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Full 2026 College Football Playoff Bracket Predictions Revealed · Winning Cures Everything | College Football

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Today's episode is a big one. I sat down I
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: built out my full twenty twenty six college football playoff
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  Speaker 1: bracket predictions. That's all twelve seeds, every first round matchup,
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  Speaker 1: every quarterfinal, all the way to a national champion. I've
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  Speaker 1: also got the seven teams that are standing just outside
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  Speaker 1: the field looking in through the window like a kid
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  Speaker 1: at a candy store. We're gonna do this the right way.
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  Speaker 1: We'll start at the bottom. I'll give you seeds twenty
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  Speaker 1: through thirteen the close but no cigar crew, and then
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  Speaker 1: we're gonna work our way up the bracket revealed by
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  Speaker 1: reveal with current odds of course to make the field
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  Speaker 1: for my top twelve and the best odds for the
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  Speaker 1: outside looking in group to miss it entirely. And then
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  Speaker 1: of course after that we'll talk sleepers. Then we're gonna
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  Speaker 1: pick winners round by round, all the way to a champion.
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  Speaker 1: Grab your coffee, grab your sweet tea, whatever it is,
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: get your notepad if you're a nerd like me, and
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  Speaker 1: let's go on and get into it now. Welcome in
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: Winning Cures Everything. It's a college football podcast. I host
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Gary Cigardts at Gary the bt own all the different
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  Speaker 1: a member, and of course once the season gets here,
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  Speaker 1: you will definitely want to be a part of that.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: But we got things to discuss today college football playoff predictions.
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  Speaker 1: And it's tough to put your name on some of these, right,
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  Speaker 1: because I mean last year ole Miss Miller made the
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  Speaker 1: field and nobody expected that, right, Miami ended up making
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  Speaker 1: the field, Notre Dame did not, Indiana won a national championship.
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  Speaker 1: You could have gotten them at plus one thousand. We're
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  Speaker 1: gonna look at some of the odds. I don't have
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  Speaker 1: any picks like that, because why would you. But let's
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  Speaker 1: go on and dive into it. Let's see what we
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  Speaker 1: got going on here. So here's the way we're gonna
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  Speaker 1: start it off. And if you're watching on YouTube, first off,
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: thank you hit that subscribe button for me if you would,
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  Speaker 1: and like this video. We are gonna start with the
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  Speaker 1: bottom seeds, number twenty through number thirteen. I'm gonna start
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  Speaker 1: with number twenty through sixteen, kind of explain my thinking
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  Speaker 1: on these, but I'll try and go quickly. But then
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  Speaker 1: of course we will give you the top four seeds.
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  Speaker 1: We will then, of course go with each of the
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: first round matchups and give you an idea of what
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  Speaker 1: I'm thinking for each one of them. So to kick
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  Speaker 1: us off here, number twenty, I've got Michigan. Yes, I
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  Speaker 1: think it's an awesome thing that they've got Kyle Winningham. Yes,
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: I think Jason Beck's going to be awesome. Yes, I
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: think Jay Hill, the defense coordinator, is going to be awesome. However,
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: it is the first year there, and that schedule is
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: absolutely friggin brutal, so I don't expect them to make
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  Speaker 1: the playoff. I do expect some big wins, but I
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  Speaker 1: also expect some maybe losses that you wouldn't expect, just
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  Speaker 1: to guess. So Michigan at number twenty, number nineteen, I've
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  Speaker 1: got Ole miss Michigan by the way, to miss the
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  Speaker 1: playof off minus at three p forty, Ole miss minus
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  Speaker 1: two seventy to miss the playoff. I've got him a
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  Speaker 1: number nineteen. Again, pretty difficult schedule. They lost some pieces
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  Speaker 1: off of that team from last year. Pete Golding is
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: now the head coach. We have no idea really what
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  Speaker 1: to expect from him. I am curious about the new
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  Speaker 1: offensive coordinator. I know he's got history in Oxford. He
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: did good things at East Carolina, and yes, we turned
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: Dad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy. Obviously the offense is going
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  Speaker 1: to be just fine, I would imagine, but we got
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  Speaker 1: to see it before I can really, you know, I
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  Speaker 1: think they have a much more difficult schedule this year
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  Speaker 1: than they did last year. So yeah, we'll see what
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  Speaker 1: goes on there. Number eighteen Washington minus six hundred to
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  Speaker 1: miss the playoff. But I do expect good things out
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  Speaker 1: of Washington this year. Yes, I know they lost Denzel Washington,
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: Denzel Boston. Excuse me, Yeah, they lost their running back.
