Latest / The Mike Blitz Show / We are SO back, for real this time! S6E1: 2026 Offseason Storylines

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We are SO back, for real this time! S6E1: 2026 Offseason Storylines · The Mike Blitz Show

0:04
SPEAKER_00: And we're back.
0:05
SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
0:06
SPEAKER_00: Missed the music.
0:15
SPEAKER_04: Hollywood go.
0:17
SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
0:19
SPEAKER_04: Go.
0:20
SPEAKER_00: Been too long.
0:26
SPEAKER_04: Go.
0:30
SPEAKER_03: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Mike Blitz.
0:34
SPEAKER_03: I'm your host for season six, Mike Wade, my two new hosts, Darren Stedman and Mark Franz and gentlemen.
0:41
SPEAKER_03: So glad you could be here.
0:42
SPEAKER_03: How's everybody doing tonight?
0:44
SPEAKER_00: Man, honored by the invite.
0:47
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for getting us on here, Michael.
0:49
SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
0:50
SPEAKER_02: I second what Darren said.
0:51
SPEAKER_02: Thank you for the invite, Gooks.
0:52
SPEAKER_02: Glad to be here.
0:53
SPEAKER_02: Let's talk some football.
0:54
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely, absolutely.
0:55
SPEAKER_03: Mike Blitz had a grip, big offseason.
0:57
SPEAKER_03: Obviously, we worked the transfer portal.
0:58
SPEAKER_03: We got our NIL dollars up.
0:59
SPEAKER_03: We were able to bring in Darren and Mark.
1:02
SPEAKER_03: We're very excited to have them here.
1:03
SPEAKER_03: Little quick uh keep housekeeping update.
1:05
SPEAKER_03: Mike White is still with us.
1:07
SPEAKER_03: He is uh had a baby, baby Sadie Jane, wonderful, happy, but he is swimming in it.
1:11
SPEAKER_03: So we may or may not see him come in and out this season.
1:14
SPEAKER_03: But uh yeah, all is well, baby's well, Mike is well, vols are we'll talk about them, but all's well.
1:20
SPEAKER_03: So anyway, we're very excited to have Mark Mark and Darren this season.
1:24
SPEAKER_03: So, with that said, welcome back to the Mike Blitz.
1:26
SPEAKER_03: Uh, I'm your host.
1:27
SPEAKER_03: Tonight is the first episode of the season.
1:30
SPEAKER_03: Uh, we are going to do the off-season storyline.
1:32
SPEAKER_03: So here's the goal for tonight.
1:33
SPEAKER_03: What we're trying to do tonight is get you guys caught up because we haven't talked to you in a long time, and there's been about eight months of happen things going on in college football.
1:41
SPEAKER_03: Some big, some small, some little.
1:43
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna talk a little bit about that.
1:44
SPEAKER_03: What we're trying to do today is if you turned off your brain after the Miami Indiana National Championship said, I don't care about college football anymore.
1:51
SPEAKER_03: I'm I'm I'm done with that.
1:52
SPEAKER_03: Now I'm watching baseball, whatever.
1:54
SPEAKER_03: This is gonna bring you back, we're gonna catch you back up and get you caught all the speed leading up to week zero, which is in 11 days.
2:02
SPEAKER_03: 11 days.
2:02
SPEAKER_03: And actually, the three of us are going to a week zero football game this season.
2:06
SPEAKER_03: So we're super excited about that.
2:08
SPEAKER_03: So we're gonna see actually we're gonna see the UVA Flight and Cavaliers play the NC State Wolfpack in Charlottesville.
2:14
SPEAKER_03: Game was supposed to be in Rio, got moved.
2:16
SPEAKER_03: So very excited for that.
2:18
SPEAKER_03: So uh thank again, gentlemen, thank you so much.
2:21
SPEAKER_03: So, how's this gonna work tonight?
2:22
SPEAKER_03: So, we ran this uh back in 2023, 2024.
2:25
SPEAKER_03: If those of you are still with us, tonight we're gonna pretend that we are at.
2:28
SPEAKER_03: I need you guys to all close your eyes.
2:30
SPEAKER_03: Listen on your drive around your car right now.
2:32
SPEAKER_03: Just imagine right now, you are at a fine dining establishment.
2:36
SPEAKER_03: It is a really nice, wonderful place, uh, very classy, fancy.
2:41
SPEAKER_03: Um, it may or may not rhyme with the Schmalev garden.
2:45
SPEAKER_03: We are having a fancy Italian feast together.
2:48
SPEAKER_03: And we are gonna have, of course, have several courses.
2:50
SPEAKER_03: That's what you do at fine Italian meals.
2:52
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna start with drinks, which are the small storylines.
2:55
SPEAKER_03: We'll go to the uh appetizers, the medium storylines, and of course the entrees for the main event.
3:01
SPEAKER_03: The things kind of catch and go up small, medium, and large storylines for college football.
3:05
SPEAKER_03: We'll finish off with some dessert, of course, talking about all things homework.
3:08
SPEAKER_03: Mr.
3:09
SPEAKER_03: Franz has something special for that planned, so that's kind of the plan runaround for tonight.
3:13
SPEAKER_03: So, gentlemen, thank you so much for stepping into my restaurant tonight.
3:16
SPEAKER_03: You're at a fine Italian restaurant with the missus.
3:18
SPEAKER_03: What are you guys drinking?
3:19
SPEAKER_03: What are you ordering?
3:20
unknown: Just like boots.
3:21
SPEAKER_00: Kudos to Mr.
3:22
SPEAKER_00: Franzen, by the way.
3:23
SPEAKER_00: He dressed for the occasion.
3:24
SPEAKER_00: I know, man.
3:25
SPEAKER_00: Shout out to you.
3:27
SPEAKER_02: Man, I mean, uh it was this or no sleeves.
3:30
SPEAKER_02: I wasn't sure what to wear.
3:32
SPEAKER_03: I mean, that's you know, it's at fun, really nice restaurants like the Itali like the Olive Garden.
3:36
SPEAKER_03: I think you can't go wrong either way.
3:37
SPEAKER_03: I think you've got both going.
3:40
SPEAKER_03: That's right, not sponsored.
3:42
SPEAKER_02: You should see me from the waist down.
3:45
SPEAKER_03: I'm a big fan of a cabernet.
3:46
SPEAKER_03: I like to order a nice glass of red.
3:48
SPEAKER_03: Do you guys are you wine drinkers?
3:49
SPEAKER_03: Red, white, order of whiskey.
3:51
SPEAKER_03: Like, what do you if you want a nice, nice kind of what are you drinking?
3:54
SPEAKER_02: Darren, go for it.
3:55
SPEAKER_00: So it's gonna be it's gonna be a red wine for me because the wife, the missus, and I will split a bottle.
4:01
SPEAKER_00: That's just that's just the right move.
4:03
SPEAKER_00: When you're when you're sitting at a at a white tablecloth establishment, nice bottle of red wine just sets the scene right there, right?
4:11
SPEAKER_03: Love that.
4:11
SPEAKER_00: So for you know, for my drinks, if I'm if I'm starting out here at this fine dining establishment, I want to talk about um something recent.
4:21
SPEAKER_00: Uh your boy, my boy, our boy, Jaden Daniels.
4:26
SPEAKER_03: Oh my god, let's just get it out of the way.
4:27
SPEAKER_03: Let's just get on, let's just get on in there.
4:29
SPEAKER_00: Get it.
4:30
SPEAKER_00: Let's go, you know, let's get it.
4:32
SPEAKER_00: You know, we're we're starting this meal off strong.
4:34
SPEAKER_00: So let's order something, order something stiff.
4:36
SPEAKER_03: First offseason storyline, Jaden Daniels and the LSU controversy.
4:40
SPEAKER_03: So those of you who don't have your head under a rock know that Jaden Daniels was number five, was the highest winner in 2023 at LSU.
4:45
SPEAKER_03: He's currently third-year quarterback for the Washington Commanders, my and Darren's beloved uh Washington Commanders.
4:50
SPEAKER_03: There's a controversy about use of the number.
4:53
SPEAKER_03: Uh LSU's All-American cornerback, DJ Pickett, was number three last year, asked for number five.
5:00
SPEAKER_03: The previous administration at LSU, Brian Kelly, made the promise in the recruiting pitch that he could have it.
5:04
SPEAKER_03: Lane Kiffin offered the deal.
5:06
SPEAKER_03: DJ Pickett is wearing number five.
5:09
SPEAKER_03: Jaden Daniels was under the impression, and probably correctly, that he was nope, the five wouldn't get worn again.
5:15
SPEAKER_03: Number nine, Joe Burrow has not been worn since, as well as uh a couple of other uh LSU legendary players throughout the years.
5:22
SPEAKER_03: So uh Jaden Danielson a decease and desist letter to his to LSU, don't use it, take my NIL away, blah, blah, blah.
5:30
SPEAKER_03: I hate the whole storyline.
5:32
SPEAKER_03: I hate it all.
5:32
SPEAKER_03: It's just it feels like to me, it feels like it's like two fight.
5:37
SPEAKER_03: You're like you're the kid and like a divorcing parent, and your your two parents are fighting, like the LSU and commanders.
5:42
SPEAKER_03: Like, please stop.
5:43
SPEAKER_03: I don't like this.
5:43
SPEAKER_03: I don't want you guys feuding anymore.
5:45
SPEAKER_03: I hate the whole story a lot.
5:46
SPEAKER_03: I can't wait for it to go away.
5:47
SPEAKER_03: What do you got?
5:48
SPEAKER_02: Do you think that Joe Burrow cares about this at all?
5:52
SPEAKER_02: I did watch his postgame press conference with the Bengals the other day.
5:56
SPEAKER_03: He said, Well, what did he say?
5:58
SPEAKER_03: He said they didn't, they told me they weren't going to use my number, which was like probably telling the truth, but I don't think he cares at all.
6:03
SPEAKER_03: I can't bring I cannot bring myself to think that Joe Burrow would be stuck up about number nine.
6:08
SPEAKER_03: I gotta think JD's getting bad advice, Darren.
6:11
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
6:11
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and looks like his looks like his mom is serving as his agent, as we saw on the quarterback show.
6:16
SPEAKER_00: And mom, I think, is maybe overstepping, overprotecting a little bit.
6:21
SPEAKER_00: And mom, you know, this is a family announcement.
6:24
SPEAKER_00: I don't think it's Jaden himself.
6:25
SPEAKER_00: Jaden's like, I'm playing football, I'm staying focused.
6:28
SPEAKER_00: He's saying all the right things.
6:29
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but his his team, his camp is overstepping here.
6:34
SPEAKER_00: I mean, stand down.
6:35
SPEAKER_00: This kind of reminds me of like when you go off to college, but then you like come back to the high school football game and you want to be big shot a little bit, and maybe you're you know, put on your letterman jacket one more time, but everybody's like, who's that guy?
6:50
SPEAKER_00: Didn't he already graduate?
6:51
SPEAKER_00: Get him out of here.
6:53
SPEAKER_00: This is an NFL story, and it's it's unfortunate that the college football fans like us, you know, are have to listen to this mess.
7:01
SPEAKER_00: So this is like my this is my starter course.
7:03
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna go ahead and order just a stiff whiskey and just like get it out of the way, get this show, you know, get it in, get it out, and get on with the with the meal.
7:12
SPEAKER_03: Let's move on to something uh a little bit more fun.
7:14
SPEAKER_03: So Akron.
7:15
SPEAKER_03: Uh, I can't tell you, I think in the last six seasons, Mike and I have spent maybe eight minutes on Akron, so we're gonna double it tonight.
7:21
SPEAKER_03: The Akron Zips are having a fan contest, and I actually didn't know this until about an hour ago.
7:26
SPEAKER_03: The drawing is tomorrow.
7:27
SPEAKER_03: Get this.
7:28
SPEAKER_03: If you bought a season ticket for the Akron Zips 2026 uh football season, you are automatically entered into a fan contest.
7:35
SPEAKER_03: So raffle.
7:36
SPEAKER_03: The winner of that raffle will get to call the opening drive offensive plays and the September 12th game against Robert Morris, an FCS opponent.
7:45
SPEAKER_03: You'll get to you'll get to spend a couple days with the coach, Mr.
7:48
SPEAKER_03: Chad Moorhead, uh, sit in the front office, be on the sideline.
7:52
SPEAKER_03: They're gonna record it, so you're gonna hear it later.
7:54
SPEAKER_03: You're gonna be able to actually make some media out of it.
7:56
SPEAKER_03: And whoever wins this raffle is going to get to call offensive plays for the first drive of an actual D1 football game.
8:03
SPEAKER_03: Season tickets sales went up 40% just on the announcement of this.
8:08
SPEAKER_03: It's incredible fundraising.
8:10
SPEAKER_03: It is so creative, it's great.
8:12
SPEAKER_03: Are we ever gonna see something like this ever again?
8:14
SPEAKER_03: Is this where we're going?
8:15
SPEAKER_03: Is this new fundraising?
8:16
SPEAKER_03: What do you got?
8:57
SPEAKER_02: I think I think it's a great gimmick on the behalf of Akron because nobody's gonna be talking about Akron football right now going into the regular season.
9:04
SPEAKER_02: And I think it's it's a it's a smooth move by the Akron people to get a little bit of publicity out there.
9:10
SPEAKER_02: And I don't know.
9:10
SPEAKER_02: I mean, if I was somewhere in middle Ohio, I might I might think about buying.
9:14
SPEAKER_02: I mean, how much can season tickets to Akron actually be?
9:16
SPEAKER_02: Right, yeah.
9:17
SPEAKER_03: So you you could buy uh you could buy the lowest tier or$75 to$100 for the whole season.
9:22
SPEAKER_03: So seven home games.
9:23
SPEAKER_03: So ten dollars a game.
9:24
SPEAKER_03: That I would pay more than that just for a chance to get like some Akron gear.
