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There is no “off” in college football. In today’s game, the off-season sounds more like myth than reality. The time between the last whistle in January to the first kick in late August provides as much drama as a mid-October upset. The myriad of culprits is ever evolving, but this year’s cast included recruiting, the transfer portal, NIL deals, contentious coaches, and conference realignment. Before talking season becomes a distant memory and bold projections become mocking tweets, here is a recap of a few of the biggest off-season storylines and some final predictions for how it all unfolds when the pads crash on the gridiron.

1.       The Saban-Fisher Feud

The Paul Finebaum Show had phones ringing off the hook in May, an unconventional time for the popular SEC Network talk show to garner as much attention as it did. One clip of Coach Nick Saban at a luncheon with business leaders in Birmingham sent football fans into mid-season form with opinions, criticism, and calling for heads to roll. Saban was presenting his concerns on how NIL, specifically collectives, may impact the recruiting landscape. To illustrate his point, Saban referenced the approach taken at Texas A&M, going so far as to allege “A&M bought every player on their team.” As soon as the words left his mouth, the sound bite went surfing the web, ultimately finding its way across the desk of Texas A&M Head Coach Jimbo Fisher. In an attempt to fight fire with fire, Fisher made it personal by attacking the Alabama coach’s character and insinuating skeletons in the closet saying, “We build him up to be the czar of football. Go dig into his past... What he does and how he does it, it’s despicable.”

The dispute came to a head amid claims that Texas A&M senior leadership called upon SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey to punish and suspend Saban. The Commissioner stepped in with a public reprimand to both coaches, and the emotions that boiled over simmered down by the time SEC Media Days rolled around. Despite public intrigue for more fireworks at the Conference’s most public summer function, both coaches walked back their initial words in an attempt to dissuade any sort of bulletin board material lingering into the season.

Alabama linebacker and consensus pre-season All-American Will Anderson noted that it will all be handled on the field. So how does that play out?

Don’t expect a repeat of last year’s Aggieland thriller where a walk-off field goal dethroned No. 1 Alabama and snapped a streak of one-hundred straight wins over unranked opponents. The Crimson Tide will use this game to make a statement on behalf of their coach and roll over the Aggies by a four-touchdown margin.

2.       Arch Goes to Austin

The age-old question: when will Texas finally be back? The return to glory may not be too far away as the No. 1 ranked QB in the class of 2023 committed to the Longhorns. Arch Manning had his pick of the litter with offers from every major college football program at his disposal. The legacy quarterback decided to forgo family ties to Ole Miss and Tennessee, along with ignoring home-state roots to LSU and blaze his own trail at soon-to-be-SEC Texas.

              By the time Arch steps foot on campus, expect Head Coach Steve Sarkisian to be facing one of the hottest seats in college football. The 2022 campaign for the Horns will follow the trend of years past with some exciting wins and inexplicable losses. It is not out of the realm of possibility that UT slips up to a non-conference opponent not named Alabama and starts 1-2, while later breaking the streak in the Red River Rivalry and capturing its first win against Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl since 2018.

3.       Transfer of Power

Perhaps the off-season's biggest winner is the University of Southern California, where the football team finally reflects the same flashy lifestyle of the Hollywood Hills – at least on paper. Lincoln Riley, one of the hottest names in coaching, made the journey west to take the head coach role at USC, leaving behind the same position at Oklahoma. Reports circulated about his new destination buying him a 6 million dollar mansion, meanwhile on the message boards fans speculated about his fear of the SEC. One thing is for sure, the coach landed in a pasture loaded with green.

              Caleb Williams, the former No. 1 QB in the 2021 recruiting class and starting QB at Oklahoma following last season’s comeback win against Texas, followed Riley westward via the transfer portal. Joining Williams is Biletnikoff Award-winning WR Jordan Addison, who transferred from Pitt. Rounding out the transfer trio of offensive firepower is WR Mario Williams, also from Oklahoma. It is evident that Riley is intent on building the same juggernaut-style power that he managed at Oklahoma and will look to bring back relevance to West Coast football.

              The resounding boom atop the Trojans' fight for post-season relevance is the move to the Big 10.  The Big 10 Conference sent shockwaves across the college landscape when they poached UCLA and USC from the PAC-12 this summer for a 2024 start, which matches moves made by the SEC last year. Just as a semblance of order flirted with college sports, everyone was sent back into a spiral when news broke of the realignment. It is yet to be seen what pieces will continue to unfold, if, and when additional universities opt to bring their program to a new conference.

