college-football

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.