Andy & Ari On3 - A Texas-Clemson national title game? Debating Ari's projected College Football Playoff bracket

Episode Date: May 21, 2025

Ari has released his projected 2025 College Football Playoff Bracket, and we’ve got some things to argue about.(0:00-4:45) Intro: Previewing Ari's Bracket(4:46-11:43) Nick Saban's Sports Emmy(11:44-18:30) Is Bill Belichick engaged to Jordon Hudson?(18:31-24:40) General overview of Ari's Bracket(24:41-33:24) SEC getting 4 teams in?(33:25-53:08) Dissecting the Big Ten in Ari's Field(53:09-55:44) ACC's Representation(55:45-1:01:46) Group of 5 Bid(1:01:47-1:06:32) Conclusion: See you tomorrow! How did Ari get to the four SEC teams (Texas, LSU, Georgia, Alabama) he included, and which teams did they lose to during the season to create this scenario? Is Ari trying to Will multiple rematches into existence? Is he sure only one ACC team will make the CFP?   Watch the rest of our show on YouTube, Live Monday-Friday at 9:30 am et! https://youtube.com/live/5t7LL8XyyAY Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari WassermanProducer: River Bailey Want to partner with the show? E-mail [e-mail]

Welcome to Andy and Ari on three and after talking about lawsuits and court cases and whatnot for much of the show yesterday, we're back to football. Actual football. We got to break down Ari's projected CFP bracket, which is very interesting. Very interesting indeed, because it's one of those things like you. Not very stupid. I don't think it's stupid. I I think this season is so wide open like anybody who comes in with a defined idea like this team is definitely going to be in the playoff and this team is definitely going to win the national title like so hard. It is so hard. Yes, it's not easy. It's not an easy thing to do.

We'll talk about it. Well, and the thing is like, I'm prepping for a show we're doing later this week with Clark Brooks, the stat cat who did his top 100 most impactful players based on advanced stats and film study and I? We may be Way off not having Indiana back in the playoff. I was looking they have a ton of Really good players returning so it is there's a lot to chew on a lot to because I was thinking about this because I have to do my projected playoff bracket later this week to come out next week. And I don't think I appreciated what you had to do to figure out how these teams are seated, what what they are, because you have to kind of go through the season and figure out like who they lose to and like you have to you have to.

I'm going to try to remember who that all that was because I didn't show my work. So that's going to be challenging. But yes, I went through the schedules to see who they were playing. Yeah, losing to because there's certain there's certain groups of teams like certain certain combos of teams in the SEC and the Big Ten. They're just not going to all make the playoff because they'll lose to each other. Yes, and some of them have challenging non-conference games

and like if you go look and we'll get into this, but like LSU was challenging because LSU, the way I have it set up right now, has rematches against two teams that they played in the regular season, which was difficult. But I didn't even do, I didn't do, I didn't know what the bracket would look like

as I seeded it. I just did it after, you know, you go one through 12 and then you put the bracket together. And we'll talk about that, because you used last year's seeding rules, which are in effect as far as we know, but may not be by the time we get to it. So it is, it's fascinating how all this works.

I am just, it amazes me where we've gone from, there's two teams that can win the national title five years ago to there's like 10 teams that can win the national title. You know what's crazy is, as I was thinking about this as I was doing it, if we were to do the same exercise with the same playoff bracket in 2017, I think filling out the actual bracket would have been more difficult because you wouldn't have known who to put between 5 and 12 back then, but getting to the final four would have been the easiest thing in the entire world. And like getting to the final four would have been the easiest thing in the entire world. And like getting to the final four now is difficult.

So, and I remember how controversial that was because you had Alabama making the playoff, even though they'd lost to Auburn. And like Auburn would have been in the playoff that year because they beat Alabama and Georgia at the end. They just lost to Georgia in the, in the SEC title game. If you did the exercise before the season, it would have been more difficult to identify the middle tier teams. It would have been easier to figure out who actually had a chance to win it. Whereas when you're going through this exercise, it's hard enough to pick who you think is going to make the playoff. But then when you're projecting

games that are happening in January between two teams that are very good, there's a lot of games in there that that can be decided by three points. And that's not always the case, you know, or was the case back in the old blow-off, blow-out playoff, especially in the later rounds. So, like, Clemson making the national title game, in my bracket, they could lose to a team in the second round by three because their spreads are going to be less than a touchdown in every game they play.

So, it's just definitely difficult, and I just leaned on what I always lean on, and we'll get into it. But I feel pretty good about it. There is one team in there that I might be a little remorseful for, and I need you to talk me off the edge, because I know you're high on that team. So we'll talk about through it.

But I feel pretty good about the. I like this one. We do have a little news to cover. Little news to cover little little news to cover. Congratulations to Nick Saban, who's good at everything. He won an Emmy last night for outstanding personality slash emerging on air talent. Emerging is a little. Misleading, I think, since Nick Saban's been in our lives for decades,

but he was fantastic on game day Well deserved Emmy, but it's one of those things. It's like, okay He's already the best college football coach of all time Like does he have to be great at this too? it always you know what it made me think of it like marvels at like people who Win Oscars and Emmys or people that are so good at like, you know, Donald Glover blows my mind. Like Donald Glover good actor. He's a hilarious standup comedian and like, as a good, a great rapper. It's just like, how can you be that?

Like it takes people their entire lives to master. And you know how hard it is a to become famous in any individual category. Like, I don't think people appreciate, like, you might not like a certain type of music or you might not like an artist, but like the talent that it requires to actually break through and become famous, I think is unfathomably hard. Like as I think, would you say it's harder to become a celebrity in like the arts than it is to be a pro athlete? Because I think it

is. I think they're both very hard. I think there's probably fewer spots in terms of, I guess there's probably fewer spots in terms of, I guess there's more spots now because we don't have a monoculture anymore. But yeah. There's a lot of famous hot girls that are just hot. But I mean, actually being somebody who wins a Grammy.

Like I don't think people have to skate yet. I saw an Instagram video of Jordan Milata singing Tennessee Whiskey to Chris Stapleton. And if you haven't heard Jordan Milata sing, this is the eagle starting left tackle. He has the voice of an angel and Chris Stapleton is sitting there like, wait, you're pushing NFL edge rushers around and you can sing this song as well as I can. What what what is what world are we living in here? Did you know that my wedding song with Brittis Tennessee whiskey?

I well first date in Nashville right? Yeah. There you go. I don't know if you guys know this, but I'm pretty much of all so like I don't I don't know. God here we go. Cut up on this but stop trying to butter up vaults. Twitter they're going to turn on you. Andy. They scared me. Okay, just let me just overcome this fear. OK, you know who they do. You know who's not scared of all Twitter? Nick Saban, not scared in the least. Beat Tennessee a lot.

