Andy & Ari On3 - Breaking down a PACKED Saturday | Alabama runs past LSU | Washington wins a track meet against USC | Texas survives Kansas State |

Episode Date: November 5, 2023

Subscribe to On3! ⬇️ youtube.com/on3sports/Welcome to On3 | The best of college football and recruiting https://www.on3.com/Listen to Andy Staples On3 on podcast! Spotify 🎧 : https://open.spotify.com/show/5AhQ4d2m5TQu5Q2vkwtxjt?si=uLK1rMW7QOmLHcZK9URbOwApple🍎: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/andy-staples-on3/id1695325427Follow Andy Staples on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Andy_StaplesFollow Andy Staples on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andy_staplesFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/on3sportsFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/on3/?hl=en Like/Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/On3Sports/ Shop On3 https://shop.outsider.com/Andy and On3 national writer Jesse Simonton break down all the action from a loaded Saturday...Alabama beat LSU thanks to a great performance from Crimson Tide QB Jalen Milroe and LSU Jayden Daniels ended the game in concussion protocol.Washington and USC played a shootout.Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma to win the final Bedlam (for the foreseeable future) and claim a spot atop the Big 12 standings.Michigan showed no ill effects on the field from all its off-field issues in a 40-6 win against Purdue.Texas blew a lead but beat Kansas State in double overtime when the Wildcats went for it on fourth down instead of kicking a tying field goal.Ohio State started slow against Rutgers but eventually pulled awayTexas A&M fought but lost to Ole Miss 38-35 when a field goal attempt missed as time expired.Arkansas beat Florida in overtime to snap a six-game losing streak and force the Gators to pull an upset if they want to be bowl eligibleClemson beat Notre Dame and Dabo Swinney says buy Clemson stock now.

Welcome to Andy Staples on three. What a day it has been. Jesse Simonton started with a maybe the most packed noon slate ever and just went straight into the night into a shootout in Los Angeles, but of course we start in Tuscaloosa, where Alabama got into a shootout of its own with LSU and then got a stop, and then suddenly there were no more scores. Are you a big

concert-going guy, Andy maybe maybe in your youth oh yeah absolutely today today was like one of those concert slates it was just banger on banger on banger I mean it was just the next great band topped by the next great band and so we got a great noon slate we got some interesting 330 stuff we'll talk about. And then the nightcap delivered. I mean, this was 28-28 all, and then Jalen Milrow and Alabama's defense took over. Three straight touchdowns coming out of halftime, and that changed the game. And obviously Jalen Daniels getting knocked out, kind of spurred or dashed any upset you know, upset hopes for LSU. And that was unfortunate.

But this was a game where Jalen Milrow, he rides that roller coaster, Andy. Yeah. He'll miss a layup, misses a layup touchdown, very next play. It's a fadeaway, you know, Steph Curry three-pointer, you know, with your arms up before the ball even goes into the net, where he just wiggles past LSU's defense and runs it in. I think he had like a buck 50 on the ground, four touchdowns. You know, we've been waiting for some weeks to kind of see Alabama really involve his legs. And some of it was design runs, but a lot of it was just, oh, the play's broken.

Well, I'm a running back, you know, that also has a howitzer. And he was remarkable, you know, when they needed him most. Well, he and Jayden Daniels were basically doing the same things. I mean, their stat lines were almost identical. Jayden Daniels throws for 219. Jalen Milrow throws for 219.

Jayden Daniels runs for 163 in one touchdown. Jalen Milrow runs for 155 and four touchdowns. They were both when they needed to escaping and the defenses couldn't do anything about them. Now that Dallas Turner hit puts Jaden Daniels out. I have far less problems with the hit than I do with LSU putting him back in the game. When they're like, oh, your jaw's okay, go back in.

And then they're like, oh, wait, maybe we should have checked him for a concussion. And that was terrible. And you know what else was kind of the difference between Milrow and Daniels is Milrow avoids getting plastered. You know, he kind of has that Lamar Jackson to him where he just never gets pasted, whether he's running, you know, in the middle of the field or getting out of bounds, whereas Jalen Daniels, that Dallas Turner hit was the last one, but he took blow after blow after blow on some of his long runs.

He got completely pasted there late in the second, just before halftime on that long run and remarkably managed to get up and, you know, score another touchdown. I mean, it was, that was insane because hit with his frame to be able to withstand those hits. It's just, it seems unsustainable. And ultimately it was. Yeah. I don't have a problem with the Dallas Turner hit. He hit him in the chest. What was he supposed to hit?

He hit him in the head. Where was he supposed to hit him? Where was he supposed to hit him? Maybe he hit him late. They did flag him, right? They flagged him for roughing the passer on that play. And they did check it for targeting because they check every hit like that for targeting.

They just didn't call it. So I don't know what to tell you. He didn't hit him in the head. So there are hard hits that are legal that hurt people. It happens. And again, probably the greater sin is LSU not checking him for a concussion and putting him back in the game instead of putting him in the tent and figuring it out. So, but it, the, here's the thing with Alabama though, Miller looks more and more comfortable every single game. And Jesse, they, they got to play at Kentucky and at Auburn. Those are not gimmies by any stretch, but I think they can win those.

And then if they do, we are talking about an Alabama-Georgia SEC championship game, probably, unless Georgia loses the next two weeks in a row. But I think Alabama can beat Georgia on the right day. On the right day. On the right day. You know, defense is still up. You know, today their defense was a little optional at times. And that was with the breakdowns with Jaden Daniels hurting them with their legs.

You know, our buddy Richard Johnson had a good tweet about, you know, this was kind of a cardio game, this game. And USC Washington for the defenses. They were just kind of out there running around. And that is the case. But we have seen Alabama, especially on its best day, do a lot of things defensively. They are a top five team in the country when they play well defensively. Dallas Turner is obviously awesome off the edge.

