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BB73 · Sep 8, 2024

Back to the familiar format. A weak week, with the Buckeyes on a BYE, Bama at Wiscy, and not much else.

Week 3

ScriptOhio · Sep 6, 2024

'Oh, s---, here come all the billionaires': How SMU came back from the dead

The Mustangs received the NCAA's "death penalty" in 1987. But a group of boosters is determined to return the program to glory.

www.espn.com

'Oh, s---, here come all the billionaires': How SMU came back from the dead

IN THE 1980s, SMU and Dallas became synonymous with free-flowing money in college football, a small school in a big city that turned into a playground for rich boosters who would spare no expense to make sure their team became a major player. It worked, albeit not for long. The Mustangs became pariahs, ultimately getting crushed by the NCAA's "death penalty" in 1987. SMU was the only program in history considered so corrupt that it had to be shut down.

If only those boosters could've fast-forwarded 40 years. The sins of SMU's past are now virtues in college football.

The money -- NIL means Now It's Legal -- is flowing again in Dallas, and SMU is in a major conference, the ACC, cutting an unprecedented deal to forgo television revenue for nearly a decade as a devoted group of deep-pocketed boosters pledges to cover the shortfall, while also funding a leading NIL collective. The Ponies are back in the game.

"We don't embrace the mistakes of our past," Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee said. "But we do embrace the history of our past."

For all this to happen, it took power players who knew how to wheel and deal, lots of money and some Dallas bravado -- all of which are in abundance on the Hilltop. Most schools make a conference move to get more television revenue, not less. But SMU just wanted a seat at the table. SMU's chairman of the board, David Miller, fired his metaphorical six-shooter in the air when he explained how the program could go without television revenue for nine years: The money didn't matter to them.

"It's a couple hundred million dollars," Miller told Yahoo. "I'm not losing sleep over it."

That's because this is college football in Texas, and none of it looks like a risk to people like oilman Bill Armstrong, a billionaire who has made his name and fortune by risking it all. Considered perhaps the greatest wildcatter in history, he's a protégé of legendary oilman (and Oklahoma State mega-booster) T. Boone Pickens, and his company made the third-largest oil discovery in U.S. history in Alaska in 2013.

He's also old college buddies with former stars Eric Dickerson and Craig James, and his name, along with his wife Liz's, now adorns the Mustangs' practice facility as well as the football offices in SMU's new Weber End Zone Complex, a $100 million facility that opened this season, with the Armstrongs pledging $15 million toward the project.

"I was at SMU when we were great," Armstrong said. "I was there when the Pony Express was there, and I saw how important having a major college football team is to a good university."

He watched as SMU minimized athletics, as his old friend Dickerson publicly suggested SMU should drop football if it wasn't committed, and as the Mustangs suffered through decades of futility. Now, Armstrong is part of a generation of boosters who personally felt the pain of SMU being left behind after the Southwest Conference died, but now have the ability -- and the balance sheets -- to push their way back toward the top of the sport. Friday's matchup with another new Power 4 school, BYU (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN App), will be an early step in that process.

"I bet a lot of these schools look at SMU and go, 'Oh, s---, here come all the billionaires,'" Armstrong said. "We've been the whipping boy for so long. We're not going to blow it. There's a lot of pent-up fun to be had."

SMU was flying high in the early 1980s when Eric Dickerson was the face of the program. Decades later, he would suggest that the university drop football if it wasn't serious about winning.

DALLAS WAS BOOMING in the 1980s and SMU was right in the middle of it. The downtown skyline was transformed by new skyscrapers, and "Dallas," the prime-time soap opera, was No. 1 in the national Nielsen ratings, highlighting the oil and cattle scions of the Ewing family. And no place symbolized the ambition of Dallas like SMU, one of the nation's priciest colleges in the city's most affluent enclave.

SMU was starved for football success. Prior to the 1980 season, the Mustangs had had 10 consensus All-Americans in school history, and five of those played before 1952. The Dallas Cowboys arrived in 1960, and the city fell for pro football while the Mustangs fell on hard times. In the '60s and early '70s, Hayden Fry had just three winning seasons in 11 years at SMU, going 49-66-1 before becoming a legend at Iowa. His successor, Dave Smith, went 16-15-2 in three seasons and landed SMU on probation for paying players, before being fired and replaced by 35-year-old Ron Meyer, who arrived from UNLV and stepped right into the fire. The week he was hired in 1976, the NCAA extended SMU's probation a year to 1977.

Meyer, a dapper, charismatic salesman, was a perfect fit. Keeping up with the Joneses was the nature of the old Southwest Conference, where every recruiting battle was personal between eight Texas teams and Arkansas, and Meyer wasn't afraid to jump into the mix. In the conference in the 1980s, only Arkansas and Rice escaped probation. These were open secrets: Dickerson famously showed up at SMU in a Trans Am that was publicly rumored to have been paid for by a Texas A&M booster. It was commonly called the Trans A&M, despite Dickerson repeatedly claiming his grandmother bought it for him.

