college-football

NOTRE DAME TAKING THEIR BALL AND GOING HOME

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Something is very wrong with how College football runs their operation. Head coaches can get out of their contracts and take other jobs before their season concludes. It seems in most of the sports, players themselves can opt out, become free agents, and transfer to another institution. How many times are there where players skip bowl games because they do not want get hurt for the upcoming NFL draft? Then conferences taking on way too many teams, more than they can handle. They call one conference the Big Ten because it was named after 10 teams in the Midwest of the heartland. Now you have teams from the East and West coast were added to the Big Ten. They have not changed the name to actually how many teams are presiding in that conference. Too many teams. Too many bowl games which most are watered down. To declare the National Championship every year was a joke with the rankings which still are a joke. The College football playoffs went to four teams & now it has expanded to a 12 team format. When the University of Notre Dame saw their ranking after the weekend concluded, a University that expected to be seated in the 12 team format, they went ballistic. Like a kid in a neighborhood game not liking the results, they took their ball and went home. The Fighting Irish declined any part of any bowl game they would get because of the snub they got in the rankings and not being in the playoffs. Does the Catholic school University have the right to walk away from being in a bowl game? Is this University that kid you knew in that pick up game of whatever sport you were playing? If it did not go his way, he would leave with the ball while throwing a tantrum.

Notre Dame does have a gripe here as they came into the weekend with a ranking of number 11. The Fighting Irish have been ranked ahead of the Miami Hurricanes for weeks in the weekly rankings. The University of Alabama were destroyed in the SEC title game by the University of Georgia. The Crimson Tide finished the season 10-3 with that loss. The Hurricanes beat the Fighting Irish earlier in the year by a score of 27-24. After Notre Dame suffered two straight losses out of the gate, they won ten in a row. Miami finished with the same record as Notre Dame at 10-2. The Hurricanes moved up due to BYU losing as they had the tie breaker head to head beating the Irish earlier this season. BYU finished the season 11-2. Somehow Alabama moved up and are one of the 12 playoff teams while Notre Dame and BYU are two teams ousted at the very end. Now they get the booby prize playing in one of the bowl games that are not any of the big and proud ones. It seems like the Irish were led to believe they would make the College Football playoff format by the ESPN weekly ratings show. Declining a bowl game, the Catholic university is giving a giant F-U to ESPN which televises most of the bowl games.

Notre Dame’s Athletic Director went on the Dan Patrick Show and said: “Like, where’s the logic? Where’s the rationale? Why are we being kind of punished and the only ones that seem to be moving in the wrong direction, and yet winning and having an unbelievably dominant end of season”.

The selection show on ESPN is part of a 7.8 billion deal with the college football post-season. Notre Dame has an independent deal with NBC. The selection committee said that Alabama looked very good versus Auburn at least in the first half of that contest. They mentioned Notre Dame had a strong game in their last contest versus Standford. The Fighting Irish are only mad at the selection committee. Not other schools or the ACC, which they made a deal with the conference to play 5 teams from the conference each season. In College Football, Notre Dame is an independent. The University felt like the ACC was attacking their school for this decision they made. Notre Dame has many other sports that play in the ACC. Notre Dame was not the only university to decline a bowl bid. Iowa State and Kansas State backed out of any bowl game bids because each program is going through a head coaching change. The Big 12 fined each school $500,000 for declining a bowl bid. Every conference wants to see more of their own schools in post-season play or in bowl games in general to feel the power over other conferences.

What happened to the old saying, “When the going gets tough the tough get going?” What kind of message are Notre Dame and other schools sending to the athletes when they back out? When you play football or any sport, it’s always the theory of “next man up” since we started playing when we were kids. Why can’t teams play when their current coach takes another job somewhere else? I think the ESPN selection show is a bunch of BS as well. Notre Dame does have a beef there. Going out to play the bowl game and showcase the talent to rub their faces in it would be a better option than closing down the shop too early. What about some players that may be seniors and will not get a chance to play in a bowl game because you gave up? The line, “Always next year or tomorrow,” is one of the worst in sports.

Why does ESPN have so much power just because of the money and telecasts? Is this the same network that has a chubby for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox 24/7? Maybe Alabama is their cash cow in College football for ESPN over the Catholic institution. College football has many problems. The playoff system that they have in place is horrific. You may need more divisions along with more playoff formats in college football because there’s too many teams. Too many overpacked conferences. The transfer portal seems worse than any professional sports free agency. Then the coaches getting out of contracts is a joke. In basketball, players treat the college level like a minor league system to the pros. Then in football you have the players that will sit because they seek riches in the NFL. College football is a league with too many moving parts that they can’t control. Too many cooks in the kitchen. It’s that simple. It comes down to money and greed like everything in sports, it seems. Notre Dame will be the butt of many jokes and memes because they quit when they hit a bump in the road. I would be embarrassed if I was a die hard fan of this historic institution. In the end, who you hurt the most is the students and the fans of the Fighting Irish. Trying to get justice would have been playing the bowl game while getting the morons in the selection committee fired. Finding a better solution so this shenanigans does not occur again. Most of the time these guys are not good at what they do when it comes to ranking teams. I feel like I just watched an episode of dodge ball on the playground at ten years of age. They may be better experts on ranking the teams than what we have in place over at the Network.

PAT FITZGERALD IS RETURNING TO THE BIG TEN AS THE NEXT SPARTANS HEAD COACH

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Many people from around the Chicagoland area will tell you Pat Fitzgerald got a raw deal being fired from the University of Northwestern in 2022 . Fitzgerald was the face of the Northwestern University football program for decades as a player, assistant coach, & then taking over as the head coach. He was a local guy who grew up on the southside of Chicago. It was not the record at the end that would get the coach fired. He was suspended & then fired because graphic incidents of hazing with his players emerged on his watch. Fitzgerald claimed he did not know anything about it. The investigation by the University says it was a well known thing. In August of 2025, Northwestern University settled a lawsuit with their former head coach which ended that chapter. Now Fitzgerald will return to the Big Ten with a different school and program. Michigan State has signed Fitzgerald to a 5 year deal worth 30 million for him to be their next head coach. Fitzgerald, a local kid from the Chicagoland area, played linebacker for the Wildcats for 4 seasons and suddenly Northwestern had a solid football program in the Big Ten conference.

Pat Fitzgerald as a player put life into a dead football program that was in the grave for decades rotting. He played linebacker for the Wild Cats from 1993-96. In 1995 the Northwestern Wildcats had a 10-1 record and were awarded with a trip to the Rose Bowl. It was only the university’s second bowl appearance and first since 1949. That’s how bad Northwestern was, which was known for their academic accomplishes more than their sports programs. During the same year the Wildcats beat Notre Dame in South Bend who were ranked number 9 at the time, as Fitzgerald had 11 tackles in that game. It was the first time Northwestern had beat the Irish since 1962. The Wildcats also beat Michigan that year 19-13 and they were ranked number 7. Fitzgerald was a wild man in that game with 14 tackles, two of them were loss of yards on the plays. It was the first time the Wildcats beat Michigan since 1959. Fitzgerald averaged 13 tackles a game in 1995. The awards he achieved on the college gridiron would lead you to think he would have been at least drafted by an NFL team. He was 2x winner of the Bronco Nagurski award along with being a 2x winner of the Chuck Bednarik award. He won the Jack Lambert award in 1996. He was 2x All-American along with being a 2x Big Ten defensive player of the year. In 1997 he earned the Big Ten medal of honor. In 2003 he was inducted in the Northwestern Hall of Fame. In 2008 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. After college he did sign with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. He was given his walking papers after two preseason games and then went into coaching. He worked with a few other college programs. Then in 2001 he resurfaced on the Northwestern campus as a defensive backs coach.

Pat Fitzgerald continued to climb the ranks of the coaching world with Northwestern. It was the sudden death of Randy Walker who was the head coach of the Wildcats that gave Fitzgerald his first chance at being a head coach at the college level. From 2006 until 2022, it was all Pat Fitzgerald running the Northwestern football program. He played at Northwestern. He worked as an assistant coach for 5 seasons & then had a long run as head coach at Northwestern where which he set new records for the long history of the school. His record overall was 110-101. His 110 wins, and 64 wins in the Big Ten conference, are school records. He was the first ever coach at Northwestern to take his team to back-to-back bowl games. He had 5 straight seasons from 2008-12 where his team reached a bowl game. Then he had his team getting to 4 straight bowl games from 2015-18. He took the Wildcats to ten bowl games and won 5 of them. He won two coach of the year awards. Most recently was 2020 when he had his team at 7-2 and in the Big Ten Championship. They would go on to play in the Citrus Bowl and win it versus Auburn University. After that he did not do too well. His teams only won 4 games in his last two seasons going 3-9 in 2021 then 1-11 in 2022. From 2019-22, his record as a head coach was 14-31. Perhaps Northwestern should have fired him for his record rather than the alleged hazing incidents.

For Michigan State University, they continue down the same path hiring guys that have created drama or scandals for the program and school. In 2023, the University fired Mel Tucker who was the Spartans head coach at the time for sexual misconduct allegations. Tucker sexually harassed an anti-rape activist who was a vendor the school hired as a speaker to speak to the team. What a fucker, the Tucker was trying to get laid from a anti-rapist who probably would not like strong come-ons the coach may have been throwing at her. Who knows what else he was doing. Then recently the university fired Jonathan Smith, a guy who inherited NCAA violations from that other guy we named. He was fired for his team performance on the field which did not even last two full seasons. Some will say how the hell did Pat Fitzgerald get fired? All the details were published about the hazing incidents by two former players that played for Northwestern in the school newspaper. The school’s investigation came up empty about Fitzgerald knowing anything. The Penn State situation years and years ago was worse with allegations against their famous head coach, Joe Paterno. He was part of the cover up of his assistant coach Jerry Sandusky when he sexually assaulted children. Paterno denied accusations that he knew about it. The FBI investigation back then concluded Paterno and others failed to protect the children. Penn State University settled law suits from the Paterno family back in 2020. Fitzgerald sued the school in a wrongful termination lawsuit. In August of 2025, Northwestern University settled that lawsuit with their former head coach.

