College Football Preview with Aaron Stamn

Broadcasting on Grove Street FM, brought to you by Media Squatch. It's Life Liberty Happiness with your host Brian Schly with strenth Water. All right, everybody, welcome to another episode of Life Liberty Happiness. Today is the college football Preview in the studio. Not Trent, he is gone again this week volleyball, I think again. Travis is filling in for. Him here talking a little bit of college football. College football, and Aaron Stam is back again the year. We are so excited for this, we can't wait. Think you're getting the State Farm for a long time support David Homemaker. We are in the David Homemaker State Farm Studios. So without further ado, we will play a little new bumper we have for this year's college football preview. This is the college Football Preview special episode of Life Liberty Happiness right here on Grove Street FM with our special guest, the one and only Aaron Stam. Get ready as we break down the teams, the players and the mussy games of the season. Buckle up, it's game. Time, all right. I like that. You got me nervous? Now, Hey, that's you know, a scary part of that that that's simply Ai generated really just ask for a new bumper with Aaron stem and that's what it spits out. Wow, well that bumper was awesome. Or I could say wood. He spent hours working on that today. Let's sleep last night he got three hours. Yeah. Oh, anyway, we are very excited. The whole show is dedicated to nothing but college football preview and man. First of all, before we get started in breaking down conference by conference and getting all into this, we'll have a little recap of last year's picks. I went back and listened to last year's episode. You're always right there. Yeah, pretty damn close. So he's good. Last year's reminder Picks, you had Michigan, Georgia, USC and FSU. One FSU went undefeated, so there's really not much more they could have done. Yeah, you kind of got screwed out of that injuries. If Jordan Travis wouldn't have got hurt, they were in definitely, but really he was one for four. Who oh Aaron Yeah, well yeah, but come on. You know, I mean, Georgia just as they could have just they just lost at the wrong time. Well, the good part about it is things have changed this year. This year, we finally got the twelve team playoff. So we'll talk about that a little bit later on. So, but let's kind of recap last weekend and what the hell happened. I woke up excited college football's back we get to watch. Of course, Pat McAfee has put it on a whole nother level. I would have never I mean, I would have been curious who won, but I wouldn't have watched it. That dude got me watching it. And Nick Saban beside him was even better. They play on his arrogance of hating to pick you know what I mean, and it was done so well. But yeah, I watched the game and within the first five minutes I. Was like, Ugh, Georgian things pretty tech. Unk, like I think Georgia It was to me more impressive than Georgia Tech. Was that to me, I think they're that good. I don't think Florida State's that bad. Yeah, yeah, I agree, Yeah, I think Georgia Tech. Has the They are wearing the personality of Brent Key being an offensive coach for a long time. What they did on offense was one of the more impressive things I saw in probably a full calendar year. They were so much fun to watch, I was like, oh, man, first from scrimmage. Yeah, if you're an offensive line coach, you go, what was that? I mean, it was like, yeah, the biggest hole I've ever seen. They were getting eight nine yards of chunk and it was just ridiculous. And they were just the better, tougher, better executing football team period at the end of the day. So either the meme of the Week by far Florida State, the first team in ACC history to start off the year seventeenth in the conference. Oh my god, that's how many teams we're up to. Now I'm literally looking at the ACC standings and sure enough they're and dead last. Oh my god, above them now wake alphabetical. So the good part about all of this if you're an FSU fan is it doesn't throw you out Normally it would, right, So you got it out of the way. Now you can make adjustments. Do you think this loss comes back and haunts them? No? Or do you think it's just one that everybody forgets about. Listen, if they do their job, it doesn't. I mean, if you go through the ACC and you win, you're fine. But now you slip up against Syracuse or some like that, or Virginia or who you know. You think they could have a bad close game that they win, like a UVA that type deal. Yeah, I think Florida State's got talent, but I think there was a new defensive coordinator. It looked like part of me was disappointed in Mike Norvel the head coach. He's an offensive he's the play caller. Yeah, and he is a sharp dude. I think dj U has kind of this is what he is. I was getting. Eventually, when do you just go all right, it's not working out? Yeah? After the fourth school, he's a he's a good quarterback. He's not a difference maker, and that's when you talk college football or NFL. You got to have a difference maker. And he's a good quarterback. Yeah, he was solid at Clemson, solid clomb State. Yeah, and the fourth the he's in the fourth quarter. He had two fourth down play though. That really struck me like all right, yeah it could be but it was too little, too late. In Georgia Tech, the way that they just manhandled Florida State was man, it's just impressive. Yeah. I just was like in all phases, Yeah, I mean it was very impressive. And Georgia Tech even missed a field goal earlier. Yeah, so shouldn't have come down to the very end. Correct. But and coming out of that time out when Georgia Tech fumbled a snap in it, I was like, oh yeah, yeah, this is how you lose. But luckily they did. Gotta love the drama. Yeah, so all right, are you all ready to dive in? Let's do it. Let's get it done, all right, ACC the dreaded, Are we all right? First of all, in this room, I grew up an ACC fame because I mean that that was our local. This was before his generation when you could flip on a tube and see any game you watch Hawaii play tomorrow. We didn't get that opportunity. We only had Jefferson Pilot Sports was our local, you know, and we got ACC games. That was it. So that's all we grew up with was ACC. Now we're going to break down the ACC. So this is our local conference. I guess you could say, yeah, except for it's not not anymore. It's not except for it's not. Yeah. Grew up in CAL. All right, So let's start with the expansion teams. If you want to call him that, SMU Cal Stanford out of those is any Are any of those worthy of making a. Splash in the ACC this year. I do think SMU is going to be a good contender. Their quarterback Preston Stone. I remember him from my last few years of recruiting at Liberty. They were talking about him as an eighth grader and I believe he was like their first five star quarterback that they've ever signed, and his older brother played there. He's excellent. SMU. Interestingly enough, I believe was agreed with the ACC to not take a dollar of TV money from the conference. They just wanted it in right. And they also have the largest endowment in college football. That's crazy, that's crazy to think about. So they are, Yeah, they It's a beautiful area. Ra At Lashley is an awesome coach. I think out of those three, just me. I don't know that much about the Stanford and Cal truthfully, where is he from? Yeah? Where would I note him? So? He was with Gus Melzan as his offensive coordinator for a long time Arkansas State and Auburn and then ended up getting a shot to go be the head coach. I do like him. He's a good football coach. He's very good, a good buddy of mine's there on the staff and he speaks the world of him. So yeah, I think SMU out of the three would be the one. Okay, So how Stanford's sort of struggles. I just think it'd be tough. You come from North California and all of a sudden, you're going out to go play Boston College. I don't know if they are this year or not, and then you got to go back and then you get that's crazy. Just all the travel that those two teams will have to It's that's difficult, you know. I don't know if they're going to do some things where like where they will stay on the East coast, you know, if they play like a back to back just to save that, I don't I don't know if they'll explore that question. It seems like a long drive to play an in conference game, mid season in conference game. Yeah, and what if it's a Thursday night, Yeah, Thursday night game. Yeah, they do have to go to school, right, Sometimes I'm smirking that's not going to happen. And those two schools, obviously their academics are extremely high. So yeah, that is true too, So we'll see. This is pretty sad. I'm on ESPN site and they do not have the current Well maybe maybe I'm wrong. I'm trying to get the just to like check out the schedule, but that ain't happening. To go to the ESPN app, right, that seems like it's easiest. Right here we go, So all right, let's dive into Virginia because I'm I'm curious. This is I've read a story hot Seats kind of went through the hot seats, and we'll go through those later, but just curious how the coach at Virginia is going to do and how Virginia is going to do this year? Did they get any transfers worth noting? Not that I've going to make this team any better. I think it sounds like they just named the I can't remember his name, Colandero, the kid from last year, the little guy. Yeah, yeah, he really good athlete and he can spin it. But so he's named the starter. I think UVA is an interesting school as far as transfers go, because it is a really high academic school. It's hard to get him in get in. I don't know if they've got and leeway with that in the past. I know that was an issue for them. Me personally, I just I think it's an uphill climb for him. I really do. Well, I do too, but I mean I read the article where they just said that, look, win or lose, he's still going to be the coach they have. They're not going to do his buyout. Yeah, because apparently he's got a decent one. Yeah. So, I mean, if you're a UVA fan, there's good news. I'm not sure you have any expectations whatsoever. And so if you win more than three games, everybody's going. To be happy. Yeah. I would assume that the hope for UVA football this year is get to a bowl game, you know, get the postseason football would be a massive Yeah. And if you could do that, then you're you're starting to take properly, you know, good steps. Because to expect the UVA to be in the ACC Championship, I think it's really difficult. Oh yeah, but I don't see that happening. Well, let's quickly. Their schedule though, is not bad currently. Richmond currently they only have Clemson and Notre Dame is the only two teams on their schedule that are currently ranked. Yeah, that's I mean, that's a doable schedule to to make How about Maryland? What do you think Maryland's gonna have? Dudes? Yeah that I mean, you can you can beat Richmond, you can beat Coastal. You know, Boston College is winnable, Louisville possibly, So, I mean there's something pitt I don't know, there's win games. Yeah, yeah, I think that's gonna be the big stepping stone for them, is can they win the ones that, like, as you originally as you look at their schedule, hey, we can get this. Yeah. So does that put you at six? If you get Richmond? Uh? Coastal BC? Uh? Would you throw? I mean wake maybe a toss up? Maybe? So that's four? Right? Yeah, and you could win Virginia Tech because that's the rivalry games. How good is Louisville going to be this year? Yeah? You know, but last year they were great coach Brohm. I mean yeah, they won whatever it was like eleven twelve games. I mean, look out. So they're you know, Carolina's got a new quarterback, but I think it's Brad Johnson's kid that transferred from Texas A and so like he's going to be the starter for school. Yeah, Pittsburgh is a good opportunity for them. To possibly win a game. SMU comes out here and then you know the Commonwealth cap. But that's still not easy for him. No, and yet it's probably one of the easier schedules, right yeah, all right, Moving on to Virginia Tech. Bad you said bad? What Pat McAfee picked them to win the ACC I just don't like Virginia Time. Oh my god, I just grit pry. I think is doing a phenomena. I could just feel you know, you mentioned it with Georgia Tech. Yeah, that you know, they look like they're head coach Brent. It's the same thing. And I think I think he's attacking the portal. Yes, And I think he's getting some in state kids that are really good. And I think there's it's been a little bit of a you know, a process, but I mean five years ago, he's right on track of a process. Now everybody wants it like instantaneously. I think I think he's doing the right things there. I went down and watched them against Syracuse last year when my son was coaching, and they put a thorough whooping on Syracuse. I think he's an energy dude. I think they're on the upswing. I think they're a top third team in the ACC. Okay, now I will say whatever that is out of seventeen, My math is a very good right now. What's different for him this year? It feels like is that drone is drones? Said? He says name the quarterback, Yes, he's I mean he was pretty good last year and you have a proven guy coming back. Yeah. I think you know, they've I think I think defensively they're going to be really really tough as always, and I think their skill is really starting to improve there too. My big question for them is, you know, up front, offensively, defensively on you know, can they be the team that can be the bully when they're playing against Carolina, when they're playing against Clemson, when they're playing against I don't know if they have like Miami this year, can they be in you know and against uv A, can they can they be the bully on the block and if they can look out, well, that's the scary part. You look at the schedule was easy and my lord, you've got would you start with Vandy? Yeah, Marshall couple of years. Careful with Marshall. With Marshall, Yeah, Marshall's always dangerous, sneaky, but. You've got I mean, you know, other than Miami, but you're at Miami, but you've got Clemson at home. Yeah. The Rutgers game is an interesting one to look at there. That's an old Big East matchup right there, right, And Schiano is very similar to coach Priy, you know, gritty, tough, you know, defensive minded head coach, like you know, that game could be one of those it's like twenty to seventeen. Yes, whoever wins, but uh yeah, you know, I think you're right, Brian. Yeah, schedule wise, this this plays out pretty good for him. Okay, all right, I think so the upper possible outside China, the champion a SEC championship game. Yeah, okay, all right, let's look at the Carolinas crazy McCall yeah, love State. I mean, I just he's old, what is it, a sixth year Yeah, I think he's like my age. Yeah. So he's got to have work, he's got to have something, readers, he's gonna have readers on it, the on of scrimmage. I do like their coach. Oh yeah, I think he's done a phenomenal Yeah. Like the linebacker they got Luke Wilson, Is that Luke? Yeah, he's with the Steelers now, well they had they had. Yeah. I really liked him too. I think he he was tough, a Bears fan, which my friends know. Like I was hoping the Bears were going to snag him, but we did not. And uh, he's with Pittsburgh, which talk outside linebackers. That's perfect for them. But but now Dave Dorn at NC State is he he's They're They're really good. They recruit really really well. Initially when I saw that you had this on there, that was the first team I wrote was n C State. So so Duke takes a step back this year. Probably. Yeah. You know, I have a lot of respect for coach alcohol, I really really do. I think Texas A and M made a home run higher with him, yeah, big time. But I just think consistency with coach Dorn Gray McCall, like you talked about Travis, n C State's always going to have some guys that are going to be first second round talent on their team. This could be a year where I think they could get into the championship game again too. I could see, you know, and McCall, this is I don't think he played last year. I think he was hurt or he got hurt at the beginning of the year, so you know, he's been under the bright lights. Yeah, I think NC State's going to be a real team this year. How about my league, Murphy Duke, what do you think you gotta give me help there? I'm sorry quarterback you're saying, yeah, new quarterback? Yeah, I just you know again, Duke is kind of I think coach Olco had done such a good job of getting guys there that he had, and I do think that Duke did a nice job with the transfer portal before. It'll just be interesting with the coaching transition Riley Leonard, you know, being gone. You know, yeah, it's kind of a point coin flip for me. Also, yeah, they got a tough schedule. Does dude have a tough schedule? Well, they got to go to Georgia Tech. They've got Florida State, Miami, n C State. I mean those are that's a red one, and U n C. So yeah, that's a tough little run there. I don't know, we'll see, Uh Clemson. Clemson I think is gonna be a solid football team. Man. They got a tough opener and they're playing against Georgia Game one, so it's like, oh, okay, Like you look at theirs. I mean, you know, they're playing against Georgia, They're playing against NC State, They're playing against Florida State, They're playing against h Shoot. There was one other one, South Carolina obviously to end the season. And I'm telling you Louisville's going to be a good team again. Coach brom is a really good football coach. Yeah. So as you look at and you think about last weekend, they don't play Georgia Tech. Who