Penn State's national title hopes will lean on this position
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A lot of scoop from Penn State.
Good things so far.
I've got my fingers crossed.
Sounds like good things so far on these wide receiver transfers.
Which could be the difference between them losing two games and winning a national title this year.
Uh, Kobe Hudson's a freshman like him.
Uh, they got a redshirt freshman, Tyse Denmark like him.
So all of a sudden, wide receiver depth at Penn State is a concept that could be a reality.
You're saying to yourself, I'm gonna have to see that to believe it.
That's okay, because I'm the same way.
Some things I have to see, like Lincoln Riley having a really good defense.
I gotta see that to believe it.
Wide receiver play scaling up at Penn State.
Respectfully, I gotta see it to believe it.
I will also tell you that we have heard great things about Amari Campbell, uh, that is a North Carolina transfer at linebacker who could green dot him.
It could be the play caller there for Penn State.
And I mean, that's a team that's really good defensively.
Tony Rojas is there.
Expect a big year from him.
Linebacker, but Amari Campbell was talking to some guys that were on the staff at North Carolina last year, could not say enough good things about Amari Campbell.
And so that's a guy that's overlooked because of the wide receivers they went and got, but Amari Campbell, you're gonna see him like Oregon comes in there in week 4, week 5, I think just remember that name, because that's a kid by week 5 I really, really think it's gonna be a stalwart defensively for them, and you know they got a lot of them.
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Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Chaos, Dynasties, Nittany Lions: What We Learned From College Football 26 Simulations
College Football Chaos, Dynasties, Nittany Lions: What We Learned From College Football 26 Simulations Published Aug. 20, 2025 12:28 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link What happens when you simulate 50 seasons in EA Sports' "College Football 26" video game? Chaos, dynasties, heartbreak — and a few unexpected powerhouses. Thanks to the video game's "Dynasty Mode" feature, we tracked Heisman winners, conference champions, College Football Playoff contenders and who will win the national championship in Miami on Jan. 19. While Ohio State finished the 2024 season on top of the college football world, the Buckeyes won't rule the sport once again this season, according to our 50 dynasty simulations. The reigning national champions failed to win the national championship once in our simulations. Moreover, the Buckeyes only played in two national championship games, losing to a school more well-known for its basketball prowess in one of them. Ohio State only made the College Football Playoff on 16 occasions in the 50 simulations. In order to get as many realistic, undiluted results as possible, we used default settings and chose lower-tier teams from Group of 5 conferences to "play" as in each dynasty file. We did not recruit or play any games, but rather skipped ahead to the end of the regular season in order to find the Heisman Trophy winner, conference champions and CFP field. We then skipped ahead to the end of the CFP to find the national champion. Our hope was to get some definitive expectations and predictions for the upcoming season, while also figuring out who could cause the most chaos in 2025. Our very first simulation might have been our most chaotic. Duke ran the table in the ACC, going 12-0 before losing to Pitt in the conference title game. However, the Panthers didn't make the CFP because they weren't one of the five-highest-ranked conference champions. That loss also didn't derail Duke from making a deep CFP run, reaching the semifinals. Duke lost to Texas Tech in that game, with the Red Raiders taking down USC in the national championship game. Oh, and SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings won the Heisman in that simulation — he currently has the 19th-best odds to win the award (+5000, via DraftKings Sportsbook). ADVERTISEMENT Chaos, indeed! So, let's dig deeper and unveil what we learned from our simulations. National champions There's a three-way tie atop the leaderboard for the team that won the most national championships over the course of our 50 simulations. Clemson, Georgia and Penn State each won it all eight times. Those three schools having success in the game shouldn't be too surprising. All three were recently ranked in the top five of the preseason AP Top 25 poll, with Penn State coming in at No. 2, Clemson at No. 4 and Georgia at No. 5. In fact, FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt ranked the Nittany Lions No. 1 in his preseason poll, saying they have the blueprint of the last two national champions. FOX Sports' RJ Young, meanwhile, had all three schools ranked in the top seven of his Ultimate 136 Rankings. For Georgia, two of its national championship wins might have felt a bit more cathartic. The Bulldogs defeated Miami (Fla.) and former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck in two of those eight national championship victories. Beck was able to help the Hurricanes achieve some success in our simulations, though. Miami won the national championship four times, which is tied for the most after Clemson, Georgia and Penn State. Oregon and Texas Tech also won the national championship four times. The Hurricanes and Ducks accounting for 16% of the national titles won in this exercise shouldn't be much of a surprise as they were both ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 poll. But the Red Raiders, even with their reported massive spending to upgrade their roster, would seem to be a bit of a shock, as they were ranked 23rd in the