JDubb's Sideline Report

We continue our series on the power five 2022 schedules and today’s topic is on the Pac-12 2022 schedule.

Like the Big Ten, only one school has played in the College Football Playoff since it’s inception and that was the Oregon Ducks who played in the Title game against Ohio State but lost.

1. Arizona – key games – Colorado, Oregon, and Arizona State- The wildcats were close to goose egg last season, with their only win was against lowly Cal. This year they look to turn it around and with their biggest games at home, it’s not far-fetched.
2. Arizona State – key games- Arizona, Colorado, and Oregon – The Sun Devils have a tough road schedule: at Stanford, at USC, and at Stillwater for their non-conference game against Oklahoma State. And with a coach in hot water already, it will be tough for Coach Edwards to be retained in 2023.
3. Cal – key games – Arizona, Oregon State, and Arizona State – The Bears showed up for USC and Stanford in 2021, can they do it again in 2022?
4. Colorado – key games- Arizona, Oregon, and Oregon State – Mel Tucker left a big mess for Karl Dorrell. Now he must take a leap in 2022 by taking on three quality non-conference teams and ending the year with Oregon, USC, Washington, and Utah. That will be tough.
5. Oregon– key games – Stanford, Washington, and Oregon State -The Ducks have a new head coach in Dan Lanning who helped Georgia win a national championship. The question is can he replicate what he did in the SEC for the Ducks on the defensive side of the ball? Lanning will get a chance to test early when he faces his old team in week 1.
6. Oregon State – key games- USC, Colorado, and Oregon- The Beavers might play little brother to the boys in Eugene, but they don’t back down from anyone. Boise State comes to Corvallis in week 1 and the middle of the schedule with USC and Stanford won’t be easy.
7. Stanford – key games- USC, Utah, and Notre Dame – The Cardinal were down in 2021. It seems they were on the an upward trajectory after the Oregon game but they lost seven straight after that game. David Shaw and company get USC, Washington, and Oregon in September so they need to get hot quick.
8. UCLA – key games- Utah, Washington, and USC – Chip Kelly turned a corner in 2021 and hopes to keep the trend going into 2022 and beyond. With their team joining the B1G, you wonder how hard it will be to keep his team motivated?
9. USC – key games – Stanford, Utah, and Notre Dame – New coach and soon to be new conference, the men of Troy will look a lot different in 2022. Lincoln Riley is an offensive guru and with Caleb Williams in LA, the trojans could be a sleeper team this season. It’s a favorable schedule for a first year coach looking to make his mark.
10. Utah – key games – UCLA, Stanford, and USC- The Ute’s are probably the best coached team in the Pac-12. They start off the season against SEC opponent in the swamp. Win that game, and that could be a catapult for the season.
11. Washington – key games – Stanford, Oregon, and Washington State- The Huskies won four games last season. To improve on that, they must play better defense. They have a non-conference game with Michigan State at home and Stanford makes a visit the next week.
12. Washington State – key games – Oregon, Utah, and Washington – The Cougars are another team you just can’t put a finger on. One week they’re world beaters and the next they lose to the sisters of the poor. 2022 is a tough schedule- trips to Madison, at USC, and at Stanford. They need to be road warriors this season.

Today we continue our series on the 2022 power five conference schedules and today’s topic is the Big Ten 2022 schedule.

Since the inception of the college football playoff in 2014, only three schools from the Big Ten have played in the CFP- Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State. Only one team from the Big Ten has won the National Championship since the CFP era and that was Ohio State in 2015.