I'm telling you, man, Yeah, they're going if they're not in the top twenty five, I have after this week or the next week, like and if they're two and zero, shoot, they're good. They're Their defense was dellar. They can do stuff that you don't see a lot of college football teams being able to do. And that's the old Chris Watson when he was at Liberty High School. Here can run the football for seven or eight minutes and just drown you with the ain't no doubt and you just I don't know how many times they showed. DJ sitting on the sidelines because I mean, he's not on the field, and it's just it's a great way to keep him up scoreboard, don't let him have the ball. I did get to go watch Clemson last year against Syracuse. I think the quarterback is good. I don't know if he's an elite guy. I know he was coming out of high school. He makes running backs. Yeah, they're dudes. It couldn't be the year that Dabbo just surprises the body. He just have that solid year is always going to be Dabbo. But can he replace Yeah, his defensive coordinator from a couple of years now, I know he's been going a couple of years. Is he fixed that piece? Ye? Yeah. I think they're they're really good. I think they're really I think the quarterback is the one that's going to have to if they're going to make a top five jump, he's got to be the one that gets him to do it. Because last year, what I saw was a guy that two or three times a game he's he's throwing up a gift to the defense. And you can't do that, Like you can't, you know. I remember Matti Reflus when he was a defensive coordinator for the Colts on Hard Knocks, it talked about four to six times a game a defense has an opportunity for a turnover. Yeah, and two to three times as a quarterback if it's on your own, like and you're just making bonehead throws like, that's on you. Yeah. So I think the growth and maturity of that guy this year will pretty much be the telltale because I thought Clemson's offensive line against Syracuse was awesome. They looked different, they looked bullier, even when they had a national championship team that like these they looked they looked at and they're gonna have great players on defense. They always have. So curious question. I see they've got Georgia at noon. Yeah. As a coach, were you ever worried about a noon game versus a late game versus a mid afternoon Is there anything in your preparation that goes, oh man, we've got a noon game. The kids are not going to be ready to play or a late game. Oh man. Yeah. You hate to say it, but kind of part of it depends on the atmosphere. Yeah, Like, if there's a kid at Clemson that has a problem getting up for a twelve o'clock game against Georgia, they should not be playing football. That's a great point. Yeah, But if you're traveling to Las Cruses, New Mexico, and you're playing at eight pm Mountain time game. Oh yeah, that's a little different. That is a difference. And waiting around in a hotel in Las Cruses. You know a lot going on out there either, So uh, I could see that it is a little bit different. I've been on both sides of it. Yeah, and you would hope you'd have enough internal motivation and discipline with yourself, but sometimes guys are twenty years old. This I'm assuming is that a neutral site? Flax? Where is it is? That? Is it in Atlanta? I think at FLAX in Atlanta? Right? Is it? I don't know now, Georgia SEC team it is in Georgia, Isn't it is in Atlanta? Georgia SEC doesn't play these new games too. You say it again. SEC doesn't play too many noon games. Like Alabama plays their new game against Texas that first year we played at Texas and it was. Like, wow, why is that Obama on so early? Right? Yeah? Yeah, well we'll see those TV contracts. Man. That's kind I mean, yeah, that's a home game for Jeordia yea, yeah, okay, it could be could be a big one though. I mean, yeah, the good thing is Clemson's only two hours away from Atlanta. Yeah, and I know what you're saying, true Travis about being in Georgia. Dude, they'll they'll, they'll turn out. That'll be any chance Clemson can pull off that upset. I mean it's the first game of the year. I think it's on a quarterback. Yeah, if the quarterback doesn't give Georgia extra possessions, and you know they got to score because george is gonna be awesome on defense. But you know, Clemson's the one team I think in the ACC, maybe maybe n C State defensively that can hang with an SEC school. But and again I'll give Georgia Tech credit, but yeah, I think it'll be a fun game. I don't know who's favored in that game right now. I would assume Georgia. Yeah, uh, Georgia U thirteen and a half. Oh boy on the spread. That just tells you power. Yeah, but that's also the preseason number one and possibly the number one draft pick overall that are going to be playing against in Carson back. So all right, Uh, Florida out of those two Florida State or Miamis is Miami every year, we hear the same old eventually. Yeah, it's got to stick. Is this Miami's year? Well, they went out and bought cam Ward, got themselves a quarterback from Washington State. Who there we go. Yeah. I think is really, really, really good. I've always appreciated Mario crystal Ball. First of all, he's an old line coach, so yeah, yeah, buddy. I think the process of like you know, when you looked at his success at Oregon, it was I think it was right at year three. Yep, they finally got the guys in there that were big, tough, strong, did all that, and then he had a quarterback. So I think this is his telltale year. And I was watching college Football Live earlier today. I think his record at Miami right now is twelve and thirteen, so this is year three. This has put up a shut up time for him, and I think he does have a quarterback that has you know, has done it at Washington State, had an unbelievable year and he was one of the most sought after bought quarterbacks in the transfer portal. So I think they've they got a shot, you know, can they stay healthy and can they kind of take that transition up front? To like I was talking about with the Virginia Tech, can they be the bully? Yeah, Like that's that's what Mario crystal Ball is like he wants to just you know, control the front and have a quarterback that can that can play great. So it looks like on paper. Yes, if ever, there was a college football team to me that has zero home field advantage, to me, it's Miami. Yeah, it's different, always empty. Yeah, it doesn't matter how great they are. Yeah, it's a different, different dynamic down there. But if they win. But if they win, look out, yeah I know. Yeah. Just everybody that comes out of the woodworks in the country, it's like, oh, I've always been on yeah. Yeah. Now, speaking of put up her, shut up, their first game of the year is act H. That's the other guy that's got to put up, shut up Billy Napier. Yeah, So to me, this is a game of who gets fired. So his record in two years is eleven and fourteen. Look at it. Look at this. So you got two guys that are literally just below five hundred at high expectation schools. Billy Napier's buy out those twenty million dollars, so you might hang around one more year. Yeah, man, And I think that's if he gets fired before December first or something like that. So he gets fired December second, Yeah. Yah. So again that's another team. Now they're quarterback Graham Mertz. I know I remember him from Wisconsin. I'm a Wisconsin guy. Yeah. I think he was like the highest rated quarterback Wisconsin ever brought in. He actually led the SEC last year in completion percentage and he was like twenty touchdowns and three picks. But they weren't a good team, so I don't know, you know, that's that's gonna be an interesting game to watch, to see the eyeball test with those two teams, to see who is who's really moved, who's gonna like if they are going to take a step now, are they? You know? If they both look average, then good luck to them. Well, I mean look Miami's schedule. Looking at it, You're at Florida. You got Florida A and m ball state South Florida, so you watch out for South Florida. Yeah. South Florida was one of the best transfer portal UH signing teams in the country. And they I believe they're in the what are they in the the American Athletic Conference. They had the number one recruiting class in that league. Good friend of mine is on staff there. They're they were good. They were very good. All right, final thoughts to wrap up the eight who are we? Who we think we're gonna see the championship game. I think the four best teams if I had to say it right right now, is and the first two I wrote down was Ency State and Clemson. I think Georgia Tech's game this past week. I really liked their quarterback and my son and I who was at Syracuse last year, we had a debate about him going into their game against Georgia Tech. Last year Georgia Tech beat Syracuse by like I think it was like ten or whatever. I really liked the kid. I think he's tough. I think he can throw. He made some gritty throws against Florida State. I think he gives them a shot because of that Q. And then I think the fourth team, I'm gonna go with the Hokies. I think the Hockey Birds. You know, I think coach Pry I'm a pri believer, I really am. I think he's just I think for Blacksburg, Virginia Tech history, everything there. I think he's doing it the right way. And I think in the championship, yeah, who's gonna who's gonna come? Well, just skip to the who's gonna win? Okay, I mean the obvious is Clemson, I think, uh, but yeah I do, But I think I really I don't know. I just did Georgia Tech thing. Man. First of all, I was on the West coast, so I woke up at nine am and watch football, which is amazing, absolutely incredible. It was so Yeah, I just be warned. They they have put it out there. So you've written you've written Florida State off this year? Yes, yea, yeah, I'm not. I'm with you. I just too much height. I just it just doesn't look right when. They when all of their players sat out in the game against Georgia last year. I knew they were defeated. Yeah, they were done. Yeah, I think, uh, and that was that was such a tough situation for those young guys to go through. But there's you know I mean that. I mean they I think they're gonna be the probably would be an eight win team, Yeah, nine wins like Clemson. Do they play teams like that? Yeah? I just, oh, crap, we didn't. Do you count Notre Dame in the a SEC. They don't, they don't. They're independent, still, aren't they? Yeah, they're still. They play like I think they play six a CEC team. It's kind of like their contractual issue with the a c C. So they've got a So Florida State has to go to Notre Dame. Okay, that's a tough one. I gotta go to Miami. Yeah, they do have Clemson at home, but then they gotta go to s m U and then they wrap up the season at Florida excuse me, Florida. At home, Florida, Florida State. Yeah, in Tallahassee. I mean yeah, I could see three. They've got a tough RACC schedule. Yeah, I think three three losses. Yeah, it's fair see that. All right? So you got Clemson. I call it an automatic qualifier into the place. Yeah, yeah, said yeah, it's going to be the top four HSHS rated conference winners. So you would assume if you win the a CC, you're probably going to be one of. The top four. Yeah, that I think that is actually how it is set up. Though. It's it's a c c SEC big ten and big twelve. Those are the four automatic back two. There's an at large too, right, like a so there's only so the top four conference championship winners they get a bye, and then it's eight other teams. It's the next highest eight. So there is I did read where there is a the highest rated conference winner outside. Yeah, that's kind of what I was going for there with the I think that's why they're throwing liberty in there. Well yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, because you get the American you get Conference USA, you get Sun Belt, Fun Belt, the MAC you know, just depending on some of those how some of those other teams do and how their strength schedule and everything a little bit. But what does happen with the Pack two? Good luck to him? I mean what do they do? I mean they have to pretty much win ten games too. They're pretty much an independent, like yeah, like Notre Dame. Yeah, I mean, so what happened when you put your headless end and you go, I'm not doing it? Yeah, no doubt, no doubt, You're stuck and it's who is it? It's Oregon State in Washington State. Those are schools. Yeah. While the head coach Morgan State, Jonathan Smith, he was like, and he's in an Oregon State alum. He's like, I'm out, he took the Michigan State job. I'm going to Big ten. You know, like the way it is in college football right now, you want to try to get to the SEC or the Big Ten. Those are the two most powerful conferences by far, and you will have validity to try to get yourself into the college football playoffs. Big ten's exciting this year. Oh yeah, dive into Big Ten. Can Michigan survive the year and thrive with the new head coach or on more? Not quite yet? What do you think? Uh? I think number one? I mean they lost all five starting offensive lineman and JJ McCarthy. I think they I mean cornback Corn he's going to great point. I mean he's with the Rams. They drafted him like second third round, so harball gone. Yeah, that's kind of an issue. I think it's a huge Yeah. No, and you can rebuild that quick. No, I think I mean no, I don't think they're in the Big ten hunt this year. I think they're probably kind of like Florida State. I think they're like an eight win team. You know, they're still going to be really punched in the eyeball. That is Ward Manual, who I worked with for four years at the University of Buffalo and is a Michigan football grad himself. Well, you didn't do your new coach of favor. And I know these schedules are said, but you got Texas the second game of the year. Let's go tough one, Okay, but you start with Fresno State. That is not Presno State always is that neck. Yeah, and you know what, Fresno State, Jeff Tedford was the head coach. He actually just had to resign for health reasons. I think he's like seventy years old. He just he just battled some health issues and he had to walk away. So I think I think somebody was given the interim title for the season. But you're right, Fresno is like, dude, you don't want to schedule right now. And then you've got the powerhouse Arkansas State, Oah State. Yeah, man, Yeah, shout out to ry guy. You know, I've so I think I'm trying to figure out if I can get to that game. But yeah, we'll see so USC. You got USC that's yeah, the big ten. I mean, you just thinking about some of these games that are going to happen this year. It's just in Ohio State, Oregon, Ohio State. Yeah, you're gonna be hurting. Yeah, that's a regular season game. Yeah. Oops, what is it? October twelfth? Yeah, in Michigan's preseason number nine. Right now, that's a. Little high, especially since they didn't even write Washington. Yeah, and the same thing happened. They played in the National title. Yeah, they played in the National title game. Yeah. I think now they have it in the regular season this year. Yeah, yeah, they do. And it's in the Washington coach took the walk Jed Fish from Arizona. Oh that's right. Yeah, really good football coach, really good offensive coach. Apparently he has some good assistant coach. Oh yeah, I see you Belichick hanging around. Yeah. Yeah, we hired his son, Stevie. That's why I'm like, oh, yeah, this could be nasty. Yeah the no, he's no dummy. I think he actually worked for coach Belichick at at the Patriots for a season and too crazy. All right, So we've got Michigan picking a fall. Yeah. I think you know, they'll be Obviously they're gonna be really, they're gonna be a tough football team. Sharlan Moore is good football coach too, but it's gonna be different this year for him. They get him a lot of credit. They got h the spread on Oregon three, we'll see. I mean, Oregon's replacing some people too. Mm but yeah, but they got their coach, and they got a dude at the quarterback, yeah, man, the Gabriel, and they got good receiver. Well, let's talk Oregon real quick, all right. I know that probably got him somewhere else, but let's just talk about him and they, I mean, you know there, let's look at their schedule. Organ they were good last year, it will be good this year. Yeah, yeah, how much? Really? Yes, A lot's changed. I mean you with their staff and their team. You lost some dudes, yeah, Es Bonix is gone. Bonex is going to beat Drew Brees two point oh and he's Yeah, but your schedule is decent at the beginning, actually it's decent. It's all unranked, yes, and then you've got Ohio State in the middle of the year. You know what, I'm a little disappointed. And the schedule, right, they've got two ranked games. No, I know, but you're miss and you've got to go at Purdue I don't care how bad they are. You still got to go at Purdue that's going to be tough, and you're at Wisconsin. Look, I'm just saying you're organ and you're not used to big ten weather. Yeah, that's very true. I'm with you. Yeah, but yeah, it's it's a different type of cold. But they still do play in cold. It's not like a sc usc trying to go up and play up in Happy Valley in November, Like all their dudes are all going to be like shivering and long sleeved and all the Penn State guys won't have sleeves on looking across the field that I'm like a bunch of pansies. But you know, true. But going to Wisconsin, yeah, oh, I'm a I grew up in Madison, Man and being a kid that grew up there, and then we I got to coach against my hometown team when I was at Buffalo. It's it is unique. But the Badgers are a team that has to get their crap straight this year too. Yes, because they were not good last year, not