preseason poll. The most surprising national champions in this exercise, based on preseason rankings, were Duke and Nebraska. Both defeated Ohio State to win the national championship. Texas, ranked No. 1 in AP Top 25 poll and in RJ Young's Ultimate 136, only won the national championship once. Going by conference, the Big Ten and SEC each won the national championship 16 times. An ACC team won the national championship on 13 occasions, while Texas Tech represented all four of the Big 12's national title wins. Notre Dame also won a national championship. Power 4 Conference Champions No team had a larger stranglehold on its conference in the 50 simulations than Texas Tech, winning the Big 12 a total of 28 times. The Red Raiders were the only power conference team to win their conference at least 20 times in this exercise, which is a bit of a surprise since the consensus seems to be that the Big 12 is wide open entering the 2025 season. Baylor (11), BYU (4) and Iowa State (3) were the only other teams to win the conference on multiple occasions. Kansas, Colorado and Utah were also among the teams that won the Big 12. In the Big Ten, Penn State prevailed the most, winning the conference 19 times as James Franklin's Nittany Lions seek to get over the hump in 2025. Oregon had the second-most Big Ten titles with 12, while Michigan (6), USC (6), Illinois (2), Indiana (2) and Ohio State (2) were the other multi-time Big Ten winners. Nebraska won the conference once, too. While Georgia was king of the SEC in our 50 simulations, there was an extreme amount of parity in the conference. The Bulldogs won the SEC 11 times, with Alabama (8) and Texas (7) coming second and third, respectively. Six other teams won the SEC in our simulations, as Florida (6), Oklahoma (5), South Carolina (5), Texas A&M (4), LSU (2) and Tennessee (2) all won the conference multiple times. No team prevailed in the CFP more than Clemson, but the Tigers played second fiddle to Miami in the ACC. The Hurricanes won the conference 19 times over our simulations, while Clemson won the ACC on 15 occasions. Duke was the only other school to win the conference at least 10 times, winning it exactly that number of times. Virginia Tech (3), Pitt (2) and SMU (1) were also among the schools to win the ACC. Heisman After a breakout season in 2024, Cade Klubnik emerged as the top player in college football in more than a handful of our simulations. The Clemson quarterback won the Heisman 13 times, which was the most of any player. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had the second-most Heisman wins with nine. Smith's number of Heisman wins shouldn't come as a major surprise as the "College Football 26" co-cover star also has the highest rating of any player in the game. The most surprising multi-time Heisman winner might have been USF quarterback Byrum Brown. He won the Heisman four times, even though the Bulls didn't make the CFP once in the 50 simulations. Oregon had a couple of multi-time Heisman winners in the 50 simulations, with quarterback Dante Moore and running back Makhi Hughes each winning it twice. So did Ohio State, with quarterback Julian Sayin winning it twice. Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams, who joined Smith on the cover of the video game, was a two-time Heisman winner in our 50 simulations. Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer (2) rounds out the players who won the Heisman on multiple occasions in our simulations, which would be welcomed news for the Sooners fans. Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein, Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava, Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza each won the Heisman once. Toledo quarterback Tucker Gleason was probably the most unlikely player to win the Heisman across our 50 simulations. He had the lowest overall rating (80) among the 17 players to win the Heisman in our exercise, but his strong dual-threat ability in one of the 50 seasons was good enough for him to take home the award. He threw for 4,047 yards, 31 touchdowns and two interceptions to go with 416 rushing yards and 12 rushing scores in his Heisman-winning season, leading Toledo to a MAC title. However, the Rockets were not ranked high enough to reach the CFP. Best team: Penn State Is this the year that James Franklin finally breaks through and wins big games? "College Football 26" seems to think so. The Nittany Lions won the national championship eight times, which we already mentioned was tied for the most. But they also made the CFP 42 times in the 50 simulations, which was more than the two other teams that also won the national championship eight times in the simulations (Clemson, 32; Georgia, 31). Penn State also made the national championship game on 10 occasions, so winning it eight times is pretty impressive. Biggest surprises: Duke, Texas Tech North Carolina might have the greatest coach in football history joining its sideline this season, but another school on Tobacco Road achieved great success in "College Football 26." The Blue Devils were consistent contenders in this exercise, winning the ACC 10 times and making the CFP on 26 occasions. They also reached the national championship game four times, winning it once. As for Texas Tech, the 23rd-ranked Red Raiders' relative dominance of the Big 12 stood out, but they also were able to make a handful of deep runs in the CFP, too. In addition to their four national championships, quarterback Behren Morton also won the Heisman once. Biggest disappointments: Ohio State, Texas We already hit on how underwhelming the Buckeyes were earlier in this story, but here's some added context: Ohio State has the highest-rated offensive (Jeremiah Smith) and defensive (Caleb Downs) players in the game. So, even with that elite talent, Ohio State still couldn't