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College Football Week 1 Wrap Up Part 2 | What Did We Learn? · Run After Cast: The College Football Podcast

• Aaron: Howdy howdy and welcome back to Run After Cast, the College Football Podcast. I'm your passionate host, Aaron, joined by my two wonderful friends, Ryan Ryan: You guys? Aaron: and Chandler. Chandler: Going on, gentlemen. Aaron: And I know you just listened to us Chandler: Yeah. Aaron: a few minutes ago, hearing our takes on the rest of the college football games. And now we're gonna spend some time on the teams we love and talk about week one games for Ohio State, Mississippi, and Auburn. And boys, doesn't it feel good to have picked teams to follow that just absolutely do dominated in their week one game, just showed everything they had on the field and gave us so much hope for the rest of our season. Chandler: I mean, that feels great, doesn't it? A P one, Ryan: Mm. Mm. Aaron: It does. It feels really good. Chandler: I mean it's it's a it's a good time. Good time to be an RState fan for sure. Ryan: I mean I'm pretty invested in Ohio State. So I'm glad to see Aaron: you jumping ship? Ryan: that game No, no, no, no. I'm just like Chandler: He's guilty by association. Ryan: like I follow like most of their stuff more than I follow Auburn kinda. So I'm glad to see they did well. Chandler: Yeah, man, I mean seven different players got a touchdown, so that's pretty cool. But you know, neither here nor there, I guess. Aaron: Well, because we just released an episode. No reaction news, let's get straight into it. Chandler, tell us how good it felt to watch that Ohio State game. Chandler: All in all, it felt great. There was a lot of people I was excited to watch. I was excited to see the Brock Boys, the Draquaden Guildfords, the Chris Henry Jr., the Legend Bays, across the board, Jay Timmins, Jersey's on the way, but here tomorrow. excited for a Ryan: Mm-hmm. Chandler: lot of these freshman guys. So there wasn't a lot to complain about. I think the key sticking point for me was the biggest thing last year that held Ohio State up in the postseason was the offensive line, their running efficiency. And some of the blocking schemes. I think the biggest thing I was looking forward to seeing was Arthur Smith and his offensive line mentality and his experience coming into the program, revamping it a little bit, adding some more complexity to those schemes, adding some more dynamicness to that offensive line with how much experience they have. And overall just helping them fundamentally and taking the next step to be a great offensive line unit. So, with that being said, we've talked about it a lot in our episode before that we were Talking about. The first week jitters, the first week Russ knocking off, I think a lot of the ground game that I was expecting just off the bat because it was ball state was just to be electric, them just to be able to churn out three, four plus yard runs every single time they wanted to, no matter what they ran. And that really wasn't there. Granted, the passing attack was there. I mean, j they had almost seven hundred yards of offense. So Not a lot to complain about there, but then the second half came through and they started running the ball a lot more efficiently. They broke off two big runs. Both Jackson's Jacoby and Bo had two big runs. Legend Bay got a little shifty and a little running back screen off the dump off the left hand side. I mean all in all, the second half running attack was how I expected the whole game to go, and hopefully that kind of snowballs into Texas because everyone listening to this knows that that rushing offense has to do well. And the Pass Pro has to do well. And I think Phillip Daniels on the right tackle slot had a little bit of time, you know, where he was just getting beat. And last year with Tegra, same situation. I think with Phillip over there on the right tackle slot, he's gonna have to hold his own. And same with Ian Moore in the left tackle slot. If you have a guy like Colin Simmons that can move both sides of the ball on the end. And he can blitz on both sides, he's gonna exploit vulnerabilities. And if Texas is watching the film, just like everybody has the ability to, and they see Phillip Daniels having a little bit of struggle with ball state, not being able to hold up the pass pro, then guess where he's gonna line up on? He's gonna try to get after it on that side of the ball and make Ohio State make an adjustment or clean it up. So that to me is the only point of emphasis. That is really kind of concerning that I was hoping was gonna get cleaned up. And I think it did later on in the game, but it has to really stay sharp and they have to have a very clean game next week. Now on the flip side of the ball, I think the defense played great. I think there was not a huge drop off in talent anywhere on the field. I think their depth across the board is great. The defensive line depth is great. I think TJ Alford emerged as a great linebacker that I expected to do well, but I thought Krishna Allegro and Peyton Pierce were gonna carry a lot of load and him and Rally Petagon will come in later in series, like in as rotational pieces. But TJ Alfred had a great impact in that game. He had interception. I think Kari Wilder, the defensive end, as a true freshman, came in, played. He had a lot of disruptions. He looked incredible. He th he grabbed an offensive tackle by the shoulder pads and threw him down and then bull rushed the quarterback. So I there's a lot of situations on the defense that I wasn't concerned about, but replacing like Caleb Downs, replacing all these big name players back there, Arvell, Sonny, all these first round draft picks, obviously you're gonna have concerns. You're gonna wonder if you can reload even at that highest level of where Ohio State usually does. That's a lot of talent to replace. And Aaron: yeah, a huge void that most