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ESM is owned by Brandon, a longtime Orangebloods member, @Elite Sports Memorabilia . Elite Sports Media has THE BEST in Longhorn memorabilia anywhere. You can find memorabilia from UT legends such as Vince Young, Ricky Williams, Sam Ehlinger, Cat Osterman and Ivan Melendez. He also works with current Longhorns such as Quinn Ewers and Xavier Worthy.
Brandon has a big roster of current Longhorns who have signed memorabilia - including defensive standouts such as Colton Vasek, Byron Murphy & T'Vondre Sweat.
If there is some other kind of memorabilia you're looking for, please reach out to Brandon - he can probably get it.
You can reach Brandon via email at esmsportsut@gmail.com, or on facebook at Elite Sports Memorabilia if you have any questions or would like to place an order.
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COLLIN SIMMONS MANIA!
I don’t know which school Duncanville DE Colin Simmons will commit to this week (although you may already know by the time you read this). But regardless of his talent, I’m just having a hard time getting worked up one way or the other about his commitment. At least for now.
It is probably because I’ve been listening to (and believing and agreeing with) @Ketchum the past couple of months every time he says this recruitment is going to go all the way to the end. So no matter what happens with Simmons on Thursday, I’ve just prepared myself for the reality that this recruitment is going to go to December.
Don't get me wrong, I would much rather be the team that is fighting to hold on to his commitment than the team fighting to flip him. But this is just to say, it's going to be a fight either way.
LSU has certainly made some headway in Simmons’ recruitment … at least in part by telling him that he won’t be a great fit in Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense.
There were plenty of questions about Kwiatkowski when Sarkisian first hired him. One of the biggest concerns I had when he was hired was the fact that he ran a 2-4-5 defense. That defense is designed so that d-linemen eat up blocks, freeing up linebackers to make plays. That’s why you saw DeMarvion Overshown and Jalan Ford eat so much last year.
Senior linebacker David Gbenda praised the d-line for doing exactly that while talking with the media Tuesday night.
“The d-line speaks for itself,” Gbenda said. “They make my job 10 times easier. Sydir Mitchell, just today, he took on a double team, plowed through everything, made it go.”
But that type of negative recruiting (also just called recruiting) can backfire.
No matter what happens Thursday, Kwiatkowski has a secret weapon he can use to show Simmons that he will be able to get his if he comes to Texas.
Barryn Sorrell had 5.5 sacks last year and he’s looking to get to double digits this season.
“That’s definitely the goal,” Sorrell said. “Definitely on the pass-rush side, I definitely want to get my sacks up and my pressures up.”
Sorrell has been putting in work over the summer both in the weight room …
And on the football field.
“I worked with Derrick Johnson,” Sorrell said. “He was a big help for me. In the month of May, we had that month to take off, and I really just wanted to focus on my pass rush. I stayed here and worked on it every day. That was very helpful for me.”
Sorrell puts in the work because he knows that’s the only way he’s going to get to where he wants to be. He has good size and speed (I wouldn’t mess with him), but he’s not the athletic freak that Simmons is.
Simmons can get by in high school (and probably college) on talent alone. He has one of the fastest get-offs I’ve ever seen on the defensive line. That’s not to imply that Simmons doesn’t put in the work as well. Frankly, I have absolutely no idea what his work ethic is like but I have no reason to question him.
The point is, if Barryn Sorrell can turn in a 10-sack season under PK, just imagine what Colin Simmons can do. That’s no knock on Sorrell, he is absolutely an NFL talent. But Simmons is a number one overall draft pick type of talent.
If Sorrell has the type of season he’s hoping to have, then Kwiatkowski will be able to point to him to show Simmons what is possible in his defense.
That’s not a bad secret weapon.
ANOTHER WEAPON FOR P-K
I’ve had a football crush on Jalen Catalon for a long, long time.
Catalon is one of the few players whose recruitment I followed closely. His decision to go to Arkansas was … disappointing.
“I joke with him like, ‘man, you should have come here four years ago in 2019,’” said linebacker David Gbenda.
But now that wrong has been righted and he is, finally, wearing burnt orange.
Catalon is, put simply, a stud.
During his time in Fayetteville, Catalon showed an ability to strike quickly.
“You put on the tape, he brings everything you see on the tape and more,” Gbenda said. “Great communication, great leadership, energy – effort guy. Great guy off the field. He’s a great guy, great leader and he’s a great addition to our defense.”
During the 2020 season, Catalon racked up 99 tackles, two forced fumbles and three interceptions.
“When he knows, he goes,” Sarkisian said. “You know that his style of play is innate to him.”
Of course I have to go back to 2020 to show the best of Catalon because he has been battling injuries. It’s an issue that Sarkisian will be dealing with all throughcamp the season.
