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Power Hour with Carter Bryant · Tigs Bits Podcast

0:00
Welcome back to Tigs Bits. This week we have Carter Bryant
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on. He was one of the first guests
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ever on the show on Tigs Bits and and very thankful to have
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him coming back on this week. It is a college football
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preview. Welcome back buddy.
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It is good to see you man. How you been?
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World class baby. One of the best sports or excuse
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me, the best sport. Is back.
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And it's interesting. This is the final year that
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college football will be in this form and I want people to enjoy
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it. And this is the final year where
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you know, the regular season really is going to be what it
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is. And that's what makes this board
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beautiful. Each and every week you got to
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bring it. I I didn't know.
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That we'd be talking some Troy Trojans football, Man, I.
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Did that. Yeah, well, I came in here to
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disrupt the purpose, right? It's so strange.
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I got. I gave about a 15 minute notice.
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Hey, I'm going to jump in on this action too.
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So we're talking college football.
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It's so. It's like LSU, LSU, Troy, Troy,
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one non Power 5 school that all LSU fans have rough memories
1:16
about. Brantley's like.
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We get this guy's A cohost. Get him in.
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Let me get this guy in here. Absolutely, dude, I was.
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Like Dang is is DeMarcus Weir going to join us at some point
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here? I I I I don't know but no it's
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good. Good to see you Blasi and really
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excited about the the season. I wasn't at the second Troy game
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I was at the 1st comeback 1. Thank goodness I won at the the
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the the the second one. I think I.
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I don't even remember what I was doing.
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I'm glad I didn't see it. Though, well, I happen to be
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there. I happen to be there, Brantley
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hosted me. I went to the awesome tailgate.
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It was phenomenal. Oh, you were there.
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Oh my God, you still have this guy on your show.
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Brantley. That's how much I love Blossy.
2:01
The one man. Possy Carter there.
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There are reasons why that go predate that, that exchange.
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It was kind of. I had it coming kind of kind of
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deal. Like I hosted a party in Florida
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when he was my neighbor in Florida and and LSU played Troy.
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I think it was the first time was it was a trilogy.
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Am I? Yeah, so there was an 03 game
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too as well when DeMarcus Where and OC Manure will book end in
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there. It was a tough that was.
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We lost it. At at the very end of that game.
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And then the second one was a big comeback that LSU had.
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The second, yeah, the second one was, was the one that I said,
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you know what, because I lived in Florida, it was a 5 1/2 hour
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drive to get to Baton Rouge every week and I had only missed
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from 1987 until that was I believe 2008.
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I think I'd only missed maybe I think two home games in that
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time span. Two or three.
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It was a major accomplishment. And then I'm like, you know, all
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of my boys are here. We're at the freaking beach.
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It's five hours we're playing Troy.
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I think I'm gonna just stay home.
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I'm gonna have a watch party cuz it was on Tiger Vision at the
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time and I had DIRECTV like we were gonna have us a watch
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party. And everybody, all Troy fans,
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y'all come on over to Tigs, we're going to have us a good
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time. And they did.
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They did for 3 1/2 quarters. They had them a damn good time.
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And then wow LSU, the largest comeback in in the history of
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LSU wins that game. Obnoxious probably is not the
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correct word for the handful of LSU fans that were there that
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day. So we we celebrated.
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We celebrated mightily and they were just crushed.
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Then you Fast forward to to the game that we don't like to talk
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about That propelled LSU to a national championship by the
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way. But I mean it really.
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It really did. But yes, Chad did come that day
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and and I was with him in the stadium when they, when they
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secured the secured the victory. Yeah.
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Yeah, yeah. That's a good point though,
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Brandley, that I remember, you know, Devin White meeting with
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coach George Ron after that and then then LSU beating Florida in
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Gainesville and that started, you know the the well, it didn't
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start the Florida win streak, but you won that when you lost
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the next one and then LSU has beaten Florida every year since
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then. It's what I actually I do
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remember where I was for the Troy loss.
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I was still doing stand up and I had booked to do like a private
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gig in somebody's house like 3 hours away.
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And I remember I I bombed. It was horrible.
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It was just so bad. I didn't get a little
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distracted. It wasn't what I was expected
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and I I know I bombed because, like, I got a text knowing that
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the game was getting squirrelly. And then it was after the game
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was over. I was at some random gas station
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listening to it on the radio and hearing that we lost you to I I
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wanted to freaking cry a bomb so bad.
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It was just a bad night. And then?
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And then. I did not think anybody could
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bomb worse than me that night, but gosh darn it, LSULSU did it.
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It's just one of those nights, man.
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They happen, you know. Well, I'll say this.
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They absolutely happen. It's dude like so right?
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We played LSU three different times, but dude, I've always had
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immense respect for LSU. There's no bitterness to towards
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LSU. Like I know I'm a big LSU guy.
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He, he, he roots for us. Yeah, I've never, like, it's
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never been like, you know, in a hatred or anything.
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Like how they beat us. No, dude, I think it's awesome.
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Like hell, we even did what we did in the second game.
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I'm a realistic guy, 31 to 3 up on LSU.
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How the hell did we do that to begin with?
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So, I mean, it sucks that we lost at the end.
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Yes. And it is sweet that we got that
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win. Absolutely.
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But dude, to me, it's like, you know what?
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Great for LSU and I was glad to see you guys go on that run.
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I was rooting for you the whole way.
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So yeah, I mean, he was. Yeah, I don't have the, like,
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it's different in this state. You know how I feel.
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At least you guys will play us and other unlike these other two
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schools in the state that refuse to play us, you know, and
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they've never played us and then probably never will.
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So yeah, I have a immense amount of that for LSU.
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So what's even more shocking, Carter, is that we have a third,
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we have a third cohost that that's usually running with us.
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He's a freaking Alabama fans. I don't know what, I don't know
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what's happening here at TIGS Bits, but we cover everything.
