The Scarlet and Gray

[toysoldier00]

Not quite as lopsided as you would like to see against Grambling

Nope, it was pretty frustrating. I didn't really break away until the late third quarter so I didn't get a ton of reps for the youngsters.

How do you feel about the young crop, now having some real reps behind them?

I've got a freshman linebacker and safety that have really impressed me. Probably still too early to tell on everyone else. Didn't get them as many reps as I wanted in that game.

[toysoldier00]

The Scouting Report: New Offer Goes Out as Ohio State Turns Toward Closing Its 2026 Class
By Colten Brooks on September 9, 2025


Winton Woods (Cincinnati, OH) Edge Rusher Ornell Mack's early season senior tape has impressed the Buckeye staff.



Ohio State has been selective down the stretch of the 2026 cycle, but the board isn’t closed: far from it. With 21 commits already in the class, the Buckeyes are still actively evaluating senior risers, tracking potential flips, and keeping spots open for blue-chip priorities. And after the first two weeks of high school football, one new name has surged to the top of the staff’s internal discussions.

A New Edge Target Emerges: Ornell Mack

The biggest news of the week is that Ohio State officially offered Winton Woods (Cincinnati, OH) defensive end Ornell Mack, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound late bloomer whose senior film has quickly turned heads inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Mack has long been considered a traits-based prospect — big frame, real athletic juice, plenty of developmental upside — but the early-season tape shows a more refined pass rusher than what coaches saw from him last year.

The Buckeyes only have one true edge rusher committed in the class, Deontae Savage, and sources indicate they want at least one more. Mack is now firmly the name to watch.

Could they expand the board even further? Yes. Ohio State has also been quietly monitoring 4-star Notre Dame commit DeSean Allgeier from Archbishop Hoban, though flipping him will be difficult and the staff has never gone all-in. But like Mack, that could change based on his senior tape.

Offensive Line: Don’t Rule Out a Seventh Take

Ohio State already has six offensive linemen committed, a massive haul, but that won’t stop Tyler Bowen. The Buckeyes want bodies, developmental depth, and long-term versatility.

The top remaining in-state lineman is Coco Biggums of Licking Heights, but the Buckeyes have never gone all-in on Biggums. If Ohio State pushes, they would be the favorite.

Another sneaky name the staff likes: David Weeks, an under-the-radar guard from Janesville, Wisconsin. Weeks has very little national attention, but multiple people I’ve spoken with say Bowen believes Weeks could become a legitimate Big Ten starter with a few years in the program.

Running Back: Still One More Expected

The Buckeyes still want to take a running back, ideally someone they’re confident can be a developmental starter. One real name to watch is Courtney Roby, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Glenville back who is currently committed to Duke. He’s off to a strong start this fall, and Ohio State has kept in steady contact.

There are no character questions with Roby (you don’t end up committed to Duke if there are), and having Buckeye commit Jaylen Smalls as a teammate doesn’t hurt either. That said, the staff is also prepared for the possibility of a higher-rated national back shaking loose after coaching changes later this fall.

Defensive Back: Always the Hardest to Close

The Buckeyes want at least one more defensive back and would absolutely take two. The crown jewel, of course, is Sterling Hodel, the 5-star safety from Erasmus Hall who is considering Notre Dame, LSU, Georgia, Oregon, and Ohio State. This one will go deep into the cycle, and OSU is very much alive, but they aren’t betting the class on him.

Expect the staff to search nationally for another DB they can take right now, while keeping a spot open for Hodel until the end.

It’s only early September, but Ohio State’s 2026 class is far from finished. The board is shifting, evaluations are ongoing, and senior risers are beginning to emerge. More movement is coming, and Ornell Mack is only the start. The Buckeye staff still expects this class to reach 25 or 26 at the end of the cycle.