Pat Fitzgerald may have known about the hazing going on in his program. How much do you think he knew? If he did not know about this man, did get fired for the wrong reasons? The hazing incidents are probably disturbing especially in the world we live in today. Times have changed. The old ways are being abolished. This has been going on since mankind started as we have evolved and we certainly think we are getting better. Many people that don’t want to see Fitzgerald get a second chance in life probably have beliefs about whether criminals deserve a second chance in society. Why we let murderers out to kill again is just absurd. This is about universities and higher learning. They should know better is their rational. Fitzgerald as a player probably went through some type of hazing. He may have not batted an eye because he went through it and life went on, he survived. Did the hazing change? It most certainly could have. Not really clear evidence like a smoking gun to prove he knew. This is hearsay nonsense. Why would the University have settled with Fitzgerald on the lawsuit? It tells me that there is a smoking gun and they made a mistake. I’m sure the university is tired and wants this to conclude. About 8 colleges contacted Fitzgerald about a job offer. Why wouldn’t you kick the tires on Fitz being he is a solid coach? Ending the lawsuit puts Fitzgerald back in play. Will any future evidence come forward on this hazing incident? This is the roll of the dice for Michigan State. New stuff pops out of the woodwork all the time. From my perspective, I don’t know Fitzgerald personally even though he is from the same stomping grounds where I hale from. I always thought he was a good guy with great character. I would not want my daughter or son to have their life ruined from something like hazing. Most everyone in this world is popping some kind of medication for some emotional distress. It is real. No evidence is the big sticking point here. When these things happen why should only the football head coach be fired? All the higher ups in the food chain of the university should be canned because it happened on all their watch. How do we know all those higher ups did not know what was going on? One thing I could tell you a fact about. No hazing will happen at Michigan State as you know Fitzgerald will be all about preventing that from happening to him again. Overall for right now this is a great hire by the Spartans. I know Fitzgerald will get this program better.

MARV LEVY TURNS 100

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Sometimes in life we get stuck in a rut hearing about people dropping like flies. Recently we lost the Godfather of Heavy Metal, Ozzy Osbourne, at the age of 76 to his fight with Parkinson’s. Hulk Hogan went into cardiac arrest and died on the way to the hospital at the age of 71. Then we lost Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg to cancer at the age of 65.

Yesterday the news came out that we lost the beautiful actress Loni Anderson at the age of 79. She played the character Jennifer Marlowe on one of the funniest comedies of all-time, WKRP in Cincinnati. Losing people in their 60’s or 70’s in my opinion is way too early in life. Over the weekend in Canton. Ohio for the NFL football Hall of Fame festivities, you could witness something extraordinary in life. The Buffalo Bills legendary head coach Marv Levy turned 100 on Sunday and many who were wearing the yellow coats on Saturday, including some of his former players, sang Happy Birthday to the Chicago native.

Marv Levy was enshrined in Canton in 2001 for his 17 years of coaching in the NFL. He left Harvard law school to become a football coach. When he broke the news to his father who was a former military man, there was a long pause after Marv told his dad what he wanted to do. Finally his father said, “Be a good one.”

Marv Levy’s journey started with being recruited to the University of Wyoming as a defensive back. The coach then left and so did Marv, as he transferred to Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There he played football, basketball, and ran track. He landed a degree in literature and he was a member of the Phi Kappa society as well as belonging to the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Then he went on to Harvard where he earned a Master of Arts in English History degree. Before he coached in the NFL, he started his journey in the college game. From 1973-1977 he was head coach of the Montreal Alouettes where he won 2 Grey Cups. In 1978 he landed the head coaching job with the Kansas City Chiefs where he coached 5 seasons there until he was let go. He left Kansas City with a losing record of 31-42.

His next coaching gig was in the USFL with the Chicago Blitz in 1984. Levy’s lone season where he grew up he had a 5-13 record with the Blitz which was 5th place in the Central division. Then he found his next gig in Buffalo in 1986. With the Bills he brought Buffalo back from the land of the dead where he coached 12 seasons. In 12 seasons in Buffalo, his regular season record was 112-70, went 11-8 in post-season, and brought the Bills to 4 straight Superbowls. He won 4 AFC Championships and six division titles along with 8 playoff berths from 1986-1997. Unfortunately the Bills lost all those Superbowls and the first one from a wide right kick heard around the world that would have won it if it had went through the golden up rights. His NFL regular season record all-time was 143-112. His record as a professional football head coach, he went 191-156 in regular season. The post-season combined he went 18-11. In 1988 he won SN coach of the year. He’s also a 2x winner of the UPI Coach of the Year award.

Born in 1925, Marv Levy right now is the oldest living member of the NFL Hall of Fame. Being from Chicago, he did root for the wrong team in baseball. Not many people can say that they saw the last two World Series for the Chicago Cubs. In 1945 he was in the Army Air Corps and had a furlough that allowed him to see game 7 of that series versus the Tigers. The Tigers won that World Series. In 2016, Levy was able to go to game 7 of that Cubs World Series versus the Cleveland Indians at which they won it all and broke over a 100 year drought. Levy has written multiple books including a children’s book about the “Go Go Cubs” in 2016 breaking that 108 year drought they had. Levy used that Harvard Master of Arts in English History degree with some epic game speeches throughout his coaching career. His famous Pregame huddle speech asked: “Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?”

Marv Levy had some of his former players on hand during the Canton festivities that included Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and James Lofton leading the charge for the famous birthday song. Even the crowd on hand could not help singing along for Levy’s 100th year on this earth still sharp as a tack. All the sadness in the world today makes things like this story about one of the good guys in coaching and just in life, make your day witnessing that moment at that time. I wished the Bills could have won at least one of those Superbowls in the 1990’s. The coaching, the plan, the plotting, the motivation to pick up this team after a bad Superbowl loss and march them right back there the following year is amazing work itself. Many teams that lose the big game suffer through a hangover the next season and most of the time they miss the post-season. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARV!!!

SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

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The UFL regular season concluded last week and the 4 best teams in the league made it to the post-season. Each conference will have their championship this weekend to see who will make it to the UFL’s season 2 title game in St.Louis. It’s DC Defenders visiting St.Louis BattleHawks for the XFL Conference title game. Then the Michigan Panthers visiting Birmingham Stallions for the USFL title game. Will the Stallions end up winning their 4th straight championship? Will St.Louis do their Tom Brady impression and host a title game at their home stadium to win it all? The Panthers do not play like kittens. Will the Defenders beer snake travel to St.Louis? Lots of questions & perhaps not enough answers. We may answer some of your questions with the UFL playoff preview and our own predictions. Both games are Sunday and they should be epic outcomes. Hope you enjoy!!!

UFL PLAYOFF PREVIEW AND PREDICTIONS

XFL CONFERENCE

Favorite: BattleHawks 2.5 points

#2. DC DEFENDERS (6-4) AT ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (8-2)

HEAD TO HEAD THIS SEASON: Defenders (1-1) BattleHawks

UFL RECORD ALL-TIME HEAD TO HEAD 2 SEASONS: BattleHawks (3-1) Defenders

The BattleHawks and Defenders hate each other which always makes a playoff game even more intense. These two teams hated each other back in the XFL days. The Defenders and BattleHawks split the season series. The last meeting was a BattleHawks win. However you know both teams were not showing anything new. Both teams were also resting players knowing they are meeting up in the post season a week later. You could say the Defenders victory over BattleHawks in week 3 is the only legit thing we have to work with. The BattleHawks have a different quarterback since the last time these two teams went at it with all their guys on the field. The BattleHawks went on to win the XFL Conference and have the best record in the entire league.

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS ON OFFENSE

POINTS PER GAME: St.Louis averaged 23.1 PPG while DC averaged 22.5 PPG

The Defenders have the best aerial attack in the league.

Jordan Ta’amu is one of the best quarterbacks in the UFL. He was second in the league in passing yards with 2,153 and first in touchdown passes with 17. He only threw 4 interceptions.

The BattleHawks starting quarterback is a duel threat QB who relies on his legs over his arm. Max Duggan got the job when Manny Wilkens went down with a season ending injury. Duggan had 4 passing touchdowns with 4 interceptions. Duggan won all the games he started for the BattleHawks.

The BattleHawks can run the football as they are one of the top rushing teams in the league. Jacob Saylors finished 2nd in the league with 499 rushing yards. Max Duggan had another 299 rushing yards with 5 rushing touchdowns.

Both teams average about the same amount points per game this season. The Defenders rely on the pass while the BattleHawks rely on the run. The BattleHawks have some play makers that can catch the ball and change the game in the air. Hakeem Butler’s numbers were down this season, but he is a big target for St.Louis if Duggan can hit on some play action passes, he is a threat.

DEFENSE

POINTS ALLOWED: The Defenders allow 21.6 PPG while the BattleHawks allow 16.0 points per game

The Defenders need to cause turnovers to be successful. While the BattleHawks defensive unit is solid from the front to the back with guys that can get the turnovers as well. The BattleHawks don’t rely on them like the Defenders need them.

Pita Taumoepenu led the UFL this season in sacks with 7.5. The BattleHawks’ Willie Harvey is one of the best linebackers in the league and a tackling machine.

Not like father and son in DC. Since Gregg Williams left to Tennessee State following Reggie Barlow out the door to Tennessee State, the defense has not been the same. The Defenders gave the job to Gregg’s son and they still come after the QB but not like they used to.

The BattleHawks defense is by far the better unit this season and seems to be getting better as the season went along.

COACHING

You have to chalk up the experience of the BattleHawks Head coach Anthony Becht, former NFL tight end. He has the BattleHawks in the post-season two straight seasons. The new guy, Shannon Harris, acts more like a player than a head coach. Letting Skip Holtz have it after beating the Stallions in week 1 that he had bulletin board material that worked him up. As a head coach you need thicker skin. Sure, use the bulletin board material to help pump up your team without letting them know it’s getting under your skin.