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We're covering everybody. It's nothing but love over here
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at the Tigs Bit Show. And you know, we haven't, we
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haven't worked through a football season together.
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The answer This whole thing could just absolutely collapse
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on itself. Good.
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There's a possibility. And I hope it does.
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I do. I figured you did.
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Yeah. You're here for it.
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And and we'll make sure that it's all documented as this goes
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down. But yeah, there's we're about to
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be tested. The show is about to be tested
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with a football season and and that leads me.
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That leads me into that. I know that you have Carton.
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Before we jump into talking about football, please give us a
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rundown on your socials where everybody can listen to you,
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follow you, all of that good stuff.
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He has Power Hour LSU that he covers exclusively LSU if you're
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looking for news there, and then he has Power Hour SEC as well,
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covering the entire SEC. What have I missed here, Carter?
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No, those are the two big ones. Obviously.
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I I do some fantasy football stuff with the underdog fantasy
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and some and some of that. Obviously it's fancy football
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season. But yeah, but yeah man, I that
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those are my 2 main things right?
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Those I've been very fortunate to.
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You know have some success doing it.
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I'm not Logan Paul or Mr. Beast or anything like that on
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YouTube. But but it's it's fun to get to
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do it and. People like you support the show
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and that obviously goes a long way, but it's interesting.
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I was thinking about this season for LSU.
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Obviously the Florida State game is what everyone's getting
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excited about. But just from, you know, top to
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bottom, you look at the entire SECI think in this final season
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of what could be the last, well, it is the last iteration what
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college football is going to be. I think this SECC's it can get
8:35
very wild. Normally we have a very static
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and and rigid SEC at the top. I think obviously with these I
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mean I think I think every single one of us are going to
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pick Georgia. But in the West I I could see
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some real movement with the the shuffling that's happened in
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Alabama. Obviously LSU has some holes
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and. Ole Miss, Arkansas and Tech A
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and M have some very interesting teams this year.
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So really excited about just even even if you take off, you
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know, the LSU shirt and all the LSU stuff in the LSU channel,
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you should look at that as a neutral perspective that the SEC
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is very strong in the West this year.
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Yeah, it's going to be a, it's going to be a fun ride.
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I mean it is there are there are so many little uncertainties, so
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many little tangents and things that that that just have to play
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out And that's the beauty of it. Do you think that this season
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will have an asterisk by it? In the book are not really an
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asterisk but like a dividing line, Kind of like when you go
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back with college football and you consider the 70s and further
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back really even the mid 80s and further back kind of older
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football and then the 80s. Until now I would consider
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modern football. Wouldn't you think that moving
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forward from this point on it's going to be labeled something
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else because it is going to be a completely completely different
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game next year? Yeah, so.
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I'm pretty sure Bradley, you were there for the Bama game
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last year. Oh yeah, absolutely.
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And that game felt so different. Like there's been, yeah, I've
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gotten asked about the, you know, 2019 season and obviously
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it was great. But that Bama game last year
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felt so different. I get chills even thinking about
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it. And to me, what I don't think
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people realize. Obviously that was a big turning
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point for the Brian Kelly era. It won the West that one play
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Mason Taylor, but the whole game.
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What made it so special was that pretty much locked Alabama out
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of the playoff, right? And they still ended up #5.
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They still made it interesting. So if the playoff was expanded
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in any shape, form or fashion, all the LSU fans that might
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watch this Your ticket got devalued.
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Your experience got devalued. Because for me, obviously, you
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know, selfishly us as LSU fans, we're really excited that that
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happened for our team, right? You were at the end of the Wars
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are On era. You had 39 scholarship guys.
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You had a really good quarterback of Jaden Daniels
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come in and and and really do some good things.
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Last year you had Brian Kelly coming out, all these new guys.
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Jared Bernard, Converse, transferring in, who was at
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Oklahoma State. You had all these guys come
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together and put together this one great thing, and that was
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good for LSU as a whole. But it also made college
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football better, right? It made what Alabama did in the
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regular season really count. And when you take that away, it
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takes away what happened on that night, the immediacy of what
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happened on that night. The way it devalues it, it
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doesn't matter how true And yes, the counter argument would be.
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Well that means more games in a 12 team playoff would have even
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more value. And I can kind of see that.
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But I like it when if you lose 2 games you're probably out and
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it's because your regular season counts.
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Take away even the LSU Alabama game.
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Let's talk about Columbia SC All right, Completely different
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program. Program.
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That's not in some major metropolitan.
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It's not Dallas or Chicago or whatever.
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One random night in Columbia SC cost Tennessee their playoff.
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It did that. That town, which doesn't have
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that great of a college football program.
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South Carolina is a good program.
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That one random night counted for something in the major.
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And that's what makes college football great, these.
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But you know these rural areas, right?
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Like if let you say LSU was in the College Football Playoff
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freight and Trace in 2017. The Troy Trojans ended their
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playoff chances that freaking night.
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Absolutely. With the 12 team, let's just say
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LSU were to only lose one of their game and that game versus
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Troy, the price. Still, you know, getting in that
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year, so. I understand.
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I I'm still going to love college football after this
13:24
season. But it will dramatically change.
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And that's what I think college football did for all of us and
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made us realize that great regular seasons make college
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football and that's board spectacular.
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It's why the NFL, you know they they've expanded their playoff.
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That kind of sucks. But really we've seen it in the
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MLB. We've seen it in the NBA.
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It's it sucks. When you go to one of these
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gazillion games and all they tell you at the end of the year
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now the only thing that matters is, is just one month of the of
13:57
the season. It's it's freaking wild.
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But I'm off my soapbox. We'll we'll know that.
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I mean that. That is a very fair point.
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It's a great point. You know, you you take away some
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of the traditions, you're going to take away that Alabama, LSU
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game, though it will still be a big game in 2024.
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It ain't going to be a make or break game for either team.
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Let's say they're both undefeated going into that,
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yeah, let's hope whoever loses, if they lose a close game, it
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doesn't. It doesn't even matter if it's
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close or not. If you're undefeated in
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November, it ain't gonna matter. You're going to the playoffs.