[toysoldier00]

Carson Beck’s Reinvention at Miami Has Turned the Hurricanes Into a Contender

By Bailey Lloyd
September 10, 2025



Carson Beck was supposed to be here a year ago — atop the Heisman conversation, powering a national title contender, settling into the role of a steady, surgical distributor. Instead, 2024 became the season that sent him spiraling. Twelve interceptions, a late-season injury, and Georgia’s playoff run happening without him forced a reckoning few anticipated for a quarterback once projected as the potential No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

But sometimes the longer road becomes the better one. And in Miami, Beck has rediscovered the version of himself the sport spent years waiting to see.

When Beck shocked many by withdrawing from the draft and jumping into the transfer portal, ultimately landing at Miami on a deal believed to be among the most lucrative NIL packages ever offered to a quarterback, the fit was questioned by some around the country. Not because he lacked the talent, but because Miami, despite Cam Ward’s Heisman season in 2024, had yet to prove it could sustain elite quarterback play year over year under Mario Cristobal.

Two games into 2025, those doubts feel outdated.

“Carson came here with something to prove, and he’s attacking every day with that mindset,” Cristobal said this week. “He’s bought into everything, the work, the leadership, the responsibility. You can feel his presence on this team.”

The numbers through two games back that up. Beck has thrown for 520 yards and six touchdowns with poise and precision, guiding Miami to a 2–0 start and a No. 5 national ranking. But it was the opener that changed the calculus around the Hurricanes’ ceiling. Against defending national runner-up Notre Dame and a defense regarded as one of the nation’s best, Beck delivered a defining moment: a 75-yard game-winning drive capped with a touchdown to freshman receiver Malachi Toney with less than a minute left.

It was the type of fourth-quarter execution that Miami has lacked in recent years, the type of moment that signals a shift in who they are.

“We trust each other in those moments,” Beck said. “Coach Cristobal puts the game in our hands, and our job is to finish. That’s what Miami football should look like.”

A week later, Beck handled business with efficiency, throwing for 266 yards and three touchdowns in a 49–7 win over Bethune-Cookman. No theatrics required, no late heroics needed, just a quarterback in complete command.

With an improved defense, a deeper offensive line, and a roster that looks as physical as any Cristobal has fielded, Miami is beginning to resemble not just a team on the rise, but a team built to sustain winning at the highest level.

Beck is the fulcrum of that shift. His arrival, his resurgence, his steadiness, it has elevated Miami from ACC contender to legitimate national title threat. For the first time in Cristobal’s tenure, the Hurricanes have both an elite roster and an elite signal-caller operating at his peak.

“We’re just getting started,” Beck said. And for the first time in a long time, Miami looks ready to start believing him.

[Soapy]

BYRUM BROWN LEGACY GAME

[The Sauce]

Stealing a D00kie! Got some fun races in progress. Mack sounds like a stud.

[toysoldier00]

Week 3 Preview: Georgia–Tennessee Headlines a Weekend Filled With Statement Opportunities

Marissa Bleday
September 4, 2025


College GameDay is rolling into Knoxville this weekend, and for good reason. Week 3 doesn’t have the depth of blockbuster matchups we saw in Week 1, but make no mistake, several playoff contenders face the kind of early-season tests that can recalibrate expectations. From Tennessee’s first real shot at proving it belongs in the national conversation, to Notre Dame desperately needing to stabilize, to a suddenly intriguing USF–Miami matchup, this weekend has plenty on the line.

No. 3 Georgia at No. 17 Tennessee
The buildup around this one is simple: Georgia is loaded, Tennessee is dangerous, and Knoxville under the lights is as unforgiving an environment as any in the country.

Georgia hasn’t had to reveal much through two games against Marshall and Tennessee Tech, but head coach Kirby Smart insisted this week that his team is prepared for the jump in competition. “This is the kind of test you want early,” Smart said. “You find out who responds when the noise gets loud.”

The Bulldogs’ defense looks every bit like a vintage Athens unit, with linebacker CJ Allen, defensive tackle Christen Miller, safety KJ Bolden, and corner Daylen Everette forming the core of a group that could wind up the nation’s best. The biggest question for Georgia is the continued development of quarterback Gunnar Stockton, who has been solid but untested so far (599 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs).

