Bishop Media Sport Network
Who-Dat
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The New Orleans Saints head into the 2025 season hoping to turn the page after a rough 5-12 finish last year.
The “Who Dats” had their worst record since 2005, and their first time at the bottom of the NFC South since 2008.
With that in the rearview, the franchise is kicking off a new chapter under former Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who takes over as head coach after Dennis Allen was let go midway through last season.
Moore steps into a situation full of question marks. The Saints actually started 2024 hot, going 2-0 while putting up over 40 points in both games, but things quickly unraveled with a seven-game skid.
Quarterback Derek Carr showed some progress in his second year but missed seven games with injuries and decided to retire this offseason.
Rookie Spencer Rattler didn’t do much to steady the ship, and the team turned around and spent a second-round pick on Tyler Shough, a talented but injury-prone QB out of Louisville who will have a shot to start Week 1.
Alvin Kamara is still the focal point on offense, but he’s heading into his ninth season and starting to show signs of wear, even if his efficiency ticked up slightly.
The Saints added rookie Devin Neal and veteran Clyde Edwards-Helaire to the backfield, though neither seems like a long-term answer.
Chris Olave, who missed half the season with concussions, is still the go-to receiver. They added some veteran help with Brandin Cooks and Donovan Peoples-Jones, and tight ends Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau are back to give the passing game some stability.
Taysom Hill, meanwhile, is recovering from a torn ACL and turns 35 this year, so it’s unclear how much more he can give in his trademark utility role.
The offensive line was a big problem last year. With Ryan Ramczyk now retired, first-round pick Kelvin Banks Jr. will have to step into a key role right away. Erik McCoy is back at center and still a bright spot, but the rest of the line is a patchwork with injury concerns and question marks. Former Charger Will Clapp moves to left guard, and Banks is going to be tested from the start
Defensively, things can only improve. The Saints were 30th in total defense, and near the bottom against the run.
Cameron Jordan is clearly past his prime, and while Bryan Bresee (7.5 sacks) and Chase Young (5.5 sacks) had moments, the team still doesn’t have a true difference-maker off the edge. Demario Davis continues to produce, but at 36, he can’t be counted on forever.
At linebacker, Pete Werner continues to be a steady presence and rookie Danny Stutsman brings size, but needs improvement in pass coverage.
The secondary took some serious hits with the exits of Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo. Kool-Aid McKinstry, a promising pick from 2024, and Alontae Taylor are the likely starters at corner, but there’s not much depth behind them.
Safety help comes in the form of veterans Justin Reid and Terrell Burgess, plus rookie Jonas Sanker, who’s smart but not the most athletic.
The Saints have one of the weakest strengths of schedule for 2025, and they have new leadership in place, so maybe there’s a chance for some improvement.
Major questions remain, especially at QB, on the offensive line, and in the pass rush.
Kellen Moore’s first season feels more like a building year than a playoff push. At this point, New Orleans looks closer to competing for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft than challenging for the NFC South crown.
As much as it pains this Saints fan to say it, 5-12 may be the best New Orleans can hope for.
Playoffs!
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With college football bowl season in full swing, and the college football playoffs going on, it’s understandable that current focus is squarely on the collegiate gridiron.
But with just one week left in the 2024-25 NFL regular season, the pro league is offering its share of excitement.
There are still plenty spots and seeding up in the air in both the AFC and NFC playoff races. While some teams have locked in their spots, Week 18 is shaping up to be a high-stakes showdown for division titles, seeding, and those last few playoff berths. Here’s how things look after Week 17 officially ended following Detroit’s win on Monday night.
NFC Playoff Picture: The NFC race is heating up, especially in the North and South divisions.
The Detroit Lions are back on top after a wild 40-34 win over the 49ers. They’ll face the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18, a winner-takes-all battle for the NFC North crown and the conference’s No. 1 seed. Both teams are 14-2, but Detroit has the edge because of their Week 7 victory over Minnesota. In that game, Jahmyr Gibbs went off, racking up 160 total yards and a touchdown.
It’s simple: if the Lions win or tie, they clinch the division and the top seed. If the Vikings win, they take over the North. Either way, this primetime matchup is going to be must-watch football.
Down South, the Buccaneers are clinging to a one-game lead over the Falcons.