And I mean, he was always got an Emmy. Could we be honest about it, though? Like, I thought he did a tremendous job. And the coolest thing about Nick Saban was that we saw, or a lot of people saw a side of him personality wise that they didn't know was in there because he's very funny, too. And I just thought that finding somebody

to be in that position, there was nobody on earth that you would rather hear from than Nick Saban when it comes to both football and football related topics. And I know Fox, Big Noon used Urban Meyer in that type of category where it's like they have some former coach who won national titles in there, like breaking down film and talking about the game. But in terms of like, the actual off the field conversation, I think any coach could go on to game day and break down tape for people, because that's what they do all day. But I think there's a certain level of respect and inherent trust that people have in Nick Saban to break down the issues, because he had to live through them. And not only did he live through them, he adapted through them so well that you trust his expertise in just about any topic that I thought he was

tremendous. And I'm not a game day person anymore. Game day for me, and I know this might be sacrilegious, has always been the thing that's on in the background as I'm doing the last final things before the games start. Like it's more of like a pregame pregame like ritual more than it is like I don't I do you sit down and like watch it like I never just sit down and watch it but like in the segments that he had that I caught I thought he was tremendously good. He prepares really well for this and I actually asked him about it. This is before the season started. I was at SEC media days talking and I because he'd already we'd already seen him some on TV and it before the season started. I was at SEC Media Days talking to him. And I, because he'd already,

we'd already seen him, saw him on TV and it was clear how much prep he was doing. And somebody, you know, some people behind the scenes at ESPN had told me how much information he requests when he's doing his prep. And it's a lot. It's, you know, I need, I need this tape of this guy.

I need to know about this guy. I need this guy, this guy, this, and they're like, whoa, okay, hold on here. You're supposed to be coasting into retirement here. And I asked him about that. He's like, look, if I'm gonna do a job, I'm gonna do it right. Yeah, would you expect anything different

from the greatest coach of all time? You know, somebody who's going to attack every challenge with everything he's got? I think that's part of the reason why he's the GOAT, man. And you know what's so crazy too, is that like everybody, whether you love Alabama or hate Alabama or love the SEC or hate the SEC, like he was so good that like there is no debate

about who the greatest coach of all time. Like it's just like everybody uniformly agrees that Nick Saban is the greatest. And it's like, when you think about other sports and other great figures, like you're gonna have a Mahomes versus Tom Brady debate, you're gonna have a LeBron and Jordan debate, like you always, like even like Michael Jordan,

the single most impactful athlete of my generation in my lifetime and maybe most of our lifetimes, there's a debate right now about whether he's better than LeBron. It's like, do you know how great you have to be at your craft in sports to be the undeniable, undisputed goat? Like, do people like thought about that? I think that's a column right there. Maybe that's your congratulations to Nick Saban for winning in any column right there. Because you're right. There is no debate in college football like. You can talk about Bear Bryant. You can talk about like error. Parsegon had such a short career,

but so much success packed into it, and it is Bobby Bowden, Joe Paterno, like all of these guys, but nobody did it in a more dominant fashion than Nick Saban. Your college football history buff, so save me from it at ignorance here if I'm like I don't. Obviously I respect the old time coaches because. You know, being great is being great and everybody played by

the same rules then as they do now, but I just perceive it because of the scholarship limits to be much more difficult to do what he did in this era than it might have been in 1960. Theoretically much more difficult and also there's the fact that they kept changing rules to stop him and he kept adjusting to that. So, and then the game changed, he adjusted. You saw where other coaches didn't adjust

and where they fell short. So yeah, I think there's no question. He is the best college football coach of all time. It's not close. There's not question he is the best. College football coach of all time. It's not close. There's not really a, you know, that doesn't light up when you say that. Yeah, there's not an argument. He's going to say that.

Yeah, it's going to crazy now. That actually brings us to our other news story that we need to talk about, which is involving all time. The other greatest coach of all time. Check he is the greatest NFL coach of all time. Check. He is the greatest NFL coach of all time. Maybe there is debate about that now.

And I kind of wonder if everything that's going on now, which really has nothing to do with what he's gonna do at North Carolina, I think, is changing that conversation about whether he's the greatest NFL coach of all time. But so you and I said it when that CBS This Morning interview happened, it was like waving a flag, like come come look into the Bill Belichick Jordan Hudson relationship more. And the New York Times dropped its big story yesterday and the big nugget in that story was they report that Jordan Hudson has told people they're engaged now listen we're not entertainment tonight did I date myself there Ari

yeah I think so is that TMZ before you know before TM Yeah, but I just like John Cash and Mary Hart better. The E channel, right? Well, Entertainment Tonight was on NBC. Or I think it was syndicated. But the E channel, yeah, we had Ted Casablanca's on the E channel. We could do that too. This is what I'm talking about. You know all this stuff.

I don't know who you're talking about. I watched the E channel growing up. I used to watch old E Entertainment television back in the day. I know, but maybe you know the host' names from obscure E! television show from like 20 years ago. Because Ted Casablanca's came on my TV a lot, right before the Howard Stern television version. E! True Hollywood story was a thing.

That's what I remember from it. But that was like, that was the celebrity gossip channel though, wasn't it? It was, it was. So now we're in that world with Bill Belichick. Like, this is all we talk about with him. We don't talk about football. Like people are so fascinated by this relationship. And look, I don't care who you love.

I don't care who you marry. Right. Nobody's breaking any laws here. I actually, I've turned the other way on this Ari. Cause everybody's like, I don't know if he coaches a game at North Carolina, blah, blah, blah. I think Bill Belichick has already buttoned this up. Like I saw the Good Morning America interview with Michael Strahan. They have he has shunted Jordan Hudson to the side professionally.

Like all of the professional stuff that she was trying to do with Bill Belichick or attached to Bill Belichick. That's been cut off now, it seems. And if that's the case, then his personal relationship is his personal relationship. And I don't know that it's going to have much effect on the football. Yeah. I mean, the only thing reason why we ever cared was because of the professional part. Like I don't care who he marries or who he, you know, whatever, like I don't even care if they're engaged. Although I will say that the single most alarming thing about this entire story was the real estate accumulation. And if they end up getting married then that might make that feel better.

Cause that felt a little off to me. That was a little weird, a little weird. But it's crazy because you have this giant New York Times kind of style section story, which is not what you'd expect to be about Bill Belichick as he starts his college football career. But also TMZ, which is this is their stock and trade. They start dropping stories yesterday like, oh, Bill Belichick's boat got a fresh paint job. Does that mean he's engaged? And then they had this incident report from a venue in Massachusetts

where there was a party where I guess the daughters of Bill Belichick's ex-girlfriend were DJing and Bill Belichick's ex-girlfriend saw Jordan Hudson there and confronted her like it was wild. I read the whole I felt terrible reading the entire thing. I was like, why am I doing this to myself? It was like, after reading it, like, in that case, Jordan Hudson didn't really do anything wrong. She was basically getting bullied by ladies. So yeah, I need to go back and

read all that stuff. The only thing that I care about with this is like you said, I care about like her being at North Carolina's football building and meddling into things that, you know, don't pertain to being at North Carolina's football building and meddling into things that you know, don't pertain to her and real estate but the real estate thing was a one-off story that we can just kind of let go into the past I guess but like I am I am super fascinated in Jordan Hudson's impact on his coaching and his presence at North Carolina I am zero percent interested in like their love life

