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SEC Media Day Break Down | Is Kentucky A Dark Horse? · Run After Cast: The College Football Podcast

• Aaron: Welcome back to Run After Cast, the college football podcast. I'm Aaron, joined by Ryan. Ryan: Hey guys. Aaron: And Chandler. Chandler: Howdy, howdy. Aaron: And this week. Chandler: That's Aaron: We're just back to us three. No incredible special guests, nobody joining us with insightful deep knowledge, just our general lack of interesting quotes that we're bringing to this show. But most of y'all that are tuning in know that last week was the SEC Media Week. So this week, we wanted to come in, give you our thoughts, talk about whatever came up and what we found interesting. But before we get straight into media days, we do have to cut over to the Raction News Desk. However, one of our Raction anchors decided to literally go on vacation this week, spend all his time in Hawaii instead of doing his job. So scorn them, send them negative thoughts in the comments. Whatever you want to do, you can do that. So to pull up the slack, I wanted to cover some news that we have not had a chance to cover yet, and it's killing me inside not to talk about. So first thing we gotta go with, we gotta cut over to the big 12. That's something we're not gonna say, probably for the rest of the season, but we'll go ahead and say the big news is they signed a sponsorship with Monster Energy Drink. To put logos on jerseys as well as segments, field markings, things like that. How do we feel about Big Twelve Energy brought to you by Monster? Chandler: I mean I think I don't really know what to think, truthfully. I think it's a crazy sponsorship to just throw out of left field and it's gonna be a lot of fun seeing the the Monster logo on fields and jerseys and all kinds of stuff. I mean you're not gonna they're have a playoff appearance because Texas Tech will be the playoffs. It's already a guaranteed slot. So they're already postseason eligible as the Monster Corporation. Ryan: a big fan monster 'cause my mom said it'll kill you. She really Aaron: Ha ha. Ryan: doesn't like it. but I don't know. I think whoever the Texas tech coach was like, Ooh, Sark, you're gonna create a monster and then they signed monster or something. I don't know. I do like Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. Ryan: the white monster memes though. I think they're really funny. Aaron: I I I'm kind of like a living embodiment of that. Of like I can have any flavor drink. I do drink white monsters because I don't have self-respect, I think. so like the Pig 12. And I will say, opening this up, monster being the branded sponsor is not really the issue. It's wild. I I have a problem with like jersey sponsorships and everything. Like it just It's not college football to me. Like it is a step too far where it's not benefiting the programs or anything. Like it is specifically to a conference. It's not for student athletes. We're we're kind of just selling the idea of like, well, you know, what happens when adult depends diapers goes for the big ten and now you've got that logo on your jersey? Like it's not it just makes it less cool. you know, it's Chandler: Yeah. Aaron: like they watch the World Cup and they got a wild idea. Chandler: Well, I mean you ha you have like Ryan: Yeah, we're not soccer, we play real football here. Chandler: Exactly. Well, you have like the NFL like AT Stadium and all that kind of stuff. So I mean, I understand them trying to make it more professional and and increase revenues and all that kind different stuff. But at the end of the day it's still collegiate sports and that's what we know and love and it's not a professional sport. That's why we are collegiate football fans, not NFL football fans, and that's why we're a college football podcast and not All of football Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: podcasts. So I do think that there's like you're going into the MLB road where they have a bunch of jersey patches, you have NASCAR, you have NFL stadiums being purchased and all those kind of like sponsorships. So i it is going to that more professional side level and I don't I don't necessarily like it. Aaron: And it's something where if we had like if we were talking about a school selling naming rights to a stadium or something like that, where it is the program's decision, it you know, the the players don't get a say in that in this part. The programs themselves aren't gonna say, like, do we wanna have monster energy drink? Do we wanna bring some real Kyle energy to our program? Because that's that's what we got. Like we you know, if we get axe body spray on the other side, it's like, you know. Free double XP weekend type energy we got going. Ryan: Big Ten weekend. Or big back wait, big twelve. Aaron: Yeah. Big big ten times Chandler: Big. Aaron: XP weekend. Ryan: They have to get money somehow though. Nobody's watching Big Twelve. Aaron: Yeah, because it's not gonna be in broadcast rights. I too Ryan: Mm. Aaron: understand that. I mean, we can we can kind of have a moment where it's like Big Twelve, you gotta come over here, talk to me for a second, you doing okay? Like you Ryan: Ha ha. Aaron: you know, are you having money troubles? Like 'cause right now you're setting yourself up to get made fun of by the ACC and nobody wants to get made fun of by the ACC. So Ryan: This is good. They're kind of like that divorced dad like uncle kind of vibe, kinda. So it's good if it's the monster. Yeah. Chandler: Midlife crisis. Aaron: Yeah. Ryan: It fits really good actually. I didn't think about that. Aaron: Now, outside of that, like I there's not more to go into it, I don't think. It's more in the idea of like, it's not an element we want to see propagated across the sport, you know, especially because how many jerseys do we end up liking? How many seasonal releases do we get? I don't want it to be like, Ryan: Plus you Aaron: well, it doesn't it's not it because it comes with this logo on it of something I just couldn't care less about. But it is something that for now we get to make fun. of the Big Twelve, which is great. nobody is gonna avoid doing that. We're gonna do it multiple times throughout the season. Big Twelve's a conference I have to remember exactly what it is, every time we talk about it. You know, I think it's a conference you know if your team's in it. And that if your team's in it, then I'm sorry. Ryan: I d I do think the logos were funny though when they were putting the the symbol twelve, the Roman twelve over the monster thing, that was pretty funny. Aaron: Yeah. They're having fun with it. And I I will Ryan: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Aaron: I will be like if it's a one off thing, okay, we'll live with the monster season. it it'll be great. But I wanted to see if we do have to have this as part of our future, let's start off with what's the perfect SEC sponsor? Who do we want to be reping as part of the SEC? So Ryan, I'll turn that over to you first. Ryan: know like Ford something. Aaron: What? Chandler: Why'd voice change when you did that that that whole Ford bit there? A little country on us. Ryan: What? Board? Aaron: f a little a little southern. Little a Chandler: Ford tough baby. Ryan: Yeah, Aaron: little twang. In the SEC. Ryan: Ford. Chandler: No like Waffle House, Raisin Canes, Milo's Aaron: Waffle House was in there for me, like Waffle House or Bucky's. I think Bucky's being a a A alumni as well. Chandler: There you go. Aaron: I was like, We we got we got some energy that I think if one of those two sponsored, nobody complained. It'd be like the SEC would go silent. They'd be like, Okay, we accept this. Chandler: Yep. Ryan: See Bucky's is so good, I just don't like I don't wanna see the Bucky's logo on everything. I already see that on everything, you know. Yeah. Aaron: Yeah, it already is everywhere. Chandler: Just slap that brisket sandwich on the logo. Aaron: Yep. Yeah. If it Ryan: Ooh, put in the stadiums. Aaron: if we have to do a drink though, Chandler: Now we're talking. Aaron: it'll be some like Milo sweet tea. Like that's that's the Chandler: for sure. For sure. Ryan: Mm-hmm. Aaron: drink that we rep in. So if we have SEC energy, we gotta have Big Ten's take. So Taylor, why don't you kick us off? What's the Big Ten sponsor? Chandler: You know, since we've expanded the Big Ten to the Big Eighteen and we're across the country, give me nationwide. Give me nationwide insurance to be the sponsor Aaron: Nationwide. That's pretty good. Chandler: since we're covering the whole country. Aaron: Yeah, coast to coast. Wh Ryan: That's good. I was really thinking, you kinda either gotta go two ways. You gotta go cream of wheat or just corn for the Big Ten. Aaron: Just yeah, I you know what? Corn's not bad. Just corn the crop. Yeah. Chandler: Just just the just the the just the vegetable corn and just Ryan: Yeah, you know, it's reliable, it's not that exciting. Some of them are really good, you know, it's it's really nice. And yeah, Aaron: It's the entire economy of the Midwest. Ryan: yeah, it's like it it's perfect in my opinion. Chandler: That's crazy. Ever since we ever Aaron: I do like court. Chandler: ever since I went out of town the first time we started bashing the big tin. Now Ryan's just Ryan: It's corn. Chandler: on a tear. The big lump with knobs. Aaron: Yeah, you can put it right on the jersey. Ryan: It's okay. Aaron: Head of corn. Ryan: Still a logo, put a coin on it. Sorry. Chandler: I mean what what an episode so far. Aaron: I was gonna say it have to be some kind of grocery store brand because it seems like everybody in the Midwest is like diehard for their grocery stores. And I know that's that's throwing shade being from Florida. Some Chandler: Like some Costco or some Aldi or something. Aaron: like Wegmans or something. One of them like they got them up there, we don't know what it is, but and I am throwing shade because we're here. People down here love publics and it's irrational. it's yeah, it Chandler: Whole foods. Aaron: it's crazy how much they love their grocery stores down here, but Yeah, it's just my first thought. It's like a Wegman. it's just something I don't know what it is. I've never been in one. But I hear people talk about it. Chandler: You know, to to double down on that, when we were in Hawaii, the first person I had a conversation with on the tram to our rental car said, where are you from? I said, Florida. He said, Every time I go to Florida, the first thing I do is get a public sub. He said, We don't have them where we're where I'm from. Aaron: You're like, have you been to a sandwich shop before? Because it's Chandler: Ha ha. Aaron: pretty similar to every sandwich shop out there. And I I realize like I'm gonna get my like Florida citizenship revoked for saying this. Chandler: DeSantis is coming to your house. Aaron: Yeah, like I I'm gonna get swatted for for bashing a public sub. They're all right, they're just subs. Yeah. Chandler: No Jersey Mics. Aaron: It it is like you can get kind Chandler: That's the sub. Aaron: of the same experience. So Ryan: Stop above. How about Chandler: It is. That little man Ryan: how about Uncle Chandler: makes my sub Ryan: Ben's? Aaron: Uncle Ben's the Ryan: For the Big Ten. They make cream of wheat. That's close. I think corn's better though. What who would who would Chandler: This this just a hater. Ryan: sells corn? Chandler: Nebraska? The whole state? Ryan: Mm, yeah. All big time. Aaron: Yeah, just just that whole that whole middle part of the country. Ryan: Mm. Chandler: So Nebraska would be the Nebraska corn corn huskers sponsored by the corn. Ryan: Bother my cord. Aaron: That a I want a tongue twister for our team sponsor. Even though I do like nationwide. Ryan: Bothered by big corn. Aaron: I I Chandler: Corn corn corn huskers. Ryan: It's like the hoo hoo hoosers. Focal corn. Aaron: Yeah. I could see the the Big Ten nationwide this coverage brought to you by Nationwide Cam, and it's just corners doing their best routes. Ryan: Foreigners Coroners Corners Aaron: Yeah, corners. Ryan: You know, I really miss the CBS like SEC intro from back in the day. That's Chandler: Do you know? Ryan: just reminded me of huh? Aaron: Back in the day. Ryan: You know what I'm talking Aaron: Like back in the day for you is like five years ago for me, I think. Ryan: Yeah, five ten, years ago, you