PREDICTION

I can’t see the BattleHawks losing two straight seasons hosting a conference championship game. Last year the San Antonio Brahmas shocked the BattleHawks. This BattleHawks team has the experience and deeper roster than the Defenders. The BattleHawks have been very good at home with the best fan base in the UFL. The Defenders have won in St.Louis. They will put up a fight. I think cooler heads prevail as Anthony Becht’s team shows they have more discipline and avoid football stupid.

OUR PICK: ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS

USFL CONFERENCE

Favorite: Stallions favored by 1.5 points.

#2. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (6-4) AT BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (7-3)

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD THIS SEASON: Stallions (2-0) Panthers

UFL RECORD ALL-TIME HEAD TO HEAD 2 SEASONS: Stallions (5-0) Panthers

The Panthers and Stallions is a rematch from the 2024 USFL conference title game. That went to the Stallions as they are the defending champions coming into this title game. It seems like the Stallions are always the defending champions because they are looking for their 4th straight title in 4 straight seasons. Two in the USFL and now are trying to repeat in the UFL. The last time the Panthers beat the Stallions, you have to go back to 1983 in regular season of the USFL.

It was the year the Michigan Panthers were the champions. Since the reboot of the USFL, the Stallions have owned the Panthers with a 7-0 record all-time.

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS ON OFFENSE

POINTS PER GAME: The Panthers averaged 24.5 PPG while the Stallions averaged 24.4 PPG

These two teams are very close to each other numbers-wise in stats on both the offense and defense. The quarterback match up in this title game will be must see television.

The Stallions went through 4 different quarterbacks this season, even bringing back the old guys of their glory days. J’Mar Smith was managing a Dunkin Donuts when he got the call from his head coach that he was needed once again. Smith came out of retirement and helped his former team to the number one seed in the USFL conference. Smith was the guy for Skip Holtz’s first ever Stallions USFL title they won in the original reboot. Smith in few games has tallied 758 passing yards with six touchdowns and 1 interception.

Bryce Perkins was red hot before he suffered an injury for the Panthers. He tallied up 1,342 passing yards with 9 touchdown passes which is good for number 2 in the UFL. He only had two interceptions. Perkins is a duel threat quarterback that does well with his arm and legs. Perkins had 269 yards on the ground with 5 rushing touchdowns. Obviously the Panthers have been resting him for this moment to slay the dragon.

RUNNING GAME

Both the Panthers and Stallions use running back by committee in their rushing attack. The Panthers average 127.8 yards per game with Nate McCrary as the main guy.

McCrary has racked up 380 rushing yards this season. The other head of this Panther two-headed monster is Toa Taua who is very good in the red zone scoring rushing touchdowns as he has six this season.

The Stallions rely on two of their staple backs they have had for years in Birmingham. Ricky Person Jr. has racked up 310 rushing yards this season. C.J Marable is also a guy they rely on in the running game and passing attack. The Stallions average 105.8 rushing yards per game.

THE PLAY MAKERS

The Stallions average 206.6 yards per game throwing the ball. Deon Cain is the Stallions top weapons in that department as he had 514 receiving yards this season. The Panthers average 192.9 passing yards per game. Their top wide receiver is Siaosi Mariner who has racked up 527 receiving yards.

Both teams are well balanced on offense. Both teams have quarterbacks that can get important yardage with their legs. It’s too close to call who has the better offense.

DEFENSE

POINTS ALLOWED: The Panthers allow 19.5 points per game while the Stallions D allows 16.2 point per game.

These are two of the most respected defenses in the league when you talk about what the Stallions and Panthers can do defending. The Panthers have a strong rushing defense and can put the Denver boot on the opponent’s running game. The Panthers defense lacks the sacks this season. However they did get their stud defensive player of the year back in the mix, Breeland Speaks, who missed most of the season.

The Panthers have two guys from their secondary that made all UFL team. Kendrick Whitehead Jr. and Arnold Tarpley III have had a great season containing the opponent’s passing game.

The Stallions defense were number one in multiple stat categories. They had the most sacks. They allowed the least amount of points, rushing touchdowns and first downs.

The Stallions have multiple players we can talk about on that stellar defense. The heart and soul of this Stallions defense has to be Kyahva Tezino, the former Pittsburgh Mauler. They also have A.J Thomas, so two guys that make the tackles. Both these guys are also play makers on the defensive side.

Both defenses are very close as I would give the Stallions having the edge overall.

COACHING

You know Skip Holtz, head coach of the Stallions, has to be in the mind of Panthers head coach Mike Nolan. Nolan has never beat Holtz as he is 0-5 versus Skip. Both Nolan and Holtz are two of the best coaches in this league. I have to give Skippy the edge here.

Skip Holtz owns Mike Nolan’s Panthers right now.

PREDICTION

I feel like if any team will get an upset between the Panthers and Defenders, it would go to Michigan. They say this is Michigan’s best team ever, even over the 1983 team that won it all in the USFL. The 1980’s seem to be so far in the past to compare these two teams like that. Skip Holtz has been here and done this 3 straight years. He has many of the players still on that team from year one. J’Mar Smith looks like he hit the fountain of youth coming back into the league after retiring. He was not the starter year 2 and year 3, so he lost his mojo after season 1 somehow. Is Bryce Perkins going to be rusty after missing several weeks with his injury? These two teams met in week 9 and it was a close affair. The Panther lost the game 26-22 with their back up, Danny Etling, playing in that one. This is a very hard match up to choose. Until I see Skip Holtz and the Stallions losing in the post-season, how do you bet against them? The Stallions will be at home & they play very well in front of the home crowd. The Stallions fans have not been turning out to the games like they used to. I can see them getting more butts in the seats in this game.

OUR PREDICTION: STALLIONS

SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL POWER RANKINGS WEEK 8

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There she blows. The Roughnecks have a major spill in week 7 as the Stallions run wild. The BattleHawks are still perched at the top of these power rankings. Lots of comebacks to be talked about. We have 4 teams that have 5-2 records. Two teams with now 3-4 records holding on by a thread for their playoff lives as regular season is coming to an end in few weeks. Some teams’ playoff hopes have come to an end. We moved around a few chairs at the table for this edition of the power rankings. Take a seat and enjoy.

#8. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-7)

XFL CONFERENCE: Better performance on the field but not enough to move them out of the basement. Same spot as last week.

The San Antonio Brahmas have played their best two games versus the DC defenders this season. Their only win came against the Defenders in DC. Last Friday night, the Brahmas gave the Defenders another scare. You could say the Brahmas gift wrapped a victory for the Defenders in the end. It looked like it was going to be Hogan Heroes on offense prevailing over Colonel Klink’s blitzkrieg defense that the Defenders use.

The Brahmas won the time of possession in this match up 34:41 to the Defenders 25:39. Kevin Hogan had some solid numbers completing 20-31 which is 64.5 % of his passes for 230 passing yards. He threw two touchdown passes. He gained 32 yards on the ground and even told the referee in one drive he does not slide to give himself up.

The Brahmas running back, Jashaun Corbin, averaged 12.1 yards per carry as he had a 57 yard rushing touchdown. Corbin carried the ball 9 times. How did the Brahmas lose this one when they tallied up 24 points to their normal 3 points they have gotten in the last two games? The Brahmas were driving at the end of the first half leading the Defenders 12-6 and ready to add more points to the scoreboard right before half time. Kevin Hogan gets hit by his own guy and fumbles the ball as the Defender defense scooped up the pigskin and tied the game at the half, 12-12. The announcer called it a butt fumble by Hogan. The Brahmas hung with the Defenders most of this game and had opportunities they squandered. They ended up not being able to sweep the season series with DC and still have not won a game at home this season.

#7.MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (1-6)

USFL CONFERENCE: They gave the BattleHawks a battle last week. I still have them in the same spot as last week.

The Memphis Showboats were officially eliminated from the playoffs. It is a shame because this team has really found themselves in the last few weeks. They beat the Stallions in OT. They lost to the Roughnecks by 1 point. They lost a close one to a really good BattleHawks team. The Showboats defense has played stellar only giving up 19 points to St.Louis.

The Showboats are starting to rack up the turnovers on the defensive side as Kyree Woods had an interception that led into some points for the Showboats in the second half. The Showboats offense finally got on the board at the end of the first half with a touchdown pass from Dresser Winn to Jonathan Adams, one of the best wide receivers in the UFL.. That made it 10-6 BattleHawks at halftime. St.Louis has a solid defense and don’t give up many points. Winn had another good game completing 21-35 passes for 196 yards with the 1 touchdown pass. No interceptions, but he did fumble the ball which was his only blemish. The BattleHawks stopped the Showboats’ last drive which looked promising but eventually stalled out. The Showboats running back, Will Hills, who has contributed last few weeks in the running game did not return in the second half after 7 carries for 28 yards in the first half. The Showboats head coach Jim Turner has gotten the best out of his troops since taking over full time from Ken Whisenhunt who left the team twice this season for personal reasons. This team was not stable with leadership, and at the quarterback position, for most of the first half of the season. I bet they wish they had some more games on the schedule to overcome the slow start. I bet they still can notch another victory or two before the season ends.

#6. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (3-4)

USFL CONFERENCE: Houston had a problem last week that keeps them in the same spot from last week.

Houston professional football has been known for being in games when the other team makes a huge comeback on them.