But SMU was offering plenty of cash and perks, too, including a payroll for players. As a result, the Mustangs earned NCAA investigators plenty of frequent-flyer miles. In 12 seasons, SMU was placed on probation five times for improper benefits.

It was almost a badge of honor, like the adage says: If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'.
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MILLER, THE 6-FOOT-8 former SMU basketball player, also happens to be a billionaire oilman who, along with his wife, Carolyn, has donated more than $100 million to the school, where the basketball teams play on David B. Miller Court. The 73-year-old founder of EnCap Investments, an oil and gas private equity firm, speaks in a soft Texas drawl, which he used to sell the virtues of SMU and Dallas to conference officials, eventually convincing the ACC.

As a player, Miller won a Southwest Conference title in basketball in 1972, and he believes the only thing holding SMU back in recent years was its Group of 5 status. "You're never going to recruit a four-star or five-star football or basketball player," he said. "The coaches can't talk fast enough."

So, when last year's chaotic wave of realignment opened a door, SMU was ready to kick it down. The enthusiasm galvanized an SMU faithful convinced they had been blocked by other schools that saw the Mustangs as a threat if they had equal standing again. And that might be true: SMU raised a record $159 million during the 2023-24 fiscal year for athletics, including $100 million in just five days after the Sept. 1 announcement that SMU had landed an ACC spot.

"Is it endless in terms of what our donors can do? I wouldn't say that," Miller said. "But I'd say to you that there is a mountain of excitement and enthusiasm that we're back."

Those record-breaking donations didn't just come from a few wealthy wildcatters. There were four donations of eight figures, 35 of seven figures and 82 of six figures.

"There are some oilmen in the mix that absolutely helped lead the charge," Miller said. "But it took more than oilmen."

Still, there are lots of oilmen. In 2022, boosters launched the Boulevard Collective, formed by Chris Kleinert, CEO of Hunt Realty Investments and the son-in-law of famed oilman R.L. Hunt (net worth: $7.2 billion, according to Forbes) who is also one of the boosters who helped with the ACC move, and Kyle Miller, son of David Miller and the president and CEO of Silver Hill Energy Partners.

By that fall, the Boulevard Collective signed every football and basketball player to standard NIL deals of $36,000 annually, according to On3. The Ponies have the payroll working again, and this time it's all aboveboard.

"From the get-go, we've had what I would describe as a robust NIL program," David Miller said.

SMU proved it this offseason, adding heft for the new ACC schedule with 18 Power 4 transfers, including eight on the defensive line. The Mustangs landed transfers from Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Utah, two from Oklahoma and three each from Miami and Arkansas.

"We're getting serious again. If you're half-assed in and half-assed out, it's not going to work," Dickerson said. "Look, Eric Dickerson didn't just become a football player. I had some talent, and I worked my ass off at it. That's what I did. That is what SMU is doing now. They're working their ass off to get things done, to get people to come, get players to want to come."

The Mustangs are no longer on the fringes of college football. Lashlee, who came to SMU with Dykes as his offensive coordinator in 2018, returned to Dallas in 2022 to replace his old coach, coming from Miami, where he spent two years as offensive coordinator. He was sold on the potential of the program based on his time under Dykes.

"When you take a job, the first impression you're trying to figure out is, OK, what are the issues?" Lashlee said. "Like SMU, or when I went to Miami, why have they not been winning? [Sonny and I] had been here about six months and one day we looked at each other and said, 'Other than the conference, what's the reason we can't win here?' And there really wasn't one."

Last season, Lashlee led the Mustangs to an 11-3 finish and an AAC title, their first conference championship since 1984. When the ACC announcement came, Miller proclaimed to ESPN that day that "the beast is about to emerge," while Lashlee remarked that SMU was the only school in Dallas-Fort Worth in a top-three conference, a not-so-subtle shot across the Metroplex at TCU, which calls itself "DFW's only Big 12 school." After years of envy, SMU alums are ready to be equals, aghast that they had to watch their former peers play big-time football.

"Everybody kept talking about TCU. It's just TCU," Lance McIlhenny, Dickerson's old Pony Express quarterback, told ESPN in 2019. "They're nothing special other than they've had deep pockets for 15 years. I want to win a bunch of games and play a team like Baylor in whatever setting and put a shellackin' on 'em."

Bennett said SMU being restored to its former standing, with administrative backing and a unified front of deep-pocketed donors, will make the Mustangs a threat.

"They've become legit," Bennett said. "It's almost beyond comprehension for those of us who've been involved in it. You look at the state of Texas, they're right up there. I'm happy for them. I'm proud of David and Carolyn Miller because they've always been great alumni, but not many people are willing to put that much money where their mouth is."