know. Chandler: Ha ha ha. Aaron: So yeah. And Chandler: Yeah, Ryan was taking his first steps five years ago. Aaron: Yeah, yeah, that's where you know, back in when he was in elementary school and really just ready for those Auburn games. Ryan: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Still am. What would the A C C's be? Aaron: But yeah, I I f forgot about the ACC. Ryan: Gotta be bad. Gotta be bad. Chandler: Mm yeah, nothing for that one. Aaron: I I you know what? I just have a general lack of emotion and feeling and thought for the ACC right now. So good luck, Miami. And I hope Virginia Tech you get a good shot this year. So after that everything else Ryan: have a good one. Aaron: is yeah. Ryan: Scott's paper towels. Chandler: Yeah. Ryan: Too useful. Aaron: Nope. Chandler: Well I was thinking because they're shit. Ryan: Ha ha ha. Aaron: Dude, we're gonna keep that in there. But I'm gonna put I'm gonna put a referee whistle sound effect over I think I was thinking about that of if we swear on the show, instead Chandler: Okay. Aaron: of leaving the swearing we'll do like a a a whistle, like we're getting a penalty flag. Ryan: No, it's kinda funny. It's pretty funny. Aaron: It is yeah, I like it. I like Chandler: I mean you you filleted me up perfectly. That was a that was that was a golden alley oop. Aaron: it a lot. Yep. That was a good that was a match Ryan: That's very funny. Aaron: set serve. Like, that's perfect. So, like the media will glaze over the ACC right now and go straight to our next news topic. I wanted to bring up, this is a personal one for me, the Quiet at the Creek TikTok video that's made its rounds from Mississippi State here, and the absolute dog walking we got from having some of our athletes post a TikTok. It is shocking how crazy far this went. And you know, hey, do a little magic here. Hopefully, hopefully we have one go that that far in reach, even if it does mean we get the the lashing everybody else got for this. So did you guys see this clip? Chandler: I did. But hey listen, if they go and they upset a Georgia and Alabama and Tennessee and LSU, then you do this in their locker room? I mean, look, they're they're teeing up for success here. Aaron: I will say it is a little bit of a babe ruth moment for your stadium sound guy. You know he's got that clipped. And if we Chandler: yeah, queued up. Aaron: get the upset, like especially something where it's like you drop it, and it will go hard. It will go very well for them. I do get the response for this video. And it's a shame. It's just it's nothing crazy if you haven't seen it. It's for the Mississippi State players doing a little TikTok dance to Quiet at the Creek. And is the dance good? Is it a great time for them to be shirtless dancing? Probably in the off season. No. Chandler: The video g he's sponsored Aaron: But Chandler: by Scott Stolap. Aaron: Yeah. It it is a a a worthy of monster or monster energy drink sponsorship video. But Ryan, what'd you think of it? Ryan: I thought it was funny. I mean, I saw it initially, I was like, I was trying to send it to you, but I thought it'd be too hard at the time, so I was just gonna show you later. But I think Aaron: Every everybody knows it's hard to f send a middle aged man a clip in a way that he'll receive it and be able to watch it, so Chandler: Well, Ryan sent Ryan: Yeah. Chandler: me the same clip, but he did it with himself dancing shirtless as well in respon in Ryan: No, I dunno have it. Chandler: response. So I was kinda caught off guard by that. He like AI'd himself in there. It was it was crazy. Aaron: His looked worse. Ryan: That did not have Aaron: he was a bit mad. Ryan: Yeah. Yeah, take your shirt up, jiggle around for the camera or whatever. No. But I don't know. I saw a lot of like the Texas guys are just all like pretend to be gay in their locker room. So like all the people are doing it. Huh. Still going around. Chandler: That was like three years ago though, so that you know they they surface clips. Ryan: That's still going around though. Aaron: And I do think it's just this is one of those moments where it's like we're getting younger and younger athletes. They're getting further away from people my age who don't know how to make a TikTok, much less get all these things together. So and to me, they got absolutely beat up for this. And they're just being kids. Like they're not, they weren't doing anything crazy. You know, they're not flashing money, they're not speeding recklessly in Athens, they're dancing poorly in the locker room without a shirt on, which you know, if anybody's done sports in high school and through these times, there is a point where like you do get a little bit of that locker room energy where like clothes become kind of optional and you you stop feeling embarrassed for not having a shirt on. You know, we're lucky they had pants on. And I just felt like they got absolutely beat for something that's like this is just normal kid young guy behavior. Like I could see I could see Ryan making. In fact, he had you Chandler: Okay. Aaron: dance for our video. And so Yeah. Yeah. Chandler: And like I said, he did send me this video already. He did recreate it. He's just trying to say he didn't. Ryan: He'd posted if I if he had it. He'd post if he had it. That did remind me of a Aaron: He's just Yeah. Ryan: thing. One time my friend Tristan was posing at a base gym and an old age guy walked behind him on his camera. Aaron: That is a video that exists. Ryan: That's much worse. That's much worse. Aaron: but yeah, it is something I've seen people make responses. I've seen LSU come out with their little video response of having everybody kind of freaking out in the locker room. And I I like I said, I think it was overblown. I think it is a couple kids hanging out. Should should there be some like monitoring and saying like maybe a clause that says, Hey, like in official buildings, like inside things that are branded, things like that, you know, making public personally released TikToks, maybe something where it's like you need to get official permission before doing that. So you do have a narrative control for your program. Because I think that's where people are worried is like Mississippi State, we all know where we're at, you know, we're We might as well be in the Big 12 or the ACC right now. It's not looking good based off of past. And when you have this, it seems like we're not taking it seriously. But you know, it isn't Levy out there doing it. If Levy was doing it, I'd say it's absolutely 100% deserved. but it is just student athletes and they can't practice 24-7. They're gonna play a little Xbox, they're gonna make some TikTok. They're gonna dance around. And that's all right. Ryan: That was a great explanation. I I think it was I think it's like you're already kinda down and they thought they they like aren't being serious. I think that was good. Aaron: Yeah, that that to me was my like understanding of just why this went so crazy. For because it just seems like if it comes out from Mississippi State this season, it's not gonna get a lot of traction to begin with, unless it's Kamario Taylor. Like it it people don't seem to be paying that much attention to begin with. Chandler: Kelly Jones. Aaron: Or Kelly Jones. Yeah. We got we got a couple couple Ryan: Dick Sport Kelly Jones. Aaron: great talents here. Very excited. I I would love to see an upset. I would love for that to happen now. Like a great upset this season. So like a Texas. Like if we take down Texas and then we have a Quiet at the Creek in the stadium just blasted as they're walking out, it would be a great moment. It would be one that'd be like, you know, let's let's bump that on the playlist. But in the downtime, I think that's all that's gone on other than SEC Media Days. So cut over to our main topic here and go to an entire week of football news. So Ryan or well, I guess who wants to start? Who wants to kick us off here? Chandler: I can rock with Kentucky. I knew you were gonna say that, Ryan. Aaron: Let's kick it right over to Chandler. Chandler, you just spent this last week in Hawaii. Tell me, how did it feel Chandler: Let's test your knowledge. Aaron: to read up about not your conference and have to spend that time reading about teams and coaches you don't care for? Chandler: You know, Aaron, I do care for because you guys are SEC fans and I'm a college football fan, so I appreciate the landscape, however shape or size it comes in. So Aaron: I'll say the SEC media days is significantly better than the Big Ten media days. Chandler: You know, we'll have to save that for your opinion on the Big Ten media days when I quiz you on your knowledge of Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: the Big Ten. Because apparently I have the most notes on the on this whole talk today out of the two SEC guys. Aaron: It's very true. He showed up when we were doing our free show and he's like, I got notes and all this stuff. And I was like, I got vibes. Ryan: He's just a great host though, he came prepared. Did his job. Chandler: So Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: Kentucky was the first one I was really interested in, mainly because Will Stein, he's the O C from Oregon that came over from he was at Oregon twenty twenty three to twenty twenty five. So he's had postseason success. He's had a high powered offense. He knows how to run a high powered offense. He's great recruiting. So I was curious to see how he transitioned over the SEC first year in Kentucky. Obviously expectations aren't crazy high like you would be in an Alabama or a Georgia or some other big program in SEC. So I feel like Kentucky is a good, you know, test the water. Go jump from Big Ten to SEC, head coach Kentucky. He came out and he he was very bold in his statements. He had a similar Kurt Signetti vibe to him. He came out and they asked him why he can win big at s at Kentucky and he basically said because of me. He was like, I know what it takes, I've been to the highest level, I know how to recruit, and you just gotta believe. He was very short Aaron: Aye. Chandler: and sweet about it, and I was like, I appreciate his straightforwardness for it because I mean he has no expectations going into the season. And Aaron: Yeah. And I think in a program like Kentucky, you need that. Like Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi State, right, for this season where you're going in and it's like Kentucky's had hands in the past, like never top of the conference, but in that idea of like they were still a team you had to prepare for. Because if you didn't, they could punch you in the mouth. Death. Chandler: Yeah, just ask Auburn last year. Exactly. But pair that with he had a top tr top ten transfer portal hall this past year. And he picked up Kenny Minchie, the backup quarterback from Notre Dame. He picked up CJ Baxter from Texas. And he has 41 total transfer players that have collegiate football experience coming onto his roster. So they had a complete overhaul. And then in the twenty twenty seven recruiting class. For high school kids, he's a top fifteen recruiting class right now. So he's quickly hit the ground with a full head of steam. And I'm very curious to see how he performs this year because he's made a lot of waves quickly. Aaron: And it it that energy does feel like we may see a an upset. I think there's gonna be a lot of teams that are in their over under calculations here. They're counting Kentucky as a win. And I think at least one team is gonna get shocked. I think they are gonna get absolutely run over by a Kentucky team they weren't ready for. Chandler: Yeah, I mean and last year Kentucky Ryan: Yeah, I think could yeah, sorry. Chandler: their offense wasn't great. And to bring in that high of an offensive minded head coach that's done it, knows how to score points, that could be what they need to flip the switch and get some production going. Ryan: think they've been pretty bad, but yeah, I think he he can flip around. I think he's kinda doing what people thought John Sumra was gonna do, just fully flip the program in one year. And he might get up in the middle tier SEC first year, especially coming from Oregon. I know they're not playing hard people every week, but their offense's been good in the past, so we gotta see that, yeah. Chandler: But I think bringing Kentucky to a mid tier than bringing Florida from