<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>UMass Minutemen Archives - Saturday Glory</title>
	<atom:link href="https://saturdayglory.com/team-posts/umass-minutemen/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>https://saturdayglory.com/team-posts/umass-minutemen/</link>
	<description>College Football News &#38; Updates</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sat, 18 May 2024 02:50:04 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>
	hourly	</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>
	1	</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4</generator>

<image>
	<url>https://saturdayglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-SGFavicon-32x32.png</url>
	<title>UMass Minutemen Archives - Saturday Glory</title>
	<link>https://saturdayglory.com/team-posts/umass-minutemen/</link>
	<width>32</width>
	<height>32</height>
</image> 
	<item>
		<title>EA Sports College Football 25 features, gameplay shared in full reveal</title>
		<link>https://saturdayglory.com/2024/05/18/ea-sports-college-football-25-features-gameplay-shared-in-full-reveal/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ea-sports-college-football-25-features-gameplay-shared-in-full-reveal</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Benge]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 May 2024 02:49:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Fowler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College Football 25]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College Football Playoff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daryl Holt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Pollack]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donovan Edwards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Football Bowl Subdivision]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heisman Trophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jesse Palmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kirk Herbstreit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quinn Ewers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rece Davis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travis Hunter]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://saturdayglory.com/?p=14915</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Set to launch worldwide on July 19, a full reveal of the modes and features of EA Sports College Football...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/05/18/ea-sports-college-football-25-features-gameplay-shared-in-full-reveal/">EA Sports College Football 25 features, gameplay shared in full reveal</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="iframe-wrapper iframe-video"><iframe title="College Football 25 | Official Reveal Trailer" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W1QDaXkufCo?feature=oembed" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



<p>Set to launch worldwide on July 19, a full reveal of the modes and features of EA Sports College Football 25 was <a href="https://news.ea.com/press-releases/press-releases-details/2024/EA-SPORTS--Gives-First-Look-at-Gameplay-Modes--Fan-Favorite-Ways-to-Play-in-EA-SPORTS-College-Football-25/default.aspx">announced on Friday</a>.</p>



<p>Dynasty and Road To Glory modes will be available in College Football 25, according to a release. Those two modes will allow players “to construct their own powerhouse program as a created coach or vie for the <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/tag/heisman-trophy/">Heisman</a> as a player” in what the video game introduces as CampusIQ, which will be “a suite of features that brings to life the true depth of college football through wide open, fast-paced gameplay across all 134 FBS schools in all areas of the game.”</p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/05/17/espn-fox-and-warner-bros-discovery-introduce-venu-sports-streaming-service/">ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery introduce Venu Sports streaming service</a></p>



<p>Over 10,000 players have opted into College Football 25, <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/03/04/ea-sports-announces-10k-players-have-opted-in-to-college-football-25/">it was announced in March</a>. Any student-athlete who opts in and has their name, image and likeness used will receive $600 and a copy of the video game.</p>



<p>College Football 25 will also offer “the all-new Road to the <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/tag/college-football-playoff/">College Football Playoff</a> and College Football Ultimate Team<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />” that will “bring fresh online experiences and ways to play.”</p>



<p>“EA SPORTS College Football is BACK! We’ve felt the passion and anticipation of college football fans every step of the way since we first announced this game, and we’re ecstatic to finally be able to show everyone what we’ve been building,” EA Sports SVP and Group GM Daryl Holt stated in a release. “College Football 25 is built with authenticity at its core, inspired by experiences our fans have loved from our games, and fully evolved to reflect modern college football – all of which will immerse them in the sights, sounds, and true-to-life gameplay of the sport they love.”</p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/05/16/northwestern-announces-2024-schedule-will-play-2-games-at-wrigley-field/">Northwestern announces 2024 schedule, will play 2 games at Wrigley Field</a></p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bring Glory Home. <br><br>Coming July 19. Pre-Order Now <br><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/1f517.png" alt="🔗" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />: <a href="https://t.co/sJ7cJ5NXLj">https://t.co/sJ7cJ5NXLj</a><br><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFB25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CFB25</a> <a href="https://t.co/iJWl5ZxVQl">pic.twitter.com/iJWl5ZxVQl</a></p>&mdash; EASPORTSCollege (@EASPORTSCollege) <a href="https://twitter.com/EASPORTSCollege/status/1791483861718663547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/05/15/abc-espn-unveil-weeks-0-1-broadcast-schedule/">ABC, ESPN unveil Weeks 0-1 broadcast schedule</a></p>



<p>EA Sports <a href="https://news.ea.com/press-releases/press-releases-details/2024/EA-SPORTS-College-Football-25-Launches-Worldwide-on-July-19-With-Donovan-Edwards-Quinn-Ewers--Travis-Hunter-on-the-Cover/default.aspx">unveiled the cover of College Football 25 on Thursday</a>, showcasing <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/team-posts/michigan-wolverines/">Michigan</a> running back <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/tag/donovan-edwards/">Donovan Edwards</a>, <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/team-posts/texas-longhorns/">Texas</a> quarterback <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/tag/quinn-ewers/">Quinn Ewers</a> and <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/team-posts/colorado-buffaloes/">Colorado</a> defensive back/wide receiver <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/tag/travis-hunter/">Travis Hunter</a>. They will star on the covers of the Standard and Deluxe editions.</p>



