Bill Connelly
@espnbillc.bsky.social
ESPN writer, professional nerd. SP+. Author of three books (Study Hall, 50 Best* and Forward Progress). College football, soccer, tennis. Puma addiction.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BKvo23DyGppxvRifqFgwkUoflPLQX5wabjUDIV4qUZA/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BKvo23DyGppxvRifqFgwkUoflPLQX5wabjUDIV4qUZA/edit?usp=sharing
Pinned
Bill Connelly
@espnbillc.bsky.social
· Sep 2
Forward Progress: The Definitive Guide to the Future of College Football
Amazon.com: Forward Progress: The Definitive Guide to the Future of College Football: 9781637278703: Connelly, Bill: Books
www.amazon.com
Hello, friends. It's FORWARD PROGRESS DAY.
"A cinematic celebration of college football’s exploding influence and a rigorous look at how and why the sport may look totally new once again," according to whoever wrote the summary blurb on Amazon.
www.amazon.com/Forward-Prog...
"A cinematic celebration of college football’s exploding influence and a rigorous look at how and why the sport may look totally new once again," according to whoever wrote the summary blurb on Amazon.
www.amazon.com/Forward-Prog...
With all that happened today, there's no WAY the committee could screw North Texas and James Madison again THIS wee--[committee screws North Texas and James Madison again this week]
November 30, 2025 at 4:40 AM
With all that happened today, there's no WAY the committee could screw North Texas and James Madison again THIS wee--[committee screws North Texas and James Madison again this week]
Amid everything else, Notre Dame just ran what might have been the most perfect fake punt of all time.
November 30, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Amid everything else, Notre Dame just ran what might have been the most perfect fake punt of all time.
I've been trying not to acknowledge this for fear of jinxing it, but Good Cal showed up, and we're getting SO CLOSE to the ACC's ultimate destiny: an 8-5 champ.
Cal now up 24-7 on SMU in Berkeley. Duke a quarter and a half from the ACC title game against UVA.
November 30, 2025 at 3:11 AM
I've been trying not to acknowledge this for fear of jinxing it, but Good Cal showed up, and we're getting SO CLOSE to the ACC's ultimate destiny: an 8-5 champ.
There are gonna be like 2 power conference games on my 20 Favorite Games list in tomorrow's column, lol.
(Mind you, the list will still absolutely rule. But still.)
(Mind you, the list will still absolutely rule. But still.)
November 30, 2025 at 1:57 AM
There are gonna be like 2 power conference games on my 20 Favorite Games list in tomorrow's column, lol.
(Mind you, the list will still absolutely rule. But still.)
(Mind you, the list will still absolutely rule. But still.)
Reposted by Bill Connelly
top notch mascottin'
November 29, 2025 at 8:06 PM
top notch mascottin'
Reposted by Bill Connelly
North Central has three D3 National Titles since 2019 and only lost three games in that span and they are currently playing in the second round in a got dang blizzard.
November 29, 2025 at 6:22 PM
North Central has three D3 National Titles since 2019 and only lost three games in that span and they are currently playing in the second round in a got dang blizzard.
Texas lost to Florida and looked like a playoff team about 3-4 times this season. I'm not here for this.
Texas talking really chesty for a team that lost to florida.
November 29, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Texas lost to Florida and looked like a playoff team about 3-4 times this season. I'm not here for this.
So if Utah State beats Boise State, My Guy Jason Eck's Lobos are in the MWC Championship.
If Boise State wins, they probably have to go to the computer tiebreakers, in which case SP+'s hatred of NM would knock My Guy Jason Eck's Lobos out of the running.
Go damn Aggies. Save me.
If Boise State wins, they probably have to go to the computer tiebreakers, in which case SP+'s hatred of NM would knock My Guy Jason Eck's Lobos out of the running.
Go damn Aggies. Save me.
November 29, 2025 at 12:21 AM
So if Utah State beats Boise State, My Guy Jason Eck's Lobos are in the MWC Championship.
If Boise State wins, they probably have to go to the computer tiebreakers, in which case SP+'s hatred of NM would knock My Guy Jason Eck's Lobos out of the running.
Go damn Aggies. Save me.
If Boise State wins, they probably have to go to the computer tiebreakers, in which case SP+'s hatred of NM would knock My Guy Jason Eck's Lobos out of the running.
Go damn Aggies. Save me.
