2025 College Football Season

[23andCounting]

39 minutes ago, Komets2727 said:

Thinking 2-4 years to groom a head coach in waiting. If Whittingham is the guy, I would say he would be hired in the next 4-5 days. If not, then if Alabama loses to Indiana, DeBoer could still be in the mix

You think a loss to the #1 team in the country will push him out? Thought maybe the fans were a little happier after winning in Norman. 

Will there be less pressure at Michigan? Rich Rodriguez might debate that with you. If you can't handle Alabama, I'm not sure Michigan is the answer. 

[Bash Riprock]

3 hours ago, Komets2727 said:

Whittingham has emerged as the favorite to become the head coach at Michigan. My question is that he is 66 years old so this is likely a stop gap hire

 

[Irishman]

56 minutes ago, 23andCounting said:

You think a loss to the #1 team in the country will push him out? Thought maybe the fans were a little happier after winning in Norman. 

Will there be less pressure at Michigan? Rich Rodriguez might debate that with you. If you can't handle Alabama, I'm not sure Michigan is the answer. 

A 4 loss season with no championship would be more of a problem than just losing to the number 1 team. I will go out on a limb and say every Alabama fan expects them to beat Indiana. I am not sure any of them even respect Indiana or even the B1G as a whole. 

[23andCounting]

7 minutes ago, Irishman said:

A 4 loss season with no championship would be more of a problem than just losing to the number 1 team. I will go out on a limb and say every Alabama fan expects them to beat Indiana. I am not sure any of them even respect Indiana or even the B1G as a whole. 

Honestly, I think everyone still has reservations about Indiana versus Alabama. Historically, they are on two different planets. I think the common fan still has a hard time viewing Indiana as the #1 team in the country. But............they do have metrics and Vegas backing them as the favorite to win this game. 

Question: Who would be favored if Indiana was 11-2? This team is seriously a couple of plays from that mark. Would they still be favored to win by 6?

[Irishman]

9 minutes ago, 23andCounting said:

Honestly, I think everyone still has reservations about Indiana versus Alabama. Historically, they are on two different planets. I think the common fan still has a hard time viewing Indiana as the #1 team in the country. But............they do have metrics and Vegas backing them as the favorite to win this game. 

Question: Who would be favored if Indiana was 11-2? This team is seriously a couple of plays from that mark. Would they still be favored to win by 6?

I don't think they would be in the playoff with 2 losses. 

[23andCounting]

1 minute ago, Irishman said:

I don't think they would be in the playoff with 2 losses. 

Last second losses to Penn State on the road and Ohio State on a neutral field? Just two teams from the Big Ten? I'm 99.5% certain they'd be in. But then again, I was 99.5% certain ND would be in. 

[gonzoron]

Looks like Whittingham heading to Michigan:

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47421108/whittingham-agrees-5-year-deal-coach-michigan

[Bash Riprock]

Guess not a Coach Whittingham fan….

 

[Komets2727]

4 hours ago, Irishman said:

I don't think they would be in the playoff with 2 losses. 

2 losses and Indiana would have been in, 3 losses, no… most likely about a 9 seed

Edited December 26, 2025 by Komets2727

[Komets2727]

4 hours ago, Irishman said:

A 4 loss season with no championship would be more of a problem than just losing to the number 1 team. I will go out on a limb and say every Alabama fan expects them to beat Indiana. I am not sure any of them even respect Indiana or even the B1G as a whole. 

SEC has been irrelevant with the leveling of the playing field with NIL. Most Vegas sites have Indiana between a 6-7 point favorite. I think IU wins by 10+ points…

[Irishman]

4 minutes ago, Komets2727 said:

2 losses and Indiana would have been in, 3 losses, no… most likely about a 9 seed

I guess I was thinking regular season excluding the conference championship. Depending on who the one loss would have been to, they don't play in the conference championship game. I would agree that if they had 1 loss and made the championship game and lost, they would likely be in. 

