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College Football Playoff Rankings Revealed! Tue 12/2/25 · Others Receiving Votes

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hey everybody, welcome to the Sports Illustrated Colour Football Rankings Insta Reaction show here again on Pat 40 Jones Bryant Fisher and these rankings actually matter not as much as the selection Sunday final rankings five days from now but they do tell us some definitive things about this field Brian what are your
• 0:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think my biggest takeaway is men do we use the word penultimate to describe these rankings way too much.
• 0:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: But James Madison, welcome to the party ranking in the top 25 number one.
• 0:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that means, yes, that's right, Duke on ACC, the final championship game there on Saturday night.
• 0:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: If Duke wins, we're not getting an ACC representative into the playoff.
• 0:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: 24 North Texas comes in, playing in the American Conference Championship.
• 1:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Iowa 23 Georgia Tech at 22 Houston 21 to lane at 20.
• 1:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: So there are three group of five teams that are in the rankings are two lane.
• 1:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: North Texas James Madison.
• 1:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we'll see if one or more of them wins the conference championship and gets into the field.
• 1:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Number 19, Michigan, 18 Arizona, which took a big jump up after beating Arizona State, finish nine and three.
• 1:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Virginia, USC, Utah, then things get really interesting.
• 1:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: We have Vanderbilt at number 14 and did not move up despite smashing Tennessee in Knoxville.
• 1:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: interesting.
• 1:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Meanwhile, Texas moves up three spots jumps over Vanderbilt.
• 1:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Did beat them head to head has lost one more game.
• 1:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: My any stays put at 12 BYU stays put at 11 and the two other big news items to me are Notre Dame moving down a spot and Alabama moving up a spot and what that may mean if somebody is going to get knocked out of this thing.
• 2:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think that the big question in my mind is in an you mentioned it, Pat there just the slight shifts that do change things a little bit, especially going in the conference championship weekend and if you do kind of bracket it out just a little bit, I think it is going to be interesting because that does produce some rematches with that Alabama moving up.
• 2:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: to their current tin spot and then a noted a moving back.
• 2:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: It does produce a couple of rematches there in terms of noted a playing Texas A&M again, Alabama playing Oklahoma again.
• 2:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that could be a little interesting thing going into the SEC Championship game in particular is thinking about, all right, maybe if Alabama does lose, maybe they'll stay in the field that's kind of the indication we get from these rankings from the committee right now.
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: But not only that, maybe they will move them back a spot, so we'd get some fresh matchups for that first round because I don't think anybody really wants to see some rematches much less two of them in the first round of the playoff and otherwise, you know, I think it is also setting up certainly a big weekend of really watching other conference title games.
• 3:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that's that's the big thing for.
• 3:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, a lot of the interested fans out there, this is maybe one of the more interesting conference title games weekends that we've had in a long time, and yes, you know, you could probably look at things from a playoff perspective in the big 10, not really mattering and certainly it seems like Ohio State in Indiana, those two teams are pretty much locked into a quarter final birth of some sort that first round by, but, you know, that's a one versus two matchup, that's going to be very big for both of those fan bases to win a big 10 title.
• 3:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think they're still interested in that, but everybody else.
• 3:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Probably late at night on Saturday night.
• 3:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: can Duke get this job done and almost punish their conference.
• 3:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was just saying, how awkward is it going to be for Jim Phillips to have to hand that trophy over on Saturday?
• 3:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: If that's the case, you know, if it's handing it over to the Duke players, as excited as they will be to win the ACC.
• 3:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's a pretty big deal for Duke, especially this season and the way they've kind of gone up and down and one in the league, but not one in either on conference teams.
• 4:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: How crazy would it be that we could have one of the power for conference champions, not make the play off this year?
• 4:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's Duke.
• 4:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, yes, Duke would be very excited because they'd be their first outright ACC championships in 1962.
• 4:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: So being great moment for them, but it would be a terrible moment for the league.
• 4:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that would be a hard one to grit your teeth through.
