Bill Belichick is Recruiting College Kids (Gender Neutral)
Ian's Weekly Thursday NFL Column
Have any of you seen Old School? That’s what Bill Belichick is trying to recreate as he announced that he’s nearing a deal with UNC Tar Heels football to be their next head coach. He is 72 years old and has no experience coaching at the college level. However, he is dating a 24-year-old former cheerleader, the closest thing he’s ever done to college recruiting.
This isn’t much of a difference from the previous coach for the Tar Heels. Their last coach was Mack Brown, who is currently 73. Brown is best known for his success with Texas in the 2000s when Belichick dominated with the New England Patriots. At UNC, Brown made a bowl game every season with the Tar Heels, but their record has gotten worse every year for the last three seasons. Hence, the coaching change.
Honestly, I fail to see what entices either party to join the other. I believe the best-case scenario for the Tar Heels is to become what the Colorado Buffaloes are. In Boulder, the coach is the brand, building the program up from nothing. However, the catch is that it generates more media attention than you want, and there’s always the threat of him ditching you and going to the NFL. But, so far, so good.
For Bill, I don’t know why he wanted to go to North Carolina. Maybe he can turn the program into something, and with how modern-day college athletics are (i.e., NIL and transfer portal), the team could be promising relatively shortly. I’m not sure what his salary is, but maybe he’s making good money to do it. It has to be more than being on TV and making sporadic appearances on the ManningCast. Perhaps he thinks this is a job he can parlay into being an NFL head coach again? Who knows.
But the million-dollar question is, what pull does a 72-year-old Belichick have in 2025? I’m curious to see how he separates himself in recruiting from other programs, especially compared to Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, etc. Because that’s what the expectations will be with Belichick at the helm. And if he can’t recruit at a big-time level, that will crush the Tar Heels.
To sum up, I am skeptical about this entire situation. I’m unconvinced that UNC sees immediate improvement on the field, and I doubt Belichick will take the job seriously enough to be competitive. However, I also had doubts about Deion Sanders moving up to the FBS when he got the job in Colorado, so anything is possible! All I know is that I hope Belichick’s girlfriend is ready to watch Wake Forest film because it’s brutal out here. (She could also say Karma is a guy on the Heels. That’s somewhat fun).
The Best CFB 25 Clip I Saw This Week
I’m glad to know there’s a curse on the CFB video game, just like there is in Madden. Between Donovan Edwards and Christian McCaffrey, this seems like a bad year to be a running back. Hopefully, nothing serious happens to Arch Manning, who I assume will be the cover athlete next season. That will go hard.
Ian’s In-Flight Entertainment of the Week
I went with The Lorax because Luigi Manigone (the UnitedHealthcare CEO killer) gave it five stars on Goodreads. What a king. The cast in the 2012 film adaptation is crazy. Danny Devito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Rob Riggle, Jenny Slate, and Betty White. That is an outrageous group of people. The new film has a 53% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so you’re probably best to stick with the old movie or read the book.
Weekly College Football Preview (and Picks!)
Everybody wants to talk about how much ball Timothee Chalamet knows after going on Gameday, which is fair, to be honest. He dropped names and stats all over the place, making Nick Saban look like nothing more than a hot-take artist. But you know who got all of his picks right last weekend? ME! WHERE’S MY RESPECT?!?! WHY ISN’T ANYONE CALLING ME LISAN AL-GAIB?
The first 12-team playoff bracket, announced Sunday, is this week's other major college football story. Under these circumstances, the committee got it right. I don’t love that conference champions automatically get first-round byes, but those were the rules, and if it goes poorly, they’ll change it for next season. Few people had Boise State as the three-seed or Arizona State as the four-seed at the beginning of the season. But that’s the beauty of college football! Anything can happen, and nothing is guaranteed. It’s all earned, except for Bama getting a spot because they had three losses.
Moving over to the picks portion, I’m 50-22 this season and have 42 FBS games to pick between now and the end of the college season. This week is a little different since there is only one FBS game to choose from; I will be dipping my toes into the world of FCS Playoffs. It’s below the FBS, but several notable names have played for FCS schools, including Adam Vinatieri, Jared Allen, and Joe Flacco, to name a few. So, it’s the same circumstances, just different schools.
Anyway, here’s my picks for the week.