<p>“Donovan, Quinn and Travis are extraordinary talents who impressed and entertained millions of college football fans on the field last season and are poised to do so again this year,” Holt stated in a release. “We’re proud to be able to incorporate thousands of current athletes in College Football 25, and featuring this trio of playmakers and their iconic college programs on the cover is a perfect fit as we usher in a new era for EA SPORTS and college football. I can&#8217;t wait for the world to learn more about the game tomorrow.&#8221;</p>



<p>ESPN broadcasters such as Chris Fowler and <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/tag/kirk-herbstreit/">Kirk Herbstreit</a> will “call marquee matchups,” along with other broadcast teams such as <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/tag/rece-davis/">Rece Davis</a>, Jesse Palmer and David Pollack will comprise the virtual booth and “take the mic for all other games.”</p>



<p>Among the gameplay features include Homefield Advantage, which will allow players to “through distractions like screen shaking, missing pre-play icons, and moving play art.” Additional features consist of Pre-Snap Recognition and the Wear &amp; Tear System, which means virtual player stamina is affected by more play so it will be important to “manage your players’ health, limit fatigue, assess risk of injury, and avoid on-field mistakes by using strategic substitutions to ensure your players are at their best when it counts the most.”</p>



<p>The traditions within college football that make it one of a kind will be immersed in College Football 25. Along with team mascots and fight songs, the video game will include “unique team run-outs, rivalry rituals, synchronized crowd-chants, loudness meters as well as real game-day audio.”</p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/05/13/colorado-nebraska-primetime-kickoff-announced-for-week-2-matchup-on-nbc/">Colorado-Nebraska primetime kickoff announced for Week 2 matchup on NBC</a></p>



<p>Dynasty and Road To Glory modes are also offered in the video game alongside Road to the College Football Playoff, where players will “experience a new way to play competitively across consoles” and “earn rank by upsetting the toughest opponents and securing the votes you need to progress and level up divisions,” as well as College Football Ultimate Team.</p>



<p>College Football Ultimate Team will allow players to “build your dream team of college football stars and legends” in Solo Challenges or H2H seasons, and they can test their skill across consoles “in more competitive formats like College Football Ultimate Team<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Champs and Champs Gauntlet.”</p>



<p>EA Sports College Football 25 is available for pre-order now. <a href="https://www.extrapointsmb.com/p/heres-one-reason-may-not-see-college-sports-video-games-released-pc">According to Matt Brown of Extra Points</a>, the video game will not be available for PC at launch. EA Sports is also offering an MVP bundle on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S that will include deluxe editions of College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25 “with 3-day early access and unlocks a multitude of benefits across both titles.”</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/05/18/ea-sports-college-football-25-features-gameplay-shared-in-full-reveal/">EA Sports College Football 25 features, gameplay shared in full reveal</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>NCAA President Charlie Baker advocates for removal of college sports prop betting</title>
		<link>https://saturdayglory.com/2024/03/29/ncaa-president-charlie-baker-advocates-for-removal-of-college-sports-prop-betting/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ncaa-president-charlie-baker-advocates-for-removal-of-college-sports-prop-betting</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Benge]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Mar 2024 00:45:58 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Charlie Baker]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://saturdayglory.com/?p=14707</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>NCAA President Charlie Baker is speaking out about prop betting and college sports, and he wants to see a change...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/03/29/ncaa-president-charlie-baker-advocates-for-removal-of-college-sports-prop-betting/">NCAA President Charlie Baker advocates for removal of college sports prop betting</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>NCAA President Charlie Baker is speaking out about prop betting and college sports, and he wants to see a change within sports gambling.</p>



<p>Baker <a href="https://x.com/ncaa_pr/status/1772977545534726499?s=61">released a statement Wednesday</a> calling for sportsbooks to discontinue prop bets within college contests. He stated “the NCAA is drawing the line on sports betting to protect student-athletes and to protect the integrity of the game.”</p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/03/28/washington-names-washington-states-pat-chun-new-ad/">Washington names Washington State’s Pat Chun new AD</a></p>



<p>“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes getting harassed,” Baker stated. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets. This week we will be contacting officials across the country in states that still allow these bets and ask them to join Ohio, Vermont, Maryland and many others and remove college prop bets from all betting markets. The NCAA is drawing the line on sports betting to protect student-athletes and to protect the integrity of the game &#8211; issues across the country these last several days show there is more work to be done.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With sports betting on the rise, the NCAA is acting to protect student-athletes from harassment and working to protect the integrity of the game – this week shows why it’s so important to act. <a href="https://t.co/krATwpS4hZ">pic.twitter.com/krATwpS4hZ</a></p>&mdash; NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAA_PR/status/1772977545534726499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>Baker is the latest leader to put in question prop bets, which some states already disallow including Maryland and Ohio.</p>



<p>Irregular betting patterns have become a popular topic in recent years as mor states legalize sports gambling. Prop bets are unique because bettors gamble on outcomes unrelated to the final score.</p>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-charlie-baker-prop-bets-ban-college-sports-dc816ef0dfbc5cab60771aa5535d0616">According to Ralph D. Russo of The Associated Press</a>, there are 38 states that allow some form of sports betting.</p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/03/26/reports-oregon-state-washington-state-finalize-settlement-with-outgoing-pac-12-teams/">Reports: Oregon State, Washington State finalize settlement with outgoing Pac-12 teams</a></p>



<p>The NCAA also “has partnered with a data science company called Signify, which also works with the NBA Players Association and WNBA, to identify online threats made to athletes during championship events that are linked to wagering,” according to the AP.</p>



