Andy & Ari On3 - CHANGE OUR MINDS about the Way Too Early 2025 College Football Top 25

Episode Date: January 22, 2025

You’ve had Wendy’s Nuggs dipped in sauce. But have you had them covered in sauce? Wendy’s New Saucy Nuggs take the Crispy and Spicy Nuggs you love and turn them up to 11.Choose between flavors like Buffalo. Honey BBQ. Garlic Parm. Or, if you’re a real heat seeker, try Spicy Ghost Pepper, only on Wendy’s signature Spicy Nuggs. Busy mornings, late nights, working through lunch—life doesn’t always leave room for a complete, balanced meal. That’s where Huel comes in. This podcast is sponsored by Huel, spelled H-U-E-L, The World’s #1 Complete Nutrition Brand. It’s a complete meal in seconds—just grab, sip, and go. No more skipped meals or unfulfilling snacks. Huel makes it easy with nutrition that fits into your life. And right now, you can try it for FIFTEEN PERCENT off with the code STAPLES15 at HUEL.com. Fuel up the easy way with Huel today! huel.com/STAPLES15 This show is also sponsored by PrizePicks, America’s most fun daily fantasy game. Use the code STAPLES to play $5 and get $50 instantly. ps://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/STAPLES(0:00-8:53) Intro: Previewing the way too early top 25(8:54-13:13) Exit 62 in Tifton, Georgia off I-75(13:14-16:55) Fuel your mornings with Huel(16:56-21:36) Top 25: Where is Missouri?(21:37-24:00) Did Ole Miss get snubbed in our list?(24:01-26:19) Looking at the overall list(26:20-33:29) Auburn at 11(33:30-39:39) Penn State above Notre Dame?(39:40-48:12) Florida vs Miami(48:13-53:43) Illinois in the top ten?(53:44-55:50) Big 12 Discussion(55:51-1:02:06) Texas takes the #1 Spot(1:02:07-1:07:19) Alabama at 14(1:07:20-1:09:14) PrizePicks(1:09:15-1:12:36) South Carolina and Clemson Discussion(1:12:37-1:22:40) Conclusion: NFL Discussion, New ScheduleTop 25:1- Texas2- Ohio State 3- Oregon4- Penn State5- Notre Dame6- Georgia7- Illinois8- South Carolina 9- Florida10- Clemson11- Auburn12- Michigan13- Tennessee14- Alabama15- LSU16- BYU17- Arizona State18- Oklahoma19- Texas A&M20- Kansas State21- Miami22- SMU23- Indiana24- Georgia Tech25- Nebraska Andy and Ari put out their Way Too Early 2025 this week, and now it’s time for them to explain it, to defend it and to listen to your ideas for how it could be better. Join us for an interactive launch to the hype machine for the 2025 season, and tell us why your team is ranked too low (or ranked too high).  Watch us on YouTube instead! https://youtube.com/live/k6SQ4QNvDoc Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari WassermanProducer: River Bailey

Welcome to Andy and Ari on three. We are turning the page to the 2025 season in the biggest of ways. Our way too early 2025 top 25 came out early this week and we had a significant push back on that. We're giving you your chance to push back in the chat today. We are Archon Tiger threw it up before the show came on telling us that we were criminal for leaving out Missouri. Criminal. We'll get to that. We'll explain. Ari actually didn't leave out Missouri. I did. We averaged them together. They wound up in also receiving votes. I think that we need to at

least acknowledge how we did it first, which is you did. Yeah, I did one and then we combine them. So if somebody is not listed, they were in the receiving votes portion of it. But before we get into this, Andy, I just want to say. Hell of a year, man, I got back. Yeah, we did. We did yesterday show at four in the morning on Tuesday morning. And like, you know, I've got a good night's sleep last night and I'm back in Texas and I've been reflecting and I thought that was a great year. And I think it is funny that we do a year round show and it's just a constant

discussion and build up to last night or Monday night and then like the day after we flipped the script and like, that's what we're supposed to do because people only care about the future. But I just wanted to look back for a minute and just say I appreciate you and I appreciate the people here for for joining us along in that journey. And I'm super excited to see the evolution of our show. And you know, how you and I, you know, get more reps and, you know, all the things that we need to do to make this show better. Like I'm super fired up about the future and was super excited about the past. And I'm happy to be here talking about this already because college football season,

I think another show says this all the time, but it's true. There is no off season. There's no off season and we're here to keep it going. So appreciate you all again and sorry for being sappy, but had a really good, you know, first few months here on three and fired up about the future. It is going to be exciting. We got, we got, can we just say who's coming on tomorrow? We can reveal that now.

Right? Why can't we do that? Illinois head coach Brett Bielma coming on tomorrow. The guy who said we were drunk when we revealed our way, way, way, way, way too early top 10. Not just because he came on the show, we actually did this long before he he booked himself on the show, but we did that before we found out all the Illinois guys were coming back. Like we knew Altmeyer was coming back. We didn't know Hawkus was coming back. We didn't know that their left tackle, we didn't know about that.

That was a result of the Diego Pavia ruling. So we weren't sure what he was going to do. And Bielam actually had to fly and meet with him and have him decide what he wanted to do. So he's coming back and they have just a loaded core of veterans coming back. So we looked at how they ended the season. We looked at what they had coming back and we're like, oh, this might be a top 10 team. So I think that probably surprised some people when they saw that one,

but Brett Bielema will join us tomorrow and he'll explain why he thinks we're not far off. Now he understands they got to deal with the expectations now and that's a different thing in Illinois, but. I think he realizes they've got something pretty special right now. Yeah, yeah, and that was kind of the thing too. We did the way way way way too early top 10. That was with the information that we had in that moment and then you know as we got more we were

able to you know, I, head into at least spring football feeling pretty good about where we have these teams. Of course, as we were doing this, I don't know about you Andy, but I didn't get wound up. I didn't feel like there was much of a difference between 13 and 17. It's just really hard to decipher exactly where teams should definitively be as we are trying to figure out like, for instance, Texas is number one, like Arch Manning, we assume is going to be one of the biggest stars in college football this year. And that's like the knowledge that

we have to go off of. So, and I'm sure that's going to probably reflected in the AP preseason poll in seven months from now. So, uh, I don't know for people listening in audio form, if you want to just read them off real quick, um, just so people know. We got to catch everybody up on what's going on. Cause we've been talking about the national championship. We talk about Ohio state. We're going to catch you up on what's going on in the rest of college football very, very quickly, but then we will yes, get back into it. We will,

we will break down the entire top 25. We will also, the chat is already populating with the case. And when I said, because I tweeted this out on Tuesday, when I said make your case, I don't mean make your case to everybody else in the chat. I mean, make your case to us and we'll put it on the show and we'll either defend it or we'll be like, ooh, you have a very good point there.

Because I mean, let's be real, Brett Bilema had a very good point when he criticized our top 10. So I am open because the thing about this era of college football, there's so much change in rosters year to year. We don't know how the chemistry is gonna fly. We don't know if one

quarterback might get put in a spot where he's just suddenly perfect for that offense and perfect with that set of teammates. And all of a sudden they're amazing. Like nobody had Indiana here last year. Nobody. So what we're trying to do is find 2025 Indiana and are also trying to find 2025 support state who's who's one who is good this year. We think is going to bring back something or we think killed it in a portal and then they fall apart. So you know that is give us give us crap for doing this so early and like we know going into it that this is super early to do it.

That's why it's called the way, way, way, way, way too early top 25. But I also think it's a pretty cool placeholder to be like, okay. Uh, the national championship was two days ago. We're already turning the page to, you know, who could be next. And like, it's like a way to outline it. Now it's like, kind of like when you're outlining anything, you do your best to organize it and then it's a working document. Yeah, yeah, it's a living workable document.

And I think this is the best that we could do. But I've read other ones in the time since Andy. And you know, I think a lot of the same teams are towards the top 10. But like, it's kind of a crap shoot. Like, it's not like everybody, like, you know, people get mad, but it's like, there's no real easy way to do it. It's like Stuart Mandel has Penn State number one, you know, like it's like a completely, so, you know, we-

The thing is everybody's gonna be wrong because you're not gonna get them, you may get pieces of this correct, but they're gonna be pieces of it that are hilariously wrong when we look back at the end of the 2025 season. We understand that. And for you guys who are like,

you shouldn't do any rankings because you're gonna influence the, no we're not. We're not gonna influence the committee. They don't care. Nobody had Indiana here last year. They made the playoff. It's okay. This is for fun.