Ryan: Mm-hmm. Chandler: mid tier to high tier is an easier feat. I th Ryan: It is easier and I think he has a lot of potential to do so. Aaron: Well, and Chandler: Yes. Aaron: I think I think escaping the crab bucket of the bottom of the SEC is it is easier to get to that mid, but as you're saying, the the heights of the SEC are so high. It's like climbing to the heights of Big Ten. Like getting in the middle, you can be eight and four competitive and you're in the middle. Like to be at the top, you're eleven and one. And that's that's a very difficult feat to go through. So I I do think I I like The confidence. I like the because of me statement. To me, I feel like so many head coaches coming in avoid that kind of direct statement of I'm putting the job on my back. If we don't do well this season, it's because of me. And I think that's something we need that direct. And we're going to talk about this as we keep going through these as we come through the media days. I feel like the SEC has developed a conversation style. The coaches have a presentation, the way they handle themselves. And this media days, I felt like they were on the same page. Like Kentucky, all this Goalish, Summerall coming in, they spoke confidently and it felt like we're taking charge. We are coming in here to big swing, hit hard. play football. And I like that. I I I really liked seeing that across the board. Ryan: Yeah, I like it. You gotta speak confidently and powerful and I I think there is some kind of energy there. And when you watch SEC football, it has a different kind of energy, kind of violence as as Alex Golish was saying. So I think that them talking like that will rub off on the players and kinda show it on the field too. Chandler: Yeah, and it's like Ryan was talking about multiple times, like off camera, like in the gym and stuff like that. But having a head coach that's a first year head coach come into a program, whether he believes it or not, whether your plug program believes it or not, is the is the big question of whether or not you can flip this program around, whether you can buy in and have the boosters, the staff, the players, everybody buy in to that you actually can flip a script and become that middle of the road or top tier team. And I think as a head coach, it's your job to portray that regardless of if you can actually attain it, because i y the faster you have buy in, the faster your life becomes easy as far as that developmental train goes and getting the program to where it needs to be. Aaron: Well, and recruiting's such a key piece of football. Like w we we tend to downplay it in the modern environment of saying, like, well, it's NIL, all these things. You still need talent and you still need to be able to convince talent to show up. And if you're wishy washy, if you don't talk the talk of the program, how are you gonna convince young athletes to to maybe take a pay cut, maybe not get the bonuses, maybe not get a jet to show up? to come play for your team because you're selling them on the dream, not necessarily having to spend all the money. And, you know, somebody like Ed O, I feel like can do that. You know, you got him in charge of recruiting. He's going to go somewhere. I think he can sell any athlete anywhere to come play for LSU because he talks with wholehearted love and belief in the program. And that's what you need to see, especially in the SEC, where recruiting is cutthroat. Where it is like you are fighting for some of the best talent in the world and you are competing with some of the best teams trying to get those same same athletes. Ryan: Yeah, and I've I've said this sometimes, but it's almost like you gotta fake it 'til you make it so much that it doesn't really matter how how good of a coach you are, but if you just LARP a little and you're like, I'm the best coach ever, you know, if you just have a few people start getting that snowball rolling and a few of buy in, and you start getting good coaches and getting good players, it doesn't really matter how good of a coach you are. You can kind of fake your way into getting all these pieces around you and becoming a great coach. So I think that's like really the fake team making. I've had coaches in the past Talk about that. Aaron: Yeah. Now I'll say there's an upper limit on it. I feel like you can Ryan: Mm-hmm. Aaron: get to the Deion Sanders mode where you're selling unnecessarily hard for your program. And now you're setting expectations that the fan base of the program's like I I don't think Colorado's going that far. Ryan: Mm-hmm. Aaron: and I you do have to match it. You have to match your program very, very well. And that's a delicate or that's a delicate, delicate balance. But at the same time I want my coach to make me feel hyped for the season. Even if I know it's not going all the way. Even if I know we're not reaching the playoffs. I wanna sit down and say, like, I can't wait to get a chance to upset some people. I wanna have some good games. I wanna feel good about what we're gonna see. Ryan: Even Hugh Breeze, you know, he fires me up with his locker room speeches I see on TikTok. You know. Mm hmm. Chandler: I mean, I think the perfect coach that's doing that this year, and granted it's not a program that really needs to have a huge amount turned around, is Lane Kiff in L SU. I think his media presence is extremely bought in. He's engulfed the L S U culture in the program and he s says all the right things in the media, whether you whether you like him or not, he's he's a he's a hot spot in the media and I mean he preached the whole time in the media days. The the ability to roster build, the ability to recruit, the ability to play at a high level, like he believes in those three core things to take L S U back to competing in postseason play. And Aaron: No, I agree with you here. if whether or not you like Lane Kiffin is do it doesn't matter to respect his ability to get on mic that he went long on media days, which you know that says something because that means you're standing there weathering questions, you're doing it, you're dragging stuff out. He knows the power of media coverage. And I I mean, even to the point where it's like he knows how to play it. I I was telling you guys before the show started, my favorite thing he came out with is they're like, Do you have any regrets and apologies from Ole Miss? And he's like, I, you know, I apologize, old Miss Past is problematic. Could I have handled a little better? Sure. And it's like, it's like, man, he knew how to like both not apologize for it, but like make it both. He's knowing how to glaze it over. And is Ole Miss gonna forget? No, they're not. They're gonna absolutely try to kill him. Three weeks into the season, but it is still something that it's like he knows how to get that eased from the media perspective. And as you said, he's bought into the program. He's talking the talk. There's no family moment here where he's just an obvious misfit to the culture. He is ready for LSU to embrace him and he's ready to embrace LSU. Ryan: Well, he loves media coverage, obviously. He's always trying to be in the Aaron: yeah. Ryan: spotlight. But I think the difference with all the coaches is you got the Kentucky guy, you got Sumra, you got Golish, they're all talking so big. But Giffen's actually been there and he's actually done this before in the SEC. They're all saying how they're gonna do in the SEC, they've done these other conferences. But last year he took that old miss team, he only had two returners on the entire team and pretty much brought them there. I know he left before the playoffs. But he's really done it at the highest level. You know, he can do it again. These other guys are hoping they can do it at this higher level. They've done it at another place. But they're all talking the same. But he's really done it. I think he can back it up. So I like that a lot. Aaron: Yeah. I mean he does have every media platform putting him in like that top five position in the SEC. Like so whether or not the team lives up to that expectation, they at least believe it in the in the media narrative. Chandler: What is crazy though is he d he really doesn't have I mean, obviously he got got the old miss team there before he left. He doesn't have any postseason credentials. Like he doesn't have a lot Aaron: No, none of them. Chandler: of them as a head coach. So it's it's like he's he can win. He turned Ole Miss around, yes. But postseason credentials of what you want to pay these big name coaches for doesn't really have a lot. He really is just beating the right information in and he has proven he can do it in the regular season. But I'll be curious to see like at a at a higher stakes program like LSU if he can really get to that postseason play and win some games and go make some runs. Aaron: Yeah, that'll be the you know, shut up the haters milestone is if he gets to postseason and wins in the postseason, not the whole thing, just a win, because at that point he can say, See, I got it. But if he gets to it and, you know, has a Texas AM moment where it's like you get there, but you don't win, and then you're right back to it. Where, you know, I know I i it's not a pot shot at AM because Elko didn't make these claims. He just got there and didn't didn't make it to that next level. But it people will say like Kiffin's got that potential to go all the way. And it's like he hasn't yet. He literally got up to the door and was like, I think I'm gonna go to a different house now. Ryan: I mean, I don't think Olmus ever won ten games before he was there. Like they were always middle low. Yeah, this thing they were Aaron: No, no, that he has taken him to a historic high. Chandler: No, and that's great, yeah. Yes. Yes. Ryan: always middle low. He brought them up. He was on the Nick Saban, Alabama thing. Like he's been in like really high spaces and like done it before. Chandler: Yes. Ryan: That's what I'm saying. I feel like he's almost proven himself before. They probably would have done better in the postseason if he was there last year. Like something I think they should have beat Miami if Kewan Lacey didn't get hurt. So it came down to last play and he almost caught in the back of the end stuff that. Like Aaron: And I I'd Chandler: Yes. Aaron: say that's where there's room for discussion of whether he left Ole Miss too soon. Could he have pushed I mean, we saw them up against Miami, they still did really, really well, which means they had potential to go the distance. And if you do that, does that open up more of a platform for him? But I think he made the call for the job he wanted. you know, he took the getting while the getting was good. And you know, he didn't leave my program, so I'm not gonna blame him for that. Ryan: He almost seems like he wanted to grow more though. Like 'cause if you go to Ole Miss, it's gonna be like people in a long time are gonna be like, look at Lane Kippin, what he did for us fifty years ago, and they have to build up their facilities and he's like there's kind of a ceiling here. LSU, it's literally limitless. We have all the facilities, all the money, all the boosters, all the tradition already. I'm just gonna walk in and if I can win here, it's gonna be better somehow than if I win it all miss It seems limitless there, I think to him. Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: Well what's funny is I don't know I don't know which well, do you guys have anything else on L S U? Okay, 'cause it I gonna segue to Ole Miss guy because his comment was directly shooting at Lane Lane Kiffin. And you're gonna have to Aaron: Yeah, yeah, yeah, go for it. Chandler: coach whistle me again because I'm gonna direct quote this. So I don't know how the order shook out of w when Ole Miss versus LSU had their media days, because again, didn't watch live. But Pete Golding was asked to give his take on tampering during media day, and I'm gonna read a direct quote from you. So he says coaches were under contract. You don't think ADs are calling us during the year? Same ones bitching about this stuff are the same ones calling coaches to come to their schools. So I mean he's directly throwing a shot at the A D's for LSU, the ADs associated with all the lane kiff and stuff, and in Clemson, Aaron: And Clemson. Yeah. And Chandler: all this particular people. Yeah. So i it's wild that he's I I Pete Golding to me has been such like a breath of fresh air in the non BS way in the media. Like he just shoots it straight. He doesn't fluff anything, Aaron: It I Chandler: he just says it. And I love it. Aaron: And I I'm I hate to say this about an old miss coach. I agree with you completely. I love the takes. I think he feels like a coach who has nothing to lose. Like he walked into a no-win scenario, proved his medal a little bit, still took a good team, a good distance. And like he's carrying a chip on his shoulder of something. And now that like Clemson's coming after him, like it's player tampering, it's player tampering. And he's like, Everyone's player tank. You want to open up Pandora's box? Because we can. And you know, we can penalize every school out there for everything that everyone else is doing. And I I'm like, he's like, I'm not admitting that I did anything. I'm just saying, if anybody's doing anything, everyone's doing anything. And it's like that. I like this. I I like the energy. I like his kind of like. Not even sugarcoating it. I'm not media Chandler: No. Aaron: friendly at all. I'm more just like, you know, I'm gonna get Chandler: And Aaron: up here, I'm gonna say my piece, and I'm gonna step down. Chandler: think about Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacey. Those guys had offers to go elsewhere, I'm sure, behind the scenes. And think about how locked in they are to back their coach and go in this season and and try to make another run. Like it it speaks volumes to what he's doing in that program to be able to retain those kind of guys. Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: And granted it might have not been crazy hard because they probably have a bad taste in their mouth, just like the rest of their program does, but there was some players that followed him to LSU. So for them two to stay and it it's it's gonna be a cool season. Aaron: It is. Like I said, I'm week three. That's gonna be that's that's my game of the season. I can't wait. And I've you know, if it's not the egg bowl, I'm not excited for all miss games, but I am this year. But Ryan: I've almost is growing on me. They kinda remind us remind me of Auburn in the way. They're kinda like a smaller, like rural area kind of school. I know we've done better in the past, but like I don't know. I have some c sort of like sentiment there with them and I really like that Jackson Dart period. They've been growing on me a lot recently. Aaron: Now, I'm gonna cut off any of this further Ole Miss Sympathies. Like we you know, I I'm not gonna let you guys get away with this or bump Ryan: Sorry, sorry, sorry. Aaron: up Oliver's program till he earns it. So right now you're with us. yeah. No, no, I Chandler: Yeah, he wanted he wanted to make sure he threw an Auburn an Auburn compliment in there too. I mean they're not quite as good as Auburn, you know, historically, but they're growing on me a little bit. Aaron: just I just can't let us become a pro sympathied old miss podcast. Ryan: No, I get it. I get it. Aaron: but I will say it it he's doing such a good job that it is affecting me. Like as a as a Mississippi State guy, I I don't know how he's that good at just getting on mic and convincing me that I'm like, maybe I don't hate Ole Miss this season. And that's that's amazing. That that's something really well handled. And I think he is just proving it over and over again. And not buckling, not not intimidated by any of this. No, as I was mentioning earlier, with just the overall conversation rhetoric that we saw from the coaches here with Golden or with Golden coming out, just very aggressive. I felt like Kirby Smart when it was because he was one of the early presenters. he came out swinging too, where it was just like, no nonsense. I think somebody even asked him, like, you know, what are you doing with receivers? And like, how are you dealing with? you know, deficits in the program and things like that. And Kirby's like, I just tell him whatever you're asking. Like, I tell whatever dumb questions you guys got and say, Do you want to prove these guys right? You know, basically boiling down to throwing it right back in their face. I think he's basically like, if you're Down Georgia, have you watched college football in the last 10 years? Chandler: Yeah. Aaron: like we're gonna come out here and play serious football. We're gonna fix the things that we weren't great on last year. And we're gonna do the things that we do great even better this year. And it's like, okay, that's a solid, non-committal, like we're focusing on the fundamentals kind of interview with a coach, but he came out confident. And I I just didn't really have any notes on it. Like I just felt like that's a football coach coming out and selling his program without a doubt. Chandler: I mean he has two Ryan: Yeah, like Chandler: national championships post twenty twenty, back to back. Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. Chandler: And they're consistent postseason players. He has consistent transfer portal halls, consistent recruiting halls, like i they're always top ten. You can't really knit that's like fine tooth combing, like stuff to nitpick for a media day. So I mean, I think he handled it well, like you said. Aaron: Yeah, you can only read Ryan: Yeah. Aaron: so many articles about yourself that's like, is Georgia falling? Are are they no longer as good as they once were? And it's like, what are we what are we basing this on? Ryan: He's like, we're the best. how many photo things do y'all have? We have like six, you know? Come rec come over Chandler: That was funny. Ryan: to our recruiting place. But I'm not a big fan of Kirby, you know, but I like how real he is you know, it's just frustrating to see him do good all the time. But that's better motivation to actually have him to prove something wrong than Elko going, Hey, go look at her empty trophy case. What'd you say? You said that, yeah? Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. I I we'll bring that up when we go to Texas, Texas A side of the woods. Ryan: Okay, sorry. Sorry, you can cut that. Aaron: No, no, no, it's fine. Chandler: That is funny. The thing Ryan was talking about, Marcus, I'm I'm not gonna be able to say his last name right. Fakatu, I believe is how you say it. He's a defensive lineman that Ohio State got, but he was between Ohio State and Georgia, and Kirby was like, how many photo op stands did Ohio State have? And he like, don't know, like one or two. And then Kirby was like, we have six, like We have we have o a plethora of so much more stuff to offer over here. I was like, Wha why is that your pitch? Like you're not coming over Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: here to be like models on on some magazine. Ryan: Mm mm. Aaron: Hey. That's what we do at Mississippi State. That's where we're shooting the TikToks. Ryan: Mm-hmm. Chandler: Nebraska's is horrible. I don't want to throw Shane at Nebraska, but holy moly, And Ryan: Is it a cornfield? Chandler: no something other than SEC football, man. No players. Aaron: That's not SEC fans' jobs. We know SEC ball and that's it. Ryan: gonna pretend like I don't know his name so that you have to look him up 'cause I don't I don't watch Big Ten this week. Chandler: He's not on Big Center. He's a high school kid. Ryan: Yeah, I know. Chandler: Retailer. Aaron: Taylor. Ryan: I knew that. Aaron: keep up with no high schoolers. I'm too old to Google search any high school age children. It's problematic if I Google search them. So Chandler: Alright, okay. Ryan: John loves researching high schoolers. John loves looking them up all the time. He knows them. That's my guy. Chandler: Yeah, but but on the on the photo shoot vein, Trey Taylor, the Nebraska quarterback commit, it it looked like they put like a circle rug on the floor and like gave him like a red balloon, like you like the it clown or something. Ryan: Ha ha. Chandler: Like it was it was the craziest photo shoot set I've ever seen. And I don't know if they have more, but it was the most bland thing that you could offer. But again, it's Nebraska. But like they got him somehow, so I don't know. Paid him a lot of money. Ryan: Who was the other one? Was it Team Up North? They put them in a white room and painted them? What was that? Do you know what I'm talking about? They splattered paint all over them? Yeah, that's so Chandler: I think so, yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Ryan: creative. Yep. Chandler: It's I mean but like Aaron said with the TikToks, it's what kids care about. They they they Aaron: I mean, part of it's spectacle. I mean, it is it is something where you can wow somebody, especially you take a good media photo of somebody in high school. If you would have taken a good photo of me, I looked great, it would have gone a long way. And yeah, I Chandler: That's all the time. Aaron: I yeah, as a thirty five year old man, you take a nice photo of me now. And I'm like, Wow, I look handsome here. I'll probably sign for a timeshare or something. Chandler: Ha ha ha ha. Aaron: Yeah. w transition that to Texas. Chandler: Yeah, we're Florida. Don't know if you want anyone to go for. Florida I don't have much, but Aaron: Yeah, it's we'll go to Texas. Yeah. Ryan: Go Texas, Florida ain't nothing. Aaron: Florida ain't none. you hate Summerall so much. Chandler: We can have Ryan talk about Florida. Yeah, I know. For no reason. And then and then Ryan: Dude, no, he's just like down two more. Chandler: and then Taylor was like, I think he's gonna be great. Ryan's like, okay, yeah, he could probably be pretty good. Ryan: I like him way more than Dante Moore though. Aaron: Do you hate him? He's terrible. I've heard he's terrible. Chandler: Darian Minsa, number four quor Ryan: 'Cause at least with Summerall like we don't know yet. At least with summer all we don't know yet. Chandler: Darian Minsa is the number four quarterback this year, according to CBS. Ryan: He's gonna do great, stats wise. He's gonna throw like four thousand yards or something, stats wise. Doesn't mean as much. Means less in the ACC. Aaron: Everything means less in the ACC. Football, life. Money. Ryan: This is this. Aaron: Kirby's a veteran at this point, you know, that's why I think they queued him up first. It's just like get get the guy who you know is gonna give you a good opener, get the press on get the press moving. You know, next up we got Sark, I would say up there is another veteran. So what was y'all's impressions of Texas's appearance here? Chandler: To me it's funny because they always bring up like in the media a ever since they opened with Ohio State last year, they always bring up like, like schedule harder people, schedule this, schedule that. And then he always counters is like if we don't play Ohio State, we're ten and two, we go to the playoffs. And then this year it's funny because like all the comments were like, well, you just shouldn't have lost to Florida. If you could lose to Ohio State, just don't lose lose to Florida and then you're fine. You're still ten and two But i the main questions it was him, Arch Manning, and I forget the other two players that came up there. But the main questions they were asking were like the confidence levels of Arch Manning coming into the season, like how did he how's he gonna deal with adversity from last season? And I think they shot it as straight as they could. They're like, Yeah, Arch is like Confident in his identity now. He trusts himself. He has a gear under his belt as a f as a full time starter. He's a fourth year guy now. The he they he said he's a dangerous player this year after having a year starting. So I mean I tend to agree. I think he has a lot of weapons around him now, especially Cam Coleman. I'm excited to see a Cam Coleman, Jeremiah Smith, opposite side of the ball matchup. It's gonna be a a great offensive day, hopefully. but I think Arch kinda caught his stride late last year, and I think this year he's probably gonna be a top five, top three quarterback in the country if he plays the way he should. I think he has all the intangibles Ryan: Yeah. Chandler: to do that. Ryan: Yeah, I think he's gonna be pretty pretty amazing. I think he really picked it up then last year. I know that's like the big narrative. I'm not trying to push a narrative here. But I think he has a lot of potential to actually do good. I think Cam Coleman will be the