2025 College Football Season

[Bash Riprock]

22 minutes ago, PDB26 said:

Talk about stepping on a rake.

ESPN reporting his intention to remain with BYU.  Looks like Penn State helped him get a raise from his current employer.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47180286/kelani-sitake-remain-head-coach-byu-sources-say

BYU coach Kalani Sitake has begun to inform people that he intends to stay at the school, rebuffing overtures from Penn State, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

BYU is in the process of putting together a lucrative contract to keep him and Sitake informed Penn State of his intention to remain in Provo, sources said.

[temptation]

2 hours ago, Coach Nowlin said:

Signing day Joy is dead to me in current landscape of Professional Collegiate Football 

Used to be special, now, not so much, hard to get excited with a transactional landscape 

Yep.  Used to be an annual “sick day” in February.

[Irishman]

3 hours ago, PDB26 said:

Talk about stepping on a rake.

And likely helps explain why Franklin struggled most of his time there. 

[PHJIrish]

6 hours ago, Coach Nowlin said:

Signing day Joy is dead to me in current landscape of Professional Collegiate Football 

Used to be special, now, not so much, hard to get excited with a transactional landscape 

Yep, might as well just call it a draft.  And then there's the portal to contend with also.

[Sparty]

40 minutes ago, PHJIrish said:

Yep, might as well just call it a draft.  And then there's the portal to contend with also.

talking heads were saying the same thing today in regards to the “why” Kiffin took the LSU job with the amount of 5star kids he can get each year, the add on the portal with their unlimited funds.  Yikes

[Bobref]

10 minutes ago, Sparty said:

talking heads were saying the same thing today in regards to the “why” Kiffin took the LSU job with the amount of 5star kids he can get each year, the add on the portal with their unlimited funds.  Yikes

Exactly what they said when Kelly took the job. How’d that work out?

[Sparty]

8 hours ago, Bobref said:

Exactly what they said when Kelly took the job. How’d that work out?

Fair point, though LK and BK are two totally different coaches and men.  I didn’t really hear it then.  I will admit, I wasn’t following as closely either.  
 

In your opinion, and others feel free to chime in too, out of the 4 jobs (Kiffin said he and his family were mulling over 4 locations?), what is the best (regarding high profile recruits from HS and the portal) job?

I’m assuming the 4th job was Alabama.  
 

My rank would be:

Bama, LSU, Ole Miss, UF

[Bobref]

3 minutes ago, Sparty said:

My rank would be:

Bama, LSU, Ole Miss, UF

Of course, there are a lot of specifics we don’t know about the contracts that come with these jobs. But all other things being equal, I agree with that order.

[Sparty]

1 hour ago, Bobref said:

Of course, there are a lot of specifics we don’t know about the contracts that come with these jobs. But all other things being equal, I agree with that order.

It’s just crazy.  Fun for us to watch.  Wouldn’t want to be in that world.  

[Coach Nowlin]

What a flip in state JETT GOLDSBURY from Ole Miss to Purdue.  That was exciting 

[Bash Riprock]

Brian Hartline leaving Ohio State for South Florida HC position?

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47189798/sources-south-florida-name-buckeyes-hartline-head-coach

 

[Footballking16]

4 hours ago, Coach Nowlin said:

What a flip in state JETT GOLDSBURY from Ole Miss to Purdue.  That was exciting 

I know he's a Purdue legacy but do we know if Kiffin extend him an offer to LSU?

[temptation]

3 hours ago, Bash Riprock said:

Brian Hartline leaving Ohio State for South Florida HC position?

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47189798/sources-south-florida-name-buckeyes-hartline-head-coach

 

Impeccable timing.

[Bash Riprock]

12 minutes ago, temptation said:

Impeccable timing.

Does look like Hartline will remains with the Testicleheads through the post-season.  But I did see where they already lost a top WR recruit following Hartline's accouncement to USC.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47189668/usc-flips-4-star-wr-kayden-dixon-wyatt-ohio-state

[Sparty]

Just saw a post on line that mentioned the 4th school/location mentioned by Kiffin.  It was not Alabama, but Florida State.  First I’ve heard that, so don’t know how valid it is.  