9:28
SPEAKER_03: Like, you think that his Akron polo he's gonna wear?
9:31
SPEAKER_03: That's worth$100.
9:32
SPEAKER_03: I'm sure he's gonna get a play call, like foldy sheet, like the whole nine.
9:35
SPEAKER_03: Like any of those, any of those accessories to me is worth a$7,500 raffle top.
9:41
SPEAKER_00: I mean, this time of year.
9:42
SPEAKER_00: It's brilliant.
9:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they're gonna pack the house on see on game one, of course, and then I think it's gonna keep rolling.
9:48
SPEAKER_00: I bet we'll see it some more.
9:50
SPEAKER_00: I think there's some sort of a line in the list of the top, you know, 160 teams or whatever.
9:56
SPEAKER_00: Like, how far up the line does this go?
9:59
SPEAKER_00: Like, could the could the Purdue boilermakers do this?
10:04
SPEAKER_00: Right, just to like generate a little a little steam?
10:07
SPEAKER_00: Could the you know the like ODU, like William and Mary, they should definitely do this sort of thing.
10:12
SPEAKER_03: You know, Akron's money is just as green as Women Mary's money.
10:15
SPEAKER_03: So, I mean, the last I the last I heard, they still like money as well.
10:18
SPEAKER_00: So I don't see I'd love to see it in the power four.
10:20
SPEAKER_03: Yes, exactly, exactly.
10:22
SPEAKER_03: The other thing is on the here's the other thing on September 12th, whenever I'm not, I don't have the kickoff time uh handy, I'm gonna watch that opening drive, either live or DVR'd.
10:31
SPEAKER_03: I want to know what this 27-year-old Q ever, what he's calling his brain process.
10:36
SPEAKER_03: I want to know, I want more of this story.
10:38
SPEAKER_03: I want to know the whole process, and I can't wait to watch.
10:40
SPEAKER_03: I if it's a what if it's a touchdown drive?
10:42
SPEAKER_03: Or what if it's like a what if it's like a what if it's like a run run play action, beat the safety, bomb over the top?
10:50
SPEAKER_03: Like I don't know.
10:51
SPEAKER_02: What if it ends up in a pick six?
10:53
SPEAKER_00: Even better, pure cinema.
10:55
SPEAKER_00: Any there's no there's really no outcome that wouldn't be entertaining.
10:58
SPEAKER_00: How many plays do you come prepared with?
11:00
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I guess I would come up with 15.
11:03
SPEAKER_03: That's what they said.
11:03
SPEAKER_03: They're gonna she said they're gonna strip 12 to 15, and then and based on like the game flow, they might like change it or whatnot.
11:09
SPEAKER_03: But there's really no outcome that would be disappointing, I think, except for like three yards in a cloud of dust.
11:14
SPEAKER_03: Like run, run, run, punt.
11:15
SPEAKER_00: That would be kind of what do you think the odds are that the very first play is over 30 yards?
11:20
SPEAKER_00: Like not a not a not a completion, but an attempt.
11:24
SPEAKER_00: Like go deep.
11:26
SPEAKER_00: The first play is gonna be go deep.
11:29
SPEAKER_03: No, he's gonna want to set him up for success.
11:31
SPEAKER_03: I could see a play action play for sure, but I'm thinking like a like a leaky tight end, a quick like uh a wide receiver kind of over the middle, maybe a quick out to the sideline.
11:41
SPEAKER_03: Like he because he's gonna, I think what they're wanting to try and do is draw this out, right?
11:44
SPEAKER_03: They're gonna want to like what they don't want to do is is they don't if it doesn't, yeah, they don't want three now.
11:49
SPEAKER_03: I think they're gonna want some airtime out of this.
11:51
SPEAKER_03: And like, I think nothing would be better for Akron Zipps football to down 26 than a 17-play methodical drive called by Susie Johnson, just scripted to the T.
12:02
SPEAKER_03: Like, that's that's that's that's that's Hollywood, right?
12:05
SPEAKER_03: There it's brilliant.
12:06
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think so.
12:07
SPEAKER_03: Anyway, so pay attention to Akron football.
12:09
SPEAKER_03: Let's keep it moving.
12:10
SPEAKER_03: Next one flex scheduling in the Pac-12.
12:13
SPEAKER_03: So, those of you who don't know, the Pac 12 is now eight teams.
12:16
SPEAKER_03: Fun fact every single one of them ends with state, um, are playing a uh round robin seven-game schedule.
12:23
SPEAKER_03: Everybody will play everybody, the way God intended, the way football conferences were designed to be built uh back when we were all still babies.
12:29
SPEAKER_03: Everybody plays everybody, but they need an eighth game.
12:32
SPEAKER_03: So, what they're doing is for the last game, they have the four home opponents set, but the four away opponents are rotating.
12:39
SPEAKER_03: They're gonna set the schedule for the last week of the regular season in the Pac-12 based on what the season needs.
12:45
SPEAKER_03: If some team needs a win to get in the playoffs, if some team is looking for uh trying to get a certain better bowl bid, if two teams are kind of on their last leg just looking for a way to end the season, I guess.
12:57
SPEAKER_03: What's whatever's in the contrast interest?
13:00
SPEAKER_03: We always talk about this all the time.
13:01
SPEAKER_03: When it gets to week or 11 and week 12, it's like, oh, if you only had like one more, you've got two good wins, but what about that third?
13:08
SPEAKER_03: If you have two ranked uh uh Pac-12 teams, and we're looking at like what's that?
13:12
SPEAKER_03: That's Boise and San Diego State.
13:16
SPEAKER_03: San Diego State's pretty good.
13:17
SPEAKER_03: They could actually they could have a squad this year.
13:19
SPEAKER_03: If you're looking at a Boise State that's uh ranked 17 and they need to get in the playoffs, and their best opponent could be a San Diego ranked 23rd, like that could make all the difference, and that could, in fact, push out an American champion or even a fourth or fifth Big Ten team or SEC team.
13:36
SPEAKER_03: A couple things.
13:37
SPEAKER_03: One, I think it's brilliant.
13:38
SPEAKER_03: My question for you do you think we're gonna see other conferences pick up this kind of trend?
13:43
SPEAKER_03: Mark, what you got?
13:45
SPEAKER_02: I I don't think so.
13:46
SPEAKER_02: I think the Pac-12 destroyed, I would say destroyed themselves.
13:50
SPEAKER_02: Everybody left them behind.
13:51
SPEAKER_02: They're desperate right now.
13:53
SPEAKER_02: This is a time where you're we're not talking about the Pac-12 of the USC and Washington back in the day.
13:58
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, right.
13:59
SPEAKER_02: We're talking we're talking Boise State, Colorado State.
14:02
SPEAKER_02: People that mail, you know, you know, is this just the the Mountain West part two?
14:07
SPEAKER_03: Yes, how they're kind of desperate.
14:09
SPEAKER_03: Yes, yeah.
14:10
SPEAKER_02: This is that game on Friday night on CBS Sports Line, or not even the real CBS that we're watching.
14:16
SPEAKER_02: So good for them.
14:17
SPEAKER_02: I'm glad they're giving it a try.
14:19
SPEAKER_02: Um, I I hope we're watching that game and interested in it uh come week nine or whenever it is.
14:24
SPEAKER_02: It's not even during uh championship week, is it?
14:27
SPEAKER_03: That I don't know.
14:28
SPEAKER_03: That's that's that's a good question.
14:29
SPEAKER_03: But I know, but I do know it's the last game of the season, and most time conferences play non-conferences, they load they load most of the season with non-conference.
14:38
SPEAKER_03: So if it's not the last, if it's not Thanksgiving weekend, it's weekend before, it's gotta be near the end.
14:41
SPEAKER_03: Like, I think either way it's going to be relevant.
14:44
SPEAKER_03: What I've what I I don't think the SEC or the Big Tens or the Big Dogs of the world are gonna be interested, but I could absolutely see a JMU, a Sunbelt conference, who's you know, like let's face it, they were pretty fortunate.
14:55
SPEAKER_03: You know, the Sun Belt probably shouldn't have been in the playoffs on most years, but it worked out that way.
14:59
SPEAKER_03: I could see the Sunbelt losing their spot in a meaningful boise state kind of win.
15:04
SPEAKER_03: Like, I wouldn't be surprised at all if you saw other G6 teams adopt this, which, like, is that a bad thing?
15:11
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I don't know.
15:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think you're no, I think you're wrong, Mark.
15:14
SPEAKER_00: I think it's I think we live in the age of the Savannah bananas, the Pop Tart Bowl.
15:20
SPEAKER_03: Love the Pop Tart bowl.
15:21
SPEAKER_00: You know, like where gimmicks are becoming like normal and expected, and Akron zips we just talked about.
15:29
SPEAKER_00: You know, this is a gimmick, then I I think it's gonna I think it's got some life to it.
15:34
SPEAKER_00: But you're exactly right.
15:35
SPEAKER_00: The Pac-12 is trying anything and everything.
15:37
SPEAKER_00: I think they just maybe struck, you know, maybe not gold, but struck some silver here.
15:42
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
15:43
SPEAKER_02: I think that's struck some silver.
15:45
SPEAKER_03: I like yeah.
15:48
SPEAKER_03: Like this Russian, if you like a million bucks, I feel like about half a million bucks, like that, about 750,000 bucks, something like that.
15:54
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
15:55
SPEAKER_00: If they can do it, if a conference can can do it, then why the heck not?
16:00
SPEAKER_00: I mean, any of the the G6 conferences, I mean that yeah, yeah.
16:04
SPEAKER_00: If if it's regionally, the worst case scenario is a a travel of a couple states, no big deal.
16:10
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, my not so.
16:11
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I will say so.
16:12
SPEAKER_03: The four home teams are sets.
16:14
SPEAKER_03: They so they don't have like it's not like a full spread.
16:16
SPEAKER_03: So if you bought season tickets for Boise State, unfortunately did not come with a raffle to call plays, that's accurate, but whatever.
16:22
SPEAKER_03: If you are a Boise State season ticket holder, you do know that your last game of the season is an away game, and it will be one of four opponents, four home, four away, to obviously keep that balance.
16:31
SPEAKER_03: So it's not like a total grab bag, but even still, I think there's a real competitive advantage at the pack-12, it's giving itself, and in more than just a gimmicky way, like an actual competitive way.
16:41
SPEAKER_03: The other thing that's happening here is I think all of which has just been this is a trend that's happened for 15 years, is all of the air has been take completely taken out of the sears, seal sales of bowl season, and now it's playoffs or bust.
16:52
SPEAKER_03: If this is that marginal chance to give your conference the odd to get two percent, five percent, ten percent better chance the playoffs.
17:00
SPEAKER_03: Like, I think we're gonna be I think people are gonna be crawling over each other to make this happen.
17:04
SPEAKER_03: My my not so hot take is that I think you're gonna see the G6 schools.
17:08
SPEAKER_03: If this works out, like if this works out and this catapults Boise or Sun San Diego or a Colorado State into the playoffs, I think it's gonna catch on for wildfire at the at the G6 level.
17:19
SPEAKER_02: But I mean, you got a great point as a as a as a G6 school.
17:24
SPEAKER_02: If I have the opportunity to go to a playoff game or the Duke's Mayo Bowl, I'm gonna be very, you know, like look at JMU last year going to the playoffs.
17:32
SPEAKER_02: They might not have won.
17:33
SPEAKER_02: They ended up putting up a little bit of a second half against Oregon.
17:36
SPEAKER_02: It looked decent, but like they at least they got their name out there.
17:39
SPEAKER_02: I remember when Northern Illinois made it to the playoffs, or they had their big game probably 10 years or so.
17:45
SPEAKER_02: It was huge for Northern Illinois.
17:47
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
17:47
SPEAKER_02: Now, now they they took that, fumbled it, and now they're a bunch of garbage, but I think it's a nice chance for smaller schools to get on the big stage.
17:56
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
17:56
SPEAKER_03: There's a narrative out there as well.
17:57
SPEAKER_03: I just I never I never give it any credit.
17:59
SPEAKER_03: Is like, well, would you rather, if you're a JMU fan, would you rather go to JMU, would you rather go to the playoffs and lose to Oregon the way they did, or have a cotton bowl against the fourth best Big Ten school and maybe win, maybe not.
18:14
SPEAKER_03: I think they're saying playoffs a million times out of a million.
18:17
SPEAKER_03: Even if they think they're gonna lose, I think every I think all of these schools are in it to go to the playoff.
18:23
SPEAKER_03: I think the playoff has, for better or worse, taken up all the air.
18:26
SPEAKER_03: If you can get there, you're gonna get there.
18:28
SPEAKER_03: So keep your eye on the scheduling space.
18:30
SPEAKER_03: All right.
18:31
SPEAKER_03: Uh is that it for is that it for drinks?
18:33
SPEAKER_03: Everybody, everybody's happy with their uh drinks so far.
18:35
SPEAKER_00: The service has been you know, before we move on from drinks, what you're drinking?
18:40
SPEAKER_03: Oh, thank you so glad for asking.
18:41
SPEAKER_03: Uh, I am drinking uh it's still summer for uh six more days.
18:45
SPEAKER_03: My kids go to school in a week, thank god.
18:47
SPEAKER_03: Um I'm drinking I'm drinking Pacifico, which is my official beer of summer.
18:51
SPEAKER_03: I don't have a lime, it's kind of amateur over here, but it's it is quite nice.
18:56
SPEAKER_02: Uh I'm putting down a fine Coke Zero this evening.
18:59
SPEAKER_02: Uh I am saving my IPAs for the weekend, uh, but putting down a nice, you know, one of my favorites.
19:05
SPEAKER_02: I only have like four or five a day.
19:07
SPEAKER_02: So gotta close it out the strong way.
19:08
unknown: Mr.
19:09
SPEAKER_03: Steban, what's what you enjoyed over there?
19:10
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm somewhere in the middle too.
19:12
SPEAKER_00: I'm you know, all day IPA.
