“‘I’m not saying I don’t trust you…I’m saying I’m not where I’m at because I’ve done stupid shit. I’ve seen stupid shit.”- Scott Payne PALE HORSE
It’s late on a Saturday night. Like fireflies and fireworks kind of late.
The last light of day is diminishing. A dim glow fades into the western desert sky. The fuzzy asleep on her bed in front of the tv stand and long legs in sleep shorts sings “Mrs. Robinson” while online shopping through heavy eye lids.
Bourbon, cool water, and lime in a 2021 Waste Management Open cup to my left. Elijah Craig is speaking smooth this evening.
Four weeks from this moment, Week Zero in College Football will be complete. 5 Weeks from right now, Week 1 Saturday will be nearing completion as UCLA and Washington close out season opening wins over Utah and CO St respectively. Right now, all I can do–or anyone for that matter is speculate and predict to pass the time until the glorious football season returns.
It’s been fun putting together a full Season preview (“Predicting the Unpredictable”), Preseason Rankings, Season Total over/unders, favorite defensive backs, Heisman favorites, and several game previews these past 4 weeks. Some predictions are sure to be right, and some are sure to go the other way, but typing into this machine day in and day out–anything is possible.
The same is true for anyone that wants to have a preseason opinion or make a prediction. It’s all possible at this point and anything can happen.
However, I came across one person’s opinion two days ago and wanted to weigh in on their prediction. Anyone can be right or wrong, including me, and by his own admission at times, Joel Klatt.
Joel Klatt is probably sleeping in his incubator right now, getting his beauty rest preparing for the upcoming season where sleep may come as a premium. Not a chance. He’s running up some mountain in Colorado amongst the Bighorn Sheep staying ‘game ready’.
He’s one of the best at in-game analysis and I’ve listened to his opinions as long as he’s been sharing them publicly. He is generally balanced with his takes and certainly speaks with an expert level knowledge on College Football, so when I catch one of his opinions on a topic that interests me, I listen.
Two days ago, when I came across “Joel Klatt’s 5 Buys/ 5 Sells,” I tuned in as I was curious if we shared any opinions. Turns out, we do. We will also disagree on Two, but I’ll get to it in a bit.
Now, I’m unsure what he meant exactly by “buy” or “sell.” Is it a buying or selling playoff chances? Buying or selling season win totals? A teams Conference title chances?
In any case, Joel Klatt and I agree on (4): Buying Michigan and Washington and Selling Syracuse and BYU. He details his reasons in his YouTube clip, and all of my opinions are in earlier posts, so I won’t tarry here.
I’ll remain neutral on Klatt’s recommendation to ‘Buy’ Clemson, Utah, and North Carolina–And to ‘Sell’ Cal.
This leaves room for two teams that Joel Klatt presented as ‘sells,’ and it’s my position on these two teams, Tennessee and Wisconsin that I’m here to defend.
For the most part, I’m here to hype up two of the many teams that I like going into this 2025/26 campaign.
Let’s head up to Madison where the Wisconsin Badgers are preparing to play the #1 strength of schedule this season.
Sporting a Season Total prediction of just 5.5, it’s difficult for me to ‘sell’ this team. To ‘sell’ would insinuate the Badgers finish the season with less than 6 wins and I personally do not see that happening.
From my vantage point, there are four ‘should be chalk’ wins and four ‘should be chalk’ losses on the Badgers schedule. This leaves room for four (4) 50/50 games where the Badgers would need to win at least two.
‘Should be chalk’ Badger Wins:
- Miami (OH)
- MTSU
- Maryland
- Iowa
‘Should be Chalk Losses’
- @ Alabama
- @ Michigan
- Ohio St
- @ Oregon
Badger 50/50 Games:
- 11/8 Washington
- 11/15 @ Indiana
- 11/22 Ilinois
- 11/29 @ Minnesota
On this relaxed evening, I’m believing this is exactly how the season plays out. Thanks, Mr. Craig, for crossing the Rockies.
Based on my prediction, Wisconsin would finish (8-4) with an upset win @ Michigan and impressively winning their last three with losses coming at the hands of Alabama, Ohio St, Oregon, and Washington.
Team health is impossible to predict, but if all Badger players are healthy, 8 wins is possible. 7 wins likely. 6 Wins at a minimum. Zero chance I would sell this team for this season.
On defense, Ricardo Hallman and Nyzier Fourqurean form one of the top Corner Back duos in the country. Add Free Safety Preston Zachman and Linebacker Christian Alliegro and this is a far better than average defensive group. NFL scouts are watching this secondary closely. My guess is that at least one player from this defensive backfield will be making an impact on an NFL team next season. This defense alone will give this Badger team a fighting chance in most games.
On the offensive side of things, I love the Badger Offensive Line. It’s a little redundant to say that one loves the Wiscy O-line as they provide the NFL with elite talent from this position group perennially. This season is no different. 6’4″ 313lb, 6’6″ 320, 6’5″318, 6’8″ 320, and 6’5″ 310 are the measurements for this seasoned all upper-classman group.
The Tight Ends will also be crucial in this offense as both part of the run-blocking scheme and catching key passes on 3rd downs. Junior Tucker Ashcraft will take the lion’s share of snaps while 6’6″ Junior JT Seagraves could also make an impact.