1. Illinois – key games- Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Iowa- The Fighting Illini are coming off a 5-7 2021 campaign that truly was a roller coaster. There was a nine overtime win against Penn State but a 24-0 loss to Wisconsin at home. 2022 will not be easy as they draw Michigan and Wisconsin on the road.
2. Iowa – key games -Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin- The Hawkeyes have a tough 2022 schedule but they seem to do pretty well in this environment, and with Michigan and Wisconsin at home, never count them out.
3. Minnesota – key games-Michigan State, Penn State, and Wisconsin – The Gophers might have one of the toughest conference schedules in the country- Michigan State, Penn State, and Wisconsin all on the road. Good luck!
4. Nebraska – key games – Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Iowa – Is this the year Scott Frost and his Cornhuskers finally break through? With a trip to Ireland, the Sooners and Wisconsin at home, it’s going to be favorable. It’s time to win for Scott Frost.
5. Northwestern – key games- Nebraska, Penn State, and Wisconsin – The Wildcats get the buckeyes and badgers at home but face most of their division on the road.
6. Perdue – key games – Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois – The Boilermakers get Penn State and Iowa at home and winnable games on the road with Maryland and Minnesota. Could be another banner year for Perdue.
7. Wisconsin – key games – Ohio State, Michigan State, and Minnesota – The Badgers travel to Columbus, East Lansing, and Iowa. It will be tough to make it to the B1G Championship this season.
8. Indiana – key games – Illinois, Nebraska, and Penn State – Hoosier football has taken off the last few years, more than it has in a long time. It’s still got a ways to go to say they can compete but they’re moving in the right direction. They need a marquee win in 2022- could it be against Michigan at home or Cincy on the road?
9. Maryland – key games – Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State – The Terrapins have a bottom heavy 2022 schedule. Games at Madison and Happy Valley late in the season and then Ohio State at home will be a mighty test for the fighting turtles.
10. Michigan – key games- Penn State, Michigan State, and Ohio State- Jim Harbaugh checked all the boxes last season(minus one)- beat Ohio State, win the B1G, and get into the CFP. This season’s schedule seems to be favorable but they do have to travel to Columbus…
11. Michigan St. – key games- Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State – Sparty was close to reaching the B1G last season but lost to Ohio State which gave Michigan the tie breaker. 2022 will be another tough sled with visits to Happy Valley and to the Big House and a early non-conference visit to Washington.
12. Ohio State – key games- Michigan State, Penn State, and Michigan – The bucs will be out for blood in 2022, having lost to their bitter rival Michigan and missing out of the CFP. The buckeyes need to take care of business at home this season, and it starts with Notre Dame coming to town first game of the season.
13. Penn State – key games- Michigan, Ohio State, and Michigan State – The Nittany Lions finished 4th in the Big Ten-East in 2021 and are looking for a better finish in 2022. With trips to Auburn and Ann Arbor, the lions better be ready to play from the get go.
14. Rutgers – key games – Maryland, Indiana, and Penn State – The Scarlet Knights started off the 2021 season winning three in a row but got rocked by Michigan in game four and just couldn’t recover. The 2022 schedule isn’t too daunting as they host Penn State, Michigan, and Iowa, they just won’t be favored.

Today we continue our series on the power five 2022 schedules and key games and today’s focus is on the Big Twelve Conference.

