Andy & Ari On3 - ESPN’s Stanford Steve makes some picks | Notre Dame is ready to roll in Dublin | Week 0 is Next!

Episode Date: August 25, 2023

ESPN’s Stanford Steve makes some picks | Notre Dame is ready to roll in Dublin | Week 0 is Next!Want to watch the show and the Stanford Steve Interview? Head on over to YouTube and Subscribe!https://youtube.com/live/211N7BnD38sWeek 0 is almost upon us, but we’ve already got drama surrounding a week 13 game. To open the show, the NCAA has suspended LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith for the season-opener against Florida State for participating in a paid autograph signing before NIL deals were allowed. (0:00-5:20)Meanwhile, Speaking at the Red Raider Club luncheon in Lubbock on Wednesday, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark told Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire to “take care of business” when his team closes the regular season against Texas in Austin. (5:21-12:24)This created quite a stir, and Andy can’t quite understand why. Andy breaks down the issues at hand when a commissioner of a spurned league openly roots against one of the schools that spurned the league. Also, Jim Harbaugh has named four(!) interim coaches for the three games in which he’ll be suspended. (12:25-14:59)Next, ESPN’s “Stanford” Steve Coughlin joins the show to discuss his new role as the gambling analyst on College GameDay. Stanford Steve has thoughts on Notre Dame-Navy, and he throws out a few choice win totals including Ohio State, N.C. State and Houston. (15:00-52:53)BlueAndGold.com’s Tyler Horka then joins the show to prep us for the biggest game of Week 0 — Notre Dame-Navy in Dublin. What will the Fighting Irish offense look like with Sam Hartman at the helm? Will the defense be able to keep Navy from limiting possessions in the game by taking advantage of the new clock rules. (52:54-1:05:08)

Welcome to Andy Staples on three. Big newsy day today. We found out why LSU's, well, one of LSU's best players, is not playing as Florida State. And it's wild because it's something we thought would never keep someone from playing in a game again. But Mason Smith, defensive tackle for LSU, is going to miss the Florida State game. Why? Because he participated in an autograph signing session for money. I know what you're saying. That's legal now.

That's within the NCAA rules. But apparently, he and Keyshawn Boutte were involved in one of these autograph sessions before NIL launched in July 2021. And so I guess they were caught doing this because something went sideways with the person they were doing it with. It was very similar to the Todd Gurley, Georgia situation, if you remember that one. And they got turned in. Keishon Butte served his suspension last year in the Tigers 38-0 victory against New Mexico, but because Mason Smith got injured on the fifth play of the Florida State game in the season opener last year, he couldn't serve a suspension. So the NCAA was like, no, you still got to serve it, dude. So he is now serving a suspension more than two years after

the thing he did was declared completely within the rules it's i i want to meet the ncaa hardo who decided this had to happen that one of the best players in the country had to miss a game that we all want to watch because he did something that isn't actually against the rules anymore like it's like the last prohibition agent who grabbed the last bottle of hooch before alcohol was legal again like what is wrong with these people they have no i i say it every time the ncaa needs a vice president of common sense this is the person who would go guys you know this will make you look like giant a-holes don't do it and somebody goes no no he broke the rules. And you say, no, it's not against the rules anymore. Choose not to look like giant a-holes.

Make that choice. You have a choice here and it's a pretty easy one. Choose it. No one would have known or cared. Not a single person would have known or cared not a single person would have known or cared but no the people at the NCAA cannot help themselves they have to do this they have to grasp on to whatever they have left of the control remember the NCAA did two things for a hundred years. Staged events, post-season tournaments in various sports. And it does a great job of that. Still does. And they kept athletes

from getting money. Like that was the other part of the job. Keep athletes from getting money. I know what you're saying. No, they were making rules for competitive equity. Yeah, but they all involved keeping athletes from getting money. There were a couple, like coaches couldn't send people to spy on other teams' practices. That's a fairly reasonable rule. But for the most part, the rules were keep athletes from getting money. So you've got all these people whose jobs for years were to keep athletes from getting money. So you've got all these people whose jobs for years were to keep athletes from getting money. And all of a sudden they're told,

we can't let you keep athletes from getting money anymore. And they're probably like, oh man, but we went to law school so we could keep athletes from getting money. What are we going to do now? Well, at least one person in the office was like, I got this one case. I got this one. These two LSU players, they were signing autographs. It wasn't July 1st yet. I got them. Congratulations.

You got them. And now we don't get to watch Mason Smith play against Florida State. What a victory for all of us. Thank you, NCAA. Great job. You've done it again. That's okay. Moving on. There is more news. This clip crossed on Wednesday, and it was after we'd already gotten the show all locked and loaded. And I really laughed when I saw it and did not expect it to produce the kind of just discussion that it did because it's really, I mean, it seems like common sense. It doesn't seem like anything that anyone would be surprised by

or upset by, but man, it made some people upset. And I'm not entirely sure why, because what about it surprised you? What didn't you expect? Brett Yormark was talking to the Red Raider Club luncheon on Wednesday. He's the Big 12 commissioner. He's the guy that came in, helped solidify the conference, get it a better TV deal. Why was the conference in need of solidification? Oh, yeah, because Texas and Oklahoma left and left everybody for dead.

That happened. So here's what Yormark said at the Red Raider Club luncheon. In addition, candidly, we were able to get Texas and Oklahoma out a year early. That was a big deal for us. And I think all of you, okay. And coach, I'm not going to put any pressure on you, but I'm going to be in Austin for Thanksgiving, okay? And you better take care of business like you did right here in Lubbock last year. That is Brett Yormark telling Joey McGuire, the Red Raiders football coach, hey, go beat Texas in the season finale. Now, some people took this to mean that the conference commissioner saying rig the games against Texas. And I would assume by extension, rig the games against

Oklahoma. I'm not taking that from him. First of all, it's bad for business to rig games. It's not, people don't want to watch if they think the games are rigged. I don't think that's what's going on here. I think he works for the schools that will be in the Big 12 going forward. So that would be the eight schools that were, remember, left for dead by Texas and Oklahoma. And then all the other ones that have joined and will join. He doesn't work for Texas and Oklahoma.

They're not voting members anymore. Greg Sankey works for them now. He's the SEC commissioner. So what he says should matter to them, but what Brett Yormark says really doesn't matter. And guess what it would be smart for Brett Yormark to do? Curry favor with the schools that control whether he keeps or doesn't keep his job. So wouldn't it be smart if you're Brett Yormark to get on the good side of all the Texas Tech people and the Oklahoma State people and the

Iowa State people and the Kansas State people. Because remember, when Texas and Oklahoma left for the SEC in 2021, and they said, oh, we'll leave as soon as the contract's over. Then they negotiated a deal to get them out by 2024. When they left, the Big 12 was quite destabilized. If you were Iowa State, if you were Kansas State, you were very worried about your future. And let's be real about this. If the Pac-12 were more competently managed, it would have pillaged the best of what was left of the Big 12 and solidified itself. Instead, Bob Bowlesby, who was then the commissioner of the Big 12, moved very quickly to get four more schools.

