DFT Pre Season Primer

 

DFT Pre-Season

The DFT blog is entering its 19th season—and 23rd season of the obsession, I mean …….quest. Many of you have been with me from the very beginning, and I just want to say that I appreciate the loyal following and truly enjoy writing this blog because of the feedback I get from you all. And so it is, we're off to another season.

This season will be a little unique as I will start it off on the injured reserve. This means no Labor Day trifecta where we dress up in costume for the anchor game of that weekend. My first real road trip won't be until week three with the Dons of Danville & my son in laws (bodyguards) as we visit South Bend for the Michigan State weekend. In fact, this will be one of my latest starts other than the covid year of 2020, when I was only allowed to attend one game. There is a chance I will attend a local JUCO matchup the week prior to Notre Dame.

This was going to be this year's labor day get up. Shake n Bake!

Other notable matchups on the DFT agenda include Indiana at Rutgers on October 3, Oklahoma at Kentucky on October 17, Colorado at Oklahoma State (Mrs. Tailgate's alma mater), The Seneca Valley boys from class of '81 weekend, Georgia at Ole Miss on November 7th. There are a few other Group of Five schools on the slate, and I also plan to attend a conference championship in December. All in all, this will likely be a maximum of 10 games.

Off Season Bieber Honors- Pretty easy choice as the scandal was dominating the sports media for a month. Brendan Sorsby, The highly touted transfer quarterback that landed at Texas Tech from the University of Cincinnati is our big winner as he may be following in the footsteps of the great Art Schlister. . In brief, this is what happened:

Sorsby admitted to wagering at least $90,000 on professional and college sports over four years, including betting on Indiana football while he played there as a freshman in 2022.

The NCAA permanently banned Sorsby, but he challenged the ruling in state court and surprisingly won an injunction allowing him to play football in 2026. A retired County judge in Texas ruled that Sorsby would suffer "irreparable injury" if banned, finding that his attorney successfully framed the gambling history as a mental health and addiction issue rather than purely a disciplinary matter. 

The case became controversial for seemingly allowing a player to escape NCAA penalties through litigation.

However, after significant backlash from fans and opposing teams and legal filings, Sorsby and Texas Tech mutually agreed to part ways. He withdrew his college eligibility lawsuit and planned to enter the NFL's supplemental draft. The NFL opted to not hold a supplemental draft in 2026, so Sorsby will now enter the 2027 NFL Draft with a gambling scandal hanging over him and a year away from competitive football. 

No worries though as he will have ample time to polish his shiny new Biebs hardware on the family mantle!

This Is the End, My Only Friend, the End 🎶🎶🎶

As prices for the Natty soared well over $3,000 for the cheap seats, most of the country was more than happy to stay in the comfy confines of their own cribs or local watering holes to watch this one. I chose the latter.

Sports bar on the Riviera

By now, the nation knows the Cinderella story of the Indiana Hoosiers, who beat Miami in a hard-fought, close game. The team was led by this year’s college football poster boy and Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza.
Final score: Indiana 27–21.

The camera spent more time on her than the game!

Butcher Dan in his boujee suite.

The McCools converted from Mountaineerdom!

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Season in Review

• 11 FBS games – BGSU, Illinois, Liberty, Temple – 4 new home stadiums, plus Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Peach Bowl

• 4 FCS games - SIU & North Dakota State - 2 new stadiums

• 1 D2 game

• 1 high school game

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Next Season

• Zero Week – Rio de Janeiro: NC State vs. UVA

• Labor Day Weekend – Syracuse and Buffalo home games

• 9/19 – Michigan State @ Notre Dame

• 10/17 – Idaho @ Montana

• 11/7 – UGA @ Ole Miss

• TBD – UTEP & NMSU double-header weekend

• TBD – LMU & LT double-header weekend

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Ginger Award – Curt Cignetti

In the world of NIL and the portal, coaches and programs must use the current rules to their advantage. Indiana—one of the all-time losingest programs in college football—turned itself in just two years from the laughingstock of the Power Five into a National Champion.