Tampa Bay just needs a win or a tie against my hometown New Orleans Saints in Week 18 to lock up the division.
The Falcons, though, have a tougher road. They need to beat the Panthers and hope the Saints upset the Bucs.
Meanwhile, the Eagles are cruising into the playoffs with the No. 2 seed locked up. The Rams, Commanders, and Packers round out the current NFC playoff teams.
AFC Playoff Picture: Over in the AFC, things are a little clearer, but there’s still plenty of drama.
The Chiefs have been dominant all season, clinching the No. 1 seed, so they’ll probably rest their starters in Week 18.
The Bills have locked in the No. 2 spot after crushing the Jets 40-14.
But the AFC North is still up for grabs. The Ravens and Steelers both have a shot at the division title and the No. 3 seed.
The Ravens will face the Browns, while the Steelers take on the Bengals. Both teams are already in the playoffs, but Week 18 will decide who comes out on top.
The Texans secured the AFC South a couple of weeks ago, and the Chargers clinched their spot last week with a win over the Patriots.
That leaves one wild card spot up for grabs, and the Broncos are sitting in the driver’s seat. They’re 9-7 and control their destiny, but the Dolphins and Bengals (both 8-8) are right behind them.
For Miami to sneak in, they need a win and a Broncos loss.
The Bengals need even more help, with both the Broncos and Dolphins needing to lose on top of their own win. On a side note: wouldn’t it be fun to watch former LSU great Joe Burrow, or Joe Shiesty as they call him in the ‘League’, take a 9-8 Bengals team that started the season at 0-3 all the way to a Lombardi Trophy?!
Week 18 Games to Watch: Here’s what’s on tap for the final week of the regular season:
NFC North Showdown: Lions vs. Vikings – The division and top seed are on the line. Winner takes all.
NFC South Fight: Buccaneers vs. Saints and Falcons vs. Panthers – Can Tampa Bay hold off Atlanta’s late push?
AFC North Battle: Ravens vs. Browns and Steelers vs. Bengals – The division title is still anyone’s game.
Wild Card Chase: Broncos, Dolphins, and Bengals – Denver controls the last spot, but Miami and Cincinnati aren’t out of it yet.
With so much on the line, Week 18 is going to be an absolute thriller. Whether it’s division titles or wild-card spots, every game has something riding on it.
Get ready for some fireworks as the regular season comes to an epic close!
The Song For Tennessee?
By: Charlie Moon
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
One graveyard for another.
What, no “Rocky Top” quip to intro the Vols?
From the 1950s – 1990s, Neyland Stadium housed University of Tennessee’s School of Anthropology, the FBI’s leading forensic researcher of bones. They were removed in the 1990s, but the research facility remains.
And…it sat on top of over 1,000 dead bodies! “Who knew?”
In 2002-2004, the Vols won 9 games or more. Then came graveyard #2. From 2004-2020, the Vols haven’t had three consecutive 9-win seasons…until now.
Vols’ HC Josh Heupel (2022-present), has won at least 9 or more, in all 3 seasons.
Even with QBs like Peyton Manning and Tee Martin, Tennessee has prided itself on clock-controlling, run-oriented offenses. That identity has remained, although the game has changed over the last 30 years.
“Rocky Top” was written in 1967 by Gatlinburg’s Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. They told the story of Tennesseans wanting their old lives back, where moonshine stills and rum-runners ruled the day.
“….Good ole Rocky Top” was gonna have to change its tune.
Heupel gassed up the Vols offense. In 2021 and 2022, the Vols’ scoring offense finished #7 and #1 respectively, while finishing top 3 in offensive plays/game all 3 years.
I could say something like… “This year’s team has many new faces…” but that’s just the way it is in the transfer portal era.
QB Nico Lamaleava, excels with his arm and his legs. In his only 2023 start, he threw for 3 TDs and ran for 2 in the Vols’ 35-0 Citrus Bowl rout over historically defensively stout Iowa. Not saying he’s Jalin Daniels status, but picture the style.
The WR core boasts a formidable 3-man core. Last year’s top WR Squirrel White brings back his 2023 803 yards and 67 catches. Add 2023 USC transfer Bru McCoy, injured after only 5 games last year and new Tulane transfer Chris Brazzell. Sophomore Ethan Davis and Notre Dame transfer Holden Staes add depth.