Hell yeah, Lobos
November 29, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Hell yeah, Lobos
Drew Mestemaker is currently 13-for-16 for 234 yards and two touchdowns, and that's a clear step backwards from last week's stats. His RB has 122 yards at half, too. I love this North Texas offense so much.
November 28, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Drew Mestemaker is currently 13-for-16 for 234 yards and two touchdowns, and that's a clear step backwards from last week's stats. His RB has 122 yards at half, too. I love this North Texas offense so much.
Reposted by Bill Connelly
you know it's funny so much talk about THE TRANSFER PORTAL and how kids aren't loyal anymore and it makes it hard to be a fan of the sport
and then we get to the end of the year and one coach holds 3 schools hostage while deciding whether he wants to coach his team on a national championship run
and then we get to the end of the year and one coach holds 3 schools hostage while deciding whether he wants to coach his team on a national championship run
November 28, 2025 at 6:50 PM
you know it's funny so much talk about THE TRANSFER PORTAL and how kids aren't loyal anymore and it makes it hard to be a fan of the sport
and then we get to the end of the year and one coach holds 3 schools hostage while deciding whether he wants to coach his team on a national championship run
and then we get to the end of the year and one coach holds 3 schools hostage while deciding whether he wants to coach his team on a national championship run
Saw this, said "Ooooh" and immediately hopped on the website. I can't believe how quickly I've been bean-pilled.
This Christmas, don't forget the Christmas Limas.
This is the bean that forever changes those who dismiss lima beans. Try it with a gorgonzola sauce this holiday season.
This is the bean that forever changes those who dismiss lima beans. Try it with a gorgonzola sauce this holiday season.
November 28, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Saw this, said "Ooooh" and immediately hopped on the website. I can't believe how quickly I've been bean-pilled.
Reposted by Bill Connelly
We’ve created a “needle” to track the number of bowl eligible teams as we enter week 14!
scoreboard.redditcfb.com/needle/
scoreboard.redditcfb.com/needle/
November 28, 2025 at 4:44 PM
We’ve created a “needle” to track the number of bowl eligible teams as we enter week 14!
scoreboard.redditcfb.com/needle/
scoreboard.redditcfb.com/needle/
Reposted by Bill Connelly
Happy Thanksgiving! I baked you a giant Rivalry Week preview! Goes great with booze! Ingredients: Unbeaten spoilers, Pavia's Big Moment, UW vs. elite Ds, Lane (siiiiiiiiigh), ACC plot twists, bad weather, the superfecta, the playlist, and SMALL-SCHOOL PLAYOFFS, BABY.
www.espn.com/college-foot...
www.espn.com/college-foot...
37 games with postseason implications to fill your Rivalry Week menu
As if the intensity of rival games weren't enough, there are high stakes everywhere you look this weekend.
www.espn.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Happy Thanksgiving! I baked you a giant Rivalry Week preview! Goes great with booze! Ingredients: Unbeaten spoilers, Pavia's Big Moment, UW vs. elite Ds, Lane (siiiiiiiiigh), ACC plot twists, bad weather, the superfecta, the playlist, and SMALL-SCHOOL PLAYOFFS, BABY.
www.espn.com/college-foot...
www.espn.com/college-foot...
Money isn’t real, and those early firings are getting guys *paaaaaaaaaiiiid*.
November 27, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Money isn’t real, and those early firings are getting guys *paaaaaaaaaiiiid*.
Happy Thanksgiving! I baked you a giant Rivalry Week preview! Goes great with booze! Ingredients: Unbeaten spoilers, Pavia's Big Moment, UW vs. elite Ds, Lane (siiiiiiiiigh), ACC plot twists, bad weather, the superfecta, the playlist, and SMALL-SCHOOL PLAYOFFS, BABY.
www.espn.com/college-foot...
www.espn.com/college-foot...
37 games with postseason implications to fill your Rivalry Week menu
As if the intensity of rival games weren't enough, there are high stakes everywhere you look this weekend.
www.espn.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Happy Thanksgiving! I baked you a giant Rivalry Week preview! Goes great with booze! Ingredients: Unbeaten spoilers, Pavia's Big Moment, UW vs. elite Ds, Lane (siiiiiiiiigh), ACC plot twists, bad weather, the superfecta, the playlist, and SMALL-SCHOOL PLAYOFFS, BABY.
www.espn.com/college-foot...
www.espn.com/college-foot...
