CFB Newsletter: My Soccer Team is Tennessee

This week at Split Zone Duo: crossover football talk.

Imagn Images. Illustration by Hector Diaz.

Welcome to the College Football Newsletter, where World Cup fever has hit the Split Zone Duo offices.

We’re talking about the World Cup this week, not just here but also in this week’s free episode. Indulge me while I try to work out this college football comparison. Mexico’s national team always feels like it’s good enough to make a splash early in the tournament, but ultimately fails to measure up against the elite teams. They’re in the conversation for just enough time to be molded into the zeitgeist, not unlike a decent team in the SEC. In World Cups since 2010, the Mexican men’s team has finished 14th, 10th, 12th, and 22nd. That doesn’t stop fans of El Tri from declaring that this is the year they finally get it together. I will say, Mexico is looking great so far in 2026 with a clean sheet in the group stage, mixed in with some strokes of defensive luck that add even more hope.

So my theory is this: Mexico is the Tennessee Vols of the national soccer stage. Both fanbases may feel uneasy about the comparison, which makes me think I’ve hit the sweet spot. Since 2010, the Vols have had above-average seasons in the 9-4 range. They even have a similar rough patch amid those seasons, their own little Jeremy Pruitt/Butch Jones era. And like El Tri, they’ve made their way into the big tournament only to lose as soon as they get there.

You might be thinking to yourself: “Tennessee has Smokey, a live mascot draped in Vols colors. Mexico doesn’t have anything like that.” You would have been correct a few weeks ago. But since then, fans of El Tri have adopted Merlin, a duck in a green soccer jersey that walks the streets of Mexico City. I was at a Mexico watch party where fans celebrated by waving a plush Merlin among a sea of tossed beer and waving flags. The hype is real.

Will the results be as real when Mexico hits the knockout stage? Until one of these two teams exceeds expectations and proves us wrong, the comparison will still stand. (Please prove me wrong, El Tri.) Speaking of other comparisons between soccer and college football …

Here’s what Alex and Richard dropped into your podcast feeds this week

• World Cup! Mike Goodman from The Double Pivot hops on to talk about FIFA’s reputation not eclipsing the joy soccer fans get from this tournament, US Soccer, and the improbable story of Cabo Verde.

• We talk about the offseason through the lens of hope because no one has hit the field yet. But there are plenty of teams who feel doomed from the start. Godfrey joined Alex and Richard for a subscriber episode to talk about which coaches can escape that rut and which ones should already be looking ahead.

Some recommended reading

• Brandon Marcello at CBS Sports wrote about the inner workings of James Franklin’s offseason at Virginia Tech, specifically focusing on how Brent Pry stuck around after being fired as head coach. It’s a peculiar situation but one that can work out.

• Our pals at The Athletic have taken a time machine back to the 1990s and ranked the best coaches of the era. It’s part of a bigger ‘90s package they’ve got going over there. Check it out for a nice nostalgia rush.

• Matt Brown over at Extra Points wrote about .. Jordon Hudson? She’s been filing FOIA requests to UNC. Matt has some experience with records requests! So he gives some advice on how to refine searches. These tips are helpful for everyone.

We’ll see you soon.