Credit goes to Coach Curt “I Win” Cignetti.

When he left James Madison University, he brought over key players from that program and aggressively attacked the transfer portal. He built this team not through the traditional high school recruiting model, but through this mythical portal thing we’re all dealing with now.

I’m not a fan of how the portal has zero guardrails, but its most positive outcome has been the leveling of the playing field in college football. Any program with deep pockets and a keen eye for talent can succeed in this new world order.

Indiana is not loaded with former 4- and 5-star athletes. In fact, they had zero 5-stars on this year’s roster.

Outside of Heisman-winning QB1 Fernando Mendoza, there are no household names—and that’s by design. Cignetti got these young men to buy into the team concept first. This team is unified, disciplined, and focused. Miami may have had more individual talent, but they lacked the team-first mentality Cignetti built in Bloomington.

So Coach, along with your Natty trophy, please accept our Ginger Trophy for your badass performance over the past two years.

"I win, google me"

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Bieber Award – Miami’s Sideline Circus

The famous trio of Miami Hurricane alumni—Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, and Ed Reed—inserted themselves on the sideline for the Natty.

Nothing wrong with legends of that magnitude gracing the sidelines of their alma mater for a big game. What was wrong is what it became.

Those guys became the show. They got as much pub as many of the players, and possibly even more than Coach Cristobal. Worse, they took it upon themselves to coach players up, get in their faces, and try to inspire and instruct them.

Michael Irvin turned into a full-blown side circus, running up and down the sideline acting like he was… high on life or something.

Before Miami’s final drive in the fourth quarter—when they still had a chance to win—Ray “Killer” Lewis was seen in the face of Miami QB1 Carson Beck, offering inspiration or instructions like, “Win or die, son!”

Beck then promptly went out and threw a game-losing interception to an Indiana DB.

Miami, this isn’t the 1980s or 1990s anymore. Move on. Keep these fossils in the museum so they don’t interfere with your game plans. And while you’re at it, stick your new Bieber hardware in that same museum.

A relic from the past!

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Next Up

There’s a possibility of tailgating at the Super Bowl in Santa Clara. Otherwise, I’ll be enjoying trips to warm places and spending time on the Redneck Riviera to recharge for next fall.

Come see me on the Riviera this off season!

I’ll also be spending time on Tailgate Connect, which continues to grow nicely over the past two years.

Happy Tailgating! 

Semi Excitement

I had the privilege of attending the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, GA Friday night for the College Football Playoff semifinal between Indiana and Oregon. It honestly felt like the game was already over when I boarded my connecting flight in Denver on Thursday, as the majority of my plane was adorned in Indiana crimson, with only one lone Duck fan in sight. More of the same when I landed at Hartsfield International — and again at my hotel.

On Friday, while making my way to our tailgate near Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the whole town was wearing red. Our tailgate was easily 10-to-1 Indiana fans, and as you may have seen on TV, the stadium was at least 90% Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers.

Let’s put things in perspective. Prior to the 2024 season, Indiana had the most losses of any Division I program in the history of college football and an all-time winning percentage of just .420, perennially fighting for the bottom of the Big Ten. Heck it was just last year that they brought back their mascot after a 55 year absence. Indiana has long been known as a basketball school, largely thanks to the late, great Coach Bobby Knight. In fact, save for Notre Dame, the entire state of Indiana is known for basketball — the Pacers, IU, Purdue, Butler, Larry Bird and of course, Hickory High.

IU fans clearly don’t know how to react to these newfound riches after the remarkable run of the past two seasons under head coach Curt Cignetti. The guy wins — just Google him. Many IU fans I spoke with admitted they had little to no interest in the football program prior to last year. Now, they are the nouveau riche of college football, trying to balance euphoria with not becoming too annoying.