Cheap Ticket of the Week: Incarnate Word Cardinals vs. South Dakota State Jackrabbits ($30)
The FCS also has a bracket, with Incarnate Word as the sixth seed and South Dakota State as the third seed. These teams met earlier in the season, with the Jackrabbits winning 45-24 at home. However, that was on a 73-degree day in September. Saturday’s game is expected to snow and have a high of 28. I like South Dakota State to win, especially with Amar Johnson running the ball.
Winner: South Dakota State
Sicko Mode Game of the Week: Idaho Vandals vs. Montana State Bobcats
This week, I learned why Idaho is called the “Vandals.” I guess it’s cool, but for a program that hasn’t won much in its recent history, it’s a bit lame. Although, their 2016 Idaho Potato Bowl win was remarkable. Alas, this game is on Sicko Mode watch because it’s Friday night in Bozeman against Montana State, who is the number one seed. It’s the Bobcats’ game to lose, and I don’t see them flopping on their home field.
Winner: Montana State
Spend Time With Your Family/Touch Grass Game: Mercer Bears vs. North Dakota State Bison
I don’t mean to disrespect either program by putting this game in this category. However, North Dakota State should win this game handily as they’re the second seed at home and favoured by 18 points. The Bears don’t have the defense to keep up with the Bison’s offense, as ND State has scored at least 40 points in four of their last five games. I’ll take the Bison to win.
Winner: North Dakota State
Upset of the Week: UC Davis Aggies vs. South Dakota Coyotes
Sure, I’ll go with the Aggies. Why not? UC Davis quarterback Miles Hastings has been outstanding this season, throwing for over 4,000 yards, 35 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Playing South Dakota on the road won’t be easy, but at least they are playing in The DakotaDome, an indoor stadium where it should be easier to make throws. That’s why I’m taking UC Davis in an upset.
Winner: UC Davis
Lock of the Week: Navy Midshipmen vs. #22 Army Black Knights
The historic Army-Navy game takes place this weekend at Northwest Stadium, home of the Washington Commanders. It marks the first time this game will be played at that stadium since 2011, when Navy won 27-21. This will be another fantastic matchup, with each team looking to run it down each other’s throats. I’m taking the Black Knights to win their third straight meeting against the Midshipmen and celebrate proudly in the nation’s capital. Go Army, Beat Navy.
Winner: #22 Army
Other Games of Yan-terest this Weekend:
None
NFL Preview (and Picks!)
I went 4-1 again last week and would’ve gone 5-0 if I hadn’t dipped my toes in the Jags-Titans game last week. I’m now 47-20 this season and inching closer to my goal of getting 60 wins. There is still work and more games to pick, so let’s do it again.
Here are my NFL picks this week:
The NFL is Doing Too Much: Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings
It's another week with two Monday Night games, and because I’m discussing the other one later, I’ll discuss Bears-Vikings here. This is a must-win game for Minnesota. They can’t go down the home stretch here with a loss to the sloppy Bears on their resume. The Vikings are the most underrated team in football, and a loss here would set them back big time. And there’s no way I’m putting my faith in Chicago winning a game, so give me Minny.
Winner: Minnesota.
Yan’s Commit to the Bit Game: New England Patriots vs. Arizona Cardinals
Since Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 came out, the Cardinals are 3-3 and are on track to miss the playoffs. Even though Kyler Murray is playing reasonably well this season, he has never been beating the allegations. I’m sorry. If Arizona can’t beat New England at home, the emergency sires will be blaring in the Greater Phoenix Area.
Winner: Arizona
Eliza’s Survivor Pool Pick: Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Giants
I’m running out of teams to pick here, but the Ravens are beating the Giants on Sunday. New York hasn’t won since October 6th. They haven’t scored a passing touchdown since November 3rd. What are we doing here? Baltimore by a billion.
Winner: Baltimore
506 Sports Regional Special: Indianapolis Colts vs. Denver Broncos
This game is getting BURIED among the late afternoon games on Sunday, including Bills-Lions and Steelers-Eagles. I’m sure there will be a long stretch from Denver to Indy, with local networks covering this game (including in Kansas City), but if you’re getting this game and not any of the other big ones, I’m so sorry.
Winner: Denver
I Hope This Team Comes Through Because It Would Be SOOOOO Funny: Atlanta Falcons vs. Las Vegas Raiders
I speak for all Falcons fans when I say we’re ready for Big Penix Energy. Things are not going well right now for Atlanta, and losing to the Raiders in Vegas on Monday night would only pour more gasoline on the fire. That’s why I’m rooting for the Raiders and hope (insert name here) can lead the way at quarterback.
Winner: Las Vegas