Those are the ones joining this season, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF. And then Yormark, when he replaced Bob Bowlesby, started trying to expand some more. So the Texas fans and Oklahoma fans going, well, you turned around and raided other conferences. Yes, they had to because you left them because they were vulnerable because you left. Do I think that the Big 12 is going to rig games?

I do not. Do I think that anybody's going to order the officials to screw Texas and Oklahoma and calls? I don't. Do I think they're going to order the officials to screw Texas and Oklahoma and calls. I don't. Do I think they're going to laugh their asses off if it's a TCU-Baylor or a Kansas State-Texas Tech Big 12 championship game? Oh, I absolutely do. Now, here's what you can do if you're Texas and Oklahoma. And you really want to stick it in their eye on the way out to the SEC.

Because they are going to be salty in every game you play. They're going to be very salty. You beat them all. Play for the Big 12 title. Lock all of them out of the Big 12 title game. You're supposed to be better than them anyway. So that shouldn't be a big problem. You know, Texas especially, this is the most talented team Texas has had in years. Texas will be favored in all of its games against those teams and probably against Oklahoma as well. So this is what happens. You left them. You did the thing that was best for you, and that's fine. But they're allowed to feel however they want to feel about it. And if they want to make fun of you for the entirety of this season, they're going to. And you can suck it up and beat them. If you would like to silence

them, just beat them. You have better players, according to the recruiting rankings. So that should be no problem. As Blake points out in the comments, Bowlesby went to George Kliavkoff, Pac-12 commissioner, after OU and Texas left and asked for a merger. George Kliavkoff said no. Yes, they would not have merged probably though. They probably, if they had taken some,

they would have taken what they wanted and left the rest. And that could have left some schools in the position that Oklahoma, sorry, that, that Oregon state and Washington state find themselves in now. And that's, that's just no good. So I just, I, I laugh at the reaction to this because it's not like any of this should be shocking. This is exactly how they should feel. 100% how they should feel.

They should hate you. And that's okay. It is okay if they hate you. Just beat them and you don't have to worry about them yelling at you. But if you can't beat them, you're going to have to deal with a lot of mocking and a lot of celebrating. Because they were put in a very vulnerable position by you guys. It's only fair. So they're not going to rig the games, but they are going to make fun of you.

So just suck it up. One more thing before we get to a big interview with Stanford Steve Coughlin, the new College Game Day gambling analyst. You know him, you love him from the Scott Van Pelt edition of SportsCenter. One more big news story. Jim Harbaugh, who is sitting out the first three

games of university-mandated suspension, has announced who will be the interim coach, except it'll be the interim coaches. Multiple coaches. Defensive coordinator Jesse Mentor will be the interim coach in the season opener against East Carolina. Against UNLV, Jay Harbaugh will get the first half as interim coach. Mike Hart will get the second half. And then against Bowling Green, Sharon Moore, the guy we all think ultimately could be Jim Harbaugh's successor, the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. He will be the interim coach against the Falcons. So there you have it. Jim Harbaugh doing essentially the same thing he did with quarterbacks last year.

Remember, he started Cade McNamara in game one, J.J. McCarthy in game two, and said, we'll see who plays better. Probably all the while knowing it was going to be J.J. McCarthy, that that was the way you say, well, we gave everybody a chance and then gracefully allow JJ to ascend past Cade McNamara, who'd been the starting quarterback on a Big Ten title team. Now he's doing it with the interim coaches. I do enjoy that Harbaugh seems to be having fun with his NCAA suspension for Cheeseburger Gate.

This does seem to be the... He probably enjoyed cooking that up, but be curious to see how it goes. I don't know that it's going to affect the Wolverines in any of those games. They're going to be obscenely more talented than their three first opponents and they should win those games pretty handily. And that brings Harbaugh back in time for the Rutgers game. Big 10 opener. We will see what happens, but I do enjoy that Harbaugh seems to be enjoying all of this. Now, something I know you will enjoy. Stanford Steve, known him for years.

He is one of the best college football analysts out there. Kind of a guy behind the guy and fortunately Scott Van Pelt recognized that and put the man in front of the camera so everybody could see how amazing he was and how much he knows uh played tight end at Stanford was a big time recruit coming out of Connecticut back in the day it was pre-star system but he would have been a five star and just one of one of the best minds covering college football, and he's deep in it right now, getting ready for his first full-time year on college game day.

Ladies and gentlemen, Stanford Steve. Joined now by a very special guest, Stanford Steve Coughlin. You know him, you love him from the Scott Van Pelt edition of SportsCenter, but now he is the newest member of the College Game Day crew. He's also got to go to all the Monday Night Football games for the Van Pelt show, so the man is never going to sleep this fall. What's up? How are you, man? Good to see you. You were one of the first people that reached out when the

news came out it's been a work in progress uh obviously all the unfortunate moves that you know disney espn has made but it's part of the business right and um you know you and i have been on this god i was thinking about that it had to be what 2010 so here's here's how we met 2009 yeah here's how we made it oh yeah it was alabama yeah it was penn state alabama so yeah it would have been 2000 2010 i think is when they played in tuscaloosa and i was a big fan of of the van pelt and rusillo radio show and i would always jog around a campus you know when i was there the day before a game. And I knew that you guys were set up in the quad at Alabama. So I just jogged by and I'm like, hey, I work for Sports Illustrated. I listen to you guys all the time.

Just want to say hey. And you're like, Andy, what's up? And I was like, oh, wow, you guys just know who I am. Holy crap. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.

So that, yeah, because Ryan and and i actually that's the trip we went to see cam newton's first game in starkville i believe that thursday night oh yeah yeah i was there with pete thamel we ate at petty's barbecue i ate pig face right before that game uh yeah so i mean it's just crazy man when you think about the time that goes by and we're around the same age and, you know, know all the same games and places. And, no, it's awesome. Seeing what you've done is absolutely incredible. And I can't keep up with you, man.

Every morning, I mean, we're on different schedules, obviously, but I'm waking up to your videos and stuff. So, I appreciate what you're doing. And let's get this season started, man. I can't take any more of the nonsense. Has it not felt like the talking season has gone longer this year than ever? And I know we say that every year. But so, you know, media day started a month and a half ago.