[PDB26]

23 minutes ago, Sparty said:

Just saw a post on line that mentioned the 4th school/location mentioned by Kiffin.  It was not Alabama, but Florida State.  First I’ve heard that, so don’t know how valid it is.  

Makes more sense to me and explains why Norvell was retained.

[Bash Riprock]

Penn State....what a cluster.....

Some potential leading candidates after being jilted time and time again.

https://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/2025/12/penn-states-coaching-search-turns-chaotic-who-are-candidates-now.html

 

[Coach Nowlin]

On 12/3/2025 at 2:44 PM, Footballking16 said:

I know he's a Purdue legacy but do we know if Kiffin extend him an offer to LSU?

Unaware, however, one would imagine that the portal and already committed level of talent at LSU compared to Ole Miss tiers, may not had the money and space, I know Purdue was offering lots of money out there and 2 year contracts vs 1 year deals, no idea if that was a major factor or not, but I have been told by multiple HS coaches that PU has the cash for competitive offers with states top talent.   

[Bash Riprock]

 

[temptation]

[Bash Riprock]

2 hours ago, temptation said:

that's interesting....Teams that beat the expectations included Indiana, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma.

Teams that failed to meet expectations include Texas, Penn State, Clemson, LSU, Arizona State, Illinois, South Carolina, Florida, SMU, Kansas State, SMU.  To a lesser extent, Iowa State, Tennessee

Would seem the "experts" sure missed way more than they got right with the preseason predictions.  

[temptation]

1 hour ago, Bash Riprock said:

that's interesting....Teams that beat the expectations included Indiana, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma.

Teams that failed to meet expectations include Texas, Penn State, Clemson, LSU, Arizona State, Illinois, South Carolina, Florida, SMU, Kansas State, SMU.  To a lesser extent, Iowa State, Tennessee

Would seem the "experts" sure missed way more than they got right with the preseason predictions.  

Well, the coaches poll wasn't much different so I am not sure the "experts" can take the fall on this one.

I have a couple of theories as to why so many teams bombed this season compared to preseason expectations but want to hear others' first.

I am not sure if its recency bias but I cannot remember a year where so many top 10-15 teams bombed so badly.

[Coach Nowlin]

1 hour ago, temptation said:

Well, the coaches poll wasn't much different so I am not sure the "experts" can take the fall on this one.

I have a couple of theories as to why so many teams bombed this season compared to preseason expectations but want to hear others' first.

I am not sure if its recency bias but I cannot remember a year where so many top 10-15 teams bombed so badly.

Its simple, imo, there is more distribution of talent across the P4 teams now that there is more of a leveling of the money and not just being funneled illegally to the south and to 2 teams in Midwest that play each other last game of the season for all the testosterone glory of respective fan bases..... 

That has helped bridge the gap 

[Bash Riprock]

1 hour ago, Coach Nowlin said:

Its simple, imo, there is more distribution of talent across the P4 teams now that there is more of a leveling of the money and not just being funneled illegally to the south and to 2 teams in Midwest that play each other last game of the season for all the testosterone glory of respective fan bases..... 

That has helped bridge the gap 

I do think NIL has become the great equalizer....the schools that are willing to spend, improve quickly with the right leadership.  Besides IU, another case study is Texas Tech.  Look at them to stay on top....I just viewed their 2026 schedule and it makes IU's look like a guantlet.  People don't give TTU crap for their schedule this season, but their SOS is 59.  It is even easier next year.  Take this, with their spending with a good coach...I don't see them going anywhere out of the picture.

Transfer portal...as you have repeatedly pointed out, HS signing day not nearly the deal it used to be....if kids don't play and play pretty quickly, they are moving....and they will follow playing time and $$.  (obviously go together) Again, this allows schools that traditionally don't pull in a roster of 4 and 5 stars to get talent a year or 2 down the road from other teams.  

It would also be interesting to study the track records of university presidents and the role they play with success.  President Whitten spent a few years at Georgia and I believe that factors heavily on her vision to invest in football at IU.  Coach Cignetti has indicated several times how strongly he feels about his AD and President.  Note:  didn't realize prior to IU, she was the president at Kennesaw State...now I know why they are on the schedule.

Edited December 5, 2025 by Bash Riprock

[Coach Nowlin]

yup, give her old buddies a GIANT CHECK to use for everyone