• 4:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Jim Phillips can do what he's professional, but yeah, I mean, if it literally knocks your entire conference out of a,
• 4:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: playoff that everybody was certain you were going to be in all season because you're one of the power for conferences.
• 4:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's that's a major blow to credibility and it's it's an indictment of having too big a league with not enough common opponents and a tiebreaker system that keeps your best team by many spots out of the championship game.
• 4:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, you know, the Virginia is five spots
• 5:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: So for Miami to not even be playing in that game is a bad look for the ACC.
• 5:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think there's also going to be a whole lot of people interested on Saturday morning with that 11 a.m. local kick there in Dallas.
• 5:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Looking at that big 12 championship game because if BYU wins, that's another one of those bits dealers in the bracket too.
• 5:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what it would would essentially be out.
• 5:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's pretty
• 5:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's it's a lock at this point that Texas tech is going to be in the field even if they were to lose that that game in Dallas because honestly they they've not only beat BYU they blew them out they're in love so that's that's you can't really move way out of the field after taking a long stream that you've already beaten so I think that's that's the other domino if you will of this weekend is in that big 12 championship game as well.
• 5:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: a lot of interest at fans.
• 5:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure in terms of Miami, in terms of what's going to happen this weekend, I think their path is capped at this point.
• 5:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, we'll see if they move a little bit closer to Notre Dame.
• 5:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure that's going to be a debate, debate topic, even next week.
• 6:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: We could maybe see them flip.
• 6:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: We've seen that in the past.
• 6:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: You go back to the very first committee rankings in 2014.
• 6:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: There was this swap between with with with Baylor and TCU back in the day in 2014.
• 6:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: So
• 6:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: it can happen going into conference championship week and even though teams might not end up playing.
• 6:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: So there's some drama this year, that's for sure.
• 6:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, there's no doubt that, I mean, and if you're watching, if you're sitting at home watching during the day, that certainly the Friday night game,
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right.
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll be of great interest.
• 6:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's the American championship game between North Texas and Tulane.
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're reasonably sure they're the winner that's getting in, right?
• 6:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: But then Saturday, it's I think at noon, that big 12 game.
• 6:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: And
• 6:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, if you're, if you're Notre Dame, especially you are, and you're not playing, you're just on pins and needles watching that game, knowing your playoff fate is writing on the line right there.
• 7:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Did you, while we were having the auto difficulties, Brian, did you touch on the Notre Dame Alabama movement?
• 7:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: a little bit, you know, I think that is interesting too, and I could have brought it up earlier, Pat, uh, just I think if Alabama were to end up losing, I think this is the committee kind of saying because they moved them up a spot that they are still going to be in the field if they lose to Georgia, especially if that's a close game, obviously they've already beaten the bulldogs, they have that thing over Kirby Smart, as you wrote about back in the day, uh, when they played their initial meeting, and so, uh,
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think they would swap Notre Dame with Alabama just because I don't think anybody wants to see two two first round rematches that you know as important as this first round in these games are and to see these big brands play
• 7:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, Alabama would be a Norman instead of a, you know, being at home in Tuscaloosa.
• 7:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, I think that's something that can be might consider and maybe are indicating by moving Alabama up a spot ahead of Notre Dame.
• 8:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, that could be, I would, if I were, if I'm Notre Dame, especially.
• 8:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm like, tell them the company, why don't worry about that right now.
• 8:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's worry about who should be in the field.
• 8:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: And right now, you have taken us and moved us down behind an Alabama team that was life and death to beat a five and seven Auburn team, like what changed in the last week between those two?
• 8:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, Notre Dame Play Day,
• 8:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: weaker opponent in Stanford than Auburn, but Auburn's not good.
• 8:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so you are rewarding Alabama for a seven point victory on the planes in which that, first of all, it was a bad sloppy game, but secondly, that was a down to the wire.
• 8:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Are they going to pull this thing out or not, game?
• 8:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, I mean, if I'm, if I'm ranking the maddest people out there tonight, I start with Miami.
• 8:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's now an annual tradition for Miami to be 10 and 2 and mad on left out, but right after that is probably Notre Dame, Texas and Vanderbilt are mad, Texas moved up but not enough to get into the field and you were going to hear so much now about why did we even play Ohio State?