programs would suffer from. And I do think you're right, we did get some answers to how vulnerable they would be there and it didn't feel like like of course they're not gonna be playing at that same level as those guys, but they didn't look weak either. They didn't Chandler: No. Aaron: look they didn't look bad by any stretch at all. Chandler: And I think Jay Timmins being able come in and Cam Calhoun and all those guys coming in to be able to have depth in the corner spot too was great. Earl Little, Terry Moore, Jalen McLean over the top in safeties. I mean, there was not really a depth issue anywhere on the ball that I saw. I mean, the wide receivers, there was six guys at least that can rotate in and have meaningful snaps in games like Texas. Running back same way. I mean, really, like I said, the tie a bow and everything, my only sticking point was that right side of the line where Phillip Daniels is. I if he has to clean it up, he has to be more of a for sure guy in pass pro and in the run schemes to be able to not let the defensive ends like Colin Simmons just pin their ears back and get after him and 'cause they know they can win a rap every single time. Ryan: And I Caleb's not replaceable, but it was good to see Earl and Jalen both play. They played great. yeah, Kenyatta Jackson got eight pressures. TJ Alford got the interception. A lot of good stuff. And I like Jay Timmins. I know he's young though. He had a couple little miscommunications that he would pick up on. But I think he fixed that pretty well. who else? Jermaine Matthews played great. We were like, is Jermaine even gonna play? But he did some good things. I think that's great for his confidence after having that that a freshman's Chandler: For sure. Ryan: gonna come take your spot. And of course, Devin Sanchez played great. We didn't even really see him that much because he's just so good. So it's good to see those guys. Legend Bay was trying to get out there early though. Kept taking it out of the end zone. And Brandon was going, no, no, no, don't take it out there. Branna played great. I liked seeing the O block. I was a little nervous when you came out three and out, though. But then you figured it out. We got Jeremiah calling somebody on the football phone. You know, a lot of great stuff. Yeah, and like you're saying, the runs. Chandler: Yeah, Devin McEwen looked good. Ryan: Yeah, Devin McKeewen. Aaron: yeah. Ryan: And I like to see the Arthur Smith. He knows I have Jeremiah Smith. I could give him the ball if I want to, but I can also use him as a decoy. And when he would use him as a decoy, he'd pull the defense over there, throw it to Devin McEwen. Devin McEwan looks so good. And like we talked about last year, we'd like to see the longer runs when you had Trayvon Henderson and you had Quinshawn Junkins, they would always just break big runs. And I think we saw potential. Yeah. Jacoby and Bo Jackson both got one of those long touchdowns. And we saw the the Legend Bay one. That's An extension of the run. But I think Chandler: Yes. Ryan: it looked wonderful. I like to see everyone out there. I like to see they were rotating Riley Pettigon in. I was even asking you, I was like, is he starting? You know, I like I got to see everything I liked there. I I really liked it. I think Julian still looked great. He started slow. But I think it was wonderful. I would be very happy going into Texas next week. I think Texas is great. I mean, can you hold Camp Coleman? Like you have too many good corner safeties to even have on the field. So I I'd feel Chandler: If Ryan: pretty good. Chandler: Texas defensive line gets back there consistently, like once a drive at least, it's gonna be a problem. Ryan: Mm-hmm. I think yeah. Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. I would say that's that's the big question for next week for y'all is yeah, Chandler: That's what wins or l loses the game. Aaron: because I think when we're talking wide receiver core or just receiver core, y'all easily number one. Like I like the amount of sure hands that are out on that field any given play i is is too much to cover. So you can't really pull coverage to double team, triple team somebody because You're going to be exposed. So I think it gives the secondary a lot of problems to work around. But you're right. That all doesn't matter if Stan doesn't have time to throw the ball. If if he is scrambling, you know, every other play because a defender gets back there and it only takes one, that can be an issue, and you know Tex is going to see it. You know they're going to exploit it. They're gonna put everything, all their eggs in that basket of this is what we have to work with. And that's gonna have to be addressed this week. Like that there's they've got, you know, six days to prep for it. and we'll see what they do with it. I think that answers a lot. But it is Ohio State. I I don't think there's any question of will they address it. They will. And they'll they will tighten it up. It's just will it be enough? Because Texas also looked Really good, as we said in the other episode, they looked fantastic. And this is the point where I want to ask you a really unfair question to ask. Just because you do get to be at that level as Ohio State with Saiyan out there. We saw Minsa, Arch, and we saw Saiyan out there. All looked incredible. All looked very good. Who do you think was playing at the highest level the gate. Chandler: July insane. So I'm gonna go with the the statistical answer and argument is some people don't like PFF. But the data's there. He was the highest QBR out of week one, regardless of everything it looks at the distance of completed throws, it looks at time under pressure, it looks at all kinds of different stuff, not just like, you know, stats and solely. So he was the highest graded. QBR. Granted, they're all right there, but give me Julian Saiyan. I'm never gonna bet against him. If you ask me any other quarterback that I want on my team or Julian Saiyan, I'm picking Julian Saiyan. He has the tools to do it, Ryan: And Julian's saying Chandler: and he can do it. Ryan: And Julian Sain the most accurate quarterback in college football last year. And he's not a one trick pony. Chandler: Yeah, through the regular season. Ryan: Darien Minsa had to rely on Malachi Tony so much. And Julian Sain, he's throwing all over the place. But then they are and also show that they can use Jeremiah Smith. That two minute drill, it's Jeremiah, Jeremiah, Jeremiah, Jeremiah. Touchdown. 