19:14
SPEAKER_00: That's the go-to here.
19:16
SPEAKER_00: Good choice.
19:17
SPEAKER_00: You know, I can I can still do that.
19:19
SPEAKER_00: At at this age, you know, we've graduated from the double IPA 10%ers and stuff.
19:24
SPEAKER_00: That's a that's a thing of the past.
19:26
SPEAKER_03: So on a school night, get out of here.
19:27
SPEAKER_00: All day exactly.
19:29
SPEAKER_00: All day IPA.
19:30
SPEAKER_00: And shout out to I got Colleen and Hayden right here.
19:33
SPEAKER_00: I got if you can see, uh I know those people.
19:35
SPEAKER_00: Got a got a koozie, holler out to their friends.
19:38
SPEAKER_00: Hopefully, they're listening.
19:39
SPEAKER_00: That's good stuff.
19:39
SPEAKER_02: Glad you brought that up because this fine suit I put on.
19:42
SPEAKER_02: I reached in the pocket and I found a nice wedding magnet from 2023.
19:45
SPEAKER_02: That must have been the last time I put on this fine suit.
19:48
SPEAKER_03: Hey guys, love wins.
19:48
SPEAKER_03: College football and love.
19:50
SPEAKER_02: Here's I'll have a nice fancy dinner at Olive Garden with you guys.
19:54
SPEAKER_03: That's right.
19:54
SPEAKER_03: All right, it's time for the next this is for the second uh second round.
19:57
SPEAKER_03: We are now doing the medium storylines.
19:59
SPEAKER_03: These are things that you've probably had heard about at some point.
20:03
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna kind of offer our perspective.
20:05
SPEAKER_03: But before we do that, is we're calling these our appetizers.
20:07
SPEAKER_03: This is the second round of the Italian dinner.
20:08
SPEAKER_03: So at the missus, if you're at the missus, there and what a nice Italian place like Olive Garden, what do you what's your appetizer choice?
20:14
SPEAKER_03: What are you going with?
20:15
SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
20:16
SPEAKER_00: If I'm if I'm going to an establishment that rhymes something with Schmall Schmarten, uh, you know, an appetizer is gonna come out, and you know, I'm a simple man, I'm a homegrown country boy, and I'm gonna be hungry, and that appetizer is gonna come out whatever it is, and it's gonna be disappointing.
20:37
SPEAKER_00: So I've got kind of a disappointing appetizer here, which is the whole story about Brendan Soresby.
20:44
SPEAKER_00: Brendan Sorsby in the offseason, he's um he's a Cincinnati quarterback.
20:50
SPEAKER_00: He has a great year last year.
20:51
SPEAKER_00: He signs with Texas Tech in January.
20:54
SPEAKER_00: By April, he's being investigated for doing a little gambling on the side.
20:58
SPEAKER_00: So he was starting quarterback for Indiana a couple years ago.
21:02
SPEAKER_00: During those years, turns out he's placing some bets on Indiana football.
21:08
SPEAKER_00: Not great.
21:09
SPEAKER_00: Not a good look.
21:10
SPEAKER_00: Soresby um court decisions, May and June.
21:14
SPEAKER_00: NFL doesn't want him, CFL now doesn't want him.
21:18
SPEAKER_00: NCAA says, no, thank you.
21:20
SPEAKER_00: He's out of football.
21:22
SPEAKER_00: I think this is just a disappointing story.
21:25
SPEAKER_00: Um, what uh you know, the kid had everything in front of him, and he decided to, you know, put a hundred bucks on Indiana football when he was the starting quarterback.
21:35
SPEAKER_00: He broke rule number one through ten all in a row and just threw it away.
21:41
SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, disappointing.
21:43
SPEAKER_03: He was betting on like next pitch stuff too, like baseball, like literally like on the next out stuff.
21:49
SPEAKER_03: So it was it was like it was hundreds of thousands of bets, like not just on uh Shoresby, but like he was clearly he was doing a lot.
21:56
SPEAKER_03: My the bigger takeaway for me is like I it's I I I don't feel bad for Texas Tech.
22:01
SPEAKER_03: Don't misconstruct me, but like the drop off from him to Will Howard is real.
22:05
SPEAKER_03: That's a substantial drop off for him, excuse me.
22:08
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, darn good quarterback.
22:10
SPEAKER_03: I kind of think he was the piece they were missing.
22:12
SPEAKER_03: He was kind of like unfortunately what happened with Barron Morton last year.
22:14
SPEAKER_03: Barron Morton was okay, then it went up right up against Oregon, and well, they lost 13 0 because they couldn't move the ball.
22:21
SPEAKER_03: Texas Tech is gonna be the same team this year.
22:23
SPEAKER_03: I mean, that's um I don't I'll save a little bit for our predictions episode later in the season, later this week, next week, whatever.
22:27
SPEAKER_03: But like here they are again reloaded defense, awesome running backs, great offensive line, C plus quarterback.
22:35
SPEAKER_00: Like they had into Will Hammond a little bit while I was looking.
22:39
SPEAKER_00: At this story, and his numbers are not terrible, but they're right, they're right at last year's level of um uh what's the guy's name with starters?
22:49
SPEAKER_00: Barron Morton.
22:50
SPEAKER_00: He was like right, he was he was a carbon copy of Barron Morton.
22:53
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and so you know, Texas Tech, they're all set up to have a great season and have a great defense and then score zero points in the playoff.
23:01
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
23:01
SPEAKER_03: And they really are loaded everywhere.
23:03
SPEAKER_03: If you look at the if you look at the all Big 12 team, it's like two-thirds Texas Tech players.
23:08
SPEAKER_03: Like they've they've they've got it all, they've got it all everywhere.
23:10
SPEAKER_03: Mark, what you got?
23:11
SPEAKER_02: I think about the fact that money has flown in from gambling and professional sports, it's all over ESPN.
23:18
SPEAKER_02: I think college football and pro football just need they need to put their foot down.
23:22
SPEAKER_02: And I think Sword Sworesby's the guy.
23:24
SPEAKER_02: Like, hey, he made a mistake, he did the gambling, but they can't accept this.
23:29
SPEAKER_02: I think I think gambling money is is is trickling in a little too much to influence the games.
23:35
SPEAKER_02: And this is one of those points that hey, they had to put their foot down and make a stand.
23:38
SPEAKER_02: I'm actually kind of proud of the NFL, the CFL.
23:41
SPEAKER_03: We'll see if the UFL holds him out, but like we're gonna team at the team at a we're gonna team at Richmond Renegades here game before long.
23:49
SPEAKER_03: They're gonna bring back a team for that's I'll I'll I'll buy a season ticket, I'll call some place.
23:54
SPEAKER_03: Um it's it, you know, I think and obviously, like, obviously, Soresby is a grown-ass man, he's responsible for himself.
24:00
SPEAKER_03: He deserves all the blame for this, but there's also something to be said, like, you know, all of these commentators who are like, oh, this is so terrible.
24:06
SPEAKER_03: This segment brought to you by FanDuel, FanDuel.com 21 Plus.
24:09
SPEAKER_03: Like, it is insidious, it is everywhere.
24:12
SPEAKER_03: Again, it's Soresby's fault.
24:14
SPEAKER_03: This is Brennan Soresby's fault, but he's not the only one who's culpable.
24:18
SPEAKER_03: Like, we have we have all made our bed lying in it.
24:20
SPEAKER_03: And you know, we are all gonna make some parlay bets this season, too.
24:24
SPEAKER_03: So we're even doing our little part to contribute.
24:25
SPEAKER_03: But you know, uh, I know that's all I got on Sorosby.
24:28
SPEAKER_02: We have zero impact on the game.
24:30
SPEAKER_02: You know, my appetizer, I like a good French onion soup, something classy.
24:37
SPEAKER_02: Crusty cheese.
24:38
SPEAKER_02: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:40
SPEAKER_02: Oh, that that's my barometer for any good restaurant, whether it's Schmallif Garden or not.
24:44
SPEAKER_02: Um, but my take here, Notre Dame finished out last year 10 and 2.
24:49
SPEAKER_02: The 11th ranked team missed the playoffs, then they had their little hissy fit.
24:53
SPEAKER_02: They didn't, they declined the bowl game.
24:55
SPEAKER_02: So now the rules are out, right?
24:56
SPEAKER_02: The top 12 team make to the playoffs.
24:58
SPEAKER_02: Yep.
24:59
SPEAKER_02: They're over-under on the seasons 11 and a half.
25:02
SPEAKER_02: What are your guys' thoughts?
25:03
SPEAKER_02: Is this a revenge season?
25:04
SPEAKER_02: Are they finally going to prove themselves and make it through?
25:08
SPEAKER_02: Or is this just the NCAA going, oh, we're so sorry, Notre Dame.
25:13
SPEAKER_02: Oh, come on back.
25:14
SPEAKER_03: There's a lot of things happening for like obviously it's Notre Dame.
25:17
SPEAKER_03: You know, they're the probably the most prestigious.
25:19
SPEAKER_03: So they're they are primetime television, even when they're bad.
25:21
SPEAKER_03: Even in the rough years, they were so television.
25:23
SPEAKER_03: So there's something, there's something, there's something to be said for them being left out.
25:27
SPEAKER_03: They are the you know, they are kind of the golden child of college football.
25:30
SPEAKER_03: Um, with an over over under, it's funny, they have one and a half, maybe two competitive games this year.
25:36
SPEAKER_03: Obviously, the big showdown with Miami, which I'm pretty, I'm almost positive is in South Bend, and then they're driving to Provo, I think, for BYU.
25:44
SPEAKER_03: Um, so they've got which BYU could sneak up and get them.
25:48
SPEAKER_03: Um the the irony for me is if they're 10 and 2, let's say they lose both those games, they're 10 and 2, they're gonna be out again.
25:55
SPEAKER_03: Uh that's 10 and 2.
25:56
SPEAKER_03: They're over under their Vegas over under is 11 and a half.
25:59
SPEAKER_03: So Vegas is expecting them almost to go 12 and 0.
26:02
SPEAKER_03: If they lose two, and it's not hard to lose two games in college football, they're gonna be out again, they're gonna be stuffed again.
26:08
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna see it again.
26:09
SPEAKER_03: I just I kind of think the cinema, you're gonna be able to you're gonna be able to see the meltdown from the moon.
26:13
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they've got a three-game season.
26:15
SPEAKER_00: No, they've got a three-game season.
26:17
SPEAKER_00: SMU is in there as well.
26:19
SPEAKER_00: If they only beat one of those three teams, like no way, no way, because the rest is not even a season.
26:24
SPEAKER_02: Correct.
26:24
SPEAKER_02: FYU October 17th, they're at home against Miami November 7th, and then SMU November 21st.
26:32
SPEAKER_02: I mean, other than that, maybe at UNC they get upset early in the year.
26:36
SPEAKER_03: No way.
26:37
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I'm excited for the Bobby Petrino Billy Edwards experience, but I don't think it's gonna be Notre Dame good.
26:41
SPEAKER_03: Is the SMU game in Dallas or South Bend?
26:44
SPEAKER_03: I just clicked off of it.
26:45
SPEAKER_03: To Dallas, Dallas.
26:46
SPEAKER_03: To Dallas.
26:47
SPEAKER_03: That helps.
26:47
SPEAKER_03: That helps a little bit.
26:48
SPEAKER_03: Um I I don't uh last time last time SMU went went up north for a cold game with Miami.
26:53
SPEAKER_00: Nope, nope.
26:54
SPEAKER_00: They are going to Notre Dame.
26:55
SPEAKER_00: Misspoke, my bet.
26:57
SPEAKER_00: Kevin Jennings.
26:58
SPEAKER_03: Hope Kevin Jennings picked his hand warmers.
27:00
SPEAKER_00: So they get SMU and Miami at home at Provo BYU is the only real test of the whole season.
27:06
SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah, on the road.
27:07
SPEAKER_00: So I it is a revenge season for sure.
27:10
SPEAKER_00: I mean, they're putting it on the locker room walls.
27:12
SPEAKER_00: It's like leave no doubt is sure is the Irish saying this year.
27:16
SPEAKER_00: It's 2026.
27:17
SPEAKER_00: So they're gonna try to win every game by 30.
27:19
SPEAKER_00: I guess my mind.
27:20
SPEAKER_02: They want to leave no doubt.
27:20
SPEAKER_02: Maybe we should play some real teams.
27:22
SPEAKER_02: That would help.
27:22
SPEAKER_02: Join a conference, nerds.
27:24
SPEAKER_03: Join a conference, you book nerds.
27:25
SPEAKER_03: I guess my question for you guys actually is would do you believe in like the revenge?
27:30
SPEAKER_03: Do you like do you think do you think CJ Carr is walking a class in May, like, I'm so angry, I'm so bad, I want revenge.
27:36
SPEAKER_03: Like, do you think, like, do you think it makes a tangible difference to the 2026 Notre Dame Fighting Irish?
27:42
SPEAKER_03: What happened to the 2025 fighting Irish?
27:44
SPEAKER_00: I I say yes, just in the preparation.
27:46
SPEAKER_00: I mean, if they if they didn't do what they did last year, if they let's say made it into the playoffs, if they beat beat a weak team and then lost to a really good Indiana and had like a pretty predictable season, maybe they don't have the edge to them that they that they do this year.
28:05
SPEAKER_01: Right.
28:06
SPEAKER_00: But this year, they got a story and it's been hanging on their back, monkey on the back all year long.
28:12
SPEAKER_00: And so now they're you know, everybody's hot under the collar, everybody's beating their chests because they have a story from last year.
28:18
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it's a revenge season.
28:19
SPEAKER_02: Sure.
28:20
SPEAKER_02: I think it is for the fans.
28:21
SPEAKER_02: I don't think the I don't think the players give a crap.
28:23
SPEAKER_02: I mean, when they're out there and playing, they they're living in that moment.