• 9:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Why did we play that game and lose?
• 9:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's what's keeping us out and know what's keeping you out as losing to Florida.
• 9:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: In fact, but and then Vanderbilt, look, we did all we could
• 9:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: crushed Tennessee in Knoxville.
• 9:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Something that Alabama probably got pretty good credit for beating Tennessee in Tuscaloosa.
• 9:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: They'd need them worse in Knoxville and they got no credit for it.
• 9:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: They did not move up.
• 9:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, this to me, those are the matters people to me.
• 9:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's Miami.
• 9:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's Notre Dame and then it's Texas Vanderbilt in a blanket finish.
• 9:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I wouldn't disagree with that.
• 9:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that the other big takeaway to me too, that we haven't touched on yet, is simply the fact that Ole Miss did not move down.
• 9:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think that was a big talking point throughout the week, given all the link, Kiffin News, all right, he took several of his assistant coaches.
• 9:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: And let's say that the committee was done debating
• 10:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: By the time, it was kind of announced by early both schools, but that, you know, Charlie Wise Jr., some of the other assistant coaches that left with Lane Kiffin to go to LSU would be back for this playoff run for Ole Miss, so the committee did not consider that at all.
• 10:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: They were kind of flying blindly, and they did not choose to move Ole Miss down there, actually moving up obviously one spot.
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: So,
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that's good news.
• 10:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're an Oxford business at this point, that grove is going to be packed for the first round game, and that looks like where things are headed there for old miss, even though they don't have their head coach.
• 10:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, no, I mean, if you're old miss, you're a lot happier tonight than you were last night.
• 10:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's for sure, or Sunday night, because
• 10:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Uh, your playoff has not been taken away from you.
• 10:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: You'd not get booted out and you didn't get you can get booted out of a potential, uh, hosting situation.
• 10:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: So for them, this is, this is good enough, and the news came out today that Charlie Weiss is going to coach.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: uh in the playoff and Charlie Weiss, the offensive coordinator, Charlie Weiss, Jr.
• 11:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: I should say the offensive coordinator who is going with Lane Kiffin LSU, but has basically been lent back.
• 11:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's on lease back to Ole Miss for the playoff, which another indication.
• 11:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: unpopular opinion perhaps, but I do think Lane once Ole Miss to do well in this playoff.
• 11:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: And maybe that's partly just so he looks like less of a heathen here, but still, the actions are speaking by giving Charlie Wise the chance to go back and call the place for them.
• 11:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so, look, if you're sitting there and you're Ole Miss, say, all right, you know, we're ticked off at our coach, but we're still going to have a home game.
• 11:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to have our play
• 11:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: let's roll with it.
• 11:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I think that's a significant outcome for them.
• 11:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: We got a question.
• 11:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I do.
• 11:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: I did go ahead.
• 11:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Before we go on that, I just want to say before we do, I almost pity Pete going a little bit.
• 11:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's this, this is how he's going to make his debut, you know, as head coach of the rebels, you know, you want to talk about a pressure packed situation.
• 12:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I recall a couple of years ago, obviously, when Brian Kelly left for LSU initially and Marcus Freeman was kind of thrust into and hired his head coach.
• 12:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, his first game was was the fiest of all, you know, against Oklahoma State.
• 12:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: He got up to the big lead.
• 12:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: They ended up blowing him in the second half if you remember and that was kind of the start to his tenure.
• 12:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: All right.
• 12:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, that was just a regular old bull game, not, you know, things were not as quite as pressure packed as playing for a national title to be at home, to have that crowd to have part of your staff already have the door and worrying about packing and getting their families moving
• 12:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: That is a pressure packed situation for Pete Goulding to walk into.
• 12:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now, yet on top of all the layers of hatred, yeah, he could definitely earn some some brownie points and an extended honeymoon with that Ole Miss fan base if he wins the game.
• 12:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: But if he loses, that is a tough one to walk into for Pete Goulding.
