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Another episode of The Best College Football Show with Brandon and P.D.! Join us as we discuss NFL players trying to go back to school, the ghost of Nick Saban, wildlife pest removal, and gunslingers of yesteryear!

Now, to the sports!

Now give me my theme music! Remember when Deion Sanders first got to Boulder? Those first couple of weeks were electric. The hype has died down considerably, and I just don’t believe in the Buffaloes to make noise at the national level. However, there’s some talent here. Keep an eye on WR Danny Scudero, who led the nation with 1,297 yards receiving last year at San Jose State. On the Georgia Tech side, life after Haynes King will begin with Alberto Mendoza as the new starting QB. Yes, Fernando’s little brother. No word on how much he loves LinkedIn.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese as teammates on the international stage. Let’s get ready to analyze body language! In all seriousness, the US women are the tournament favorites, even with the news that Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson will be sitting out. China features WNBA players Li Yueru and Han Xu. You’re probably going to want to check them out to see 7’3” Zhang Ziyu.

A little blast from the past as Alexis Peterson suits up for Germany. Peterson put together quite the collegiate resume during her time at Syracuse, including ACC Player of the Year honors and leading the Orange to its only Final Four appearance ever. At 5’5”, she was a bit undersized to play her game in the W, but has carved out a nice career overseas. Peterson is great at reminding us exactly how talented she is in these international tournaments!

Extreme heat kept everyone away from the Trojans’ season-opening win against San Jose State, and, you know what? I get it. As a veteran of too many hot ass games in Columbia, SC, there’s nowhere to hide in these situations. It feels like you are literally on Hell’s sun. It’s supposed to be cooler, but watch it on TV in your air-conditioned home just to be safe.

My search for a Premier League team continues as two of the clubs from my season-opening top tier face off. I had no idea that a transfer window was open for the first couple of weeks of the season, so all of the player movement taking place has pretty much rendered my initial ranking meaningless. But that’s fine! At least I’m more familiar with the culture surrounding each club. For instance, Newcastle United supporters are known as the Toon Army, and, therefore, the favorite to earn my fandom.

We all know that you don’t want to be the guy following THE GUY, and Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer might be headed to the list of cautionary tales that prove that rule. Preseason polls are generally meaningless outside of measuring public perception of a team, but it is interesting to see how differently voters view Alabama in its third season under DeBoer compared to its coach, the legendary Nick Saban. They haven’t been ranked this low to start the year since Saban’s second year in Tuscaloosa. He won the national championship in his third season. Can DeBoer match that? And, more importantly, how will football-rabid Alabama fans react if he doesn’t?

Speaking of expectations, Longhorns QB Arch Manning came into last season with all kinds of hype, much of it as a result of his last name. A rough start made it all evaporate, and made most people miss the fact that the second half of his season looked alright. Will he come out of the gate this season looking like the rightful heir to his quarterbacking family’s throne?

It’s incredibly amusing to me that Lane Kiffin and Dabo Swinney are two of the most hated coaches in the sport because of how fundamentally different they are once you get past their breathtaking obnoxiousness. Dabo is the Bible-thumping, “Aw shucks” moralizer who some Clemson fans want to see leave because he’s been slow to adjust to the new world of college football. Lane is trying to create an even newer world of college football as he actively tries to sign NFL players (which Dabo has some thoughts about) in between terrorizing yoga classes and looking for his next job. Trying to decide which one you’d pull for is the ultimate “Would you rather?” scenario. Luckily, you’re only obligated to watch them face off.

Look, I love college football, but college volleyball absolutely blows it out of the water when it comes to early-season matchups. Can you imagine trying to tell Curt Cignetti to schedule a top-10 non-conference opponent? You’d better bring a gun. Reward college volleyball’s bravery by tapping in!

Y’all want to know how deep my research into these entries goes? I Google-translated this article about Italian guard Matilde Villa, where I learned that she and her twin sister wanted to be professional dancers but were sent away by their dance teacher after just their third lesson. How bad were they? Well, basketball was the right choice, as Matilde will be playing in this one, and her twin, Eleonora, stars at Washington State. Tune in on the off chance Matilde hits a pirouette.

Going back to my earlier point about college volleyball’s bravery, this is the only top-25 matchup of college football’s opening weekend. Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss should once again be in the Heisman conversation, but could have some competition from his backfield mate, RB Kewan Lacy. Louisville has its own explosive backfield as RBs Isaac and Keyjuan Brown (no relation) finished first and third in the nation in yards per carry last year. Expect a lot of points!

Go rewatch the 2024 Olympic final if you need to be reminded why France is the biggest challenger to Team USA’s hopes in this tournament. There’s a legitimate argument to be made that they are the better team now. The Nigerian women made some noise in that Olympics as well, becoming the first African team to reach the quarterfinals. This could be a close one!

A rematch of the 2010 FIBA World Cup Final! Team USA won that one, and will probably win this one, too. You might recognize Eliska Joklova and Emma Cechova, who have both appeared in games for the Lynx this season. The last Czech player to play in the W before them? Jana Vesela, who won a title with the Seattle Storm the same year she helped lead that 2010 Czechia team to the FIBA World Cup silver medal!

A couple of teams in the mix for their respective division crowns. The Astros are going back and forth with the Texas Rangers in the mess they call the AL West. Star DH Yordan Alvarez is still in the hunt for the Triple Crown. Meanwhile, the Phillies have ridden a recent hot streak to remain within striking distance of the NL East-leading Braves. Just a couple of weeks left in the regular season!

The NFL season opener featuring a Super Bowl rematch without Bad Bunny! On a Wednesday for some reason. Roger Goodell will have them playing all 365 days soon enough! Gee, anything exciting happen for either of these teams this offseason? The Seahawks signed CB Terrion Arnold in the hopes that he’s not convicted of any of the 8 felony charges he is currently facing. This somehow did not make as much noise as the scandal involving Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel’s (alleged?) affair with (former?) NFL insider (inside her?) Dianna Russini. Sports are simply just another soap opera, and the NFL is The Young and The Restless as far as I’m concerned. Enjoy!

As always, thank you for reading! Make sure you’re subscribed so you get this in your inbox first thing Thursday mornings! Also, share with your friends! See you next week!