The assumed heir apparent at the moment is Hillstead who played 8 games at (ugh) Utah State. He is 5’10” and no way can he fashion 9 wins. Another issue at hand is the portal opens tomorrow for 30 days. What would prevent an Alabama, Oklahoma or even an Ohio State number 2 QB from saying screw being a backup…I can start at BYU and transfer? I like our 8.5 but a portal dropping out of the sky like aforementioned could ruin our “lock”.
I believe this final portal window is only for players endangered to loss a spot on a team due to the 105 roster limit and should have little consequence to any team's strength. #2 QB's I'm sure cannot jump in.
@UNIMAN
@robtri
Yeah not sure how the portal works here w the designated student athlete tag or whatever .. so confusing .. My guess is there really aren't many rules and if a real backup kid says he wants an op to play somewhere and his NIL agents have worked something out at a new school then nature will kinda find a way .. maybe won't be the norm but be surprised if we don't at least see a few surprises in there ..
There's still grad xfers and guys in the portal and given this was kindof a long time coming I would expect if BYU was to take down a new QB they'd have their plan of attack ready and have someone in the door quickly .. but at this point think that would be a surprise they have 3 guys and I heard they like the hillstad and bear bachmier is .. everyone counting out Bourgette but he's experienced QB3 so i wouldn't peg the QB room as 3 incapable duds yet Hill could be okay .. If Bach is the clear QB1 winner in fall camp after being there a couple months I'd say its a good sign for the coogs it sounds like he's got the highest upside and real dual threat run ability ..
My guess is they're still in competition into the season and Hill gets first dibs .. moment its clear the conf / playoff is out of reach I think a good move is just put Bach in and for better or worse play for the future .. best chance to end the season well .. Good to keep them the radar, as we might see an ugly team early struggle w Stan and the couple tough road spots .. maybe hit their stride 2nd half of the season and be a solid ATS play ..
SSN WINS
GEORGIA STATE OVER 3.5 -105 (BOL)
Welp this took some getting used to .. Panthers went into last year already one of the lowest ret pro's and then their long time good HC bailed on em in the spring to be TE's coach at S.Car .. new HC Dell McGee came in he's a georgia guy born there coached HS, at G.Southern at UGA and now G-State first real CFB HC gig and sounds like a player's wanna play for him coach all the way .. but very tough spot last year in they have some decent ret pro back got his OC/DC in the door and its not the total HAVOC situation of last year .. They ended up winning 3 games including big upset vs Vandy and did go toe to toe vs Texas State near the end of the season .. but injuries and uncertainties at a few key positions led to some pretty ugly games and easy to see their schedule and call for an ultra low win total ..
I think it'll be a new team though especially on offense .. Christian Veilleux was a heralded recruit but never really had much to work with coming in as a backup at pitt for a horror show offense and now at G-State same thing last year .. think his numbers improve considerably .. RB has alot to like grabbing one of the few good players from Akron and we got 2 guys off the P4 tree in Branson Robinson off some injuries at UGA he was a high 4 or 5 star and at a pt in his career he needs a sure thing spot to tote the rock .. there's 2 more to like in the unit beyond them really strong group .. WR might be one of the best in the BELT with near 1k WR Ted Hurst withdrawing from the portal and he woulda had quite a few big options but came back and just a real good number of prospects and guys ready to step up behind him, not concerned with them losing most of their unit .. TE has a legit potential breakout star in Camden Overton from G-Webb .. OL goes from maybe 9 total non true fr guys to choose from last year and the 5 they used were predictably AWFUL .. easy to write them off again but the number of guys is closer to 15 and 2 starters and a couple backups.. Unit going from terrible to 'not bad' would be a big improvement and could be considerably better .. everyone on the OL stunk last year likely a prob with inexperience little talent and coaching and total refresh button hit so x yer fingers a little but offense could be a legit surprise .
GA-STATE CONT'D ..
Can't offer a strong projection for this defense I'd say interior DL returns almost completely in-tact and to have a defense at all that area has to be buttoned up and will at least be improved .. DE needs to find a guy or two .. LB has a couple guys one legit star in Wilson at MLB .. the back end lacks much experience they do have guys who fell off the P4 tree though and secondary is the new DC's specialty .. coached CB's at Troy for their conf champ years in '22/'23 and pass D nearly a 1-1 ratio TD's-INT's during those years ... not great last year .. pass D is the big worry but again we've got talented guys and a DC that can coach talented guys .. fingers xx'd but again I think it could be better than expected ..