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  Speaker 1: I still think Jeed Fish is a phenomenal coach, and
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  Speaker 1: so long as they got that quarterback, I think they're
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  Speaker 1: gonna be fine. I think this is another step in
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  Speaker 1: the right direction. So number eighteen for Washington. Number seventeen,
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  Speaker 1: I've got BYU. They are minus four eighty to miss
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  Speaker 1: the playoff. Byu. Yes, returns a ton of production from
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  Speaker 1: last year, and yes, normally that would be a huge thing,
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  Speaker 1: but they won some really close ball games last year.
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  Speaker 1: That egg could have gone either way. Their running game
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  Speaker 1: is gonna be awesome. I am curious about them losing
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  Speaker 1: three their top three wide receivers from last year. And
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: Bear Bachmeyer had a great first season. What does he
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  Speaker 1: look like this coming season now that everybody's got film
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  Speaker 1: on him? Just curious. So Byu is still gonna be
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  Speaker 1: good because Kaloni Sataki's teams are always good, but some
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: of those one score games flip the other direction. Maybe
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  Speaker 1: this year, maybe the turnovers don't go their way, all
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: that kind of stuff, and they have to play at
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  Speaker 1: Utah this year. I'm not expecting huge things out of
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  Speaker 1: Utah with the new coaching staff, et cetera. But we
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  Speaker 1: shall see Number sixteen Texas A and M. They are
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  Speaker 1: minus two hundred to miss the playoff now that one
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  Speaker 1: I found a little surprising. A and M schedule is
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  Speaker 1: significantly more difficult this season than it was last year,
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  Speaker 1: and I don't feel like they've got the same kind
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  Speaker 1: of dudes up front on either side of the line
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  Speaker 1: of scrimmage. Than they did last year, or that they
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: did last year. I am not a huge believer in
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: Marcel Reid. However, I am a huge believer in Mike Elko.
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  Speaker 1: So also, they lost their offensive coordinator, Colin Klein has
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: gone to Kansas State. What are they gonna look like
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  Speaker 1: with Halman Wiggins. I don't know. I don't know yet,
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  Speaker 1: but I do trust Mike Elko, So I think they're
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  Speaker 1: gonna be pretty good. I just don't know if they
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  Speaker 1: will be playoff good again. Where they playoff good last year?
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  Speaker 1: I mean they made the playoff, but they lost to
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  Speaker 1: They beat Notre Dame early, lost to the two best
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  Speaker 1: teams that they played late. Is what it is. So
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  Speaker 1: A and M. Number sixteen for me, now on to
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  Speaker 1: number fifteen through number thirteen. Number fifteen, SMU, I've got
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  Speaker 1: out of the playoff. They are minus five twenty five
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  Speaker 1: at to miss the playoff. And yes, I think that
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  Speaker 1: they are going to have a really good record. I
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  Speaker 1: think they will probably play for the ACC Championship. I
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  Speaker 1: don't believe they're going to have any real wins of significance,
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  Speaker 1: Like would you consider a win at Florida State, who
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: is probably going to be around six and six, maybe
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: seven and five at best. Would that be a big win. Eh.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe for SMU, but maybe not in the eyes of
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  Speaker 1: the playoff committee. So SMU at fifteen, I think their
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  Speaker 1: record will be very inflated, and I expect them to
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: lose the AEC championship game. USC I've got at number fourteen,
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  Speaker 1: so I do not have them making the playoff minus
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: at three point thirty four Lincoln Riley's bunch, And yeah,
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: the offense I think is going to be great, but
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  Speaker 1: they have got they have not shown that they are
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  Speaker 1: great or even good at traveling to the East Coast
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  Speaker 1: to play games, and they've got multiple trips that they
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  Speaker 1: could lose, not to mention they've got home games against
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  Speaker 1: Ohio State, et cetera. So I I am not expecting
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: a huge season, but I do think it is still
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: a step in the right direction. Like everybody says it's
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: a make or break year that if Lincoln Riley doesn't
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  Speaker 1: make the playoff that he's probably looking for a job.