              Despite the looming changes in competition, USC opens the 2022 season at No. 14 in the AP Poll. They will have some ground to cover to catch up to No. 11 Oregon and No. 7 Utah but expect the Trojans to get hot late and find their way to Las Vegas for the PAC-12 Championship Game. A test against Notre Dame at the end of the regular season will likely make or break College Football Playoff hopes for both teams.

4.       Notable NIL

Aside from the millions of dollars tied up in collectives, it appears NIL is serving its purpose for Nebraska WR Decoldest Crawford. The former LSU commit from Shreveport, La., epitomizes brand integration through his partnership with Omaha-based SOS Heating & Cooling. In the commercial, Decoldest tells viewers who to call to keep their air conditioning cool. This local partnership is a welcome respite for fans agonizing over the future of NIL.  

Crawford and his fellow Cornhuskers have some work to do in helping cool down their head coach’s not-so-frosty seat. Scott Frost is entering his fifth season at the helm of the Huskers and has yet to post a winning record for the program. Once lauded as the next Tom Osborne, Lincoln has only been left with disappointment. Nebraska is hoping their luck will change as they open the season in Dublin, Ireland, during Week Zero action. A light first half of the season paves the way for bowl eligibility by the end of October and springs a program in need of positivity to their first Bowl Season since 2016.

Talking season is over. Voices will soon be lost as either faint whispers of pre-season expectations or cheers in stadiums by jubilant fans celebrating victory. Though it was never really “off,” football is finally here again.

HOUSTON – Lone Star Sports & Entertainment today announced that the 2022 Battle of the Piney Woods presented by H-E-B, featuring the Sam Houston Bearkats and Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, will kick off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 1, from NRG Stadium in Houston. For the second consecutive year, a live television broadcast of the game will be provided by Bally Sports Southwest across the network’s four-state footprint, which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Randy McIlvoy and Taylor McHargue will provide the call, with Deepi Sidhu reporting from the sideline. A radio broadcast of the game will be available in the Houston market on SportsRadio 610 KILT-AM. Fans can purchase tickets and find game information at www.lsse.net/battle-of-the-piney-woods, by visiting the Sam Houston Athletics site at www.gobearkats.com or by visiting the SFA Athletics site at www.sfajacks.com.

“H-E-B is excited to build on the Battle of the Piney Woods partnership with Bally Sports Southwest. This year’s slot will continue to grow exposure for this historic matchup,” said H-E-B Houston Director of Marketing Joe Casiano.  “We can’t wait to welcome Bearkat and Lumberjack fans back to NRG Stadium on October 1.”

This year’s game marks the 96th meeting between Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin dating back to 1923, making the matchup the third oldest college football rivalry in the state of Texas. In 2021, the Sam Houston emerged with a 21-20 victory over the Stephen F. Austin, erasing a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. The Bearkats hold a 58-35-2 edge in the all-time series entering the 2022 matchup.

About Lone Star Sports & Entertainment

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment is an event management company founded in 2003 that is closely affiliated with the NFL’s Houston Texans. Since its founding, LSSE has established itself as the leading sports event promoter in Houston. In addition to producing annual college football events such as the TaxAct Texas Bowl and the Battle of the Piney Woods rivalry between Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin, LSSE has emerged as a premier promoter for international soccer matches, including the Copa de Lone Star, Copa America Centenario, the 2010 MLS All-Star Game featuring Manchester United, the 2006 FC Barcelona U.S. tour, the International Champions Cup, the 2003 and 2008 matches between the United States and Mexico, and the 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019 and 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cups.

About H-E-B

H-E-B, with annual sales of more than $34 billion, operates more than 400 stores in Texas and Mexico. Recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience at everyday low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs over 145,000 Partners in Texas and Mexico and serves millions of customers in more than 300 communities. For more information, visit heb.com.

