Andy & Ari On3 - Clemson will have a spring game; why is everyone else suddenly scared to hold them?

Episode Date: March 5, 2025

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Welcome to Annie and Ariane 3, where we'll have a spring game. I think. I think. Are we gonna have a spring game? What would that look like? I mean, we're gonna have a shit. We could have a show on a random Saturday in April, like a normal show like we would on a Saturday.

We do a Saturday night show in April like we would in September or October. And then we also just like all the other ones. All the concepts that we've talked about behind the scenes and see if they work and if it doesn't, it doesn't matter because it's not a real game. Exactly, exactly. Now other podcasts might be tampering. They might be looking to see if some of our,

you know, down the line, like stuff we do in like minute 45 of the show, like is that something they want to steal and put in minute one of their show? Andy help me out with this like this has been two and a half weeks three weeks of discourse and I think it's really I can't tell if it's stupid, but I know exactly what this is. It is a new way for coaches to complain about tampering.

All they've done is just repackaged the tampering conversation. And isn't that what this is? Like there's nothing revelatory about the spring game, right? I mean, and I guess like- Oh, there is nothing revelatory about any spring game. Nothing. I mean, I've covered 20 spring games in my life, and I don't think I've ever left a spring game

feeling like I found out something today in a huge way about a player who's gonna be great that nobody already was anticipating was gonna be great. Like people know already who, when you walk into the stadium, you know who you're there to watch. Yeah, the only time I've I've gone to a spring game and come away with like a massive takeaway. I remember the last year of Brady Hoke at Michigan

went to that spring game. It was like this is not going to go well. Yeah, that was pretty much it. I think at a spring game. That's exactly right. You get a sense for when things aren't right, but you don't really get a sense for what a team ceiling is, right? Like, you kind of know what a good team spring game looks like, but it's never excellent. games who don't do anything in the fall. Like I think that's very common. So like when you when you talk about this whole thing of like, we're not going to do the spring game because we don't want people to swoop in at the end and take players that they didn't know about one.

They already know about it in two just because somebody has a good showing in the spring game doesn't necessarily mean that they're worth three times more than they were then before the game started. So like again to me, like I've thought about writing about this Pete's been all over it it's it's like what's the what's the thing here and like you know what the best thing that happened about this is Davos said something and I agreed with him. There you go let's let's hear what Dabo Sweeney said. So Dabo Sweeney talked about this on Tuesday. Clemson is going to have a spring game. Now it may not be televised, but I'll get to the television part of the spring game thing in a second because I think that's a separate conversation from the tampering thing and everything else. But here's what Dabo said. And I quote, we're going to have a spring game and I hope we can have some type of fan day with it as well. I don't know. We'll see.

Listen, whether you have a spring game or not, it's going to be tampering. Ain't nobody gonna look at the spring game and go, oh yeah, boy. They got PFF. That's called PFF. They've got everything on everybody. Canceling the spring game ain't gonna stop tampering. We're gonna need a lot more help than that to stop tampering and hopefully some point that'll happen so that is what dabo said about it and he's right as far as the spring games and I look I don't care if you have a spring or not like if you do the grove bowl like

Ole Miss did were essentially they did what the NFL has done with the Pro Bowl. That's fine. Oklahoma is having a kind of fan fest thing where they're going to be players and coaches doing combine type drills and but they're also going to get the fans closer to the action to the players and the coaches. Like if you have some sort of celebration of your football program in the spring that allows people to come in the stadium and interact with your coaches and players and get a sense of who they are and you know fall more in love with them. That's all you need to do because the spring game. Let's be real. The spring game wasn't going to tell you much. Like are

you and I have both been to spring scrimmages that are not open to the public. They look very different. Far more relevant spring games. Yeah. Yes. And that's where that's where the competition for positions happens. That's where you figure out who's really going to be helping them the next year. Like really, really hitting each other. Yeah. Yeah.

The spring games, not like that. It's, it's much more a celebration and a chance. Like you said, how many players have blown up in a spring game and you never see them in the fall. It's a chance to celebrate those walk-ons and those guys who bust their ass. Or little credit, little publicity, this gives them a chance to do it in front of a crowd. Like that's what they are for the most part.

And let's add the other piece to it. These guys are getting paid. You have somebody tearing ACL in your spring game that doesn't count, who's expensive. You've just wasted all that. We flushed it down the toilet. Right. So the only thing I'm precious about when it comes to spring

games is the celebration aspect and you nailed that like I feel like and I you know, I've heard this for the last 15 years. Dugway Maurice is always big on saying this. I say his name a lot on the show. I'm sorry, but it's like fans are being priced out of the event now. Like it's not just college, the games themselves, especially the better games with dynamic pricing.

Yes. Who's the country singer? That's like, I'm not a country guy, but my wife's really into it. Who's kind of overweight, but really famous Luke combs. Oh, it's not him, but there's, there's a country singer that my wife wants to see. Kelly Roll. No, no, no. That guy's uh is that a country's artist? Well, hip hop to country's and he's country now. He was hip hop. Whatever, whatever it is. It doesn't matter who it is but like my

wife wanted to go and tickets are $1500 each um and like you know the you had the Taylor Swift experience yourself and your family. Like events are expensive. So like to me, the ability to pay five or 10 bucks to go to the stadium, take your kid there if you are priced out of the events, and connect with the program is a really huge deal. Yeah. And I feel bad about that. Um, but I don't feel like holier than thou as it pertains to watching them play 11 on 11, especially considering the fact that rules have real like 10 years ago, like in 2010, 2013, like they actually drafted teams and played games where there was like a competition where the backup quarterback was on one team the quarterback was on the other they you

know the best receiver was with the backup and we know they split it evenly and they played a game now it's like half contact there's no kickoffs like they're not even playing the game anyway so like if you can invite and what Ohio State did when I was on the beat which I thought was nice is they would have a student appreciation day which was opening up the football facility and allowing students to come into the football facility on the practice field and like circle around the team as they ran like good on good. And like, yeah, I wasn't televised and like, but students can come and like actually see the players and like anything that you can do to bring kids to bring people into your

stadium that otherwise can't go when tickets are 500 bucks a piece or whatever in the regular season, I think is a really important thing. But as it pertains to tampering and, you know, Connor Stallion's up in the second deck like this, looking at your third string tackle. Like that's just a contrived storyline

because coaches love nothing more than complaining about tampering. And like, you know, when it comes to tampering too, like, I feel like it kind of sucks. Like, I'm with the fans on this. Like, I don't love the idea that if you have a good player on your team and you're Louisville, you got to, like, be shaking in your boots at night before you go to bed every night because you're afraid someone's going to steal them. I think that stinks.

And I hope that with this revenue share and contracts and employment situation, we can get to a place where players, you know, sign an agreement or locked in for a few years with the place that they chose. But until that point, it kind of reminds me of like the steroid era in baseball. It's like, just legalize it. Just let everybody take roids and whoever does the best, you know, and this isn't a health risk.

This is e-commerce. You can contact anybody whenever you want about anything and you can try, and just like, that's that's football like it's already off the rails anyway. So instead of bringing it like making this in the shadow of my agent calls your agent who calls your barber who calls your uncle who has you know three girlfriends in the Caribbean who are funneling you. I don't I don't know what the hell is going on. But like just do it like everyone's doing it anyway. So just legalize it so they can stop complaining about it because I'm kind of tired of hearing about it. Like everyone's doing it anyway. So just legalize it so they can stop complaining about it, because I'm kind of tired of hearing about it. And do you think they can't quite quit this because they can't get away from the old under the table stuff?

Like there was too much of an economy built up around that. Like those people can't just fade into the background. I mean, I have a theory, too, that like in the future. And I don't know, there's probably tax benefits to paying the players for the person who's paying. But I wonder if, like we're gonna get back to under the table once everything is reformed. Not if they have a CBA,

because like in the NFL, if you do under the table, the CBA has some pretty harsh penalties. Yeah. But also too, if you're dealing with an 18 year old who's making X number of dollars and you know, on his trip, someone says you come here and you sign your agreement with my school, all Greece for 1500 a month under the table, then you don't have to pay taxes on that.