good enough for their and they've gone they're doing a whole transition. Like I got to be through a transition at Nebraska when we went from they were an option football team to when I was with Bill Callahan, we brought in the West Coast offense. Yeah, that you want to talk about a culture change, the Wisconsin has literally gone last year Phil Longo from North Carolina who lines up in three or four wide receivers every play. Where we grew up with it was a full back, tailback, at least one tight end on the field and maybe one to two wide receivers and good luck with stopping us at three yards. So they've got to figure out is this going to work there this year? I have my doubts. All right, Well, let's move on to Ohio State. Are they Ryan Day, are they still the overall favorites? I think they're. I think they're top two in the Big ten. My question about them the quarterback they brought in from Kansas State, right Will Will Will Howard? Is he going to be that big of a difference maker for them? I think they're going to have super talent everywhere. I think they did an awesome job. Ryan Day hired Chip Kelly from UCLA. So yeah, and but like Chip is Ryan's mentor and as offensive play caller, Chip is is outstanding. His track record is proven that way. My question is, is will Howard going to be a big enough difference maker when they need it? Like the game at Oregon, you know, October twelfth, Yeah, at Michigan in State, you know, like you know those those types of games. Is that I don't I'm not there yet with him, but everybody's saying, you know, how State should be national championship contender. They should be. So they were making a lot of noise in the off season. They were, Yeah, I just don't think day can win that big game. I don't think you can do it. Yeah, that's I think he's hotly yeah. Yeah. And that's the funny thing is is like, can you go twelve and one, lose to Michigan again and keep your job. Now you lose to Michigan this year and you got me three straight or four straight? I think it would be I feel like it's three. Let's just let's not forget that was Hardball's issue, no doubt. He couldn't get pasted a while, no doubt. So it's just the pendulum, no doubt. So you're right, it is Days. Yeah, it's his maker. Yeah, reckoning well in Ohio State's you know, they're a national championship or bus program year in year out. So will they be in the College Football Playoff? Yes? You know, is it going to be an automatic? Like? Do they win to Big Ten? I have my doubts about that. That's me personally, all. Right, Penn State. We talk about them every year and they always seem to to be there. But they they good this year? Do they get over the hump this year? Yeah? I thought I saw something on ESPN that said Penn State would have if the current or the new College Football Playoff would be over the last five years, they would have been the one team that would have made it over the last five years consistently. Also too, that was not in the deal in the previous ones. I think they made an awesome hire in their offensive coordinator, Andy kottle Necky, who was at Kansas, was at Buffalo. Is that what I've known him forever. He's going to get them out of always being a spread football team that they have been for quite a few years now. I think that's the big question mark. I think they've got talent quarterback, there's really really good is are is that team that offense going to be clicking first game at in Morgantown. Yeah, because that one's going to be live and wild and nuts. And if I think they're I think they're in the playoff. I think they're definitely in. And I think if they continue to grow throughout the season, I think they are really really dangerous football team. All Right. So I threw Nebraska in here mainly because I want to, oh yeah, let's go skirts Obraska. I mean, I like Nebraska. I think they're the what I put them down as a sleeper. Yeah, I think they I think they got that talent. Yeah, they have an interesting thing this year. So they named the freshman quarterback Dylan Royola. Yes, his dad was an All American at an All American offensive lineman at NEBRA. The dude looks like Patrick Mahomes like literally looks like him, like the hairstyle, the way he walks away. But he was a nationally sought out. I believe he was committed to Georgia and then Nebraska got him to flip is correct? And if this kid can do what they think he can do there, they are definitely a team to You're right, Travis, Like they they could be real And because I think that's just kind of the consistency that they've been missing is the quarterback and because they've had so many turnover issues and finishing football game issues. That's the thing. I mean, I would love to know in the last three years, even before Matt rule, how many last possession games. They've lost they've led the country, even like coach Frost's like final year or two. Also, I mean, it was just it was ridiculous. He knew and it was coming to elf sudden. Everybody's butt puckered up, like in the final three minutes of the game and things happened. But yeah, I'm about Nebraska this year. I really am. All right, So who do you have in the championship game? Oregon and Ohio State? Okay, and I think rematch yep. And I think the Ducks are going to win the Big Ten this year. I think the Ducks are too good to not put them in that position. Yeah, I mean they got Dan Lanning. Yeah, Lanning was kind of talked about when saving retire, we need to get Lanning. Yeah. I just think they're too good to not. Oregon is supposed to be the one team on both sides of the football up front that looks like an NFL football team. Yeah. And Dylan Gabriel started at UCF, played at Oklahoma. He's had plenty of experience. He's going to be a good, a really good football player for him. I think so much of this obviously comes down to health of teams, but I think Oregon's they think about this. Phil Knight has basically said, you have an open checkbook for nil open, there is no limit. So you think they didn't go out and go get dudes? Oh, and like, let me tell you, you know how many times I would recruit kids and they would look at my shirt to see what my emblem was. Yeah, like if I had a didas on sometimes they'd be like, are you switching? Those are real questions that eighteen year olds want to know. I know. And now all of a sudden you get the owner of Nike saying, hey, whatever it takes, jes it's different now. Oh you know, I hear you. So all right, let's move on to the Big twelve. Let's start with the newbies. We've got Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah. Out of all the conferences, to me, this was the biggest switch of dudes coming in. Yeah, Utah, this is gonna be. It's gonna be. Really. As you look at the preseason rankings, you got five top twenty five teams, and you know, Colorado's obviously interesting. They played North Dakota State tomorrow night, and I'm telling you, look out, that could be the upset of the year. North Dakota. Nobody, Nobody messes with the Bison in northern state. And like if they think all the hoopla and everything of Colorado is going to phase those kids from Fargo, North Dakota, they are sadly mistaken. I've seen it. I've coached against it. Like I just I know what it is. It. Yeah, I mean you're so look out for them, you know. I think by U is an interesting one in the Big Twelve. Also too, Cincinnati they were all in last year though too correct. Yes, yeah was b YU Big twelve last year? Yes, yeah, Cincinnati was Houston. Yeah, you know it is such a different dynamic. I mean, I got to live four years of my life in the old Big twelve, and like seeing some of these teams on here is like a culture shock for me. Yeah. And you know there's a legend from Houston, right, his name is ex Houston Cougar. Great case Keenum So and that goes out to Jeff So. But I got the coach case in Washington. He's an unbelievable guy. But you know Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado. You know, it's it's it's a unique conference. West Virginia is a very interesting football team though this year in the Big twelve. Yep, I think Neil Brown's got a big prove it year also two. But yeah, and I will say this, the Jayhawks are a really good football team. I almost ask you about them. They are. I mean they got there. They're ranked twenty five. Yeah, man, they are really good, and they're they've done an excellent job of recruiting. They have an identity, and they've got players there now. And they have a brand new football stadium coming up in a year where they I believe they invested like three hundred and twenty million dollars into their new stadium. They're not ready. No, they're going to be playing in Arrowhead this year. Oh okay, their home games, so it's a it's a unique season for him where they'll have to travel forty five minutes to Arrowhead. But you know, as college kid that's gonna be fun. Oh yeah, you know ye so, but yeah, I would definitely say look out for the Jayhawks. All right, does TCU rebound and give anybody anything in that comfy well. I think TC is always gonna have athletes. I think it's I think, you know, they're run in the National Chat National title game a couple of years ago, it was their quarterback who did it for him. He was absolutely insane. So but uh, you know, I think it'll come down to QB play for them because they're going to be a scoring machine as usual. Texas Tech I like them too. I think they've they've got a shot to be a really loud team in the Big Twelve as well. So Ken West Virginia make a good run, I think, so, I really do. I think they're I think they're a noisy football team. And you know, I like Neil Brown. I think he's done a good job there, I think, but they have to take a solid step forward. Okay. My favorite coach is Mike Keundy always. Oh yeah, I just this. I just get a feeling that this could be the year that he finally puts it all together and wins that conference. He has the leading Rusher in college football coming back this year. Yeah, And I don't know if you guys saw this or that they put QR codes on the back of all the players Holmes, I saw that if you want to, So, if I wanted to donate to Travis Baxter's n I L fund, I could literally on your helmet. How genius is that? Like literally while you're in the state. Yes? Oh is it big enough even on the TV? It's big enough. Yes, that's cheesy. Yeah, until you start making money, Yeah, then you're blocking a little harder. People be giving me two cents, you'd take two cents exactly. It'd be two more than your head. Right, Apparently you've never had to suffer through college to the point where you're dying for money. No, school of hard knocks. That costs a lot too. All right, so let's see hang on, hang on u c F. Yes, No, I don't want to get too far away. Yeah, because I like kJ Jeffers, I like kJ too. I mean he's he's a dude. Now he's big and he's a big still there right, yes, oh yeah, Gus is definitely love Gus. I never thought Auburn should have got rid of him back in the day. Yeah, he's crafted. He's like a Kiffin, except Kiffin's younger, and yeah that's a great Yeah. Yeah, he's an interesting dude. So his offense is a he hasn't really modernized, I guess you could say with with the passing game and so a lot of he doesn't. He's never really had great receivers because so much of what he does it's a run game. But you can bring a great point with the quarterback. kJ dude's a giant and he can throw and he can do some stuff. But of Florida is going to have players that is I think it's actually the one of the largest public schools in all the United States is UCF. So they could I mean, looking at their schedule, they won't face a ranked team. Now, I mean they've got some tough teams, but they won't face a ranked team to Arizona, They've got them at home, and then they've got Utah at home to finish off the season. So that I mean they could they could be ranked high come come the middle of the season. Yeah, I think Utah is a tough team to be no matter what. Who's a sleeper, Well, you got Baylor. Yeah, Baylor. I love Baylor. I love Baylor too, but he's on the hot seat. Yeah, yeah, he is around. Then he fired one of my friends a year ago, so trust me, he is definitely on the hot seat. I liked him when he was at LSU, so I can't complain. Yeah, I honestly, and I'm saying this no joke, I do think the Houston Cougars are a sleeper. Willi Fritz has had a unbelievable track record of winning at different levels at every school that he's been at. And the Houston Cougar's man, you know, And again I'm just going to keep throwing it out there. The ex Houston Cougar great case Keenum. You remember how they used to chuck it around and do all that. I mean, I think they've They've their quarterback that they have this year, sorry, is young man Donovan Smith from who was at Texas Tech. He's a really big, talented young man. His dad is actually a coach in the NFL. Is a great guy. Yep. Yeah, Houston's had a really good tradition. I think Willie Fritz is a good football coach. I think they could be a really solid football team that could really make some noise this year too, So and they're running into TCU Kansas Utah. That's three. That's three tough games. Oh yeah, giddy up man, Arizona. That's a fourth tough game. Yeah, I don't know Arizona always. They got Oklahoma too. I mean they've got five games that are easily five losses. Yes, so what happened to where is oh gosh, the offensive guy that was at West Virginia, Dana Hogerson. Dana is now a oh my gosh, what's the right word for it. He's like a consultant for TCU football. So because Sonny Dike's and like, they're all from the old Area system with Mike Leach and Spike Dikes, Sonny's dad. So yeah, they're all. Dino's o c at Arizona. So it's his first time, you know, not being a head coach since let's see, he was at Eastern Illinois and Bowling Green then Syracuse. So he's been out for a while as far as calling plays. So yeah, I've heard that he's re energized out there also too, So that'll be an interesting thing to see how Arizona Arizona is quarterback and they have a receiver that played together in high school a year ago. Those guys were outstanding. So they've got a trigger man that can play. So yeah, definitely. All right, let's move on to the you got Houston or do you? Houston is a sleeper? Oh, okay, championship game? Give me the Jayhawks. And I do like your Oklahoma State pick there too, Brian. I think you know, there's definitely you know, the mullet of Mike Mike Gundy is, uh, he's got a great track record, but uh, I just and Kyle whitting him out at Utah's is he's one of the best. Ye, he really is. But I just I think this is a year that the Jayhawks are going to get it. I really do, Kansas. That's awesome. All right, moving on to the we are cranking through this thing best. Oh yeah, we still got do we have a one hour break? No, don't break at one hour, Travis, you got no, I'm good, no commercial breaks. This is a special I love it. Oh. Now we're in the oh, the Southeastern Confege, that league, best conference in the world. All right, let's start with the new beasts right off the bat. You've got Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC Texas good man. Yeah, but Texas is their top two running backs tear their a cls in training camp. Oh that's unfortunately, I did not know that. I do know that NFL viewers. But yeah, and like Quinn Yours is awesome. Yeah, I think he's absolutely outstanding. I saw him disassemble Alabama. No, he's completely out coached. Well. Sarkisian is also beautiful offense. I saw him when he was with Bama. Yeah, and he was he was rock and roll. Yeah, I mean he's but Quinn Yours also. Don't forget he was the original Nil guy. He was getting n I L in high school at South Lake Carroll High School and did not play his senior year and was getting paid like a million dollars or something like that for Nil. Goes to Ohio State early. He transferred to Texas, So I don't know that. Yeah, he's but Quinn Man, you watch that dude throw. I think he's a Matthew Stafford. I think he has the arm talent like Matthew Stafford does it just just his ballflight is crazy. Do you watch it? Like the ballflight? I mean, I'm not talking golf the floor, you're talking about I guess Alabama that he made was absolutely literally came straight back down. I don't know. I mean, I don't know, and it was the most perfect throat. In Texas, I mean, they are going to have stallions that can run. I think defensively, you know, they proved last year that they can hang. I think they're ahead of Oklahoma personally. Make sure you know, I think codefendables. I have a lot of respect for known him for quite a long time. But you know, also, you know, their quarterback left, so I don't I honestly, I have no idea who their quarterback is off the top of my head, but I'm sure he's talented. But but yeah, I think Texas that's my big question mark is the running back situation. Yeah, Like you know, you're you're one and two on the depth chart for a reason too, and you're now three. Yeah. So Texas is a tough place to play. Yeah. I was watching a game at their stateium. It felt like everybody was right on top of it. Yeah, it just goes and it looked like they were twenty two players on the same field on Texas and eleven on the other side. I don't know, I don't know. How that worked out. Not to discount because they've obviously came to Alabama in one, but you're doing this weekend and week out. Oh, no doubt. This is going to be different for them. This is like a joa call for these guys. Yeah, it's not. I mean it is so like Big twelve, right, you know, yeah Big twelve. So I mean, you know you had some you didn't have the Utah's in there last year, but I mean you had some good teams, oh yeah, but nothing like I don't think it's