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Auburn hiring Alex Golesh and CFP outlook | Coach’s Corner · The Auburn Undercover Podcast

0:02
Welcome in again everybody to Coach's
0:04
Corner on the Auburn Undercover podcast.
0:07
Before we get started, click like and
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subscribe below. It helps us out, keeps
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us in your feed, and helps support our
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work. And we're joined today, as always,
0:15
by former Auburn defensive coordinator
0:17
Ellis Johnson. How we doing today?
0:20
>> Doing pretty good. I told you it's been
0:22
a rough day today. Everybody that I do
0:24
these things with on Wednesday and
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Thursday and Friday, they said they're
0:28
shutting it down. So, everybody's been
0:31
moving them back and uh this is number
0:34
three. So, hopefully I've done a lot of
0:35
practice and I'll I'll do a better job
0:37
than I usually do.
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>> Well, you got another one tonight,
0:39
right?
0:40
>> Yeah, I got another one this evening.
0:41
It's not as much of a It's kind of a
0:44
back and forth with Chuck Rey if you
0:47
know Chuck. And uh we used to critique
0:50
Clemson and Carolina, but now I I don't
0:53
know what we'll talk about tonight. And
0:54
I don't know why the guy keeps bringing
0:56
us on because it was supposed to be a
0:58
seasonal thing about Carolina and
1:00
Clemson. So maybe maybe we'll talk about
1:02
Clemson Bowl. I don't know.
1:04
>> What' you think of the What did you
1:06
think of the playoffs?
1:07
>> Well, I mean a statement, a first
1:11
statement. It's some bad football. I
1:14
mean, it really is as far as execution,
1:17
ball security. Uh, some of the things,
1:19
you know, that to preach and preach and
1:21
preach and and take care of yourself and
1:23
don't beat yourself. Boy, there was a
1:25
lot of that. On the other hand, you
1:27
know, we we knew that the two teams that
1:29
got in from the group of five were
1:30
probably going to have a hard time and
1:32
people, a lot of people were frustrated,
1:34
mad about it. I got no beef with them.
1:36
They did what the rules said. They did
1:38
everything and got qualified and
1:40
probably they practiced just as hard as
1:42
anybody else. Uh, I was surprised how
1:45
bad Old Miss beat Tane. I thought T Lane
1:47
had improved over the year. That bad
1:50
whipping they took on them was way back,
1:52
I think second week, possibly early in
1:54
the season
1:55
>> really.
1:56
>> And I but I'm sure it's it's probably
1:58
really distracting for both of those
2:00
teams when you lose it. You're losing
2:02
your head coach. And I it's always been
2:05
my opinion. I I think Old Miss was the
2:08
right thing to tell him to move on. If
2:09
you're not going to be the coach, you're
2:10
not coaching the team. I really think T
2:13
Lane might have made a mistake. John has
2:15
to be distracted. I mean, my god, he's
2:17
recruiting at one of the major powers in
2:19
America. And you know, he's up to his
2:21
neck and that stuff.
2:22
>> He basically said he was he basically,
2:24
you know, in so many words, he said he
2:26
said he he was I mean, he was, you know,
2:28
and Dan Mullen was talking a little bit
2:29
about it uh the other day. He said, "You
2:31
know, when I took the Mississippi State
2:32
job," he said, "You know, in the morning
2:34
from from 7 to from 7:00 to 7, I was the
2:37
offensive coordinator at Florida, and
2:38
from 7:00 to 7:00 the [laughter]
2:40
that night, I was I was a head coach at
2:42
Mississippi State."
2:43
>> Yep. And you can't help it. I mean, I I
2:45
just think it's when you take the job,
2:47
probably need to go. I think it probably
2:50
be easier for an assistant coach to to
2:52
hang on. Uh but I I don't know. I put
2:55
myself in the in the shoes of a player,
2:58
it would distract me. I I don't care how
3:01
much we liked him.
3:02
>> Yeah.
3:03
>> Look at the last one. Uh Alabama
3:05
Oklahoma is kind of a flip from the end.
