Jackets are getting buzz
Brent Key has Georgia Tech poised for big things in 2025... if the Jackets can avoid tripping over its own shoe laces.
First off, some business updates…
In case you weren’t aware, Andrea Adelson and I have been putting out TV on a weekly(ish) basis for three years now, and in 2025, Inside ACCess is expanding to a full hour every Thursday at 6 pm.
We kicked things off last week with a sort-of sneak peek episode in which we talked with Duke QB Darian Mensah about the Blue Devils’ changing image, playing against Tulane and who’d win at rock, paper, scissors between him and his twin sister.
You can actually find the whole episode HERE.
We’ll be back full time starting Aug. 28. In going to an hour, the hope is to go deeper on big topics in a format that feels a little more like a podcast than a TV show. I think it should be fun.
In addition to the return of Inside ACCess, there’s also the return of me and Andrea’s annual ACC picks bet, whereupon the loser of the wager — in which we pick, straight up, every ACC football game all season — has to do something embarrassing or unpleasant.1
Last year, you may recall, we allowed Twitter followers to vote on the punishment and the result was…
I’m not sure I can make it through 24 hours in any other establishment this year, but we’re still open to suggestions. So… what should the loser’s punishment be this time around?
My initial suggestion: The loser has to consume 1 Arby’s Beef-and-Cheddar sandwich for each game they lose the bet by2 in one sitting. I suppose if the loser is just a game or two out, it’s not so bad. But losing by like 10 games would be utterly hilarious.
Anyway, if you’re really itching to see me on TV before the new season of Inside ACCess begins, Andrea and I will be hitting the road for the Bay Area this week for our ACC Network road shows at Stanford and Cal. Those shows air Aug. 14 and 15th at 6 pm on ACCN. I mocked up a little of what you'll see on each campus.
A few things I wrote this week
I ranked all 136 FBS teams by tiers. I immediately regret many of my choices. Please remember this is for entertainment purposes only.
I spent some time with Eddie George at Bowling Green in May for a piece I wrote on the influx of "celebrity" coaches -- guys with lots of name recognition but little coaching experience. Some have gone well (George, Deion), some have not (Trent Dilfer, Doug Gottleib) and some are TBD (DeSean Jackson, Mike Vick). Even with Sanders though, I think the jury is still out a bit. What's Colorado look like this year without Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders? If Deion leaves, does Colorado instantly revert back to who it had been before (I'd say "or worse" except... look at where the Buffs were in 2022)? Are any of these coaches truly changing the trajectory of a program or are they quick-fix publicity stunts?
My experience with George suggests he's different. That doesn't guarantee this all works at Bowling Green (or beyond) but the dude spent three months living out of a Best Western when he took the job. This isn't about his brand.*3
Georgia Tech’s gettin’ good
Speaking of Deion...
Colorado's Week 1 opponent is Georgia Tech. Brent Key is excited for the opportunity.
On last week's Inside ACCess, we spent a good bit of time talking Georgia Tech - a team I think can take a big leap this year. I like the O-line, the QB room, the receivers, the backfield, the LB corps, the coaching staff. The pass rush needs to get a little better and I have questions on the back end, but boy does Week 1 feel like a must-win for the league -- and a game that can really ratchet up the hype machine for the Jackets.
But of course, here's a crazy stat:
Under Key, Georgia Tech is 6-6 vs. top-25 teams, including the eight-OT loss to Georgia last year. That's tied with Clemson for the most ranked wins in the ACC in that span.
They also have six losses to teams that finished 7-6 or worse.
Anyway, one of those big wins came in 2023 in spectacular fashion when Haynes King toss a game-winning TD to beat Miami. He drew up the play for Andrea and I.
And one of the reasons I'm so high on GT this year is the physicality of the O-line, led by All-America candidate Keylan Rutledge. He just so happens to play right guard, the same position Brent Key played at Georgia Tech. We sat down with the two of them to talk ball, and it's a really good conversation.
Lastly, Andrea and I teamed up on this year's ACC conference preview. I handled the power rankings but you should still yell at Andrea for them.