Before kickoff, I attended and helped check guests in at our Tailgate Connect–affiliated tailgate in ATL, The Tailgate Party Committee, run by Big Lee, LaRonda, and a staff of awesome people. For $70, guests were treated to fresh-smoked meats, sides, an open bar, and great music from DJ Erock. There was a giant screen for the pregame show and a slew of other activities.

Tailgate Party Committee Tailgate with the Brothers Lusk

More action at the gate!

At one point, Erock played ABBA’s Fernando, which took me a few seconds to figure out why he was killing the upbeat vibe (think Heisman Boy), then it hit me. There was a lot of attention being paid to the Indiana contingent, who were clearly in the majority.

After finishing my duties at check-in, I joined my friends — the Lusk Bros from Minnesota — along with our good friend Evan Williams. After a solid number of rounds with Evan and some seriously righteous chow, and some fun people watching, we made our way to the stadium to watch the spectacle unfold.

Oregon received the opening kickoff and promptly threw a pick-six on its first play from scrimmage, immediately going in the hole. The Ducks answered on their next possession to tie the game at seven apiece, but that was the last time this contest resembled anything competitive. Indiana rattled off 28 unanswered points before halftime, sending Hoosier Nation into full ballistic mode, while the few Oregon fans in attendance fell silent.

Indiana, led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando “Iceman” Mendoza — who simply does not make mistakes — added a few more scores in the second half. Oregon scored as well, but it was all academic. Final score: Indiana 56, Oregon 22. The Hoosiers are headed to the national championship game next Monday night in Miami.

Inside the Benz

Indiana’s opponent will be the University of Miami, who will essentially enjoy a home game with the title contest being played in their own stadium. Miami ended Ole Miss’s improbable playoff run Thursday night in an exciting Fiesta Bowl nail-biter. The game came down to a final passing attempt by Ole Miss that fell incomplete. If not for Lane Kiffin’s Bieber-worthy moves, who knows — Ole Miss may have prevailed with a full coaching staff. That said, Miami played well enough to earn the win. Final score: 31-27.

Ginger Award

This week’s Ginger Award goes to Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and Indiana quarterback Nando Mendoza. These two young stars are the epitome of what college athletes should be. Both are grounded in faith, family, and team — foundations that are clearly unshakable. If you listen to their interviews, you’ll come away impressed. It’s never about them; it’s always about the team.

They each landed in systems that accentuated their unique talents and allowed them to grow into the players they are today. In an era where NIL money and self-promotion dominate headlines, it’s refreshing to see two exceptional leaders take center stage in college football.

Bieber Award

Demond Williams Jr. earns this week’s Bieber Award for managing to light the college football world on fire in under 48 hours. After the sophomore QB signed a massive NIL deal to stay at the University of Washington, Williams abruptly announced he was entering the transfer portal anyway — sparking legal threats, agent drama, and national embarrassment for everyone involved. Less than two days later, he reversed course and decided to stay put.

The end result? Burned trust, unnecessary chaos, and a masterclass in selfish, poorly thought-out decision-making at a time when leadership and maturity actually matter. Typical behavior from a player who hasn’t earned that kind of leverage yet. At least he’ll have his Bieber hardware to fall back on after he burns through the $4 million NIL payout.

Next Up

I will not be “taking my talents to South Beach” like LeBron. Tickets are starting at $3 grand right now. Instead, I’ll be posted up in a sports bar somewhere along the American Riviera Monday night, rooting hard for the Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers. My tailgating season is likely over — unless I somehow find myself at the Super Bowl next month.

Happy Tailgating!

 

CFP Postseason Report

I’ve taken a much-needed hiatus the past few weekends to indulge in food, family, and festivities during the holiday season. So I have no new shenanigans or knowledge to share with you on that front.

After the first two rounds of the 12-team CFP Playoff, we’re down to four contenders: Miami, Oregon, Indiana, and Ole Miss.

The first round of the playoffs consisted mostly of lopsided contests. Alabama knocked off Oklahoma, while Ole Miss and Oregon easily dispatched their respective Group of Five opponents, Tulane and JMU. Miami also took care of Texas A&M.