This is because we like talking about college football and we like ranking things. Like if there's one thing I've figured out from doing this for 25 years is you love it when we put things in a ranked order. You may say you don't, but the way you act says you do. It's just easier to follow. Yeah, it's the guideline, you know, and also to it's just easier to follow. It's a guideline, you know, and also too, it's been what, 10 years of rankings not mattering at all?

Even in... Right. So like, yeah, we're gonna have some fun. I think, listen, this is the off season, guys. Like me and Andy need to find our sea legs too. We have a show and we're gonna have, you know what, man, we're gonna have fun. Like I don't.

Yeah, that's that's the thing. We haven't you and I haven't done an off season show together in over a year and a half. So, we're going to be doing a way way way too late breadsticks top 25. I mean, like, what are we doing here? But it's a dude

we we haven't mapped out Friday show yet. Don't don't threaten me with a good time. Yeah. We can just scrap this right now. I've got my top 25 breadsticks on my notes app right now. Never once or twice in a lot more thought would have gotten that one.

When you're here, you're family. Yeah, you wanna tell them about how you had the opportunity to have a solo Olive Garden dinner the other night and you passed on it like a complete loser. Yes. Before, before we get you caught up on what happened in college football, we'll one, one quick story from my, my trip to the national championship game. So I drove to Atlanta on Friday night and I send Ari the list of restaurants that are off the exit in Tifton, Georgia off of I-75. So exit 62, real ones know it's the greatest exit in of any interstate on any, in any state in the country.

Tifton, Georgia, I-75, exit 62. It has everything. It is, it is that scene from heavyweights and the opening scene, you know? Yeah. So Ari's like, wow, you got, you know, you got Starbucks, you got, you got B dubs, you got Olive Garden, Logan. Let me read them real quick. Do you mind? I got the list up because like, researching the most advantageous rest stop to stop at for your dinner before you go on a road trip is like the diabolical foodie type crap that I like. I like I bow to you Andy that is electric. I've never even done that. Okay. Logan's Roadhouse Cracker Barrel Sonic Hardee's Zaxby's Applebee's Chick-fil-a Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse Captain D's fish by the way very underrated Golden corral, Charles seafood restaurant. That'd probably be electric.

Uh, waffle house, Panera bread, Buffalo wild wings, Starbucks, olive garden, Bojangles, chilies, burger King cookout, Wendy's waffle house. I think I already said that Jersey Mike's Taco bell, Dairy Queen, little Caesar's pizza hut subway, uh, McDonald's hog and bones also sounds electric. Um, Don Julio's Mexican Restaurant and a bunch of other things I've never heard of before. Now of course we wrecked Wendy's Saucy Nugs, but I had had a bunch of Saucy Nugs, so I was going to go with something a little bit different.

And lots of options here. Ari was trying to push me toward Captain D's. I honestly think the last time I was in a captain D's was in Columbia, South Carolina in 1983, because the great 98 WCOS was broadcasting from there. And I begged my mom to let me go on the radio. So they, they, they put me on the radio at captain D's and, uh, I was along John Silver's kid. So I was not a captain D's guy. Uh, Logan's roadhouse. Is it not the same thing?

Well, I mean, they don't have the chicken planks, the chicken planks at long John Silver's were elite, but Logan's roadhouse, same roles. No, not the same thing. If I put, if I blindfolded you and we're gonna do this if you disagree And I blindfolded long John Silver still exists. Yeah, there's one like a mile from my house. It's electric If I put long John Silvers on one plate and Captain D's on the other and it wasn't chicken and it was just the fish Do you think you'd be able to tell the difference? I don't know. I did I didn't eat the fish at Long John Silver's.

I ate the chicken planks. Well, that's where my meal in high school was 10 chicken planks and fries for four. That was my meal at Long John Silver. That's psychotic. So after all this, I have Ari picking out. I have another friend of mine who routinely travels up and down I-75. I had sent him the list. I was like, okay, what's your choice here? And after all this, I pre-ordered

a PubSub to exits further up. Didn't even stop at the exit. So embarrassing. But yeah, other people knowing of this exit makes it so much better because like I have no cons. I'm driving to Mobile, Alabama with you on to meet you on Sunday. And like, do I need to look up like how do I look up the most advantageous rest area? I just always just go by the sun rest area. It's an exit right looking up there is is for a different group of people entirely. Yeah. Yeah, you've seen something about

Mary but like it is. That's what I meant like Like how do you can you like look up in advance? Because I only just go off the signs when I'm on road trips. It's like, oh, that's good. Best exit on I-10 between. Between New Orleans and Mobile and it'll pop up as I here's here's Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Here's Gulf. Here's Gulfport. You know, it'll tell you what's off each exit.

So there you go. But right now, we're not gonna talk about when you plan to eat. We're gonna talk about when you gotta run, when things are busy, when you need complete nutrition and you don't have time to cook or figure out what exit you're gonna stop at. You go with the Hewuel Black Edition right here.

This is complete nutrition in this bottle. 35 grams of protein, seven grams of fiber, 27 vitamins and minerals. This is a meal right here, one complete meal, and it is fantastic when you are a busy professional. I'm busy, I'm not professional. But when you got stuff going on, Huell is a lifesaver.

My wife loves to grab these and take them for lunch at work. My kids will hit them out the door in the morning. If they can't get breakfast, I will grab them if I need a breakfast. The world's number one complete nutrition brand is complete meal in seconds. Just grab, sip, and go. No more skip meals, no more unfulfilling snacks.

Makes it easy with nutrition that fits in your life right now. You go to huel.com that's huel.com. You get 15% off with the code staples15. And we are going to fuel your morning, sponsored by Huel, two minutes to get you caught up on what is going on in the college football world.

So let us go start the clock River Bailey. It snowed at Tiger Stadium. It never rains in Tiger Stadium, but it snowed in Tiger Stadium on Tuesday. There it is snowy Tiger Stadium. There was a guy somewhere in Louisiana running an airboat on snow. Mike, the Tiger was frolicking in the snow. It was electric, absolutely electric. First time ever? I don't think it was the first time ever, but I doubt there's been this much accumulation

any anytime soon. Now I live in another SEC town, Gainesville, Florida had a little snow predicted. Alas, it did not happen. I woke up to it pretty dry. It now it's it's blow freezing, so the rain from last night is probably icy right now, but it didn't snow and that's

entirely disappointing because I live in Florida for it not to be cold, so it's cold, but it's also not interesting, which kind of sucks. In other news. Al Golden, Notre Dame defensive coordinator, our Pete Naco sit on three reports that he is scheduled to interview

with the Cincinnati Bengals and is the front runner for that job. So Notre Dame, which we last saw in the national title game on Monday night, maybe looking for a new defensive coordinator. Also. East Tennessee State. Roland in the quarterback transfer portal, Kate McNamara, former starter

at Michigan and Iowa is headed to East Tennessee State to play for new coach Will Healy, but also Jacoby Criswell, who went from North Carolina to Arkansas and back to North Carolina. He's going east. So we got a quarterback competition in Johnson City. Electric amazing. Look at Will Healy just collecting your QBs from everywhere. I think we got you caught up.

Oh, wait, one more, one more. SEC and Big Ten ADs are going to meet in New Orleans in February. And during the national title game, NACOS put this out. Devin Brown, former Ohio State backup quarterback, he's going to Cal. So there you go, you're all caught up. Yeah. Got it right under the wire.

Yeah, that was beautifully timed. So, Huel is fueling your morning Huell.com staples 15 gets you 15 off Let us Go to the top 25 now. Let us defend the top 25 Let us argue I would i'm gonna read it because a lot of people listen in podcast form.

So if you don't have it in front of you, it's hard to see. I realize you guys watching on video, you see it. So we're going to pause. We'll read it for the folks in podcast form and then we'll get back to the arguing number one, Texas, number two, Ohio state, number three, Oregon, number four, Penn state, number five, Notre Dame, number six,, seven Illinois, eight South Carolina, nine Florida, 10 Clemson, 11 Auburn, 12 Michigan, 13 Tennessee, 14 Alabama, 15 LSU, 16 BYU, state 18 Oklahoma 19 Texas A&M 20 Kansas State 21 Miami 22 SMU 23 Indiana 24 Georgia Tech and 25 Nebraska there you have it I want to start out with Archon Tiger yelling at us about one we we

left off which I don't blame him for uh Missouri retained, it returns a huge number of players on defense plus has killed it in the portal on offense. Arc and Tiger rights to leave them out and add all these unproven teams is criminal. Okay, I do want to point out that Arc and Tiger's assessment of the roster is a little off. They lose half their starting defensive line, all of their starting linebackers. And a safety. And last I checked, Ari, did they get a receiver as good as Luther Burton in Transfer Portal?