1. Baylor – key games – TCU, Oklahoma, Kansas State, and Texas. The Bears are coming off a Big Twelve title run and are looking to repeat and get into the CFP. They get Texas and Oklahoma in Waco but two tough road tests with Kansas State and TCU late in the season.
2. Iowa State – key games – Baylor, Kansas State, Texas, West Virginia– The Cyclones were a roller coaster a year ago, beating Texas and Oklahoma State but losing two heart-breakers to the Sooners and Red Raiders. This team needs to complete games. Beating Iowa wouldn’t hurt either.
3. Kansas – key games – West Virginia, TCU, Baylor, Kansas State– The Jayhawks played admirably last season, even if their record shows else. However, 2022 should be more favorable for a team looking to make their mark again on big time college football. Kansas gets West Virginia, Oklahoma, Baylor, and Kansas State at home. They just need to get more offensive production this season and I believe they will.
4. Kansas State – key games – Oklahoma, TCU, Oklahoma State, Baylor– The Wildcats had a record of 8-5 in 20201 with a season-ending victory over SEC opponent LSU in the Texas Bowl. To get to the Big Twelve Championship, the Wildcats need to win on the road in Waco and Morgantown late in the season.
5. Oklahoma – key games – Kansas State, Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma State– The Sooners have a new head coach but the talent is still there. Venables will need Dillion Gabriel all season to get the Sooners back in the Big Twelve hunt. Bedlam and Baylor are on the road and the red river shootout in the middle of the season will be tough.
6. Oklahoma State – key games – Baylor, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas– The Cowboys were almost there last season but lost a close game to Baylor in the Big Twelve Championship. To repeat, they need to win tough road games in Austin and Morgantown. Bedlam is at home and the Sooners will be breaking in a new head coach so that shouldn’t be an issue for Gundy’s crew.
7. TCU – key games –Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Baylor– The Horn Frogs had a 5-7 2021 season which is definitely sub-par for this program. Thankfully, they get both the Sooners and Cowboys at home, along with Kansas State. The true tests come at the end of the season with Texas and Baylor on the road.
8. Texas – key games – West Virginia, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Baylor– It’s year two for head coach Steve Sarkisian and he is ready to take the Longhorns back to where they belong which is one of the top programs in the nation. The horns should be favored at the red river shootout but have three tough road games with West Virginia, Iowa State, and Baylor. The Longhorns will be tested early when Alabama comes to Austin in week two.
9. Texas Tech – key games – Texas, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, and Baylor – The Red Raiders have a brutal road schedule in 2022- at Texas, at Oklahoma, at West Virginia, and at Baylor. It will be a tough task to reach the Big Twelve Championship.
10. West Virginia – key games- Texas, Baylor, TCU, and Oklahoma – The Mountaineers are another team that always proves critics wrong and if they can get by Oklahoma and Kansas State on the road this season, they could be looking at a run for the Big Twelve Title.

Oklahoma has been for the Big Twelve what Clemson has been for the ACC- a shining star. They’re the only team in the playoff era to make it to the four-team playoff since its inaugural season in 2014. The issue is they get curb stomped in the playoff by Clemson or someone from the SEC like LSU or Alabama. The Big Twelve needs Texas, Kansas State, or someone else to step up their game and make this conference great again. I think Texas is the next team to do it with coach Sarkisian who was able to get Arch Manning to come to Austin in 2023. Baylor has been playing with greatness for a decade and they’re a good program but they still need to get over the CFP hump. Who comes out on top in 2022? We will find out soon enough.

Today I begin a series on conference schedules and who I believe will come out on top as the winner of their conference and the strength of each team’s schedule.

Today we’re looking at the ACC.

I’m not going to go over each team’s weekly opponent, just the important games for each team.

