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Should we TRUST these 5 teams? | 2026 Power Ratings #30-26 · Winning Cures Everything | College Football

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Alright, it is time for us to start talking about
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: the twenty twenty six college football season, and we're firing
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: it up with teams number thirty through number twenty six
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: in my power ratings for this year. That's right, we're
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: going through five different teams. We're not going to take
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: a bunch of time to get there. Let's go on
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: and start off with the first one that would be
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: a number thirty, the Auburn Tigers.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: We start the.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Twenty twenty sixteen previews talking about the Auburn Tigers. There
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: are number thirty power rated team heading into twenty twenty
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: six and buddy, this is one of the more fascinating
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: rebuilds in the SEC. So, first off, identity wise, you
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: got a brand new head coach and Alex Golish year
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: one on the planes here. Last season, Goalish went nine
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: to three at us if he finished fourth in the
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: AAC while Auburn went five and seven in the last
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: year if you freeze, but it wasn't just a normal
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: five and seven. They went one in seven in SEC
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: play and six or excuse me, oh and six in
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: one score games. And that should tell you everything you
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: need to know. It was a team that was competitive,
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: but they just flat out could not finish games. And
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: the analytics showed this team was way better than their
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: final record. But there ain't a whole lot of that
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: roster that's left here. Style Wise, this thing is going
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: to look completely different. Go Lesh's teams are fast paced,
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: run heavy. They try and push tempo, but last year's
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: version struggled to cash in when it mattered on defense.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: You've still got DJ Dirkin running the show and he's
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: built a legit rushing defense there. The personnel is going
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: to look a lot different this season. You know, they
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: lose Falk and others on the defensive line. The real
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: question mark is whether the secondary can hold up. This
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: is this is a tempo driven, run first team that's
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: trying to flip close losses and wins. They're still searching
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: for that finishing gear. Now let's move over to the
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: roster because this is where things get a little wild.
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: Returning production actually looks solid on paper, like a ton
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: of offensive continuity, especially when you factor in the Go
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: basically brought this entire offense with him. You got quarterback
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: Byron Brown coming over from USF and the entire system
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: is predicated on him.
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: Staying healthy.
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: They were explosive last year, top five and points per game.
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: But and here's the catch, they were eighty first in
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: points per scoring opportunity. That's a red flag for me.
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: They could not finish drives. And now you're moving into
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: a tougher conference trying to use the same players running
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: the same scheme. You've also got the running back Jeremiah
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: Cobb back. He was efficient last year for the Tigers,
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: one of the few that's not a portal guy. On defense,
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: you've got linebacker Xavier Atkins, He's a dude. He had
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: ten sacks. Guys like Caleb Harris, they give you something
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: in the secondary. But of course, you know, the portal
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: cuts both ways. You brought in intriguing edge rushers, but
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: you lost a ton up front. Right six of the
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: top seven defensive linemen are gone, and offensively, you're replacing
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: basically the entire offensive line. The roster impact here is
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: high upside, but also high volatility. I mean, this thing
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: could click really faster. I could fall apart really early.
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: Now.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: The strengths of this team first off tempo and a
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: lot of experience. This group was, at least on offense.
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: The group knows the system. They can go fast, they
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: can move the ball. That matters obviously. Second, Dirkins defensive
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: track record. Auburn's been top ten nationally in rush excuse me,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: rush defense efficiency in the last two seasons. I don't
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: think that's a fluke. But he's got a lot of
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: new pieces.
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: To work with here.
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: Third, the pass rush potential. You added some edge talent.
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: If it hits, obviously, they'll be able to disrupt people.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: As for the reasons why they can win this year,
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: if they run the ball, if they control tempo, and
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: that defense holds up against the run, they're gonna be
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: in a lot of games. But where things get shaky
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: will start with Number One, that defensive line rebuild. I mean,
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: you don't just lose that many guys and replace them overnight,
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: especially when you're pulling from you know, group of six interiors.
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: Number two, the offensive line, you got five new starters.
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: That's the problem in the sec. Number three, the quarterback
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: Byron Brown. He can run, but he's not a proven passer,
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: especially at this level. Not to mention he's dealt with
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: the injury bug in two of the last three seasons,
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: and they kind of fell apart when he wasn't there.