He’ll need help from sophomore running back Nate Frazier and electric receiver Zachariah Branch, whose game-breaking speed remains one of Georgia’s most terrifying weapons.

Tennessee, meanwhile, enters with confidence, and with answers. Transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar has been sharp, throwing six touchdowns without a hiccup. Star receiver Chris Brazzell II and edge rusher Joshua Josephs (already with 5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks) have helped jump-start a defense and offense that badly needed playmaking. But the true matchup to watch is Tennessee’s preseason All-American corner Jermod McCoy versus Branch and Georgia’s receiving corps.

Josh Heupel knows his team needs more than a great crowd. “You’ve got to play clean against Georgia,” Heupel said. “You can’t give them short fields. You can’t blink.”

No. 15 Texas A&M at No. 10 Notre Dame
Notre Dame’s season can’t spiral in mid-September, but the Irish desperately need a rebound after their heartbreaking loss to Miami. Freshman quarterback CJ Carr struggled, which puts even more pressure on star running back Jeremiyah Love and an Irish defense that remains elite.

Texas A&M, meanwhile, is looking for a signature win in Mike Elko’s second season. Quarterback Marcel Reed has thrown for 642 yards and seven touchdowns against lesser competition, but South Bend in a hostile environment is a very different task. “You want these moments,” Elko said. “You want to measure yourself.”

Florida at No. 4 LSU
Florida is already facing crisis territory after last week’s collapse against USF. Quarterback DJ Lagway showed the full spectrum, 524 passing yards paired with three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Without a dramatic cleanup in turnovers and coverage breakdowns, the Gators risk letting their season slip before SEC play gets going.

LSU, on the other hand, might be the scariest team in the country. Garrett Nussmeier leads the Heisman odds, the Tigers already own a top-10 road win at Clemson, and Brian Kelly believes his offense hasn’t even hit full stride. “We’re still growing,” Kelly said. “But I love our identity.”

South Florida at #5 Miami (FL)
If you’d circled this in August, it was because Miami seemed poised for a playoff push, not because USF might quietly be the year’s best Group of Five team.

Yet here we are.

USF stunned Florida last week behind quarterback Byrum Brown and defensive star De’Shawn Rucker, and now they walk into a measuring-stick matchup in Miami. The Hurricanes, led by transfer quarterback Carson Beck, have looked like legitimate national title contenders. Beck has been nearly flawless (520 yards, six touchdowns), while edge rusher Reuben Bain Jr. is playing like a first-round lock.

Still, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal is wary. “They’re confident, they’re fast, and they just won in a tough environment. You better come ready.”

Wisconsin at No. 19 Alabama
Alabama’s shocking Week 1 loss to Florida State has left the Tide scrambling for answers, and now they have to find their footing on the road, though forecasted perfect weather should help. Kalen DeBoer stressed urgency this week: “We need to respond. Championship teams respond.”

Wisconsin’s physicality will test a Tide defense that was pushed around in Tallahassee.

Other Games to Watch
Vanderbilt at No. 8 South Carolina — Diego Pavia suddenly looks like a legitimate Heisman name.
No. 11 Clemson at Georgia Tech — The Tigers need a clean performance to calm early-season nerves.

Week 3 doesn’t have the volume of heavyweight matchups that opened the season, but it has plenty of consequence. From Knoxville’s primetime stage to South Bend’s pressure cooker to Miami’s sneaky-dangerous test, this weekend could shape the playoff race more than anyone realizes.



[The JZA]

I need Tennessee to pull through for me.

[redsox907]

Carson Beck is a bitch

recruiting depth is fire as always

[toysoldier00]

BYRUM BROWN LEGACY GAME

He sets up well for a great season

Stealing a D00kie! Got some fun races in progress. Mack sounds like a stud.

Not sure I'm actually gonna go after the Duke commit tbh

I need Tennessee to pull through for me.

yikes

Carson Beck is a bitch

recruiting depth is fire as always

Miami looks great through two weeks tbf

[toysoldier00]

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