28:27
SPEAKER_02: They they don't even think about last year.
28:29
SPEAKER_03: I think one thing it does help with now that I'm thinking of that is Notre Dame is actually loaded this year.
28:33
SPEAKER_03: Like this is one of those this they are CJ Carr might win the Heisman.
28:36
SPEAKER_03: Uh, they might have the best offensive line in the country.
28:38
SPEAKER_03: Leonard Moore is probably the first cornerback taken off the board.
28:41
SPEAKER_03: Um, they've got defense for days, they are very strong, powerful team.
28:45
SPEAKER_03: Um, a little skeptical about Great House and their wide receivers, but they'll still, I think they'll run the ball so well.
28:51
SPEAKER_03: And CJ Carr is good, they're gonna figure that out.
28:53
SPEAKER_03: My point, it's gonna be easier to navigate the hype with this because you know, usually the good teams are getting like Oregon right now, everybody is telling them they're the best.
29:02
SPEAKER_03: And for my money, they think they are.
29:04
SPEAKER_03: Notre Dame at least has this thing that they can kind of lean on and say, no, no, they didn't think we were good enough.
29:10
SPEAKER_03: They meant maybe there's something, maybe there's some psychology there.
29:12
SPEAKER_03: But either way, we're gonna be hearing about this as the revenge tour season all year.
29:17
SPEAKER_03: Like, I'm expecting NBC to be hitting us with that what week zero to week 12, really no matter what happens.
29:23
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, they're gonna have an edge.
29:24
SPEAKER_00: And I think one of my one of my cash cows last year and this year is gonna be Notre Dame scoring points.
29:31
SPEAKER_00: They're gonna score 30, 40, 50.
29:33
SPEAKER_00: They're gonna they're gonna shut everyone down as fast as they can.
29:37
SPEAKER_00: They might.
29:37
SPEAKER_00: That's that's how they're gonna operate.
29:39
SPEAKER_00: Those lines are just gonna move up, up, up, up, up.
29:41
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
29:42
SPEAKER_00: I say my my take on Notre Dame there uh is that the state of Indiana is gonna have a lot of clout at the end of this season to say we are the football state of this country, Texas.
29:56
SPEAKER_00: We are the football state, Florida and California, because they're gonna have two years in a row.
30:02
SPEAKER_00: This is my this is my sound sound bite of Indiana perfect season, undefeated championship, Notre Dame, undefeated perfect season championship.
30:13
SPEAKER_00: Two in a row, Indiana state residents rejoice.
30:16
SPEAKER_02: I don't hate it.
30:17
SPEAKER_03: I don't hate it.
30:18
SPEAKER_02: That's a game I would pay to see in the playoffs come December.
30:21
SPEAKER_02: We'd be a little Indiana, Notre Dame.
30:22
SPEAKER_03: There's a good chance it goes, there's a good chance it happens.
30:24
SPEAKER_03: Well, one thing it's to remember part of the rules is because Notre Dame is not in a playoff, the highest they can get is the five seed, which means they would get pitted against the four.
30:32
SPEAKER_03: They because they're the rules are you have if they don't play a conference championship, which Notre Dame does not, at least the way the current agreement is, and we're gonna there's probably a good segue.
30:41
SPEAKER_03: We'll we'll talk about playoffs in a minute.
30:43
SPEAKER_03: Um, they can't be in the higher than a four seed.
30:45
SPEAKER_03: So which means they're gonna get cared against the probably the G6 school, the 12 seed, and then the and then the second round will be the four, and that could very easily be the number two team in the a uh in the Big Ten.
30:58
SPEAKER_03: Like you could easy, you could very easily see a Indiana uh Notre Dame playoff game, which would just be lightning in a bottle.
31:05
SPEAKER_00: That would be absolutely yeah, absolutely.
31:07
SPEAKER_03: All right, let's move on to the next one.
31:08
SPEAKER_03: I don't even like this one, but we we didn't talk about it because it takes up so much air in the room.
31:12
SPEAKER_03: Fundraising.
31:13
SPEAKER_03: Obviously, Akron zips are doing it the right way.
31:15
SPEAKER_03: That's amazing.
31:16
SPEAKER_03: Everybody else, kind of lame.
31:18
SPEAKER_03: Um, I've seen patches on uniforms, Notre Dame, Ohio State.
31:22
SPEAKER_03: I think Georgia just announced today announced its uh deal with progressive auto insurance for patches.
31:28
SPEAKER_03: Uh, the the Big 12 is now the monster energy drink, big 12.
31:33
SPEAKER_03: So they'll be somebody calling the monster Big 12.
31:36
SPEAKER_03: Um look, we all know why this is happening.
31:39
SPEAKER_03: It's that we are in an arms race, these rosters cost millions.
31:43
SPEAKER_03: Uh you know, there are 20, 25 uh rosters, I think north of 30, 20, north of 25, 30 million.
31:50
SPEAKER_03: Miles Tigers being one of them.
31:51
SPEAKER_03: Uh, and I think boosters, while wealthy and love their squads, can only go so far.
31:57
SPEAKER_03: We are going to see all kinds of things happening with fundraising.
32:01
SPEAKER_03: And this is probably just the tip of the iceberg, just beginning, right?
32:04
SPEAKER_02: I'm just happy that it's all on above the table now.
32:08
SPEAKER_02: I mean, touch.
32:09
SPEAKER_02: I think kids were getting paid for years.
32:11
SPEAKER_02: I think money was coming from everywhere.
32:13
SPEAKER_02: If it's progressive, I mean, it everything we're in, everybody's got uh got logos on them now.
32:20
SPEAKER_02: So hey, it's it's where the money's at.
32:22
SPEAKER_02: If you're gonna have a progressive, I mean when it when they became like when you you lost the first responders bowl to like you know, autotrader.com bowl, right?
32:32
SPEAKER_02: Right, like those are the times where it's like, all right, well, money's just taking over all this anyway.
32:36
SPEAKER_02: So just throw a patch on there and let's have some great games uh to watch come championship weekend once we get into the playoffs.
32:42
SPEAKER_02: Yep.
32:42
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there's no and there's no S N CAA like regulating any of this stuff.
32:48
SPEAKER_00: So it's it might get out of control.
32:49
SPEAKER_00: Hopefully the schools keep it, you know, somewhat reasonable.
32:53
SPEAKER_00: The the top the top bidder here in the patch uh contract race is indeed Notre Dame.
32:59
SPEAKER_00: And so we're gonna see those classic, you know, gold helmet navy uniforms with a big SoFi technologies patch blastered on there.
33:09
SPEAKER_00: You know how many college football teams don't even put um the names on the back of their jerseys?
33:14
SPEAKER_00: Right now, is Alabama gonna have a big old you know Pop Tarts patch on the on their jersey instead of somebody's last name?
33:22
SPEAKER_00: It's coming.
33:23
SPEAKER_00: Gross.
33:23
SPEAKER_00: It's sick.
33:24
SPEAKER_00: Uh hey, this this appetizer is disgusting.
33:27
SPEAKER_00: Send it back to the kitchen.
33:28
SPEAKER_03: This is this is some cold calamari.
33:29
SPEAKER_03: Get it out of here.
33:30
SPEAKER_03: All right, moving on.
33:31
SPEAKER_03: Uh uh college football expansion.
33:33
SPEAKER_03: So obviously, we've we've we've college football has been rapidly changing.
33:37
SPEAKER_03: They went from the beat, they went to the BCS in the late 90s, top two.
33:41
SPEAKER_03: They went to four teams in 2014, I believe it was.
33:44
SPEAKER_03: Uh, they went to two thousand, this went to the 12-team format.
33:46
SPEAKER_03: This is year three, we're doing that, and they are already only after three two seasons, about to be a third, talking about uh bumping out to 16 or 24.
33:56
SPEAKER_03: Um what what I think actually is gonna what's what's actually happening, and this is kind of the argument for I don't like the expansion, but if I'm if there's an argument for it, it's this conference championship week has become obsolete.
34:07
SPEAKER_03: Uh, to the point where winning the conference championship was obviously punching your ticket to get to the final four or have a chance at the final two.
34:14
SPEAKER_03: Now it's kind of just keep the players healthy and get to the playoff.
34:17
SPEAKER_03: And it's become it's lost a lot of its luster and meaning.
34:20
SPEAKER_03: So I think unfortunately, much like the gallery furniture.com bowl, it's in the Bahamas bowl, it's gonna go the way of the dodo.
34:26
SPEAKER_03: So when those go away, the conferences, the people who pay the bills, people the TV networks, excuse me, they're not gonna do it unless those games replace it.
34:36
SPEAKER_03: If we're have to replace conference championship week, and I think you could argue that we might, especially for the big conferences, maybe not the Mac, but I think the Big Ten and SEC conference championships don't hold much as much luster as they used to, then you have to replace them with something else.
34:50
SPEAKER_03: It's just I I don't want that to be the case, but I understand money rules the world, and we already talked about that.
34:54
SPEAKER_03: That's more of this.
34:56
SPEAKER_03: If that's the case, then I guess expansion is okay to 16, 18, 24.
35:02
SPEAKER_03: Darren?
35:03
SPEAKER_00: Well, case in point, Miami Hurricanes have never won the ACC and no one cares.
35:10
SPEAKER_00: Right?
35:10
SPEAKER_00: They sure didn't care last year.
35:11
SPEAKER_00: I mean, they barely it it it almost had some consequences, yeah.
35:15
SPEAKER_00: Um and it would have been easier if they would.
35:18
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, that I certainly don't care.
35:20
SPEAKER_00: I hate conference championship week because I'm with you.
35:24
SPEAKER_00: If if there is a guarantee, here's what it should be Power Four conference championships.
35:29
SPEAKER_00: If you gotta play them, the winner gets that bye.
35:32
SPEAKER_00: And that's I mean, you just fold it right into the bye week of the of the playoff.
35:37
SPEAKER_00: That's the only way it makes any sense at all.
35:39
SPEAKER_00: I hope they all go and die, the conference championships, and we get to the playoff.
35:44
SPEAKER_00: And at the same time I say that, I actually don't want much expansion.
35:47
SPEAKER_00: 24 seems bananas, absurd, ridiculous.
35:52
SPEAKER_00: We have 12 now.
35:53
SPEAKER_00: I would vote for 14.
35:54
SPEAKER_00: I actually like two buys at the top, and then 12 teams play down to six, and then you got eight teams.
36:02
SPEAKER_00: So I like I like a fourteen because filling out four bye weeks, you can do it with conference champions, but if you don't do it like that, it's tough to say who the fourth team is and who the fifth team is.
36:15
SPEAKER_00: That yeah, you know, I think it's easier to say a top two get a bye.
36:19
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
36:20
SPEAKER_00: Um, and then make the rest of them play more games on campus.
36:22
SPEAKER_01: What do you think?
36:23
SPEAKER_02: I love it.
36:24
SPEAKER_02: I love it.
36:24
SPEAKER_02: I want more games.
36:26
SPEAKER_02: I uh what I don't like is that when your team goes to the Outback Bowl, you've got these players you've watched all year, and they're like, you know what, I'm not playing in the bowl game, and they're sitting out.
36:35
SPEAKER_02: Maybe they're going to be pro ready and they they want to prepare themselves for the draft.
36:39
SPEAKER_02: I want to see those boys play.
36:41
SPEAKER_02: And if that means that a team who's ranked 24 goes in and their studs are there, that'll be the day.
36:47
SPEAKER_02: The day when a 24-ranked team goes and upsets a number one, just like in the NCAA tournament when a 16 may beat a one or like a 15 beats a two, that will be such a great moment for college football.
37:00
SPEAKER_02: That that small school, Akron, Ball State, some immaculation, right?
37:06
SPEAKER_02: As soon as one of those teams can upset somebody, that'll just be one of the one of the greatest college football moments.
37:12
SPEAKER_02: And and the more the merrier, I say, because I'm not watching the Outback Bowl.
37:16
SPEAKER_02: I'm not watching any of those games that are after Christmas before New Year's anymore.
37:19
SPEAKER_03: No, right?
37:20
SPEAKER_02: Like which only devalued.
37:22
SPEAKER_03: Which is too bad because I used to go nuts for those.
37:24
SPEAKER_03: I used to recruit D VR all of them.
37:26
SPEAKER_03: I used to watch every single one.
37:27
SPEAKER_03: And I'm so I realize I'm talking at both sides of my mouth as somebody who really did love all 37 of those stupid bowl games.
37:33
SPEAKER_03: Now I find myself, I'm just fortunately, the playoffs has taken all the air out of the room.
37:38
SPEAKER_03: One idea I have heard float around, which I do kind of like, is making the replacing the conference championship games with all play-in games.
37:44
SPEAKER_03: Darren, you said something about the four and five seed.
37:46
SPEAKER_03: Let's put the number Big Ten number four and the Big Ten number five a play-in game.
37:50
SPEAKER_03: Winner goes to playoffs, loser doesn't.
37:52
SPEAKER_03: SEC play-in game, big four, big five.
37:55
SPEAKER_03: The big the big 12 number two against the ACC number three or whatever, like those fringe teams.
38:02
SPEAKER_03: I think there could be something there.
38:03
SPEAKER_03: The NBA's adopted this model.
38:05
SPEAKER_03: Obviously, it's much smaller scale, and those play-in teams usually don't stand much of a chance, but I think it's gone pretty well.
38:11
SPEAKER_00: I can see you still have a seating, you still have a seeding issue, though, which is like how many how many teams from the SEC get that by?
38:17
SPEAKER_00: You know, this is the the original conversation.
38:19
SPEAKER_03: No, yeah, it doesn't speak to that at all.
38:21
SPEAKER_00: It just makes those games fourth.
38:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, who's the third and fourth of the ACC?
38:24
SPEAKER_00: Then you're still having the same seating problem.
38:26
SPEAKER_02: No, you can give any of the group of six a chance in the playoff, in the play-in games.