78 yards Jeremiah Smith on one drive and a touchdown. He's just so good. And Aaron brought something up. They're running. I got to see a Julian Sain rushing touchdown this week. And Ryan Day. Chandler: On fourth down. Aaron: On fourth. Ryan: Yeah, and Ryan Day finally let him run the ball. And he got a rushing touchdown. You've never seen that before. He did. He did. Chandler: And he made a guy miss. Come on. So I mean, Aaron: Yep. Chandler: all all jokes aside, I mean, Julian Sand has done nothing to tell me that he is not the guy that can take a Ohio State team to the national championship. He isn't he's not been francing under pressure. Granted, he you can say he threw that interception in the Miami game that led to them losing, but you could also say that Jeremiah missed his block. You could say a lot of different things happened during the postseason run. That wasn't all on him. His completion percentages were still high during that whole run. I think it was a lot of things. It was scheming offensively, it was the offensive line play. It was the vanilla rushing attack. There was a lot more than just him. And for the media to say that you're gonna take a guy that had the highest completion percentage in college football history through twelve games, to now say that he's a second or third round pick because of his postseason performance, and you're gonna say it solely lies on his shoulders is just It's it's just a cop out answer. And I I think that he it's impossible for somebody at that level, at that kind of program, to take a step back in the second full year of him starting. Aaron: It is crazy when we talk about some of those narratives where it is like they'll pick one guy who's obviously insanely talented and throw in like a weird detail like that of like, well, you know, if we're talking about the postseason, it's a lot of things come together. you're right. Like a quarterback doesn't guarantee you a win in a game, doesn't guarantee you a loss in a game. Like it is something that they're an important piece, a very important piece to a team. But he does play at a super high level and I don't think he gets the recognition. He's definitely in talks. Like, I'm not saying he's some kind of underdog here. But when we talk about the coverage everybody else gets, it is something that we will we'll have to just see improve it again and again and again and again. Like it is you're right. Like it it's it is bad business to bet against it. So I think we'll Ryan: But they d Aaron: continue to see it. Ryan: but they do treat him like that, and I think it's so disrespectful. Like he he's proven over and over and people just still make him prove himself. Like it's so so bad. But how about how about Keldrick Luster being a an un untackable force? Dude, they actually couldn't tackle him. Mm mm. Yeah, Chandler: 510 250 pound quarterback. To be fair, he did he didn't look like he was 250, but boy, when they try to tackle him, he looked like he was 250. Aaron: Yeah. Yep. Absolutely solid. Ryan: he's bouncing off. He hurdled a guy. He wanted fifty pounds. Ugh. Chandler: It was it was it was incredible. I mean, that's the heaviest guy they're gonna have to tackle all year at quarterback. So, I mean, it's maybe of their whole football career. I don't think they'll ever tackle a two hundred fifty pound quarterback. So I mean Arch Manning's Ryan: Yeah, it was good practice. Yeah. Yeah. Chandler: gonna be like a wet paper towel compared to him being able to tackle him. I mean it's Ryan: Yeah. Yeah. Aaron: yeah. I couldn't believe it when they w when Ryan: And in that dint. Aaron: they dropped it and I looked at it and I was like, he's twenty-five plus pounds heavier than me, and I'm not a small guy. like by really any means. And I was like, that he's dense. He's gonna be a force. Yeah. Chandler: And like three or four inches shorter. Aaron: Like I I couldn't believe it. And I was like, that is that's awesome to see. Like I want to see him play more just because It's always fun. It's it's fun to see some some difference. I think sometimes we can get a little lost when we're talking about like college football as a whole, NFL as a whole. We can get onto these like physical attributes that don't necessarily dictate performance. Because sometimes a dog's a dog and he goes out there and he plays and he plays like he's a truck and he hits harder than anybody else. He makes people scared. It doesn't matter if he's not six foot four. Like it does it like I think this season and especially week one, we got to see a lot of different players than the cookie cutter mold that we're always looking at. Chandler: Aaron, let's go let's go over to your neck of the woods. I know you, you know, contrary to the Vegas over-under odds of your incredibly low win totals this year, I mean you started out at the gates, you know, hot. Yes, it was Louisiana Monroe, but let's hear your opinions on it. Aaron: Well, the cowbells were clanging. It and it felt good. I honestly I needed this. I really needed this game. I and unlike the Ohio State game, where you had just a plethora of great players to really talk about. I think there's really one we could talk. I I will say Mississippi State looked better as a whole. Defensively. Way better looking. offensively, way better looking. But I the shining star here. The the commentary we will spend the entire portion