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: So as for what could derail this team, if the
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: line play on either side is not SEC caliber, the
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: whole thing collapses fast. Let's talk about the schedule. That
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: schedule is not doing them any favors. I don't think
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: you open with Baylor in Atlanta. That's not a gimme.
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: They should win that game, but obviously it's a neutral site.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: It's going to be a mostly Auburn crowd when you
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: get into SEC. Play only four home games this year.
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: They kind of drew the short end of the stick there.
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: Road trips to Tennessee, Georgia, Ole, miss Mississippi State, and Alabama,
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: now that is a gauntlet right there. Swing games are
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: going to define the season, right You got Florida at
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: home early, that's a big one, LSU at home. Auburn
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: is likely going to be dogs in both of.
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: Those, but it'll be short dogs.
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: And then at Mississippi State late. That's when you probably
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: have to have if you want to go bowling, schedule
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: impact here. This thing's gonna come down to a handful
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: of toss ups. You win those games, you're bowling maybe comfortably.
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: You lose them, and you're right back to where you
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: were with the five and seven finishes or six and
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: seven whatever. I think it's five straight losing seasons. So
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: where does that leave us a ceiling.
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: For this team? Nine and three.
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: If everything clicks, especially up front, the floor is probably
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: the same five and seven. If the trenches don't hold,
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: that's probably the spot the most likely here. Six and six,
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: right in the middle, and you got a win total
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: sitting at six and a half, it's juice to be under.
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: I still lean under. I think there's just too many
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: question marks, especially in the SEC. I know we saw
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: Indiana take a bunch of James and Madison guys and
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: win the Big ten in a national championship in two years.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: I am not expecting that from the South Florida group
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: that came over. This feels like a transitional year. You're
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: gonna see some flashes, but the consistency probably isn't there yet,
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: and the depth to compete in the SEC probably isn't
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: there yet. A one line takeaway for this this is
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: a high variance Auburn team that is loaded with system continuity,
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: but still trying to prove that it's.
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: Built for SEC football.
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: You want extra winning cures everything, content and a way
• 6:28
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• 6:31
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• 6:34
  Speaker 1: of the community today. All right, let's discuss the Vanderbilt Commodorees,
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: and I will tell you right out of the gate,
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: this is one of the tougher teams in the SEC
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: to get a clean read on heading into twenty twenty six.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: They are our number twenty nine power rated team heading
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: into the season, and that did surprise me a bit
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: based on what they have lost. Let's start off with identity.
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: You got Clark Lee in year six. Obviously that matters
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: their stability here, and not just with him, but the
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: coordinators and the coaching staff. Last year they went ten
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: and three, which would have been unheard of over the
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: last what few decades. I know, we had the James
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: Franklin years in there, but still they went six and
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: two in the SEC. They lost the bowl game, but
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: this was a legitimately good football team. Contact does matter, obviously,
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: there were three and two and one score games, so
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: not a ton of bad luck baked in. They earned
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: a lot of that, albeit against an easier than expected schedule.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: The identity of the team, though it was built around
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: the quarterback, Diego Pavia. It was built around that whole
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: offensive engine that Tim Becks got and that's where things
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: start to shift. Great style wise, this has been a
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: balanced offense, multiple weapons are roster built on depth. But
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: now you got to ask, obviously, what does the offense
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: look like without Eli Stowers and Diego Pavia and without
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: that offensive line, because that offensive line was fantastic.
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: We'll talk about that more in a minute.
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: This is a well coached, depth driven team that's coming
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: off of a really big season.
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: But I think they're still.
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: Trying to redefine theirselves. I guess they're trying to redefine
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: themselves after losing the core of what made it go right.
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: As far as the roster, I think that's where the
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: real story is with this returning production is kind of split. Defensively,
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: you got to feel pretty good top forty and snaps back,
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: solid tackle production, returning a bunch of upperclassmen that know
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: the system. Offensively, it's not so much you're replacing the quarterback.
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: Obviously got a big time recruit coming in. You got
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: most of the offensive line that's changing out, and you're
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: changing out a lot of the core pieces. You do
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: have some guys back. Obviously Cedric Alexander running back on defense,
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: Brian Longwell is leading that defense. You got the wide
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: receiver Junior Cheryl on the outside. Cad McConnell is the
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: only returning start on the offensive line. Portal wise, they
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: added depth, right, they added receivers. You know, they brought
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: in the kid from Alabama. They brought several guys in.