Schedule is tough .. but we get easy stuff vs Murray State .. Home vs Marshall I think probably is a win as Marsh might really struggle every side of the ball this yr .. will be dogs in the rest for Home vs App St, So Bama, @Coasta, @Troy, @ODU @G.Sthrn is a rivalry so I'd at least give em a fightin shot .. JMU, Memp, are true long shots .. lock loss @Vandy (revenge) @Ole Miss season opener .. The nice part is a few teams get 9 days to prep them but nobody has a full bye week so ton of conf sandwich spots a few really tough ones .. I would count JMU as a sure thing L but they go to G-ST in one of the worst down spots on the whole CFB schedule .. @Lib, G-SO... @G-ST ... ULL, ODU, @TX.St .. lot bigger fish to fry weeks before and after that game .. wouldn't be the biggest shocker ever all im sayin .. improved team, sun belt generally not great this year 3.5 wins with I think 2 wins and bunch more shots on goal .. sign me up! .. GO PATHERS!!
Sorry to hijack your thread Bridge but I actually think that Clemson line against LSU is short. Kelly has a horrific record in game 1's at LSU and Clemson returning production is actually crazy; pretty much all the big guns from both offense and defense including the QB and OC - first game of the season at home at night.
@Laroja
Eh .. Not hijackin if postin cfb stuff .. I'm not in a spot to pick that one ... yeah Kelly stinks week 1 .. but I don't look at this LSU team as his past ones .. they're taking a massive shot .. I thought the best time to take a shot was last year having the WR's, OL, QB .. but they didn't have the core of a roster to simply xfer in the D they needed and it was clear if not doing that then this wasn't THE YEAR .. took under 8.5 and lost week 1 but thought better team overall and wow did Kelly make it close w 8 wins .. needed USC's big massive effort .. LSU played big in big situations with often less to work with and beat Ole Miss who was fully all in last year shoulda beat them easily .. then after string of losses and ugly injuries and the year is toast they still regrouped and won down the stretch .. also motivated his guys to show up for the bowl .. I think that's a bigger deal than some others might .. this year think the sub fully surfaces and we'll see if Capt Kelly has the torpedoes or not .. if not he's long gone ..
Clemson's wave been steady building to this point .. its unclear to me how buttoned up LSU will be .. OL vs that DL .. oh boiiii .. that could be the whole game right there .. do they have a much more effective real trad run game .. they need it .. BAD .. how's LSU's D front .. can they use the dude LB more effectively, pass rushing etc .. he's a game changer too .. I agree Clem looks like the fav with numerous uncertainties mostly on LSU and facing some elite units etc .. but I project LSU better overall esp if the OL doesn't sink significantly .. Just gunna lay off that one ..
@LonghornHoosier
“I have bet against the Buffs ATS a few times since that joker arrived on campus, and for the most part I have lost”
You continue to have a personal vendetta against Coach Prime and have since day 1. You have been vastly incorrect and disrespectful to the incredible turn around in Boulder. And not just “for the most part lost” Let’s be honest here… you 100% have missed on Deon Sanders. 
the joker is clearly you 
J Woods
@UNIMAN
Certainly not trying to hijack the thread…. Just being 100% honest and I think “joker” is a bit too far on Coach prime. Not to mention this has gone on for a going on 3 seasons. How many times will LH be incorrect about the man.
I think it should be called out if that’s wrong so be it and my bad.. I’m happy to move on. Major respect for Bridge so certainly don’t pitch that game. Take care best regards JJwoods
oh wow, I just saw your heavy on the politics threads…not my cup of tea. I’m here for football 366 days a year.
Coach Prime is not a “joker” in my book. That’s just me
Received my Steele mag today. See he picked Penn St to win it all.
My only plays so far are Lions RSW Over 10.5 and a very small win Big10. Not gonna play them to win it all, even at 7.5-1.
Bridge, what do you think of Sam Houston at WKU week 0?
Both teams full of portal avg players IMO. Bearkats have more returning Bearkats on offense but new coach and scheme. Their defense looks weak, Hilltopper D not much better. Helton has gambled on Abilene Christian QB and OC. One thing I noticed is Helton's offensive fast pace has slowed the last few years. Guessing the new OC and QB may bring back some fast pace but I don't know Abilene Christians pace from last yr. If new QB McIvor was dual threat I would be all over WKU -9.5, but he is not. Still think WKU rolls here. The O/U at 61.5 also on my radar.
My plan is to watch for any news from both camps in August and try to glean more info.
@UNIMAN
I don’t use the magazine
what I do know is all the comments last season about PN St failing in big games every time. Last year that was factual.
Sets up an interesting stairs for 2025.
if it happens once where the make an upset it’s a fluke it won’t happen again right. Wrong twice, another fluke?
Oregon, Ohio St those are the big names in the regular season. Then the conference title, then the bracket. We’ll see.
@spottie2935
Even the most die hard of PSU fans are questionable on Franklin’s game management. Recruiting, dynamite. Would expect more of the same although Knowles is a major upgrade and X factor regarding the season. Penn st coming in with title expectations could tighten the pressure early. I’m still neutral on Drew Allar….i have a 22 to 1 Heisman ticket and he could also be a major flop and crush the hearts of PSU fans. Another X factor….seems a lot of things need to roll their way.
Who the heck is Phil Steele? 