3:10
Oklahoma lopsidedly beat him in
3:12
statistics, but they turned the ball
3:14
over a pick six and they dropped a punt
3:18
snap after he'd secured the snap. I
3:21
mean, just things, you know, that you're
3:23
just like, gosh, it wasn't and and I'm
3:25
not criticizing, but it was it was more
3:28
that somebody made a bad play and cost
3:31
him the game than somebody made a great
3:34
play and won the game. And then
3:37
>> last one would be last one be Miami and
3:40
Texas A&M. I kind of thought Miami could
3:42
pull this one off, Ronnie. Texas A&M
3:45
played seven of the bottom nine teams in
3:48
the SEC this year. it. They didn't make
3:51
the schedule and they didn't, you know,
3:53
tell everybody how to play this year.
3:55
So, I'm not blaming them, but it's just
3:56
that's the way it fell for them. So,
3:58
they weren't as good as everybody
4:00
thought they were. And statistically,
4:02
they were not very good this year.
4:04
Defensively, they started doing some
4:06
effective things on third down.
4:08
Offensively, they were pretty good, but
4:10
the Reed kid has got some serious
4:13
limitations. when you talking about a
4:14
national championship playoff caliber
4:16
quarterback, if you get him a little bit
4:18
out of his rhythm, uh, you know, get in
4:21
his way or make him, you know, throw off
4:23
his back foot or something, his, uh, his
4:26
mechanics. I was on with a quarterback
4:28
coach the other day and he said it just
4:30
his footwork and his shoulder level and
4:33
all that goes crazy. And I don't even
4:34
know what shoulder level means, but he
4:36
throws high and that's because he gets,
4:40
you know, gets out of whack and so
4:42
forth. So, I don't know. I I don't think
4:45
I I don't I'd bet on all four of the
4:48
teams that had a buy before I'd bet on
4:51
anybody that won this weekend. Alabama
4:54
flipped it on them, but I mean, I'm I'm
4:56
still looking at this. I can't see a
4:57
team that rushes for 28 yards.
5:00
>> But at the same time, their defense is
5:02
starting to come around. They got a few
5:04
kids healthy, and they probably got a
5:06
better roster than than Indiana. I don't
5:09
I don't see Yeah, I don't see them. I
5:12
don't think they can beat them. The
5:14
other one would be Oregon and Texas
5:16
Tech. Texas Tech is just unbelievable
5:19
defense, but I don't know if their
5:21
offense can play at a level to to win
5:25
two or three games, you know, in the
5:26
playoffs. We'll see.
5:28
>> Well, in Oregon, you know, they've got
5:30
SEC caliber players. I mean, the but I'm
5:32
like you. I mean, the thing that jumped
5:33
out to me was I talked to one of the
5:35
coaches at Two Lane and he really felt
5:37
like, you know, one one of their
5:38
offensive linemen was out when they
5:39
played Miss. They'd had him back, their
5:41
best offensive lineman, he said. Um, and
5:43
they had him back and they they really
5:45
they had some other kids that were
5:46
injured and really felt good about it.
5:48
Um, it didn't, you know, it didn't go
5:52
real well. And then,
5:54
>> you know, and I'm like you. I mean,
5:55
look, James Madison and Tlane did what
5:58
they had to do, but I mean, the reality
6:00
is nobody wants to watch that. I mean,
6:01
nobody
6:03
Well,
6:04
>> I cut both of them off.
6:05
>> Well, I fell asleep, you know, on Oregon
6:08
when and didn't realize how much they
6:10
closed at the second half. They tried to
6:12
put some backups out there and let them
6:13
play and that got, you know, they got
6:16
pushed around a little bit, but it
6:18
neither one were good games to watch. I
6:21
also I haven't seen what the TV ratings
6:24
are, but the TV ratings start going dead
6:27
on those kind of games that the people
6:29
that are pumping the money in there are
6:30
going to start saying, "Hey, look, we've
6:32
had enough of this."
6:33
>> And if they say, "Well, you know, we
6:34
can't even get the playoff approved if
6:37
we don't get these group of five teams,
6:39
you know, to say, okay, you know, that's
6:41
a pretty good format. We'll take that."
6:44
You know, so I don't know. we headed
6:46
toward a power four playoff and then the
6:48
group of five is going to have to have
6:49
their own playoff. I don't know. TV
6:52
might not support that. Who knows?