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: They brought in some tight end help. They brought in
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: interior offensive lineman, some defensive pieces. But the losses are massive, right,
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: Diego pave has gone, Eli Stawers has gone for starting
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: offensive lineman.
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: Gone.
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: I've already mentioned them, and now you're likely turning things
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: over to a true freshman quarterback and Jared Curtis, albeit
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: a highly regarded five star quarterback. This this version of
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: Vanderbilt is deeper, but they are significantly less proven where
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: it matters most.
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: As far as the.
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: Strengths on this team skill positioned up, They got bodies,
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: they got options. If the freshman quarterback can just manage things,
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: I think there's enough around him to function. The second
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: thing here is probably defensive experience. I mean that four
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: two five system is pretty intact. The coaching staff didn't change.
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: You've got upperclassmen that know exactly.
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: What they're doing.
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: And then third, I think the continuity on the sidelines matters.
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: No coordinator turnover. That's huge, you know, in a year
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: where you're replacing a lot of key players. As for
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: why they can win the defense, if a hold steady
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: in that run game carries the offense early, they can
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: obviously stay competitive while the quarterback grows up. But there
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: are some real red flags here right Number one, the
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: quarterback uncertainty. You're likely starting a true freshman in the SEC.
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: That is a really tough ask, no matter how talented
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: the kid is. Number Two, offensive line turnover. I brought
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: that up already. I mean one returning starter. That's a
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: nightmare scenario in the SEC. And then number three, you're
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: replacing your top playmakers. I mean you lost the engine
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: to the offense. That's not something you just plug and play.
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: As for what could derail this, if the offensive line
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: struggles in the quarterback and ready, the offense is going
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: to stall out quick and then everything else starts to crumble.
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: Right South Carolina a perfect example of this. Defense was
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: pretty good, but the offense could do nothing.
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: Last year.
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: They go from a nine and four team to a
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: four and eight team. You would hope if you're a
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: Vanderbilt fan that that does not happen. As far as
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: the schedule goes kind of tricky. You can see up
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: on the screen here number seven conference strength to schedule
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: number twenty five nationally. And the weird part is you're
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: more winnable. Maybe not weird, but just probably not in
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: your favor. Is the more winnable SEC games are on
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: the road. That's not ideal in this conference. You can
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: see on the screen there at Auburn, at Georgia, at Kentucky,
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: at Mississippi State at Florida. I mean those are gonna
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: be toss ups. Yeah, all of those I have projected
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: to be one score games, although I do have Vanderbilt
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: favored in three of those road games. You got a
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: big non conference spot early against NC State at home,
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: that's one that you probably need. And I've got Vandy
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: favored by seven point twenty nine there. You probably need
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: to get that one at home. You got two warm
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: ups and then you got that one right before you
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: go to Auburn in week four. Yeah, a road trip
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: to Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State. Those are all the swing
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: games I think that are going to define this season
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: because if you look at home, I mean you're looking
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: at Alabama, You're looking at Tennessee, Ole Miss, You're probably
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: gonna be pretty big underdogs in all of those. You're
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: gonna have to go still wins on the road just
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: to go to a bowl game, and that's a tough
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: way to lift. So, projection wise, ceiling for this team
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: probably eight and four. If the fresh quarterback hits early,
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: the offensive line jels faster than expected, the floor is
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: three and nine. If the offense just never finds itself.
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: There's a lot of very losable games here. Most likely record,
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: in my opinion, is five and seven. I think even
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: Vanderbilt fans would understand that, and I don't think they
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: would hold it too hard against Clerkly and Barton Simmons
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: and company.
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: The win total sits at five and a half.
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: I lean under it is juice to be under. I
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: feel like it's just too many question marks on offense
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: to feel good about clearing that. And the defense was
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: good last year, but it's not like it's not like
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: they were great. It feels like a reset year Offensively,
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: the depth is there.
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: Certainty is not.
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: And you know, to wrap it up on this, it's
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: a deeper Vanderbilt team than last year. But they lost
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: the identity and they got to rebuild it on the fly,
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: and that's going to be interesting to see exactly how
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: this team gels and how they come together for this.
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• 13:56
  Speaker 1: All right, let's talk Illinois, our number twenty eight power
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: in a team the fighting a Lione I because this
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: is one of those teams where you got real momentum
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: but also a whole lot of moving parts heading into
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty six, starting with the identity here you got
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: Brett Beilama in year six, and I like that Matters
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: program is stable. It's not in a rebuild anymore. It's
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: I think we can call it established at this point.