I don't think there was a receiver as good as Luther Burton in the train. Oh, that's right. So the the ultra special game changing player who is the best player on the roster who's leaving, there is not someone readily available to replace. Did I get that right? Yeah, I don't remember where I put Mizzou, but you're the one here that has to defend it because I had them listed. So I'm not.

Yeah, you did. You did. But why did you have them listed? Well, I had them listed just because they have some pretty, I think the core of the team, even though a lot of those pieces are gone, are still very talented. Like, and I think Eli Drinkwitz has done a pretty good job of- Who, who, who? Hold on, let me go to my notes here real quick.

I should pull those up anyway. I'll let, where did I go? While I'm doing this? Why don't you go tell me where, um, where I had them to begin with. And then from there, so, oh, you don't know where you had them. Yeah. In the lower, the lower half. Well, I'll explain how we did this. So, so I sent Ari top 25, Ari sent me a top 25, and then we did it kind of like the AP poll does, where we averaged them together.

So like, if you're the number one team, you get 25 points. If you're the 25th ranked team, you get one point, and you just add up the points, and then we ranked it that way. Now, that usually works a little better when you have more people voting, but I thought it was, it was pretty fun to do it this way.

And so that's where we got it. So Missouri, by the way, for core at quarterback, they lose Brady cook, they add both per Bula and this could be very big for them. Well I mean that's obviously the new ones being awesome then that's great. And that's like obviously you had him at 23. Yeah yeah well I think that when you do these in the offseason too like I think that they have like I think I read somewhere that they have 63% or 64% of their offensive production coming back but But then also too, when you add in a portal quarterback that I think fairly high of like two, like how much of this list in general is just quarterback watching, right? Like how many

of the teams that you have over them in the top 25, do you feel better about them both for Bula? I don't know. I don't have a lot of strong feelings on Broper Bula because I've never seen him as the starter. We've saw him in the second half of the Wisconsin game basically. So I don't I don't know. Like this is the problem. And so this is where like Archentiger may be exactly right. And I'm completely wrong. If Broper Bula comes in and he's fantastic, then you know, I'm gonna be wrong on this. Yeah, Austin in the chat running. I just heard, well, this is, let's put this, this is in the same vein here. I just personally think Ole Miss should be ranked, Austin says. So also a new quarterback with a very limited sample size,

but it was a really good sample. So the really good limited sample size, and that's Austin Simmons getting thrown in against Georgia and leading Ole Miss to a touchdown. But they lose so much veteran production, like Ole Miss was an old team, lot of guys had come back for you know, run it back one more time. They lose almost everybody. And yes, I trust laying Kiffin in the portal, but that's a lot of production to lose. So that's where I now, the more I think about this though, like Austin Simmons is

a guy that from talking to people at Ole Miss, they really like him. They trust him and they think he's going to be really good and potentially better than Jackson Dart if all goes well. That his ceiling might be higher than Jackson Dart. You know the drive that we saw against Georgia was super encouraging. It was incredible. Yeah. I worry about getting a little over my skis on that one but the reason I left Ole Miss off here is, yeah I, but the reason I left Ole Miss off here is, yeah, I know, the reason I left Ole Miss off here is the the rest of the roster, because they lost so much good veteran production. It's a lot of replace. This is like, I think Ole Miss is the

perfect case study too, and the reason why we probably didn't give it more thought is because when you go that all in on the portal and don't hit where you, we thought they should be, and then also haven't signed top 10 classes in the previous four years. That's like where, like, how do you even assess the roster after that? Like, cause it's not like they, they are losing like with Ohio state, for instance, like they had a bunch of portal additions that were important, but you also can kind of suspend the leaf a little bit and know, well, they signed a top five class every year and have a bunch of people waiting in the wings.

And even if we don't know who those people are yet, they like, you can trust that they're going to emerge. Like, I don't know who's going going to like who who at Ole Miss are we waiting to emerge? Austin Simmons. That's that that's the one we're waiting on and we trust Lane Kiffin at this point to fill in holes in the portal, but that's a lot and and so we can bring this back to the top of the pole.

We have Ohio State at number two. And I think you had him at two and I had them at three and they wound up having a higher aggregate score. They lose a ton. They lose a ton of veteran production, just like Ole Miss does. The difference is that Ohio state has the best offensive player in the country returning and the best defensive player in the country returning. And we know that. We know those two. We know that Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs are on their roster. That's the biggest difference.

And like, I don't know what the quarterback position is going to end up looking like. I think the thought is that Julian Sain will be the starter, but also they've got a five-star freshman quarterback named Tavian Sinclair that's on their team. And they also, I believe, are returning Carnell Tate. Brandon Innis is coming back. Mylon Graham. They're going to have really good receivers again next year next to Jeremiah Smith. And then, of course, they have a bunch of defensive players that, you

know, I've probably been waiting quite a bit to get onto the field, um, that are going to be in a position to do so now that the players that should have been in the NFL last year are finally leaving. So like that to me, like. People also go to Ohio state lost a bunch of talent. Like it's like, when does Ohio state not been a top six program in the last 15 years? Like it's like, I is Ohio State not been a top six program in the last 15 years? Like, it's like, I feel like there are certain programs, too, where it's just like, you can suspend belief and just

you know, like, I don't know what it's gonna look like. I know Ohio State's gonna be in the top 10 by week nine next year, right? And the other thing, too, that I want to, I want to, because we're gonna have to get to Auburn, because that's the one that everyone gets upset about. But it's like when you put Auburn at number 11, I hope people realize that that means like nine and three, right? Like I think people look at it from the beginning of the year. But I tried my best to envision. That's likely missing the play. If it, if it finished like this, Auburn would miss the playoff

because you'd have two teams that get pulled up. I think sometimes people see logos and they just go, oh, oh, how could you do that? And it's like, it's really not like, how was it not a rational thought with what Auburn added this year for them not to be an approved enough team to go eight and four or nine and three? Let's talk about Auburn. Because Zach says Auburn at number 11 is bait. That's the one that more people have come up to me like in person. I had another national reporter come up to me at the national championship game like tell me what you see about Auburn because I don't see it. And I think it's fairly simple. I don't even know what's so complicated about. Even Auburn fans And I think it's fairly simple. I don't even know what it's

so complicated about. Even Auburn fans. Have tweeted at me. Are you guys insane? I'm an Auburn fan and I don't believe this. Do they have the best wide receiver duo in the country next year? Uhm, carnal, I don't know,

like Jeremiah Smith and carnal tape Jeremiah Smith beg toarnel Tate. Jeremiah Smith beg to differ. But I mean, Kam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr. Kam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr. is a very good wide receiver duo. Now, the thing about Auburn, here's the thing about all of this. Some of the teams that were good last year are going to be bad. Some of the teams that were bad last year are going to be bad. Some of the teams that were bad last year are going to be good.

The trick to figuring that out is figuring out who is kind of right on the cusp of being not bad that could then skip past not bad and be good. Auburn the circumstances around their record. I do think that. Is a pretty accurate description like they were in most of the games. They lost the Iron Bowl. No best bad team this year. I think that's probably that's that's an accurate way to put

it. Ari. They were very close. Crippling. Turnovers usually initiated by the quarterback position. That was their Achilles heel. So they go out in the portal and they go get quarterbacks. Not one quarterback they get two quarterbacks out of the portal and a blue chip freshman quarterback. So they have Jackson Arnold coming from Oklahoma, they have Ashton Daniels who was Stanford starting quarterback, and then they have Deuce Knight coming in that they signed Jackson Arnold coming from Oklahoma. They have Ashton Daniels, who was Stanford starting quarterback.

And then they have Deuce Knight coming in that they signed as a freshman from Mississippi, had been committed to Notre Dame and flipped to Auburn during the season. I'm not projecting necessarily that because I think people think, oh, you're this is all Jackson Arnold type. No, I don't know who's going to win the competition. I'm assuming it's Arnold. But I don't, I'm not guaranteeing that. But I think whoever wins the competition will have great receivers to throw to, will have

a solid offensive line that was one of Auburn's better offensive lines the last 10 years last year and brings almost everyone back. And they added depth with guys who started at their old schools who may not start at Auburn. The thing that I like about Auburn the most is that I feel like we know they'll be able to run the ball. Or at least they'll be a tough team that will run the ball. Yeah.

