Is There a Market for Anthony Richardson

While I was out exercising this afternoon I got a news alert on my phone that Anthony Richardson was able to seek a trade from the Colts. Let’s discuss.

I had high hopes for Richardson when he entered the draft. Florida wasn't very good in his final season, but he was one hell of an athlete. He kept them in many more games than they ever should have been in that season. He had a tremendous arm and he could manipulate the defense with his legs. He was like a bigger, although lesser of an athlete, Lamar Jackson. Don't get me wrong, Jackson is a much better QB and he has more than proven that, I just got Jackson vibes from Richardson when I watched him at Florida. He didn't disappoint at the combine either. He lit it up in fact. He did so well that he turned that into being the fourth overall pick in the draft his year. And he was in line to start right away for the Colts. He did and he would make plays here and there. He would do things that looked incredible. Then he would make a boneheaded throw, or run when he didn't have to. It was to be expected from a young QB in the NFL.

Then the injuries started to pile up. Richardson was a high pick in fantasy drafts his first two seasons, but then he would seemingly get hurt in week two or three. He was so useful in fantasy because of his ability to throw and run. But you can't do that when you're on the bench in street clothes. Then the Colts went out and got Daniel Jones in the offseason. And when they announced Jones as the starter I chuckled to myself. I figured the Colts were going all in on a tank job to get the top pick in this draft. But Daniel Jones played well. He did some solid things and he looked like he was going to lead the Colts to the playoffs and Jones was going to be a pro bowler. Then he got hurt. And instead of giving the starting nod to Richardson, they went out and signed Phillip Rivers, who's older than me. They convinced Richardson to take care of his plethora of injuries and opted for a 44 year old QB. What a crock. The Colts nosedived out of the playoffs and now Richardson is free to test the market.

The issue I see him running into though, there aren't too many teams that are going to start him over their incumbent QB. His current team has moved on to Daniel Jones. The Titans, Bears, Jags and Packers all have proven, yet young starters at QB. The Dolphins, Steelers and Cardinals should all be looking for new QB's in the draft or in free agency, but I bet they will want someone more established, or at the very least, proven. Other teams in the playoffs or hunt for the playoffs already have guys they count on. The Lions are set. The Eagles are all good. The Ravens have the best QB in the league. The Commanders will get Jayden Daniels back next season. They're all good.

So when I look around at teams that may go for Richardson in a trade, he will be going somewhere to back someone up, or be a one year bridge QB until they can move on to the younger guy. The Raiders are most likely going to draft Fernando Mendoza first overall and roll the dice with him. Richardson may be a solid option to back him up, but I don't think he will want to do that for a full season again. The Giants seem to be set with Jaxson Dart. The Saints found out they like Tyler Shough. The Bengals still have Joe Burrow and the Cowboys are sticking with Dak Prescott. These are some of the teams drafting in the top 15, and they won't be looking to give up big money for a backup QB.

When I look at it, when I take a step back and try to find a team that Richardson can go to and possibly start, there's only two teams on my mind, the Jets and Vikings. The Jets have already moved on from Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor. They want Mendoza, but they have the second pick and he will be gone by then. They'd be foolish to take a QB at the number two pick, so maybe they would give Richardson a shot to start. He is bigger and more consistent with the ball than Fields. He can make more plays with his legs as well. The problem is, Aaron Glenn needs to show some progress in year two, and if Richardson isn't that dude, or gets hurt, he will be in the exact same position as this last season, and that may cost him his job.

As for the Vikings, they have said that JJ McCarthy is not the definite starter going into next season. And they don't have many great options on the bench right now. I have heard that they are kicking around bringing back Kirk Cousins, but I would stay the hell away from that if I were them. Richardson is bigger and more athletic than McCarthy. McCarthy has a better arm, but not by much. McCarthy has also proven that he cannot stay healthy for more than a few weeks at a time. But I could say the same thing about Richardson. But, if I were the Vikings, and I'm in the market for a dual threat QB with a ton of upside, and who may need to prove himself, I'd take a flyer on Richardson and have him and McCarthy battle it out this entire offseason. And if Kevin O'Connell is this "QB whisperer", that could be proved tenfold if he can get anything out of Anthony Richardson, even if it is just a one year bridge to the next franchise QB for the Vikings. 

We will see where the next chapter of Anthony Richardson’s career is next.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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I Have a Way to Fix the NBA's Tanking Problem

The NBA has a tanking issue. It has become quite apparent and something needs to be done. Let’s discuss.

I love basketball, and in particular, the NBA. It is the purest and best form of basketball. The athleticism, the shooting, the defense, it is a true joy to watch. It is my version of ballet. I love it. But, especially at this point of the season, the teams that are out of the playoff picture start to tank games for better draft position. It waters down the games and it's a true drag to watch as a fan.

I'm currently rooting for a team that is in tank mode, and let me tell you, it bums me out. The Grizzlies have been out of it for awhile now, and lately they're putting players out there that I don't even know. They have a bunch of two-way guys, and since trading JJJ, the new acquisitions are getting the bulk of the playing time. I will say, I have enjoyed the hell out of watching Cedric Coward progress into a legit player to possibly build a team around. But all of this has not resulted in many wins. And lately I haven't been tuning in to many of their games. I know what is going to happen and I don't want to watch it unfold. I would be even more bummed out to be a Wizards or Nets fan right now. They've been tanking all year. Sure, they have found a few diamonds in the rough this year, but they aren't winning many games. Teams like the Jazz and Trailblazers had solid starts, but now the owners and GM's are more concerned with draft position, so injuries are piling up to crucial players and they are going into full tank mode. This happened a few years back when the Mavericks were dealt some injury blows, and they openly tanked, were fined by the NBA and still secured a lottery pick. Hell, after they traded Luka Doncic last season, they were rewarded with the number one overall pick, Cooper Flagg.

Tanking works in some scenarios, but it is just making some NBA teams unwatchable. I don't know what the solution should be, but I do have an idea that I have heard others mention on separate podcasts. I don't like the lottery anymore. It is a drag. I'm not here for fully getting rid of the draft. If they do that they may as well only house professional teams in big markets. I also think they need to keep free agency, both restricted and unrestricted. The idea I like the most, and think the NBA really needs to consider, flat draft odds. I want every team to have the same chance at the first pick as they have at the 30th pick. I don't care if that team just won 10 games or the title, I think everyone should have the same odds. I know this adds some issues with player placement. If this were the case this past draft, that means the Thunder would have had the opportunity to draft Cooper Flagg. That would be tough to swallow for a lot of fans, but that feels like something that would happen once every 10-15 drafts or so. I do think that this would also help to make every team play the proper players. A lot of teams would be less likely to play a bunch of two way players or deep bench guys. I think this would lead to less load management from players and coaches. I feel like injuries would not be so prevalent. I just feel like flat draft odds would make it impossible for teams to tank. There would be no reward for teams that decide halfway through the year to throw in the towel. I also feel like flat odds would force teams to try as best as they can to stay in the race all season long. The product on the court would be much better. The better players would try harder. Defenses would be much more intense and focused.

I love the idea of everyone having the same shot at the top prospect. That's what I would pitch if I had a say to the higher ups in the NBA. Make it all even and see how that plays out. That seems like the best option they have at this point. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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I Want the Bulls to Be Good

I don't know that I have seen such a mediocre fall off in the past decade when I look at the Chicago Bulls. Let’s discuss.

When I was a kid the Bulls were the best. They had Jordan and Pippen and Phil Jackson and they were winning titles left and right. Jordan is the greatest, Pippen was the perfect Robin and Jackson is one of the best coaches of all time. They were able to bring in great complimentary pieces, like Dennis Rodman and Ron Harper. They drafted properly with guys like Luc Longley and Steve Kerr. They were in on the international players before it was a big thing. But the most important thing, and I will say this until the cows come home, they drafted Michael Jordan and kept him through his prime.

The Bulls were the definition of a dynasty. They had some down years until they drafted Derrick Rose, who made them relevant again. They had some nice runs with Rose, but then his knee exploded and that was when this team became the best at being mediocre. They have gone through any number of players to try and make themselves a viable playoff threat. They traded for Nikola Vucevic when he was still a borderline all star. But he never really lived up to the hype as a stretch big man. He would have one of two good games a month, then revert to being average. They got Zach Lavine when he was angry with Minnesota. This seemed like a good move at the time, but Lavine is just an empty stats guy. He can fill up the scoresheet, but it never amounted to many wins. They went out and signed DeMar DeRozan, who is one of the better midrange offensive players in the game, but he doesn't play a ton of defense, and if we learned anything from his trade from the Raptors to the Spurs, teams seemed to get better when he was not on them. They traded for Alex Caruso, or maybe signed him, I don't remember. Caruso is only good when he is on a contending team and he has to guard multiple guys. He has never been a scoring threat and he never will be. That doesn't suit his skill set. I liked when they drafted Coby White, who had his moments, but he never lived up to the lottery selection he was, and now he is gone. They gave Patrick Williams a big deal when he hadn't really proved much of anything. And they seem to be whiffing on their most recent draft picks. All of this kept this team in the play-in race, but they never made it out, or if they did, they were an easy first round out. Billy Donovan is a solid coach, but he has never been given a real chance to win big in Chicago. Every time he shows some stability, and the Bulls get their head above water, they trade guys or force him to play players he may not want on the floor. They let go of Caruso so they could build a team around Josh Giddey. Giddey is okay, but he is not a number one option that you can win a title with. Plus, he has had some questionable off court issues in his past. They let Ayo Donsunmu go. Matas Buzelis hasn't been able to put together a month's worth of solid play. Jalen Smith is a fine backup center. He starts for the Bulls. They now have three of the exact same player in guards Anfernee Simons, Rob Dillingham and Jaden Ivey, all of whom they traded for. Simons can score and do not much else. Dillingham is wildly unproven and Ivey has been very up and down his whole career. And he tends to be injury prone. They also added Collin Sexton, who I like, but he cannot seem to stick with one team any longer than one or two seasons.