Yeah. There will be a game Saturday. Thank God. No, no doubt. And like, I get it, you guys. And when I say you guys, it's all, you know, everybody, any college football entity. And I'm on vacation and I'm like just scouring.

Then I'm like, can we talk some depth charts? Can we talk, you know, Q talk you know qb battles can we find out some old line depth and it and i get it it's all the alignment stuff and then i got to a point where i'm listening to some radio shows and they're asking callers what do you want to hear alignment or talking season yeah i'm like please let's talk some stuff on the field so yes it's good to be here. I get what everybody has to do in covering their butts and with different editors and different companies

and what interests people and what people want traction on. I get it. But the games are here. Let's talk games. Let's talk personnel. Let's talk big picture. This season has so much on the cusp of what we could have with teams that haven't been in the mix for so long uh quarterback battles at top-notch schools court coaches

handling quarterback situations differently um i just love it and the best thing is we got some flavor out west which feels great because we're gonna have an unbelievable season in the pac-12 and then poof it's gonna be gone but that's fine we're concentrating on have an unbelievable season in the Pac-12 and then poof it's going to be gone but that's fine we're concentrating on the now we will talk about your alma mater and its situation later we but I do want to talk football and and we do have games this weekend Notre Dame takes the field in Dublin against Navy Sam Hartman his debut as Notre Dame starting quarterback I I'm I'm excited to see this because you know i i loved watching sam play at wake forest he's going to be behind a better line than he's ever played played behind i don't know

if his receivers will be equal to or as good but the backs will be good so what what do you see from from notre dame you know early on it's we did a little thing on the show last night and scott asked me what i was most looking forward to and obviously i get it the defending heisman trophy winner uh is out there playing in the coliseum and yes i do have the app so i will be watching on the factual network but the biggest thing is seeing sam hartman andy in the notre dame uniform not doing the slow measure, walk the dog offense, like him under center, him in the shotgun with a pro-style offense. I mean, this is a guy, I mean, you've talked about him. Everybody loves the kid.

He's the all-time ACC touchdown pass leader. I was looking it up. He averaged over 300 yards passed in the last two years. Notre Dame has had two guys in the history of the program, and I get it. Notre Dame has been, you know, an option team for the majority of their existence. But Jimmy Clawson and Brady Quinn were the only guys to average throwing for over 300 yards a game in a season. He's done it the last two seasons.

And Brady Quinn's the all-time leader in touchdown passes in a season. I believe it's 37. And Hartman's thrown 38 last year and 39 the year before. So what I'm excited for, and I said it last night, I'm not an under name fan. I never have been. I never will be. But my two favorite things ever of Notre Dame are gone. And that's Michael Mayer and it's Tommy Reese.

I absolutely love those two guys. But they're on, you they're going their own routes. But what I would say is I would be optimistic if I'm a Notre Dame fan because you've had lackluster quarterback play, and I love Ian Book, great college quarterback. There were some insufficiencies when they got to have to play Bama or Clemson again in that playoff atmosphere Sam Hartman is a guy who has pro potential that is going to be better in those situations he's going to give you a better opportunity because now with the game changing

you know you have to score when you get to the postseason and Sam Hartman's going to give you that chance and you mentioned the wide receivers I still think Wake Forest did a darn good job of getting you know playmakers around him but it's Notre Dame they're still going to have guys right um so I'm super fired up I the one thing I will be wary of is in this week one matchup if he does you know I see them throwing the ball down the field they're going to have size and speed advantage on the perimeter, as you do. And Navy knows this. They're up against it every week. Don't overreact to what we see in the Notre Dame pass game

because of the advantages. You know, good teams are going to take advantage and get the ball to their best players. I could see Notre Dame having a big day throwing the ball with Sam Hartman. But what's it going to look like when Ohio State comes to town against a formidable secondary? But again, I want to be optimistic for Notre Dame fans because Sam Harmon is the real deal, and he brings that stuff to the table.

Well, and Navy will also suck possessions out of the game with the way they play on offense. Unless Notre Dame's defense is just stoning them three and out every time, which I think they gained five and a half yards of play on the ground against Notre Dame's defense is just stoning them three and out every time, which I think they gained five and a half yards of play on the ground against Notre Dame's defense last year. So I don't know if that'll happen. But, yeah, they might not have that many opportunities to throw it. No, it's a fascinating game, too, because of the new clock deals.

Like, what if Navy gets the lead? You know, they like to play minimal possession games. How much does that affect? That's where I think you're going gonna see the difference is in the ball control teams when they're getting first downs and now they get another 45 to run it off and they'll take it all the way down um i will say i was at the notre dame navy game in baltimore last year and navy in the second half got back they were down multiple yeah they were down bad and all they did was blitz the bag out of pine. So I don't think you're going to be able to do that against Sam Hartman,

knowing the advantages I just talked about on the outside. So it's a, you know, Newberry was the DC. Now he's the head coach. Navy's going to play a different quarterback than they had. Our line, I don't think is going to win that job. So it's, it's a lot going into it. And Navy's fired up with what they have uh end of the year strong after a rough start we know what happened uh with the coaching change but um

they're i mean it's in their it's in their blood right they're not afraid of anybody so it'll be fun i'm just wondering about the surface i played in the old natural surface in south bend and that's the worst surface i ever played on this This, I'm guessing, will be up there in that category of being a bad surface. I don't know what Irish grass looks like. I know the speed guys will be changing cleats pregame if they haven't already gotten a practice on that surface. I will guarantee you that. I do know the credit card machine stopped working

when Nebraska played Northwestern last year, and they just gave away the beer, which notre dame fans will if that happens the notre dame fans will finish off the beer in 3.4 seconds yep that's a fact those guys i i did a uh a notre dame club golf tournament over the year and man they get after after it. Everybody thinks these Notre Dame people are hoity-toity like rich people. They get down. No, they're there. They're at the game for multiple reasons. Yes.

So are there any other week zero games that, that really intrigue you? I mean, Caleb Williams will be playing, but I mean, I like UMass New Mexico State, Don Brown against Jerry Gill. Hey, UMass better be careful not being looking ahead to that trip to the Plains next week. They got to go to Las Cruces first. Jerry Gill took him to a bowl game last year. I know. It's got a tattoo off of that thing. I do want to see Vanderbilt. I'm not talking about the stadium i'm talking about what's on the field uh i know they're they're happy and you know clark built that

thing from the bottom up and you know it's in that conference it's about being building a formidable roster you know what you're getting into every week in that in that conference and what do they look like are they you know swan looks like he's going to be the quarterback um they talk about the speed and talent they have on the perimeter uh and what the hell does hawaii look like you know timmy chang was in a horrible situation uh last year and you saw that but they were in games at the end of the year uh go having to go to those you know mountain west teams and playing bad weather they were they were in a bunch of games late in the year uh and then i would think Maction going out west is very interesting.