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: Last year they went nine to four, They beat Tennessee
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: in the bowl game, and honestly, that was a pretty
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: satisfying season. I think for a line of fans, they
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: did what they were supposed to do. They built credibility.
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: Obviously there's context, right they went three to zero and
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: one score games. Maybe a little bit of variance there,
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: but I think the bigger thing is when they played
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: elite teams they got blown out, and Wisconsin, for whatever reason,
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: gave them, they gave them problems to style Wise, this
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: is a balanced offense with a physical run game foundation,
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: and you got continuity with offensive coordinator Barry Lanney Junior. Defensively,
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: that's where things are changing, right, new scheme, new coordinator
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: and former Montana head coach by Hawk. That whole side
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: of the ball has a new look. As far as
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: a quick identity, it's a rising, stable program with momentum,
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: but one that's about to be tested by some turnover
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: and some pretty volatile defensive shift. Let's get into the
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: roster because this is where things get a little tricky
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: for this team. Offensively, you've got some pretty heavy turnover,
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: new quarterback, new offensive line, and not just a couple
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: of pieces, I mean four out of five starters are
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: gone up front. That is a major reset, especially for
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: Beelma's bunch.
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: You do have some weapons.
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: Back right, you got receivers like Hudson Clement, Colin Dixon.
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: They give you a solid floor, and then you got
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: guys in the backfield like Khalil Valentine and Brandon Henderson. Defensively,
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: the secondary is the strength. Xavier Scott, Matthew Bailey, they
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: lead that group. They've got experience. Portal Wise, you bring
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: in the quarterback Caden Hauser from East Carolina, along with
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: some offensive line help. You got Wisconsin's Jake Renfro, Colorado
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: State's Christian Martin at receiver. This is an interesting one
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: that I've been hearing a lot about. Alex Perry comes
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: in from Florida International. Interesting wide receiver there that a
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: lot of people were talking about this spring. The losses, though,
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: are massive. Right the quarterback Luke Outmeyer's gone. As I mentioned,
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: most of that offensive line is gone. Defensively, you're basically
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: rebuilding the entire front.
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: Seven.
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: Seven of the top eight on the defensive line are gone.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: Six of the top seven linebackers are gone. And I
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: already mentioned it once, but you have a You've got
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: a new defensive coordinator, Bobby Hawk, former Montana head coach
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: at the FCS level, and he had a ton of
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: success there. But let me pump the brakes on the hype.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: He's never been a defensive coordinator. He's only been a
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: head coach since two thousand and three, aside from three
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: seasons as the special team's coordinator at San Diego State.
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: But two and three through twenty twenty five, that's a
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: long time to be a head coach. He's installing a
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: new scheme here. They are moving to a three three five.
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: Don't forget this is a guy that's never coached further
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: east than Boulder, Colorado. I don't know what kind of
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: impact that's gonna have, but it's something worth paying attention to.
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: As far as the roster impact, I mean, you got
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: pieces right, it's roster in transition, especially in the trenches.
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: I mean they got all kind of stuff.
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: There are some.
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: Strengths dealing with allergies this time of year. This is
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: why I don't start this stuff until later in the spring.
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: As far as the strengths, you got the first one
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: offense continuity I brought up Barry Loney still calling plays
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: that that stability matters when you're breaking in new pieces.
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: There there's enough that is still there that everybody should
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: know how things are done, et cetera. They've got They've
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: got enough to keep the offense functional even if the
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: quarterback is still figuring things out early. Third, the the
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: secondary is a strength. That's the most reliable unit on
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: this team right now. I had to think about it
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: for a minute. Yeah, yeah, the secondary is the most
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: reliable unit on this entire team currently. As for why
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: they can win this season, if the offense stays efficient
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: and the secondary holds up, they can control games against
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: teams that are in their tier, and they play a
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: lot of those this year. The schedule works out pretty well.
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: But what are the concerns come in. We'll start with
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: number one here, offensive line turnover. That's huge for a
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: bloomin team. Four new starters is a red flag in
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: the Big ten for sure. Number two is the defensive
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: front losses. Again Big ten, You're gonna be playing a
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: lot of teams that like to run the football, and
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: you don't just replace that many guys up front and
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: expect the same production that you had.