It was notable, you know, Braswell did not play much tonight, that they missed him. And that was honestly probably key for LSU because, you know, they were dinged up at right tackle. So when you don't have that kind of mismatch, Alabama wasn't able to take advantage of it. I think, you know, the fact that they still struggle to run the ball on consistent rundowns outside of Milrose, you know, the fact that they still struggle to run the ball on consistent rundowns outside of Milrow's, you know, freelancing.

I mean, McClellan only had 63 yards on like 15 carries. 14 carries. But Roydale Williams had 56 on six carries. Like, I don't think it was that bad. It wasn't that bad. It wasn't that bad. But we're talking about a tiger's defense that that ranks in the bottom of a lot of categories can you can you hurt georgia on the

ground a la the way missouri at least threatened them today with those stretch runs well so tom asks the question will the cfp committee keep alabama behind texas in the polls and i would say yes i think they will i think they'll just move them both up. So. Cause it's an entertainment product until the end. So they could totally flip them, you know, to,

to, to push the TV ratings. But I think you're right. I think they ultimately keep them one spot behind. Yeah. And I think they'll move Texas up cause Oklahoma drops. So they're going to drop them. But yeah, this Alabama team is not perfect by any stretch.

But this Georgia team is not what it has been the past two years. So if they were to meet, then I do think there's a chance on the right day. So for those counting at home, Alabama's at Kentucky next week. They get Chattanooga the following week, and then they're at Auburn. So you do run the risk of one of those Jordan hair, the visitor doesn't get out alive type situation. Yeah, if Auburn – like Auburn had a good game against Vanderbilt on Saturday. They got a little confidence.

But I don't think that they would challenge Alabama this season, just the way things have gone. But I really am impressed with the way Alabama is blocking at this point. It's not like it was. Remember that Arkansas game when Atlanta Jackson was just abusing Caden Proctor and destroying Jalen Milrow. And in the first half of the Tennessee game, it looked bad. It feels like they've figured out a way to protect Jalen Milrow and in the first half of the Tennessee game it looked bad it feels like they've figured out a way to protect J Jalen Milrow a little bit better well that and I think I think what we saw today don't you think Andy that Derek you know this is kind of Saban at his best coming all right what do we need to tweak in the bye week I think what

they also probably really harped on Jalen is, Hey, if it's not there, we know you want to hit that home run, but if it's not there, use your legs run. Yeah. And so he, there was the, you know, QB freelancing and that it just, he, you know, carved up Matt house defense. Now LSU, they were down four cornerbacks. Major Burns gets dinged up in this game. They were just beat to hell in the secondary. That has to be noted. Alabama did what good teams do. You take advantage and they continue to survive in advance. They're undefeated in the SEC. They absolutely remain in the hunt, not only to win the SEC

championship, but to knock in the door and make the college football playoff. Jesse, let's head out west to the game that was happening concurrently with LSU Alabama. Washington, USC. Reminder that Caleb Williams is probably still the best player in college football. He just doesn't have much around him, I don't think. I actually think he might be better this year than he was last year because he doesn't have Jordan Addison. He's not going to win the Heisman.

Worst offensive line. Yeah, worst offensive line. Worst offensive line. Worst defense on the other side of the ball. He's not going to win the Heisman. I get it. But you saw tonight, he's not going to win the Heisman I get it but you saw tonight like he's freaking magic and it didn't matter because their defense is terrible that Houdini touchdown he had I think I think it

tied the game at 35 yes when on fourth to Emmy he just he runs back and then just quickly sets his feet turns his shoulders and just throws a dart into the corner of the end zone. I mean, that's the stuff that when all these folks who are like, oh, he may not be the number one pick. That's the stuff that's like, no, there's no way an NFL team is not going to take that number one overall. There, you know, there's maybe five guys on the planet that could make that play physically. He was, He was amazing, and yet the difference in the game was that, once again, Alex Grinch's defense, you know, they couldn't catch a cold if they're in the middle of flu season.

I mean, their tackling is abhorrent. It is abhorrent. The Huskies' deep offensive line showed up today. You know, there was the great stat by the end of the game that Penix and their tailback, Dylan Johnson, who had four touchdowns, both had 256 yards identical, which was crazy. But, I mean, again, USC has 500-some-odd yards of offense. Caleb is transcendent.

They even get a great rushing game from themselves, 203 yards. So turnover battle's tied, and yet you lose by 10 points because your defense is just a sieve. I mean, it's a picket fence. And what else can we say at this point? Well, Bootszilla in the chat, good point. The difference of the game is Caleb Williams turned it over at the wrong time. He gave him the ball in the red zone, and they cashed it in quickly.

Yeah, and that was costly. But when everything is on Superman's shoulders, he's going to have a kryptonite moment a time or two, right? I mean, you know, he can't. He's asked to do more than anyone else. Because, like, Jaden Daniels, who I, he can't. He's asked to do more than anyone else. Because, like, Jaden Daniels, who I hope he's okay. I don't know. Like, they may not play him against Florida.

We'll see what happens with the concussion situation. Probably don't need to. But probably going to win the Heisman if this keeps up, unless J.J. McCarthy comes in or, you know, one of those guys. But he has Malik Nab and brian thomas who might both be first round prospects caleb williams doesn't have any of that and and i know that usc's supposed to have all this talent but i'm not sure they do and you kind of look at the the recruiting that's going on under Lincoln Riley. And you start to wonder like, where's this going?

Well, he, he, he better have a dial on, you know, whoever the number one transfer portal quarterback is. He better have a dial on that. And then if things continue to go South and in Waco, he better have, he better have, you know, Dave Aranda's number on speed dial. Matthew in the chat asked how did Washington beat Oregon Lanning's awful fourth down decisions that's how no they stopped Oregon on those fourth downs if Oregon makes that last fourth down they win I I don't know about you

Jesse I feel like why watching Oregon and Washington in the past few weeks if they play again I would pick Oregon I would the matter is they played in Washington one yeah I got this question in my mailbag this week and I and I thought it was a good point by a Huskies fan that's it was a lack of respect and it was like so when we beat Oregon for the third time will we finally you know will folks finally stop saying oh I think Oregon even though they lost or is the better team. We'll see. Right now, they're on track for that matchup. Oregon now plays USC next weekend, and Washington's got to tangle with the feisty Utah Utes and the pig farmer who threw four touchdowns today.