6:54
>> I I just think that, you know, if if
6:56
you're going to have a playoff, let's
6:58
get the best teams. And I again, I'm
7:00
not, you know, and I'm we talked about
7:02
this yesterday. I'm not a Notre Dame
7:04
apologist by any stretch, but Notre Dame
7:06
deserve to be in over two lane and James
7:09
Madison, you know. I just I think
7:12
Vanderbilt did too.
7:13
>> Vanderbilt did too.
7:16
and probably probably some others. You
7:18
know, the thing that really you know&m
7:21
if you're looking at them, I mean, I
7:22
I've got to wonder and I don't know how
7:24
much it affects the offseason, but I
7:25
mean, you have a great season up until
7:27
you play your arch rival and then you
7:29
lose to them again for the second year
7:30
in a row since the rivalry started back
7:32
and then you think you're you're going
7:34
to make the SEC championship game and
7:36
you don't make it. Then you go lose in
7:37
the first round of the playoff. I mean,
7:39
that's, you know, after having a great
7:41
year.
7:43
Yeah, it's got to be frustrating,
7:44
>> but
7:45
>> but as I said,
7:47
>> look at who they played. Now, you might
7:50
not have you might not have realized it
7:51
at the time, but they had some some
7:54
problems in that roster. They weren't
7:57
uncovered because of the caliber of
8:00
teams they were playing. When you're
8:02
playing Arkansas, when you're playing
8:03
Mississippi State, when you're playing
8:06
uh Florida and Kentucky, I mean, they're
8:09
having a down year. Mhm.
8:11
>> Okay. Auburn was a good football team
8:13
with a terrible record and South
8:15
Carolina was a good football team with a
8:17
terrible record. But those others I
8:19
named were just they just weren't very
8:21
good this year. Uh, you know, help they
8:24
they played Missouri, LSU, they were
8:27
down this year. They weren't a real good
8:28
team. So probably their offense might
8:31
have looked a little better at times and
8:34
they didn't realize, you know, I don't
8:36
mean to pick on him too much because
8:37
they got other issues, but Marcel Reed
8:41
just he's just not that level of
8:43
quarterback, I don't think. I mean, if
8:44
I'm them, I'm getting into Portland and
8:47
find me a quarterback if you got so much
8:49
money.
8:51
>> No, there's no question. Speaking of
8:52
quarterbacks, you know, I the w it's
8:55
widely assumed. I mean, South Florida's
8:57
quarterback uh hit the quarterback hit
8:59
the the portal yesterday. He's got one
9:00
year of eligibility left uh when he as a
9:03
high school player, he was a three star.
9:05
Um and now his now he's as a transfer,
9:09
he's rated fourstar. He's he's played
9:10
for goalish at South Florida. Most
9:12
people expect that he's going to
9:13
transfer to Auburn. Um now a lot I think
9:16
you know a lot of people on our on our
9:18
site are a little bit I don't want to
9:19
say panicked but certainly concerned
9:21
because you've had 20 plus players hit
9:23
the portal. Um, but I think what people
9:26
are missing a little bit is,
9:27
>> you know, just because Auburn players
9:29
are hitting the portal,
9:30
>> um, other people's players are hitting
9:32
the portal, too. So, [laughter]
9:33
just because you lose, just because you
9:35
lose somebody doesn't mean you're not
9:37
going to get get somebody just as good.
9:39
>> Well, I it's very normal. If you weren't
9:41
recruited, if you were recruited by a
9:43
guy and he leaves, it might have been
9:47
that you wanted to play in that system.
9:48
It might have been that you you picked
9:50
between him and another coach that you
9:52
had confidence in or whatever. I mean,
9:54
that is not unusual at all. And more
9:57
unusual if you hang on to all but about
9:59
two or three of your players on a
10:00
coaching turnover. That'd be very
10:02
unusual and and sometimes that might not
10:05
be a good idea. So, yeah, I wouldn't
10:07
worry about that. They may have to put a
10:09
little more time in the portal this year
10:10
than they than they want to, but I
10:13
wouldn't be worried about that.
10:15
>> Well, you know, and it could be like
10:16
Colorado. I mean, I was talking to coach
10:17
out there the other day and I mean,
10:19
they're expecting 50 plus, maybe as many
10:21
as 60 to hit the portal. Yeah,
10:23
>> you talk about you talk about a mess. I
10:25
mean, they they've got one on their
10:26
hands out there.