I don't know what game the Bulls are playing, but they, and by they I mean the front office, don't seem to truly know what they are doing. They are taking some of the oddest swings I have seen in a long time. They are too far in to tank, and their record, especially in the Eastern Conference, is on par with being in the play-in once again. The roster construction and team building makes zero sense and the powers that be seem to be more than thrilled to stay in this weird mediocrity they have set for themselves. I like the NBA much more when the Bulls are relevant. At this moment, and for the past decade, the Bulls have been wildly irrelevant. And that bums me out. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Thoughts on a 27 Year Old College Football Player

I'm all for college football players getting paid, and if they can get more in college than in the NFL, go for it. No one knows how long they are going to be able to play, especially a sport like football, so get it while you can. There needs to be some more rules around NIL and the transfer portal, but that is a topic for another day. But I did see some news recently that made me throw my hands up in frustration.

By now we all know about the Miami linebacker who is entering his eighth year of college football. That is wild and kind of odd to me, but Miami is a blueblood, was just in the national title game and they may be even better next season. Yesterday I read about another college football player who was just given his ninth year of eligibility. The player's name is Solomon Tuliaupupu and he plays linebacker for Montana. I read that he started his career at USC, transferred to Montana and has become an all conference player since signing with the Grizzlies. I understand that he got a waiver due to injuries, and add that to the extra year for COVID, and a redshirt season, Tuliaupupu will be a 27 year old fifth year senior when he suits up for Montana next season.

This seems like overkill. I don't get why he would get a waiver for a ninth season, but Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss was denied a sixth season. Rod Moore got a sixth season with Michigan due to injury, but Chambliss was denied. I wonder why they are so hard up to not let Chambliss play, but this linebacker at Montana gets a ninth season. Keep in mind that he will be 27 when the season starts. That is an adult. He could be a father at this point. My wife had our first kid when we were 29, only two years older than Tuliaupupu. He is going to have teammates that are 18 when they start practice. How will he engage and talk with them? What are they going to be able to relate to?

That's too old to still be in college. Some people were all up in arms because Indiana had one of the older rosters in college football last year. They averaged 24 years old. This kld is 27. He is older than a ton of professional football players. There are some guys that have come and gone in the NFL before 27. I get it, maybe Tuliaupupu will not be a pro football player, but continually putting it off for so many years will only hurt any shot he has at the NFL. Teams are going to draft much younger guys that they can mold in the team's vision. Tuliaupupu is already the player he is always going to be. He could walk into a few locker rooms currently in the NFL where he is one of the older linebackers, as a rookie. He would be going on 28 his first season in the NFL. That is some players' prime, or even late prime. He would just be entering the league. I just don't see a NFL front office taking a chance on a rookie only two years away from 30. Maybe Tuliaupupu knows this, knows that he will be done after college football, so he is just trying to make as much as he can at Montana. Or maybe he just loves the game and doesn't want to stop playing until he absolutely has to. But this is just overkill. This is where some of the problems lie with waivers and the portal and NIL. Some guys get preferential treatment, and it almost feels like they give it to players who are not in a power 4 conference. There's far fewer players that make the league that are not on a power 4 conference team. And when they do, they are usually older and undrafted. But they are not 28 as a rookie.

Props to this guy for playing the game he loves for as long as possible, but there has to be a point where a player moves on and tries to be a professional. Being a 27 year old fifth year senior is too much and needs to be fixed. I'll be curious to see him play just because he is far too old to be a college athlete, but this is the state of the game at the moment. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Thoughts on Super Bowl LX

Super Bowl 60 happened last night and I have some takes. I'll start with the game.

The game was very dull for the first three quarters. I love a defensive battle, but this was more akin to the offenses playing poorly. Neither team could move the ball after their first drive. The Seahawks got a field goal out of it and the Patriots had something happening, but a sack stalled any momentum they had. After that it was a bunch of punts. The Seahawks were able to move the ball a little here and there. The Patriots could not do a damn thing. They were a three and out machine. I will say, part of it was the Seahawks defense. They were all over the Patriots offense. They were attacking the left side of their o line, which is their weak spot, and they ravaged the QB and run game. Devion Witherspoon was constantly in the backfield. The d line was getting pressure on almost every play. If I was a Patriots fan, it would have been abhorrent to watch. Lucky for me I'm not a fan, so this was a delight to watch. The Seahawks were able to get a few more field goals and head into halftime with a 9-0 lead. The second half was much better. The Seahawks finally got the first td of the game. Sam Darnold threw a nice pass to AJ Barner, who was wide open. This was the point where I figured the Seahawks were in control. That was most definitely the case. Sure, the Patriots scored a td early on in the fourth to make it a 12 point game, but it was never going to get closer than that. The Seahawks added a field goal, then they swarmed the Patriots on a pass rush that resulted in a pick 6. At that point, with the score 29-7, it was all over but the shouting. The Patriots scored a meaningless td with about 2 minutes left to cut it to a 16 point lead, but it was all done.

My final thoughts on the actual game, it was boring and dull. But it was cool to see these two defenses show up ready to play. Both the D's were fast and furious. They wanted to hit everything in sight. The Patriots were close to multiple interceptions. The Seahawks capitalized on turnovers, causing a fumble and the aforementioned pick 6. They also got a late interception that all but sealed the game. Both teams got tons of pressure all night as well. It was nice to see some modern teams playing ferocious defense for once. But both QB's had subpar games. The Patriots couldn't run the ball either. The Seahawks were able to run, and that was what separated them. They were able to sustain drives for longer periods of game time. Kenneth Walker had a massive game, leading to him winning Super Bowl MVP. Barner had a solid game, as did Cooper Kupp, which they needed due to JSN being held in check and missing time due to a concussion. The Seahawks o line, while not great, played better than the Patriots, and they opened up more running holes for their backs. The Seahawks were the better team on paper and on the field and they earned their rings. Mike MacDonald had a great gameplan, his coaches and players ran it to perfection and they dominated this game pretty much from start to finish. Congrats to the Seahawks on their championship.

As for the stuff outside the game, let's talk about it. Bad Bunny put on one hell of a halftime show. He is quite the showman and he had an energized and fun show. I liked that he brought out Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. I saw that Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba and Cardi B, among others, were on stage dancing during the halftime show. I also loved that his whole show was about love being stronger than hate. I liked that he brought out what looked like the 5 year old that was detained by monsters to present him with the Grammy he just won. The show was lively and easy to dance along with and just a good time. I liked it quite a bit.

As for the commercials, nothing really stuck out to me. I don't like that celebs are doing most of these commercials. Commercials should be for actors trying to break into the business. That was how it used to be, but now we have superstars doing commercials. I feel it takes away from the fun of older ads. I wasn't as stoked for the Dunkin commercial as years past. I will say I did like the one with Chris Hemsworth and the other one Matthew McCoungehey and Bradley Cooper. But that was about it.

All in all it was like most other Super Bowls. The game was off until it was on, the halftime was fun and the commercials were just fine. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Thoughts on James Harden Going to The Cavaliers

Yesterday I wrote about a big trade involving the NBA team I root for. Well, the NBA decided they had to pull off an even bigger trade a few hours after JJJ was moved to Utah. Let’s discuss.

James Harden is on the move yet again. He started his career with the Thunder, and wasn't happy with the fact that he wasn't the focal point of the offense. They traded him to the Rockets and he had his best years with them. But he grew tired of each new star player they brought in to play with him so he decided he wanted to team up with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant and forced his way to Brooklyn. When Kyrie wouldn't get vaccinated and KD couldn't stay on the floor, he decided he wanted to play with Joel Embiid and edged his way to the 76ers. When that blew up in his face he decided he wanted to go home and play for the Clippers. And that actually seemed to be working out just fine. He didn't have to be the focal point, he was back home and he was playing pretty well. But he didn't get the contract he wanted, and even though he may have made some claims today saying he did not request a trade, he has found his way to Cleveland, being traded for Darius Garland and a second round pick.

I want to believe Harden when he says he didn't request a trade and that he wants a chance to play in the finals and that that is easier in the Eastern Conference and he wanted to leave the Clippers in a better space to rebuild quicker, but I just don't buy it. James Harden is a good enough offensive basketball player. He is a willing and very good passer. He is a tremendous three point shooter. He can still get to his spots on the floor. He shoots a ton of free throws. He is a ball stopper and constantly needs it in his hands, but he usually ends up doing good things with it in the long run. He can just come out and admit he wanted out of LA because he thought that it was going to be next to impossible to get to the Finals in the West. He is a mercenary. That has come to be his thing in the NBA, and I don't mind it from his perspective. He wants to get paid, he likes going to new and different cities and he usually helps that team win. And he is getting close to the end of his career, and maybe he truly does want a shot at a ring. I don't know if I fully believe that, but maybe this move is his last, and best shot at a Finals appearance.

The East is not close to the level of the West, the Cavs are getting better everyday and they can make a strong push to close the season out and make a deep run in the playoffs. Now, will the usual Harden show up in the playoffs? The guy that disappears in crucial moments? History points to yes. But maybe Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley can help him overcome that stigma. That's the best part for the Cavs too. They did have to trade a key piece in Garland, but they got to keep everyone else. Donovan Mitchell is still their top player. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen will protect the rim and rebound the ball. Jaylen Tyson has been a total revelation. They have a solid bench, especially for the East. This is a good team that will be even better on offense with the addition of Harden. Harden is going to take some pressure off Mitchell, get three point shooters wide open looks and have Allen and Mobley rolling to the rim for lob dunks. This will only help the Cavs, unless playoff James Harden shows up, which is very likely.

The Clippers got a point guard that is 10 years younger than Harden. He is twitchier and faster than Harden. He isn't a great defender, but he is much better on that end than Harden. He doesn't have the ego Harden has either. But Garland is almost always hurt. The past two seasons have been filled with random, weird injuries that seem to pop up out of nowhere. Garland just cannot seem to stay on the court. Harden always plays. He barely misses games. Garland misses a ton. But I think, if they keep this group together, the Clippers did get wildly younger at point guard. They just need Garland to play. Kawhi Leonard is having a great season. Brook Lopez has started to look more like himself. Kris Dunn is an elite defender. And Ivica Zubac is looking more and more like himself with every passing game. I think the Cavs "won" the deal with Harden coming over. But the Clippers got younger and faster, as long as Garland plays 20 to 25 of the last 30 plus games.