of my fandom segment talking about is Kamario Taylor. Like he looks incredible. The change in him from the end of last season, this season physically, you know, looks bigger, tougher. He still kept What I love seeing him, which was that pocket awareness that I think is what will make him great. I think he will be somebody that you can't ignore because he can he just has that echo location. He knows the timing, he knows the pressure. There's one point where a ULM player goes on a long engagement, comes up and around the back of him, and Camario is Hears the pressure and continues his throw. He sets, he's patient, he gets the ball out. He never once turns his head to look. He just takes a few steps forward into the pocket, makes the pass. And I think those are things when we're talking young quarterbacks. A lot of them get rattled in those kind things where they hear pressure, they start scrambling out of something that they have time to complete, and it costs them accuracy. Not necessarily the play, but it's accuracy. And the thing I really was impressed with with Camario this week, more so than anything else I saw, was how much he set his feet and he planted his hips. He looked solid on every throw. When he had the time, he took the time and made it happen. And because of that, he's accurate. Now I will say the one thing I think he needed to tighten up, put a little gas on that ball. And some plays where it didn't need to. He definitely had plenty of plays where he let off, but there's some he could have used a little more float, had a little more time because he was throwing lasers. But all in all, no no real complaints just Chandler: There was Aaron: looked incredible. Chandler: there was one play where he stepped up in a pocket and he Ryan: Mm-hmm. Chandler: it looked like he threw it like flat footed and it was a it was a go ball on the left sideline and it was just a perfect mid stride, just caught it, touchdown. But it looked I mean he threw that ball fifty plus yards in the air and it looks like it was flat footed. Like he didn't step into Aaron: Yeah, it Chandler: it, he just he like Ryan: Incredible. Chandler: you said, he just planted and threw it like just all upper body and it was insane. Ryan: Yeah, and like you're saying, he looked very poised. You love to see that at a out of a young guy. And especially for him, he's such a good runner that a lot of those young guys, when they get a little frantic or they feel something, they try to run, but he would step in the pocket. He had great pocket awareness, and that is like a good seasoned veteran quarterback kind of thing. And yeah, steps in the pocket, makes a good throw. And I like that he was kind of putting heat on the ball. It's the the receiver's job to catch the ball. What do they say? Tom Brady stopped throwing it. you're Breaking my fingers, you know, don't throw it so hard. You know, I know it can be hard to catch. Channel understands, but Aaron: Yeah. Chandler: Yeah, Ryan is the same way, he just throws missiles at you from five feet away when you're just playing catching the street. So Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. But no, I I Ryan: Sorry. Aaron: agree. It is something that it's he plays like he's had four more experience. Or four more years of experience. And Chandler: He looks great. I'm excited to see him against the Golden Gophers. Aaron: Yeah. Who also looked good. Looked very good. Chandler: The hockey team. Aaron: Yeah. But it is something that we will have to see it. Like this all looks good, but it is ULM. And you know, we do have to take that into account. You know, our defense looks better. I will say something that makes me a Mississippi State fan is we're chirpy on the field, especially defensively. we got we got hot blood. And that has to be controlled or else it costs us football games. Having Zach Arnett back on the sideline, I have I was just like so incredibly happy to see him pop up on the screen. I was like, it's our boy. I love Zach Arnett. I've know I've said my take that I don't think he should have been fired. I think he is a great head coach in the making. I I think whoever picks him up, if we don't in the future again, they're gonna have a great football coach. But seeing him back there, he looked great. He looked like he's been in the gym. And he brings a certain fire that if you're a fiery, hot-blooded team, that you have to have on the sideline. You cannot have a quiet, composed coach if you're a hot blooded team. And you have to have a guy. Zach Arnett will scream. He will yell, like I said, strength and conditioning team back on the field, grabbing belts. I love to see it. Our defense in the second half w was a little undisciplined in terms of getting getting a little rowdy. And I like to see Arnett on the sidelines getting that under control again. I like to see him addressing it right then and there and really letting them know week one, when we have the time to make those mistakes, could not make them again. and he seems like a guy that isn't gonna tell you twice. So that all looked good. You know, the first half of the ball I think was the representation of our team because we pulled starters after that, which I was glad to see. I was worried Levy would keep some in. you know, you can see that sometimes in coaches that are fighting for positivity in the program to pad stats. He pulled him, learned his lesson from our bowl game, and that is something we didn't get to see more of what we needed to see, but it was fine. Because what we did see was spectacular. We definitely have a depth issue. because that second half, lots softer. ULM was able to move the ball a little bit more. We weren't making quite the same progress, but that's gonna be glaring when you had Camario basically throwing 40-yard bombs every play and just like what was it? Like three plays a drive and pretty much a score. Like it it really went well. And he made those throws so