2025 College Football Thread

[kungfoodude]

28 minutes ago, Proudiddy said:

Damn, I didn’t know they were considering moving.  These new conferences and the constant moving of teams is complete ass.  But that is shocking for those two schools considering their pipelines and prestige.

People say the NIL ot transfer portal is killing college football, which is demonstrably false. This is the poo that has effectively killed ALL college sports. The TV contract whoring that has caused the complete destruction of regional conferences.

[Proudiddy]

1 hour ago, kungfoodude said:

Easily so. 1 "National Championship", 11 conference titles.

UNC can boast 0 and 7.

Maryland is less so since they have left the ACC and will likely remain depressed for the remainder of their existence before the Big Ten collapses. 

I agree about the ACC and its football history but truthfully, it is becoming harder for the ACC to compete in the super conference era with the extreme amounts of money it takes to just stay competitive, much less excel. 

UNC is very odd case. On the surface, plenty of money to spend to attempt to become a relevant football program but then you spend it on....Bill Belichick??? That's....stupid.

Damn.  I stand corrected.  I wasn’t aware of Maryland’s national championship.  I was stating it more so just off brand and off the top of my head, tradition and prestige, namely the amount of notable pros they have turned out.  That was probably a dumb criteria to base it off of, but I just think that translates to competitiveness, and I never looked at Maryland as competitive in football in my lifetime.  I thought their move to the Big Ten was particularly stupid because when they left the ACC they weren’t even really competitive then.  So I feel like in terms of modern prestige, UNC is more relevant?  So I think they would have more appeal to potential suitors if they wanted to move conferences.

And as far as the conferences go, I could be way wrong here, but my prediction is, the SECs and Big 10s of the world are going to shoot themselves in the foot if they’re not careful.  Yes, they are the big boys now, but if they continue to turn away viable candidates to join, like Clemson and FSU (and not homer talk, but UNC as well if they actually spent their money wisely), I predict the power is going to shift elsewhere, because the NIL money evens the playing field.  Look at Alabama now.  That’s why Saban left when he did…  he knew how to game the system as it was.  Were the players getting paid then?  Absolutely, but once it became legal to pay them at any school, who tf wants to go to Alabama?  If I’m not from there and I want to stay in-state, now an in-state school can pay me.  If I am from there and I have to choose between fuging Alabama and somewhere else that will pay me the same, why stay there?  Because just on its own merits, what is the appeal to Alabama?  But this example goes for anything.  Even a kid in Georgia.  Yeah, Georgia is more prestigious and a powerhouse, but what if Georgia Tech, or even Tennessee or Florida pays me more?  I just think the NIL has made it way different.  You don’t have to all funnel to Alabama or Georgia to be relevant anymore because anywhere can become a powerhouse school overnight, if done correctly.  So if the SEC and Big 10 keep acting all highsididdy on everybody, I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of those other teams that comprise the rest of the top 25-50 programs band together to form one other super conference that starts siphoning players away from them.

[LinvilleGorge]

45 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

People say the NIL ot transfer portal is killing college football, which is demonstrably false. This is the poo that has effectively killed ALL college sports. The TV contract whoring that has caused the complete destruction of regional conferences.

Teams like Cal and Stanford in the ACC is just dumb and it honestly shows how desperate they were. It's documented that west coast teams win less than expected when traveling to the east coast to play and now you're joining a conference where practically every away game puts you in that scenario.

[Proudiddy]

44 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

People say the NIL ot transfer portal is killing college football, which is demonstrably false. This is the poo that has effectively killed ALL college sports. The TV contract whoring that has caused the complete destruction of regional conferences.

Yeah, I actually love the transfer portal and the NIL deals.  It makes it more exciting.  And I completely agree about the TV deals tied to the conferences is the real issue.  Even you bringing up Maryland is a great example.  They were a founding member of the ACC, and while not great at football in my lifetime, they were a huge part of the basketball fabric of the ACC.  I was pissed when they left for that reason alone…  and now in the ACC we have teams like Cal and Stanford which is clearly not the Atlantic Coast, all while teams like Clemson, FSU, and UNC are trying to get out.  I really, really hate that poo.

[kungfoodude]

26 minutes ago, Proudiddy said:

Damn.  I stand corrected.  I wasn’t aware of Maryland’s national championship.  I was stating it more so just off brand and off the top of my head, tradition and prestige, namely the amount of notable pros they have turned out.  That was probably a dumb criteria to base it off of, but I just think that translates to competitiveness, and I never looked at Maryland as competitive in football in my lifetime.  I thought their move to the Big Ten was particularly stupid because when they left the ACC they weren’t even really competitive then.  So I feel like in terms of modern prestige, UNC is more relevant?  So I think they would have more appeal to potential suitors if they wanted to move conferences.