I'm very curious to see how this all plays out for the rest of the season. But what I do know, the Cavs are going to push their way to a three or four seed and get home court because James Harden brings wins with him wherever he is traded to. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

What are the Grizzlies Doing?

I truly have zero idea what the Memphis Grizzlies are attempting to do, but they are clearly up to something. I wrote while back that I was fully ready for them to trade Ja Morant. I wanted them to move on and preferably start building the team around a rookie, or even better, Jaren Jackson Jr (JJJ). Well, while out exercising this afternoon I got an alert on my phone that the Grizzlies had made a trade. I naturally assumed they had traded Ja, but I was wrong. Apparently they have traded JJJ to the Utah Jazz for a bunch of other players and draft picks. The Grizzlies, along with JJJ, traded a few other rotational players. But the big name here is Jaren Jackson Jr.

I just don't get it. The Grizzlies have been wildly inconsistent all season long. They will go on a little run, win five of eight games here and there, and then fall off a cliff. They are currently on the cliff as we speak. They cannot seem to close out games. They will carry a lead into halftime and find a way to get beat by double figures by the end of the game. They have been wildly frustrating to watch all season long.

Part of their inability to put together a long winning streak is the health of key players. Ja Morant has barely played this season. And when he does play you never know which version of him you're going to get. Zach Edey has been out most of the season. Kentavious Caldwell Pope hasn't brought it since the trade. He has only been 1/4 the player he was on his former teams. Ty Jerome, one of the better offseason additions, has not played a second yet. They have had no real continuity all season long. But, the one consistent player, the one guy I could count on to be on the floor most nights, was Jaren Jackson Jr. He may not be having as good a season as he has in the past, his defense and rebounding have regressed a bit, but he was almost always on the court. I knew he would be in the starting five and he would play 25 plus minutes a night. That's gone now. He is off to Utah.

Jackson is going to pair up quite nicely with Lauri Markkanen, if the Jazz ever let him play real minutes. JJJ is also going to help the Jazz defense. He will be another big body to clog up the paint. He can also take the ball outside and shoot the three. He has always had a solid low post game, but he has turned himself into a solid three point shooter. If I were Markkanen I'd be happy about this move. This would give me the feeling that they may not be going into the tank after this season. The rest of the Jazz roster is unproven and young, but some of these dudes have upside. Ace Bailey is a pure scorer. He just needs to get stronger. Isaiah Collier reeks of a microwave bench scorer. Keyonte George can hoop. Cody Williams hasn't lived up to the lottery pick he was in his draft, but he has shown minor flashes here and there.

The Grizzlies, I don't really know what they are planning on doing with this current roster. They let their most dependable guy go and apparently they're still shopping Ja Morant. The rest of the roster is odd to me. As mentioned before, Edey and Jerome have barely played or not played at all. GG Jackson can't seem to get real minutes. Santi Aldama had a few moments earlier this season, but that has died off as of late. Cedric Coward has been a bright spot, and maybe they will build around him if they eventually trade Morant. Brandon Clarke never sees the floor due to injuries, Cam Spencer is a one week wonder who has wildly cooled off as of late, Scotty Pipen Jr hasn't made much of a leap and Olivier-Maxence Prosper has not figured out the NBA. The Grizzlies roster is a total mishmash now that they have traded JJJ.

This really bums me out. I have had the pleasure of seeing JJJ play live and he was fun to watch. I, as mentioned before, relied on him to constantly be in the lineup. I knew he was going to do what he does and play a significant amount of minutes. That's all gone now. My hope for the rest of the year and into the summer for the Grizzlies is a full rebuild. Tear it down and try to build back up through the draft. Now that they have traded JJJ, they need to move Ja and some other vets. They should give the keys to Coward and see what they have in some other, younger and unproven players. Let this coaching staff start anew and give them two or three years to build the Grizz back up into a perennial playoff team. As for now, they have left me annoyed and confused. And there's still a few days left in the trade deadline to further frustrate me. Time will tell. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Indiana is Now a Football Power

Indiana did it last night. They won the whole thing. They beat every team on their schedule. They have the most wins in a season since some Yale team back in the early 1900's. Let’s discuss.

Indiana is on top of the college football world and they turned their entire program around in two short years. Curt Cignetti proved his worth and then some. I may not personally like him, but he is one hell of a college football coach and he knows how to win in this new era. I read some people griping about his roster being old. Who cares? He did nothing illegal in recruiting fifth and sixth year seniors. These guys wanted to come play for him through the portal, he picked the players that fit his system and he has won big with them at Indiana. He used the portal to perfection.

I made comments a week or so back about Fernando Mendoza being a game manager. I was wrong. He won that game last night. He was the reason that Indiana was able to sustain a few drives and get points. His run on fourth and long that scored the winning TD for Indiana was one of the best runs I have seen in a college football game in quite a long time. He secured the number one pick in the upcoming draft. Mendoza was no game manager last night. He was awesome.

As I said in my previous post about Indiana and Mendoza, this Indiana defense is elite. They are one of the better defenses I have seen on a college football field in a few years. The corners were all over the wideouts. The run defense, save for one long run, stuffed Miami at the line most of the night. And the linebackers cleaned up any messes that came their way. They also provided nice pressure on Carson Beck all night. And the secondary came up with the game sealing interception with less than a minute.

Even IU's special teams came up with a humongous punt block for a TD that helped get the momentum back in the third quarter.

Indiana was the most sound, most serious and best college football team by a wide margin for the 2025-26 season. Miami put up a fight and made it interesting for a while, but Indiana's run seemed destined to end this way. Miami made the title game by upsetting higher seeded teams. Indiana looked every bit the overall number 1 seed, dominating Alabama and Oregon on their way to the title. Miami may have more "pro" ready players, but Indiana was a much more complete and better team. Sure, Mendoza is the QB and Heisman winner, but he has guys all around him loaded with talent. They have two very good running backs. The receivers seemingly never drop a pass. The o line is dominant. The defense is amazing. Indiana is the definition of a team in modern college football. They play for one another, not draft positioning. They won because they bought into the new culture and coaching that came with the new coaching staff. They used the portal the best way possible. They made all the right moves and turned that into a championship team. Now they will have the joy and frustration of playing as the hunted rather than the hunter. They are not going to be taken lightly ever again. This is going to be a perennial contender, and the other teams on their schedule will be looking for new ways to beat them. It seems weird for me to say that about Indiana, but it shouldn't be. They are national champs and national champs play with a target on their back.

I also want to point out that the Big Ten has now won three straight national titles. For years and years the Big Ten always struggled during bowl season. They just couldn't seem to get to the title game, or if they did they would get trounced. But now, in the modern NIL and transfer portal era, the Big Ten seems to be the best conference in all of college football. I don't think it's hyperbolic to say that they have usurped the SEC as the dominant conference. With Indiana last night, the university of Ohio State last year and Michigan two seasons ago, the Big Ten has won them all. And they didn't play a SEC team in any of those title games. Sure, the SEC has a few teams here and there that make the playoff, but so does the Big Ten. Oregon made it to the final four this year. Last season the Big Ten had five playoff teams. The SEC only had three. In the 23-24 playoff, the last with four teams, there was one SEC, one Pac 12, one Big 12 and one Big Ten, and the title game was Pac 12 versus Big Ten. We are in a new era of college football, and for the first part of this era, the Big Ten is the best conference, and it is not even close. And before people say, well they have 16 teams from all over the country, it is not fair, the last three champs from the Big 10 are all traditional Big Ten teams. So, as a fan of a Big Ten team, this makes me happy.

Anyway, congrats to Indiana. They are the no questions asked champs of the 2025-26 college football season. Enjoy it. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Predicts the NFC and AFC Games

The NFC and AFC championship games are set. Let’s discuss.

It's nice to have some new blood, no Chiefs, Eagles or Bills. But it also feels like it is teams who used to dominate climbing their way back to the top. I think this is a good thing. This shows parity is still a thing in the NFL. Teams can go from worst to first every season. Look at teams like Chicago and Houston. Houston used to be an also ran, but they are a perennial playoff team, and look to be right on the doorstep of the Super Bowl. Chicago really struggled for the past decade or so, but now they have a viable QB, a ball hawking defense and have made some much needed changes on the o line and in management, and they were a play or two away from the NFC title game. It is refreshing to see some of these teams back at the top.

Where we stand now we have the Patriots playing the Broncos in the AFC title game, and the Seahawks playing the Rams, an inter division matchup to go to the Super Bowl. The NFC title game has some stand-ins playing for the chance at a Super Bowl, and the QBs are both journeymen that have made a solid career for themselves. The Rams have Matthew  Stafford, who is the most likely MVP winner. He has a ring already, but that was on a team that was built to win right away. This Rams team is different. They are more built from the draft. Their star players, outside of Stafford, are pretty much all in house guys. Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams and Blake Corum were all draft picks. They traded for Davante Adams, and he is very important to this team. But outside him and Stafford, this team is all in house products. They do happen to have the best coach in all of football in Sean McVay, and he is churning out future head coaches left and right. The Rams are a legit threat to win it all, and they may be the favorites at this very moment. The Seahawks are a bit more of a mystery and unproven. But damn are they good, especially at defense. They have built that unit through the draft, with a few dudes coming from other teams. Their head coach, Mike MacDonald, is a defense guy and he is showing that he knows what he is doing. The offense is a mishmash of draft picks and free agents. The offense gets the job done. It may not always be pretty, but they know what they are doing and they do it well. They steamrolled a pretty hot 49ers team in last week's matchup. The offense that night was pretty much the run game, led by Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet is now hurt and out for the rest of the playoffs, but Walker is more than capable of handling a bigger workload. The o line is mean and nasty and they have a solid group of wideouts that know their roles. This game is going to be interesting, but I'm sticking with my Seahawks pick from a week ago. They have home field advantage, they have a better defense and they are riding high right now.

