Why UT (Texas, not Tennessee) could be national title favorite – and why maybe it isn't
Did Texas just assemble the best team money can buy? Maybe. Alternatively, it spent big for a playoff-caliber roster that will come up short of the national championship game once again, after two straight years bowing out in the semifinals. This much we know: The Longhorns spent big. Just how big? Well, the Houston Chronicle recently reported that Texas’ budget for its 2025 squad is expected to be in the $35 to $40 million range. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate whether that handsomely paid roster makes Texas the national championship frontrunner. Later in the episode, they list eight teams that have at least a 5% chance of winning the national championship, and Adams highlights a couple of SEC coaches who were underrated in USA TODAY's list of the top 25 coaches.
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51:28
Ranking SEC football coaches: Debate gets lively after Kirby Smart
Kirby Smart remains the No. 1 coach in the SEC. Any naysayers, consider the reigning SEC champion. It's Georgia. When ranking SEC coaches, 1 through 16, the debate becomes lively after Smart, the obvious starting point. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams reveal their lists, from first to last. Auburn's Hugh Freeze becomes the subject of the biggest disagreement among the hosts. Adams also goes just a bit against the grain with his No. 2 pick.
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57:57
Declaring winners, losers in Tennessee-Nico Iamaleava breakup, and did Vols find starter in Joey Aguilar?
Tennessee slapped a tire patch in the gaping hole in the rubber of its quarterback situation. UCLA’s disposable goods became the Vols’ prize. Tennessee is expected to add transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar from UCLA, after the Vols lost starter Nico Iamaleava to none other than UCLA. In other words, UCLA decided it would rather anoint Iamaleava as its starter than Aguilar, who transferred in December after two seasons starting for Appalachian State. That caused Aguilar to re-evaluate his options. The best opportunity available just so happened to be at Tennessee. He’ll compete with a pair of young in-house options for the starting job. On today’s episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams assign the winners and losers of this whole saga, and they pinpoint where Vols coach Josh Heupel flawed in his execution. Iamaleava’s missteps were numerous and obvious, but Heupel’s handling of the situation was not flawless. They also identify the favorite in Tennessee’s starting quarterback competition. Later in the episode, they examine Oklahoma’s case for being a College Football Playoff sleeper on the heels of the Sooners’ marquee transfer acquisitions.
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47:40
Inside the Nico Iamaleava and Tennessee breakup, and where does each go from here?
Nico Iamaleava reportedly wanted more money from Tennessee. The Vols wouldn’t meet his demands, so, Tennessee’s starting quarterback entered the transfer portal. Iamaleava now needs a new school to pay him to be its starting quarterback, while Tennessee needs a transfer to stay in the playoff contender column for this season. This public breakup between a quarterback and a school that had invested so much in him encapsulates the college football zeitgeist, as the April free agency period heats up. But, are there any winners in this situation? On today’s episode, host Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network is joined by GoVols247 senior writer Wes Rucker as they unpack how the Iamaleava-Tennessee union unraveled, and where each goes from here. Iamaleava remains a talented quarterback with upside, but he would have enjoyed a hotter market for his talents if he had transferred in December. Tennessee’s outlook becomes cloudy. A lot of starting quarterbacks might be wary of leaving their current situation, to have to learn a new offense with a new team in a short time period. Still, Vols coach Josh Heupel says his team will pursue a transfer. If they land a good one, the new arrival could polish Tennessee’s playoff prospects.
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45:36
Why College Football Playoff struggles to match March Madness splendor
March Madness just does not miss. This year’s tournament served fewer upsets but made up for it with an epic Final Four. The 68-team tournament provided another reminder that this annually stands as one of the best postseason events in all of sports – not just college sports. In contrast, college football supplies maybe the best regular season in sports, but its postseason often falls flat. Even College Football Playoff expansion didn’t totally solve the lackluster postseason finish. Can college football’s postseason ever match the drama of March Madness? That’s up for debate on today's episode. Hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams argue that while college football will maintain an advantage on college basketball’s regular season, it’s unlikely to ever produce a postseason that mimics the March Madness thrills. Also in this episode, the hosts grade this March Madness, and each host offers the moment he won't forget from this year's tournament.
SEC Football Unfiltered features hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams of the USA TODAY Network serving opinion, debate and analysis on trending college football topics within the Southeastern Conference. No subject is off limits, and no one is above rebuke. Take off the filter and revel in the banter.
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