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  Speaker 1: I don't necessarily buy that this is a really difficult schedule.
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  Speaker 1: I think they could go nine to three, not make
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  Speaker 1: the playoff and still be headed in the right direction.
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  Speaker 1: So I'd have USA at number fourteen. This is for
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  Speaker 1: the end of the year. By the way, LSU number thirteen,
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  Speaker 1: that is outside the playoff. They are minus two to
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  Speaker 1: zero five to miss the CFP. Again, tough schedule, well,
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  Speaker 1: especially early in the season. I could see them losing
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  Speaker 1: two games in September, maybe one in November. That's nine
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  Speaker 1: to three. And if you lose to teams that end
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  Speaker 1: up making the playoff, where's your spot? Right? So do
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  Speaker 1: I think that nine and three is a successful first
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  Speaker 1: year for link Giffen? Yes? Absolutely. Do I think it
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  Speaker 1: could take a little bit of time to get things rolling, Yes,
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  Speaker 1: very much so, so I expect LSU to miss the playoff.
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  Speaker 1: Now let's move on to who our top seeds are
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  Speaker 1: for this CFP. We'll start with number one. I think
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  Speaker 1: Notre Dame is going undefeated this year, so twelve and oh.
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  Speaker 1: I don't think the committee will be able to handle themselves.
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  Speaker 1: They will have to put Notre Dame number one. If
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  Speaker 1: they're twelve and oh, even though at most you might
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  Speaker 1: have three good wins, they would have a win over SMU,
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  Speaker 1: they would have a win over BYU, who are number
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  Speaker 1: fifteen and seventeen, and then they would have a win
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  Speaker 1: over Miami, who I also have in this field, and
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  Speaker 1: you'll talk about them here in just a minute. So
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  Speaker 1: Notre Dame is minus eight hundred to make the playoff.
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  Speaker 1: It is an absolutely astronomical number. I would not lay
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  Speaker 1: it unless you can parlay it with something else. But
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  Speaker 1: I think Notre Dame is making the playoff this year
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  Speaker 1: and I think they will be the top seed. Number
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  Speaker 1: two seed the Oregon Ducks. Twelve to one is my
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  Speaker 1: projected record for them. Oregon is minus three to twenty
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  Speaker 1: to make the playoff, and yet they've got a tough
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  Speaker 1: schedule and whatnot. But I think this roster is absolutely stacked.
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  Speaker 1: I feel good about this team, and we'll talk more
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  Speaker 1: about them as we go along, but Oregon. I feel
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  Speaker 1: really really good about my number three seed, the Miami Hurricanes.
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  Speaker 1: I have them twelve and one. I think their only
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  Speaker 1: loss will be at Notre Dame, of course, revenge game
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  Speaker 1: for the Irish from last year. This team is stacked again.
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  Speaker 1: I know they lost a lot of pieces off of
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  Speaker 1: last year, but especially going through the ACC the way
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  Speaker 1: that they outside of that Notre Dame game, who else
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  Speaker 1: is going to beat them? And I think that the
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  Speaker 1: committee based on last year's results will kind of give
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  Speaker 1: them the benefit of the doubt. So I am expecting
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: big things out of Miami, especially with a I think
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: they could end up really getting after SMU so you
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  Speaker 1: and the ACC and really convincing fashion. I expect a
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  Speaker 1: three seed for Miami, the number four seed. Oh, Miami
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: is minus two eighty to make the playoff, Georgia minus
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  Speaker 1: two forty to make the playoff. I've got them as
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: my number four seed, have got them eleven and two.
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: I think they win the SEC. I expect good things
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: and could I see them, you know, flip plopping Miami
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: in Georgia. Yeah? Maybe, But does it really make a
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: difference if you're the number four seed or the number
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: three seed. Not a huge difference. But I think for
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: matchup reasons they would not want Notre Dame in Miami
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  Speaker 1: to meet back up until later in the playoff championship game,
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: that kind of thing. So Georgia, I expect big things
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  Speaker 1: of it this year. But eleven and two, I think
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: that's fair even if you lose at Ole, Miss at
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: Alabama or any other combination of games, because it is
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: the SEC and it's a nine game schedule. Now, I
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: think that they're going to be right there with the
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: buye again, same position that they have in the last
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: two years. Can they get past their first game? We'll
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  Speaker 1: talk about that here in a little bit on the
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: left side of the bracket. We will start off with
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  Speaker 1: our number eight seed, and that would be the Indiana Hoosiers.