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As long as you handle the next two or three games and you win
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those, you know you could stumble.
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It allows you to stumble and you're exactly right.
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All these stadiums have expanded over these over the 2000s.
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They've gone from 80 and 85,000 seat stadiums to 100 hundred and
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10,000 seat stadiums. That attendance is going to go
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down. This is going to be an issue.
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It is going to be an issue over the next decade.
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It's already an issue to get butts in the seats and to get
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the get those butts that come to the seats to stay the whole
15:06
game. It's not just a rampant problem
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at LSU. If they're playing Southern or
15:12
Grambling or something like that and the game's no longer in
15:15
question going into the second-half.
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I mean, I'm guilty of it too. It's like, I mean, they're up 49
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to nothing. They're going to win.
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Let's go home. You know what I mean?
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Let's just get to the house. I'm just as guilty of it at
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times, for sure. But but I think that's going to
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be a bigger thing. How will these schools continue
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to pay all of these programs, pay the players?
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We haven't even dove into NIL and all of that do these types
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of things. It's turning into a league.
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It's turning into a professional league.
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I mean, it's NF Mini. NFL is what It's what it's going
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to be. It's changing dramatically but
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now I will offer a counter argument on this.
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So, so for me obviously being a, you know, a Troy fan and from
16:01
the group of five, so you start the football season with 131
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teams, right? So 66 of those are group of five
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teams. Up until next year, there's been
16:12
really no pathway to get there. We've seen it before.
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You run the table, you're still going to be sitting at five or
16:17
six or somewhere. I'm not saying you deserve to be
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1-2 or three, I'm not saying that.
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But in basketball and in baseball, there's a pathway when
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you start the season at the highest level.
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We're at the FBS level, there should be a pathway to get
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there. Everything you stated is
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absolute fact. Is it going to take away from
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that win in the Alabama, LSU game, 100% it is.
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There's no argument against that.
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But as a. Is college football as a whole?
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I think it betters the game to where hey, you know what, Troy,
16:50
UCF back in the day, you know several years ago when they, you
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know, self-proclaimed themselves national championship national
16:58
champions. They went undefeated though.
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I can see how they were like, man, we just want a chance.
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Even if you get beat, just, hey, you know what, you still got to
17:06
go through this guy. These guys had a great team.
17:08
They had a magical year. You got to beat them.
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You know what I mean? Like, so to me, that's what I
17:12
like about it. I think you could have done it
17:14
with less teams. I think you could have done it
17:15
with a couple more teams and like let the highest rated group
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of five team in somewhere at like 6 or somewhere in the 8
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range. But I mean 12.
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I don't know. There's arguments both ways.
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I just wanted like, hey, if you're the highest rated group
17:29
of five, give that, that team an opportunity in that season to go
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and continue to keep going some way.
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So they've accomplished that. You've created other problems,
17:38
but. And I think overall for college
17:40
football, I think it's going to be better for the whole game,
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so. Now I'm with you.
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That is one of the benefits you get the you get a group of five
17:46
team in the the my counter to that would be is you are going
17:53
to have Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia in it every year and
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that that's what really stinks about it because if those teams
18:01
are in it especially. Know and they're going to have
18:03
so much more experience on how to get ready for a playoff game
18:06
out of play in a neutral side and they have the the the the
18:08
best rosters. But I do agree that it.
18:12
I mean Group of fives do deserve some inclusion, but at the same
18:15
time we've, I mean Group of fives are just going to keep
18:18
getting destroyed in that game. And what I think you could do is
18:24
have a separate playoff for Group of Five.
18:26
And I know that sounds watered down or whatever, but like a?
18:32
When would you do it? At the end of the year?
18:34
Just have a separate do, I mean, but have their own separate
18:36
thing or could you have a could you have a play in tournament?
18:40
Yeah, you could, you could have, you could have, you know the two
18:43
highest rated group of fives and that be the national champion
18:48
for the group of five level. It's a completely different
18:50
whole game that Troy and and and and those teams have to play.
18:55
It's it's almost a different sport now, obviously getting to
18:58
do this. I've gotten to know personnel,
19:02
directors and all these people at different programs.
19:05
I know a lot of FCS, non power 5S, CC and all that stuff.
19:11
What a school like Troy and you know these, these middle tier
19:16
good group of five schools have to deal with is obviously, you
19:20
know, getting your best players poached by the power of five
19:23
with the portal now with NIL and that and that stuff.
19:27
It is amazing how much more things, those middle tier
19:30
programs like Troy, Tulane, the Cajuns and all that.
19:35
It's hard. It's absolutely brutal.
19:36
I mean, look at LSU, I mean they and McKay Gardner last year from
19:41
the Cajuns, they have Kyron Lacey this year from the Cajuns.
19:45
They were, they were really good players.
19:46
Obviously at that last school that they were with.
19:50
We've even seen, you know, schools like not even the best
19:53
SEC schools, schools like Arkansas, they've poached.
19:57
The best group of five players because they have a bankroll and
20:01
they can they play in the SEC and that matters for recruit.
20:05
So there's obviously I am going to be excited about group of
20:08
Five presidents being in the playoff.
20:11
My fear for you blossy is look college football.
20:16
The guys that are at the top of the totem pole here they're
20:19
sharks. They have no morals.
20:22
They they want, they want. The most money that they
20:26
possibly can get. I could see a world where they
20:31
say F the little guy, we're just putting the 12 best teams in
20:35
that we are the 12 best teams. I that would be my biggest fear
20:41
because one of my favorite things is the the the group of
20:44
five aspect of it and I'm glad you held me accountable for
20:48
that. But I'm telling you right now,
20:51
that's what really concerns me about college football is
20:54
everyone's in it to try and get their best dollar.
20:56
And I I, I I get that to a certain extent.
20:59
But man, it's it's just, it's sad.
21:02
It's sad to see. It is, It is.