Appreciate your hard work Bridge, tenacious due diligence… 
GL Mr Spottie, I always appreciate your sharp angles and winners. Good man
again Bridge
@spottie2935
Let me clarify that I placed those Penn St bets a few weeks back and then saw Steele picked them to win it all, not because Steele picked them.
Harbaugh used to be in the same boat as Franklin, could never beat a ranked opponent as dog, etc. He got over that hump by getting the right assistants IMO. Maybe Franklin does too? All I need is 11+ wins for a profit here and Big Title a little icing on the cake. Natty?, not going there.
Steele has a lot of info at your fingertips and a lot of rah-rah fluff to ignore. I wish his previous seasons outcomes at the bottom of page bolded ATS wins and not just SU wins, other than that a good reference guide for me.
@UNIMAN
Something else to consider is the cupcake schedule for PSU….Nevada? Villanova? FIU? No Michigan in conference or USC. Season ending roadies Sparty and Rutgers. Hoosiers, NWestern. Seems the trendy selection this preseason is Penn st to finally get that crystal ball, and with that pair of RB’s why not?
Will the blowouts hurt the squad by lack of quality opponents or strengthen the confidence of a Team that needs it this season? The bottom half of the SEC is head and shoulders above the big 10 in my opinion…it’s a gauntlet, which can also wear a team down with injuries and emotional effort.
Big 10 top 4 might be a tad better than the SEC 4…the recent success has proven that. But I think pound for pound the SEC top to bottom still reigns supreme. GL this season. 
Ageed on Frogs lot to prove this year and a reasonable schedule. QB and RB’s are top shelf….defense needs to make a difference. I think they roll into chapel hill and pummel…. With the fear of laying an egg like Colorado last season in Ft Worth. The country was introduced to Travis Hunter that day. Wow what a game. Anyway, preparation and conditioning won’t be a problem needless to say. They’ve been licking their chops for this one. Good stuff buddy.
@UNIMAN
We saw the Mciver Abilene QB nearly beat Texas Tech last year .. he looked just like the Houston Baptist QB who nearly beat Tech a few years ago before he also transferred to WKY and went onto the most passing yards ever season etc .. Mciver had that same kinda it factor .. But I also liked Hunter Watson alot going into last year .. idk if he's even the QB this year think they got another one who might be a better fit for the new offense but .. possible shootout incoming here .. No idea what the makeup of these teams is gunna be both got hit hard .. But if Watson's the guy at sammy then I wouldn't count em out ...
Ourlads has Watson as the projected starter. His 12/8 td/int ratio nothing to crow about but he does have legs.
This game first caught my eye with the 61.5 O/U. After looking at both patchwork D's I'm throwing that Under out. WKU has what looks like a better cast on the O-line but only the projected center is a returner and don't believe he was center last yr. SH has four returners on projected O-line, one with no game exp (lt) and the center is a jrco transfer.
Hmmm, may skip this one. Thanks for the reply!!
@UNIMAN
Let me say that I agree on Penn St this season. When they make the Bracket this season, a lot of the doubters will line up against them this season. I have a future on them to win it all. Ohio St will not this season, Michigan no the rest of the Big 10 NO. Alabama No Georgia? No Clemson maybe LSU interesting but No. Who's left? Notre Dame NO, Texas ? Maybe but I prefer the team that very very few believe in. I love shocker teams. Penn State is off a lot of peoples radar for a championship yet they made the final 4 last year. Anyone can disagree and really I am just making a prediction based upon phycology.
My reasoning is Penn State made the final 4 yet in big game no one believes They havent done it, so they cant do it? Well the other big time schools like Alabama and Ohio St I believe have regressed. It a bet based upon opportunity. There are othe teams that will achieve great wins but I riding with Penn State.
In all sports in the post game championship locker roome inter views with the coach and the first words out of the interviewer is " Well coach a lot of the doubters said you couldnt do it? What do you have to say to them? " Penn State fits this perfectly.
@spottie2935
Can’t disagree and I have a PSU title future as well…. But I do think UGA, Bama, Ohio St, Texas, Notre Dame will absolutely have something to say… Coach Franklin also tends to get in the way of himself. Cup cake schedule may help or hurt, but they will rarely be seriously tested early, besides Oregon at home. I still think the above 5 teams can make a run at the crystal ball. And if it were a prop I would prefer the SEC Teams vs Big Ten Teams for the natty as a change from the previous two seasons.
Whatcha think Bridge and others?
Penn St kinda mirroring Michigan. Wolv's make playoffs in 2022 and beat themselves vs TCU. Next year a little stronger, win it all. Penn St makes playoffs last year and lose, this year a little stronger.......
As far as schedules, Michigan won it all with 63rd toughest rated schedule, Buckeyes last year with 38th, Steele has Lions with 37th this year.
For me, there are 12 teams in a playoff, 1 in 12 chance, give me 12-1 or better. Not much of a futures bettor, really don't like them. Hard enough to put money on Penn St RSW. Did that only after hitting a video poker royal for a grand. 
Established in 1995,
Hot Forum Topics