really anything like the sec SC is kind of a different. Animal, right, You're going you go like just they're not on the schedule, but you know, you wake up and you go play Lane Kiffin, right, and then you think, got the gout over that. Let's go to Missouri. Missouri. Yeah, you wake up, you go, ah, we're going to baton Ruge. I mean it's like. There is no Yeah, you're like in season bye week. Yeah you look forward to van Yeah, you look forward to Vandy. You look forward to I mean South Carolina, you know, I mean. You've got to go to South Carolina. I don't care how bad they are. You're in trouble. Look out tough beam are still over there. Yes, yeah, and you look at as you look at the preseason SEC, there's nine top twenty five teams. Insane as that And what do we say the Big ten head? What five, five, five, and they're all twelve is their highest rank? Yeah? Oops? Yeah, and then you go back to the Big twelve one, two, three, four, the Big twelve, yeah, big twelve five? Yeah. Yeah, So what did the Big ten have? They have one, two, three, four, five, six, But they also have four in the preseason top twenty five. Out of those six, I mean you gotta think the SEC has well, they have nine, yeah, they also have four. Well, no, they have one, five, four, six, eleven, thirteen, fifteen, sixteen, and twenty. Yeah, no, they've yeah, this would be uh. That's why I think that the Michigan win in the National Championship last year was such a big deal of being a non SEC team finally like making in like looking like a real team too. How many teams have won the College Football Playoff? How many? What do you mean? How many different teams? How many different teams? Yeah? I heard this on another podcast. Let's see, let's say five, nine, nine, Yes, can you list them? Good? Lord, what is this all right? All right? Never mind that you probably you probably could. Yeah, Michigan. So you've got Michigan, Alabama, Alabama, Georgia, Georgia, l s U, l s U, Clemson, Clemson. That's five. Who won it the first year, Ohio State, Ohio State, Miami. No, No, Miami hasn't even been in the playoffs. I don't think USC has won it. No, And I don't think there's a pack Auburn Auburn and that has not won it. They have not, no, not. They won the year right before. Mm hmm. I didn't mean to make you think so good. Florida State, No, with Jimbo, but I think they did not win it just before then too. Y'all have got three more. There's one that's just gonna pop out. It should be three that pop out. Well, I mean, it's killing me Georgia. We already said that. So it was twenty fourteen was Ohio State, Fifteen was Bama? Sixteen who was sixteen Clemson? It's a great question. Seventeen was I think Clemson went back to back sixteen seventeen, didn't they? And then nineteen was Bama or eighteen was Bama? Nineteen. Who was nineteen? It was not Georgia. Mm hmm. You're supposed to know the answer, Yeah I did. I had it in my notes. Yeah, I had it in my notes. I don't see it. Oh no, no, not here. It was on my phone. I don't know. We'll look it up. Yeah, I look at it. I don't want to waste all that time. I thought Aaron was gonna have my Yeah. I didn't know that one got me. I don't know. Uh, all right, there's no East or West anymore. Yeah, that's unique, is it? I don't like that. You like having East and West? I did just because it was like, oh, this year Florida is our East game, and every year we had Tennessee. Yeah, we would have Vandyvandy's and East team right, yeah they were they were. Yeah, so you had them, you would have Georgia, you would have the Missouris come in, you know, you you do a home and home with them. And I enjoyed that, you know, because it built it really built up for the Alabama Georgia game in the regular season. Are we don't have it anymore? So it's gone. Yeah, so Arkansas, Auburn and Florida, which one out of those three actually have a decencies. I think Auburn. Auburn did a good job in the transfer portal. Freeze is good too. Yeah, coach Freeze will have them. You can't move into the right direction. I think the you know, the theory of the unknown of Florida still in Arkansas. Uh, you know, kJ Jefferson is gone now. Coach Pittman coach at Arkansas is one of the funniest character dudes ever in college football, and there's a beautiful place there. But I do think Auburn would be that team. Okay, uh, Kentucky Mississippi State in South Carolina. Kentucky, Kentucky, I think just had to do a bowl band though, did they really oh for yeah, legal recruit yeah something. Is this Mississippi State or Old Miss Mississippi State? Yeah, because Old Miss is a different discussion. I think Kentucky's a They'll start out just like the day last year. I feel like, undefeated through six games and then they started to play some competition. I like South Carolina, but like again, you know, they're also life after Spencer Rattler Mississippi State. They have a new head coach, Jeff Levy, who is really really good. He is an offensive play caller. He is awesome. And I don't know who they just off the top of my head of who they got course quarterback wise or whatever, but I would say coaching wise, out of those three, I agree with these travers. I think Stoops is a stellar I think it's just a different deal. When you know, you go into a season, you can't go play postseason football. Yeah, So if I had to guess, I would say South Carolina. And I do want to apologize. It was not nine named all of them. That's Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, LSH, Georgia. This five. I was racking my brain. I was thinking about it today. He won twenty Sorry sixteen it was Clemson. Yeah, all right, Vandy good luck. Yeah, that's what I think. Sorry, I'm not trying to be a jerk. All right, let's move on to the rank teams. Okay, LSU and Brian Kelly. They have a new starting quarterback, yeah, which he has played a lot. Yeah, it's not like this is first time on the field. We got the old nuts bus. I mean, he's not Nussmeyer. Yeah, he's been around. It's not Yeah, what's it is? He a senior this year, no, not, I only think he's a junior. When he was a freshman was Jaden's first year. Uh and he played, yeah, and he played. Up sparingly just you know, and then he What was great for him is he got in the championship game against Georgia when Georgia housed him in the first half. Do you remember that? And then he came out in the second half. He took Jayden out and Nasmyer came in and threw like four touchdowns in the second half. I mean it was a blowout, but it was good for him because he got experience in a championship game. Then last year, same thing kind of ran through the schedule with with your Heisman Trophy winner. And then when Jayden didn't play in the bowl game, Theusmyer did fine. I mean, I mean they beat Wisconsin's not like but yeah, he made the throws, he did what he had to do. Yeah. I know you're a Tigers fan too, Brian, So I'm trying to be nice to know. Well, now you've you've you've been high on LSU last two years and last year they've had Jayden Dais past year. Yes, yeah, he was really good. He's outstanding and fixed their defense this year. That's a big that's a big question. Yeah. Is it miscommunication? I mean they've got big guys out there, big, very capable guys. Is it communication? Is that what it is? They were trying to do their first year, well, they were trying to do some things that it just didn't work. That's just a fact. Now they went out and got a new defensive coordinator this year. Yes, and he is phenomenal. He's the guy from Missouri. Oh yeah, I know you're talking. That is a big time higher from Missouri. I mean that was That's a big loss for them if you ask me. So we'll see. I mean, they've got their studs back. They they're going to compete. They got the best linebacker of the nation. Yeah, take that guy? Is he said a free allion? They will compete. They'll be obviously above five on it, obviously. But are they a three or four lost team? Are they one or two lost teams? That's gonna be Yeah, that's gonna be the question. We'll see. They've got some dudes, obviously, they've I mean they reloaded a wide receiver. Now this may be the year they take some hits. They've got a massive recruiting class for twenty twenty six, unbelieved twenty twenty five. But this year you start off the season with USC, yeah in Vegas. Yeah, big ten, and then you got to go to South Carolina. Yeah, and then how about that they play UCLA and USC in the regular season. Yeah, that is so unique. Yeah, but you do get Old Piss at home. Yeah, and good luck, man, I think I'll miss it's good. Uh. Yeah. Jiffin has been grooming that crew for the past how long has it been four years? Yeah, he's three four years. You got Old this and Alabama at home. It's huge. Yeah, ig to have the home fit advantage against those two. And they just got a brand new massive Jumbo track. I thought you were going to say a new Tiger. No, No, Mike's still there, he's chilling. No. They literally have this massive Dumbo tron that goes the whole side. That's just incredible at a whole new level. But anyway, we'll see. I could see them with three losses. I think Arkansas put up a fight against them, be like a nine three team. Yah, it's a battle, the Battle of the boot Man. Yeah, you know, yeah, I could see them. Yeah, I think I just kind of go back to the point I said earlier. You know, do you have a difference maker quarterback? And and I guess time will tell on that one. Yeah, because you're replacing the Heisman Trophy winner. That's right. So all right, uh moving on, Uh Texas A and M with Elko, it'll be solid, He'll be solid. Yes, they're a sleeper in the SEC. Honestly, I just think they're good. I mean, I think they're good and they're gonna show out every year. Yeah. And if you've never been to Kyle Field for a game, it is Yeah, it is unreal, unreal. But I just think I think he brings a different level of toughness, discipline and demanding as a coach that A and M fans and football will embrace wholeheartedly. And I think, you know, you look at what he did at Duke coach olco is not the type of dude that like is about the dollars in glamour and like, oh I got I got paid, so I'm not going to work hard. That is not him, and I think he is A. I think he's a win for A and M big time. Who's their quarterback over there? Because of Brad Johnson's kid. Yeah, but he's a UNC now, shoot, I can't remember it. Top head Henderson. That's been A and M's thing is that if they had a good quarterback over the years, they were gonna win games. I don't see a guy that I recognize other than Miles O'Neil. I don't know who he is. Good lord, they got twenty of them. Yeah, Connor Wegman, that's their starter. Yeah, he is a sophomore. Yeah, you're right, you guy. Yeah, he was the guy and he is a returning starter. Ye, you're right. So that obviously helps how fast, you know, how fast you get caught. I will say this, you know, the rules of practicing in the non season stuff now in NCAA has totally changed where you know, this is my fifth year of being out of college football coming up, and the rules then were way different than what they are now. So you can prepare much more ahead of time than just training camp compared to what you used to be able to do. So, but until you actually get out there with live people that you know, you don't practice against every day in a different environment, Like you said, they're playing in Vegas, we'll see. But he is a returning started for him. That does help. I'm going to be an oddball here and I'm going to say this is just an adjustment year for his first year. It's a brutal Oh yeah, if you start off at Notre Dame. You could say the same thing about debor at Bama. I don't know. I don't think it's going to be a brutal adjustment year. We'll get to them. You've got yeah, but you've got Jalen returning. Yeah, I know, I know, I got plenty to say. All right, all right, so I mean, but I'm just saying, you got Notre Dame and then I mean you go to Florida and you got Missouri. Missouri's they're gonna be good. They were good last year. And you're at South Carolina and then you're at Auburn and then you finish off the season at Texas. You got them at home, but you got Texas. Still, it's a brutal schedule. Well, and that whole Texas, Texas A and m Re rivalry is going to be something to watch too, all right, So let's see. Moving on Old miss I think they're really a danger team to make a national championship. Run. Yes, like I think they have from what I've read and watched. They got a quarterback back that knows his system and who is super talented. They've got the defense, they've got stallions, and he's got talent on offense and one thing everybody knows, Lane can call plays. He's an awesome offensive coordinator. And I think if he were to do it any year, this is going to be the year that he's ever had a shot. When Nick Saban says they've always lacked men on the front line, yeah, offense and defense, and he went out and got those. Oh yeah, that's all I needed. No, you have fixed whatever your problem was. And Nick said, you have the blessing. Now I disagree. I don't think. I think Jackson dar is awesome and he's good, oh yeah, I just think he's not smart enough to not get himself hurt. I mean he goes in, he takes all the hits. Yeah, and he don't I have his chin strap so is flying off? You know, I just don't know he had He's been good. Can he get better? Sure? That's what my thought is. Yeah, and I think I think, yeah, yeah, if he stays healthy, look out. I think they're the one team, honestly is like all these teams SEC teams. Look, if they saw ole miss on their schedule, they're like, dang, yep, I don't want to play though. No, yeah, just because they're a little bit of a wild card, but all of a sudden they can hang fifty on you like that. They're like, just happened yet offense? To me, that's like that's they're the one team that's like, dude, I don't know, man, defense has got to come to play that day. Yeah, no, no question. I was looking to see who maybe their backup was, just in case said because I want to say that they had like five of the number one ranked position transfers, five or six. Yeah, they got them all. Yeah, like the top guys. They got him all. And it's like, uh oh Kiffin knows how to recruit. Oh yeah, I mean he well, he sat under save and he figured he learned the ropes. Yeah, they got I thought it was somebody I recognized. He's the former LSU backup of Howard transferred to Walker. Howard transferred, so he'll be behind cut all right. Uh Texas obviously we said that they're going to be a stud team, so who's your let's just skip down to who's your sleeper? Ole Miss and then I'm also going to say A and m Okay. I think Tennessee is an interesting team in the SEC this year. I was a huge Joe Milton fan, like huge, and like, it's interesting that New England Patriots drafted him after they've got Drake May I know, because that dude can throw one hundred yards? One hundred yards? Didn't they say that Joe Milton was potentially taking that starter job. Oh yeah, Like he's a real dude. So I think that's just the way. But Hypel does an awesome job on offensive bet. I just don't know if this is going to be that big step year for them, But yeah, I just think Old Miss is kind of that team or boy. Like so their quarterback, Tennessee's quarterback. There's been a lot of hype around this dude too. Oh is he yamla or something like that? Yeah, last year. I mean what scares me about that is he's not he's a freshman, he hadn't played, He isn't played. He's a red shirt freshman, right, I thought he was there last year. I think he might be right. Travis just didn't he play in the bowl game. He played the bowl game, yeah, he says, say he was twenty eight forty five. Yeah, with two touchdowns. Yeah, interception. They are so them and Old Miss offensively and actually Jeff Levy, who's the new head coach of Mississippi State, are all of kind of the same style and they're all they're all a tough team to play when you're a defensive coach because of what they do. But yeah, I'm gonna stick to my guns on the A and m Old Miss deal. Okay. I see one of their football player or one of their quarterbacks is a Navy shooler. That's what I'm asking. Really, I don't know. Is it same spelling s h U l e R. It's gotta be. Yeah, I'll be damn. He's like a token. Hey give you a skoch because he is a Yeah he sees legacy. Hey, nothing wrong with that, all right, So Travis, just so we don't skip over that, I was, I was like, man, no, we don't talk about them Alabama two minutes. I know that it's a new coach. I get that, and I think that everywhere that Caitlin de War has gone, they win that's the bottom line with it. But he has not been in the SEC correct, So my thoughts kind of are, hey, you know what, it might not be that championship year. Here's what I'll tell you. I'm not never liked him and had to deal with it when Brian Kelly came to the SEC and I heard the exact same thing, and he's done fine, Brian Kelly. Yeah, if if Kaylen can do this, that it would be I mean, that's to me, that's the litmus test. I mean, Brian Kelly's done okay coming in, so I would say he's gonna be fine. Yeah, I mean eight nine months ago, this dude was playing for the national championship. Yeah. So I think with a team that nobody picked exactly and they had Penix. Penix was awesome, But who else really can you name on that team? Well? Me, I can name Roman a Roman. Yeah he's good. But you know, I think the culture there right now with Milroe returning and you know a couple other guys coming back. Even though they said we're entering the porol, Saban's gone, they've come back and they said we're taking our name out of the portal. We like this guy yeah, oh, I like this guy, and I'm not a huge I loved Caleb Downs, but he is excommunicated