No, look love who you love. Wanna get married, get married. Don't get married, don't get married. I don't care. Yeah, also people get married to the wrong person at the same age. We pointed this out because Jordan Hudson fashioned herself as a PR publicity expert

and committed the single biggest faux pas you can commit by saying we're not talking about that in that CBS this morning interview. Not talking about this. Because all she did was invite everyone to dig into their relationship. Like if she never does that, there is no giant New York Times story on the two of them. Not talking about this. I'm sorry, Jordan. We have to talk about it because people are interested

and it's your fault. Congratulations. You got what you want, I think. Maybe not. Also, that'd be kind of a banger of a wedding. You think Ron goes to it? You think Tom Brady goes to that wedding? I know Gronk does because Gronk doesn't like Gronk and Julie

and Edmund definitely go. Gronk's like open bar. Well, Gronk's you know Gronk's't like Gronk and Julian Edelman definitely go. Gronk's like open bar. Well, Gronk's you know Gronk's deal like he hasn't spent a dime of his NFL money. He just all he spends are his his endorsement dollars, so he's just. Yeah, open bar is is definitely who attracting him as somebody who has met him and went to college with him at the same time. I will tell you that like Gronk is unapologetically who he is. And I like I'm not going to pretend like I know the guy personally, but I do know enough stories that I've been in the same room as him in a non football professional environment enough to know my life that the guy is just a happy go lucky guy who just like wants to party and it's like there for everybody. Like I think like, what a life what, what a life just and it's a

great way to be. It's a great way to be. It helps if you're six, six, 260 pounds run really fast, and having a maniacal work ethic. I was at a party in college once and Gronk came through the front door did a keg stand, andk came through the front door, did a keg stand, and then walked out the front door. What a life. What a life. I would have loved to see how good Arizona would have been if he didn't get injured last year. They would have been pretty good. I mean, he was really good in college.

And by the way, my first real beat in my life was the Arizona football team where he like torched the defense. All the time. All right, so. Let us move into the actual football. There is an Arizona team that would like to be in the college football playoff. I think Arizona would, too, but Arizona State was in it last year. Not in your CFP projection, though. You have BYU coming out of the Big 12. Let us talk about your CFP projection though. You have BYU coming out of the big 12. Let us talk about your CFP projection and we're going to go down the list.

For the folks who are listening in podcast form because we want to. I want to make sure everybody gets the full scope of this thing. So Ari, why don't you take us through? The seating and the the first round matchups? Okay, so the first step in doing this always starts with who you think is going to win the conferences, right? I don't know how you do it. That's my process.

So I think Texas and continue to think that Texas is going to win the national title. I've thought that since January based on the players that they have on their team. So I put Texas number one as the SEC champion. Then Penn State, which got a lot of pushback, I put as the Big Ten champ because I can't rank them number one on my poll and then feel like they're not going to win the Big Ten. Now, will it happen that way? I don't know. But this I had in my brain as I'm going to Columbus and losing and that being their only regular season game that they lost and then them beating Ohio State in the big 10 championship game, which then drops Ohio State to five. I had Clemson as my ACC champ and BYU as my big 12 champ, which by the way,

if you've listened to the show at all the last week, don't get mad at, I don't know what the hell's going on in that conference, okay? There are five or six teams that are within a game on the over, over, over, under win totals on that coming season. So I like BYU and I like a lot of the pieces they have in place. I like their quarterback. I like a lot of the pieces they have in place. I

like their quarterback. I like some of their skill position players worry about their D line a little bit. But like, I think they have as good of a chance of winning the big 12 as anybody least least firm pick I have though, in terms of like, who's going to make it. And I think I would imagine everybody feels that way as you try to handicap that conference because everybody's like Arizona State's gonna win. What are you talking about?

Like the Arizona State got picked to finish last last year. What are you talking about? You don't know who's gonna win the big 12. Nobody knows who's gonna win the big 12. I really really like BYU's coach and I like their pieces that they have on offense. They got really good running backs. They've got a great reliable quarterback who's won a lot of close games. You're gonna have to do that.

You know, that was my analysis, but analysis, but if someone else wins it, like what about that? Like I'm like- If it's Texas Tech or Kansas State or Iowa State, like I don't think anybody's gonna be surprised. It could be literally the last, it could be Oklahoma State for all I know. Like I don't know what the hell's going on there.

Well, we're predicting them, yeah, because they're over unders five and a half, which means they're gonna win 11. I mean, look at this. That's usually how that works. What if Devin Dan Peer turns into Michael Vick this year? Like, you know, you talk and win it. I don't know. Yep. So like, like, to me, it's if you want to get wound up about BYU, then go for it. But like, I'm telling you right now

on this podcast, I'm not that firmly entrenched in that pick. It was the best I could do in an impossible situation. Five was Ohio State because I think their first loss of the year or second loss of the year comes in the Big Ten Championship game, but last year they rewarded conference championship attendees. And I think that if they're a 10 and two team or an 11 and 2 team with a loss in the big 10 championship game to a team that's only lost once they'd be five. Six, I have LSU and you know how I feel about LSU. Seven, River put it back up and help me out here. Seven is Notre Dame because they've got the best line or one of the two best offensive lines in the country. I think CJ Carr is going to be a stud, Jayden, great house.

You know the names. I think they're going to be very good on defense and their schedule is manageable. Seven seems like a right, right solution for them. Uh, eight Georgia, because I think that they are going to make the playoff and they could potentially even be the first three loss team to make the playoff. Because I don't think that they've gotten the Georgia benefit of the doubt stuff washed out of their system. And I think that they're probably probably but you're not predicting them to

be a three lost team because they wouldn't be seated eight if they were no no no I think they'll probably be a two lost team this year. A two lost team that I think we go into the postseason with with some questions like last year I think this is this is what I want to talk to you about what when we finish telling everybody what the the 12 Yeah, I'm very want to dig into the SEC teams What your take on Georgia is because I'm like they're gonna be really good Kirby smarts the coach and they've got a lot of really good players but I do have some questions about the team's explosive offensive ability and I don't know if

The defense will be quite as good as it's been in the past but you know maybe I'm high like Raymond thinks. Oregon's nine I think that's the third best team in the Big Ten this year between Ohio State and Penn State and that's probably where you slot that team. Ten I have Illinois and this is the one that I struggle with second most behind BYU which is on paper we think that this is going to be a very good team whether or not it actually matriculates into them being a 10 and 2 or an 11 and 1 team I think is kind of a I looked back at some of their games last year the Rutgers game, they could have lost some of the games that they did. The Purdue games, the glaring red flag. So like there were times where the coin flipped heads

on them last year, and if it flips tails on them, they're firmly out. But I'm going to give Brett Bielma the benefit of the doubt, especially considering the fact that he is one of the few coaches that was able to retain basically his entire roster. 11, Alabama, because that was my that was my they're really really talented they're probably gonna find a way to win ten games type

of a deal put them at number 11 and then 12 was Boise could have put Memphis there but Boise seems like the safe bet with the group of five so that's where we're at. So I want to talk about the SEC teams first, because I'm fascinated by how this has to work. Like, because I'm reading this, and I'm like, now I'm piecing together how the season had to go to get here. So Texas wins, we can we can say Texas is a one loss team probably is likely given their schedule that they're at Florida, they're at Georgia, but it is a somewhat more manageable schedule

than most SEC teams, but they're also at Ohio State. So, but they wouldn't be ranked number one unless they are undefeated or only one loss probably. Well, we don't know that for sure. This is what I struggle with. It's like, you don't think that the SEC champ might just be number one? Even if they're two losses. You don't know that for sure. This is what I struggle with. It's like, you don't think that the SEC champ might just be number one. Even if they're two losses, you don't think the big 10 champs probably now

maybe the SEC big 10 champs both have two losses, but I don't know. I mean, I think probably if it's Texas, unless they lost to Ohio state, which they might, but unless they lost to Ohio state, I think you're, you're probably talking about a 12-1 Texas. Yeah. In that scenario. Yeah. So...

