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I don't like bama or fsu but I was rooting for fsu.
FSU totally collapsed last season with a 2-10 record. I think expectations going into yesterday's game were such that most people had hoped they could hang with Alabama and not make it embarrassing, but it was the tide that got embarrassed.

WHAT!?!? I totally missed all that and I live three hours from UT/Knoxville. wow
Yeah it was crazy, I always liked the coach but he got mad props to not be held hostage by nico. I'm not a Tenn fan, I don't hate or like them, but after that soap opera I like them a lot more. To make the story even more soap operay.

Tenn's QB is Joey Aguilar, he transferred to UCLA last year, but when Nico signed with UCLA, Joey saw he was no longer the starter and joined, Nicos old team - Tenn. Basically a QB swap, we'll see which QB made the better decision :)
 
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08/23-31/2025



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FSU totally collapsed last season with a 2-10 record. I think expectations going into yesterday's game were such that most people had hoped they could hang with Alabama and not make it embarrassing, but it was the tide that got embarrassed.


Yeah it was crazy, I always liked the coach but he got mad props to not be held hostage by nico. I'm not a Tenn fan, I don't hate or like them, but after that soap opera I like them a lot more. To make the story even more soap operay.

Tenn's QB is Joey Aguilar, he transferred to UCLA last year, but when Nico signed with UCLA, Joey saw he was no longer the starter and joined, Nicos old team - Tenn. Basically a QB swap, we'll see which QB made the better decision :)
I'm, what we call in TN, a fence poster. I root for both Vanderbilt and UT. I grew up going to both of their games. So I'm a fan of both.

I like Josh Heupel but I don't think he's a complete coach... I guess. Or he hasn't been able to field a complete team yet... not sure how to put it. In the few season he's been there there has always seemed to be something missing. They usually have let themselves down in some way. We'll see. Lowered expectations so far this season.

I really like Shane Beamer so I'm expecting some big things from South Carolina.
 
I like Josh Heupel but I don't think he's a complete coach
I think its been so long since Tenn had a decent coach, that any short comings Heupel has, are swept under the rug. Given the rest of the SEC, I think he's in the upper tier in coaching. Kalen Deboer has the unenviable job of replacing Saben. No matter how good you are, you will be compared to Saben.
really like Shane Beamer so I'm expecting some big things from South Carolina.
I don't know enough about it, his dad was quite successful, SC is one of those teams that seems to be on the cusp of an elite team, but never quite make that transition. Maybe with him at the helm they can be more successful.
 
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I think its been so long since Tenn had a decent coach, that any short comings Heupel has, are swept under the rug. Given the rest of the SEC, I think he's in the upper tier in coaching. Kalen Deboer has the unenviable job of replacing Saben. No matter how good you are, you will be compared to Saben.

I don't know enough about it, his dad was quite successful, SC is one of those teams that seems to be on the cusp of an elite team, but never quite make that transition. Maybe with him at the helm they can be more successful.
100 % agreed on both.

I believe Beamer will leave SC in the near future and go to a program that can be that elite team. Somebody somewhere has to be watching him.
 
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My god USC put a big ole bag of hurt Missouri State.

Sad to see Bama lose their opener... but, to be fair, I have very low expectations of them at this point. Big Blue pulled through... so there is that.
 
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Some random thoughts on Arch Manning, here's a kid who red shirted his freshman year, so no actual game play (I think he was in 2 games). He largely failed, but I think people were expecting a mini-Peyton but instead they got a 21 year's first game as a starter against the national champion
 
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Some random thoughts on Arch Manning, here's a kid who red shirted his freshman year, so no actual game play (I think he was in 2 games). He largely failed, but I think people were expecting a mini-Peyton but instead they got a 21 year's first game as a starter against the national champion

He played a lot last year though... so expectations might not have been that out of place.
 
It took a bit of doing but South Carolina took care of business 24 - 11
The game was in question up until SC was able to run back that punt return for a TD. They showed Beamer literally jumping and screaming. While he tried to downplay this game, having your season opener against VT, was huge and meant a lot to him.

ND fell to Miami, I can't say that I'm surprised. One of the biggest knocks against ND is they tend to come up short in big games. I don't know how their team is this year, but overall they seem to struggle to win the games that would elevate them into the next level.

I'm also surprised at LSU beating Clemson. I really don't like either team, but if I were to root for either one, it would have been Clemson. There was talk of them returning to greatness this year and being a contender. Conversely there was talk of LSU being a paper tiger (see what I did there :p ) but they showed that are not to be underestimated.
 
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The game was in question up until SC was able to run back that punt return for a TD. They showed Beamer literally jumping and screaming. While he tried to downplay this game, having your season opener against VT, was huge and meant a lot to him.

ND fell to Miami, I can't say that I'm surprised. One of the biggest knocks against ND is they tend to come up short in big games. I don't know how their team is this year, but overall they seem to struggle to win the games that would elevate them into the next level.