The AFC title game is a pure look at the future of this conference and this sport. I get it, Bo Nix has a broken ankle and is done for the playoffs. He was the main component of their comeback win last week and him being out will hurt them quite a bit. But Nix is a future perennial all pro QB. I was very wrong about him in his draft class. I thought he was going to be a bust. He is not. He is legit. They have a very good run game and o line that compliments Nix. Courtland Sutton has become a dependable number one wideout. Evan Engram has worked out as a viable tight end. And they have more than one running back they can count on. The defense is solid and dependable. Nik Bonitto and Dre Greenlaw are good linebackers. Pat Surtain II is one of the better secondary players in the league. They have some studs on the d line. The Broncos are a legit threat, even without Bo Nix. Jarret Stidham is not the answer and may be their undoing in this upcoming game. The Patriots lived up to the offseason expectations. I feel like Jerrod Mayo got a raw deal, but this team has had a major turnaround, and beating the Chargers the way they did last week was eye opening to me. This Patriots defense is for real. The d line gets after the QB and the run game. The linebackers are all over the field. And the secondary gets after the ball. They're a legit top unit in the league. The offense was even better than I expected them to be this year. Drake Maye is for real. I think him sitting a year was the best thing that could have ever happened for him. It humbled him and now the team, and Maye himself, are reaping the rewards. TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson are a great 1-2 punch in the backfield. Stefon Diggs, who has major off field issues, is productive. Kayshon Boutte has been a revelation. He is awesome. Hunter Henry is a solid tight end, and the o line, by drafting Will Campbell last season, got infinitely better. The Patriots are young, but they play with a tenacity that a ton of other NFL teams do not. There's a few reasons to pick the Patriots in this game, but the main one is the absence of Bo Nix. That should be more than enough for the Patriots to win. I'm sure the run game and defense and home field advantage will help, but all of that is moot with no Nix playing for Denver.

That means I have the Seahawks and Patriots in the Super Bowl. This is a throwback to the early to mid 2010's NFL. In this game I think the Seahawks defense will win the day and they will be the champs. Time will tell. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Thoughts on The Giants Hiring John Harbaugh

It looks as if John Harbaugh will be the next head coach of the New York Giants. Let’s discuss.

Harbaugh was the most coveted coach on the market. When the Ravens let him go it was only a matter of time before he found himself a different team to take over. I know that the Titans, Falcons and Giants all really wanted him. I was kind of hoping, after their meltdown in the playoffs, that maybe even Green Bay would try to hire him, if they decided to move on from Matt LaFleur. I know he was looking at and talking to other teams all last week, and he finally went on an in person interview with the Giants on Monday. I read he was supposed to do an in person interview with the Titans, possibly today, but that isn't going to happen now. The Giants went all out, basically giving him everything he wanted, had current players sit in on the interview and it looks as if he is accepting the job.

I think the Giants really lucked out here. Harbaugh knows the game better than most. He has been around coaching his whole life and it feels like he has been the head coach of the Ravens for almost two decades. He has a Super Bowl ring, went to the playoffs most seasons and commands respect from everyone in the NFL. The Giants have a ton to fix, but hiring Harbaugh was damn near the perfect first step. I'm not too crazy about Jaxson Dart as the QB of the future, but Harbaugh seems to have bought in on him. Dart feels like a flash in the pan, I kind of wished they went with Jameis Winston a little more last year. But if he has the go ahead of Harbaugh, then he will be the QB of the future, until he gets hurt or flames out. And even/when that happens, Harbaugh has much of the same duties as a GM with the proposed deal he is about to sign to coach the Giants. He is not only the head coach now, but he has GM abilities now, so he will get to pick and choose the players he wants. He will have to get a real cowbell running back. Cam Skattebo is not the answer. He reminds me of Peyton Hillis. He showed up out of nowhere last season, has already capitalized on his "fame" and will most likely continue to get injured, especially coming off a torn ACL. The best thing that Harbaugh has on this offense is Malik Nabers, also coming off a torn ACL. Nabers is a legit number one wideout, he cares about winning, he wants to get better and he has all the skills to be a perennial pro bowl player. Harbaugh will need to fix the o line, but he does have some pieces. The defense may be a full teardown and rebuild, but this deal is meant to give Harbaugh time to build this team in his image. It is similar, though not as big a contract with as many responsibilities, to his brother's deal with the Chargers. Jim Harbaugh was lucky enough to have Justin Herbert and a solid defense with the Chargers, but he has built that team the way he wants it and they have been to the playoffs, with weak exits, two seasons in a row. John Harbaugh should have the Giants looking more confident and similar to the Ravens in a few seasons. He will most likely start with building through the draft, but I wouldn't be shocked if he goes big name hunting ASAP. New York is a massive market, guys want to play there, he is a coach that players like. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes after AJ Brown right off the bat to team up with Nabers. I bet he will try to get respectable o linemen on the free agent market. I bet, since he knows a ton about defense, he will rework the entire defense with both the free agent market and the draft. The Giants will have a high pick, and if he can get a couple of more studs to pair with Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux, this defense can be formidable as soon as next season.

I didn't know if I liked this idea of Harbaugh with the Giants. But after sitting on this for a day, this is a good move by both parties. The NFL is better when the Giants are relevant. They play in the same division as the Cowboys, so if they can beat them every season with regularity, that will make me happy as a Cowboy hater. And giving him some GM control was a good move. I don't usually like when a coach also has the duties of a GM, but a coach like John Harbaugh has been around the game long enough and has some ideas on how to build a team. I like this for both Harbaugh and the Giants and I'm interested to see how this team looks going forward. Time will tell. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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The Transfer Portal Needs to be Fixed

There is a big, big problem with the transfer portal, and while I think it must stick around, there needs to be some kind of new rules put into place. Let’s discuss

To start off, I'm all for college athletes getting as much money as they can while they are still playing in college. For some of these athletes, this is the only time they will get paid playing their preferred sport. And for the players that are going to be picked to play professionally, they can start a nice little nest egg for their future. And I'm all for kids being able to move from school to school as much as coaches do. I don't blame any kid who was recruited to Ole Miss by Lane Kiffin looking to go somewhere else now that Kiffin has moved on to LSU. They had an idea of who the coach was going to be, that coach is now gone and maybe they were only going to Ole Miss to play for Kiffin. The same thing is going on at Michigan right now. Some kids have asked out of letters of intent, or some kids who came in from the transfer portal that were recruited by Sherrone Moore are now looking elsewhere since Moore is no longer the head coach. Those kids don't really know Kyle Whittingham, and maybe they don't want to get to know him. And that's fine.

What is happening right now, especially in football and men's college basketball, with the portal is pure madness. There seems to be dozens of new players everyday since the recent transfer window opened up that are leaving one school for another. What's worse, some kids have announced intentions to transfer while their current team is still in the playoff. I know that Ole Miss was bounced last night, in an epic game by the way, but their backup QB has already announced that they have committed to play football at Mizzou next season. I believe this same thing happened with Penn State last season. These players still have important playoff games to prepare for, but the non starters possibly have their mind elsewhere. That's not good. You need your players to be locked in and focused. If Trinidad Chambliss were to get hurt, Austin Simmons may not be all that hype to go into a game because he may not want to get hurt. I bet Mizzou coaches would implore him not to play at all. In a case like this, if a kid is already committed elsewhere, they should already be with that new team. And Simmons very well may be in Columbia, Missouri as we speak. But the sheer fact that Simmons was all but out the door while Ole Miss was still playing, that is part of the problem. Michigan has seen starters leave for the portal. Some have come back, but others are still in the portal. Brandym Hillman was a two year starter, but he entered the portal last night. TJ Metcalf transferred in last year, played the most snaps on defense for Michigan, and now he is gone. Justice Haynes, who started at running back and was the feature back before getting hurt, announced today he was going to transfer. Indiana is the clear favorite to win it all this year, but that hasn't stopped them from getting one of the top QBs in the portal to commit, as well as one of the top wideouts in the portal. Again, they have a game tonight, but that hasn't stopped them from bringing in transfers. Oh, and their current starting QB, the Heisman winner, hasn't declared for the draft as of yet. But they already have his replacement waiting to take over in Bloomington.

As of today, over 2500 players have entered the transfer portal, and almost half have already committed to new schools. That's insane. And I kind of assumed that the portal was going to be used for players who felt they have earned playing time, but haven't gotten as much as they hoped for. That seemed like the best option. Or even, the portal could be used for players who have one season of eligibility left that are playing at a "smaller" division 1 school to go play for a power 4 school and get scouted for the pros. But we have all kinds of players entering the portal now, and this includes guys who have been starters since they got into college football. I mentioned Justice Haynes and Brandyn Hillman already. Josh Hoover was a two year starter at TCU, but now he is off to Indiana. Brendan Sorsby started at Cincinnati last season, but that didn't stop him from almost instantly committing to Texas Tech after Oregon knocked them out of the playoff. Nick Marsh was the top wideout at Michigan State, but he is off to greener pastures at Indiana. Michigan got instant help on defense from former Utah edge rusher John Henry Daley, who was an All American this past season. DJ Lagway was supposed to be the savior for Florida, but next season he will be suiting up for Baylor. Rocco Becht was a two year starter at Iowa State, but he just followed his coach to Penn State. I could go on and on and on naming more and more players. It truly does feel like free agency. It's getting to a point where I don't even know some current starters on Michigan's team, and that is the team I love the most. I just started to root for TJ Metcalf and Justice Haynes, and now they're gone. I have to learn about John Henry Daley and Taylor Tatum now, among others.

This constant movement and constant change is going to do damage to the sport and to the rivalry aspect of college football, which is a big deal for college sports. The university of Ohio State and Michigan rivalry is still pretty heated, but the university of Ohio State has had two transfer QBs start the past two years and Michigan has had multiple transfers on defense. What will happen to the Notre Dame-USC rivalry when  players can transfer from one of those schools to the other. I know Michigan is in contact with some rival teams players in the portal, so I have to imagine the same thing is going on with other big time schools with players in the portal. The rivalry games are going to become just another game because there will be zero continuity with players. Each team is going to have new players every year, and that is going to do nothing but dim these supposed rivalry games. There's also going to be more parity, which is fine. But, with more and more players transferring every season, no team is going to have true continuity. The coaches are going to have to mold things to fit the transfers every year, and if you miss out on a transfer you went all in on, your season will be toast.