“We manage him with the days when we got him in a green jersey, we don’t want him to have contact,” Sarkisian said. “And then, we manage him with days when we do want to have him have contact.
“I’m not concerned about Jalen Catalon, come week one, hitting somebody. I think that that is in his DNA. And so, we just got to manage it, as we get ourselves to the season. When we give him the green light to go play, we want him to play the way he’s accustomed.”
Whenever Sark is asked about Catalon, he always talks about what Catalon brings to the rest of the secondary - leadership and experience that the others can learn from.
“He’s very intentional with his work,” Sarkisian said. “He’s got a high level of intensity and mental focus to communicate on a really high level.”
“What a great addition to our team, never mind just the secondary,” Sarkisian said on the Josh Pate podcast. “He comes with intent every single day. He’s very mature, he’s very meticulous in his approach. The passion is there, the communication is there and then the playmaking is there. Obviously there’s a level of physicality to his play that you have to have at safety that he definitely plays with.”
Catalon’s work ethic has shone through to his teammates as well.
“He impressed me from the first time in walkthroughs,” cornerback Ryan Watts said Tuesday. “The way he went about his business and how full speed and focused. You can tell he’s a pro like that. I’ll be able to take that in, hone in on that and learn from that.”
I haven’t talked much about the secondary in the run-up to the season because there are just so many players who seem to have real ability that I don’t know how to handicap the playing time before the season starts.
Sark ran through a list of players he’s excited about on the Pate podcast and he rattled off seven or eight names.
Guys like Derek Williams, the freshman safety prospect who I think is going to be one of the best signings from this last class. But who does he replace? The aforementioned Jalen Catalon? Jerrin Thompson? Jahdae Barron (who I know is a nickle and not necessarily a safety)? I don’t see that happening with any of them.
The same is true for the cornerbacks. Malik Muhammad is another true freshman who I think is a future star. But he’s competing with Ryan Watts, Terrance Brooks, and Gavin Holmes.
It’s really enough to make Sark gush a little.
“I like the depth,” Sarkisian said. “I like the mix of veteran players and the leadership that they provide but I also like some of the youth and playmaking that they provide.”
The DBs need to play tighter this year than last year. That has been one area where Sarkisian has repeatedly said needs to be better. They simply gave up too much cushion to opposing wide receivers last season which led to consistent positive yard short pass plays.
But if the DB room gets better at that, then it will give the d-line and linebackers more time to get to the quarterback.
Texas had some of the most quarterback pressures in college football last season, but very few sacks. If they start finishing off those pressures with sacks … look out, because this team is going to win a LOT of games.
Oh, and you can keep showing Colin Simmons that he has a path to the NFL that runs straight through Austin.
COACHES POLL REACTION …
The first AFCA Coaches poll of the season is out and the Texas Longhorns check in at number 12.
My initial reaction is that this sounds about right for a preseason poll. Slotting in at 12 means that it will be easy to climb up the rankings if Texas has the kind of season that many think it could have. If Texas finishes 10-2 or 11-1 and is the Big 12 champions, then the Horns will end the season as a top-10 team.
The flip side of that is true too. If Texas has the kind of season that some others are predicting, a 9-3 or 8-4 type of season, then it will be easy for them to slide down the rankings.
My second thought is that beginning next year, being top-12 means you are in the discussion to make the playoffs. But of course this year, you have to be top four and unless the Horns finish 11-1 or 12-0, it’s going to be very hard to make the playoffs.
Georgia may be breaking in a new offensive coordinator and quarterback, but their schedule is incredibly weak this year.
Sept. 2 UT Martin
Sept. 9 Ball State
Sept. 16 South Carolina
Sept. 23 UAB
Sept. 30 Auburn
Oct. 7 Kentucky
Oct. 14 Vanderbilt
Oct. 28 Florida
Nov. 4 Missouri
Nov. 11 Ole Miss
Nov. 18 Tennessee
Nov. 25 Georgia Tech
I’m not sure the Bulldogs will even be challenged until they get to November. They are double-digit favorites in every game this year. In other words, Georgia is almost a lock to be in the CFP this year, even if they lose in the SEC Championship Game.
If I were setting a line, I would say that the odds are greater than 50/50 that the SEC will get a second team in the playoffs as well. I would put money on LSU winning the SEC West and making the playoffs as well. However, you can never count out Nick Saban and Alabama (even though I’m on record saying Texas will beat Bama in Tuscaloosa).
Whoever comes out of the Big 10 is going to get a playoff spot as well. Michigan (2nd in the poll) and/or Ohio State (4th) are the most likely but Penn State (7th) is a dark horse candidate.