Media Contact

Jackson Riebel – jackson.riebel@houstontexans.com

HOUSTON – English Premier League champions Manchester City and Liga BBVA MX powerhouse Club América have announced the following rosters that will travel to Houston ahead of the 2022 Copa de Lone Star:

MANCHESTER CITY (26 PLAYERS)*

GOALKEEPERS (3): Stefan Ortega, Ederson, Scott Carson

DEFENDERS (9): Kyle Walker, Rúben Dias, Nathan Aké, Oleksandr Zinchenko, João Cancelo, Luke Mbete, Rico Lewis, Finley Burns, Josh Wilson-Esbrand

MIDFIELDERS (9): Kalvin Phillips, Jack Grealish, Rodrigo, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Cole Palmer, James McAtee, Oscar Bobb, Ben Knight

FORWARDS (5): Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Riyad Mahrez, Liam Delap, Kayky

*Roster subject to change

CLUB AMÉRICA (24 PLAYERS)*

GOALKEEPERS (2): Guillermo Ochoa, Óscar Jiménez

DEFENDERS (8): Miguel Layún, Jorge Sánchez, Bruno Valdez, Emilio Lara, Néstor Araujo, Sebastián Cáceres, Luis Fuentes, Mauricio Reyes

MIDFIELDERS (9): Alejandro Zendejas, Jürgen Damm, Pedro Aquino, Jonathan Dos Santos, Álvaro Fidalgo, Richard Sánchez, Karel Campos, Íker Moreno, Sebastián Martínez

FORWARDS (5): Jonathan Rodríguez, Diego Valdés, Román Martínez, Federico Viñas, Henry Martín

*Roster subject to change

The 2022 Copa de Lone Star will kick off in primetime at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday, July 20. Played at NRG Stadium in Houston, the game will be televised live within the United States on ESPN2 (English) and TUDN (Spanish). The fixtures will also be available globally for fans via Manchester City’s content subscription channel, City+ (excluding USA and Mexico). Fans can visit www.mancity.com and www.clubamerica.com.mx for more information on global broadcast outlets and find match and ticket information at www.lsse.net/copadelonestar.

About Lone Star Sports & Entertainment

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment is an event management company founded in 2003 that is closely affiliated with the NFL’s Houston Texans. Since its founding, LSSE has established itself as the leading sports event promoter in Houston. In addition to producing annual college football events such as the TaxAct Texas Bowl, LSSE has emerged as a premier promoter for international soccer matches, including the Copa de Lone Star, Copa America Centenario, the 2010 MLS All-Star Game featuring Manchester United, the 2006 FC Barcelona U.S. tour, the International Champions Cup, the 2003 and 2008 matches between the United States and Mexico, and the 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019 and 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cups.

About Manchester City Football Club

Manchester City FC is an English Premier League club initially founded in 1880 as St Mark’s West Gorton. It officially became Manchester City FC in 1894 and has since then gone onto win the European Cup Winners’ Cup, eight League Championship titles, including six Premier League titles (2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), and six FA Cups. Manchester City FC is one of 12 clubs comprising the City Football Group and counts New York City FC and Melbourne City FC among its sister clubs.

Under manager Pep Guardiola, one of the most highly decorated managers in world football, the Club plays its domestic and UEFA Champions League home fixtures at the Etihad Stadium, a spectacular 55,000 seat arena that City have called home since 2003. Today, the Stadium sits on the wider Etihad Campus, which also encompasses the City Football Academy, a state-of-the-art performance training and youth development facility located in the heart of East Manchester. Featuring a 7,000 capacity Academy Stadium, the City Football Academy is also where Manchester City Women’s Football Club and the Elite Development Squad train on a daily basis and play their competitive home games.

For more information, please visit www.mancity.com.

About Club América

Founded on October 12, 1916, Club América is the largest and winningest soccer team in both Mexico and North America. The Eagles have secured 13 Liga MX titles, six Copa MX titles and one Liga MX Femenil. At the international level, Club América has won two Inter-American Cups and a record seven Concacaf Champions Cup/Champions League tiles. Playing its home games at the historic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Club América is also heavily involved in various social responsibility initiatives and activities.

For more information, please visit www.clubamerica.com.mx.

HOUSTON – The 2022 Copa de Lone Star, a showcase international soccer event featuring reigning English Premier League champions Manchester City and Liga BBVA MX powerhouse Club América, will kick off in primetime at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday, July 20. Played at NRG Stadium in Houston, the game will be televised live within the United States on ESPN2 (English) and TUDN (Spanish). The fixtures will also be available globally for fans via Manchester City's content subscription channel, City+ (excluding USA and Mexico). Fans can visit www.mancity.com and www.clubamerica.com.mx for more information on global broadcast outlets and find match and ticket information at www.lsse.net/copadelonestar.

