Tag: AAC

2025-26 College Football Playoff Bracket is Set.

Conference Championship Weekend is over and done with.

Congratulations to Indiana (B10), Georgia (SEC), Duke (ACC, yes you read that right), Texas Tech (B12), Tulane (AAC), James Madison (Sun Belt), Kennesaw State (C-USA), Boise State (MWC), and Western Michigan (MAC), for winning their conference titles.

It’s the main goal of these teams when they start the season, and through hard work, dedication, and a bit of luck, they all achieved it.

On Sunday, the College Football Playoff Committee released their official bracket.

There is a LOT WRONG with it as well.

First of all, I’m happy that the Dukes and Green Wave won their conferences, but in no way, shape, or form, should they BOTH be in the CFP. Personally, I don’t think ANY of the “G5 schools” deserved to be in the playoffs this season. However, if one team did deserve it, it was James Madison, not Tulane.

It’s especially hard on JMU as they have to fly all the way across the country (2,806 miles) and play the Oregon Ducks, at Autzen Stadium.

It’s a bit easier for Tulane, as they only have a 346-mile bus ride up I-55 to play the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford.

The fact that Notre Dame was left out of the playoffs is a disgrace. They started the season 0-2 with both those loses to CFP teams Miami and Texas A&M, being by a combined 4 points.

They’ve won 10 straight games, and outside of Indiana, is probably playing the best football of any team in the country.

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Unlike a lot of my fellow sports writers, I’m 100% OK with Alabama making the CFP.

I understand they lost to a horrible Florida State team, but that was in Week 1. Their two other losses were to CFP Oklahoma by 2 points, and they did lose to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game by 21, but remember, they beat the Bulldogs in the regular season matchup. Ranked wins over Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee, is a fine resume, and deserving of a spot.

I wouldn’t have put them at #9 though. That’s too high for a 3 loss team. #11 or #12 would’ve been better.

Looking at the bracket, there’s some nice campus matchups. The Alabama-Oklahoma rematch is going to be another great game. Remember, that game was in Tuscaloosa and the Sooners went in to get a close 23-21 victory. You KNOW that Boomer Sooner crowd is going to be rocking in Norman for that game.

The aforementioned Tulane-Ole Miss game is a game to keep an eye on. The Rebels are in the middle of a coaching change, and they’re having a lot of movement with the staff. The fact of the matter is that we do not know how new head coach Pete Golding is going to do, with his first ever game being a playoff game.

Meanwhile, with Tulane promoting Will Hall to be the head coach, they’re in a much better spot. Hall has been the man in charge before (Southern Miss) and worked at Tulane (19-20) before returning. He understands the culture and has the big game coaching experience.

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I’m not saying the Green Wave is going to shock the world and beat the Rebels, I’m just saying………………it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

I’ll make my College Football Playoff Predictions, as well as ALL the Bowl Game predictions in a later article.

– by Sean McKenzie

Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave and ESPN.

December 8, 2025
The Best and Worst Coaching Hires in College Football…..So Far.

This 2025-26 college football season has not only been completely wonky on the field, but also, off the field.

So many head coaches were fired during the season, that it was hard to keep track of who was coming and going.

The upheaval of not just the program and players on the teams, but also the families of those assistant coaches.

This “win now mentality” at programs and with the donors, is actually hurting the programs, not helping.

These schools like to complain that they’re “operating at a loss”, then they go and fire a head coach, that has a $33 million dollar buyout clause (Michigan State with Jonathan Smith).

They wonder why a significant number of fans have no loyalty or sympathy anymore, THAT’S WHY!!!

All that aside, I’m going to tell you which hires were good. Which hires were bad. Which coaches out there, deserve a chance at being a head coach.

LSU has hired Lane Kiffin away from fellow SEC rival Ole Miss. I see a lot of media pundits giving this an A to A+ grade. I DON’T SEE IT.