So in this scenario, you’ve already got three playoff spots taken. That leaves the Big 12 champion, the Pac-12 champion and the ACC champion battling it out for the final playoff spot.
One of the ironic aspects of this being the Pac-12’s final season is that this may end up being one of the best football seasons we’ve seen out West in a long, long time.
USC is going to be pretty dang good with the Heisman Trophy winner returning for one more year of dry briskets.
Washington should have been in the Pac-12 Championship Game last season but had to settle for beating Texas in the Alamo Bowl instead. Michael Penix Jr. is an absolute stud and head coach Kalen DeBoer knows what the heck he’s doing.
Oregon has a pretty good quarterback of its own coming back for another season in Bo Nix.
And finally, Oregon State won 10 games last year with the best defense in the Pac-12. They’ve lost some talent on that side of the ball, but their quarterback play should be much better this year with transfer QB DJ Uiagalelei coming in from Clemson. I know Uiagalelei struggled in South Carolina, but the talent is still there and I trust Oregon State’s head coach Jonathan Smith to get the best out of him more than I trusted Dabo Swinney. Personally, I think it would be a perfect ending for the Pac-12 if Oregon State, one of the schools left behind, ended up winning the last ever conference title.
The ACC has two pretty strong playoff candidates themselves. FSU has kind of mirrored Texas in that it has had some down years but has been on the rise since a coaching change a few years ago. The Seminoles matchup against LSU in week one could end up having playoff implications. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Dabo Swinney brought in a new offensive coordinator to lead the Tigers. Garrett Riley moves from TCU to Clemson and upgrades from Max Duggan to Cade Klubnick.
GALEY POLL …
Not that any of you care, but I’m going to put out my own top 25 this year in my weekly column. Truthfully, I’m probably going to regret this decision because it is more work than it is worth. But I also think it’s a good way to track what’s going on in college football outside of Austin.
So without further ado, here is my preseason Galey Top 25
1) GEORGIA
5) OHIO STATE
6) PENN STATE
7) WASHINGTON
8) USC
9) CLEMSON
10) FSU
11) TEXAS
12) KANSAS STATE
13) NOTRE DAME
14) OREGON STATE
15) TENNESSEE
16) UTAH
17) OREGON
18) WISCONSIN
19) NORTH CAROLINA
20) TEXAS A&M
21) TEXAS TECH
22) UTSA
23) KENTUCKY
24) OLE MISS
25) PITTSBURGH
TWEETS OF INTEREST
I think the Big 12 has found it sweet spot. The conference has found a collection of schools that are strong enough to find a contender or two year in and year out in football, but they aren’t so big and so bad that those schools are going to be alluring to the Big Ten or SEC. Or, to put that another way, the Big 12 has achieved stability.
The additions of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are a good fit geographically, culturally and football wise. Each of those schools has had at least some success on the football field throughout the years (well, maybe not Arizona so much). Each of the schools are close enough to Texas to be able to take advantage of Lone Star State recruiting.
But, as we’ve seen, none of those schools are going to be snatched up by a bigger conference. For that matter, neither is Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Iowa State, etc….
That means we should see the Big 12 continue for years to come. They have cemented their place in college football. There is something to be said for knowing your place and excelling in it.
That’s not to say the conference is full of scrubs. They will have a team or two pop up and make life Hell for everyone else (see TCU 2022 for an example).
By the way, if you want to see what the gold standard of conference stability looks like, look no further than the “cradle of coaches” itself … the mighty MAC.
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For those of you bemoaning the state of college football these days, perhaps this tweet will put things into perspective. College realignment is nothing new. In fact, it’s almost as old as the game itself.
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I feel like SMU’s hopes of joining the ACC boils down to this point from former Fox Sports president Bob Thompson.
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This is part of the weirdness of college realignment.
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This is cold-blooded, but damn funny.
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Happy belated birthday to Coach Corso! My birthday wish for you is that you would retire gracefully.
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You have to give David Pollack credit for being able to laugh about the fact that he was laid off by ESPN this year.
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Baltimore Orioles fans with an awesome “Free Kevin Brown” chant Tuesday night.
In case you missed it, Brown is the Orioles play-by-play man who was suspended for mentioning that the birds have beaten the Tampa Rays more times this season than in the previous three seasons combined.
First off, that is a statement of fact. Second, it is a note that was included in the team’s pr notes. Third, that seems like a good thing, right?
Wrong. The Orioles ownership somehow took the comment as a slam against them saying they are cheap.
Isn’t it amazing how much we reveal about ourselves when we point out flaws in others?
Brown absolutely should not have been suspended for those comments. In doing so, the O’s owners showed themselves to be thin-skinned and more than a little crazy. Nobody … and I mean NOBODY would have paid any attention to what he said if they had let it go. But now, everyone is looking at them (and it’s not a flattering light).