10:28
>> Well, is anything to it? I mean, I've
10:29
heard because of the health, he's
10:31
seriously considering going ahead and
10:33
retiring.
10:34
>> I I mean, he could. I mean, the people
10:36
on staff don't think he will, but he I
10:38
think he keeps things pretty pretty
10:39
close to the vest. Um, you know, he lost
10:42
one of his coaches this past week, went
10:44
to um uh went to Nevada as the as
10:47
coordinator. Um, but he's he's got I
10:50
mean it's from what I'm told the between
10:53
the players, the way he treats the
10:54
players and the way he treats the
10:55
coaches, nobody really wants to be
10:56
around there. And it's just a I don't
10:58
think he works very hard and they just
11:00
roll they roll guys out of there. I
11:02
mean, it's just, you know, it's a mess.
11:07
>> Not what you'd expect. [laughter]
11:09
>> Well, I mean, I can't believe it. The
11:12
media said it was the greatest thing to
11:14
ever happen in college football. He
11:15
finally got a big time job.
11:17
>> I know. Hey, I I had people calling me,
11:19
what is it, three years ago saying,
11:20
"Hey, you know, need to hire Dion. Need
11:22
to hire Dion." I said,
11:23
>> "Oh, yeah.
11:24
>> That's not gonna First of all, that's
11:26
not gonna happen." Um, and second of
11:29
all, it doesn't need to happen.
11:30
[laughter]
11:31
>> It needs I mean, look, when you haven't
11:33
ever done it before, I just all this
11:36
damn hype and stuff. I mean, I think
11:39
Come on.
11:42
>> What do you What do you see? Um, so in
11:45
the second round games, you got, we
11:46
talked about Oregon, Texas Tech,
11:48
Alabama, Indiana, you got a rematch of
11:51
Georgia and, uh, and Miss.
11:55
Well, I think that the one that's
11:57
Oregon, Texas Tech, I think one's
12:01
possibly the biggest winner from the
12:03
first round, but uh, we'll see. I mean,
12:06
they they're not going to just put a
12:09
bunch of points on Texas Tech unless
12:11
they get it by turnovers. But I think
12:14
the Alabama Indiana game has a chance to
12:16
be a big surprise.
12:18
>> But I would pick Indiana. I would pick
12:20
Oregon. I'd pick Georgia and pick Ohio
12:24
State. And the other thing though, I'm
12:26
not so sure on Ohio State. I Miami's got
12:30
the better quarterback of the two. They
12:32
if they and they got a running game and
12:35
uh you know they they ran it on Texas
12:38
A&M who is not a good run defense. The
12:42
reason their rushing stats are not
12:43
terrible rush defense stats because they
12:46
get a lot of sacks but they're not a
12:49
good run defense. So I'm a little
12:51
concerned that Miami run game we saw
12:54
it may not be quite as effective against
12:57
Ohio State. So if if it's not, then
13:00
they're gonna be able to put a lot of
13:01
pressure on the quarterback. So I don't
13:03
know. But we saw Ohio State against
13:06
Indiana. And if you can get some
13:08
pressure on that saying, he he's sold
13:11
like Marcel Reed to my opinion. Uh he
13:14
hadn't been tested a whole lot this
13:16
year. When he was, it wasn't real
13:18
consistent. So I think this week has a
13:22
chance to be really good. You know, last
13:24
this last round, I think when we knew it
13:28
was going to be, I think it was a lot of
13:29
boring football and even the teams that
13:32
were competitive, there was a lot of bad
13:34
plays that turned that turned the game
13:37
more so than big plays and great plays,
13:39
especially at them Oklahoma game. But,
13:42
uh, this this time there some good
13:44
matchups, man. I I think they'll be
13:46
really good games.
13:48
>> Yeah, I do, too. I mean, Oregon Texas
13:50
Tech has a has a chance to be sneaky
13:52
good. I mean, most people,
13:54
>> you know, Oregon's really good. I mean,
13:56
I, you know, and Texas Tech,
13:58
>> you know, for a team that traditionally,
14:00
you know, Mike Leech and and those those
14:03
kind of guys are there, you know,
14:04
they're they typically come out and
14:05
throw it around and beat you with
14:07
offense, but, you know, they they've got
14:09
as good a def I mean, they those front
14:11
seven, I mean, they're down good now. I
14:13
mean,
14:14
>> and and it's no fluke and it's not
14:16
schedule eight. I mean, they were good
14:18
against some good teams. I I think that
14:21
uh I'm concerned about they don't have
14:23
enough balance, you know, in their
14:24
offense and if they can't, you know, do
14:27
their part, either get some extended
14:30
drives, you know, get get points up to
14:33
the 20s or something like that, it's
14:35
going to be hard for the defense to hold
14:36
up that long.