The reason I agree with you about the Ducks, though, and again, I understand why Huskies fans can get a little bit chapped by this. I just think they have a second gear that the Huskies don't. The Huskies are awesome offensively, have some issues in the line of scrimmage defensively. But Oregon, as they showed today, I mean, I don't know if we're really going to talk about it, but that's a 14-13 game against Cal. Bo Nix throws an interception on the first play of the game, and it's just you blink, and they're up 35-13 at halftime, and they win going away. They hang 63 on them. I don't know if the Huskies can do that. They did prove today you can get back on

track. What's the best medicine if your offense is a little clunky the last few weeks? Play Alex Grinch's defense. Play Alex Grinch's defense. Play Alex Grinch's defense. It's unbelievable. But, yeah, I really do want to see USC against Oregon because I think it's a different style completely. I don't think USC is going to score nearly as much against Oregon. But how much is Bucky Irving going to run for?

Oh, again, based on the tackling that we've seen previously, I think he can at least come close to Dylan Johnson's 250 tonight. Oh, it's going to be crazy. I just can't believe it. We've got to talk about the team that we've been talking about all week off the field. They did play on the field tonight. Michigan beat Purdue.

You got to tell me about this one. I got very little eyes on this one. What was it? What was the Michigan went up early? They went up 17, nothing early. I saw that. Purdue made it a 26 game at 20 to six game at halftime.

And then it was about a quarter and a half between the second and third quarter that Purdue held serve. And then Michigan just turned on the afterburners there was one play where Michigan's defensive line pushed Purdue's entire offensive line into Hudson card it was brutal to watch like they're really good on the field we haven haven't talked about – oh, I'm sorry. It was 41-13, not 41-6. We have not talked about what happened. Oh, the backbreaker, the backdoor cover touchdown. Yeah, exactly. We have not talked about all the stuff that happened Friday on the show

because we didn't have a show on Friday. But you had Santa Ono, the president of Michigan, sending a letter to Tony Petitti, the commissioner of the Big Ten, saying, hey, if you've got all this evidence and you're going to do you want to do something to us, you could you could say you're investigating us because you haven't even said that yet. And and we'd like due process. Yes, they would like due process. And I'll blame them for that. Connor Stallions resigned. I'm using air quotes here, according to him and his lawyer in Michigan. But we all know what really happened.

The whole situation is just crazy because Chris Ballas from the Wolverine, he was the first person with that Santa Ono letter. He released it on Saturday. But on Friday, Chris reported that the Big Ten came in and Michigan was ready to fight. Michigan was ready to go to the mats. And according to what Chris reported, the Big Ten was like, here's some evidence we have. And Michigan's like, oh, crap. That was what Chris reported on Friday. Now, it feels like this thing sort of runs in waves where they go, whoop, this might be it. And they're like, no, no, we're fighting this thing.

So I think they're in we're fighting this thing mode right now, but I'm not really sure. Wasn't the other report on Friday, this was like, I think this is not the own you think it is, which is Michigan released, or some Michigan insider, I forget who. That was Chris Ballas, that was our guy. Okay, yeah, also had the report that it was Ohio State behind the private investigation, which is not overly surprising. Two things on that. It doesn't matter how it came to be if it proves you did something wrong.

It's not a court of law. Evidence can't get thrown out for being improperly obtained. In a criminal trial, yes, absolutely. If you find out the evidence was improperly obtained, it's getting tossed. That doesn't work that way in NCAAcaa land but what it there's more to it than that because if that really happened and michigan gets punished and nothing else happens to anybody else like the next time anything goes on like if i'm michigan i'm hiring

pis to investigate everybody it just makes the story so much juicier. It's fantastic. I mean, this is going to be the best 30 for 30 in a decade once all this unravels. Yeah, and we don't know what happens next. I mean, everybody thinks they have some clue of what's going to happen next. I don't. All I know is Michigan plays Penn State next week. All I know is that there seems like there might be more Connor

stallions videos out there. It does sound that way, but I'm excited for that game because this is the first real challenging opponent they've played. And I want to see him play one. And I think they can beat him, but I want to see it. Oh,

definitely. And then any lions, you know, they played with energy. They bounced back today. Drew Aller, they immediately got a stop on fourth down on Maryland's opening drive.

And they just... Here's a fun fact, Andy. We'll play a little quiz here. How many yards rushing? Do you know this stat offhand or no? I don't know what the stat you're going to ask me about is. How many yards rushing when he take away sacks? How many yards rushing? Do you know this stat offhand or no? I don't know what the stat you're going to ask me about it. How many yards rushing when he take away sacks? How many yards rushing did Maryland run for today?

Was it A, 10, B, minus 30, C, minus 2, or D, 6? I'm going to go minus 30 because that sounds most impressive it was minus two when you take away sacks minus two wow when you add in sacks it was minus 49 yikes yeah look we know penn state's defense is good it's that's not even the issue. It's can they score? Right. And they did today that you get Aller had four touchdowns. Dante Cephas, we've been waiting two months for the Kent State transfer to finally pop. He had a couple scores, his biggest game, you know, in a Nittany Lions uniform. So I'm excited about that one, too. I think you're going to be there, right? That's I am going to be there. I cannot wait. It's because I want to see this Michigan team against a good team.

Forget all the other stuff. I'm just talking about on the field. We've been waiting for this all year, for them to play somebody that will challenge them. And this is potentially that team. And if they don't get challenged, well, that's even more interesting. So I can't wait. Let us move to Bedlam, which ended in probably the sweetest way ever for Oklahoma State fans.