And then you add in the explosiveness and there's a lot like, listen, if their quarterback stink, then they're going to stink again. But I think I like their chances of being really good. Can I offer a theory as to why even Auburn fans don't believe us? Because they're scorned and they've had a... Well, here's the thing with Auburn too. No, no, no. It's not just the Auburn fans This is it. This is why everybody doesn't believe us on this

They don't like you freeze. Oh, yeah, they personally dislike you freeze Yeah, and I get it Yeah But this is it. Yeah, I Mean even Auburn fans don't like him because they didn't like him when he was the Ole Miss coach. He hasn't immediately turned their program around, so they don't like him personally either. And so they're saying, well, I don't know if I believe in this. And then, of course, the non Auburn fans really don't like him. So they're like, how could you say Hugh Frees can do this? Because, well, I saw

when Hugh Frees had good offensive lineman and good receivers at Ole Miss. They were good. But not- Isn't it so on brand for Auburn too? Not a championship good, but right about here good. Auburn is always the team too that just goes like this. It's like middling, middling, middling and then woof. There's no-

Yes. Auburn's never a steady build place. Like it's like if it happens and it clicks, it happens like overnight it feels like. Is that a good categorization of it? You would know more than me, but I always feels like Auburn's like. That's 100% right. It's a roller coaster.

Now I will say, like that 2014 that went undefeated, the team before that was good. Like 2003 they were good. 2000, like that was a build to that but 2010 was cam Newton got there 2013 was Gus Malzahn became the head coach Nick Marshall became the quarterback everything changed like It is like that a lot of times at Auburn

Yeah, um, I Just feel like what there? What do you think their record would have been a year ago? If they had a quarterback that was like above average 8 and 4. So like we're not even. So I think one more win than that.

We're giving one more win than that. And that is what you get when you get Eric Singleton too. And also Cam Coleman being one year better. Like I just feel like to a lot of times in college football. Like if you have a receiving core that gets open a lot and a quarterback and get those players the ball, you're gonna win a lot of games. Like I don't know, maybe we overdid it. but like, I don't think that you could do, I think it would be wrong.

This isn't like a, this isn't like a, let's just look at us thing. It's like, I think if you don't put Auburn in your top 15, you're just wrong at this moment. Well, here's the thing about it. It's also an odd numbered year, which means the iron bulls at Auburn, the Georgia games in Auburn. If they could win one of those, because those are two they've

not been able to win. If they could win one of those. Everything gets better. The schedule is not easy, but it's as manageable as you're going to get because you're getting those two games at home. So I just I really think you got it. You got to put aside your personal feelings about the coach in all of these situations. Because I really think it is generally the visceral reaction of these people dislike you freeze personally, and therefore, it's not possible for Auburn to be good. It's quite possible. They were not that far off last year, which is why he free still has a job. Like if that record if they put together that SEC record in a different way, they would have already fired him. Yeah, OK, let's go to this one. Andy Bennett here in the chat. Why is Penn State above Notre Dame?

And I think if you're a Notre Dame fan with what they're returning, you could be. Pretty excited about both of these teams now listen to like I said at the beginning of the show. If you wanted to flip Notre Dame in Penn State, could be. Pretty excited about both of these teams now listen to like I said at the beginning of the show if you wanted to flip Notre Dame in Penn State, I would sleep like a baby tonight. Both are returning a lot of players, but the thing with with Penn State that I liked and I'll let you speak

Andy is you know a I'm not 100% down on drew Aller. I know he had a tough game in the playoff semifinal, but you know he's coming back. Obviously running backs Nick Singleton and K-Tron Allen are coming back. Then I, Dennis Sutton at the defensive end is coming back. They've got another defensive tackle, Zane Durant coming back and a really solid defense. And they brought in two receivers. Now, I don't know if the receivers are going to be good enough to change completely what we came to know about Penn State's receivers this year. Um, uh, but they brought in, um,

Chiron Hudson from USC and Devante Ross out of Troy. So at least they tried to address that position. Is it weird like to think that Penn State should be a top four team coming into next year? Do you think that like last year was the beginning of the end for them? I don't think it was either. I think it was the middle. I think they were last year what they've been and they're going to be years that that gets them into the semis. There'll be years that that gets them into the into the playoff and knocked out in the first round and they're going to be years that gets that maybe that gets them

to the final. That's interesting because like I think that Penn State was actually better this past year than they've been. Like Penn State was always 10 and 2 solid. I thought that. I don't think they were better than the Trace McStorley, Saquon Barkley, Mike Gasecki team. Yeah. They were better than that. Yeah, you're probably right.

So I mean their defense was so good this year. Like their two ends like Abdul. I think Abdul Carter is the best individual player that Penn State's had in the last decade outside of Barkley. We're gonna find out. We underrated how good he was. Oh, I mean, Saquon was amazing. Trace McStorley was a really good college quarterback.

Oh yeah, yeah. We'll see. I mean, that's a place where Penn States been able to find guys like that. Yeah, and tonight Dennis Sutton was really, really good this year too. Had some pretty big plays in the post. Did I Dennis Sutton?

Would have won them the cotton bowl or the the orange bowl if Abdul Carter had been able to hold onto that ball. The the fumble denied Dennis Sutton forced on Steve Angelli. Carter has it and then three Notre Dame offensive lineman jumped on top of him and managed to take it away. But if he holds onto that ball.

Penn State wins that game. Did TDS also have a pretty big pick in one of the games too? I can't remember which one. He had a pretty important. Yeah, I mean he's spectacular. He's spectacular. Now, the Notre Dame piece of this yeah I may be wrong on this and I'm willing to admit that I we may have Notre Dame too low here because Ari what

do I always say about what happens if you have a good offensive line what's everything else say I think it's just what football is. Yeah. Yeah. Everything else gets better. They're going to have probably the best offensive line in college football next year. Like they bring back everybody on their starting offensive line, which was very good this year, is capable of coming back.

They all have eligibility remaining. The older players have to decide, are they going to the NFL or are they going to compete and maybe not get a job next year? Because you've got Garby Lambert who's been waiting in the wings. He was a freshman this year. He looks like a potential, you know, all everything. You've got Charles Jagges that came back,

started at left tackle. In the national championship game Anthony Knapp who started 14 games at left tackle as a true freshman. He's probably a guard next season. Like they are going to be loaded on the offensive line. You know one thing that I actually am encouraged about.

And the number one thing that I think that we gave flack to Penn State and Notre Dame this year was lack of receiver depth or explosive receiver talent. And I think Jayden, uh, great house is going to be really, really good next year. I think that the beginning of the explosiveness and the reliability of his ability to make a play was illustrated in the last two games. And my anticipation is that he's a, he's one of the stars of the sport next year. Like if he turns into the player that Notre Dame hasn't had at the receiver position, along with the fact that they're also bringing back Jeremiah love it at

running back, like if CJ car hits, they can be a really, really good team. And I was like actually at the airport in, um, Atlanta during my 90 minute TSA wait yesterday, you were lucky you drove. That was miserable. But like a bunch of Notre Dame fans were around me and you know, I just kind of like when I hear people talking about college football, I eavesdrop that's a hobby of mine. And they were all talking about how they anticipate or expect Notre Dame to be better next year.

And like if CJ Carr is a really, really good quarterback, I think it would be rational to expect that Notre Dame is as good or better next year than they are this year. So if you want to flop those two, like again, don't care. But they're both in the top five and I think that that's just like really all that matters. They are and what order we have them in may be incorrect, but I think they're both back there in the playoff next year and then it comes down to who wins the games. But I think both of them are very. Insistent and like Notre Dame, as you pointed out, we don't know what the quarterback situation is going to look like.

We think it'll be CJ Carr. And if he is good. That that that's a different different level here. Let's go to Jason. Do you think Florida is on a better trajectory than Miami? I mean, the Canes just beat the brakes off them and it just wasn't Cam Ward. Actually, Jason,

I do think Florida is on a better trajectory than Miami because I watched the end of last season. We were at the Florida Miami game. Like Miami was clearly better than Florida in that in that game. And if Florida's offensive and defensive lines had played the way they did against Miami and Texas A&M for the rest of the season, Florida wouldn't be on this list. But the difference is Florida's offensive and defensive lines were mauling LSU and Ole Miss at the end of the season. And DJ Lagway is DJ Lagway. Meanwhile, Miami doesn't have Cam Ward anymore, doesn't have Xavier Restrepo anymore, doesn't have Jacobi George anymore, and has Carson Beck coming off elbow surgery.