21:05
It really is RIP to college football as we know it.
21:09
But as you have said, we have a whole year left of the old way,
21:14
if you will. So we get, we have to enjoy it.
21:16
I think it's important that we're talking about this before
21:19
the season even starts because. I I mean honest to God I really
21:24
hadn't thought about it. Like we're talking about it
21:27
right now. I haven't truly let that sink in
21:30
and and I I'm going to I'm going to enjoy this whole season a
21:33
hell of a lot more just with that thought in the back of my
21:36
mind of you know let obviously you and I are LSU fans but let's
21:42
say we drop a couple of games and were like crap.
21:44
Let's just enjoy the ride. You know next year we'll drop
21:48
these two games. It may not make a damn bit of
21:50
difference. We still may be able.
21:52
To sneak into the playoffs and then make a run.
21:55
So I'm. I'm with that in the SEC.
22:00
Do you see anybody that could be a dark horse, a Tennessee, an
22:06
Arkansas, an Ole Miss, anybody like that?
22:09
They could maybe make a little run that we're not thinking
22:11
about on paper at least. Anyhow.
22:14
Yeah, in the East, I just have a tough time to get anyone beaten.
22:17
Georgia, I mean, they get Brock Powers back.
22:19
He's the best player in the the conference.
22:22
I think they'll be good enough at quarterback but you know
22:25
they're all fits alliance back, they're motivated.
22:28
They should have won the Joe Moore Award last year.
22:31
They didn't get it. So that group was led by a kid
22:34
from New Orleans, Cedric Van Prien and it'll be really good
22:37
in the in the trenches. And then defensively it's
22:39
Herbie's defense. You know they're going to be
22:40
solid. So I I look at the East, one of
22:46
my more favorite plays this year is the under on Tennessee's win
22:48
total. I think we'll see some
22:50
regression there with everything that they lost.
22:53
I'm a big hypo guy. I I picked Tennessee to win the
22:56
East last year. I hammered the table for their
22:59
over on the wind toll. Obviously that cleared and
23:02
they're one of the best teams in college football last year.
23:05
I think we lose all what they lost offensively and
23:09
defensively. They lost their best tackle,
23:11
their two best receivers or quarterback.
23:14
They lost their two best defensive linemen, their best
23:17
linebacker. It's it's it's going to be a
23:19
it's going to be a tough rebuild there.
23:21
Obviously, Florida's still in the rebuilding phase.
23:24
And then you look at the rest of the East, Kentucky, the most
23:28
fraudulent program in the SECI think this year they'll have a
23:33
really, really good season. I I like what they have.
23:36
I like the way their schedule sets up.
23:38
They have the easiest first month of the season schedule we
23:41
have ever seen in the SEC. So ever.
23:45
I mean, go look at it. You'll be shocked.
23:48
And you know, South Carolina, their schedule's too brutal.
23:51
So for right now, I think, I think, I think Georgia is that
23:56
school in the east. Now in the West, this is where
23:58
it gets spicy, right? Alabama is hobbled, right that
24:03
they obviously have the best pollution ratio in the country.
24:06
So in terms of raw talent, recruiting, high school talent,
24:09
they're the best. But you don't know who your
24:14
quarterback is. You change your OC you change
24:16
your DC. Nick I think regressed some in
24:19
his in game coaching last year. We saw some of that versus LSU.
24:23
I I everyone's going to pick Alabama.
24:25
They had the most talented roster all that stuff.
24:28
But I I I think they'll struggle some this year I I think I think
24:32
so and this opens up the door for LSU to go back-to-back.
24:36
I think LSU is the team to beat even objectively put they return
24:42
the best defensive player in the conference.
24:43
They return the back, return OC return, DC return.
24:48
Their two tackles, return their best receiver, get their most
24:52
talented defensive tackle back, get return.
24:55
Their defensive tackle last year was an Allamerican.
24:58
They have a lot of pieces, right?
25:00
But where it gets interesting, Brantley is the rest of the
25:05
West. And I do think there are three
25:08
teams that have a pathway forward here, right?
25:13
I think Auburn isn't one of those teams.
25:15
I think they'll get going by the end of the season and you should
25:19
be very worried about that game if you're an LSU fan.
25:22
I project that game to be a day game, which kind of sucks.
25:25
The way the TV schedules work this year, CBS gets to pick the
25:29
first two games that weekend and that's an 11:00 AM kick and a
25:33
230 kick. So I think CBS is going to want
25:38
one of the more rare LSU, Auburn games moving forward to be a
25:43
part of it. So it it it should be
25:46
interesting there. But obviously I think I think
25:50
Mississippi State's going to be terrible this year.
25:52
But I think everyone else in the West is going to be have a
25:55
pulse. And I think the other three
25:58
teams that have a pathway forward Arkansas, they they
26:03
return to me the best quarterback of the conference in
26:06
KJ Jefferson. I think what KJ has done these
26:09
past couple seasons is very underrated in college football.
26:12
We have not seen one player truly carry a team quite like
26:17
him in in, in in a while, right. It has a watered down Cam Newton
26:24
kind of feel to it because Cam wasn't surrounded by the
26:27
absolute deepest cast of of superstars and KJ's done that
26:32
these past couple years and it would not shock me if he got
26:36
Arkansas to a really strong eight and four, nine and three
26:41
record this year because he is that good.
26:43
And then obviously the teams that you should worry about the
26:46
most outside of Alabama if you're an LSU fan is Ole Miss
26:50
and and text A and M, right. So here's just that Ole Miss and
26:56
text A and M are the only teams in the SEC brand lead that don't
26:59
have to play back-to-back Rd. games and why is that relevant?
27:02
So historically and and this is that that we discovered on our
27:07
channel and we've bet it like crazy and it's it's worked.
27:11
Okay, I'll put it that way. When you play back-to-back Rd.
27:16
games, it's hard. It's really hard.