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: Number three, I'm going.
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: With that scheme change. You're going to a three three
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: five underd new coordinator. That's high variance, right, it could
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: work or it could get kind of ugly, kind of early.
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: As for what could derail this, you know, obviously what
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: we just mentioned offensive line struggles. Defense can't adjust to
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: that new scheme. You can be looking at inconsistency week
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: to week. But as I already mentioned, once the schedule
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: actually gives them a chance early on, it's beyond manageable.
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: There is a path to a fast start here, maybe
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: even something like five and one if things break right.
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: A UAB Duke at home, Southern Illinois at home, you
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: play at Ohio State, but then you've got Purdue at
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: home and then at Michigan State. That's a you could
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: start five and one there. But after the bye week
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: in week seven, the whole season is going to be
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: decided in those middle tier Big Ten games, right. I
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: think the Duke game is a tone center. We'll call
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: that one one of the key games. At Michigan State
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: another key game that's tricky with the new head coach
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: Pat Fitzgerald over there in East Lansing, Iowa at home.
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: I think it's interesting, that's always a grind. And of
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: course that one isn't a bad spot because it's the
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: week after you play at UCLA, so you're going home away, home, away,
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: home away to close out the schedule. Nebraska is another
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: one that could go either way. That's the week before
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: the UCLA game. It's you got to play Oregon at home.
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: Then you go on the road to Maryland, you play
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: Nebraska at home, you go all the way out to
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: LA you come back, you play Iowa, blah blah blah.
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: This the impact of this schedule means it's more about
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: handling business against the middle of the conference. Again, that's
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: where the record is going to be made. Projection wise,
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: I think the ceiling is nine I mean maybe ten wins,
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: Like if the quarterback hits, the offensive line jails quickly,
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: defense surprises people a fast start, like I do not
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: expect this team to beat Oregon or Ohio State. It's
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: what you do against everybody else that's gonna matter. So
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: I think the ceiling is nine or ten wins. I
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: think the floor is probably six wins, Like if the
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: offensive line is a mess and the defense can't find
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: his footing, I still think Beilima and his coaching staff
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: will get them to a point.
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: I think the.
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: Most likely record with this schedule is eight and four.
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: The wind total is sitting at seven and a half,
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: I lean the over here. There is enough structure, there's
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: enough continuity that I will trust them to get to eight.
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: As far as the projection summary, this feels like a steady,
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: repeatable team. Not a huge ceiling, but a solid floor
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: if things hold together. The one line takeaway to wrap
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: us up it is a stability first Illinois team that
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: is trying to prove that last year was not a
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: fluke while they are quietly navigating one of the biggest
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: roster resets in the conference. Shirts, hoodies, hats, and more.
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• 22:47
  Speaker 1: The Kansas State Wildcats come in at number twenty seven
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: in our twenty twenty six Power ratings, and this team
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: might be one of the biggest wild.
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: Cards in the Big twelve this year.
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: So, starting with the identity you got Colin Klein stepping
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: in as a first time head coach. He was the
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: offensive coordinator at Texas A and M the last two seasons,
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: and of course was the OC at Kansas State under
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: the now retired Chris Kleiman before that.
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: That's a huge storyline right there, just right out of
• 23:15
  Speaker 2: the gate.
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: Right last year's team, I've went six and six. I
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: think the record is a little misleading. They lost the
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: opener in Ireland to Iowa State. It was a heartbreaker
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: twenty four to twenty one. Started two and four with
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: some close losses to Army et cetera. And here's the
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: big one. They went one in five in one score
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: games last year. I mean, that is just brutal.
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: That tells you.
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: This team was right there. They just couldn't close right
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: especially early. Now. The only double digit loss that they
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: had on the season was to Texas Tech. So tell
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: you something style wise, quarterback driven offense with some legit
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: skill talent. But there is uncertainty just all over this roster,
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: especial with the new staff taking over right quick identity.
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: It's a high upside quarterback led team that was better
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: than this record last year, but now has to prove
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: it can put it all together under a brand new
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: head coach. Now, let's talk about the roster, because there's
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: a mix of encouraging pieces and.
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: What I would call real concerns.
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: Offensively, it starts with quarterback Every Johnson, fourth year guy,
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: dual threat, centerpiece of everything that they do. But he
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: hasn't lived up to expectations, even though the most hype
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: that he had was three years ago when Colin Kleine,
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: who is the new head coach, was last as offensive coordinator.