<p>Here are where some states stand on sports gambling, according to the AP:</p>



<p>Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Pennsylvania “have rules prohibiting prop betting on college athletes that predate the NCAA’s recent push.”</p>



<p>Connecticut, Illinois and Iowa “do not allow college athlete prop bets involving in-state teams.”</p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/03/26/cincinnati-hires-brad-wittke-as-chief-of-staff/">Cincinnati hires Brad Wittke as chief of staff</a></p>



<p>Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan and Wyoming “allow bettors to place prop bets on college athletes regardless of where they play.”</p>



<p>Ohio, Maryland and Vermont “have removed prop betting on college athletes online and in sportsbooks.”</p>



<p>Baker figures to lead an important effort to remove prop betting on college competition from sportsbooks. There have been instances around the NCAA, such as when a Temple men’s basketball regular season game was flagged by U.S. Integrity “for wagering irregularities,” according to the AP.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/03/29/ncaa-president-charlie-baker-advocates-for-removal-of-college-sports-prop-betting/">NCAA President Charlie Baker advocates for removal of college sports prop betting</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>EA Sports announces 10K players have opted in to &#8216;College Football 25&#8217;</title>
		<link>https://saturdayglory.com/2024/03/04/ea-sports-announces-10k-players-have-opted-in-to-college-football-25/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ea-sports-announces-10k-players-have-opted-in-to-college-football-25</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Benge]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Mar 2024 23:03:42 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College Football 25]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kirk Herbstreit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rece Davis]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://saturdayglory.com/?p=14631</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>There is plenty of hype surrounding EA Sports&#8217; upcoming release of &#8220;College Football 25,&#8221; and so far, plenty of players...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/03/04/ea-sports-announces-10k-players-have-opted-in-to-college-football-25/">EA Sports announces 10K players have opted in to &#8216;College Football 25&#8217;</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>There is plenty of hype surrounding EA Sports&#8217; upcoming release of &#8220;College Football 25,&#8221; and so far, plenty of players have opted into the game.</p>



<p>EA Sports <a href="https://x.com/EASPORTSCollege/status/1764667866006102497?s=20">announced Monday</a> on social media that &#8220;10,000+&#8221; student-athletes &#8220;are in the game.&#8221; It was <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/02/23/im-in-the-game-cfb-players-share-their-participation-in-upcoming-ea-sports-college-football-25/">announced in February</a> that any player who opts in and has their name, image and likeness used in the game will receive at least $600 and a copy of “College Football 25.”</p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/03/04/5-takeaways-from-the-2024-nfl-scouting-combine/">5 takeaways from the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine</a> </p>



<p>&#8220;10k and counting&#8230; pretty pretttyyy good,&#8221; @EASPORTSCollege posted on X.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">10k and counting&#8230; pretty pretttyyy good <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFB25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CFB25</a> <a href="https://t.co/RrO88VWjWM">pic.twitter.com/RrO88VWjWM</a></p>&mdash; EASPORTSCollege (@EASPORTSCollege) <a href="https://twitter.com/EASPORTSCollege/status/1764667866006102497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>All 134 Football Bowl Subdivision schools will be available to play in the new video game.</p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/03/03/texas-wr-xavier-worthy-breaks-40-yard-dash-record-with-4-21-time-at-nfl-combine/">Texas WR Xavier Worthy breaks 40-yard dash record with 4.21 time at NFL Combine</a></p>



<p>ESPN broadcasters such as Rece Davis and Kirk Herbstreit will make up &#8220;the voices&#8221; of &#8220;College Football 25.&#8221;</p>



<p>If a player doesn’t opt into the “College Football 25” video game, then “a generic avatar based on the traditional strength or weakness of a position over the past decade for that school” will be created by EA Sports, <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39574788/players-opting-ea-sports-college-football-25-get-600">according to ESPN</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/03/04/ea-sports-announces-10k-players-have-opted-in-to-college-football-25/">EA Sports announces 10K players have opted in to &#8216;College Football 25&#8217;</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>MAC votes unanimously, adds UMass as 13th member</title>
		<link>https://saturdayglory.com/2024/02/29/mac-votes-unanimously-adds-umass-as-13th-member/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=mac-votes-unanimously-adds-umass-as-13th-member</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Benge]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Feb 2024 20:51:46 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Don Brown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jon Steinbrecher]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://saturdayglory.com/?p=14532</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Mid-American Conference announced Thursday that it has officially voted unanimously to add UMass beginning with the 2025-26 season. The...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/02/29/mac-votes-unanimously-adds-umass-as-13th-member/">MAC votes unanimously, adds UMass as 13th member</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>The Mid-American Conference <a href="https://getsomemaction.com/news/2024/2/29/general-mid-american-conference-to-add-university-of-massachusetts-as-full-member.aspx">announced Thursday</a> that it has officially voted unanimously to add UMass beginning with the 2025-26 season.</p>



<p>The move brings the Minutemen back to the MAC for the first time since 2012-15 when UMass was a football-only affiliate.</p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/02/29/nc-state-lb-payton-wilson-values-football-iq-at-nfl-combine/">NC State LB Payton Wilson values ‘football IQ’ at NFL Combine</a></p>



<p>&#8220;Today marks a historic moment for the Mid-American Conference as we proudly welcome the University of Massachusetts into our family,” MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher stated in a release. “Adding UMass is an exciting next step as we increase the strength of our collective programs. We are thrilled to welcome their student-athletes, coaches, administrators, alumni and fans to the Conference.  The opportunity to add a state flagship institution with exceptional academics and a storied athletics tradition does not come along often.  I look forward to our collaborative efforts in providing outstanding opportunities for student-athletes to maximize their intellectual and athletic pursuits.”</p>