Those power players did what they had to do to get the Mustangs here. Now, thrilled to have a seat at the table in the ACC, they know they still need to capitalize, because in college sports, there are no long-term guarantees anymore. But with a wide-open ACC race this season and no Miami or Clemson on the schedule, the Mustangs have an opportunity to make an instant impact. SMU has won nine straight home games dating to 2022 and is averaging 53.9 points at Ford Stadium over that span. Now TCU is coming to Dallas on Sept. 21, followed by Florida State on Sept. 28.

"Is our expectation that we're going to be able to compete for championships within two to three years?" Miller asked. "The answer to that is yes."

Lashlee doesn't mind hearing that from the people who write his checks.

"Yeah, we have high expectations. We welcome 'em," Lashlee said. "We're going to get so much from being a part of the ACC. That was really the last piece we needed in terms of recruiting and the chance to build our program back to the national level."

It took four decades, a lot of patience and even more money to get here. Now it's time for the Mustangs to Pony Up on the field.

"We're in Dallas, Texas," Armstrong said. "We're in the center of the football universe. Moses roamed through the desert shorter than SMU has been roaming the bad football years. It's about time we came back."

Just sayin': Apparently SMU believes that they "are now finally back" and in a position to compete for championships in a couple years..

brodybuck21 · Sep 3, 2024

247
Rivals
On3
Hudl

Class: 2026
Position: TE
School: Jacksonville (FL) The Bolles School
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 215 lbs

twister55 · Sep 3, 2024

not sure how many of you cou;ldnt watch these because dish att or streaming u can thank disney for that.anyway thats y i'm posting these,

ScriptOhio · Sep 2, 2024

Alex Smith Becomes Ohio State's Second Basketball Commitment for the Class of 2026

In-state forward Alex Smith is Ohio State's second commitment in the 2026 class, fulfilling a lifelong dream for the 6-9 prospect.

www.elevenwarriors.com

Alex Smith Becomes Ohio State's Second Basketball Commitment for the Class of 2026

An Upper Arlington High School standout completed a lifelong dream on Monday.

Alex Smith, a forward in the recruiting class of 2026, committed to Ohio State over offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Nebraska and Xavier.

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"Ever since I could walk, ever since I could talk, I've always been a Buckeye fan," Smith told Eleven Warriors. "It's my dream to go to OSU. Just to be able to commit now, it's kind of a surreal feeling to think that all the hard work that I've put in has now paid off and it's my dream school."

He hit a growth spurt this past year to sprout up to 6-9, and with it came constant time in the gym to improve his craft. Smith went from a player well off the radar of major programs to picking up five Power Five offers in a matter of months.

Smith was one of the top standouts at Ohio State's recruiting camps in June, and with that came an offer from the Buckeyes on June 17.

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While Smith is unranked in the 247Sports composite, which could change with time, Ohio State is a believer in Smith's growth over the past year as he's developed incredible ball-handling and shooting skills at his size.

"My range has extended," Smith said. "I could shoot the ball really well on the high school line, now I'm shooting NBA 3s. Nobody in high school can really guard the NBA line. Then I also took strides becoming (more like) a bigger guard. Just dribbling, passing, facilitating, all that type of stuff."

Smith fits with some of the versatile additions Jake Diebler has made to the Buckeyes' roster. With his size and skill combination, he could play power or small forward at the next level. While Diebler hasn't attached a specific label to Smith or many of his players, the plan for Smith is to play as a power forward with a real shooting threat.

"(Diebler) doesn't necessarily tag people as numbers, but if you want to play the numbers game, he sees me as a stretch 4," Smith said. "Someone who can step outside, knock the three-ball down. Of course, I need to add some muscle and some weight to me to be able to play the 4 coming in my freshman year. So that's definitely something me and Jake will look at and start now, my junior year of (high school), instead of starting it when I get into college."
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BB73 · Sep 2, 2024

I know there’s still 1 game left in week 1, but we can start talking about week 2.

Week 2

Friday, Sept. 6

Western Illinois at Indiana | 7 p.m. | Big Ten Network
BYU at SMU | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
Duke at Northwestern | 9 p.m. | FS1

Saturday, Sept. 7

Arkansas at Oklahoma State | 12 p.m. | ABC
Texas at Michigan | 12 p.m. | FOX
Rhode Island at Minnesota | 12 p.m. | Peacock
Bowling Green at Penn State | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Akron at Rutgers | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Georgia Tech at Syracuse | 12 p.m. | ACC Network
Pitt at Cincinnati | 12 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
Kansas State at Tulane | 12 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
Troy at Memphis | 12 p.m. | ESPNU
Army at Florida Atlantic | 12 p.m. | CBSSN

McNeese at Texas A&M | 12:45 p.m. | SEC Network
Tennessee Tech at Georgia | 2 p.m. | ESPN+/SECN+
Missouri State at Ball State | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
St. Francis (PA) at Kent State | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+

Cal at Auburn | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
South Carolina at Kentucky | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
Iowa State at Iowa | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
Michigan State at Maryland | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Eastern Michigan at Washington | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
South Dakota at Wisconsin | 3:30 p.m. | FS1
Northern Illinois at Notre Dame | 3:30 p.m. | NBC
UMass at Toledo | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Duquesne at Boston College | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+/ACCNX
Jacksonville State at Louisville | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+/ACCNX
Charlotte at North Carolina | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Baylor at Utah | 3:30 p.m. | FOX
Temple at Navy | 3:30 p.m. | CBSSN