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: I have them ten and two, and yet ten and two.
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: Could they possibly be rated higher? Potentially, absolutely, but if
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: they don't have any other good wins on the schedule,
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: might be kind of hard to put them there. So
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: not to mention that matchup just sounds juicy. And do
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: I think that they sometimes try and make matchups? Yeah?
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: I think so so Indiana the number eight seed ten
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  Speaker 1: and two against my number nine seed, the Texas Longhorns.
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: Texas ten and three, they lose the SEC championship game,
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: they still make the playoff with three losses. The nine
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: seed is the exact same spot that the SEC Championship
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: game loser was in last year, and that was Alabama.
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: And no, granted they had to go and play at
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: another SEC team, but we shall see. But you want
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: to talk about an awesome matchup Texas against Indiana, Sark
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: against Signetty, Yeah, that would be awesome. My number five seed,
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: the Ohio State Buckeyes, I think that they lose the
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: se they lose the Big Ten championship game to Oregon,
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: so they'll be on opposite sides of the bracket here.
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: But I think Ohio State is going to play Memphis.
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: I've got Memphis as my number twelve seed. So as
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: far as making the playoff, Ohio State minus three sixty.
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: Texas is minus two hundred, Indiana minus three fifty. Ohio
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: State minus three sixty already said that, and in Memphis
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: is my only real long shot here. They are plus
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: one thousand to make the playoff. I've got them eleven
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: and two. They have to play at UNLV, they have
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: to play at Boise, and then of course they've got
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: their AAC schedule or American schedules, And I don't guess
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: is technically the AAC because it's the American Conference now
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: not the American Athletic Why why do you keep changing
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: stuff up? That's that's my question. But anyway, Memphis I
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: think gets through the gauntlet, and your guess is as
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: good as mine as to what G six team is
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: going to come out of this. We'll talk about some
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: potential sleepers here in just a bit, but Memphis is
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: going to be my Is that a little bit of
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: homersm It might be, It might be. But I like
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: Charles Huff I like what he's doing and that roster.
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: I think people will be very surprised by that roster
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: and the quarterback competition that they've got going on. Aaron Nolan,
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: the former Ohio State commit then went to South Carolina
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: behind Leonorth Sellers last year. He could be playing for Memphis.
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: We'll see, we will see. So to the other side
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: of the bracket, my number seven seed is the Alabama
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: Crimson Tide. I've got them in at ten and two,
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: and I think they will have some big wins on
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: the resume, so that is why I have them above Indiana.
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: I don't think Indiana will have the same kind of
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: big wins or big win that that Alabama will. I
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: trust this quarterback Keelan Russell. He's going to be the guy.
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: I would almost guarantee it. And I like the wide
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: receiver corps. I like this new offensive line. I think
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: Adrian Clem, the new offensive line coach, is going to
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: change some things for them. Brian Grubb has made at
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: nemphasis that they have got to run the ball this year,
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: and the defense is stacked, like the defensive line depth
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: is really good. So I like Alabama in that seventh seed.
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: They are going to play the number ten seed Penn
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: State and any Lions. Now, I thought a long time
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: about this. I went back and forth. I thought, Man,
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: at Penn State, maybe eight and four. I don't know
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: if I really trust Iowa States players coming in and
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: you know, putting on Penn State uniforms. Is that going
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: to make a big difference? But then you remember Indiana
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: bringing in a bunch of James of Madison guys. The
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: culture has already been set at Penn State. They trust
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: their signal caller, they trust everybody about what they're doing.
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: I feel good about Penn State. So ten and two
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: is that going to be good enough? They won't have
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: any big wins. But if you're sitting there at two
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: in the Big ten, are they going to put you
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: in over a nine and three LSU? Probably? Is that fair?