break through once. As for Texas, the Longhorns were ranked No. 1 in several preseason polls, but "College Football 26" isn't feeling "Arch Mania." Not only did Texas only win it all just once, but Manning only finished in the top five of the Heisman voting twice. He didn't win the award once in 50 simulations, which would be a shock as he enters the season as the betting favorite to win the Heisman. Chaos sim Simulation No. 1 might have been the most chaotic, with Texas Tech winning it all while beating Duke in the semis along the way. If it wasn't that one, then it was simulation No. 44. Duke, an 11th-seed, defeated sixth-seed Miami, third-seeded Texas and 10th-seeded Penn State before taking down ninth-seeded Ohio State in the national championship game. BYU was the other semifinalist, while the ACC had five teams make the 12-team CFP. The SEC only had one representative. Coaching carousel Of everything that happened in these 50 simulations, the most chaotic thing might have been the coaching carousel. With real-life coaches being included in the game for the first time, the coaching carousel brought a lot of interesting twists and turns. If "College Football 26" is to be believed, Michigan's Sherrone Moore has one of the hottest seats in the nation. He was fired in 20 of the simulations, even getting axed after leading Michigan to the CFP on one occasion. Texas' Steve Sarkisian replaced Moore on 17 of the 20 occasions, which is interesting as Sarkisian doesn't have any obvious connections to the program. As for the other three times Moore was fired, Michigan hired Oregon's Dan Lanning, who left Eugene for Ann Arbor after helping the Ducks reach the national championship on one occasion. But Lanning pulling a Kalen DeBoer wasn't the only jaw-dropping thing to come from the coaching carousel. Four years after shockingly leaving Oklahoma for USC, Lincoln Riley returned to Norman in two of the 50 simulations. In one of those instances, Riley became Oklahoma's head coach again after coaching USC to the title game. Speaking of DeBoer, he either left or was fired by Alabama in 11 simulations. Dabo Swinney replaced him each time, including after a Clemson national title. South Carolina's Shane Beamer and Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin were the most frequent coaches to replace Swinney at Clemson, while Kiffin was also the most frequent coach to replace Sarkisian at Texas. As for Moore, he was able to land a head coaching job each time he was fired. He mostly got head coaching roles with non-power conference schools, but Washington, Louisville and Kentucky each hired him in different simulations. Penn State's James Franklin left Happy Valley to become Notre Dame's head coach after winning the national championship in one of the simulations. Franklin replaced Marcus Freeman in all six instances that he was fired, and even hired Baylor head coach Dave Aranda to be his defensive coordinator after he coached the Bears to the CFP in one simulation. While no coach has seemingly dealt with more pressure than Ryan Day in recent years, Ohio State kept him after all 50 simulations. Maybe the national championship brought him some stability? Nebraska's Matt Rhule was fired a whopping 22 times in our simulations, but resurfaced as a head coach at Big Ten schools nearly every single time (Wisconsin, Maryland, Rutgers). He also made the bold move to go back to the NFL after one of the seasons. Finally, while Bill Belichick and Deion Sanders aren't in the game, the avatars portraying them each went to the NFL once over the 50 simulations. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. What did you think of this story? share
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Can UNC roll out an improved special teams unit behind Bill Belichick?
There were so many things that were disappointing to watch as a UNC Football fan the last few years under Mack Brown. Higher on the list than it should be was just how special teams always seemed to be a problem for the Tar Heels. Michael Koh from has a great run down of a few of the major snafus that cost Carolina some games. In it, he points out the two plays that probably spelled the end of the Mack Brown Era—both a blocked punt for a touchdown and a successful onside kick against James Madison. Add in other mistakes through the years, and you have a recipe that easily cost the Tar Heels more than a share of games. So while it's easy to look at all of the changeover on offense and defense to try and figure out how Carolina will handle the roster turnover and new coaches, perhaps the biggest place that new coach Bill Belichick will likely have a mark is on special teams. He was known through the NFL for having a high level of passion for that phase of the game, and it lines up with his much more hands-on style. So with that, let's take a quick peek at what we can expect on special teams this season: Key Departures All of the place kickers from last season are gone That includes Noah Burnette, who took the opportunity to go from Carolina to Notre Dame. He peaked against Minnesota when he hit a 52 yarder and also hit a 45-yard game-winner in the game that saw Max Johnson break his leg. He was a Lou Groza award watch candidate and overall seemed like he was ready for big things. Much like the rest of the Tar Heels though, he would have inconsistent moments, and with the changeover in coaches he took all that potential to the Fighting Irish. Liam Boyd was the player looking to move in for Burnette, but instead the Tar Heels will likely see him in the second week of the season against Charlotte. Also, despite Bill Belichick's love for all things lacrosse, Ryan Hornyak currently isn't listed on the roster, and looks to be concentrating just on lacrosse. Key Returnees In perhaps one of the most important positions on the team, the