2025 is on for the non P6

 Southern Conference action: UNCG outscored  Wofford 47-38 in the second half  for a  68-66 W. 

Mercer beat CHAT 99-94 in OT. T. Johnson scored 26 for the Bears. 

Jan 4, 2025

Chicago St got their first win of the season and it was in NEC play. Crawford scored 15 for CHS in a 64-52 win over Wagner.

It appears those ex-Sycamores are taking root in St Louis. SLU 73 JOES 57 in A10 action.

Mashburn Jr scored 24 in Temple's win over Wichita St in AAC action.

Jan 6, 2025

AAC: Big  68-64 win for Memphis over NTX. Haggerty -27 points for the Tigers

FAU outlasted ECU 78-76. Walker (21pts, 13reb) for the Pirates

ECU/MEM matchup on 1/11

Jan 9, 2025

On the Horizon: YSU beat NKU: Dynes (15REB) for the Penguins

CLEV beat RMU: T. Smith (10 reb, 5 asst) for Vikings

PFW beat MILW: J. Jackson (25pts, 9 reb) for Mastodons

Jan 12, 2025

Calmese scored 20 for Wazoo(3-2 WCC) in a loss to the Zags. ORST(3-2 WCC) blows out Pacific.

Looking local: . J. Theodosiou scored 27 for LOYMD in a 75-74 win over Navy in Patriot League action

Towson  outscored Drexel  17-6 in OT for CAA win.

Jan 14, 2025

Merrimack, formerly in the NEC,  is 5-0 in its first season in the MAAC. They beat Manhattan on Sunday.

UAB is  getting into gear. Blazers have won three straight  games in 2025. Lendenborg (22pts, 10reb, 7 ast) in win over FAU on Sunday.

Jan 15, 2025

Bamisile(23 points) for VCU  in a solid win over SLU.

Miami(OH), Akron , and Ohio remain undefeated in MAC action. Clayton 16.8 PPG for the Bobcats.

Jan 16, 2025

Rebels' upset USU with a solid team effort in MWC action.

Are Andy Kennedy's Blazers getting in gear for the Dance? Coleman (21pts, 8reb)  led UAB to a 92-83 win over USF.

Jan 17, 2025

Mild surprises. Oregon St beat Gonzaga in OT in WCC action.  Temple beat Memphis in AAC play.

Rataj (29 pts 7 reb) for the Beavers. Mashburn scored 21 for the Owls.

Two O5 bowl games remain 2024-25

 NTX(AAC)/TXST(SBC): I thought this was going to be a shootout, but Morris, NTX QB, left for UVA. McCloud will toss 2 TD passes for TX St in a 24-13 win.

Buffalo(MAC) /Liberty(CUSA): Salter, Flames QB, transferred to Colorado, therefore I'll go with Buffalo 20 Liberty 16.

MAC Carousel: Matt Drinkall (Army OL coach ) is the CMU HC

Joe Harasymiak ( Rutgers DC) is UMass HC as they head into MAC football.

Jan 4, 2025

Mestemaker had a solid game in his first start at QB  for NTX, and his 70yd TD run  got them within two points of TX St late in the game but the Bobcats held on for a 30-28 win.

NIU is leaving the MAC for the MWC for football only in 2026. No decision on the rest of its programs. They were in the Big West from 1993 to 1995.

Correct on Buffalo. Flames were down from the jump. Bulls look like a team that's on the rise in the MAC. Henderson rushed for 119 yards for BUFF.

Tre Lamb (ETSU) is the new Tulsa HC. Tough gig, low NIL funds.

Jan 15, 2025

Sluka , who left UNLV over a verbal commitment of 100K  not being paid,  will play for JMU.  I thought it was an odd move , but saw that he's back with some of his former coaches from Holy Cross.

O5 bowl games three more in 2024

 I skipped a few score guesses lately. I'm thinking about tossing a nickel on the USF(AAC)/SJSU(MWC) game. Ok, SJSU beat Stanford,while USF lost to Rice in their respective final, regular season games. SJSU 24 USF 19

I'm taking BGSU(MAC) over Ark St(SBC)   because the Falcons have Fannin, who I consider the best TE in college football. BGSU 27 Ark St 24.

Not sure Toledo(MAC) has enough firepower to upset Pitt(ACC). Pitt 30 Toledo 23. Schools are about 3 hours apart if you're driving on I-80.