While I don’t think this move is as bad as the Brian Kelly hire (which I despised from the nanosecond it was announced), for what LSU wants to do, it isn’t all that much better either.

Kiffin has a career record of 13-25 against Top 25 teams.

He’s going to give the Tigers much more credibility in the south with recruits again, and the offense will be better.

This is a simple B hire.

Virginia Tech went out and hired former Penn State head coach James Franklin.

The Hokies have been mostly irrelevant since Frank Beamer retired.

This is an A hire.

Franklin is a program builder. He did it at Vanderbilt, which had been a joke for basically a half century, and turned them into a consistent winner and to bowl eligibility. He took over a Penn State program that was dead in the water after the sex abuse scandal and took them to the College Football National Championship Semi-Finals, just last season.

He knows the Eastern Midwest and Mid-Atlantic recruiting scene very well. We’ve already seen recruits that decommitted from Penn State, follow and announce their intentions to play for the Hokies next season.

I’m not saying he’s going to bring a Natty to Blacksburg, but Virginia Tech will be an ACC power player as early as next season, and beyond.

GREAT MOVE by VT.

UCLA has hired Bob Chesney away from James Madison, to be their next head coach.

From all accounts, and from JMU fans that I’ve spoken to, he’s a good guy.

Chesney is known for being a “turnaround artist”. He turned around programs such as Salve Regina (D3), Assumption University (D2), and Holy Cross (FCS), before going 20-5 at JMU.

He has a long history of coaching at programs that have rigourous academic standards.

The biggest problem is that he has 0 recruiting ties to the west coast, and doesn’t have the name recognition, that will keep players. The Bruins don’t have the cache to recruit nationwide, so keeping California kids’ home is paramount to their success.

I’m rooting for the guy, and hope he brings glory back to the gold and blue, but right now, this is a D hire.

If you’ve been following me on Twitter/X (JoeAmerican6771); I’ve been SCREAMING this guy’s name.

Bryant Haines.

He’s the current defensive coordinator for the Indiana Hoosiers and had the same role at James Madison. He followed Curt Cignetti from the Dukes to the Hoosiers.

Yes, he’s an assistant coach.

Yes, he doesn’t have head coaching experience.

He’s had staggering success at JMU and Indiana, where he turned poor defenses into top ranked defenses.

I STRONGLY believe that the aforementioned James Madison, should bring him back home, and make him their new head coach.

They’ve seen him succeed not just on the field, but off the field in recruiting the Carolinas’ and VA/DC area. Which is vital to a program like JMU, because they don’t have a nationwide network.

I think whichever team gets him, is going to get a gem.

The worst hire so far of this cycle, is the Stanford Cardinal hiring Tavita Pritchard as their next head coach.

Yes, I understand that he played QB there.

Yes, I understand that like Chesney above, he gets the difficulty of an academic power.

The truth, and fact of the matter is that he was never going to get a head coaching gig other than Stanford. This was Cardinal GM Andrew Luck keeping this cheap and in house.

To me, this is a F.

Head coach Kalani Sitake will remain at BYU, after agreeing to a long-term extension on Tuesday.

He had very heavy interest from the Penn State to make him their next head coach.

Since taking over as the head coach of the Cougars in 2016, he has an 83-44 overall record at BYU.

He has previous coaching stops at Oregon State, Utah, Southern Utah, and Eastern Arizona.

All these stops in the Mountain and Western time zones, has allowed him to build a very solid recruiting base and pipeline.

This is a solid A move by BYU.

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Question – With Penn State getting rebuffed, who do you think the Nittany Lions will end up hiring as their next head coach?

– by Sean McKenzie

Stats and information courtesy of…..NCAA and ESPN.

Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave and SI.

December 2, 2025
Top 3 College Football Games to Watch for Week 13.

As the college football regular season starts to wind down, the conference title and college football pictures are starting to clear up a bit.

But don’t start counting your chickens quite yet.