Like that stuff can probably still happen. Like, and also too, as we're getting removed from it, you and I have had this discussion before, but as it pertains to cheating, on one hand, I think it's deplorable and it's really, really hard to find stuff funny. We ran into this during the Conor Stine's Michigan stuff a few years ago when we were doing the show together. You thought it was hilarious, and I thought that it was kind of terrifying because if you put yourself in a position Where you can break rules to that extent and everyone thinks it's funny Then we're gonna lose the plot but at the same time too

It's like part of the charm of the seat was a failed vacuum cleaner repair man Ari. That's funny I first of all, I watched the documentary and the fact that that wasn't even mentioned is an utter failure Like well because the documentary was very pro con of stallions because all that failure is a vacuum cleaner repair repairman as a black mark on his record. Has anybody done gotten to the bottom of what those were? Was it just a way for him to accept and receive Venmo's from people without being like, was he like using it

to like launder money into his account from his account? I hope so. I like that. I don't care. I'm asking somebody who's sleeping at a truck stop, you know, in the middle of the night in his car had a lot of time to, you know, get into the middle of a Dyson and clear it out.

So like, anyway, off track a little bit, but I think that like part of the charm of the sport to a certain extent is like, how far will your shady people of your fan base go to get the four star safety? You know, like that's kind of fun But it's not fun to the teams that can't compete in that realm But it is kind of also funny to me and I'm rambling but it's a podcast you can deal with it

That the SEC was better and more efficient at cheating in the past and now it's possible that the northern teams In the Big Ten and stuff can pay over the table and like now they're getting smoked. Yeah there's a whole like AP American history industrial age versus agricultural age essay to be written here. Yeah, what's happening here? I mean Yeah, I mean, I. As far as the spring games go and the tampering and all that. I think I think we are on the same page like. And I think you put it very well.

Give the people who are priced out of Saturdays in the fall a chance to get their kid in the stadium. A chance to get their kid five feet away from their favorite player. Like, can you imagine a South Carolina fan, somebody lives in, so like me as a kid in Columbia, now I got to go to a couple of South Carolina games

because it wasn't as expensive as it is now, but at the time, my mom was single, like she's a high school librarian. Like the way the tickets cost now, we would have really struggled to be able to go to a game. So like the five-year-old version of me now would not probably be able to go to the South Carolina LSU game last year or to the, to the South Carolina Ole Miss game, but imagine people too that live an hour away and might need to stay the night Carolina Ole Miss game. But imagine- Well, especially people too that live an hour away

and might need to stay the night or whatever. Yeah, but imagine- People from other parts of the state that have a travel element to it. Imagine that kid in April gets to go be five feet from Melanora Sellers because they have a fan fest or that sort of thing. That's just as valuable because if that kid,

when that kid grows up, he'll wanna he won't want to go to school there. And if he goes to school there and he's successful, he'll have some money and then maybe he's donating some money to you in the future. Like that's the sort of thing you you're you're winning hearts and minds more than anything else in the spring. And you don't have to win hearts and minds with a scrimmage. You can win hearts and minds other ways, but I just I hope that and this gets gets into something that I think college football in general, especially big-time college football is really bad at. They are really bad because the coaches are so freaking

paranoid at letting their fans fall in love with the players. Get your players out there. Let people see them. Let people talk to them. Let them do interviews. And the NIL era has helped this a bit because the players are like, hey, look, this helps my brand. I'm going to do it. I don't really care what you say. But you're running an entertainment product like these are your stars stop acting like they're not. Yeah in the spring Ohio State when I was on the beat. Like very rarely made freshman available to made them like when they first arrived when they sign and then like it would go a year without talking to the media, especially if they weren't playing.

And then on their spring student appreciation day, like that was a day where reporters could just go up and talk to people, whoever they wanted. And it's like, and I'm sure like the top 15% of the sports kind of like this, but if there was a five star tight end who came to your school in the previous class and didn't play as freshmen year, like everybody's locked in on like, what's up with him? You know, like people, the future is always the thing that drives people. So like that to me was a very valuable aspect too, for the media standpoint, like the open locker room

thing at the bowl game, the spring game appreciation day, and then early signing period was huge on that beat. But yes, I'm 100% with you. And I think that, you know, it is kind of an interesting thing of like, when you look at the big picture, like that thing that you said is perfect. It's like that six-year-old is gonna be an 18-year-old one day who may wanna go to your school. And then he might be a- He might be a 35-year-old who's coming to some money who might wanna give you your school.

My striking point if that ever gets to where people think it's going, and then next thing you know, you have somebody who's paying your NIL. I don't know. Can I go back to something? because somebody in the chat is kind of, you know, jawing at me a little bit about the SEC Big Ten comments? I think it's kind of important. Absolutely. Absolutely. The Big Ten never paid their players. Not what I said. I said that the SEC was more

fit. No, he said the SEC was better at it, Zach. The SEC was better at it. Yeah, I think that it's possible to think that like maybe Indiana wasn't really bad. Ohio State wasn't paying their players. They got caught every single time. Yeah. Also, the rankings don't even match that insane idea. 70% of the top 10 in the SEC is still the rankings don't have to change for the composition

of the of the country to be different. If the number one class in 2019 was Alabama, because they had 14 top 100 players in it, and the number one class has seven top 100 players in it, that still means that the sports different. So like, really look into that for me. Okay, anyway, go ahead. Now, I do love that. It is funny because I always laughed at Ohio State. Like, they got caught for the stupidest things.

You know what I the part I found hilarious about that was nobody in the SEC would ever get caught for that stuff. If I could go back in time and know one way or one thing about Ohio State. It's how they got Terrell prior to go there. Mm hmm. That would be that would and be held a story. Because something had to have happened, right? I mean, he was like the number one all world recruit. I mean, he was like the archbanning before Archmanning existed without the name

recognition like I. Then he could have gone anywhere. Like something. He had a guy. Like there were. Had a guy. Yeah. Yeah. So that to me, that was something that was, and you know, he was at the center of the tat gate stuff. And you know, I think as, as time has gone on, he looks less and less egregious for what he did.

Cause apparently, or not apparently. Well, none of the tat gate stuff was egregious. Let's be real here. But I think that like, I'll never forget the day that all that stuff broke the day that si had the how deep it went si cover. Jim Trestle had a team meeting at the woody and the rake the raffle Ari. He did rake a raffle. What was the prize? I don't even remember what the shoes it was some shoes. It was What was the prize? I don't even remember what the prize was.

It was some shoes. It was. And I remember Terrell Pryor showed up in a 350Z, which was in 2010, was an awesome car. Like, that was like, you were the man if you had that car. And everyone was like, no award. It's interesting now to go back, it was a gently used 350Z.

It wasn't even a new one. Yeah. So if we're looking at the dollar, the fact, Carson Beck just had a Lamborghini SUV and a Mercedes stolen from him at the same time. So we're in different universes now. But still to show up in that car, because at the car, at the time it was viewed as a fancy car

for an 18 year old or 20 year old, whatever he was, kind of illustrated some sort of lack of social awareness, you know, and I think that like that has generally kind of just been the thing with Terrell, like it's like people thought that he was shady. And maybe nothing happened, I don't know. But like, I would love to know like Ted Sarniak's actual role in that whole thing, and how they got him there, because it's like Ohio State role in that whole thing and how they got him there because it's like Ohio State has cheated before. It has got caught, but I'm sure that they've cheated and haven't gotten caught too, like at times. So like, and I think that everybody cheats. So, but that's the one thing that's like, if I could go back my Valhalla of like stories, I wish I could know the real answer to that would be the one. I want the whole Albert Means story. And I realized a lot of the Albert Means story came out but then the booster who was accused of funding it falls down

the stairs and dies like there's a whole lot that was an Alabama case. I would love to know the full story behind all of that. And I think we know another one too. This will be a fun podcast. Sorry hijacked again, but swamp kings. I don't want to watch swamp kings, but like the actual story. Yes, yes, we're all like the rumors. I'm not even going to going to say the rumors that went around Gainesville at

the time because I have no idea if they're true or not. We've looked into them. We've never been able to prove any of them, and so it may have just been urban legends. Pardon the pun. Literally. Yeah. But if any of it, like half of it is true, if a quarter of it's true, holy crap. So yeah, that's that's the thing. I don't, I'm not going to disparage another media entity, but I got to tell you, I'm not gonna disparage another media entity, but I gotta tell you the untold series then they dropped the swamp Kings trailer for Netflix I was like oh my god this is gonna be the most incredible thing ever and then they showed urban was in it I was like oh this sucks like the second I knew he was in it it was

over untold has largely been told so yeah and untold has had a few really good ones but I thought the Johnny Manziel when I thought he was pretty forthcoming I hated that one are you see said stuff that he had we hadn't heard him say before which I thought was interesting yeah he did say stuff that that he hadn't said before but the thing that irked me about it was you can't have a two-hour documentary about substance abuse while drinking beer This is true. Like that was just like it's like how serious are you taking this? And if you really were at the point in which you said you were at like this is an healthy situation But yeah, I do think that it was funny that he created that that that rumor that his family was independently wealthy

because when I was I was a beat writer in Ohio at the time and like Johnny football mania when that happened was like You know you were watching it on TV like everybody else and everyone's like yeah this guy's going out to Vegas and partying with Drake and all this stuff and say yes. Like we thought in Ohio as reporters that his parents were oil barons so like that like actually worked. royal barons. So like that like actually worked. They did a great they did a great job of that. And like, so I met his parents when I was doing the si source you I mean, you knew they weren't super rich, but they they had some money to like the one thing that I thought was was amazing is they bought an old Alabama tour bus not the not the school the band