And as far as the conferences go, I could be way wrong here, but my prediction is, the SECs and Big 10s of the world are going to shoot themselves in the foot if they’re not careful.  Yes, they are the big boys now, but if they’re continue to turn away viable candidates to join, like Clemson and FSU (and not homer talk, but UNC as well if they actually spent their money wisely), I predict they power is going to shift elsewhere, because the NIL money evens the playing field.  Look at Alabama now.  That’s why Saban left when he did…  he knew how to game the system as it was.  Were the players getting paid then?  Absolutely, but once it became legal to pay them at any school, who tf wants to go to Alabama?  If I’m not from there and I want to stay in-state, now an in-state school can pay me.  If I am from there and I have to choose between fuging Alabama and somewhere else that will pay me the same, why stay there?  Because just on its own merits, what is the appeal to Alabama?  But this example goes for anything.  Even a kid in Georgia.  Yeah, Georgia is more prestigious and a powerhouse, but what if Georgia Tech, or even Tennessee or Florida pays me more?  I just think the NIL has made it way different.  You don’t have to all funnel to Alabama or Georgia to be relevant anymore because anywhere can become a powerhouse school overnight, if done correctly.  So if the SEC and Big 10 keep acting all highsididdy on everybody, I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of those other teams that comprise the rest of the top 25-50 programs band together to form one other super conference that starts siphoning players away from them.

UNC's football relevance has always basically been, "Hey, remember how great our basketball program is?" To extent that has worked but they have never been able to capitalize on that towards being a legit ACC power. The closest was Mack Brown 1.0 and that was stopped by prime Bowden FSU. TBH, they should have utilized all these resources they just poured into Belichick into, IDK, a legit college football coach? This is one of the more insane uses of that kind of money I have seen in CFB, which is no stranger to insane, irresponsible uses of money.

The SEC and Big Ten have already shot themselves in the foot. The model they are operating on only works if TV revenues continue to go up. Well, demographics aren't working in their favor. Economics either, TBH. The NIL didn't change very much, if you notice. The haves still have and the have nots don't. The only difference between pre-NIL and NIL was the money being below the table and above it. College athletics has never at any point been about fairness. It's the most dramatically unequal system in all US athletics.

My only hope is that the collapse is swift, dramatic and most importantly SOON. I would like to see the rebuilding of this all to something closer to what it was 40-50 years ago. Regional and not such money grubbing nonsense.

Edited 5 hours ago by kungfoodude

[kungfoodude]

17 minutes ago, Proudiddy said:

Yeah, I actually love the transfer portal and the NIL deals.  It makes it more exciting.  And I completely agree about the TV deals tied to the conferences is the real issue.  Even you bringing up Maryland is a great example.  They were a founding member of the ACC, and while not great at football in my lifetime, they were a huge part of the basketball fabric of the ACC.  I was pissed when they left for that reason alone…  and now in the ACC we have teams like Cal and Stanford which is clearly not the Atlantic Coast, all while teams like Clemson, FSU, and UNC are trying to get out.  I really, really hate that poo.

Agreed. Basically the "free agency" has made every team have something of a shot each year. That was never the case prior. Bad recruiting was death...for YEARS. 

If college sports is ever to genuinely survive, they have to get a commissioner. That's part of the big difference between pro and college sports. At the NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL level, they all generally operate for the common good(increased revenues/value). At the college level they all try to rip each other apart and take all the spoils they can. You will never survive that way, regardless of the demographic or economic issues that also put them in peril. 

[UnluckyforSome]

I wasn't expecting a UNC win, but nor was I anticipating a continuation of the Bill-sure-misses-Tom series of games.

Edited 5 hours ago by UnluckyforSome

[Proudiddy]

21 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

UNC's football relevance has always basically been, "Hey, remember how great our basketball program is?" To extent that has worked but they have never been able to capitalize on that towards being a legit ACC power. The closest was Mack Brown 1.0 and that was stopped by prime Bowden FSU. TBH, they should have utilized all these resources they just poured into Belichick into, IDK, a legit college football coach? This is one of the more insane uses of that kind of money I have seen in CFB, which is no stranger to insane, irresponsible uses of money.