<p><a href="https://x.com/PeteThamel/status/1762246385368195311?s=20">According to Pete Thamel of ESPN</a>, UMass hockey will remain in Hockey East and lacrosse will &#8220;apply to stay in (the Atlantic-10) as an affiliate member.&#8221;</p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/02/29/notre-dame-lb-marist-liufau-learning-how-i-can-help-the-team-at-nfl-combine/">Notre Dame LB Marist Liufau learning ‘how I can help the team’ at NFL Combine</a></p>



<p>The Minutemen had been an independent in football. Now, they&#8217;ll return to the MAC and compete as part of a conference that could yield a participant in the 12-team College Football Playoff.</p>



<p>Notre Dame and UConn remain as the lone two independent teams in college football. Army <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/25/reports-army-set-to-join-aac-in-2024/">will become a member of the American Athletic Conference next season</a>.</p>



<p>UMass went 3-9 last season under second-year head coach Don Brown.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/02/29/mac-votes-unanimously-adds-umass-as-13th-member/">MAC votes unanimously, adds UMass as 13th member</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;I&#8217;m in the game&#8217;: CFB players share their participation in upcoming EA Sports &#8216;College Football 25&#8217;</title>
		<link>https://saturdayglory.com/2024/02/23/im-in-the-game-cfb-players-share-their-participation-in-upcoming-ea-sports-college-football-25/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=im-in-the-game-cfb-players-share-their-participation-in-upcoming-ea-sports-college-football-25</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Benge]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College Football 25]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kirk Herbstreit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quinshon Judkins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rece Davis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Will Johnson]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://saturdayglory.com/?p=14423</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Coming this summer, college football fans will have a new video game to check out. College football players around the...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/02/23/im-in-the-game-cfb-players-share-their-participation-in-upcoming-ea-sports-college-football-25/">&#8216;I&#8217;m in the game&#8217;: CFB players share their participation in upcoming EA Sports &#8216;College Football 25&#8217;</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Coming this summer, college football fans will have a new video game to check out.</p>



<p>College football players around the country shared on social media Thursday their participation in the upcoming EA Sports video game &#8220;College Football 25.&#8221;</p>



<p>EA Sports confirmed Thursday that all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams will be available to play in the new game.</p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/02/22/reports-cfp-discusses-14-team-playoff-possibilities/">Reports: CFP discusses 14-team Playoff possibilities</a></p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">They’re in the game. <br><br>College Football 25 will feature all 134 FBS schools <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFB25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CFB25</a> <a href="https://t.co/WLH3DEXdv0">pic.twitter.com/WLH3DEXdv0</a></p>&mdash; EASPORTSCollege (@EASPORTSCollege) <a href="https://twitter.com/EASPORTSCollege/status/1760681095732080833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>More information about the game will be available in May, according to a release.</p>



<p>Players such as Michigan&#8217;s Will Johnson and Ohio State transfer Quinshon Judkins posted on X a graphic designed in their team&#8217;s colors promoting the video game.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m in the game <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFB25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CFB25</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EASPORTSCollege?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@easportscollege</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EAAthlete?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EAAthlete</a> <a href="https://t.co/su4f3spKMo">pic.twitter.com/su4f3spKMo</a></p>&mdash; Wílł Jøhnšoñ (@Willj1228) <a href="https://twitter.com/Willj1228/status/1760801029094822353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>ESPN broadcasters such as <a href="https://x.com/ReceDavis/status/1760713535842103668?s=20">Rece Davis</a> and <a href="https://x.com/KirkHerbstreit/status/1760696264490942920?s=20">Kirk Herbstreit</a> shared posts confirming they&#8217;ll also appear as &#8220;one of the voices&#8221; of the game. Herbstreit posted &#8220;I&#8217;m so excited to FINALLY announce that I&#8217;m part of <a href="https://twitter.com/EASPORTSCollege">@EASPORTSCollege</a>. I&#8217;m proud to be a partner and one of the voices of the game once again &#8211; my 14th year in that role.&#8221;</p>



<p><a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39574788/players-opting-ea-sports-college-football-25-get-600">According to Michael Rothstein of ESPN</a>, any player who opts in and has their name, image and likeness used in the game will receive at least $600 and a copy of &#8220;College Football 25.&#8221;</p>



<p>Additional opportunities such as advertisements, promotion, social media posts and other avenues will be available for players to have a chance to make more, according to ESPN.</p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/02/21/alabama-announces-jamarcus-shephard-nick-sheridan-join-offensive-coaching-staff/">Alabama announces JaMarcus Shephard, Nick Sheridan join offensive coaching staff</a></p>



<p>No Football Championship Subdivision school will be available to play when the game launches, according to ESPN.</p>