because he didn't even give anybody a shot. He just went right right up to Ohio State. And I'm not a fan of that. All right, So what is acceptable to you? Acceptable? Yeah? Oh, man, you know you're a Abama fan ever since you know, you can think about college football. For me, that was like, you know, six oh seven, eight or nine, it's three losses acceptable? Three losses? Is you know? It's tough to tell because I don't know. I have to see the first game first, a couple years ago, right, No, he did not. When LSU went to the championship game, they beat Alabama. Who else to Alabama lost to Georgia and who else that year? Those three losses? It was Georgia. They beat Georgia. No, they I'm thinking of another year. But I don't think Saban ever had three losses unless he had a playoff loss. But there's no way he would have had two wins and gotten into the CFP. No, I'm I'm not taught last year about year before they make it to the College Football Playoffs. The year before they didn't correct. But that would make a championship game that was l s U Georgia and that's that was the year LS. You beat him on the last second throw. You know what, I think you're right and Young three because I think they lost to Tennessee that year. Two years ago we lost to Tennessee. What did we lose the bowl game? Because that would have been the third loss. No, I think you lost three in the regular season. Look, Nick Saban's greatest of all time, there's no doubt, but it happens, he can lose. I don't know if it's You might be putting expectations on PORL Well, and that's what I'm I'm worried about. Is acceptable your losses would PROBA would be acceptable because you got Georgia, South Carolina. You've got South Carolina. What you expect to beat them? No matter who you where you are. If you're Alabama, you're at Tennessee. But you're at Tennessee, which they don't scare me as much as LSU at LSU or Ole Miss at Ole Miss So at three Laws at Oklahoma? Are you sure? Yes, it's at Oklahoma, so, I mean that's a tough game too, But I don't think that cale. On the board. Missouri, it's compressed by that. I don't think they're they're quite there yet. Missouri is not quite there yet, Aburt. I don't think Auburn's quite there yet. Last year was a last second throw. We won by six points, fourth and twenty nine or whatever it was. Oh yeah, that's a Hugh Freeze thing. That's a huge freezing. I know. But I'm saying that you're putting an awful lot on this poor old guy's shoulders. I know, but you look at look at his rap sheet. Yeah, you do sign up for it. Though he signed up for it. He came behind Nick sab all right, So what is acceptable for this here? Ten wins? Yeah, and getting the college football playoff? Lord, not necessarily, you don't. I'm not putting expectations. Somebody's got to beat Georgia. Someone's got to prove besides Nick sabans Alabama that you you have to beat Georgia. Someone's gotta someone's got to do it. And I don't know if anybody else besides the talent that Alabama. I mean, Milroe. You got all these returners that played in this game against Kirby Smart and Georgia last year and beat them. So you've got people who know how to beat Georgia. Do you have the coach that can. Keep it going? All right? So who is I agree with you? The sleeper is Missouri? Yeah, I mean Missouri is good. Who do you sleeper? Wise? Yeah, old miss Okay, if you consider him a sleeper, yeah, But I just I was thinking the same thing about Missoo. If you consider him a sleeper, yeah, I guess of that top tier, they're the sleeper. Missouri's yeah, drink, he's stellar. But there's always going to be that one team that put expectations on that doesn't do well. Ye, and then there's gonna be that team that does. And so I mean I look at this and I think, you know what twenty ten was the ten and three year? Yeah, I was looking back on that team. Yeah, just sneaks up on eleven and two. Yeah, Auburn was twenty twenty two with Bryce Young. I told you they win in and win the bowl game. Let's see. Twenty twenty three is what I asked about. Twenty twenty three was last year? Oh? Was it? You know, it's funny. You know we talked about Texas early. You know, are they in the SEC Championship. You know, right now, they're preseason number four. I think Georgia and Texas Georgie's number one. You know, I'm gonna I'm actually gonna ride with Old Miss. I'm gonna say it's Georgia and Old Miss in the SEC Championship this year. Does Texas play All Miss? Let's see. Yeah, hold on, I can tell you Texas. Ole Miss is also ranked six. Yeah you know, I mean yeah, so that's I mean, that's they do not play. They don't. All right, Well, someone's look look at Old missus schedule home against Furman, home against Middle Tennessee State at wake Forest, home against Georgia, Southern home against Kentucky at South Carolina. It's five straight wins. It's five and as if they wouldn't already they do. They do play Georgia at Old Miss. Uh No, that's a scary one for Georgia. Yeah, that's a scary one. Yeah. I mean, I think we've all written Georgia and then we forget. They still got to play a schedule too. Yes, they have trap games just like everybody. Oh yes, yeah, but you know, I think those top four teams is probably in Georgia, Texas, Alabama and Old miss in my opinion, but you know, Missouri is a great football team. I think A and M is going to be an annoying, really good team. But at the end of the day, I don't I don't know how you can go against the dogs. It's tough. Nobody's proven they can. They're now. The one thing the arguing point would be Jalen Milroe got to the Final four and nearly beat Michigan, Yes, nearly beat Michigan. Whereas, oh my gosh, the kid from Georgia, Carson Carson Beck didn't get to do that a year ago, right, so different situations going into it. Beck should be fired up and motivated to prove everybody wrong. Where Milroe's got a new coach, but he's also has like a new voice and everything, and can they you know. The culture surrounding Alabama right now is so high right now that they're like good Saban, our former coach of a year ago didn't even pick us to beat to win out, and so they're I mean, they're fired. Up about that. I'm sure, Yeah, that's on purpose, but that's obviously on purpose. That's the reverse rat poison. Oh yeah, don't listen to it, but you better listen to me. Yeah, exactly exactly, which savings still over. He's a consultant. He gets paid half a million a year be a consultant. You don't think he's out on that football field. Isn't that what I'm getting from you, guys, Brian? All right? Moving on, So our four seed by in air playoff college football playoffs, we've got uh, let's go back to her notes. You've got Clemson, this is me, yes, right, Clemson, Oregon Jayhawks, the Jayhawks. So you've got Clemson, Oregon and the Jayhawks and Georgia Georgia. Yeah. Yeah, that's that's pretty good. All right? Now, who are at large? If you want to call him? Yeah, it sounds like Boise is going to be really good this year. As far as like other okay, you know, as far as I do you want to do the other at large conference champ I think that's gonna you know, you got Boise in the American Uh, like I brought up South Florida. I think they're really good. I think they could have a shot. How about UTSA. I thought there were some talks about them, Yeah, possibly doing that. And I mean Liberty. The schedule was so they just play such a soft schedule. I don't think they're gonna get the respect it'll be. Here's the tough thing, though, is if they're the only undefeated team, yeah, going into it at the end of the season, I guess out of all the conference champions, it's gonna be hard to not let them be that that fifth that team they had. They had to make that decision with Florida State, yep, so I wouldn't have a shot if they said, hey, you know what, you're twelve and oh but Boise State would come in and slap you around. Yes, so you know we're going Boise State. I don't think they're afraid to make that call anymore. They used to be. I don't think they're afraid now. And boys, he's got one of the best running backs, if not the best running back in the country. Who is really really good, really good the Sun Belt, Fun Belt, you know, you look at it, it's always a that league. You know, obviously I'm biased now my my son's coaching in the league. But app State is always a good football program. JMU was awesome last year. You know, Coastal Marshall, you know, but even then, as you look at the other side, Arkansas State, I'm telling you that their quarterback is a real dude, and he was the South the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year last year. I went out there in April and hung out with those guys for two days. I got to go watch spring ball and Butch Jones is a really good football coach. They're there. They could end up winning that league out there. Troy is really good, you know. I think Liberty is I think Liberty and Boys here are the two teams that are talked about the most because it looks like they have the best path. So you don't think the win if they win at app State is a big enough win for Liberty. You're saying, I think you play. Yeah. I think it depends on how good app is this year, right, Yeah, I could see that being the only thing on their schedule. Yeah, but you got Campbell this weekend. M barely be allowed. We're red Campbell. Campbell's okay, all right, So let's who are your other playoff hopefuls. I'll get I'll go through Travis's real quick. We've got Clemson, Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, LSU. So you just got an SEC College Football Playoff. Brian, did we not just talk about that? SEC has nine ranked teams in it. So you got Clemson, Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, LSU, Ole, Miss, f SU, USC and Liberty. It's not bad. I agree. I could see that. Yeah, I could see USC being one of those that sneaks in there. And I just think Florida State they're gonna kind of feel bad for them and they've got there. Let's say they have one loss, two losses? Yeah, you know, yeah, all right, what you got, Aaron, Yeah, That's what I'm kind of filling in here right as we go. I'm gonna give Liberty the nod is that large the at large conference champion and get back in there. And Cayden Salter's coming back, absolute playmaker for him running back. Both those guys are like preseason watchless guys. But I think coach Chadwell and his staff Willie Corn on the offensive side, they do it. They're unique. They're not like everybody correct, and that's another reason why I think they're very successful over there, aside from you know, just everything else that the university has. So I'll put them down kind of going through this old Miss will get in. Alabama will get in. How State will get in? I guess you know, you get like, so what's that? I think the Longhorns will probably get in. Also two okay, you've got what seeds probably six through ten? Who would be two lost teams? Yeah, six to eleven A team A lot of teams, you know. And I do think Penn State is going to get in this year. Did I put Penn State? No, you did not, because you found out they don't play in the Hey, I got three non SEC schools in the top four. All right, you know it's funny. I heard a lot of people are talking about Iowa that they're going to get into the playoffs this year. Their offense is not good enough. They hired a new coordinator. Yeah, so they will. I don't know. They like everything they want. He was suspended, yeah, for his first game. I think him and the receivers coach were for recruiting violation or something like that. But why do we have recruiting violations when these players can get paid? Me treston getting started? Man, listen, tell me how he gets in Michigan still just playing football? Yeah, I mean yeah, giddy up? Right? If harm all knew the rest of them knew. Yeah, so come on, nobody's perfect. So here's an interesting question. I agree. Do you think there's two teams from the ACC that get in. I think Saban had Tech were you had Clemson in Florida State? Yeah, I did. I had Clemson in NC State in the in the in the deal. I think Florida State, NC State Tech are kind of interchangeable in that spot. Yeah, that's whoever beats who. I don't know. I just for whatever reason, I just kept the Georgia Tech team. They look solid, they they're good, like they're really good. And I guess out of the Big twelve, you know, if Oklahoma State makes it the championship also too, if you know, if they're a ten to eleven, ten eleven win team, gosh, Utah is good though, you know, should be a good football team too. But I don't know if the Big Twelve, I don't know. If you guys saw that there was a money group of like oil people in the in like the Texas, Oklahoma area that basically donated hundreds and millions of dollars to the Big twelve football teams and said, please use this as you want. They don't want to be irrelevant in the Big twelve. I get it, like they there is oil money out there, sure, and they want to be relevant. Problem is Texas and Texas A and M or now in the SEC. I've read an article you've made me think about something years ago. It's probably been twenty years ago. It was listing the biggest donors in college football at that time, and number two on the list I think was at Oklahoma and it was you're thinking old my t Boone Pickings. No, it was the guy who sells oriental knockoff rugs. Really yes, and they're because they're in every if you think about it, they're in every Walmart in every store. Right. And he was a billionaire and he donated and it was like forty five million that he donated annually. And it was like, it was that's insane, oriental rug knockoffs, that's it. My homes donated five million. He did take his take? Yeah he should. Yeah, they put it up on their like as you walk in type deal should man trying to think of who these other two teams could be. So I don't mean to be giving you a dead air here, but I don't know, like right now, as you look as I look as I've got it on here. I've got Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State out of the Big ten. That's three. Yep. Do they get a fourth team in? Did you have USC? I didn't, and I'm not. I'm not a USC. You're not I am. You don't like a Lincoln Riley. I like Lincoln Riley. I think he is nobody on defense. I don't think they can stop a soul. And that sucks that you brought up last year because I picked them and I was deadly proven wrong on that one. Kaylyn Williams is number one draft pick and I'm a Bears fan. So yeah, buddy, but can't wait and talk about him? Yeah? Uh? I think it's just such a good quarterback coach. Yeah, look at his track record and he's got what three Heisman winners? Yeah? You know what, Brian, I'm gonna throw Georgia Tech in there for fun. Oh that's awesome? Why not? I love it? Right? And uh, and then let's go Missouri. I like Missouri as the other team. So that's my twelve. All right? So I got Liberty, Penn State, Missouri, Georgia Tech, Texas, Ole, miss Alabama, and Ohio State as the final teams. All right, and what we'll do to finally finalize college football playoffs, we'll have you back on like the week before they announce. Okay, for you to do the elections on it would be fun. Yes, good, all right, Now go over quickly players to watch who you think will be uh, you know, sort of the studs this year. Yeah, I think Carson Beck has an opportunity to kind of be handed the heisman. Okay, just because he's on He's on the preseason number one team. He's great, he'll live up to it. Yeah, I think. I mean from what I saw last year, he was doing well. Yeah, and he would be like one of the first non transfer quarterbacks to get the Heisman in a while since Bryce Young. That's a good point. Yeah, you know three years all right obviously yours, Yes, you know he's he's got a big chip on his shoulder. Obviously, he's got arch Manning that everybody talks about behind him. Yeah, but Archie has obviously done nothing to beat him out. Correct, So are you Gabriel? Yeah, Dylan Gabriel has an opportunity to like put up gaudy numbers and to just run away with it. By what I see, it's just that organ offense. That Dan Lanning. Yeah, I think Lanning's very smart, very smart. He's great. He is obviously mil Roe mill Row. I think he's gonna be one to watch just because he's I mean. You're not nobody outside of a quarterback, right it is? I like Will it's just become who's the best quarterback in the league? Pretty much? It's qb Ward. Yeah, it hasn't DeVante Smith I think and Dominican Sue and Smith did win it didn't he Yeah, that's one of Sue is I think was the last defensive player that was a finalist for it. So, I mean running backs, we don't even know anything about him anymore. I mean, how many really stand out running backs like they don't stay you you knew about Derrick Henry, Yeah, you knew about guys like that. But who who's like that? For you? Now? The kid that was at a high state that was from Virginia, he's back. He's a real guy. Henderson do you think it's his last name? Yeah, he's from Virginia. No, he's from Petersburg area. Okay, Yeah, he's he's real. He's really real. We lose these studs. I'm telling you, we don't put emphasis on our damn high school football. No, we don't. Not here. I mean just like I said, you know the other week, people don't just go out and watch high school football. It's like you got the parents, you got the students, all. Right, quickly? Hot seat in college. Ye who's just a couple of them? Man, I love your list. Travis Pittman Man, Lincoln Riley. If you don't want you got to get his act together by yeah, Ryan Day. Yeah. I think Napier is definitely one at Florida because they're not going to hang around much. And honestly, you know, I think Mario crystal Ball is down at my too if he doesn't win, that's true. If he