My number one rule when it comes to sports fandom is this; don’t invest your time, energy, heart and soul into a team with bad ownership. Life’s too short for the kind of misery they will inflict on you and there is little hope of things getting better.
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I have been reluctant to watch the Manziel documentary. Generally, I don’t love watching people struggle with life. It is depressing. But I think this is one that I’m just going to have to hold my nose and dive in.
ESM is owned by Brandon, a longtime Orangebloods member, @Elite Sports Memorabilia . Elite Sports Media has THE BEST in Longhorn memorabilia anywhere. You can find memorabilia from UT legends such as Vince Young, Ricky Williams, Sam Ehlinger, Cat Osterman and Ivan Melendez. He also works with current Longhorns such as Quinn Ewers and Xavier Worthy.
Brandon has a big roster of current Longhorns who have signed memorabilia - including defensive standouts such as Colton Vasek, Byron Murphy & T'Vondre Sweat.
If there is some other kind of memorabilia you're looking for, please reach out to Brandon - he can probably get it.
You can reach Brandon via email at esmsportsut@gmail.com, or on facebook at Elite Sports Memorabilia if you have any questions or would like to place an order.
Social Media
Facebook Elite Sports Mem
Twitter @EliteSportsMem
Tik Tok elite sports mem
IG Elite_Sports_Memorabilia_UT
EBAY STORE:
Ebay Elite Sports Memorabilia UT
JOIN THE GROUP:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/elitesportsmemorabilia/?ref=share_group_link
===========================================================================
COLLIN SIMMONS MANIA!
I don’t know which school Duncanville DE Colin Simmons will commit to this week (although you may already know by the time you read this). But regardless of his talent, I’m just having a hard time getting worked up one way or the other about his commitment. At least for now.
It is probably because I’ve been listening to (and believing and agreeing with) @Ketchum the past couple of months every time he says this recruitment is going to go all the way to the end. So no matter what happens with Simmons on Thursday, I’ve just prepared myself for the reality that this recruitment is going to go to December.
Don't get me wrong, I would much rather be the team that is fighting to hold on to his commitment than the team fighting to flip him. But this is just to say, it's going to be a fight either way.
LSU has certainly made some headway in Simmons’ recruitment … at least in part by telling him that he won’t be a great fit in Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense.
There were plenty of questions about Kwiatkowski when Sarkisian first hired him. One of the biggest concerns I had when he was hired was the fact that he ran a 2-4-5 defense. That defense is designed so that d-linemen eat up blocks, freeing up linebackers to make plays. That’s why you saw DeMarvion Overshown and Jalan Ford eat so much last year.
Senior linebacker David Gbenda praised the d-line for doing exactly that while talking with the media Tuesday night.
“The d-line speaks for itself,” Gbenda said. “They make my job 10 times easier. Sydir Mitchell, just today, he took on a double team, plowed through everything, made it go.”
But that type of negative recruiting (also just called recruiting) can backfire.
No matter what happens Thursday, Kwiatkowski has a secret weapon he can use to show Simmons that he will be able to get his if he comes to Texas.
Barryn Sorrell had 5.5 sacks last year and he’s looking to get to double digits this season.
“That’s definitely the goal,” Sorrell said. “Definitely on the pass-rush side, I definitely want to get my sacks up and my pressures up.”
Sorrell has been putting in work over the summer both in the weight room …
And on the football field.
“I worked with Derrick Johnson,” Sorrell said. “He was a big help for me. In the month of May, we had that month to take off, and I really just wanted to focus on my pass rush. I stayed here and worked on it every day. That was very helpful for me.”
Sorrell puts in the work because he knows that’s the only way he’s going to get to where he wants to be. He has good size and speed (I wouldn’t mess with him), but he’s not the athletic freak that Simmons is.
Simmons can get by in high school (and probably college) on talent alone. He has one of the fastest get-offs I’ve ever seen on the defensive line. That’s not to imply that Simmons doesn’t put in the work as well. Frankly, I have absolutely no idea what his work ethic is like but I have no reason to question him.
The point is, if Barryn Sorrell can turn in a 10-sack season under PK, just imagine what Colin Simmons can do. That’s no knock on Sorrell, he is absolutely an NFL talent. But Simmons is a number one overall draft pick type of talent.
If Sorrell has the type of season he’s hoping to have, then Kwiatkowski will be able to point to him to show Simmons what is possible in his defense.
That’s not a bad secret weapon.
ANOTHER WEAPON FOR P-K
I’ve had a football crush on Jalen Catalon for a long, long time.
Catalon is one of the few players whose recruitment I followed closely. His decision to go to Arkansas was … disappointing.