The transfer portal can be used for good, but right now it is the wild west. It is free agency. Players are going where they can get the most money, and maybe not the most playing time. To each their own, but rules should be put into place. There should be some kind of restrictions, or this is only going to get worse and worse every year, and it is already pretty bad where we are right now. Changes will hopefully be made, but time will tell. Until then, the average college football fan is going to fall off a bit when they don't get to know who the players are each year. You used to get four years to root for certain players if you're lucky. But now it changes pretty much every season and it is watering down the game in my opinion. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Thoughts on the Trae Young Trade

Trae Young was traded to the Washington Wizards yesterday. This has been a deal in the making for about a week now, but I did not think it would end up with Young playing for the Wizards. Let’s discuss.

When I first heard about his trade request, the two teams first mentioned were the Timberwolves and Nets. These two teams made some kind of sense to me. The Timberwolves need a true, real deal point guard and that is exactly what Trae Young has been since he entered the league. I didn't know how this would work on the Timberwolves end, but that didn't make it make any less sense. The Timberwolves already have a real deal star of the team in Anthony Edwards. He is the most important player on the team and he has the keys to the car. He is their leader and most important player. I don't think Young would take to that so well. You could see some fracturing on the Hawks with Jalen Johnson emerging as an all star candidate. They also took Zach Rissache number one overall in last year's draft. And they have some other young players that they may want to build the team around. Young wasn't the player to build around anymore on the Hawks, and he would be the third or fourth option if he were to join the Timberwolves. Besides Edwards, the Wolves like to feed Rudy Gobert from time to time in the low post. Sometimes the offense goes through Julius Randle occasionally, and even a guy like Naz Reid gets to run the bench unit. Young may have given the Timberwolves a true point guard, but I feel like he would have been almost instantly unhappy at his place and role on that team.

The Nets actually made the most sense to me because they have picks and young players looking to prove themselves. And playing for the Nets would give Young a humongous market, Brooklyn, and he would be the number 1 option by a mile. I would have to imagine the Hawks would have wanted picks, which the Nets could provide, but I also think the Hawks would have wanted some of their young shooters. I would have asked for Michael Porter Jr first. He is having a breakout season and he would be a perfect replacement for Trae Young in Atlanta. If they wanted a pure scorer, they could have asked for Cam Thomas. He may not pass much, and he isn't the best defender in the NBA, but the dude is a microwave when his shot is falling. If they wanted an unproven guy they could have asked for Egor Denim. He is a rookie and he pretty much only shoots threes. But if he can hone that skill and become a lesser Kyle Korver, he could bring spacing to Atlanta. And if they wanted to go big for some reason, why not ask for Nic Claxton. He is young and a good rim runner and rebounder and he could bring more energy to a younger roster in Atlanta. But Brooklyn didn't happen either.

Then, as I was writing yesterday, I saw that Young all of the sudden wanted to go to Washington and Atlanta was willing to try and make that happen. I was confused, but hey, if that was where he wanted to play, why not go for it. Throughout the afternoon I had to imagine both sides were working on a deal. Then it was announced that a few of the Wizards players were "healthy" scratches right before their game. That was the only evidence we all needed. Pretty soon after that Young was traded to the Wizards for Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum. After the trade came out and the players were mentioned, I was unmoved. The deal seemed to be very boring and dull. The only true "star" in the trade was Trae Young, and his star is starting to fade. McCollum had his moment, but he is now your typical veteran journeyman. And Corey Kispert is no better than a bench player. He can score here and there, but he is not a name that moves the needle all that much. The Wizards got the guy that wanted to be there. And Trae Young is going to be able to do whatever he wants. They won't win much, and I wonder if a guy like Alex Sarr, who is having a solid second season, will grow frustrated playing with such a ball dominant guard. And the Wizards are not going to win all that much with the addition of Young. As for the Hawks, they have been a bit of a disappointment so far, and while they played well without Young earlier this year, I don't know if that will happen again. And bringing in Kispert and McCollum doesn't really help or hurt them all that much. They added two decent shooters, but neither is as good as Young. And they don't make defenses shift as much as Young did for them.

This trade feels odd and unfulfilling. I don't really think either team got better. Young got to go where he wanted, and the Hawks got two shooters, but I don't think either team will see any real difference in their records for the rest of the season. Maybe this is just the start of a wild trade deadline. Time will tell. But this trade isn't as juicy as it could have been. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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The Prophetic Vision of the Classic Movie "Blue Chips"

I just finished watching the movie "Blue Chips" for what must be my tenth time. This movie predicted the future. Let’s discuss.

This was an important movie to me as a kid because it is all about college basketball and they have a ton of scenes involving game action. I remember my dad and his assistant basketball coach taking a bunch of us to see it when we were 12, the movie came out in 1994, and that memory has always stuck with me. I think about it often. We got to see a movie based on a sport we all loved and we all had dreams of being college basketball players at the time. I can also vividly remember going to play basketball with some of my teammates after seeing the movie. After watching it we had to go play. We had to blow off steam. And I also remember, after seeing the movie, how much I stood with Nick Nolte, he played the coach of the team. As a 12 year old I always equated the coach as the boss. They were in charge, they ran the show and whatever they said, that was the law. So when he decided he was going to go to the boosters and whatnot to get the players they needed to return to relevancy, I was devastated. He was breaking the rules to win again. It bummed me out. I sided with the writer, played by Ed O'Neil, who constantly pushed and questioned every recruiting move. I thought Nolte's ex wife was right to chastise him. She should have anyway because he lied to her, but she seemed more angry about the recruiting violations. The AD and the assistant coaches all tried to turn a blind eye, but Nolte was hell bent on getting these top recruits, no matter what it took. And I looked at someone like the character of Ricky Roe as a total scumbag. He asked for money and he did it in a very slimy way. And the villain of all villains in "Blue Chips" was Happy, played by JT Walsh. He was the booster who paid everyone. He helped the football and basketball teams stay in the top 25. He made sure they were a perennial power by any means necessary. And boy oh boy did 12 year old me despise Happy. He was the worst. I couldn't believe what he would do just to keep a college program relevant. And when Nolte called him out at the press conference after they won their first game with the new players, I openly applauded in the theaters. I didn't care what my friends and coaches thought. Nolte was standing up for what was right, or so I believed.

After finishing the movie again yesterday, I'm here to say, justice for Happy. He was right. He was doing NIL before it was legal. He has a line early in the movie where he is talking to Nolte about him signing six figure deals to be a coach, then six figure deals to wear certain brands and how pathetic it is that a coach can cash in on this money, but the players get nothing. He was absolutely correct in his assessment. He also takes care of all of the action without coaches knowing anything. That has to be the dream for college coaches. And Happy didn't focus on one sport, he was doing this for multiple athletic programs at the fictional university in the movie. That is what every agent in America is doing right now for athletes in the NIL era. They made Happy out to be such a slimy and smarmy scumbag, but he was the only person who understood and gave the college athletes what they deserve. I have talked so much about this on the website and the podcast, but college athletes bring in so much money, especially to big universities, and all they used to get was a full scholarship. That's a drop in the bucket for these universities that make billions off their athletics. Happy knew that and he made a choice to give the athletes their worth. NIL has only been a thing for a few years now, and it is a true mess, they need to find a way to sanction some stuff and make new rules, but the best thing about NIL is these college athletes are finally able to make money for themselves. They don't have to live on stipends until they get to the pros, if they get to the pros. Happy was just taking care of the athletes. He is not the villain. The villain is Bob Cousy, who played the AD. The villain is Nick Nolte for chastising these kids and boosters. The villain is Ed O'Neil for being a grown man obsessed with the lives of college students.

Justice for Happy. And if you've never seen "Blue Chips", do yourself a favor and check it out. It is a moment in time movie and it is one of the better ones out there. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Predicts the 2026 NFL Playoffs

Now that the NFL playoffs are officially set I am coming to you all with my predictions and preview. I'll do what I normally do, pick each round, pick the Super Bowl matchup and winner and then pick the MVP of the Super Bowl. Enough preamble, let's get to it.

I'll start with the AFC.

The Denver Broncos are the number 1 seed and that means they have earned the first round bye. I think the bye will be a much needed break and they will get everyone right before their first playoff game.

The 2-7 matchup features the New England Patriots facing the Los Angeles Chargers. This is an interesting matchup. The Patriots are a very, very good team. They are also very inexperienced. This will be a lot of the players' first time in the playoffs, and that is a whole other animal. The Chargers are up and coming and they were in the playoffs last season. Jim Harbaugh is a very good coach as well and he will have his guys ready to play. He rested them all yesterday as well, so they will be good to go. Drake Maye is younger and more mobile than Justin Herbert. Herbert has a better arm though. Both teams have a very solid run game with two guys that bring different elements. The Chargers have a better receiving corps in my opinion. I think both defenses are pretty good too. The Chargers frustrate their opponents to no end and the Patriots like to hit and cause turnovers. I'm going with the Chargers here because they have more experience. The Patriots are coming, but they have to feel some pain before they feel the glory.

The 3-6 game has the Buffalo Bills heading to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars. The Jags are having a remarkable season. I didn't expect this from them this season. I figured they needed one season under their new coach before they got good. They are good now. The Bills have been up and down all season. The offense comes and goes and the defense is not as reliable as they were in the past. Josh Allen is still very good and they have the NFL's leading rusher, James Cook. This game is very similar to the 2-7 matchup. We have youth and inexperience going up against inconsistency and experience. I'm going with the experience again. I'm taking the Bills. here.

The 4-5 game is pretty solid with the Houston Texans going to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers. Look, the Steelers lucked their way into this game. Mike Tomlin is a great coach, they have an okay defense, but they are relying on an old QB and they have no run game. The Texans have been on a heater and that is going to continue this weekend. I would go as far to say that they are going to smoke the Steelers. Houston is young but experienced. They have the better QB and receiving corps. Their defense is overall better too. I'm going with the Texans.

So that means the Texans would face the Broncos and the Bills will play the Chargers. The Bills are going to beat the Chargers. The game will be in Buffalo, the Chargers don't like the cold and Josh Allen and James Cook can control the game on the ground. The Broncos and Texans could be a high scoring affair, with Stroud and Nix taking turns going up and down the field. I'm going to go with the Texans since they are an experienced team with something to prove.