But also losing to Ohio State on the road by three and then going through and losing one game. Right. Wouldn't kill. Especially if Ohio State's really good. I still think that they have a pretty good chance of being the one seed if they come out of the SEC as champs. Especially if they beat Alabama, or I mean Georgia in the SEC championship game or something like they're

There's definitely multiple paths for the SEC to be the number one overall seed than other conferences have I think it's more likely They have to be 12 and 1 The way you've got this ranked that means they beat LSU. Yes in the SEC title game. Yes so ranked, that means they beat LSU in the SEC title game. So, Producer River noting, Texas does not, that's not true, Texas does play one of the other SEC teams that Harry has and they play at Georgia. Texas beats LSU in the SEC title game. LSU being the SEC title game probably means they beat Alabama?

Yes. In the regular season and being ranked ahead of Alabama? In the regular season and in the postseason. I gave Baton Rouge the most pornographic bracket I could have come up with. So LSU is probably in this scenario, 11 and 2? Yes. Or 10 and 3? Because I don't think the SEC championship game loss is going to hurt them that much in the seeding.

And the way that I looked at it too was that the way that I seeded it, they could have won or lost the Clemson game. And I think the seeds would be the same. So it was kind kind of like a way like a get out of jail free card. Right because you have Clemson seated above them and that you're not seating Clemson there because of the the seating rule. They won the ACC in my in my. Right but you're also saying they would have been probably number three anyway if they seated it straight right? I think that if if Clemson beats LSU and wins the ACC and Clemson loses to LSU and wins the ACC

there's a high likelihood that they're three either way yeah I mean it depends on what happens against South Carolina too so there's there's it also depends too on like how the Big Ten and the SEC champs also do but I assume I think this year that that would probably be a pretty safe proposition. So I guess I didn't put a hard line in the sand in terms of but I had LSU winning the first game. I had LSU winning the opener in my bracket. So LSU beats Clemson, LSU beats Alabama. So that gives them that's going to give them a mulligan there to lose to South Carolina or Florida or Ole Miss or one of those. That's why I them a mulligan there to lose to South Carolina or Florida or Ole Miss or you know one of those

That's why I have them at six because I don't have them like running through the schedule And I just like realize too that what I have here is probably highly unlikely I don't know that they would be able to beat Clemson and Alabama both twice. That would be an insane season But so if you want to if you want to beat him once you can beat him twice I know that's that if you said LSU in order to make it to. Well actually I don't have Clemson winning. I don't know what I'm talking about but beating Alabama twice would be difficult. Yeah. I think there

are games on the road so it's well right. The the regular season games in Tuscaloosa you would actually have this game in Baton Rouge. This play actually have this game in Baton Rouge. This playoff game would be in Baton Rouge because LSU would be the higher seeded team. So I find that very interesting. And then you got Alabama. So Alabama has to be 10 and two in this one, I think.

I think so. No, see, here's the thing. I don't know about has to. Well, no, okay. You have Georgia ahead of Alabama, I'm sorry. So the way you have it is Georgia has to. Well, no, OK, you have Georgia ahead of Alabama. I'm sorry. So the way you have it is Georgia has to win the Georgia-Alabama game in this scenario. Yes, 100%.

So Alabama has one loss to Georgia, and then they have another loss somewhere in there. And Georgia. They would lose to LSU. OK, so that's right. So you'd have Alabama losing to Georgia LSU, and then they make the playoff because they win there. That actually seems like a very realistic scenario. Yeah

because very real when I was looking at the schedule Andy and you you you check me because this is it's always you're not able to talk about it out loud with somebody else while you're doing it but I had them losing to LSU in Georgia and then winning the rest of their games but if you look at the rest of their games, there's a chance at the end of the year that they will say they don't have any quality wins, which is what has them down lower in the seating. Right. They need they need Missouri and Tennessee and South Carolina to be good.

If they lose both of their premier games, then that's going to be a talking point. November. So I still I still think they're getting in at 10 and two, especially if those games are close. Yeah, but the Georgia LSU games like if that if that's close, I think they still get in. So that that's very interesting to me because and now let's go back to Georgia. Let's look at Georgia schedule because you've got them beating Alabama. Theoretically, I will. We should assume they lose to Texas in this and then.

They probably lost 10 and 2, but Georgia's 10 and 2 is marketably better and they haven't had to head win. But it means that, but the thing is, it means their two losses are kind of bad. Yeah. Well, no, no, I'm sorry. One of the losses is Texas in this, but then yeah, it means they, it means they lost like Tennessee or Auburn or Ole Miss or Florida or Georgia Tech. Yeah, like I think that they're 10 and 2

is similar to last year's 10 and 2. Yeah, but they'll have a win against Alabama. They'll have a quality win in their schedule and their record strength will be better than Alabama's which is the distinction between 8 and 11. Okay. Yeah. All right. well, this is fascinating. It absolutely is. And I wanna point out, so Ari used the current seating rules,

the ones that are in effect, as far as we know right now, where the top four ranked conference champs are the top four seats and get the buys. So that's why BYU is the four seed. It may or may not be why Clemson is the three seed. We talked about that a second ago, but like, do you think Clemson can just be a top four seed? Like even if they seed it straight, that Clemson is the top seed.

Of course, we have them in the title game. Yeah. Yeah. I think that like, it's going to be hard for the ACC or the big 12 to ever be a top two seed in this system as a projection without something going haywire in the other two conferences? Well, here's the thing with Clemson that makes them unique in this. They have two SEC teams on their schedule. Right. And if they both happen to be good, like if LSU and South Carolina are both good in the SEC, like, and I doubt, like if Clemson beats them both, I doubt both of them could also make the playoff.

But if Clemson beats them both, and then South Carolina is nine and three, and LSU is 10 and two or nine and three, it will go a long way toward lifting. Like, Clemson could be number one in the country in that scenario. But here's what you're missing, I think, and what I try to consider, and I don't know, I know you're very high on Louisville,

but it's possible that at the end of the year Clemson, if they beat LSU, doesn't have another marquee win. Like if you like look at their actual schedule, they have some tough games. You're assuming South Carolina isn't good. Here's the ones. No, what I'm assuming is just eight and four, which I think is probably the most likely outcome of the season. Like, I don't know if you're assuming that South Carolina is going to be a playoff team, but if you think they're eight and four, I think beating them will look pretty, but I don't think it's going to boost them. Like, no, it's not. They would need South Carolina to be nine or nine and three or better. Yeah, including lost to Clemson.

Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, the other games that could help Clemson theoretically, but the other team has to do its part. I'd say Georgia Tech, SMU, Louisville. Those would be the ones within the ACC. Maybe Duke, Duke to a certain extent, but I don't think that there's no like, like they start the year with a bang and they end the year with a bang, but there's no like middle of the year with a bang and they end the year with a bang, but there's no like middle of the season 10 pull

for your resume. Yeah. Louisville turns out to be as awesome as you think they might. I think Louisville is gonna be pretty good. I don't know about awesome, but, and also it's on the road. Louisville kicked the crap out of Clemson last year.

So it's- I'm pretty good at the move needle. We gotta think about what move- Okay, I know, I know. Let's move to the big 10 because this is, this is fun. This is, so so so you're with me though. Does that all seem very rational with the it does it does. You definitely thought through because this was my concern when we said we

were going to do this is if we didn't really pick our way through the schedule. Oh, you have to you can't do it without it. It was gonna the the chat was just gonna kill us because there were gonna be lots of mistakes and that can't happen. Give me like two and a half hours. This isn't like, oh, I listed 12 teams and wrote it. Like, it took me time.

Yeah, no, and you seeded them, like the way you seeded them makes sense. Like, I can see the season playing out that way in the SEC. So let's go to the big 10. You have Penn State as your number one and you're way too early. So you have Penn State winning the big 10, but obviously they've lost the game because they're not the number one seed. Who do we think Penn State loses to in the regular season? I think I have a good guess yeah they got a they got a pretty big road game on November 1st they probably might not win

that would be Ohio State and like that's this is the math here I felt like I couldn't put I feel like if I put Penn State as five or six in the seating instead of two then I would look like an idiot slash hypocrite for putting them number one in my poll. Well, you definitely look like a hypocrite. I didn't want, so like that's the thing that I struggle with and I want your opinion on this. Can you, so like when you rank your top 25, can you think a team is number one in May

without thinking they're going to win the national title? Yes. Especially in this playoff format. Can you think a team is number one in May without thinking they're going to win the national title? Yes, especially in this playoff format. And I did that. And I did that in this seating because I had Texas too in my poll and Penn State number one. And I didn't have Penn State winning the national title. So I think like on paper right now that Penn State probably has the best all around team on paper. But whether or not I think that's going to mean they win a national title, I think this is a different exercise.

Yeah. Can you win three in a row against that level of quality competition is different than do I think you're the best overall because some of it's stylistic. And then also too, but if you put somebody number one, that means you think you're the best overall team because some of it's stylistic. And then also too, but if you put somebody number one, that means you think they're the best team. So it's a very hard thing to do. But here's the thing I'll say.

But also there's just randomness in a situation where a really good team has to play three other really good teams in a row. Right. So, teams in a row. Right. So Penn State, I'm a human being too, guys. Like I've watched James Franklin lose games all the time to tough. Like I'm not like immune to seeing what you see. So like last year I thought was a date. They had a step stool to the semi-final, but I thought last year was a reasonably good positive step

in the right direction for Penn State. Is that a fair thing? Like I know a lot of people know, well, they didn't play anybody, so it doesn't count. It's like, I think that being a possession away from the national title game counts. Whether how they got there, you know, that's the seeding,

but I thought that they had a good step forward and I thought that they lost a transcendent tight end, but got marginally, if not significantly better at multiple position, including their biggest weakness. So I think they'll be very good on defense. I think they traditionally play Ohio State tough. They did last year. It was a one possession game for 90% of the game.

I think they have a chance to split the series with them. But if you're asking me, are you certain they'd beat Ohio State in Indianapolis? No, come on. No, I'm not certain of that. Okay, so then Ohio State I have is five, and I think that you can make the same exact case of whether or not they beat Texas in the first game of the season. They could end up at five either way. So like you can decide however this works the best who won that game, but I think if they play a three-point game it will it will be a nice boost for the team that won, but I also think it will be a quasi boost for the team that lost in

the end. And Ohio State will be if they're 11 and 2 with a loss in the Big Ten Championship game to a team they already beat I think five is where they would land and two with a loss in the Big 10 championship game to a team they already beat. I think five is where they would land and then they would be the beneficiary this year of the Penn State easy path to the sem to the quarterfinals. Or easy path to the semis. I should say sorry first two rounds. Is it bad that I'm secretly hoping the? The commissioners just come out and say we're going to see it

straight before I do this so it can look completely different. I think that you should do what you like in this category and then I'll let you go first when they change it. Right. So just do it again. We'll just run it back. But okay. Here's the thing though that is interesting and it dawned on me again, but if you look at Ohio State's path and you look at Penn State's path, Penn State in winning the Big 10 actually does the reverse to what it did last year, which is gives itself a harder playoff path because it won the conference. So like it's like if Ohio State and Penn State play in the Big 10 in the same type of scenario, you organ played it but like they bit themselves this year right yeah in this

Scenario like Ohio State would probably want to lose that game because then they would get boys right and this is what you have you have essentially Penn State beating losing to Ohio State in the In the regular season and then beating them in the Big Ten championship game, which would make all of this make sense Who's Ohio State losing to other than Penn State in the title game? There's there's one other loss on on an Ohio on Ohio State schedule. So what is it? It doesn't have to be. It could be Texas. I mean, but there doesn't have to be. They could be under the other does seem to be five there does if Ohio State's only loss if Ohio State beats Penn State in the

regular season and only lose the Penn State in the Big Ten Championship game. I think would be five. I guess you're right. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Because it wouldn't be one of the top four seeds because of the, the, the. Right. You're right. You're right. Yeah. Okay. That makes sense. I thought that through. I'm like, I'm not going to have them losing to Purdue on there. Like it's like, I'm glad you corrected me on that because I think there's probably some people out there that are thinking the same thing. Like you can't, Ohio State's got to lose another game. Even if they can lose that game, there's probably some people out there that are thinking the same thing like you can't even Ohio State's got to lose another game lose that game there's still five yeah so you are predicting Ohio State win at Michigan because the chat is I am like okay yeah listen guys like I know that Michigan fans are having a good time and buddy uh revel in it because that's what

this sport's about I don't think you're going to beat him 13 years in a row. And I actually have a theory about Ryan Day. Do you want to hear it now or should I save it for the season? Go ahead. I think now that they won the national title and the monkeys off his back a little bit, I think that he might not be as tight as he's been in that game. I think that now that he's been able to have the summer

tour on the Oprah Winfrey Show and he's on Jimmy Fallon and stuff and people have been celebrating him in the hoist of the trophy. And like people had, you know, he was on like Jimmy Fallon and stuff, and like people have been celebrating him in the hoist of the trophy. I know that the Michigan game was a thorn in his side last year. I think that his pressure as a coach has been mitigated to a point

where maybe he can just be himself more than the tight wound up person that he is at the end of the year. And then that will change the dynamic of it. But you know, I don't know. You mean they might go to Ann Arbor and just throw to Jeremiah Smith? Yeah, they might just like throw the ball

to the best player in college football this year. I don't know. That last year, and I will say this, and I'm sure Michigan fans will probably agree, was the single most bizarre result I think I've ever seen in the sport. In terms of like who the teams were, how the game played out,

and how one coach allowed that to happen. Yep, so. Let's go to to Oregon. That is your last big 10 team in this bracket. By the way, no Illinois or no, you've got Illinois. I'm sorry, sorry. You've got Illinois as well. You have four big 10 teams. Yes, that's right.