27:20
There've only been three teams since 2019, Brantley and Blasi
27:23
that have been able to win both games in a back-to-back Rd. game
27:27
in the SEC. That was 2018.
27:30
Florida team with Kyle Pitts, Kid Arius, Tony.
27:33
Absolutely Stacked team, right, led by Dan Mullen and 2019 LSU
27:39
and 2022 Georgia. So we're talking about three of
27:42
the most talented teams we've ever seen in the SEC.
27:44
How many back-to-back games have there been like that in that
27:47
same time? A lot.
27:48
So, So there have been over 40. Wow, I think instances of that
27:54
and only three teams have been able to win both.
27:56
That is unbelievable. Well, that, yeah.
27:58
So that's an incredible stat. Good job, Good dig there for the
28:02
Power Hour. LSU crew there.
28:04
That's, that's what you do, man. So that that's, well, that's
28:08
taken out 2020 data because there weren't real Rd. games,
28:10
right? Right.
28:12
You know, fans matter more in college football than any other
28:14
sport, if you ask me. So if if you take out that you
28:20
only have those three teams that have been able to win, both of
28:22
them, Nick's not have been able to do it.
28:24
It's hard to go on the road and and win both those games, but
28:28
The thing is, it's not every team has to play that right.
28:32
College football, like we're talking about a minute ago, it's
28:34
a very unbalanced schedule. You play more home games than
28:37
you do Rd. games, so it's rare. So you look, last year the only
28:41
team in the SECW that didn't have to do that was LSU, right?
28:46
So that helped them because. Yeah, they did.
28:52
Absolutely. Yes.
28:53
So one final thing, Anim and Omits don't don't have to do
28:56
that this next year almost almost the schedule is way
29:01
harder than A and M So they have to go to Tulane and week two and
29:06
they get the one and 12 draw of playing at Georgia because of
29:12
how the cross division rival. So they get very unlucky that
29:17
they're really talented team draws.
29:20
In the final year of how the schedule format is going to be
29:23
the one and 12 shot that you have to go to Sanford and and
29:26
play Georgia, you look at A and M schedule, okay.
29:31
This is what makes Jimbo's failure so interesting is you go
29:36
actually run the strength of schedule numbers A and M
29:39
strength of schedule is way weaker than everybody else in
29:42
the West. So Jimbo's not only struggled,
29:44
he has struggled with huge advantages in SOS, right?
29:48
And this year they get a bunch of huge advantages.
29:52
They don't have any back-to-back Rd. games and they get a few
29:58
really good teams on the back end of back-to-back Rd. games.
30:02
They get Arkansas on the back end of a back-to-back Rd. game.
30:05
Even though Arkansas is playing a neutral in Dallas, she still
30:08
got to travel there. And here's a big thing, they get
30:11
Alabama on the back end of a back-to-back Rd. game this year
30:15
and they'll get a bye week or well, the only thing is that
30:19
Tennessee will be coming off a bye week.
30:20
They did get Tennessee out of the East, so it's a little
30:22
unlucky of a draw, but if Jimbo lets Bobby call the plays, this
30:29
could be a very scary team this next year.
30:32
They're the one team that scares the hell out of me that nobody
30:36
really is talking about as much as I like I Tommy TK was on here
30:41
Tommy Christan was on last week and and we're talking and and he
30:46
said if you notice I didn't even mention Texas AM like.
30:52
No, you didn't. But I don't.
30:54
I think that's that's the thing that's scaring me is that no
30:56
one's talking about them. They've written them off 8 and
31:00
4A and M8 and four every year. You know what though?
31:04
I mean they've got, they have talent obviously they bought a
31:07
lot of that last year. They have.
31:10
You know, if we can debate on whether how good Jimbo is, but
31:14
he is proven over time that he can coach Patrino coming in.
31:19
If he's fresh and not drinking and chasing whores then then
31:23
that guy is going to be, you know, then then he could he
31:26
could be strong. So they they they scare me on
31:29
paper because they've been written off and I have a feeling
31:33
that those kids are going to feel the same way.
31:36
Last year when we had this conversation made fun of them.
31:40
I will not do that this year whatsoever.
31:42
Plus they beat us. I mean that didn't that kind of.
31:45
Oh yeah. Knocked a little bit of that
31:46
tarnish off of of fun, but no printing the cups this season.
31:51
But yeah, dude, I'm concerned. I'm, I'm concerned about A and M
31:56
They're they're my dark horse of who I think could could
32:00
potentially make a run. But as you allude to, it ain't
32:03
going to be easy. If they get there and they do
32:05
it, then they've earned it. Yeah, and this is a good thing
32:09
if you're an LSU fan, for two reasons.
32:11
All right, the 1st is, well, it could burn, crash and burn.
32:18
You have two coaches with two of the biggest egos ever.
32:23
One that you know Jimbo isn't socially awkward.
32:27
He like socially. He's for for most.
32:31
He's kind of fun to be around. Bobby is not like that.
32:35
I've had a few interactions with Bobby before.
32:37
It's it's he is awkward. All right, so this could crash
32:41
and burn, right? It could also hit big, and
32:46
that's the kind of scary thing, right?
32:49
But if you're an LSU fan, this is a good thing is Jimbo sucks
32:54
on the road and you get them in Baton Rouge in a major revenge
33:01
spot. If you are LSU as big of a
33:04
revenge spot as you're going to, you're going to see you.
33:07
Because A and M was for a team that only finished five and
33:12
seven. They were obnoxious after that
33:15
beat down that they gave us. So in particular Harold Perkins
33:19
will be fired up for that game because that was the first game
33:22
he struggled all all year. So that was the team he almost
33:25
went to. So I'm sure he heard the end of
33:28
it. So I I'm really excited about
33:31
that game to end the season in Baton Rouge and my my hottest
33:35
take is that game will decide the West this year and I I think
33:39
so and what would make that very interesting is normally it's
33:48
Alabama. Auburn that's in that spot right
33:51
where either one of those games more often Alabama than Auburn
33:55
it's to to get ready for the SEC championship game.
