960), “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own” (fall of 1960) and “Don’t Break The Heart That Loves You” (winter/spring 1962). She sold more than 100 million records. Singer Connie Francis died on July 16. She was the first woman in history to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. A native of Newark, New Jersey, Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero was 87. “….Bet your bottom dollar, you and I are through. Cause, lipstick on your collar told a tale on you.”
Day 3 of the SEC Media Days turned into Arch Mania Day. Texas quarterback Arch Manning made an appearance and quickly became the center of attention. During a lengthy interview with 40 or more reporters, he made a strong and positive impression, answering an almost endless number of questions. He held up well. However, in spite of Manning, this year’s SEC Media Days was generally considered a “snoozefest – a complete waste of four days,” according to SEC football analyst John Talty.
Aside from Manning mania, the most interesting personalities at the Media Days were Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway and South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers. We learned that Lane Kiffin and Paul Finebaum can actually have a civil conversation with each other. They may even like each other. Speaking first on the morning of the second day, Auburn coach High Freeze looked like he was coming off an all-nighter. The SEC Media Days had its moments, but otherwise it was a pretty dull event.
At the end, the media who attended the four-day affair voted Texas to win the SEC and Mississippi State to finish last. By the way, we learned a new word during the SEC Media Days – “Archmania.”
The Athletic is gone from the American Athletic Conference. In mid-July, the AAC announced it is now the AC – the American Conference. So, now instead of having the AAC and the ACC, we have the AC and the ACC. Are you confused yet? In football, the AC consists of Army, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Rice, South Florida, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB and UTSA.
Memphis, however, would give more than anything to get out of the AC and join a Power Four conference. And that’s exactly what the school did. Memphis offered the Big 12 Conference $250 million to become a member. But the Big 12 rejected the Memphis offer. The source of the $250 million was FedEx, Lowe’s and AutoZone who are headquartered in Memphis. Let it be said that money doesn’t buy everything.
Former Florida State and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher will be back in college football this season. But not as a coach. Fisher is joining the ACC network as a college football analyst and a member of the crew on the “ACC Huddle” show on Saturday mornings. “ACC Huddle” is the ACC Network’s equivalent of the SEC Network’s “SEC Nation.” Both shows are the conferences’ equivalent of ESPN’s “College GameDay” and Fox’s “Big Noon Saturday.”
Jake Retzlaff, who was the starting quarterback at BYU last year, has decided to enroll at Tulane as a walk-on. Retzlaff withdrew from BYU in July after he received a seven-month suspension from the team for violating the school’s honor code.
He’s not backing down. At the ACC Media Days on July 22-24, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos stood by the comments he made about Alabama back in June. At that time, Castellanos said, “They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”
When asked about his comments at the ACC Media Days, Castellanos said, “I stand by what I said.” Florida State hosts Alabama on August 30. Stay tuned!
By the way, the ACC Media Days opened to the singing of “We are family. All the Seminoles, Tigers and me.” Yes, ACC, but for how long?
The Big Ten Media Days were taking place at the same time as the ACC Media Days. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti and Penn State coach James Franklin took potshots at the SEC for being afraid to schedule nine conference games. And Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said the CFP wasn’t a pipe dream for the Gophers. I’m not sure what Fleck was smoking. The Big Ten Media Days were held in Las Vegas.
On beating top-ranked teams, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said, “We definitely need to get over the hump.” Under Franklin, Penn State is 4-20 against Top 10 teams.
His 1978 instrumental hit charmed us all. He made us “Feel So Good.” Jazz musician and composer Chuck Mangione died on July 22. His jazz-pop song, “Feels So Good,” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1978. The song was so popular, it stayed on the Billboard chart for 25 weeks. Mangione followed up “Feels So Good” with “Give It All You Got,” which reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the winter of 1980. ABC Sports made “Give It All You Got” its featured song during the 1980 Winter Olympics. Mangione played the flugelhorn, trumpet and piano. He released 30 albums and also appeared in various television shows. A native of Rochester, New York, Charles Frank Mangione was 84.
“Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit der Gemutlichkeit!” Michigan announced it is in negotiations to have its 2026 season-opening game with Western Michigan played in Germany. The game would be played in Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt on August 29, 2026. “Eins, zwei, drei, gsuffa.”
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders announced on July 28 that he underwent surgery in the spring to remove his bladder. This was after doctors discovered a tumor on the bladder. Sanders added that he is now cancer free and plans to coach the Buffaloes this season. The 57-year-old stepped away from his coaching duties in April to recover from the procedure. Sanders spent nearly three months away from the team, but he made an appearance at the Big 12 Media Days earlier in July.
They called him “Rhino.” He played Major League Baseball for 16 seasons as a second baseman – one year for the Philadelphia Phillies and 15 years for the Chicago Cubs. Ryne Sandberg died July 28. Sandberg played in 10 consecutive All-Star games and was the National League home run leader in 1990. He won nine consecutive Golden Gloves. A native of Spokane, Washington, Ryne Dee Sandberg was 65.