Fans rushing the field. They're playing. We are never, ever, ever getting back together by Taylor Swift as the fans rush the field. Mike Gundy does the how about them Cowboys in the locker room. What a win for the Cowboys. Well, actually, Andy, this was like kudos to their PA guy or sound guy or whatever. Oh, yeah. Because the second Stoops gets stopped short.

So Drake Stoops gets stopped short at midfield. Oklahoma has the ball with a chance to to win the game down by or tie the game or win the game stoops gets stopped short they immediately start playing dj's call it all i do is win yeah so they play that then they fans rush the field and they're playing the taylor swift so it was just a awesome one too too. Mike Gundy, 3-15 entering today against Oklahoma. For him, he's 1-0. He says, I won the last one. That's the one that matters.

This game was choppy, seesaw, back and forth. I think there was like four or five ties, lead changes. Bad pick, bad interception by by you know our our man there uh but he he turned around and and you know he he's the Heisman still uh I think he still has a chance you know a buck 37 on the ground and two scores after throwing the bad pick well here's the thing uh yeah Ollie Gordon not a thrower of the football normally no so I don't necessarily put that on him no it's a bad trick play Oklahoma's turnovers cost them dearly uh all of Oklahoma State's points in the second half came off of Oklahoma turnovers the Oklahoma fans are are done with Jeff Levy they're ready to ready to move on

to an offensive coordinator I don't even know I mean, I'm not sure that's necessarily the issue, but they're not as good as we thought they were when they beat Texas, for sure. The question is, where are they? Is this where it kind of ends for them? Because they are not now in line to make the Big 12 championship game. They need help. They need Iowa State to beat Texas would be the thing that would help them the most. But Oklahoma State, their remaining Big 12 opponents are UCF, Houston, and BYU, I believe.

I believe you are correct. I don't think they're going to lose to those teams. Although, you know, we don't know. This team did lose to South Alabama earlier in the season, but they seem to have come back pretty well from that. Five straight. They've won five straight big 12 games. Gordon's rushed for 100 yards, six straight weeks. I mean, Gunny's got this team back on track and they don't. It's not overly pretty, but they get it done. I mean, Gundy's got this team back on track, and it's not overly pretty, but they get it done. I mean, the Pokes have kind of found a way each week. How about this for an OC trade?

Oklahoma fans are sick of Levy. You've got Arkansas. They just fired Dan Enos. Pittman with a big win today, though. Colorado inexplicably demotes Sean Lewis. What about Sean Lewis to Oklahoma, Levy back to the SEC to Arkansas? Well,

it's the same offense that Levy runs. So I'm saying you'd be getting a different version of the same offense. Levy would be going back to the, to Arkansas where they ran Kendall Bryles offense, which is the same offense. So that makes sense. That makes sense. By the way, which is the same offense. So, I mean, that makes sense. That makes sense. By the way, as we speak, 16 seconds left in the first half.

Colorado has three points. Yes. So the OC change may not have worked. And they had zero yards rushing, I believe, after the first quarter, which was the impetus for the move. Yeah, you're not going to believe this, but when you can't block, it's usually not the OC's fault. A week after Deion is complaining about an offensive line

that he put together via the transfer portal and now can't cut to. I mean, it was a bad one-two punch for Coach Prime this week. Yeah, well, here's the thing. Oklahoma State is in the driver's seat. Let's move. I know we've been going sort of reverse chronologically, but let's stay on topic here. We'll stay on the Big 12.

Let's move to Texas. Okay, Texas, okay. Well, we can talk. Kansas knocks off Iowa State, which knocks them out of first place in the Big 12. So Kansas and Iowa State both now have two conference losses. Lance Leipold is maybe the greatest coach of all time. Back-to-back Big 12 wins for the first time in 15 years.

Yeah. Seven wins for the first time in a season since 2008 too. I mean, just the dude gets it done. He can get a blank check from Michigan state if he wants one tomorrow or anybody else. Let's be real here. So let, let's go down to Austin though,

where Texas takes a huge lead, blows said lead. Kansas state comes back, misses a chip shot field goal that would tie, but then gets the ball back. Yeah. Misses a PAT as well. Yep. Gets the ball back, does tie, but then Chris Kleiman, because he's had some kicking issues, goes for it on fourth down in double overtime instead of kicking a field goal to tie which I admit what not a sure thing but fourth and goal from the four is very much not a sure thing and that's

the end of the game I don't here's what's wrong with here's the die on your feet thing but the defense was playing so well for K-State like Like, try the chip shot field goal and let your defense try to win it for you. I 100% agree. Here's why it was the wrong move, Andy. Malik Murphy was red hot in the first quarter. Three incompletions, but he had 167 yards. Threw a touchdown strike to A.D. Mitchell. He was ice.

He was like Coors Light ice cold the rest of the game. I mean, he was awful. He single-handedly was the reason Kansas State got back into the game. He threw a couple terrible interceptions, probably should have thrown about five balls, five picks, multiple ones that were dropped. Texas desperately needs Quinn Ewers back if they're going to win the Big 12 championship and reach the college football playoff. The fact that he only had 12 completions,

I wrote a takeaways piece about this game earlier today. He had 12 completions, the final three quarters, averaging 3.3 yards per attempt. Make him beat you in tight windows in the red zone. You know, obviously – Just load up the box. Load up the box. Don't let Dylan Brooks, you know, or Jonathan Brooks get downhill and make Murphy beat you. Because Jay Baxter was running well too. Yeah, he had – there was, you know, you and I talked about this before,

but there was two of the coolest plays of the day. One was in this game, which was the fake tush push, toss right on fourth short Baxter goes for 55 yard touchdown. And then in the USC game circling back to that one real quick, how, how, how sweet was that little delayed stretch play turns into a reverse flea flicker, wide open touchdown. I mean, that was just – you talk about Lincoln Riley getting in his bag, cooking up. He may not have a clue of how to feel the defense,

but the man can dial up some really sweet plays. So this is a big win for Texas. I don't think they win this game last year. I don't either. And that's what makes this so huge. You can say what you want. You can criticize the climb and call whatever you want to do it texas wouldn't have won this last year they wouldn't have won this the year before this is the game that would have broken texas and it didn't break texas they are still in position to win the Big 12. They have at TCU, at Iowa State,

and then they get Texas Tech at home on Black Friday. At Iowa State is the trickiest one left, but they can win all these. And then you're talking about- And they should. They should. Maybe Oklahoma, probably Oklahoma State. Yeah. And honestly, frankly, they're going to be the much more talented and deeper team than all these teams. I do think they need Quinn back because he is a stabilizing presence. He's thrown, I think around, I don't the exact stat apologies, but it's something around 220 passes this season. He has three interceptions. Malik Murphy has thrown 60 balls the last two weeks and has three picks with multiple dropped interceptions.