really doesn't win, they're not going to stick around with that either. Oh when you forgot Oklahoma, yea, he's got to win. It could be loud. Yeah, that could definitely get noisy over there. His first year in the SEC. He's got to prove something. Yeah, he's got to be like a four lost team. Yeah yeah, he can't. Yeah, he's got to prove something because they'll understand, Hey, you know you're in the SEC first year in the SEC new conference, big strong conference. Four or five loss, I don't know if you can get five. I think four is probably the max that you can get if you're him. I tell you one guy who could have some pressure too if it doesn't work out great for him this year is James Franklin. I agree with that because they've always been the team that has been knocking at the door, and now there's a twelve team playoff and if they don't get in, are they going to put up with it up there? I think the same thing would go with Dabo, don't you. Yeah, I could see that. I mean if he doesn't if he doesn't win the a c C or at least being the college football playoffs. And coach Sweeney's been like the guy that's been anti nil transfer portal. I think he's very loud and against it, but it's not going away at all at all. I think Davos right now being a little too stubborn. Yeah, when he could still be that top five team preseason. He's got a stud running back coming in next year too. He's got a couple of LCA Bulldogs heading down his way. I was gonna try to get over they play Salem Friday night. That's a home right Yeah, yeah, jeez, would be a big test for him, right, Yeah, they beat him last year. All right, Well, before we get into our NFL preview, will get Carolina. Kevin will come on here in a second. Don't expect a lot. I don't think I've ever. We'll go through, Uh, we'll go through his picks. It's funny. He's my other and he lives uh somewhere in Carolina. One of the Carolina Anonymous like that, you like it. So he's quite quite funny. Uh. But he's pretty spot on with his pick. That's what I'm saying. He's pretty spot always been really good at that stuff. And he's a gambler. It's just a gambler, man. I see you write down notes for your FanDuel this year, I use. I use him a line for my FanDuel picks. So we'll wait for Emma to give us the thumbs up and if we'll see if he comes through or not. I told him, I first told him that he wasn't going to be part of this because I really wanted to focus on just getting this done. And then Trent was like, no, you gotta have Kevin's picks because he's with him. I'm telling it was with him. He's going to give you something like uh, he's gonna give or something like that, and you're going to sleeper, okay, and then all of a sudden, bam, yeah yeah, I don't yeah, don't ask players either does to the show up to until he calls. He puts the artificial in intelligence. He is as accurate as the weather man, except when it's predicting who turns left the best. So good at predicting sports that he was put in witness protection somewhere in Carolina. Welcome to the show, Carolina, Kevin. All right, Kevin, that's a great bumper. Thank you, Travis. I texted at the Trent and he says it was terrible. Well again, hey, I generated the. First one makes him sound like he's seventy five years old. That's about dentures and an ice track. All right, Kevin, are you ready for your picks? This is too much like work. I'm already exalted at nine. Oh me? All right, so quickly, I need your basic, your big your big conference champions. Who's going to be your ACC champion? Okay, I've only got five statements, of the ACC, got Florida, TA, got SDC, got Texans, got dam not that quick. Well, not that quick. He brought the energy today. Into the NCAA tournament. Now it's cars Cal Larson, the NFL's cowboys. What is you got going on? No? No, no, no, no, no, slow down, slow down. Let's go go back to just a few minutes. You do, but uh go back to the ACC. Who do you have out of the ACC? When Florida State and Clinton is playing? Then here in the ACC tournament at uh Santa Stadium and Florida State's going in. Okay, so you got FSU winning the ACC. All right, moving on to the Big ten. Who we got Michigan? Holy cow, I'm telling you no, no, he does this and then halfway through the season you go, what knowledge did he have? All Right, you'rerezy if you think Michigan. But okay, more to you. All right, Michigan. All right? In the sec OAX, it's a good one. It's gonna be tough. Someone's got to prove they can beat Georgia if it's Texas, Hey, what did we say last year? Somebody has to beat Alabama, someone has to beat Georgia and Alabama beat Georgia. No, I'm just saying nobody thought he would go into Alabama, right, yeah, Sark, it was his big thing I'm talking about. Yeah, now I know what he's talking about. Yes, and he did it, and he did it well, so very well. We'll see. Texas is a good pick. I like it all right, and wrap it up the big twelve. West Virginia. Wow, I love it. He pulls him out of a hat many what were those again? All right? Time him out? What were they? Listen? So it was FSU Michigan, Texas and West Virginia. I love it. Those are the buys. So this is a truth. Kyle Busch and racing was he had been horrendous. I mean so awful it wasn't even funny. And I forget what race it was. He's told Trent and I both put money on him he's winning this week, and so Trent literally calls me with two laps to go and he's like, how the hell Kyle Busch hasn't done anything, And I'm like, I have no idea. Now. Kyle Busch ended up losing because they had like four over times and I think somebody wrecked him. But he was spot on with it, and it's like, there's no way you figure this out. So he might get lucky, and he knows what he's talking about. He knows what he's talking about. All Right. We're getting ready to dive into the NFL. So before we do, let's get your picks for who you think is going to be in the super Bowl. I believe it's gonna be the Kansas City Chiefs again. And I think it's gonna be the Cowboys, and the Cowboys are gonna lose against the chance Kansas City Chiefs. Wow. Okay, Aaron, what do you think about that? We're gonna find out in just a minute. It breaks down the all right, and before you get off, we always have to know who your favorite is turning left. You've got the final race before the playoffs. So who is winning at the old Darlington Speedway. Blaney's gonna end up winning? Wow, Ryan Blaney. Okay, you take that to the bank. It's pretty accurate. Then when it comes to cars turn and left, he's pretty good thing. I ain't gonna lie about that, all right, Kevin. I hope you uh have we can. I'll talk to you soon. Trent. This is for Trent the word of the day. Oh great, we love the word of the day. What do we got. Bad day? If anybody's ever having a bad day, you just think about it. You really could be a Siamese twein attached to a gay brother who has a date and you're the only one with an ask. From family. I mean, I don't know what to do. Oh boy, it's hey. Our viewers or listeners have spoken for the last year. I got nothing. Their favorite segment of the show is Carolina Kevin. I can see why. You need. You need a pause, an awkward pause. Laugh, there you go. He brought it today. He brought it. Oh yeah, all right. Good. So now we get to dive in to the NFL. Now. I love college football. I think college football to me, it's the unpredictability. I know, you're still going to have your Georgia and Alabama and stuff, but it's I used to I hate that ESPN has gone away from it. But Thursday night football used to be so massive, and even it would be like a Louisville versus Syracuse and you're like, that ought to be decent, and then it would be this unbelievable game. I hate that that just seems to have gone away. But college football is great because you can watch app State play Michigan. So but now we're diving into the NFL. There's a lot of storylines this year. There's a ton, so let's dive into it. Let's start with the NFC first, the NFC East. NFC East is going to be the Eagles this year. I think they are way too good, way too good. Okay, how about the coach? What do you think? I think he's done a good job of He realized he needed to make coordinator switches because things we're working for the quarterback. You brought in Kellen Moore, who's Kellen's Kellen has been a good OC as you look at him statistically, I believe he's been like a top ten OC, and I think a big thing. You know, obviously Jason Kelsey is retired, so like having a new center is different, but like it's one of their starters who played guard, who's going to slide in, So that's not It's going to be fine. They got great tackles there and I'm telling Saquon Barkley could be the MVP of the NFL. That's a big addition to him. I like that Saquon Barkley because and then the other thing they just did, they they brought in I think it was Johan Dotson from Washington. They just added him as their third wife, Receiper. Yeah, so they're their offensive skill You've got a J. Brown, DeVante's Smith, John Dotson, Dallas Goddard, sak One Barkley, Jalen Hurts, good luck. Yeah, it's true. And their offensive line is so good. So I think the big thing that they did in the draft is they drafted some secondary players that they needed and I think they got like the two top rated corners in the NFL or in the in the draft. So okay, I just think Philly's really good. All right, Washington and the Giants. I think the Giants are a dumpster fire and I hate it because I love their coach, Oh, Dave Balls. Yeah, I don't know if you watch the Hard Knocks, if anybody has not watched the off season hard Knocks of the Giants. To me, that is the most interesting one I've ever seen by far, having been in those closed door meetings HM as a coach, when you discuss personnel and who you're deciding to choose, all of that, I was floored, like floored. Yeah, but I can't watch them, yeah, because I don't care. If they're the worst team, then I think they're the best team. Yes. By watching Yeah, I think Yeah, Daniel Daniel Jones, God love him, but it's yeah, and that well, if you would watch Hard Knocks. They were trying. They wanted Jaden Daniels. Mhmm. They were trying to move up, and I think I do think Washington is in a good position. I just don't think they're good enough up front to take another step. But I think they got the guy at the trigger too. He's special, man, He's really good. He can make it happen with his legs. Gosh. Yeah, and Terry McLaurin I think could have an unbelievable season because of that. Dallas just as always that they signed CD so they got that. I think if they don't sign Dak Dako should go out and try to prove something this year that he deserves every penny. Does Dalvo help? I just saw they brought him in Cook Oh yeah, yeah, they did sign him. They needed it because they had nobody in the running back room, nobody. They had the little dude Douce Vaughan who's a really good player. But like if you blit a linebacker at him, he's gonna like eat, you know, he's gonna kick him up. He's going to make him into this quarterbacks. Yeah, didn't they get Ezekiel Elliott back? Yeah, but he's nothing that has been it just yeah, it just kind of is what it is. Got some more money and I don't I don't, you know, I believe Washington got Dallas' center, uh Tyler Battish who was starting. Like that's a big deal. Also too, I'm not a Dallas believer yet for this year. I think they're good. Maybe they'll make the playoffs, but I don't know. Okay, Eagles and now let's move to the west all the way to the yeah, forty nine ers. Yeah, I think they've got Trent Williams signed up. You know, it'll be interesting to see what happens with Brandon Ayuk. But I think they're just one of the unique offenses with Kyle Shanahan with how they run their offense. I think Kyle Uschak is one of the most unsung players in all of the NFL as a full back. Was with Jayden Daniel yah Oh yeah, yeah, they're boys. Can you imagine that year? Holy can? Yeah, no doubt. But I think, you know, San Francisco's just got I think they're a good old line. I don't think they're as dominant as they have been. Trent is an incredible player, but outside of him, they don't have great players on the offensive line. But I think schematically everybody hates playing them, hates playing them, and defensively they're still going to be really good. Arizona doesn't. Arizona will be will be tough. I think Kyler and Marvin Harrison will be a fun thing to watch because I think he's incredible. They got a really good tight end there, Trade McBride. I just don't think they got enough on defense yet to be a good foot like a sound. I think the Rams are good. The Rams are young on defense, they got good players. Offensively, I think they've kind of shored up their offensive line. I mean they get Pokinakol and Cooper Cupp are gonna have five million catches yep. And like you said, Travis, I got Blake Rum but he's sitting behind Kien Williams from Notre Dame from a year ago, who was stellar for him in the run game. So I think the Rams are dangerous. I think they're a playoff team, all right, Uh South moving on to the South. It's so weird, But like, I think the Falcons are going to be the best team in the South. Really. I think you know, they've got you know, Kirk Cousins comes back and is healthy. I think they're a good old line. I think defensively they're going to have maybe the best handem at safety in the league with oh shoot, they just signed Jesse Bates. I'm just not a big believer in their coach. Yeah, it's well, he's new, right, but he had been you know, he had been. I think he'd kind of taking his time back to be a coordinator. I think it's going to be an interesting thing to kind of see that. But I think as you look at the rest of the NFC South, it's not very good. No, it's it's just not a good division. So I think they got a chance to just take it. I just look at I'm one of those people that if you're going to move off of a coach, you've got to bring somebody else in that is better. And I just don't see that upgrade in Mores. Yeah, I mean he's I know, he's a well respected guy in the NFL, in the circles, and you know, when he took over Tampa Bay, he was a young guy. He was really young, so he didn't have kind of that experience factory. And I think he was with Sean McVay here for he was in the last three four years whatever it's been, and you know, maybe learned a different style and that is could help him. But I will say this, Kirk Cousin gets hurt. Look out for Michael Pennix. Yeah, that's right, because they didn't even play Michael Penix in the last preseason game. That says something. If you're not even going to play your backup quarterback. Yeah, like, I think they're a believer in him personally. And yeah, they're paying Kirk Cousins a boatload of money, but look out and he don't take a step up, oh maybe one game. They just don't have enough talent. They have a horrible offensive line and you've got a tiny quarterback, can't see over that offensively. They just haven't built a good team yet. Yeah. I agree, you know, I just I can't and the Saints, I think Dennis Allen is on the hot seat. Yeah, and I think that's a tough one there right now. I mean I just do all right. The North. I think this might be the best division in football, back to the old school, yeah, but with some fun, yeah, teams to watch. I am definitely a homer with the Bears. Yeah. And I'm in a flat out say that the Bears are going to win the North. I think they have lines take a step back. Then. I think it's I think the line. I think there's three playoff teams though, I think Green Bay. I think Green Bay, Detroit, and Chicago are all going to make the playoffs. That's crazy. I think Chicago. Chicago's defense on all three levels has playmakers. Yeah. And on offense there's so much different than Carolina where they've got DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and then first round draft pick number nine pick roma Dune Day Cole committed tight end and they took DeAndre Swift away from Carolina also to and their role line is good. And I've been a Bears fan since I was seven. The first preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, it was third and twelve when he threw a crawl route and I was like, oh man, We've finally got one, like finally, so I'm in on him. Did Williams play in the preseason? Oh yeah, he did, Yes, and he played well. The Bears were four to zero in preseason. It's a good thing they don't and you preseason? Yes, Oh I agree. But I just see things that haven't a long time, and I think, like, hey, I'm as big of a believer of the Detroit Lions as anybody. Yeah, I just don't know if Detroit is good enough on defense to be able to be the championship football team. I think Aiden Hutchinson's really good. Outside of him, I don't know if I can name another player on their defense. All right, So who do you have representing the NFC Philadelphia, Philly? Okay? I went back and forth between them and the forty nine ers, but I just I think Philly could have and I think they've got a little easier path with the NFC East also too. Okay, all right, swift switching over to the AFC, Let's go AFC East first. Got to go with I still gotta go with the Bills. I know the Jets have. The Jets have made a lot of you know, is Aaron Ryders is going to be can you make it through the entire season. I think the Jets defense is absolutely outstanding. I think Miami is so much fun to watch on offense. But until that they can prove that they can win a game below forty degrees, I'm not in on that one, agreed. I think Josh Allen, with the departure of Stefan Diggs, is going to be a better football player. I think he's going to not feel the pressure of I gotta make sure I get him the ball or he's gonna come yell at me on the sideline. I'm a huge believer in