NCAA NCAAF 2025 Offseason

[Brian Fowler]

11 hours ago, Tabe said:

 Alex Orji, a quarterback not allowed to throw the ball for three years at Michigan, has entered the transfer portal. 

It was obvious that he had no path at quarterback at Michigan anymore. Davis Warren is likely to be back as the veteran in the room, Bryce Underwood is coming in, and they want to get a veteran out of the portal to compete for the starting job.

Even that QB Bash set they've used him in as a backup probably is off the table, especially if Underwood doesn't earn the starting job, because he's already nearly as big Orji, is faster, and will likely add ten-fifteen lbs of muscle between now and next year just by being in a college strength and conditioning program, plus he'll provide much more of a threat to throw in those situations. Similar to what they did with McCarthy his freshman year. 

So it was really either transfer or change position. I think Orji would have potential as a tight end or maybe an edge defender. He doesn't have the straightline speed for wide receiver, but he's fairly fast, has good size, an explosive first step, and incredible balance, which could work well at either position. 

The only way I see him playing quarterback is if it's somewhere that runs a 00's Rich Rod style spread option, or even a true triple option offense. 

Hey, Central Michigan did just hire a head coach from Army's offensive staff...

[Tabe]

2 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

It was obvious that he had no path at quarterback at Michigan anymore.

It was obvious this past year when he absolutely never threw the ball when he was brought into games except the ones he actually started.  Even in situations where it a fake run into a throw would have been good.  If he's not willing to switch positions, yeah, he's gotta somewhere else.  With Underwood, Warren, and (probably) Jadyn Davis, Orji looked to be getting about as much playing time as me.

[Pete]

"With their first round pick, the Cleveland Browns select..."

[RIPPA]

Apparently Norfolk State has interviewed Michael Vick for their HC job

[RIPPA]

That was quick

 

[Dolfan in NYC]

[edit -- this is what I get for typing instead of just putting up the tweet]

[Dolfan in NYC]

On 12/4/2024 at 7:03 PM, Gonzo said:

Kid should probably have a PhD by the time he leaves there.

Apparently he changed his mind and won't be playing that 8th year after all. 

[Brian Fowler]

40 minutes ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

Apparently he changed his mind and won't be playing that 8th year after all. 

Derrico Henrio is a parody account, there never was an appeal for an 8th year. 

[Dolfan in NYC]

17 hours ago, RIPPA said:

That was quick

 

 

[EVA]

I’ve been away for a bit, so it’s old news now, but I really have to speak on the Belichick/UNC situation, easily one of the most hilarious own goals I’ve seen in some time.

To be clear: UNC DID NOT WANT TO HIRE HIM. They included him in an initial round of Zoom interviews with various candidates purely for PR purposes. After being embarrassed by how the Mack Brown situation ended, they wanted to send a message that they were serious about football by floating Belichick as a candidate. They were actually eyeballing Jon Sumrall and Matt Campbell, but couldn’t talk to those guys until after their conference title games.

But then, in a “the Devil believes in you” moment, it turns out that Belichick is serious about them, and then UNC finds themselves backed into a corner where they kinda have to go along with it, or else get exposed as not, in fact, being that serious about football.

Bad process can sometimes result in a good outcome, but this was about as unserious of a process as you’re ever likely to see, and if this goes badly, it’s gonna go bad in a way that sets UNC back for a long, long time.

[Brian Fowler]

2 hours ago, EVA said:

I’ve been away for a bit, so it’s old news now, but I really have to speak on the Belichick/UNC situation, easily one of the most hilarious own goals I’ve seen in some time.

To be clear: UNC DID NOT WANT TO HIRE HIM. They included him in an initial round of Zoom interviews with various candidates purely for PR purposes. After being embarrassed by how the Mack Brown situation ended, they wanted to send a message that they were serious about football by floating Belichick as a candidate. They were actually eyeballing Jon Sumrall and Matt Campbell, but couldn’t talk to those guys until after their conference title games.

But then, in a “the Devil believes in you” moment, it turns out that Belichick is serious about them, and then UNC finds themselves backed into a corner where they kinda have to go along with it, or else get exposed as not, in fact, being that serious about football.

Bad process can sometimes result in a good outcome, but this was about as unserious of a process as you’re ever likely to see, and if this goes badly, it’s gonna go bad in a way that sets UNC back for a long, long time.

Not to mention it was literally the middle of a power struggle between the chancellor and the board of trustees.

-----

Zachary Branch (and his younger brother Zion) have both entered the portal. In the 2023 and 2024 classes, USC signed 5 five star players. Branch is the fifth of them to transfer. That's, uh, not good.

[Brian Fowler]

It appears Norfolk St has won the Michael Vick sweepstakes.

[Tabe]

13 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

 

Except Gottlieb is right. Sac State only has $35m and it's contingent on being in the Pac-12.

Also, Schefter is garbage. 

[Pete]

This is relevant to some of our interests.

[Dolfan in NYC]

With it being a 3 way split for the title this year, I wonder which of them would qualify for the tournament. 

(That said, I know nothing about the FCS level other than:  a) they have a tournament and b) the school I went to did not participate in it.)