1. Boston College– key games- VT, FSU, Clemson, and ND. The Eagles get Clemson at home but have to travel to South Bend, Blacksburg, and FSU. These will be huge tests for this program but they have done well in the transfer portal so those additions should be helpful this year.
2. Clemson– key games- Georgia Tech, NC State, FSU, and Notre Dame. The Tigers need to start off hot in Atlanta. If they get upset or barely escape that game, it could set the tone for the season. It all depends on what Dabo does about the quarterback situation. If DJ struggles, does he pull him for the five-star freshman Klubnick?
3. Florida State– key games- Louisville, BC, Clemson, and Miami. Never mind that they open and end their year with two SEC schools, they have a tough ACC schedule as well.
4. Louisville– key games- FSU, BC, NC State, and Clemson. The Cardinals drew the short straw for their away game schedule, plus two non-conference games on the road(UCF and Kentucky)-ouch! They need a hot start before three Florida schools back to back to back!
5. NC State– key games- Clemson, FSU,BC, and Louisville. The Wolf Pack have an easy September schedule, outside Texas Tech but October is when the fun begins, at Death Valley.
6. Syracuse – key games- Louisville, Clemson, NC State, and Wake Forest. The Orange open up with Conference play, host a B1G team, and play Notre Dame and Clemson back to back. The Orange will be fortunate to get to a bowl game this year.
7. Wake Forest – key games- Clemson, FSU, NC State, and Louisville. Only good thing is they get Clemson, Liberty, and Army at home. The Deacs travel to Nashville early in the season but have BC, Syracuse, and UNC at home. First half will be tough.
8. Duke – key games – UVA, VT, GT, and UNC. The Blue Devils were the worst team in the ACC last season but this year’s schedule sits well for them. If Duke can go 3-3 in their Coastal division, it will be a successful year.
9. Georgia Tech– key games- Clemson, Pitt, VT, and Miami. The Yellow Jackets have one of the toughest schedules in the country. They play Clemson and Georgia annually, now add a good Pitt team, Ole Miss, and UCF and that my friends is a gauntlet. Tech needs to win their ACC games because that non-conference schedule is brutal.
10. Miami – key games – VT, FSU, Clemson, and Georgia Tech. Mario Cristobal gets to show the world what he can do in the ACC. It will be tough as the canes have an early non-conference test in College Station and then at Death Valley.
11. North Carolina – key games – Notre Dame, VT, UVA, and GT. Mack Brown’s heels are reeling from a year that should had been better. They do get ND, VT, Pitt and rival NC State at home so the load won’t be as tough.
12. Pitt– Key games- GT, VT, Miami, and UNC. The Panthers play West Virginia and Tennessee at the beginning of September, so they will be tested early. They also have Louisville, Miami, and UVA on the road. It will be hard to repeat what they were able to do a year ago.
13. Virginia – key games-GT, Miami, Pitt, and VT. The Hoos don’t have a terrible schedule this season for first year head coach Tony Elliot. If they can take care of business at home and win a few crucial road games, they could sneak in the ACC championship game.
14. Virginia Tech– key games- UNC, Pitt, Miami, VT. The Hokies are another team breaking in a new head coach. Thankfully, the majority of their tough games are in Blacksburg(West Virginia, Miami, and UVA).

Since 2000, there have only been two teams from the ACC to win the National Championship- FSU(2013) and Clemson (2016 and 2018). Miami won a championship in 2001 but they were in the old Big East at the time.

For a team from this conference to get into the playoff, they will need to be near perfect.

The Clemson Tigers have been the favorite to win the ACC the past decade and I don’t really see that changing. Their biggest tests come late in the season and hopefully by then, either DJ will have held onto the starting job or Klubnick will be the man behind center. Regardless of the QB position, the Tigers will once again have one of the best defenses in College Football and that will make them one of the top teams in the nation. I am going with the Clemson Tigers as the team to win the ACC Title and get an invite to the College Football Playoff.

I don’t have to tell you how important the University of Notre Dame is to college football. The Irish have and always will be one of the hot topics of conversation in the world of college football.

That may not mean much to John Doe from Auburn, Alabama who has season tickets to watch his Auburn Tigers play on the plains, but to an avid fan of the sport like myself, I have deep respect for Notre Dame, their football program, their history and tradition, and everything else thrown in.

Now, I am a southerner by birth and geographically speaking, I don’t get to see much Irish football unless they’re playing someone close to home like Alabama, Clemson, etc. And as if luck would have it, Notre Dame is independent so they get to play whoever they want.

Which brings me to our topic- how much longer can Notre Dame remain Independent?

This is a question that has been asked for a long time. When you look at Notre Dame, they’re located in South Bend, Indiana. This is in the heart of Big Ten Country. Truth to be told, they have played schools like Michigan, Michigan St, and Perdue for a very long time, at least up until 2015 when they made a 5 game deal with the ACC. Basically, a part-time member and they remain independent. That’s kind of confusing to most people but keep following me…

In 1991, NBC and Notre Dame signed a long-term television contract worth $38 million for five years. NBC would host all Notre Dame football home games on NBC. The Irish received half of the money and their opponent would receive the other half. However, this upset the rest of the college football world because prior to this deal, NBC would play conference football games-ACC, SEC, Big East, etc.