“I joke with him like, ‘man, you should have come here four years ago in 2019,’” said linebacker David Gbenda.
But now that wrong has been righted and he is, finally, wearing burnt orange.
Catalon is, put simply, a stud.
During his time in Fayetteville, Catalon showed an ability to strike quickly.
“You put on the tape, he brings everything you see on the tape and more,” Gbenda said. “Great communication, great leadership, energy – effort guy. Great guy off the field. He’s a great guy, great leader and he’s a great addition to our defense.”
During the 2020 season, Catalon racked up 99 tackles, two forced fumbles and three interceptions.
“When he knows, he goes,” Sarkisian said. “You know that his style of play is innate to him.”
Of course I have to go back to 2020 to show the best of Catalon because he has been battling injuries. It’s an issue that Sarkisian will be dealing with all through
“We manage him with the days when we got him in a green jersey, we don’t want him to have contact,” Sarkisian said. “And then, we manage him with days when we do want to have him have contact.
“I’m not concerned about Jalen Catalon, come week one, hitting somebody. I think that that is in his DNA. And so, we just got to manage it, as we get ourselves to the season. When we give him the green light to go play, we want him to play the way he’s accustomed.”
Whenever Sark is asked about Catalon, he always talks about what Catalon brings to the rest of the secondary - leadership and experience that the others can learn from.
“He’s very intentional with his work,” Sarkisian said. “He’s got a high level of intensity and mental focus to communicate on a really high level.”
“What a great addition to our team, never mind just the secondary,” Sarkisian said on the Josh Pate podcast. “He comes with intent every single day. He’s very mature, he’s very meticulous in his approach. The passion is there, the communication is there and then the playmaking is there. Obviously there’s a level of physicality to his play that you have to have at safety that he definitely plays with.”
Catalon’s work ethic has shone through to his teammates as well.
“He impressed me from the first time in walkthroughs,” cornerback Ryan Watts said Tuesday. “The way he went about his business and how full speed and focused. You can tell he’s a pro like that. I’ll be able to take that in, hone in on that and learn from that.”
I haven’t talked much about the secondary in the run-up to the season because there are just so many players who seem to have real ability that I don’t know how to handicap the playing time before the season starts.
Sark ran through a list of players he’s excited about on the Pate podcast and he rattled off seven or eight names.
Guys like Derek Williams, the freshman safety prospect who I think is going to be one of the best signings from this last class. But who does he replace? The aforementioned Jalen Catalon? Jerrin Thompson? Jahdae Barron (who I know is a nickle and not necessarily a safety)? I don’t see that happening with any of them.
The same is true for the cornerbacks. Malik Muhammad is another true freshman who I think is a future star. But he’s competing with Ryan Watts, Terrance Brooks, and Gavin Holmes.
It’s really enough to make Sark gush a little.
“I like the depth,” Sarkisian said. “I like the mix of veteran players and the leadership that they provide but I also like some of the youth and playmaking that they provide.”
The DBs need to play tighter this year than last year. That has been one area where Sarkisian has repeatedly said needs to be better. They simply gave up too much cushion to opposing wide receivers last season which led to consistent positive yard short pass plays.
But if the DB room gets better at that, then it will give the d-line and linebackers more time to get to the quarterback.
Texas had some of the most quarterback pressures in college football last season, but very few sacks. If they start finishing off those pressures with sacks … look out, because this team is going to win a LOT of games.
Oh, and you can keep showing Colin Simmons that he has a path to the NFL that runs straight through Austin.
COACHES POLL REACTION …
The first AFCA Coaches poll of the season is out and the Texas Longhorns check in at number 12.
My initial reaction is that this sounds about right for a preseason poll. Slotting in at 12 means that it will be easy to climb up the rankings if Texas has the kind of season that many think it could have. If Texas finishes 10-2 or 11-1 and is the Big 12 champions, then the Horns will end the season as a top-10 team.
The flip side of that is true too. If Texas has the kind of season that some others are predicting, a 9-3 or 8-4 type of season, then it will be easy for them to slide down the rankings.
My second thought is that beginning next year, being top-12 means you are in the discussion to make the playoffs. But of course this year, you have to be top four and unless the Horns finish 11-1 or 12-0, it’s going to be very hard to make the playoffs.
Georgia may be breaking in a new offensive coordinator and quarterback, but their schedule is incredibly weak this year.
Sept. 2 UT Martin
Sept. 9 Ball State
Sept. 16 South Carolina
Sept. 23 UAB
Sept. 30 Auburn
Oct. 7 Kentucky
Oct. 14 Vanderbilt
Oct. 28 Florida
Nov. 4 Missouri
Nov. 11 Ole Miss
Nov. 18 Tennessee
Nov. 25 Georgia Tech
I’m not sure the Bulldogs will even be challenged until they get to November. They are double-digit favorites in every game this year. In other words, Georgia is almost a lock to be in the CFP this year, even if they lose in the SEC Championship Game.