Leading 2023 RB Jalen Wright is in the NFL but returning #2 man Dylan Simpson returns his team-leading 7 TDs.
The offensive line could be one of the SEC’s top 2 or 3. Replacing outgoing Kentucky transfer Gerald Mincey is incoming LSU transfer Lance Heard, who many NFL scouts label “special upside.” The interior could be one of the nation’s best in Cooper Mays and Javontez Spraggins.
For all the offensive talk, it’s the defense that could lead these Vols to a playoff spot. It’s difficult to grade them based off scoring and yardage, because of how fast the offense runs.
Having said that, they finished 2023 #8 in sacks and #4 in TFL. DE James Pearce, Jr returns after a top 15 NFL Draft grade. The tackles are led by Omari Thomas, Bryson Eason and Omarr Norman-Lott.
2022 BYU transfer LB Keenan Pili sat out most of 2023, after a whopping 190 tackles in 2022.
2023 leading tackler Elijah Herring transferred to Memphis. Arion Carter and Kalib Perry will replace 2nd leading tackler and current NFLer Aaron Beasley.
The secondary returns none, but transfer portal to the rescue. Oregon State’s Jermod McCoy and MTSU’s Jakobe Thomas are respective 2023 all-conference players.
The Bottom Line…I really think Tennessee will be one of those fringe teams that will be lobbying their expanded playoff qualifications.
As far as SEC schedules go, they catch several breaks. Two games will probably be losses, @ UGA and Oklahoma.
Believe it or not, Sept. 7 in Charlotte, against NC State is their biggest game. If they win, there’s a path. If not, that path is pummeled. Most believe there will be 3 SEC teams, but I believe there will be a push for four.
“Good ole Rocky Top,” or not….we’ll soon find out whether Vol Nation is singing it full of that happy rum, or buried under Neyland after way too much sipping.
Jason Bishop Show May 16 2024
At The End Of The Rainbow
By: Garrison Ryfun
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Just before Saint Patrick’s Day, Florida State and Georgia Tech announced they would play their 2024 season opener in Ireland as a part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
This will be the 9th college football game played in Ireland, and one of the few times neither school playing in Ireland has had an Irish/catholic connection.
The Aer Lingus College Football Classic started in 2016 with a contest between Georgia Tech and Boston College, where the Yellow Jackets prevailed 17-14.
The Classic then took a five-season break and finally returned in Fall of 2022, with a matchup between Nebraska and Northwestern last season.
Now, The Classic seems serious about bringing a week 0 college football game to Ireland, with games set up to begin the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Notre Dame, a more fitting brand for Ireland, is set to take on Navy to start the 2023 season at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland for The Classic.
There are pros and cons to the more increasingly common, neutral-site season openers – even ones that take place outside of the United States.
The biggest pros are for the student athletes and brand of college football in general.
The student athletes get to go and experience a different country and different culture, something many of which likely have never done in their lives.
The brand of college football also gets to be put onto display for Irish citizens, who have likely never experienced American college football in their lives.
The cons for a college football brand is losing a home game and the revenue that the local businesses around your school usually get with a home game.
In this case, the home team would have been Georgia Tech, and the game would have been played in Atlanta, Georgia.
This is one case where I do not think local businesses will be as hurt with a neutral-site game. Though there is said to be a large alumni base of Florida State graduates in the Atlanta area.
This kind of classic abroad is also done in the National Football League with five games already set to be played out of the United States in the 2023 season: with the Bills, Titans, and Jaguars playing in London and the Chiefs and Patriots both hosting games in Germany.
This is all done in an attempt to grow the brand of American Football abroad.
Something that may wind up failing, but as long as the governments of these countries continue to advocate for it – American football will be there to show off in all its glory.
MCA Buccaneers Coach’s Show w Bradley Warren August 31
Wide Open Choice
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It appears the Jacksonville Jaguars want to give Gardner Minshew every opportunity they can to be that franchise QB they have not had since Mark Brunell.
Yes, it has been that long Jaguar fans since Jacksonville has had a true franchise quarterback.
Dave Caldwell traded Nick Foles to Chicago and it appears the Jags are ready to roll with Minshew for the foreseeable future.