second best receiver in the country. Except for that first league, he's gonna get clamped up by Devin Sanchez. Other than that, he's gonna be crawling his way back to that number two spot behind Jeremiah. But I'm so sad to see him leave, man. I know they said not Chandler: Yeah. Ryan: to look back or whatever. Like, man, this works like Kevin Durant, you know. Just snaked us out. Chandler: But Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: Sark did say like his the thing he kept coming back to was they're gonna bounce back, they're gonna be competing for SET championships again, they're gonna compete compete in postseason play again, like they're he's gonna solidify himself as a postseason coach. And Ryan: They will. Chandler: I I'm I'm excited to see if he can do that because I do like him as a person and as a coach. Like he's a he's a fun guy to listen to He hasn't rubbed me the wrong way in the media at all. Like he's he's a good personality. He recruits well. So I think he has the tools to be able to do it. And I think this is the best roster he's had in a while. In a senior senior Aaron: Yeah, Chandler: wise. So Aaron: it is something that I am surprised at the media side of things talking about because like questioning Arch Manning or questioning Arch Manning does feel like just clipbait. And it it's like we did see him last season. He did show up like later in the season, Arch Manning was showing tons of potential, showing good game sense, developing. And that's really all we're asking for out of a young quarterback. So I get it, media overpushed him, you know, but you can't hold that against him, as I've said before. My question is, you know, Texas I think has the potential to go far, maybe not all the way, but they can go far if they're healthy. Because nobody's questioning the lack, the depth that we're seeing out of Texas. Great position once, like fantastic, probably one of the best. Just overall talent across the board, across position one. But then we don't have a lot of follow-up that we've heard about, that we've seen. We we we just don't know how deep that roster goes to be able to fill in something like, you know, a Cam Coleman injury. If Arch gets injured, what's the backup plan? If we lose linemen, if we lose defensive players, Like, where are we keeping that momentum for? And nobody wants to see an injury. Like nobody wants any season to be over due to that. But it is something, you know, ask FSU, what does a late season injury look like if you don't have proven metal behind it to follow up and play for that playoff spot? Ryan: It's hard nowadays. I feel like you look at those guys like Alabama and Texas and Ohio State pre NIL transfer era, it's like all of them you have five stars on five stars. You just have guys ready to come in at all the time that just they're not even good enough to play and they'd be a start at every other school. But those guys are the ones that transfer nowadays to go start another school. I feel like a lot of the teams actually start to lack depth. I think it is kind of a huge issue though, because like, yeah, most of the teams Your number one guy goes down, it's kinda over. At Auburn, we're so bought into Byron Brown. If he gets hurt, kinda over. No one's talking about that. So it is kind of a thing to worry about, but I think you just gotta pretend like not gonna happen. Hope it doesn't happen. I don't know. Aaron: Well, a and I mean I think the quite the difference between Auburn is nobody's projecting Auburn to go all the way. Of it it's Ryan: Yeah. I know it. Aaron: the unfortunate reality of it of like if we're talking about national championship, you do have to be a hundred percent. Like you're not gonna win with eighty. Yeah. Ryan: Yeah, but like we didn't have that. Like we didn't have the huge depth. We'd play Alabama and it's like, Josh Jacobs is too bad a play on your team, okay, let's send him to the drafts first first round, you know. It's like stupid. Aaron: Yeah, and this isn't something I'm knocking Texas for. Because right now with the current eligibility statuses and we have twenty six year olds, we have old players, that's gonna yeah, build your team around that. That's gonna Ryan: Mm-hmm. Aaron: be better than you know, a strangely talented eighteen year old. You've got mass, you've got size, you've got development, maturity, all on your side, and you can get those players to come play for you, you know, whether or not there's back channel discussions about it that Glimson's claiming. But it's still something that it's it's part of it. But I do think when now that we have five for five, that changes that. You don't have that age disparity between your starting lineup and a backup. Also the transfer I think tightens up to like, well, I've I've earned some time here. If something happens there I'm starting over in a new program. I don't have much time to burn. So Chandler: Well, I've been a firm believer this whole time and a as NIL keeps ramping up that recruiting out of high school, a lot of people are saying that it's like dwindling, it's not as important because you can just go shop in the portal, you can go do all these things. But high school kids still are gonna cost you a lot less money now than a proven three, four year guy in the transfer portal. And all these like star power, five star guys, transfers that are that are coming over to all these different programs. So you have to find that blend of like, I'm still gonna recruit and develop these players. And like linemen are a good example because a lot of them don't expect to come right out of high school and play because you just have to get bigger, you have to get stronger, you have to get that man's strength of playing college football. So those kind of position pieces, it's easy to build that depth if you can build that rapport with the recruiting staff. And get those people in your program and bought in and just stay and develop through, which is harder nowadays, but I still think that the top end programs have found a blend of we still have the depth somewhat because we've had people bought in throughout the recruiting process and not transferred, know their time's coming, and they haven't just unloaded a ton of money in the transfer portal. So it it's a it's a blend. Aaron: Yeah, I mean i I I completely agree with you because it is something people keep knocking it. Recruiting isn't as important. And it's like every program that's at that top level, you know, your Georgia, your Ohio State, they have such a heavy emphasis on recruiting. Like they have such they they're looking for true talent coming out of high school and then finding ways to keep them. And it's like, are they spending eight million dollars on a player to come transfer? on a hope? you know, are they playing a a player that's not even gonna play for their team? That's this season's like, you know, seems to be metric of like how many teams bought in a multi-million dollar player and that player will not see a down of football with them. And that is something that it's like you can do all that. It's not necessarily going to get you the full distance. Chandler: No. And I mean, i especially w Ryan: Yeah. sorry. Chandler: with how long the season is. You have to have a two, three, four deep roster, especially in the trenches, especially in your in your high impact positions. Like if your running backs, your trench players, like those are your people that are gonna get beat up. Your quarterbacks, even ev even in that situation. I mean, that's a little harder to find good backups. But your players that you're getting banged up every single time, your linebackers, all those kind of people, if you don't have depth then you fall off quick. And That's what I mean, obviously Ohio State fan. I've appreciated what Ryan Day's done. He's done a great job doing it. I think like this year with quarterbacks, they're pretty solid. I mean if Julian goes down, God forbid, Tavian, he could be the guy. And in the in the line they're three, four deep. I mean they're they've he they've done a good job developing depth. And I think that's the recipe for postseason play with the how many games there are. And if it keeps expanding, it's gonna be even more so the case. Ryan: Yeah, and I feel like I've done good with keeping depth. I think there is a good thing to it nowadays where there's a mix. There's certain coaches that do better at developing players. There's coaches that do better at transferring. You look at Lane, I know he's been in a weird situation, but you know, last year, this year, fully just flipped his roster both times. All transfers. And then you have Dabba, who like only gets people out of high school, you know, it doesn't doesn't tend to them very well. But you know, y'all have been doing a great thing. There is something to it seems like there's been success in getting these guys out of high school developing And then when you have a hole, someone gets hurt, someone leaves, someone's not as good as you think, going to the transfer, getting a key guy to fill those gaps every year. There is something to that. And it keeps some kind of loyalty there too of like, I'm gonna get these guys, I'm gonna develop you're gonna play. It and it's been pretty good. So I think that's kind of the the recipe maybe. Chandler: True. And as the postseason games climb, like if they add to 16 teams, if they go to 24 teams, it's just going to be even more important. I mean, you can't have a one deep quarterback room or a three deep wide receiver room to make a run or two offensive tackles. Like like you Aaron: I mean the SEC's gonna show us this year like Chandler: have to have depth. Aaron: Yeah. I mean, having nine Ryan: Yeah. And also the sorry. Aaron: conference games, we're gonna we're gonna beat up players. I mean, it's gonna be hard to keep everybody healthy. And that's where you're gonna need that. You're gonna need to pull guys to a backup Chandler: Absolutely. Aaron: just to give them rest. Ryan: also you're talking about the the trench guys a lot of the o offensive defensive linemen we've just like shown recently that they've been super good Chandler: Mm-hmm. Ryan: when they're like older and more developed it takes a long time to actually get that big and like get filled out in that frame not just be like fat you know so but Chandler: Yeah. Of course. I mean you can't be three fifty in high school. I mean you can, but Ryan: Yeah, I know. So Aaron: No. Ryan: Yeah, so a lot of those guys are getting developed and then transferring into roles, but like I think they have to develop. It's like things like that. You gotta get these guys, you gotta develop The high school piece is really good. You can't just count on getting all these guys out of the portal getting lucky every year. Aaron: Well, and you need time because I mean college football, NFL football, it's in the trenches. That you win in the trenches. It's it's there's just no question. Is it exciting to watch? No. But is it the most key and valuable piece of your game? Yeah. And you have to teach Ryan: Yeah. Aaron: how a player I you can't really just walk in to a scheme on the line. You have to learn that motion. You have to learn how to communicate with your teammates because a lot of it Is slight motion, communication, picking up a lot of it's improv for them. You can have a motion, you can have a direction, but you're playing what the defense gives you, and they have to make those decisions amongst themselves in that moment because you know, defensive schemes spend the entire time camouflaging what they're gonna do to the line. And that is something that I think it takes that maturity, it takes it, but if you're developing it. you know how the guy next to you is going to react and that allows you to act with confidence and certainty and you have less, you know, untouched DNs hitting the quarterback. It's something where it's like you need to shore that up. Chandler: Hey. Ryan: You should have a guy run a little stunt and you're like ho no you know like Yeah Aaron: Yep. I thought this guy was gonna pick up and you know. Chandler: Well to to pull on that same thread, out of high school, there's a lot of I mean, you don't have the talent spread across like you do in college. If if you're in a high school offense that's running an air raid offense or a spread offense or an RPO offense or whatever they're doing, the blocking schemes and your play style is gonna be different. So if Aaron: yeah. Chandler: you're if you've only ever been in an RPO style offense, then Everything every other style of offense that you're gonna be able to run is gonna be harder for you to adapt to. So it's gonna take those developmental years to be able to have that scheme. And then you throw in offensive coordinator turnover and coaching turnover and and roster turnover and all that kind of different stuff. There's a big learning gap to learn in that in the trenches positions. So there's a lot of learning curve coming from high school to college. Ryan: Yeah, and it is weird. High school offenses are so weird. You'll have like half the teams are like, We have one really good guy. We're gonna give him the ball every single play. Just block for him. Block for him. Chandler: And they play everywhere. Yeah. Yep. Aaron: Everywhere. Yep. Chandler: And that's not good for going to the college level. I mean you're gonna learn that he's a good player, but then you have to teach him, okay, you're not gonna play eight different positions when you come to this program. Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. That running back who's Ryan: Yeah, this is it's terrible. You push down an eighth grader. Aaron: yeah. Chandler: Yeah. Aaron: It's like he's making twenty yards on average a play as running back. And it's like, yeah, but they don't tackle with their arms here. So like like you're not gonna be able to, they're gonna, Chandler: They only kick. Aaron: they're gonna lay you out and they have to learn it. And there's plenty of those, but it is something that you're never gonna get away from it. And making a patchwork monster of a team isn't gonna guarantee you postseason success. If your conference, if your schedule lines up, it might get you there, but it's not necessarily gonna get you all the way. Chandler: But speaking of trench play, for Auburn, I mean they replaced five starters in the offensive line. And the big question mark this offseason was the offensive line. And Golish flat out came out and said that the offensive line play in that position group, he's been the most proud of. Out of all the different position groups on the field. And he's preached the whole like the E2C when he when Kyle came on and talked to us, they're gonna run the piss out of the ball. And that offensive line group sounds like they're bought into that and they've been working their tail off to be able to produce those kind of numbers that they want to be able produce on the ground. So I it was very reassuring to me as an outside fan perspective and supporting Ryan and his Auburn journeys that I mean that was immediately right out the gate he he expressed that he's very, very proud of what they've done this off season. Ryan: I think that's great because I mean he had that the speech, the I'm worried, pray for me about our offensive line. Cause we had a couple of guys stay, you know, we got a lot of transfers, but it was one of those scenarios like you get all these good talented offensive linemen, help them play the same position, you know, who's gonna fit where kind of thing. And I think that drives a lot of a lot of like competition and and that's gonna make people better. So that was pretty good. I think that they didn't look bad at A Day and him saying that's pretty reassuring. I'm still worried about our offense. I saw a clip on Instagram and they were just clamping up the receivers. Like Keyshawn Singleton, clamped up. Like everybody. Didn't look good. So I don't know if those were nitpicked. I always feel really good about stuff. Chandler: Well, he d Gullish also did say that good or bad, them lining up against DJ Durkin's defense every single day has highlighted good and the flaws in their schemes, but he said offensive line specifically that they're schematically light years ahead of where they were during A Day and that they are healthy Ryan: I know, I know, that's great. Chandler: and have good depth. And those are two things that you need. Ryan: And it's great. And Aaron: Which Ryan: that's what I'm saying. It brings up worries for me. Like just everything. My whole team just makes me worry. But the offensive line, that is not something you want to be worried about. We're worried about Byron Brown. You know, we're not gonna see Byron Brown if we don't have a an offensive line. I feel real Chandler: Yeah. If he has time with a great offensive line, you're good. Ryan: Yeah, and I feel real good about Durkin. I think the best thing coming away from that is Golash just kept preaching like, I'm bringing the culture. He's like, I don't even like culture. that's kind of an overused word. I wanna come in here, I wanna have the most physical team. I want us to fight. This is SC V football. I think that is S C football. It's one in the trenches, it's aggressive, it's fast paced, you know, you wanna be the most violent guy. You wanna metaphorically punch it in the mouth, as you always say, Aaron. And I think that was very good, especially on defense. And I feel like Durkin's been so good at that. You put a little fire under Byron Brown, you know, let him run over a couple guys. I love that. Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. And I I also think to me it shows a media presence of Goalish to go out there and accept critique and know these were the questions they're gonna ask me about. I'm not only do I have a statement for it, but I have answers for those. Like I I got it. I get that hey, we're ha we had O line questions. Here's what we've accomplished O line. Here's what we've accomplished here. Here's what we have done to get better. And you know, bringing up somebody like not only saying like, hey, we've made strides there, but being like Durkin challenged us in ways we couldn't have thought about pre setting everything up. So now that was a bless and it's like you've just threw such a compliment out to the defensive side of the ball. That it's like, wow, that's so reassuring to see. That's something where you're getting everything positive that you can out of that experience because most of the time a coach is gonna go up there and say, Yeah, we hope to play four downs, you know, four down football, focus on our fundamentals. Hopefully we're gonna score more team points than the other team. And, you know, this was something where it's like I felt like we came with a lot more for that this year. SEC felt like it got some fire in its belly. And Goalish was one of the new ones that I felt. rose up to that. Ryan: Mm-hmm. And I like that. You kinda gotta bring that a little I like how real he is, but then he also has like a lot of passion and confidence behind him too. So I hope he can back it up a little bit. But I love how how excited he is about it. Aaron: We've come a long way from early on in our preseason when you said, I'm worried he's Chandler: Yes. Aaron: arrogant and now to like I I do think he has picked his presence well enough that it feels like it's gone from arrogance to passionate and optimistic. Like I I do feel like he's making Ryan: It i it is like Aaron: that shift. Ryan: yeah, I'm more worried it's a slight overconfidence now. Less arrogant. You know, it's growing on me. Everything's growing on me, but we'll see. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Aaron: Your coach should always be overconfident. I do think you sh Chandler: It's Aaron: it's better to be overconfident than underconfident. Chandler: It's good though because when you have sidebar conversations with the media and your current players on your roster and not coaching staff people that have to push this not saying it's a narrative, but you have to push the the rainbow and and and flowers and aspect of your program. When you have the players saying the same thing and you have your offensive lineman come into the media and you sa they're saying, I'm like I'm proud of this group, we're working our tails off, we're ready to rock and roll, like he wants to run the ball, we're gonna run the ball. Like we're gonna we're we're excited to show you. And even like Byron Brown, he he directly was like, I like what this offensive line's doing. But then he also, which was interesting, Sam Turner, Byron Brown, like specifically name dropped. He was like he Ryan: Yes Come on. Chandler: he has been giving a lot of high praise Sam Turner. He was battling injury last injury last year. He's gonna have a full year ahead of him. Not a lot people know who he is. He was like I think he's an elite route runner. He's super good in and out of his breaks. Like he was just seeing like from the Top of the mountain for Sam Turner. So I like, Ryan's gonna love this and then Golish doubled down when Byron was talking about it and was like, Yeah, like Sam Turner, like it's he's gonna be a fun guy to watch. So I don't know. I mean it it's like they're they're listening to the podcast, I think, when the when they're when Aaron: Yeah. Ryan: This is great. I kept telling y'all, if the right guys are in, we're be really good. Like Chandler: And I'm surprised Ryan didn't bring that up. I probably stole it from you, so I apologize. But that was I was exc I was excited to say that because I I Ryan: No, you're good. You're good. You good. Chandler: I saw that on the play and I like, this is what Ryan wants. Ryan: I love that. And I know Byron could say it all day and Golish still couldn't put him in. But the fact Golish didn't brush over like he and Deshaun Spencer at eight day, he was they're babies, you know. The fact he didn't blow over it seems some kind of good thing, like I'm gonna put him in, you're gonna see him play. 'Cause he is supposed to be like so good. We didn't get to see him at all last year. Chandler: Yeah, he agreed. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah, 'cause he was hurt like yeah, he w he was hurt at the beginning of the year and yeah. Ryan: Yeah. Also, no one's talking about Eccles. I want to see Eccles. That tight end. I love me some tight end play. You know, he's like a Kyle Pitts build. Love that. Aaron: To give a mouse a turner here. You get you get one player you want to see and now you want another one, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Ryan: Sorry, sorry. Well he came from USF. He'll play. He's already in the roster. Chandler: Yeah, Ryan, do you wanna do you wanna see it all? I mean, come on. You want your team to succeed in all aspects of the offense? Come on. Ryan: Yes. All right. Enough Auburn talk for the day. Sorry. Aaron: Ha ha Chandler: No, no, that was good. Aaron: Wow, that's a that's a rare statement on this podcast. Yeah. Chandler: Clip it. Aaron: Hold him to it. Ryan: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Chandler: No, to to wrap up Auburn, I out of all and I'm not saying this because Ryan is a co-host, because Ryan knows that I will shoot him straight and I won't I won't butter him up. But out of all the as the media days I listened to in the SEC, I felt very confident with the delivery of Goalish and the players that were speaking. I have never really heard Byron Brown talk and I was very confident with what he was saying, how he was delivering it. And his confidence on the overall team. So and you pair that with how Goalish was praising DJ Durkin's team and he was like, We believe that we're going against one of the best defenses, if not the best defense in the country every single day in practice. Like we're getting what we need, like to be able to be successful this year. So I heard all the right things as a non-Auburn fan to be able to like, okay, like I'm I'm excited to watch that season unfold because there's a lot of pieces that are there that could lead them to a great place. And I think that if they Ryan: sorry. Chandler: Put all the people in the right place, they could blow the seven winds out of the water easily and go way up. Ryan: Yeah. Byram is so eloquent. Like I love to hear him talk. he's one of those guys though, like, if you gotta make somebody good, he'd be a really good guy. Like, he's really humble and seems great. But I just gotta see it happen. You know, I don't want him to just feed us Chandler: Mm-hmm. No, me too. Ryan: a bunch of stuff and it not happen. But all the stuff they're saying, it all sounds wonderful. So if like half of it could happen, that'd be great. You know? But they all do seem to be the same page. He always