Alabama so they'll play me some mountain music like grandma and grandpa used to play. They bought one of their old tour buses to to fit it out to go to the road games. I don't know if they ever finished fixing it up. But I just I'm just imagining like this old Alabama tour bus rolling through all these SCC towns. It's kind of crazy to think like when we walk into stadiums all these SEC towns. It's kind of crazy to think, like when we walk into stadiums and like you see there was one bus at Ohio State games when I was on the beat, there was an old ambulance. And I think you might've seen it when we went to the-

Yeah, I've seen it, yep. And they open up the back and there's TVs mounted on all sides of it. The thing's completely renovated, new paint job, like the Buckeye decals on the side, it's painted like a helmet. And it's like, as I get older, and I'm doing things in my house and trying to buy things in my personal life that I want, and you start to figure out how expensive stuff is, you get a real appreciation for how much money these people are sinking into this stuff.

Because he had to have spent 100 or 150 Gs on that thing, right? Like, I mean, like renovate that thing. By the way, huge news in the Wasserman household. I've been talking to you about this for three years, but I officially have the green light from my beautiful wife to pursue and buy a mid 90s to early 2000s SL 500. Like I am like on the hunt now. And I was-

Would you trade it to me for this Pukka Nakua Panini America number to 10 the car probably not the car It if I wait if I pull a Caitlin Clark auto out of a prison pack I mean the only thing with me is If the card is worth more than the product like it's a. That's the thing, you could maybe get a better version of the SL. Yeah, so I was on a, bring a trailer last night and I was the winning bidder on one of the cars

until like the last minute and I got sniped. But if you have a R129 body style Mercedes SL 500 that you'd like to sell, email me. Because I'm in the market, baby. All right, anyway. All right, well, I just mentioned our friends at Panini America so let's let's talk about that. We got this Pukinokua card that I'm still deciding whether I'm going to let Ari trade me for it or I'm going to go send it to PSA. Also I we we ripped this I pulled this out of a pack yesterday on the show. This is a Harold Miner autograph to 149 from the Prism basketball draft picks product.

The thing that I love about this, because Ari likes the action. Ari likes the action of the trading, what the value is. I love the nostalgia because it brings me back to when I was nine, 10 years old ripping packs every freaking day, hanging out in baseball card shops. And like baby Jordan here was a huge deal when I was in middle school, huge deal. And so to get a, like baby Jordan signed this freaking card.

Like that's a huge deal to me because part of what I love about this is the nostalgia. So I feel like I'm back in middle school. The thing that's interesting about the hobby is that there's ways everybody can do it. If you want to spend big, big money, there's there's a market there for you. If you want to collect your favorite players and just have them, it's perfect. And if you wanna be in the buy, sell, trade, gamble world with me, that's there too. Now, the thing that I think is interesting is,

you go to memorabilia stores in the mall and people will pay a thousand bucks for a signed helmet or something. And next year when Kam Scataboo comes out with cards and you know they have the the product. You know, National Treasures collegiate draft picks next year, which will probably rip on the show. Hopefully you know they're still with us.

There's going to be a Cam Scataboo. Bull Patch rookie autograph that they're going to have as he, you know, goes into the NFL and it's like if you're an Arizona State fan. There's no better way to commemorate that memory than having like that to me as a cooler piece of memorabilia than like him signing a helmet because you'll have a piece of the patch. It'll be the exact game that he starred in. He'll have his auto on it.

And like they're the thing that I he starred in. He'll have his auto on it. And like the thing that I've thought about buying is like they have frames that are bigger that you can like display your cards in. So like you can make them art in your office too, much like you would with a Jersey or a helmet or something. So like I, it's a very versatile hobby and one that completely has its hooks sunk. They're in my rib cage.

So yeah, however you wanna do it, you can do it, but there's a big wide world out there. And if you're in Dallas, you wanna go to the card show, hit me up, man. So one more thing, before we get to your storylines for 2025, and I have a few suggestions for storylines as well. Yeah. Yeah. You may notice

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So, R, you had this column earlier this week and I thought it was great. Storylines to follow for the 2025 season, you read it on on3.com. I am very intrigued by some of these, but I also have some suggestions. Some ones that I think, because here's what I'm thinking about as I read it,

is what's gonna be the thing that when we look back this time next year was the dominant overarching story of the season? I'd say in the case of the 2024 season, it was Ohio State losing to Michigan and then coming back and and ripping through the playoff. The year before it was the Connor Stallions thing like it's there's always something that that just dominates our attention. And your number one, I think, has all the ingredients to do it. And that's our expanding. Yeah. And like the thing about that too is it's like, I think you could even put Ashton Genties season into that mix a little bit too. We spoke a lot about that. Especially early. Yeah.

You know, that is...and maybe one of the storylines should have just been like a player who comes out of nowhere to dominate, but the arch manning thing is a continuation of the highest hyped, most paid attention to recruitment in the history of recruiting. Right, like I don't know if anybody, AI couldn't come up with a more perfect five-star quarterback who comes from the royalty. Like it's just perfect. Right. And now he's at Texas. Texas has taken a step forward the last two years with Quinn Ubers at the helm. He's played some but not a ton. If he is who we who what he was rated as the number one overall player in the country

and then combines the greatness from his uncles to the mix at Texas like there is no bigger story. Now, here's the thing about Arch Manning. If he stinks, which I don't think is gonna happen, I think that's a very low probability of that or is just fine. That's also a pretty important story, right? I mean, he is- Right. I mean, I think he is going to be the face of the sport next year. But if he isn't, the discussion about why he's not is going

to be so like that to me, like you can't miss with this, like March Manning is the most, and I don't know, they weren't really ranked. They were just 10. That was number one. But that's the first thing that pops into your head of like, what are you looking forward to next year? Arch Manning? What's, first thing that pops into your head of like, what are you looking forward to next year? Arch Manning. What's, what's that going to be? Well, and that's what I'm curious about is if you mentioned you, I don't think he's going to stink, but you mentioned what if he's just fine and what if Texas isn't because you and I put Texas number one on our way to early top 25.

What if Texas isn't the best team in the country? What if they are a pretty good team? Maybe a fringe playoff team. Here's their schedule. They obviously started Ohio State, so that's the bigger than big. They got to go to Florida. We think Florida is going to be better. We think Oklahoma is going to be better. We're not sure.

They obviously have to go to Georgia late in the season. Then in Texas A&M comes to them. But. We're not sure. They obviously have to go to Georgia late in the season, then Texas A&M comes to them. But I am fascinated by, if he's just okay, I think the general public's gonna be like, wow, he stinks. No, it's just, there's been so much heaped upon him that if he is not a superstar, it's going to feel like a disappointment.

Yeah, and I think that when you look at the actual guys on the roster with him, that it's going to be very hard, even if he's average to be bad, right? Like, but the question is, is what if he's just like when yours where he's has has his moments, but like isn't transcendent Lee different, you know, because I think that would be the disappointment. What we're hoping for or what we're expecting in a lot of cases is is stardom. Was Quinn yours a star? I don't think so. I think he was a good player on a really

good team. Is that a fair assessment of Quinn yours as a college player? Yeah, he was a, I think above average player on a really good team. Yeah, and we'll see, I mean, cuz the buzz coming out of the combine was that maybe Quinn Ubers a little underrated. Here's the thing too, I'm happy that you brought that up, cuz I've struggled with Ubers. And now that we know that he's played really injured last year, that kind of changes the perspective a little bit too, right? Because he was, what was it? Did he have a torn ligament in his side or arm or something?