Minshew started 12 games for Jacksonville in 2019 and did a pretty good job. He passed for 3200 yards with 21 TD’s to only 6 interceptions.
Jacksonville went 6-6 with Minshew as the starter. Now with Minshew penciled as the starter it is Jacksonville’s responsibility to get him some weapons at wide receiver to be successful.
Many mock drafts have Jacksonville projected to go defense with their first selection in the first-round pick #9, but they also have pick #20 in the first round so many scenarios could unfold for the Jags.
Jerry Jeudy is regarded as the top wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft. He should still be on the board with the #9 pick if a team like the Raiders doesn’t trade up to select him from the #12 spot.
Jeudy burst on the scene at Alabama in 2018. He caught six touchdown passes in Alabama’s first three games of the 2018 season, including a 136-yard, two-touchdown performance against Ole Miss.
He had 135 yards and 2 touchdowns against Arkansas, and the next week set a career high with 147 yards and a touchdown against Missouri.
He had 139 yards and a touchdown in Alabama’s loss to Clemson in the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Jeudy was named a consensus first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC. He was awarded the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best wide receiver. His 14 receiving touchdowns led the conference and was tied for third nationally, and his 1,315 receiving yards were second in the conference.
Jeudy picked up where he left off in 2019. He was the Crimson Tide’s leading receiver in each of their first two games, finishing with 137 yards and a touchdown in the season opener against Duke, and 103 yards and 3 touchdowns against New Mexico State the following week.
He finished the regular season with 959 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns and was again named first-team All-SEC. He saved his best game for last, with six receptions for 204 yards and a touchdown in the Crimson Tide’s win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl.
In early January Jeudy declared for the NFL Draft.
He finished his Alabama career with 159 receptions for 26 TD’s with a 17.2 yard per catch average. He is listed at 6’1 and 193 lbs. and ran 4.45 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
Jeudy can blow the top off of a defense. Jacksonville had good production with DJ Chark and company in 2019, but the WR room in Jacksonville is one of the least intimidating in the league at the moment. Jeudy could change all of that.
Jacksonville could still address defense at the #20 pick in the first round, and get a great player like Javon Kinlaw maybe to help shore up the defensive line, but if they insist on going defense with the #9 selection they will miss out on the best receiver in the draft.
Come on Jaguars, excite the fan base by selecting Jerry Jeudy with pick #9 if he is still on the board. Give Gardner Minshew the tools he needs to be that franchise QB you have been hoping for since Mark Brunell.
Blaine Gabbert, Byron Leftwich, and Blake Bortles all first round QB selections by Jacksonville would have loved to see a Jerry Jeudy type talent in their receiver room during their stay in the River City.
It will all unfold on April 23rd. With the Covid-19 pandemic gripping our nation this could be the most watched NFL Draft in history.
College Football Free Agency
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NCAA launched the transfer portal two years ago, and suddenly the transfer portal has made a major impact in the 2019 season. It’s paid off handsomely for three of the four teams in the College Football Playoffs.
Justin Fields (Ohio State), Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) and Heisman Trophy winner and National Championship MVP Joe Burrow were all transfer quarterbacks. Many fans criticized these players decisions and made excuses for them leaving.
The most important offer a coach or program can make a player is an immediate chance to play.
Just look at Gardner Minshew after transferring from East Carolina, he was supposed to be a graduate assistant at Alabama before Coach Mike Leach offered him an opportunity to play at Washington State.
Not all transfers were as successful as Fields, Hurt or Burrow: just ask Tate Martell and Brandon Wimbush.
Has college football turned into a high stakes game of musical chairs?
So, who’s the next Joe Burrow or Garder Minshew?
Jamie Newman is a 6 foot 4, 230 pound quarterback who completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,869 yards and 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Newman made his decision to transfer to the University of Georgia. He provides the Bulldogs with a dual threat element after running for 574 yards and 6 touchdowns in 12 games in 2019.
Newman should have a chance to start next season. The Bulldogs currently have Stetson Bennett, D’Wan Mathis and 2020 signee Carson Beck to compete with Newman.
D’Eriq King is a 5 foot 11, 195 pound dual threat quarterback, who completed 52.7 percent of his passes for 663 yards and 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in four games with Houston in 2019.