If I were setting a line, I would say that the odds are greater than 50/50 that the SEC will get a second team in the playoffs as well. I would put money on LSU winning the SEC West and making the playoffs as well. However, you can never count out Nick Saban and Alabama (even though I’m on record saying Texas will beat Bama in Tuscaloosa).
Whoever comes out of the Big 10 is going to get a playoff spot as well. Michigan (2nd in the poll) and/or Ohio State (4th) are the most likely but Penn State (7th) is a dark horse candidate.
So in this scenario, you’ve already got three playoff spots taken. That leaves the Big 12 champion, the Pac-12 champion and the ACC champion battling it out for the final playoff spot.
One of the ironic aspects of this being the Pac-12’s final season is that this may end up being one of the best football seasons we’ve seen out West in a long, long time.
USC is going to be pretty dang good with the Heisman Trophy winner returning for one more year of dry briskets.
Washington should have been in the Pac-12 Championship Game last season but had to settle for beating Texas in the Alamo Bowl instead. Michael Penix Jr. is an absolute stud and head coach Kalen DeBoer knows what the heck he’s doing.
Oregon has a pretty good quarterback of its own coming back for another season in Bo Nix.
And finally, Oregon State won 10 games last year with the best defense in the Pac-12. They’ve lost some talent on that side of the ball, but their quarterback play should be much better this year with transfer QB DJ Uiagalelei coming in from Clemson. I know Uiagalelei struggled in South Carolina, but the talent is still there and I trust Oregon State’s head coach Jonathan Smith to get the best out of him more than I trusted Dabo Swinney. Personally, I think it would be a perfect ending for the Pac-12 if Oregon State, one of the schools left behind, ended up winning the last ever conference title.
The ACC has two pretty strong playoff candidates themselves. FSU has kind of mirrored Texas in that it has had some down years but has been on the rise since a coaching change a few years ago. The Seminoles matchup against LSU in week one could end up having playoff implications. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Dabo Swinney brought in a new offensive coordinator to lead the Tigers. Garrett Riley moves from TCU to Clemson and upgrades from Max Duggan to Cade Klubnick.
GALEY POLL …
Not that any of you care, but I’m going to put out my own top 25 this year in my weekly column. Truthfully, I’m probably going to regret this decision because it is more work than it is worth. But I also think it’s a good way to track what’s going on in college football outside of Austin.
So without further ado, here is my preseason Galey Top 25
1) GEORGIA
They are the defending champs with a still-loaded roster and a weak schedule.
2) MICHIGANI don’t know if the Wolverines are going to end up with 20 players being drafted next spring like Jim Harbaugh has predicted, but it’s still going to be a lot of players and I think they’ll set the new modern record (which is at 15 right now) for players being drafted in the same year from one team. In other words, they’re loaded and experienced. That’s a pretty good combination.
3) LSUJayden Daniels is a stud. And even if he gets injured, Garrett Nussmeier is a damn good backup who would be a starter at probably 60 to 75 percent of other D1 programs out there. Combine that with a talented offensive line and a defense led by Harold Perkins, you have the making of a Southern family party for head coach Brian Kelly.
4) ALABAMABama is breaking in a new offensive coordinator (Tommy Rees who came from Notre Dame) and a new quarterback (?). That’s going to make things tough for the Tide this year. The fact that they have to face Texas in week two (while I think they’ll still be figuring things out) is one of the reasons I’m picking the Horns to win. But with all due respect to Texas, the LSU on November 4th is going to be the biggest game of the year. While I question just about every facet of Alabama’s offense, their defense is legit and will keep them at the top of the top 25 every week.
5) OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes, like Bama, are also breaking in a new quarterback. Kyle McCord takes over after CJ Stroud became the NFL’s number two draft pick. Head coach Ryan Day knows how to coach up QBs so I’m not very worried about the transition. The schedule isn’t exactly easy. The Buckeyes travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame on September 23rd. They also have to face Penn State, but they get the Nittany Lions at home. And then they hit the road to finish the season against Michigan in the Big House.
6) PENN STATE
Penn State has one of the best offensive lines (led by future Olu Fashanu who could go at the top of next year’s NFL draft), one of the best RB duos in the country (led by Nick Singleton and Katron Allen) and an underrated QB in Drew Allar. They do have to face Ohio State and Michigan this year but the rest of the schedule is manageable.