UTSA at Texas State | 4 p.m. | ESPNU
Middle Tennessee at Ole Miss | 4:15 p.m. | SEC Network
Marshall at Virginia Tech | 4:30 p.m. | CW Network
Idaho at Wyoming | 4:30 p.m. | truTV
UAlbany at West Virginia | 6 p.m. | Big 12/ESPN+
Florida A&M at Miami (Fla.) | 6 p.m. | ESPN+/ACCNX
Central Michigan at Florida International | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Gardner-Webb at James Madison | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
East Carolina at Old Dominion | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
South Alabama at Ohio | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Sam Houston at UCF | 6:30 p.m. | Big 12/ESPN+

South Florida at Alabama | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Samford at Florida | 7 p.m. | ESPN+/SECN+
Buffalo at Missouri | 7 p.m. | ESPN+/SECN+
Kansas at Illinois | 7 p.m. | FS1
William & Mary at Coastal Carolina | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Kentucky at Western Kentucky | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Chattanooga at Georgia State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Cal Poly at Stanford | 7 p.m. | ESPN+/ACCNX
Virginia at Wake Forest | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
Louisiana at Kennesaw State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
San Jose State at Air Force | 7 p.m. | CBSSN
Georgia Southern at Nevada | 7 p.m. | truTV
Tulsa at Arkansas State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
UAB at UL Monroe | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
SE Louisiana at Southern Miss | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Texas Southern at Rice | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Northern Colorado at Colorado State | 7 p.m. | Mountain West Network

Nicholls at LSU | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+/SECN+
Tennessee vs. NC State (in Charlotte, North Carolina) | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
Alcorn State at Vanderbilt | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU
Colorado at Nebraska | 7:30 p.m. | NBC
Western Michigan at Ohio State | 7:30 p.m. | BTN
Stephen F. Austin at North Texas | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Houston at Oklahoma | 7:45 p.m. | SEC Network

Appalachian State at Clemson | 8 p.m. | ACC Network
Long Island University at TCU | 8 p.m. | Big 12/ESPN+
Southern Utah at UTEP | 9 p.m. | ESPN+

Boise State at Oregon | 10 p.m. | Peacock
Northern Arizona at Arizona | 10 p.m. | Big 12/ESPN+
Texas Tech at Washington State | 10 p.m. | FOX
Liberty at New Mexico State | 10:15 p.m. | ESPN2
Mississippi State at Arizona State | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
Oregon State at San Diego State | 10:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Utah State at USC | 11 p.m. | Big Ten Network

DaiMonMoore · Sep 1, 2024

Just bought my plane tickets and hotel for Chicago in November. Definitely looking forward to seeing the Buckeyes in Chicago. Hope some of you will be there as well. I'm sure there will be some Buckeye watering hole for drinks before the game.

brodybuck21 · Sep 1, 2024

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twister55 · Aug 31, 2024

enjoy

twister55 · Aug 30, 2024

north dakota st at colorado north carolina vs minnesota enjoy

pnuts34 · Aug 29, 2024

247
On3
Twitter
HudL

Class: 2027
Position: LB
School: Raleigh (NC) Millbrook
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 215 lbs

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ScriptOhio · Aug 29, 2024

Ohio State Bio

Joe McGuire

Position: Punter
Height: 6-2
Weight: 212
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Last School: Prokick Australia
Year: Sophomore

Ohio State Overview
• Joe walked on to the team in the fall of 2023 and is now in his second season with the program
• He is an OSU Scholar-Athlete who is majoring in sport industry

Honors & Awards
2023: OSU Scholar-Athlete

More on Joe
• Joe came out of the successful Prokick Australia program that has placed so many punters into collegiate football
• He made headlines in his hometown in February 2022 when he had a "hat-trick with his final three deliveries as he played for the Heatherhill Cricket Club, finishing with figures of five wickets for just 10 runs," according to the Daily Mail Australia
• He is the son of Carla and Eddie McGuire, and he has a brother, Alexander

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ScriptOhio · Aug 29, 2024

Paramount Press Express | CBS SPORTS HQ TO LAUNCH “COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREGAME”, A NEW THREE-HOUR SATURDAY MORNING STUDIO SHOW

Pregame Show Joins CBS Sports’ Expanded Multiplatform College Football Coverage Across HQ, CBS Sports Network, YouTube, Podcasts and More [CBS Sports HQ

www.paramountpressexpress.com

CBS SPORTS HQ TO LAUNCH “COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREGAME”, A NEW THREE-HOUR SATURDAY MORNING STUDIO SHOW

Skull Session: Ryan Day Wants to “Leave No Doubt” This Season, Will Howard Feels Honored to Be Ohio State’s QB1 and Verizon Works to Improve Cell Service Around the Shoe

Ryan Day wants to "leave no doubt" this season, Will Howard feels honored to be Ohio State's QB1 and Verizon works to improve cell service around the Shoe.

www.elevenwarriors.com

Each week of the season, COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREGAME will have fans covered with the latest news, commentary on the biggest storylines, picks and updates from a national network of analysts and on-site reporters across the country.