San Diego State was a totally different team when they made the move back quarterback and made Lindley the play caller. So San Diego State's got some chances to play some Pac-12 teams after this and make a mark. So it's just a little forecasting. You know, the biggest thing. And I think every game has interest in week zero and week one, because you want to see these guys in new uniform for the first time.

And it's always like Hank Bachmeier is going to be playing for law tech. Like that guy made his name in week one, when a couple of years ago in Tallahassee. So yeah, yeah. There's plenty to see. And I just can't wait like i said we're on the field let's talk about what's happening on the field who okay so who is the person you're most excited to see in a different like i want to see jt daniels playing for rice yep because this is fourth different team um i'm very interested in peyton thorn at auburn i think that situation is is fascinating uh i saw keon coleman up close and personal at florida state practice this week wow yeah that's that's all i can say about that so he's a dude uh i think it's graham mertz

i really do because you still talk to what happened in Wisconsin. I get he's still held against his recruiting ranking in that first game against Illinois, but there's still a reason Billy Napier went and got him. And I get it. There was other guys out there. But seeing what they're about and where their roster is and what's looking forward and how promising it looks but knowing what billy napier has done in prior stops i'm kind of confident in florida now the schedule is an absolute bear yeah we get it but if you could

like i look at florida right like if you could go out to Utah and compete and get that game close like you got something to build on whereas I look at a team like Colorado like all this stuff they've built up all season if they go to Fort Worth and get their doors blown in like where you got to pick it up and you got to be ready for as hungry a team as there is in the Big Ten with a coaching staff with Matt Rule that you know that team's going to be buttoned up. So where is the mentality of these teams with all these new faces and new places

after a week one game when you finally can figure out, you know, we had Lincoln Riley on the show with Scott last night and he just talked about, you know, we don't get preseason games. We don't get intra squad scrimmages with other teams. You practice with what you got and then you go out and just throw it against the wall and then you got some tape to evaluate like that it's it's almost like a pre-season game but it's not it's for real yeah so you lose it it is it is one that

people talk about for years and it gets held over your head for it for the whole season uh so and we've had some monster we uh matchups you know in the weeks after that. So I would put Graham Mertz on there because I just want to see it. I know what Billy wants to do in running the football, which is kind of what they want to do at Wisconsin, but they felt that the Wisconsin defense wasn't good. And where's the Florida defense? You need a good defense in this sport to travel because you have to play well on the road.

And the defense is travel. Yeah, the confidence that you get from the Florida folks is because they feel like their defense is better than it's been in a while. They're a little deeper on the D-line. They got a transfer from Memphis named Cam Jackson, a D-tackle, and a guy named Caleb Banks from Louisville who they feel like can come in.

And it's weird because you're like, oh, they had Jervon Dexter. And how did they not do it? But apparently the guys around dexter were so young and now they feel more confident so that's where the confidence from florida's coming from i think five and a half as a total is too low i don't think they're going to win the sec east but i can see them winning six or seven yeah i think like i said you got to get out of Salt Lake healthy with a with a you know decent mindset and showing I think they can win that outright if if rising doesn't play Steve no doubt no doubt uh big if but yeah they they have I would think they have

the personnel to to go there uh and and do that but I think as long as you have a good feeling about yourself out of that game and everybody obviously wants to win and that's what we judge everybody on, but where we really see it. Isn't that early a visit from Tennessee? That's where I think, because I still was impressed with what they did in Knoxville, a couple, you know,

breaks here, you know, then Tennessee blows the door open with a couple of long balls. I was impressed with their plan early on and they were in that game. And then it kind of was what they were. They didn't have that roster where you need a guys in the second half or you need guys in the first half to rotate. So your good guys are fresh in the second half.

That's where I think you'll see an improvement. And also that crowd like that. You talk about people that, I mean, you're there, they're starving. Starving to be able to make a difference. And that's where I think is a difference in anywhere in the country when you see these SEC teams that have had success, but now they know they could be a difference. They could be an uplifter for their team because they're going to need them

when an arrival comes in and the rival's ranked higher than you. That's what's awesome. And that's why I can't wait to see the swamp uh on that Saturday when when Knoxville comes to town so uh that that's my my gauge point you ever get that one you got to feel great about you're over five and a half what other season totals did you see that that just jumped out at you like this is either way too low or way too high. I looked hard at the teams coming into the Big 12, Andy. I go back and I've talked to a bunch of people. You've talked to a bunch of people. And you think it's never like, you know, I'm here in Maryland and it still doesn't feel right.

You know, they're mad that they try that people try and make ruckers their rival and they don't even want to be put in that you know when you look at the the the landscape and how many big 10 championships maryland's won across the sports compared to ruckers anyway i go back and i think about the two teams that have had success moving up it's TCU and it's Utah but you go back and look at those first years when they moved up they got waxed absolutely waxed and that's why I look at Houston uh I love coach Holgerson he's probably my favorite coach in the sport to go have a beer with or have a meal uh in any circumstance and he'll admit he's not as buttoned up or his teams aren't as buttoned up. And he, you know, prioritizes different things.

I don't think that roster is ready for this gauntlet that they have to go through this year. They got that rated in the portal too. Yeah. And I get it. I love Donovan. He brought in a QB. He hasn't really played a full season.

Tank Dell is an absolute stud. I expect him to make, you know, big plays on Sundays for the Texans. So, a brutal start. I mean, they should have lost in San Antonio last year to the Roadrunners. They get them in week one. That's a losable game. There's so many losable games. And when, you know, I talk about roster and depth and all that,

I don't think Houston's there. I grabbed a five when it first came out because I said no way. I still think they don't win over – I think it's four and a half now. I look at Houston. Another team, I look at the high ones and look at the possible losses. Ohio State, there's a bunch of losable games there. Now, everybody wants to talk about the wide receiver room. I get it.

They're absolutely outstanding. The move from heartline making the play calls now on offense and ryan day you know delegating that to him uh that's a factor i don't worry about the quarterback in a ryan day offense uh because it's so friendly and there's so many things built in for them but i do worry about the offensive line and when i think about that offensive line you got a road trip at south bend that's going to be a I mean it'll probably be a Ohio State home game but yeah there still is going to be adversity facing that game that's a game a road trip to Madison that's a losable game Penn State as you talk to them they're

feeling as good about themselves Penn State plays Ohio State tough no matter where like Penn State can't beat Michigan and Ann Arbor, but can beat them in State College. Against Ohio State, they always lose, but they always scare them. Yep. And then you got the game in Ann Arbor for Ohio State. So there's a 10.5 out there. I don't think

Ohio State goes 11-1. I think they lose multiple games. Who they are to, I don't know. But that's a shot I would take on a high win total. People are asking for the Cinderella and all that. And with teams changing, UCF was that darling. And it was Tulane last year. I think SMU has a really, really good shot of making a big, big splash this year.