So if you want to compare those two things, yeah, Florida definitely seems like it's on a better trajectory. I think that we you could make the case that we have Miami ranked a little bit too low still. You know, because the offensive line situation because they're going to have a good offensive line and that's going to that's going to help. They also like Mark Fletcher is a really good running back.

Uh, Ruben Baines, one of the best defensive linemen in the country. Like they have pieces and I don't know, like is the defense going to be any good though? Well, I mean, that's the reason why they were so low. Cause it's like, yeah, if even if you are returning dudes on defense, um, you know, and I think that like one of their best corners is coming back and you know, they've got some good defensive ends coming back. But those players were on this team this past year and their defense couldn't stop a nosebleed. So like I think that when you say the word trajectory,

this is what it means projecting the future. Like I think Miami is going to be a solid team this next year. But I don't think they're going to be nearly as good as they were last year because I just think that Cam Ward was special and you know, the other thing too is like Xavier Restrepo, I think was the most underrated player in college football this past year. Anybody who has watched this guy play knows he's going to be a really good pro. And then meanwhile, like Florida, I mean, let me just ask you this because you caught me with my pants on a little bit earlier with Missouri, but how much does the quarterback quarterback position like how much did that influence you because it influenced me quite a bit But it's fun DJ Lagway may be the best quarterback in the sport next year like here. It's possible

It's possible. So DJ Lagway finished He got enough attempts through the the end of the season through the bowl game to qualify He got enough attempts through the end of the season through the bowl game to qualify to make the the You know the lists the national leaders list. So he actually finished second in yards per attempt He can be a lot more after you have a game with seven completions and 681 yards Game is the one Ari is referencing. He was seven of 14 for 259 yards. It's one of the strangest stat lines you'll ever see. Um, but Jane ball is a dog dude. Like it's not just Jane ball is awesome. Yeah, but it's not even that it's the offensive line, which they bring back pretty much everybody. Jake Slaughter might be the best center in the country.

And then the defensive line, which they lost some edge guys that they weren't expecting to start. And I don't know that I feel like they're probably not as deep as they should be at the edge. But like getting Caleb Banks back as a defensive tackle is probably bigger than anybody they could have gotten in the portal. This is a guy put would have been like a second or third round draft pick and played so well at the end of the season. Like, he's the reason they were so dominant against LSU

against an offensive line that had not given up a bunch of sacks and all of a sudden floor is sacking Garrett Nussmeyer left and right. Like, and, and I, I would not have put Florida here if not for that improvement on both lines of scrimmage because like I said earlier, we were at the Miami game. Both lines for Florida were terrible against Miami got dominated by Miami. They got dominated by Texas A&M. If they had not changed and grown over the season, I wouldn't be saying this stuff. But you go to the Georgia game, Laguays hurt. You know, they're playing Aiden Warner, the walk on from Yale. And they're still opening holes against George's defense. Then they go play LSU and beat them. Then they play Ole Miss and beat them and had the best.

It still wasn't a great rushing day against Ole Miss, but it was actually the best per carry average anybody had against Ole Miss all year. So. If it's that. Then they can play with everybody in their schedule. Here's the thing that I want to know. Uh, they got sort of on the receiver from UCLA too, right? Uh, and, and Dallas Wilson, the five star number one ranked receiver recruit in the country. He had signed with Oregon and then decided, no, I'm going to,

I'm going to that was'm going to flip Florida. So he might actually be the top target next year, right? That's my guess. And Trey Wilson comes back. Remember Eugene Wilson, the third gene was injured most of the season. So he's back too. Okay. So they should have pretty good receivers too. They have a great running back, good line, a elite level quarterback, and they could have like a five star receiver returns into a phenom up next year. Like again, like what is so crazy about this? Like I just don't I whenever I look at the list and people are upset like I know that it's not perfect and precise but like what is the most egregious thing on

here? Well I'll play I'll play devil's advocate on the Florida one. Because Florida fans will say this to me too. And they'll say it's still billion apier. Like the remember after the hate that stuff, it bothers me. Well, remember after the Tennessee game when I said this is worse for billion apier than if he'd lost by 50. Because it was the same kind of decision making that had been criticized, but it felt like it all happened at once.

And so he's got to prove that he's a better coach than he's shown. Because otherwise this doesn't this Florida doesn't wind up here. Florida winds up unranked and he winds up fire. Yeah. So when it comes to like coaching tendencies, right? Like who are the coaches that are most known for not being great game day coaches? Like I think there are two that come out to me. Billy Napier, Mario Cristobal. Billy Napier doesn't hit my top two,

but it would be Cristobal and who's the other one? Think about the playoff. There's one out there that people think it James Franklin. Yeah. James Franklin, I thought, did a really good job this year. You know what I mean? Like, and I know Mario Cristobal has had some clock management issues at times. And I think he had a few this year even.

But like, I don't know if I think that like, Miami can't be good because their coach is a moron. Like, I know- I also think Mario Cristobal's clock management has improved. It's like, there were issues at Oregon that followed him to Miami. The Georgia Tech Miami thing from a few years ago

is the standout, obviously. But I thought situationally he was better and and look, they had some situations where they had to come back. You can argue about the call at the end of the Virginia Tech game, but they managed to figure that out. The cow game, they came back. If you mismanage the clock there, you lose. They ended up winning that game. So I think all of this is situational. Like Mario Cristobal had a great quarterback this year, and having a great quarterback allows a lot of that stuff to dissipate.

That's where I think Billy Napier is now, because the more comfortable he got using DJ Lague and having DJ Lague be the guy, it felt like the play calling looked different too. The decision making felt different. Whereas- It's easier to look like a great coach when you have a transcendent talent who pulls plays out of his ass every other play.

Exactly. The other thing too, it's like how many times is Florida going to move the sticks when they would have been punting last year because DJ Lagway does something special. Like I think that like my number one thing with Billy Napier has never been like, oh, can he figure out a way to call a functional game plan? I think it's they haven't had the players to be good. And I feel like they've also done stupid things like they not being able to get enough people on the field on in certain special teams. And it's like that

and that continuously like, yeah, like that's a problem. But. I think DJ Lagway makes makes them different. I've seen a lot of the chat about Illinois. People want to know about Illinois. That let's get let's talk about Illinois. We're going to have Brett Bealman tomorrow, but. The Illinois, South Carolina bowl game.

The Illinois South Carolina bowl game. Usually you have to kind of wonder how much these bowl games mean, but in this particular case, both teams had almost everybody playing. It was as intense of a bowl game as you're ever going to see. I mean, the two coaches nearly fought. And Illinois ends up winning that game with a defensive stand. We're all very excited about Lenora Sellers. We can talk about South Carolina too later on. And Illinois ends up winning that game with a defensive stand. We're all very excited about Lenora Sellers. We can talk about South Carolina too later on.

But the fact that Illinois brings back the core players from this one, they go get West Virginia's best receiver because receiver is a place that they need to shore up because they lost some good veterans. I just and this is a this is a case where they need to shore up because they lost some good veterans. I just, and this is a case where you and I, I think, trust Brett Bielema because we've seen him win in the Big Ten before and we've seen him be consistently good in the Big Ten. I just think this team could be very good next year.

Yeah, well, I mean, when you return as much talent as Illinois has returned. And that talent isn't just returning from. A solid like they were really good last year, right? Yeah, they lost. They lost to Penn State like they shouldn't have lost to Minnesota, but. I I feel like they were pretty consistently good. Yeah. Um, and when you bring, he, I mean, he said they brought back their five best

players, um, and that's not something that is usually possible, right? Especially in this. Yeah. They got Luke Altmeyer coming back. All five of their starters on their offensive line. Um, linebacker. Uh, how do you say this? Gabe Yoccas? Is that how you pronounce it? Yeah. Yeah. Yoccas. Yeah. Yeah. I said J it's like jogging. I say it wrong in the interview and I apologize for that. So, uh, Yoccas, um, safety Matthew Bailey and quarterback Xavier Scott, I think like they've got a lot there.