The new pregame show will showcase a talented roster of decorated former players, national title winners, leading voices, reporters and hosts throughout the season, including Damien Harris, Danny Kanell, Cardale Jones and Beanie Wells.

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Skull Session: Ryan Day Wants to “Leave No Doubt” This Season, Will Howard Feels Honored to Be Ohio State’s QB1 and Verizon Works to Improve Cell Service Around the Shoe

Ryan Day wants to "leave no doubt" this season, Will Howard feels honored to be Ohio State's QB1 and Verizon works to improve cell service around the Shoe.

www.elevenwarriors.com

AND WE'RE LIVE. Last weekend, Cardale Jones received praise for his calm, calculated presence as an analyst on the CBS Sports Network college football desk. According to a recent press release from Paramount Press Express, it seems the former Ohio State quarterback will have even more chances to win over audiences – and so will former Buckeye running back Chris “Beanie” Wells.
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While neither Jones nor Wells ended their college football careers among the greatest players of all time, both Buckeyes are living legends in Columbus – the former more than the latter. Jones was, of course, Ohio State’s No. 3 quarterback in 2014 but led the Buckeyes to the national title in the inaugural College Football Playoff, while Wells recorded 585 carries for 3,382 yards and 30 touchdowns in 36 games, including 59 carries for 412 yards and four scores against Michigan.

Like I said, legends.

I look forward to seeing them talk ball this season!

Just sayin': Some competition for ESPN Gameday and FOX Big Noon Kickoff; however, this CBS show is not "on location" it is a studio show.

pnuts34 · Aug 28, 2024

247
Rivals
Twitter
Hudl

Class: 2028
Position: TE
School: Jacksonville(FL) The Bolles School
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 235lbs

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brodybuck21 · Aug 27, 2024

247
Rivals
On3
Hudl

Class: 2026
Position: DL
School: Matthews (NC) Weddington
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 220 lbs

brodybuck21 · Aug 27, 2024

247
Rivals
ON3
HUDL

Class: 2026
Position: WR
School: Columbia (SC) Irmo
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 180 lbs

twister55 · Aug 25, 2024

exciting game

BB73 · Aug 24, 2024

brodybuck21 · Aug 22, 2024

247
Rivals
HUDL
ON3

Class: 2026
School: Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian
Position: RB
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 195 lbs

brodybuck21 · Aug 22, 2024

247
Rivals
Hudl
ON3

Class: 2027
Position: DL
School: Loganville (GA) Grayson
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 230 lbs.

brodybuck21 · Aug 21, 2024

QB:
Neimann Lawrence: 6'2" 180 lbs; Miami (FL) Ransom Everglades
Christopher Vargas: 6'4" 175 lbs; Danvers (MA) St. John's Prep
Wonderful Monds IV: 6'3" 215 lbs; Vero Beach (FL) Vero Beach
Lukas Prock: 6'2" 180 lbs; Princeton (NJ) Hun School
Treyvone Towns: 6'3" 205 lbs; Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian

RB:
Elijah Hall: 6'0" 205 lbs; Tampa (FL) Blake
Derrick Jackson Jr.: 6'1" 184 lbs; Harbor City (CA) Narbonne
Micah Rhodes: 5'10" 178 lbs; Spring (TX) Klein Oak
Anthony Howard Jr.: 5'10" 185 lbs; Auburndale (FL) Auburndale
Kevin Hartsfield: 6'0" 190 lbs; Covington (GA) Newton
Omari Murray: 5'6" 145 lbs; Hialeah (FL) Westland Hialeah

WR:
Eric McFarland: 5'8" 170 lbs; Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
Peter Pierre: 6'4" 210 lbs; Hollywood (FL) Chaminade Madonna
Deandre Bidde: 6'1" 175 lbs; Harper Woods (MI) Harper Woods
Braylon Clark: 6'2" 180 lbs; Charlotte (NC) Charlotte Country Day
Brysen Wright: 6'3" 210 lbs; Jacksonville (FL) Mandarin
Jett Harrison: 6'1" 170 lbs; Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph
Damrion Mays: 6'3" 190 lbs; Ft. Worth (TX) North Crowley
Tyree Mannings Jr.: 6'0" 170 lbs; Venice (FL) Venice

TE:
Asher Ghioto: 6'4" 235 lbs; Jacksonville (FL) The Bolles School
Jack McNamara: 6'5" 235 lbs; Chicago (IL) Brother Rice