Well, we knew, and we knew he was injured there because he missed two games because of it. But he played hurt. We didn't know about the lingering effects of it. Yeah. He played hurt through the stretch of the season and took him to the semifinals. Now, here's the thing about Texas, and I have a hard time with this because I wrote that when like, if you put yourself back to where Texas was or what Texas was when Quinn yours transferred there, and when he was committed there, very short stint at Ohio State in between, they weren't this. And I think the major difference

wasn't Quinn Ewer's emergence as a star. The difference was that Sark recruited his ass off and they have stockpiled talent the way that a legitimate national championship stockpile or championship contending team stockpiles talent. So I think Sark gets the lion's share of the credit for what he's built there. But also too, Texas being back was a jab and a joke. But being back isn't about having one good year. Being back is about being a national championship contender and not a joke

year over year over year, which is what they're built to do. And Quinn Ewers was the quarterback that brought that back. So, you know, to me, that is a really good accomplishment. And if he played hurt last year, like maybe he'll be a really good pro in the NFL. I don't know. Like, I don't know that I feel. The thing that scares me about Quinn, and I didn't see a Quinn U yours discussion happening today, but we're talking about Texas and arches He's incessantly injured. So like I don't think that you can take There are just certain people whose bodies can't hold up and I would be afraid to question Right. Well to us is different because to us got a concussion issue, which is well Nobody to it to had multiple injuries in college, too He had the ankle injury and then he had the hip

career might come to an end here because if he takes one more shot like that, you know, and he's going to learn to protect himself better or what but he can't take a hit like that again. We were on the road together when it happened. You remember where we were we ate out back. We're in Vegas. No, we were at Outback Steakhouse. Oh, that's right. That's right. Yes. Oh, yeah. The Thursday night game. You're right. He was on my banner. I wanted to cry. Yeah.

Yeah, he slid forward and took a shot to anyway. Yeah. McQueen yours has been injured every year. Like he gets injured all the time. So like in terms of like him being a first round traffic, I don't think that you can take him in the first round because of just that that reality alone. But like, do you feel a measurably better about should or Sanders proposition of being a franchise quarterback in the NFL than you do Quinn? Like, I have questions about that. He might be a top seven pick. So like, yeah, even even the guys that you are sure are going to go in the top 10, which would be cam and and should or you have

questions about which look the the CNFL, like the. The transition from college, the NFL quarterback is the hardest one to make, and you just don't know. But the. The transition from backup to starter for Arch Manning at Texas, we've at least seen him start a couple of games, but now we're going to see him play. Like right out of the gate against the elite talent with Ohio State. Now this is a it'll be a completely

rebuilt Ohio State defense with the new coordinator, so there'll be questions all around, but. I'm excited to see it. I'm excited to see it underdogs right now is insane because just roster makeup alone. I think Texas is better at the moment. So one of your other storylines to watch is Ohio State's Michigan problem, which is a

huge storyline because obviously they've lost a bunch in a row to Michigan. This is kind of the reverse mirror of the funhouse mirror version of Ohio State's dominance over Michigan for all those years before this. And it's interesting because this will kind of loom over the season as those two come at each other, but I want to throw another potential storyline at you that I think we'll be able to talk about and we'll really be able to dig into as the early season progresses. that I think we'll be able to talk about and we'll really be able to dig into

as the early season progresses. And that is the idea of Michigan truly being Sherone Moore's team now. And what does it look like if they have a functional offense? Yeah, so this is just a personal preference. I don't know if you would have done this story if you would have had that on your list at all. Um, and it was towards the bottom, uh,

because it does seem a little bit less important as a result of like they won the national title and Ryan days, not in hot water. Um, like the, the, the, the hype and the, the excitement towards that game when a coach is coaching for his job or, Oh no, I'm still fascinated by that game. Yeah, so like I still agree on it. I like I want to see him play again because I still can't understand how what happened last year happened. Yeah, and like Michigan is going to be better and it's on the road next year and Ohio State's not going to be nearly as good. So like that, I still think Ohio State is going to be excellent, but

they're not going to be what they were like what they were last year. Like Michigan. Yeah, it'll be a better version of Michigan than the one that beat this Ohio State team and probably a worse version of Ohio State than the one that lost to this Michigan team. And in Ann Arbor. Yeah, and I'm in Ann Arbor. Yeah, so I'm fascinated by this game, but I'm equally fascinated by what this Michigan team looks like because so Wink Martindale talked yesterday in Ann Arbor. I was reading Chris Ballas's story at the Wolverine. And I didn't think they were gonna get Wink Martindale back. I just assumed he was going to the NFL again. But he's back and he was great down the stretch

last year as their defensive coordinator. And if you look at like how he coached the guys who were the backups in the bowl game against Alabama who are going to be the starters, like I got very few doubts about their defense, even though they're losing some incredible talent. But I'm really interested to see what their offense looks like. Like, is it is it Mikey Keene starting a quarterback holding, you know, holding a place for Bryce Underwood or is or is Bryce Underwood come in and play right away? Like what happens there? Yeah, right and like it is Michigan in the playoff again next year cuz like there is a really interesting thought process of like Charron Moore and his his year going into the year. Like

I think they need to have a good year cuz it got off to a tough start but I also was very impressed by the way Michigan finished their season from a culture standpoint and that's what makes Michigan Michigan. So like that, that is a, that game in general, like, I don't know, like no one's going to lose their job if they lose. Um, but you know, if Ohio state can get over the hump and finally fix the one major issue that is looming over the program, even in the face of a national title, I think is interesting. Does Michigan come into that game in a, in a national title. I think it's interesting. Does Michigan come into that game in a much better place though is the biggest question.

And that's where I'm at. Obviously they've got to go play Oklahoma in week two. So that'll give us some info on Michigan and Oklahoma though that we won't exactly know because they've got to. They've got to show us against other teams what they can do as well. Pop up to that one by the way. I think you should. Maybe I go. Maybe I go with you. Maybe I'll tag along but and then you start the the Big 10 schedule with at Nebraska, Wisconsin at USC Washington like that's not going to be easy

like. I think Nebraska is going to be easy like. I think Nebraska is going to be pretty good. I think USC has a chance to be pretty good. I think Washington is going to be quite a bit better than it was last year. Where's the single team on that schedule? They can't beat no they could like if the offense is good. Then there's a very real chance. We're talking about them being 11 and over 10 and one going in the Ohio State game. And if that happens

then oh boy Washington is maybe a sleeper team. Yeah. But they get Washington at home. Washington was much tougher in Seattle last year than they were elsewhere. Yeah. But I'm thinking like sleeper teams like Washington who are the like five teams that no one's talking about right now that might be really good next year? Like I think Washington is one of them. So Washington is one of them.

We've talked about Illinois to death. So I don't think they count. I think everybody knows about them. You know, I'd put you on the spot. You don't have to answer that right now, but that might be a pretty fun story to look into. Well, producer River points out maybe, maybe one of them is Oklahoma. I think that that would be another one and they play each other. So,

is Michigan a sleeper team? Cause no, we don't talk about Michigan much. I don't, but are they really a sleeper if we look at their schedule and say they might be 10 and one going to the Ohio State game? I don't think they're asleep at that point. I think a sleeper means who's dominating the offseason discourse. When you think about how much we've spoken about South Carolina in relation to Michigan, like not even close. It's 10 to one, right? Like Michigan is excited about South Carolina's quarterback. We're excited about Florida's quarterback. We're excited about Auburn's quarterback situation. What? Like, that's exciting.

Yeah, I know, but we don't even know if he's going to start or play. I think Michigan falls under Sleeper right now. OK, that's fine. That's fine. I think Oklahoma does too. And it's what brought him up. I mean, I think, like, this is the perfect segue

to the next storyline, Andy, because my next storyline is DJ Lagway versus Lenora Sellers. And I really can't stand that they're not playing each other this year. That really sucks. I was hoping that Florida would be so awesome. But it's interesting that it's come that I and I don't know why it's these one versus the other because where's Garrett Nussmeyer in all this? You know, where are some of the other Nico Iamaleava?