Tar Heels do bring a piece with a lot of experience back in the position of long snapper. Spencer Triplett was the snapper for all of the Tar Heels place kicks, and is actually on the Patrick Manelly Watch List to start the season as the best long snapper in college football. With so much roster turnover and so much new being learned, having someone as solid as Triplett hiking the ball for place kicks will help everyone else around him during the season. Tom Maginess is also one of the few returnees for the Tar Heels. Maginess is the Aussie punter who stepped in to the role in 2023 when Ben Kiernan was hurt against Syracuse, then held the job through the 2024 season. He averaged 41.12 yards per kick, and had a long of 65 yards against Duke. He's going to be in for some competition, as we'll get to, but the fact that he stayed does indicate he feels he at least has a good shot. Key Newcomers Like just about every other position group, this special teams unit is led by a new coach — Mike Priefer. Priefer has nearly three decades of experience in special teams coaching, and most of it in the NFL. His last stint was coaching special teams in Cleveland from 2019-22, and in the Koh piece referenced above, Priefer said his interview with Belichick went over two hours just talking about the group. You know that anyone Belichick hires for this coaching spot will have passion for it, and based on interviews it appears this group is in good hands. There will be a new placekicker for Carolina, as first-year Guytano Bartolomeo from New Jersey and Marshall senior transfer Rece Verhoff are battling out for the gig. Bartolomeo is just starting his journey so it's possible that Verhoff will have an advantage to start, with Bartolomeo remaining as the more long-term play. Verhoff's stats from last year include a three-for-three day with a 51-yard make, kicking 14 of 19 overall. There is another competition for kicking, and that's on the punting side. Despite Maginess staying, the simple fact is that Carolina ranked 16th out of 17 ACC squads in punting last year, and so there was room for someone else to fight for the job. Enter Jacob Horvath, another Aussie who transferred in from Eastern Illinois. His stats for Eastern Illinois show the competition to be legit, and he has a 76-yarder to his name. One would think that something like kicking the ball would translate the same no matter what school he plays for, but we'll see what the result is. Outlook Very, very, very few people get excited about special teams. In general, it's only something that's noticed when you make a mistake, not when things go well. Unfortunately, this aspect of the game has been very much noticed in Chapel Hill the last few years. If there is one area that fans should feel good about, though, it's this one. Between the experience leading the squad, the players that are here, and the head coach's passion for this specific phase of the game, this area of the game should be more consistent for Carolina and significantly less likely to cost the Tar Heels games. Still, we're talking about college kickers, and we have no idea who'll head out for the big roles until kickoff September 1st. Here's hoping the only time we really notice is then.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
'He's going to be great in this league': Texans QB C.J. Stroud praises rookie Tay Ersery
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud might have been the star of a 20-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers, but he wasn't the talking point in pressers following the game. Stroud, who completed 6 of 8 pass attempts for 44 yards, capped off with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins, made sure to thank his offensive line for quality protection during the afternoon. In 25 snaps, the unit allowed just one pressure and zero sacks, culminating in a scoring drive before the end of the first quarter. While there are five players, Stroud made sure to credit rookie offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery for his work ethic on learning two positions at the same time throughout camp. The second-round pick was expected to be the starting right tackle, but after Cam Robinson suffered an injury at The Greenbrier, a shift back to left tackle was necessary. His attitude and adaptability caught Stroud's attention in camp, but his detail of improving has helped improve the team's overall chemistry. "Tae has one of the best mindsets I've seen from a rookie in my couple years in the league. He texted me the night he got drafted. I texted him and I was like, 'Hey, excited to have you on the team,' and he said 'I'm going to die on the O-line for you," Stroud said Saturday. "I'm going to die out there.' I was like, 'all right. I appreciate you saying that.' That's just his mindset. He wants to be great." A former Big Ten offensive lineman of the year, Ersery has the right mindset to help transform Houston's offensive line for the better, which needs change after Stroud was sacked 52 times in the 2024 season. One benefactor for Ersery's growth are his first-team reps in practice. Most rookies aren't going up against two All-Pro talents in Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. daily. In practice, it looks like a loss because of how developed the two defensive ends are, but Stroud views it as a win in live games. "When he faces other guys, it's kind of easy, but he still keeps up the same tenacity and that same work ethic," Stroud said. "Very mature guy, loves football, loves his teammates, and I think he's going to be great in this league.' The Texans hit the road on Wednesday for a joint practice with the Detroit Lions ahead of Saturday's preseason finale. This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans QB C.J. Stroud praises rookie OT Aireontae Ersery's mindset