One of the best post-season NFL games I ever watched was in 1992, the wild card game between the Bills and Oilers. It was the tale of two halves as the Oilers, led by Warren Moon, dominated the Bills building up a huge lead at the half. The Bills were playing this game without their star QB, Jim Kelly. Houston fans remember him from being their QB in the USFL in the 1980’s for the Gamblers. It was Frank Reich, the back up QB, who suddenly got hot and led the Bills to the biggest playoff comeback of all-time back then. The Roughnecks now have made that kind history in the UFL. The Roughnecks had won three straight games and built a very comfortable half time lead 25-6 against the Stallions, the cream of the crop of the USFL conference. The Roughnecks even knocked out the Stallions staring QB in this one. The Stallions had a veteran spring QB on the bench that sealed the deal for the Stallions as they erased a 19 point deficit to win the game 33-25. Houston is now part of that bad history, again being a footnote on the wrong side of the biggest comeback in a game in the two year league, the UFL.

Zaquandre White had one of his best games in a Roughnecks uniform as he had two rushing touchdowns which one of those runs was a 52 yarder. Jalen McClendon’s numbers behind center were solid. He did fumble the ball in the second half that gave the Stallions points. It was the tale of two halves for the Roughnecks, just like the Oilers in 1992. The Stallions defense in the 2nd half suddenly halted the Roughnecks’ activity to a grinding halt. If the Roughnecks would have won this game, their playoff chances would have dramatically increased. Now they have to pick up the pieces and pray the Stallions or Panthers falter in the last three games of the season.

#5. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-4)

XFL CONFERENCE: Renegades problems are closing out games. They remain in the same spot where we left them from last week.

Is it too late for the Arlington Renegades to sign Lorenzo Lamas? In his series he was always winning at the end of every episode unlike Arlington. The Arlington Renegades lost to the Panthers in the last second of the game. The Renegades, like the Roughnecks, had a nice comfortable lead in this game. The Renegades defense has played well all season but gave up 16 points in the 4th quarter. The Panthers tied the game at 18-18 by converting a 3 point play. Luis Perez is no Lorenzo Lamas, but he did drive the Renegades down the field and hooked up with his tight end, Sal Cannella, for a touchdown.

Cannella’s hair is like Lorenzo Lamas. The Renegades tight end finished the game with 6 catches for 92 yards and thoughts of having the go ahead score. The Renegades scored right around the 2 minute warning of the game that gave the Panthers plenty of time. The Renegades missed the extra point conversion so it was 24-18. The Panthers running back, Toa Taua, scored a rushing touchdown to tie the game at 24-24 with 1 second remaining. Then the bulldozer running back plowed into the end zone for the 1 point conversion and the game winner. The Renegades need to pick up the pieces quickly or their playoff hopes will evaporate as the BattleHawks and Defenders keep winning in the XFL Conference.

#4. DC DEFENDERS (5-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: When the Brahmas linger with you most of the game even though the Defenders won, you’re dropping at least one spot in the power rankings.

The Defenders have had problems with the San Antonio Brahmas this season. The Brahmas are the worst team in the league and their only win came from the Defenders. The Brahmas were about to add more points on a drive at the end of the first half last week versus the Defenders. The Brahmas QB ran into his own player and fumbled the ball as Anthony Hines III was Johnny on the spot with the scoop and touchdown. He also finished with 9 tackles. The Defenders would win this game 32-24 . If you take away that mistake by the Brahmas. They had the lead 12-6 looking for more points in the last minute of the half. If San Antonio scores, it would not have been 12-12 at half. It could have been 15-6 or 18-6, maybe more, if the Brahmas would have converted the extra points after a touchdown. It took the Defenders until the 4th quarter to finally shake the Brahmas and get the win. It was a road win and it improves their record to 5-2. They beat St.Louis earlier this season so they have the first place tie-breaker with them right now. The Defenders play St.Louis in the last week of the season. They play the Renegades this weekend & the last time they met with Arlington, it was a close game in a shoot out. Jordan Ta’amu had a great game behind center completing 19-24 for 278 passing yards with three touchdown passes. If the Defenders want to win it all, he needs to have games like that where he’s completing over 60% of his passes. If I was a Defenders fan, you don’t want to see him throw 40 passes and complete like 20 of them. Their defense worries me and their running game. Their aerial attack lights up the skies.

#3.BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS(5-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Stallions are quietly creeping back up the power rankings as they move up one spot from last week.

Once again, the Birmingham Stallions find some new way of amazement. This time they make history pulling off the biggest comeback in UFL history as they erased a 19 point deficit against the Roughnecks who had a 25-6 halftime lead. Skip Holtz inserts quarterbacks into his system like light bulbs. Case Cookus has been the guy the last few weeks as his day he went 17-34 for 199 passing yards with a touchdown pass and a interception. He hit the Stallions number 1 tight end for a touchdown strike. Sternberger had 4 catches in the game for 74 yards with the touchdown catch. The Stallions’ two-headed monster at running back Ricky Person Jr. and C.J Marable each had a rushing touchdown.

When Cookus went down with an injury in the 4th quarter. Skip Holtz went with his old veteran who helped him with the first title for the Stallions in the USFL reboot, J’mar Smith.

J’mar hung up the spikes and retired from the spring fling. Skippy brings him out of retirement because he needed depth at the QB position due to all the injuries. Smith comes in not like the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, needing oil due to rust. He completes 3-5 balls for 63 yards and completes the Stallion’s historic comeback. You have to give the Stallions defense some credit for shutting down a pretty good Roughnecks offense in the second half to allow their offense to catch up. You just can’t count the Stallions out. They may get the 4-peat.

#2.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (5-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Panthers needed a comeback to get by the Renegades which will keep them in the same spot from last week.

The Panthers overcame some fumbles and scored 16 points in the 4th quarter to get by the Arlington Renegades, 24-24. It was running back Toa Taua finding paydirt with a rushing touchdown with one second left in the ballgame that tied things up. Taua then plowed in the end zone for the extra point that set up the win for the Panthers.

Taua had 31 rushing yards for the game along with 2 catches for 36 yards. Malik Turner also hauled in a touchdown pass from Bryce Perkins.

Turner had 4 catches in the game for 49 yards with the touchdown pass. Another pretty good day at the office for Perkins who was able to guide this team back in the game and help them prevail. He had 231 passing yards with a touchdown pass, ran for 60 yards, and had a touchdown with his legs. It was a great win for the Panthers, but at the same time they lose their best defensive player, Frank Ginda, to an injury. That will be a big blow for Michigan as they have high hopes of winning the entire thing this year.

#1. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (5-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: Finally have a team at the top of the UFL power rankings for longer than a week. The BattleHawks are in the same spot from last week looking down on the others.

Tom Brady with the Buccaneers was on the only team to have a home game in the Superbowl a few years back when the title game was played in Tampa Bay. The second UFL title game will be Arch-City. Can the BattleHawks be like that Tom Brady Buccaneers squad? The BattleHawks defense played solid versus the Showboats to add another win to their record last week. The BattleHawks defense held a Showboats offense that has gotten better, to only 9 points. Can Max Duggan lead this team all the way to the title game? I love how he can run the ball as he had 57 yards running the ball with a rushing touchdown. He did throw a touchdown pass but had another interception. I like to see him get better at throwing the ball. You have to love the defense and rushing attack on the BattleHawks offense.

What about the BattleHawks special teams? The kicker of the St.Louis BattleHawks is perfect 16-16 in field goals this season. Rodrigo Blankenship looks like Snoopy with those goggles ready to battle it out with the Red Baron. Blankenship may be the Jake Bates story last year in the UFL. Bates had the long distance field goal down to a science which earned him a better job with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Blankenship is perfect 5-5 in field goal attempts with 50 yards or more this season. It may earn him a job in the NFL this upcoming season. Right now Blankenship gives the BattleHawks another strength team-wise they have over other squads.

SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 7

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We always come at you with a new team on top of the UFL Power Rankings. It seems like that is starting to be the weekly tradition. What it really means is this season is up for grabs for about 5 teams in the league. The Brahmas are still the weakest link. The Showboats winning streak ends at 1.

Did someone say the Houston Roughnecks have suddenly won three straight games? Pinch me or slug me over the side of my melon because I must be dreaming. The Renegades get popped and take their roller coaster car down the slope this week. The Panthers knock the Defenders off the top of the heap of our weekly power rankings. The DC fans didn’t even buy me any beer for putting them on top of the power rankings twice this year. Let’s rearrange the furniture and roll out the musty red carpet as another installment of the UFL Power Rankings has arrived just in time for Mother’s Day weekend. Let’s do it!!!

#8. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-6)

XFL CONFERENCE: San Antonio has just purchased a lease to stay at the bottom of UFL Power Rankings. The Brahmas look like they are not going anywhere this season as they are in the same spot from last week.

The Brahmas unleashed their newest quarterback, Kevin Hogan, who has played 9 games in the NFL including a start for the Browns. Hogan in the NFL was 0-1 as a starter. He completed 59.4% of his passes for 621 passing yards with 4 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions. He played three seasons in the NFL, two with Cleveland & one with Tennessee. At 32 years of age, could he inject some kind of spark to this offense? Could Hogan beat the USFL conference version of the Evil Empire on May the 4th Day?

This is spring football so the UFL will get the “Schwartz be with you,” in Space Balls instead of the “force be with you,” in Star Wars. Hogan and the Brahmas played like the Schwartz. Hogan’s was not “no hero” in his first start for San Antonio. He completed 17-26 for 179 yards which seems good. No touchdown passes because the Brahmas only mustered up one field goal. Yes, back-to-back weeks with one field goal for San Antonio. Hogan turned over the ball twice by fumbling the ball on one play. He threw a interception as well. He was sacked three times. The Brahmas had no running game. The Brahmas were 0-10 on third down which is the stat of the day. The Brahmas offense did worse than last week with 178 total yards on offense. Last week was pathetic and they had 189 yards total offense. The good news is whoever Justin Smith is for the Brahmas. He is a wide receiver and he had 5 catches for 108 receiving yards.

#7.MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (1-5)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Showboats still floating at the same spot from last week.

The Showboats were very close to winning two games in a row as they fell short to the Roughnecks by one stinking point in 21-20 loss. If only the Showboats found the talent they had in Dresser Winn earlier in the season. Winn making his second start in the UFL was brilliant once again passing for 207 yards with two touchdown passes. Winn won his first start of the season in week 5 versus the Stallions. The Showboats added some juice to their running game.