The SEC and Big Ten have already shot themselves in the foot. The model they are operating on only works if TV revenues continue to go up. Well, demographics aren't working in their favor. Economics either, TBH. The NIL didn't change very much, if you notice. The haves still have and the have nots don't. The only difference between pre-NIL and NIL was the money being below the table and above it. College athletics has never at any point been about fairness. It's the most dramatically unequal system in all US athletics.

My only hope is that the collapse is swift, dramatic and most importantly SOON. I would like to see the rebuilding of this all to something closer to what it was 40-50 years ago. Regional and not such money grubbing nonsense.

Damn straight, bro.  Well said.  
 

And yeah, I was hurt as a kid when Mack left for Texas.  I didn’t understand it because although a college football powerhouse, UNC was on the rise at the time.  He had been churning out competitive teams and was bringing in a ton of legit football players who would go on to the pros.  But I guess he foresaw what was to come, because it’s like we have never been able to crack that glass ceiling. 
 

And I agree about looking forward to the collapse of it as it currently stands.

[kungfoodude]

3 minutes ago, Proudiddy said:

Damn straight, bro.  Well said.  
 

And yeah, I was hurt as a kid when Mack left for Texas.  I didn’t understand it because although a college football powerhouse, UNC was on the rise at the time.  He had been churning out competitive teams and was bringing in a ton of legit football players who would go on to the pros.  But I guess he foresaw what was to come, because it’s like we have never been able to crack that glass ceiling. 
 

And I agree about looking forward to the collapse of it as it currently stands.

I think it was a matter of seeing how difficult it would be to compete with FSU. They had far more resources and football was always going to be a second fiddle. Plus, at that time who could compete with Texass in terms of resources? Literally no one in the ACC.

[CRA]

I still don't think Bill wants to be coaching college football.  I think Bill sort of got mini-blackballed from NFL coaching (which is dumb)...and he couldn't stomach the NFL dictating his coaching end. 

[LinvilleGorge]

8 minutes ago, Proudiddy said:

Damn straight, bro.  Well said.  
 

And yeah, I was hurt as a kid when Mack left for Texas.  I didn’t understand it because although a college football powerhouse, UNC was on the rise at the time.  He had been churning out competitive teams and was bringing in a ton of legit football players who would go on to the pros.  But I guess he foresaw what was to come, because it’s like we have never been able to crack that glass ceiling. 
 

And I agree about looking forward to the collapse of it as it currently stands.

Mack always said that all he wanted was for UNC to match the Texas offer. He never wanted to leave.

[kungfoodude]

8 minutes ago, CRA said:

I still don't think Bill wants to be coaching college football.  I think Bill sort of got mini-blackballed from NFL coaching (which is dumb)...and he couldn't stomach the NFL dictating his coaching end. 

I think he viewed this as his proof of concept for his triumphant return to the NFL. It always seemed drenched in some level of hubris. That he would waltz in, be a massive success and have ample NFL grovelers at his feet.

Also not very rooted in reality. Truthfully, he was almost always a terrible personnel evaluator and that doomed New England to being the dumpster fire they are now.

[LinvilleGorge]

1 minute ago, kungfoodude said:

I think he viewed this as his proof of concept for his triumphant return to the NFL. It always seemed drenched in some level of hubris. That he would waltz in, be a massive success and have ample NFL grovelers at his feet.

Also not very rooted in reality. Truthfully, he was almost always a terrible personnel evaluator and that doomed New England to being the dumpster fire they are now.

Yeah, their drafting was always horrible once he got GM powers and what floated them was aging vets with some gas left in the tank signing at a discount to chase a ring. That stopped once Brady was gone and it all fell apart. Without that FA vet bandaid to fill in the gaps the Pats got exposed as having one of the worst rosters in the league.

Last night we watched a small school transfer QB they gave $2M look like he flat out didn't belong on a D1 field. Neither line looked D1 caliber. If you have subpar talent on both lines and at QB you're fuging cooked. There's no in-season scheme/play calling fix to that. 

[PNW_PantherMan]

1 hour ago, kungfoodude said:

People say the NIL ot transfer portal is killing college football, which is demonstrably false. This is the poo that has effectively killed ALL college sports. The TV contract whoring that has caused the complete destruction of regional conferences.

Agreed but the transfer portal needs some limitations.  It basically means nothing to have someone on your team, because they can play for 3 or 4 schools if they want.  Maybe you get 1 transfer and then you have to sit out a year.

Edited 4 hours ago by PNW_PantherMan