7) WASHINGTON
The Huskies are my favorites to win the Pac-12, which is why I have them higher than USC. In addition to returning star quarterback Michael Penix Jr, UW returns all five starters along its offensive line. Stability up front goes a long way in my book.
8) USC
The Trojans could break through to the playoffs if they can get better defensive play. Alex Grinch has brought in some reinforcements such as 5-start DT Bear Alexander who transferred in from Georgia. But will it be enough? I have to see it to believe it.
9) CLEMSON
I went back and forth between Clemson and FSU for the 9th spot. In the end, I trust Dabo Swinney, Garrett Riley and Cade Klubnick more than I trust FSU’s head coach Mike Norvell and QB Jordan Travis. Also, Clemson’s schedule is a little easier. The Tigers take on FSU and Notre Dame but the rest of the lineup looks manageable. Meanwhile, FSU has to play LSU in week one.
10) FSU
See the notes for Clemson.
11) TEXAS
This is a placeholder position to see what this team really looks like once the games kick off. But at the end of the year, I do think Texas will be a top-10 team, Big 12 champion and will be in consideration for the CFP. I think 12-0 is the ceiling for this team with 9-3 the floor. Even just the early reports from fall camp have me leaning closer to 12-0 than 9-3. Note, I’m not saying they’ll be undefeated, just that I think they’re closer to that kind of season than I do 9-3. Of course, I could just be drunk on burnt orange Kool-Aid.
12) KANSAS STATE
I mentioned that I value stability up front. Kansas State has it. Like the Longhorns, they return all five starters along their offensive line (they called the campaign to lobby them all to return “bring back the beef.”) Will Howard is the kind of quarterback who has an incredibly good college career and will probably never do anything in the NFL but that’s ok because he’ll be celebrated in Manhattan, KS for the rest of his life. Also, head coach Chris Klieman knows how to win. A road trip to Austin is, by far, their toughest game on the schedule.
13) NOTRE DAME
I really like Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. However, I have long-term questions about his ability to lead a big-time program like the Fighting Irish. Last year was a bit rocky (9-4) but they seemed to get better as the season progressed. They get this spot because I believe quarterback Sam Altman is legit. The Wake Forest transfer takes over in South Bend and I think he’ll lead the Fighting Irish to a better season than last year.
14) OREGON STATE
What do the Beavers have to do to get a little love? Head coach Jonathan Smith led his team to a 10-win season last year. They did so with an incredibly stout defense and a top-notch running game. Ironically, Smith is best known for coaching up quarterbacks but the passing game last year was a real detriment. DJ Uiagalelei transferred into Corvallis from Clemson. The fresh start will likely do the talented signal caller some good. While he struggled this spring, the reports out of camp so far say he’s got the offense down and is really separating himself from last year’s starter, Ben Gulbranson and talented freshman QB Aidan Chiles. Damien Martinez is probably the best running back that most people have never heard of. The offensive line returns four starters. The defense won’t be quite as good after star linebacker Omar Speights transferred to LSU, but they should still be very good.
15) TENNESSEE
Last season was kind of a magical ride for the Volunteers. Hendon Hooker led the Volunteers to an 11-2 record (including a thrilling 52-49 upset of Alabama). Hooker is gone now but Joe Milton takes over and he’s pretty talented in his own right. I’m just not sure if Josh Heupel can recreate what he pulled off last year.
16) UTAH
Former Texas quarterback Cam Rising has one more season left in Salt Lake City. Rising has been a star for the Utes and plays the game the way Kyle Whittingham wants his team to play … with toughness. It won’t be easy for Utah. They go on the road to take on Oregon State, USC and Washington while getting Florida, UCLA and Oregon at home.
17) OREGON
Oregon just re-signed head coach Dan Lanning to a new six-year, $45 million contract. Not only that, but they included a clause that if anyone wants to poach Lanning, it will cost them $20 million to buy him out. They are all-in on Dan Lanning. Lanning is all-in on Bo Nix. Nix had a somewhat rocky start to the season after transferring in from Auburn, but he turned it around pretty quickly and ended up having a very good year in Eugene. He's back again this season and the Ducks should be in the Pac-12 title race.
18) WISCONSIN
I have Wisconsin this high for a couple of reasons. First, I really like what Luke Fickell has done in the past and I think he will do good things for the Badgers. Second, their schedule is VERY friendly. They could end up being the favorite in 11 games this year (they’ll definitely be the underdog against Ohio State). Finally, I’ve just always kind of liked Wisconsin. They are a hard-nosed football team and their fans like to party.
19) NORTH CAROLINA
It turns out, Mack Brown still knows what he’s doing as a head coach. Mack has been plying recruits with Sally’s cookies and he has upgraded the Tar Heels roster. But really, Mack is at his best when he has a good quarterback and he has a GREAT quarterback this year. Drake Maye arrived on campus and had the kind of freshman season last year that we all expected Quinn Ewers to have. Clemson and South Carolina are the toughest matchups on the schedule (and I don’t think South Carolina is all that tough). Everything else is a whole lotta nothin’.