38:31
SPEAKER_03: Sure.
38:31
SPEAKER_03: Maybe maybe, yes, maybe, maybe there's a maybe there is a a like one that one of the one of the G6 spots is guaranteed, and there's a second, especially if they span to 14 and they're opening up two more spots again.
38:42
SPEAKER_03: Maybe the second and third highest G6 champions play in or something like that.
38:46
SPEAKER_03: I don't know, you know, like I mean, Darren's right about the seating, but it does make for more interesting football, and which I like it actually.
38:52
SPEAKER_00: I like it.
38:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, everybody's got to agree on on the the buys though.
38:56
SPEAKER_00: The details for sure.
38:57
SPEAKER_00: Who gets a pass?
38:57
SPEAKER_00: Who gets a pass?
38:58
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
38:59
SPEAKER_03: Uh moving on.
39:00
SPEAKER_03: Last uh appetizer with the main event.
39:02
SPEAKER_03: SEC is going to nine games.
39:04
SPEAKER_03: SEC is a brutal conference.
39:06
SPEAKER_03: They talk about all the time, though, that's so deep.
39:08
SPEAKER_03: They play so many good teams.
39:09
SPEAKER_03: And I actually legit as an SEC fan, I legitimately this.
39:12
SPEAKER_03: Um, the Big Ten has been nine game conferences for a while.
39:15
SPEAKER_03: I believe the ACC as well.
39:17
SPEAKER_03: Uh, I'm not so sure, but the last uh the last assembly of the Big 12 or SEC, but I think they are nine games.
39:23
SPEAKER_03: I think the SEC is the last power for hold out.
39:25
SPEAKER_03: I think, don't quote me on that.
39:26
SPEAKER_03: They're going to nine.
39:27
SPEAKER_03: What does that mean?
39:29
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna see a lot of nine and three, eight and four teams that are all of a sudden going to look a lot better on resumes because of that ninth win.
39:37
SPEAKER_03: It's gonna make for more injuries, probably, better television, uh, more.
39:42
SPEAKER_03: I mean, the season's gonna be that much longer.
39:45
SPEAKER_03: I ultimately think it's a good thing, but I think the thing that we're all gonna be talking about is what's the difference between an isn't too long, didn't read.
39:53
SPEAKER_03: Is an eight and four Auburn better than a more deserving than a 10-2 Illinois?
40:03
SPEAKER_00: Like where are all juicy?
40:04
SPEAKER_00: This is a juicy, satisfying appetizer.
40:07
SPEAKER_00: This is what college football is all about, baby.
40:11
SPEAKER_00: This is the conversation.
40:13
SPEAKER_00: Is Florida, Auburn, you know, even Alabama, nine wins, eight wins.
40:19
SPEAKER_00: Are they a better team?
40:20
SPEAKER_00: Do they are they more deserving?
40:22
SPEAKER_00: Two years ago it was Indiana snuck in uh you know, before before last year, they got in.
40:29
SPEAKER_00: Uh, did they deserve to get in over Alabama, South Carolina?
40:34
SPEAKER_00: You know, they got snubbed.
40:36
SPEAKER_00: Right.
40:36
SPEAKER_00: And so this is the beautiful, this is the juicy meatball.
40:39
SPEAKER_00: One of my favorite appetizers is just a big juicy meatball floating in some marinara sauce in a bowl, period.
40:46
SPEAKER_00: Appetizer of the day.
40:47
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
40:50
SPEAKER_03: I'm a big bruchetta guy.
40:51
SPEAKER_03: I like cutting my mouth on the uh on the pieces of bread and toasies that are way too hard.
40:56
SPEAKER_03: I appreciate I appreciate going home bleeding from a good start, especially at an absolute upscale place like the Schmollish Martin, somewhere like that.
41:02
SPEAKER_03: I appreciate that.
41:04
SPEAKER_03: Mark, anything on nine game seasons?
41:05
SPEAKER_02: Hey, Iron Sharp and Zion, man.
41:07
SPEAKER_02: I'd much rather be watching Alabama play, you know, Florida or play in uh Vanderbilt than Cookman in mid-November.
41:15
SPEAKER_03: So Vanderbilt has the number one uh quarterback prospect the country this year.
41:19
SPEAKER_03: Jared Curtis, true freshman starting quarterback this year.
41:22
SPEAKER_03: So they sleep on the doors.
41:24
SPEAKER_03: They might be a legitimate watch this season.
41:26
SPEAKER_03: But yeah, that's ultimately is it.
41:27
SPEAKER_03: I would I'm I'm very excited to watch Georgia take on anybody other than the Citadel.
41:34
SPEAKER_03: And I always pick on the Citadel, my favorite punching bag in this podcast.
41:38
SPEAKER_03: So it will absolutely make for better television.
41:40
SPEAKER_03: I don't think anybody complains about that.
41:41
SPEAKER_00: So anyway, and it's all four conferences too.
41:44
SPEAKER_00: I mean, this ACC is like is a half a year away from doing this as well, and so it just levels the the power four.
41:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and so if we're gonna if we're gonna move it into like a power four mega conference, you know, league, whatever, yeah, this kind of sets the stage a little bit.
42:01
SPEAKER_03: The one thing I the one drawback I would say is it probably discourages the the oh excuse me, pardon me, but the one drawback I would say is it probably discourages uh big SEC schools from scheduling better uh non-con games.
42:15
SPEAKER_03: Right now they're down to three.
42:17
SPEAKER_03: And you know, I think it's gonna make some of those some of the best games like I remember is like when LSU played Oregon or when I mean we're we're getting two dandies in week two this season.
42:27
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, Michigan, Oklahoma, and uh Texas, Ohio State the same day.
42:31
SPEAKER_03: It's gonna be much watch football.
42:33
SPEAKER_03: So I we're not gonna see as much of that.
42:37
SPEAKER_03: I think I think we're gonna see it more.
42:38
SPEAKER_03: So that's definitely a drawback, but you know, it's with all due respect to Grambling and Robert Morris.
42:46
SPEAKER_03: Let's get them off the schedule.
42:47
SPEAKER_03: Let's play more.
42:47
SPEAKER_03: Let's play more.
42:48
SPEAKER_00: And the floors are raising, the the conference floors are raising, you know, Vanderbilt, Indiana, you know, like the the conferences are just simply playing each other a lot more competitively.
42:58
SPEAKER_00: So it's a good thing.
43:00
SPEAKER_03: Yep, I'll take it.
43:01
SPEAKER_03: All right, it's time for the entrees.
43:02
SPEAKER_03: I've got three more storylines we're gonna talk about.
43:04
SPEAKER_03: These are the kind of the big things that we feel like will are gonna be the really driving forces moving into college football and things that we're really gonna be talking about probably all season.
43:12
SPEAKER_03: And we've kind of just been talking about it a lot, the kind of the feud, it's a good segue between the Big Ten and the SEC.
43:18
SPEAKER_03: Unless you unless your head's under the rock, you know that the Big Ten has won three straight national championships.
43:22
SPEAKER_03: Uh, Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan in reverse order.
43:26
SPEAKER_03: Uh, three of the top seven uh best odds team win the national championship this year, or uh Big Ten teams, Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State.
43:33
SPEAKER_03: Uh the big for SEC was dominant for about 15 years, starting with kind of the Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Florida years, really all the way up through the Kirby Smart Georgia years.
43:44
SPEAKER_03: We went back to back 2020, 20, 23, and now we're seeing a shift.
43:48
SPEAKER_03: Uh has the Big Ten supplanted the SEC as king?
43:55
SPEAKER_03: Will it go into the future?
43:57
SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna ask you that, Darren, as I hand you a plate of Fettuccine Alfredo.
44:01
SPEAKER_03: What do you got?
44:02
SPEAKER_00: I'm hungry too.
44:03
SPEAKER_00: I appreciate that.
44:04
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, waiter.
44:06
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, the king days are over.
44:09
SPEAKER_00: And so SEC was king for a long time.
44:12
SPEAKER_00: But 50 years from now, we'll look back and say there was no king after 2023, 24.
44:18
SPEAKER_00: Once NIL, once the players and the university started spending money and building and buying rosters, the playing field is just getting even.
44:27
SPEAKER_00: And so SEC has now, you know, met its match in the Big Ten, but they're gonna the same thing's gonna happen to the ACC and Big Twelve, I say.
44:35
SPEAKER_00: Right.
44:35
SPEAKER_00: Because Texas Tech is doing it, Miami's doing it, these teams Teams from any power conference and it teams from anywhere, any s any school can do this.
44:45
SPEAKER_00: If you got 50 million, if you got 200 million coming in, you can be a competitive team.
44:51
SPEAKER_00: The king days are over.
44:53
SPEAKER_00: It worked for SEC for decades, decades.
44:56
SPEAKER_00: It was wonderful for all the SEC homers out there.
44:59
SPEAKER_00: Congratulations, but it's not happening anymore.
45:02
SPEAKER_00: We are in the age of the Big Ten, and it's really cool.
45:05
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
45:05
SPEAKER_00: Go Michigan, go Indiana, you know, Ohio State.
45:08
SPEAKER_00: Fantastic.
45:08
SPEAKER_00: Good for you.
45:09
SPEAKER_00: It's going to be Miami.
45:11
SPEAKER_00: It's going to be BYU, Texas Tech.
45:13
SPEAKER_00: It's going to be Clemson back again before you know it.
45:17
SPEAKER_03: You know, it's funny.
45:18
SPEAKER_03: Silicon Valley is minting all these new billionaires.
45:20
SPEAKER_03: I'm waiting for like the cows and the Stanfords to show or UCLA.
45:24
SPEAKER_03: Like, I know they've got rich alumni.
45:25
SPEAKER_03: All it's going to take is one of them and say, you know what?
45:27
SPEAKER_03: Losing sucks.
45:29
SPEAKER_03: Here you go.
45:30
SPEAKER_03: Like, I just like waiting for that to happen.
45:32
SPEAKER_03: Silicon Valley's going to have its day.
45:33
SPEAKER_03: Mark, what do you got on uh the Big Ten dominance?
45:36
SPEAKER_02: I mean, uh, the Big Ten is the king right now, but I think the SEC's right there with them.
45:42
SPEAKER_02: And I don't think I think that margin between them is very tight.
45:45
SPEAKER_02: I think where the biggest gap is where the ACC, the Pac-12, and all of them are backs.
45:51
SPEAKER_02: Like you have we have a two-headed monster right now with the Big Ten and the SEC.
45:55
SPEAKER_02: And any of these schools that we talk about, um, that are that are trying to put their money in, you say Texas Tech, um, and Miami, they all want to be a part of the SEC, anyways.
46:05
SPEAKER_02: Right.
46:06
SPEAKER_02: So, like, I I mean that's where we're at.
46:08
SPEAKER_02: We we've got we've got the power two, really, the the two kings, the power four, and then your group of six.
46:15
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
46:15
SPEAKER_03: And I would argue the SEC, well, I I think the Big Ten has a better chance of winning the national championship, mainly because they are seven of again, the seven of the top odds, three of them are Big Ten teams.
46:24
SPEAKER_03: I would say the SEC is probably deeper.
46:26
SPEAKER_03: You know, if we went one through ten, they'd probably have better squads that way.
46:30
SPEAKER_03: But it's at the top, if we're talking about national championships, and now that we're talking about the playoff, let's face it, take up all the year.
46:36
SPEAKER_03: We're talking about national championships.
46:37
SPEAKER_03: I think the Big Ten is gonna have its have itself a nice little run here.
46:40
SPEAKER_03: So we'll see how our friends in the South respond to that.
46:44
SPEAKER_03: You know, they like their football a lot.
46:45
SPEAKER_00: So they'll tasted my fettuccine.
46:48
SPEAKER_00: I think I'm gonna go with Mark's uh I'm gonna I'm gonna redo my take.
46:51
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna sprinkle a little, sprinkle a little pepper and salt on here and redo.
46:55
SPEAKER_00: I think I like Mark's take better.
46:57
SPEAKER_00: Grinder for you.
46:57
SPEAKER_00: I like I like Mark's Mark's take better than mine.
47:00
SPEAKER_00: I think out didn't taste very good.
47:03
SPEAKER_00: Uh thank you, Mark.
47:04
SPEAKER_00: Uh, take your recommendation here on out.
47:07
SPEAKER_00: That's a rebuy, my friend.
47:08
SPEAKER_03: Uh speaking of the Big Ten dominance, the the most recent newly minted national championship coach was Kirk Signetti.
47:15
SPEAKER_03: Kirk Signetti uh was a uh assistant in a lot of places.
47:19
SPEAKER_03: He had great success at JMU.
47:22
SPEAKER_03: Showed up that I Indiana first went first year, 11 wins, playoffs, lost to um Notre Dame.
47:28
SPEAKER_03: Uh, second year, Heisman won tons of hardware, ran the uh undefeated season, beat Miami national championship, Indiana's first national championship, I think since the 50s, I believe is what I read somewhere, maybe even further back than that.
47:43
SPEAKER_03: Kirk Sanetti has he with the introduction of money and support and NIL and transfer portal and and all the tools that Sagetti used so well, has he changed what we should expect from coaches now?
47:58
SPEAKER_03: I mean, we are no longer in the in the years of you need three recruiting classes, you got to give them four years to build their squads.
48:05
SPEAKER_03: One, has he changed and has he changed realistic expectations?
48:09
SPEAKER_03: And if so, what does that look like moving forward?
48:12
SPEAKER_03: Darren, what you got?
48:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the I want to I want to make sure the talk about Indiana is right.
48:18
SPEAKER_00: You know, people say Indiana did it, anybody can do it.
48:21
SPEAKER_00: You know, Northwestern's getting all excited, they got a new stadium, they got a 200 mil or in a bank or whatever.
48:26
SPEAKER_00: It's like, yeah, anybody can do it nowadays.
48:29
SPEAKER_00: Not true.
48:29
SPEAKER_00: Signetti is special, set the record straight.