The thing that'll be different about Illinois that Indiana didn't have or had the benefit of is that like, I believe that they have a really semi-difficult schedule next year, right? But okay, here's the thing. So at Duke is a very tough game if you've been paying attention because Duke won nine

games this year and brought in Darien Mensah from Tulane as their quarterback. So, uh, many ideas doing a great job there. So at Duke week two is going to be tough. They're at Indiana, which I mean, now that that is a thing that you got to worry about, they get USC at home, they get Ohio state at home going to Washington could be tough as well. That's one of those that yeah, we I had Washington in mind. You did not have them in yours.

I thought that the Mon Williams Jr. Is one of the more exciting quarterbacks that we got a little tiny taste of at the end of the season. I'm guessing Jed Fish is gonna have a pretty good team this year, so. But it's not an unmanageable schedule. Like, could you see Illinois going 10 and two against this schedule? Or nine and three against this schedule?

Yeah, they have to go 10 and two to be here. I can see them going 10 and two against the schedule. Here's the thing with Illinois by putting them number seven on this ranking. That means that you believe, or that we believe that Indiana, I'm sorry, Illinois should be able to get through Indiana. If, if they beat Duke on the road, September 6th, go on the road and beat Indiana and then somehow figure out a way to beat USC, which I think they have a really good chance. Right, 11-1 losing to Ohio State would feel real. I think that it's possible that they could beat Washington, Rutgers, Maryland, Wisconsin

and Northwestern in the second. So like they have to play Ohio State and so did Indiana last year. But it's not like they have to play Oregon, Ohio State and Penn State, right? So like that, that window there is good. But they also, if Illinois is going to take the next step, they have to beat like USC. They've got to beat like the solid teams that are on their schedule and like that Number seven is a pretty high ranking Andy like I'm okay with it been fine I think I put them at 11 didn't I I would have been fine Or maybe I put them higher than that. I don't know you put them higher They would not be number seven because I had them number seven So okay, then I think maybe we both had them number seven But I wouldn't be losing sleep over them being like 11 or 10. But even then, how big of a difference is there?

Like we're anticipating good things out of them. And that's the difference between then I asked Brett Bielman of this, too. It's like Indiana came out of nowhere. Like you're going into the season and people are anticipating you being really. They're not coming out of nowhere. Yeah, nobody's going to be surprised by Illinois. And in fact, these seems that we talked about that they, they, we think they should be, we'll be ramping up to play Illinois because Illinois is going to be.

We're we may have them rank the highest here, but they will be the trendy team this year that everybody has ranked. It's going to be Illinois, Illinois and South Carolina are going to be those two teams. Yeah. So somebody asked in the chat, Andy, if we had Arizona State too low. I don't know. So Arizona State BYU, we have them next to each other. First of all, I'm telling you right now, attempting to handicap the big 12 is a fool's errand because like Baylor and Texas Tech were right in it at the end.

We got Texas Tech receiving votes in our poll Baylor. We probably should have had near the bottom of the top 25. Be why you brings pretty much everybody back Arizona State brings back Sam Lev, Jordan Tyson, who is the best receiver who missed the two most important games this season. No, no cam scataboo, but I mean, I think Kenny Dillingham has shown us he knows what he's doing. Well, this is going to be with ASU was when you lose the player that was the engine for your entire existence, it's hard to envision the team afterward. Now Arizona state brings back Sam Levitt, right?

That's an important thing. Yeah. Jordan Tyson, their best receiver, I believe is coming back. Um, three important pieces at every level of the defense. Um, their best defensive lineman, uh, linebacker Keeshawn Elliott and safety Xavier and Alfred are all coming back. So like they have pieces that made them a functional team coming back.

And I think the same love it is really, really good. I think that he can. I think that he can win them games and I think that Arizona State will be contending for the big 12 championship. But I don't know when you lose scataboo. Like if he wasn't on their team this past year, they wouldn't have gotten where they did and how he's not on their team, which is kind of how I thought about it

when I was putting it together, but also to the respect to have them in the ranking at all at 17, I think is a sign of program growth. I don't think that's an insult. No, no. Should we talk about number one? Sure. Let's talk about number one. Have we not talked about number one yet?

Yeah. I don't think there's a lot of argument about having Texas and Ohio State and Oregon this high. I think everybody kind of accepts that these are the more talented rosters in the country. But I think us putting Texas this high is us buying into the arch manning hype. And I'm wondering if we're buying into it a little too much. Like I looked at him. And I'm wondering if we're buying into it a little too much. Like I looked at him. That's not for me though.

I got news for you. And I'm well, no, it's also a trust in Steve Sarkeesian because they do lose a lot of their offensive line. I mean, they're going to have to to bring on, you know, guys that have not played in those roles. Now they've recruited really well. I think Kyle Flaud has shown that he's a really good developer of offensive line talent. So it's more us putting our trust in Steve Sarkeesian to have the roster he needs to be here.

Andy, they've got Weisner and coming back and Baxter who didn't play this year, former five star running back should be healthy next year. Ryan Wingo is gonna take the next step forward. And they've got Colin Simmons coming back, who is the best freshman in the country this year outside of Jeremiah Smith and then linebacker Ann Hills coming back. So like they have dudes on both sides of the ball and like if Arch Manning is good and I know he will be like it's possible that their offense is more explosive than it was this past year and their defense is still nasty. I know that losing guys like Kelvin Banks of the draft is gonna be tough to overcome,

but Texas is one of those teams that has returning stars coming back while also having the foundational pieces in the recruiting space to fill in gaps that other teams don't have. And Trey Moore's coming back, Ethan Burke moves into a bigger role. Like defensively, they're still going to be pretty awesome.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I think they're that transfer defensive tackle they got from Purdue. What's his name? Cole Brevard is his name is a pretty underrated player like and then you're adding that to a defense as Colin Simmons rushing the path like they are going to be really good next year and I don't know that we meant to do this or realized it buddy but we got one and two right in the beginning of the year next year. And I don't know if we meant to do this or realized it, buddy, but we got one and two right in the beginning of the year next year. I know, I know they're playing each other. It's awesome.

It's so good. And the thing is like that Ohio State team that plays Texas right off the bat is gonna look really different than the one we just saw win the national title. And the thing is it may be very different. Like the team that plays Texas early in the season may look completely different by the end of the season.

So that's one of those that I kind of wouldn't mind seeing it twice because I bet it's going to be two completely different teams playing the second time. Yeah. Well, Texas played the defending national champion this year and beat the crap out of them. So, you know, I don't know. What is that game? Is it in Columbus or Texas? I believe it is.

Austin, I think I want to say it's in Austin. So we got to go to that. That'll be fun. I'm planning a travel schedule for next year. But it's I think Texas has a lot. And I and I think that we made this comment or I did going into the playoff, but it's true. Texas in Columbus. It's in Columbus. I thought it was. Yeah. Texas was not at the end of their window there. I think that they are the beginning of their Ascension as a program still.

I think that they are the beginning of their ascension as a program still like you gotta remember like last year was the first time they made the playoff and was the first time they won the Big 12 in a long time, right? Like I can't remember what the streak was. It was really long. And then they came back and won or played for the SEC championship this year. Like I think this is a steady progression of consistency. That's what Texas being back means and like I don't know if they are going to be that team next year. They might, but they are recruiting and acquiring talent both in the portal and out of high school at a clip that you need to do to be good every year. And they finally have a coach who was functional developing that talent, creating draft picks and making them a really good football team. I don't know if you know the stat, but when Bijon Robinson got drafted in the first round last year,

that was the first time that Texas had a first round offensive player selected since Vince Young. Can you fathom that? Can you fathom the players that they brought in and how terrible they were for 20 years? Was it 17 years or something like that? And like, I mean, even like FCS schools had first round draft picks during that time. It's like there was something fundamentally broken within the Texas program in terms of developing, keeping and and, you know, getting their talent to the ceiling. That's no longer there. So as long as they keep building and they keep recruiting and they keep getting guys, they are going to break through and win the two teams that I know we're going to win a national title between now and the next five to seven years or Texas and Oregon, it's going to happen.

And like we talked a lot about, it's our knocking on the door theory. The knocking on the door thing. They keep knocking. They're going to break through and like I mean, think about all the narratives that you know, got put to bed this past year when it came to coaches who are choke are like Ryan Day was a choke artist six weeks ago and now he's a national champion.

Like James Franklin has never won a big game. And I guess there will probably be still people who say that, but like they advanced to the semis in the 12 team era. Notre Dame hadn't won a postseason game that was important in 25 years. And they beat Georgia. Like things change all the time. And the thing that like bothers me the most about, um, these lists is that people just look at the logo and go, Oh, well they suck and they've always sucked.

