December 16, 2025
Diego Pavia showed us who he is.
Ah, Diego Pavia. I would be lying if I said I didn’t once think he had a shot at something big. Of course he’s talented (he was a Heisman finalist after all), but a majority of teams in the NFL care about more than just the stats you’re putting up…unless you’re an Ohio team. Personality and behavior are also taken into consideration when the front offices are evaluating your worth. Well after his reaction to Fernando Mendoza being crowned the Heisman last week, it may be safe to say his draft capital is falling. While most runner-ups are understandably disappointed, they still congratulate their opponents and just accept that they didn’t win. Diego? He chose a different route and showed the NFL community his true colors: he’s nothing more than a grumpy, sore loser. When he could have just bit his tongue and kept his emotions in check, he decided to insult the voters. Unfortunately, the classless act could cause him to fall to Shedeur status come draft time….but, then again, look how the fifth round turned out for him.
Kyle Whittingham MADE Utah.
Last week, the University of Utah broke news that Kyle Whittingham is retiring. As a Ute fan, I’m devastated. Kyle essentially built the program with his bare hands. He’s leaving behind a 177-88 record, two Pac-12 titles, and a Sugar Bowl win…and it’s going to be incredibly difficult to replace him. Players like Tyler Huntley and Cam Rising (who could have made it to the NFL if he had stayed healthy) were made by Whittingham. He had a way about him that just resonated with the players and coaching staff alike. He treated them like the human beings they are; listened, cared, lifted. He held them accountable when they screwed up and was damn sure they got the recognition they deserved when they should. In his 21 years, Kyle hasn’t turned his back once. Sure, this past season or two have been a bit rough (that’s to be expected when you have a Wilson as your quarterback), however his legacy is unmatched. The university will miss him dearly, the program will likely suffer a bit in his wake, and this Ute fan will never watch a game the same.
Fernando Mendoza changed the Hoosiers.
On Saturday, Fernando Mendoza was awarded the 2025 Heisman Trophy after providing the Hoosiers with a historical season: undefeated. Indiana hasn’t seen a record close to that since 1945 when they went 9-0-1! Fernando finished off the season with 229.2 passing yards and 26 touchdowns…nothing to turn your nose up at, he’s incredible (hence why he won the Heisman). Considering the Hoosiers haven’t seen a season like this in 80 years, it’s safe to say he changed the program for the better. Now, unfortunately for Indiana, he will likely enter the draft in the spring and leave the team scrambling to replace the unreplaceable. They could target his brother (current backup), Alberto Mendoza, or turn to the transfer portal for someone like Brendan Sorsby, but can anyone really live up to this performance? With the impact Fernando has made this season, it’s probably safe to say the coaching staff even learned a thing or two from him. Hopefully, they’ll take this progress and run in the right direction with it next year.
U of M needs to clean house…again.
The University of Michigan has been the school of scandal these past few years and as a born and raised Wolverine fan, I am NOT here for it. After the whole sign stealing incident, they essentially did some soft housekeeping with Jim Harbaugh heading to the NFL, firedlinebacker coach Chris Partridge (allegedly instructing players how to answer questions about the incident), and terminated much-hated Connor Stallions (the one who started this whole thing in the first place). Us Wolverines saw hope after Sheronne Moore carried the Maize and Blue to victory while subbing for Jim during his suspension, but he, like Michigan often does, let us down. He seemed to struggle on and off all season and after his recent termination, we learned why. His head wasn’t in the right place (insert juvenile joke here). Now, I’m not going to dive into my thoughts on that because they aren’t nice, however something needs to be done. Allegedly the AD Warde Manuel has been aware of the affair and Sheronne’s unhinged behavior and turned a blind eye. Allegedly, there’s still things being uncovered during the investigation and I’m sure not everything is being released to the public yet (ya know, because it’s an open investigation…). But guys, Michigan needs to clean house and do a total deep dive into what we’re working with here. I’m talking Manuel goes in addition to anyone else who knew something and kept their mouths shut. The woman having the affair with him goes. Cut everybody out and start fresh. For crying out loud, maybe require a psych evaluation on staff moving forward. Us Wolverines have had enough of the drama and enough of the scandals. We took home the 2023 Natty, but it hasn’t mattered because it’s been a crap show ever since. Give us some good headlines for once!
Alabama has no business being in the playoffs.
I think I’ve said this before, but Alabama has not been the same since Nick Saban left. Kalen DeBoer comes in and while I truly think he’s doing his best, it isn’t good enough. But, here we are heading into the playoffs and…Alabama…is…the…NINTH seed. What?! Well, with the new format, despite losing the SEC Championship, they made the cut. Yet, they’re the first team with three loses to make the playoffs thanks to the twelve team format and there’s a ton of controversy surrounding this. Sure, they played incredibly well again an elite Georgia team early on, but kind of fell off ever since. So why do they deserve to be in the playoffs when they’re clearly struggling and losing the SEC? Nick Saban made a good point when asked his thoughts: “How does playing in a conference championship game really impact your season? When other people are staying home, how can they get pushed ahead of you for that?” That’s fair, I suppose. I love Saban and respect his input, so I won’t argue. But I will say that Alabama really doesn’t have any business being seeded.
Lucy, Author
Lucy is a graphic designer, author, and the wizard behind the team’s social content and website. Writing without plot twists or murder isn’t exactly her forte, but she’s made an exception for football — mostly so she can talk trash. A Bengals fan with commitment issues, she also shamelessly follows whatever team has the most talented players — or drama. If you’re a rival fan, just know she probably baited you on purpose.
The Goal Line Grind 