33:58
One of those teams are going to be in it sometimes it was us
34:00
obviously. I think this year it'll be that
34:04
right. So I I do like A and MI do like
34:08
they're over 7 1/2 win total. I do think it's going to work
34:11
itself out. You look at their blue chip
34:13
ratio which is a percentage of four-star or better players on
34:16
their roster. Mainly they have the same amount
34:18
as Georgia. Their blue chip ratio is near
34:20
identical. So college football is a talent
34:24
sport at at in Jimbo's the worst coach in the SECI truly do
34:29
believe it. But if he gets the hell out of
34:31
the way and and lets Bobby Petrino, who has been one of the
34:36
best coaches in the sport when it comes to offensive yard per
34:39
play, any metric you want to look at If you let them cook,
34:43
watch out. Yeah, yeah, absolutely Could,
34:47
could, could be. It will be interesting to watch.
34:50
It could be scary for Tiger fans and for all of you other fans
34:54
that are listening out there of other schools.
34:56
I'm watch out for A and M Just watch out for them.
35:00
Will anybody, Will anybody in the SEC go undefeated?
35:06
Yeah, I can see Georgia. I could yeah and I I honestly
35:11
could see LSU. I I I could I could see it.
35:13
I I don't believe it right now my my board has LSU10 and two
35:18
going into this next year. Obviously depending on where the
35:23
losses happen that still could get you in the spot versus
35:27
Georgia kind of like last year. If if LSU could be hanging them,
35:30
it would have been in the spot. If they beat Georgia they're in
35:34
and there would have been a two Laws team in.
35:36
More than likely they would have been in it would have been it
35:40
would have been very tight honestly.
35:43
But yeah I I right now I've L issues as a tenant to team but
35:48
they could do it. I definitely could see Georgia
35:51
doing it. I think those are the only two
35:53
schools at this point I think could run the table.
35:56
What? What about outside of the SEC?
35:58
Of course, a lot of media attention on Michigan this year
36:02
is Is this the year that Michigan's for real?
36:05
Are they? Are they for real?
36:07
Do they really have a shot? Do you think they can make?
36:10
Do you think they can make it to the playoffs?
36:12
Here's my thing, right? If you are an LSU fan watching
36:18
this, I'm sure it's a good bit of LSU.
36:20
I'd say probably 70% LSU fans, 20% Troy fans, and 10% of
36:26
regular people out there watching me.
36:31
I will say this about Michigan. It's always something with
36:34
Harbaugh. It's always something.
36:36
This guy's been horrible in bowl season as the worst coach in
36:40
bowl season in recent history. And every year you got to worry
36:45
about him going to the NFL. And this year, not only have to
36:49
worry about that, you have this suspension looming.
36:52
It's always something. It it is where I I mean, I just
36:59
don't think Michigan will ever be able to do it.
37:01
Now the other quarterback, there's some saying that
37:06
Michigan has a good shot to set the NFL draft pick record.
37:11
Beat Georgia. Beat LSU.
37:13
In terms of draft picks, there's twenty players on the roster
37:17
that have really high draftable grades, which is, you know, it's
37:21
impressive considering you know they have Mozzie Smith.
37:24
That's what guys go early last year.
37:27
So yeah, I mean, Michigan's obviously A-Team.
37:30
It's going to be sexy to put them in that spot.
37:33
But what I would also tell you Brantley is as great as Kate
37:37
York was at LSU. Moody, their kicker last year,
37:42
might have been the best college football kicker I've ever seen.
37:44
That dude. Was he?
37:45
Was he was strong. I mean, he was unfreaking
37:49
believable. And Michigan had they struggled
37:52
closing drives. And this guy had big cakes
37:55
versus Illinois hit big Cakes versus Michigan State to win
37:58
their games last year. And yeah, if if I'm a Michigan
38:04
fan, I could see this falling flat on your face too.
38:07
Yeah, yeah, Well, to be determined.
38:10
Anybody else that you see in the college football landscape that
38:14
we should talk about is potential playoff teams, Teams
38:17
that could run the Gauntlet run, maybe go undefeated.
38:21
We'll see them in December and January.
38:24
Well, I'll throw. Sublassie, who do you think is
38:27
the best Group of Five team this year?
38:29
You know, so that's interesting. You know, obviously I want to
38:31
think Troy has that opportunity. But dude, there's the Sunbelt
38:34
conference is so strong and there's so many teams in that
38:37
conference that could really, I mean it, we're going to beat
38:40
each other up. I mean, to me the Sunbelt
38:42
conference is what the SEC was in terms of like let's say 20
38:46
years ago. It's dude, there's, you know,
38:47
there's it's rooted in tradition.
38:49
You got great teams. You got great fan bases.
38:52
Do you got JMU finally becoming eligible?
38:54
You got you know? The rap state is going to do
38:57
their thing. You've got, you know, Troy
38:59
coming back into the mix here. You've got Southern Miss, dude
39:02
and the team. I'm not a big fan of South
39:05
Alabama, dude. Watch those guys.
39:07
So we're just talking about right here.
39:09
Oh, I forgot to mention Marshall, right.
39:11
And we keep going, you know what I mean?
39:13
Like, there's so many teams in that conference.
39:15
Like, I don't know who's going to come out of that unscape.
39:17
I don't think anybody is. But outside of that you got.
39:23
You got UTSA over there. You got two lane, it's going to
39:27
make a nice run. So dude, it's going to be
39:29
interesting this year to see who can kind of go through this and
39:32
and make it through that process.
39:33
But in the in the Power Five dude, this little team out West
39:36
that hangs out up there, it's all quiet right now.
39:39
That little team called Oregon, you know there's there's some
39:42
magic brewing. We did lose a receiver over
39:44
there too, but you know so. It's going to be interesting
39:49
this year and I agree with your take on the West like dude
39:52
that's there it's that's up for grabs there's so many teams with
39:55
so much talent there it's like who can you know who can
39:58
navigate that the best and that two that two law stat that you
40:02
gave or that you know 22 road game stat and losing one of
40:05
those that's that's pretty that's something to really watch
40:07
here you know and. The idea is as you watch this
40:10
thing play. That's a deep dive, like you're
40:13
a deep dive Vegas gambler or something, you know?