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: You've also got a pretty deep running back room. Guys
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: like Joe Jackson. A few portal additions give you some
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: options there. Tight end could be sneaky good too. You
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: got Lincoln Cure and Garrett Oakley there. But the issue,
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: as it has been for most of the teams that
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: we've reviewed thus far, is the offensive line. You lost
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: four out of five starters seventy five them returning snaps there.
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: That could certainly be a problem. But you just kind
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: of expect the Kansas State team to have a good
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: offensive line, don't you. I mean I feel like I do,
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: although Chris Climban isn't there anymore, so I don't necessarily
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: know if it'll be the same thing or not. Defensively,
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: it's kind of the same story. Secondary might be the
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: best unit, especially with some of the transfers coming in.
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: Front seven is a little shaky. Lost key contributors on
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: the defensive line and the linebacker and at linebacker. Portal wise,
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: you added depth, especially at running back and edge, but
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: you lost some real pieces. Dylan Edwards at running back
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: was interesting. I know he wasn't the belcoal last year,
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: but I mean the kid was fast. And then you
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: also lost a couple of defensive starters. I say it,
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: you lost several defensive starters, two of them to Indiana.
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: For roster impact, you've got star power at quarterback and
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: depth at running back. The overall roster feels unstable, especially
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: in the trenches, but that might be okay in the
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: Big twelve. Now, as far as strengths, I've already mentioned
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: the quarterback, every Johnson. He is the engine of the offense.
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: If he plays at a high level, the offense can
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: certainly be dangerous. Strength Number two is the running back room.
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: I brought that up.
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: There's depth, there, multiple options, different kinds of guys, and
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: that's gonna certainly take pressure off of the quarterback, and
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: then number three the tight end potential.
• 26:29
  Speaker 2: I think that.
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: Group could become, what's the best way to put it,
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: a real mismatch if it develops. As for why they
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: can win this season, if the ground game is rolling,
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: Johnson's making plays with his legs or with his legs,
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: and enough through the air, they can control games. They
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: can outscore people in this league, especially with the schedule
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: that they got. As far as the weakness, that's where
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: the volatility comes in quarterback consistency. Now, as good as
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: Johnson can be and he's got all the tools in
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: the world, there have been some regression concerns. You need
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: him to be steady, and I think it's certainly a
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: good thing that Klein is coming back into the fold
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: here with him. Second, you've got uncertainty a wide receiver,
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: and even in parts of the secondary, there's just not
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: a ton of proven production there. Third, the overall roster volatility.
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: With a new coaching staff, new head coach, new coordinators,
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: new systems, it's a lot of change all at once.
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: What could derail this is if Johnson is not consistent
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: and the new pieces, especially on the line, don't gell.
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: I mean this thing could get shaken a hurry. The
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: schedule sets up really nice, right as you can see
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: on the screen, number fifteen out of sixteen. As far
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: as toughest strength to schedule, number sixty two nationally, only
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: one road game before late October that would be at Cincinnati.
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: You avoid some of the tougher teams in the conference.
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: There's no Texas Tech, there's no BYU, there's no Utah
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: in the schedule.
• 28:02
  Speaker 2: That's certainly a good thing.
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: It's the second easiest schedule in the Big Twelve. This
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: is a huge advantage early season matters like you can't
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: slip up.
• 28:11
  Speaker 2: Especially the first three weeks.
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: You're gonna be double digit favorites and all those that
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: you should be able to go through that you play
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: at Cincinnati, you get a bye week, and then you
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: get Houston at home and Kansas at home. I mean,
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: you're looking at potentially six to zero, if not five
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: and one there. Houston I think is gonna be a
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: tough one. I am shocked at my Houston rating. Everybody
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: is so high on them, and my numbers don't like them.
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: But we'll talk about that at some other point. The
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: Cincinnati game is a tricky spot, right Houston at home
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: in Week six.
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: You gotta be able to handle that one.
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: Later you play at TCU at Iowa State. Those are
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: gonna be your defining games this season. This is a
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: schedule that gives you a runway, and if you take
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: care of business early, you can build momentum. You can
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: be in the race late. As far as projections, ceiling
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: is ten to two. I think, yeah, ten and two.