There’s a reason that the games are played on the field, and not on paper.

Ignore games like #10 Alabama playing Eastern Illinois, and #3 Texas A&M playing Samford.

So, without further ado, here are the 3 must watch games.

1) #15 USC Trojans (8-2) at #7 Oregon Ducks (9-1).
Game starts at 3:30 PM (EST) on CBS.

PERSONALLY, I think the Ducks are overrated. Here is the chance to prove not just me, but a lot of voters wrong.

The Trojans want to finally be taken seriously, not just in the Big Ten, but nationally. Here’s their chance to really make a statement.

All the talk is about the quarterbacks of these two teams. Dante Moore (Oregon) and Jayden Maiava (USC), and they both deserve their flowers, BUT, this game is going to come down to the trenches and run game.

USC has a nice tandem of backs in the King Miller and Waymond Jordan. Oregon answers with Noah Whittington, Jordan Davison, and Dierre Hill Jr.

The Ducks defense have 7 less sacks (24-17) and force less turnovers than the Trojans, which is hasn’t been the case in recent years.

The game is at Autzen Stadium, and that plays a big part as well.

Prediction – I so badly want to pick USC, but even Ohio State couldn’t beat Oregon at home. Give me the Ducks to win a very close game, 38-35.

2) BYU Cougars (9-1) at Cincinnati Bearcats (7-3).
Game starts at 8:00 PM (EST) on FOX.

The Bearcats are coming off of back-to-back losses.

The Cougars MUST win this game to stay in the Big-12 conference title hunt.

Bearcats QB Brendan Sorsby wasn’t happy with his performance last week (15-28, 154 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs), and told me himself, that he’s out to prove a point. For the season, he’s thrown for 2,218 yards, with 22 TDs to only 4 INTs. He also has 483 yards and 9 TDs on the ground.

The Cougars want to run the football, then hit you over the top on play action. Freshman QB Bear Bachmeier has 2,177 yards with 13 TDs to only 4 INTs, but like Sorsby, his legs will keep any play alive, with 479 yards and 10 TDs.

Prediction – This is a hard game to pick. West coast teams struggle coming east, especially in “primetime games”. That said, the Cougars defense will step up. BYU gets the 28-21 win.

3) Louisville Cardinals (7-3) at SMU Mustangs (7-3).
Game starts at 12:00 (Noon) on ESPN2.

Louisville is coming off back-to-back losses, after cracking the Top 25. Both losses were by a combined 4 points though.

The Cardinals live and die with QB Miller Moss, even more so after the injury to starting HB Isaac Brown. He HAS to stop turning the ball over (11 TDs and 7 INTs). He has 2,344 yards passing, but he’s made bad decisions in these losses.

SMU only has 1 conference loss, and can make the ACC Championship Game for the second straight season.

The Mustangs have one of the most fun QB’s to watch, in Kevin Jennings. He’s thrown for 2,810 yards, with 21 TDs and 9 INTs. They have a great defense, that gets pressure on the opposing QB (33 teams sacks) and forces turnovers (16 interceptions, 8 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries).

Prediction – Somehow, someway, the Cardinals have been keeping the games close. Not gonna happen this week. Give me the Mustangs to win in a blowout 35-17.

– by Sean McKenzie.

Stats courtesy of…..NCAA.

Photos courtesy of…..wallpapercave, ESPN, and MSN.

November 20, 2025
College Football Week 9 Recap and Helmet Stickers.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t start this article, without mentioning that LSU fired head football coach Brian Kelly, late Sunday night, after their 49-25 loss at home, to #3 Texas A&M. Kelly had a 34-14 record over his four seasons at LSU.

Personal opinion – It was a bad hire from the start. I said so at the time, and caught a lot of crap for it. I think that LSU thinks it’s a better job than it really is. IF I were Interim President Matt Lee, I would immediately go get Memphis Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield.