And some light reading from others
Andrea Adelson has a good piece on LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier and his relationship with his dad (who also happened to coach QBs for the Eagles last year... Go Birds).
Chris Low has a terrific piece digging in on Dabo Swinney's dedication to his core beliefs and how it could all pay off this year.
Looking for some good reading material?
A few weeks back I gave a recommendation for my pal Ivan Maisel's new book on Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy.
My buddy Bill Connelly also has a new book out: "Forward Progress: The Definitive Guide to the Future of College Football" that you should check out because Bill is smart.
Lastly, on the list of books I'm very much looking forward to: Cameron Crowe is releasing his memoir, "The Uncool" in October. I've already pre-ordered my copy. "Fast Times," "Singles" and "Almost Famous" are all-timers for me, and I can't wait to read about his ridiculously cool (despite the title) life.
Discussing those three Crowe movies, however, led to a good question the other day: What's the best movie soundtrack of all time?
For me, "Singles" is as good as it gets, considering most of the tracks had been unknown before. Assembling a mix tape of hits from the past is easy enough ("Big Chill" or "Almost Famous" qualify as great ones) but it's not the same as finding legit bangers that a wider audience had never heard before.
Three things I watched
"Speak No Evil" -- Streaming now on Prime
One of the better horror flicks I've seen in a while. There was some blowback because it's based on a Dutch film but with a much different ending that left fans of the original a bit frustrated, but I thought it mostly worked. What's better about the movie is the way it plays with themes of masculinity and people's innate willingness to take risks just for the sake of politeness. Also a Bangles song is heavily involved in the plot.
"Billy Joel: And So It Goes" -- steaming on HBO Max
As rock docs go, this one is as deep as they get. It's 5 full hours over two parts, and virtually every major moment of Billy's life -- and every big personality he's encountered -- is featured.4
The first half, which largely examines his early career through The Stranger, is exceptional. The latter half has some very good highs -- from Billy talking about his Jewish heritage to an emotional interview with Christie Brinkley, but Billy seems too wary of really being honest about his post-Innocent Man era, his failed marriages of the '80s and '90s, his long hiatus from music, and his drinking. The doc doesn't shy away from those subjects -- it just felt like Billy wasn't interested in examining them.
"Mr. and Mrs. Murder" -- streaming on Hulu
This four-part documentary chronicling the killing of a Tallahassee man by his wife and best friend is pretty well made, if you're into true crime. I'd known the story already based on a "Dateline" episode from years ago. The story is nuts, but as a former Tallahassee resident, part of the allure of watching was all the local notes involved, right down to famed lawyer to many an FSU player, Tim Jansen, playing a big role in the final episode.
And speaking of true crime
My pals Adam Rittenberg and Kyle Bonagura have launched a new podcast based on a story they wrote in 2022 about the disappearance of former Washington State coach Paul Wulff's mother, Delores.
The story makes for Season 3 of The Unforgotten, and the first episode is out now. Give it a listen on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.
Hi, We’re in Delaware
Lastly, I was on the road this week, first in Bristol at the Mothership where I got to hang with the great Jake Trotter, and we both rocked our University of Delaware shirts from Homefield.
Then I actually went to Delaware and hung out on campus there, even joining the Finebaum show from one of my old haunts, Grotto’s Pizza. I used to go there for lunch ($2 for two slices back then!), sit and play video trivia with the construction workers, have a couple too many 24-oz Miller Lites and then blow off class. I’m routinely amazed I’ve made it this far in life in spite of my utter inability to make good decisions
As a reminder, there is no prize for winning other than seeing something bad happen to the loser.
Last year I lost by 5 games.
As a side note, the story I was told from someone with direct knowledge on Jackson at Del State is, after his first team meeting, in which he couldn't get the projector to work and had to improvise his intro speech, he absconded to the West coast for a month and left the strength coach -- a contracted employee who does not actually work directly for Del State -- in charge of the team.
Though I was bummed there was no mention of his turn as Dodger in the Disney movie "Oliver and Co." which I just watched with my kids a few weeks ago.