That means I have the Texans and Bills playing in the AFC title game and I'm going to go with the Bills, The game will be in Houston, but that means that it will be indoors, and the Bills can once again control the clock with their run game. The Bills will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

On to the NFC.

The Seahawks are the one seed, which they earned this past weekend, and they get the bye in the NFC.

The 2-7 game has the Chicago Bears facing the Green Bay Packers for the third time this season. The Bears are proving to be a better team this year. And with the injuries to Jordan Love and Josh Jacobs, who knows who will end up playing for Green Bay this weekend. The Packers have played the Bears well all year, but they weren't able to close them out in their last matchup. Caleb Williams is having a very good season, he has a solid o line and weapons on the outside. And the Bears defense is very opportunistic. The Packers have really stumbled to end the season and they will go out with a whimper in Chicago.

The 3-6 game has the San Francisco 49ers going to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. This will be a good, hard fought low scoring game. The 49ers couldn't move the ball on the Seahawks last week, and they will struggle to do the same here. Brock Purdy is so much better when he doesn't have to win a game. He needs to game manage. Christian McCaffrey is still good, but a step slower. The wideouts are mediocre and George Kittle is too busy complaining about hip drop tackles. The Eagles have been wildly inconsistent and their offense has looked sloppy. Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley are not having the same year as they had last year. AJ Brown is disgruntled and Devonta Smith is getting the targets he has earned. That being said, the Eagles defense is better than the 49ers defense and the game is in Philly. The Eagles will advance to the next round.

The 4-5 game has the Carolina Panthers hosting the LA Rams. How on Earth is Carolina here? They needed someone else to win to get them in this game. Bryce Young was better this year, but he still has a lot of work to do. Rico Dowdle is an effective pass catcher. They are too reliant on a rookie wideout and the defense is blah. The Rams have stumbled to the end of the year, but they are so, so much better than the Panthers. Stafford has won a Super Bowl. Puka Nacua is one of the better wideouts in the league. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are an awesome one two punch out of the backfield. And Sean McVay is the best coach in all of football. This is an easy pick. The Rams advance.

That means I have the Rams playing the Seahawks and the Eagles playing the Bears. I would have easily picked the Rams a few weeks ago to beat the Seahawks, but not anymore. The Seahawks have a relentless defense and they cause turnovers. The offense is capable and solid. Sam Darnold has proved his worth and their run game is very good. The Seahawks defense is so much better than the Rams and that will lead them to a win. The Bears-Eagles game will be fascinating. The Eagles have been so underwhelming, but the Bears are so inexperienced. The game will be in Chicago, but the Eagles don't seem to care about where they play. I'm going to go with the Eagles, but I bet this game will finish with a score of something like 10-7. It will be sluggish and dull.

So that means I have the Seahawks and Eagles in the NFC title game. At the start of the season I picked a Bills-Eagles Super Bowl, but that's not the case anymore. I think the Seahawks will crush the Eagles, especially at home. They are a much better team as of right now and they have a much more invested coaching staff. The Seahawks will make their way to the Super Bowl.

That means my Super Bowl matchup will be the Bills from the AFC playing the Seahawks from the NFC. And I'm still going with the Bills, my preseason pick. If they can get through the AFC relatively unscathed I think they can turn that into a Super Bowl victory. I have the Bills winning it all this year, and in a twist of fate, give me James Cook who I think will have a big game running and catching the ball.

There you have it, my NFL playoff preview and predictions. Enjoy the playoffs everyone. 

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Indiana is a Very Good Football Team

When I turned on the Rose Bowl yesterday I thought I was going to watch a good quality game, hard fought, close and eventually Alabama winning in the fourth quarter. Indiana has had a wonderful season, but I figured it was all going to come crashing down against a reliable SEC team.

And as the game started, it kind of looked like that was going to be the case. Both teams were kind of feeling each other out, defense was ruling the day and both QB's looked a little shell shocked. But then Indiana flipped a switch and absolutely took the game over. And believe me, I understand that they have the Heisman winner at QB in Fernando Mendoza, but he didn't have to do much to win this game for the Hoosiers. That's what stuck out to me the most. This Indiana offense has been wildly efficient and  a high scoring unit all season long, but it doesn't have to come from the pass game every game day. The offensive line is big and mean and nasty. They want to hit you and want to make you feel each and every hit. The running backs, they played two yesterday, are both bruising and can get to the outside. They embrace contact and fight until they cannot fight anymore. Mendoza did a fine job managing the game and making throws when he needed to, and the wideouts made the necessary plays and catches when called upon. But it was the o line that wore out the Alabama front seven, and the running game helped them control the clock and wear their opponent down throughout the game.

Also, this Indiana defense is truly elite. They may be the best unit in all of college football this season. I thought that the university of Ohio State had the best defense after seeing them suffocate Michigan, but Indiana suffocated them, and then made Alabama look pedestrian. And Indiana is doing this with guys on defense that are "no name" guys or guys that were light recruited. What stood out most to me watching this Indiana defense yesterday is that everyone knows their role, plays their part and loves to hit. Indiana's defensive backs were coming up in coverage and popping guys. The d line and linebackers were crushing the Bama running backs. There was a play where Ryan Williams made a catch over the middle in the second quarter and he got absolutely lit up. He held onto the ball and flexed, but after that I don't believe he went over the middle the rest of the game. The Indiana secondary got in his head. They also hit Ty Simpson time and again, and on one play they hit him so hard he fumbled and it was later revealed that his ribs were broken on that very play. Simpson ended up missing most of the second half due to that hit. Indiana does have guys that were All Big 10 players, but none of the guys are household names, and I bet that is exactly how they want it. They didn't have to prove anything to me, but boy did they show me that they are for real and a legit favorite to win the whole thing this season.

The Hoosiers are a complete and full team. They have everything they need to win a title. Mendoza is a manager, but he can also make the big play when called upon. They have multiple backs that do different things incredibly well. They have a nasty defensive and offensive line, filled with dudes that want to hit you in the mouth. They have big wideouts who make damn near every catch, and a few can run away from their defenders. They have linebackers who always seem to be in the right place at the right time and will crush you. And their secondary is elite with guys who can cover and hit you very, very hard. And they have a head coach, whom I despise, that knows how to win, wants to embarrass you and will do everything he can to take your will and spirit.

Indiana is great. I was very wrong about them. This year's squad has a different feel than last year. They seem ready for the moment and ready to prove that they are among the elite teams in college football. They are now the hunted, and we will see how the rematch goes with Oregon next week, but like I said before, Indiana should be the prohibitive favorite with four teams remaining in the college football playoff. And if the continue to play like they did yesterday, they will run away with the championship this season. 

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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The Changes are Coming to the Michigan Football Coaching Staff

I watched the Citrus Bowl yesterday, obviously, and it turned out how I expected. Michigan put up a fight, they even had a lead early into the fourth quarter, but then the ugliness reared its head and they got their butts kicked. It was a fitting end to a pretty mediocre year playing a bunch of young kids.

On Monday I wrote about my cautious optimism pertaining to the Kyle Whittingham hire, and his interview during the third quarter only had me more on board. And now today he is hiring his staff and picking the guys he wants to work with. This staff is going to look very different next season, and I think that is the way it should be so we can all cleanse ourselves from the prior staff and all that came with it. Look, I'm as stoked as anyone that Jim Harbaugh brought a national title back to Michigan and made this football team relevant again, but the stink after he left for the NFL was too much and this football program needed an overhaul. To this point it has been reported that Whittingham has hired a new offensive coordinator, new QB coach, new receivers coach and new tight ends coach. It has also been reported that Tony Alford is staying on as the running backs coach, much to my delight. This means Ron Bellamy is out as receivers coach. That also means that there will most likely be some transfers, but hopefully the new guy can convince some to stay. Bellamy was an excellent recruiter, but maybe not the best coach. He could get some big names in, but they never fully developed. I'm curious to see what Andrew Marsh does, he has all the talent in the world, but other than him, maybe a new wideout coach was needed. There hasn't been any news on Grant Newsome yet, who I feel like is coming into his own as a coach. He could also recruit, but he was getting better at coaching as well. If they keep him, great. If not, he will catch on somewhere very soon and be very successful.  Other than Newsome and Bellamy, I won't miss too many of the coaches walking out the door. In my mind, as far as offensive coaches went, Alford was the one they needed to keep from this current staff and it looks like they have. That is a good thing.

I think the defensive staff is going to look different too. Wink Martindale is most likely out since Michigan has reportedly hired BYU's defensive coordinator to the same role at Michigan. This was a needed move. I like Martindale but he was never a long term solution. He has always had his eyes on the pros. BYU's d coordinator has a solid reputation and he and Whittingham have a solid relationship. I am curious to see if they keep Steve Casula and/or Lamar Morgan. Those guys have done a solid job in two short years and Morgan is an elite recruiter. I know that Zeke Berry had a rough day yesterday, but he is good. Jyaire Hill is very good, Shamari Earls is young and full of potential, Brandyn Hillman is a heavy hitter and they have some up and coming defensive backs that Morgan recruited and is currently coaching. And regardless of how much pressure they do or don't get, the defensive line is solid and can stop the run. Steve Casula has done a fine job coaching them and he is also a solid recruiter. I don't think Whittingham will retain Brian Jean Mary, and while he will be a little missed by me, it shouldn't be too much of a burden to let him go. I don't know what the new defensive coordinator is looking for for his new staff, but if I was told I could only keep one coach on that side of the ball I think I'd go with Morgan. Casula would be a bummer to see go, but Morgan is younger and has more potential in my opinion as a future defensive coordinator and even a head coach.

I expected there to be a ton of changes after the game yesterday and that is exactly what is happening. It may be jarring to see all the former coaches looking for new jobs, but this was always going to be the case the moment they hired Kyle Whittingham. And I trust Whittingham knows what he is doing. He has a ton of experience coaching the college game and he knows how to evaluate upcoming talent in the coaching ranks.