• 12:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm telling you what's going to, if they lose, if they lose at home, it's going to be there.
• 12:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: People will initially double down on hitting kiff and saying he
• 13:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: there will be some criticism for sure for Pete Golding 2 and why did we make this guy the full-time head coach.
• 13:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: What are we doing here?
• 13:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're right.
• 13:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is an incredibly pressurized situation to walk into.
• 13:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you really can't overstate it, given first playoff game in Ole Miss history, home game, and everything that is swirled around the program.
• 13:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: a lot of drama in the Grove for sure.
• 13:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: We get do we do have a question you guys feel free to dump in your questions to us by TikTok via social media whatever the case may be.
• 13:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: We've got one here coming with Miami or someone make it in if Duke was no.
• 13:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Or would a G 2 G 5 teams make it in?
• 13:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
• 13:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: And what about if BYU wins the big 12?
• 13:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's the other thing.
• 13:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we do have a question.
• 13:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Another question that we'll get to in a second here.
• 13:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I think we covered most of those scenarios that BYU gets in, Notre Dame gets out.
• 14:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Unless Alabama absolutely gets smoked, and they drop them two spots.
• 14:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Miami is not getting in this thing at this point.
• 14:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just don't see how that's going to happen.
• 14:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: uh... was you know in texas too i i don't see how that's gonna happen either unless you know chris del cante rolls over to uh... great vine to the the the the selection committee hotel with a lot of oil money and just pays off the committee and says get us in there
• 14:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I mean, the tough thing for Texas is you're behind Miami, you know, and I think not only is there that kind of ten and two nine and three debate, but the committee would love to avoid all of the criticism that they would have that they're already going to get frankly from this Notre Dame versus Miami head to head debate.
• 14:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: So if they can include both of those teams in any way, I think they're going to do that in favor of leaving Texas out.
• 14:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I understand, you know, I was there.
• 14:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was listening to Steve for Starkesian, you know, stumped for his team and he made some valid points.
• 15:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: But at the end of the day, the reason that Texas is not on the playoff is not because they went up and played Ohio State and lost to the Buckeyes, it's because they lost a Florida on the road.
• 15:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: A very, very bad loss that
• 15:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: And they also struggled against Kentucky and Mississippi State though the bottom of the SEC that that's that's the issue with Texas and their candidacy they struggled with the you know the bottom of the league yeah and I think that that more than anything even though they moved up in the rankings this week That was almost because of that order and because of the way they're stacked right now there is no chance Texas is playing in the playoff.
• 15:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, I agree with you there and that's it was over time against Kentucky.
• 15:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: I believe in the end down 17 against Mississippi State in the second half.
• 15:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe even in the fourth quarter.
• 15:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: I can't remember for sure.
• 15:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I mean, those were games where there were absolutely flirting with disaster to the very end.
• 15:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: So
• 15:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, Texas has some good wins and hey, I'm glad you went and played Ohio State lost that game.
• 15:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: It wasn't as close as the score 14 to 7.
• 15:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was 14 to nothing until the last minutes.
• 16:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm just not going to shed a whole lot of tears for team Bivo at this point.
• 16:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: That yeah, it goes along with the question here if BYU and Bama lose, can Texas make the playoffs.
• 16:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: No, you know, that's that if you why you and Alabama both lose, that's what sets it up for for Miami, I think it would be very hard to see.
• 16:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Texas, good jumping over Miami.
• 16:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is the point we ran into this last year.
• 16:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ward manuals, the selection committee chair.
• 16:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: But basically, Miami, Texas Vanderbilt should be locked in their positions unless something really strange happens.
• 16:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: And they aren't going to change no matter what happens this weekend, because they're not playing.
• 16:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Their seasons are over.
• 16:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Same with Notre Dame, and that's one other reason why Notre Dame being behind Alabama leaves Notre Dame with a pretty helpless feeling at this point.
• 16:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you're done in your Ole Miss and your A&M, you're like, hey, right on, we're in position to post a home game, if you are Oregon, same thing, if you're done and you're on the bubble we're on the wrong side of the bubble, nowhere near is good of feeling.