good. Just the fact he just like it doesn't look like a huge effort. He just kind of throws it and then all of a sudden the ball's like high up in the air, going forty-fifty yards downfield. it was incredible to see. It was great. It was something that gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season. not in the way that I think it undoes how difficult of a schedule we have in terms of our capabilities. I don't necessarily think that means we have an SEC title in us. But I do think we got a bowl game. I think we've got some games that can be close that we can be competitive in. And I think if teams underprepare for Mississippi State this year, there could be an upset. But with Mississippi State's win this week, the SEC as a whole was undefeated. Every SEC team Chandler: Sixteen and no. Aaron: that played won. So incredible. Something that hasn't happened for a while. I don't remember the exact year. Doesn't matter. It just felt good as an SEC fan because we all pulled our weight and gave great games. And I think a real capstone to turn to will be Ryan and the Auburn performance. How is the Goalish era going? Ryan: Dude, right now I've like compartmentalized and like put it away. Right now, like I'm literally like my heart's beating so bad 'cause I'm like having to Aaron: Ha ha ha ha. Ryan: think about it again. I'm actually not kidding. No, but I'd I would not ask me what I think, I would ask me how I feel. Aaron: So how do you feel, Ryan? Chandler: What do you what do you think and how do you feel? Let's answer both. We have plenty of time. Take us away. Aaron: We've entered the therapy Ryan: I feel Aaron: segment of Rack. Ryan: I feel like someone kidnapped me, put me in a room, and locked me in a chair, and opened my eyes like that episode of Phineas and Ferb, and took every single thing that I have ever loved and every person I've loved and destroyed them one by one in front of me for four straight hours. And then when it was my turn, they let me go, and everything I have in all hope was gone, and I'm free now. That was that game. Aaron: Yeah. Ryan: I felt like I was sitting there. in a big body of water in the middle of the ocean and a big shark came up and bit me in half and then I'm like, wait, no, it missed. I'm actually okay. But then I'm still just like stuck in the middle of the ocean. Like I feel terrible. Aaron: I will say, right after the Auburn game ended, I was gonna text the group chat. And I was like, you know what? I'm gonna give Ryan time to breathe here. I'm gonna give him a little bit. so I held off for a l for I believe till the next series of games ended. That then I sent the text because I was like, that couldn't have felt good. That's rough, and I'm sorry. Ryan: I appreciate it. Chandler: So Ryan, answer answer me this for me, okay? Ryan: No, I I appreciate it. Mm-hmm. Chandler: This whole offseason, as an out Aaron: Ha ha Chandler: as an outside fan looking in, and I and I'm a lot more connected to Auburn than most non-Auburn fans are because of, you know, marrying into an Auburn family. So this whole offseason, we've been getting fed the okay, we're gonna come in, we're gonna realign this offense, we're gonna we're gonna score lots of points, we're gonna make such complex schemes, we're gonna have this explosive offense that goes in and dominates every game, we're gonna score tons of points. And all off season they've had so much chirp of like, we're doing this. And before that they were gonna retain a bunch of players and they didn't, but that's I guess a completely side thing. But how do you feel about the explosive offense scoring seventeen points? in a Baylor game? Like how like w do you feel lied to? Do you feel like there could be hope at the end of the tunnel? Ryan: Feel I too. And I actually there's no hope. And I actually think that you brought up the players leaving was a great analogy. I think I need to sue Alex Golish for cyberbullying and emotional distress. Because when they initially got there, Alex Golish said, Hey, my main goal is player attention. Didn't happen all of our players left. those players are so terrible, I didn't want them. My USF guys are so good. I'm gonna get these guys a portal. Couldn't get them. Got his USF guys gave him money. And like I keep getting tricked over and over. It's like in the bye when it talks about like having the itching ears, like hearing what you want to hear, you know? I already hear him. And he says every single thing correct that I want to hear. We're gonna be so great. We're gonna do this. And I I get myself into this mood, like, yeah, like this could work. But it's like I talk about the tangible and intangible hope. I didn't have a tangible thing to hold on to that this is why this is gonna work. So then finally, I see him in the spring game. no. This is so terrible, our offense sucks. And then the whole everything else goes on. Whatever. Start feeling better. People are talking about it. Start feeling better. we're gonna be such a dominant offense. And I see us play again. Not so much. And I finally was like feeling good going into this game for some reason. That it was going to be fixed. And it was the exact same thing again. no. We just couldn't do anything on Baylor. DJ Lagway. Looked like the most incredible quarterback I've ever seen. I know he fumbled and broke his ankle or something on like one of those first drives, but he was incredible. He was playing on one foot. Every single ball he threw literally right on a guy. Even if we were plastered, like Champ Anthony covered a guy a couple of times, and he was just like all over him. And it touched the guy and he catches it every single time. The first half, he was incredible. He couldn't even run. That probably would have flipped the game a little too. Second half though, we kind of shut him down a little. But it's like the first have every single third down they got it. And DJ Durkin always finds a way to kind of