Memphis inked a spring veteran running back, Wes the “Hills have eyes.” Wes Hills led the USFL in rushing yards back in 2023 when he played for the New Orleans Breakers as he galloped up for 680 yards that year.

Last year he played for the Michigan Panthers and split the load in the back field. For the Panthers, Hills gained 277 yards on the ground with 5 touchdowns. In week 8 of last year, he had a torn quad tendon that ended his season. In his first action of the year with his new team, he had 13 carries for 47 yards. He is a bruising style back with some speed that can find the end zone regularly. The Showboats out-gained the Roughnecks last week 287-209 in total offense. Take away the Roughnecks fumble recovery for a touchdown & we are talking about a two game win streak for the Showboats.

#6.HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (3-3)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Roughnecks are sizzling right now. They have been beating the bottom feeders of the UFL is my reasoning for why they are still hovering in the same spot from last week.

The Houston Roughnecks are in the thick of things for the post-season as they have won three straight games. You can only beat the teams that are on your schedule as they started this 3 game winning streak versus the Showboats. Then they beat the Brahmas & once again they just got by the Showboats last week for their 3rd straight victory as the schedule will get tougher down the stretch for this Houston team. Even being out-gained last week by the Showboats, you have to give the Roughnecks defense the credit they deserve all year keeping this team in games.

The Roughnecks forced two turnovers in the second half. One of them was a forced fumble that was scooped up by defensive end TJ Franklin for a touchdown. Franklin also had a tackle for loss of yardage in the game. The Roughnecks also got a interception. Jalen McClendon has been the answer to Head Coach Curtis Johnson’s prayers. The Roughnecks struggled with the hot garbage they had in the beginning of the season behind center. McClendon is getting the job done. No turnovers. He completed 20-28 passes for 149 yards which included a touchdown pass to Justin Hall the Roughnecks best receiver. Like to see what this team can do against the Stallions this weekend and maybe we will find out if they are contenders or pretenders.

#5.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-3)

XFL CONFERENCE: The Batmobile lost its wheel and the Joker got away as the Renegades laid another egg. They dropped one spot from last week.

Do you remember the old football movie, Lucas? Nerdy kid makes the football team as we all know how that ends in Hollywood. Magical, probably a Walt Disney flick. The Renegades’ Lucas was the lead scorer for Arlington last weekend.

You never want your kicker being the lead score as the Renegades’ Lucas Havrisik was last weekend as he nailed two field goals in the 4th quarter. Why kicking field goals in the 4th quarter? Because Arlington was shut out in the first three quarters by the BattleHawks. The Renegades defense kept the team in the game only allowing 12 points. Arlington’s offense once again lays a clunker down as they have lost two straight games. The Renegades turned over the ball 4 times. The Renegades starting QB had 3 turnovers by himself. Luis Perez fumbled the ball twice and threw a game ending interception as the BattleHawks split the two game season series. The Renegades fumbled the ball three times as a team. It’s been a roller coaster season for this team that had a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. Can they figure it out before it’s too late?

#4. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (4-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: Stallions turn things around after the loss to Showboats in week 5. They sink their teeth into Brahmas meat and move up 1 spot from last week.

Brahmas meat has to be slim pickings these days in the UFL. The Stallions really needed a rebound after they suffered a loss to Memphis. The Stallions defense looked like the ’85 Chicago Bears just giving up a lone field goal. On offense, the Stallions put 26 points in a beat-down over the worst team in the league. Case Cookus looked like the guy from the second half in last week’s game as he avoids the dreaded rusty start he had versus Memphis last week. Cookus completed 16-23 for 166 yards with two touchdown passes. One of them went to the Stallions tight end, Jace Strernberger, who has been quiet most of the year. With Matt Corral expected to miss more time, it did not stop Skip Holtz going back to his dueling quarterbacks system.

The Stallions gave the former Jets QB a try in Andrew Peasley. Peasley played his college ball at Wyoming University and before that, Utah State University. He signed with the Jets as a undrafted free agent. He never played a snap in the NFL. Peasley is only 25 years old and has seen some action versus the Brahmas. He finished the day completing 5-8 passes for 79 yards. Skip Holtz working on his plan D as Cookus is his plan C and third QB this season to start a game for the Stallions. Cookus is now 1-1 as the starter so far for the Stallions this season. The Brahmas are like that rebound quickie girl you land after a long break up. They serve their purpose for the Stallions who are still on top of the USFL conference standings.

#3. DC DEFENDERS (4-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: Knock off the top of the power rankings for the second time this season. I have them dropping to number three after being blowing out by the Panthers last week which was two spots.

The Defenders you can say have the one of the best offenses in the game. Jordan Ta’amu’s numbers were 259 passing yards with two touchdown passes. No interceptions. With those numbers, how do you lose 38-14 to anybody? First he completed 19-36 passes which is a 52% completion rate for the game. The Defenders are not a well-balanced offense. They really do not run the ball well which this team basically has to pass the ball.

Chris Rowland is one of the best kick returners in the UFL. He also is one of Ta’amu’s main weapons in the aerial attack as he had 9 catches for 144 yards in the loss to Michigan. The Panthers are a good defensive team which can take away weapons for the Defenders. The Defenders defense likes to attack the QB and needs turnovers to be successful. If your team can defend the blitz, get the ball out quick, and play a clean game – you will score points against the Defenders. I feel Ta’amu is that perfect Fantasy Football QB to get you the points you need when the team is winning or losing, and last week I’m sure he had big plays in garbage time. They are winning, but to me they need everything to work to win games. They do not cash in on extra points as well. They can move the ball up and down the field and lead the league with the biggest plays. You prevent the big play, & any team can beat them.

#2. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (4-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Panthers may have the league’s MVP on their roster as they climb up one rung of the ladder of the power rankings from last we checked on them. Which was last week.

The Panthers throttled the Defenders at their place last weekend. They gave the Defenders a 38-14 beat down. Bryce Perkins is playing on a entire different level than any QB in the league right now. Perkins on the ground has 9 rushes for 76 yards with a touchdown. He completed 13-18 passes for 188 yards and two touchdown passes. He spread the ball out to 6 different receivers. His two-headed monster at running back each had a rushing touchdown.

Frank Ginda led the Panthers defense with 11 tackles. Seven of the tackles were solo jobs. One of his tackles was for a loss of yardage. They held the Defenders to 75 yards on the ground while the Panthers had 213 yards on the ground. The Panthers defense held one of the best offenses in the league to 14 points. They needed a rebound win after losing to the BattleHawks in week 5 as they blew a 4th quarter lead in that contest. Both sides of the ball played well including special teams as they are still on the Stallions hoofs who have the tie breaker in the conference head to head having the same records after 6 weeks.

#1.ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (4-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: The BattleHawks moved back to the number one spot of the power rankings for the second time this season. They moved up one spot to be perched on top once again.

The BattleHawks have figured out ways to win without their starting QB Manny Wilkens who they lost a few weeks ago for the season. Max Duggan, QB 2, played well in week 5 against a solid Michigan Panthers defense in his first start. When Duggan first filled in for the injured Wilkens, it looked like the BattleHawks season was on the brink. Last week versus the Renegades, Duggan completed only 36.8% of his passes. He went 7-19 in passing for 93 passing yards which is not a good day at the office. Duggan had no interceptions and one touchdown pass. He also ran for 49 yards using his legs. The BattleHawks have one of the best running backs in the game in Jacob Saylors, who leads the league in rushing yards with 312. The Renegades are another team that can defend well. When the offense is only scoring 12 points for you, your defense has to play lights out and that’s what they did versus Arlington who has one of the best QB’s in the league in Luis Perez. The BattleHawks defense mugged him like he was an old lady with a walker carrying a purse full of cash. The BattleHawks were able to get 4 turnovers and 3 off Perez. Two fumbles and an interception to put the game on ice. The BattleHawks defense forced three fumbles all together. They held the Renegades scoreless after the first 3 quarters. The BattleHawks defense gave up 2 field goals in the 4th quarter to win the game 12-6.

The BattleHawks linebacker, Pita Taumoepenu, is no cracker. He had 5 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles versus the Renegades. His defensive unit came up huge in that game. A conference win is always big as St.Louis splits the season series with Arlington. At the same time, the win moves the Renegades down a peg in the standings.

SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 6

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We are through with half of the second UFL season and I bet we are all confused. Is it a bird, a plane, a stallion, Renegade? I really don’t thing we have that super Stallions team right now. The best team in the league in the first half are the Defenders. The Stallions are falling. The BattleHawks are soaring again. The Showboats season has not sunk yet. The power rankings once again are a mess. We have another team on top of the power rankings making their second appearance as king of the mountain. We have a new bottom dweller. Are the Roughnecks making a run? We will try to sort it out as we kickoff the second half of the UFL with week six power rankings coming at you in plane bird style, that is not super. Enjoy the bottom dwellers to the top in our newest power rankings segment.

#8. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-4)

XFL CONFERENCE: It did not take long for the Brahmas to fall back to the bottom of the UFL power rankings. The Brahmas are back in their comfort zone and fell two spots from last week.

ANOTHER ALAMO SLAUGHTER

Another slaughtering at the Alamo has occurred. This time it was the hometown Brahmas being trampled on by the Roughnecks at the Alamo dome. How do you beat the best team in the league one week and follow that up with a clunker to one of the worst teams in the UFL, Houston? They should load up the entire herd of Brahmas and send them packing to the slaughterhouse for mustering a total of 189 yards of offense that equaled to 3 points. The Roughnecks put a beat down on the Brahmas, 27-3, in an embarrassment in front of the San Antonio faithful bringing back old memories of the bad Gunslingers teams the city witnessed in the original USFL.