Like where are these guys in all this discourse as well? LSU, I was talking to Cody Balera, our main one of our two main talent evaluators, and he said LSU could be a wagon next year. Don't talk about LSU enough. We had a whole episode actually. LSU did work could be a wagon next year. Don't talk about LSU enough. We had a whole episode actually. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah.

LSU did work in the portal. They bring back one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Yeah, so it's interesting, because the Lagway sellers thing, and you and I were texting about this the other day. Yesterday. We both think South Carolina and Florida are gonna be better and good.

The thing about it is we also think Auburn's going to be better. Like if that's the case, somebody has to get worse for those three to get better. So I think one of those teams at least that we think is going to be better is not going to live up to our expectations. So this is the, uh, This might be the time. But we did talk about this. Florida's season win total is 6 1 1 half South Carolina is a 7 1 1

1 half and I have to study their schedules. Maybe River can help me out. Mr schedule schedules are hard. I'm up here. Yep, is there an extra game that Florida plays that that that South Carolina doesn't? South Carolina has Clemson in Florida has Florida State.

We don't know Florida State's going to be in. Florida also has Miami in the non conference, that Florida plays that that that South Carolina doesn't South Carolina has Clemson in Florida has Florida State. We don't know if Florida State is going to be in Florida also has Miami in the non conference. So I think that it's possible that like who does South Carolina have in the non conference at the beginning of the year Virginia Tech and Clemson. Okay. So like South Carolina being well I think Virginia Tech should be a game that they win. I think Florida has one extra non conference game that's difficult that they could lose theoretically. No, they have this. Yeah, maybe. But well, I mean, Florida State's come off two in 10. Are we counting Florida State as a team that... The rivalry situation too. I don't know. Like, maybe not. Maybe not. So if you think the

schedules are awash, which I think is a fair argument. Well, no, let me, let me ask you this because we talk about this for Friday where we're going to talk about the hardest and easiest schedules. And I started working on this last night and Florida and South Carolina schedules were one that like, now obviously we can put them both on the list of hard schedules because they're both very hard. I think South Carolina might be harder than Then Florida's. That's interesting, I don't know. So like I I haven't gotten any like actual strays to the dome this year in terms of like my position, but if you've looked at anything I've written in the off season. Anytime that there

was a chance to glorify a quarterback like I have put DJ Lagway over Lenora Sellers. Now that's not a point of I think Lenora Sellers thinks or that he doesn't have potential to the roof or that he cannot be a star. I mean look at what they did in this back half of the schedule last year while he was healthy. Things were great. I am very very high on Florida and DJ Lagway going into the year because, again, Lenora Sellers is also a freak, but DJ Lagway looks like somebody who is going to be the first pick in the NFL draft one day. I don't know if I'm overstating my obsession with his upside, but that's real. And I don't know if this is going to be a seasoned bet going into it, but who do you think is going to have a better year?

Which quarterback numerically will have a better year? And maybe the quarterback drives that, but like I would take... Well, if you look at it, we basically predicted them to have the same year. We basically predicted them to be 10 and 2, both of them. But one of them is not going to be. They're not both going to be 10 and two, both of them. But one of them's not going to be, they're not both. Right. So who do you, honestly, I think it comes down to the differences in their schedule or, well, or how they play against the common opponents. Like, you know, last year, South Carolina lost LSU and lost to Ole Miss.

And a lot of that was because sellers hurts his ankle at the end of the first half of the LSU game, he's still limited when they play Ole Miss. Like how they play against LSU and Ole Miss will matter, Florida beat both those teams last year. Like, and does Florida do that again? Like can Florida go into Baton Rouge in week three and beat LSU? I don't know.

So. There have been people who have said, I don't understand why Lenora Sellers is not getting as much hype as DJ Lagway. And I think it's a fair question. I'm telling you from my standpoint, I'm obsessed with DJ Lagway. But I would also put my own personal money on the fact that Florida will have a better year than South Carolina next year. Here's why I think it is. So Lenora Sellers was working with a pretty good team already, and we understood that it was a pretty good team. And we watched them where we know why they lost LSU.

They should not have lost Alabama. They should have won that game at Alabama. And they beat Clemson, they killed Texas A&M. We knew what he was working with. We watched that Florida team look really bad early in the season. And then when DJ Lague was their starting quarterback, they looked much better. So it feels like. Lague is the is the main difference. Now, it might not be that he is.

It might be that Flora's offensive line got better progressively through the year. Flora's defensive line got better progressively through the year. Flora's defensive line got better progressively through the year. And so coincidentally, when DJ was the starting quarterback, those groups were good and they played differently than they played against Texas A&M and Miami. I don't know the answer to that.

I don't know how much of that was DJ starting and kind of pulling everybody along. We're gonna find out this year because he will be the starting quarterback the whole year. Like they go to LSU week three. They go to Miami week four. Like we will know very quickly. What do you think is more help?

We're looking at because I see people are like, yeah, well, Florida is more talented. It's like. Are they? Carolina's got a really, really good team, so I don't know if that's like a blanket statement. You get a toss out there. I mean typically and historically they have been. I don't know if that's true this year. Yeah, I don't know if that's true either.

I mean I saw somebody in the chat. They didn't South Carolina lose their edges. They lost Kyle Canard, but they brought back Dylan Stewart. Dylan Stewart's the higher ceiling of those two. Florida is going to be counting on some freshman receivers this year, I think, and that's kind of a tough. We don't know which way they is going to be counting on some freshman receivers this year, I think, and that's kind of a tough, we don't know which way they're going to go type scenario. But Florida

does have a very, very good running back. I think their offensive line was improved, their defensive, they've got the best center in college football. Their defensive line, I thought got better as the year went on. Like I think Florida is going to be really good next year. Yeah, I don't know. I think they're going to be good. I think they're going to be good enough to beat everybody on their schedule. They won't. It doesn't. Yeah, it doesn't necessarily mean they're a playoff team because again, the schedule is hard and look, you lose to Texas LSU in Georgia, like which means you beat Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Miami. Like, you're still probably not a playoff team.

You see, if you're nine and three with losses to LSU, Texas and Georgia, you've won some really good games, but you're not a playoff team. I don't think anybody's getting fired over that. I think they're probably like, okay, we get it. It's fine. But that's the reality. The situation is a hard schedule. Yeah.

But watching those two play, because I think because they're in the same conference and the same experience level, although I think Sellers has more playing time, it's going to be kind of like a lag waver Sellers debate that's already starting to happen. And I think it's going to be fun. I don't understand.

Because Arch is in the same conference, and Nico's in the same conference, and Nussmeyer's in starting to happen. And I think I don't understand because Arch is in the same conference and Nicos in the same conference and Nussmeyer is in the same conference. And so like the who's the best quarterback in the SEC conversation. Is much more than those two guys. Who do you take right now? Going into next year.

If you had a weird cause I'm going to seem like the biggest homer in the world. Like DJ, here's how you need to know I've been mystified by DJ Lague. Like I went from being overly negative about everything Florida to probably overly positive about everything Florida because this guy just feels different. It's like do you take the bird in the hand? Because you know Nussmeyer is already really good. Like you just could take another or know what you're going to get.

But I've also seen DJ like we play head to head with Garrett Nussmeyer. You want to get my overarch? Ye right now, yeah. That's gonna be fun. Maybe I should have had four headed quarterback monsters. The storyline, but that's gonna be great. It's fascinating, isn't it? Did you think we had star power in college football last year? Like we had Travis Hunter and he was a pretty big star and we had the Colorado wasn't in the national. Like you need you need somebody. Now, Colorado's in the playoff hunt toward the end of the season, so that that helped. But you need somebody who's in like feeling very much in the playoff. Like one of these quarterbacks or a couple of these quarterbacks. Or you mentioned like let's say Bryce Underwood starts for Michigan and they are rolling toward double digit wins heading into the Ohio State game.

Like that's gonna be massive. Do you think that there's been a star power problem in college football the last year or so? Or is it just a contrived story in my head? I just don't think there were a lot of elite quarterbacks. And you can always tell by looking at the NFL draft, the years where the NFL draft has like six guys who are going to go in the first round, you feel like there's more stars. I mean, the year before they had Drake May,

but I don't know if Drake May was a huge quarterback. Jayden Daniels was the starting five. There were six quarterbacks taken in the top 12 in the last draft. Yeah, but Jay, who were the six again? So Jayden Daniels, who's obviously very good. Caleb Williams. On the Heisman, Caleb Williams, yeah.