<p>If a player doesn&#8217;t opt into the &#8220;College Football 25&#8221; video game, then &#8220;a generic avatar based on the traditional strength or weakness of a position over the past decade for that school&#8221; will be created by EA Sports, according to ESPN.</p>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/ea-sports-college-football-4f78e19893ee1b361a131ebf536aa4ad">According to Ryan Kryska of The Associated Press</a>, users who could create and add players of real-life college football players who did not opt into the &#8220;College Football 25&#8221; video game will be blocked from doing so.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m in the game. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFB25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CFB25</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EASPORTSCollege?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@easportscollege</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EAAthlete?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EAAthlete</a> <a href="https://t.co/MIh92xGOLm">pic.twitter.com/MIh92xGOLm</a></p>&mdash; Quinshon Judkins (@qaj4_) <a href="https://twitter.com/qaj4_/status/1760782771188871603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2024/02/23/im-in-the-game-cfb-players-share-their-participation-in-upcoming-ea-sports-college-football-25/">&#8216;I&#8217;m in the game&#8217;: CFB players share their participation in upcoming EA Sports &#8216;College Football 25&#8217;</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Stat Pack: Week 9 </title>
		<link>https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/30/stat-pack-week-9/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=stat-pack-week-9</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Benge]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alex Padilla]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brendan Sorsby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dequece Carter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frank Gore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frank Gore Jr.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kevin Jennings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lay'Ron Lynch-Adams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ollie Gordon II]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Preston Stone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Romello Brinson]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://saturdayglory.com/?p=13793</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Week 9 has come and gone, and almost the same can be said for the month of October.&#160; Oklahoma suffered...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/30/stat-pack-week-9/">Stat Pack: Week 9 </a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Week 9 has come and gone, and almost the same can be said for the month of October.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Oklahoma suffered its first loss of the season in Week 9, falling in a 38-33 showing at Kansas. </p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/27/head-coaches-react-to-sign-stealing-philosophies/">Head coaches react to sign stealing in college football</a></p>



<p>The Jayhawks, though, said they “<a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/29/jayhawks-live-for-days-like-this-in-38-33-win-over-no-6-oklahoma/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">live for days like this</a>” in the win over the Sooners, their first since 1997 and snapping an 18-game losing streak to Oklahoma.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Here are some of the top statistical performances from Week 7.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>For a second-straight week, Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II is the leading rusher.&nbsp;</p>



<p>He put up over 200 rushing yards last week <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/23/stat-pack-week-8/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in his first Stat Pack appearance</a>. Gordon hit the number once again this week against Cincinnati.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Gordon totaled 271 rushing yards against the Bearcats, topping the next closest running back by 24 yards. He averaged 10.8 yards per carry, up from his 9.7 clip posted last week.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Gordon broke off runs for 42 yards, 39, 22 and 17 yards. His longest run of the day came on his final carry as the Fort Worth, Texas, native dashed 75 yards for his second touchdown of the day.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Gordon finished with 271 yards across 25 carries for two touchdowns. He also added 21 receiving yards across four catches.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>The son of five-time Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore makes this week’s Stat Pack.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Frank Gore Jr. rushed for the second-most yards this week in Southern Miss’ 48-38 loss to Appalachian State. </p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/29/oregon-climbs-to-no-6-in-latest-ap-top-25-poll/">Oregon climbs to No. 6 in latest AP Top 25 poll</a></p>



<p>Frank Gore Jr. totaled 247 rushing yards, the second-most of his career after a 329-yard performance against Rice last season.&nbsp;</p>



<p>His longest run also came on a 75-yard play on his first carry of the second half. Frank Gore Jr. broke off runs of 43, 42 and 10 yards as well.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Saturday marked Frank Gore Jr.’s 11<sup>th</sup> 100-yard game of his career, and his 247 rushing yards are the second-most by a Golden Eagles junior.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Indiana draws up its biggest pass since 1993</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>It had been 30 years since the Hoosiers went 90 yards down the field on one pass.&nbsp;</p>



<p>That changed on Saturday. Indiana quarterback Brendan Sorsby found receiver Dequece Carter <a href="https://x.com/B1Gfootball/status/1718305367321698586?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">90 yards later</a> for a big touchdown against No. 10 Penn State.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Carter found space on the right side of the field. After several steps, Sorsby lunged forward and threw a dot to Carter between a trio of Nittany Lions defensive backs.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Carter broke one tackle and shook off another on his long run. It gave the Hoosiers the first score of the game, and they hung around <a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/28/allar-finds-lambert-smith-no-10-penn-state-outlasts-indiana-33-24/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">as Penn State ultimately took the game 33-24</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Lay’Ron Lynch-Adams, UMass</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>It was a career day for the Minutemen running back Lay’Ron Lynch-Adams. </p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/28/kansas-beats-no-6-oklahoma-38-33-behind-4-rushing-tds/">Kansas beats No. 6 Oklahoma 38-33 behind 4 rushing TDs</a></p>



<p>Lynch-Adams ran for a career-high 234 yards on a career-high 34 carries. He added three rushing touchdowns which were also a career-best in UMass’ 21-14 win over Army.&nbsp;</p>



<p>To boot, Lynch-Adams&#8217; longest run of the day went for 34 yards, so he added lots of chunk yardage to his performance resulting in a gritty day of play.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Lynch-Adams averaged 6.9 yards per carry on the day, second-best among ball-carriers who had at least five carries in the game.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Preston Stone, SMU</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>This week’s lone quarterback to make the Stat Pack performed at a dominant rate.&nbsp;</p>



<p>SMU beat Tulsa 69-10 behind a strong performance from Stone. The quarterback spearheaded the offense and threw for 371 yards, the seventh-most among passers this week.&nbsp;</p>



<p>All Stone needed was just one half of football before he was lifted for backups Kevin Jennings and Alex Padilla. Stone went 15-for-20, completing 75% of his passes across two quarters. </p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/28/allar-finds-lambert-smith-no-10-penn-state-outlasts-indiana-33-24/">Allar finds Lambert-Smith, No. 10 Penn State outlasts Indiana 33-24</a></p>