Now present day, the Irish still have their contract with NBC but it runs out in 2025.

Will Notre Dame leave for the Big Ten or another conference after their contract with NBC ends?

Let me make this crystal clear- as long as Notre Dame has the ability to create their own schedule and play whoever they want and wherever they want, they will remain Independent.

And who can blame them? Why tie yourself to a conference and play the same teams year after year when you can play anyone in the country? There is no rule that says they can’t and I think a lot of college football fans turn their nose at the Irish because of this. Outside South Bend, there is no love loss for the Notre Dame.

There are cons for being Independent. Because of the recent run of dominance by the SEC, Notre Dame must be flawless during their twelve game campaign. And since they’re independent, they don’t play for a conference championship, so they have no room for error.

You can’t say they try to play cupcakes. I know my SEC buddies laugh at their schedule, but it’s not like the Irish are playing Rutgers or Wyoming every year. The Irish play one of the toughest schedules in the nation most years and this season is no different.

Let’s take a look at the 2022 Notre Dame schedule:

1. at Ohio State
2. Marshall
3. California
4. at UNC
5. vs. BYU in Las Vegas
6. Stanford
7. UNLV
8. at Syracuse
9. Clemson
10. vs. Navy in Baltimore
11. Boston College
12. at USC

ND has left plenty of money on table before and I don’t see any sense of urgency from South Bend, even with the recent expansion of the SEC and Pac-12. The Irish seem content.

College Football conference expansion can change on a dime, but for the for seeable future, I don’t see the Irish going anywhere.

In case you have been living in a Fallout shelter or living on a remote island somewhere, let me bring up to speed on the world of college football.

Last Summer, Texas and Oklahoma let the entire world know that they plan to leave the Big XII and head to the all mighty SEC. This was out of the blue but not an entire shock. Both programs have been carrying the Big XII for years and even with all of the history and tradition they have, they haven’t been able to make it big in the playoff era. Understand, this was not a “well if you can’t beat them, join them” type of scenario. This was a “we want a piece of the pie” scenario and the SEC can give this to both schools.

But it hasn’t stopped there.

On June 30, USC and UCLA announced that they plan to move from the Pac-12 to the B1G. Again, that’s a good move for both schools. That Pac-12 has not been relevant in big time college football for a while.

So what happens next? First, let’s look at the current situation at three conferences- ACC, Big XII, and Pac-12.

First, the ACC not too long ago signed a “Grant of Rights” deal that goes into 2036. What is that? Basically, the ACC has signed at long-term tv deal with ESPN. All of the “tv money” that a school is owed from the ACC’s contract with ESPN belongs to the conference through June 30, 2036, even if a school decides to leave the conference or stay put. If you ask me, that was a horrible move by the ACC. Signing a deal with ESPN is usually a smart move because the money will be great. However, the ACC played their cards too soon. That is a very long deal and it will cost schools a bug sum to get out of it unless they want to go court or hope someone bails them out(hello, SEC).

Now there’s the Big XII who actually is in OK status right now. Yes, they lost their two blue blood schools to the SEC but that was bound to happen. The good news is that they added four quality schools last year- BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF. These are solid football schools with winning traditions. I don’t think the Big XII is done. Currently, there are a few more schools that could fill more spots- Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Colorado St. Regionally this makes sense. Will it happen? Time will tell but I would keep an eye on these schools making a move to the Big XII. Say what you want about this conference, but they never sit idle when it comes to conference expansion.

And then there is the Pac-12. They recently lost two of their blue bloods-USC and UCLA to the B1G. The situation here is a bit more dire because USC was the trademark school for this conference for years. Yes, Oregon has been good recently but they don’t bring in the revenue like the Trojans. The tradition, the history, the Heisman winners, USC has it all. They’re the Alabama of the west coast and now they’re gone. This conference needs to makes some moves and fast if they’re too survive. I could see the Pac-12 poaching some schools from the Mountain West like Boise St, Fresno St, and San Diego St.

