Do y’all think that college football has gotten bigger? Like in the general cultural zeitgeist, not just among rabid fans like myself? Maybe @Data10 has stats.
I love my local team, but I feel like I know more now about more teams than I used to. I think some of it can be attributed to our change from the Big 12 to SEC so I had to learn more about a whole new conference. But I also find that I know more about ACC teams. For instance, the UNC story – I’ve never liked Belichick but the young gf makes his story more compelling. Has the Taylor Swift effect transferred from the NFL to college? Or is it because both the NFL and NCAA are marketing to women more?
Anyway, do y’all find yourselves following college football more than in the past?
There is more money in college football for sure, so more marketing, so yes “bigger”. Makes me like it much less. I don’t think I’ve watched a single game this season. It has always been second fiddle to basketball to me (native NCer here) but I used to enjoy watching games some. I don’t any more. I still enjoy men’s basketball and am enjoying women’s basketball much more (been following for many decades, but they are soooo good now). I will also watch some non-revenue sports if they are on like volleyball or track & field or swimming. Might watch a little baseball, but I find it kinda boring.
If Northwestern wins today, then the football landscape looks very different than it did last week. Of course, Northwestern beating Penn State is a big IF and, most likely,a pipe-dream, but UCLA beat Penn State and Northwestern beat UCLA the prior week so anything is possible.
The transfer portal has made predictions of college football results complicated. Not only does the quality of transfers impact a team, but also if, how, and when the newly assembled group of talent gels.
Additionally, coaching changes affect a team’s performance. UCLA’s best move was replacing the head coach. Expect great things from UCLA which is a talented and happy team.
If still available, UCLA versus USC tickets should be grabbed ASAP. November 29, 2025.
another road upset in the big 10. indiana, w mark cuban‘s nil money, beat the oregon nike. it wasn’t as close as the score. ducks even had a pick 6. fernando mendoza looks to be the leading candidate for both top nfl pick and heisman over dante moore.
Yep. An early exit was merited for Deshaun Foster at UCLA and for the coach at Oregon State, who has a record of 0-7 and who also got fired today; getting rid of James Franklin seems a bit premature, especially with a buyout that may approach $50M.
Franklin did have a successful staff during his stay at Vandy; I don’t know what the wives of his assistant coaches looked like, however.
Down 28-0, in the 3rd Quarter of a game against Michigan in 2023, Franklin decided to kick a FG to make it 28-3. To me, IMO, that sorta incapsulates Franklin’s tenure at Penn State. Penn State lost 49-10.
Also, Franklin was 4-21 in games against Top 10 teams. Penn State needed new leadership.
Oh lord, hadn’t heard that story, but it reminded me of something I learned at baseball tryouts with my kids many years ago.
This was a competitive league, and these coaches wanted to win more than anything. At tryouts, the players were scored on hitting and fielding and arm strength, etc. But some coaches had the designation “GLM” on a kid’s score. That stood for “good-looking mom.” There also was a designation for a bad mom or dad. Truthfully, all things being equal, I can see giving the nod to a kid parented by someone you’d rather have in the stands than someone you wouldn’t! lol
yes indeed he does keep the money. If he quit, he had to pay PSU $1 million. Penn State is trying to build a stadium and hike up tickets, and they can’t do that with an irate alumni base.
$48 million would have funded WPSU for 5 years.
Matt Rhule is the current odds on favorite, or Manny Diaz.
You’d be surprised. CU is ‘the most expensive game day experience in college football’ since Coach Prime arrived (tickets, parking, beer, hot dogs, seat cushions) and season tickets are sold out, student tickets sold out every game.
Admittedly, CU stadium is much smaller than Happy Valley, but people really believe that if there is a better stadium, they’ll play better.
True, but people have paid premium prices, sat in temporary bleachers, endured construction delays and headaches, watched the university cut programs, hold salaries, and so they fear they simply cannot get any more money from alum with Franklin. Plus, the AD is friends with Matt Rhule. Time will tell, for sure. Gotta feel badly for Allar though – he’s a good man.
After the loss two weeks ago to UCLA, Penn State lost a top recruit for next year, and the firing of James Franlin has resulted in the loss of two 5 star recruits & a 4 star recruit for 2027.
If Franklin continued as coach at Penn State, reasonable concern that other recruits & prospects would go elsewhere.
Losses to UCLA & Northwestern, while unexpected, came when both teams are beginning to gel. Look for more victories for both teams. Took time for UCLA’s great transfer QB (from Tennessee who left Tenn after his demand for over $4 million in NIL compensation was denied) to work well within the UCLA system and the same is true for Northwestern’s QB transfer from SMU.
It will be interesting to see how the season develops for all three teams and to reassess whether or not losses to UCLA & Northwestern were as upsetting as is now being portrayed in the media.
. he can come back home to socal next year