<p>Stone’s biggest heave came on his first pass of the day. It went 74 yards down the field for a touchdown to receiver Romello Brinson, his lone catch of the game, and Stone’s longest pass of his career.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Stone had three touchdown passes in the first half, and they all went for big yardage of 74, 62 and 17 yards. His 371 passing yards are a career-high.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/30/stat-pack-week-9/">Stat Pack: Week 9 </a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Stat Pack: Week 6 </title>
		<link>https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/09/stat-pack-week-6/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=stat-pack-week-6</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Benge]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bryson Nesbit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dequann Finn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drake Maye]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[E.J. Warner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jalen Milroe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jerjuan Newton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jermaine Burton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Copenhaver]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://saturdayglory.com/?p=13686</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>There are 13 unbeaten teams remaining in college football.&#160; More than a half dozen programs that entered Saturday with unblemished...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/09/stat-pack-week-6/">Stat Pack: Week 6 </a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>There are 13 unbeaten teams remaining in college football.&nbsp;</p>



<p>More than a half dozen programs that entered Saturday with unblemished records suffered their first losses of the season, including then-No. 3 Texas and then-No. 10 Notre Dame.</p>



<p><strong>PODCAST: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/09/kirby-smart-is-right-for-not-caring/">Kirby Smart is Right for Not Caring</a></p>



<p>Because of the upset losses, No. 5 Oklahoma jumped seven spots in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll after defeating the Longhorns 34-30 in the Red River Rivalry.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The Fighting Irish suffered their second loss of the season to No. 14 Louisville. The Cardinals outgained Notre Dame 330 yards to 298 on their way to a seventh-straight win.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Here are some of the top statistical performances from Week 6.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Jermaine Burton, Alabama</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>Burton more than doubled his season output in just one game against Texas A&amp;M on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>



<p>As the Crimson Tide rolled to a 26-20 win over the Aggies, Burton lit up the stat sheet on the receiving end of things. He finished with 197 receiving yards across nine catches including two touchdowns.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Burton and Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe connected twice in the third quarter for a pair of touchdowns. Both catches came within 20 yards, as Burton caught a 15-yarder and a 19-yard score in the third frame.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Burton’s first catch of the game went for big yardage as he hauled in a 45-yard reception midway through the first quarter.&nbsp;</p>



<p>His longest catch of the outing was a 46-yarder in the third quarter.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Burton’s 197 receiving yards tied his career high, as did his two receiving touchdowns.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Dequan Finn, Toledo</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>The first of three quarterbacks in this week’s Stat Pack dominated the game on the ground and through the air.</p>



<p><strong>PODCAST: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/09/talking-winners-top-teams-and-much-more-after-week-six/">Talking winners, top teams and much more after week six</a></p>



<p>Finn, a notable dual-threat quarterback from the Rockets, ran for 197 yards in the game against UMass.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It set Toledo’s single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback.&nbsp;</p>



<p>That wasn’t all for Finn in his historic day, as his rushing totals helped him break the program record for career rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,690. He also added a rushing touchdown.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Through the air, Finn tossed a pair of touchdowns. He fired strikes of 20 and 8 yards both to receiver Jerjuan Newton.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Finn finished with 139 passing yards across a 65% completion.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Drake Maye, North Carolina</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>Entering the season among the Heisman Trophy favorites and a projected top NFL Draft pick, Maye had one of his best performances of the season on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The junior North Carolina quarterback accounted for four touchdowns including three passing. </p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/08/oklahoma-vaults-to-no-5-after-red-river-rivalry-in-latest-ap-top-25-poll/">Oklahoma vaults to No. 5 after Red River Rivalry in latest AP Top 25 Poll </a></p>



<p>Maye delivered a pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter, finding receivers Bryson Nesbit and John Copenhaver on throws of 23 and 1 yards, respectively.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Maye’s big day through the air saw him top 400 passing yards for the third time in his career. He tallied 442 yards across 70% completion, finishing six yards shy of his career high.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>E.J. Warner, Temple</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>Warner is the only member of this week’s Stat Pack to suffer a loss to his opponent, and he did all he could to help the Owls keep up with UTSA.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Warner passed for 472 yards and five touchdowns, the third time in his career that he’s topped 470 passing yards. His five scoring throws also ties his career best. </p>



<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/08/gabriel-leads-no-12-oklahoma-in-team-effort-red-river-rivalry-win-over-no-3-texas/">Gabriel leads No. 12 Oklahoma in ‘team effort’ Red River Rivalry win over No. 3 Texas </a></p>



<p>Warner’s third game of more than 400 passing yards breaks the career record at Temple.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Falling 49-34 to the Roadrunners, Warner also set the program record for passing attempts in a single game with 65. He finished with 65% completion.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Warner had touchdown throws of 33, 31, 13, 7 and 2 yards.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/10/09/stat-pack-week-6/">Stat Pack: Week 6 </a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ten Best For The Weekend: Week Zero</title>
		<link>https://saturdayglory.com/2023/08/25/ten-best-weekend-week-zero-college-football-preview/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ten-best-weekend-week-zero-college-football-preview</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tony Gerdeman]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Aug 2023 01:15:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sports Betting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TBFTW]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://saturdayglory.com/?p=13256</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Our long national nightmare is almost over. Just one more miserable morning without college football Saturdays waking us up with...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/08/25/ten-best-weekend-week-zero-college-football-preview/">Ten Best For The Weekend: Week Zero</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Our long national nightmare is almost over. Just one more miserable morning without college football Saturdays waking us up with a kiss on the cheek and a toasty-sweet McGriddle placed next to our sweat-soaked pillows.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s not quite kegs and eggs, but we had to grow up sometime.</p>