Even with these three conferences making moves or possibly making moves, it could be futile.

I’m not a prophet and I don’t claim to be incredibly smart, however, I truly believe with all of my heart that College Football is headed to a semi-professional system. It’s all speculation right now and it’s still foggy, but I think down the road this sport will be made up of two divisions and it will be schools from the current power five conferences.

In other words, the sport as you currently know it will never look the same.

Is that a good thing or bad thing? Well, if your an old school guy like myself, it’s not necessarily a good thing. The one thing that separates college football from other sports is the traditions each school and conference have. The rivalries, the coaches, the players, seeing your team enter the stadium, the fans standing on their feet and yelling at the top of their lungs, the hail mary, the overtime comeback- all of these are examples that make this sport incredible and it’s a shame money is the single driving force behind it’s change.

Maybe I’m being too anxious about this and it’s a big deal about nothing. I hope so!

I’m not going to stop watching or writing about my favorite sport just because it’s changing. One of my favorite speakers on leadership said once “Change is inevitable, growth is optional.” If this doesn’t speak loudly to us about this topic then I don’t know what to tell you.

If you and myself truly love this game, then we will roll with the ever changing times. We might not like it, but we can adjust to it. Keep loving your school, keep loving the traditions, pass them down to your children and their children. All of the money in the world can’t change these traditions and as long as we hold onto them tight then college football will be alright.

The name Manning has been a household name for over half a century.

Archie Manning was the first Manning to get the wheels going in this family. Archie started as Quarterback for Ole Miss for three seasons(1968-1970). At Ole Miss, he threw for 4,754 yards and 31 touchdowns. But Archie didn’t have the greatest supporting cast in Oxford, most of the teams he played for were not that great. And Unfortunately, that carried over to the NFL where he played ten seasons for the New Orleans Saints and where 9/10 years his teams were last or next to last place.

Archie and his wife Olivia have three sons- Cooper, Peyton, and Eli.

Cooper is the eldest and he was a highly sought after high school prospect and he eventually chose to play at Ole Miss like his father, Archie. Sadly, after a few weeks of Fall practice his freshman year, Cooper was diagnosed with spinal stenosis which ended his football career.

Archie’s other two well-known sons, Peyton and Eli, went on to have very successful college and professional careers and to this today are regarded as one of the finest Quarterbacks in the history of the game.

But that is ancient history…

Today, there is a new Manning looking to carve his own path.

Arch Manning, the son of Cooper, grandson of Archie, and nephew of Peyton and Eli, is the next Manning who is looking to make a name for himself.

And can I just say, he’s off to a great start.

Like a lot of high school football players, Arch has a few social media accounts, but he’s very low key. He doesn’t post often and he doesn’t update his status..until something big happens, like committing to where he is going to attend college!

On June 23, the internet/social media outlets went berserk! Arch Manning, the #1 high school recruit for the class of 2023 committed to the University of Texas. That’s right, not Ole Miss like his Daddy or Grandaddy or Uncle Eli, not Tennessee like Uncle Peyton, but Texas!

That tells me that Arch is a special young man. He could have followed the family legacy, but going to Texas sends the message that he has his own agenda and that is fine with me.

The past decade has not been kind to Texas. Other than a Sugar Bowl win a few years ago, they have struggled to be relevant since their National Championship appearance against Alabama back in 2010. Then head coach Mack Brown had a lot to do with that. He won a national championship in 2005 with Vince Young but the SEC has been the conference to win the big trophy since then and I believe Texas has struggled to get key recruits because of the SEC’s recent run of success. However, that should change soon with the Longhorns joining the conference in a few years.

And ever since Arch committed, Texas is now currently ranked in the top 5 for the 2023 class.