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: Probably not, But that's the way it goes. Big brand
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: like that, Penn State making the playoff first year Matt Campbell, Yeah,
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: in the Alabama Penn State game would be That's a
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: fun historical matchup for sure. My number six seed, the
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: Texas Tech Red Raiders twelve and one, no big wins
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: on the resume. I don't think they're going to be
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: nearly as convincing in some of these wins as they
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: were last year. Last year they got a three seed
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: and just got demolished in the quarterfinal. I think they
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: will get a six seed because there will be teams
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: ahead of them Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, Oregon, and yeah,
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: Notre Dame. All of them will be will have looked better.
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: How's that? So Texas Tech as the sixth seed home
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: game against Oklahoma Oklahoma at nine and three. I have
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: them as the eleven seed because I expect them to
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: have bigger wins than a nine and three LSU or
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: a nine and three USC, or a nine and three
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: A and M, et cetera. So Oklahoma nine and three,
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: I think they will get back in and they will
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: play at Texas Tech. Now you want extra Winning Cures,
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• 17:50
  Speaker 1: Let's talk about some potential sleepers here in the ACC.
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: Louisville is plus five fifty to make the playoffs. Oh,
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: I didn't talk about odds for that. Oklahoma's plus to ten,
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: Texas Tech is minus two hundred to make the playoff,
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: Alabama plus one fifty four, and Penn State plus three sixty.
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: So Penn State is my biggest outlier other than Memphis
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: on this, and it's got everything to do with schedule.
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: As far as potential sleepers go, Louisville, we'll start with
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: the ACC. Louisville is plus five fifty, SMUs plus three fifty,
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: Clemson is plus six hundred, and then the two long
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: shots Virginia plus nine to fifty, n C State plus
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: twelve hundred. Could I see any of those making? NC
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: State is purely a schedule play. I don't think that
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: they're going to be good enough to get there, But
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: if they win the ACC, there is obviously a chance. Now,
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: you can't do it if you're seven to five and
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: have three non conference losses Alai Duke last season. But
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: you know, Clemson, we don't really know what to expect
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: out of this bunch. They had all of the returning
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: production last year, They had all of their guys back,
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: returning starters, NFL draft picks, et cetera. And it just
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: completely folded on them. Quarterback has a lot to do
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: with it. They got a new offensive coordinator. I don't
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: know that I trust Chad Morris, but we'll see. We'll
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: see what happens in the Big twelve. Everybody seems to
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: be in love with Houston. Houston is plus eight to fifty.
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: That schedule is so brutal. I don't see it. I
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: don't think they get to what they were last year
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: when they went ten and three and won the ball game.
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: So I'm not buying Houston as a sleeper BYU plus
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: three thirty. Yeah, obviously that is a chance. Utah is
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: plus three fifty to make the playoff after all the
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: dudes that they lost. After Morgan'scalley's going to be your
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: new head coach. He was a defensive Coordinator's never been
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: head coach before. Rather than on Utah, I would bet
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: on Kansas State at plus seven fifty. Now that has
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: everything to do with how the schedules are built, and
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: utah schedule is nice, it's favorable. Kansas State's is nicer,
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: and they're plus seven fifty, and I feel like I
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: trust their quarterback more than I do Utah's, which is
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: insane to think about because a lot of people are
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: in love with Devin dan Pierre, but I have questions,
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: especially without Jason Beck and Everie Johnson. The only year
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: that he was that he really did good things was
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: when Colin Klein was his offensive coordinator three years ago.
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: So they're back together. Do I think they can make
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: some magic happen? Yeah? Absolutely so. Kansas State plus seven
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: fifty maybe a sleeper for the playoff. I don't think
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: they're that good. I don't think the depth is there,
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: but still that's potential. In the SEC. Are any SEC
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: teams really sleepers? I mean I've got three that are
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: outside looking in. I've got one, two, three, four that
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: are in. So seven teams in the top twenty, I
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: mean there's a few. Right. Florida is plus four hundred
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: to make the playoff in John Soros's first year Tennessee
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: plus three eighty. Okay, I don't know who's gonna be
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: the quarterback. I have heard amazing things about Faizon Brandon.
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: I have no idea, no idea. Auburn plus nine hundred.
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: If everything clicks, maybe that's a situation that was very
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: similar to Indiana, where they just bring over a ton
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: of guys that already knew the culture, that already understand
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: the playbook, that already understand what they're trying to build there.