We couldn’t make it through the offseason without more conference realignment rumors popping up. The latest rumors involve two ACC teams. No, not Clemson and Florida State. This time it is North Carolina and Virginia. Scott Hamilton, a sports columnist for The Post and Courier of Charleston, South Carolina, said a reputable source told him that North Carolina has a handshake agreement with the Southeastern Conference to become a member of the SEC. Hamilton added that Virginia has a similar handshake agreement with the Big Ten. Timeframe for the conference moves would be sometime between 2027 and 2030. Stay tuned!
Is he injury prone? He said he wasn’t at the SEC Media Days. Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway was sidelined again. Lagway missed spring practice due to a shoulder injury. Now the Gator quarterback is missing fall camp due to a calf sprain. Lagway is wearing a walking boot. Florida coach Billy Napier said, “It is what it is.”
At the end of July, Swamp Mama and I made our way up I-95 to St. Johns County. A few days visit with Princess Gator, and the grandkids was on the agenda. We had to check out their new abode. I ended up checking out new breakfast places. The first morning, it was Parlor Donuts. I had a maple-pecan donut. Hey, I could have been unhealthy and had a maple-bacon donut.
The second morning it was Miss Cruffin Bakery – the home of delicious French pastries. I had a cinnamon cream cruffin. This was an educational venture for me as I learned a cruffin is a mix between a croissant and a muffin. The third morning it was Brass Tacks Coffee Co. I had a cinnamon bun. I must say, the coffee was good at all three places.
I don’t generally eat this unhealthy as a routine. However, when I’m exploring new territory I sometimes tend to go off the deep end. On the healthy side, we did have a meal at True Food Kitchen at the St. Johns Town Center. You can’t eat unhealthy food at TFK. It was my first visit to a True Food Kitchen, and I loved it.
After we returned home, I began having withdrawal pains for a maple-pecan donut and a cinnamon cream cruffin.
Good news for Florida. By August 2, the walking boot was removed from D.J. Lagway, and he was back participating in fall camp. “He’s made a lot of quick progress,” coach Billy Napier said.
If you remember the television show “WKRP in Cincinnati” then you remember Loni Anderson. Anderson died on August 3. A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Loni Kaye Anderson was 79.
When asked who is going to win the Heisman Trophy, Paul Finebaum said, “Come on, you know what the answer is. Here’s why. It isn’t because I am in love with the guy. It is because he is going to win that first game against Ohio State on the biggest stage in college football this year. All of a sudden, Archmania is going to transcend the sport of college football.”
Former NFL coach Jon Gruden said he would die to be a head coach in the SEC. SEC football writer David Wasson reported the four head coaching jobs in the SEC that are tailor made for Gruden – Arkansas, Kentucky, Auburn and Mississippi State. Any one up to all four of those jobs could be open at the end of the season.
And with that, the offseason has all but come to an end. Let the season begin!
Can Penn State actually win the Big Ten? Will Arizona State repeat in the Big 12? Will Miami dethrone Clemson in the ACC? And will Paul Finebaum let anyone other than Arch win the SEC?
Stay tuned!
The offseason had its sad moments. For me, nothing was sadder than the passing of five acquaintances – Tony Windsor, John Cummings, Tom Sharpe, John Tuttle and Debbie Schwartzkopf.
Tony Windsor – Tony and I never met in person, but we had something in common. During football season, we both wrote a weekly college football report. Had been for several years. A few years back we were connected on social media and began reading and enjoying each other’s reports. For many years, I worked with Tony’s sister, Marty Windsor Eidel, at Harris, Mactive and Atex. It was Marty who connected Tony and me. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Tony was a Wildcat fan. He was also a UCF fan. Tony and I had something else in common. At Kentucky, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. I was a member of Delta Tau Delta at West Virginia University.
John Cummings – John was one of my best friends in high school. Among other things, we were both avid bridge players. We rarely turned down the opportunity to play a game of bridge. John began college at West Virginia Wesleyan in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Two years later, he transferred to Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens, Tennessee, where he graduated. His first wife was a girl from Clinton, Tennessee. I was one of John’s groomsmen in their wedding in Clinton. He entered law school at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Following graduation, John returned to Huntington to practice law. He was later elected Prosecuting Attorney of Cabell County. Then he was appointed to the Cabell Conty Circuit Court. A big Tennessee Vols fan, John was a reader of College Football Week.
Tom Sharpe – Tom was a neighbor and a good friend. He and his wife Jane lived down the street from Swamp Mama and me. We became good friends in the mid-1990s. Around that time, Tom became a reader of College Football Week. His wife Jane was the matron of honor in our daughter’s wedding. Tom was a graduate of Florida State. On many occasions, Tom would sneak down the street when I was working in the yard. I wasn’t aware he was around. All of a sudden, I would hear the Seminole war chant. I’d look around and there was Tom doing the tomahawk chop with his arm. Son Michael Sharpe is a reader of College Football Week. Tom and I had something in common. He spent four years in the U.S. Navy. I spent four years in the U.S. Navy.