OL:
Grayson Williams: 6'4" 280 lbs; Raleigh (NC) Southeast Raleigh
George Selvie: 6'4" 265 lbs; Riverview (FL) Sumner
Kweli Fielder: 6'4" 320 lbs; Carrollton (GA) Carrollton
Charlie Pisani: 6'4" 290 lbs; Ft. Pierce (FL) John Carroll
Major Green: 6'5" 325 lbs; Portsmouth (VA) Norcom
Anthony Blalock: 6'5" 305 lbs; Youngstown (OH) Austintown Fitch

DL:
Jameer Whyce: 6'4" 270 lbs; Trotwood (OH) Trotwood Madison
Kellan Hall: 6'4" 260 lbs; Louisville (KY) Christian Academy of Louisville
Caleb Tucker: 6'5" 355 lbs; Chicago (IL) Mt. Carmel
Dawson Jacobs: 6'3" 240 lbs; Roswell (GA)Blessed Trinity
Kameron McGee: 6'3" 234 lbs; Chicago (IL) Brother Rice
Jackson Vaughn: 6'4" 220 lbs; Plainfield (NJ) Bergen Catholic
Cory Cunningham: 6'4" 265 lbs; Charlotte (NC) Providence
Tayaun Lawrence: 6'4" 260 lbs Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman
Ayden Woodruff: 6'5" 285 lbs; Franklin (TN) Battleground Academy
King Pitts: 6'5" 250 lbs; Santa Rosa (CA) Cardinal Newman
Tyzon Swann: 6'4" 245 lbs; Indian Head (MD) Henry E. Lackey
Darieon Prescott: 6'6" 225 lbs; Bolingbrook (IL) Bolingbrook
Jalanie George: 6'5" 245 lbs; Goodyear (AZ) Desert Edge
Braxton Rein: 6'6" 235 lbs; Chattanooga (TN) Baylor School
George Parkinson IV: 6'4" 228 lbs; Malvern (PA) Malvern Prep
Jermaine Smith Jr.: 6'5" 215 lbs; Baltimore (MD) St. Frances Academy

LB:
Skylar Alston: 6'2" 210 lbs; Raleigh (NC) Cardinal Gibbons
Tahj Gray: 6'2" 220 lbs; Montvale (NJ) St. Joseph
Travion Washington: 6'2" 210 lbs; Brandon (MS) Brandon
Andre Alexander: 6'1" 210 lbs; Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
Tylan Henderson: 6'1" 210 lbs; Pflugerville (TX) Weiss
Jameer Miles: 6'4" 190 lbs; Mundelein (IL) Carmel Catholic
Nehemiah McCary: 6'4" 225 lbs; Maplesville (AL) Maplesville

DB:
Amir Sears: 6'1" 160 lbs; Pembroke Pines (FL) West Broward
Brandon Nash: 6'2" 190 lbs; Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco
Casey Barner: 6'0" 192 lbs; Atlanta (GA) Douglass
Grayden Reid: 6'3" 185 lbs; Louisvile (KY) Atherton
Jalen Flowers: 6'2" 170 lbs; Palos Verdes (CA) Palos Verdes
Pole Moala: 5'11" 175 lbs; Lawndale (CA) Leuzinger
Royce Bimage: 6'1" 170 lbs; Dicksinson (TX) Dickinson
Jermaine Cobbins: 6'0" 175 lbs; Springfield (TN) Springfield
Keaton Fields: 6'3" 185 lbs; Chandler (AZ) Hamilton

ATH:

Committed Elsewhere:
Jayden Wade: 6'4" 190 lbs; Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy (Georgia)

BB73 · Aug 20, 2024

THE BEST CONTEST ON THE INTERNET IS BACK!!!!!

Once again, this will be a simple contest to participate in. Each week I will list all of the underdogs in the Div 1-A games that I see a point-spread for at the beginning of the week. Each person may pick 1 and only 1 team each week; just post your pick in this thread.

You must pick your team before the kickoff of your game. It isn't mandatory to make a pick every week, but if you don't, you obviously can't earn any points that week.

If your team wins, you are awarded the amount of points that they were assigned in the spread; if they lose you get 0 points. So it's riskier to pick Little-Sisters-of-the-Poor +47 when they play Texas Tech, but you get a ton of points if they win, as opposed to getting only a couple of points when you pick a close game.

Once I post the point spreads inside this thread, they are locked for purposes of this contest. Only the spreads listed in this thread will be used to award points.

The entire season-long contest will exist in this one thread. Each week I will post the points for that week and the season-to-date totals. Whoever has the most points after the Conference Championship Games in December will be declared the winner, and will receive ¤25,000 Sportsbook "cash".

There will be a separate contest in December for Bowl game upsets.