About Lone Star Sports & Entertainment

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment is an event management company founded in 2003 that is closely affiliated with the NFL’s Houston Texans. Since its founding, LSSE has established itself as the leading sports event promoter in Houston. In addition to producing annual college football events such as the TaxAct Texas Bowl, LSSE has emerged as a premier promoter for international soccer matches, including the Copa de Lone Star, Copa America Centenario, the 2010 MLS All-Star Game featuring Manchester United, the 2006 FC Barcelona U.S. tour, the International Champions Cup, the 2003 and 2008 matches between the United States and Mexico, and the 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019 and 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cups.

About Manchester City Football Club

Manchester City FC is an English Premier League club initially founded in 1880 as St Mark’s West Gorton. It officially became Manchester City FC in 1894 and has since then gone onto win the European Cup Winners’ Cup, eight League Championship titles, including six Premier League titles (2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), and six FA Cups. Manchester City FC is one of 12 clubs comprising the City Football Group and counts New York City FC and Melbourne City FC among its sister clubs.

Under manager Pep Guardiola, one of the most highly decorated managers in world football, the Club plays its domestic and UEFA Champions League home fixtures at the Etihad Stadium, a spectacular 55,000 seat arena that City have called home since 2003. Today, the Stadium sits on the wider Etihad Campus, which also encompasses the City Football Academy, a state-of-the-art performance training and youth development facility located in the heart of East Manchester. Featuring a 7,000 capacity Academy Stadium, the City Football Academy is also where Manchester City Women’s Football Club and the Elite Development Squad train on a daily basis and play their competitive home games.

For more information, please visit www.mancity.com.

About Club América

Founded on October 12, 1916, Club América is the largest and winningest soccer team in both Mexico and North America. The Eagles have secured 13 Liga MX titles, six Copa MX titles and one Liga MX Femenil. At the international level, Club América has won two Inter-American Cups and a record seven Concacaf Champions Cup/Champions League tiles. Playing its home games at the historic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Club América is also heavily involved in various social responsibility initiatives and activities.

For more information, please visit www.clubamerica.com.mx

It’s June and while we wait for football to return, all we can do is look at projections and predictions. Today, we’ll look at some of the VERY early TaxAct Texas Bowl projections to see who the experts think will take the field at NRG Stadium on December 28.

Last year’s matchup featured lots of purple with the K-State Wildcats facing off against the LSU Tigers. K-State took home the hardware after a 42-20 victory over LSU that featured four Deuce Vaugh touchdowns. With the 2022 TaxAct Texas Bowl in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look at some predictions for the 2022 game.

 CollegeFootballNews.com

Bowl Projection: Baylor vs Auburn

The first projection features a matchup between two teams that haven’t faced off on the gridiron since 1976. Previous matchups have resulted in two Baylor wins, one Auburn win, and one draw. The Baylor Bears are 1-1 in their two TaxAct Texas Bowl games while the Auburn Tigers don’t have an appearance yet. With this being only their fifth matchup ever and their first in almost 50 years it makes for an interesting Bowl game.

247sports.com

Bowl Projection: Texas vs. Kentucky

This is another matchup that hasn’t happened in quite some time. These two teams last met on the field back in 1951 with the win going to the Longhorns by a score of 7-6. Now that Texas joining the SEC in the next couple of years this would be one of the last chances for these two to meet before becoming conference mates. Texas has one TaxAct Texas Bowl appearance while Kentucky is a fresh face for this Bowl game. With one team looking to bounce back after a down year and another looking to continue their success from the previous season this looks like a pretty good matchup overall.

Actionnetwork.com

Bowl Projection: Texas vs. Tennessee

Once again, we have Texas and a new face to the Bowl game. With these two teams in the game, it becomes a battle of orange schools whose names start with a ‘T’. It’d be the perfect follow-up to the purple vs purple matchup of the K-State vs LSU Bowl game. These two haven’t faced each other since 1969 and the current score is two Texas wins to one Tennessee win. It’s been a long wait but if this is the matchup then Tennessee finally has a chance to tie the series up.

            Join the waitlist to stay informed on all things TaxAct Texas Bowl.