And they can't like the Thought process going into it is not there. There's no analysis. It's just oh, Illinois is not a team that I'm familiar with So there's no way they could ever be good. It's like well They won a lot of games last year and have a lot of good players coming back and Luke Altmeyer is really fun to watch Yeah, they're gonna be pretty good next year And like I don't know. Do you want to talk about Bama at 14? Cuz that's another one that I think people are wound up about. Yeah, let's talk about Bama at 14 because it's Bama is a tough one to project right now, because there's still a lot of really good players on this

team. And but it feels different. We don't know the quarterback is. I think, are you assuming that Ryan Grubb is going to come. Rejoin Kailin to board now that he's been fired by the Seahawks. I gotta tell you. I don't think I've been more excited or more like high on an offensive philosophy design standpoint than when DeBoer and Grubb were together at Washington two years ago. The way those guys like called games and the way that they just like put it all on the line in the highest moments I don't know if you remember but like some of those fourth down and one calls

late games like those guys had it cooking. So if that happens Alabama's gonna be in really good hands from an X's and an O standpoint and I understand and the reason why they're probably not in the top ten is because we don't know who their quarterback is going to be and I know that fourth year junior Ty Simpson is probably the top contender at the moment, but they do have Ryan Williams and Jeremy Benard coming back, right? They have their center Parker Brailsford coming back. Yes, their defense has important players at all three levels coming back with

the defensive tackle Tim Keenan, linebacker Deontay Lawson and quarterback Damani Jackson, who was a former five star prospect. They've got dudes on their team. So if you could get a functional game plan or coaching staff, that's going to give you a functional, exciting game plan on offense, which I think they might've been limited in doing this past year. And Ty Simpson hits if that's the guy like they're going to be really good. So here's the question where they were they limited?

Were they limited because they didn't have Ryan Grubb because Nick, maybe Nick Sheridan took over as the OC or they limited because of Jalen Milro because my thing about that is if it was Jalen Milro, then why didn't you just use a different quarterback? Because the two guys like Ty Simpson and Austin Mack were on your roster last year. Now Keelan Russell is the X Factor here. Keelan Russell is a freshman quarterback from Texas who blew up. Now he was originally committed to SMU and you and I both love Rhett Lashley's eye for QB's anyway, but This is a guy who could come in and play so If he comes in and he's special there's a

That equation changes because he's got obviously lots of talent around him But here's the thing the good players that we just talked about We're all on the team last year losing to Vanderbilt and getting shelled by Oklahoma. Yeah, but I still feel pretty good that Ryan Williams is still on the team. You know what I mean? Like, yes, I feel pretty good that Jeremy Bernat is coming back. But here's the question that I want to ask you, and this might be an off-season episode, but it pertains to Bama. In the age of the transfer portal, where it's going to be harder and harder to keep

quarterbacks on your roster for longer periods of time, like, are we going to get to a point where programs who don't go get somebody in the portal at the quarterback position may need to start relying on true freshman quarterbacks to play? Like, I don't know, know like if it's out of the question because anybody who watched Keelan Russell's tape knows they're getting a dog. Like he is so so good. Like but a place like Alabama would never have to rely on a true

freshman to play but are they could they be relying on Keelan Russell to start next year? on Keylon Russell will start next year? Well, here's the thing. I remember one year where Alabama had some veteran guys that had waited around and waited their turn and had a true freshman coming in from Texas. And they let one of the veteran guys start the season opener. He lasted a quarter and then they put Jalen Hurts in and he took him the rest of the way and took him to the national title game.

They end up losing a Clemson that year. So. It's the same thing with Ohio State too. It's like we all assume that Julian Sands is gonna be the starting quarterback. Yeah. Like if Tabian St. Claire five star kid from Ohio is awesome. Like they might be in a position where they need to rely on a true freshman to

take more often. I think we're assuming bright. Well, I'll throw Michigan the other direction. We're assuming Bryce Underwood is going to be the starter, but I think they brought in Mikey Keene just in case he's not quite ready. I don't know. Is that were you operating under the assumption that Underwood would start? I'm not sure. I was operating under the assumption that Keene would start. I would assume like you bring in Ke because he's he's worked with Chip Lindsey before Yeah, and he's got like what 4,000 yards passing in his career like I mean, he's been a productive player

I also think we're telling yards is one good season, but what I Gotta look up his numbers. I thought it was no, he was. He was productive at Fresno State. Mikey King has multiple years of high production at Fresno State. So let me go look up his career passing yards because it's a bad amount. Yeah, he threw for almost 3000 last year. So yeah, he's got almost 7000 passing yards. There we go. Okay. Yeah, which by the way.

There's a lot of passing yards considering what they were working with that quarterback a year ago. So, um, yeah, I'm not good at stats and numbers, man. Just give me a break. All right. Well, let's, let's switch to a couple of different numbers and then we'll come back and talk about a couple more teams. Cause we were, we got to get, we can't let JD get on the air at some point today,

but the number that I'm thinking about right now is 0.5 because that is the almost free square for this weekend's NFL Conference Championship games on prize picks best daily fantasy game in America, download the app, use the code staples when you sign up, play $5 get $50 instantly. Jaden Daniels is your almost free square. You hit the more than on Jaden Daniels 0.5 passing yards. If he throws for a yard, you win that square.

The way prize picks works, you pick at least two squares. The more squares you pick, the higher the potential payout. Patrick Mahomes against the Bills, 2.53 and a half. You decide, is he gonna go more than or less than that? Obviously, they've got the NBA college basketball the NHL whole lot of stuff going on on prize picks But I'm sure a lot of you getting ready for those NFL playoff games because they're very big you got your Josh Allen 0.5 rushing plus receiving TVs. Do you think Josh Allen's gonna run in a Touchdown against the Chiefs? I do. I do think that. Jalen Hurts, 182 and a half passing yards. You go more there or less than

against that commander's defense, which is not great. But Jaden Daniels on the other side. I'm excited to see him play. Excited to see what he can be going forward. So a lot going on still on prize picks, download the app, use the code staples, play $5, get $50 instantly. All right. We've talked about some of the teams at the top, another team at the top or near the top. There were this is a we're excited about the quarterback. We're putting our trust in this quarterback. That's why we have this team this high. Can I guess South Carolina? Yeah. Yeah. Lenora Sellers. We like Lenora Sellers. We've made that very clear. Love Dylan Stewart to coming off the edge. Maseo Bennett is one like he was

hurt for some last year. He was a freshman wide receiver. Like I think he's one that could emerge this year for them. I like what South Carolina has coming back and they have a transcendent quarterback. Potentially that's why they're coming back. Yeah,

I haven't seen it yet from him. He's been there long enough that it probably should have shown up by now, but maybe yeah,? Yeah, I haven't seen it yet from him. He's been there long enough that it probably should have shown up by now, but maybe. Yeah, I mean, I've seen it from him in the video game because if anybody who- Oh, yeah, if he catches the ball in the video game, he's gone.

He's gone, yeah. Yeah, still an exciting returner. I mean, I'm still high on Kyle Pitts in the NFL. We're going to year six next year, right? Like, I'm not giving up on that. I'm not giving up. I don't give up on measurables. Yeah, Josiah Thompson back at left tackle after a really great

true freshman season there. So yeah, they've got they've got a lot of good players and they've got the quarterback. So that's the faith now that South Carolina Clemson rivalry, I'm really excited about where that's going because we have Clemson at number 10. I'm thinking we may have Clemson a little low. Yeah, I'm pretty comfortable with where Clemson is.

I don't know. I'm excited about Clemson because I think Garrett Riley's figured out what to do with with K. Klubnick. Cause K. Klubn Nick was a big-time quarterback recruit When a big-time quarterback recruit chooses Clemson you assume okay, they're gonna be like the Shawn Watson or Trevor Lawrence, okay? Kate Club Nick is not the Shawn Watson or Trevor Lawrence That doesn't mean he's not a good college quarterback and can't be a college quarterback who takes you a long way. I

and can't be a college quarterback who takes you a long way. I think they've figured out what he is skill set wise, which is a much better runner than people realize. And you sprinkle that in with some better receivers, the threat of Kate Clubbick being able to take off and run, you're going to have pretty good offense. Now, they got to fix the defense. They bring in Tom Allen. Tom Allen comes in, and it's not like he inherits a defense that lacks talent

Peter Woods Sammy Brown like they got dudes on defense Yeah, I'm excited about Clemson and oh by the way, I was using the portal How do you feel about the receivers Antonio Williams and Bryant Westco? I'm excited I'm excited that you know, their, their second year in the program. They can, and again, now that they know what club Nick is and are very clear on that, I think you can, you develop the offensive around that you're playing LSU at the beginning of the year, aren't they? Oh yeah.