In the quarterfinals, Miami’s defense stifled Ohio State in a shocker in the Cotton Bowl. Oregon ran roughshod over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl, while Indiana throttled Alabama 37–3 in a rainy Rose Bowl in Pasadena. In the Sugar Bowl, perhaps the game of the year, Ole Miss — behind QB1 Trinidad Chambliss — upset the Georgia Bulldogs.

This leaves us with the following matchups for the semifinals this coming weekend:

• Indiana vs. Oregon — Peach Bowl - Friday
  
  

• Ole Miss vs. Miami — Fiesta Bowl - Thursday
  
  

The winners will meet in the Natty on 1/19 in Miami.

Congratulations to Montana State for winning the FCS National Championship in Nashville on Monday night over Illinois State. It took one overtime and a blocked extra point for the Bobcats to secure their first natty in over 40 years.

In the Division III Championship, Wisconsin River Falls upset the dynasty that is North Central on Sunday in Canton, Ohio.

Brdy's Navy at the Military Bowl in Annapolis, MD

Raydio Carlucci and his off spring at the Rose Bowl

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Bieber

Lane Kiffin — for forcing six Ole Miss assistants to abandon their team to perform duties for him at LSU during this ill-timed portal period. (he poached all of them when he abandoned ship after the regular season)

Don’t get me started on the portal, but two-faced Lane mandated they all abandon their posts and join him full-time so they can go portaling. Ole Miss is making a historic run and could very well beat Miami this weekend and make the Natty.

The poetic justice would be a big middle finger to Lane the Stain if Ole Miss pulls this off while he abandoned ship prior to the start of the playoffs to get his Big Easy payout at LSU.

So, Lane, you have the distinction of being the first person ever to win two Biebers within a 30-day period.

Congrats, Lane Bieber!

Next Up

I’m heading to ATL to attend the Peach Bowl and a Tailgate Connect–affiliated tailgate on Friday. I’ll be pulling for the upstart Hoosiers.

Happy Tailgating!

 

Starz n Stripes!

 This past Saturday, I arranged for and attended the annual Army–Navy Game tailgate with around 75 of my fellow Frostburg State alumni in Baltimore, MD. We were a party within a much larger tailgate of more than 1,000 people put on by the wildly popular TailGOAT, owned by Jimmy’s Famous Seafood. In addition to the amazing food and open bar, entertainment was provided by country music star Chase Rice.

Our crew definitely got their money’s worth with the libations, chow, and entertainment. More importantly, it was an incredible mix of people from different chapters of my college life—some I’ve known for decades, some I’ve just met—along with many spouses and friends. That’s what these weekends are really about.

Instead of going into the game this year, we opted for a watch party at the legendary Pickles Pub. I’ve been inside the stadium for about ten Army–Navy games over the past 15 years, so I didn’t mind pivoting. The celebrations continued, including a “Chug for Charity” showdown between my fraternity, KZX, and our closest ally fraternity, DPO. KZX took the victory, and DPO was tasked with making a $100 donation to a veterans charity of our choice—Sentinels of Freedom.

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The Game

As is customary every year, it’s the pageantry surrounding the game that makes Army–Navy so special. Parachute teams from both branches, flyovers, the walk-on of the Cadets and Midshipmen, and the coin toss with the Commander-in-Chief all combine to create something uniquely American. Not to mention the teams singing their alma matters, win or lose after the match.

The game itself—what most of America saw—was a tight contest, Army played far better than expected. With Army leading 16–10 midway through the fourth quarter, Navy star QB Blake Horvath tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Eli Heidenreich. With the PAT good, Navy took a 17–16 lead and held on over the final six minutes for the victory.

As I say every year: while these two teams battle fiercely on the field, they will be brothers in arms come spring when the seniors graduate and move on to their respective military assignments. These two schools embody the very best that America has to offer when it comes to the true meaning of a collegiate athlete—especially considering the added responsibility of daily military duty throughout their four years on campus.