• 17:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: I will bring up the fact that if BYU ends up winning the big-to-all championship game, I would obviously mean Texas Tech would have moved down, you would be looking at the big tin getting three out of the four buys.
• 17:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: They'd only be getting three teams into the field, but for the big tin to get three out of the four buys, I think kind of reconfirms that
• 17:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is the big 10's championship to lose.
• 17:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Three in a row is definitely on the table.
• 17:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: They have the three.
• 17:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think elite teams that you could probably say are playing right and playing well right now.
• 17:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: And probably three of the favorites to win it all at this point.
• 17:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: So this is kind of the big 10 versus the field almost, and especially so if BYU ends up winning and not can Texas Tech out of that by.
• 17:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, no, that's a great point.
• 17:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: It is the big tends tournament to win, you know, Ohio State, I think has been clearly the best team all year.
• 17:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: And again, a not far behind it.
• 17:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think, I don't know about you.
• 17:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I kind of always suspected Texas A&M was punching a little above its weight and was not
• 18:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not a team that could could go 12 and 13 and oh and they went 11 and oh, that was great, kudos to them, but got beaten and lost by double digits to Texas really kind of dominated in the second half of that game you were there and then, you know, didn't make the SEC chip at you game, but.
• 18:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Those two in Oregon, Oregon has been outstanding.
• 18:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I had the one loss to Indiana.
• 18:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: I had it in a bad loss by any stretch.
• 18:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Had a close game at Iowa.
• 18:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: A lot of people have had close games at Iowa.
• 18:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Excuse me, over the years.
• 18:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: So the Big Ten could very well win a third straight national championship.
• 18:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: If that happens, Brian, do we say the Big Ten is the best conference in college football?
• 18:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, the question is, what do you put the emphasis on?
• 18:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: To winning it all, playing with the elite teams, or is it depth?
• 18:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because I think the depth question has unmistakably gone in favor of the SEC this year.
• 19:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, I mean, I'm only getting more teams in the playoffs than any other conference, but we're contenders.
• 19:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, we're just talking about Texas, we're just talking about Vandy.
• 19:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, 10 and 2 at Vandy this year, and on the fringes of the college football playoff discussion.
• 19:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, yes, you know, Mississippi State was not all that great Auburn.
• 19:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, you know, fire their coach and had to make a coaching change yet.
• 19:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, Kentucky was, they showed some flashes at times, but man, did they look bad, you know, like truly awfully, truly awful offensively in particular.
• 19:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: So like the bottom of those two conferences, I think there could maybe be a little bit of a debate, but
• 19:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: The big ten has the elite teams.
• 19:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: The SEC has the depth.
• 19:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think there's maybe maybe winning the title is going to be that kind of deciding factor between those two because yes, I guess what we're going to have this debate every single year.
• 19:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Big ten SEC big ten SEC and truthfully if you're the SEC you would love to get the big ten this year because you look at what the big ten has coming back next year.
• 19:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Not only at Ohio State, not only at Oregon, you see's coming along.
• 20:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Michigan will be better, you know, Washington with their coaching staff back and maybe some more development there.
• 20:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Iowa is returning a lot as well next year.
• 20:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: So like the big ten, maybe they're they're addressing that depth question moving forward.
• 20:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: But this is going to be a big year for both of those power two leagues.
• 20:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 20:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: No, I think that's a good summation.
• 20:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: It is clearly, I mean, the SEC's got five teams in the tournament we think.
• 20:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, as of as of today,
• 20:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: is likely that it will, and then two more run on the doorstep.
• 20:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you've got seven of the top 14 teams, according to the Playoff Selection Committee, you clearly have the best depth, and you have the best quality in the top half of your league.
• 20:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Seven out of 16 versus three out of the 18.
• 20:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: The next big 10 team doesn't come until 16 USC and then 19 Michigan.
• 20:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I think that and if you look at the average scoring margins, I mean, Ohio State and Indiana have just beaten people up and so is organ, because I think generally speaking, the competition hasn't been as good, whereas the old, you know, every week's have battled in the SEC, well, there's a lot of truth to it.