<p>Saturday is Week Zero for college football, and while it&#8217;s not the best week of the season, it&#8217;s better than the feckless, Fickell-less hellscape we&#8217;ve been living in since January. </p>



<p>But we&#8217;re here now, and you better believe we&#8217;re going to enjoy every moment of it. </p>



<p>Each week of this college football season I&#8217;ll be taking a look at the 10 best games to watch, and throwing in a few questionably valid tips here and there.</p>



<p>I would say that everything that follows from here is for entertainment purposes only, but that sounds both arrogant and presumptuous. </p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Saturday August 26</strong></h4>



<p><strong>Chaminade-Madonna (FL) vs. St. Frances Academy (MD) | 12:00 pm | ESPN</strong></p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="https://saturdayglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Jeremiah-Smith-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-13269" style="width:346px;height:461px" width="346" height="461" data-full="https://saturdayglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Jeremiah-Smith.jpg" data-full-size="1920x2560" srcset="https://saturdayglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Jeremiah-Smith-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://saturdayglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Jeremiah-Smith-225x300.jpg 225w, https://saturdayglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Jeremiah-Smith-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://saturdayglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Jeremiah-Smith-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://saturdayglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Jeremiah-Smith.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 346px) 100vw, 346px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jeremiah Smith is the No. 1 receiver in the 2024 recruiting class. Photo credit Buckeye Huddle</figcaption></figure>
</div>


<p>Look, when it&#8217;s Week Zero and you&#8217;ve come up with a gimmick of where you have to write about 10 games and there aren&#8217;t 10 college games to write about, you dip into the high school ranks. I&#8217;m basically a McDonald&#8217;s from 1991 looking for employees. I cannot promise competitive wages, paid time off, or opportunity for advancement, but fortunately gas is only $1.47 a gallon in this timeline, so it won&#8217;t cost you that much to get here. I can, however, give you every other weekend off, provided you can get somebody to cover your shift for the weekends you won&#8217;t be working. We also provide a 15% discount on meals for employees (No McDLTs). Anyway, back to the present day, you&#8217;re gonna be so ramped up after watching College Gameday that you&#8217;re going to need something to watch RIGHT EFFING NOW. I give you Chaminade-Madonna against St. Frances. Two of the best high school programs around. Chaminade-Madonna has the best receiver room in the nation that isn&#8217;t located in Columbus. That room includes five-star prospects <strong>Jeremiah Smith</strong> (Ohio State commit) and <strong>JoJo Trader</strong> (Miami commit). Meanwhile, St. Frances has a defense with more future collegians than a country club daycare. It&#8217;ll be fun. This will scratch your itch better than the ruler you keep on your desk.</p>



<p><strong>Navy vs. Notre Dame (-21) (Dublin) | 2:30 pm | NBC |</strong></p>



<p>The Irish were favored by 16.5 over Navy last year, and <em>nearly covered</em>, beating the Midshipmen 35-32. That game came after an oddly dominating 35-14 win over Clemson where the Irish treated the Tigers like a Midwesterner treats a Myrtle Beach Motel 6 after an extra large Papa John&#8217;s and a 2-liter of Big K cola. There will be no let down this week, unless the Notre Dame players end up in one too many pubs. I have to assume there are more things to do in Ireland than visit pubs and golf in the rain, but I&#8217;ve never seen proof in the movies. There is no better time to play an option team than in the season opener, so give Notre Dame credit for not being idiots here. They&#8217;ve been preparing for this game for months. Let&#8217;s just expect a slow start offensively for both squads, which leads me to<strong> (1) liking the under on 49.5</strong>.</p>



<p><strong>UTEP at Jacksonville State (+1.5) | 5:30 pm | CBSSN</strong></p>



<p>Jacksonville State is the very last team in Phil Steele&#8217;s preview magazine, which is like being the last kid picked in fifth-grade dodgeball. Even behind the kid who strikes out in kickball (that would be Sam Houston, by the way). This is Jacksonville State&#8217;s first game as a member of the FBS, so this is going to be the biggest thing to hit Jacksonville, Alabama since <a href="https://www.cootersribs.com/">Cooter Brown&#8217;s Rib Shack</a> opened 23 years ago. Rich Rodriguez is the head coach at Jacksonville State. He went 9-2 last year in his first year with the program. If there&#8217;s one thing we know about RichRod, it&#8217;s that if you hand him the keys, he can win anywhere in the country.*<br>*Offer not valid in Ann Arbor</p>



<p><strong>UMass at New Mexico State (-7) | 7:00 pm | ESPN</strong></p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://saturdayglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image.png" alt="" class="wp-image-13275" style="width:221px;height:332px" width="221" height="332" data-full="https://saturdayglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image.png" data-full-size="180x270" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Don Brown, the King of Loners With No Bowers. Photo credit UMassAthletics.com</figcaption></figure>
</div>


<p>This game features UMass head coach Don Brown against New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill. If they were to partner up in a Euchre tournament and auction off the opportunity to spend the evening playing against them, I would spend an unfortunate amount of money to take part. I&#8217;d love to just sit and talk with them both over beers and cards. Plus I&#8217;d feel pretty good about my team&#8217;s chances of winning because you know Don Brown is always getting his partner euchred. The frustration from Jerry Kill would be intense. &#8220;How the hell are you going alone when I have the Right and the Left, Don!?&#8221; Also, <strong>(2) let&#8217;s go with the Aggies -7 here</strong>.</p>