14:38
>> I I've got Oregon, but it wouldn't shock
14:40
me if Texas Tech won.
14:42
>> Yeah.
14:43
>> Um
14:44
>> I think they're the only team from the
14:47
first round that is favored. Is that
14:49
right? I think Oregon's a point and a
14:51
half favorite.
14:52
>> Oregon's a point and a half favorite. Uh
14:55
>> the
14:55
>> rest of them, the by team is is a
14:57
favorite. They got Indiana favorite by
14:59
about five. I think
15:00
>> Indiana's up six and a half now.
15:03
>> Georgia's six and a half and Ohio
15:06
State's nine and a half. I'm not sure
15:08
I'm taking
15:10
I'm not sure I'm taking any of those.
15:13
>> Well, I mean, I wouldn't I wouldn't know
15:15
which way to bet on them. I think those
15:16
are all good spreads and I think they're
15:18
gonna be good games.
15:20
>> How do you see um Georgia and Old Miss
15:24
breaking down?
15:25
>> I I think Georgia's playing some of
15:27
their best football in the last three or
15:29
four weeks and just it would not shock
15:32
me if they beat him double digits. Uh
15:36
Old Miss is good enough to win the game,
15:38
but I don't I don't think George is the
15:40
same George team that that Old Miss
15:42
played back during the regular season.
15:45
Uh, you know, I tell you that statistic
15:48
that the analytics guy does and you know
15:51
say in 26 years in 26 years the team
15:56
that won the national championship was
15:57
either in the top three on offensive
16:00
scoring efficiency or defensive scoring
16:04
efficiency or both. Georgia ain't even
16:07
close to either. But the last three
16:10
weeks, I bet if you could separate that
16:13
across the nation, the last three or
16:15
four weeks, I bet Georgia is playing top
16:17
three football on defense. And
16:19
offensively, they've gotten better, too,
16:21
because Stockton is having a little more
16:24
success throwing the ball downfield. And
16:27
added to what they could already do,
16:29
they're pretty balanced on offense and
16:31
their defense is playing a lot better
16:33
than they did first year.
16:46
Damn chair.
16:47
>> We had a little technical difficulty,
16:48
but we're back. Uh, so we were in the
16:50
middle of talking about Georgia and um
16:54
and uh and Old Miss. I agree with you.
16:56
We were talking about, you know, Georgia
16:58
may not have been the best team in the
16:59
country six weeks ago, seven weeks ago,
17:01
but they may be now.
17:02
>> Yeah. I think they won a lot of ball
17:04
games early in the season, just mental
17:07
toughness and and overcoming
17:10
uh being behind, overcoming some tight
17:12
ball games. These last three or four
17:14
weeks, I mean, especially defensively,
17:17
they've been playing as good as anybody.
17:19
So, I you kind of like their track. I
17:22
think they'll beat Old Miss. I'm not
17:24
going to say how badly. I think they
17:25
might beat them worse than people think,
17:28
but uh I like that. And I really think
17:31
the team that they catch if they do is
17:33
probably going to be Ohio State, but
17:36
they're going to be coming off a pretty
17:37
tough match with Miami.
17:39
>> And uh could be either one of them, but
17:41
I I got I feel like Ohio State might win
17:43
this one. And I think Georgia's got a
17:46
defense that can affect their
17:47
quarterback.
17:48
>> So I I kind of like their track as good
17:51
as anybody's right now that for this
17:53
coming week and on out. And then I think
17:57
the rest of them are going to be really
17:58
really fun to see what happens.
18:01
>> Well, and you see I mean know you got
18:03
Miami and uh and Ohio State playing in
18:06
the Cotton Bowl and then Old Miss and
18:10
George in the Sugar Bowl, Alabama and
18:12
Indiana in the Rose Bowl and and then
18:14
Oregon Texas Tech uh in the Orange
18:17
Bowls. I'm not sure that
18:19
any of those any of those are have going
18:21
to have any going to have any difference
18:23
in the game. No, I wouldn't think so.