limit points. They only scored sixteen points. Which that's not bad. You should win every single game if the other team always scores sixteen points. But I don't know how in the world I expect them to score more when last year, like they scored thirty five against Memphis. It's like you're not gonna score thirty five against like a real SEC team. So We managed to pull it off. I guess Byrum technically figured it out. Like he was able to run for a touchdown. But it was bad. We come out, get stuffed in the line, we couldn't block. Our offensive line was terrible when we were trying to throw. But I was actually my best thing is I was going in that game worried to see if Byron Brown could physically throw the ball and someone catch it. And he actually did that pretty well. But we couldn't run the ball. And I know it could be an O line issue, but Byron's supposed to be so good at running. He couldn't run the ball. He couldn't get out of the pocket to run. We designed runs, couldn't run except for like one down the sideline and then another time was the touchdown. But he was actually able to physically put the ball on, guys. I know he had three interceptions. I only think really one of them was his fault because one of them got tipped and was in an interception. One of them was in double coverage to Chaz Nimrod. And Chaz Nimrod again. They keep saying how good he is. He can't track the ball. He did this in the spring game too. He slows down when the ball goes in the air. But Alex Gollich told Byram to throw that ball into double coverage. He literally said that after. He said, I told him to throw that ball. He threw a post to Chaz near on double coverage. Chaz slowed down and it was an interception. And then the other one, Chaz was running like an in from right to left across the middle. And he just waited too long. He's just too late to get to his reads. He sees the guy finally open and throws it, and he's not open anymore. You gotta hit him right there, right when he makes the break. So like that. I'm I'm not happy. I feel like I'm I'm pretty good with our defense again, even though they got like every third down. We still limited him enough. I just our offense is so terrible. That's I'm saying Chandler: I they only had sixteen points, you can't ask for much more. I mean Aaron: Yeah. Ryan: we we have to be able to score points, especially on a team like Baylor. They were better than I expected, but they're not like an LSU or or like a Georgia or something. Chandler: They had a quarterback with one leg. Aaron: I was gonna say the defense Ryan: But he was incredible. Aaron: just took his crutches off before he got onto the field, and that was it. I know, I know. Ryan: I know, I know. He got carried into the tunnel at halftime. His players carried Chandler: I mean Ryan: him in there. Chandler: so my thing is as a logical human being, okay, if you take a bunch of players from USF who is not in the SEC. And you move those players minus a couple offensive linemen and Jeremiah Cobb. You move those players, one offensive lineman, your receiving core, Byron Brown, into this offense that no longer has Cam Coleman, that no longer has all these weapons around him. Ryan: Mm-hmm. Chandler: How in the world can you expect to have more offensive production with arguably on paper? I'm not gonna say they are actually less talented, but on paper, they are supposed to be less talented than the receivers you already had. That's what never made sense to me. Because I don't I don't know how Ryan: I don't know. It never made sense to me. Chandler: they're gonna plug in a scheme that worked at USF great. They won a lot of games. But how is that same scheme With those same players going to compete at that higher level. I mean, we saw it against Miami when they played Miami last year. They got the break speed off of So I Ryan: Mm-hmm. Chandler: d I just never understood how they were gonna plug in that scheme with those same players and have a night and day different offensive production than last year. Ryan: No, I don't understand. And we had zero offense last year. But like it's so fresh. Jeremiah Coger actually did surprisingly well, even though Keyshawn Singleton was supposed to be the guy and Chaz was supposed to be the guy. He looked good. But like we've definitely got worse. Our defense still played good. It's probably slightly worse than last year since we lost big like a few big names. But Dave Rexon looked good. I I don't know. But we were like a nine or ten win team last year. And we have like gotten significantly worse. So how in the world are we gonna win and we actually end up winning like five games. So how in the world are we gonna win five games? Aaron: it's gonna be tough. I will say that what I took away from the game is I think Golish realized exactly what Chandler just said. Because like defensively Chandler: You're fine. DJ Durkin's great. Aaron: They like I I Ryan: Yeah, yeah. Aaron: I'm not gonna say they're perfect, but they looked competitive. Like Ryan: Mm-hmm. Chandler: They weren't the reason they almost lost the game. Aaron: for a week No, no, and it felt like Ryan: No. They were the reason we won. Chandler: Yes. Aaron: yeah. It is something that offensively there was not an answer to anything. Like Ryan: Mm mm. Mm mm. Aaron: I I felt like Golish was going down the play sheet. Like, well, if that doesn't work, you know, this is where we go. That would get shut down. And it it took a like not every play, it wasn't a tragedy. But we're seeing this against Baylor. And Baylor, like, give Lagway credit here, he did perform like he performed at Florida. which is Ryan: I think was better. Aaron: I I would say he played with more intensity. and I Ryan: Not in the second half. If you take part of the second half the before like the last couple drives, the whole second half without the last couple drives, he looked like incredible. Like he was one of like the he looked incredible. Except