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: But Alex Golesh at South Florida was not as good
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: as what Kurt Signetty was at Dames Madison. So yeah,
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: I don't buy it. Missouri plus seven hundred. If Austin
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: Simmons is healthy, I mean everybody talked him up to
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: being the next big thing, so there is potential there,
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: you know. I like Eli Drinkwitz, I like their coaching
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: staff and whatnot, but well, all of the coaching staff
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: except for maybe Chip lindsay. I'm not a huge fan
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: of the offensive coordinator. And if you have watched Winning
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: Cures Everything for any number or any amount of time,
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: you would know that I have not been a fan
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: of what he has done at any point at any point.
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: So I don't know what Missouri is gonna do in
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: the Big Ten. I don't feel like there's any real sleepers.
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: Iowa potentially at plus nine hundred, but they lost so
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: much off of last year's team that I just don't
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: know if I can buy it. I did want to
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: throw out one, let's see if they're even on the list,
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: because I didn't write down a number for them. Uh,
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: but Wisconsin plus three thousand. The schedule sets up, they
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: don't have to play the majority of the top teams
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: in the Big Ten. And if Colton Joseph their quarterback
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: hits along with some of these other transfers that they
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: brought in, Like, I still think Luke Fickle can coach
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: I if they can stay healthy, man, that'd be awesome.
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: Ucla at plus three thousand is interesting because if Nico
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: clicks with Bob Chesney, I mean that that could be dangerous.
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: That's another one of those James Madison things where brought
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: a bunch of players with him. Culture is set, that
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: a whole new roster, all that kind of stuff. So
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: Ucla is interesting as well, but they're they're also plus
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: three thousand G six is that could be sleepers, and
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: I think these are just to make the playoff. I
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: don't think any of them will be able to really
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: compete with who is at number five, and for me,
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: that's oh High State. It could be any of these
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: teams at number five, but Boise is plus four fifty
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: to make the playoff the next G five team or
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: G six teams. I've got Memphis in the field, but
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: UNLV also plus one thousand, UTSA plus one thousand, Owen
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: McCown of course the quarterback there USF plus eleven hundred.
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: I don't know if I buy that, because, like Brian
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: Hartline is the new head coach there, I don't the
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: roster has talent. I just don't have a clue what
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: they're gonna look like. No clue. The schedule's easier though.
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: New Mexico plus thirteen hundred over in the Mountain West,
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: North Dakota State plus fifteen hundred in the Mountain West.
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: UNLV at plus one thousand with of course Dan Mullen
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: and he brings in Jackson Arnold. If you are a
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: quarterback that a former five star quarterback that can run
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: a little bit, Dan Mullen is who I would want
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: to go hang out with just saying. So there's there's
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: a lot of potential sleepers. We'll see somebody knew, somebody
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: interesting is going to get to the playoff, and I'm
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: kind of excited about it. All right, So let's go
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: two predictions. Let's see what we got going on here. Shirts, hoodies, hats,
• 25:15
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• 25:20
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• 25:23
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• 25:26
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• 25:29
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• 25:33
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• 25:36
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• 25:41
  Speaker 1: First round matchups. I have Texas winning at Indiana. I
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: don't expect this Indiana team to be as good as
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: last year. That team has thirteen offensive linemen on the roster.
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: I don't. I don't know how they like. That's practice squad,
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: that's everything. It's not on the roster. It's like they've
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: got thirteen offensive linemen. I'm curious about the depth and
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: how they're going to make that work. Now, obviously, everybody
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: should at this point just blindly trust Kurt Signetti and
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: that coaching staff. I also wonder about the strength and
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: conditioning staff because their strength and conditioning coach left and
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: took some of his guys to Tennessee. What is the
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: difference going to be like there. I do think that's important,
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: but I think they're still going to be pretty pretty good. Texas, however,
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: just a ton of talent here. I think it's gonna
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: be a great game, great game, but I chose Texas
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: and Texas facing of course Notre Dame in the quarterfinals.
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: I don't think Ohio State Memphis is going to be
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: much of a game. Color me shocked, right, Yeah, I
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: think Ohio State's probably gonna blow out Memphis. That's a
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: home game for Ohio State. So in our first quarterfinal matchups,
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: we will get Texas and Notre Dame, Ohio State against Georgia.