48:32
SPEAKER_00: He's been at it for 40 years.
48:35
SPEAKER_00: In 85, he was coaching wide receivers at Davidson.
48:39
SPEAKER_00: He came through the Nick Saban coaching tree in 07 through 10.
48:45
SPEAKER_00: He was head of recruiting and wide receivers.
48:48
SPEAKER_00: He built his coaching staff, one of the best, of course.
48:52
SPEAKER_00: He coached those wide receivers and a Heisman quarterback from from Crumbs into an entree, right?
49:00
SPEAKER_00: He's he is special.
49:02
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
49:02
SPEAKER_00: Anybody can do it?
49:03
SPEAKER_00: No.
49:04
SPEAKER_00: Indiana did it.
49:05
SPEAKER_00: They they got some money, got some players, got a coach, but he is special.
49:09
SPEAKER_00: He's been at it for 40 years, and he just, you know, got his Magnum opus this year.
49:13
SPEAKER_03: Can you imagine being an Indiana football fan?
49:15
SPEAKER_03: Like for the last, like, let's say you're pretend you're our age, like 30 years of just misery, like 20 months of just incredible bliss.
49:23
SPEAKER_03: Like, I just can't imagine what the what that turnaround was like.
49:27
SPEAKER_03: Uh Mark, uh, is Sir is Kirk Zanetti the the new mold of the new coaching?
49:32
SPEAKER_02: I mean, what did he say in his press conference?
49:34
SPEAKER_02: All I do is win.
49:35
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
49:35
SPEAKER_02: Google, I mean, oh my god.
49:38
SPEAKER_02: Like, I I want to sit here and say that he uh he was the the perfect coach at the perfect time at the perfect quarterback in the perfect situation, and it was a fluke.
49:46
SPEAKER_02: But I I I honestly think he knows what he's doing.
49:49
SPEAKER_02: He won it JMU.
49:50
SPEAKER_02: He won.
49:51
SPEAKER_02: I mean, they've looked good since he's been there.
49:54
SPEAKER_02: There's something special about that dude.
49:56
SPEAKER_02: Um I I I think I think they're gonna keep going.
49:59
SPEAKER_02: They get the quarterback from uh Texas Tech, Hoover.
50:02
SPEAKER_03: Uh no, accurate uh tech uh Texas TCU, uh TCU.
50:07
SPEAKER_03: That's it, that's it.
50:08
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and the super and the superstar receiver from Michigan Steak, Nick Marsh, who's about who's gonna have a monster season as well.
50:14
SPEAKER_03: A couple things that I'll say.
50:15
SPEAKER_03: I don't I don't I I agree with both of you.
50:17
SPEAKER_03: I think I really do Kirchigetti's one of one.
50:19
SPEAKER_03: A couple more things that I will I will say to his credit.
50:22
SPEAKER_03: Uh Indiana was the first non-blue chip ratio team to win the national championship in 15 years.
50:27
SPEAKER_03: Those of you don't know what the blue chip ratio is, blue chip ratio is essentially how the players of your roster, how many of them are composed of four or five stars.
50:35
SPEAKER_03: Um, four or five stars, essentially.
50:37
SPEAKER_03: And for the last, there's been a line, a blue chip ratio of 50%.
50:41
SPEAKER_03: For the last 16 seasons, there has never been a team to win the national championship with the blue chip ratio below 50%.
50:49
SPEAKER_03: Or again 2014, with Marcus Mariota came the closest.
50:52
SPEAKER_03: They lost to Ohio State, which of course is a roster loaded head to toe.
50:56
SPEAKER_03: Indiana was the first team to take transfers from JMU, Indiana remaining talent, uh Fernando Mendoza kind of looked over quarterback from Cal and turned them into superstars.
51:07
SPEAKER_03: Like doing that without the Georgia recipe or the Ohio State recipe is so impressive.
51:14
SPEAKER_03: I don't know if he can keep doing it.
51:15
SPEAKER_03: I'm I am excited to see what his encore is uh with uh with Nick Hoover and uh sorry, Josh Hoover and Nick Marsh and uh really strong defense.
51:26
SPEAKER_03: Uh but like it's it's now now everyone now he's got a bullseye on his back.
51:30
SPEAKER_03: Everyone's coming for you.
51:31
SPEAKER_03: So, you know, can he repeat?
51:33
SPEAKER_03: We shall see.
51:34
SPEAKER_03: But I think what he's done this year is a one-of-one exception.
51:37
SPEAKER_03: I don't think if you are a wealthy UCLA booster, don't get your hopes up.
51:42
SPEAKER_03: You're not gonna be able to pay your way.
51:43
SPEAKER_03: You're not gonna Kirk Signetis don't they don't grow Kirk Centre's on trees, put it that way.
51:46
SPEAKER_00: They do not.
51:47
SPEAKER_00: It's really exciting to see him again this year.
51:49
SPEAKER_00: To you know, because like you're saying, there's a couple guys, there's a line, there's a offensive line, there's a couple defensive guys, you know, but like what is he gonna do with this batch of rag tags?
52:02
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's awesome, it's awesome for football.
52:04
SPEAKER_02: Yep.
52:04
SPEAKER_02: I sat around all last year listening to the Mike Wade tell me that Hoover was the best college quarterback in the state of Texas, and now he's in Indiana.
52:13
SPEAKER_03: Um so obviously, he he turns the damn damn ball over too often.
52:20
SPEAKER_03: Well, that's the thing for Dustin.
52:21
SPEAKER_03: We can talk about Indiana season, uh, and we will in future episodes.
52:24
SPEAKER_03: He's got to start turning the ball over.
52:26
SPEAKER_03: And the and the thing is, I think most people think Indiana will do that.
52:28
SPEAKER_03: He'll have he has two financial outstanding wideouts, an offensive line, which is again 24-year-olds across the back, or old, grown-ass men blocking for him.
52:38
SPEAKER_03: The thing, the the question is for Signetti in relation to Josh Hoover, is can he tease the turnovers out of him?
52:43
SPEAKER_03: And I think he will.
52:44
SPEAKER_03: I expect I'm expecting Indiana, I don't think they're gonna win the Big Ten, and we'll talk more about that later, but I think they're right there on the doorstep.
52:50
SPEAKER_03: I think they're in.
52:51
SPEAKER_03: I think they're looking at a 10 and 2 type season.
52:53
SPEAKER_03: I'm expecting another strong encore performance from he absolutely will.
52:57
SPEAKER_00: He's been doing it for 40 years.
53:01
SPEAKER_00: It's true.
53:01
SPEAKER_00: Can you believe that?
53:02
SPEAKER_03: It's true, wasn't on anyone's radar for the first 38 of them, but still very impressive.
53:08
SPEAKER_03: All right.
53:08
SPEAKER_03: Last uh, last entree.
53:10
SPEAKER_03: Uh, they're bringing out the filet mignon and the surf and turf.
53:13
SPEAKER_03: Uh, quarterbacks.
53:14
SPEAKER_03: So uh this year has already been dubbed as the biggest year for quarterbacks, and we're gonna talk a lot about the college football quarterbacks, uh uh Arch Manning, um Moore, uh Dante Moore, Darien Mensa, John Mateer, Sam Levitt.
53:31
SPEAKER_03: The list goes on and on.
53:32
SPEAKER_03: There's NFL quarterback talent everywhere.
53:35
SPEAKER_03: And there's you've seen folks like Mache talk about there could be as many as six or seven first-round quarterbacks this year.
53:41
SPEAKER_03: And and as the as the transfer portal really becomes an intricate part of college football, more of these quarterbacks are getting two teams like Josh Hoover, where they're gonna have a fantastic uh platform to perform and put up big stats.
53:54
SPEAKER_03: One problem with that, they said the exact same thing last year.
53:58
SPEAKER_03: Let me introduce you to Garrett Nessmeier, Cade Klubnick, Drew Aller, Carson Beck.
54:04
SPEAKER_03: Carson Beck is actually a second rounder.
54:05
SPEAKER_03: He's not that bad.
54:06
SPEAKER_03: They were all calling these guys first rounders last year.
54:09
SPEAKER_03: The question for you is this going to be the year that actually lives up to the quarterback hype?
54:14
SPEAKER_03: Is this going to be the seven the seven first round quarterbacks?
54:17
SPEAKER_03: Are there's already teams talking like the Jets are already talking about tanking?
54:20
SPEAKER_03: Are they are they are they wasting their time tanking?
54:23
SPEAKER_03: Or what are we doing here?
54:25
SPEAKER_02: We have no idea how good these quarterbacks are at this point in the year.
54:30
SPEAKER_02: Take it from a Chicago Bears fan who has not watched a good quarterback in most of my lifetime.
54:35
SPEAKER_02: I am the man who said to you, maybe we should just keep Justin Fields and not draft Caleb Williams.
54:41
SPEAKER_02: I have had my bad takes.
54:42
SPEAKER_02: I have seen good quarterback play now, and it it is it is it is very difficult.
54:49
SPEAKER_02: If it was five years ago, we'd be talking about Anthony Richardson right now.
54:53
SPEAKER_02: If it was eight years ago, we'd be talking about Mitchell Trubisky right now.
54:55
SPEAKER_02: These guys, uh, it is they've got to play college football, they've got to play 30, 40 games.
55:04
SPEAKER_02: Uh these are all names right now that are all hype.
55:07
SPEAKER_02: We'll see.
55:08
SPEAKER_02: I don't even believe Arch Manning's the best of all of them.
55:10
SPEAKER_02: I don't either.
55:11
SPEAKER_02: I don't even think we'll know until October who's even a legitimate first-round talent.
55:15
SPEAKER_02: I agree.
55:16
SPEAKER_02: Steadman.
55:18
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there will there will be a few.
55:20
SPEAKER_00: It's just a matter of which few.
55:22
SPEAKER_00: And I'll I'll go ahead and say Dante Moore, uh, uh CJ Carr.
55:27
SPEAKER_00: I think those guys are like I don't think he's draft eldle.
55:29
SPEAKER_03: I think he's not draft, I think he's I think not just draft eligible, but I think he might be the best quarterback in the country.
55:34
SPEAKER_03: Carr.
55:34
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
55:35
SPEAKER_00: Not draft eligible, did you?
55:36
SPEAKER_03: I think he's I think he's only a sophomore.
55:37
SPEAKER_03: Keep talking.
55:38
SPEAKER_03: My bad.
55:38
SPEAKER_00: I'll you know it's like which two.
55:42
SPEAKER_00: So um, yeah, it's it's awesome.
55:44
SPEAKER_00: This is a juicy fillet.
55:46
SPEAKER_00: This is a again, this is like the juicy, the juicy entree.
55:50
SPEAKER_00: This is stuff we love to talk about in the summertime before any football is played.
55:55
SPEAKER_00: You know, who is ready to be an NFL, who's ready to rise to the occasion.
56:00
SPEAKER_00: I say, I say Dante Moore, CJ Carr will will turn heads in a big way.
56:05
SPEAKER_03: Let me put it more directly, you guys.
56:06
SPEAKER_03: Let me put a little let's put a little accountability on our names.
56:09
SPEAKER_03: Over under a four and a half first round quarterbacks in the 2027 NFL draft, Darren.
56:16
SPEAKER_00: Uh, I'd say under four and a half, under four and a half, yeah, too many.
56:20
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
56:21
SPEAKER_00: Um, I think it's once again like two at the top, maybe one more, and then you know, it's just just big boys from the rest of the way.
56:29
SPEAKER_02: Mark, I'm gonna go over not because of the talent, just about how desperate NFL teams are to find their guy.
56:37
SPEAKER_02: Who's that?
56:38
SPEAKER_02: Um, I mean, I I mean, even some of the guys that were drafted in the first round, I don't think Fernando Mendoza is a number one overall pick.
56:44
SPEAKER_02: Like, I think he'd be a I mean, I think he may be Kirk Cousins, who I wouldn't draft number one overall.
56:50
SPEAKER_02: But these NFL teams are desperate.
56:53
SPEAKER_02: Are they first round quality?
56:55
SPEAKER_02: No, will they be taken in the first round?
56:57
SPEAKER_02: Yes, I'm gonna take the over.
56:59
SPEAKER_02: Mark me down.
57:00
SPEAKER_00: But that's the question, Mark.
57:02
SPEAKER_00: The question was first round picks.
57:05
SPEAKER_00: You're exactly right.
57:05
SPEAKER_00: I don't think they're talent levels there.
57:07
SPEAKER_00: No, you're exactly right.
57:09
SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna take the over as well, even though I'm kicking myself because I was I was sure last year.
57:13
SPEAKER_03: I was thinking that there's gonna be like there's gonna be all kinds of guys who are gonna who are gonna late sneak in.
57:18
SPEAKER_03: I was so bullish on Garrett Nussmeyer.
57:20
SPEAKER_03: Obviously, it had my purple and gold glasses on.
57:22
SPEAKER_03: Uh, guys like Nico Yamayava are floating around out there.
57:26
SPEAKER_03: Uh, he's back at UCLA this year.
57:28
SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna foolishly make the same mistake I made last year and take the over.
57:32
SPEAKER_03: But I I'm telling you, I just I can't lie to you.
57:35
SPEAKER_03: I am very intrigued by the high-end quarterback talent.
57:38
SPEAKER_03: I love Darien Mensa.
57:40
SPEAKER_03: I I'm all seven, everybody in the top 10.
57:44
SPEAKER_03: Uh Trinidad Chambliss.
57:45
SPEAKER_03: Um, I even think uh Marcel Reid at Texas AM has his moment.
57:49
SPEAKER_03: If John Matthias' hand can get back, whoever the Alabama quarterback is, you know that guy's gonna be awesome, not draft eligible, but will be awesome.
57:57
SPEAKER_03: Like I have made this make mistake before.
57:59
SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna make it again.
58:00
SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna say over over four and a half.
58:03
SPEAKER_03: All right.