18:26
And you know, the only two the two teams
18:28
that weren't competitive, of course,
18:29
they had to travel and they got beat,
18:32
but the two the games were competitive
18:34
last week, the home team lost. Uh, and
18:38
the situations were pretty I mean, Kyle
18:42
feels a huge advantage. The noise
18:44
>> then eight and eight and eight lost. And
18:46
then out of uh Oklahoma, I thought that
18:49
might be the difference in the game.
18:50
Alabama's got no running game and the
18:52
winds gusting out there 25 miles an hour
18:55
at times it affected the field goal
18:58
kicking but the uh Ty Simpson did a
19:02
great job. I mean if you pick up his
19:04
stats they don't just blow you away but
19:06
Ryan you run for 28 yards and you can
19:09
beat Oklahoma at Oklahoma. I mean it's
19:12
just amazing. and they never had a
19:14
turnover and just did the did did the
19:16
things they had to do to win and
19:18
Oklahoma did the things to beat
19:20
themselves. But yeah, the home field
19:22
wasn't wasn't that big of a deal for
19:24
them on either one of them. I I think
19:27
kind of I'd like to see them go ahead to
19:29
16 teams and and cut out like you said,
19:32
I cut out the guarantees of somebody
19:35
getting in. I wouldn't guarantee anybody
19:37
to get in from any conference.
19:40
>> Seat them.
19:41
>> Yeah. seat them up and I'd kind of get
19:43
him back to an old BCS type formula and
19:46
get off of this this human committee and
19:49
I'm not big on the buys first round and
19:52
and I think sometime you say well hey
19:54
would you rather get a buy or would you
19:57
rather have a home game in front of your
19:58
fans one more 90% of your programs say
20:02
I'd love to play a home game especially
20:04
if you got a team coming in you can beat
20:06
so I don't know I think there's a lot of
20:08
things we got to do I didn't mean to get
20:10
off on the format
20:11
But they could I just don't like the way
20:13
the things set up right now. But I think
20:16
this week I hope and I think this next
20:19
round, not this week, but this next
20:21
round I think it's going to be four
20:23
really really good ball games.
20:25
>> Yeah, I would I would agree with you. I
20:27
think I think at some point probably in
20:29
the next contract um you if you're going
20:33
to have the conference championship
20:34
games and I and I think they're
20:35
important especially in the SEC um but
20:39
you got to have a playin game whether
20:41
it's you know Notre Dame playing James
20:44
Madison or two lane or whatever you know
20:46
have a playin game so whoever wins this
20:48
game is is in the playoffs versus you
20:51
okay we're going we're going to put a
20:53
committee and we're going to we're going
20:54
to pick who
20:56
I Look, if it's down to if it's down to
20:58
four or five teams, then then have a
21:00
have a play in. I mean, there's if if
21:03
you don't make the the conference
21:04
championship game, why should you get an
21:05
off week?
21:07
>> Yep.
21:09
That's right. I mean, I think that's a
21:12
good point. And last year, it it was
21:16
proved out to be really helpful for
21:18
teams that didn't play that week. I
21:21
don't think any of the B I don't think
21:22
any of the conference champions got past
21:25
the first or second round, whatever they
21:27
played. [clears throat and cough]
21:29
But yeah, it's there's so many things
21:31
they could do to fix it, I guess. But I
21:34
don't know. I just I get sometime you
21:37
you you argue about something and it
21:39
makes sense, but then you find out later
21:41
on why they can't do it that way, you
21:43
know, because I don't think you can have
21:46
a playoff unless you can get all the
21:48
teams involved to vote for it. all the
21:51
conferences involved and the group of
21:53
fives have just as many votes as the as
21:56
the power fours
21:58
got more
22:00
>> you know and Notre Dame having having a
22:02
guarantee if they're in the top 12 let
22:04
not go play in a conference I mean
22:06
>> I agree with that I mean for many
22:08
reasons
22:09
>> yeah I mean I why should Notre Dame get
22:11
to play three servicemies and Stanford
22:14
and Michigan State and and call it a day
22:17
and make the playoff because you're in
22:19
the top 12 I
22:20
Yeah, I mean they I mean they got they
22:22
had Texas A&M. Okay, great. I mean, you
22:25
know, go play Texas A&M and LSU and
22:27
Alabama and Auburn and Florida and see
22:28
how it comes out.