I'm excited/interested to see how this staff fully comes together and how they do in their first season. But, I'm also glad that they're getting rid of all the nonsense that they inherited and I'm ready for this new era of Michigan football. Always and forever, Go Blue. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Kyle Whittingham is Who Michigan Football Needs

Welcome back everyone. I hope you all had a nice holiday and have a happy new year. I had a nice relaxing week off, but I'm back and I have some stuff I want to talk about this week. There was a bunch of stuff I read or heard about last week that I feel I need to tell you all my opinions on. And it wouldn't be me if I didn't start the week talking about Michigan football hiring Kyle Whittingham as their 22nd head coach.

This is a big deal. A few weeks back I wrote about the whole Sherrone Moore fallout and what I wanted Michigan football to do moving forward. I was, and still kind of am, all about starting over. This football program needs a reset. Even the guys involved with the team have said as much. I saw Biff Poggi's press conference early in the week and he pretty much said that they need a full reset verbatim. And he has been with the program since Jim Harbaugh was hired.

Jim Harbaugh had his ups and downs, but he did bring a national title back to Ann Arbor and I will be forever grateful. The four seasons after the COVID shortened 2020 season were an absolute joy to watch and made me as happy as I have been since becoming a fan over 40 years ago. But you could see the issues piling up and it was starting to look worse and worse everyday. Then the Sherrone Moore stuff came to light and it was as bad as it could get. I hope Moore is getting the help he desperately needs, but it was clear that he was not suited for the job. It was far too much for him and it all came crumbling down faster than any of us expected.

When Moore was let go, I was concerned and confused. The timing was bad. The situation was messed up beyond belief. The whole story has become a soap opera that seems to get juicier with each new story that comes out. Like I said before, Michigan needed a massive shift in focus and to bring in a coach that could facilitate such a move. I wanted Kalen DeBoer, but Alabama won their playoff game and that stopped any momentum that Michigan may have had in hiring him. I quickly moved on to Kenny Dillingham. After DeBoer was off the table I figured they should go with a young coach who has an offensive background. It seems they kicked the tires on Dillingham, but never offered and Arizona State gave him an extension, taking him off the board. At this point, even though I wanted a change, I thought they were going to give the job to Biff Poggi, and I talked myself into that hire. I thought he could keep the roster mostly intact, the players seemed to like him, he was the first person who said the program needed a massive overhaul and I like him. But he does not have the best rep as a head coach. I understand that Charlotte is a much different level of college football than Michigan, but those Charlotte teams that Poggi was the head coach for were very bad. They did not put a good product on the field. But I thought maybe he could just be the CEO of the Michigan football program, and hire the proper people to run the team for him. It seemed to be trending towards Poggi, but something must have happened during one of his many interviews that turned the people hiring off. I don't know what he said or did, but he was suddenly not even mentioned as an option. This was when I kind of panicked. At this point I thought they were going to hire Eli Drinkwitz. No disrespect to Drinkwitz, but he would have been an awful option. I then read that Jedd Fisch was considered a "gettable" option, and while he has an offensive background, he didn't feel like a much better option than Drinkwitz, and he is from the Harbaugh coaching tree.

Then Kyle Whittingham's name started to pop up more and more. I have always respected Whittingham. His teams at Utah were pretty much always competitive. He seemed to run a clean program. He seems to only really care about college football. He has always had good defenses, and in the 2020's, the Utah offense has been explosive from time to time. He seems quiet and calm and confident. I remember when Harbaugh was in his first year at Michigan they opened the season at Utah, and the Utes beat them in a close, hard fought battle. I was frustrated, as I always am when Michigan doesn't win a game, but I came away impressed by how Utah equaled Michigan's toughness. They didn't play scared, and that was impressive to see. And he has quietly won a ton of games, had Utah in playoff conversations, went undefeated in 2008 and won, I believe, the Rose Bowl that year. He made Utah a perennial top 25 team and a thorn in every opponent's side. I have also heard people say that Utah was the Pac 12 and Big 12's Michigan equivalent. So, as his name came up more and more, he did tell Utah that he was stepping away to pursue other options, so I started to get on board. He felt like a guy who could come in and change the culture in a short time and get this team back to what made it awesome. He likes to run the ball and play defense, which is great, but he has also shown that he can adapt to playing modern offense in current college football. He has hired younger coordinators who understand that you have to adjust and adapt to stay relevant in modern college football. He has shown a willingness to let his coaches coach and to not be a dictator of his program. At his introductory press conference he said and did all the right things, but it never felt phony or forced. He reminded me of a guy who has been coaching college football for 30 plus years and understands what it takes to win, which is exactly who Kyle Whittingham is. I have also read a bunch of people who have coached or are currently coaching college football, and they all have nothing but glowing compliments for Kyle Whittingham. It seems like he is liked by almost everyone in the college football world. And after that press conference, I'm all in.

Maybe it is just because of all the craziness currently with Michigan football, or me looking at this hire with rose colored glasses, but I'm moving ahead with cautious optimism. Whittingham seems like the right guy to turn this team around. I feel like he can retain some important pieces. I do expect some guys to hit the portal, but if he can keep the right guys, he should do fine in year one. I am on board and happy about this hire. Now I'm ready to see who he hires for his staff, if he keeps anyone and how they come out in the Citrus Bowl on Wednesday. I'm ready for the Kyle Whittingham era at Michigan, and I am happy that this wild coaching search seems to have turned out okay for Michigan. Always and forever, Go Blue. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Thoughts On What is Going On with Michigan Football

I am going to take a day off from my best of 2025 lists because I have to address this whole bizarre situation going on at Michigan right now with Sherrone Moore and the football team.

For those that may not know, Moore was abruptly fired yesterday for cause as the head coach of the football team. I was stunned when I read this news. This was not something I was expecting at 4pm local time while waiting to get my daughter from school. As I was trying to come to grips with what was happening, more and more news was coming out and it just got worse and worse. Moore apparently had an "inappropriate relationship" with a staffer. I don't know anything else other than that. Then it was revealed he was in police custody because, this is what I read, he was confronted by his wife and then he went to the staffer's home, busted down the door and threatened to kill the staffer and himself. I know that a mug shot was floating around the internet, but that wasn't real. What I have read today, Moore will appear in front of a judge tomorrow morning. That should be interesting to say the least.

This is an absolute mess. I was always proud to be a Michigan fan because they have stayed away from stuff like this. This is akin to the whole Bobby Petrino incident while he was the head coach at Arkansas, minus the motorcycle. It also reminds me of what happened at Michigan State with Mel Tucker, except Tucker didn't reportedly threaten anyone. What I'm trying to say is, Michigan has been able to stay away from this type of scandal. The sign stealing stuff was stupid. Gary Moeller drove drunk, not that that's good, but it's not like this. Rich Rodriguez wasn't a good fit and Brady Hoke was in over his head. Jim Harbaugh brought the team a title, then bolted like we all knew he would for the NFL. And he gave Moore his ringing endorsement as the next head coach of the Michigan football team. I was all on board with this. I felt like it would keep what little continuity they had left after Harbaugh raided the staff. Year one wasn't great, but they ended the season with two big time victories. Then Moore and his staff brought in a tremendous recruiting class. Those kids played and had their moments, both good and bad. But I was here for it. I liked that they were getting quality playing time and I felt it would only help. I wrote as much in my best of 2025 sports list. But now that is all gone. And it looks like it is going to be a bit before the Michigan football team is relevant again.

After sitting on this and thinking about it and talking to friends and family, maybe it is time for this staff to be entirely replaced and for the football program to hit the reset button. There's clearly some issues with the current staff. We have this whole situation with Moore, and then add on the recruiting violations and sanctions. This has all come to light with this staff. Sure, I think Wink Martindale has done some solid things but the defense isn't near the elite level they were under Jesse Minter and Mike MacDonald. Chip Lindsay had his moments, but the last game of the season was worrisome. Grant Newsome is solid, but he was a part of the violations. Ron Bellamy can recruit, but the development isn't there. I think it is time to clean the house. I feel like that would be best for Michigan football. They need some type of cleansing to get back to normal. Because what is happening, and has been happening for the past couple of years is not normal. I fully understand that this means that a bunch of kids would transfer out, but that is going to happen anyway. The vultures are already circling Bryce Underwood, and I'm sure they won't be far behind on Andrew Marsh. There's no way Justice Haynes comes back now. The defense is going to have to get a bunch of new players. But that is the way of life in current college football. And then throw on a scandal like this, it is going to be an absolute mess for a bit.

This is bad. I'm not happy with this team that I truly love. I'm grossed out by it in fact. Moore seemed in over his head when he took this job and now I'm certain the pressure was getting to him. He may never coach anywhere again. He is facing prison time. I have to think that coaching is the furthest thing from his mind, as it should be. And that is going to leave an absolute tire fire in his wake. I know that people who dislike Michigan are just licking their chops, as they should. This is a horrible situation that just seems to get weirder by the hour. I don't know what happened to the university that I loved. They have taken a bad path and now they are dealing with their consequences, as they should. This bums me out, but the AD and the university have to do something to try and make this right. I don't know who they are going to try and hire, I have read a ton of names. But I also have to imagine that, whoever they hire, has to know that they have a big time rebuilding job ahead of them. This is awful and messy and hurts my soul as a fan. I'm so upset with what this team has become, and now serious changes have to occur. It's too bad that they are looking for a coach so late in the hiring process, but here we are. I will never understand why people in big time jobs think they can get away with whatever they want, especially in this day and age. The next head coach and staff has to have their heads on straight and focus on football, nothing else.

We will see what happens going forward, but right now. Michigan football is in a world of hurt and they won't be out of it for some time. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Best of 2025 - Sports

We are getting close to the end of the year so that means it is time for my Best Of 2025 lists. This year I'm going to do four lists, sports, music, movies and tv shows. These are what encompasses the majority of my time right now, besides my family, so they will be the focus moving forward. I'm going to start with my personal top five sports moments of the year. Some involve my fandom, one involves my kid and the others were moments I was just happy to bear witness to, even if I had no real rooting interest.