The Brahmas played their best game in week 4 defeating the undefeated Defenders and doing it through all three phases of their football team. Last week then they averaged 2.8 yards per play. Made it to the red zone twice the entire game. The defense was terrible. The quarterback play was horrific. The Brahmas still trot out Kellen Mond behind center like he has turned the corner. Which his stats tell a different story completing 4-9 passes for 35 passing yards. The Brahmas even gave the X Roughneck QB a try. Jarrett Guarantano was about the same as Mond completing 6-15 passes for 29 yards. Both QB’s threw an interception. I’m confused how this team beat the Defenders. The fix was in.

#7.MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (1-4)

USFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week.

The Showboats’ entire season was sinking as they were the last team to finally put a W in the win column. It happened on Friday night lights as the Showboats took down the Stallions. Many are saying the Showboats used an illegal banned substance called flex seal.

Maybe the head coach of the Showboats, Jim Turner, read my power rankings segment as I mentioned they needed to try anyone else at QB.

The Showboats gave Dresser Winn his first UFL start of his career and all’s he does is win. Who is Dresser Winn? Winn played his college ball at UT Martin wherever the hell that is. He also played up north in the CFL (Canadian Football League) for the Edmonton Elks. He has been in the Rams camps as well. He’s 26 years old and he lit up the Stallions defense who are very solid this season. Dresser connected with his favorite target in this one, Dee Anderson, on a 78 yard deep ball for a score. The Stallions tied this game up and sent it to overtime. Anderson caught the clincher 2 point conversion in the OT face off rules of the UFL, the best out of three times at the 2 yard line. The Showboats scored also on a missed kick by the Stallions trying to connect on a long field goal. Isiah Hennie caught the ball in the end zone and ran it all the way back for a touchdown which a 108 yard play. With Dresser behind center, the Showboats receivers finally got the ball. Winn finished his master UFL debut completing 17-29 passes for 235 passing yards. Can Winn guide these Showboats to the post-season with a second half run?

#6. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (2-3)

USFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week.

The Roughnecks notched their second win of the 2025 season. Houston has doubled their win total from the 2024 season. The Roughnecks shut down the Brahmas stampede and momentum San Antonio had after beating the hot DC Defenders squad in week 4. The Roughnecks defense has kept this team in games with the shaky quarterback situation all year around. They held the San Antonio herd to a 118 total yards last Sunday. The Roughnecks defense allowed only 3 points a field goal.

Marvin Moody leads this Roughnecks defense in tackles as he had 5 last Sunday which was tied for the team high. Rayshad Williams collected his second interception of the year off the Brahmas’ bad quarterback play. The Roughnecks had two interceptions in the game. The Roughnecks QB situation has improved as they inserted spring veteran Jalan McClendon behind center and he made his first start of the year and gets the win. McClendon showed last week that he is the best available that Houston has in moving this offense up and down the field. The Roughnecks running backs scored two rushing touchdowns in this one which was enough as Houston scored a season high of 27 points on a decent San Antonio defense. Suddenly Houston looking like they can make a run at a post-season spot as they are approaching the rear view mirrors of the Panthers and Stallions who both lost last week.

#5. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (3-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Stallions are not galloping free and far ahead of the competition as they dropped one spot from last week in the power rankings.

I don’t think I ever had Skip Holtz’s Stallions in the bottom 4 of the spring power rankings. Here they are at number 5 after losing to the Memphis Showboats in overtime. The same Showboats who notched their first win on Stallion meat. With Matt Corral still injured. The Stallions former MVP Alex McGough is still on the IR with no timetable of returning. The Stallions turned to their 3rd starting QB of the season with spring veteran Case Cookus.

Case Cookus made his first start of the year against his former team, the Showboats. Cookus was originally with the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL as he guided them to the first championship of the reboot. The Stars played the Stallions in that title game as Cookus’ team had the lead until he got hurt. You know what happened after that. Cookus first start started out of the gates very slow. The Stallions defense was not crisp like they normally have been. Cookus is a gunslinger and will need to adjust his game to Skip Holtz’s offense. He completed 15-33 passes for 145 yards as he had two touchdowns and one interception. He threw a nice deep ball to his tight end Jordan Thomas for a touchdown strike. Cookus even had 83 yards on the ground which is not like him as he is a pocket passer. The Stallions made a comeback but lost in overtime. Maybe it took a half for Cookus to knock off the rust.

The Stallions brought their first championship quarterback out of retirement this week. J’mar Smith will be the emergency QB if called upon.

#4. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: Dropped one spot from last week

The XFL conference has three teams that look like they have a shot at the UFL second season title. The Renegades are one of them. Despite the 3-2 record, this team is not consistent this season. One week they look like they are the best team in the league and solid on all fronts. Then they lay a clunker as one of their units will fail them. The Renegades were up by 11 points on the DC Defenders in the 4th quarter. The Renegades have a true star on both sides of the ball that stand out. Donald Payne on the Renegades defense was having a solid game.

He had a sack, forced fumble, and 4 tackles. Payne in crunch time in closer mode did not shine as the Defenders tied the game. You want Payne to be that pain in the arse to close out the other team. Then on offense the Renegades have one of the best QB’s in the league in Luis Perez. Which is a big reason why this team should be in the post-season. It’s a league without much QB talent. Perez had another big day at the office – one touchdown pass which was a 63 yard strike to Deontay Burnett. He had 268 passing yards. Yet in crunch time he serves up the interception when things are knotted late. Perez has led this Renegades team to an XFL championship a few seasons ago. He can get the job done. This Renegades team has a definite pattern they need to break out of.

#3.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (3-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Panthers fall two spots from last week after being perched on top of the power rankings coming into week 5.

The Panthers imploded late in a game versus the BattleHawks. The Panthers were up by 14 points in St.Louis. The BattleHawks second string QB made the start in this one. Max Duggan did not play well in week 4 versus the Renegades. The good signs to the Panthers success and future of this team this season is the play at their QB position. Bryce Perkins is playing at a high level this seasons. Another 235 passing yards through the air. Two more touchdown passes.

The two-headed monster at the running back position could be a scary thing late in games wearing out opposing defenses. Toa Taua had a pair of rushing touchdowns versus the BattleHawks. He had 74 yards on the ground. Now he has 139 rushing yards for the season with 3 rushing touchdowns. I do like the Panthers defense. They crumbled letting Max Duggan escape the pocket and using his legs to gain chunks of yardage. The Panthers look and feel like the best team in the USFL conference. They have to get over their hiccups versus the Stallions though. They will be in the thick of things in the second half.

#2. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (3-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up 3 spots from last week

The BattleHawks looked like road kill after losing Manny Wilkins to a season ending injury last week. The buzzards and vultures of the UFL were circling. The BattleHawks would soar once again with the horn frog behind center. Max Duggan’s redemption in front of the home crowd gives St.Louis fans hope for the post-season. Duggan was a complete disaster filling in for Wilkins. Duggan completed 9-12 passes for 124 passing yards with a touchdown pass. Then with his legs, he had two touchdowns on 10 carries for 70 yards. The BattleHawks trailed by 14 points in the second half.

Do you remember Hakeem Butler? He has missed some games with an injury. The big, tall, and lanky St.Louis receiver was targeted by not one but two BattleHawks quarterbacks. Butler had two catches for 124 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown catches. One from Duggan. Then the game winner from Blake Jackson who hooked up with Butler for the game winner on a 57 yard strike. St.Louis needs Duggan or if Jackson is the guy to play well, this team has a shot.

#1. DC DEFENDERS (4-1)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week to be at the top of the power rankings once again.

The Defenders finish the first half of the season with the best record in the league. They did come across a major hiccup in week 4 being knocked off their perch by a bad Brahmas team for their first loss of the year. This Defenders team lost their head coach before the first week. He bolted to the college game along with their defensive coordinator following him out the door. Things looked bad last week when they were down to the Renegades looking to give DC back to back losses. The Defenders came back from 11 points down and stunned their division rival, Renegades, in a 37-33 comeback win. Jordan Ta’amu had a 300 yard passing game with three touchdown passes. He leads the UFL in both passing yards with 1,213 yards and touchdown passes as he had 9 of them in 5 games. Versus the Renegades he completed 23 passes out of 46 attempts which is a 50% completion percentage which is not very good. For the year, Ta’amu has completed 88 passes out of 177 attempts which gives him a 49.7% completion percentage for the year. I would want my QB with a much higher completion percentage. In spring football it may be okay. This Defenders team seems to be about the right place right time as their free safety Josh Proctor was picking off Luis Perez late in the game with a tie score.

If Jordan Ta’amu is going to complete his passes at the right time of the game as they did versus the Renegades, it will not matter what his completion percentage or interception totals are. This team is living on the edge. The Defenders rushing attack is pretty much their quarterback. They really don’t have a true number one receiver. The defense thrives on getting turnovers. If the Defenders get to that championship game and are not Johnny on the spot, they will most likely lose. If teams face the Defenders and have a clean game, they could beat this team. In spring football there may not be such a thing as a clean game. We will see how long the beer snake has bite in the second half.

SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 4

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We have our third change at top of our spring fling power football rankings. St. Louis finds out how hungry the beer snake of the Defenders really is. In week three we have all kinds of resignations filed as coaches can’t handle their duties in the spring fling.

The Brahmas are still holding down the lower dungeon apartments in the rankings. We have plenty of movement after a wacky week three in the UFL. We will “Iron” it all out for you but it will not be “Clad,” however you will be glad you read it all. Let’s unfold all the dirty laundry we have in week 4 of the UFL Power Rankings.

#8. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (0-3)

XFL CONFERENCE: Never moved from last week as they are still holding down the fort.