their coordinator. Yeah, I love that guy. Yeah yeah, Lsu Yes, yeah, he's smart. But you know, and don't forget, if I'm not mistaken, it was last year mid season they fired Dorset. Yeah they did and brought in or he was there, but he was there, they promoted him. Oh yeah, you started to see it go, so I could given him a whole year. Now to the one big thing I think that Buffalo is hurting right now though, is Matt Mulonne. The linebacker is out indefinitely with a bicep injury, so that could be ten twelve games down the road that he might finally be able to get back in so defensively, and they lost some guys on defense that they had to cut smooth leave. He's the middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears, that's right. And the other linebacker we have is TJ. Edwards. And I'm telling you we're like, we we have a defense in Chicago. I know off the said a little bit, but how good was the Dolkwood Oh my gosh. Yeah, when the Edmans boys are coming. But if you had one Thornhill Yeah, and uh Joe Reid was down at uh uh Randolph Henry. I think Thornhills now with Cleveland. Yeah, he moved on from Kansas City. He was you will talk about unbelievable. Yeah, that's that's you got four NFL players out of that five. I don't think he's with the team now. Joe Reid was was with San Diego. But yeah, you mean the l A Chargers. Yeah, sorry, yeah, but I mean that's the NFL players. It's one thing to have conference, you know, like Seminoles sending kids to D one, but the NFL. Yeah, out of that one league, that's impressive. Ye. All right, AFC West Kansas City, no brainer. Yeah, I think so. I mean, I think I think Denver will be an improved team. I think the Raiders are gonna suck. I think Denver is gonna be a really improved team. I think the only thing that gets me with Denver is are they gonna have enough firepower on offense for bow Knicks. I think they'll run the ball really well. Javonte Williams I think is really good. I saw that they just released one of the receivers, Tim Patrick today, so I think they got the Cortland Sutton, who's a really good productive guy. I just don't know if they have enough firepower, but I think they'll be improved. And I think the Chargers with with Harbaugh, it's gonna be probably one of the most fun storylines to watch this year in the NFL, just to see him coming back, and you know the transition of their team. You know, they got rid of Mike Williams and Keenan Allen at wide receivers. So I think their best guy is Lad McConkie, who they just drafted out of Georgia. And I'm just gonna say it. I mean, like last time, you know a little white receiver was the best dude on an NFL team. I can't even remember like a little white receiver like he is like Cooper's he's he's a big, bigger, stronger guy like It's just it's it's interesting. But you know, he signed some running backs from Baltimore, his brother's team, and he's got a great O line though that he's going to have, so JK. Dobbins, Yeah, yeah, and then I think he also got Gus Edwards also from Baltimore as well, Various Davis TCU. The one draft pick that they had, Quinton Johnston, he just has not worked out. It looks like he can't catch a cold standing outside one of his negative degrees. So no, you're right, yeah, I don't see much there. Brendan Rice from USC, Yeah he was okay, Yeah, Caleb made him look good. D J. Clark from l s U. He was a good receiver. Yeah. Yeah, he's a good receive. But that's what I'm saying. They just have guys that are unknown and unproven in the league. I tell you what. It didn't take him long when he was with San Francisco. Correct, correct, absolutely correct. And they've got dudes on defense I mean Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa and Derwin James. I mean, they've got dudes on defense, but do they have enough firepower on offense. I've got a great quarterback in Herbert, but but it's time for him to put up a shut up. I totally agree. Everybody talks about him being one of the top five. Why because he's six to six? The NFL does that though, Yeah, I mean like Dak I mean yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean it's yeah, you're great, but you don't win. Yeah, you gotta get it done, all right. Moving on to uh, let's see the North, gimmey Baltimore. I think this is going to be an interesting league. I think Cincinnati Joe Burrow stays healthy, They're they're a playoff team. If not, No, Cleveland's defense is the best in the NFL. Yeah, but that that, to me is the other huge storyline this year is is Deshaun Watson gonna be worth the money? Like? Is he going to make the difference for Cleveland to actually win? Right? You know, like right now? Their defense is the reason why they win football games. And is Nick Chubb going to come back and be healthy like his knee injury. Man was so bad, right, Like I wonder, I hope he can come back to you as good as he was. Sometimes you just see when when they when they go hyper extending so bad the other way, you really worry about nerve issues and the deterioration of the muscle and everything. Is can you be that good again? But that wasn't his first knee injury though, though I had a couple of Georgia. Yeah, he had one earlier in his career. It's just that one. The way it looked, man, it looked bad. It looked really bad. But yeah, I just think Lamar's Lamar's got to get it done. I think this is a big prove it. You're also too for the people in Baltimore of if they play Kansas City again in the playoffs and he doesn't win, are the people going to start turning on him? Yeah? Yeah, you know that's an interesting one to me. But you've got the Ravens. Yes, give me ba Baltimore there. Man, I just I would love to see Cincinnati do it. Yeah, I agree. I think they're a fun team. I think Joe Burrow is as cool as it gets playing quarterback, and I hope he can stay healthy. If he can stay healthy, Yeah, and I think they've got a good offensive line. Yeah, it's just in a couple more. Yeah, they lost Joe Mixon, he went to Houston. They still got Jamar Chase and t Higgins, so they've got good weapons out there. Running backs unproven. But Zach is a great coach man. He'll he'll figure stuff out and get it done with those guys too. Yeah. All right, Uh to the last but not least the South to Houston Texans. Yeah. I do think Jacksonville is really good this year also too. Yes, I think this is a year Trevor Lawrence has got to take a big step forward as a pro as a prop. But I think Houston overall as a team defensively, you know, it is really good. Man. I think Stroud is awesome. I think Stroud and Joe Burrow are too, like two peas in a pod yep, and they're just they're cool. They get it, they see it, they can rip it, They're accurate. I think I think that's the big wife for you Pittsburgh fans out there. That's the big reason why Russell Wilson is starting over. Justin Fields, I lived through watching Justin Fields as a Bears fan, like he couldn't hit that sign right there on time when you need to and in that league, you have to be on it, and he just wasn't. And I hope he can. I think he's like everybody loved him. But there's a discovery now. Derrick Henry is in Baltimore. That's why. Y. Yeah. How about Tennessee Titans. Tennessee, they gotta take a step back. It's gonna it's gonna be an interesting yet. Brian Callahan is the new head coach. He's the son of Bill Callahan, who I've worked for and I've known Brian a really long time good friend of mine as a running back coach. I wish them the best. I don't. I just Will Levis is really talented, like super talented. I think they drafted a tackle from Alabama to be their first round pick. So they've got to shore up the whole line. And Bill is the best old line coach in the NFL by far, and so he'll get those guys to be tough and smart. And you look at like how good of a run game Cleveland had over the past few years. The line coaches Bill Callahan, like, he gets it done with those dudes. So the one thing I like that Tennessee did do. They've got de Andre Hopkins. They brought in Tyler Boyd from Cincinnati because Brian Callahan was the OC of the Bengals, so he knows this. So Boyd knows the offense. And the big development is the receiver Burks that they had from they drafted from Arkansas a couple of years ago. Is he going to really be a dude? I'm not a big Burks fan personally, but oh, they got de Andre Hopkins. Yeah, and they've got one of the best defensive tackles in the game ninety eight. For whatever reason I can't forgetting is yeah, Ridley's there also too. I forgot about that. So they've got some pieces on offense, run game, running back. I think it's ty J Spears, who's from Tulane from a couple of years ago. Is a really good player. Maybe that's why they said we're ready to move on. He got good playing tom he did last year. Yeah, I mean he's the third down back right and he's he's a really smart guy too. Good friend of mine used to be his runner back coach at Tulane and told me this guy is really sharp, motivated and tough. He did good for me in fantasy last year. Yeah. No, he's a good football player. Backup is Mason Rugolf. Yeah. I think that's a good signing also too, you know they really they traded. Actually Malik willis the Liberty kid to But that was recent then, like a day or two ago. Where did he go? Yeah? Shoot, I just saw the league play in the preseason game. Yeah, it's a saying talk gone and I should not have forgotten where he went to. But but yeah, I think Tennessee's it's just gonna be a I think they're in a green Bay green Bay by Yeah, yeah, you're right. Yeah, so he's gonna go get go, get up there and get cold. Yeah, he's a I think he's a Florida boy. So he played here, played at Auburn, So you had a good run at Liberty. Good. Yeah, he's a great, great young man. But yeah, I think Houston. But I will say Jacksonville's defense is something to be reckoned with. I agree, And don't sleep on the coach. I love that coach. Yeah, Doug Peterson, Yeah, Doug awesome. I don't know why he was fired him. Yeah, I think they just wanted one them. Yeah. You remember there was a fight between him and the quarterback. He did not like Carson Wentz. He wanted Carson Wentz. Yes, yeah, he was. Yes, the GM and the personnel people say we're ready to move on. We want this dude. Yeah, yeah, you know. But yeah, and I've got some buddies on the Jacksonville staff, so I'm really pulling for them this year too. So down in Duvall, all right, who's uh, who's representing the AFC. You can't go wrong. It's Kansas City until Patrick Mahomes is dethroned. Just the guy's unbelievable. He's so good. He just he And by the way, they just signed the fastest football player to ever run a forty yard dash at the combine. Yeah, look out. They just brought Juju Smith back. Also Juju Smith back because New England released him. That the guy who couldn't Tony, thanks for helping us win a Super Bowl, but you're gone. You know, Kelsey should be great again. I think they still got Pacheco that, you know, Rashan Rice. Yeah, yes, And the NFL hasn't voted on if they're going to suspend him or not. The other one too with Minnesota, Jordan Addison, he got a DUI. I believe he suspended like six games for just a do I parked at the airport in front of the airport at L A X. Yes, so so he wasn't driving, but he was parked supposedly. Supposedly that's where he finally parked. All right. So the only thing that scares me, and this is with every team, is if Patrick Mahomes gets hurt. Yeah, I mean your drop off because you are going to Carson Wentz. Yeah, Carson Wentz. Yeah, he is there. He is their back, which you know, good for him. And you know, don't forget Doug Peterson was the O C for Andy Reid, so he'll know the system, right, I know. But just that's Mahomes. Yeah, I just he has that ability to do something outside the pocket that could get himself into some health. Yeah. But what scares me, I think the thing if you watch the Netflix Steal a Quarterback, how tough of a duty is? Oh yeah, And everybody on like on social media rips on him for having like a dad body. He doesn't care. Maybe the dad bod protects him like when he's falling there or something like that from some of the stuff. But dude, he's a magician and he just he can't fool him. He's But if if Kansas City wins the super Bowl this year, he'll do something Tom Brady never did his win three super Bowls in a row. That's sure. And if he does that, that whole goat conversation gets real real. You durn't right, it does, and it gets real real for Andy Reid. Oh yeah, no doubt, no doubt Andy Reid. Steve Spagnola's has been his defensive coordinator for a long time. Hey, you grew at the defense. Yeah, I'll be the head coach. I'm going to run the offense. But we're gonna make this thing work. So rewind a little bit, Travis. Why did Philadelphia move off of Andy Reid? Yeah? Yeah, right, I mean yeah, Philly's always been a team that has been very progressive up like two days move forward, like all right, hey, this didn't work, we're going to fire yep. You know whereas you got Dallas, who Jerry Jones is in Pittsburgh. They hold on to their coaches for a very long time, right, wrong, or indifferent. That's just how they do it. Is there a chance that Tomlin finally doesn't get the five hundred? Yeah? This year, you do think so. I think it's going to be a really tough year in Pittsburgh. Yeah, I think they're I think, you know, t J. Watt's awesome. I think they've got some really good talent on defense. But I don't see it. Yeah I could, Yeah, I'm good with you. I just George Perkins is probably one of the most talented wide receivers in the whole NFL. Last year, they just wouldn't get him the football. Arthur Smith is their new offensive coordinator who came from Atlanta. Yeah, maybe he can finally be the one that gets like figures that out, like, can rust get him the ball? If he does, they got the I'm serious. That guy is one of the best playmakers that's on the football field. But I'm not seeing it. All right, that wraps up our college and NFL coverage so quickly. Do you have any fantasy football insights since you were the commissioner, right. So, yeah, he's the commissioner, I am, but I have not one who typically dominates that league. Don't even have to bring this up as your father ducking me in golf forever. So he sent me a picture and he's got two rings on his thing. He does, what's the what's the guy for the Brewers? He was the commissioner of baseball for years. Yes, could win. Yeah, the other buddsy look of fantasy football. I'm hoping my reading glasses are going to make me see clearer this year of who I should draft. So how do y'all determine the first round draft? Y'all just draw. It's just a random deal on ESPN Fantasy Football. So there's eight of us that are in it, and uh, we've been doing I think this is going to be the third or fourth year coming up of the eight of us. So I think we should have like vandel where you can pick, yeah, who's your number one pick? So fun. I was out in LA this past weekend. My little nephew, Parker is eleven years old, and he had his fantasy draft on Sunday and he's like, will you help me with my thing? And I said, well, what pick do you have? Him like, what if you get number one? Well, his favorite player is Tyreek Hill, and I was like, well, would you draft Tyreek Hill, and he's like, yes, And if I had a number one pick, I would draft Tyreek Kill. You think he's gonna get the ball a lot? I think yes, they feed him the football and I just and Christian McCaffrey's awesome. He's the other guy. He's brittle. I mean it's but he plays in a tough offense like for a running back. Like he gets the ball in the tackle area, he's gonna get hit. Yeah, you know Tyreek is out in space so much where it's not gonna happen as much. You know about Kelsey? I had him last year. I think we should be asking Dave these questions. Well, not yet, no doubt, tell him to call in. Yeah. I had Kelsey last year and he was very consistent. He got better at actually as the season went on, I was honestly a little disappointed, but he didn't give It wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. A couple years ago I had him and he was consistently fifteen to twenty points every single game, and then he would have thirty. Yes, yeah, what's a big key. What's a big key to fantasy draft man? Don't draft a quarterback first is that what you. Don't don't do it early. You gonna wait till like maybe fifth sixth round. Okay, like you can still get like Jalen Hurts is a great pick. Yeah, you know, obviously Josh Allen's the number one quarterback because he gets so many running touchdowns inside the red zone. But I think like a guy like Tua, like he's gonna throw for a billion yards, he's just gonna throw it up and let the battle, yeah, bottle or so. And then there's always gonna be there's always somebody every year where you pick him up off the waiver wire. Where I was, like last year was David Devon a chan that I scooped up and he ended up having like a fifty two point game. I remember that and it was just wild. So yeah, so what's the what's the name of the league? I don't know. Bogie's and Bourbon, Bogies and Bourbon And it is not a public league that is under lock and key. Yes, And we are having our draft on Tuesday night, and the five people that are still in this state, I believe we're going to get together at scoreboards over in Windhurst. Shout out to scoreboards. They should become a sponsor. Yeah, should you should work on Travis. I don't know, job, you're the guest. Just all right. All you had to do is say the word all right. All you had to do is say the word. Yeah. But it would be awesome if we could like get like your dad and and Chris Jones and Rob Robinson both in the Dallas area like up on like a screen also too, so like we a'll just actually be there