[PDB26]

54 minutes ago, Irishman said:

I guess I was thinking regular season excluding the conference championship. Depending on who the one loss would have been to, they don't play in the conference championship game. I would agree that if they had 1 loss and made the championship game and lost, they would likely be in. 

The easiest counterfactual is Mendoza gets strip sacked on the play before the Sarratt touchdown against Iowa and Penn State’s defense hangs on. I think IU would still be in. Maybe the big drama is a weird Texas vs. IU debate for the final at large. I don’t think either ND or Vandy go ahead of IU.

[Bash Riprock]

 

[Irishman]

Been saying it, this is not sustainable. These programs outside the top 10-15 not only have to work to keep their current roster, but put up some serious cash now to rebuild a roster; not to necessarily compete for a playoff spot, but just to field a team now. 

 

 

Check that....down to 16 players. 

 

 

[Komets2727]

We are at the point of money talks, BS walks. There will be maybe 20 teams yearly that can afford to pay to be competitive. 

[Irishman]

Just now, Komets2727 said:

We are at the point of money talks, BS walks. There will be maybe 20 teams yearly that can afford to pay to be competitive. 

I think at this point, it will be the same 20. It will simply take too much money for someone to emerge like IU did. 

I have mentioned this in the past, but Joel Klatt was doing color on an IU game when Allen was the head coach. They were getting beat soundly, when Klatt got on his soapbox....and I agreed with him at that time. IU and programs in their spot are going to be relegated to being conduits for better programs. Kids that are not well recruited out of high school may sign with a school like IU to prove themselves for a year or two then enter the portal. They may look to a conference like the MAC or CUSA for players in the portal to recruit. They might compete for kids who don't see the field much in the top programs who will look to move or even "drop down" a level. 

I am thinking some key IU folks must have heard him and stepped up. 

[Bash Riprock]

Rich getting richer….

 

[Irishman]

11 minutes ago, Bash Riprock said:

Rich getting richer….

 

FTA: "While his commitment is locked in, he made it clear his recruitment is not completely closed."

 

“I will still take some official visits,” Jacobs said. “I committed to Ohio State over Miami and Texas A&M. Those schools, Georgia, and maybe one or two more will probably get official visits.

“Recruiting is never over, so we’ll see who really wants me and who will fight for me. Ohio State is a top program. Miami is a great school and I feel very valued by them. You have Georgia and A&M too.”

 

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Irishman]

[Bash Riprock]

14 minutes ago, Irishman said:

FTA: "While his commitment is locked in, he made it clear his recruitment is not completely closed."

 

“I will still take some official visits,” Jacobs said. “I committed to Ohio State over Miami and Texas A&M. Those schools, Georgia, and maybe one or two more will probably get official visits.

“Recruiting is never over, so we’ll see who really wants me and who will fight for me. Ohio State is a top program. Miami is a great school and I feel very valued by them. You have Georgia and A&M too.”

 

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Interesting as all of recruiting sources have him committed to the Buckeyes

[Irishman]

7 minutes ago, Bash Riprock said:

Interesting as all of recruiting sources have him committed to the Buckeyes

Right....he is the one who said that he is committed there, but he is also the one who added what I quoted. He is the one saying he has those additional visits in mind. 

I get the impression he does not understand what commitment means. 

[Komets2727]

25 minutes ago, Irishman said:

Right....he is the one who said that he is committed there, but he is also the one who added what I quoted. He is the one saying he has those additional visits in mind. 

I get the impression he does not understand what commitment means. 

There is no such thing as commitment anymore in college athletics. None

[Irishman]

4 minutes ago, Komets2727 said:

There is no such thing as commitment anymore in college athletics. None

I still remember the Barry Alvarez line when he was still the head coach at Wisconsin. The real recruiting occurs after a player commits. 

[Komets2727]

10 minutes ago, Irishman said:

I still remember the Barry Alvarez line when he was still the head coach at Wisconsin. The real recruiting occurs after a player commits. 

True, as many of the outlaw schools would swoop in at the last minute with $$$$

[gonzoron]

29 minutes ago, Komets2727 said:

There is no such thing as commitment anymore in college athletics. None

There is at Notre Dame.