58:04
SPEAKER_03: Uh I am full.
58:05
SPEAKER_03: I am very I've had a lot of delicious dinner.
58:07
SPEAKER_03: The smile of garden has been a delightful feast, but it's time.
58:09
SPEAKER_03: Hope you boys save a little room for dessert.
58:10
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna end our show like we always do, a little bit of homer time.
58:14
SPEAKER_03: Uh, so this point of this show, we talk about um the four respective homer teams, uh, LSU, Tennessee, UVA, and Virginia Tech.
58:22
SPEAKER_03: Um, I will start Darren, why don't you start kick us off?
58:25
SPEAKER_03: Those of you who don't know, Darren is a hookie alumni.
58:27
SPEAKER_03: He is our Virginia Tech professional.
58:29
SPEAKER_03: What is the thing uh that's happened this offseason for Virginia Tech?
58:33
SPEAKER_03: Give me the breakdown.
58:35
SPEAKER_00: Tell me what what's what Yeah, first of all, let me be clear that we are indeed going to Charlottesville in a couple days.
58:44
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's coming up.
58:45
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna be week zero in Charlottesville, NC State at UVA, and I just want to be crystal clear.
58:52
SPEAKER_00: I will not be wearing Navy in orange when we were there for the Florida State game when UVA upset Florida State.
59:03
SPEAKER_00: We were there last year.
59:04
SPEAKER_00: I was wearing my maroon.
59:06
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
59:06
SPEAKER_00: Go hokies.
59:08
SPEAKER_00: Um, it is Christmas Day, it is Easter morning, it is 4th of July in Blacksburg.
59:16
SPEAKER_00: We had um Brent Pry for a couple years.
59:20
SPEAKER_00: Turns out he's a really good defensive coordinator, not so much of a head coach, didn't work out, and you know, the institution let him go.
59:29
SPEAKER_00: Somehow James Franklin fell from the heavens and on a silver platter, gift wrapped with a bow into Blacksburg, and all the hokies are crying real man tears of joy over James Franklin.
59:45
SPEAKER_00: I've watched all of his pressers and his stadium talks and in the arena, he's talking to the fans and getting excited.
59:53
SPEAKER_00: It's just and what he does, if what he does is win 10 games over and over and over, and maybe lose to the best team in the conference, um hokies are gonna rejoice.
1:00:07
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
1:00:07
SPEAKER_00: It's amazing.
1:00:08
SPEAKER_00: We'll take that.
1:00:09
SPEAKER_00: We've had seven, eight, nine years of just garbage and disappointment and frustration.
1:00:15
SPEAKER_00: So hokey time is amazing.
1:00:18
SPEAKER_00: Uh, we got a couple dudes we on the uh freaks list.
1:00:22
SPEAKER_00: Uh the annual freaks list comes out.
1:00:24
SPEAKER_00: We got um Copeland, our defensive lineman.
1:00:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, he has bench pressed, bench pressed 510 pounds the other day, set school records, if not nation record records.
1:00:35
SPEAKER_00: Who knows?
1:00:35
SPEAKER_00: But we got this stud defensive, uh defensive tackle, um, tons of players, tight end quarterback coming from Penn State with Coach Franklin.
1:00:45
SPEAKER_00: The recruiting, the portal class is just off the charts historical record setting, uh, five stars, four stars coming in.
1:00:54
SPEAKER_00: It's a it's just Christmas morning in Blacksburg.
1:00:57
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, vibes are high.
1:00:58
SPEAKER_03: The only thing I would really add is I think uh Franklin did a really good job.
1:01:00
SPEAKER_03: And we saw this immediately, is he just upgraded the floor of the talent.
1:01:04
SPEAKER_03: Uh he brought in more four stars than I've seen in Virginia Tech recruiting since like the aughts.
1:01:08
SPEAKER_03: I think it's been a real minute since Virginia Tech has had that much just raw talent in Blacksburg.
1:01:14
SPEAKER_03: And I've been really excited about that.
1:01:15
SPEAKER_03: I think the tight end room is incredible.
1:01:17
SPEAKER_03: I think Benji Gosnell and Luke Reynolds, I think I think there is a just a phenomenal duo.
1:01:22
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
1:01:24
SPEAKER_03: I'm really excited for that.
1:01:25
SPEAKER_03: The big thing for me, I think, is can they block?
1:01:27
SPEAKER_03: I think that's going to be the kind of the key unlock for the Hokies this year, is what the O-line looks like.
1:01:32
SPEAKER_03: So I think they bring solid levels of talent and experience and depth at really all three levels of defense and in terms of offensive skill position players.
1:01:40
SPEAKER_03: I'm excited about Grunkenmeyer as well.
1:01:42
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we've got a real chance to start the season like 6-0, 7-0.
1:01:47
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
1:01:47
SPEAKER_00: We don't play Miami till real late, you know.
1:01:49
SPEAKER_00: So it's it's gonna be a special vibe in in October in Blacksburg.
1:01:54
SPEAKER_03: Heck yeah.
1:01:55
SPEAKER_03: Uh while we're doing that, I'll we'll stay in Virginia really quick.
1:01:57
SPEAKER_03: I'll kind of quickly hit on our folks in the Wahoos.
1:02:00
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna go again, we're gonna be we're gonna see them.
1:02:01
SPEAKER_03: So we'll have some on-the-ground reporting here in a couple shows when we see them live.
1:02:05
SPEAKER_03: The big thing is obviously UVA says the school record for wins, 11 wins, unprecedented success.
1:02:10
SPEAKER_03: Uh, Chandler Morris was a was obviously a humongous uh uh success as quarterback.
1:02:15
SPEAKER_03: He has since moved on.
1:02:16
SPEAKER_03: He filed for appeal for a seventh year of eligibility, didn't get it.
1:02:19
SPEAKER_03: Uh, they've turned the reins over to Bo Prabula, the backup uh Eli Holstein, uh Bo Bule from Mizzou, formerly from Penn State, actually, one of Franklin's guys, and uh Eli Holstein were fighting after the job.
1:02:29
SPEAKER_03: It looks like it's Prabhuula's job uh to win.
1:02:32
SPEAKER_03: They've done a really good job uh with the transfer portal as well.
1:02:34
SPEAKER_03: Cam Robinson, their all-world linebacker, is back.
1:02:36
SPEAKER_03: Fisher Camac, uh defensive end.
1:02:38
SPEAKER_03: Uh, they've made some really nice pickups at wide receiver and running back.
1:02:42
SPEAKER_03: Their offensive line is quietly probably one of, I mean, I'll say this Miami is the best at every position in the ACC going to preseason 2026.
1:02:51
SPEAKER_03: UVA's offensive line, not far behind him.
1:02:54
SPEAKER_03: They're gonna be able to run the ball and block.
1:02:56
SPEAKER_03: So if you're looking, if you're thinking about UVA, will you get to 11 wins and the ACC championship again?
1:03:01
SPEAKER_03: I don't know, but I think they're a far cry from the five and seven disasters.
1:03:06
SPEAKER_03: I'm looking at UVA's prospects are looking up.
1:03:09
SPEAKER_03: And I think kind of like other friends down the road, the Commonwealth in Blacksburg, I think folks, folks in in Charlottesville are feeling good.
1:03:17
SPEAKER_03: Now I'm saying all that, watch NC State come and beat them in 10 days.
1:03:24
SPEAKER_00: I'll be wearing red.
1:03:25
SPEAKER_00: Yes, uh, I'll be wearing UVA.
1:03:27
SPEAKER_03: I'll be excited for UVA.
1:03:28
SPEAKER_03: Uh, I guess let me let me quickly hit on LSU.
1:03:31
SPEAKER_03: So, much like this similar show uh in Blacksburg, they bring in James Franklin.
1:03:35
SPEAKER_03: Uh, the Brian Kelly era is over.
1:03:37
SPEAKER_03: Ding Dawn, the witch is dead, dismissed after a four-game losing streak, a really bad loss AM.
1:03:42
SPEAKER_03: A lot of noise, crazy uh coaching breakup with Ole Miss.
1:03:46
SPEAKER_03: I've sure everybody knows Lane Kiffin ended up leaving Ole Miss in the midst of a playoff run.
1:03:50
SPEAKER_03: They made semifinals anyway.
1:03:52
SPEAKER_03: He came over, he brought his running backs coach, his offensive coordinator, wide receiver coach, a couple specialists.
1:03:57
SPEAKER_03: Uh, we even got Ed Orgeron back as D-line coach.
1:04:00
SPEAKER_03: We spent$40 million on a roster.
1:04:03
SPEAKER_03: Uh, we have a surefire first round pick, Jordan Seaton, the left tackle.
1:04:07
SPEAKER_03: Uh uh uh uh Prince Uman Yeon, uh the the uh the second team all SCC defensive end from Ole Miss followed Lane Kiffin.
1:04:15
SPEAKER_03: Uh we have talent everywhere.
1:04:18
SPEAKER_03: Expectations are sky high, first year coach, the Portal King.
1:04:23
SPEAKER_03: I don't know what to expect.
1:04:25
SPEAKER_03: I we're it's we could LSU is one of those teams where we could be 11 and one or 7 and 5, and I wouldn't be surprised either way.
1:04:32
SPEAKER_00: Uh it's Mike AP poll came out.
1:04:34
SPEAKER_00: Where's the LSU sitting right now?
1:04:36
SPEAKER_03: I think 11 or 12.
1:04:37
SPEAKER_03: So 11, 12, 10, 13.
1:04:39
SPEAKER_03: That's good.
1:04:39
SPEAKER_00: That's good stuff.
1:04:40
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it is good stuff.
1:04:40
SPEAKER_03: And we're opening up the week and we're opening up the game, we're opening up uh Clemson at home, week one.
1:04:45
SPEAKER_03: We're about a 10-point favorite.
1:04:47
SPEAKER_03: It got to a high as 11 and a half at one point.
1:04:49
SPEAKER_03: Darren and I were at the LSU Clemson game last year.
1:04:52
SPEAKER_03: I'm telling you, a big reason I'm trying to kind of hedge my motion self-emotionally is I was so sure that we were gonna lose that game.
1:05:00
SPEAKER_03: Uh, I couldn't believe we won.
1:05:01
SPEAKER_03: Well I didn't know at the time was that was the highlight of our whole season because the whole season went sideways.
1:05:07
SPEAKER_00: Best win of the season.
1:05:08
SPEAKER_00: Best win of the season.
1:05:09
SPEAKER_03: It really was.
1:05:10
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
1:05:10
SPEAKER_03: Um, I don't want to, I just I'm I'm all I feel like I've already etched that game as a dub, and I just can't do that.
1:05:15
SPEAKER_03: But much like Virginia Tech, things are really high.
1:05:19
SPEAKER_03: Expectations are very high, elevated.
1:05:21
SPEAKER_00: Your ceilings real high.
1:05:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, your ceilings higher than anybody here that we can talk about.
1:05:26
SPEAKER_03: Yep.
1:05:26
SPEAKER_03: Uh that's pretty awesome.
1:05:28
SPEAKER_03: Uh, Mark, I believe you have something for us special from HomeCon.
1:05:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Mark's Mark's going signing day on us.
1:05:35
SPEAKER_02: As uh I put myself in the transfer portal each year as a uh graduate of North Central College, the very D3 powerhouse.
1:05:43
SPEAKER_02: I have uh I'm open to the free market when it comes to D1 ball.
1:05:46
SPEAKER_02: Last year I jumped on the Illinois bandwagon, and this year I decided I'm gonna commit to one team this year and I'm gonna ride them all the way.
1:05:55
SPEAKER_02: Uh I would have done Virginia Tech as my wife is a hokey, and I am also with you not allowed to wear UVA stuff at the game when we go, nor storm the field like Mike did.
1:06:05
SPEAKER_02: But I have a little I was gonna pick a hat out, uh, but I'd like to try to share my screen, my screen if I can there.
1:06:12
SPEAKER_02: Uh yeah, it's your kid.
1:06:13
SPEAKER_02: All right.
1:06:15
SPEAKER_02: Um, here we go.
1:06:18
SPEAKER_02: Here we go.
1:06:19
SPEAKER_02: Here we go.
1:06:22
SPEAKER_03: All right, tell me when you can see my wheel.
1:06:24
SPEAKER_02: All right.
1:06:25
SPEAKER_03: Mark Franz's team.
1:06:26
SPEAKER_03: Mark Franzen's gonna spend.
1:06:27
SPEAKER_03: Oh, here it comes.
1:06:28
SPEAKER_03: Here it comes.
1:06:29
SPEAKER_03: We are looking at those who listen to the podcast, oh my gosh, bandwagon.
1:06:32
SPEAKER_03: You've got a wheel of teams.
1:06:34
SPEAKER_03: Those of you who are listening on the podcast, I am looking at a wheel of 10 teams.
1:06:38
SPEAKER_03: So You don't even know who you're rooting for yet.
1:06:41
SPEAKER_03: Or do you uh Purdue is a we'll see.
1:06:44
SPEAKER_03: We'll see.
1:06:44
SPEAKER_03: We'll see.
1:06:44
SPEAKER_02: You go ahead.
1:06:45
SPEAKER_02: You go read off what teams are here, mate.
1:06:47
SPEAKER_02: North Carolina, please not the Tar Heels.
1:06:49
SPEAKER_02: Here we go.
1:06:49
SPEAKER_02: Here we go.
1:06:49
SPEAKER_02: Mike, read off those teams.
1:06:52
SPEAKER_03: Purdue Boilermakers, Penn State and Indi Lions, UNLV Rebels, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, BC Eagles, North Carolina Tar Heels, the Hokies, the James Madison Dukes, the Ruckers, Scarlet Knights, Iowa Hawkeyes, Louisville, Cardinals, and the Purdue Boilermakers.
1:07:04
SPEAKER_02: Oh, come on, Penn State.