Arch is the number one player in this class for a reason. He’s got a great arm, he’s got a nice frame -6’4, 215 lbs, and he can move! That’s right, a Manning with wheels. That should scare opposing defenses. He’s also got that Manning pocket awareness where if he sees trouble, he can call an audible or scramble for extend a play. And he’s also hard to take down. Check out his film from last season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWVQF5_gkfk&t=122s

He’s the real deal and I believe when it’s all said and done, he will be a special player at Texas and long after that in the NFL.

From what his high school coach at Isidore Newman in New Orleans says about him, Arch is a very humble, mild manner kid. That is a Manning quality and he can’t shake that off, but it will help him when the accolades start pouring in, because the last thing you want to see is a young player believe he’s too good for his own hype.

Lee Corso, a famous college football coach and current analyst on ESPN’s College Gameday once said ” before you die, you must go to an Army/Navy game.” He’s right, if you ever get the opportunity, go!

“America’s game” as it’s called, is saved for the end of the season and for good reason. The cream always rises to the top, and the cream of the crop in this nation goes to our service academies- Annapolis and West Point.

Both teams still run a variation of the triple-option. Both teams are led by coaches who are tutelages of former coach Paul Johnson.

Jeff Monken, head coach of Army has helped his black knights win 4 out of the last 5 games against Navy. I believe it’s the result of different variations of the option he runs. For example,

Below is a video of Navy’s offense(start at the 1:35 mark). It’s a straight flex, two A-backs on the left and right, and then the B-back behind the quarterback. Once the ball is snapped, the QB can either pitch it one of his A-backs, hand it off to his B-back, or take it himself. Pretty straightforward.

Now below that video is a quick vid of a play by Army. Notice that QB is in the shotgun, yes the SHOTGUN! He snaps the ball and his two A-backs motion that they will take it, while the real carrier is the B-back. This is just one variation that has helped Monken’s team have so much success lately. He is constantly evolving the offense and that gives them the competitive edge.

Before Monken arrived at West Point, Navy was enjoying a nice 14 years in a row run- 2002-2015. Head Coach of Navy, Ken Niumatalolo was bringing in the Commander in Chief Trophy every year from 2008-2015 but now he has met his match.

If Monken at Army can evolve/tweak his offense, why can’t Niumatalolo? I think he is cut from the same stubborn mold as his teacher, Paul Johnson.

I think Army runs away with this one on Saturday. Navy has struggled to get their offense humming this season. An offense built on the run should have a solid dual-threat quarterback and a stable of running backs ready to go. However, Navy’s QB Tai Lavatai has only rushed for 309 yards-yikes! That’s just so surprising since Navy is known to have some decent QB’s who can run the ball. Not the issue at Army, QB Christian Anderson has rushed for 509 yards and 3 touchdowns. He can pass pretty well too.

These young men at the service academies are a special breed. They take the toughest classes, go through intense mental and physical training every day, and then they have football crammed into their already packed schedule. It’s truly remarkable that they can endure so much and that’s what makes them special.

Enjoy “America’s Game” tomorrow at 3 PM on CBS.

2021 has been one of the busiest college football coaching transitions in recent memory. So far, there have been at least 27 coaches who have either left for new schools, fired from their current school, or retired. It’s not uncommon to see coaching changes at the end of the season, but this year there have been so many, and at a rate that I’ve never seen before. Which tells me this- the sport is evolving to a pro type model. Like it or not, that’s where we’re headed. NIL is the game changer. Coaches are not only being drawn to “dream schools”, but to players with potential to boost their team and resume. Like or not, it’s reality.

Here are some of the biggest coaching moves so far:

Mario Cristobal– University of Miami– Formerly Head Coach at Oregon. What seemed like a long shot has now become reality- the prodigal son returns home. After spending the past four years in Euegne, Orgeon, Mario Cristobal comes back to Carol Gables to coach his alma mater. It will be tough, he will deal with constant pressure from boosters and former players, but they were the ones who got him here to begin with. Cristobal comes with a great coaching resume and he’s known as an aggressive recruiter and that is exactly what Miami needs.