So let's let's move to Oregon. Ohio State can beat teams not named Michigan does not actually mean they can beat Michigan. That's true. That's true. But like also Michigan lost the game like 20 out of 21 years and now owns the rivalry. Yeah, it's it's. I gotta find like this thing of like what's true now isn't true forever because like that right. It's like the Michigan fans forgot that. We were alive for the first 20 years of this century as well.

Five years ago I wrote a story about how the rivalry wasn't fun anymore because Michigan wasn't even a competitive party in it. So like that wasn't that long ago guys and it's not like Ohio State stinks now. So yeah they thought that Ohio State will go on the road and beat a team that might be you know nine and three or eight before next year is found as the nine is crazy to me, but okay, go ahead. Continue. All right. Let's talk Oregon because this is a team that was the number one seed this year, undefeated regular season, won the big 10 in its first year in the big

10 did lose a lot, brought a lot in, you know, Dylan Theeniman from Purdue in the transfer portal, who I think will be a very impactful transfer. Isaiah World from Nevada at offensive tackle, probably going to be a very impactful transfer. Dante Moore takes over as a starting quarterback. So there's a lot here. The schedule is definitely manageable. They do go to Penn State.

They have Indiana. They go to Iowa. And then you've got SC in Washington to close. Yeah, and if we can throw the bracket back up, I just want to make it's easy for me to visualize it. It's hard. OK, yeah, like nine seed to me is a two lost team. Yeah, that's what OK. That's what's where where are the losses? So we we know once to Penn State because we said Penn State only lost once, and that was in Columbus.

So where is the other loss here? You know where I put it? Do you know where I put it in my brain when I was doing it? And I figure they might lose to somebody else. The road game at Iowa could be interesting, but I had him losing to Washington on the road, because Washington was so good at home last year, and Daman Williams is badass. I think that's fair.

I think that's fair. I'm looking at this though Ari and now Indiana is a tricky one too. That date, but they've got to come to Eugene. But I don't know. I might see 11-1. I might see Oregon in the Big Ten Championship game. It's very like, this is one of those as I do mine now having it's unfair to you because now I've gotten to pick yours apart. Yeah, you're able to like see it. You visualize it in a different way. Yeah, but no, I struggle with this because like

here's where my issue was that you're not going to face. My issue was that I had Penn State number one in my preseason poll. And like if you think that Oregon is, because if you think Oregon is going to go 11 and one this year, then that means that Ohio State who beat Penn State in my bracket would play Oregon in the big 10 championship. Right. You're not Penn State out of the big 10 championship. I didn't want to do that. Actually, well, no, we have to figure out the tiebreakers on that because they would

have three. Yeah. Yeah. So like that's the reason why Penn State's too for me. Like I wanted to stay strong in the point of like, hey, I think Penn State's gonna be really, really good. What I do think would be interesting though is that if Oregon ran the table and didn't lose a second game, there would be a tiebreaker there, I think, because one of their losses

is at Penn State. But like, yes, this was tricky for me, but like also to all three teams will be very good and like I love that the game is set up. I love the Oregon at Georgia first round game like because it is racket came out great by the way in terms of like intrigue storylines. Yeah, we always joke about the NCA basketball tournament selection committee, you know

Seating based on storylines, which by the way, they don't do if you ever done the mock selection like you're not even thinking about who's playing who but the This game would be great just because of the way it bookends Dan Lanning's first game at Oregon Dan Lanning's first game in Oregon was against Georgia in Atlanta and it was the Dan Lanning's first game in Oregon was against Georgia in Atlanta and it was the This is how far you have to go and it would be great to see because I think Obviously, I don't think it would be a blowout win for Georgia in this case I think it would be a really fun game. So you and you actually have Oregon winning this game and advancing Yeah

And I thought that that was a salute to Dan Lanning. Well, also them taking the brunt of the seating bus again for the second straight year. So, like, I think that Oregon might have one of the best running backs in college football. I think we need to watch out for Makai Hughes. Obviously picked up an important transfer at the offensive line. You already listed these. But, you know, one of the best safeties. Dante Moore's got a lot on his shoulders, but I think Oregon's going to be a very good football

team this year. Yeah this is this is going to be fun. And now okay let's get to Illinois because people don't like Illinois being in here. I get it. They're just hell on this one. Well they might not make it Ari. Like they're our trendy pick but they just might not make it. It just might not happen for them. And I felt and I feel like it. I feel like too many people think they're good. I think they probably are good though. Illinois could conceivably be 10 and 2 and be this is where I had a hard time with the

math, but conceivably could be 10 and two. They're not gonna beat Ohio State. Although they do get it at home, they're not gonna win that game, I don't think. So I thought that if they were to win the rest of their games, which I think that Illinois might be favored in all of them, if not most of them, did they have Duke, USC in Wisconsin wins.

In Indiana win and that's at Indiana's I. I think the at Indiana is going to tell us which. Where where we where we should be putting our trendy bucks in the big 10. I wanted to put a 4th big 10 team in there and it could have been Michigan and it could have been Indiana. I think we're going to know where we stand on September 20th.

I actually think that might be a game worth going to honestly, because that's just a fascinating big time game and a big time conference between two teams that don't typically play in those games in September. Well, it's it's it's you know, we talk about how the playoff renders September games less meaningful, but this feels like a kind of a turning point for one of these. Because it does feel like one of those games. It's almost feels like you're playing for the fourth Big Ten slot in that game.

Well, but I want to talk about Michigan, Michigan. Yeah. Yeah. Can we talk about Michigan? Because the chat and obviously we have a lot of Michigan fans in the chat. So I understand that but they've basically said, you know, why are you leaving Michigan out of this? And as someone who has said, if they have a functional offense, I believe they're going to be I think it's worth going through Michigan schedule, at least to talk about this, because they don't play Illinois, so we're not going to see them.

Head to head. But here's the thing that tip the scales for me with Michigan, and I don't know if I'm the only one. But I don't think they're going to beat Oklahoma, so if they don't, they start off the season on the wrong foot. And in order for them to get and I already penciled in a loss with my bracket to Ohio State at home. So that means they've got to be undefeated for the rest of the Big Ten schedule and they're on the road at Nebraska, they're

on the road at USC, they have a pretty tough schedule and they're not proven yet. So I thought that this looked like more of a nine and three team that I did a 10 and two and they're not proven yet. So I thought that this looked like more of a nine and three team than I did a ten and two or eleven to one team. Here's also the interesting thing about this. Hypothetically, let's say they lose to Oklahoma, but then they do go on that run. They win nine in a row.