Drama is brewing in Brahma llama land in Texas. Before the Brahmas’ best offensive production of the season occurred, one of San Antonio’s coaches resigned. The offensive coordinator, A.J. Smith, who is a young mind in the game took his ball and went home in a disagreement with Head Coach Wade Phillips about the scheme the Brahmas were running. Without Smith, the Brahmas then had their best game on offense of the season. Scoring 23 points versus a solid Panthers defense while gaining a total of 258 yards on offense, a season high. The Brahmas QB, Kellen Mond, had his best game hitting 19-31 passes for 153 yards including a touchdown pass. Jordan Williams had a monster day on defense with 9 tackles including an 85 yard pick six. The Brahmas kicker could have had one of his best videos for his U-tube followers, but Donald De La Haye missed a kick that could have sent this game to overtime. Then the news hit this week that now Wade Phillips is taking a leave of absence from the team. Which makes Payton Pardee, the Interim Head Coach, while Phillips attends to his personal reasons.

This has been a common theme this season with head coaches and assistants walking away from the spring fling for variety of reasons. Wade Phillips is the UFL’s biggest name in the league at the coaching position with all his years in the NFL.

#7. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (0-3)

USFL CONFERENCE: Still haven’t found what they are looking for as they drop 1 spot from last week.

Ken Whisenhunt elected to go for the 2 point conversion instead of tying the game with a 1 point try after the Showboats made a late rally to make things interesting with the Roughnecks. It was a battle of two teams looking for their first win. It was a game that Memphis was dominating most of the way until their starting QB, E.J. Perry, made two stupid throws that changed the momentum in favor of the Roughnecks. Perry was having a pretty good day until his first mistake, a pick six.

Then his second bad throw came in another interception trying to throw it away after being pressured. Both interceptions occurred in the 3rd quarter. Troy Williams finished the game at QB after Whisenhunt made a change at QB. Williams plunged & found the end zone on a rushing touchdown in the late rally. The Showboats out-gained the Roughnecks in the game in total offense with 261 total yards compared to 238 from the Roughnecks. If Troy Williams converts that 2 point conversion for a Showboats win, would Whisenhunt be coaching this team over Easter weekend? Wisenhunt left the Showboats in week one for personal reasons but came back the last two weeks & now has officially resigned. The Showboats offensive line coach, Jim Turner, will get the opportunity to finish off the season for Memphis.

The Showboats season is taking on too much water. It seems like this Memphis franchise is not getting a following as well. It would not surprise me if the UFL relocates this Showboats franchise to another city next year with a different name.

#6.HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (1-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: Roughnecks strike oil with a victory and move up one spot from last week.

The Roughnecks break an 8 game losing streak that dated back from last season with a win over the Showboats last week. It looked like another loss was on the horizon for this Roughnecks team until they changed the momentum in this game in the 3rd quarter.

It was the Roughnecks defense or a generous gift from the Showboats quarterback, EJ Perry, who threw the ball right into the hands of Leon O’Neal who took it 30 yards to the house for a pick six. The Roughnecks defense had two interceptions off Perry in the 3rd quarter. Before this game, the Roughnecks acquired one of the top notch receivers in the league from the Michigan Panthers in a trade.

Marcus Simms joined the Roughnecks who already have Justin Hall, another solid receiver. Simms was All- UFL last year catching 23 balls for 426 yards and three touchdowns. Now if only the Roughnecks had a solid quarterback. One of them came to life last week wheb Nolan Henderson was slinging the ball down the field and looking good doing that. His touchdown pass was not to Simms or Hall, but instead to Emmanuel Butler.

#5.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (2-1)

XFL CONFERENCE: Dropped 3 spots from last week

The line from the movie Lethal weapon by Detective Murtaugh sums up the last two weeks for the Renegades. They are all dressed up. They look like a football team. The last two weeks this team has scored 20 points after putting up 33 points in the very first game which was the highest by any team that week. The Renegades in week two squeaked by the Roughnecks, 11-9. Then last week Birmingham’s offense was hot garbage. Matt Corral looked like he should stop playing football for good as he was having a very bad game. The Renegades defense has been tough to score on. Donald Payne and company have put the pain on opposing offenses. Somehow they let Corral and that Stallions dormant offense march down the field in the last minutes of the game to score a touchdown while converting the extra point to take the game 10-9. When your defense only gives up ten points, what the hell is offense doing? Luis Perez is top QB in this league which I thought. The Renegades were running the football well. The Renegades went 0-4 in the red zone versus the Stallions. The Renegades running game versus the Roughnecks in week 2 averaged under 4 yards per carry. Now the Renegades have to figure how to score on the BattleHawks this weekend who looked like the best team in the entire league until they were knocked off by the Defenders. All dressed up and nobody to blow may be Bob Stoop’s press conference speech.

#4. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (2-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Dropped one spot from last week.

Skip Holtz seems like that guy that created Frankenstein. Three championships in a row with three different specimens on his slab in the lab. Somehow Holtz’s creation this season in Matt Corral is not going well despite the Stallions winning 2 games in a row. When is Alex McGough coming back? That is the million dollar question. Corral versus the Renegades completed 19-41 passes for 255 yards. That is a completion percentage of 46.3% which is horrible. Corral threw a touchdown pass which ended up being the game winner in the last minute to beat the Renegades 10-9. He did throw a interception. Could Skip go with Case Cookus, a spring league veteran QB down the stretch who is Corral’s back up? Or will Skip keep working with Matt to eventually get his 4th Frankenstein QB? It is the Stallions defense who should get the victory lap in this 10-9 victory over Arlington. The Stallions defense held the Renegades to only 1 field goal in 4 trips to the red zone.

Its starts down in the trenches for the Stallions which features big ole number 97, Willie Yarbary. Yarbary has been a fixture on the Stallions D-line for the last three seasons. He had a big fumble recovery to help put away this Renegades squad. The Stallions now are 2-0 all-time versus Arlington. The Stallions now have won 10 straight home games dating back from last year.

#3.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (2-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week.

The Panthers traded away their best wide receiver Marcus Simms to the Houston Roughnecks for offensive lineman, Cam Carter. It’s a crazy trade which makes no sense for the Panthers. Carter is a decent lineman who has played a few seasons in the spring flings. He played well in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals a few seasons ago.

Simms can be a top receiver with most of the teams in the UFL. Maybe Mike Nolan is looking lean on the running game for the rest of the season and wants better pass protection. The Panthers QB is a duel threat as he likes to use his legs more than pass. Bryce Perkins did have 2 rushing touchdowns last weekend versus San Antonio.

Perkins did throw a six pick to the Brahmas defense and did not throw any touchdown passes. Take away that interception & he completed 17-23 for 193 passing yards. Simms who? The Panthers scored all their touchdowns running the ball. The Panthers kicker, B.T. Potter, is no Jake Bates, but he did put the dagger in Wade Phillips’ team with a 28 yard field goal to take the lead for good and put another W in the win column.

#2. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (2-1)

XFL CONFERENCE: Dropped one spot from last week.

The St.Louis BattleHawks were playing light years ahead of the competition in the UFL after the first two weeks of the season. The BattleHawks offense was lighting up the score board. The BattleHawks defense were suffocating their opponents in the first two weeks. The BattleHawks are unstoppable at home. Until the Defenders invaded which DC is St.Louis’ arch rival that goes back to the XFL days. It was a close game most of the day between these two teams. Manny Wilkins had two turnovers in the 4th quarter that the Defenders capitalized on to win this game. Wilkins has tallied 498 passing yards this season but has only 1 touchdown pass compared to three interceptions. Wilkins can get the job done using his legs as well. The Defenders defense have found ways to get the turnovers which they did and defended Wilkins really well in crunch time. The BattleHawks defense racked up 83 tackles in the game. Along with 7 pass break ups. BattleHawks corner back Chris Payton Jones broke up three passes.

The BattleHawks free safety, Nate Meadors, had a big day racking up 8 tackles which 5 were solo. The BattleHawks defense was on the field way too long and put in a bad field position from the turnovers as they could not overcome losing their first regular season game at home since their days of the XFL.

#1.DC DEFENDERS(3-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Jumped 4 spots from last week to land on the top of the power rankings for the first time this season.

The Defenders have not even been in my top 4 teams in any of my power rankings until this week. The beer snake bit me. The Defenders in the first week took out last year’s champs in week 1. I thought that game was a fluke as just a bad day at the office for the Stallions. I felt like they caught a few lucky breaks versus a bad Showboats team in week two. The Defenders showed me something in week three going to St. Louis in hostile conditions and pulling out a win. Now DC is the only remaining undefeated team in the UFL this season. The BattleHawks and Defenders hate each other. These are the two greatest fan bases in spring football and both teams were facing each other without a loss coming into week 3.

The Defenders score a season high 27 points. In the first two games of the season, the Defenders have settled for more field goals than converting touchdowns. The Defenders did get the 3 pointer in this road game as Matthew McCrane has one of the best legs in the league. It was Ty Scott who was beamed up by a beautiful throw by Jordan Ta’amu that went for a 62 yard explosion for the Defenders.

It was another battle between these teams that was close all the way into the 4th quarter. The Defenders defense then forced two turnovers from the BattleHawks QB. Manny Wilkins fumbled the ball away, threw a interception, and the Defenders capitalized on both turnovers. The Defenders held the BattleHawks offense to a season low of only 15 points. The Defenders lead the series now 3 games to 1 over the BattleHawks. The Defenders remain undefeated despite making a head coach change and defensive coordinator change. Every week so far now in the power rankings, I have had a different number one. Let’s see how long the Defenders hold their position at the top of the power rankings.

SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE WEEK 1 POWER RANKINGS

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The Spring fling is back in action for season two of the United Football league. Last year the UFL launched with the merger of the XFL and the USFL with 8 teams – 4 from each league. The UFL has not forgotten where everyone came from as they named each conference after the old leagues. In season two of the UFL, the league is bringing back all 8 teams from last year hoping they grow in each city. Last year the league was successful in television ratings and some of the 8 teams did very well with putting fannies in the seats. The games were solid & the post-season was solid. The NFL still takes some players away from this league, but most of these guys have been battling it out for years in the multiple leagues that have come and gone. Traditions and roots are being established for all 8 teams is what I like about it. Many of the coaches for these teams are big name guys that have stayed with their franchise. This league has been fun to watch, competitive, and gives us football all year around. Who’s going to complain about that? Our first week of the power rankings we are just throwing darts to see what sticks. We are going with what we know from last year, mostly, and gut feelings. We may hit right on some things. we may be like the Wild Thing in Major League the movie…

Our first week we are ranking each team from worst to first. We have 8 teams and here we go.