My number 5 moment is Michigan beating Alabama in the 2025 Reliaquest Bowl. Michigan was somehow able to beat the university of Ohio State in their regular season finale to give them a 7-5 record. Had they not won that game they may not have gotten such a decent non playoff bowl game. But they got into a bigger New Years Day game and they were matched up with Alabama, who had barely missed out on the playoff. Alabama was also at almost full strength, playing pretty much every important player they had on their roster. Michigan had a bunch of rotation guys step into starting roles. On paper this should have been a blowout for Alabama. Lucky for me, these games aren't played on paper. From the start Michigan looked more prepared and more game ready. The defense was firing off the ball. They were in Jalen Milroe's face all afternoon. Then it started to rain down. This only helped Michigan. They caused a myriad of turnovers, most of which ended with a Dominic Zvada field goal. They did have one td, a pass from Davis Warren to Fred Moore. But the defense won the day for this team. Even after Davis Warren had to exit the game due to tearing his ACL, Alex Orji, who had announced he was transferring after the game, stepped in and kept the ball moving on the ground. And Jordan Marshall announced himself as a serious force to come in the Big 10. This was a great way to start 2025 as a Michigan football fan. I was pretty happy.

At number 4, speaking of Michigan football, while the regular season ended with a thud, The Wolverines finished the year with 9 wins, but the big takeaway for me, the young kids got a ton of playing time and I got to get a glimpse into what this team might look like for the next three or four years. Uber recruit Bryce Underwood became the third true freshman to start at QB for Michigan. He had his ups and downs, but you can see the talent is there. Jordan Marshall came on strong after Justice Haynes got injured. Andrew Marsh looks like the best wideout prospect they've had since Braylon Edwards. They have an anchor at left tackle in Blake Frazier. Shamari Earls has a depth of talent at safety. Nathaniel Owusu Boateng got some run late in the season and he looks the part of a Big 10 linebacker. Jyaire Hill built on a solid sophomore year. Brandyn Hillman is one of the best hitters in college football. This team is young and has tons to improve upon, but they also have a good upside and I'm interested to see how they progress while they are with the Wolverines. I'm very, very cautiously optimistic about the talent they are bringing to Ann Arbor right now.

At number 3 I have the World Series. Now, I will fully admit I was rooting against the Dodgers the whole series, but damn this was exciting. I feel like baseball may be back. This series had it all. From blowouts to pitchers duels, it was all there. But game 7 was one for the ages. I'm sure Blue Jays fans were devastated at the outcome, they were so close, but damn did they play against this juggernaut incredibly admirably. They should have won. But the Dodgers' talent and luck showed up at the most opportune time. From Miguel Rojas', who hadn't had a hit in forever, game tying home run, to the Blue Jays getting robbed in the bottom of the ninth, to the Dodgers starters making up for the bullpen, they fought hard and earned this title. This wasn't a walkover. They had to fight for every win. And to see Shohei Othani pitching and hitting again, in high pressure situations, he may be the best to ever play baseball professionally. This World Series was incredible and I'm so glad my son convinced me to watch game 7 with him. It was one for the ages.

At number 2 I have the NBA Finals. This was another seven game series with a massive underdog making the heavy favorite work for every single thing they wanted. The Pacers did not go down without a tremendous fight. It is such a bummer what happened to Tyrese Haliburton in the first quarter of game 7. He looked to be on fire and then his body gave out on him. But the Pacers kept fighting, so much so that they had a lead going into halftime. But then the talent of the Thunder showed up and won out. Chet Holmgren became a black hole for anyone trying to drive to the hoop. Jalen Willimas started to hit shot after shot. Shai Gilgeous Alexander proved why he was the rightful MVP. Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso were pests. Lu Dort made big shots and frustrated everyone he guarded. The Thunder are on the cusp of something magical right now and last season's NBA Finals was just the start. This team is here to stay. But the Pacers did give them a run for their money.

And finally, at number 1 I have my son playing his last year of junior football and making the B team in his final year of junior basketball. My son is a big 13 year old. He is almost 6 feet and he weighs about 220 pounds. He plays right tackle on the offensive line for his football team and to see his growth this season was great. His team wasn't that great, they have issues actually acting like a team, but he improved in areas he needed work on. He used to struggle with smaller, faster defensive ends, but he worked hard with his coaches and found ways to block them this year. He played to the whistle. He would get pancake blocks that stunned me from the crowd. He worked with coaches individually in the offseason and you could tell it helped. He has told me he loves football and he is showing that by what he does on a field. Things will be different when he is in high school next year, but I know he has the talent and ability to be very good if he continues his hard work. As for hoops, he has been on my team since 5th grade, which is the C team in our feeder program. But each year he has added something new or really just started to literally throw his weight around on the court. I noticed him doing just that in a tournament last season, and the coach of the B team happened to be at that game. The coach approached me and said he wanted my kid on his team the next year. And luckily for my kid he had a great summer of basketball and a very good tryout. He made the B team and he has been doing some very nice things. He needs to get in basketball shape to continue, but to see him throwing around kids that may have a little more talent than him has been so nice for me. He's got a nice soft touch around the hoop. His passing has gotten way better. He could close out and rebound a little better for my taste, but I see his coaches working with him on that at practice. It is so nice to see his hard work pay off in the ways he has wanted and I'm very proud of him as a coach and a dad. We all want better for our kids, and in the case of my son and the sports he plays, he is better than I could have ever imagined being when I was 13.

That's it, those are my top five sports moments of 2025. Come back tomorrow when I give you my top five albums of the year. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Predicts the College Football Playoff

Before I do my best of 2025 lists I want to do a NCAA College Football Playoff preview and prediction.

I love college football, I hope Michigan wins their bowl game, all that depends on what version of the team shows and the playoff has been fun to watch since they installed it in the game. I do find it hilarious the whole holier than thou stance that Notre Dame is taking since they didn't make the field. This whole idea that they're too good for any other bowl game is wild to me. I like their coach, but this is a bad move by him, the AD and the university. It will solve nothing, they will not be put into the playoff no matter what they do and they're giving up extra practices for younger players. I don't like that they are doing this, but that's where we are and they're going to have to deal with any consequences. With all that being said, let's get to my preview and prediction.

The top four teams that get a bye, in order from 1-4 are Indiana, the university of Ohio State, Georgia and Texas Tech. They have earned the rest and extra practice leading up to their playoff game.

The 5-12 matchup features Oregon and James Madison. Oregon is still explosive, but they have a solid defense now. I like Dante Moore, they have fast wideouts and can run the ball. The defense has kept them in games this year and they have some first round talent on that side of the ball. I truly don't know much about James Madison. I read that they are similar to Oregon, with different levels of talented players on their roster. James Madison may be like Boise State from last year, but without a Heisman finalist like Ashton Jeanty. I'll take Oregon here for a bunch of reasons, but mainly I just think they're better.

The 6-11 game has Tulane traveling to Ole Miss. This game is going to be very close, closer than many others think. The whole Lane Kiffin drama is going to linger around for a bit. I do like that they already have a new head coach and he is focusing on the game. But that whole ordeal was tough. Tulane also has an explosive offense with a very good QB. They beat USC in a high level bowl game a few seasons back too, so they know how to win big games. But, with a much improved defense and a coach in place, I'll go with Ole Miss, but it is going to be very close.

The 7-10 has Texas A&M playing Miami. I know the last time A&M was on the field they looked dead in the water. Texas beat them relatively easily. But A&M has Marcel Reed who is good and they can be explosive. Miami snuck into the playoff, but they have not been the same team they were at the beginning of the year. They are wildly inconsistent and Carson Beck has not been the steady hand they need. But the defense is elite and that is what got A&M last time. These teams are eerily similar, so I'm going to go with Miami due to having a better overall defense.

The 8-9 game should be interesting with Alabama facing Oklahoma. Alabama was the biggest shock to me getting in the playoff. They looked so overmatched in the SEC title game and they haven't looked great in the last month of the year. And Kalen DeBoer seems to choke in big time games. Oklahoma has an awesome and opportunistic defense. But the offense is a true wild card. John Mateer does some great things and then some head scratching things within the same drive. I'm going to go with Oklahoma in this one, but it is truly a toss up. Maybe the Alabama from earlier this season shows up and routs Oklahoma, but I just don't see that happening against a very good defense.

This leaves me with Oklahoma playing Indiana, Miami facing the university of Ohio State, Ole Miss playing Georgia and Oregon going up against Texas Tech.

If this game was a week ago I would have had no issues picking Oklahoma over Indiana. But then I saw Indiana in the Big Ten title game and they have an elite, elite defense. Their offense barely did anything and they still won. It was all about their defense. They are one of the top units in the country and they have shown up for every big game. I see them doing that here and moving on to the semis.

The university of Ohio State should cruise over Miami. Their offense is better, their defense is way, way better and they have the experience needed to win in the playoffs. Mario Cristobal will find a way to mess it up because that is what he does and the university of Ohio State will capitalize on every Miami miscue.

Georgia is going to boatrace Ole Miss. This game won't even be close. They should be able to go up and down the field on Ole Miss and this is going to be a blowout. It wouldn't surprise me if Georgia won by 21 plus points.

The best game in this round is Oregon and Texas Tech. This is a strength on strength matchup. Oregon's elite offense against Tech's superb defense. Oregon has a reputation for dimming in the bright lights, but they won't have the spotlight on them this time. Tech will be the talk of this matchup. And because of that I'm going with Oregon in this one.

That means the semifinals will have three Big Ten teams and one SEC team. It's pretty clear who runs college football at the moment.

I'm going to go with Oregon to get revenge and beat Indiana this time around. They showed earlier in the season that they can score on them, and Oregon is a better team than they were at that time. This will be a low scoring defensive battle and I just think Oregon will be able to win it due to having less of a spotlight on them this time around.

As for the university of Ohio State and Georgia, give me Georgia. Ryan Day will find a way to mess this up and Kirby Smart will use that to his team's advantage. This will also be a low scoring affair, and I think Stetson Bennett's legs will be the difference in another low scoring semifinal game.

So that leaves me with Oregon and Georgia playing for the title. As much as I'd like to see the Big Ten win a third straight title, Georgia should take this matchup. They are better, it will be a reunion of sorts with Dan Lanning and Kirby Smart and I think Georgia is just a little bit better in every facet of the game. So that means Georgia will be the 2026 NCAA Football National Champs.

As for the Heisman, who cares. This is a boring crop of players, and I bet they give it to Fernando Mendoza because of Indiana's excellent regular season.

Bowl games start this Saturday and the playoff will be here before we know it. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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