College GameDay Reading Material: Week 1 Preview

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John Fisher: It was sweltering last night in Winston-Salem as the Deacs opened their season against Akron, and thankfully it was a cake walk. Wake was cruising 38-3 in the 4^th quarter but allowed the Zips to score two late touchdowns against the reserves to cover, but no big deal. Ticket sales for Wake’s November game against Merrimack are spiking, as they held Delaware to 42 points last night in a gutsy 42-7 loss. Georgia Tech lost to Colorado on a late blocked FG attempt, they wouldn’t have covered anyway, but the game preserved my perfect 0-4 record against the spread this season.

In other news, if you are an avid reader of Ryan McGee’s Bottom 10 column on ESPN, as am I, you know that UMass is perennially in contention for worst team in the country and put in another strong effort last season by going 0-12. Yet in one of the most shocking upsets since the Russians defeated the Nazis at Stalingrad, they dominated Big10 powerhouse Rutgers, winning 37-21. Rutgers is one of the schools that thought joining the Big10 would catapult their athletics into the upper echelon of college sports and solve their financial woes. Au contraire, in the last 20 years Rutgers has been lousy in football and basketball, and lost $500M in the process. Be careful what you wish for . . .

The situation just keeps getting funnier in Chapel Hill as UNC general manager Mike Lombardi resigned after being on paid leave since July, I guess the investigation didn’t go his way. The university is also investigating allegations defensive coordinator Steve Belichick may have used drugs on the job and provided them to a player. If the man bun wasn’t a dead giveaway the dude was high, I don’t know what is. Not to be outdone, the recruiting staff showed they weren’t slacking off with their own allegations of sexual relationships with assistant coaches and a player. The hits just keep on coming! And I feel pretty confident there is another massive academic fraud scandal just around the corner, because you can always count on Carolina for that. Back to normal!

East Carolina @ Alabama (Bama -27.5, O/U 52.5)

On paper, this game doesn’t look interesting at all, unless you know what I know. ECU fans can go toe to toe with the biggest rednecks in the country, underestimate them at your peril. They thrive on going into opposing stadiums and being incredibly rowdy and belligerent. They have a history of tearing down the goalposts in opposing stadiums after victories, as they have done at NC State more than once. I don’t know if this team is capable of pulling an App State style upset, but if they do, watch out.

Clemson @ LSU (LSU -10, O/U 50.5)

The most hated man in college football, sorry Bobby Petrino, you’ve been displaced by Lane Kiffin, is now coaching at his fourth SEC school. Previous head coaching gigs at Tennessee and Ole Miss ended badly, and it was his rehabilitation stint working for Nick Saban at Alabama repaired his reputation enough to get the Ole Miss job. We all knew that wouldn’t last. We also knew that LSU is sleazy enough to hire Kiffin, attempt to put NFL players on the roster, and embarrass the shameless SEC. Off to a great start, what could possibly go wrong? Nobody knows what to make of Clemson this year. Their 7-6 record from last year doesn’t live up to Dabo’s standards, but they did play LSU tough last year, leading for over half the game before falling 17-10. Don’t expect that again this year, given that Kiffin looted the Ole Miss roster of all the talent he could. Take LSU and give the points.

SMU @ Florida State (SMU -3, O/U 53.5)

Florida State fans are already feeling very uneasy after a lackluster showing against New Mexico State last week, which reminded them of the last two seasons, which ended 5-7 and 2-10. Now a very good SMU team, which beat Miami and Louisville last year, but not Wake Forest, is coming to town. FSU needs to put on their big boy pants right away and show they are going to be competitive this year, because next week they go to Tuscaloosa. Don’t bet on it, take SMU.

UCLA @ California (UCLA -2.5, O/U 53.5)

This is another chapter in a classic Big10 versus ACC grudge match that the fans circle on the calendar every year. You’re guaranteed to see a lot punting, probably a few safeties, and more offsides calls than you will all season. UCLA fired their athletic director this week after amassing $220M in losses over the last six years with nothing to show for it, but he did have the good sense to hire former James Madison coach Bob Chesney this offseason, and pay to keep QB Nico Iamaleava, who led them to an inspiring 3-9 record last year. Cal is coming off 7-6 season with late season wins over ranked Louisville and SMU teams, and their returning quarterback has a name with a lot of vowels in it, which is always a good sign. I have no idea who is going to win this game, so I’m not picking anybody.

