Do you have a couple of CFB teams that you feel are trending up and trending down. You have been pretty good with this in the past
KQ- On the down side, I'd be weary of Miss State as they are moving away from the Air Raid and their coach is a first-time coach thrust into this due to the tragic death of Mike Leach. Arnett is a strange cat and I'm not buying what he is selling. I'd also be concerned about the Florida Gators who have a very difficult schedule and could hit a win total as low as 3 if things go really wrong. In the ACC, bet hard on UVA being shitty again. They could start off 1-3 or 0-4 based on their first four games, Tenn in Nashville, JMU, at Maryland and NC State. I'm also still selling on UNC until Grandpa Mack shows they can actually play some D. I'm selling on Nebraska. I love Jeff Sims as a person, but I have a hard time believing he will be upright enough to survive half that season. I hope I am wrong because I'm pulling for him.
Teams I like, NC State with a real QB and a soft schedule, Kentucky has a chance to be better than people think and despite Stoops being a giant A-hole, they have a weak opening slate so if they start 4-0 they have a chance to win 8 games or more if their offense is any good again. Charlotte in the AAC may win 1-2 games. I think people are overestimating the Deion Sanders effect and I think Colorado will finish in the basement of the Pac-10(12/8/4 whatever it is) as well.
UNC is always mentioned in expansion talks as being highly coveted. Why?
KQ- UNC basketball is a national brand and unlike Kansas they are consistently competitive in football and draw well in that sport and are good in most sports. The brand is sort of the Raiders of college sports as you see lots of folks wearing their stuff across the country who have no ties to the school. I went to UGA and there were tons of UGA football fans that were students, but they were UNC hoops fans including one of my roommates and another close friend as well. It was pretty common so they have a lot of eyeballs. UNC is the most valued brand overall in the ACC if you were to assign dollar amounts based on every factor.
What is the first non-revenue sport that J Batt will eliminate in order to shift more resource into the football and men’s bball programs? And when do you think that might happen?
KQ- I don't see anything being cut mainly because of both Title IX and the fact that they are going to likely need to add another women's sport in the near future if Title IX remains a thing. Gun to my head something like Cross Country would be the easiest to get rid of if you wanted to make a cut. Most of those sports are not huge money vacuums though.
After the scrimmage this weekend, I'd imagine starters and depth will be set as we get into Louisville prep to include the QB's correct? And yes, while I know we won't know who the QB is, internally I'd imagine they will.
KQ- Sure they will have a QB, my thought has remained the last few weeks both QBs play against Louisville unless the first one is just playing lights out in which case that is great for GT.
Have you ever had the chance to be on the Bill Shanks Show in middle Ga? I know he has Rod Mackenzie and that other 247 sports guy on every week and also Wally Ballard but I prefer to listen to you over rod any day!!!
KQ- That's Rod's gig, I don't try to take away something from another person just like the Lunch Bunch thing. I know Bill a little bit and I have been on there once or twice. I don't really seek out those radio things because I've found they don't really generate new subscribers or followers or anything in the GT market. I do the ones I've always done and kind of leave it at that.
Everybody’s looking at our Oline. Some say they are still too inexperienced and that they aren’t talented enough to make up for it. Others point to depth we’ve never had and that while young, they got a lot of experience last year and will be good this year.
To your mind, does the needle tilt more in one direction than the other?
KQ- They have back the starting five from the final stretch run of the season that was playing really well with Joe Fusile in there regularly instead of alternating with Pierce Quick. The offense played 834 snaps that counted last year.
Jordan Williams played 777
Corey Robinson played 735
Weston Frankliln played 695
Joe Fusile played 486
Jakiah Leftwich played 347
They lost Pierce who played 510 and Paula Vaipulu who was their worst OL last year who played 355, but added Connor Scaglione who played 1,500+ career snaps at Princeton. The team is in good shape and the guys generally got better as they shifted into the correct positions and combinations last year. I'm pretty bullish on them having a decent OL for the first time since 2016 on the Flats.
How do you think will start at the linebacker position? I know you have good confidence in one starter, but you said the three transfers were indistinguishable from each other.
KQ- First off, don't confuse what I say and what Key says. Key said after the first scrimmage he was looking for the transfer LBs to separate themselves not me. I've said from the jump my expectation was by game five or six it would be Trenilyas Tatum and Paul Moala starting if both are healthy with the two other transfers being rotated into the game. If Tren and Paul are both ready to go they may be ahead of that projection. I've thought that Moala and Tatum fit what made Thacker's defense hum last year, guys who can run and cover ground. Dre White and Braelen Oliver are both really experienced guys and they will need all of them this year. Also when they play certain teams it may make more sense to play Dre or Braelen or go 4-3 more. That is something that works well with Oliver as a SAM LB.