John Tuttle – John became a reader of College Football Week during the early years of the report. John graduated from Morehead State University in Kentucky, where he was a quarterback on the football team. He was also a big Kentucky fan. His wife, Karlene, is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. Karlene and Swamp Mama are dear friends. That’s how John and I became friends. John was a high school teacher, principal and football coach in Brevard County, Florida. He also refereed high school basketball games. John and I had something in common. Although we didn’t know each other then, John taught and coached football at Paul Blazer High School in Ashland, Kentucky, during the 1970s. I grew up across the Big Sandy River from Ashland in Huntington, West Virginia. If you knew Huntington, you knew Ashland, and vice versa.
Debbie Schwartzkopf – I got to know Debbie through her husband, Gary. Gary and I worked together at Harris for many years. Gary is one of the original 12 recipients and readers of College Football Week. Debbie and Gary were from Hastings, Nebraska. Debbie graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. She was an art teacher in public schools in Colorado. They attended our daughter’s wedding in Florida. Swamp Mama and I attended their son’s wedding in Colorado. Their son Jess Schwartzkopf is a reader of College Football Week. Although living in Colorado, Debbie and Gary remained Nebraska fans. Go Big Red! However, the four of us, along with Rockledge Gator and Bootsie and Dave and Sue Brolhorst attended a West Virginia-Colorado football game in Boulder in 2008.
Remembering Tony Windsor, John Cummings, Tom Sharpe, John Tuttle and Debbie Schwartzkopf – unique, gracious, talented, amazing and wonderful individuals gone too soon. They will always be remembered. May they rest in peace.
“Time passages
I know you’re in there, you’re just out of sight
Time passages
Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight”
Al Stewart
The next posting of College Football Week – CFW Preseason 2025: The New Head Coaches – will be released tomorrow morning, August 12. See you then.
Touchdown Tom
August 11, 2025
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
Quotes of the Offseason
“The era of $40 million college football rosters is here,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti.
“The bottom line is pretty simple to understand. Belichick’s trying to help her. Trying to get her a job, and she doesn’t seem to be qualified to do anything but get in the way,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, on Bill Belichick’s 24-year-old girl friend.
“What is a Joey Aguilar?” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, knocking Tennessee’s quarterback.
“It’s a personal relationship. She doesn’t have anything to do with football,” North Carolina coach Bill Belichick, responding to questions on ESPN’s Sports Center about his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordan Hudson.
“It’s not right for a freshman to be making more money than an upperclassman,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart.
“I think college football is at a tipping point. I think what is going on now is an existential threat to the future of the game,” ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum, on what NIL, the transfer portal and direct payments are doing to college football.
“We’ve got to go compete and be good enough to win some of those games this year that we haven’t in the past two. I’m not naïve,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze, on his seat getting warmer.
“We’re going to kill an ant with a sledgehammer,” Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams, guaranteeing a win over Vanderbilt this year.
“They just happen to have a fraud as a head coach,” ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum, on USC and their head coach Lincoln Riley.
“They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me,” Florida State quarterback Thoms Castellanos, on the Noles opening game against Alabama.
Both Paul Finebaum and Danny Kanell responded to the Thomas Castellanos statement above. Finebaum said, “Alabama will shove that comment down his throat.” Kanell said, “Castellanos just kicked the hornet’s nest.”
“I just hate them. I won’t lose another game to Michigan,” Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith.
“The gap between 1 and 16 in the Big 12 is so much closer than that of any other league,” ESPN’s Greg McElroy.
“He’s got winner written all over him,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart, on his quarterback Gunner Stockton.
“The rumor of Nick Saban returning to coaching is the last thing Alabama, Kalen DeBoer and High Freeze need to hear,” USA Today writer Blake Toppmeyer.
“In 2018, we were the first 15-0 team in the history of major college football. And I think we’re going to be the first 16-0 team,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.
“I’ve got a lot to give. I’d like to get back out there,” former Florida State and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, saying he wants to coach again.
“The next phase is we’re going to win differently, but we’re going to win. I don’t know if it’s going to be the Hail Mary at the end of the game, but it’s going to be hell during the game, because we want to be physical and we want to run the heck out of the football,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders, on this year’s Buffaloes.
“I want to coach again. I’d die to coach in the SEC. I would love it. I would f***king love it,” former Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden.
“I’m leaving the country if the SEC doesn’t win the national championship,” ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum.
Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but as summer was winding down and college football fans were anticipating the start of another season, the number one song in the country…
…85 years ago, this week in 1940, was “I’ll Never Smile Again” by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra with Frank Sinatra
…80 years ago, this week in 1945, was “On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe” by Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers
…75 years ago, this week in 1950, was “Mona Lisa” by Nat ‘King’ Cole
…70 years ago, this week in 1955, was “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley and His Comets
…65 years ago, this week in 1960, was “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” by Brian Hyland
…60 years ago, this week in 1965, was “I’m Henry VIII, I Am” by Herman’s Hermits
…55 years ago, this week in 1970, was “” (They Long To Be) Close To You” by The Carpenters
…50 years ago, this week in 1975, was “Jive Talkin’” by The Bee Gees
…45 years ago, this week in 1980, was “Magic” by Olivia Newton-John
…40 years ago, this week in 1985, was “Shout” by Tears for Fears
…35 years ago, this week in 1990, was “Vision Of Love” by Mariah Carey
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