Which death Valley is it? The real one or the fake one? Well, Booger told us. Yeah, Booger said they're going to the real Death Valley so that means they're going to Baton Rouge. Yeah. That's another game that's gonna be pretty high on the list. I'm excited. Let's kick these off now. I know right? That that games on on Sunday is it or we haven't decided what which games on Sunday if I'm Brian Kelly I don't play another Sunday opener yeah Brian Kelly what's it doesn't Alice you have a pretty bad streak right now with season openers aren't they like they've lost a bunch in a row they've lost three of those Sunday stand-alones in a row. They lost two to Florida State.

No, no, no. Did they win one? I got Booger wrong. I got his order wrong. They're going to Clemson first, then Baton Rouge. This is going to be awesome. This is going to be awesome. This is going to be so much fun. I'm so glad that we get to talk about this for the next few months.

The excitement might kill me if they just kicked it off right now. Yeah, I don't know. Are you a person that needs wind down time? I always get depressed at this time of year. I do too. Some sports are just like, oh, I's so happy it's done and I can take some time off. It's like I was looking at I was looking at the schedule for Sunday because, you know, I really enjoy watching the NFL playoffs as well. And I was looking at the schedule for Sunday and I'm like two games and then

two weeks of no games and then one game and then it's over. What time are the games this week on Sunday? Because I'm driving to mobile. mobile. I know that I know the the I got a I got a plan. Yeah. Well, I mean, I'm gonna get one of those like Amazon things that you can put your thing your phone on the windshield and I'm just gonna watch the game while I'm driving and I might die but I'm not gonna miss that that you you're insane. So they are three and six thirty Eastern time. Okay, is the bills one

hour and fourteen minutes in story time with Andy and Ari. Bill's is the right night. What's that Bill's Chiefs at night? Bill's is at night. I'm calling my shot right now, Andy, because I gave them a you remember when I guaranteed a square on prize picks and you're like, you don't guarantee that thing that hit just so you know. Yeah, Jeremiah.

No, no, it was it almost hit on the on the last catch he made is 57 and a half and it's 57 yards in the last catch. Uh, that was Jeremiah Smith was the square, but I gave out a Mecca at Bucca and his always Bucca. You're right. I'm sorry. It was a Bucca. You're right.

Fumbled the ball at the end of the game, but the passing yard is still counted. Yes. So Ari, I want you to be careful. Please don't watch TV and drive. So Ari, I want you to be careful. Please don't watch TV and drive. When I left your house following the cotton bowl, I got an Uber to the airport and I get in the car and I noticed that the driver has this setup

because I'm like, I'm hearing the audio. I'm not paying attention to what's on the phone that's on her dash. I'm just hearing the audio. I'm like, this sounds like she's watching a movie or a TV show. This doesn't sound like a radio. And I finally noticed on the dash, I like, oh, she's watching the Queen Latifah version of the equalizer. So I guess, you know, there was the show with Robert Mitchum back when I was a kid, and then the Denzel Washington movies. And now Queen Latifah is the XCIA agent

who you hire as the equalizer on TV. She's watching an episode of the equalizer while driving. I was a little concerned. Unfortunately, I then got sucked into this episode of the equalizer, which was a banger apparently. Landis told me he got picked up by some French guy who was watching a French soap opera. What's harder to watch while driving? I think it's probably harder to watch a football game than it is to watch a show because you can not look at the screen

and like keep up with dialogue. Yeah. I'll be safe, but I've been looking for, you know, when you, we went to Atlanta for the, I was like, Andy, I just have one request. Can we please watch the Baltimore Ravens play the Buffalo Bills? And we ended up going to one of the best dinners I've ever had instead, but we had the game on at the table. So I, my request for the weekend is can I please watch the Bills and the Chiefs? Because I actually think this is the year the Bills are going to win the Super Bowl. So I think this is the table. So I my request for the weekend is can I please watch the bills and the chiefs because I actually think this is the year the bills are going to win the Super Bowl. So I think this is the year and I have a hot take about the NFL before we go. Go for it. Oh yeah. We have 12 minutes before JD needs to be on the air. Patrick Mahomes is by far the best quarterback that I've ever seen. I think like Tom Brady and him are the two. If I had to start an NFL franchise right now

and take the second half of Mahomes or Josh Allen's career starting from this point forward, I think I would take Josh Allen. Like that's how obsessed I am with him. Can I take Jaden Daniels? Sure, but you only get the seven years. We're going to give them seven years each. Who are you taking the next seven years of?

Mahomes, Daniels or Josh Allen? My home is still going to be there for. Yeah, because my thing is my working theory is that Daniels is going to be the best QB in the sport in five years because Mahomes and Allen are going to get older. But Daniels is pretty old, too. That's the other part. I need to look at the age split between Alan and Daniels. I don't think it's that far because Daniels is

came into the league at 24. So Josh Allen's 28. OK, it's not enough. That's not enough of a split. Because Josh Allen, now he Josh Allen also spent four years in college, but I believe he was he was kind of a young four years in college. So he's also a battery ram. So I don't know how that's going to impact him long.

But he doesn't. It doesn't battering ram as much as say, Jalen hurts like he he doesn't take as many hits as you think he does because you watch him. He'll go out of bounds. He'll get down. Like he only, he only takes the hit when he absolutely has to. Yeah. Jaden Daniels is really, really, really, really good.

And it's exciting to know that the league has got some of these stars that we loved covering and talking about. Caleb Williams is going to get Ben Johnson as his head coach, so maybe, maybe a better offense designed around Caleb Williams so it unlocks some of the fun stuff we saw in college. Or, or we'll see, because maybe the fun stuff we saw in college is the stuff that keeps Caleb Williams from being a successful NFL quarterback. I don't know. I you tell me Jayden Daniels playing for the commanders right now. He plays exactly the same way he played at LSU in 2023. Like the the same he takes off and runs at exactly the same moment. He hangs in and throws at exactly the same moments.

So the thing that's his game translated perfectly is that you can't get him off the field on third down. That's what makes it so good. Like he finds a way. I remember third downs. Remember the Missouri game in 2023 LSU, Missouri. That's, that's every game in the NFL. So far is that game. Like I felt so, cause that was a good Missouri defense that year. I felt so bad for them because they could never get him off the field. Never. I feel bad for LSU fans cause they look back at that

and like also too, like Brian Thomas and Malik neighbors being awesome. Yeah. Like it does blow my mind how that team didn't make the playoff even. Because it had the worst defense LSU's ever had. I know, I know, I know why it's just like really shit. Because all of them are good. Like because Brian Thomas and the league neighbors are awesome in the league too. So yeah, well thank you for coming to our five minute NFL discussion. I'm

sure we're gonna, I mean are we gonna go live after the Super Bowl again? Not after the suit we're gonna go live the morning after the Super Bowl. I Thought we used to go like live at night to break down the Super Bowl Yeah, we're gonna do that. Well, we were new to this we were trying to yeah, we figure like trend ride and oh That's when people are gonna be on YouTube We'll let it digest and and will go to the normal time. In fact, now is a great time to talk about schedule because we're no longer in season, so we're not going to

have these bonus shows after games, so we're going to settle into a much more regular schedule Monday through Friday, 930 AM Eastern. That's the schedule. Obviously, if you hear the horn, the paper paper paper paper and it's the middle of the afternoon, some big news has happened. So we'll still do the emergency

shows when big news happens. But the normal show any Nari on three on the on three sports YouTube channel, 930 AM Eastern time, Monday through Friday. So set your calendar, set your clocks, subscribe, set your notifications. Have I, have I cataloged all the things you must set? Yeah. And if you want, we could leave a five star review and a, a nice written review. We, we will take those two. Yeah. As we try to appreciate your show because we're, we're trying to, you know,

we're going to be together hopefully for a really long time. So if you want to rip me for, for ordering the pub sub with all of those, all those things available at the exit on exit 62 and Tifton last week, rip me, but, but make it a five-star review and then just savage me in the written portion. I'm okay with that. I'm good with it. Guys, we love you. Thank you so much. The offseason journey is just beginning tomorrow. Illinois coach Brett Bielema will join us. We'll talk to you then.