It took 5 OTs, Eget had a solid second half for the Spartans, but it wasn't enough. USF 41 SJSU 39

Wrong on pick 1

Dec 27 2024

Well,Toledo had enough firepower to outlast Pitt in six OTs  in a 48-46 win

Fannin 17rec , 213 yards, 1TD  wasn't enough for the Falcons.  Ark St 38 BGSU 31

0-3 this blog

Let's see if I can get one right. Oklahoma  31 Navy (AAC) 20

Dec 28, 2024

0-4 this blog. OK went for two the 2pt conversion with 14 seconds remaining in regulation and failed. Navy 21 OK 20 Nice win for the AAC squad.

Saturday hunches for better or worse on O5: ULL loses to TCU. Army beats LA Tech, MO beats CSU,  and ECU beat NC St in an intrastate matchup.

Dec 29, 2024

Finally made a few correct picks. Right on MO but surprised the RedHawks blew out CSU 43-17. Davis rushed for 148 yards and 2 TDs .

Rahjai Harris(ECU) rushed for an 86 yard touchdown, the game winning score. ECU 26 NC St 21

Army 27 LA Tech 6.  TCU 34 ULL 3 

O5 Bowl games 2024-25 early ones

 Kind of weird to see bowl games on the same day as the Army/Navy game.

Two seesaw teams . South Bama will eke out a 24-21 win over WMU. Lopez won't toss an INT for the Jags.

Memphis 31 WV 30. Henigan will have a big  passing game for the Tigers.

Is Rich Rod going back to WV for 2025? Will he Coach JVU in the bowl game?

Dec 14, 2024

 Dan Mullen is the new UNLV HC which suggests the Rebels O will remain in high gear.

Dec 15, 2024

K. Bullock RB, (USA) 130 YDS 1TD in a 30-23 win over WMU. correct on this one.

Jason Eck leaves Idaho(1AA) to become HC at New Mexico. 

Vandals program has danced between 1A and 1AA for a long time.

Dec 16, 2024

Next two picks are difficult. 

UNLV had a solid season in the MWC while Cal rode a seesaw  all season but made it to .500 overall. Cal 27 UNLV 26

JMU 30 WKU 20. Dukes will bounce back from Nov 30 SBC loss to the #herd 

Sac St  with Mike Vick as HC to either the MWC or Pac 2+. Who are  all these $$$ folks backing the investments in NIL etc?  Well Vick is going to be the HC at Norfolk St

Dec 18, 2024

Correct pick on Memphis who won 42-37. WV scored 21 of the last 28 points in the game.

Dec 19, 2024

wrong on UNLV  , correct on JMU

Early  in the game Williams completed a 49 yard TD pass to Kayden McGee, and I felt like the Rebels were going to win. UNLV D blanked Cal 10-0 in the second half.  UNLV 24 Cal 13

JMU  won the second half 20-3

JMU 27  WKU 17

Sam Houston hires Phil Longo, former OC  at Wisky, to be the new HC. He worked at SHSU a few years ago.

SHSU beat GASO last night 31-26. French tossed 4 INTs  and the Eagles did not make it all the way back. I got it wrong on Bowl Mania

O5 title games -2024

Jacksonville State 24 Western Kentucky 21: Stewart  rushes for over 100 yards for Jax St.

Tulane 17 Army 16:  Just a gut feeling the Green Wave D recovers from the Memphis game.

Boise St  31 UNLV 20: Jeanty rides on!

Miami(OH) 34 Ohio 24:  Gabbert tosses a few TDs in the Red Hawks win.

Marshall 28 ULL 27: Coach Huff has rounded the Herd into shape.

Dec 7, 2024

Big games for RBs

Wrong on TUL as Udoh of Army rushed for 158 yards and a TD

Right about JVU and Boise St. Jeanty(BSU) and Stewart JVU each rushed for over 200 yards.

Dec 8 2024

Split yesterday. Correct on the Herd who rolled the Cajuns 31-3. Wrong on MO who were handled by Ohio.  Ohio's HC Tim Albin is likely headed to Charlotte(AAC).

Appy is hiring Loggains, the South Carolina OC, to be its next HC. 

Dec 10, 2024

O5 hires: Huff stays in Sunbelt, leaves Marshall for USM. Tony Gibson (NC St DC) replaces Huff.