Brian Kelly – LSU– Formerly Head coach at Notre Dame. The winningest head coach in Notre Dame history is heading to the Bayou, That’s right, Brian Kelly is now the head coach of the LSU Tigers. I believe it’s a great hire. Kelly is a great coach with a proven track record. He knows how to beat his rivals( USC, Navy, Stanford) and is an excellent recruiter. I know many critics are already saying he’ll be gone in 3 years due to the brutal SEC schedule. That remains to be seen but Kelly knew that coming in. The question is will he be able to adapt to that gauntlet every Fall?

Lincoln Riley– USC– Formerly head of at Oklahoma. I must say I didn’t see this coming. I would have thought Riley would go to the NFL after he was done at Oklahoma. However, like Notre Dame, USC is a special place. It has a lot of tradition and the location is a coaches dream. If he can lockdown California-keep best talent home, he can do some special things here.

Brent Venables– Oklahoma– Former defensive coordinator at Clemson. Here’s another former coach coming back to their roots or where they made a name for themselves. Venables spent over a decade in Norman before coming to Clemson. This will be his first head coaching gig but his coaching smarts will play a big part in the Sooner’s success. I will be curious to see who he brings to Norman to help continue the momemtum Riley had. The fact that Brent is a defensive guy works out great for OU, especially now since they’re becoming members of the SEC.

Billy Napier – Florida – Former Head Coach at Louisiana . This one I’m not entirely sold on. Napier is a heck of a recruiter and has had success building the rajun cajun program up, but I haven’t seen anything that tells me he will make Florida “Florida” again. Then again, I didn’t think Lane Kiffin would make a good OC at bama but he proved me wrong. Time will tell if this be another Urban Meyer hire or another Muschamp.

Woody Hayes was longtime head coach for the Ohio St buckeyes. He had a career record of 238-72-10. He won 5 national championships and went 6-6 in bowl games. Even with all of these accomplishments, his main focus always came at the end of the season. The reason? His team was playing Michigan.

One year his buckeyes were taking Michigan to the woodshed, late in the game his team scored a touchdown and went for two. After the game a reporter asked why did he go for two with such a big lead, his reply is hysterical: “Because I couldn’t go for three”. That is just one example of the hate and passion in rivalries, and this weekend, while we’re all munching on turkey, coaches and players have a little extra motivation when they walk on the field for the final game of the regular season.

Rivalry games in college football are so popular, they have been given names bu their fans- There’s the well known “Iron Bowl” between Alabama/Auburn. There’s “The Game” between Ohio St/Michigan. There’s “Clean, Ole Fashion Hate” between Georgia/Georgia Tech, and there’s “Bedlam” between Oklahoma/Oklahoma State.

There is a lot at stake for many teams this Saturday. Some need to just take care of business-Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio State. While others need to win impressively- Notre Dame, Michigan, and Cincinnati. And then there are teams that just need to beat their rival because it’s been a long time- Oklahoma State, South Carolina, and Oregon State.

Here is Saturday’s big games:

#1 Georgia vs. Georgia Tech -Noon ABC

#2 Ohio State vs. #5 Michigan – Noon FOX

#3 Alabama vs. Auburn – 3:30 CBS

Oregon State vs. #11 Oregon– 3:30 ESPN

#15 Texas a&m vs. LSU -7:00 ESPN

#10 Oklahoma vs. #7 Oklahoma St– 7:30 ABC

#23 Clemson vs. South Carolina – 7:30 SEC Network

#6 Notre Dame vs. Stanford– 8:00 FOX

When it comes to rivalry week, I don’t care how bad your team is, you beat your rival and you have saved your season. Win and you can gloat all year. Lose and you have to be a hermit so you don’t hear it from you the opposing fanbase.

So let’s eat some turkey, throw down some dressing, and watch some football!