22:29
>> Well, that's you know, they they're in a
22:31
scheduling agreement with the ACC, too.
22:34
That's how you end up with St. Well,
22:35
they might have played Stanford back
22:37
through history, but you know, I think
22:39
it's five games a year they're
22:41
guaranteed to play in ACC and and the
22:44
ACC let them do that and they got the
22:46
other sports in the ACC. So, I don't I
22:49
don't know. I I I just I've tired of I
22:53
can stand back with Army and Navy and
22:55
Syracuse and Pittsburgh and Penn State
22:58
and uh had a lot of independence when I
23:01
coached at Southern Miss for two years
23:02
in the late uh 80s. We were independent
23:06
and all those schools we kind of had a
23:07
little consortium, you know, East
23:10
Carolina, Southern Miss, Southeast US,
23:14
you know, Miami. I mean, we were all
23:17
independent and Florida State was until
23:20
not recently before that. But then they
23:22
kind of they got into ACC, but being
23:25
independent wasn't that big of a deal
23:27
for many years. But then when they
23:29
finally started in conference stuff
23:31
where the conferences started getting
23:33
leverage on having their own TV packages
23:35
and all that kind of thing. So everybody
23:38
started moving toward conferences. Hell,
23:39
I think Army's been in and out three
23:41
times. They'd get in a conference and
23:43
didn't like it. They'd get out of the
23:45
conference and they'd find out, you
23:46
know, that was a pretty good deal and
23:48
they'd get back in the conference. I
23:49
think they've been in two or three
23:50
different conferences in the last 25
23:52
years. But the servicemies are different
23:56
and I could see it. They didn't want to
23:57
be in the conference
23:58
>> because they got all kind of different
24:00
rules and different things. But even
24:02
them, they they probably found out, hey,
24:04
life out here ain't so good. We need to
24:07
get in the conference. And I I mean
24:09
Oklahoma, somebody told me the other day
24:11
and he he knows a little bit about Notre
24:14
Dame because he used to coach many years
24:16
ago, but he said the rumor was that
24:18
Marcus was very interested in that
24:20
Michigan job uh because he was tired of
24:24
this kind of stuff happening to him and
24:26
and he didn't go because all the
24:29
administrative mess that they're in.
24:32
>> Well, I think he's interested in the NFL
24:34
and same thing with Sarkc. I mean, it
24:36
it's you I'm just I pulled up Notre
24:38
Dame's uh schedule here. So, they opened
24:41
up with two losses, Miami and&M,
24:44
and this is the rest of their schedule
24:47
for Duke, Arkansas, Boise State, NC
24:50
State, USC, Boston College, Navy, Pit,
24:55
Syracuse, and Stanford. They don't
24:57
deserve to be in the playoff.
25:00
>> No, I mean, they they were kind of like
25:04
George, though. They were playing the
25:06
best football, you know, in the last
25:08
half of the season. There no doubt about
25:10
that. Their two losses were the first
25:12
two games, weren't they?
25:13
>> They were. Yeah.
25:14
>> Very first two games. And then you you
25:17
called out one other team
25:20
uh right after Purdue. Who was it?
25:23
>> Uh let's see. They played
25:26
>> NC State, I think.
25:27
>> Well, they played Arkansas, Boise State,
25:29
NC State.
25:30
>> Well, NC State was not a real good team
25:32
at that time. Now, later in the year
25:34
they were,
25:35
>> but but you're right. I mean, that's
25:37
that is not a Notre Dame schedule, you
25:41
know. But hell, if they get in the Big
25:42
10, Ronnie, it's going to look similar.
25:45
>> Well, no, you're you're right. I mean,
25:47
I'm just This is their their 2020. Let's
25:49
see. This is Georgia's I find it here.
25:52
This is Georgia's 2026 schedule.
25:55
So, they've got
25:58
I'll hit the high points, but um
26:02
they start out Tennessee State, Western
26:04
Kentucky at Arkansas, Oklahoma, Vandy at
26:08
Alabama, Auburn, Florida at Old Miss,
26:12
Missouri at South Carolina, and Georgia
26:14
Tech. Now,
26:17
Notre Dame's not losing two games
26:18
against that schedule, I don't think. I
26:20
think they're losing more than that.