2005 winner: @AkronBuckeye (64 points)
2006 winner: @briegg (64 points)
2007 winner: @MolGenBuckeye (83.5 points)
2008 winner: @osugrad21 (63.5 points)
2009 winner: @NFBuck (85 points)
2010 winner: @LightningRod (69.5 points)
2011 winner: @sears3820 (74 points)
2012 winner: @OSUsushichic (51 points)
2013 winner: @FCollinsBuckeye (64 points)
2014 winner: @808 Buck (78.5 points)
2015 winner: @Wadcutter (64 points)
2016 winner: @BB73 (87.5 points)
2017 winner: @BB73 (65.5 points, only 2-time winner)
2018 winner: @UrbanBuckeye (64.5 points)
2019 winner: @LovelandBuckeye (new record of 103.5 points)
2020 winner: @buckeyemania11 (63 points, short season)
2021 winner: @gracelhink (75.5 points)
2022 winner: @Honor&Glory (91.5 points)
2023 winner @CMic (60 points)
2024 winner @muffler dragon (66.5 points)

This post will get the new picks and current standings updated each week. There will also be a post with that info near the end of the thread.

PICKS for WEEK 14 - ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT AFTER THIS ONE

Pick just one underdog team from the right column to win outright - you get nothing by picking a favorite that covers the spread. Home teams are in CAPS.

Tuesday, Nov 26th

BUFFALO.………..…………….…24……kent st
toledo ………..………………….….8.5….AKRON

Thursday, Nov 28th

TULANE………….………....….....14……memphis

Friday, Nov 29th

OHIO…..…….……………….......15……ball st
BOWLING GREEN……………….2.5….miami oh
COLORADO……………………..16.5….okla st
WISCY……………………………..2.5….minny
BOISE ST……………………..…20.5….oreg st
E CAROLINA………………….….2……navy
texas st……………………………1……S ALABAMA
OLE MISS………………………..26……miss st
liberty……………………………...3……SAM HOUSTON
COLO ST………………………….6……utah st
SAN JOSE ST…………………….3……stanford
IOWA…………………………...….5.5….nebraska
GEORGIA………………………..19.5….ga tech
UCF………………………………...9.5….utah

Saturday, Nov 30th

ARMY………….………………..…7……utsa
CLEMSON…………………….…..2.5….s carolina
n texas……………………………11……TEMPLE
tennessee………………………..11……VANDY
uconn……………………………..10.5….UMASS
duke………………………………..4.5….WAKE FOREST
OHIO ST………………………….20.5….tcun
Illinois…….at Wrigley……………7.5….NW’ern
TEX TECH…………………………3.5….west va
kansas……………………………..1.5….BAYLOR
louisville……………………………3.5….KY JELLY CATS
la lafayette…………………………9.5….UL MONROE
WESTERN MICH………………….7……eastern mich
GEORGIA ST………………………1……coastal car
FLA INT’L…………………………..9……middle tenn
usf…………………………………..5……RICE
TROY…………………………..…17.5….so miss
BOST COLL……………………….5……pitt
old dominion………………………4……ARK ST
N CAROLINA………………………3.5….nc st
NORTHERN ILL….………………13……central mich
miami fl……………………………11……SYRACUSE
CHARLOTTE………………………3……uab
SPARTY…………………………….2……rutgers
ariz st……………………………….9……ARIZONA
UCLA……………………………….9.5….fresno st
fla atlantic…………………………1.5….TULSA
SMU……………………………….13.5….cal
MIZZOU……………………………3.5….arkansas
BAMA…………………………..…11.5….auburn
PENN ST………………………….24.5….maryland
notre dame………………………..7.5….USC TROJANS
WESTERN KY…………………….1.5….jax st
NEW MEX ST……………………..3……utep
LA TECH………..………………..12……kennesaw st
tcu……………………………..……3……CINCY
GA SOUTHERN………………..…2.5….app st
WASH ST…………………………17……wyoming
florida…….……………………….15……FLORIDA ST
LSU………………………………….6……oklahoma
INDIANA…………………………..29……purdue
texas………………………………..5.5….TEXAS A&M
IOWA ST……………………………3……kansas st
OREGON…………………………..19……washington
VA TECH…………………………….7.5….virginia
JAMES MADISON…………………3.5….marshall
UNLV………………………………..17.5….nevada
BYU…………………………………13……houston
air force……………………………..3.5….SAN DIEGO ST
new mexico………………………..2.5….HAWAI’I
/

FINAL STANDINGS:

muffler dragon……...…....66.5 ….Congrats to this year’s winner!
Wingate1217………………63
HineyBuck…………………60.5
Kevin……………………….60.5
BB73………………..……...53.5
WoodyWorshiper……...…51.5
Honor&Glory.........……....50.5
Bucklion…………………..50.5
wolves2002……………….50.5
ScriptOhio………………...49.5
Bborg140………………….48.5
Steve19…………………….46.5
heisman……………………45.5
buckeyemania11……...….45
LovelandBuckeye………..43.5
tOSURox…………………..43
AuTX Buckeye……………42.5
jakenick06…………………42
TDunk………………………41
Fungo Squiggly……….…..39.5
gracelhink………………….39.5
BigWoof31…………...…….39
Wadcutter…………………..38
808 Buck……………………35.5
MD Buckeye……………….35.5
thackattack………………..35
CMic…………………..........32.5
buckeyeskickbuttocks…..32
cincibuck…………………..31.5
Zurp………………………….31
KnotMatt...........………..….30.5
osugrad21…………………..30.5
UrbanBuckeye.............…...23.5
zbuck…………………...…..23
iambrutus…………………..22
BuckeyeSoldier…….....….17.5
Illini Dylan............…....…...17.5
Mike80………………….…..17.5
Brutus1........................…...16.5
Herb Kirkstreit..………......15.5
Drubuck…………………....14
gmen6981...............….…...13.5
Bestbuck36………………..12.5
Buckeye doc…….....….….11.5
DaddyBigBucks…………..10.5
Captain Buckeye…………10
BuckeyeNation27………….9.5
Akron-Buck…………………8.5
brodybuck21………………..8
NFBuck.........................…...5.5
gregorylee..........................3.5
buckeyboy..........................3
/

If you think an error has been made, please send me a PM or @BB73 in this thread.

brodybuck21 · Aug 19, 2024

Its happening!

DaddyBigBucks · Aug 15, 2024

Season Prop Bets

Before last season the Buckeyes averaged 5 offensive touchdowns per game for 6 consecutive seasons

If they play 16 games this year, 5 offensive touchdowns per game means 80 on the year

O/U 80 offensive touchdowns this year?

ScriptOhio · Aug 7, 2024

'Pitbull Stadium' comes to Miami as recording sensation, FIU agree to wide-ranging five-year, $6 million deal

The international recording artist will pay $1.2 million per year to FIU for the stadium naming rights

www.cbssports.com

'Pitbull Stadium' comes to Miami as recording sensation, FIU agree to wide-ranging five-year, $6 million deal

The international recording artist will pay $1.2 million per year to FIU for the stadium naming rights

FIU has reached an agreement with recording artist Pitbull for naming rights to its football stadium in Miami. Pitbull will pay the university $1.2 million per year over the next five years as the venue will be called "Pitbull Stadium." He will also have an option to renew the agreement for an additional five years.

This is believed to be the first naming rights agreement of its kind between a musician and a football stadium. Pitbull is often associated with the city of Miami -- going as far as nicknaming himself "Mr. 305" in reference to the Miami area code -- which makes a partnership between him and the only FBS team to play in Miami city limits a logical one.

FIU has been searching for relevance in the highly competitive market since adopting an FBS football program in 2005. In 20 years, the Panthers have only four seasons where they finished above .500. However, coach Mike MacIntyre has been creative in finding ways to bring any level of excitement to the program. Last season, the Panthers released universally beloved "Miami Vice" inspired uniforms, which they donned in their game against UTEP. The program is 8-16 in two seasons under MacIntyre.

As part of the deal, Pitbull will create an anthem for FIU athletics, post on social media about FIU 12 times per year and appear at one fundraising event. In return, Pitbull will get fee-free use of the stadium for 10 days per year with a number of tickets put aside for FIU students. He also gets the right to designate a performer at halftime or postgame of a home game if he wishes.
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continued

OK, is it a good deal or bad deal?

Threads

Threads

Week 3​

'Oh, s---, here come all the billionaires': How SMU came back from the dead​

2026 FL TE Corbyn Fordham (Ohio State decommit, Florida St. Signee)

Attachments

Alex Smith Becomes Ohio State's Second Basketball Commitment for the Class of 2026​

Week 2​

2028 tOSU Recruiting Discussion

Attachments

Attachments

2027 NC LB Quinton Cypher (Verbal Offer)

CBS SPORTS HQ TO LAUNCH “COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREGAME”, A NEW THREE-HOUR SATURDAY MORNING STUDIO SHOW​

2028 FL TE Asher Ghioto (Verbal Offer)

2026 NC DL Andrew Harris (South Carolina Signee)

2025 SC WR Donovan Murph (South Carolina Signee)

Attachments

2026 CA RB Deshonne Redeaux (USC Signee)

2027 GA DL T.K. Cunningham (Verbal Offer)

Locked 2028 Scholarship Offers (Updated 12/15/2025)

Play Game Weekly Upset Contest for 2024 (Winner is @muffler dragon)

'Pitbull Stadium' comes to Miami as recording sensation, FIU agree to wide-ranging five-year, $6 million deal​

The international recording artist will pay $1.2 million per year to FIU for the stadium naming rights​

Filter

Week 3

'Oh, s---, here come all the billionaires': How SMU came back from the dead

Alex Smith Becomes Ohio State's Second Basketball Commitment for the Class of 2026

Week 2

CBS SPORTS HQ TO LAUNCH “COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREGAME”, A NEW THREE-HOUR SATURDAY MORNING STUDIO SHOW

Locked

2028 Scholarship Offers (Updated 12/15/2025)

'Pitbull Stadium' comes to Miami as recording sensation, FIU agree to wide-ranging five-year, $6 million deal

The international recording artist will pay $1.2 million per year to FIU for the stadium naming rights