Reposted by Bill Connelly
🚨 NEW POD 🚨
@espnbillc.bsky.social joins The Independent to talk his new book, Notre Dame-Miami and much more!
SUBSCRIBE ⬇️
🍎 Apple: apple.co/3qCY5Yu
🎧 Spotify: spoti.fi/45BMhEU
📺 YouTube: bit.ly/3Rruw7e
@espnbillc.bsky.social joins The Independent to talk his new book, Notre Dame-Miami and much more!
SUBSCRIBE ⬇️
🍎 Apple: apple.co/3qCY5Yu
🎧 Spotify: spoti.fi/45BMhEU
📺 YouTube: bit.ly/3Rruw7e
November 26, 2025 at 2:51 PM
🚨 NEW POD 🚨
@espnbillc.bsky.social joins The Independent to talk his new book, Notre Dame-Miami and much more!
SUBSCRIBE ⬇️
🍎 Apple: apple.co/3qCY5Yu
🎧 Spotify: spoti.fi/45BMhEU
📺 YouTube: bit.ly/3Rruw7e
@espnbillc.bsky.social joins The Independent to talk his new book, Notre Dame-Miami and much more!
SUBSCRIBE ⬇️
🍎 Apple: apple.co/3qCY5Yu
🎧 Spotify: spoti.fi/45BMhEU
📺 YouTube: bit.ly/3Rruw7e
Reposted by Bill Connelly
Three new “Phantom Island” episodes are live for your holiday drive: Table-setting the Kiffin saga, “Numbers & Words” with @espnbillc.bsky.social, and an exploration what it would actually take to put a NFL franchise in London permanently. Get ‘em all at: www.phantomisland.show
November 26, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Three new “Phantom Island” episodes are live for your holiday drive: Table-setting the Kiffin saga, “Numbers & Words” with @espnbillc.bsky.social, and an exploration what it would actually take to put a NFL franchise in London permanently. Get ‘em all at: www.phantomisland.show
Reposted by Bill Connelly
In an era when you can pay for players, “guy who gets ridiculously good results out of underrecruited quarterbacks” is gonna help you win games even if you can’t win bidding wars. And Morris has done that multiple times (Mahomes, Cam Ward, Mestemaker etc)
November 25, 2025 at 9:36 PM
In an era when you can pay for players, “guy who gets ridiculously good results out of underrecruited quarterbacks” is gonna help you win games even if you can’t win bidding wars. And Morris has done that multiple times (Mahomes, Cam Ward, Mestemaker etc)
Reposted by Bill Connelly
🚨 Programming note 🚨
@petesampson.bsky.social and I will be live TODAY at noon ET/11 a.m. CT for The Independent.
Special guest: @espnbillc.bsky.social
Bring your questions, comments, Thanksgiving favs, etc. ⬇️⬇️
www.youtube.com/@Independent...
@petesampson.bsky.social and I will be live TODAY at noon ET/11 a.m. CT for The Independent.
Special guest: @espnbillc.bsky.social
Bring your questions, comments, Thanksgiving favs, etc. ⬇️⬇️
www.youtube.com/@Independent...
The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast
The Independent is the essential listen for fans of Fighting Irish football. Pete Sampson of the Athletic and Matt Fortuna of The Inside Zone are back to take you inside the Notre Dame program. With a...
www.youtube.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:58 PM
🚨 Programming note 🚨
@petesampson.bsky.social and I will be live TODAY at noon ET/11 a.m. CT for The Independent.
Special guest: @espnbillc.bsky.social
Bring your questions, comments, Thanksgiving favs, etc. ⬇️⬇️
www.youtube.com/@Independent...
@petesampson.bsky.social and I will be live TODAY at noon ET/11 a.m. CT for The Independent.
Special guest: @espnbillc.bsky.social
Bring your questions, comments, Thanksgiving favs, etc. ⬇️⬇️
www.youtube.com/@Independent...
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SP+ TOP 766, WEEK 14
UMass -0.5 Friends (NAIA) 😳😬
Lehigh -2.5 Purdue
Harding: 9th in the MAC
North Central: 8th in the MVFC
Michigan -120.5 Madonna (Mich.)
Full list: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
UMass -0.5 Friends (NAIA) 😳😬
Lehigh -2.5 Purdue
Harding: 9th in the MAC
North Central: 8th in the MVFC
Michigan -120.5 Madonna (Mich.)