That doesn't matter at the time. Listen, listen, this is where it would get really interesting. And then they lose to Ohio State it probably puts them in a tiebreaker scenario to be in the Big Ten Championship game and Maybe they're in it depending on how the tiebreakers shake out if they don't lose another game sure yes, and then they're in the playoff Yes, no, they absolutely could do it and like listen I I don't know what you what do you think is actually more likely here, Illinois making the playoff or Michigan making the playoff?

That's what I'm wrestling with. I still think it's Illinois, because I just don't know what Michigan's offense is going to look like. You have to like Illinois. I know it's good on both sides of the ball. You have to suspend your belief of like smaller program type players or smoker smaller program type players. Or smaller program actually going out and doing it is harder to believe than Michigan figuring it out. Even though Illinois has really good football players and returns a team that won 10 games,

it's still really, really hard to visualize, especially because Illinois got to those 10 wins in a not so easy path that they're just gonna blow through the big 10. So if you think Michigan's gonna be there, then that's not something that I would get fired up about in terms of saying that you're wrong. I'm just explaining to you why. And my thought process was when I didn't put them in.

Yeah, I know I I'm with it. I think Illinois mentioned too, that like I did this after they suspended to run more for the road game to Nebraska. Like so like that's right. Like that's a little wrinkle in there too. Like they have to be like Michigan has to be fully back for them to make the playoff in the with the schedule. And I so almost going to be good. So Illinois, Michigan, Iowa all feel like if things shake out a certain way, they could be in there in this spot we're talking about. Yeah. And like, as we said at the top of the show, you know, the

difference between team three and team two in these conferences and team two and team five is not as big as it used to be. Well, that's what it makes me think about the Tony Petit idea for the play in games. Like I kind of want to see those in the big 10 like. 6 versus 3 and 4 versus 5, cause I think 6 and 3 might not be very different. So this this this is kind of a reinforcement

to that. I think I like Illinois season team team total over. Oh yeah, I don't know that I love. The 8 1⁄2 Michigan thing is like that staring you right in the face of like hey guys, this is probably going to be like a 9 and 3 or an 8 and 14 and I think that's probably where they're going to be this year. Yeah, the Illinois one the over under was easy.

Like you made the best point if. If a disappointing season cash is the over which in the in a case of Illinois, if they go 8 and 4 it will be considered a disappointing season. You take the over. But that doesn't mean they're gonna make the playoff but it i'm fine with this and i'm gonna wrestle with Illinois in my bracket as well i think that's gonna be i've got to figure out do i want to put them in there or not and and i don't know i mean i've got them ranked there but it's it's it's tough because you you could really go a lot of ways with this,

or you could go and this is, you and I talked about this offline, a second ACC team. Clemson is the only ACC team you have in this bracket right now. And I think Miami could be good. I think Louisville could be good. SMU should be good again. I think there are options if there's a second ACC team. And I look forward to seeing what option you use on your bracket because I bet you it's going to be the same. If I use one. Which is zero. Because I might not. Yeah you're not going to do it. Yeah. Oh uh it's hard because you have to you have to put yourself in a position to think like okay which big 10 or SEC team is not going to make it for the second ACC team. I know what happened last year,

but like that was a pretty unusual circumstance that led to it. Well, okay. Can I ask this? And given what we've, we thought this would take some, you know, rather extraordinary circumstances. Let's say Clemson is really good. When's the ACC title Miami is 10 and two, really good wins the ACC title. Miami. Is 10 and two, but one of the losses is Notre Dame or how about this? Miami's 10 and two. The losses are Notre Dame and Florida and they go undefeated in ACC play and then play in the ACC title game and lose to Clemson. Do they get in? I don't I don't know if they get in in that scenario. I don't know that they would but I here's the thing my my prediction will be at the beginning of the year.

I think a three loss team will make it this year. I think last year we all brainwashed ourselves into thinking that they have to be 10 and 2 or better. And that's not the case. There were a few teams that came out of nowhere and had extraordinary seasons that got them to 10 wins or that got them to the 10 and 2 benchmark. But Indiana is not going to be 11 and one every year.

I think that's going to be, I think you're right about that because I also think that the the Giants conference schedules and just the randomness of them, you may just have a year where there aren't a lot of 10 and two teams, or maybe they're not even enough 10 and two teams to populate the playoff. teams to populate the playoff. Right? And there's so and then when you start dipping into nine and three, that's when chaos begins because deciphering between 10 and two and nine and three, there's so many more nine and three teams and 10 and two teams. Exactly.

Exactly. You can sign up. I think they were ranked. Yeah, you have an Ashton Gentilis Boise State. Occupying the group of five slot in there and and and look, we're back to assuming their number the number 12 seed. I don't think they're ever going to be a top four seed again. Interesting, I don't think a group of five team in this

system will ever be a top four seed again. Hmm. I don't think they should have been one last year. Well, that is another argument for another day. And also may not have to be an argument this year because we don't know what they're going to do with the seating. The, the, the thought is they're going to change it anyway. So, so who else you mentioned Memphis Tulane, which lost quarterback Darien thought is they're going to change it anyway so. So who

else you mentioned Memphis Tulane which one of these quarterback during MENSA. You know if you lost the best player- I mean it's one of their coaches was one of them yeah well hey by the way you know he has a very good coach

coming in so- their new coach was made for that job by the way. Dan Mullin I think is gonna do good there. Yeah and he's got Alex Orji from Michigan who listen go back and watch some Chris Relf from Mississippi State. Dan Mullin knows how to use Alex Orji. Yeah so this was difficult I put Boise in as a placeholder I don't know if that's actually 100. It's just like the big 12. What if it's Navy? I'm not a it's not. Come on. Raymond says in the chat hot take Navy makes the 12 team playoff. That would be incredible.

I just feel like whenever Army and Navy actually end up playing really good teams, they just can't keep. I just don't think they have the caliber of athlete to do it. It needs to well not beating Notre Dame is not going to knock you out of the playoff. I mean losing 42 to 10 does. Maybe I mean both of them got annihilated last year and then like that was it.

Yeah, we'll see that when Notre Dame or when Notre remember by 50 if they win the championship of their League. And they're ranked higher than the champions of the other leagues, but they were in because the champions of the other leagues won't have been blown out by the best team they played. Like that's how it works. Like Boise last year was a perfect example, but I think I think that Boise State

Oregon game did a lot of work. Yeah, you have to. You have to be lucky enough to have scheduled a team that's going to be really good in the other conferences and then also lose to them by a respectable margin. Like if you, if you win the American, but your only game against a bona fide, by the way, Ari lost, it's hard to be the highest ranked one. That's all I'm saying.