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: I mean games like your away games. You're probably gonna
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: lose at least two of those with this roster. But
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: at ten and two you're probably playing for a big
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: d F title. If the quarterback clicks and the new
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: staff gels right, floor for this team probably six and
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: six again, if the inconsistency shows up, the roster gaps
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: get exposed, et cetera. I think the most likely here
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: is nine to three. The win total is all the
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: way up at eight and a half. Now it's juiced
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: at the over. I like the over still, I kind
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: of lean that direction. It's not one of my favorite bets.
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: I think it's just too favorable. I think the quarterback
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: up side is real. I think you're going to see
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: a not a renaissance per se, but the best of
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: every John and came out with Colin Klein. I think
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: Klin is really good at showcasing strengths in quarterbacks. I
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: think he'll do the same thing here. As far as
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: the summary, this feels like a contender of the Big Twelve,
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: mainly because of the schedule, but one that could still
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: trip itself up. I mean there's a lot of spots
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: where they could trip themselves up if they're not careful.
• 30:23
  Speaker 2: If the roster doesn't jail, if the staff doesn't Jael,
• 30:26
  Speaker 2: and all that. To close it.
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: Out, like it, what's a good one line identity, It's
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: a It's a quarterback dependent team with real Big Twelve upside, right,
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: but they got just enough volatility to keep you from
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: fully trusting them every single week.
• 30:45
  Speaker 2: Hit that subscribe button and make sure to like the video.
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: And if you're listening to the podcast, of course, make
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: sure and visit Winning Cures Everything on YouTube at YouTube
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: dot com slash Winning Cures Everything so you don't miss
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: any of our college football coverage this season. Let's talk
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: about the South Carolina game Cocks because this is one
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: of those bounce back or bus teams in the SEC
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: this year. They are sitting right outside of my top
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: twenty five in the power ratings. So they're coming in
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: at number twenty six in my twenty twenty six preseason
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: power ratings. So let's start with the identity of this team.
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: You got Shane Beemer in year six, and look last
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: season four and eight. I mean, that is a massive
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: drop off after going nine and four of the year before.
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: But the record doesn't really tell the full story. Probably
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: should have beaten Alabama, probably should have won add Texas
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: A and M. But outside of those, a lot of
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: the losses weren't particularly competitive. I mean, the offense just
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: fell apart. They fired the offensive coordinator in the middle
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: of the season. They couldn't protect, they couldn't sustain drives.
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: You're sitting around twenty points a game and that's not
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: gonna cut it in the SEC. Stylistically, they want to
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: be physical. That's been the identity. But heading into twenty
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: twenty six, the thing is kind of shifting, right. You
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: bring in Kendall Brow's as offensive coordinator. Now you're looking
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: at more spread, more tempo, more pace, but still a
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: running identity. This is a team that is trying to
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: reinvent its offense around tempo and Playbakers after just a
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: complete collapse last season.
• 32:19
  Speaker 2: So let's talk about the roster. There's actually some intrigue here.
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: Up front, They've got experience, they're second in the country
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: and offensive line snaps returning that's huge. They're dealing with
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: injuries right now. We'll see exactly who can come back.
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: The production hasn't matched the experience yet, and that's the
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: key question right A quarterback Leonora Sellers is the guy.
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: Dual threat upside is real, and you would think in
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: a Brows system that he's really going to be able
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: to do some really big things, I would think, and
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: that's where things get interesting.
• 32:52
  Speaker 2: It at wide receiver. The group is pretty loaded, right Nick.
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: Harbor, Maze, Ob Bennett, Jaden, Sellers plus portal additions, a
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: lot of love for a Nitro tuggle out there right now.
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: There's no shortage of weapons, I don't believe. Defensively, you
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: got a pretty strong core inside Gabriel Brownlow Dundy, plus
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: you got a linebacker group with experience, and then of
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: course there's Dylan Stewart. Dude can just wreck games by himself.
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: Portal wise, they added offensive line help again, dealing with injuries.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: One I believe is already out for the season to
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: carry his peak. I believe it's supposed to be back.
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: But they added several running backs, a lot of depth there,
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: defensive line pieces.
• 33:34
  Speaker 2: They tried to plug some holes. They lost a.
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: Couple of pieces, but nothing that really completely guts the roster.
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: There is more than enough talent here to compete, but
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: it all hinges on whether the offensive line actually performs
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: like it should. So let's talk about the strengths first,
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: then we'll talk about some weaknesses. First, the quarterback fit
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: in this new offense. Sellers in a tempo spread system.