So last year, there was a huge drop off in starboard. Bo Nix, Michael Penick Jr. Yeah, right. And J.J. Yeah. So last year, there was a huge drop off in Star Penix Jr. Yeah, right. And JJ McCarthy. Yeah. So maybe that's a column. Like I was thinking like, we have a chance to get star power back next year. And like the fun thing about this year going into it though, is that the star power that we have a chance to get is largely unproven. Like we don't know what they're going to be. So the intrigue of going into the year, not knowing who it's going to be and watching that play out is also, um, is also very entertaining. So yeah. Right. And then another thing about Lagway is he's the one

who has to be back in college football in 2026. All these other guys in GoPro. So that's where like he has a chance to really kind of build that up. The other guys, like Arc is going to be a supernova if he's even the least bit good. And then if Nussmeyer is good, Nellis Hughes is good. We're going toussmeyer is good, Nellis, she was good. We're gonna be concentrating on that because even with Quinn Ubers last year, people forget Quinn Ubers was like the highest rated quarterback prospect of all time. What about Nico? Like what if Nico's better at Tennessee? Like he's

a potential, you know, big star in college football. Yeah. It's electric. Oh, it's going to be great. One more you didn't have that I think is interesting, mostly because of what we've been talking about the rest of the week off the field. Florida State is coming off two and 10 a year after they went 13 and one. Do they just go into the middle of those extremes and they're just a mid team or like do they bounce back in a big way? Because I'm fascinated by this, especially now that we know kind of what they're playing for here and it's not necessarily what they're playing for

this year. Like they can't be two and 10 the next four years and expect to get what they want from a conference alignment standpoint. Like they got to get good again. Yeah, I think that there are probably just going to be a six and 16 next year and it's not going to be a dumpster fire, but it's not going to be amazing and it's just going to kind of be like blah.

I it's so crazy. Do you think 6 and 6 is like another dumpster fire? Like is like on one hand you can say well they got better from the year before, but then on the other hand it's like their Florida state. How do they go 6 and 6? Yeah, if Florida State 6 and 6 their fan base is up in arms like they're wanting to raise the money to fire Mike Norvell at that point which would be an obscene amount of money and I don't I don't I still don't know if you can do it and like Thomas Casalano is their quarterback this year right so you're putting a lot on

on him on a guy who got benched at Boston College yeah but they also have squirrel white squirrel squirrel white sorry I'm having a hard time announcing who was not a star at Tennessee like that, but you're not helping here He was pretty productive right like he was a pretty good player And then they got Deuce Robinson. That's a pretty big one Was he big at USC? Deuce Robinson is going to be like a longtime NFL player. Like I don't know if he'll get the production Okay, what was he very productive at USC? No, he was not.

On a team that went seven and five? He was not. Okay, so that's the thing. Now look, Mike Norvell has had success with guys who weren't productive at other schools before. Like Johnny Wilson, not productive at Arizona State, highly productive at Florida State. So it's definitely possible that that happens,

but what we're hoping here is that the same magic that happened in 2023 and to a lesser degree in 2022, like that happens over what happened in 2024. Yeah, but the magic feels years ago was so predicated on lightning in a bottle. That was like, you can't duplicate that. Like Jared vert, all those transfers that came in, it was insane. And they all were awesome at the same time. Right. And Jared verse staying. And then, and then Braden Fisk coming to, to be united with Jared Burst like that thing about that like Florida State had half the the LA Rams defensive line.

Yeah, on their defensive line with Jordan Travis might have been an underappreciated player, but at the same time, Jordan Travis might have been the most important player in college football to his team in the past 50 years. Like he doesn't like we don't talk about him like he's a in college football to his team in the past 50 years. He doesn't like we don't talk about him like he's a legend. Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson on the same team like you know they had wasn't Trey Benson they're running back to they were really good

like and they were all transfers at the same time. This year is interesting because I think that they have a lot of really high upside players in their offense. Like, Hikeem Williams was a former five-star prospect. Like, if he turns out to be what people thought he was going to be in high school, that's a really, really good receiver. Castellanos got benched, but also too, he showed flashes of excellence during his time at BC. Squirrel White, I think, is a serviceable player. Deuce Robinson, another high ceiling guy who hasn't been productive like if Deuce Robinson and Hikiem Williams and Casalano's

all hit their ceiling next year, they could be really good. Yes, they could. Anne season opener against Alabama. I like for a Joe Campbell. Do you imagine if Florida State beat Bama in the first game? That's what I was about to say.

The fine mom show that the following Monday would be just nuclear. Absolutely nuclear. If Florida State coming off 2 and 10, beat Alabama right out of the gate. Now, it might not be as bad as the Alabama fans would be making it at that point, because Florida State might turn out to be good. That's the thing. If Florida State can get through that game, you know, they have a manageable front

half of the season. Now they do have to go to Miami and they got to go to Clemson and they got to go to Florida. So the problem is all their hard games are on the road except for Alabama. And so even if you're better, it might not show up as well as you'd like. Yeah. But if they could win one of those games, I think they'll be feeling pretty good. But yes, if they beat Alabama out of the shoot, holy crap, it will feel like the world is ending in Tuscaloosa. Yeah. Whew.

It's fun. This is gonna be a fun season. Digging into the schedules for the Friday show has been very interesting to me, just to see. I gotta help you with that today. Like there's some sneaky fun games. Let me throw one sneaky fun game actually that I had not realized was happening. Hey Andy. Yeah. Will you do that? Can I just like wrap up the last thing by saying a few more storylines? But then I want to really, we're going to come back. Absolutely. Yeah. If you started doing

this, but the college football ties into your story, one of your storylines. It was my sneak in game. College football playoff seating is. One of your storylines. There's my sneak in game. College football playoff seating is just going to be fun to track the next month or two. Oklahoma, they're going to have a rebound year because I think that like Oklahoma is very interesting. Brenton Venables and John Matier and Ben Arbuckle and of course, Maggie, who they just brought in, you know, to to run the GM role. Dion Sanders and Colorado's next move, right? Like they were a hyper huge story,

and I'm sure that this is this. And this is what I'm talking about. The sneaky fun game. You ready week one? Georgia Tech at Colorado, yeah. Like the new look Colorado. It's like we have spent not much time talking about Colorado this offseason.

You maybe even throw them in the sleeper sleeper thing like but they're yeah be a Like the thing that is interesting about Colorado is last year They were much better than we anticipated they would be and when I say we I mean We outside of anybody who right in RV calm or whatever that websites called So they pegged it they got it right That was insane but also to how much of that success was predicated on having two top 10 players in

the NFL draft this coming year and players that were kind of built in like Louis Vuitton luggage bring overs from Jackson State and how much can be replicated with what they've done because like in theory, you know, even though you lose those two players in year three of the build now, if we we're gonna talk about the on Sanders the Same way we talk about other coaches like it's Colorado supposed to take a step forward or are they allowed to go four and eight? this year And build it that way like I don't know like Colorado and like what their expectation should be for this coming year is a fascinating Discussion point and I think we need to have that conversation for an entire show even

Yeah, Steve in San Antonio with a great point. You're three and we're going to see if Dion can really coach or not. That's really what this comes down to is how good is this staff? And, you know, I they went got Julian Lewis. So that's seemingly your quarterback of the future guy who was committed to USC for a long time, big time prospect from Georgia. But I don't think they got him to start this year because they went and got Caden Salter from Liberty. Well, this is, this bothers me.

Wolverine scoop here in the chat. We already know he can't coach. Did you watch them play last year? Like they were a very well coached team. I thought, I think we feel like he can. I feel like one thing that we learned about him last year is that he unequivocally can coach. So all of the people who coached Colorado before.

Couldn't coach because he won more games than they did. Well, the thing too is like when you say can't coach, does that mean on Saturdays or does that mean being the coach of your team? Like those are two different things like can you be a program builder? I think he's done that. I think he's done that to a certain extent, to a great extent considering where they were

and what they became. I don't know how much of that production, because their receivers were awesome. Like Jimmy Horn was awesome last year. Like they have really good players. Well, Jontay Wester too. That's the other thing is- Jontay Wester was the most underrated player

in college football last year. Yeah. That's the question is how do theyrated player in college football last year. Yeah. That's the question is how do they replenish there? And they have some interesting pickups. Like Jaheem Otis is a guy who played at Alabama the last few years. He's defensive tackle. All of the traits that you want.