Remember who Boise state plays on October 4th? Um, I look at their schedule. I was doing this. Let me go. I don't remember October. You're at Notre Dame. Yeah, that's's gonna be fun. I think that's the reason why I put them there because they lose the Notre Dame on the road by

10. They legitimize. They don't have Ashton Gentry so they might not lose by 10. I know they might lose by 50. I don't know. We'll see. Oh, I can't wait group of five. A team you pick. It's hard. It's hard. I know that's that's the other thing is like, because I really want to like go super hot and pick somebody from the Sunbelt. Like we had Wilson on and we did

our Southern Miss Sunbelt champ. But don't you have to pick a team that actually plays a legit power five team because I feel like at the end of the year there are five group of five champions and you're trying to figure out which one's going to be the highest ranked one and a lot of times the answer to that question is which team hung with the big boys the best. Well, I think I think that's the tiebreaker for sure. So yeah, it would be

hard like now. Southern Miss plays Mississippi State, but that's Mississippi State might be the last place team in the SEC. So that that probably doesn't count. Yeah, my my thought was Boise wins their conference. They lose to Notre Dame in a respectable game and they're just they I just I don't think without without with Ashton Gentile gone. I don't think Boise State is going to be as much of a guarantee as you think it is. I just don't know

that Ashton Gentie was 97% of their team either. I thought they were pretty good. I think he was at least 75% of it. Yeah. Yeah, we'll see. I don't know. I mean they won games last year where he I mean, I guess he had a great game. I don't know. Maybe you're right. He was unbelievable against Oregon last year. You should

have voted for him. Yeah, so. That is that is where we're at. It is going to be so much fun. Now you've got a respectable respectable bracket. Yeah, OK, I love it. I love it and the thing is we haven't talked as much about the games deeper into the bracket.

Because at that point for me, it's a bunch of really good teams playing each other. Yeah. If you want to get mad that I have Penn State losing a beating Notre Dame and losing the Clemson, then that's your prerogative. Like I think it's Texas Clemson National Championship with the rosters those two teams have with Clemson being significantly better defensively than the team that Texas beat in the playoff last year. I think that would be a fantastic national title.

The one thing that you will see with my bracket and if you are unfamiliar with my game, I wanted to explain it to you. If you look at the seeds, it all correlates to which teams I believe have the best collection of talent. And then as you go down and like how we arrive at that is different than it used to be. I used to just go look at the, you know, rankings of who, you know, and do it. But like now it's who's returning, who's going to be a draft pick next year, who's been productive, who's been impactful. And like, Texas has four players that you could have conceivably put in the top 10 of total players in the sport. And it's like, of course, I

think they're going to win now. Like, of course, cause they've got the most, you know, in Ohio state has maybe the best single player on defense and the best single player on offense. Uh, we'll, we'll close with, with something from the Wolverine scoop. We shouldn't be upset that Ari picked Ohio state to beat Michigan. Cause every time he does, we win instead. There you go. See your, even when you make people mad, you make them happy. And that's the beauty of you. I picked Ohio State to beat Michigan because every time he does, we win instead. There you go.

See, even when you make people mad, you make them happy. And that's the beauty of you, Ari. Did you have a favor, buddy? Did you have a favor? I'm wishing you all the best. Yeah. Didn't have the greatest track record of picking the Michigan-Ohio State game properly

the last four years. Sorry, I didn't see one of the most remarkable turns in the history of our sport happening before it happened. But you know That's the thing that blew my mind about that whole thing too. It's like at the beginning There's a clip that they used to that they used to show then it was back on stars matter the old athletic recruiting podcast Mm-hmm. It was before it was after Michigan won the first time of the four or Or it might've even been before that.

But somebody asked me if you think that Michigan would win four of the next 10 Ohio State games, I said I would bet my entire livelihood that they would not win four of the next 10. And like now they've won four in a row. So thankfully that wasn't a bet but and people love to throw that back on my face oh yeah the video the video is floating around at the Michigan Beach this is the thing that I don't and I know that fans don't think about process the way that we do and they just think about results but at the time that I said that

NIL hadn't happened yet or was on the verge of happening. Michigan wasn't a full participant of NIL. Ohio State was signing top three classes every year and they had won 18 of the previous 20 games. What math should I have been doing to see this coming? Like that's the thing that I, when people like throw stuff in your face like oh you're wrong. That is the beauty of the game and of sports. Like, you're exactly right. You're exactly right. You did everything process-wise correctly. Yeah, you're just looking at it. Sometimes weird stuff happens and it's awesome.

If process was infallible, we would be very rich. But like being like, ha ha ha, you were wrong about Ohio State, Michigan. It's such a funny, like, flex. Everybody, you were wrong about Ohio State, Michigan is such a funny like flex. Everybody was wrong. That's not something that anybody projected. It was an anomaly. It doesn't happen. It didn't happen. It's the first time it happened. Yeah, Scott, how many door dash slurpees is your livelihood worth?

I mean, I do okay. I mean, probably quite a bit, but it was like $9. I didn't, by the way, just so you know, because we didn't update people. My wife was out of town on Saturday night, and I had the night to myself remember, I dropped my daughter off at my mother-in-law at three o'clock, I went out and worked out vigorously, as hard as I possibly could from 3.15 till 4.15.

Then I went home, took a shower, nice steamy shower guys. I just want you to picture that. Lots of good ideas generated in that. Okay, got it. Some about football, some not. And then I laid down in my bed from 5pm till 2 in the morning, fell asleep and didn't set an alarm for the next day. I didn't go to the casino. I didn't do anything. I just laid there and watched YouTube videos of classic cars. And it was incredible. And I also

had a very balanced and healthy dinner. So it was like a slob day, but also... Yeah. It evolved slob day, but also, yeah, yeah, but it involves lots of soap. And for God's sakes, when you please stop soaping your ass like that, you know, from Mr. Beads, I don't know if you've got that reference, but yeah, it was a responsible relaxing day without being detrimental to my health, which was like a first for me. Because usually when like my skinny workout seven times a week wife is out of town, that used to mean like Domino's is coming because she would never come when she's home. Um, no, I was, I'm working at it, dude. Pool season's coming. Boom. Okay.

Boom. And somebody said, I don't think the other day yesterday. And I'm like, I'm done with that shit. Okay. Brit is a very pretty girl, but like, I'm gonna, I'm an attractive man. Like I'm tired of this, like, oh, look at the fat guy, got the hot chick. Like we're not doing that anymore. We're getting the jawline back. I'm gonna be a snack too.

You know, she's not, I didn't out kick my coverage. I'm perfectly in my coverage. You say so, Kevin James. All right, we have a very big show for you tomorrow. Our friend Clark Brooks, who is on threes, deep dive stats guy, skiing guy, talking his list of the 100 most impactful players in the country. It's fascinating.

It's a fascinating way to go into the 2025 season when you look at which teams have the most of these guys, but also why do certain guys show up where they do on the list? Sam Levitt is the highest rated quarterback. Dylan Stewart, the South Carolina edge, the number two most impactful player returning in 2025. Number one, I think you know who it is. It's Jeremiah Smith, but we'll have Clark explain exactly why Jeremiah Smith is such an alien. That's going to be a fun, fun show. We'll see you tomorrow morning.