40:15
I mean, it's like, these are the stats you need to know, you
40:18
know? I love that.
40:20
So I talked to Patrick Queen about this not too long ago.
40:25
All right. So P q's from like around where
40:29
my mother's family's from. So it was it was cool.
40:33
My folks knew this folks. It was.
40:34
It was a great interview that we did on on the channel and.
40:39
So when LSU did that in 2019, the back end of that game was
40:43
was Ole Miss. That was the second game of the
40:45
back-to-back when they were able to win both of them.
40:47
LSU did not play. LSU did not play.
40:50
Well. Okay and PQ like broke it down.
40:54
Like what actually happened? It was very detailed.
40:57
I didn't know all this. There was communication, all
41:01
kinds of stuff, but John Rice Plumley, a true fresh and
41:04
quarterback. Gave Dave Veranda his worst
41:08
defensive performance at LSU. You look at Georgia on the back
41:14
end of their back-to-back, they beat Kentucky, they were 22
41:18
point favorites. They won the game 16 to 6.
41:22
Okay. So it's also when you, if you,
41:25
if you are able to do it, you're not going to play well in that
41:27
second game. I mean, you're talking about
41:30
teenagers who are hopping on planes in five day turnarounds.
41:37
And one of my biggest plays last year, Brantley was Elshore.
41:42
Mississippi State. Okay, Mississippi State the week
41:46
before, played a night game in Arizona.
41:49
All right, so you have a bunch of these kids who are mostly
41:52
from the South flying to the West Coast, Okay.
41:55
So your body clocks are changing and all of.
41:57
That different time zone. They played a PAC 12 After Dark
42:01
game. All right, so you got to be a
42:04
die hard college football fan in order packed.
42:07
They don't. Know anything about that?
42:09
They don't know. They got back in at 5:00 in the
42:11
morning after that game, Okay. And then?
42:15
Had to play Saturday. Yes.
42:18
Oh yeah, guess what? Guess what we're going to do?
42:20
We're going to throw you back in the plane and you got to play in
42:23
the hardest place to play in the freaking sport, a place where
42:30
dreams come to die. Right, so a lot of these guys
42:34
dream of playing a game in the stadium.
42:37
But if you actually go look at how Mississippi State played in
42:39
that game, they muffed A punt, they started missing a ton of
42:42
tackles. They had some of the most wide
42:45
open drops you will ever see in that game.
42:49
And the biggest mystery and the biggest untold story about that
42:52
game was LSU did not play well that game, but Mississippi State
42:57
fell apart. Okay and.
43:00
I I I was huge on LSU winning that game because of the
43:04
back-to-back Rd. game stand. So I look for I look for some
43:07
things like that like and and it wasn't I wouldn't even bet in
43:11
LSUI was I was betting and it's not always going to work.
43:14
There's going to be some middle tier team that's able to do it
43:17
this year. There's quite a few
43:19
opportunities for some middle tier teams to win back to backs.
43:22
But man, I I think one thing people get wrong about college
43:26
football with the realignment and all that stuff is.
43:29
These kids just do not like football.
43:34
Players don't travel all the other sports.
43:37
You travel a lot. You're on the blind.
43:40
You're what's right. Football players.
43:41
You travel 5 * a year if you're a power five player five times.
43:47
And that's what's really scary about the future of college
43:49
sports is not only does college football make so much more money
43:52
than all the other schools or all the other sports, it's all
43:56
the other sports. Have drastically different
43:58
schedules, and I know a lot of people have made the point about
44:02
UCLA volleyball playing a game in Rutgers.
44:09
Could you imagine Mary Jane? She's a libero for the freaking
44:14
volleyball team and she's got a chemistry exam the next morning
44:18
and she's got to deal with 10 hour jet lag.
44:21
Whatever the case may be, it's it's it's freaking brutal.
44:28
But but yeah, now to your point Blossy, I really like Tulane
44:32
this year. You know part of it is because
44:36
like I like keeping up with the LSU people that move on.
44:40
Two lanes coaches two lanes. Coaches staff is loaded with LSU
44:44
guys and I'm I'm pulled for them and they they they get a home
44:49
game versus old miss and week two and two lanes been very
44:54
pesky. Against really good teams in
44:56
that spot. I mean, they almost beat
44:57
Oklahoma a few years ago in that spot.
44:59
So the Fighting Willie Fritzes, I'm really excited they're
45:04
going. To do this year so far as a dark
45:06
horse, As far as a dark horse, Brantley, I would like to see
45:12
Tulane. What I think would cause the
45:14
absolute most chaos is, let's just say LSU runs the table,
45:19
Tulane runs the table. And you get A1 four playoff
45:24
matchup between those. Bring the Tiger rag back Let's.
45:29
Get into this. Rivalry can be rekindled.
45:32
I'm all for it, dude. That's where it spices it up and
45:34
makes college football great again in that aspect.
45:39
Absolutely, Absolutely we will. Well, look, I know, I know,
45:43
we're running a little short on time, but I would.
45:45
I have to get your take on the LSU and Florida State preview
45:50
that will be coming out this weekend.
45:52
That's going to be what? What'll be happening?
45:54
It's football season. So what?
45:56
What's your take on that game? Who wins?
45:59
Will this ruin either team? Whoever loses, will it ruin
46:03
their season? No, I I think there's a huge
46:08
panic on that. Florida State's got a wonderful
46:12
team. I am really bullish on them this
46:15
next year. I do think that they win the
46:16
ACC. They're really good.