Onto other business, it was a solid week of college football. We had 3 Top 25 upsets.

Aforementioned Memphis Tigers defeated #18 USF 34-31, in a banger of a game. The Washington Huskies beat #23 Illinois, 42-25, and the Houston Cougars defeated #24 Arizona State 24-16, in one of the worst officiated games, that I’ve even seen. Absolutely disgraceful by that Big-12 crew.

We had some close calls, as well. #4 Alabama squeaked by South Carolina 29-22. #6 Oregon eked out a 21-7 win over Wisconsin. #16 Virginia survived a scare from North Carolina, 17-16 in OT, and #22 Texas held off Mississippi State 45-38 in overtime.

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Indiana, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Miami, Vanderbilt, BYU, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Michigan, all held serve as Top 25 teams and got the win.

Time for your favorite part, it’s Helmet Sticker time. I thank you readers for the messages, telling me that you like this segment.

(Team) North Dakota State Bison.

The defending FCS National Champions and #1 ranked Bison, absolutely MOLLYWHOPPED their rival (then ranked #2) South Dakota State Jackrabbits 38-7 on Saturday. HB Cole Payton had 4 rushing touchdowns.

(Offense) Drew Mestemaker, QB, North Texas Mean Green.

This was the easiest choice so far this season.

The freshman QB went 37 of 49, for a massive 608 yards, and 4 TDs, as he led the Mean Green to a 54-20 win over Charlotte. North Texas is 7-1 on the season, and still in the hunt, for that G5 college football playoff spot.

(Defense) Cade Uluave, LB, California Golden Bears.

Cal is #0.

The junior linebacker was all over the field, and causing havoc, as he did everything, he could in a double overtime loss to Virginia Tech.

Cal finished the game 19 total tackles and 2 sacks.

Who would you give a helmet sticker to?

– by Sean McKenzie

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Stats courtesy of…..NCAA.

Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, meangreensports, and SI.

October 27, 2025
Top 3 College Football Games to Watch for Week 9.

It’s been an exciting start to Week 9 already, as 2 games have gone into overtime and exciting finishes.

Western Kentucky beat Louisiana Tech 28-27, and Missouri State beat New Mexico State 24-17.

Some sad news, as the Auburn Tigers have lost starting center Conner Lew for the season with a torn ACL. Lew is going to be a Day 1 starting center in the NFL next season. Good luck to him, as we all wish him a speedy and full recovery.

That news actually bumped their game with Arkansas off my list. It’s still one of the more under-rated game and isn’t being talked about enough, IMO.

I went 2-2 in my picks last week.

I am 12-7 for the season.

So, without further ado, HERE are the Top 3 games you should watch (in no particular order).

1) #18 South Florida Bulls (6-1) at Memphis Tigers (6-1).
Game starts at 12:00 PM (Noon) (EST) on ESPN2.

That’s right. One of the best games this week, is from the AAC (American Athletic Conference). The Bulls are ranked and in the driver’s seat for the G5 spot in the college football playoffs. Memphis is coming off an absolutely embarrassing loss to UAB last week. Both teams are highly motivated.

The USF Bulls are simply put, “The Byrum Brown Show”. They go as he goes. He’s thrown for 1,695 yards, with 16 TDs and 5 INTs. He’s added 99 carries, for 475 yards, with 6 TDs. He leads the team in passing and rushing. On defense, they’re led by LB Mac Harris. He’s 2nd on the team in tackles (56) and 1st in sacks (5.5). He’s also has 3 forced fumbles and an INT.

Memphis has a dual-threat QB of their own. Brendon Lewis has thrown for 1,337 yards, with 8 TDs and 4 INTs. He’s added 86 carries, for 440 yards, with 7 TDs. I know, it’s weird seeing Memphis not have gaudy passing yards, but this is a running team. HBs Sutton Smith and Greg Desrosiers Jr have a combined 869 yards rushing, and 11 TDs between them. The defense forces mistakes and turnovers, as they have 10 INTs, 7 forced fumbles, and 4 fumble recoveries.