20) TEXAS A&M
I know it’s hard to put A&M in the preseason top 25 after they went 5-7 last year. And the schedule isn’t exactly a cakewalk (although it could definitely be harder). But the Aggies make the poll because they just have so damn much talent on the roster.
21) TEXAS TECH
The Red Raiders are a trendy pick for a lot of people projecting the Big 12 this year.
I don’t love going with trendy picks but I do like what Joey McGuire is doing out in Lubbock. I question whether quarterback Tyler Shough is really any good. I didn’t love his play at Oregon and I didn’t love his play at Tech last season. So this is really just kind of betting on McGuire.
22) UTSA
Jeff Traylor has done one heck of a job in San Antonio. But really, this is all about Frank Harris. Quarterback is the most important position in college football and the Roadrunners have a damn good one in Harris. The redshirt super senior is entering his fourth year as a starter. There’s not much that defenses can throw at him that he hasn’t seen.
23) KENTUCKY
Mark Stoops has done a pretty dang good job at Kentucky. He lost his quarterback, Will Levis, to the NFL. No worries, just go out and get Devin Leary to transfer in from NC State.
24) OLE MISS
Speaking of quarterbacks, Lane Kiffin has three of them stacked up and ready to go. Jaxson Dart is the returning starter and he has been working with the first team so far. Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders has also looked good. Just behind them is LSU transfer Walker Howard. I trust that Kiffin will get at least one of them ready to go. The Rebels started out winning their first seven before going 1-5 the rest of the way.
25) PITTSBURGH
Head coach Pat Narduzzi can’t stand NIL. Despite that, he’s still a pretty good coach. The Panthers have a pretty easy schedule so they have a chance to be a top-25 team this year.
TWEETS OF INTEREST
I think the Big 12 has found it sweet spot. The conference has found a collection of schools that are strong enough to find a contender or two year in and year out in football, but they aren’t so big and so bad that those schools are going to be alluring to the Big Ten or SEC. Or, to put that another way, the Big 12 has achieved stability.
The additions of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are a good fit geographically, culturally and football wise. Each of those schools has had at least some success on the football field throughout the years (well, maybe not Arizona so much). Each of the schools are close enough to Texas to be able to take advantage of Lone Star State recruiting.
But, as we’ve seen, none of those schools are going to be snatched up by a bigger conference. For that matter, neither is Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Iowa State, etc….
That means we should see the Big 12 continue for years to come. They have cemented their place in college football. There is something to be said for knowing your place and excelling in it.
That’s not to say the conference is full of scrubs. They will have a team or two pop up and make life Hell for everyone else (see TCU 2022 for an example).
By the way, if you want to see what the gold standard of conference stability looks like, look no further than the “cradle of coaches” itself … the mighty MAC.
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For those of you bemoaning the state of college football these days, perhaps this tweet will put things into perspective. College realignment is nothing new. In fact, it’s almost as old as the game itself.
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I feel like SMU’s hopes of joining the ACC boils down to this point from former Fox Sports president Bob Thompson.
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This is part of the weirdness of college realignment.
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This is cold-blooded, but damn funny.
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Happy belated birthday to Coach Corso! My birthday wish for you is that you would retire gracefully.
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You have to give David Pollack credit for being able to laugh about the fact that he was laid off by ESPN this year.
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Baltimore Orioles fans with an awesome “Free Kevin Brown” chant Tuesday night.
In case you missed it, Brown is the Orioles play-by-play man who was suspended for mentioning that the birds have beaten the Tampa Rays more times this season than in the previous three seasons combined.
First off, that is a statement of fact. Second, it is a note that was included in the team’s pr notes. Third, that seems like a good thing, right?
Wrong. The Orioles ownership somehow took the comment as a slam against them saying they are cheap.
Isn’t it amazing how much we reveal about ourselves when we point out flaws in others?
Brown absolutely should not have been suspended for those comments. In doing so, the O’s owners showed themselves to be thin-skinned and more than a little crazy. Nobody … and I mean NOBODY would have paid any attention to what he said if they had let it go. But now, everyone is looking at them (and it’s not a flattering light).
My number one rule when it comes to sports fandom is this; don’t invest your time, energy, heart and soul into a team with bad ownership. Life’s too short for the kind of misery they will inflict on you and there is little hope of things getting better.
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I have been reluctant to watch the Manziel documentary. Generally, I don’t love watching people struggle with life. It is depressing. But I think this is one that I’m just going to have to hold my nose and dive in.
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