They got to have better quarterback play. They need Quinn back. But, hey, you survive in advance. You win your clunkers. They got off to a hot game against a quality team. They let Kansas State sneak back into it, but they still survived. They did. They let Kansas State sneak back into it, but they still survived. They did. They did. And this is one of those that you go back to and you say

this is where it turned, where it changed for Texas. Because we've been waiting to see this for years. They won a game against a good team. This is a good Kansas State team. They won a game that was good, this is a good team. This is a good Kansas State team. They won a game that was close, that they would have folded before, and now they are in position to do something special. The question is, can they carry it out? Let us move on, Jesse, to the team that has done something very special each of the past two years, still rolling to maybe do it this year too.

Georgia did not look dominant for most of the day against Missouri but Missouri's pretty good and Georgia put him away at the end yeah this was this was just a choppy game there was a lot of I thought there was a lot of poor officiating from on both sides uh they kind of stalled a lot of the game's momentum, but there was a lot of stoppages. Again, it was just kind of a clunky performance, but Georgia came out in the second half like they've done, you know, been apt to do the last two years under Kirby Smart. They scored two big touchdowns on their first two possessions that kind of allowed them to kind of take control. And then in the second half, and then in the fourth quarter, it was, you know, Brady cook kind of turned into a pumpkin a little bit.

Georgia had two big interceptions, a couple of big sacks. And that was the game. That's how, you know, you turn a, what was it like 10, 10 at halftime into a nine point win and you move on and have another big top 10 game against, against Ole Miss next weekend. Yeah. And the part I keep wondering with Georgia, you know,

we've seen, like we saw Tua come back after that tightrope surgery on his ankle for that orange bowl where he got hurt in the SEC championship game. He's back for the orange bowl. Like where, where are we realistically thinking Brock Bowers can come back? What game are we talking? Are we talking SEC championship or are we talking not till the post,

the playoff, if you make the point? I would say SEC championship. I would say they're watching. I think there's less concern. I think when they get Brock back, that's just going to be, you know, like icing on the cake. I think that makes them, that, that makes them unbeatable is not the right word, but you're not closer to that. You're not wrong, but here's who

I think they need back more. And that's a Marius Mims. The offensive line took a, they just, part of the reason why Georgia did not run away from this game is that the offensive line played really poorly in the first half. They did not create a lot of lanes in the run game. Carson Beck got sacked several times. He got hit a couple more times. And so they're playing Truss out at right tackle. He's not really a right tackle. They're playing a freshman at left tackle.

Ernest Green's done well, but I think they need Mims back to put him in. He was apparently – went you know, went out there and warm up today. He's another guy that had this tightrope surgery just several weeks, you know, before Brock, you get him back. And I think that shores up maybe some concerns. Missouri gave Georgia some problems with that stretch run game. You know, they're playing a lot of youth at linebacker too. I think as they get more and more reps, maybe shore some of that up. That's not exactly what Ole Miss does well, so I'm not sure that's going to be a huge issue next week.

26 straight wins. Here's the problem with Tennessee. Georgia's basically playing the same offense two weeks in a row. They're going to get acclimatized in the Ole Miss game. And the Rebels have a lot better receivers. Right. And I think you saw – and we'll talk about Ole Miss, Texas A&M in a bit, but I think you saw that the Ole Miss defense is pretty vulnerable if your quarterback's hot. Yeah.

And Ole Miss' defense has benefited. They were a top 25 unit going into the day. But Pete Golding's unit has benefited a little bit of facing some of these, I don't want to call them craptastic, but less than explosive SEC offenses. The Auburns of the world, they've kind of taken advantage of several of those. Right, and Alabama, you got Alabama in Jalen Milrow's first start after the USF game benching.

They didn't really get the version of the Alabama offense that you get now. Yeah, but they've beaten Arkansas during this winning streak. The Razorbacks are nothing to write home about. All right, let's talk about A&M and Ole Miss. Because for a while there, I was thinking this was going to be a dominant Ole Miss win. But before the blocked field goal touchdown return, which felt a little fluky in terms of scoring. It's got to be 21-0. Right. I'm thinking, I don't know. I mean, maybe they're just not, this is it. And the A&M fans are like, we're done. I don't know that this

is the mandate where you go, we're going to raise $76 million to fire this man. But I will say, you have four losses. Your ceiling this season is eight and four. Probably not going to wind up being that. Your three games, Jimbo is three games behind where Kevin Sumlin was at this point in his tenure. What do you do, Jesse? I think there's going to be some hat passing tomorrow at church. I think maybe you don't raise all the $76 million,

but you go ahead and start. You get that little pot moving, and you just start passing it down and just say, hey, let's see's let, let's see what you got. And what are you willing to chip in today? And we may need a little bit more next week. I mean, Mississippi state's coming to the college station next week. Like you're not going to lose to miss. Well, if you lose that one, it's over. Yeah. But I don't think they're going to lose the Mississippi state.

