Official 2025 College Football Thread

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Ghost Econ

I want it in my next contract that my future employer will pay me my bonuses I would be owed at my old job if that job keeps succeeding.

Also, there are rumors Jimmy Sexton is steering his clients away from PSU for some reason.

I don't know if I could think of anything that would make me feel luckier as a fan than having that be the case, at least not if you're interested in stability or sanity.

[GrantDawg]

Early signing day is tomorrow and Penn State has zero players slated to sign.

[Atocep]

North Texas hires Neal Brown. Have fun with that.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Atocep

North Texas hires Neal Brown. Have fun with that.

Yikes.

[HerRealName]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Early signing day is tomorrow and Penn State has zero players slated to sign.

I'm starting to wonder if Neal Brown turned them down to go to UNT I'm guessing they end up with Brohm but that's a tough job now.

[JPhillips]

lol

Weis came back to Ole Miss.

[Atocep]

I wonder how much extra money in coaching contracts Penn State has cost other schools.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

lol

Weis came back to Ole Miss.

Really confused by this. Why would Ole Miss want him around if he is leaving like Kiffin?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Really confused by this. Why would Ole Miss want him around if he is leaving like Kiffin?

Especially when he was the most dubious staff member (not named Kiffin anyway).

My guess at the moment is that there was some behind-the-scenes shit about that with the CFP committee

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Michigan State - Pat Fitzgerald

A neighbor on my street was one of Fitzgerald's key assistants at NWU. I wonder if he'll be joining the staff over there (he was fired, I think, eventually, from NWU due to the whole thing).

Originally Posted by Ghost Econ

I want it in my next contract that my future employer will pay me my bonuses I would be owed at my old job if that job keeps succeeding.

It's very typical in C-level contracts for the new company to make the hire whole on any and all bonuses/stock options they would be giving up at the old company.

[Swaggs]

Chris Klieman is retiring from Kansas State. Collin Klein (former KSU QB and only 36 years old) is taking over directly.

Kind of surprising. Klieman had been mentioned in some of the bigger P4 jobs in the last few years and is only 58. Had won 4 championships in 5 seasons at North Dakota State and been 54-35 (36-27 in B12) in 7 years at KSU.

[Swaggs]

Originally Posted by Atocep

North Texas hires Neal Brown. Have fun with that.

I'm not down on him like a lot of people are. I still think Neal would have won more than 4 games with our schedule this year and, quite honestly, there is not one player on the current roster that I care about entering this portal after this first season under Rodriguez. No cornerstone-type players emerged after one season. I'm good with giving Rod some time and hope he can recruit, but at the same time, in 3 or 4 years, it won't surprise me if Neal has had 2 or 3 10 win seasons and is 49 years old looking at P4 job options.

[HerRealName]

Brian Hartline to USF. He has a ton of recruiting contacts in Florida so he seems like a good fit if he can run a program.

[Swaggs]

Originally Posted by HerRealName

Brian Hartline to USF. He has a ton of recruiting contacts in Florida so he seems like a good fit if he can run a program.

A little surprised to see that. He seemed like he was ready for more of P4-type position.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

A little surprised to see that. He seemed like he was ready for more of P4-type position.

Someone that would know said his interview with WVU last cycle was the worst they had ever seen.

[HerRealName]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Someone that would know said his interview with WVU last cycle was the worst they had ever seen.

I've heard similar following a MAC school interview a couple years ago.

There was also an ATV crash incident a few years ago that may have led to some red flags. It's also difficult to say how involved that he's been with play calling and game planning. He's obviously an outstanding WR coach and an amazing recruiter so being a head coach may be a better fit than offensive coordinator.

[Atocep]

The first half of the year for Rich's first season back at WVU was a disaster but, outside of the final game against Texas Tech, the 2nd half was much better. Rich landed a top 25 recruiting class including the #2 interior OL in the country.

Next year probably isn't going to be good, but it should be much better with '27 as a potential year for a big jump.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Atocep

I wonder how much extra money in coaching contracts Penn State has cost other schools.

On3 did the math today and the answer is an additional $370 million to coaches Penn State was interested in.

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Early signing day is tomorrow and Penn State has zero players slated to sign.

Good news. Penn State now has 2 players, good for the 149th ranked class, between West Georgia and Towson.

[Atocep]

It's sounding like Matt Campbell is going to be the choice at Penn State.

[RainMaker]

Most interesting aspect of the weekend might be how that ACC Championshio game is officiated.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by Atocep

It's sounding like Matt Campbell is going to be the choice at Penn State.

To finally get Campbell to jump, they must have offered him a war chest of about a billion dollars to spend in the portal this year, given they have a recruiting class that would be somewhere towards the bottom of the Sun Belt.

[HerRealName]

As horrible as this search has gone for Penn State, they still managed to get a great coach? I wonder if that audio was leaked by one of the players because Smith wasn't hired.

The good thing about Campbell isn't just the experience, he also may have some success bringing in some of his previous players. That's important since PSU's recruiting class was almost non-existent and they're likely to lose a lot to the portal.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm going to need to sit down for a while. Or maybe have a drink AND sit down. This may very well be the first time in history I've ever been able to enthusiastically root for UGA to win anything in my entire life.

Georgia seeks $390K from DE Damon Wilson for transfer damages - ESPN

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by HerRealName

As horrible as this search has gone for Penn State, they still managed to get a great coach? I wonder if that audio was leaked by one of the players because Smith wasn't hired.

The good thing about Campbell isn't just the experience, he also may have some success bringing in some of his previous players. That's important since PSU's recruiting class was almost non-existent and they're likely to lose a lot to the portal.

Yeah, this didn't turn out too bad for them. I'd rather have Campbell than Rhule.