together to do it. But Dad came back in town. Maybe it was last year for it just for the fans draft. It's it's it's great because we all banter throughout the week. Our one buddy, Jeff Rupert, he like has a Wednesday report that he says he has his interns make, which he doesn't have any intake exactly, but we all look forward to it on Wednesday morning and like and if he's late with it or if he doesn't like have it in by Wednesday Thursday morning, like seven of us are like, yo, where's the Rupert Report? Yeah? And it's awesome and it's it's a lot of fun. So and I never did fantasy football before getting out of it, and I didn't realize what I was missing. So yeah, all right, uh quickly about two minutes, let's go through local civil districts. Yeah, obviously LCA is the overall favorite to win the district. Yeah, who's uh you know JF lost a lot of players. Yeah they did. I think it was like twenty five seniors from last year's Yeah, so they've got they've got to read some rebuilding to do, which helps when you can pull from Liberty. They got four players Liberty hot to just saying I heard what you were saying there, right, Liberty. Obviously the road can only be up. Hopefully they've got some young talent. Finally, I'll be curious to see if they can win a game or two this year. I hope for the kids because I'm going to tell you this right now. I was zero to nine as a senior in high school and I'm forty six years old and it still eats at me. I know. So it is not an easy thing to deal with when you put your heart and soul into something that's right. Yeah, Amherst, I'm not sure I think that went their quarterback back. My son played against him and basketball. He's a really good athlete. Lefty, I don't know his name off the top of my head, but you know, they're always an interesting team to watch. But I think that QB could be a difference maker in a criminal district form. Russburg's kind of new coach, Yes they do. I was sad to see Bert leave because Bert has been a staple of high school football for many, many years. But he's an administration now, so we'll it'll be interesting to see what they can do. It's kind of same thing. Their coach just came back from like a twenty or thirty year hiatus. He hasn't coached correct that long, but doesn't mean that it won't work though. That's his assistant that he brought in, Jeff. Oh yeah, that's right. I did read that. Yeah, yeah, that's right. That's that's a huge yea. Jeff can coach his butt all. Oh yeah, no doubt. So it'll be interesting to see where brook Fool is. But I'm you know, it's very top heavy with l c A obviously is the overall favorite. And Glass has a new coach this year too, doesn't it No last year? Yeah, and they were really good last year. Yeah, heritage to be heritage. I was going to have some Thoroughbreds there. Yeah, and I believe their quarterback is back from a year ago also too. I went to a lot of the JF games a year ago, had some buddies that had kids on the JF team, and they were a fun football team to watch a year ago. Yeah, heritage JF. JF is gonna you know, it's just gonna be interesting. Can they get kids to step in and be you know, and take the place of all those kids, because you know that their center was one of the best lineman in the area. I believe he went to vm I. He was tough. He was a really good, gritty football player. But they had a lot of kids. I think they had five or six that are going on to play college football. That's great. So they didn't have a huge team last year. Did they like numbers wise JF? Yeah, yes, yeah, oh they did, so they're getting the numbers. Yeah. So like a few years ago, when he first started, it was very small. Maybe that's what I'm thinking about. It was like thirty some years yeah, so now no, it's the sidelines were full big now. Yeah. So he's done a good job over there of getting the belief in I was actually shocked that he did not take the Brookful job. Yeah, because his brother's a ate either. Yeah. Sometimes you know, if you're happy where No, no, don't get me wrong. I just that was a when Meek's left. I just I just assumed that was kind of be kind of the next one. Yeah, I think it's like, you know, and can I just say a public service announcement, Sure, if you drive less than fifty five miles an hour round two twenty one from Forest to Bedford, Like, if you're driving forty three and a fifty five for that eight mile stretch, you should have to go to the DMV and do a highway test with somebody with traffic agreed. Sorry, I drive that stretch all the time, and it is the most it's awful. I drive it every day. It annoys me so the way out here the school zones. Yeah, you've got auto river and for no, I'm just talking about people that drive forty two miles an hour just because they think it's cool or that's all. They're driving fifty five right there. I get irritated because like, look, you've got some leeway. Yeah, no, you've got some leeway here. No doubt. But I hate it. Yeah, that's why I'm moving everything. But I just look at I think about as a high school coach at jf Any Sport. You see all these different apartment complexes and everything going up in that area, and how much growth the enrollment should be going up, but just more people moving out into the area. It just kind of you know a thing where you're thinking, hey, there could be a lot of people that are going to be in this area, and it could you could have good talent walking around the halls. Yeah, that it'd be interesting. The Seminal has always been a brutal It's so funny. I had the privilege of working under coach once and well, you have no idea the knowledge like you've been around it. You know when somebody has knowledge and you just want to suck it up. And he was just he was so good at everything he did. But Chris has a sense of humor that nobody knows about because he's always so serious as a football coach. And I remember, I think it was her second season. We were having a really bad year and he looked at me and he goes, you always look through the Seminal district and there was always one team that you could just check that, Okay, we gotta win. He goes, damn it, we're that team now, and he's like, we got to get out of this. And it was just nobody worked harder than he did because he we saw the numbers just drop. There was a stretch from two thousand and one to two thousand and fifteen where Chris almost won ten games every year. Wow, they were so dominant for a fifteen year stretch. But their numbers were in the thousands at Liberty and now they're six twenty maybe I think they're in the fives now, and it's all and to try to compete. And in twenty nineteen, you know, we're in the regional finals and you realize just how good he was in those days because we didn't have the talent. And I'm always appreciative at just how good our coaches were in this area and still are. We still have some good ones, but I mean we've had some greats. And Mike Sharness, you know, won five state championships, I believe. And then you've got coach Christmas that was at JF. You've got Rocko. I mean, you've got some studs that Brad Browley, I haven't even spoken about him. Yeah, has he won a state championship? Yes, No, he won one, Yeah he did. Oh he won five when he was at William Campbell really Oh yeah, he's yeah, he had Peerman I think Cedric Pearman, was that right, Yeah, so he had some studs. Yeah at William Campbell four. I think he won four maybe. But anyway, Yeah, you've we've had some really good coaches and even Bert when he was at Northside, you know, came down from Northside to Heritage and one championship there and then went over to Rostburg. But yeah, I've been out here now for twelve years and recruiting the area for seven years and getting to know the guys that was very impressed, and especially with the coaches that have continued success. Doug Smith at Appomattox. Yes, this is their first year without him. Doug is unbelievable, incredible human being. And yes, and you could see why the kids cared so much for him and the community cares so much for him. Yeah, and I think he's still just battling healthy. You just can't do it. Yeah, yeah, but it's so sad. Yeah, and yeah, there's been some really good I've alway was appreciated high school football coaches for you know, the days they put in and you know pay. Yeah. Yeah, it's it's a different animal. And guess where Doug was before he got let go? No? Where was he He was a head coach at Heritage? Was he really? Really? Is he a local? I know he played at Liberty. Yeah he's uh, gosh, I forget where he was before he came to Heritage. But he was a Heritage a decent amount and did well. Yeah, he just he was not a fit there. Yeah, I got just not what they were looking for. Brad was who they were always looking for. Yeah, and so they got you know, they had the opportunity to bring Brad in, so they let Doug go. And I don't think Doug minded it, no, you know, Appomattox was where he needed to be. Yeah. Sometimes it's just about the right fit. Yeah, I mean I always laugh because Charnaces got fired at Rustburg. Yeah he goes over to out the Viston wins. Yeah. Yeah, it's not always you know Rocko, you know he left, right, he had a stint. He's a good hiatus, you know, because Ryland was with Chris right, Yes, because me and Ryland are both with Chris. Yeah, so, I mean, you know, it's like I said, sometimes it's just Frank Rocco is one of the best high school football coaches ever been around nationwide. He won three in a row in the Visa that's right, and then he just got his first one back in the VHSL last year. But he's close a couple more times. Yeah. Oh yeah. The the what he how he runs a high school football program, prepares kids if they're going to play in the second on the next level. Do you think this will be his last year? I don't know. He just quit. He retired from being the a D Yeah, that's why I'm wondering if it's I don't know, if it's on the way out. But he just wanted one less thing off his plate. Yeah, sure, I could see that because he's not He's not really someone who ever thought would quit. But he he quit at first because of health issues, and then he said, well, I'm good and this program is kind of going downhill, so I'm gonna step back in. Yeah, he's a ball coach at the end of the day. And he and I still get together once in a while for lunch and we draw some plays on napkins and stuff like that and talk about why you know, he's he's somebody who he's always loving to learn and still grow himself. And that's one of the things I just appreciate about him is he he will do something different if it's the best thing for the team, Like you know, hey, I know this, and this is this is the way I don't, but you know, he will change if he feels like it's the best thing for his kids. You miss it every day. I knew you did, but I miss being around just there's a lot of little I loved being an assistant just to learn. Yeah, like I I just loved learning. Yeah. Last year, my wife and I went up to Davidson just to watch and it's fun just listening just even at you know, that level, it's still still Division one. And what's their brand new stadium this year? Really their stadium was one hundred years old, really, yes, and they've got a brand new Abel has done a phenomenal job there. They all love him, and so it's it's fun to be around it. Like it's just it's just neat and the game's changing. Like there's a lot of things that you probably would just you know, I know you were probably seeing it coming, but analytics has just dominated what's what's happening behind the scenes now. It's scary. It's a it's a fine line of what do the analytics say or what do I feel like? I had no idea, you know how. I mean, you've probably play Xbox or whatever they play nowadays with you know I have before? All right, so you're choosing a play right, and sometimes it'll highlight you know what the proper play might be that coordinators are doing that now on the sideline with analytics, it's picking what defense for them to run. It helps accord and I think there's coaches out there that go, yeah, that's why we're giving up forty five points. Yeah, because defenses are struggling across the board, and college football is finally modernizing this year where they're actually going to have sideline tablets. High school football and the pros where we're doing it, but college is like, they won't, we won't do They're finally modernizing, but I think it's only FBS. So New Mexico was playing against Montana State this past weekend. Montana State said we're not going to do it because at FCS it's an I don't think everybody has the ability to do it. So they're playing against a team that had the use of tablets and the coach talk into the player. Uh. I was about to say, did they have telecom? No? Yes, mon College Football, yes, sorry, but just I don't think FCS has it because it's a money thing for some school. Yeah, like you just can't afford to do it. Yeah. So Montana State went into that game not using the modern technology and won. And they were down I think seventeen or eighteen in the fourth quarter and won the game. Yeah, against Bronco Mendenhall, who's the new head coach in New Mexico. Yeah, what happened to that guy that was at New Mexico? Right, you're talking about Bob Davey that just got pissed and left right some issues there with a A D What was that in New Mexico State? Which one was it? It was New Mexico, right, I honestly don't remember he was. He was a tough guy, like you're talking about Rocky Long. I can't know. They were in a bowl last year, right they New Mexico? Yeah, no, no, no, oh, you're talking about Jerry kill. Yes, who was that in New Mexico State? Yes, yes, yes, yes, he stepped away. Yeah, and there was an issue with the athletic Yeah, in New Mexico State is tough. Last Crusades New Mexico. I'm taking a poll of the room. As anybody ever been there, No, no shocking. It's out in the middle of nowhere. You're like, you have to fly to El Paso and then drive like an hour basically along the border west to get there, and nothing again is the people of Last Crusades. It's just not much going on out there, right. So I think he was kind of like he saw he got them to as good as they could be, and there's probably some administration of stuff like hey we need to do this, and hey we don't have the money for it. What do you do now? So I think he's I think he's like a consultant or an analyst for somebody taking in a different role. But he's had issues with seizures in the past, so he's had health issues also too. So but yeah, giddy up. College football is going to be awesome. Great show. Week one loved it. Yes, Week one is huge. I'm gonna be flying back from I'm only taking a short trip to the US Open, so I'm only going how. Many days you up there? Leaving tomorrow. We have the suite for a whole day on Friday, and then we're flying back there. There you go, so I'll be back for college football. There you go. I think we got an eight to twelve college game day gets you a cup of coffee. That was definitely an experience being on the West Coast, Like waking up and starting college football nine in the morning continually you got that McAfee. That's what I love. That's what energized F one as I wake up and I get to see it at nine am. Yeah, it's like, yes, yeah, a big, big game. You know. Obviously NFL is not playing this weekend. Yeah, so this is all college football and they're big games. Oh yeah's betting week of the year. Is it picking up sets? Yeah? No, no, no, not picking upsets, picking the cupcakes. Get a ten leg parlay with all these cupcakes. That's true, So careful what you asked for, because I was two dollars in there and win twenty bucks. I was at Liberty when we were thirty five point dogs to Baylor, and look at it. Exactly right. Yeah, that was that was nuts. You see the the TikTok of Dabo doing his impersonation of Steve Spurrier. Nah, Oh, it's hilarious. He was like, uh, I forget what year it was, but Clemson started off the year against uh, some powerhouse team. I can't remember who it was, and they lost, right, And then Spurrier in South Carolina had started off against a powerhouse team and got a house and he said, yeah, Steve calls. Me and he's like, I don't know all of these ads, uh schedule these tough games. How come we're not playing teams? And he was just like it's so cool that Spurrier would call it and be like, I don't understand. You know, we should be playing these cupcakes like everybody else. Instead I got housed and you got house. Now we got to explain to everybody how we're gonna win this year. Crazy. Probably the two biggest games you got this weekend too, is you know Georgia Clemson, the big one, Penn State West Virginia. I think it'd be an awesome game. And what time is that? Uh, something's got to be at three thirty because you got Georgia at twelve something at three thirty and something south. So Penn State West Virginia is also at noon. Okay, but then big ten Sunday is LSU Sunday's the LSU USC game. That's seven o'clock at night, seven thirty. Excuse me, that's gonna be good. Ad has not done, Brian Kelly, any favorite FSU to start the season last year. Yeah, yeah, I was just looking through so and then the other big one, I think Saturday night Notre Dame at Texas A and M. So it's Riley Leonard going against his old coach, Mike Elco at Texas A and M. Yeah. So yeah, man, that's it'll be an interesting one. So but yeah, a ton of fun. Emma, you ready to go home? Oh yeah, Brian, you put together a great show. Thank you put together great. That's fun, all right, appreciate it. Should be back in studio next week. So good luck to you all on your fantasy football stuff. Yeah, giddy up, yep, I'm going for it this year, all right, folks, We will see you next year. Thanks here, Thanks Brian,