46:20
I mean, Jordan Travers is a really, really great quarterback
46:24
and right now in all the college football, I would, I would have
46:28
him tied as my QB3IN all of CFB, only behind May and Williams and
46:33
tied with the KJ. Now to watch his great point a
46:37
minute ago. My favorite hides in bed is
46:39
actually. Bo Knicks I I really like Oregon
46:43
schedule and Heisen voters love a story and they they would love
46:49
that story to to come to fruition right.
46:52
The son of an Auburn quarterback with the portal and all of that.
46:57
So yeah. I'm I'm I I I think this game
47:00
will be legendary. I think this game will be a
47:03
shootout. I'm not ready to to to just say
47:07
gazillion percent pick LSU because I've picked LSU to win
47:10
the season opener in the last couple of years.
47:12
It's not worked out. I might not pick a winner.
47:16
I might do that and I got to go on a few Florida State shows
47:19
over the next like week. I'm still not picking a winner
47:22
on those. But yeah, it it it should be a
47:25
fantastic game and I think LSU will will, will be up for the
47:30
challenge. Yeah, yeah.
47:33
I certainly hope so. Of course they have to avenge
47:36
last year's opening loss, which, which, you know, in hindsight,
47:40
even on that night I wasn't. That wasn't a killer for me, you
47:45
know, we didn't know what we had.
47:47
We didn't know where it was. Just like, hey, this is the
47:49
beginning. Of a whole new deal.
47:51
And then of course, as the season went on, they got better
47:54
every single week. And then if they played that
47:56
game again that they, I don't think it would have been an
48:00
issue. I think they would would have
48:02
smoked Florida State last year if they played it again.
48:05
That's hypotheticals. We don't speak in all of that
48:07
stuff. That didn't happen.
48:08
However, they get a chance to avenge it this year and I think
48:12
they're going to kick the shit out of them.
48:13
I mean, that's just me. I'm optimistic and I'm always
48:17
happy. But I, I, I mean, you know.
48:20
I haven't broken it down with the X's and O's.
48:23
I play with nothing but emotion on the side of the mic.
48:25
Absolutely. And I want to suit up if you
48:28
should. Hey, that's going to be a go for
48:30
what a great way to start college football though, man.
48:32
I love those big games. It's like that time we came and
48:33
watched the Texas game here the year that LSU went on that
48:37
amazing run, Like we watched that game and like, what a game
48:41
that was. And so dude, that's that's
48:43
that's just the way to start college football.
48:45
Here's a fact about Bo Nicks that you probably may know or
48:48
may not know. So I mentioned a while ago that
48:50
we lost a receiver this year to Oregon that they came and
48:53
plucked him. But it wasn't your typical
48:55
standard going and and and purging from the from a group of
49:00
five school. That's actually Bo Nix's adopted
49:02
brother, Tez Johnson, who was our leading receiver last year.
49:05
He now has an opportunity to go play with his brother and dude,
49:09
that's pretty cool, you know what I mean?
49:10
So I was like, man, thank you Tez.
49:13
I totally get it. He's a smaller dude, smaller
49:15
frame. He's not as tall at at all.
49:18
But he reminds me like a Randy Moss, just how like wiring
49:22
strength he's built like he's one of the guys that did.
49:25
He makes plays, can jump through the roof and just hard to bring
49:28
down. I think he's going to go out
49:30
there and in short order he's going to make it.
49:32
He's going to make some noise. And you talk about Heisman
49:35
story, right? If that gets rolling, you know
49:37
what I mean? That's going to be, yeah.
49:40
Well, I did. I actually did my Heisman
49:43
preview on my SCC channel and I Bo Nicks, was my play and I
49:48
think that. No, I don't think he's the best
49:50
quarterback, but I think he's got a story and I think Oregon
49:53
schedule sets a pretty nicey. I'm glad you told me that
49:55
because I did not know the adopted brother thing.
49:57
That is absolutely freaking crazy.
49:59
And I didn't know it until he left another layer was like,
50:02
wow, I did not know that Tess Johnson.
50:07
That is cool. That was his, you know, adopted
50:05
brother. So that's that's awesome, man.
50:06
That's. Well, well, Carter, I know that
50:09
we're running and running a little short on time, but I have
50:13
to thank you. I have to thank you.
50:15
You have been very instrumental. You don't even know this, but
50:19
you have been extremely instrumental in how the TIGS
50:22
Bits podcast is now presented. When you were on a year ago or a
50:27
little over a year ago, you know, we had we had some fun.
50:30
We're halfway through the show and and you're like, wait,
50:33
you're not. You're showing us some of your
50:34
beautiful and awesome cards and. Decorative stuff, all this stuff
50:39
that you have behind you. And then I'm like, Oh yeah,
50:41
well, I'll edit that out and you're like, edit it out.
50:44
What the hell are you going to edit out?
50:45
And it was like, wait, this isn't video.
50:47
It's like, no, man, I got some clips and stuff from it, but
50:53
those were back in the Zoom days.
50:55
But, but after that, you know, I mean, I listen to that show
50:59
multiple times, editing it and doing all of that stuff and and
51:04
I kept hearing your voice. Telling me why are you making
51:09
this hard on yourself and all of that?
51:12
And I didn't because I didn't know what I was doing.
51:14
Yeah. When I didn't know what I was
51:16
doing a year later, here we are, we we're, we're getting there.
51:19
But you really are truly the person that I can think to kind
51:24
of turn the corner and make me look at things a little bit
51:27
differently, start to do things a little bit differently.
51:30
Have a full on studio. It's no longer a gaming kids set
51:34
up in here. We've we've gone full, full
51:36
blast, you know, but all of those things really were
51:39
extremely, extremely helpful. I picked your brain on some
51:43
stuff over the course of the year throughout the time, but I
51:46
would be remiss if I did not. Thank you for that advice and
51:50
for that help and so so happy to have you back on Tigs bits and
51:54
look forward to having you on again man.
51:56
I just care about if. My wife and I could come to the
51:59
tailgate. That's.
52:01
All that's mean that isn't all. She's always invited and if
52:04
you're with her then that's fine, but yes.