Willie Simmos(Duke RB  coach) takes over at FIU.

Mendenhall stays in MWC, leaves UNM for USU

Jerry Mack (Jacksonville Jaguars RB coach) takes Kennesaw St  HC job.

Week 14 Turkey and more

Over the years, TX/TAMU or MissSt/ Ole Miss have been in the Thanksgiving night time slot. Tonight it's Tulane/Memphis in an AAC matchup. If Tulane wins tonight then beats Army in the title game, I doubt if it will be enough to get them in the F12.

Each team has decent QBs and starting RBs. Green Wave is on a roll. TUL 31 Mem 27

CUSA: Liberty wins and they're in the CUSA title game  against JVST. Cooley rushed for 100+ yards for the Flames in 24-13 win over SHSU.

MAC: Four teams left in the MAC title race. Buffalo won Tuesday but needs a ton of scenarios to occur to get in. Ohio has a shot  (Miami OH) and Bowling Green , the other two teams vying for a title game chance, will play Friday at Noon.

Fannin, the BG TE, is a game time decision to play. I'll roll the dice . BG 27 Miami(OH) 21.

MWC: UNLV wins and they're in cuz they have a higher CFP metric than Col St. They did not play H2H this season.

UNLV plays Nevada.  CSU  plays an improving USU.

CSU wins 17-14 with a late TD pass from Nicosi.

SBC: Ton of title game  scenarios  in a conference with divisions.South Alabama clinches with a win AND a loss by ULL.

USA will beat TX St  24-23 to keep the pressure on ULL who faces ULM. Bothwell rushes for 100 yards for the USA Jags.

Nov 29 2024

Wrong on Tulane who didn't score in the 2nd &3rd quarters. Mario Anderson rushed for 177 yards for Memphis. MEM 34 TUL 24

Continue to be wrong: Liberty lost to SHSU. BG lost to Miami (OH), and South Bama lost to TX St

Red Hawks were focused on slowing down Fanin 8 REC , 47 yards

CSU was my sole correct pick. Nicosi threw 4 TD passes and ran for the game winning TD late in the 4th. I predicted a game winning toss. CSU 42 USU 37

Dec 1, 2024

Tip my hat to the #herd on its big 35-33 OT win over JMU. In the second OT MU converted a two point play, JUM did not. MU has won 6 straight and faces ULL in the SBC title game.

Other  notes:  Aztecs(MWC) lost 6 in a row to finish 3-9 for the season.

MAC title game in Detroit feature Ohio teams: Miami(OH) /Ohio.

WKU upset JVU  to gain the chance to play them again next week for the CUSA title. JVU hosts the game.

Dec 3 2024

Kittley, a year as the WKU OC , then 3 at Texas Tech  , is the new HC at FAU (AAC). TT's O was eighth in scoring in 2024.

Appy fires Shawn Clark, Rough season not sure this is the answer.

Week 13 early Mackin

 NIU has been up and down since beating Notre Dame  earlier in the season, and Miami (OH) is on a roll. Gabbert will toss two TD passes for MOH in a narrow 24-21 win over NIU.

Other 4 picks later this week.

Correct on MOH. Gabbert only tossed one TD but that was enough in the 20-9 win over NIU.

11/21/24

Nice methodical win by Ohio U over Toledo last night.

Now to the other 4 picks:

AAC: Rolling with ECU 24 NTX 20. Pirates are hot, NTX is not.

CUSA:  JAX St 28 SHSU 19. Stewart  rushes for 150 yards for the Gamecocks.

MWC:   Rams are hot , Bulldogs are struggling. CSU 21 Fresno St 17

SBC: Herd are galloping. ODU has had some close losses.  Nailbiter: MU 24 ODU 23

11/24/24

ECU roared back to beat NTX. Big games from two Pirates, Harris and Smith

SHSU slowed Stewart somewhat but the Cocks QB Huff TCOB

Braxton was great by air and land for the Herd in a 42-35 win over ODU

Wrong on CSU who blanked Fresno in the second half but couldn't come all the way back in a 28-22 loss.

11/25/24

Tulsa canned HC Kevin Wilson so that makes 6 AAC HC  vacancies to fill in the off-season.  Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Rice, and Temple are the other openings. 

Ryan Switzer is the interim HC.at Tulsa.  Charleston, West Virginia kid.  Played at UNC and then a few years in the NFL.