This is a team that Head Coach Luke Fickell has built to run the ball, hit 3rd down throws, and play sound defense. It’s that simple, it’s just not that easy, and this is a far from an easy upcoming schedule. However, to say that one should ‘sell’ this team is not as well-rounded of a take as Klatt assumes.
Again, if he is selling the Badgers playoff chances or BIG10 title chances, then I’m in agreement. But winning 6-8 games against the toughest strength of schedule with a 5.5-win season projection would not only be considered a success but is worth a ‘buy’ in my opinion.
Big sip from this cup in the cozy drop-down den. “Rear Window” plays on a low volume. It’s dangerous to assume you are right, but sometimes you are. Jefferies knew all along. Excellent, engaging flick. Grace Kelly–elite. Moving on…
The other team worth defending is Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Vols in Knoxville, which incidentally is close to where Scott Payne was when he uttered the beginning quote of this post. PALE HORSE is an easy page-turner. Bootyhole tightening tales of being an undercover lawman in the modern age.
Tennessee enters this season with an 8.5-win season projection against the second easiest strength of schedule in the SEC. Given that he arrived in Knoxville in the Spring, there is a question as to how UCLA/ APP St QB transfer Joey Aguilar will perform in this offense. There is ample talent on both sides of the ball and a savvy head coach that will counterbalance any early season snafus.
By my estimation, there are seven (7) ‘should be chalk’ wins and zero ‘should be chalk’ losses on the schedule for the Vols, with five (5) 50/50 games.
UT Should be Chalk Wins:
- Syracuse
- East Tenn St
- UAB
- @ Miss St
- Arkansas
- New Mex St
- Vanderbilt
50/50 Games:
- Georgia
- @ Alabama
- @ Kentucky
- Oklahoma
- @ Florida
The Vols would need to win only two out of five of the 50/50 games to reach their season win total. However, in “Predicting the Unpredictable,” the Vols finish the regular season with 11 wins and one loss–at Kentucky. Is it possible? Yes. Improbable? Also yes.
11 wins would be a dream season for this bunch, but possible. 9-wins is highly likely. 8 wins would be their floor.
So, is an 8-4 Vols team worth being on Klatt’s ‘sell’ list?
Compared to their 10-2 season in 2024, 8-4 would be taking a step back, yes, but to ‘sell’ this team’s chances before a ball is kicked is imprudent.
Junior CB Jermod McCoy is coming off an ACL surgery this past winter, but he is still one of the best one-on-one coverage corners in the SEC and has a shot at getting on an NFL roster as soon as next season. Who knows? McCoy could be a McNelly Award finalist by season’s end.
This Linebacker group is my favorite in the entire SEC top to bottom. Senior Joshua Josephs leads this group, and he is joined by last season’s leading tackler Junior Arion Carter, and Sophomore superstar and playmaker Boo Carter who also returns punts. Boo Carter has elite instincts and will be explosive in his career.
The offense does carry its own questions into this season, but there is abundant talent for the offensive-minded Heupel to plan, scheme, and gameplan. One thing that isn’t a question, true Freshman RT David Sanders making an early impact on a relatively young and inexperienced Offensive Line.
After turning down thirty-nine other offers out of High School, Sanders, 6’6″ 297, enrolled at Tennessee this past January and “had a productive spring” according to a beat reporter in Knoxville. Young mistakes will come along with his inexperience, but I’m looking for him to be SEC ready by the Georgia game in Week 3. It will not shock me at all if this giant from Charlotte ends up as a SEC Freshman of the year finalist.
This is far from a perfect team, with question marks at every offensive skill position. Not questions of individual talent but questions regarding individual experience. Tennessee’s offense that could potentially have a sophomore or younger at every starting skill position, except Junior Wide Receiver Chris Brazzell and Senior Quarterback Joey Aguilar. Six-foot five-inch Brazzell was 3rd in receptions for the Vols last season and newly arrived Aguilar played three-hours east in Boone.
So, will this young individual talent and newly arrived hungry QB mesh with each other in Heupel’s aggressive scheme?
With (7) home games, only (4) away games, and one (1) neutral site game against Syracuse, this offense can, and I believe will find it’s confidence and rhythm in less hostile environments. Beating Georgia will be a challenge, but at least its inside Neyland and there are more ways than one to score. The defense and Boo Carter may need to lead the Vols to victory in that one.
The long and short is–this is not a team I would ‘sell.’ In fact, far from it. This is a team I would buy stock in NOW. Young, cocky, fearless talent coupled with Josh Heupel is a mix that could blend like this Craig and lime that I just finished, perfect.
Are the Volunteers a perfect team? Not even close, but the schedule is favorable, and the talent is there for this to be a nine to eleven win season.
I’m buying Tennessee and Wiscy.
So, is it me or is it former Buffs QB now turned Fox Sports in game analyst Joel Klatt that is correct? Should one ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ Tennessee and Wisconsin?
Only time will tell, but I’ll say this–neither deserve to be on a “5 Teams I Would Sell” list as was the case with Klatt.
It’s now Sunday Morning and the crickets and katydids are bellowing outside my window. The rooster crows at dawn. Relatively soon.
Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’
Whit W.