for like Yeah, on one foot. Aaron: On one foot, like I think it is so important to point out like that early ankle mobility issue. I mean, he was hobbling. Honestly, I I don't know how they kept him in that game. He looked bad. I and I mean credit to him for sticking it out. I mean, that's toughness. Like, that is hard to be out there. You know he was hurting on every single down because he couldn't walk. And i it It is something that I do think we have a different game. If he had not jumped up in the air and came down on his ankle weird, I don't think hurdles are worth it most of the time. I think if you are somebody who is very, very Chandler: Especially not as a quarterback. Aaron: good at him, absolutely stay on the ground. Receivers and quarterbacks. You don't have to jump, don't jump. but it is something that it was it was tough to see. As somebody who has now spent time with you to think of like, no, all of Ryan's worries are showing here. And I'm not gonna say it's unsalvageable, like, but they're gonna have to come up with some pretty big answers very quickly because y'all don't have an easy schedule either. Ryan: Mm-mm. Aaron: y'all won that game because Aranda went for two at the very end, and I Don't know why he did that. I was so confused Ryan: I don't know. Aaron: because the other thing was Baylor wasn't amazing, but they were pretty consistent. And I think Auburn wasn't as consistent as Baylor was in the game. So I would have taken that game to overtime if I was making that choice. Like, okay, we've been moving the ball pretty reasonably. Like I would have counted on y'all having a three and out drive before they did. And that's something that I don't get the the going for two. I don't get the pass. It was so close. It was what, six inches? Yeah. Ryan: This for. It was this for. Chandler: It was a perfect it was a perfect route. The route was right the scheme, the play call, everything was right. It was just a the ball was not over to the sideline enough. Ryan: He literally just got turned a little when he got tackled. It was a good s yeah. It was a good scheme. And that guy called a timeout. We had 12 guys on the field before the the two point conversion and their own coach called a timeout. Like it was it was stupid. I don't even know. Yeah, but at the end of the day, Aaron: Yeah, it it is Ryan: it was our offense was the bad thing in that game. Goal is just like, well they had like a guy over top, we couldn't run anything. A real coach like doesn't care, you just run like a different scheme. You scheme somebody open, you get him to go away, and then you put someone under him or something. Like it's ridiculous. I don't know. I don't see any hope. Every Aaron: It it was it was tough. Ryan: single thing I was worried about in that game that someone told me, no, it'll be okay because of this happened. Every single thing. I I am not feeling good. Aaron: I don't have any words to express hope for you either. I don't know how to I I I don't have anything for ya because Ryan: Me neither. No, say it. Say it, it's over. Chandler: Me neither. Ryan: Unless they do something drastically different, it is over. Aaron: It is. Like it it honestly, like it you it sucks to say 'cause I do believe programs can have a bad game. and like I don't know if it was a bunch of different things. You know, I got so much grief from the Auburn fandom. not quite as much as Oregon when I talked about the neutral site game. And I I did want to take a moment and clarify because I did ru listen back to it and I was like, I think the point I was trying to make is Auburn would play better at home than at Baylor would. And I think by it being new yeah, you guys had a a close enough Yeah, yeah. It takes it Ryan: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I understood that. Yeah. The neurotypical people, they're not gonna understand, you know. I was kidding. Aaron: takes our crosswired brains. But I Ryan: Mm. Aaron: do think that's that's one of those elements of like you don't have the charge of going out on the field at your home stadium for your very first game that you get. Like it's not the same. Now you guys had the fandom. You showed up like you always do. but it it was concerning. It it is tough to say that. I I don't necessarily think there's a specific thing to point at because there's a lot of directions to be pointing at. Ryan: Mm-hmm. Aaron: And Goalish is gonna have to figure out. Like he is going to have a lot of things to look at. He's gonna have to have some answers, like I said, a lot of them very quickly. Because y'all don't have a lot of breathing room this season. And now do I think if Golish goes in, let's say your season, I know I've joked many times about you being down in the dirt with us Mississippi State fans in the SEC this season you might be. and Ryan: It could happen. Aaron: It is something that in the off season, it will need to be addressed via the transfer portal. Like that is what can complete Ryan: Yeah, but that's what's saying, like, Aaron: this. Ryan: I'm worried that we are looking at the transfer portal. He promised that he was gonna come in and be a contender now. He brought all his players to do it now because they didn't have to learn a new scheme. And I think that him and his players actually believe that and they came out on the first drive and went, no, like this isn't working against Baylor. Not in real team. But I do have a funny story that until now I actually have kind of cart mentalized like everything's gonna be okay kind of thing. I literally sat there for like the entire day, over and over. I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe this is happening. This is so terrible. I was even at church on Sunday in the morning and I like couldn't get it out of my head. Like I was thinking, but I thought was so funny. Like in between song Alex Ghoulish, his phrase is be who you say you are. I was like, That's hilarious. And