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: I mean that is dangerous if it clicks. The second
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: strength is the wide receiver debth. They can stretch the field.
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: They got multiple options. That gives this offense a chance
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: to actually be explosive, so long as Sellers can hit
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: his guys right. Third, the defensive front, especially on the interior,
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: and you've got an elite edge presence with Stewart and
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: some other guys that have come in. As for why
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: they can win this year, if the offense find some
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: rhythm with Brills and that defensive front controls the line
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: of scrimmage, this team can absolutely pull off some upsets,
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: and they are going to have to pull some off
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: because they're only favorites in five games. But at all,
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: the whole thing comes back to the same thing, and
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: that's the offensive line. You've got experience, but if they're
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: still not protecting, then none of it matters. Like if
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: they don't gel, chemistry is so important with an offensive line,
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: and it doesn't matter how good Sellers is, he won't
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: be good enough. The receivers won't be good enough if
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: you can't block, if you can't protect him, and in this.
• 35:05
  Speaker 2: League that's kind of difficult.
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: You've got tight end production, not a lot there defensively
• 35:11
  Speaker 1: behind Dylan Stewart and Caleb Herring. The edge depth that's
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: kind of unproven. As for what could derail this team,
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: if the offensive line is still a problem, the offense
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: is dead on arrival, I don't know how many times
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: I can say it, offensive line, offensive line, offensive line.
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: On the other side, if the pass rush doesn't develop
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: beyond Stewart, the defense could struggle to get some stops
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: as well. Now, the schedule is maybe the most interesting
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: thing here on paper, it's, you know, one of the
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: easier SEC schedules, second easiest, top twenty five schedule nationally,
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: but you're gonna have that in an SEC thing, only.
• 35:54
  Speaker 2: Four conference road games. That's the good news.
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: The bad news is that the back half is is
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: just brutal. After the bye, you're looking at Tennessee or sorry,
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: Tennessee at home, let's just go out. We won't even
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: do home away yet. Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas A and m Arkansas,
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: Georgia and Clemson. I mean that is a gaunt let
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: you're projected to lose six of those seven.
• 36:25
  Speaker 2: You've got to build.
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: This thing early, right, Mississippi State in week three, I
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: think that is the tone center. That is your first
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: key game. You got to win that game against Mississippi State.
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: You play Bam in week four, that's not a key game.
• 36:40
  Speaker 1: I think at Florida in week six that's a real opportunity.
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: And that's after you host Kentucky. You got to get
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: the Kentucky game. You gotta get Mississippi State, you gotta
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: get Towson, you gotta get kin State.
• 36:55
  Speaker 2: You start off.
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: Four and one with the loss at Alabama, that's not
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: so bad. Then you play at Florida, so that's a
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: key game. We'll do at Florida later Arkansas, they can
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: become to stop the bleeding game because you're gonna be
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: hard pressed to find wins against Tennessee Oklahoma or Texas
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: A and M. That's not to say that you can't,
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: it's just not as likely. But Arkansas at home you
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: should be able to get that one. Clemson at the
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: end of the year could be the season saver, because
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: I don't expect you to go to Georgia and win
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: that game. If you don't stack wins early, it could
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: spiral late in a hurry. As far as projection ceiling,
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: for me, eight and four. If Sellers hits in the
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: offensive line, plays you know up to experience, they could
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: certainly win eight games here. The floor I think is
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: probably four and eight. If nothing changes up front, Sellers
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: still messy with the ball, et cetera. They're still talented
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: enough to win at least four of these games most likely.
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: I think this team is six and six. Win total
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: is sitting at six and a half. I lean to
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: the under for me. It's just too much uncertainty with
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: the offensive line to be able to trust. It's it's
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: a classic SEC swing team. They're really dangerous, but they're unreliable.
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: And it's just a high variance team with the quarterback
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: and the scheme to really be able to scare some people.
• 38:23
  Speaker 2: But again.
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: And all boils down to the offensive line.
• 38:28
  Speaker 2: All boils down to that.
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: All right, do me a favor, jump in the comments,
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: tell me what you think about the game Cocks for
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: the twenty twenty sixth season, and don't forget, of course,
• 38:40
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• 38:44
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• 38:46
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• 38:48
  Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to Winning Cures Everything.
• 38:50
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