But he's had injury issues. Yeah. If he's healthy, there's nobody like him in the Big 12. If he's not healthy, then it just him in the big 12. If he's not healthy, then it just works out the same way as it did. So that's the part that we've got to find out. And we don't know the answer to that. And I have like, here's the thing.

And that's why I think the Georgia Tech coming to them week one is so interesting. Georgia Tech is a known quantity now. Like we know Brent Key is going to have really good players on both sides of the line of scrimmage. They've got Haynes King. They've actually got a very deep quarterback room at Georgia Tech behind him so. This will be a big test for Colorado and a big test for Georgia Tech.

Yes, so. Moving on. I don't know if this is a sleeper, but Clemson, are they back? They got a really good roster. I think it's gonna be really good. I'm on on board made it very clear. I think they're going to be a playoff team that they probably could be a top four seed without the the seating rules changing. Are they a sleeper? I don't I

wouldn't call him a sleeper. I think I think a lot of us are predicting that Clemson's gonna be really good in the best team in the ACC and and potentially a top three or fourteen. Okay, I'm with you on that next one. Andy, James Franklin watch like are we to get the next? I mean, they got both running backs back. Kate Ron Allen and Nick Singleton drew hours coming back. Um, but they denied Dennis Sutton, uh, DDS really, really good player on the defensive side of the ball. Like they, are they going to just

beat somebody that they just constantly lose to next year? And like, are they going to take, they go to Columbus and beat Ohio State? Like that's, that's really it is because we saw James Franklin in a couple of playoff games. We saw him in the thick of the semi final game. I mean, look, if your hour doesn't throw that pick when he does, it might've been Penn State and Ohio State in the national title game. Yep. So that's that's the next frontier for James Franklin is can you go beat in Ohio State now the entire front half of the season at home? By the way, this non-conference schedule the biggest argument

for a Super League. Nevada FIU Villanova. Yeah. I don't want to make any arguments for the Super League, even if non-conference games suck. Well, these schools keep making them for you. Like don't schedule somebody good for God's sake. Like come on.

I mean the fact they don't play Pitt every year just annoys me. Next storyline Andy and then we'll wrap this thing up here. Or, you know, I'll put them into two, which teams will break out? You know, Florida, Illinois, Louisville, Auburn, Clemson, South Carolina, Kansas State, BYU, LSU and Iowa State all come to mind. Um, and then of course the, the next storyline too is stepping stone seasons. Um, Notre Dame made the national title game. What, what does that mean for the stepping stone of their program?

Right, like what does that mean next year? In terms of like, what do we expect from them? What do you need to see from Marcus Freeman out of Notre Dame next year? Another trip to the semis to say, hey, Notre Dame is real. Because obviously, you can't just expect that they're going to improve, because improving means winning the national title Of course, I think Oregon is in that conversation for stepping stone seasons Oregon has gotten better

Every year under Dan Lanning, but last year finished with a pretty big disappointment Oregon season this year and who they have and what they do I think is a very fascinating thing to track in terms of like where Oregon fans are they like stepping into a position where they're you know Expecting to do better than last year again, and are they better? I think LSU is an important stepping stone position right now because LSU You know, they won their side of the SEC a few years ago, but has been pretty marginally

Disappointing the last two years, especially considering the fact that you know They wasted one of the greatest offenses will ever see With a really bad defense and they've got a lot of players did really well in the portal this year and then lastly This is what I'm gonna write about after this stepping stone seasons Miami. Where's Miami next year? You know, they went out and get Carson Beck I think that last year was disappointing in the sense that they didn't make the playoff, but they were much, much better than they had been. They're all in the right direction, I feel like.

You know, maybe LSU isn't in the right direction, but the other three are. Is Miami in the right direction? Like, is Carson Beck a better quarterback than Cam Ward for Miami? They're in the right direction as of right now. Like, next year we're going to find out if they're still in the right direction as of right now. Like next year we're gonna find out if they're still in the right direction and I don't know too it's just like weight loss right? When you're losing weight for me I'll tell you you know it's been a pretty steady pace down but you have days and weeks where you're up a little. Like is it okay in the build to go 10 and two narrowly missed the playoff

and then go eight and four one year and still be on track or if you have to get better every year before you break out you you can yeah there can be fits and starts especially because once you get to the 10 win level like winning going from 10 to 11 is a hell of a lot harder than going from 7 wins to 10 wins. I know, but if you get to 10 and then go back to 6, then it's just like. That would be a problem. And I don't think Miami is going to do that. You know, they do play Notre Dame and Florida in the non-conference.

What do they have to do in your mind to be on track still? Eight or nine wins, I think they're fine. And then if you do better than that, that's great. Yeah. So, um they've got they've got Notre Dame, Florida. They have to play Louisville and and SMU. They miss Clemson in the regular season and now we might see them play each other in the ACC Championship game but a lot of it is, is, is Miami's defense

better. You know, they, they went and got Minnesota's defensive coordinator and he was, he was fabulous last year. Uh, Miami in 2024 is kind of a little like LSU in 2023 where the, the, the defense just, just crushed the offense and you had this great offense and a defense that let it down. So if the defense is better than the offense and you had a great offense and a defense that let it down So if the defense is better then the offense doesn't have to be as good as the cam ward version of the offense was So we'll see I mean how their young receivers develop. I think it will will will tell us a lot about how Miami winds at being Yeah, I'm thinking about stepping stones seasons or like if you just like even, you know, put it in the way of like whose seasons are most important this year to the build.

I think Michigan's in that position, right? They have a new coach. They have down year last year. And this is the first full like his first full cycle, like a real off season where he had a chance to do all of the things you can do in an off season. So, Sharone Moore, we learned more about him this year, I think, than we did last year. Although, I think we learned a lot about Sharone Moore at the tail end of last season, and it was good things. There are a lot of teams in this position, I think. I think Alabama is in that position in terms of important seasons. I think Tennessee to a certain extent, a 10 win team last year who made the playoff and got blown out in their in their first game but you know was a

pretty good team, not a great team. What are they going to be blown out by the team that then blew out the number one seed like that's where. I realize we are digressing like crazy here, but we're we're now hour and 12 minutes in. But I also feel like this should be if you're a Tennessee fan, did you watch did you watch

Ohio State do that to Oregon and go, oh, well, I guess that wasn't that bad. No, no, no, I know. But like what like River come on up here and pop up and tell me what you think. Like what is Tennessee? What are Tennessee fans hoping for this year? Um, I mean, same thing. 10, 10, two playoff first, I would say. See this, and this is, this is what we need to do. Cause we did that LSU one where we talked about what represents success for LSU. We need to have the same show for Tennessee

because I don't get like what you said, and it's not so much what you said. It's the way you said it. I get this weird vibe off the Tennessee fans right now. Which is no one we know Ross, right? And we had Rocky top Tom in the chat saying he thought they might be seven and five. Now I think that's the more extreme. I don't, I don't get that for most Tennessee fans. The thing with Tennessee is that they spent all this money on a quarterback and you want to return on that. So if they go 10 and two or nine and three next year, miss the playoff even. And he's just fine.

You're what's the ROI on that investment? It's like I think you I think you want you want them to get to the semis with Nico as their quarterback at some point, right? Yeah. For sure. You got it. If they miss if they miss the playoff this year, then I think you're probably looking at it like the Ole Miss folks looked at their team last year.

It's exactly, exactly, exactly what I was thinking in my head. It's like if you have Nico coming back, I don't know what their schedule looks like in 2027 or whatever year it's gonna be, or 2026. We don't know, because the SEC hasn't made that schedule yet. Yeah, but 2026 Nico third year starter, starter like you just you have to get your money together and just go all in

Because like you you don't want to your investment to merit Ari. Well, Nico you're assuming he's gonna be there in 2026 He's leaving after this year. He can bail out for this year, right? I forgot. Sorry for my head He was a true freshman last year That's the thing you don't even know who Tennessee's true wide receiver one is at this point either Mike Matthews You guess right and they worked hard to keep him So, you know that that's it felt like Tennessee kept who they wanted to keep. I Think their defensive line. I was was deceptively deep Well, we knew it was deep last year, but I think it's still pretty deep,

even though they lost some really good players. So they're not going to just fade into the abyss, but we don't know what they're gonna be. And I think, so that's, in the chat, chime in with this, because I've gotten some good feedback on the LSU show we did. I definitely think we need to do a Tennessee version of what we did the Oregon version of this.