King made his decision to transfer to the University of Miami as a graduate transfer, he is eligible to play in the 2020 season. King immediately becomes the favorite to start for the Hurricanes in new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee’s offense.
The Hurricanes have a very crowded quarterback room. Last season, starter Jarren Williams was a redshirt sophomore, N’Kosi Perry, a redshirt junior, Tate Martell, redshirt junior (transfer last season from Ohio State), Peyton Matocha is a redshirt freshman and Tyler Van Dyke is a true freshman in the 2020 class.
Feleipe Franks is a 6 foot 6 quarterback, who completed 76.1 percent of his passes for 698 yards and 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in 2 and a half game in 2019.
Franks, who enrolled immediately and is going through spring drills with the Razorbacks.
Franks has had an inconsistent career at the University of Florida. I’m unsure if he will find stability in his new transfer.
Arkansas was one of the worst Power Five teams in all of football last season. Arkansas has a long way to go before they’ll be competitive, but adding Franks is certainly a step in the right direction.
Under new offensive coordinator Kendall Briles, Franks, KJ Jefferson, Jack Lindsey and John Stephen Jones will compete for the starting job.
Here is a list of other transfer quarterbacks to keep your eyes on: Jake Bentley (Utah), Phil Jurkovec (Boston College), Joey Gatewood (Kentucky), Chase Brice, KJ Costello and some others.
The exciting part of the college football offseason the past two seasons has been the movement among quarterbacks in the transfer portal: College Football’s new free agency.
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show w Brandon Derrick November 20
Coach Em Up
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
At the end of every season, regardless of the sport or the level of competition, there is turnover within the coaching ranks.
While a school like UCLA, who fired Steve Alford over three months ago, is still searching for his replacement, SEC schools have been hiring coaches as if they were contestants on “Supermarket Sweep.” In the span of basically two weeks, they filled their four vacant positions.
Alabama: Nate Oats. I don’t follow the inner workings of the Alabama basketball program, so unless there was some sort of internal dysfunction taking place, I was a bit surprised to see them let Avery Johnson go.
Putting my initial reaction aside, I think the Oats hiring has been the best hire, up to this point. The two time MAC Coach of the Year exceeded expectations at Buffalo and has already made an impact in Tuscaloosa, convincing John Petty to take his name out of the transfer portal and stay at Alabama.
His biggest task though is being just as persuasive with All-SEC player, Kira Lewis, whose name is still in the portal. If he can convince Lewis to return, Oats’ inaugural season with the Crimson Tide could be a very successful one.
Texas A&M: Buzz Williams. The former Hokies coach is certainly an upgrade from Billy Kennedy. In his eleven years at Marquette and Virginia Tech, Williams’ teams only twice failed to win 20 games, and only missed out on the NCAA Tournament three times.
It may take a year or two for that success to transfer to the Aggies, but there’s nothing in his past to make you think it won’t ultimately happen.
He doesn’t always have the best demeanor with fans and the media, and while that has absolutely nothing to do with his team’s on the court performances, it should make for some interesting columns in College Station.
Vanderbilt: Jerry Stackhouse. This was an interesting hire just because Stackhouse hasn’t been a name thrown around in the college circles that much, but I have to give Vanderbilt credit for thinking outside the box.
Stackhouse has minimal head coaching experience- he had a short stint in the D-League where he did win Coach of the Year in 2017- and I have no idea how he’ll do on the recruiting trail.
He does have a very good reputation on the NBA level though, and obviously did a good job developing his players in the D-League; hence the COY award.
Personally, I’ve always liked Stackhouse- as much as a Duke fan can like a Carolina player- so I hope he’s able to succeed.
Arkansas: Eric Musselman. Musselman’s a decent coach, but besides Nevada’s Elite 8 run in the tourney last year, I’m not sure there’s anything in his coaching past that makes you think he’s going to be the answer.
I guess when you haven’t made the Sweet Sixteen since 1996 you’re kind of forced to take whomever you can get. I’m not wishing for the guy to fail, but if you were to ask me which of these four will be the first to go, my money would be on Musselman.
The level of play within the SEC has drastically improved over the past few years, so all four coaches have their work cut out for them.
The question now is “Will they make the grade, or will they be forced back on the shelf, waiting for the next coaching cart to swing by and pick them up?”