[Atocep]

Campbell has been trying to get out of ISU for a couple years now. He probably would have walked to Happy Valley. ISU's NIL situation is one of the worst in P4. Their recruiting class right now is outside the top 50 and is on par with schools like Wake, Purdue, and BC.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'm going to need to sit down for a while. Or maybe have a drink AND sit down. This may very well be the first time in history I've ever been able to enthusiastically root for UGA to win anything in my entire life.

Georgia seeks $390K from DE Damon Wilson for transfer damages - ESPN

I got a good giggle out of that.

[HerRealName]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'm going to need to sit down for a while. Or maybe have a drink AND sit down. This may very well be the first time in history I've ever been able to enthusiastically root for UGA to win anything in my entire life.

Georgia seeks $390K from DE Damon Wilson for transfer damages - ESPN

I could see suing for $30K if you want to be petty but suing for $390K is negative recruiting nirvana for other coaches.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by HerRealName

I could see suing for $30K if you want to be petty but suing for $390K is negative recruiting nirvana for other coaches.

1) he signed the contract
2) it denied them the use of those funds for another player who could have been willing to contribute

Whether a court will ultimately find the clause legal and binding remains to be seen, but I pray that it is. Would at least be a tiny move in the right direction for a change (so I have little hope for it to happen)

[Passacaglia]

So it looks like we'll have:

SEC bringing at least 4 (Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma)
Big Ten bringing 3 (Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon)
Other conferences bringing 3

So we're down to 2 at large spots between:
Texas Tech if they lose
Alabama if they lose
Notre Dame
Miami

I think Texas Tech is in even if they lose, and the last spot is between Alabama and Notre Dame. If Alabama wins, they are obviously in, but the question is whether an Alabama loss drops them below Notre Dame. Alabama is 9 and Notre Dame is 10. I think last year conference championship game losers didn't drop at all, and if that holds (which seems likely since a loss to #3 Georgia isn't really a blemish).

If Tech wins, I think that puts Notre Dame in for sure, and probably Alabama (though maybe Miami has an outside shot).

[Passacaglia]

For those other 3:

Big 12 (#4 Texas Tech vs. #11 BYU)
ACC (#17 Virginia vs 7-5 Duke)
American Conference (#20 Tulane vs #24 North Texas)
Sun Belt (#25 James Madison)

Big 12 is obviously getting one.
American Conference gets one.
Last one goes to Virginia if they win, and probably James Madison if Duke wins. Duke isn't ranked, and at 7-5, they probably don't get ranked just for beating Virginia.

[GrantDawg]

Texas Tech going into the playoffs hot.

[HerRealName]

ESPN is paying a man to provide college football analysis that admits to only watching one game of the number one team in America.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Texas Tech going into the playoffs hot.

But have they played anyone worth a damn?

Their Sagarin SoS (since I don't want anyone claiming any sort of ESPN-bias, I'm using it) coming into today was actually 5 spots lower than Virginia's ... and I don't think there'd be any argument that UVA has played anybody worth a crap all year.

TT could turn out to be at least okay ... but right now I can't swear that we really know either.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

But have they played anyone worth a damn?

Their Sagarin SoS (since I don't want anyone claiming any sort of ESPN-bias, I'm using it) coming into today was actually 5 spots lower than Virginia's ... and I don't think there'd be any argument that UVA has played anybody worth a crap all year.

TT could turn out to be at least okay ... but right now I can't swear that we really know either.

I wouldn't make any claims on whether they go deep or not into the playoffs, but they have been winning decisively and they just handled a good BYU team pretty easily. They are not a team to overlook.

[HerRealName]

Huge upset in FCS as Illinois State beats NDSU.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by HerRealName

Huge upset in FCS as Illinois State beats NDSU.

#3 seed Lehigh also went down, to Villanova.

[dubb93]

I’d really like to see JMU get a shot. I mean I’d really rather see Miami but if I had to choose between Virginia and JMU I think the latter has a much better chance of being better than we think they are than the former.

[Ghost Econ]

Bama has no business in the playoffs

[GrantDawg]

The UGA fans didn't want this game. Beat up and tired and having to play a team that has been their kryptonite. But if they have to play it, then winning convincingly and get that monkey off their backs makes it worth it.

[GrantDawg]

Amazing how much this season changed for the Dawgs. Esrly this tesm did not look like a championship team at all. The offense couldn't put things together and the defense looked awful. It all turned around in the second half, and it is all built around the secondary. They looked so bad to start the season, but they have been coached up to become shut down in these last few games. Not saying they will win it all. They still have some issues and some key injuries that are hard to overcome. But I would never expected a SEC championship a couple of months ago. Big turn around.

[JonInMiddleGA]

So here's my thinking, as it's going to be down to three teams for two spots

If Virginia wins the ACC title, the two spots will go to Bama and Notre Dame
If Duke wins the ACC title, the two spots will go to Bama and Miami.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

So here's my thinking, as it's going to be down to three teams for two spots

If Virginia wins the ACC title, the two spots will go to Bama and Notre Dame
If Duke wins the ACC title, the two spots will go to Bama and Miami.

Both the Fox and ABC crews seem to saying Miami and ND.

[Lathum]

Well looks like Indiana may already be cooked.

[dubb93]

Well Indiana, you know the assignment. Sayin has to go too.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Well Indiana, you know the assignment. Sayin has to go too.

How about picking him off?

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

How about picking him off?

With Mendoza back in, it sounds like a fair trade.

[HerRealName]

Fox has the worst production. The crowd noise is so muffled it sounds unnatural.

[Kodos]

Yesss!

[Kodos]

Holy crap is this stressful. Go Hoosiers!