• 21:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: There is, because if you just look at the scores of the games, so, but, but hey, Big 10 wins the third straight.
• 21:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: They can do all the talking and it would be very difficult for the SEC to counter that.
• 21:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: The only way to counter it is to win it all.
• 21:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we'll see who do you think is the best SEC chance to win the national championship here.
• 21:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: As that's a good question and I'm going to be curious, you know, I'll be in Atlanta for the SEC championship game.
• 21:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Georgia lost their center in that Georgia tech game and didn't seem the same offensively compared to the last couple of the weeks.
• 21:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: So they really seem to start rolling there and maybe that was just a case of it's tough to lose that in the middle of the game, especially against a team that wants to beat you up physically in Georgia tech.
• 21:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: So maybe that was kind of the issue there, but kind of stocked and didn't quite look like he did more towards, you know, the earlier part of the year in terms of how he was throwing the ball,
• 22:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, and so I don't think it necessarily is George.
• 22:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would have maybe said Georgia two weeks ago, but I think in terms of the absolute high end to where that team can actually get to, it might be Alabama.
• 22:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: If Ty Simpson is dealing, if that defense is forcing some turnovers, yeah, we know they can't really run the ball, but if you're talking about like high end and in a coach that has gone on a national title run before in Kailandabore, I'm kind of leaning towards Alabama at this point.
• 22:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I don't know.
• 22:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I'm still going to default to Georgia.
• 22:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think here.
• 22:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: If Ole Miss had Lane given, I might say them.
• 22:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: They don't.
• 22:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're a decision.
• 22:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: But the Georgia situation, I mean, I think what you say is correct that they offensively, they did not look good against Georgia tech.
• 22:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to chalk that up to Georgia Tech to a degree.
• 22:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: As a desperation rivalry game for them,
• 22:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: they had been I know from having been at Georgia Tech earlier in the year like that they were still haunted by that 4442 fiasco 7 overtime one over the heck it was black Friday again the year before they wanted badly to get revenge for that they couldn't do it and there are hard team to beat like I mean they're not a great team but they don't lose easily if you look though the losses they've had have been close game so i'm i'm going to give that a
• 23:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: rivalry and just wanting to win that game than then Georgia.
• 23:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's something necessarily wrong there.
• 23:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'll default to the Bulldogs.
• 23:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I mean, if you ask me, give me the top four.
• 23:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: I would say Ohio State Indiana, Texas Tech Oregon.
• 23:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I would probably put Georgia fifth on my list.
• 23:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think I think, you know, Ohio State is clearly far in a way in my mind that the favorite to not only repeat, but you know, really go on a dinastic run if you want to talk about what they are capable of doing.
• 23:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: And just in that roster, what they have coming back for next year, I mean, this is a Ryan Day has has things rolling, I think that's a team that.
• 24:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: They don't have the the chip on the shoulder like they did last year, but they're almost playing with some confidence that you saw, you know, back in the back in the, you know, yesterday year when when they were really rolling under urban Meyer, Jim Tressley, they just got a little aura around them.
• 24:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so I think they're clear in a way, if you had to give me Ohio State versus the field at this point, I'm still taking the Ohio State, which is I would normally not do that in this crazy sport of college football.
• 24:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're kind of the clear favorite to everybody, but Indiana has a shot for short, not just on Saturday, but in this playoff.
• 24:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Especially, you know, given some of the seating matchups that they could have.
• 24:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: We know Kurt's Ignetti is fired up and gained plant from week to week for a lot of these opponents.
• 24:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Oregon is getting healthy at the right time.
• 24:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, hopefully they can get some of their receivers back.
• 24:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: And maybe they're playing that tune-up game with the group of five to where they get that the timing and that's not an issue.
• 24:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like it was last year with that long layover.
• 25:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Oregon is a team that is capable of winning it all and then I think it is kind of a toss up at Texas Tech I don't I just you know reason why Texas Tech could not make a semi-final at the at the very least this year with that defense of line What with what they're able to bring to the table if bear and Morton is healthy on offense?