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Around the Country

In the FCS quarterfinals, Montana and Montana State defeated their respective opponents and will meet once again next Saturday in the semifinals for Round Two of the “Brawl of the Wild.” Illinois State continues to roll and will play at Villanova, who also advanced with a win. Winners of those two games will meet in the FCS Championship on 1/5/26 In Nashville.

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Heisman

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza became the first Hoosier to secure the coveted Heisman Trophy. Runner-ups were Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin.

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Bieber

By now, if you’re a college football fan, you’ve heard about the downfall of former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore, who was fired for cause early last week. What initially surfaced as an inappropriate relationship with a younger staffer spiraled into an increasingly bizarre and troubling story.

It was documented that Moore got the staffer pregnant, encouraged her to have an abortion, and allegedly increased her pay afterward. Following his termination, he went on what can only be described as a psychotic-fueled journey—first threatening to kill himself at his wife’s house, then traveling to his mistress’s home and threatening her. He was ultimately tracked down by police and arrested.

This is less a “Bieber Award” moment and more a deeply sad episode, but it still needs to be documented given the sheer number of missteps. A young coach with known temptation issues should never place himself in a situation like this. The cover-up was worse than the crime, and the alleged misuse of university funds only compounded matters. Reports indicate others within the organization may have known and did nothing, leading to the termination of the athletic director as well.

Michigan now has a mess to clean up and must find a coach with a squeaky-clean reputation to restore credibility. But since national championships don’t appear to be in their immediate future, we’ll be shipping them a life-size statue of Justin Bieber instead.

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Ginger

The seniors on both the Army and Navy teams who will begin serving our country this May deserve the spotlight. I highlight these young warriors every year because their commitment is meaningful beyond football. Many will serve in dangerous parts of the world, and some will make the ultimate sacrifice.

In an era dominated by entitled NIL-hopping players who believe they are God’s gift to the game, let’s remember who truly matters. These young men and women will be playing the game of life for at least the next five years—and for many, an entire career. We salute you.

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Next Up

Rest and relaxation over the next couple of weeks with the entire extended Tailgate family under one roof for Christmas. I have been on a four month gauntlet and need to recharge a bit. Depending on how Oklahoma finishes, that will determine my next stop back out on the tailgate road.

Happy Tailgating!

Life In A Northern Town

The state of North Dakota has been on my bucket list for a long time for several reasons. First, I’ve been enamored with the North Dakota State Bison football program—they’ve utterly dominated the FCS level for the past 14 years, winning ten national championships in that span. Second, despite all my travels, North Dakota was one of only two states where I had never spent any real time. (Airports and drive-throughs don’t count!)

This past weekend, I finally checked both items off the list. And I’ll admit it: I also kind of dig the movie Fargo with Steve Buscemi and William H. Macy.

I was joined by my old Army buddy, Colonel John “Bourbon Boy” Holter. We scouted out downtown Broadway on Friday night to get a good recon of the locals we’d be amongst on game day. We even connected with the ESPN crew calling Saturday’s game for a beer.

Charles "Buck" Arbuckle and his ESPN Crew having a beer with me and the Colonel.

With Saturday morning temperatures below zero and a noon kickoff, we were up early and at a very hearty tailgate by 9:30 a.m. We joined the famous Herd Attack Tailgate, one of the original Tailgate Connect partners, and their partner tailgate the Silent Z, Tim Hagar, Moonshine Mandy, Bear, Pyle the Marine and Andy the unofficial Mayor of Fargo were just a few of the characters who took great care of us and ensured we had an amazing time. They have a tricked out ambulance as the centerpiece of their set up,

With the Arctic chill, the tents were fully flapped, heated, and sitting at a toasty 75 degrees inside. Shots of all kinds of concoctions were served on a communion tray—with crackers in the middle—so naturally we had to indulge in this religious experience. Great stories were shared on how this group came together and some of their epic tales.

