Tom Fornelli

Curt Cignetti would leave Indiana for the Penn State head coaching job

I think Penn State is one of the jobs [Curt Cignetti] would definitely leave Indiana for. I think there are a lot of jobs that have come open or or likely to come open that he's been mentioned for that I don't really see as upgrades over Indiana. ... I feel like if you're gonna replace James Franklin, you'd need to find your own Dan Lanning kind of hire.

Texas A&M is the most surprising SEC team that could run the table the rest of the season

I would say Texas A&M. I do think that they're legitimately good. ... They've kind of figured things out and gotten their act together the last few weeks. ... I'm not saying that they will, I'm just saying they strike me as a team that is much better than anybody truly expected.

Arch Manning looks like an unpolished freshman and is not ready for the SEC

I thought like the last few years sitting on the bench developing behind Quinn Ewers is like we were gonna see a much more polished player than what we have seen to this point. He just looks like a freshman even though he is now in his third year on campus. So I think that is very alarming.

Billy Napier is the best coach ever when his back is against the wall and he's almost fired

Billy Napier with his back against the wall might be the best coach ever. He literally just, just get him, get him almost fired and he'll start performing.

Ohio State's defense is definitively better than it was last year

I do think there is an argument to be made that the defense is better than last year's defense. I think [Jim Knowles] is just confusing the ever living crap out of all the quarterbacks that he has faced so far. ... Once they get to the red zone, they're just absolutely clamping down and not giving up anything.

Michigan is a better team than USC and will beat them on the money line

I think the wrong team is favorite in Los Angeles. I think Michigan's a better football team than USC. ... I'm probably just gonna be on the Michigan money line. ... I think Michigan's just much better than they are along the lines of scrimmage.

Will Howard will look much better at Ohio State because of the elite wide receivers around him

I think of how Will Howard looked at Kansas State and then I think of how Will Howard looked at Ohio State. Right. Looked a lot different when you have all those guys to throw to... great receivers can elevate a mediocre quarterback.

Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold is in for a rocky season with bad reports coming out of camp

I have not heard anything good coming out of Auburn camp about Jackson Arnold. It's just like—you know, he's got insider people. I've heard a lot of negative buzz coming out... it could be a quarterback carousel there, it could be week to week.

Ole Miss backup Austin Simmons is a legit Heisman longshot at 40-1

I'll give you a long shot quarterback in the SEC: Austin Simmons at Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin still is good at coaching quarterbacks... if Simmons kind of over performs what you would expect from somebody with his lack of experience... he's a left shot though. I think he's like 40 or 50 to one.

LSU will win the National Championship

I picked LSU to win the national title. So I I'm with you on that. I picked 'em to win the SEC too. And it's, it's kind of along with what you just said, like they're, the way that they work, it's like when you don't expect them to be anything is when they're gonna jump up and have a great year.

West Virginia is this year's Indiana and could surprise the Big 12

Everybody's looking for this year's Indiana... Rich Rod left Jacksonville State, went to West Virginia, brought the entire fucking roster with him... I look at West Virginia, like if that's a future you wanna take instead of taking Jalen Daniel... they could be in the playoff hunt.

Clemson will win the ACC

I have Clemson winning the ACC too. I do think receiver-wise they're gonna be better than they were last year... I think Dabo can win the ACC without using the portal because I don't think the ACC is that good.

No team in the Big 12 will finish with fewer than three losses

My hot take about the Big 12 is that nobody is coming outta that league with fewer than three losses. I think it's gonna be a one-bid league.

Michigan is good enough defensively and on the lines to potentially win the Big Ten again

I don't see any reason why Michigan can't be as good as [Ohio State] because defensively Michigan's still just as good as Ohio State is... Michigan to me, is one of those teams that in September they might look kind of, yeah, eh, but by the time you get to November... they might be a really good team who's gonna be like the momentum dark horse in the playoff.

Nico Iamaleava is the best quarterback in the country

I'm telling you, Nico's [Iamaleava] the best quarterback in the country. Size-wise, talent-wise, ability-wise, fit in the offense that he's in... I already have the future on Nico's Heisman.