[Pete]

50 minutes ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

With it being a 3 way split for the title this year, I wonder which of them would qualify for the tournament. 

(That said, I know nothing about the FCS level other than:  a) they have a tournament and b) the school I went to did not participate in it.)

I assume head-to-head. That's why I was so surprised Columbia shared the title this year - because they lost to both Harvard and Dartmouth.

[EVA]

So, with Dave Clawson retiring at Wake Forest, make sure to pour one out for the Slow Mesh—one of the odder schematic developments of the past 10 years. I doubt we’ll see it used much in the FBS ever again, but for a brief moment, it was weird enough to get WF over the hump to respectability.

RIP

 

[Brian Fowler]

6 hours ago, Pete said:

I assume head-to-head. That's why I was so surprised Columbia shared the title this year - because they lost to both Harvard and Dartmouth.

Generally speaking, college football has never used tie breakers for conference championships, just for who gets the top bowl spot, or the conference title game bid, or automatic playoff spot, etc, depending on time period and level. 

Like, for example, in 2018 and 2021, Michigan and Ohio State were co-Big Ten East champions, because they had the same conference records. Head to head decided who went to the B1G title game only. 

Heck, there was one year when I was a kid, I think 1990, that the Big Ten officially crowned 40% of the league as conference champions.

[odessasteps]

I bet we were in thr 60% that wasnt, even though I think we had Anthony Thompson by then. I think I had given up my tickets by then. 

Edit: four teams were tied with 6-2 records: Michigan, MSU, Illinois and Iowa. 

Edited December 19, 2024 by odessasteps

[Kevin Wilson]

I wish I had the chutzpah of college football departments/ADs. The level of nerve to now ask fans to contribute to NIL funds (Alabama being the most recent) after makes tens of millions of dollars for decades (maybe a slight exaggeration but not much) off their football team due to basically having free labor. Now suddenly because they have to pay players they are begging fans to help them do it. Imagine Google setting up a fund to help them take the best engineers from Apple.

I have no issue at all if they started selling more/better/different goods and using that to fund NIL. Get your top ten NIL players to sign 250 footballs, sell them for $500 apiece or something and other ways to make money with physical goods.  But just asking for donations after being insanely profitable for so long is rich.

[Brian Fowler]

A judge has extended the NCAA's losing streak, granting Diego Pavia an injunction and making him eligible to play another season in 2025.

Could be huge for Vandy, could be a big portal bidding war.

[Chaos]

13 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

A judge has extended the NCAA's losing streak, granting Diego Pavia an injunction and making him eligible to play another season in 2025.

Could be huge for Vandy, could be a big portal bidding war.

That might be the week that decides if Hugh is on the sidelines for Auburn in 2026. 

[RIPPA]

The Mountain West implosion is just as messy as the Pac 12's was

Quote

Colorado State and Utah State have filed a lawsuit saying the Mountain West is engaging in "extraordinary and unauthorized actions" to penalize the five schools leaving the conference for the Pac-12.

Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Utah State announced in September they planned to join the Pac-12 in 2026. The lawsuit filed Monday in Colorado state court by Colorado State and Utah State says the Mountain West and commissioner Gloria Nevarez have disregarded the league's bylaws to punish those five schools "in a desperate attempt to prevent further membership departures."

The complaint says the Mountain West is threatening to withhold tens of millions of dollars due to the departing league members, including refusing to reimburse them for travel and other expenses in connection with postseason football games.

"This flouting of the Bylaws and Colorado law is not new," the complaint says. "It is part of the Mountain West's ongoing efforts to restrict its members' ability to freely explore the best options in the marketplace for their student-athletes and penalize certain members for announcing their intent to withdraw from the Conference."

The complaint states the Mountain West is seeking to require the departing members to pay exit fees "equal to three or six times the average distribution the Mountain West paid to its members in the preceding year, which could range from $19 million to $38 million per resigning member, despite the fact that such Exit Penalty bears no relationship to the purported harm from Plaintiffs' withdrawal from the Conference."

O'Melveny, the law firm representing the plaintiffs, said in a release announcing the lawsuit that Nevarez and the Mountain West also have frozen the five departing schools out of board meetings and have operated in secret to violate their rights as league members.

According to O'Melveny, the Mountain West and Nevarez have made side agreements that promise the seven remaining conference members millions of dollars "earned by and owed to the five departing members." The lawsuit charges that the Mountain West has refused to turn over board minutes and other corporate records, thus violating Colorado law.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/43027490/colorado-st-utah-st-sue-mountain-west-exit-penalties

[Brian Fowler]

So, low-key one of the more interesting things happening this week has been that nearly every top name to hit the portal has taken a visit to Texas Tech, and now former USC running back Quinten Joyner has committed to the Red Raiders. 

Apparently somebody turned on the oil money canon.

[hammerva]

On 12/17/2024 at 7:09 PM, Brian Fowler said:

It appears Norfolk St has won the Michael Vick sweepstakes.

Apparently Delaware State didn't want to be left out of this because their next coach is DeSean Jackson.  Sure