When you talk about what he's done in the portal and in Rhett, I thought I feel has always done a good job of getting the ball in his best player's hands. I had two great receivers the last two years, absolutely force fed. Those guys had a lot of success. I just feel like they have more. I love the quarterback and the opportunity they have to go to norman and play tcu i i really like that team i i think they win the american i like that over eight um usc depending on the number um 10 i see there i would go under there i i'm still not sold on

the depth of the defense i know know they got guys, but again, losable games. They're going to start, they're going to be undefeated going to South Bend. That's a losable game. They get Washington at home, losable game, go to Oregon, losable, Utah, losable, UCLA, losable. So I think that's a tough road, especially when the total – now, nine and a half, I could maybe get there, but ten, I think that's a difference there. I'm in on the Florida State Kool-Aid. If they can't do it this year, I don't know when. They have everything you want. I talk about fake momentum.

That's what I call it. It's when a team has their quarterback back, their coach back, they won their bowl game. They got everything going in the right direction, direction right Florida State has that maybe more than anybody in the country uh when you talk about what they got you mentioned Keon Coleman absolute difference maker I think he's gonna be their best receiver uh you get a chance to make a mark against LSU in in week one and you got a Mason Smith yeah yeah you got an early road trip uh to clemson uh no divisions so i i look at florida state over nine and a half i i like that uh and then two other middle tier

numbers it's a wild card i'll take the candy uh with brennan armstrong and i at nc state and over six and a half i love what i saw that feels so low to me. Like every Dave Doran team, even when they disappoint, wins eight games. Correct. And this is one of those years where the hype's not crazy. That's when I like Dave Doran. You know, he's sound in whatever he does. The defense is going to be well.

That's why they're always in games on the road. I like that mix there of NC State over six and a half and the other team the problem is the matchup and the best team in their division kentucky i i really like what they've done um i think devin leary brings a whole different dynamic in a sense of game control in game experience compared to what they had with will Levis. I get Will Levis had the wow factor, but when you talk about what Mark Stoops wants to do, he wants to win games playing real good, sound physical defense. What complements that?

A good run game. It sounds like they got their offensive line solidified. Liam Cohen comes back. That's the best offense I feel like I've seen since Hal Mummey was in Lexington. So I love Devin Leary going there um I absolutely love their wide receivers uh and I just felt like they're brown yeah uh so I look at Kentucky over seven um as as an over I like uh as far as we're talking those kind of numbers that that one is is going to be fun that because I think there's a cluster in the SEC East where we really don't know what's going to happen and you know I we think Tennessee's going

to be better than that group we don't know that Kentucky could could wind up being that second best team behind Georgia Florida could be better South Carolina if you don't look at the end of last season could be better so like I'm I'm pumped about nick harbour we've talked about him a bunch on the show and i know like this is what i love about you and scott because you guys are at you know you're doing a national show that covers every single sport but you are still recruit nicks like the rest of us over here and and so you're putting that stuff on sports that are like nick harbour by the way from from your backyard there in D.C., I cannot wait to see what this guy –

and maybe he's a freshman, he doesn't know what's going on, but I'm also looking at 6'5", 240. Throw him in a bubble screen and see if he breaks a tackle. Andy, it's real. The kid is real. And being a kid that had physical advantages in high school and taking advantage of this is a whole different level with Nick Harper but you also have the factor of being in the SEC and all

the bright lights on you week one against North Carolina in a in a half to win game for South Carolina when you look at the beginning of their schedule and knowing the momentum they've created. So, yeah, it sounds like Juice Wells is ahead of schedule for South Carolina. But, yeah, I think it's a simple question of who do you pick to come in second in the SEC East. And I would go Kentucky. I get it. Tennessee has built everything. I just – I need to see more from Joe Milton.

I get it. As likable a dude as there is, has the wow as likable dude as there is has the wow factor of any that offense has a wow factor but I still think when it came down to it they made their success when Hendon Hooker had to run the ball and I don't think Milton's that kind of runner and it's another year of tape on that offense that teams have and I get you know Thornton reading everything from there. He's been an absolute difference maker. He's a kid from Oregon for them.

Squirrel will be that guy also, too. I imagine him more in the slot. But it's going to be hard for Tennessee to get back to where they were last year. And then you mount the expectations. That's a tough ask. So, here's what comes down. I like Kentucky's matchup against everybody in that division except Georgia um that that's a tough ask so i i here's the thing when it comes down i like kentucky's matchup against everybody in that division except georgia because they kind of play the same deal

right right and i don't think you know georgia exactly all right you got the new gig at game day so how often are you asked okay where are you going this week? Where are you going? We know you're going to South Carolina, North Carolina in Charlotte week one. Week two, it's got to be Tuscaloosa, right? I would think so. In this day and age, we talked about the portal, man. Like you mess with JT Daniels. I'll tell you right now, we're not going to Tuscaloosa, Bryce Beach, Texas. That's a guarantee uh but I would think with that especially um being an

ESPN game I I would think uh before the games get played you know that's one of the five games we have on the docket so um I I think I mean just from a selfish standpoint, I don't know talking to people and looking at things and watching that game last year back. I don't know, and I hate saying this because it's week two. I don't know if I'm more fired up for a game this year than that game because when you talk to people with both in and around the programs, there's a confidence that sometimes you don't get. And in the side with,

with Texas is so many guys on that staff have coached in the sec and they knew they had a chance last year against Bama, knowing that they were coming to their place, knowing the familiarity they had maybe with that roster. But they had to be perfect and they weren't, you know, a quarterback gets hurt, so many penalties, and you have Bryce Young on the other side. There's a sense that I feel that they feel like they have what they need

to go on the road in an SEC environment and get a win, which says a lot. You know, teams will say they're confident in themselves. I actually feel it this year with texas that's what's different to me uh knowing the struggles they've had the numbers everybody wants to throw i don't think that i've seen they they're they haven't been picked to win the conference since 09 yeah right it's right and wow i don't know that they've had this level of talent since 09 they haven't had this many n offensive linemen and NFL guys in the secondary and that's that's where I feel like they're different than in past years now I still want

to see them win the winnable games in the big 12 but I don't have any doubt that they'll be up for Alabama which is why I think that game's gonna to be awesome. Yeah. Yeah, and then you talk about physicality. Like, that's why I'm so excited. I'm picking Bama to win the SEC because I feel like they have that Saban mantra back. The defense. Like, the secondary is going to be better. There's no doubt in my mind there. When you talk about the front seven, I mean, talk about the weight loss with Otis. Everybody wants to talk about that kid.