talks about a elite and all that stuff. It's a little corny, but it's all like They're all on the same page. They're all bought in and you really need that in a locker room. Aaron: Absolutely. Like I think as a new head coach, it's one of your biggest hurdles. And the fact that he's kind of brought in an existing relationship with a lot of the USF guys and brought in the existing Auburn players to buy into that as well. I think I I just think it's gonna work out well for him. I think better than you'd expect. Chandler: Yeah. Ryan: Mm-hmm. Same. Aaron: And at least he makes you feel like it will. And that's great. Chandler: I hope so for the for Ryan: Fake it till you make it. Chandler: the for the betterment of this rack podcast. We can't Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: have one of three teams do well. We have to have at least two. Aaron: We're gonna. Ryan: Every single thing I've seen, Mr. State's beating us. So Chandler: I've seen that so much that you like you start off and you beat Aaron: It's so funny to me. Ryan: Yeah. Chandler: Tennessee and then you and then you go and you lose against Ryan: Yeah. Beat Florida, Tennessee, Alabama. Where's the Aaron: It it's a good transition to the Mississippi State Media Day. Which I've talked a lot about the narrative across the platform bringing SEC. I don't want to bash Lebby here for this because it's not who he is as a guy. His speech does stand out to me as it. didn't match the same energy and vibe. If you were the leader of this program, which I I I do think the talent they have, a lot of the the hopes that people have put in Mississippi State this season, I think there's good reason to. I think Arnett being there, an incredible piece that when Arnett was there, he's a challenge. he is somebody that is difficult. to plan for his scheme works very, very well defensively. And the biggest thing we lacked last year was defensive scheming and the ability to be flexible defensively and make big plays. So having the talent that we do, the new players that are coming in into the secondary, I think is gonna really, really transform what we saw defensively from them. Just felt like Levy didn't Articulate that in a way that presented this as like we could go a lot farther than 4.5 wins. And that was tough because I I felt like you need that. You need to be successful in the SEC, you have to be loud and confident, whether or not it's always deserved. But I I there was times there were some statements in there I didn't. feel like he brought everything he could. I think a question asks him like, What do you think about that really tough four game stretch in the middle? And he's like, To be honest, I really haven't thought about it. You know, we take it one week at a time here. And I was like, that's not you need to be worried about that four week stretch. That's a brutal season killing stretch that you could be facing four losses back to back. And how do you recover from that's what I want to hear. Not that You know, we just reset every week and hope the outcome on Saturday or on Sunday morning is a good outcome from Saturday. And it's like, yeah, you need to hope a bit more in the planning department because it's not something you need to hope to be successful for. You need to make sure you are, whether or not it's possible. Chandler: Well Ryan: some like Patrick Mahomes level media training right there and just tell you nothing. Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. Chandler: I'm a big offensive line guy. That's I I I love it. I love offensive line play. If it's good, it your your team is really fun to watch. And if it's bad, you're gonna know every single offensive lineman by by name by the end of the season. So for Jeff Lebanon to come out and say the offensive line in the secondary made the most improvements in the offseason. I like that. And then you double down and Kelly Jones comes on the mic and says He wants to be the best corner in the country and believes that with that secondary around him, he can win the Jim Thorpe award. And he also believes that the secondary has made huge leaps and bounds. So it seems like the players and when Kamario got on the mic, the players believe that they've made great strides this off season. And with him having his full Aaron: Absolutely. Chandler: first year as a starter. So it I would take the four and a half over every day of the week. Just listen to their press conference. Aaron: Yeah, with with that, because as you said, Kelly on the mic, I thought was that in like if Levy had brought a little more of that energy to it to match this, like, you Chandler: Mm-hmm. Aaron: know, yeah, the last two years don't reflect who we are as a program. This year will be the year you see Mississippi State as it should be, as it will be. And you know, because the players do believe it. The recruiting he duh has done is Chandler: Yeah. Yeah. Aaron: incredible. Like and bringing Zach Arnett means defensively we're gonna see some great talent and we're gonna be able to recruit great talent because we're gonna be performing well. But I just felt like there it didn't come across on the mic. It doesn't make me f worry for Mississippi State. It Chandler: Yeah. Aaron: makes me say somebody's gotta get Levy some PR training. A little bit of on mic experience because I feel like he's just bringing a coordinator's energy instead of the head coach. Chandler: Yeah. He did say though that this is the best roster he've ha he's had in three years at Starkville. So I mean it that's a positive statement. And I mean Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: maybe the bar was low. but Aaron: It it was. Chandler: at least he said it and maybe they'll step in the right direction. Aaron: Yeah. It just I don't think you can be bashful about success in the SEC. I think you just have to come out there, swing hard. And when you're in Levy's position where well, arguably in the hot seat, this is a make or break year. I think what does it hurt to be loud about it? What does it hurt to come out here and assuage a lot of the rumor and a lot of the worry and a lot of the where you can come out and just say you know, people have us as the underdogs this season. We love that position. Let's let's come out here and let's upset everyone. Let's, you know, let's be a shock to every week. Everybody that shows up to play us isn't ready for us. You know, I feel like that's where we saw a lot of these coaches do that and you walk away from that pumped up. You're like, yeah, let's do this. And I feel like if you're a player, you get to ride that energy. I I will say I did enjoy I the the positive thing I'll throw out here. Somebody asked him about the TikTok question. They're like, you know, you got some reports about the TikTok. If is if you do really well this season, will you show up one? And he's like, nope. not not even entertaining it. Like nope. Talk to Kelly about that. And I was like, yep, that's that's pretty good. That's funny. Like that's that's got some energy for it. Ryan: It's good. I mean, everything I'm seeing from y'all seems so promising. Like y'all seem like you could be very good this year. So I that's exciting. Aaron: I honestly that's the big question. To me, that is where Levy's in the hot seat because we do have everything. We have everything to be a successful SEC team because the talent we have, we have some freak talent. I think Kelly talking about being the best corner in the league. I don't necessarily think that's overshooting. I think he has that kind of potential. Ryan: Mm. Aaron: And if you have best in the league potential, whether it's Bothwell. Whether it's Camario Taylor, Ellie, whether it's, you know, anyone that we have there, how do you not find that success? If you don't, it means there's something at that higher level above the talent that is not clicking. And that's what we're gonna have to watch out for. And do I think do I feel better than when we did our over under? And I said I have to take the under here. Do I think we can get? A five win season, potentially. I'd love to see seven. If we get seven, I've turned completely around. I'm shocked and I'm a convert, but I do think it's going to be difficult because a lot of the issues I saw were game planning. I think second half football was very difficult for us. And a lot of times that's in your structure. Ryan: Game planning, y'all gonna fix that, you know. Y'all got the talent in this year though. I love Kelly. Kelly's my guy. Stick four corner, that's my thing. The only other one I know of in the SEC is like Dijon Lee, Dijon Mustard from Alabama. No thank you, you know. Kelly's my guy. Aaron: We're riding for Kelly. Ryan: Yeah. I have a weird obsession with six four corners. I don't know what it is. How's the always the smallest corner? I don't know. no, no. Not a weird way. Aaron: think they call that a fetish, right? Chandler: And if they have toilet paper involved. Aaron: Yep. Yep. Ryan: Go to Auburn. Aaron: Rap wrap a six four corner in toilet paper, you'll confuse Ryan. Ryan: Yeah, go to R and you can throw it on the tree after the game, you know? When you win 'cause we have a bunch of six four corners, you can't throw the ball. Or block us 'cause Aaron: Yeah. Ryan: we're too big. You know, it's too good. Aaron: But I think the biggest splash, other than the coaches and players that we saw, was when the SEC commissioner came out and gave his talk. The topic that I saw reach far and wide was a non committal answer to whether the SEC would break away from the NCAA. How do you guys feel about this of neither confirming nor denying? Ryan: Hm. Reminded me of some. The only thing I saw from Sumraw that I was like, This is really good He said when I was growing up there was three converses, the N F C, the AFC and the S C and I thought that was really good. Everyone online's trying to call all corny, but I thought it was pretty funny. Chandler: I just feel like if that actually happens it's just it it it's so petty. Like I it why would Ryan: Mm-hmm. Chandler: you break away? You're not gonna be able to compete in the postseason playoffs, you're gonna have your own tournament, like you're basically having your own little NIT like by yourself, and it doesn't mean anything for you to go play for any of those SEC schools anymore. Like you're gonna have it you're gonna be a national championship champion of the SEC, like awesome, great. Like It i but then it also takes away a ton from the actual postseason tournament and the national champion of the real college football playoff. So there's it doesn't make any sense. I mean I understand it, like if you take the SEC away then really then you just have the Big Ten and you have the ACC and the Big Twelve, like i it wouldn't be as monumental. But at the same vein it's just stupid because it's gonna be the same effect on their side. that nobody's gonna watch the SEC national championship. Aaron: And I think you hit the Ryan: What sorry? Aaron: nail right Chandler: That means nothing. Aaron: on the head. This is a pointless debate that was put up there. Because all the reactions we saw, is this mean SEC? Listen, we at Rack are not above clickbait material. You can't be if you are participating in this. But But by taking this with any kind of seriousness, you understand you're not showing any foresight, any premonition in any of this. They would never, because if the SEC breaks away, it's mutually a disured or mutually assured destruction for both. And that's why he made the statement. The SEC got done dirty this year. Everybody knows it. Every other conference knows it. And if he goes out there and says, No, we're not gonna ever break away, that's silly. He's now given up any chance in power to rectify some of these, to say, hey, the Big Ten needs to have nine conference games as well. If you know, whether whatever outcome we are to balance this, because right now, if if things stay the way they are, the SEC is at a disadvantage. And as the commissioner, he has to maintain leverage. So he can't say he is. He can't say he isn't. He's gotta leave it there. So when they go behind closed doors with lawyers, he can say, We won't break away as a clause. And that's a that's a leverage point that they get to use. But I don't believe for a second any member of the SEC is entertaining the idea of creating a new conference that me and Teal would watch. Ryan: No, it's it's not gonna be real thing. It's funny to joke about, but like we both need each other too bad. But it it is just like a stupid leveraging point. But it is like we are g kinda getting screwed over by only having nine games. Like at this point we might as well just play all twelve games against the SEC. Like that would literally just be the same thing as if they had their SEC thing. But yeah, the postseason play I know people argue that the Big Ten runs it, you know? It's been competitive with multiple conferences, but y'all would literally win every single championship every single year. Forever. If y'all if y'all were the only ones in there. Chandler: Yeah, I just it doesn't make any sense. It's j it it's like Aaron said, it's just a leverage thing. I if you if you have the SEC breakaway or any conference breakaway, it just it takes the seriousness away from the sport and the postseason play and the the postseason playoff structure and just like what college football is meant to be played for and it's just to win the national championship. You know, if all of a sudden you have these one off like, the SEC's gonna play for this championship And then, well now why is the Big Ten gonna stay and the Big Ten's gonna do their thing and now they have the Big Ten championship. Like it's just you're just having conference championships being elevated to a higher scale. And it j i it's a s it's a stupid argument in my opinion. I've always Aaron: It is. Ryan: Unless you're Calen De Boer. They actually asked Calen Nabor, coming after Nick Sabin, are you know, are you trying to do you have your eyes on a national championship? He No, I'm not trying to win national championship. He was being serious. He was like I'm not I'm not like looking that far ahead to win a national championship. Chandler: Speaking of Alabama though, it is funny, like in this past recruiting cycle, ten of the top ten Alabama recruits, state of Alabama, how many of them went to Alabama? Ryan: Like zero, right? Chandler: Zero. Zero of them went to Alabama. Ryan: They've been doing pretty bad. Chandler: So I like it doesn't it doesn't it doesn't make sense to me of where where things are going with Alabama, but we'll see. Ryan: Yeah. How about David Gabriel George? Aaron: Yeah, this this season's gonna have to be a correction for them. Like they're gonna it they're just gonna have to make strides in the ground game Chandler: Mm-hmm. Aaron: to to make Alabama reach back to Alabama standards. Because I as we've talked, I I don't necessarily see it as a Debor issue as much as a grub issue, but they he's gonna have to pull the plug at some point. He's gonna have to make these changes. And if he isn't, they're gonna come for him. They're gonna they're going to get rid of him if he can't change that. And I'll say I don't think it's this season, but it would be next season if they don't make stride or at least a change. Ryan: Yeah, like you look at like summer or not the summer off you look at Billy Napier and Hugh Freeze last year, it's like their offenses sucked. It wasn't like them really, it was an offensive issue, but it kind of was a them issue because they didn't fully give up that role. It's kind of the same issue. I feel like Calen Nabor won't give up Ryan Grubb. So like it's kind of a him issue, even though Ryan Grubb's the issue. Like they're kinda like a pair. You gotta get rid of if you wanna be good. For our sake, keep Aaron: For the Iron Bowl, he can stay. Ryan: Iron Bull, keep He can just coach the Iron Bowl every year. But how about David Gabriel George's getting a private jet, his uncle getting a Adidas sponsorship, whatever that Chandler: Did you hear that, Aaron? Aaron: I I mean that yeah, that's just the landscape now. Like we're gonna see those crazy things, and I'm sure it's not even gonna be the end of the craziness of it. But here's the thing nobody's making schools spend this kind of money. And the schools that are gonna wind up in trouble are the ones that are willingly doing it. They're escalating to this point. It's like Tennessee. Chandler: I mean, Tennessee has ruined their tiering of NIL in their locker room. This kid's making two Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: million a year plus has private jet access for his family to fly from Canada to Tennessee to watch games. His uncle has some Adidas deal because he's his translator. I mean it's it it's wild. So now you have a kid that's never taken a collegiate snap making six million dollars in three years and and Aaron: But it it's not even Tennessee's biggest fumble this season with the NIL. It's like they're just throwing money out. Chandler: Mm-hmm. Aaron: Like just here, take it. You're gonna play. And as I've said, I think Hypel is good at selling Tennessee's program. I think he's very good at convincing the Tennessee fan base that they are not an eight and four team. And yeah, and and they're gonna throw things at us because we say this. They're Chandler: No, they are an eight and four team though. They are eight and four every year. Aaron: they're vicious. but they're eight and four, and they're spending like that's gonna Chandler: Like they're Aaron: be a difference. And I I I will say my prediction for this season that Tennessee fans will be mad at is that you have spent all this money to end the season at eight and four. And that's it. You you could have ended eight and four without spending that money. You Chandler: Yeah. Aaron: could have saved it. but They did this. And Chandler: It's it's just the last thing I'll say, like I as an Ohio State fan, I mean it sucks not getting him, but also I I talked to Ryan about this a ton because he follows the crewing graciously j as much as I do with Ohio State and we I do the same with Auburn. But I wanted him, but you also have Bo Jackson, Isaiah West two more years as a tandem. You have Legend Bay back there, that's still who knows how you're gonna use him, he's a freshman. And you have Elijah Newman Hall coming in in twenty twenty eight, that's a four four star, almost borderline five star out of IMG in South Florida. That's a running back as well. So you have this room is loaded of w with talent. And if you're gonna come in there Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: and have to make a competitive offer with Tennessee and pay him a million plus, all you're doing is just making all these other great running backs that are in your program want more money and you're just gonna skew the the tearing of Of what's going on because he's not gonna come in next year and play behind he's gonna be behind he's gonna be third string or fourth string running back. Ryan: also he looks unstoppable in high school. I didn't know he was from Canada at first. I don't want a little French man on my team. The only Frenchman I know is Jarcles Hunter. Me and my dad used to be like, yeah, our little Frenchman Jarcles, haha, you know. I don't want an actual French kid on my football team. He didn't know how to play football. He probably grew up playing soccer or something. Aaron: Wait, can we're gonna clip this audience? I'm gonna hold this because once Auburn gets like a Jean-Luc Picard that's a five star, he th this is gonna completely change. Chandler: Right, they'd be like, This is the greatest guy ever. Aaron: Like, give me some S cargo. We're going to France. Like Chandler: Ha ha ha. Aaron: this is the shallowest French Chandler: We Aaron: hate that's ever existed. So just just know, audience, we're not standing by quietly and allowing This to go on, knowing that it would change in a heartbeat if a five-star showed up. Chandler: Of course. Aaron: But yes, continue with y French slander. Ryan: No, that's it. Cam Clone with French, I'd love Aaron: That's it. Yeah. But no, no, I I agree. Yeah, Chandler: That was a long episode. Aaron: epis or Ohio State pays people like they don't need them. Because they don't. Tennessee's out Ryan: That's true. Aaron: here like I will never see another running back in my life. I need to pay this man to come play for us. And it's i it's gonna get them in trouble. And like I said, it's a lot of money to go eight and four. so sorry, Tennessee. Chandler: No, I mean w Aaron: But that's your fate. Chandler: i they Ohio State has the number one offensive line recruiting class in twenty twenty seven. Why on earth would you Aaron: Yeah. You guys are gonna be fine. Chandler: not wanna come run behind that? That's like Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: your class that you're gonna be running behind the whole time. So it's strictly money. Like it's it's nothing else but money. Aaron: And and that is something where it's like Tennessee's the one standing up this season, like, we'll pay ya, we'll pay you as much money as we have. And we'll see how many eight wins they get because of it. So that'll only be something that Ryan: See which eight wins. Aaron: yeah, it doesn't matter to them. because that's what they're gonna end up with. So Ryan: Hm. Aaron: they won't make it to the postseason. They'll have four losses and it'll be fine. so That's but we'll only know if my putting myself out there to be hated by Tennessee fans will pay off as we get closer to the season, which will be next week for us as once we closer to season kicking off, which is coming up very quickly. I'm not even ready for it. but I can't wait. So we'll be back talking about college football next week. Well, I probably Chandler: And Big Ten Media Day. Aaron: won't be, yeah. I will be on my vacation. So I will leave football discussions in these two very capable hands. And of course as a coward I will dodge Big Ten any discussion of it. So have fun. Chandler: Ryan probably will too. It's probably just me talking by myself. Aaron: Yeah. Yeah, right. I'll be I didn't read any of that. yeah. Ryan: You can set up a dum I'll put a dummy in my chair and talk Aaron: Just just have like a little soundboard that says he's terrible every every so often. Chandler: Yeah. Aaron: But no, no, I I will be Yeah. Chandler: Did somebody say Dante Moore? Aaron: He's terrible. Dante Moore, he's terrible. but no, I will be up in Indianapolis attending Gen Con, so I'll be exhausted. I will be back after that week. And we'll also Chandler: Convenient. Aaron: be talking about college football that week as well. So look forward to that. if you have any comments, questions, critiques, things you want to bother these two with while I'm gone. Leave it in the comments, shoot it over in an email, tag us on social media. All those things help. Thank you all who have done it. Thank you of all that have followed and really pushing those short forms out there. It has been great. We're seeing huge success in a lot of that. And that is wonderful. We did cross a huge boundary over this month that we have risen to the 1K listeners per month mark, which I wouldn't have thought we would hit this early. So congratulations you two. You guys have been amazing. I I just can't wait to see where we keep growing from here. Chandler: And if you have any ideas of what you want us to do, we are thinking about doing some kind of challenge or something to celebrate one thousand plays a month. but I also, while I'm thinking about it, we could also do some kind of hat and or shirt giveaway to push engagement and all that kind of stuff. You can cut all that stuff, but but I was also thinking that'd be pretty cool because we have a bunch of extra hats. Ryan: Yeah, so Spence Reek, comment in the down below what we're supposed to do for the challenge. Thank y'all. Aaron: Yeah, whatever punishing thing Chandler: And anybody Aaron: you come up with. Yeah. Chandler: else that wants to comment. Aaron: you yeah I think you know which one of us came up with the idea of doing a weird challenge. And just know that I'm up for it. There's not a lot of things that I won't do. So open ended on what we can what we'll do here for a thousand listens a month. It's a huge milestone. Yep. Chandler does a thousand Ryan: One thousand squats for channeler. Aaron: squats. I can watch him do them. but thank you all so much. It does mean a ton that you have helped push us up to this level already. Can't wait to keep growing. Look forward to it. Can't wait for season to start and be there with y'all. So for all you out there listening, commenting, participating, thank you. And we'll see you next week. Ryan: Bye. Chandler: Alright,