Oklahoma will finish with a better SEC record than Texas in their first year

Oklahoma finishes with a better SEC record than Texas. I think Jackson Arnold will be a step forward for them... my concerns about Texas are shared.

Georgia's schedule is so easy they are a lock for the CFP and a likely three-peat

Georgia's obviously won the last two national titles. They're probably gonna win a third. ... when I look at Georgia's schedule, there is absolutely no way in hell they are not making the playoffs.

LSU is better than Alabama and will win the SEC West

I really, I, I'm not gonna say that the Alabama dynasty is dead, but I feel like it's dying. ... I look at LSU... I just look at that division and I think LSU is better than Alabama this year and they're more likely to win the west.

Penn State has its best chance to win the Big 10 in a long time thanks to Drew Allar

I do think this is [Penn State's] best chance to win the Big 10 in a long time. ... Drew Allar is... the first guy really [since McSorley] who has that kind of attitude, but he's also really fucking good. So I think that could give them a step up.

Iowa will score 31 points per game and win the Big 10 West

I'm on record. They're gonna score 31 points per game and I think they're gonna win the west. I think they are the best team. They're the one I have the fewest questions about.

The Sun Belt will be the best G5 conference within the next 10 years

I think the Sun Belt's gonna be the best G5 conference within the next 10 years because... there's just a buy-in from all the schools about wanting their football programs to be good. ... I think long-term Sun Belt's gonna be the best G5 leader.

Texas is the most underrated team in the country and will beat Alabama in Week 2

I was asked for the most underrated team in the country and I chose Texas. ... I really do think this year's Longhorns team is going to be very good. ... I think Texas, if there is an elite team in that conference [Big 12] this year, it is Texas. ... Texas is gonna win that game [against Alabama].

Caleb Williams will win back-to-back Heisman trophies

Caleb Williams is the real fucking deal. ... It's why I think he's the best player in college. It's why I think he'll be the first pick in the draft and it's why I think he's gonna be the first guy to win the Heisman at consecutive years since Archie Griffin.

Texas Tech -14 against Wyoming is a Game of the Year lock

Texas Tech minus 14 against Wyoming... I went full I mean go as many as you're comfortable going, but it's Game of the Year Territory for me. I have Texas Tech minus 14. I also have Texas Tech alternate lines at minus 20. So that's, I'm feeling pretty good about this one.

Mississippi State will be the worst team in the SEC this season

I'm gonna go Mississippi State because... their coach died. And it's not something you can really game plan for. ... Zach Arnett... is completely overhauling the offense. ... I think Mississippi State has a chance to have a pretty bad year. But I would say it's either them or Vandy.

Michael Penix Jr. has a stronger arm than Josh Allen

Michael Penix was convinced to come back to Washington... he's not Josh Allen as far as total overall skillset as far as the size. But as far as arm strength is concerned, this kid might have a stronger arm than Josh Allen. ... you can't believe a human is able to throw a football that hard on a line like that.

Ohio State is being written off as a bad team prematurely after the Michigan loss

I think that there's been a large overreaction to Ohio State losing to Michigan. I think that Ohio State suddenly sucks in the mind of a lot of people because they lost to Michigan two years in a row. ... I think the Buckeyes are still very good. They could win this game [against Georgia].

The Tulane vs. USC game is a lock to go over the point total

My favorite bet, honestly, the over in Tulane USC. ... Way too low. They're gonna get in seventies for this one.

Georgia is better than they were last year

I think Georgia is better than last year's team. I came into this season, thinking Alabama and Ohio State, one of them is going to win the national title... After what I saw on Saturday, I suddenly think that Georgia's probably right up there with those two.

Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud are the two best quarterbacks in the country

I think [C.J. Stroud] and Bryce Young are the two best quarterbacks in the country. I think that they will be Heisman finalists.

LSU and Florida State are both just mediocre 7-5 or 8-4 teams

Neither of those teams is very good. Like LSU is gonna be seven and five, Florida State's gonna be seven and five, maybe eight and four in the ACC.

Florida is a sleeper to be the second-best team in the SEC East over Tennessee and Kentucky

I feel like people are a little too easily hyping up Tennessee and Kentucky in the off season as like the second best team in the SEC east. I think Florida's very much in play to be that team.