Guys on the staff, you know, I have told me Booker, the guard, is their favorite player on the team, who's a kid that I am absolutely in the tank for. He grew up in New Haven, which is right down the street where I grew up from. Like, I've had my eyes on that kid since he was 10 years old, and I'm so happy for him where he's come from and this opportunity he has and knowing what the player he's become but Bama getting back to that run game like that's that's where I'm really excited and I feel like

could take the onus off whoever the quarterback is yeah uh you know knowing that those guys have their different strengths uh so when you look at that and what Bama like it go back and watch that I mean Texas the defensive line of Texas gave it to Bama last year. In that game, Bama could not do anything offensively and Bryce, you know, pulled one out like he always does. So that's, that's what I'm excited about is the physicality that that's going to bring to the table and Texas on offense, like plenty of toys to play with. I'm expecting a step up from JT at tight end for them.

He has it in him, you know, but again, that's physicality. And you need that against Bama when you go and play them on the road. But, you know, the Murphy kid and Collins up front for them on, on the defensive line are absolute monsters. And those, those are the guys I look at when you go on the road. If they dictate, you're going to have success. So that's why I'm so fired up for that matchup. So with this game day cast, are you keeping McAfee out of trouble

or is he keeping you out of trouble? How's that going to work? He's been awesome. Again, like one of the first guys. When Bear had to make the decision uh you know it happened you know between i believe the championship saturday and new year's day and i got the invite to go do game day at the peach bowl go do game day at the rose bowl and then be out there for the national championship and i'll tell you being being up there on the desk

uh you know with with mcafee punching the thigh as you're talking, it gets real, real fast. But he's been great. We've had a great relationship. He's one of one. When you talk about what he brings to the table, the energy aside, that's what I appreciate, knowing the environments that we're going to be in week in and week out and how smart he is.

Like, he sees stuff that I just – we'll be watching games together, and it's just – and I get it. He wants to see the leg of the punter. I understand that. But even, you know, when the punter's not on the field, he's picking out stuff that I'm not even looking at. So, it's a great dynamic to have. I think everybody brings something to the table.

I can't wait to mix it up on Dez. I think I'm going to be with him on College Football Live on Fridays from site, so that'll be fun. And, you know, the authority and Thamel trying to break the news, you know, bothering him to see who made the travel plane. Who's out. Who didn't show up. Exactly.

So, you know, finding the rights mix and not stepping on too many toes that's the fine line that i have but uh i'm confident in what i have and those guys couldn't be more welcoming uh and the calls that we've had and and and with you know whether it's a our our meetings on on on on zoom or you know individual calls that guys have reached out it's's, it's been fun. And like I said, I'm absolutely jacked up growing up in, in our age bracket, you know, me playing out West, it was a race down to get breakfast and then get back to the room as soon as possible to lay in bed and watch the beginning of game day.

It's been a part of my life since I was playing and to be there and be on that desk week one in Charlotte is going to be something that's going to be awesome. I can't wait. That 7 a.m. game day start when you were playing out west is that's that's pretty early. It was 6 a.m. out west now 7 a.m. back then. So we held I held off as long as I could but your alma mater is involved in all this realignment stuff and you're at the shaft, let's be perfectly honest. You played tight end at Stanford, and what was it like watching all of that happen in real time? Well, it goes back because I've been thinking about this for a while uh knowing the prowess that USC and UCLA and then

Oregon and Washington like that when you're in that country you know it what they schools have built and then like even going back to 2010 and seeing Harbaugh come in and David take over and seeing them on that cusp of playing in BCS bowl games and Rose bowls and, and being that close to the playoff. And then McCaffrey comes in and like, you know, I'm telling my wife, I'm like, I have to go to the Rose bowl to see Christian McCaffrey. Like this probably is not going to happen again. There's a good chance. It's not gonna, and it hasn't. Um, and just knowing,, seeing how teams have hit this, you know, hit it while the iron's hot, you know, like a UCF got hot at the right time,

and then you see the air coming out of the ball and your program declining and knowing there's not an onus on sports, and then you see the money and going to the SEC schools and seeing the facilities and what they have and doing what they're doing for fans and tailgates and stadium atmospheres and all that. And Stanford just not having a care. And then when you get into the PAC 12 and you see the lack of leadership, and I remember being, it was Bryce loves a year. Stanford was playing at Arizona state.

It was the weekend game day was going at Pullman and I I'm on the sidelines, and Larry Scott asked me, hey, how long has College Game Day done a Friday show from site? And I'm looking at him like, wow. He doesn't realize that College Football Live is from site when game day is. And I'm just like, wow, this is like big. Like, that's a problem. And you don't have that that the knowing of it and in

the in the the knowledge of the landscape and and then you look down and then stanford specifically the president involved in a scandal and the ad not saying anything publicly and knowing like there's a there's been a bunch of stuff with with students on campus and you know going with the band and taking the fun away uh it's been a long time coming with students on campus and, you know, going with the band and taking the fun away. It's been a long time coming in my mind, just seeing it and hoping that it's going to change. And then, like I said, as you see the football program, we know that's the moneymaker for schools. And it's just the worst possible timing's everything.

It's been everything for all these, I mean, Utah, TCU, look at what, when they made the move, how hot they were um so it's it sucks it absolutely sucks um and then talking to people in and around whether it's you know people around the board of trustees or the higher-ups when there's a lot uh when you talk to Stanford alumni that make a hell of a lot more money than I do and there was always this sense of the Notre Dame partnership. And I couldn't believe I never believed it. And it was like, oh, when Notre Dame makes the job, I'm like, well, what if Notre Dame doesn't go? Then what? You're going to attach us to Cal like that? You can't rely on that stuff. And it was just like, oh, we'll be all right. We'll be all right. We'll be. Well, you're not all right.

You're not all right. And there was no plan. And, again, from the leadership of the conference to the leadership of the university, when you talk about the onus on sports, it wasn't there. And I get going back to 2020 and COVID in the states having restrictions, but you look at what the SEC was trying to do to get guys on the field and play and get games played for the fans to come back to. There was none of that. And I'm not saying that we're hiding behind that. I get it.