1:07:06
SPEAKER_02: I spent a very formidable amount of my time at Ross A Stadium watching Drew Brees and Kyle Orton dominate the Big Ten.
1:07:12
SPEAKER_02: But for you guys, here we go.
1:07:14
SPEAKER_02: We're gonna spin the wheel.
1:07:15
SPEAKER_02: Who is Mark's team?
1:07:16
SPEAKER_00: Come on, Notre Dame.
1:07:18
SPEAKER_00: 2026 on Penn State.
1:07:20
SPEAKER_00: This is amazing.
1:07:20
SPEAKER_00: Anybody but Tar Heels.
1:07:23
unknown: Oh, oh, oh.
1:07:26
SPEAKER_00: I'm an Iowa Hawkeye.
1:07:30
SPEAKER_02: That's right, guys.
1:07:31
SPEAKER_02: I am jumping on the Iowa bandwagon.
1:07:34
SPEAKER_02: Oh, you can take it back.
1:07:35
SPEAKER_02: I don't even stop sharing.
1:07:37
SPEAKER_02: That's right, guys.
1:07:38
SPEAKER_02: I am jumping on the Kirk Ferrens.
1:07:41
SPEAKER_02: I love a good offensive line, solid defense, excellent special teams, suspect quarterback.
1:07:49
SPEAKER_02: And I thought to myself this week, maybe I'll go Louisville after Mike told me this week that it was a good idea.
1:07:55
SPEAKER_02: But no, I'm sticking with Iowa.
1:07:56
SPEAKER_02: And I watched their highlights and I watched the Iowa highlights on YouTube and their uh and Hank, what is it, Hank Brown and Jeremy Heklinski throw interceptions.
1:08:05
SPEAKER_02: I'm like, oh, I'm sticking with this.
1:08:07
SPEAKER_02: Once I commit to something, I'm there.
1:08:09
SPEAKER_02: So I am an Iowa Hawkeyes fan.
1:08:11
SPEAKER_02: Now I don't think we're gonna go uh win the national championship, but I think we're gonna upset somebody this year.
1:08:18
SPEAKER_02: Look, I early season looks easy.
1:08:20
SPEAKER_02: Sorry, Mike.
1:08:21
SPEAKER_02: No, go ahead.
1:08:21
SPEAKER_02: Keep going.
1:08:21
SPEAKER_02: Keep going.
1:08:22
SPEAKER_02: Early season, we've got uh northern Illinois, we've got northern Iowa, I believe.
1:08:26
SPEAKER_02: We've got a hard one against Michigan.
1:08:28
SPEAKER_02: See, look, I'm already a part of the team there.
1:08:31
SPEAKER_01: Because I'm an Iowa fan.
1:08:33
SPEAKER_02: I'm an Iowa fan.
1:08:34
SPEAKER_02: This is great.
1:08:34
SPEAKER_02: We have Ohio State, we have Washington, but then we close out with everybody else.
1:08:38
SPEAKER_02: We got Maryland, we've got a little take on Purdue.
1:08:42
SPEAKER_02: Uh I love Purdue in like in the early 2000s, but they are who they are now.
1:08:47
SPEAKER_02: So Mark is joining the uh the beloved Iowa Hawks.
1:08:51
SPEAKER_02: Now you will know that I was center for offensive coordinator Tim Lester for one practice a very long time ago.
1:08:58
SPEAKER_02: And I had season tickets when he was the quarterback of the XFL Chicago Enforcers.
1:09:03
SPEAKER_00: That is not nothing.
1:09:04
SPEAKER_02: That's not nothing.
1:09:06
SPEAKER_00: You snapped a ball.
1:09:07
SPEAKER_03: It's pretty much you're pretty much like brothers as far as I can.
1:09:10
SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
1:09:10
SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
1:09:10
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
1:09:12
SPEAKER_00: Can we go through the Hawkeye's schedule just real quick?
1:09:14
SPEAKER_00: Because this is this is what Mark is looking forward to.
1:09:17
SPEAKER_00: Do you know about your schedule this year, Hawkeye Mark?
1:09:20
SPEAKER_02: Oh, I do.
1:09:20
SPEAKER_02: Oh, I do.
1:09:21
SPEAKER_02: Let me uh let me bring it up.
1:09:22
SPEAKER_02: I don't know if you see my background this year, but I'm all in for Iowa now.
1:09:25
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, Northern Illinois, who you talked about earlier, Iowa State in the Cy Hawk Bowl, week two, Northern Iowa.
1:09:31
SPEAKER_03: Uh oh, I hawk let's go.
1:09:33
SPEAKER_03: Iowa State without Matt Campbell.
1:09:35
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that's a great best year to be playing.
1:09:37
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, actually, Iowa State might be the worst team in power for this year.
1:09:39
SPEAKER_03: Right.
1:09:40
SPEAKER_03: It's gonna be tough.
1:09:41
SPEAKER_00: Three and oh.
1:09:42
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
1:09:43
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, three and oh, but then you might have you might have three and three with Michigan, Ohio State, Udah back to back to back.
1:09:49
SPEAKER_03: Guys, Washington.
1:09:51
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we are uh four and two at that point.
1:09:54
SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna call this season a triumph.
1:09:58
SPEAKER_02: You'll be put on my dancing, my Illinois tie for you now.
1:10:02
SPEAKER_03: No, Minnesota, Wisconsin would be plucky.
1:10:04
SPEAKER_03: Northwestern the last uh Northwestern, Purdue, Nebraska, all winnable, all winnable games.
1:10:11
SPEAKER_03: I mean, you're you could be looking at a nine and three, eight and four type season.
1:10:15
SPEAKER_03: This could be a run.
1:10:15
SPEAKER_03: Listen, I've got my cousin to Iowa, my mom's from Iowa.
1:10:19
SPEAKER_03: My family's gonna be thrilled to hear that we have an Iowa homer on this podcast.
1:10:23
SPEAKER_03: I'll get my I'll get my family involved.
1:10:24
SPEAKER_03: Uh and listen, I've got people who went to who go to Kinnex Stadium all the time.
1:10:28
SPEAKER_03: So if this really takes off and we find ourselves a kitten in Iowa this summer, I got a tailgate, I got couches we can crash on.
1:10:34
SPEAKER_03: Let's go to an Iowa game.
1:10:35
SPEAKER_02: That sounds like I also want to wave to the kids at the hospital after the first that's right in the fourth quarter.
1:10:40
SPEAKER_03: Sure enough.
1:10:40
SPEAKER_03: Good wave to the hospital.
1:10:41
SPEAKER_03: All one of the better traditions of college football.
1:10:43
SPEAKER_03: Well, that's awesome.
1:10:44
SPEAKER_03: Good stuff.
1:10:44
SPEAKER_02: You're gonna follow them with me right here on the mic blitz.
1:10:47
SPEAKER_03: That's right.
1:10:47
SPEAKER_03: That's right.
1:10:48
SPEAKER_03: Super quick.
1:10:49
SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna touch on the vols because Mike's not here.
1:10:51
SPEAKER_03: Those of you all, I think did I say this already?
1:10:52
SPEAKER_03: Mike had a baby.
1:10:53
SPEAKER_03: He's with us, but he's not with us tonight.
1:10:55
SPEAKER_03: Uh the big story, big story for them is obviously the big story for them this offseason.
1:11:00
SPEAKER_03: Uh the QB battles.
1:11:01
SPEAKER_03: Uh, uh Joey Aguilar uh ran eligibility, he moved on.
1:11:05
SPEAKER_03: Uh uh four-star uh George McIntyre and five star FaZe and Brandon.
1:11:09
SPEAKER_03: Uh Brandon, George McIntyre, the redshirt freshman, FaZe on Brandon, the true freshman, uh high profile quarterback battle.
1:11:15
SPEAKER_03: Who's gonna win that?
1:11:16
SPEAKER_03: The big thing, uh Tennessee's defense was an absolute train wreck last year.
1:11:19
SPEAKER_03: They brought over Jim Knowles.
1:11:20
SPEAKER_03: Jim Knowles was a former coordinator at uh Oklahoma State, Iowa Ohio State, went to Penn State for the end of the Franklin era, wasn't great there.
1:11:29
SPEAKER_03: Things kind of went sideways.
1:11:30
SPEAKER_03: He quit halfway through the season, not really his fault.
1:11:32
SPEAKER_03: For my money, and I think Mike would agree if he was here.
1:11:35
SPEAKER_03: Jim Knowles is one of the best defensive coordinators in the country.
1:11:38
SPEAKER_03: He was incredible at Oklahoma State, won the national championship with Ohio State.
1:11:43
SPEAKER_03: I love this hire for them.
1:11:45
SPEAKER_03: Uh UT runs that wide that spread that spread offense where the wide receivers uh line up way out in the hash to try and spread folks out.
1:11:52
SPEAKER_03: Really tough to defend.
1:11:53
SPEAKER_03: Uh the question is, can they play enough defense to compete in the in the SEC?
1:11:57
SPEAKER_03: And I think Jim Knowles coming in, I think their defense was something like 80th overall in SP and they uh have to get back to the top 25.
1:12:05
SPEAKER_03: So the story that for me, for my money, is the defense, Jim Knowles.
1:12:10
SPEAKER_03: Uh, what can he do for the vols?
1:12:11
SPEAKER_03: Any anything else adding the vols?
1:12:13
SPEAKER_00: Uh you got a quarterback in mind who's leading this race, somebody you like more.
1:12:18
SPEAKER_03: McIntyre's been in the been in the in the system a year longer.
1:12:21
SPEAKER_03: Faison Brandon, higher upside, better tools, uh, better prospect.
1:12:26
SPEAKER_03: Uh so I think it's my if I had to guess, I'm probably gonna get probably gonna go with Faison Brandon, but my understanding from the Vall fans, I hear I think they'd probably be happy with either one.
1:12:34
SPEAKER_03: I think it's gonna come down to whoever, whichever quarterback, probably understands uh Hypel's offense better.
1:12:39
SPEAKER_03: You know, Hendon Hooker wasn't exactly athletically a superstar, and but he ran that offense incredibly.
1:12:45
SPEAKER_03: Best season they had in many years when 11 and 2 would have made the playoffs in the 12 team, missed it in the four team.
1:12:51
SPEAKER_03: Uh the the the quarterback they had off.
1:12:54
SPEAKER_03: Um, who's the who's the quarterback who with the Michigan who could throw the ball seven miles?
1:12:57
SPEAKER_03: He's now waits the Dallas Cowboys.
1:12:59
SPEAKER_03: Oh, uh Milton.
1:13:00
SPEAKER_03: Joe Milton.
1:13:01
SPEAKER_03: Uh, yeah, he couldn't really run the offense that well.
1:13:03
SPEAKER_03: I couldn't run the offense that well.
1:13:05
SPEAKER_03: My point, I think Vol fans are in the camp of whichever quarterback can know what Hypo wants to do and can execute well.
1:13:11
SPEAKER_03: They've got two phenomenal receivers.
1:13:13
SPEAKER_03: The Sean Bishop's one of my favorite running backs in the SEC.
1:13:15
SPEAKER_03: He's gonna get another thousand yards easily.
1:13:18
SPEAKER_03: Uh, the question is, can the defense keep up?
1:13:20
SPEAKER_03: But we'll hear for more from Mike later this season.
1:13:23
SPEAKER_03: He'll give us more of the on the Vol's breakdown.
1:13:26
SPEAKER_03: But yeah, that's that.
1:13:27
SPEAKER_03: Um, whoo! That's anything else?
1:13:31
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
1:13:32
SPEAKER_03: Um, wow.
1:13:33
SPEAKER_03: Do you guys want to play uh credit card roulette for the bill?
1:13:36
SPEAKER_00: Or gosh, that dessert was amazing.
1:13:38
SPEAKER_00: Go hawk another wheel as go hawk as.
1:13:41
SPEAKER_00: I'm so excited.
1:13:42
SPEAKER_03: Uh, folks, thank you so much for listening tonight.
1:13:44
SPEAKER_03: I had a great time.
1:13:45
SPEAKER_03: The mic blitz.
1:13:45
SPEAKER_03: So, just so y'all know, we're gonna do at least one, maybe two more shows this offseason.
1:13:49
SPEAKER_03: Uh, the next show we'll do our we'll do our uh postseason picks.
1:13:52
SPEAKER_03: We'll talk about conference championship, Heisman, just some general awards.
1:13:56
SPEAKER_03: We'll we'll kind of call our shots.
1:13:57
SPEAKER_03: That way we can either pat ourselves on the back in December, or you guys can dunk on us mercilessly, make fun of us for our stupid picks.
1:14:03
SPEAKER_03: One of our fun episodes and maybe some other stuff.
1:14:06
SPEAKER_03: Uh, so be on the lookout for that.
1:14:07
SPEAKER_03: You can please be sure to like, subscribe, send us an email at the um themikeblitz at gmail.com if you want a fan question.
1:14:14
SPEAKER_03: Uh, be in touch.
1:14:15
SPEAKER_03: Check us out on Instagram, Facebook, all the things.
1:14:18
SPEAKER_02: Um comments for the algorithm.
1:14:19
SPEAKER_03: Please, any of that, any of that is good.
1:14:22
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, let us know your teams.
1:14:23
SPEAKER_02: Are we right?
1:14:23
SPEAKER_02: Are we wrong?
1:14:24
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, tell us more in the comments.
1:14:26
SPEAKER_03: Yes, obviously.
1:14:27
SPEAKER_03: Dismember our dignity when we get when we get when we make bad picks.
1:14:29
SPEAKER_03: It's always helpful.
1:14:30
SPEAKER_03: Darren, anything else?
1:14:35
SPEAKER_03: Sadie Jane.
1:14:36
SPEAKER_03: So welcome, welcome to the Blitz family, Sadie Jane.
1:14:38
SPEAKER_03: Thrilled to have SJ on the crew.
1:14:40
SPEAKER_03: All right, y'all.
1:14:41
SPEAKER_03: Till next time.