Drake Maye is an upgrade over Sam Howell

I think Drake Maye, their new quarterback, is really good... I think that he's just, he's probably an upgrade over Sam Howell, no offense. I know that he's with your Commanders now, but I think that they've got a better quarterback now.

Kansas is the worst Power Five team in college football

Oh, that's a good question. But it's Kansas. [The worst power five team].

Florida is being slept on in the SEC and Dan Mullen can overperform with less talent

I think Florida in the SEC is being like pretty slept on. I know from a talent level, they're not at the Georgia, Alabama, or even the Texas A&M level, but you look at Dan Mullen and what he's always been able to do with teams even with less talent.

Bijan Robinson is a better player than Najee Harris

I think Bijan Robinson is a perfect fit for what we saw Najee Harris do in that Alabama offense last year. I think Bijan is a better player than Najee Harris.

My 2021 College Football Playoff field is Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and Oregon

I am doing the least chalky chalk I can, as far as my official predictions. I've got my playoff being Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Oregon.

A Group of Five team will never make the College Football Playoff in the four-team format

No, a Group of Five team... as long as the playoffs stays at four teams, a Group of Five teams never get again, period. I don't care who they play or what. We have to remember who put the playoff together. The Power Five.

James Franklin would be magnificent as the head coach at USC

I think James Franklin would be magnificent at USC because the one thing that USC, that you really need to take advantage of if your goal is to win national titles... you need a guy who's really good to try to bring that talent in like Pete Carroll was doing... I think James Franklin is one of the guys who's capable of doing it to be blunt.

Lock of the Week: Illinois -4.5 vs UTSA

My locker of the week this week is actually Illinois minus four and a half at home against UTSA. That is a straight up disrespectful line... to get that at under a touchdown, it's like, I don't think Illinois is some juggernaut now because it beat Nebraska, but they are definitely a touchdown better than UTSA.

Justin Fields will be the Bears starter by Week 3

And Justin Fields prediction go quick? Week three. [Week three start].

No team will get out of the Big Ten West with fewer than three losses

My prediction was nobody's getting out of the West with fewer than three losses this year and I honestly think that's the case because when I look at Wisconsin and Minnesota who are the two prohibitive favorites in the division, I don't think the gap between them and Illinois is all that wide.

Tanner Morgan will be a first-round NFL draft pick

They have Tanner Morgan at quarterback who's probably one of them under more underrated quarterbacks in the country, I think he's a first round NFL draft pick next Spring and most people don't even know who he is.

Northwestern vs. Maryland will go under the point total

I'm slipping into the warm and comfortable feel of a Northwestern Under against Maryland this weekend because the total is at like 54.5... Northwestern scored 12 points per game in the conference last year Maryland scored 16... 16 plus 12 does not equal 55.

If Utah wins and Georgia loses, Utah will make the College Football Playoff

I think as long as Utah wins and Georgia loses, they're going to get the four spot... The committee has been ranking them based on being a complete team... Utah has been dominant all season long.

Clemson is so much better than the ACC that they would make the playoff even with a loss

The ACC is the worst conference ever and yeah, Clemson makes the playoff if they lose, for sure. Clemson's biggest opponent will be boredom because the rest of the ACC sucks. There is nobody in the ACC that can compete with Clemson.

Michigan will win the Big Ten and make the College Football Playoff

I have them [Michigan] winning the Big Ten though. I have them getting the playoff. So I do think it happens this year.

Oklahoma will beat Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinals

I think Oklahoma beats Alabama in a semi this year just because... I look at their problem last year that defense dipped off now they're losing one of their best defenders. Jalen Hurts revenge game, that would be great.

Notre Dame is the most likely top-four team to miss the CFB Playoff

[Predict one of the four teams not making it] Notre Dame. Even over Michigan? Yeah. Because Michigan's got to play Ohio State. I think if you look at Notre Dame, I don't think any of us are going to be surprised if they lose to Syracuse next weekend.

Michigan is currently a better team than Notre Dame

I honestly think Michigan, even though it lost to Notre Dame to start the year, is better than Notre Dame. At least it's playing better... I think Michigan just overall, special teams, defense, and offense has been a better team than Notre Dame.