like like one of the songs at church said, You are what you say you are, you'll do what you say you do. And I'm like, that's like not what he did at all. Alex Gulish can't do what he says he does. He didn't do it. So then I was like, Corinna is like I'm I'm s not supposed to be so worried about this, you know. So I kinda put it away until I brought it back up now and I th I've let the cat out of the bag again. And I've went crazy. Aaron: Yeah. I I just feel like we've sl swapped positions this week. Because this is how I felt all off season for Mississippi. Where I knew we had talent, I knew we had these things, and we're not out of the woods yet either. but you know, we got to see some promising, and I felt like I don't really have a point in that game that I could Queen at and say like that's that's Auburn's salvation. Like they Ryan: Mm. Aaron: just nail that down and shore up some of the leaks and you're not gonna have it too bad. Ryan: Like I don't think it was just a byram issue. Cause like he kinda Aaron: No. Ryan: did okay. He did what was put in front of him. It's not like he did what Trinidad Chamlis is though, and last year you're playing in Georgia, and if nothing's happening, like I'm gonna make it happen. I'm gonna run around and make some crazy play. He wasn't doing that. Everything that was laid in front of me is kinda doing it. But then I always say him too. He's like so close. If you just hit guys a little earlier, stuff like that, but you gotta get him open. You gotta have guys that can Aaron: Yeah. Ryan: get separation, and then he's gotta hit him a little earlier. It's like a whole ordeal, so much has has to change and I I don't think that Golish is able to recognize that and and do it. Maybe. I'm a little worried about that. I feel like they would have done it by now. Aaron: I I'll give I'll give that. Like I I I'll say with the with the recency of your trauma here. no, I think I think Golish had to have a wake up call here. I I think Chandler was so right. Ryan: I hope this really is a wake-up call. I really hope this is a wake-up call. Because he didn't see this as being an issue until now. So I hope he sees it. Aaron: You know, it's it's kind of coach prime mentality of where like you can go in, Ryan: Mm. Aaron: you can have all that hype, and eventually you might see a little bit more than's really out there, which hey, right now he won the game. Like he he's on top. Golish won the game too, and we will see if he has that self reflection in him. And like I said, I'm gonna I'm gonna say he does. Like you don't become a head coach by luck. You know, you gotta have some credentials. Ryan: Yeah, yeah. Aaron: You gotta have some ability to adjust your team, make it work. Nobody's nobody's got it right on the first try except maybe Kurt Skinetti. so we'll see. We'll see. but it Ryan: Mm. Yeah, we'll see. We got Georgia week three. That'll be a great test of where we're actually at. But I'm so worried about that. Yeah. Aaron: Yeah, with us. That's where you're at. Ryan: If we lose to Florida, it's actually over. Like Aaron: Yeah. Ryan: I I'm not kidding. No second chances. That is the second chance. Like it is over over if we lose to Florida. And I'm not feeling so good right now. I'm being very mean and negative. I gotta put this. But it was still fun to watch. I'm glad my team was on the TV and I got to watch them. It's just so stressful. I need to let it not take so much emotional and I need to not let it take so much emotional Chandler: I don't know if fun to watch is the word I would use, but it was a thing to watch. Aaron: Yeah, yeah. Ryan: damage on me. It it was something. Chandler: It was something. Fun is not the word I would describe Ryan: I just don't Chandler: it as. Ryan: I just don't see how well leading up to the game. But yeah. Chandler: Yeah, the pre show was fun, Aaron: yeah. Chandler: I guess. Yeah. Ryan: Wait well, I've been waiting for this for a year and I've been let out. But Aaron: Yeah. Ryan: I'm being too negative. I like Auburn. I'm not gonna give up, you know. I like them too much. That's why I I care so much and like them, that's why I'm acting like this. Aaron: And that's what makes college football special. we all love our Chandler: Okay. Aaron: team so much. It means so much. And yeah, not the greatest showing from Auburn for week one. fantastic showings for Ohio State and Mississippi State. But you know, we are heading into week two and week three are the proving ground. You know, a lot of this is Not everybody had to play a competitive game. And we will have those answers and our worries and our issues exposed when we do go up against some competitive teams. And we'll let you know what we think might happen in those games for week two when we come back in our Thursday episode. When we give you our predictions on what's going to go down next Saturday on the Thursday prediction show. So tune in. Thank you all who have followed along that are listening, viewing right now. We appreciate ya. We love ya. Thank you all who are commenting and engaging with our social media post, helping grow the show so much. Been very exciting to see all the viewers, all the listeners we gained over. Week zero and week one. So thank you. Thank you. We will be back Thursday. Enjoy this bonus episode. This is a format we're kind of tossing around for these big game weekends where there's just too much to cover that we might keep our team separate, talk about the big games, talk about outside of it. So it isn't just you know, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Auburn for 45 minutes, and then we have to rush five teams out in the last ten. So let us know if you like this idea. We're gonna probably play around with it for a few weeks, see how it feels, but expect to see a couple double episode drops in the next twelve weeks as we follow along in the season. So once again, thank you. We'll see you next time. Ryan: Bye bye. Again.