Prediction – The loss to UAB will have the Tigers playing of their toes. USF is battle tested. I’m going to go with the better quarterback. Give me the USF Bulls to win 35-31.

2) Houston Cougars (6-1) at #24 Arizona State Sun Devils (5-2).
Game starts at 8:00 PM (EST) on ESPN2.

The winner of this game could end up tied for 2nd place in the Big-12 or in 2nd all alone. While it was expected that ASU would be competing for the conference title again, nobody saw the Cougars being here, at this point in the season.

Cougars transfer QB Conner Weigman has managed to stay healthy this season. He’s thrown for 1,380 yards, with 11 TDs to only 2 INTs. They balance it out with HB Dean Connors. He has 115 carries, for 538 yards, and 4 TDs. It’s a feisty defense that has 17 team sacks, 6 INTs, and 11 forced fumbles.

The talk of the Sun Devils offense is about the Leavitt-Tyson connection. QB Sam Leavitt has thrown for 1,358 yards, with 9 TDs and 3 INTs. WR Jordyn Tyson has 57 catches, for 628 yards, and 8 TDs. What’s not talked about is HB Raleek Brown, and the balance he brings. 110 carries, for 642 yards, with 3 TDs. The defense has 21 team sacks, with 14 coming from the defensive line. They get to the QB quick and often.

Prediction – It’s been fun watching the Cougars go on this run. I think they simply run into a better team on Saturday. Give me the Sun Devils to win 27-21.

3) #15 Missouri Tigers (6-1) at #10 Vanderbilt Commodores (6-1).
Game starts at 3:30 PM (EST) on ESPN.

It’s been a wonderful season for both teams so far, but somebody’s run is about to end here. The loser of this game is officially out of the SEC conference title picture.

Yes, QB Beau Pribula has thrown for 1,617 yards, however, he has 7 INTs to his 11 TDs. This is a running, ball control offense. HB Ahmad Hardy has 139 carries, for 840 yards (3rd in the nation), with 11 TDs (2nd in the nation). DE’s Damon Wilson and Zion Young, have a combined 10.5 sacks, and get pressure off the edges.

Vanderbilt is led by QB Diego Pavia (my Heisman Trophy frontrunner). He’s thrown for 1,569 yards, with 15 TDs to 4 INTs. He also has 77 carries, for 438 yards, with 4 TDs. He’s the heart and soul of this team. This is a gap sound defense, that gets pressure from multiple positions, as they have 20 teams sacks.

Prediction – I think this is going to be a close football game. Somehow, someway, I believe Pavia will make just enough plays to give the Commodores the win. I’m taking Vandy 24-21.

– by Sean McKenzie.

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Stats and information courtesy of…..NCAA and ESPN.

Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, nytimes, and ESPN.

October 23, 2025
The Top 3 College Football Games to Watch for Week 7.

What a slate of college football games there is to choose from here in Week 7.

The week started last night, with Missouri State beating Middle Tennessee State 22-20, and Liberty beating UTEP 19-8.

We have big time ranked matchups in the Big Ten and SEC.

We have the annual Red River Shootout (I refuse to call it Red River Rivalry, PC can kiss my butt), between #6 Oklahoma Sooners (5-0) taking on the Texas Longhorns (3-2) at 3:30 PM on ABC. As history has shown, records mean nothing in this heated rivalry.

With so many games to choose from, here are the Top 3 games, that you SHOULD watch this weekend.

I am 10-5 in my predictions so far this season.

1) #7 Indiana Hoosiers (5-0) at #3 Oregon Ducks (5-0).
Game starts at 3:30 PM (EST) on CBS.

Yes, the Indiana Hoosiers are not just highly ranked, they’re a good FOOTBALL team. For those of us who are older, it’s been a long time since we could say that, and let’s be honest….it does feel good.