<p><strong>Ohio at San Diego State (-3) | 7:00 pm | FS1</strong></p>



<p>Never before has an Ohio vs. San Diego State game been so anticipated. For one, there&#8217;s not a lot else going on. For two, this could be SDSU head coach Brady Hoke&#8217;s first real opportunity at a win over &#8220;Ohio.&#8221; If you&#8217;re a Bobcat fan, you just have to hope your team doesn&#8217;t get distracted by <em>all of the amazing things to do in California</em> and not bother to show up for a sporting event. Don&#8217;t be surprised when there is a vocal presence from the Ohio fans in the crowd. It&#8217;s a week-long drive back and forth, but it&#8217;s better than going to work. If you&#8217;re looking for some action, <strong>(3) bang the over on 0.5 touchdown receptions for Bobcat receiver Sam Wiglusz</strong>.</p>



<p><strong>IMG Academy (FL) vs. St. Joseph&#8217;s Prep (PA) (Ocean City, NJ) | 7:00 pm | ESPN2</strong></p>



<p>Yes, it&#8217;s another high school game, but there will be some talent on hand. IMG generally has half of Florida&#8217;s top 30 prospects. St. Joseph&#8217;s Prep has all kinds of FBS talent on hand as well. Interestingly, this could be a matchup that is watched closely in the Ohio State receivers room as St. Joseph&#8217;s Prep is where All-American Marvin Harrison, Jr. went to school, and <a href="https://buckeyehuddle.com/2023/08/23/marvin-harrison-said-what-about-carnell-tate/">IMG is where Marvin Harrison, Jr. Jr. went to school</a>. You probably won&#8217;t tune in because you&#8217;ll be up to your ears in New Mexico State football. Just be careful not to let Aggie Football actually get <em>into</em> your ears, however, because<em> it will lay eggs</em>.</p>



<p><strong>Hawaii at Vanderbilt (-17.5) | 7:30 pm | SECN</strong></p>



<p>Vanderbilt went into Hawaii last year as 9.5-point and won 63-10, so 17.5 points seems very doable. <strong>(4)<em> Some folks</em> may have already gotten in at -17</strong>, but 17.5 still seems fine. Vandy is coming off of a season where they went 2-1 in their final three games against Kentucky, Florida, and Tennessee last year. That&#8217;s the kind of momentum that could mean something for any program other than Vanderbilt. </p>



<p><strong>San Jose State at USC (-30.5) | 8:00 pm | P12N</strong></p>



<p>You know those guys in The Lord of the Rings whose sole purpose is to sit up in the signal towers 24 hours a day looking to see if any other towers miles away raise a fire to signal danger or the need for help? That&#8217;s kind of how I feel about this game because I am one of the tower watchers who actually has the Pac 12 Network. I will be watching this fire and signaling to others via Twitter about what&#8217;s happening. Like, &#8220;Oh no, Gollum just went for 65 yards up the middle against Alex Grinch&#8217;s defense. Muster the Rohirrim!&#8221; When he is healthy, USC quarterback Caleb Williams is the best player in the country, so I think it&#8217;s okay to have a lot riding on him this week against the Spartans. That includes a five-leg parlay of <strong>(5) USC -10.5 in the first quarter, (6) USC over 40.5 points, (7) USC over 13.5 first quarter points, (8) USC -16.5 in the first half</strong>, and of course it wouldn&#8217;t be a USC game without also taking a sniff at their defense, so let&#8217;s add<strong> (9) San Jose State over 9.5 points</strong>. Watch for the towers, my friends, and be prepared to act.</p>



<p><strong>FIU at Louisiana Tech (-11.5) | 9:00 pm | CBSSN</strong></p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://saturdayglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-13287" style="width:204px;height:340px" width="204" height="340" data-full="https://saturdayglory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-1.png" data-full-size="150x250" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sonny Cumbie, pictured here as a 2004 starter for league champions Team Awesome. Photo credit TexasTech.com</figcaption></figure>
</div>


<p>This game went to two overtimes last year, with FIU coming out with the 42-34 win. Former Texas Tech quarterback Sonny Cumbie is in his second season as the head coach at La Tech and my loyalty to him goes back to my old college fantasy football days. He may finally have a quarterback now with former Boise State Bronco Hank Bachmeier, who has had some good moments as a starter in his career. He has 13 career games with at least 250 yards passing. Florida International, meanwhile, hasn&#8217;t won a game since that double-overtime outing against the Bulldogs. Let&#8217;s go ahead and get back on the Sonny Cumbie train and <strong>(10) lay the 11.5</strong>. You only go broke once, right?</p>



<p><strong>Mater Dei Catholic (CA) at Carlsbad (CA) | 10:00 pm | ESPN2</strong></p>



<p>If you want to know why USC and UCLA bolted for the Big Ten, here&#8217;s one glimpse as to the reason &#8212; 95% of America can&#8217;t watch the <em>University of Southern California</em> play on Saturday night, but they can watch two California high schools play against each other. Carlsbad features five-star Alabama quarterback commit Julian Sayin, who will sign with Nick Saban in December but eventually play for Lane Kiffin when Saban retires.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com/2023/08/25/ten-best-weekend-week-zero-college-football-preview/">Ten Best For The Weekend: Week Zero</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://saturdayglory.com">Saturday Glory</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