Mississippi state looked, it looked like they didn't have a pulse against Kentucky. So I think Zach Arnett's going to be gone at some point. So the question is – I would say that's a strong bet. Yeah, well, here's the thing. Zach Arnett's buyout is $4.5 million. There's also an offset. So Zach Arnett's going to get hired as a defensive coordinator

somewhere else in the SEC or somewhere in the Big Ten. And Mississippi State's going to owe $0. Because $1.5 million a year is less than the going rate for a good DC. And Zach Arnett is a good DC. Jimbo's a different story. No offset. $76 million. 25% of it up front.

That is a lot of freaking money. It is, but I mean, here's the problem, Andy. And I said this on Finebomb last week and I wrote about column about it. It's over. It's over. Whether it's this year, next year, whatever, you know what? It's going to be a record buyout next year. It's going to be a record buyout in three years. It's going to be a record buyout in three years. It's going to be a record buyout in 2029. Yes. Somebody's going to break that Gus Malzahn record by 2029, most certainly, Jesse.

Well, we'll see. But right now, Jimbo's deal is still on track to be the most expensive buyout ever, if and when they have to pay it, because he's guaranteed this money one way or another. So I think you have to move on because there is talent. There is talent there. Shemar Turner, Shemar Stewart. Max Johnson is not at it quarterback, but those receivers are great. The freshman running back, there is obviously a lot of possibilities with that roster they just need some competency in coaching to put them over the top now we'll see who that is I don't know what

do you think about if if Mississippi State does move on because that wasn't a foreign performance 24 to 3 loss to Kentucky how much how much money should they be willing to put on the table to get Dan Mullen to go back to Starkville? New AD there, so maybe there's not as much bad blood. Yeah, Zach Selman. Well, the AD who he left Mississippi State for was his AD at Mississippi State. So, you know, Zach Selman, Oklahoma ties, played at Wake Forest. So I don't know where he would go naturally in his mind. It's such a tough job.

I just like – If Dan Willen would take it, if he would entertain it, yeah, because he clearly demonstrated success there, knows how to win there. He does not have to recruit the kind of players he would have had to recruit at florida like the reason he got fired at florida has nothing to do with with what he would be doing at mississippi state because it's a totally different recruiting job and i think he honestly would be attractive to folks in the transfer portal because he he would say hey i'm going to put you in an offense that that can get you to the nfl yeah you know some guys that can get you to the NFL. Yeah.

Some guys that would want to move up. I would make the call. I don't know if he'd say – he seems to be enjoying the TV life, but I'd make the call. Yeah, I agree. So, yeah, they're going to have to – Willie Fritz is a call I'd make too, even though he's a little bit older. The dude wins.

I think he's got – he's waiting for that older the dude wins so i think he i think he's got he's he's waiting for that that that that lance leipold oh yeah no no he's if leipold leaves kansas willie fritz is is going to crawl to lawrence if he can get there so but yeah the jimbo thing is is fascinating to me because you are right it is going to have to happen because they're paying for sec and national titles they're not getting that they are getting a coach who says our goal is bowl eligibility and that cannot sustain and it's not going to ever get any better they're like he's never going to get them there. And now you're right. It is a ton of money now, a ton of money next year,

a ton of money the year after that, a ton of money the year after that. What did an athletic director that you and I used to cover famously say, Jesse Simonton? What must happen eventually must happen now. Yeah. Jeremy Foley, former Florida Athletic Director. What must be done eventually must be done immediately. And that brings us to another game in the SEC, Florida and Arkansas. Now, I am not advocating for anybody getting fired at Florida

because I don't think they have the money to do it. And I don't know if they should. That and the fact that Florida is recruiting at a top five level. Correct. They don't want to put a blowtorch to a recruiting class that they believe could be the centerpiece of their turnaround. You and I have talked about this a lot. This is a difficult – we talked about this last week when they got blasted by Georgia.

This is the difficulty of trying to replicate what is happening in Athens and Tuscaloosa while not living in a Sims world. This is not a video game. You're not playing NCAA, so you can't hit pause on what's happening there and fast forward a year. Get rage quit. No, this was such a terrible loss, though, for Billy Napier and the Gators. To lose to this reeling Arkansas team.

The way they did it. To have a chance to become bowl eligible, you're immediately down 14 to nothing in a blink. You're down 14 to nothing in a blink you're down 14 to nothing you crawl back you you take a late late late lead and then you allow them to tie the game game goes to overtime but you you have a missed extra point you had two situations where 10 guys were out there on the field goal block team uh you get called for illegal substitution because your field goal team is running on the field when

you're trying to clock it but do we need a special teams change and you wait and and in the explanation billy napier says a player is in charge of telling the the field goal team when to run on the field you know how you can avoid that have a special teams coach who isn't an analyst the game-changing coordinator isn't even allowed to participate in changing the game they're they're relying on oh but he's changed the game a lot on a player instead this is the this is the man who was lauded for having like the army of assistance and we come to find out that that's a, it's a lowly walk on that. Our guide, Nick Del Tori asked him about special teams and, and miscues in the press conference and Billy Napier is like, what, what do you mean?

And then Nick just gives him the laundry list from this game alone. And if I had been Nick, I'd be like, would you like the ones from the other games as well? But I don't know if we have enough time, but. And, and, and, and I enough time And I want to agree I want to say this I have an agreement with you Billy does not need to be fired

They're just in an extremely precarious position Because They can't keep firing coaches You can't keep firing coaches But you're pinning A hell of a lot of hopes On a five star quarterback in DJ Lagway Next season

Whether he starts or not, he is obviously the future. And the 2024 schedule is just hellacious with 12 power five games. This also, to kind of circle this back to A&M for a second, Andy, part of the issue for Jimbo too, is that it's not just that his own program is not meeting expectations. It's that Texas is now doing what Texas is doing. And that's a huge issue in the Longhorn State, whereas the same thing with Florida. Gator fans are even more upset and have more room to gripe because their biggest rival, Georgia, is still number one,

has won 26 straight games, and is a back-to-back national champion. And Florida State is number four in the, and Florida state is now, yeah, is now on the ascent. Yeah. So yeah. Now flip this to the other side,

Arkansas, phenomenal win for them. Six losses in a row. They snapped that losing streak. Sam Pittman fired Danny knows after losing seven to three to Mississippi state, he raises Kenny Guyton up to OC. Kenny Guyton had a really good day.