#8. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (1-9) Last year

USFL CONFERENCE

The Roughnecks last year were a dud on offense. Curtis Johnson returns as head coach as he has been the guy for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL before they enter the UFL. The UFL adopted the old Roughnecks name from the XFL and put the Gamblers on ice for the time being. The Roughnecks need a new QB behind center and they have one. Former Oregon Duck University with a stint at Boston College, Anthony Brown.

Anthony Brown gives the Roughnecks a duel threat QB. Brown seems to use his legs more than his arm. The Roughnecks have a nice weapon for Brown in veteran Justin Hall, who finished 3rd in receptions and receiving yards last year for Houston. It looks like Mark Thompson, their top running back for the last few years, is not playing this year or is MIA. The Roughnecks had a solid defense last year. I don’t see really any improvement out of this bunch.

#7. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (2-8) Last Year

USFL CONFERENCE

I was excited when I heard Memphis had a new head coach coming in.

Former NFL head coach Ken Whisenhunt was supposed to take over. Due to family issues, he has to step away from this job which was only a week ago that this announcement came out. Whisenhunt was once the head coach of the Tennessee Titans so taking the Memphis job, the locals would know him. Which would have been cool him coaching two professional football teams in the state of Tennessee. The Showboats also have new man behind center, and they are excited about the former Jay Hawk Jason Bean who also had a stint at North Texas University. He is a duel threat QB who started 30 games on the college gridiron, threw for 3,600 yards, and rushed for 1,300. Jason Bean was one of the top draft picks selected in the UFL sweepstakes. The Showboats have a top notch receiver for him as well in Daewood Davis. This is a city for whom I would like to see more fans attend their games. Love the name of their team and it has the coolest logo in the league.

#6. DC DEFENDERS (4-6) Last year

XFL CONFERENCE

Do you want the good news or the bad news first about the current situation of the Defenders? The bad news first – I guess their long time head coach Reggie Barlow bolted out of town only a week ago taking the Tennessee State University football head coach job. Remember the great great NFL star Eddie George he left Tennessee State and took the Bowling Green University job. The Defenders do have their quarterback coming back in Jordan Ta’amu and will also have a kick returner, the best in the league, Chris Rowland at their disposal. Former NFL head coach Gregg Williams is still the Defenders’ defensive coordinator. The good news..

The Beer snake may get bigger at home games for the Defenders.

#5.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-7) Last year

XFL CONFERENCE

Don’t let the record fool you. This Renegades team is better than their record as they lost multiple close games last season. They were a top team taking the ball away and finished the season with the fewest giveaways. They were second in the league in total offense only behind the Birmingham Stallions. Bob Stoops has been one of the better spring football head coaches including winning the XFL title game. They have one of the best Q’s in the spring fling history of all-time in Luis Perez.

Perez was the QB that helped Stoops capture his first Spring Fling championship. At the end of this season, I see the Renegades in the post-season as one of my predictions.

#4. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (7-3) Last season

XFL CONFERENCE

The Brahmas surprised everyone last season making the post-season play and going all the way to the first ever UFL Championship. With Wade Phillips as your head coach, you really can not be surprised. It was not a very good game for the Brahmas in the title shot. They lost to the Stallions 25-0. The Brahmas have a new QB and the fans have to be thankful.

Everyone remembers the Chase Garbers slide in the championship. Chase could have easily got the first down but instead slid way too early. Why even a slide as it was a crucial part of the game for the Brahmas? The Brahmas will go with Kellen Mond, former Texas A&M star not named Johnny Football. Mond is one of only 3 QB’s in SEC history to have passed for 9,000 yards and run for over 1,500 yards. He joined Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott as the only others to accomplish those kind of stats in that conference.

#3.ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (7-3)

XFL CONFERENCE

How will the BattleHawks play without the best QB in the UFL? The BattleHawks will not have the great A,J McCarron this season. However experts have written they have assembled one of the best QB rooms in the UFL. Manny Wilkins will be the starter most likely as he played some games last season when McCarron missed due to injury. The BattleHawks have Chevon Cordeiro who led the Mountain West conference in passing yards and touchdown passes in 2023. He played at Hawaii University and San Jose State University in his college career.

The BattleHawks also have the horny toad in Max Duggan. If you remember, Duggan led the TCU Hornfrogs to the National Championship. We will see how all this develops for the team with the top fan base which St.Louis has. The BattleHawks have one of the best running backs in the league with Jacob Sayers who averaged 4.9 yards a carry last year. These QB’s have a 6’6″ monster target to throw to in Hakeem Butler who led the UFL in receiving yards last year.

#2.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (7-3) Last Year

USFL CONFERENCE

The Panthers made post-season only to be dispatched by the Stallions which is a common trend over the years dealing with Birmingham. The Panthers have the best defense in the UFL. They have Breeland Speaks coming back who led the league with 9.5 sacks. They have the top safety in the UFL in Kai Nacua, who had three interceptions and broke up 11 passes.

Let’s not forget about the tackling machine in Frank Ginda. The Panthers on offense always has a solid running game. They have two serviceable QB’s in Danny Etling and Bryce Perkins who have experience in the Spring Fling. Mike Nolan is top notch head coach in this league.

#1.BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (9-1) Last year

USFL CONFERENCE

I have to have the Stallions at number one until someone knocks Skip Holtz and company off the top of spring football mountain. The Stallions are sick as they won three titles in a row. Two back-to-back titles in the USFL. Then they ran through the new merger league of the UFL going 11-1 completing the three-peat. Holtz has won his three titles with three different MVP quarterbacks as well. In his first season, he won with J’Mar Smith who just retired. Then in his second season he won it with Alex McGough who may be the cream of the crop that Holtz has had behind center. Last Adrian Martinez was MVP and had a fabulous year. Martinez has latched on with the New York Jets. Who will Holtz have this season behind center?

Back by popular demand, it is Alex McGough who is back after his stint with the Packers. McGough can beat you with his arm or his legs. More with his arm is what I would want in a duel threat QB. I think the Stallions will be better with McGough than Martinez, who was awesome. The Stallions have a nice group of playmakers assembled for their man behind center. The Stallions have always played a solid defense as well. When has a professional football team won 4 straight titles? The Stallions are likeable and not like the Patriots or the Chiefs – two dynasties that make your stomach turn.

ANOTHER BEARS BLUNDER NOT RE-SIGNING SANBORN

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The Chicago Bears organization’s best comparison is a teenager who constantly makes bad decisions. It does not matter who’s in charge at the top. Does not matter who is the head coach. Somehow the Bears will make a blunder which will leave you scratching your head in disbelief. The latest is non-tendering strong side linebacker Jack Sanborn who’s a local kid and a player that has thrived the last three seasons since being signed as an un-drafted free agent from the University of Wisconsin. Sanborn was a restricted free agent and the money to keep him on this team is chump change which tallies to 3.263 million. Now Sanborn is a free agent and can sign anywhere he wants to. Some say the madness of this Bears move was to re-sign Sanborn for his services at a cheaper price. I have to believe some team will come in and scoop up a talent and want Sanborn’s services in the upcoming season.

Jack Sanborn is only 24 years of age and signed with the Bears as an un-drafted free agent in the 2022 season. That year he cracked the starting line up and made six starts for the Bears. In three seasons with the Bears he has played in 48 games and has made 19 starts at linebacker. Last year he played in all 17 games and tallied up 17 tackles while registering 1.5 sacks on the QB. Sanborn is a tackling machine as he has been involved in 164 tackles in three NFL seasons which 110 of those were solo. He has racked up 14 tackles for a loss of yards while defending 5 passes. He has one interception while racking up 4.5 sacks. He grew up a Bears fan and is from Lake Zurich, Illinois. Former Bears coaches say Sanborn is a versatile player, intelligent, a hard worker, and a guy that can play in nickel situations on third downs. You have to like his motor as he keeps going until the whistle blows. He can back up all the team’s linebacker positions. If not a starter, Sanborn would give any team depth on the roster.

The Bears have a new head coach in Ben Johnson who is here to fix the team’s offense and develop the quarterback. Johnson hired former Saints/Raiders head coach Dennis Allen who will be bringing in a different style of defense than what Matt Eberflus had the last few years. The Bears have invested heavily in linebackers through free agency by signing former Eagle T.J Edwards and former Bill Tremaine Edmunds before the 2023 season. Both Edmunds and Edwards might not be the linebackers in Allen’s defensive scheme. The Bears will be looking for guys that can pressure the quarterback is my guess and that made a guy like Jack Sanborn expendable for this new regime.

One team that may scoop up a guy like Jack Sanborn is the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have a new D-Coordinator and it is Matt Eberflus who definitely knows what his defense needs and will know what he would be getting if they ink Sanborn to a free agent contract. Sanborn should have multiple suitors for his services. I know he was not drafted, but he played defense in the Big Ten at the University of Wisconsin. Big Ten manufactures linebackers and solid defensive options like a factory. It’s a conference that plays defense still. Many of these un-drafted free agents play with more heart than most of these guys that were drafted. Sanborn seems like that guy that a coach would say, “If I only had 11 Jack’s out there, what this defense could do.” That defense would play hard. That defense would not shoot themselves in the foot and play smart. Whoever signs Sanborn will get a better version of Jack because he will be even more motivated to be better if that is even possible. I’m not going to lie. I hate seeing the Bears give up on a local kid that was doing well. He is only 24 years of age and has not even hit his prime of his football career. I wish him the best of luck. I really do think the Bears have made another blunder which is the norm for this franchise and for all the teams in the Chicago Sports landscape.