26:21
Maybe not. But
26:23
>> yeah,
26:24
>> you know,
26:24
>> I think you got some excellent point and
26:27
I I just don't the whole principle of
26:29
it. They they ought to have to get into
26:31
conference. If other schools would quit
26:34
accommodating them, they'd have to do
26:35
it.
26:37
>> No, I I agree 100%.
26:40
Well, after after we go after the first
26:43
week,
26:44
um
26:46
who's your pick? So, we got we got what,
26:49
eight teams left? Yeah, we got eight
26:50
teams left. Who's your
26:53
Is it still Indiana?
26:54
>> I'm I'm leaning to Oregon.
26:57
Early on, I was kind of on Texas Tech,
27:00
but uh I I'm I'm gonna lean on Oregon,
27:04
uh Indiana, Georgia, and Ohio State.
27:10
>> What about What about to finish it off?
27:11
Who you got?
27:12
>> Geez, that'd be hard to predict, you
27:14
know, not even seeing them how they play
27:16
this weekend.
27:18
Hell, they might even might win and
27:20
still look like crap. You don't want to
27:23
pick him. But, uh, I I think going
27:26
forward, who would you get? You have
27:27
Oregon playing Indiana.
27:29
Indiana's not
27:31
>> Indiana will not beat him twice in one
27:33
year. So, I'd put Oregon and I I think
27:37
it's going to be Georgia. I think
27:38
Georgia's going to be able to get to the
27:40
championship game. It could be Georgia
27:42
and Oregon.
27:44
And I'd take Georgia.
27:45
>> That's who I've got. I got I I've got
27:47
Georgia. I just think that and like I
27:49
say, I don't think they're the best team
27:51
in the country midway through the
27:52
season, but I think they might be now.
27:54
>> Yeah.
27:56
>> Well, I think that the two two big
27:58
things you have to look at and and if
28:01
you got those, then you start comparing
28:03
all the other stuff, but you got to look
28:05
at quarterbacks and defense. You know,
28:08
if if you missing either one of those,
28:10
you ain't got a fl you ain't even got a
28:11
chance. But if you got those two, and
28:14
you don't have to have the best one, but
28:15
you got to have one that's good enough
28:17
to put up with this kind of stuff. Okay?
28:20
I think Oregon's got a quarterback. I
28:22
don't know about Texas Tech. I think
28:24
Alabama's got one. I think Indiana's got
28:26
a great one. I think Old Miss has got
28:28
one. Georgia's got one. Miami's got one.
28:30
And Ohio State's got one. But I think I
28:34
think he's the first one I would say out
28:36
of all those, Texas Tech is one that's
28:40
probably going to have to have help. And
28:42
I think saying he has to have people
28:44
play around him really good.
28:46
>> He's limited.
28:47
>> Huh.
28:48
>> He's limited.
28:49
>> Yep. Now, you go back, Oregon's got
28:52
defense. I don't I don't think they're
28:54
dominant, but Texas Tech's got a
28:55
dominant defense. Alabama's defense is
28:58
playing top five in the nation. Now,
29:01
Indiana's been good statistically.
29:04
Old Miss has been better lately. They
29:06
were real good the other day, but they
29:07
didn't play anybody. I mean, Georgia's
29:10
got a really good defense playing good
29:12
now. Miami played great the other day.
29:14
Ohio State's got a hell of a defense.
29:16
So, you that's what I say. It's going to
29:18
be a hell of a finish because I think
29:20
all of them have the ingredients you got
29:22
to have to have a shot to win it all.
29:26
And biggest thing I would say just
29:27
looking at it right now, I I'm just not
29:30
sure that Texas Tech offense has got
29:33
enough weapons to elevate that
29:36
quarterback. And that would be the only
29:38
one that jumps at me. The rest of them
29:41
on any given day, you better be ready to
29:42
play because they got quarterbacks and
29:44
they got defense.
29:47
>> No, I agree with you. It should be a
29:49
should be a fun second round.
29:52
>> Well, it was good to be it was good to
29:53
be with you again today and for those
29:55
listening, have a have a great Christmas
29:57
and I guess we'll see you next week.