Virginia Military Institute @ Virginia Tech (VT -55.5, O/U 62.5) Shut up Ted.

 Far beyond the hills of Blacksburg, in a field of rye

Stands and old deserted outhouse, known as VPI  

Hokie, Hokie, Hokie high. To hell with Tech, VMI!

I don’t care what the line says, I’m going to Blacksburg on Saturday, and I will use that old, deserted outhouse. I will also drink beer and smoke cigars with my old college buddies, tell bawdy stories that I’ve heard but don’t know anything about personally, and laugh my ass off with some of greatest guys I know. Ain’t life grand?

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Dear John (and Wake), Please Stop Checking the Mail!

Ed Hanes: Fisher’s latest Carolina dispatch is very funny.

That is annoying, because he is also wrong in the most revealing possible way.

John’s argument is essentially this: UNC football is a clown show, Chapel Hill is unraveling, everybody is incompetent, and nothing about the program should be taken seriously.

Fine.

So stop taking notes.  At some point, obsession becomes market research sir.

To be clear, UNC has actual issues. Michael Lombardi resigned after administrative leave (and once he could feel the breath of the hounds on his legs), and the university is investigating serious allegations involving members of the football operation (said more plainly, some young female student may have been sleeping with a player/recruit and, perhaps, a coach).  Oh yeah.....and there may be a little drug matter involving the coaches son.....who coaches the entire defensive side of the ball.  Yeahhhhhhhhhhh....

At any rate, John cannot treat every allegation as established fact, toss in an academic-fraud sequel for old times’ sake, and then tell us Carolina is descending into irrelevance

That is not how irrelevance works (Am I pounding the table yet...is it time to Dave Chapelle turn the pitcher of water over and run?)

Wake Forest fans know this problem especially well.

They will cheer almost anything that might weaken Carolina’s position in the next round of conference realignment.  They know Big Daddy Carolina might get a better offer and move out, leaving Wake at home with cousins Elon and High Point while new big brother ECU starts measuring the bedroom.  Now that's a babydaddy family meeting I'd love to see.

And yes, Carolina still has plenty to prove. Belichick has to show that all the NFL mystique actually translates to college football.  The administration has to show it can manage the program cleanly.  The team has to win enough games that the conversation eventually becomes football again.

But until then, I have one modest request for my friend John:

Stop checking on us every morning.  You are beginning to look concerned.

And concern, as every Carolina fan knows, is just admiration wearing a Wake Forest hat.

Now, on to my picks for the week.  This week, we go HBCU.  Next week, three schools that a state and a city in their name.  

Alcorn State @ Southern Miss

Southern Miss -19.5, O/U 50.5

Southern Miss went 7-6 last year. Sounds respectable until you discover the Golden Eagles lost their final four games, changed coaches again and enter 2026 with one returning starter and the least returning production in the Sun Belt.

This will be Southern Miss' third full-time head coach in three years.

And we're laying 19½?

That is less a betting line than an act of faith.

Alcorn arrives 1-0, and quarterback Jacorian Tolbert already has five touchdown passes. Southern Miss is 4-0 historically against the Braves and beat them 40-14 in 2023, so I'm not calling for the upset.

I'm simply asking Southern Miss to introduce itself to Southern Miss before I start giving away three touchdowns.

Take Alcorn State +19.5.

Texas Southern @ Prairie View A&M

Prairie View -10.5, O/U 54.5

Now this is football.

The Labor Day Classic. Two SWAC rivals. Prairie View has won 10 of the last 11, including last year's game 22-21 on a touchdown in the final seconds. Naturally, the Panthers are favored again.

There's one problem.

Texas Southern apparently forgot it was supposed to behave itself.

The Tigers opened by beating North Carolina Central 42-30, overcoming a 24-14 halftime deficit by outscoring Central 28-6 after the break. They rushed for 277 yards. Prairie View, meanwhile, scored 30 against nationally ranked Tarleton State despite losing 49-30, with quarterback Tevin Carter producing 439 yards of total offense.

So Prairie View may very well win.

But asking me to lay double digits in a rivalry that was decided by one point last year is how casinos get chandeliers.

Take Texas Southern +10.5.

And if you need something to yell about before Sunday brunch, take the over 54.5 too.

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