Full list: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
November 25, 2025 at 2:30 PM
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SP+ TOP 766, WEEK 14
UMass -0.5 Friends (NAIA) 😳😬
Lehigh -2.5 Purdue
Harding: 9th in the MAC
North Central: 8th in the MVFC
Michigan -120.5 Madonna (Mich.)
Full list: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
UMass -0.5 Friends (NAIA) 😳😬
Lehigh -2.5 Purdue
Harding: 9th in the MAC
North Central: 8th in the MVFC
Michigan -120.5 Madonna (Mich.)
Full list: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
No moment of home ownership greater than starting the fireplace for the first time all year and then learning just how many stinkbugs were living up in there. The smell will go away in, I'm guessing, 3 to 6 months. Maybe sooner if we just leave the windows open at all times.
November 24, 2025 at 11:04 PM
No moment of home ownership greater than starting the fireplace for the first time all year and then learning just how many stinkbugs were living up in there. The smell will go away in, I'm guessing, 3 to 6 months. Maybe sooner if we just leave the windows open at all times.
Reposted by Bill Connelly
* A committee nightmare on the horizon
* Whole bunch of intricate tiebreakers forthcoming
* Whole bunch of 5-6 teams looking for one more win
* SP+ movers! Pavia for Heisman (it's not too late)! HOLY CRAP, BENEDICT
WEEK 13 RECAP (AND WEEK 14 LOOKAHEAD): www.espn.com/college-foot...
* Whole bunch of intricate tiebreakers forthcoming
* Whole bunch of 5-6 teams looking for one more win
* SP+ movers! Pavia for Heisman (it's not too late)! HOLY CRAP, BENEDICT
WEEK 13 RECAP (AND WEEK 14 LOOKAHEAD): www.espn.com/college-foot...
Where the most chaos could be lurking on Rivalry Week
With so many postseason questions, college football's best weekend promises to be better than ever.
www.espn.com
November 23, 2025 at 11:29 PM
* A committee nightmare on the horizon
* Whole bunch of intricate tiebreakers forthcoming
* Whole bunch of 5-6 teams looking for one more win
* SP+ movers! Pavia for Heisman (it's not too late)! HOLY CRAP, BENEDICT
WEEK 13 RECAP (AND WEEK 14 LOOKAHEAD): www.espn.com/college-foot...
* Whole bunch of intricate tiebreakers forthcoming
* Whole bunch of 5-6 teams looking for one more win
* SP+ movers! Pavia for Heisman (it's not too late)! HOLY CRAP, BENEDICT
WEEK 13 RECAP (AND WEEK 14 LOOKAHEAD): www.espn.com/college-foot...
WEEK 14 SP+ PICKS
Rebs 37, #Clanga 22
UGA 36, GT 23
Indiana 43, Purdue 9
A&M 30, Texas 25
Miami 30, Pitt 24
Ohio St 31, Mich 17
OU 27, LSU 16
Oregon 29, UW 23
Vols 32, Vandy 31
FSU 28, Florida 21
Bama 27, Auburn 21
Irish 42, Stanford 10
Some strange lines in here.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Rebs 37, #Clanga 22
UGA 36, GT 23
Indiana 43, Purdue 9
A&M 30, Texas 25
Miami 30, Pitt 24
Ohio St 31, Mich 17
OU 27, LSU 16
Oregon 29, UW 23
Vols 32, Vandy 31
FSU 28, Florida 21
Bama 27, Auburn 21
Irish 42, Stanford 10
Some strange lines in here.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
November 24, 2025 at 12:30 AM
WEEK 14 SP+ PICKS
Rebs 37, #Clanga 22
UGA 36, GT 23
Indiana 43, Purdue 9
A&M 30, Texas 25
Miami 30, Pitt 24
Ohio St 31, Mich 17
OU 27, LSU 16
Oregon 29, UW 23
Vols 32, Vandy 31
FSU 28, Florida 21
Bama 27, Auburn 21
Irish 42, Stanford 10
Some strange lines in here.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Rebs 37, #Clanga 22
UGA 36, GT 23
Indiana 43, Purdue 9
A&M 30, Texas 25
Miami 30, Pitt 24
Ohio St 31, Mich 17
OU 27, LSU 16
Oregon 29, UW 23
Vols 32, Vandy 31
FSU 28, Florida 21
Bama 27, Auburn 21
Irish 42, Stanford 10
Some strange lines in here.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...