• 25:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think it's it's truly maybe more of an interesting playoff bracket overall than it was last year
• 25:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, no, I agree with pretty much everything you said there that I am by no means overlooking Texas Tech as a contender, do you say that, I mean, they have been dominant all year.
• 25:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: They had the loss to Arizona State, but Arizona State.
• 25:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: quality opponent, especially at that point, I still had Sam Levitt and had some mojo and went one the big 12 last year.
• 25:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: So they were kind of laying for that one.
• 25:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: But you know, I would say any of those top five, I give a very solid chance to actually win the whole thing.
• 25:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we'll see how the bracket breaks that breaks down.
• 26:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll see what the, um,
• 26:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: the the the draw is which you always have to do so we did we did that with college basketball who's got the easy draw who's got the tough draw but to me there's uh... it's gonna be a lot that we will find out obviously sunday not just who's in but what the matchups are uh... real quick just want to go back over the championship weekend schedule on saturday night the games from a playoff perspective
• 26:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: that's an ESPN game.
• 26:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then North Texas at two lane at eight o'clock ABC game.
• 26:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: So you want to get two screens going probably to watch those.
• 26:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then I would say that patches just not that own thinking about it.
• 26:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, the is sitting out there at 10 and two.
• 26:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Sure.
• 26:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: If they win the mountain west and Duke wins the ACC.
• 26:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Could you consider UNLV or even I guess maybe boys to say obviously they're going to be at home in that one, but I mean, it's not crazy to think that if Troy ends up upsetting James Madison on Friday right and you and LV or boys to say they could also be in a position to end up getting into this thing.
• 27:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it's it is truly a fascinating championship weekend not just on Saturday, but on Friday as well.
• 27:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, no, that absolutely that if yes, if James Madison gets beaten.
• 27:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: and that opens up and Duke wins, that opens up a possible back back back door for UNLV, which would boy, that would really be something in the first year under Dan Mullin.
• 27:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: So a lot to watch on Friday for sure.
• 27:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: And look, one thing that we have seen in the past, I hope this doesn't happen this time around, but coaches that are changing jobs,
• 27:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: don't always still have everything fully focused on the task at hand.
• 27:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: James Madison is in that situation with Bob Chesney, who is headed to UCLA.
• 27:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: North Texas and Tulane are in that position with coaches heading to Oklahoma State and to Florida, respectively.
• 28:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: So weird stuff may happen.
• 28:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then it's been Saturday the games of playoff import BYU at Texas Tech the game all of Notre Dame fans hold their breath and watch and then four o'clock Georgia Alabama and the two eight o'clock games Indiana Ohio State and then Duke Virginia does Duke just throw one last monster monkey wrench into what's been a pretty weird season.
• 28:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, let's see.
• 28:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: A lot of interesting rooting, you know, possibilities there if you're non-blood doubles fan.
• 28:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: But it's going to be weird.
• 28:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think a lot of a good portion of the country that is, at least it's not an ACC territory, it's going to find themselves rooting for Duke, which I'm sure that produces some conflicting feelings amongst of you.
• 28:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: No doubt about it.
• 28:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Duke.
• 28:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's so funny.
• 28:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, the delineation like I don't think people think of Duke nearly is hatefully when it comes to football.
• 28:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's just Duke football.
• 28:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, same with like Kentucky football, same with Ohio State basketball.
• 29:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, teams that you despise the giant, but you don't worry so much about the other the other side of it.
• 29:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, anyway, that's pretty much what we've got for this week.
• 29:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Brian and I will both be writing columns tonight.
• 29:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: So check out thoseSI.com or reactions to the rankings.
• 29:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then we'll be back with the podcast on Thursday morning.
• 29:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll talk all about this.
• 29:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll talk all about the coaching changes.
• 29:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: We will discuss,
• 29:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Who knows what else?
• 29:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: When we get to that, we'll definitely be talking previewing the games, making our picks as usual, all that sort of thing.
• 29:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: So thank you for watching us, and we will talk to you all later.