There were restrictions, but there was no outgoing this, you know, it felt like, and it caught up to him. It absolutely caught up to him. And it's, it's brutal because I still think, I mean, you've been all of them. Every PAC 12 campus brings something to the table. Yeah. And it's different in PAC 12 teams would always get penalized for going on the road and losing in conference. Whereas in the sec, it was like, Oh, that's a tough place to play. Well, you go to play in Tempe, Arizona,

when it's a hundred degrees and a 10 o'clock game at night, you tell me how how easy right that is pullman pullman's not an easy place to play and and and i'll tell you right now looking at those good teams have to go to corvallis this year good luck because that stadium's done again you talk about a hungry fan base um and it's just like i said it's it all i could say is it sucks man it really does because there's been so much good in living it. And to see there was just a lack of a plan is just really sad. Well, hopefully they get this figured out.

You may be future ACC, former ACC star Steve Coughlin. So we'll see how that goes. But I cannot wait to see you on game day every week. I'm so excited for this. It is going to be a blast. And it has been a pleasure today. And, of course, I'll just be texting you all the time during games anyway. So just keep it up.

Like old times, my man. Nothing changes. Nothing changes. We're game watchers and we finally get them this saturday let's just say that thank god stanford steve thank you so much absolutely my man yes we do get games this saturday and one of those games is going to be dublin navy and notre dame and we need to break that sucker down. The Fighting Irish have traveled to Dublin. They are on site.

Our man Tyler Horka from BlueAndGold.com, that's on 3's Notre Dame site. He will be taking a red eye tonight to Dublin. But first, he's going to break down this game for us. We welcome Tyler Horka of Blueandgold.com talking Notre Dame. Tyler's got a red eye tonight to Dublin. The Fighting Irish took one last night to Dublin. So they, as we speak, are in Ireland, probably about to go to bed now, right, Tyler? Yeah, I guess it's only five hours ahead, but when you factor in that red eye, I mean, just working for this game and preparing for it, previewing it, there were some nights this week where I was like, it's eight o'clock. Can I go to bed already? Just

because the days were so long. So when you factor in a red eye and going to sleep in a different country than you slept the last time you went to bed, yeah, I'd say they're about ready to go to bed. So this will be the first look at a very new Notre Dame team. Sam Hartman takes over at quarterback. Jared Parker takes over as the offensive coordinator. Tommy Reese is at Alabama now. How different an offense should we expect from Notre Dame? I think it's going to

be pretty different. And I think it's just going to be because you're adapting to personnel more so than it's going to be different because you're going from Tommy Reese to Jared Parker. Look, Jared Parker is probably going to incorporate some Tommy Reese elements into his offense. There's a reason that Nick Saban, the greatest coach in college football history, went out and got a guy like Tommy Reese. There's a reason Tommy Reese has been talked about as being a potential NFL offensive coordinator. He has some good concepts and Jared Parker would be smart to use them, but he would also be smart to say, hey, I have Sam Hartman as my quarterback. I'm going to let this guy do what he does, which is throw the football down the field. And sometimes that means getting the ball out of his

hands quickly, too, because he's a very accurate passer on slants and such. His completion percentage at Wake Forest probably wouldn't tell you that. But I mean, the slow mesh is a completely different deal. Playing at Wake Forest is a completely different deal than playing at Notre Dame. So I think you see Sam Hartman throw the ball down the field quite a bit, but then you also see some of that ground and pound that made Tommy Reese so popular at Notre Dame when everything was going his way, because you have Audrick Estime, a really good running back, and you have four other scholarship running backs as his compliments that are going to be really good too. And then of course, you might have the best offensive tackle in the country

and Joe Alt and two other returning starters on that offensive line. So there's a lot of pieces that Jared Parker can use. And I think that's what you see from this Notre Dame offense this year. It's kind of just adapting to personnel and letting these guys do their thing. So you mentioned Estime. Logan Diggs is at LSU now. He would have been the running mate back there with estimate who of the younger guys might that be now yeah so you got a couple sophomores in jabron pain and jadarian price jabron pain is the guy who only has two carries for five yards but

he's number two on the notre dame depth chart right now i think it's going to be one of those things where you just kind of feel it out and let these guys see what you have. Cause you also have a true freshman in Jeremiah Love who might be in self-proclaimed is the fastest running back on this team. He told me when we were interviewing him a couple of weeks ago, like, yeah, I am the fastest. And I think Dylan McCollum, Notre Dame's running backs coach has realized that. And he said, okay, if this guy can provide something that these other running backs can't as good as they may be at what they do, then yeah, you got to get a guy like that on the field. And then you have kind of the wild card in Penn State transfer, Devin Ford, who only has something like 20 carries in the last couple of college

football seasons, but he looked really good in camp. Maybe not a guy that is as strong as Audrick Estimay or is as fast as Jeremiah Love, but definitely a guy that is as strong as Audrick Estime or is as fast as Jeremiah Love, but definitely a guy that does all of those things, you know, running between the tackles, pass blocking, catching the ball out of the backfield. He does them all at a good to great level, maybe not an elite level. So he's a guy that you kind of have to get on the field and see what you have in him. If you're going to go to the transfer portal and get a power five player like that, you got to at least give him some reps and see what you have. So it's a mixed bag at the running back position. The one constant, the one thing that you know that you have is Audrey Guest of Maine.

He's going to get the bulk of the carries game in and game out. But as you know, at this level, you need multiple running backs to do your thing. That's why LSU went out and got Logan Diggs from the transfer portal to reunite with Brian Kelly, because they know that that's a really good back. LSU is going to have really good backs every year, but the more the merrier. So it's going to be interesting to see how it plays out. I think any given day there could be a different RB2 for Notre Dame. And that speaks to what they have depth wise in the room. But then also just kind of the nature of college football, where if the guy has the hot hand,

you got to let him ride it. So this game last year was, was 35, 13 at halftime ended 35, 32, you know, and basically at halftime, we're like,

we're turning this off that great brain, Lindsay catch, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then it's one of those,

you turn back on in the fourth quarter, like what the hell is happening here yeah Navy was grinding it out on the ground they were lighting up Drew Pine with blitz after blitz after blitz how what did Notre Dame learn from that situation yeah it was a perfect storm for Navy I will say that Michael Mayer whiffed on a block. You don't see that often. I think it was Logan Diggs, speak of the devil, who whiffed on a block. He's a pretty good pass pro guy generally. It's just those blitzes really got to Notre Dame.

So I think that's what they learned. And Brian Newberry, obviously the defensive coordinator at that time, is now the head coach. So it's not like any of that has gone away. But they did kind of tip their hand even in a loss like you said still lost 35 to 32 where they're not going to catch Notre Dame by surprise with those blitzes because a lot of that didn't come in the first half and that's why it was 35 to 13 the Notre Dame offense was humming along but then all of a sudden Brian Newberry said okay we're going to throw what we have at them and see if they can handle it Notre Dame could not so the So the things that Notre Dame learned, they're going to be ready for that kind of stuff.