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: Now we move along and on the other side of
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: the bracket, I have Alabama beating Penn State. I do
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: think Alabama has more talent than them, maybe not as
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: much experience, But that will be a home game for
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: Alabama in Tuscaloosa. But I expect Alabama to go and
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: face Oregon in the quarterfinals, and then I think Oklahoma
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: upsets Texas Tech in the first round of the playoffs
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: in Lubbock, which is going to be a madhouse. But Oklahoma,
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: of course strong strong defense. I feel good about that.
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: Which one will have a stronger defense, which one will
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: be more battle tested? I'm gonna take Oklahoma there. So
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: our two quarterfinals on the right side of the bracket,
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: we'll have Alabama against Oregon, Oklahoma against Miami. Now we
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: move ahead in the action and let's get to our
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: semi finals. In our semi final matchups, I do have
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: some of these teams with buys actually winning games this year.
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: I know Indiana is the only one in the last
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: two seasons that has done it. But I think Notre
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: Dame can beat Texas and I believe that Georgia can
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: beat Ohio State and will beat Ohio State at least
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: in my bracket. So Georgia against Notre Dame rematch from
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: a couple of years ago in the Sugar Bowl, this
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: one in a semi final situation to see who goes
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: to play for the national championship. And on the other side,
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: I have Oregon beating Alabama and I have Miami beating Oklahoma.
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: I don't feel like I necessarily need to explain a
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: whole lot about those just better overall teams. So I
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: do have the top four seeds that I have getting
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: to the championship game. You know this ain't gonna happen.
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: Like as I went through, I could not talk myself
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: out of it. But man, what a matchup that you
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: want to talk about storylines? Oregon in Miami, Mario Cristobal
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: having to play against the guy that replaced him at Oregon.
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: How awesome is that? And then of course Georgia Notre Dame.
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: I mean, that's a classic matchup. Absolutely love that one.
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: So what are we gonna do? As far as our
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: national championship game? We have another interesting storyline game and
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: that is Georgia against Oregon and Dan Lanning's first game
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: as the head coach at Oregon. They got blasted forty
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: nine to three by Georgia in Atlanta, and now you
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: would get to play Georgia to see if you can
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: win your first ever national championship. That's intriguing, right, I
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: mean you want to talk about made for TV movies,
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: That's how I feel about this one. That would be
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: absolutely fantastic, and I do expect Oregon to win the
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: national championship. I think this team is loaded. I like
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: Dante Moore. I think he's gonna take a next step.
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: The coaching staff obviously, all internal replacements for the coordinators.
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: If they can stay healthy unlike they did last year.
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: I think this team is going to be stacked and
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: they are going to whip some tail. So Oregon is
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: my national champion. I think they beat Georgia. And you
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: want to talk about putting a bow on a career,
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: and I mean it's still early for landing, but I
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: think Oregon gets their first ever title and Phil Knight
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: can live happily ever after. At this point, I love
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: this playoff. I think this is gonna be great. This
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: is going to be good stuff. All right. That's all
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: I plan on talking about on this show. We will
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: have more shows coming up. We will have I wrote
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: it down somewhere. Yeah, we'll figure it out. We will
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: have all kinds of things coming up. My best games
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: of each week, So I'm gonna tell you where college
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: game Day is going each week of the season. I
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: like those kind of predictions. Can't really bet on those,
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: but it's still fun, nonetheless to at least banter. Right,
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: So we're gonna talk about that. I'm gonna give you
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: my preseason, my latest last updated power ratings, and I'll
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: give you my top twenty five on those. We're gonna
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: have a good time. Make sure you are subscribed to
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: the channel, of course, and of course the podcast, and
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: if you want to be a member, you can do that.
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: You can get my full preseason power ratings. Go over
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: to buy me a coffee dot com slash Winning Cures.
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: With that said, make sure and visit all of the sponsors.
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: You can find them in the YouTube details in the
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: podcast details as well. I feel like I'm missing something.
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: Hit it on the next one. So that said, take
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: care of yourself, take care of each other. God bless
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: college football, and hopefully all of your tickets cash this season.
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Winning Cures Everything, subscribe, leave a
• 32:12
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• 32:17
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