The Herd Attack and Silent Z tailgate crews

The Frozen Tundra, we come bearing gifts and the Silent Z crew

Inside the FargoDome

Once inside the FargoDome, the elements were no longer a threat. The Mighty Bison faced Illinois State in the second round of the FCS playoffs. The Bison were favored by 22.5 points, and because of that, many fans didn’t bother showing up—the Dome was maybe 65% full.

On their opening drive, NDSU connected on an unreal 78-yard touchdown pass. I turned to the Colonel and said, “Sheez, I hope this isn’t going to be a blowout.”

Well… I got more than I bargained for.

Illinois State ended up statistically dominating the game on offense, and defensively shutting down the Bison after that opening drive. What kept things close was that the Redbirds QB threw five interceptions, two of which resulted in Bison touchdowns. Redbird star wide receiver, Daniel Sobkowics, scored three touchdowns—I even met his dad Sunday morning at the airport and discussed the game.

With NDSU ahead 28–21 and one minute left, Illinois State scored. In the gutsiest move since Maverick wowed Viper, they went for two and the win. They converted, took a 29–28 lead, and held on—stunning Bison Nation.

Illinois State now moves on to face UC Davis in the next round.

The venerable Fargo Dome, the final statistics and the Redbirds celebrating their biggest victory in school history

Conveniently, after the game we crossed the street and posted up at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the SEC Championship and the rest of the action around the country.

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Around the Country

ACC Championship

Duke shocked the conference and beat Virginia in OT 27-20, knocking the Cavs out of playoff contention. With five losses, Duke did not qualify for the playoff.

SEC Championship

Georgia physically dominated Alabama in the Mercedes-Benz Dome, winning 28–7, getting revenge for the loss they suffered early in the season in Athens,.

Big 12 Championship

Texas Tech went full “Guns Up” and blasted BYU 34–7 proving they are one of the best teams in the country.

Big Ten Championship

Curt Cignetti just wins—Google it. Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes found this out firsthand as Indiana knocked off the No. 1 team in the country, 13–10, in a bruising contest.

American Athletic Conference Championship

Tulane topped North Texas, securing the Group of Five playoff spot.

Sun Belt Championship

James Madison defeated Troy on Friday night and secured their spot in the 12-team playoff.

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College Football Playoff – First Round (Dec. 19–20)

• Alabama at Oklahoma
  
  

• Miami at Texas A&M
  
  

• Tulane at Ole Miss
  
  

• James Madison at Oregon

First round Byes - Indiana, UGA, Texas Tech and Ohio State

Bieber Award – Penn State Coaching Search

Penn State fired James Franklin back in October, just one season after he took the Nittany Lions to the Final Four of the College Football Playoff. You’d think they had a replacement lined up. If they did, it didn’t go well.

While other big programs were locking up top candidates, Penn State stalled. National Signing Day arrived and they still had no head coach. They ranked 150th in recruiting—behind 14 FCS programs, for crying out loud.

It became a full-blown soap opera as the Penn State faithful demanded to know what the administration was doing.

Ultimately, they lucked into Matt Campbell from Iowa State, who has done an excellent job during his decade in Ames. It’s safe to say he was not their top choice—the very public rejection by BYU’s Kalani Sitake said enough.

So now in Happy Valley, PA, we can hear the chant "We Are!" Bieeeeeeberrr!

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Ginger Award

Easy one. I give it to myself for being crazy enough to come to Fargo in the winter with temps below zero for a football game. I humbly accept this honor for such an act of bravery, courage and stupidity!

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Next Up

I’ll be heading back to Baltimore for the annual Army–Navy weekend festivities, joined by 75–100 of my closest Frostburg State friends. We’ll be pregaming at the famous TailGoat tailgate at the Horseshoe Casino parking garage.

You can join us here:
https://www.tailgateconnect.com/army-navy-tailgate

Happy Tailgating!