What other teams do you want the deep dive into? What teams absolutely fascinates you this year? I'm going to write that today. I think of the teams that on that list, I think we need an Oklahoma one and we've got yes, what sooner scoop that can come on and maybe help us out with that. And I don't know if we're too early in the off season for that.

Maybe we I mean, I don't know. You tell me we need a Georgia one or E. But like that was one that I saw like Penn State is having an important stepping stone season. I think Georgia to a certain extent is because they were good but not great last year. Penn State has a stepping stone season.

What do they do? Alabama Alabama is probably number one on the list in terms of like, are they back or are they dead? Like, you know, this is the thing is like Alabama is so like so skewed because of the Nick Saban era and the level of success there. What is what is Alabama being back mean? Because if Alabama's 10 and two, they're still not back to what they were. They have to be in the playoff next year. Yeah. They have to be. Yeah, so we need to have that discussion. You know what? We need to invite some friends on

who know these programs inside and out and have that discussion with them. So I like it, I like it. I'm seeing the next few weeks unfolding here. We just did a 20 minute segment on accident. We should have saved that, but we're gonna do it more thoroughly. That's what happened.

No, the accidental segments, the whoopsies are the best. Yeah, like that can be a separate, right? We can, you know, stepping stone seasons are teams that are having most important seasons next year or pivotal like line in the sand seasons. I don't know how you want to phrase it, but that's what we're writing in the sand season. That's a, that's some branding right there.

Do you think that's what it should be? Cause I'm, I need help. Like help me out with the headline. Stepping stone season. Stepping stone season is a good one because it implies that you are, you have an upward trajectory and if you don't Have your stepping stone season now. You're now you're falling so that I think that might be the best branding of it

For those who don't know yes It's all branding Sailor Joe, Texas Tech killed the portal. And I think this is an important season. I think you're right. Cause this feels a little like, you know, a different version of what Ole Miss did in the portal last year. Yeah.

Do you get the return? Sir. This is gonna be fun. This is gonna be fun. So yeah, by the way, tomorrow's Thursday. You know what that means. Mailbag, dear Andy, dear Ari, get your questions in. Find me, andy staples on three at gmail.com or at Andy underscore staples on social media. Find Ari at Ari Wasserman on social media. Ari dotwasseman at on3.com is the email address and also another

treat for tomorrow. We are scheduled. To talk to Washington coach Jed Fish. It took Ari's alma mater to some pretty big heights. He switched jobs. Bit of a rebuilding was in Washington last year. But if you watch the Huskies last couple games, and you're not excited about Demond Williams, Jr, their new quarterback, who boy, it's you get yourself to YouTube. Andy, what is your favorite place? Because I have people

working on the house today, and I don't want to be here while I'm writing. What's your favorite place to write at in public? Mmm. A good coffee shop. And not necessarily a national chain coffee shop. A good coffee shop that has really good drip coffee. I don't care about the lattes. And the occasional great pastry.

I feel like a coffee shop is cliche. I might take it to the mall food court. Oh, you got some stuff done in the mall. She plays. What's an edgy place you can take your laptop to? The skating rink. That's not weird. I actually tried to work in a skating rink before when I brought my kids there. Yeah, not a great place to try to work.

The music is very loud. Children skating, but I feel like I should try the food court, maybe the public library. I don't know, just somewhere I could put headphones on, be left alone. But like the thing I don't like about the library is you can't get Danish brought to you. So like, the food court would be interesting. Like would somebody bring you a bourbon chicken sample on a toothpick every five minutes? Because that sounds amazing. I used to write at the food court would be interesting. Like would somebody bring you a bourbon chicken sample on a toothpick every five minutes? Because that sounds amazing. I used to write at the food court in Columbus all the time.

I would just like go because like the mall I used to live near in Columbus had like nice booths. So we got, by the way, we got 10 more minutes before JD's show starts. Can you describe your ideal mall food court sampler platter? Cause we've had this discussion in private. I would like the people to hear this. Sampler or like what would I buy for myself for lunch?

Your dream. You have the ultimate cliche mall food court with the ultimate, like there's there's the pizza place. There's two different Asian places. There's a sandwich place that does a fresh cut fries and there's a chick fillet. What are you getting? So like the thing is,

is that this is a fantasy and I've never actually acted it out. OK, and I feel like Jeffrey Dahmer right now, but you know in a weirder way, but like it's a, no, it's a less weird way. I would get a slice of pizza, a half a sub and fries and a side of bourbon chicken. You're a psychopath.

I mean, I mean, you're an absolute psychopath. You know what the thing is, you don't have to go to a buffet to eat at a buffet. You just have to pay more, you know? I just like, one slice of pizza, a half a sandwich and fries. And a little popcorn. Because here's the thing about the food court sandwich place,

the fries are the star, the fresh cut fries are the star. The sandwiches are eh. Yeah, like is Steak Escape still in business? Remember Steak Escape? I don't know, but there's a version of that in every mall still. Charlie's now, and by the way, Charlie's has gotten into the sample game

where they've cut up a sub into 30 pieces and give you a little look. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've had that. But I think that bourbon chicken is the mall food court. Like I feel like if you like talking about Thanksgiving sides, you can't have that discussion without stuffing. Like I don't think you can talk about the mall food court without bourbon chicken.

But the thing is you're eating your bourbon chicken with a slice of pizza, not on a slice of pizza, but with a slice of pizza and with fries. And like I want my bourbon chicken in a pile of fried rice. That should be the t-shirt. You don't have to go to a buffet to eat at a buffet. Anything can be a buffet. If you have enough money. So during this weight loss journey, I've discovered a place in Dallas called Cowboy Chicken, not a sponsor, wish

they were. Because I used to like laugh at the notion of rotisserie chicken restaurants. I'm like, why would you make a rotisserie chicken restaurant when you can go to a grocery store and buy one for six bucks? Also to too, everybody never Kenny Rogers roasters chicken. But at the same time, too, like rotisserie chicken, I've never been like, Oh, what do you want for lunch? You know what rotisserie chicken, man, that's that's really hitting it for me. Like, that's just like what healthy people eat out of necessity. And I went to this rotisserie chicken restaurant yesterday called Cowboy Chicken. Then I got a half chicken. Bro, it was so freaking good. And like, I'm gonna go there until I get sick of it, because it's like the healthiest lunch a human being can eat. Um, you know, get some greens and get a half chicken. And it's like, rotisserie chicken is really good when it's soft. And it's like rotisserie chickens really good when it's soft.

Also, there's a partillos in Dallas, and they've got a great fried fish sandwich if you're ever in the market for that. As Ari goes from healthy to unhealthy, like you vacillate. I mean, I don't know how people eat healthy and aren't miserable. You're asking the wrong person. But if everybody wants to try the Ari food court platter, just walk into your local mall and say, give me the Ari Wasserman. See, all the food court employees

should know what that means. And if you're like me and you have shame, you do it sneakily Because you don't buy it all at once and eat it together you get the pizza go to the one side of the food court eat it Then go to the sandwich shop Eat that in another spot and you do it something like dog like my dog has corners where she eats particular treats Well, I mean I it depends on how much shame you have. If you want to sit down at a mall food court table and have what I just described in front of you, you would either be looked at as

a hero or ridiculed depending on who walked by. But also to got to know this about you. And then we got to go because JD is coming on. Wetzel's Auntie Anne's where are you at? What team are you on? Auntie Anne's all the way? You're wrong. Like I love I love my friend Dan Wetzel and I don't think he gets a nickel from those pretzels. So Auntie Anne's it is. Kills Auntie Anne's. Wait, wait before we also none of these are sponsors. We're not we're we're past that point here. The best cinnamon sugar pretzel going neither one.

Sam's Club. 98 cents. Well, I don't order that ever. I get the bigger and better. I'm a psychopath. I'll get the pepperoni pretzel and I'll dip it into honey mustard. You can end this now if you want me to stop from I think people

but that is disgusting. I'm normally with you on everything, but that is disgusting. I think honey muffins are the best dip out there. Washington Coast, Jed fish and your question tomorrow.