You know what Kenny Guyton, well, now you get Rocket Sanders back, which helps. But you know what Kenny Guyton realized? KJ Jefferson is 6'4", 240 pounds and pretty fast. And maybe you should just run the ball with him. Well, that's why I mentioned the Levy move because they went back to the more air-raidy type scheme with Guyton. Well, no, no.

That's not the air-raidy. Brow's offense, not air-raidy. Different offenses. I mean, Brow, the Baylor offense. Excuse me. Not air-raidy. The Baylor offense. Excuse me.

The Baylor offense. But they went back to that sort of scheme. And, yeah, I mean, this was Sam, I'm going to have me a cold beer pitman. He needed this one because, you know, he's got a bad buyout too. I had a list of coaches who needed one. Well, the buyout got more expensive with the win. It did. It did because it changed that record.

So I had a list of coaches before this week that really needed a win. Both he and Tom Allen came up with big, big W's today. My son came home from school. Speaking of Tom Allen, my son came home from school yesterday and said we did a pick them at school. I think I might have messed up. I picked Indiana to beat Wisconsin. I'm like, you definitely messed up.

And then this afternoon, I'm like, nope, you're right. Nailed it. Go Ho're right. Nailed it. Go Hoosiers. Nailed it. Wow. I mean, Jesse, that noon slate was wild. So that A&M game we talked about, that Florida game we talked about, that Texas K-State game we talked about,

there was another game in the noon slate that bears discussion, and that was Notre Dame-Clemson. Tyler from Spartanburg lit a fire. There was another game in the noon slate that bears discussion, and that was Notre Dame-Clemson. Tyler from Spartanburg lit a fire. Lit a fire. That was some cathartic Clemson win right there. That's what that was. That was Dabo puffing his chest, telling everyone to buy stock.

Buy stock in the Tigers. We still can't do anything offensively. We still got a quarterback that can't complete a 10-yard pass, but his best play was a pooch punt. Well, we got a running back in Phil Moffa that ran for 200 yards that was awesome. We got a defense that just hounded Sam Hartman. I mean, they made poor Sam look like, I mean, Yosemite Sam, just shooting himself in the foot. He had a couple terrible interceptions.

That defense really did come up, though, because when Notre Dame made it 31-23, at that point in the game, it felt like Notre Dame was going to win. And then they got stop after stop after stop. Three straight stops, including one of those interceptions. Jeremiah Trotter, with one of the gains of the season from an individual defensive performer, 11 tackles. He came up with two huge sacks.

He had the big pick six. Just a fantastic performance. And, you know, I don't know if Tyler from Spartanburg was a plant, Andy. I don't think he was a plant. I think Dabo's ego is too big to have a plant that is insulting him that personally. Maybe not, but I'm saying Dabo had every single one of those stats off the dome and whether it was a plan or not, the motivational ploy or call worked because Clemson clearly heard it. And this was, I mean, again, they, they still have a lot of existential questions to answer after this season. They still

have a lot of problems offensively and philosophically, but this was, like I said, I think this was a cathartic win. Suddenly you're not facing the chance of missing a bowl game for the first time ever under Dabo. You got a couple tough ones to end the season, but you're 5-4. You're feeling good. Dabo says we should be 9-0. Well, we'll see how they finish the rest of the year.

Yeah, and Notre Dame probably played its way out of the New Year's Six. Definitely did, I think. Yeah, so that's a – I don't know what happened there. That defense had been great all season, and to let Phil Moffa just run through them like that was, was a little bit shocking. It was, I mean, I, I agree. I mean, they had, that was, I did not see this letdown coming. I did not, this was not a game I bet, you know, on the best bets. I was, I was a little skeptical because of how much all the stuff and noise around Clemson this week, you really didn't

know how the team was going to respond. They were down 11 starters, you know, so it was, again, they showed some impressive resiliency. And folks find motivation however they can, Andy. That's exactly right. Exactly right. Another game in that noon window that was just loaded was Ohio State Rutgers. Now, you look at the final score and you're like, ah,

this game was very interesting for about three quarters. This game, I don't know how much eyes you got on this game, Andy. This was one that— Oh, I watched the whole thing, because I had the door box going. So this was Rutgers. Greg, you already have clinched a bowl game you're six and two you're playing with house money for them to settle for three field goals inside Ohio State's four yard

line in the first half what that was just like you're playing not to win you're you're simply playing not to win I know Ohio State is not the Ohio State of yesteryear offensively. Kyle, as the Sickos Committee has nicknamed him, Kyle Honda McCord. So he's Honda McCord. Right, Maserati Marv and Honda McCord, yes. Maserati Marv. But it's just for our listeners. I mean, that's pretty good. Kudos to the Sickos Committee on that one. But, I mean, you know, he wasn't doing anything. So I just did not like the way that Sheano managed that because it played not to win.

So you're only up 9-7 at halftime. You're then driving in the third quarter. The game completely flips on a 93-yard pick six. And from pretty much there, Ohio State just handed the ball to Travion Henderson, and Harrison caught a couple short touchdowns. I'm hesitant to make any judgments until I see Michigan versus Penn State. But does it not seem that Michigan has the more dynamic roster at this point which has been a long time since we could really say that michigan won the last two but i don't know that you would

have said that michigan definitively has a better roster than ohio state it looks like they do right now well what what's what's been yeah they do and the difference is andy they have the best quarterback for the first time they definitely have they've had they've had the best offensive line the last few years they just haven't had the trigger man now jj mccarthy is you know number two nationally in passing efficiency yes you know in yards per target and they're not michigan's not like overly explosive at receiver but roman wilson's good enough and they have the best offense the better offensive line the better defensive line probably yes the better secondary probably although that one's close uh

the better backs maybe i think on a healthy day, I'm taking Travion Henderson. Now, obviously, Ohio State has the better receivers. But I don't know. Unless Penn State shows Michigan to be something different than they were because they haven't been playing good competition, which I don't think is going to happen, by the way. I think Michigan is going to be pretty superior to them. I don't like Ohio State's chances against the Wolverines. No, and I think that's why a lot of folks, you know,

there was some folks upset after the first CFP rankings that did not like the fact that, I don't know, you know, during the broadcast, and again, it's an entertainment product. This is going to all sort itself out. Ohio state has two of the better wins of the season so far being Notre Dame. I don't have a problem with that. Yeah. They got to play each other. So it'll be fine. Right. But, but the point I was trying to make that I,