And even though I think you see less of it from Navy because there isn't that element of surprise anymore, but they also learned that Navy plays hard and they're going to play to the fourth till the final whistle blows in that fourth quarter. And there were a lot of people there in Baltimore, Maryland that day who were kind of wearing the Notre Dame blue and gold and green. And they were like, man, is this really going to happen? Because it did get to that point. I remember sitting there in that stadium saying, geez, Navy is actually really coming back

and could quite possibly win this thing at the end. I don't think you see that. So I think you see Notre Dame take Navy seriously for 60 minutes. Not to say that they kind of gave up and gave in because all credit to Navy for what happened in that second half. But I don't think you see the same script where Notre Dame kind of eases off the gas pedal a little bit and lets Navy back into that thing and kind of some self inflicted wounds as well. There was an interception from Drew Pine. I think you tell Sam Hartman, hey, take care of the ball. I know you tell Sam Hartman, hey, take care of the ball. I know you're going to want to throw for a lot of touchdowns in this game, but just

make sure you don't throw any interceptions in the second half and we should be good. What have the Notre Dame coaches said about the clock rules, you know, playing as a Navy team that is going to try to take possessions out of this game? I mean, if they get first downs, they're going to drain that play clock, I would imagine. Yeah, it could be a situation where Notre Dame knows it might only have one or two possessions in the first quarter, maybe only three, four or five in the first half. So what Marcus Friedman said is, like I was just telling you about Sam Hartman, take care of the football. Don't throw those picks that give the ball right back to Navy, because we might not see it again for 10 minutes. I mean, Navy has been known to go on those 10

minute life-sucking drives that are even, they make a bigger impact when they end in six or seven points as well. There's a lot of times where Navy will have the ball for seven or eight minutes and you just get the ball back anyway. And if you're leading the football game, that doesn't really matter. It just gets you closer to that finish line. But if Navy is staying in the game and finishing those longer drives with touchdowns, then every single Notre Dame possession on offense at that point becomes so much more important. So it's not just a Sam Hartman thing either. Audra Castabay had some fumbling issues in the middle of last season. It's don't put the ball on the ground. When it's third and short, you got to make sure you connect on that and move the chains because third and short. And if you're on your own side of the field, or maybe even near the 50, and you're thinking, oh man,

I don't want to go for this and give Navy a short field because short field for them means five or six minutes to go 50 yards where for anybody else, could be a minute or two so it's it's all about taking care of the ball finishing drives third down offense is huge and third down defense is huge too because if you can get navy off the field and limit them to a two or three minute possession then i mean that's huge in a game like this so how how much is the the schedule piece of this different for notre dame in terms of preparing to defend the triple option? Because they've had all offseason. You look at the schedule last year.

They had just played Clemson. They had Boston College the next week. They had USC two weeks later. It feels like there's a little more time to emphasize what you've got to deal with against Navy. Yeah, Marcus Freeman said this week that it's 100% an advantage to play Navy in the first week of the season. And then the very next day, we asked some players and they said the same thing. You got to look at it from a player's perspective where you're playing all these

fundamental teams. I mean, college football is what it is these days. You're preparing for the spread and chunk it down the field, but you got to stay up near the line because the team could gas you you know throwing to set up the run these days is huge in college football navy is just a complete crap shoot because it's anything it's everything and everything it's the triple option especially this year where navy's saying it's gonna throw it a little bit more with the new offensive coordinator grant chestnut from kenesaw state So I'm kind of interested to see what Navy looks like from that point. It's not so much an advantage because this is Navy showing what it has with this new offensive coordinator for the first time, Notre Dame seeing it just like anybody else.

But just from a mental standpoint of not having to break up the middle of the season and say one week you're facing Caleb Williams and USC. And then the next week you're facing Navy and the triple option. That's a mess for an 18 to 22 year old to say, okay, how do these two things even make any sense? What are we doing here? Clemson and Navy don't look anything alike and they played them back to back. Exactly. So now you kind of get the benefit of marcus freeman

in your ear in march saying hey the first guys we play our navy so think about it now think about it in june definitely think about it in august that hasn't been the case since uh has it been since 2012 since these two teams played first i don't know i know they played i don't think they have other than that i think that's the last time they played played in Ireland too. So this is a breath of fresh air for Notre Dame. All right. Hit the dive, man. Hit the QB, hit the pitch, man, and all will be well. Tyler, safe travels to Dublin.

Yeah. I hope I, I just found out this morning that I have a middle seat. So I've been stewing on that all day, but I might just like take a sleeping aid of some point of some sort and just say i'm gonna crash for seven hours i way make up i'm i may wake up groggy in ireland but as long as i get through that flight that's all i'm thinking about right now this is you're gonna have some pints when you get there but you might need some pints before you take off just to just to just to relax you for that middle seat experience. Thank you, Tyler.

All right, we'll see you next time. That is Tyler Horka. I cannot wait. That is a football game that will be on our televisions on Saturday, 2.30 p.m. Eastern time on NBC from Dublin. We're getting football. Our long national nightmare is finally over. Oh, I'm so excited. I know everybody else is too. We have not been able

to see a game since January. And now it's here. We're done talking. it's time to start playing the next time i talk to you football will have been played oh it's so good but before we go tonight's extra point we need to celebrate an anniversary of a cherished moment in college sports history. That's right. Two years ago today, the Alliance was formed. The Big 12, the Big 10, sorry, the Big 12 wasn't invited. They weren't cool enough because remember, Texas and Oklahoma had left and it was those eight and they weren't cool enough to be in the Alliance. So it was the Big 10, the Pac-12 and the ACC. And they had a press conference. And it was glorious. And here was my favorite question and answer.

Yeah, hey guys. I'm curious what kind of document has been signed or will be signed to formalize this alliance. How will it be legally enforceable? And will it include any language that prevents one league in this alliance from poaching members of another league? We'll go ahead and start with Commissioner Kliabkov for this. There's no signed contract. There's an agreement among three gentlemen, and there is a commitment

from 41 presidents and chancellors and 41 athletic directors to do what we say we're going to do. If there's any lack of specificity in the press release, it's because we want to make sure we could deliver 100% of what we promised. So we're aligned in how we want to approach this, but there's no contract. There's no signed document and there doesn't need to be. Yes, there does. I think that's what we learned from all this there absolutely needs to be a signed document so i am going to draft a document right now and i will sign it and i will send it out to you guys digitally and you can sign it too and it's going to say let's all get back together sunday night and talk about the football that we watched this weekend happy week zero, everybody.

We made it. Talk to you Sunday.