Curt Cignetti has come in and turned this program around. The Hoosiers are led by QB Fernando Mendoza, who’s completing 73% of his throws, for 1,208 yards with 16 TDs, to only 1 INT. He hasn’t made many mistakes, and goes through his progressions well. On defense, they get pressure off the line and are fairly gap sound. With 16 team sacks, they’ve forced 7 INTs this year.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning continues to chug along and win ball games. The Ducks are led by QB Dante Moore. He’s completing 74.6% of his passes, for 1,210 yards, with 14 TDs to only 1 INT. He’s shown great poise and decision making as only a sophomore. This is a fast and fundamentally sound defense. They stay in their lanes don’t give up many YACs in the run or pass.

Prediction – We’re going to find out if Indiana is “for real – real”. I think they’re going to hang tough, but it’s hard for opponents to win in Autzen Stadium. Give me the Ducks to pull away late and win 42- 31.

2) #15 Michigan Wolverines (4-1) at USC Trojans (4-1).
Game starts at 7:30 PM (EST) on NBC.

This game isn’t getting talked about enough, by the “national pundits” This is a MUST WIN for the Trojans, after a tough road loss last week, and next week’s game is a very tough game.

The hype around Michigan freshman QB Bryce Underwood was extremely high. His performance on the field, thus far, has been extremely disappointing. The REAL leader of this offense is HB Justice Haynes. He has 85 carries, for 654 yards, with 8 TDs. He’s averaging 7.7 yards per carry. It’s a Wink Martindale defense, which means pressure and forcing turnovers. With 15 team sacks and 7 INTs, it’s the same old, same old. Fast, tough, and sound. I love defenses like this.

USC QB Jordan Maiava has come in and done better than almost everyone thought he would. He’s completing 70.5% of his passes, for 1,587 yards, with 11 TDs to only 1 INT. HB Waymond Jordan takes the pressure off with his ability vision and ability to hit the hole FAST. He has 537 yards, on 77 carries, with 5 TDs, and averaging 7.0 yards per carry. The defense has been MUCH improved. They have 17 team sacks, 6 INTs, and have forced 6 fumbles. Senior LB Eric Gentry is the guy to watch, as he has 30 tackles, 3 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles.

Prediction – As stated above, this is a must win for USC. It’s a home game, sandwiched between two tough road games. I’M CALLING THE UPSET HERE!!! The Trojans get it done in a close game 28-24.

3) #24 University of South Florida Bulls (4-1) at University of North Texas Mean Green (5-0).
Game is Friday Night, at 7:30 PM (EST) on ESPN 2.

The winner of this of this big time American Athletic Conference game, could very well end up getting the “G5 at large” spot in the College Football Playoffs.

The South Florida Bulls are battle tested, with wins over Boise State and Florida. They’re lone loss is to MY #1 team in the country, Miami Hurricanes. They’re led by dual-threat QB Byrum Brown. He’s thrown for 1,194 yards, with 10 TDs to 4 INTs. He’s also ran for 282 yards, on 64 carries, with 3 TDs. LB Mac Harris has been incredible so far this season. He has 42 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 INT.

Freshman QB Drew Mestemaker has come in and shown great poise and decision making, so young. He’s thrown for 1,247 yards, with 11 TDs and 0 INTs. The Mean Green LBs are just dominate. Thier starting 3 have 119 of the 359 team tackles (33%). They also have 3 of the teams 6 INTs. The DL holds up well, so that these guys can fly all over and make plays.

Prediction – The Mean Green defense is for real. The Bulls are for real. It’s going to be a great, close, low scoring game. The big game experience that South Florida has this season, will be the difference. I’m taking the Bulls to win 24-17.

– by Sean McKenzie

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Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, CBSSports, ESPN, and NYTimes.

Stats courtesy of…..NCAA.

October 9, 2025