I'm also surprised at LSU beating Clemson. I really don't like either team, but if I were to root for either one, it would have been Clemson. There was talk of them returning to greatness this year and being a contender. Conversely there was talk of LSU being a paper tiger (see what I did there :p ) but they showed that are not to be underestimated.
Saw what ya did there. ;)

LSU and Clemson are two of my sentimental faves. Because of former players, coaches, and yes - helmets and uniforms. :p

Speaking of - VT vs USC was also, for me, pleasing aesthetically. I'm not a big fan of SC's black( i prefer their white helmet) kit but it contrasted well against VT's all orange w/white helmet.
 
LSU and Clemson are two of my sentimental faves.
I had liked LSU, but when and how Kelly left ND, I turned against him and by inference LSU. I was rooting for LSU when saben was there and you couldn't help but root for them when Ed Orgeron was the coach.
 
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I had liked LSU, but when and how Kelly left ND, I turned against him and by inference LSU. I was rooting for LSU when saben was there and you couldn't help but root for them when Ed Orgeron was the coach.
Funny story: Kelly is a bit of a turn off for me too...
 
Yeah I feel bad for BB, then I think about his 20 something girlfriend and I stop feeling so bad. This may be an ugly season for NC, I know its only one game but I think the game has passed him on.
Crazy thought though... and how? He made the game what it is today!
 
Crazy thought though... and how? He made the game what it is today!
Steve Mariucci has said in the past that coaches have expiration dates, nothing you can do about it, that just happens.

That ideal may not exactly fit for BB's situation but it always stuck to me. The man is 73 years old, he does not have the stamina, energy and patience he did as a 40 year old coach. I also doubt he knows how to connect with the 20 somethings on his team, or how you interact and treat them being college students instead of professional athletes.

As you can see I've not been a fan of him coming back and trying to coach - That's a heretical thing to say here in boston
 
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Steve Mariucci has said in the past that coaches have expiration dates, nothing you can do about it, that just happens.

That ideal may not exactly fit for BB's situation but it always stuck to me. The man is 73 years old, he does not have the stamina, energy and patience he did as a 40 year old coach. I also doubt he knows how to connect with the 20 somethings on his team, or how you interact and treat them being college students instead of professional athletes.

As you can see I've not been a fan of him coming back and trying to coach - That's a heretical thing to say here in boston
Yer probably right on all accounts.
 
Yer probably right on all accounts.
As an old person moving into his 60s, I'm surprised at how different things are for me, then when I was in my 40s or even 50s. I cannot imagine needing to work 12 to 18 hours a day, every day and dealing with 20 year olds and their problems. I'm the typical grumpy old man :) I can't imagine a 70 year old man doing that.
 
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AP Top 25 PRESEASON:

RKTeamRECPTSTREND
1TexasTexas(25)0-01552NR
2Penn StatePenn State(23)0-01547NR
3Ohio StateOhio State(11)0-01472NR
4ClemsonClemson(4)0-01398NR
5GeorgiaGeorgia(1)0-01331NR
6Notre DameNotre Dame0-01325NR
7OregonOregon(1)0-01236NR
8AlabamaAlabama0-01179NR
9LSULSU0-01174NR
10MiamiMiami0-0889NR
11Arizona StateArizona State0-0791NR
12IllinoisIllinois0-0713NR
13South CarolinaSouth Carolina0-0667NR
14MichiganMichigan0-0662NR
15FloridaFlorida0-0626NR
16SMUSMU0-0565NR
17Kansas StateKansas State0-0512NR
18OklahomaOklahoma0-0463NR
19Texas A&MTexas A&M0-0434NR
20IndianaIndiana0-0423NR
21Ole MissOle Miss0-0370NR
22Iowa StateIowa State0-0309NR
23Texas TechTexas Tech0-0274NR
24TennesseeTennessee0-0192NR
25Boise StateBoise State0-0191NR
 
1Ohio State (55)16361-03
2Penn State (7)15581-02
3LSU (3)15141-09
4Georgia14101-05
5Miami13601-010
6Oregon (1)13021-07
7Texas12930-11
8Clemson11350-14
9Notre Dame10680-16
10South Carolina8821-013
11Illinois8551-012
12Arizona State8501-011
13Florida7371-015
14Florida State7051-0NR
15Michigan6861-014
16Iowa State5662-022
17SMU5611-016
18Oklahoma5191-018
19Texas A&M4241-019
20Ole Miss3931-021
21Alabama3600-18
22Tennessee3391-024
23Indiana2571-020
24Texas Tech2471-023
25Utah2271-0NR

Others receiving votes: BYU 102, Auburn 94, Georgia Tech 67, Southern Cal 64, Louisville 59, TCU 49, Missouri 42, South Florida 25, Tulane 18, Nebraska 13, Kansas St. 7, James Madison 4, Liberty 4, UNLV 4, Duke 4, Navy 2, Pittsburgh 2, Baylor 2, Virginia 2, Memphis 2.
 
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