I went a little sideways there was after, you know, after they released the rankings Fowler, Herb Street, David, all these guys they're talking and they all basically say, well, we don't actually think Ohio State's the best team. We think they'll lose to Michigan. And so, okay. So then why are they ranked number one? Well, they're ranked number one because they have, you know, the best wins now, but I agree with you. They, I, I,

I, they are going to be underdogs for a reason at the end of the season in the big house you know come that last weekend for thanksgiving let's talk about a couple games in the acc before we go louisville by the way 34 to 3 over virginia a virginia tech team that had been playing fairly well in recent weeks. Louisville put the hammer down. I ask again, and I say this every time I bring up Louisville these days, how did this team lose to Pitt? I don't know, because this defense is feasting.

They pitched a shutout against Duke last weekend. Second straight game without allowing a touchdown. I think they held Vatek under 150 yards. And Jeff Brom, credit to him. He brought in Plummer at quarterback, but Plummer's just a jag. And today they didn't have Jamari Trash, who's their best receiver. And so he said- His name's not Trash. Trash, Jamari Trash, yes. Jamari Trash, I couldn't get it out. But they, you know, credit to Bron because he wants to chuck the pill.

But the last two weeks, he has just rode that ground game. And today they had the transfer who had 150 yards. Jordan chipped in another 50. I mean, it was just, you know, it's ground and pound and awesome defense. And now you look at their remaining schedule. It's right now they're number two in the soul in sole possession to play Florida State, which clinched a spot in the ACC championship game today. And that could be the matchup, you know, in a game where they're playing without their

two best receivers, and it took them a while to get going against Pitt, but they did finally win that game. Yeah. Jordan Travis finished with a career day in passing, but it was a little clunky until the third quarter. And I know we keep saying Miami is the one these teams have to worry about because Miami has to play Florida State and then Louisville.

Miami just lost 20-6 to NC State. They looked kind of tepid the whole night. Yeah, Van Dyke was really bad. So, yeah, I think we're headed toward a Louisville-Florida State ACC championship game. I think real good chance Florida State's undefeated in that game. Yes, yes, because that Miami, you know, you could say with the way Florida State played early today,

oh, maybe they were looking ahead to the Hurricanes. You know, look ahead spot. They play Miami next weekend. You don't have your best two receivers. Well, their defense showed up. The Seminoles played. They forced three more turnovers. They hounded Pitt.

Pitt is next to nothing. They're last in the ACC on offense. But they played as such today. And the Seminoles, they're a complete team. And they have a strong case to continue to move up these rankings with each week because they just, even if they don't play their a game they still win seemingly convincingly yep so big week ahead michigan penn state whatever else happens with michigan because god only knows what stories will come out at least another at least at least one a

day yeah given the last week and a half with Michigan stories, I have no clue. I will believe almost anything at this point. You could give me four potential stories, and I'd be like, all of them. All of them. So we got all that. We got Georgia Ole Miss. We got Oregon USC, which I don't,

I'm not even concerned about the result of the game because I'm pretty sure Oregon's going to win. It's just how bad will USC look? And I got a question for you, Jesse. Do you think they do anything mid-season with Alex French or do you think they just ride it out and then make that decision at the end of the season? I mean, at this point, you would have thought they would have ripped that Band-Aid off weeks ago.

So maybe he does because the pressure mounts after giving up nearly 600 yards again. But I mean, I don't even think that's going to change. Other than just throwing a body to the wolves, I'm not really sure how much that's even going to change because so much of it is just they lack the fundamentals. Yeah, it's been slow on the coaching carousel front. Normally by now some things have happened.

So far we've only gotten Arkansas offensive coordinator firing. And Indiana. And Indiana offensive coordinator firing, correct. I think there's going to be some movement starting tomorrow. I would agree. I mean, right now, you know, in terms of head coaches, we only had two head coaches fired, none for on-the-field reasons. Yeah.

Yeah, it's coming. And I don't know, like, I think ADs have sort of gone back and forth now about, do I have to get, get in the queue early or does it matter? Cause you can do your work behind the scenes if you're planning to fire somebody. But like, what are the shoes to drop? What happens at A&M? Cause you're either going to have to do something or give the the dreaded vote of confidence at some point i don't know if you have to do that now that might be a

a later kind of thing but i don't know there's a lot washington utah next weekend too washington utah that's right That's right. That's right. Just because Utah lost to Oregon doesn't mean Utah can lose. Tennessee, Missouri. Tennessee, Missouri is going to be a great game. This is quite an enjoyable November. I like the way this is going. This year, the 14 playoff, I wish there was a 12 team this year.

I think it would be even more fun. But I think this is giving us an idea of how much fun it will be when all of these teams are going to be in it. Because Oklahoma State today would have put itself in the mix for a playoff berth with that win. And Notre Dame probably played itself out on one. Exactly. Exactly. So you would have seen stuff like that. But Ole Miss would have put itself a little closer to one because

you might be able to get away with a loss to Georgia if you're 10-2. And that game was very close. There's a lot to look forward to, but I do think Sunday might be a newsy day. Let's just leave it at that. Jesse, get some sleep. I got to figure out my AP Top 25 here, so. All right.

Well, we will talk to you again very soon, maybe sooner than you want to. All right.